15Sep1872, The Horrible Chapel

HOLKER, September 15th, 1872. 16th Sunday after Trinity.
—The horrible chapel sat upon me more than usual ; when once one has the Bible notion strong upon one that holy places are places of God's special Presence, that our first design in them should be to give Him glory and do Him worship ; when one's next desire is that people should be taught by all they see in church that we are all priests and people to fall down before One Throne, and that all our services culminate in the Holy Eucharist—then a mean conventicle is almost unbearable. It insults the Majesty of God, Who gives us richly all things, and to whose House we only bring what is base ; and it teaches the congrgn. disunion and solitariness in prayer each in his own selfish corner, while the only thing elevated as the centre of their devotion is the pulpit.