The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-19
sT. LUKE's CATHEDRAL.
The Ceremony of Consecrutiou-SermSn
by Morgan Dix, y. IT'D.

The day that many hearts longed for, but
hardly dared hope for SO soon. dawned bright
and beautiful for the people of st. Luke's Ca
thedral church of this city yesterday, when
they could present their beautiful edifice as
consecrated church to God, to be used for His
worship continually, and never to revert to sec
nlar uses.
The occasion brought together many distin
guished clergy and lalty, among the latter Hon
Il. K. Nudge, Mr.. Causten Browne and Hon
Nathan Matthews of Boston, Judge Magrudel
OF Maryland, and c. G. Haight, the architect,
OF New York. Between fifty and sixty clergy
attended and formed the procession. which
marched from the Bishops house to the porcI
of the church, where they were met by tb,
wardens and vestrymep. Bishop Nicely, pre-
coded By bis deacon with the Cathedral banner,
entered the church first, followed by the Bish
ops OF Fredericton, n. B., New Hampshire
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island Coora
do, Wisconsin and Iowa. Then came the off
ciating clergy, the choir, clergy in SUPPLIES
cler gy without SUPPLIES. The 9th Psalm was
sung by the Bishop Of Maine and the choir, al
ternately. and was finished before the Bishops
entered the CHI ANGEL. The Instrument of Do
nation was then read by Canon Hayes and pre-.
sented to tie Bishop, after which the yexhorta
ton and conservation collects were said by him,
and the sentence of conservation was read by
the Rev Mr.. Upjohn, acting Canon
After short prayer by the Bishop, morning
prayer was begun by Rev. DR.. Hodges of Bal.
timore. The first lesson was read By Rev. DR..
Beers of California. second lesson by Rev. Mr..
] left Of ardi Me NV Rou
Canon Medley of the Diocese of fredericton.
Proper Psalms aud lessons were appointed for
the day. The ante-communion was read by the
Bishop of Maine, the epistle by the Bishop of
Massach usetts, gospel by the Bishop of Rhode
Island. Rev. Morgan Dix, S. 7. D., of Trinity
church New York, preached the sermon.
He took his text from the 11Sth Pslam, 9th
verse-"This is the day the Lord has made; We
will rejoice and be glad in it." Also from the
18th chapter of Genesis, 10th verse-'Surely
the Lord is in the place. The following is an
| abstract of the sermon:
There are days when men know not what to
| say. This is one upon which hardly know
| what to say, and might well wish that some one
else might speak to you. What day this must
be to the good Bishop and his people who have
| so struggled and tolled to complete this build
| ing. Contemplate that and then say what
| day this hour OF triumph must be.
tie spoke OF the parting of Bishop Nicely
when he left him and came hither to take up
| the cross and labor in this field: how earnestly
they all joined in bidding him God speed in his
| labors
This feast of conservation brings before us all
the uses and purposes of the church. A real
church is not the place for orstorcal display it
| lsa building. solemn, stately and wonderful
within and without which tall the material
| worth OF Gods glory and of the world to come
The brethren had done well to set up in this
fair city such monitor. Everything here
makes TINS building sign to US, as the bush
| told to Moses that the Lord was in that place
Everything in real church has meaning. All
| parts have tongue which speaks some lesson.
He gave an eloquent description of the signi-
hcsnce OF the different portions of the edi6ce,
| its decorations and ornaments
| From end to end real church is one great
| sermon OF Christ and faith. What blessed
| work to have built such house, and what a
blessed day when snch house has been offer
ed to the Lord. But they had done more than
to build church. This is Cathedral 1t
| marks far point in advance, and it marks
return toward the polity of the earlier and bet
| ter days.
