The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-07-18

ibCo onN OCiCuOnlcS Oh TIC oTueI, -UC
may be perfect in these; he may be most
active on all public occasions he may at
tain the highest rank in the Order, and
yet, alas, be as the sounding brass and
tinkling cymbal. The seat of Odd Fei
lowship is in the heart. Indeed the true
Odd Fellow must not only possess the
moral virtues of the soul, but he must keep
them in active exercise In short, man
cannot be an Odd Fellow in spirit anu in
truth. unless he is grateful to his Creator,
faithful To his country, and fraternal TO his
fellow mau. But to be all this, he must be
surrounded by kindred spirits. to urge him
on in bis narrow path; through the fol
lies of lite, and this want we claim is fully
supplied in our honorable association, for
which accordingly a necessity does exist.
But some one may ask: Cannot all this
be done without secrets, parade and pomp.
Cannot man administer to the wants of his
neighbor without regalia, passwords, and
grips? Yes, my friends, he could, but
alas how few do it. Therefore let it suf-
fee you to know, that Odd Fellowship
does it, and that it is the result of separate
organization, of these foolish trappings, as
they are called by some. BY our regalia,
symbols and signs, we draw men together,
and urge them to the performance ofthose
duties that will lead to the glorious results
we have spoken of. What, ask, would
be the effect up IA an army to take fRom
them then uniform, deprive them OF their
standard, and silence their martial music |?
would the came high deeds of gallant dar-
ing be performed Would The ssame vic
tories crown their efforts All, no. The
true soldier feels when he puts on his uni
form, that il is the emblem of his cOuntry's
greatness. He sees the standard floating
in the breeze, and feels that when that
falls, his country's honor is lost; while the
strains of martial music strike upon his
ear, and nerve his heart for victory or
death. So with US in milder form those
jewels which you behold in our regalia, re-
minds US of some virtue we should cherish
each token of some duty we should per-
form wish had the power to impress
upon your minds the sublime pictures of
moral Odd Fellowship. O, that | might
sketch them that | might thrill the un-
initiated with our symbolic lectures that
l might throw aside the veil and open be-
fore your wondering vision the glories of
the Patriarchal Temple. But never, no,
never, until my tongue shall glow with the
fire of the upper Shekina, and the Grand
Sire of the Grand Lodge of Eternity shall
take the finger Ofsilence from my lips, may
| reveal to an assembled world, the stu
perdous pile of sublimity and beauty
which symbolic Odd Fellowship has reared
aloft.
have thus, imperfectly, demonstrated
the fact that necessity exists for the in
stitution of Odd Fellowship. l shall now
undertake to show its design When at
the first creation, God said, "Let there be
light, and there was light" it was to the
intent that the darkness might be dispers-
ed and His works become visible. When
at the second creation, our Redeemer says,
Let your light shine before men," lie in
tends that those whom He had called the
light of the world, should endeavor to dis
sipate the moral darkness OF mankind, by
instructing them in the doctrines of His
gospel, and by displaying the happy effects
of His religion in the purity of their lives,
and lustre of their virtues. The metaphor
here used by our Lord is fraught with
great beauty. Nothing, certainly, is more
apt to attract the eye and enliven the coun-
tenance than light; especially that which
shines in a dark place. In like manner,
nothing can more excite the observation,
engage the attention or gladden. the heart
of beholders, than fair light and excellent
character appearing In the midst of dis
SOIutC duu anu oH
all luminous bodies, in proportion to the
degree of their own brightness, diffuse their
light around them, and at distance en-
tighten other bodies, so in a moral and
religious sense, good example is light
shining in darkness, spreading its infiu
ence every way; diffusing instruction and
knowledge as well as motives to retorma
| ton, and encouragement Of virtue. Now
| my friends, in order to give these princi
| plies practical demonstration, / advance
| the proposition that the Odd Fellows arr
| a band of brothers, who profess to be con
| nected with each other, by the firmest en-
gagements and most affectionate ties
| Warmed, as they should be, with the mos
genera phIinnthroPhy. Iney profess to sci
Iorru the example just spoken of for the
purpose of uniting their endeavors in the
benevolent design of assisting the perfec
ton OF human character, as well as the
harmony and happiness of society. Tt
communicate the blessings OF which VIZ
are partakers, to contribute to the success
full propagation of knowledge, virtue, ant
peace to bring into living, active sympa
thy, the God like attributes of Friendship
Love and Truth, and whatever cultivate
and adorns social life-these are, and eve
have been, the great objects of our Order
Odd Fellowship processes to constitute TIT
| affectionate alliance which unites man il
warm cordially with man. In its solemn
assembly, men of different nationalitie
meet around its social altar with benignan
looks of esteem, and sentiments Ofunfeign
ed friendship 1t endeavors to cast abroat
Loves connecting coke, and bind together
in the strong cords of Truth the whole hu
man family. With religion, whose sub
| lime doctrines it cannot increase, who's,
noble precepts it cannot improve ant
whose sanctions it dare not Judge: will
this Odd Fellowship does not interfere
| The duty of piety must be the voluntary
| and spiritual intercourse of man will
| heaven. Over these matters the institu
| ton usurps no control, and claims no juris
diction. 1t is satisfied with teaching al
the brethren to remember that He it is I'm
| to whom all hearts are open, all desire
| known and from whom no secrets are hid
| observes their conduct, and that they mus
| therefore live as seeing Him who is Invisi
BILE that they must have their souls raiset
superior to the gross indulgences of vice
and their affections refined by the energie
of virtue that they must be alive to al
| the engaging duties of benovolence. ant
be attached to their fellow men by all thos
tender ties which brotherly love and char
| ity alone can beget, and which will hol
the heart In the most permanent captivity
But 1 will here anticipate the question
which is so frequently asked by the unln
itiated christian man, who is by associs
ton or inherent prejudice opposed to on
institution Does not all you claim fo
Odd Fellowship, of right, belong to tn
religion and Church of God !? AS chri!
tian minister say most emphatically tina
it does, and there was time when in thi
respect she did her whole duty. For neal
ly 1900 years the Church of God had q
things in common, all christians wer
equal, as to the things of this world, br
| since the seamless robe of Christ has bee
divided, and sub divided, we have as
| whole, departed from this noble, self-sacri
ficing principle. In that branch of th
Church Of God. indeed, at whase affairs
minister, we are by canon compelled
look after our own poor. The commune
aims being devoted to that purpose, bu
even with this provision, we do not com
ND to our duty, and the cause is obviou
The plan adopted by other branches of tt
Church of God, know not, but one thin
is apparent to all, that we. fall very fs
short in the aggregate and what do W
witness as very natural result, but I'll
organization of relief societies and otht
charitable Institutions, which may, and al
undoubtedly good in their way /; but the
are the result the legitimate result of wi
full disobedience to God and His especi
/ commands, and as u consequence are hi
initiating 80 the recipient, and insultin
to his manhood, because of the way,
which (what in the world would be callet
the.apparent force of circumstances, "
are compelled TO conduct them and this
contend is one ofthe many evils which
the legitimate fruit ola divided Chrlstel
dom and can conceive of no more pitt
BILE object in the world, my friends. nor or
placed in more unenviabIe position, tina
is the minister of Christ, who proclaim
from his pulpit perpetual hostility to on
own and similar institutions, on account
the plans adooted by them for the condu,