Which ended, the bishop shall say : O God, who hast taught us in thy holy word, that there is a difference between the spirit of a beast that goeth downwards to the earth, and the spirit of a man which ascendeth up to God who gave it; and likewise by the example of thy holy servants, in all ages, hast taught us to assign peculiar places where the bodies of thy saints may rest in peace, and be preserved from all indignities, whilst their souls are safely kept in the hands of their faithful Redeemer: Accept, we beseech thee, this charitable work of ours, in separating this portion of land to that good purpose; and give us grace, that by the frequent instances of mortality which we behold, we may learn, and seriously consider, how frail and uncertain our condition here on earth is, and so number our days, as to apply our hearts unto wisdom. That in the midst of life thinking upon death, and daily preparing ourselves for the judgment that is to follow, we may have our part in the resurrection to eternal life, with him who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. The Lord bless us, and keep us; the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, and give us peace now and for evermore. Hymns for the OPENING of a New Church. HYMN 1. Christ's Church founded on a Rock. 2 υ A sure and tried foundation-stone, In vain the gates of hell assail, Nor winds nor floods remove her thence. We build an earthly temple here ; Behold the work with favouring eye, Then by the Spirit of thy might, Amen. HYMN II. God in Christ, in the midst of his people. (Matthew, xxviii. Ver. 19, 20.-Exodus, xx. Ver. 24.) Not in Jerusalem alone, God hears and answers prayer : True worshippers may now draw nigh, Hence, in the secrecy of thought, Yet meet it is, and right, and good, Then let us consecrate to him These walls, with love and fear; God dwells between the cherubim, May God in Christ dwell here! HYMN III. PART I. Christ revealed by his Word and Spirit. (Genesis, xxviii. Ver. 13, 15.-2nd. Cor. i. Ver. 20, 22.) Hallowed be this humble spot, Like the place of Jacob's bed; I will bless thee with increase, Not in visions of the night, God of Jacob! on our way, But in noon of gospel-light Here thy power and grace display. When unseen, thy voice is heard, To his waking heart appear. HYMN III. PART II. Glory be to Christ in his Church for ever. Here, though prayer since time begun Oft, on embassies of love, May descending angels sent, While thy ministers declare In this house, to seek thy face! Suggestions from the Incorporated Society for Promoting the Enlargement, Building, and Repairing of Churches and Chapels; for the consideration of persons engaged in such undertakings. SITE. Central, but with regard to population rather than space; dry; rather elevated, but not on a high or steep hill; nor near nuisances, such as steam-engines, shafts of mines, noisy trades, or offensive manufactories; accessible by foot and carriage-ways, but not to be so near to principal thoroughfares, as to subject the service of the church to the danger of being incommodated by noise. FOUNDATION. Adequate to the height and size of the structure; to be surrounded, if requisite, by good covered drains; no graves within the walls, unless they are vaulted, nor any graves or access to the vaults within 20 feet of the outside; foundation to be at least a foot lower than any grave near it; and if the soil wants firmness, the walls may often be better secured from partial settlements by spreading the footing on each side, than by deepening the foundation, or resorting to more expensive works. AREA. It is suggested, that it would tend much to the preservation of churches, and render them more dry, if a paved open area, not less than 18 inches wide, was made round them, and sunk 6 or 8 inches below the level of the floor of the church, with a drain from the area to carry off the water; this observation is applicable to old churches as well as new ones. BASEMENT. Some churches and chapels are rendered cheaper, drier, and more commodious, by good vaults under them, for coals for the use of the poor, fire-engines, or the like, and for stoves for warming the interior; others, by apartments for clerk, sexton, &c. The distance between the joists of the ground-floor should never exceed twelve inches. WALLS. Durability to be regarded more than beauty. Thickness to be well proportioned to height and incumbent weight, &c.; if of brick, in no case less than 1 foot 10 inches, even in small buildings, and not less than 24 feet high, when galleries are to be erected, which should always have horizontal ties from the pillars to the walls. When cased with stone, the wall ought to be thicker than is requisite if of brick only, because the stone, although it adds to the beauty, increases the weight without proportionally increasing the strength, as the two materials do not settle equally together. RooF. Strength and durability to be most regarded. No roof to be constructed without tie-beams at the feet of the principal rafters, otherwise, not being confined at the feet, they have a tendency to spread and thrust out the walls. The distance between the trusses of a roof should never exceed 10 feet. Neither joists nor rafters should, in any case, be placed more than 12 inches apart in the clear. If the expense of lead, which is most durable, cannot be afforded, the next best covering is slate. Slates to be laid upon battens rather than boards, and to be rendered inside; boards being liable to rot for want of air. GUTTERS. To be most carefully constructed to carry off the rain and snow into the perpendicular pipes, which are cheapest and best of cast iron, cylindrical, and placed an inch or two at least from the wall, so as to admit air and keep it dry. Dripping eaves projecting very far, should not supersede the necessity of gutters and pipes, even in very sheltered situations, but in exposed places, eaves gutters and rain water pipes will be absolutely necessary to prevent the wet being driven against the walls, and thus rendering the building damp. Gutters may be made of cast iron; but unless skilfully cast, they will not preserve their level. The lead for gutters ought to be 8 lbs. to the foot. Lead gutters should not be less than 12 inches wide in the narrowest part, with drips at proper intervals; each drip two inches deep at the least, and the fall between the drips not less than one inch and a half in every ten feet. Outlets should be provided in parapets to carry off the overflowing occasioned by rapid thaws or otherwise, and also waste pipes in the cistern heads of the rain water pipes. The drains on the roof should be protected by coverings, as it prevents the melting snow from congealing in the gutter, and thus obstructing the water course. Easy access to the gutters should be provided by dormer-doors and boarded gangways within the roof, for the convenience of cleansing them in times of snow, or whenever necessary. CHIMNEYS. If any, the utmost care should be taken to render them safe from fire. They may be concealed in pinnacles. TOWER. The vestibule and staircase may be placed in the tower, so as to leave the whole church available for sittings. FLOOR. To sittings, wood or brick; to gangways, brick or stone; if not undervaulted, it may be freed from damp by brick rubble, flints, ashes, or furnace slack, laid to the depth of 12 or 18 inches under the floor. Allowance should also be made for the future rise of the surrounding burying ground; the floors of many churches originally above ground, being at this day many feet below the surface, and thereby become damp and unwholesome. WINDOWS. Ought not to resemble modern sashes; but whether Grecian or Gothic, the glass should be in small panes, and not costly; not opening like casements, but falling inwards and downwards from near the top, or outwards from the top, or hung on horizontal pivots. Where lead-lights are adopted, copper bands to tie them to the saddlebars are preferable to lead, being less liable to stretch and become loose by the action of the wind. The very unsightly appearance often occasioned by the wet streaming down the window-backs, may be prevented by fixing a small copper gutter at the bottom of each lead-light, to receive the moisture produced by condensation, with copper tubes to convey the same to the outside of the building. This has also a tendency to keep the building dry, and to preserve it from decay. VENTILATION. Cannot be completely effected by windows alone, without incommoding the congregation. Fresh air may be introduced from without, and conveyed through pipes carried under the floor into the body of the church, at convenient apertures; and the foul air may be expelled at or near the roof, either by horizontal or perpendicular channels or tubes. The horizontal are used in the best barrack infirmaries. |