Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-14
IN Hos SIGHO YINcES.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AT DEvoTIoNs
LAST NIGHT.
An Interesting Address by Rev. John f.
Won Herrlich on the Vision
of Constantine.

WCiS aoout ulty hulSnts III line, unuer the
command of W.D. knights, Eminent Com
mander, and they presented brilliant
spectacle as they marched down the aisle
of the church and took their seats in the
front rows, which had been reserved for
them. The church was crowded with peo-
pie, who listened attentively to the beautiful
services and the excellent music. The rec.
tor, Rev. John F. Won Herrlich, delivered
the following thoughtful address on the
vision of Constantine, which was listened
to with marked attention:
In hoe signo vinces The banner under
which you march to-day first virtually
fioated to the winds of heaven in OCTOBER.
1,577 years ago. 1t was an object of hope
to some, vagueness to others, wonder to all.
Before the battle of Milvian bridge, on the
18th day of October, 313, the design was
conceived and the standard adopted. After
that famous battle, under the name of the
Labarum, it led the armies of Constantine
through many victorious campaigns against
forces vastly greater than his own-agaipst
foes and tyrants the most cruel and treach-
erous that every darkened history's pages.
The original standard was long pike. with
transverse beam, to which was attached a
sllken vail wrought with images of the
Emperor and his children, and on the top
was crown of gold. inclosing the mys-
terlous monogram representing the cross
with the initial letters representing the
name of Christ. But what caused this
strange new standard to be adopted? Then
the standard of the Roman was the eagle.
which had been carried over sea and land
at the head of Rome's victorious legiops.
When Constantine approached that Mil
Wan bridge nothing conceivable on earth
was more opprobrious to the Roman mind
than the cross of the Christian, the cross.
the sign of ignominy, disgrace and death.
Ten years of the most cruel and systematic
prosecutions had intensified that aversion.
1t is hard now, when the cross is the
symbol OF beauty, power and self-sacriice
when it glitters ON FURNISHED gold or
sparkles in diamonds on beauty's neck
lace; when it is stamped on a thousand
materials, from the humble sackcloth to
the sllken banner; when 1t is cast in
bronze or sculptured in purest marble-it
is hard now to transport ones self back to
the day before Constantine's marvellous
vision and realize the horror and detesta-
ton OF the cross as sign or symbol Ac-
count for 1t as you may, Constantine,
while pagan, changed Rome's standard
from the victorious eagle to the symbol of
the prosecuted and then detested Christ.
lans; in momentous crisis of the Roman
Empire, and a crisis in his own life so re-
markable that it has few parallels in his.
tory. If anyone will maintain that a
well-tried and valorous soldier such as the
emperor Constantine was would change
his standard from one of past victory 10
the symbol of the meek and prosecuted
Christians without deep and cogent res-
son, let him state his weak and absurd
theory. What was that impelling cause?
Let history tell US.
just when midday was past and in the
most momentous crisis of his life while
he was commencing himself and the En-
pre- to Providence-for Constantine be-
heved that great divine power overruled
all things a Providence, whether of pagan
deities or Of the Christian God, he knew
not, but he knew that there must be an in
telllgent creating planning and overruling
power existing outside of and supremely
above mere physical matter, and TO that
power he wisely and sincerely prayed, and
upon which at times he cast himself
when at midday he had done this
he looked up and saw the heavens ablaze
with light. In that light the form of a
cross appeared more and mere distinctly
defined as be gazed upon it. While he
looked the light vapors of the sky wrapped
themselves into the Greek words, "En
touto nika," signifying in Latin, I'm hoe
slgno vinces In this sign thou shalt
conquer" -Four historians give the &C.
count with many variations, and these
variations give boldness to modern doubt
ers-those who in their feeble pride of
human intellect and reason would deny
the sublimest truth of life rather than &C.
knowledge that an all-wise and benevolent
God would condescend TO stoop down to
in ha ffair nf
terfere by special providence to rule the
misguided men in right directions; and
who knows what is a special providence,
or what is not one? To his friend, Fuse
bius, the historian, Constantine late in life
declared on an oath that he beheld the ap-
pearance OF that cross in the heavens by
day and in dream the following night he
received the words, "In this conquer"
Such was the Labarum which Constantine
adopted for his legions, and which was
never lowered in the face of an enemy and
under which he never failed of victory.
Explain it as you will, natural or super
natural, miracle or Providence, care not.
The effect was produced, and by what has
followed in the worlds history one more
than man-than the human Emperor Con-
stantine-conceived and planned it.
Providence-what do you know about
it? What do you know about what God
does or does not do? Who can say how
much is of God ? How much is human 4?
There is God-I clearly read,
Where e'er turn my eye
No less within the little seed
Than in the yaulted sky.
There would be no greater effort to the
Divine One in loosing the bands of Orion
or in binding the sweet influences of the
Pleiades than in poising on ouiverine
wings the eagle and humming bird in mid.
air
All things in nature proclaim personal
planning God-an all pervading personal
contriving intelligence outside of and apar,
from inanimate unthinking matter-all
things declare this objective personal in
teiligence from the Towering lily and ris-
ing moon to the blazing sun and the glow.
worms taper Let us not limit God, and
narrow and doubt him simply because VIC
cannot grasp his being and personality nor
understand his ways and Methods
Can you not look back and see God in
history even if you have not sought and
obtained that nearness to him which would
reveal him to you in a personal experience
Rome was not only drunken with the
blood of Christians, but her very temples
streets and amphitheaters, from battlements
to foundations. were crying to God for ven.
geance. Was 1t not time for God to hear
them and send them relief and assist.
ance. Call it what you will, dream
Providence, miracle or Imagination, God
was in it. 1t was the sign and symbol
for the uplifting and exaltation Of
humanity. That signal still remains. All
other emblems and devices of men are
short-lived and iransitory. The banners ol
earth's proudest kingdoms, at whose name
IN their prime. the nations trembled-Nin.
evah Babylon, Persia, Macedon, iron
Rome, that trampled upon and broke all
others into pieces-all had their ensisns and
standards IN which they boosted and
trusted. But where are they now! They
served their day and passed away, perhaps
forever. But not so the banner, Sir
Knights, which you carry with you. Since
that day this all-conquering banner was
first borne aloft it has never been perma
nently trailed in the dust, and we believe
il never will be. BY q remarkable provi
dence your Order has become the inherit
ors and guardians of this sacred symbol
Your Order mas come down in 9
line parallel with the Church of Christ
and made up of those who ere
representative OF the nobsest, best aDG
most Intelligent of the community ir
which you are organized. What does thai
10 To hrrt ~,