The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-29 00:00:00

RE-OPENING OF THE PARISH CHURCH AT

HALESOWEN.

Wednesday last is a day that will long be re-
membered in Halesowen, as being the OCCatlioll of
the old parish church beingre-opened, after it had
undergone a process of being restored to something
like its prietine beauty, under the guiding skill of
Sir Gilbert Scott, the greatept authority upon
ecclesiastical architecture of the present day.
The inhabitants of the place, thoroughly recognis-
ino. the importance of the event, determined to
signalise it by making it a day of public rejoicing.
Accordingly, the principal shops weie closed, and
the streets were beautifully decorated, either side
being lined with Venetian masts, from which were
suspended wreaths of evergreens, flowers, Chinese
Lanterns. &c. There was also a profuse display
of flags, bannerets, a:c., whilst at the entrance to
the church was erected a very handsome triumphal
arth. In the decoration of the place one Uniform
design was
.adhered to, and the result was a very
pleasing spectacle, which must have been highly
satisfactOry to all parties—to those who witnessed
it, and to those who had the direction of the work.
Crowds of well-dressed people thronged the streets,
and expressed their admiration and appoval of the
work which had been so effectively carried out by
the decoration- committee. With regard to the
church, the work. of restoration is not yet quite
complete, for the old plate ceiling of the northand
south alsles still remains, yet the improvement
effected is of an extensive and admirable character.
The chancel, nave, tower, and west end are the ;
parts of the ancient structure which have been
completely (restored; and towards the £41,000--
which is the amount of the contract of Messrs.
Collins and Collis, of Tewkesburyinost liberal
donations have been given bylhe Right Rev. the
Lord Bishop of -Worcester, the Earl of Dudley,
Lord Lyttelton, Mr. J. S. Gibbons, Mr. Edward
Gem, Mr. Henry Howard, Mrs Wills,. the New
British Iron Company, the Diocesan Church
Extensive Society, awl Messrs. N. and B. Hingleys
who present the oak seats at a cost of £734. The
other subscribers include the leadine, families of
the district. The Earl of Dudley has promised an
additional £5OO when the work of restoration has
been thoroughly completed, and a strong hope is
entertained that in a few years the portions of
this noble church still requiring alteration will
httVe been submitted to treatment as skilful as
those parts which were viewed with so much sat-
isfaction by the large andfashionable congregation
on Wednesday morning. The eminent architect,
in directing the work, has strictly adhered to the
original design' a custom, it is said, he invariably
observes, and by which he succeeds in retaining
the charm oirantiquity, however extreme. the re-
pairs he has execute.' 'Whilst thus preserving
points of archteological importance, many interest-
ing relies, too, have been lsrought to light which
were previously hidden, and, altogethers Hales
Owen Church Is a remarkabie example of Sir G.
Scott's skill in restoration. Space is not at com-
mand for a detailed account of the whole of the.
alterations. We may state, however, that the
church has been paved throughout with encaustic
tiles; that great attention has been paid to the
roofing, and the floor has beenlowered se as to ex-
pose the bases of the fine columns which werepre-
viously hidden. The old.pews have been swept
away and some of modern construction substiuted;
whilst the unsightly galleries have been entirely
abolished. The open arches, too, on the north
sidsof the sacrarium have been filled in with a
handsomely carved oak screen, sedilia, and choir
seats, and a new pulpit and communion rails have
been provided. It should here be mentioned that
amongst the special gifts of articles lathe church
are the lectern and Bible ,presented by Miss Hone;
the pulpit by Mr. Colbourn; the communion rails
by the Misses Hone; the sedilia by Louisa and
Constance Gem; the Bibles and Prayer Books for
the stalls in the chancel by the Rev. D. Robertson
and the Rev. R. L, G. Pidcock; the alms basin by
Mrs. If. Hingley ; the two gas pendants in the
east nave by the elder girls in the Sunday school.
The religious proceedings of the day were
opened by a communion service, which was numer-
ously attended; but, of course, the largest at-
tendance was at the eleven o'clock service, when
it was announced the Lord Bishop of Worcester
would preach. For some time before the com-
mencement of the service, the church was filled
by ahighly-respectable congregation, a great many
of whom came from a considerable distance.
Shortly after the appointed time, the choir en-
tered the church singing the processional hymn,
"0, Paradise," and they were followed by a very
numerous body of the clergy. The first part of
the service was read by the Ven. Archdeacon Hone,
and the second by the curate, the Rev. R. L. G.
Pidcock. The Rev. Evelyn Hone read the :first
lesson, and the second was read by the Rev. J.
