The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-18 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF EXETER ON CHURCH

DECORATION.

The following judgnnnt has been lately given by
chi 14.11, p of Exeter:

...1.1/4.i.:I:NT IN VIIMIMAINT AGAINST Tilt 11EV. J. SOUK/
KS, ItIa.TOIL AIILVIUSL, CUIANWALL.
I has wad with lunch attention the clear, the able, and
impartial report made by the rural dean on the painting now
is prolpt. is the chancel of Shevioke church. On the one
kind, a very great majmity of the communicants (chiefly, 1
of the poorer classes). 19 out of :al, warmly approved
and have wldmesecl a memorial to me in favour of the ;mint-
ier.; on the other hand, a yule condemning the paintings,
awl pea; 'teg rue to Imo my authority, to require that what
te already duo be 014,11, and what is further intended to
la &in lie abandoned, was missed ut a meeting of the vestry,
railed for the morn,. with only one dissentient voice—the
rirter's ; the us .atiu.; itself, however, consisting, as has
hs4 n stated to ine'
of seven pesos only. Again, of four
parbbioutra, who attended the rural dean, atter due
wander. as complai.auts, three are not now communi-
cants. These are particulars which the rural dean has
done most properly in reporting, lint which I deem it
right to diem:,. altog. thee nom consideration in decid-
ing on the matter now before me. .1 hat matter, I must
col tfir,t, il:VOISIA a question of right—the right of the
teeter to a.luni the walls of the chancel at his own dis-
eretion, suaj. et to be euntrulle:l by the bishop, if he place
there ail ornament of a character in itself open to just cen-
sure, w... u.. r es 'upend:tit/us, or indecorous, or otherwise
improper. I hare no halation in etying that I recognise
that 'mitt ut the rector, and disclaim, as bishop, all
authority which is nut consistent with it. Looking at the
question thus, I find very little which demands my inter-
ference in the partially execute.l designs for ornamenting
the chancel of the church at Shecioke, or in what is further
inteuchal. The north wall only is, as yet, at all dealt with.
It is covered with a diapered ground of red and white, the
white L is t lull utel to be gilt. On this ground are five
circular apace. or' 41.41iimis,' each of about two feet six
'Melia in diameter. Within mese circles are delineated, in
willeMoionss: I. TIN Annunciation; 2. Our Lord' in Ma-
jesty,' seated on a rainbow ; 3. Our LordJwing led to exe-
cution; t. Our L.r,l with Martha, Mary and Lazarus;
G. The heat miracle in Cana of These representa-
tions are atitted to be all taken from Overbeek. They are
all aeriptural subjects, and in design seem to be unobjec-
tioaabk, with a single exception. In the Annunciation
the angel is kneeling to tile Virgin Marv. This is open to
censure as implying that the Idtawal Vixtin is an object
of adoration ; and this objection is not removed by the fact
(in itself satisfactory) 44 the Virgin heMg also kneeling,
with uplifted bands, as in prayer to th al. I direct that the
seJadial of representing the angel as kneeling to the Virgin
rimeored ; and if ft., be dime, there appears to he no
part of the week hithertosaxecuted which I have any just
aattiority to turbid. Any other painting begun, except on
a part of the cant wall, and theme which are proposed, 1
deem it to be within the lawful discretion of the meter to
adept as ornaments of his eltAnccl walla, as well as an in-
iehd window of stained glass, containing figures of Saint
Stephen and Saint Alban. In an age when no decoration
i. deemed too costly for the dwellings of the opulent among
a., of all orders, it is surely a matter of just praise, rather
than of reasonable censure, that a not opulent clergyman,
modest and unpretending in his own home, devotes what-
ever 11141111•4 he can ce:nmand to the somewhat sumptuous,
it m.y be, yet sober aid reverential adorning the house
s: ;.41. " u. E;ETEit.
" Itoliopotowe, Dim 6."