June 6.
We have to thank the London Society for a most fascinating ard instructive booklet on the London City Churches, published in answer to the recently opened. campaign for the selling off of some of these buildings, of which more presently. No Englishm: certainly none who ever called unself a Londoner, can turn the pages of this little work, without thrill, names and described and every name is instinct with romantic association, Some of them are household words in every corner of the Empire—St. Bartholomew of the church of lory of Austin Canons wed in 112%; All Hallows ing, where William Penn was baptized and Archbishop Laud's body lay; St. Michael Il, knows: to have existed in 1055 and probably much older; and St. Stephen Walbrook, one of the most perfect pieces of Wren's designing. But somehow. it is the lesser known churches: which stir the imagination most. St. Andrew Undershaft, for instance, so called because a maypole was put up annually in front the south door, but this custom was discontinued a trifle over 400 years ago because of a riot. Another church dedicated to the fisherman Saint bears the curious name of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, because before the great fire the King's wardrobe was close by, as still commemorated in Wardrobe Place. St. James Garliekhithe, says Stow, is so-called because "in old time on the bank of the river of Thames, near, to the church, garlick was sold; and St. Katherine Creo, another odd name, appears to be a con traction of St Katherine de Christchurch. "The "Lion Sermon" has been preached in this church on every October 16 since 1647, to commemorate the escape from a lion of Sir John Gaymer, Lord Mayor of London, who also presented the church with a stone font in gratitude for the same deliverance. Fancy any Lord Mayor now being exposed to danger from.a lion: though, if he were, we have sufficient belief in the respect of City dignitaries for the ancient relies and customs of London to be sure that he would make some presentation in thankfulness therefor.
Yet there must be: people in the City—et us hope no Lord Mayor or Alderman past or present—who would have Some of these old churches pulled down, the: sites sold for offices and the proceeds, together with endowments, distributed among needy parishes elsewhere. The ground of attack is that the night population of the City of London numbers hardly as many thousands as that by day reckons hundreds of thousands; that, in consequence, Sunday services alte most meagrely attended: and that City parsons enjoy fat incomes and. do nothing for them, But as the Rev. Arthur West, rector of St. Dunstan's-in-the-East, shows in the London Society's booklet, much in these arguments is based on misconception. The average income of the clergy, he points out, including the four suffragan bishops, is £760 without a house. Over £100,000 is taken annually from the funds of City churehe: without their having any say in the distribution, and given to poorer parishes elsewhere. And it is a vital mistake to assume that Sunday is the only day on which these churches can be or are used by worshippers, as records of special Lenten services clearly show. Mr. West frankly admits that Sunday services in some churches are poorly attended, and he makes the useful suggestion that the clergy of these buildings should be detailed for mission work in the suburbs where many City workers live and during the day follow their people to the City to conduct special services. The success of short week day services at convenient hours in many churches, from St. Paul's downwards, suggests that these might be greatly extended, given proper organization. Apart altogether from the religious side of the question, Mr, West argues well that:— is scandalous to assume that City merchants, clerks, women typists, young boys and girls and other workers, do not set a very hiizh value on these oases of retroshbrighten daily toil. The Uiny gardens are frequently an additional joy. Even though many. oP} the workers may not be attracted to the Eh that the beauty of architecture, the sense of history business, enriches and gives repose to their lives, The sites of the Churches would be of compar atively small value without the gardens, and the loss of these, mere-as material breathing spaces, should be a real calamity. They are at present protected by law.
That last sentence gives comfort and certainly there are very few Englishmen abroad who will not pray that it may be long be fore the law is repealed. It is a characteristic of Englishmen whose lot is cast outside their native land that they specially resent the disappearance of old Jandmarks. They do not read history, perhaps, but they have none the less a strong historical sense; they revere an ancient custom, an ancient house, an ancient.
because it is ancient. It seems to them always to have been a part of their native land and they would have it so remain. Nor do we for one moment be-ye that in this they are at all different to the overwhelming majority of their brethren at Home. We do not believe that those who advocate pulling down City churches are more than a tiny minority, who have been taking advantage of the passing utilitarianism and restlessness of the times to press their so-called reforms. Bolshevism is not by any means only expressible in terms of red ties and labour unrest. The same spirit is visible in jazz music, futurist art, mvekrake novels, the clamour for revision of the Prayer Book and the desire to destroy City church-in the sacred cause of business and for what maybe given to the poor—like the proceeds of the suggested: sale of a certain "box" of ointment, of spikenard very, precious." "And because thi rit will pass, like all other evil spirits which from time to time have been permitted to buffet mankind, we ought to be the more strenuous in fighting it. To that, end the London Society is rousing' itself in defence of the City; churches. It isa brave, stout-winded organization, which has already proved of immense value saving old London from: materialist and money grubber, and one wishes it success in its new championship.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.