Stone (curets). The first part of the Communion
service was taken by the Bishop; and the Rev. F.
Hone reading the Epistle, and the Rev. Canon
Douglas the Gospel. The musical part of the ser-
vice was under the superintendence of Mr. iroman,
Mus. Bac., Oxon, and the Venite and Te Deum were
sung to his own compositions, the latter being
used for the first time at thir opening service.
The anthem, "Lift up your hearts," by Hopkins,
was very effectively rendered by the choir, which
was considerably augmented, and reflected great
credit upon Mr. Fairborn, the choirmaster.
The sermon was prea,ced by the Lord Bishop of
Worcester, who took for his text, the 25th and two
following verses of the sth chapter of Ephesians.
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the Church, and gave himself for it. That
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing
of water by the word. That he might present it
to himself a glorious Church, not having spot: or
wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be
holy and without blemish. He saidlthere was no
part of Holy Writ to which Christians should
turn more readily than to Paul's Epistle to the
Ephesians. Written after many years of service
in the cause of Jesus Christ, it was the out-pour-
ing. of a soul which had been long and deeply im-
pressed by the working of Christ's doctrine, and
strongly desiring to make other people sensible:of
it. The Apostle had then lived for many years in
the daily practice of the precepts of the Gospel.
The Apostle, moreover, was addressing those am-
ongst whom he had laboured for a longer time
than he had in any other place, and he was, conse-
quently. attached to them. They were thus put
in possession of the Apostle's statements respect-
ing the Gospel, and the blessings it brou,sshl to
himself, more fully than could be found in any
other part of Scripture. The high purposes of the
Gospel were there set forth so clearly, that who-
ever failed to see them must be very dull indeed.
God the Father hath chosen to enlighten us with
the Word by which we may become holy. He hath
made us acceptable to the Holy Spirit. We have
been redeemed by Christ,
.His Lordship then gave
an eloquent description of the union between
Christ and his Church, and said that the re-open-
ing of a church after much restorationandrepairs
seemed to be an occasion which was fittingabove all
others to raise their thoughts to the character,
nature, and object of the ministrations of the
Church. The Lord Jesus Christ had appointed a
Kingdom of God on earth to be a passage through
which they must go to the Kingdom of God in
Heaven. The observance of Church ordinances
would not serve them or make them perfect; men
might get into the habit of going to church; they
might go as far as to present themselves at the ,
sacremeut, for all that might be done with little
or no spiritual benefit, because there was no ear-
nest seekine. for God by the grace of His Holy
Spirit ; but was not the less true that if they ,
neglected the ordinances of the Church, nay, if
they did not use them regularly as God's appoin-
ted means, they cut themselves off from privileges
the Lord had purchased for them. No private
exercises of teligicn could supply the place of ap-
pointed public forms. Whilst they did the one,
they must not leave the other .undone.- No pri-
vate study of the Word of God, no private offices
of prayers, however good and valuable, coull
supply the place which the Lord has appointed in
his Church for the assembling of Christians to-
gether in common public worship. "Where two
or three," He said, "are gathered together in
My name, there am I in the midst of them.'
Surely such a promise was given to encourage
public worship. He called, upon them then to
reverence that building set apart for the worship
of God, and to reverence the holy ordinances. Let.
the people of that parish determine to use them
as often as they found occasion; let them keep
holy the Sabbath day, on which it would be their
privilege to assemble in that church for the high
and holy means of going on under the grace of
God to perfection, sanctified and cleansed by 'the
washing of water, so that they might be •presen-
ted by our Lord himself a part of His glorious.
not. having a spot or wrinkle orainy Stich. ;
thing. _

At the close of the services a collection was
made, which amounted to £165. As the conoTe-
gatiun dispersing Mr. Troman played t'the
"Hallelujah Chorus."
THE LUNCHEON.

At the luncheon, which was a most recherche
affair, provided dy Mr. Avery, of Birmingham,
over 300 persons sat down in the capacious school-
room, under the presidency of the Yen. Archdeacon
Hone, who took the chair in the unavoidable
absence of the Right Hon. the Earl of Dudley, who
had been expected to preside. Among those
present, and who it may be stated were for the
most part in attendance at the services, were the
Lord Bishop of Worcester, the Rev. Canon Doug-
las, the Rev. Dr. Dixon, the Hon. and Rev. E. P
Bouverle, the Revs. A. Hone, J. F. Hone, C. H.
Oldfield, E. H. Kenapeon, W. H. Lewis, E. R: