THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. THE House of our Dovelike Religion is simple: built on high, and in open view; looking towards the Light, as the figure of the Holy Spirit; and to the East, as the representation of Christ.-TERTULLIAN, A. D. 198. A SHORT explanation of the above diagram (for the construction of which we are indebted to the early Christian writers), may not be unacceptable to the reader of these pages. Obscure as are the vestiges of that remote period, we doubt not that the house of Prayer, of whatever extent, comeliness, or antiquity, is an object of lively interest and reverential contemplation to the faithful of these latter times. And, perhaps, the following remarks cannot be better introduced, than by collecting, as far as we are able, some account of the places set apart for Christian worship, from the days of the Apostles themselves. East Window proceeding to an "upper room" (such as was that in which the Passover was eaten), to elect, after due prayer and supplication, another Apostle in the stead of Judas, (Acts i. 13.) The second chapter of the Acts relates, that, "when the day of Pentecost (which also was the first day of the week,) was fully come, they were all, with one accord, in one place." Whether that 66 one place" was the same which was prepared for the Last Supper,-whether it was the same in which our Lord manifested himself to the disciples, on the evening of the day when he arose again, and also on the eighth (or Lord's) day following,-and whether the vacant Apostleship was here allotted to Matthias, we venture not, on the authority of the above instances, to assert; though there appears nothing unreasonable in the supposition. Be this as it may, there exists no doubt, that, wherever the infant churches were planted, some place of concourse (similar to that in which the faithful met, within the walls of Jerusalem) was specially appropriated to the worship of our Lord and Saviour. In sacrificing their possessions to the furtherance of Christian truth, many would gladly devote, if not their houses, at least the principal apartment therein, to this holy use. To which the Apostle seems frequently to allude, when, in writing to particular Christians, he speaks of the "Church in their house," that is, of the assemblage of believers, resorting to some determinate place beneath their roof. In blaming the Corinthians for their irreverence in partaking of the Lord's Supper, he asks them, "Have ye not houses to eat and drink in?" Thereby drawing a distinction between their habitations, and those portions of them which were set apart for holy purposes. Proceeding from the Apostolic age to the times of the Fathers, we find a continuance of testimony to the same purport. Clemens, one of the most ancient, writes, in his epistle to the Corinthians, that our Lord did not only determine by whom, and at what particular seasons, the ordinances of his Religion should be solemnized,—but also, the places wherein he would receive the homage of his worshippers. Justin Martyr, another early authority, mentions the faithful as assembling together, in one place, on the Lord's day. Tertullian, whose words stand at the head of these remarks, speaks not only of the Church, or House of God, but describes, also, its form and arrangement. Lucian, a heathen writer of the second century, although no friend to the Christians, describes with accuracy the apartment, in which they were accustomed to meet for the purposes of devotion. The Chamber, in which our Lord was pleased to solemnize his last Passover with the disciples, appears to have afforded the pattern of those oratories, in which, after his resurrection and ascension, they were wont to participate in holy counsel and devotion. In this apartment, made ready beforehand by his own miraculous appointment, we find him, on the eve of his sufferings, discharging the several ministrations peculiar to his Gospel. Here it was, that, in washing the feet of the disciples, he did not only teach them the humility required of his followers; but further, he did intimate to Peter, in the memorable words, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me," that, without the washing of regeneration, by baptism into his death, we cannot obtain the benefits of his Cross and Passion. Here also, (as need hardly be mentioned) he instituted the most comfortable Sacrament of his most precious body and blood. Within these walls, was uttered that holy valedictory address to the future Pastors of his Church, as well as that solemn prayer to the Father, for its unity and truth, which closed his earthly ministry. And, lastly, beneath this roof did the Saviour and his chosen uplift the hymn of praise and thanksgiving, when about to retire to that dread scene of his desertion and agony, the garden in the Mount of Olives. Consecrated as this chamber was, by the last inter-century, the Christians, alternately persecuted and view with their divine Master, it is not unreasonable to conjecture (even were tradition silent), that the Apostles did, from time to time, resort thither, in memory of that solemn evening; washing, as he had taught them, in all humility, each other's feet: partaking, in the symbols of bread and wine, of his spiritual body and blood; discoursing of his marvellous acts, and heavenly doctrines; and uniting in prayer and praise to the Author of our salvation. Scripture, it is true, says little as to the place of their assemblage. It mentions the appearance of Jesus to them, on the day of his resurrection, which was the first day of the week; and again, eight days after, (John xx. 19, 26.) "when the doors were shut;' a proof that they were accustomed to meet together | marble, and frequently adorned with fountains. Here in private, as on the eve of our Lord's sufferings; | stood the lowest order of penitents, beseeching the probably in the same chamber to which He had, on prayers of the faithful, as they crossed the sacred that occasion, directed them. After his ascension, threshold. To this custom we may attribute the Until the reign of Constantine, early in the fourth tolerated by the imperial power, appear to have attended little to the exterior decoration of their places of worship. But, that Emperor having issued edicts prohibitory of Paganism, and in favour of Christianity, structures of unusual beauty and magnitude were erected to the promotion of our faith, not only in the cities of the empire, but in its less populous districts. These were called " Kuriaka," that is to say, houses of the Lord;" whence our terms "Kirk" and "Church." We proceed to the consideration of their general form and arrangement, by reference to the plan above given. 66 The entrance was under a porch, or vestibule, (^), consisting, in their more sumptuous edifices, of we find the Eleven, on their return to Jerusalem, | origin of that appendage to some of our Cathedrals, which, (in reference to its distance from those precincts which were formerly accounted most holy), is still called the "Galilee," and beyond which, in former times, offenders were forbidden to proceed, until reconciled to the Church. Immediately within the doors, was the "Narthex," (B), a term, for which no accurate translation can be given, but which answers, in point of situation, to what we should call the "ante-church.." The Narthex was subdivided into three parts; in the first (a) stood the "catechumens," or learners of Christianity; in the second (b), (where was also the baptismal font (c),) were placed the "energumeni," or those possessed by Satan; and the third (d), was reserved for the middle class of penitents, who were permitted to hear the public worship, but not to enter the congregation. Next to the Narthex, lay the principal body of the church, called "Naos," or "Nevis," (c) whence our term "nave;" subdivided also into two parts. The first of these (e) was allotted to the higher class of penitents; above whom was placed the “Ambo,” (ƒ), answering the purposes of our pulpit and reading-desk. Beyond this was the place (g) where sat those who were called "the faithful," and who alone were admitted to partake of the Lord's Table. The third, and last principal division of the Church was the "Bima," or "Hieratium," (D), raised above the floor of the nave, and separated from it by rails (h), which were termed "cancelli." whence the corresponding portion of our churches is named the "chancel," to this day. Within this was the "Thusiasterion," or altar (i); so named metaphorically, because there was offered the commemorative sacrifice of Christ's body and blood; also spoken of by the Greek Fathers, as the " Hagia Trapeza," or holy table. At the extremity of the "Bima," and immediately under the east window, was the chair, or throne (k) from which the bishop addressed the people; and to the right of which were the seats of the presbyters, elders, or priests, (). The deacons were not permitted to sit there. On the north of the chancel, was the "diaconicon," (m), | where the vessels and garments appointed for divine service were kept. Lastly, on the south was the "prothesis," (n) where were laid the alms, oblations, and remainder of the consecrated elements, until properly disposed of. Such were the edifices dedicated to Christian worship, in the earlier and purer ages of the Church. No superfluous ornament, no appeal to the senses by the hand of art, no antiscriptural practice or ceremony, had then intruded within their portals. The Lord's Table, though figuratively styled (as in our days) the Altar," in reference to the sacrifice and death of Christ, there commemorated,-to the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, there offered,-and the alms and oblations laid thereon, as unto God, in behalf of the necessitous; resembled as little in the costliness of its materials, as