He sketched a picture of the position of the
| church IN this country in colonial days. How
they stood alone and begged in vain Tor help.
ihey had been long enough growing, and the
| kind OF old cong regatioualism which marks the
| church now In some places, is the Outgrowth of
1 tu1I VIZ buG tnlS Is q correction. Let
the Bishop have his own church, whence shall
flow out all the noble influences which he strives
| to lmpait So with full heart he said God
ever bless this Cathedral church of St. Luke's
In Portland, and make it all it ought to be.
The greatest evil of the present day he con-
sdered to bs that of independence which made
men turn back to self opinion as the final ar
bitter. The land is just filled with conceited
young men. each of whom must have views. In
| colleges young men must select what they will
i bnnGphndG Ut ind iva
many forms OF religion as there are people.
There is want of unity in the church. Let us
\ learn that the church is the body of Christ and
obey her laws There is a body tending toward
| inhdelity who are ready to come to the church
If she will speak as she ought and say 81 have
| the truth. In true and thorough teaching lies
our hope of the future; not in eloquent talk, but
IN earnest work OF instruction. 1t is thus that
the church idea kills ipdividualism in the man,
and that the cathedral idea will kill individ-
l ualism in the parish. There are parishes which
would not be disturbed if all the rest of the
churc6es were TO disappear provided they could
| keep their organization and their pew rents
The remedy is coming in that little understood
that greatly longed for thing, the Promise. ST.
Luke was the beloved physician. Does not this
seem an augury OF good? of peace towards
menu We meet directly after the convention
OF the church. All the dividing lines have van
ished How sweetly this comes in upon the soul
| they know best who abhor contention Nav
the hres now extinct never break again into
flame. May the Bishop of souls lead his flock
beside the still waters Of comfort May we
work out our great work in this sad world hay-
ing one mind and one spirit
The Ofertory was devoted to general domes-
tic and foreign missions. The offertory sen.
tences and the prayer for Christs church mill
tant were said by the bishop of Vermont. The
exhortations and confession in the communion
office were said by the Bishop of Wisconsin
The Bishop of fredericton was the conse era
tor, and was assisted in the administration by
the Bishops OF Colorado aud Iowa, and Canon
Ketchum and Rev. Mr.. Alger of Saco. The
post communion was said by the Bishop of New
Hampshire, and the Bishop Of Fredericton as
the Oldest prelate present, gave the Bsnedc-
ton.
| The services We're most impressive and ma
Jestc, but festal spirit pervaded the whole,
aud gave it beauty and vigor. The church was
filled from end to end, sittings for 1900 people
being occupied. The floral decorations were
most profuse, and consisted of evergreen filled
in with mountain ash berries, snow.drops. au
tumn leaves, dahlias and asters. Beds of flow.
ers filled the window shelves throughout the
two aisles, vases of slavia and; dahlias stood
upon the super-altar, aud in the centre panel of
the reredos was an elegant cross Of red, formed
OF geraniums on green background Over
the choir room door was a basket of beautiful
flowers. The pulpit aud parapet wall were
adorned, and the chancsl entrance was arched
with flowers and berries and vines Under the
organ loft wreath of green was suspended.
Never have the floral decorations been SO beau,
tiful and prefuse.
The music was under tae direction of Mr.. G
Walter Goold, aud the Morning Prayer was
choral. Mr. Davee tenor, and Mrs. Merrill
Miss Dodwell and Miss Weeks, with ten of thu
of the clergy assisted the choir. The 277th ant
27Ssh hymns were sung. Mornington's Vents
Te Deum in D, Lieboth's Jubilate, Gilbert's
Anthems. the Proper Psalms, Kyrie Gloria
Tibi, Sanctus, Gloria ia Excelsis, and Nun,
Dlmittis were we'll rendered
Among the clergy present besides (those al
ready named, were Rev Messrs. Walker ant
Hichngs of New York, c. NJ. Pyue ofsRhod,
Island, Battershall of Albany, DR.. Knicker
booker of Minnesota, Storrs of Boston. DIR
| BattersOp. DR. Mcfynllouub nr uaIo pohou.