Names of individual Cftttrcftes.^—Individnal churobes were, soon after the time of Constantine(?), dedicated to
CHURCH EDIFICES
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CHURCH EDIFICES
eertain saints, and caUed by the names of those saints. Some of the Protestant denominations name their ciuir^ edifices after the apostles, but only for the por- poee of distinction from each other. Puritans, and the choTehea inflnenced by them, name their chorches by iiieir ordinal numbers, as the first, second, etc., or by the street on which they are located. In the Methodist Chnrch the names of the apostles are often used ; and church edifices are sometimes named in honor of Wes- ley or some other distinguished leader in the Church. III. Forms cfChtrches, — The eiy;liest ground-forms were oblong. The basilicas (q. v.) were fashioned after the analogy of a ship, or perliaps, rather, after the oblong form had been settled upon by other influ- ences— as of architectural convenience, etc. — that part of the church to receiye believers was called the nave (jMwif, ship). This was afterward connected with al- legorical or mystical meanings; e. g. to denote the dangers to which the Church was exposed, and the aaib^ which it offered to its members. The boat of Peter and the ark of Noah were explained as emblem- atic of pie Chnrch in these two respects. On the other hand, the Byzantine churches, and many that were influenced by them, were round. During the Lombard^ or earl»f Round^cA period of architecture, the churches as- sumed the form of a cross. In the late Gothic they had the head of the cross bent, to rep- resent the bowing of the head of the Saviour when he died : | thus at Rouen (St. Ouen). i The transepts of the cross • often did not extend beyond the walls, not appearing at all in the external architecture. lY. The Ske, — ^Tliis was generally chosen on the summit of a mountain or other elevated place, for two reasons, viz. security and retirement from the bustle of the world, and a notion that elevated places were spe- cially holy. The Temple of Solomon had been built on a hUl ; and the Christians remembered the expres- sion, " I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence Cometh my help." At first, exposed situations were avoided ; but when the impediment arising from per- secution was removed, they were preferred. At other times they erected their churches over the graves of martyrs; and occasionally the cemeteries were used for devotional purposes. In the tenth and eleventh oentories there were many places of this kind called tpwraij crgpia,
Y. Atpect, — ^The earliest churches faced eastward ; at a later period (4th or 5th century) this was* re- versed, and the sacramental table was placed at the east, so that, in fiicing it in their devotions, they were torned towards the east. The Jewish custom was to turn to the west in prayer. ** As the Jews began their day with the teitmg sua, so the followers of Christ be- gan theirs with the risinff tun. The eye of the Chris- tian tamed with peculiar interest to the east, in remem- brance of the Morning Star, the Saviour, the Sun of Righteousness. This idea was mixed up with many religious observances. After baptism the newly-ad- mitted members of the church were turned with their ftoes eastward ; and the dead were usually buried in the same position, under the conviction that Christ at His second coming should appear in the east."
VI. Internal ArranffemerU, — No particular structure or arrangement of the interior prevailed during the first three centuries. From the fourth century we find uniformity prevailing in the basilicas both of the East and West. The body of the church was divided into three parts, corresponding with the threefold division of the Christians — into dergjfj including the servants of the congregation ; fakhfulf or heUevers ; and catechu- mens. This arrangement was also in conformity with tiie division of the ancient Temple— into the holy of
holies, the sanctnaiy, and the court. The three paits were : 1. The bema, or sanctuary, in which the deiigy officiated. 2. The naosj or nave, appropriated to the ftdthful, the lay-members of the church. 8. The msr» thex, or ante-temple, the place of penitents and catechu- mens. Sometimes four or five divisions are enumera- ted : this arises from subdividing the narthex mto out- er and inner, and also reckoning the exedne, or outer buildings, a portion of the church.
1. The BemOy or Sanctuary,— The inner part of the church appropriated to the clergy : from fiaivtw, for dva/3atvctv, to ascend. This name was sometimes giv- en to the raised platform which supported the throne or chair of the bishop and the seats of the presbyters, and sometimes to the whole of that part of the church in which the platform and the altar stood. It was also called Hyiovy ayiaojia, Syiov dytctfv, the koly^ or the hoU/ of holies; Xtpariiov and irptopvTTipiov, presbytery^ be- cause it was the place in which the presbyters sat and discharged their duties ; ^wriaoriipiov, because the al- tar stood here ; dSvrov, dfiaroVf or more commonly in the plural, dSvra, dfiara^ places not to be entered or trodden, because laymen and females were not allowed to enter. Because kings and emperors were privileged with a seat within this inclosure, it was called dvc- KTOpov, royal palace. The platform of this part of the church was an elliptical recess, with a corresponding arch overhead, and separated from the nave by a rail curiously wrought like net-work, called cancelU, chan- ceL Witliin were the bishop^s throne, and subordinate seats right and left for the lower clergy. The bishop's throne was usually covered with a veil, and for this reason was called cathedra velata. In the middle stood the altar, in such a position as to be easily encompassed on every side. On one side of it was a small table for receiving oblations ; on the other a recess, called nictv- o^vXoKioVf into which the vessels were conveyed after the sacrament.