ABSTRACT
Church architecture was one of the most frequently discussed issues in British architectural writing of the seventeenth century. The use of the classical style with its pagan associations had been a sensitive issue in Renaissance architecture on the Continent. A number of strategies were used to purify ancient architecture from these associations, such as replacing the pagan gods traditionally associated with the orders by Christian saints. Another strategy was to base architectural theory as much on Christian writers as on pagan sources; and to uphold the morally sound character of classical architecture by stressing the importance of concepts such as decorum in church design. The Bible was a powerful source for thought about architecture, both because of its descriptions of Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel and the Temple of Solomon and because of the conflicting images it presented about the moral value of building.
