The Portland daily press., 1899-12-13
BY Clergy and Laity Of tho Episcopal
Church Of Maine.
Missionary Spirit of
Late Bishop Nicely
Subject on Which Rev. Chas. +.
Lee Spoke Last Night.

"A
ventiun to choose u successor to the late
Rev. Henry A. Nssly, ID. d., who died
few weeks ago and who had been for
thirty -four years the bishop of the Epis-
copal diac s, Of this state. will bs held ct
st. Lnke's Episcopal church on State
street. The holy communion will be
ceIsbrated at Is0 and at nine O'Clock
and this will Immediately be followed by
the meeting Of the convention. There can
be no safe predictions as to what ohoics
will bs male.
During the last few days many men,
hers of the Episcopal faith from all parts
of the state have been arriving In this
oity to be In attendance at the conven-
t,on. Many Of the clergy men from diner-
ent sections Of the state have also arrived.
Tuesday evening twenty-seven Of these
visiting clergymen attended the service at
st. Lutes.
There was good sized congregation at
this ssrvios and q most able discourse was
delivered by Rev. Charles Fallen Lee OF
Newcastle. His subject was, 'ihe Mis-
sionary Spirit and Zgai of the late Bishop
Nesiy.'' The text WAS from the seventh
and eighth vertes Of the twentieth chapter
of Acts. she who has SO long. faithfully
and lovingly superiutsnded our work and
whose fatherly success has contributed SO
m uch to our success. has at last entered
into Paradise with sorrow that We shall
see his face no more" said MIR. Lee. ''It
is a sorrow and a sorrow that will not
soon pass away. No one could have
known Bishop Nicely without feeling that
his death Ia n personal loss. 1t has seemed
we'll to those acting with ecclesiastical
authority that some of them should speak
of Bishop Nsely as q missionary worKer.
The lot has fallen to the speaker who
yene.ates the name of Henry Adams
Nelly. We can say Of him as the great
apostle. that he served the Lord with all
humility of mind, oftsntimes with many
troubles. He counted his life not dear to
himself SO that he might work for God.
Must we not think that the heroic apostle
Of the Gentiles would have approved Of
Bishop Neelyp think that we must.
and for that reason have called your at
tention to these verses which l have Sc
lected.
"Tne record of the thirty three years
during which Bishop Neely was In this
diocese Is q record of labor. While the
diocese is one of the oldest, it IL one
where the church IS weak and scattered.
spirit could have made n reasonable sue
cess He had heart that was overflow
ing with enthusiasm for all that was
good and true. A new era In the life OF
the church In Maine was established. His
diocese was reported rs one Of hardly
$50. 600 souls and nowhere, perhaps. was
the church 30 litils understood. And SO
1t Is n OF at all strange that he did not
carry the state by storm. No living man
could have done this. But his labors were
not In vain. Thank God they are not. 1t
Is not too much to say that the church In
Maine Is twice as large as 1t Was thirty
four years ago. When We take everything
into consideration, we can't help think
ing that our father wrought successes.
Though our bishop must have known
times Of great sadness. his heart never
failed him. he simply would not allow
himself to bs defeated. Even when his
, health was steadily failing he would
arouse himself In his energies and in
tsrest himself In some enterprise. Per
forming to the last he acted the good
soldier OF God.
"Let us reflect why he accomplished SO
much for thu church OF the living God in
this state. he bsiieyed with all his heart
and mind that the scriptures were in
spirsd by divine spirit. He believed in
the marvellous birth. life, death and as.
cension of Jesus Christ. He believed that
He was his only saviour. His belief In
the absent truths penetrated every part of
his nature. The result was that he could
not be happy unless he was permitted to
strengthen souls and to carry the word to