The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-06
THE THREE LINKS.
The Character and Mission of Odd-Fellow-
ship Defined.


AZ was the great Edmund Burke who said:
The spirit of civilization is composed of two
! PARASITIC spirit of religion and the spirit of
a gentleman" If this be correct definition
we may justly claim that our order is
mighty civilizipg agency.
In the first place our order makes belief in
| God and the essential truths of Christianity
| the very corner-stones of her temple No
man can enter the Threshold of our lodge
until he has given his sincere assent to this
article of our faith, The great moral maxims
| OF the Christian religion are found all
through our ritual, and go to make up the
| Odd-fellows' creed. We war against vice in
! all Its forms, not only because it is debasing
ana injurious 10 the human we'll being, but
because 1t is forbidden by kind and loving
Heavenly Father. While we lay no claim
| TO being religious institution we do insist
mat the spirit of religion permeates our
/ order and is its best feature We claim to
be helper to raise man to higher and
| nobler life. Tried by that broader
test that whatever makes man
| kinder and nobler, more unselfish and
| selt-sacritcing is in accord with the spirit of
Him who founded the Christian system. it
might be claimed that our order as a whole
IN both faith and practice is in some degree
| an exponent of the teachings of the Savior.
Odd-fellowship, having in no small measure
the spirit of religion, has within it those ele-
ments of culture to make those within the
| broadest sense of the word
What constitutes the gentleman? In an
| old English law book gentleman is defined
| 70 be one who, without any title, bears
| coat OF arms, or whose ancestors have been
| freemen;" and according to another who
soever studieth the laws of the realm, who
studieth IN the universities, who professeth
| the liberal sciences, and, to be short, who
| can live idly and without manual labor, and
well bear the part, charge and counter
aDce of a gentleman" That might do
for an ancient English gentleman, but
| to us it has some of the ear marks of
the latest and most approved style of the
American loafer. 1t is to be confessed with
shame that we free and indie pendant Ameri-
cans have not rid ourselves entirely of the
English prejudices in favor of birth and
wealth, ana still associate gentility with
those who lay claim to having had a distin-
gnlshed father or has inherited somebody's
wealth.
But the better judgment of the American
mind defines the gen tleman to be one who
in all things, according to his opportunities
is the highest type of real manhood. This
puts all men on their individual merits, and
rising above all questions of rank or riches
opens the way to this high position to all who
have enough self-love and self-respect to seek
to attain it.
1t is the mission of Odd-fello ship to de-
velop and strengthen the selfrespeot of all
WpO CO1nSCb bHSiuSelNeS with II6 OTuSf. II
takes no cognizance of the wealth, or cul-
ture, or literary attachments of those who
knock at her doors Tor admission. 1t only
carefully looks at the manly qualities of the
applicant. When admitted, he knows that
that was his passport. He therefore feels that
he must be a gentleman in order to main tain
his position. He begins to have a deeper
respect for himself, and commands the re-
spect OF his brethren. He finds that the tone
of the lodge is above mean actions and vi
cious habits and he commences the
work of self-reformation if lie has been
| the victim of bad habits or vicious appetites
| in the past. Every effortof the man to make
| himself more just to himself, will bring with
| it corresponding desire to be more gener-
Gus to others. Create in a man an active
ambition TO be noble, to bring out of himself
all that the opportunities and surroundings
will allow MIN to do, and you have from that
time, within as his animating force and mo-
| tive power, the spirit OF gentleman. The
| purposes, principles, organization and genius
OF our order seems to be exactly adapted to
| this work. Fraternizing human hearts on q
platform broader than party and wider than
| sectarlanlsm, induces generous spirit of
liberation and breaks down prejudice. 1t
cultivates large charity for the opinions of
others, and it is friend to the promotion OF
truth, and foe to error. Binding these
| men together with the strong bands of
Friendship, Love and Truth for the high and
and bearing one another's burdens, makes
the individual burden lighter and the per-
| sonal JOY sweeter.
| When the last page of the history of the
| race is written, and the record of human
| progress is complete, that page will be the
| brightest that contains the record of that
| peerless age in which more than any other
| period was accomplished in subduing hate
and conquering human selfishness, in elevat-
ing the great mass of humanity out of the
marshes and malaria of discord and strife to
| the high and generous plane of regard for
others rights and reputation where they in
| hale the pure atmosphere of mutual conf
dence and respect. 1t will outshine the
| boosted times that produced here and there
| some mighty warrior, gifted statesman or
orator, an accomplished painter or eminent
poet. These men of wonderful power and
gifts come once in century, and flash across
| the path of humanity like brilliant ME cor.
| The golden age will be when men of what
ever talent or station will come TO a better
| understa nding of themselves and their rela-
| tions to God and their felow-men.
We have given too much attention and
worship to the individual genius, and
not enough to the ordinary man. Let
not so much care be given to improved
machinery and increased locomotion,
| but rather let the deep concern be for a
| higher type of man. Let US take broader
! view. Law, science, education, art and So
ciety must all have for their prime object
| the improvement of the common man. With
| the religion of Christ in the forefront let all
! these be helpers in the grand work of re-
! deemng. mankind from the many ills that
| poison his life
| The grand mission of our order is to bring
mankind into better relations. We adopt
the creed OF our great poet, Longfellow:
| Conscious of right nor fearing wrong;
Because am in love with love,
| Ana the sole thing hate is hate;
For hate is deaLn, and love is life,
/ peace, a splendor from above;
And hate neyerending strife
smoke, backness from the abyss
Where unclean serpents coil and hiss
Love is the Holy Ghost within;
Hate the objectionable sin!
VINO breaches otherwise tnan this