The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-07
ASCENSION DAY.
R.v ArmStnong,s Address 10 the
KniEhis TemPlnr.

ASCEIBION DAY.
Rev. ArmstrOng's Address 10 the
Knighis Templnr.
so,,. III, $50 Rev. J. G. Armstrong,
az ~ s.. Matthew Episcopal Chnreh'e 1s
ssr5ej an Invitation to the members Of
WbsrIiBr Commandery No. ], knights
T.mnlsT. 10 Be present. at the services
-Licb Vere 10 Be held in his church on
IN evening Of Aseension-day. The In
citation vas accepted, and last evening
,bout hfry Knights, in full uniform,
marched 70 81 Matthews Church.
Al an early hour the church was well
tiled with people. The visitors were Civ
en- seats Immediately in front Of the chan
eel, and made very handsome display
in heir neat and picturesque unifoEmsH
The services commenced shortly before
I s O'clock, Rev. Armstrong being assisted
by Rev. ]. CoEpland, Of Wellsburg.
Alter the usual opening exercises Rev,
Armstrong delivered q short sermon,
taking for his text the 5Oth and 5lstyersei
Of The 9Th chapter Of the Gospel Accord
ing TO St. Luke:
aAnA h I'd them oli - 81 = o BsthGnyi and
/ Il Hfied u bis hands md Aoaud tht1a-
s1nd iiclms 70 parS Wills b hssai them, y
"a paried irm thim, and eItsi % into heaEra- +"
Al the conclusion OF the sermon the
reverend gentleman addressed the knights
Is follOVs:
Rsiglh T@piar:
Observation-Disclosures the thought Of
| inviting Won a. q body % b present With
ne In 81. MattheE's on this occasion Of
our celebration Of our Lords ascension
originated with myself, yet, not being .
member Of your order, debated in my
own mind for quite while, the ProPriety
Of carrying out the thought And even
nov that the thought has bcen carried
out and that you have been pleased to ae-
cept my invitation, / feel very much like
host Who has had strange gueih at his
table, and who scarcely knows how after
wards to entertain them or what to say to
them. As guests, however, usually feel
more at home in their hosts house when
they know that no mere parade has been
got up, and no extra and hurried prepa
ration has been made for their entertain
ment, when they are treated simply A.
members Of the family; 20 a. We have
consciously treated you thus, the hope
that YOU have been feeling quite at your
ease at our table, tends very much to re-
lieve me, as presiding a, it, head, Of my
embarrassment.
had a meaning, gentlemen, in extend
ing TO you the invitation. II was more
than formal act OF mere courtesy, even
had any obligations rested upon me toeG-
tend it for that. intended by it TO zig
nifty to you my appreciation Of many Of
the phases Of the Masonic Order, as they
come under my own observation, and
especially Of that particular branch or
society Of the order with which you are
connected. While ! do not by any means
regard the order a. OF tantamount im-
pOrtance with the Churrh--she being Of
divine and it Of merely human origin,
and while I5Would lend no CountenaRoe to
the thought that Il can take the place of
the CHURCH, yet, not only do not
understand that any Of is laws and obliga.
tons are antagOniStic to or subyersiye Of
her's,Or why a faithful Mason may not be
a faithful ChurchmAn, but | also fully
confess that in much Of the spirit which
you evince, and in many Of the works
| -I-;-L. gS-ia-u'. unNy,lsrs ,0i the
Church mightlearn some salutaTy lessons.
| Your fidelity TO members OF the fraternity
everywhere, in keeping invaluable each
Others trusts, your freedom from jealousy
and chickering's among yourselves, and
your constant readiness TO relieve each
! Others actual wants; these are traits
which, 10 say the least it would be
wise and safe for church members more
largely to emulate. With the Order Of
Knights Templar, however, am free
10 say, that have q special sym
patty. Not only vas the original de.
sign in il fornaiioni specially religious
the safe guidance and protection Of
Christians 10 their pilgrimages to the
land Of our SaTiOuF's nativily-but 1t has
many quite prominent features which
are very familiar and pleasing to me a. a
Churchman, and which prove it almost
my kinSman. Not only is much Of your
liturgy embodied in almost the very
words Of our, but some ofthe days which
you celebrate are among the days which
are celebrated and highly priced by US.
You he'll Us to keep alive the memory Of
the good st. John, whose Gospel has en-.
unciated such good doctrines Of Christian
philosophy, and whose Epistles breathe
forth such sweet paternal counsels: while
this glorious Ascehsion-day, which, a.
have endeavored TO show, il the GROWING
Of all redempliOn's days, you are one with
US In celebrating. Indeed in every large
city throughout the world, this day and
evening will have been almost as ignally
marked by the celebration Of knights
Templar a. by that Of the Church.
II Is for these reasons among others that
| entertain towards your order that re-
spect and sympathy Of which | have
spoken, and that have responded to the
impulIe to invite you to be present with
us on this occasion. And while II would
no doubt be extremely impolite for me a.
your host to terminate our evening meal
With anything like formal advice to yuu,
| yet venture TO express the sincere hope
that your order may be presetved-as
know il il your honest wish to presefre it
from the entrance Of members who
would disgrace 1t By unworthy Lives.
And l sincerely hope also that as
each AscensiOn-lay rolls around
you will not only not fail to
celebrate it as an Historical fact, bu,
that you, and all the members II the
fraternity, will each year grasp more and
more inielligently and sensibly than the !
preceding one, the grand foundation
doctrines which the event celebrated
necessarily covers and carries with it. A.,
And my earnest prayer l. that through
the ttiumphs Of our blessed Lords re.
demptiOn, 80 clearly and emphaticallyl
proclaimed in His Ascension, each Of vuii
with each Of uS, may al last lie found the
resident Of "a building Of tiod, 4 house
not made with hands, eternal in the
Heavens"
Pardon me however Tor having lelain-
ed you 40 long. .t.
LOCAL PERsOSALs.-The Eiuardymi.b
beiore the police court yesterday morn.
ing il not the one that works in The Xiv.
erSide Mill.
Whitney, who sang here on several Or.
casions, accompanying Theodore Thoma.'
Otchestra, will be the leading bas.o at the
Cincinnati festival. II
AZ