The Portland daily press., 1870-09-19
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND. A
Monday Morning, September 10 1870
Remarkable Church Innovation,

~
A short time ago the Rev. Joshua d. BraL-
ley, clergyman well known for his rtualistic
tendencies in England, came to this city, and
consulted With certain High Church Episco-
pal divines as to the possibility of establishing
a mission among the slums of this city. The
result OF this consultation was the establish
ment of the Oratory of Saint Sacrament Mis-
sion in large hall, or rather room, on the
secord floor of No. 1, 2S5 Broadway, the Rev.
DIR. Morgan Dix supporting it with all his in
fluence.
The room in question is almost entirely de-
void of ornament, and there is a strange con-
trast between the bare walls on three sides,
and the blaze which surrounds the altar ON
the fourth. This morning the room appeared
at its best. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated
daily, but to day it was celebrated with more
than ordinary grandeur, and from 6 O'Clock
this morning until long after noon, the officia-
ting clergymen were alternately exhorting the
congregation, or administering the elements.
The chief drawback to the success of the
ceremonies OF to-day was the iOwness of the
roof of the so-called church. Its area is amply
sufficient for the accommodation OF a far-sized
NOhSiOSuthOh, Iulo lut Gu
rious collected in such numbers that it was no
easy taski to ascend the stairway leading to
the entrance of the church. At six o'clock A.
NJ. the Introit, "Thou feedest thine own peo.
ple," was sung by the choir of Trinity Church,
and the priests, arrayed in gorgeous chas-
ubles, with abs and stoles, approached
the altar. After the commandments had be en-
read, or intoned, two small boys, clad in black
capes, over fine white tunics, and wearing
kind of scarlet hood, carried silver trays
among the congregation, and solicited their
contributions, apparently with much success.
During the offertory the choir sung Spohr's
anthem, "As pants the hart" and af-
forwards gave the Sanctus of DR.. Pring
with great effect. During the conse-
Grafton of the elements, which cere-
mony was accompanied with a number of
prostrations, genuauxions and motions affect
ed by Ritualists, and resembling strongly the
actions of the Roman Catholic Church, the
hymn, so Saving Victim," out of "Hymns
Ancient and Modern" was sung by the choir
and congregation.
During the administration of the sacred ele-
ments, MendelssohI's lovely aria, II waited
for the Lord" was given, and the anthem, 90
that had wings like dove," by the same
composer, terminated the first celebration.
Several masses, with intervals for private
prayers, were then sung, and the morning
gradually passed away, until at eleven O'Clock,
another grand celebration Of the Eucharist
was begun. By this time the hall and the
stairway was painfully overcrowded, and the
remarks of the curious and ignorant of the
service, were occasionally so audible as to in
terfere materially with the solemnity of the
exercises. The large gold cross on the altar,
the various vessels disposed thereon, the atti-
tudes OF the officiating priest, the genufexions
of the acolytes, the rich coloring of the vest
ments, barettas, chasubles, stoles, etc., the
voices of the choristers and the daze of light,
all came in for remark.
The ceremonies attending the second cele-
bration were similar tolthe first, but great
number of those present were anxious to hear
the sermon of the Rev.'Dr. Seymour, profess
or in the General Theological Seminary, who
was advertised to preach. The sermon was
| listened to with great attention, and dealt
chiefly with the various constructions put up
on the dctums of the old divines by modern
commentators. He gave, at considerable
length, reasons for his views ofchurch matters.
and insisted that constant celebration of the
Eucharist was necessary to salvation. At the
| termination of his address there was another