in its usage, those pompous altars which were the boast of the Heathen temples, and which afterwards were 'but too successfully rivalled by the mistaken zeal and overweening pride of a Church, arrogating to herself the supreme rule in all things spiritual. Whence one of the principal objections urged against the Christians, was, that they had no altars. To which the Fathers made reply, that they needed none; the only true altar being a pure and holy mind;-the best and most acceptable sacrifice, a pious heart, and an innocent and religious life. "These (said they) are our oblations; these the sacrifices which we owe to God." And, as we learn hence, that all superstitious usages of the Christian altar were then unknown, so is it equally certain, that no images were allowed a place within their churches. When censured by their enemies on this very account, the writers in defence of our faith, far from denying the charge, appear to have considered it as an additional evidence of the simplicity and holiness of their religion. We cannot, perhaps, give a better summary of their opinions on this subject, than in the words of Origen, who flourished towards the middle of the third century. He tells his adversaries, that the images which the Christians dedicated to God were not to be carved by the hand of artists, but to be formed and fashioned in us by the Word of God; being the virtues of justice and temperance, of wisdom and piety, that conform us to the Image of his Son. "These (says he) are our only statues, formed in our minds; and by which alone we are persuaded to honour Him, who is the Image of the Invisible God, the prototype and archetypal pattern of all such images." Figurative, (and, in some degree, fanciful) as these allusions may seem, they evidence, how little of external circumstance was necessary to strengthen the faith, or quicken the devotion of believers in that day. Kneeling towards those precincts which had been consecrated by the bodily presence of the "Sun of Righteousness," and with that glorious symbol of his Spirit, the light of Heaven, before their eyes; how vain, how derogatory would they deem every endeavour of art, to imprint the person of the Saviour on their memories, or to portray their conceptions of his unspeakable beauty and holiness! It were unjust to close these remarks, without adverting to the memory of those great and pious men, upon whom, in later times, devolved the charge of removing from our churches the superstitious vanities which, during the lapse of centuries, had grown with the growth, and strengthened with the strength of the Papal supremacy. the Papal supremacy. Comparing the simplicity of those arrangements which we have been considering, with the gorgeous superfluities, introduced by, and still retained in, the Church of Rome; we cannot too highly appreciate the caution and judgment of our Reformers, in adopting such details of the primitive model, as were warranted by the circumstances of their times. Whether it would have been judicious, or even practicable, to carry the resemblance beyond this point, is not for us to decide; so different was the position of the Church, when triumphing, in the might of her Lord, over the paganism of the Empire, from her state, when emerging from the darkness and bondage of the middle ages. But this we may with truth affirm that they acted upon, and illustrated that noble principle, which should ever be observed in the maintenance of the worship of God,-the preservation of its dignity from pomp, its simplicity from Lo! smiling like an angel from the sky, And grov'ling cares. Th' emancipated mind And with glad welcome hails the happy train And transient joys of life, with forward glance, CHARLES CROCKER It is astonishing to observe what an inclination prevails amongst some persons, when they meet with any extraordinary appearance in the natural world, the real cause of which they cannot exactly understand, to ascribe its existence to a supernatural influence; to Satan, for instance, or to those fancied beings, called Fairies. This is the case with respect to what ire named SATAN'S FOOTSTEPS, and FAIRY RINGS. Any one who endeavours to remove these superstitious opinions, by explaining the real causes of such things, does good service to those who make such mistakes, and with this view, we transcribe the following extracts from an interesting little work, Howitt's Book of the Seasons. SATAN'S FOOTSTEPS. There is a singular appearance often observed in spring, which has excited many a superstitious terror in the minds of the simple country people, and which, in reality, is very striking. It is the print of footsteps across the grass of the fields, as though they had been footsteps of fire. The grass is burnt black in the foot-prints, presenting a startling contrast with the vivid green of that around. The common people have, consequently, concluded these to be the traces of the nocturnal perambulations of Satan, whereas they are those of some one of themselves, who has crossed the fields while the night-frost was on the grass, which, at this season, is very tender, and is as effectually destroyed by the pressure of a foot, in its frosty brittleness, as by fire, and with much the same appearance.