The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-15

| with bugle blare and armors cIang; his sappers
and miners are at work; he conceals his approaches
beneath the surface Of the ground his parallels are
close to our walls; he is excayatng under the bas-
| the faith. "Put on the whole armor OF God that We
may be able to withstand in the evil day. and having
| done all to stand" The weapons which inhdelity
| now wlelds are arguments false deductions from
science, and the specuations of vain philosophy;
theories Of the origin of the world without Divine
Architect; theories of the origin of life from the
blind forces Of nature without the breath of God to
yvify, without even Prometheus to nlch the vital
| name from heaven; theories OF development from q
| monad to man, whose immediate progenitor was q
gorilla, and whose grandfather was an ape; theories
OF the relations OF the sexes which, If practically
| carried out, would shake the foundations OF civil
society; theories Of morals which destroy the immu-
declare that whatever is is right theories of
good and evil which merge all partial evil
| IN universal good, and thus make evil good. To
meet these hereses no carnal weapons will avail The
battle Is mind against mind argument against argu-
"the sword Of the spirit which is the word OF God"
| With weapons drawn from such an armOry, and our
| feet firmly planted on the Rock OF Ages which no
| hostile sappers can undermine and the glorious
Cross with "IH hoe sigdO Uipces" embazoned on our
standard, we march to certain victory.
But we are asked, Are Temp to usurp the post
| Of honor which rightly belongs the authorized
expounders of Christian truth This battle is to be
| fought by clergy and laty together; and let those
| who ara protected with the trustiest armor, and
wield the sharpest weapons, and are best trained
and disciplined for the encounter whether clergy
men or laymen, march TO the front. l admit that
| the clergy should stand in the first line, but not
| with Amalek until Aaron and Hur supported them.
Solet the Christian ay uphold the hands OF the Chris
tian clergy yield to no man in sincere respect for
those learned and able servants of God who preach
in their purity the unsearchable riches Of Christ"
| But they will unite with me in regretting
that many of their profession waste their talents
and neutraize their influence in sectaran contro-
versies in disputes about forms, and ceremonies and
ordinances and canons and rituals, and vestments,
and geneaogies AS in the days Of Paul, some said,
am OF Paul; l, of Apollos |, of Cephas; and l, of
Christ; so in our day too many say am of Calvin;
l., OF Wesley |, of Fox; l. OF the Pope until we are
ready to eXcaim, Who Is OF Christ? Is Christ di-
| vided? was Calvin crucfed for you? or were ye
! baptized in the name Of Wesley?
| Many ministers Of the various denominations are
active members OF our order, and we invite all who
are worthy to enter With their assistance, Templar
Masonry would do more to break down the partition
walls of sect and smooth the asperities of ecclesas
! tical controversies, and make Christians move in
solid phaanX to conquer the world for Christ, than
all the meetings of the Evangelical Alliance during
| the last quarter OF century.
We sometimes hear the ominous questions, SIS
Christianity failure !" 'Is the world really any
better for it ?" One poet exclaimed in anguish dur
| ing the late war
Two thousand years! two thousand years!
The cynic points to the wars OF Christian nations
and the rivares of Christian sects, and says in der
sye irony, ''See how these Christians love
other!' Not few grave and thoughtful
ready to inquire "Can kindred branches OF the true
bandman bear fruits which resemble the
apples OF Sodom more than the purple clusters
| which give health and life to men 2"
We must detach from the substance Of Christianity
bered it. Its essence is pure and holy. Its interior
| spirit is love that worketh no i'll to his neghbor.
Its outward manifestation is peace on earth, good
will to men, Christianity is not responsibe for the
fOllies and crimes which have been perpetrated in
its name. These are not its natural fruits. They
are fungi fed by the fogs OF Ignorance and the
malaria OF bgotry, which have fastened themselves
to the noble tree whose leaves are for the healing
| of the nations.
The time has come, Sir Knights for us to do more
than we have done hitherto to ditfuse and defend
pure, fervent, spiritual Christanitya Christi unity
humility in prosperity fOrttude in adversity charity
to the errng consolation to the afflicted, protection
to the poor pilgrims of earth deliverance to the OPP
pressed, defense OF the innocent penitence for sin
| faith in our Redeemer-n Il word that godliness
which sis profitable unto all things, having the pro-
mise OF the life that now s and of that which Is to
come" Oh, how far we fall short of our professon
| He who can witness our mysteries month after
month with his heart untouched and his mind in-
different to their sublime significance, engages in
profane mockery; and he who can go out from our
asylums TO indulge in open secret vices paralyZes
his sword arm, and puts into the hands of our enc
mics keen weapon to attack us
| Freemasonry and Masonic Knighthood no longer
stand on the defensive. They make no more
apologies for their existence They assert their right
| to be- to act to extend their influence and moral
power, and to make their mark in history. But their
conquests are to be victories OF right over wrong of
truth over falsehoOd of mercy over cruelty, of mind
over NATTER of the religion of love bigory and
next step in advance should be in the direction of
mind; we must provide for the education of our
| youth We want great, central, national Masonic
| University: not a mere High School for boys, but
| University for young men; University in fact
as well as in name, including schools of arts, Of
chemistry and agriculture, OF mining and engineer
tuition furnished with libraries apparatus, cabinets
| and museums; and manned with corps OF profess
sOrs learned i'll their respective departments men OF
| liberal culture, and apt To teach; an institution Ot
such grade and cabre as will attract young men OF
all denominations, and especially the sons OF Masons
OF all denominations, and prepare them to go forth
into the various professions, and into the walks OF
scientific, literary and industrial life to defend the
Christian faith against the insdous attacks OF its
enemies, and to demonstrate by the example of
| blameless lives, and by arguments drawn from all
the resources of learning, the eXcelency aad glory
| OF the religion OF love.
Is this scheme Utopian Is the Grand Lodge of
| Pennsylvania able to build a Masonic Temple
that will cost million dollars, and have not
| all the Grand Lodges Chapters, and Communicates
of the United States the ability tn raise million to
| build furnish and equip an institution OF learning,
| Knights, Companions, and Brethren, that such
| monument would be greater honor TO cur orders,
ana WIN Tor us more lasting ame than the grandest
edice which the mind OF an operative Master Mason
ever designed, or the hands OF operative craftsmen
| erected.
| Permit me, Sir Knights to say IN conclusion that
you represent not only the orders of KnghthoOd in
| your respective State Grand and Subordinate Com
| manderies, and in the Grand Encampment OF the
United States, but you also represent all the profess
| sions the prominent branches OF business and in
dusry the various departments Of literature, science,
and arts, and diverse shades of political and reli-
gious opinion. But on this neutral ground of frater
nifty know no rivalry but in the exercise OF mag
| nanimty and courtesy. Our meeting here is in
deed a reunion OF hearts, and OF heads and hands
no less The friendly interchange Of ideas and
| sentiments Will give a wider scope to
our thoughts, open broader fields for our business
enterprises and awaken in us most ardent patriot
ism. We live nan age OF heroic achievements The
| scream Of the locomotive echoes among the gOrges
OF the Rocky Mountains, and the buffalo and savage
fly from the rumbling trains of commerce A few
years. and the vast areas OF our interior domain will
be occupied by an intelligent population, and en-
prise nothing is impossible. We seek the gorgeous
East, ana the wealth OF Ormus and of Ind"