Page:Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches.djvu/16

Rh latter, it is at best only a chapel; if it have not the former, it is little better than a meeting-house.” Of the relative proportions of chancel and nave it is not necessary here particularly to speak; I may remark, however, that as it is obvious the nave, or the place for the laity, must be of sufficient size to accommodate the largest congregations which usually frequent the Church, so the chancel should be large enough to permit of the orderly celebration of the greatest ceremonies which may be solemnized therein.



This, then, is the simplest type of a parish Church, and is very well adapted for limited or even moderately-sized congregations; but in populous districts, and in our cities and towns, a Church of this form would be found to be totally inadequate. It would not be consistent with architectural propriety (or with what may, sometimes, be considered of more importance, strict economy) to build a nave of much greater width than thirty feet, which, having a regard to proportion, would not allow the length to exceed