-p. 85. FAIRY RINGS. Those singular appearances in the grass, called Fairy Rings, are never more conspicuous than during the Autumn months. Even when all other grass is brown, they exhibit a well-defined and bright-green circle. The production of these remarkable circles, and the property which they possess, of every year becoming larger, have, of late years, been the subject of various theories. They have been attributed to lightning; they have been attributed to fungi, (that is, mushrooms, toadstools, and such things,) which every year grow upon the outer margin of the circle, and then perishing, cause, by the remains, a fresh circle of vivid green to appear, somewhat wider, of course, than the former one. They have also been attributed to insects. The least plausible theory is that of lightning; the most plausible, that of fungi. Insects are a consequence of the fungi, rather than a cause of the circle; for where there are fungi, there will be insects to devour them. Fungi are also always found, more or less, about them. I have seen them of so large a species, that, in their growth, they totally destroyed the grass beneath them, dividing the green ring into two, and leaving one of bare rich mould between them. The origin of these circles, too, which hitherto has escaped the eyes of the naturalist, but which is nothing more than a small mushroom-bed, made by the dung of cattle lying undisturbed in the grass, till it becomes completely incorporated with the soil beneath, favours, more than all, the theory of the fungi. Every one knows than where this occurs, a tuft of rank grass springs up, in the centre of which a crop of fungi sometimes appears, and again perishes. There, then, is the nucleus of a fairy ring. The next year the tuft is found to have left a green spot, of perhaps a foot and a half diameter, which has already parted in the centre. This expansion goes on from year to year; the area of the circle is occupied by common grass, and successive crops of fungi give a vivid greenness to the ring which bounds it. That only a few tufts are converted into fairy rings may be owing to their not being sufficiently enriched to become mushroom-beds; but that all fairy rings which exist have this origin will be found to admit of little doubt. D. I. E. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. THE CATHEDRAL OF STRASBURGH. STRASBURGH is a French city of great antiquity, the capital of the department of the Lower Rhine, and formerly of the province of Alsace. Till the latter part of the seventeenth century, it was a free city of the German empire, possessing the power of electing its own magistrates, being exempt from subjection to any neighbouring prince, and entitled to assert its independence at the diet. But in 1682 it was taken by Louis the Fourteenth; and its possession being confirmed at the peace of Ryswick, it thenceforth became a part of the French territory. Strasburgh is distinguished for having at an early period embraced the doctrines of the Reformation; and at the time of its incorporation with France, the majority of its inhabitants were of the Protestant religion. Even now it counts of that persuasion no less than onethird of its population; and boasts of containing one of the two principal Protestant seminaries in France, the other being at Montauban. The city stands at the confluence of the rivers Brusche and Ille, and is only half a mile distant from the left bank of the Rhine. Some of its streets are wide and straight, but most of them are narrow; the houses are built chiefly of the red stone found in the quarries along the Rhine, and though lofty, are heavy and inelegant. Its appearance is, indeed, altogether German, as are the language and customs of the greater part of its inhabitants. Strasburgh is a bishop's see, and contains, besides the cathedral, six Catholic churches, seven Lutheran, and one Reformed church. The Cathedral is its principal public building, and is justly classed among the most distinguished specimens of Gothic architecture existing, The origin of the first Cathedral of Strasburgh is, like that of most buildings of a similar character, matter rather of tradition than of history. It is probable that the bishopric was founded about the middle of the fourth century of the Christian era, and that there existed soon after that period an Episcopal church, which was entirely swept away by the barbarous hordes who broke out from the wilds of Germany, when the power of Rome declined, and who, for a time, obscured the light of religion, in those countries which they invaded. But about the