Welsh Journals

%wtYmA vwiW nwzip * No. 92. Vol. VIII. AUGUST, 1900. Price One Penny. THE FABRIC OF THE CHURCH AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. The Vestry is the room generally adjoining the Chancel of a Church in which the vestments of the Clergy and Choristers are kept, and in which they are put on for service. It forms a general room f r the transaction or parochial business, Election of Churchwardens and other officers, the distribution of local charities and for keeping the Registers. The Vestry room has in many parishes been the scene of much unseemly contention. If a Vestry Meeting is at all likely to be a stormy one, it should be at once adjourned to some convenient place, separate from the Church, the Vestry being quite as much a part of God's House as any other portion, and nothing unseemly or indecorous should be allowed within its sacred precincts. The Tower too has its lessons. It should direct the thought^ upwards, above the earthly Temple. Some Towers are bid]" with flat roofs, or have embattled cornices, and some people think no Tower complete without a spire. Nothing is more pleasing than to see a Church-spire. It suggests the voice of prayer and praise ascending from humble worshippers to the Throne of God in Heaven. But the primary use of the Tower is to hold the Bells and if the Bells are there we should not complain if the spire is wanting The time-honoured weather¬ cock on the top of the spire, is as everybody knows the emblem of watchfulness. The Bells. There is certainly no Music that speak to us like that ef Church Bells.. It is so like a multitude of Heavenly Voices that it is not difficult with George Herbert, to " Think when the Bells do chime, 'tis Angels' Music." What call is there more eloquent than the Chimes going for Church, and how they reproach those who do not obey their summons. What sound so solemn as the deep toned knell. What so happy as the Marriage Bell. It is quite a familiar proverb. What joys and sorrows, what hopes and fears the dear old Church-bells tell of. What memories they revive of ay gone days. Church-bells have ere now. been broken up and used for secular purposes or sold to defray the cost of repairing or rebuilding the Church, or for other expenses. This is greatly to be deplored, and guarded against in the future. Some Bells have on them very quaint and interesting inscriptions such as " I to the Church the living call, and to the grave do summon all." (Neyern, Pern.) and another " Be peaceful and good Neighbours." (Llangattoc, Breconshire.) There is no part of the Church that has often been so desecrated as the Tower, but now bell ringers are learning that their work is also a religious service. The golden bells on the hem of the High Priests' Ephod, which tinkled as he moved about in his ministrations are the earliest on record. Bells were used by the Greeks and Romans for many of the same purposes for which they are still used. It was not till soon after A.D. 500, that they came into ecclesiastical use. In the reign of King Egbert A.I). 750 every priest was commanded at the proper hour to fiound the bells of his Church andthentosay the sacred offices. A peal of bells is a number of bells so regulated as to sound the notes of a diatonic scale. A full ring consists of seven bells hut peals frequently consist of six, ejght, ten, or twelve beljs. The peal of bells in Llanidloes Church are six in number. They cost £300 raised by subscriptions in 1824. and were cast by Meares of London. They are much admired for their sweetness of sound. 1 hey bear the following names : - Rev. John Davies, Vicar, Richard Jervis, Senior, Richard Ashton, and John Francis, Churchwardens, Geo. Mears, Esq,W. H. Marsh, Esq, T. E. Marsh. Esq, Thomas Price, Esq, Richard Jervis, Surgeon, David Evans, David Davies, Currier, the members of the Committee forraisingthefunds. Thebells are rung to announce Divine Service and to announce a death. A joyful peal pio- claims a marriage a muffled peal some general calamity and a peal rung backwards an alarm signal. The legal control of the bells is regulated by the canons of 1603. Dr. Phillimore gives the opinion that although the Church-wardens may concur in the ringing and tolling of the bells on certain public and priv¬ ate occasions, the incumbent nevertheless has so far the control over the bells of the Church that he may prevent the Church¬ wardens from ringing or tolling them at undue hours or without just cause. Lord Stowell says T think that the bells cannot be rung without the consent of the Rector ; the 28th canon is precise on this point, and is, I conclude binding upon the Chuchwardens. (THE END.) RURIDECANAL CHAPTER. A meeting of the Chapter was held at Llanwnog Vicarage on Thursday, July 5th, when all the Clergy of the Deanery were present. Holy Communion whs oelebrated in the Parish Church, the celebrant being the Vicar of Llanwnog, assisted by the Rev. O. Hard ing, Caersws. Prayers haying been said by the Rural Dean, the minutes of the former meeting were read and confirmed I. Timothy I. vv. 8 to 14 were read. The Rev. J. Jones, Vicar of Llanwnog, opened the discussion in which all present joined. W. DAVID ROBERTS, Chapter Clerk- LLANIDLOES. The annual Chnrch Trip to Aberystwith will take place on Monday, August 20th. Full particulars will appear on the poster.