'The Ornaments of Churches Considered': An 18th century defence of the Laudian 'beauty of holiness'

In 1758, with the parish of St. Margaret's, Westminster - the parish church of the House of Commons - requiring restoration, a stained glass window was purchased by the parish, to be installed over a new east end. This Flemish window (pictured) dated to c.1526, having been designed, at the direction of Henry VII, to mark the wedding of the then Prince Henry to Catherine of Aragon. Having purchased the window, the wardens of St. Margaret's became the centre of controversy, as objectors claimed that the design of the window - a depiction of the Crucified Lord - was 'popish', mounting a (failed) legal challenge to the plan to install the window.

This was the context in which Thomas Wilson, Prebendary of Westminster, wrote the Introduction to The Ornaments of Churches Considered, With a Particular View to the Late Decoration of the Parish Church of St. Margaret Westminster (1761). It was a thoroughly Laudian defence or ornaments and ceremony, with the "beautifying" of St. Margaret's (as stated in the dedication, to the then Speaker of the Commons) the focus for the work, particularly the "Propriety and Lawfulness" of the proposed east window.

Over coming weeks, a series of extracts from this work will be explored, demonstrating how it witnesses to a significant continuation of the Laudian 'beauty of holiness' vision in the 18th century Church of England. We begin with words from the Preface, outlining a Laudian defence of imagery in churches - in this case, a stained glass depiction of the Lord's Passion - as "general and established Custom", entirely compatible with "the Doctrine of our Church, and the Purport of our Laws".

The Colouring, the Expression, and the General Beauty of this Piece, they found, were universally admired by the most critical Judges; and from the historical Representation of our Blessed Saviour's Crucifixion contained in it, the greatest Propriety was deemed to arise for placing it over the Communion Table ...

Thus, that Painting, and particularly that which is of a sacred Kind, may not only be innoxious, but of a beneficial and edifying Nature, is agreeable to Reason and Experience, and to the general Sense of Mankind. And hence that any well chosen Piece of Scripture History, represented by Delineation and Colours, be placed or permitted to be retained in Churches, is not repugnant to any Command of Scripture, nor to any Canon or Statute of our Kingdom, but on the contrary hath been authorized by a general and established Custom.

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