Page:Sussex archaeological collections, volume 9.djvu/115



At a period when a feeling in favour of church-restoration is widely prevalent, it is most desirable to collect memoranda concerning our old churches, previously to their undergoing that process. Posterity may wish to know what any parish church was like antecedently to the great changes in form, arrangement, and decoration, which are now going forward ; but, without some records of this kind, it will in many cases be hard to judge what portions of the edifices have been removed, altered, or retouched. Far be it from me to condemn the prevailing desire to enlarge and adorn these temples of the Most High, or even, upon sufficient authority, to restore them to their ancient architectural condition. But it is the duty of every true antiquary to protest against much of what is called restoration, and which is too often rather a destructive than a conservative process. I am sorry to say that instances are not rare, even in archaeological Sussex, in which ancient features have been so tampered with, that it will henceforth be difficult to decide what is original and what is merely imitated ; and, without exemplifying my remark, I will simply observe, that more injury has been done to Sussex churches, within the last fifteen years, by the application of zeal without knowledge, than has accrued from the neglect of centuries, or the white- washings and other "beautifications" of a thousand church-wardens of the old school. If I might be permitted to make a practical suggestion on this subject, I would say to the gentlemen officially concerned with parish churches everywhere: IX