beginning of the sixth century, the zeal of Clovis, king of the Franks, himself a convert from paganism, re-established the worship of Christianity, and caused the Cathedral of Strasburgh to be rebuilt. The structure thus raised was extremely simple in its nature, being composed, according to the practice of the time, entirely of wood, and boasting of few decorations either in its internal or external arrangements. But it lasted only until the commencement of the eleventh century, though probably it underwent many alterations and repairs in the mean while. In 1002 it was pillaged, together with the town, and burnt, by Herman Duke of Suabia and Alsace, in revenge for the bishop's having sided with Henry of Bavaria, the competitor of that prince for the imperial throne. When, however, Henry became Emperor of Germany, he was not unmindful of the sufferings of the people of Strasburgh in his cause, and he compelled Herman to make restitution for the mischief which he had occasioned, by surrender. ing to their bishop the revenues of a rich abbey, Wernher, who then held the see, proceeded with great zeal to make arrangements for the erection of a new Cathedral; and, after many interruptions, was enabled, in 1015, by the liberality of the emperor, and the contributions of the clergy and the people, to lay the foundation of the edifice which now exists. No less, however, than 424 years elapsed before the building reached the state in which we now behold it; and of these 162 were spent in the construction of the tower alone. "This far-famed Cathedral," says Mr. Russin his Tour in Germany, "is in some respects the est Gothic building in Europe. There are many which are more ample in dimensions. In the solemn imposing grandeur to which the lofty elevations and dim colonnades of this architecture are so well adapted, the Cathedral of Milan acknowledges no rival; and not only in some German towns, as in Nürnberg, but likewise among the Gothic remains of our own country and of Normandy, it would not be difficult to find samples of workmanship equally light and elegant in the detail with the boasted fane of Strasburgh. The main body of the building is put together with an admirable symmetry of proportion, and to this it is indebted for its principal beauty as a whole. Connoisseurs, indeed, have measured and criticised; they have found this too long, and that too short: but architectural beauty is made for the eye; and even in classical architecture, where all has been reduced to measurement, the rules of Vitruvius or Palladio are good only as expressing, in the language of art, judgments which taste forms independent of rules. Yet there is no superfluity or confusion of ornament about the edifice; there is no crowding of figure upon figure, merely for the sake of having sculpture. With more it would have approached the tawdry and puerile style of the present day; with less it would have been as dead and heavy as the cathedral of Ulm, which, though exquisite in particular details of the sculpture, yet, without being more imposing, wants all the grace and elegance of the fabric of Strasburgh." The side of the Cathedral represented in our engraving, is the southern; but the view is well calculated to convey an excellent idea of the chief beauties of the building, especially of the tower, which is the most remarkable part of it. The western front has, as usual, three portals, decorated with statues and sculptures in bas-relief, and presents an appearance of great beauty and elegance. Immediately above the portals are three equestrian statues, each formed of one block, and representing the kings Clovis and Dagobert, and Rodolph of Hapsburgh, Emperor of Germany. There is a niche for a fourth figure; but it has always remained vacant, although the proposal has been entertained of placing in it a statue of Louis the Fourteenth, who was a great benefactor to the Cathedral. But the great attraction of this edifice consists in the tower which surmounts the western front, and which is remarkable for its enormous height, its elegance of form, and the delicacy of its workmanship. Its altitude is second only to that of the great pyramid of Egypt,-the pinnacle of the spire being more than 500 feet above the pavement. There is nothing uncommon in its general form; but the harmony of proportions, and the elegance of workmanship, appear to greater advantage in it than in the rest of the building. The massive base terminates just at the point where, to the eye, it would become too heavy if carried to a further elevation; and it is succeeded by the lofty slender pyramid, so delicately ribbed that it hardly seems to be supported. The profuseness of decoration, and the extreme lightness displayed in this part of the structure, give it, at a distance, the appearance of an exquisite lacework; but a glance at the engraving in the preceding page, will enable our readers to form a more correct |