Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-01-05


tRtasuch ns must commend tho Ne;
thusiastic admiration of tho worlS
lslamism may hate you; inflclily
may scoff ut you; pngnniem mny con
tenn you, and u thousand followers
ol as many erroneous systems may
despise your very boina; but tho
Christian civilization OF tho world
will applaud tho self immo!ation, the
devotion, the loyalty to principle,
which characterized tho Knights in
their carly existence. History has
recorded their past fidelity, lta stu
dcnts and it's dovolees hhvo admired
and npplaudcd their sublime cour
ago and self sncrlicc Many pilgrim.
ages to tho Holy Sepulchre have nj
iosted their earnest and nnIailinH de-
votion. Mnny martyrs ninong them
have scaled their fnilh with thor
blood. Yours is n noblo ancestry.
You could never have been prepared
for true Kuightliooi except in a
heart Tint believed in God, and with
lips thnt contested this belief. Trust
III God is nn essential prerequisite to
initiation i'll the very first degree OF
Masonry. a supreme reverence for
His name, is ono of the prominent in
structions given TO Fellow Cruft.
a belief in His resurrection power il
II cardiunl principle in the third de
gree. Those, ~ understand, nrc
essentially necessary in the mind md
heart of all who nspiro TO Knight.
hood. Aud you, nm suro, viii bear
no out i'll snying, tlint Knights
Iemplnr who. diBbelicve in,the OGrist
as our common Lord and Savior, nrc
degenerate sons OF noble md worthy
sires. The love for mankind which
characterized Hin by whose stripos
we are healed, will also characterize
every true knight. Indeed il is i'm
possible for mo TO 500 how you can
be faithful to tho ennobllng princi.
plos which charucterize your order
md not bo Christians in the highest
and. brondest sense of the term.
Your acts of charity are modostly.
aud III many instances, properly, con
cenled from tllerest OF the world.
Like the Master, ye do not your aims
before mon to be seen of them, yct
men very often know Tint We do them.
The immaculate Tencher, who is tho
Divine Author of lheso words, also
said, "Let yonr light shine before
men that others seeing your good
works nlay glorify your Father which
is in heaven Is this paradoxicnl
do not think 40. Does tllis forbid
the secret feature OF your orderq BY
NO means. Secret aims aud n shining
light are by no means incompatible
with each other. Ii they wore, tho
same immaculate lips and infinitely
pure heart could not have been the
author of both sentiments, and both
are found in the inimitable and un-
paralleled sermon OH the mount. Tie
outward life of purity which the Mns.
ter commands, and which proceeds
from heart that has faith in His
atonement for sinful man, can never
be otherwise than consistent with
privnto charity. That your order
and organization is charitable QUO,
no man has right to deny. On the
contrary, 1T is a fact that very many
have, and exercise thnriglt to affirm,
and he WHO would demand public
lexhibition ofthe good that is in your
order, transcends his rights and
would be better and moro profitably
employed in an investigation of his
own life and a aieligiously conscien
tious scrutiny of his own heart The
!, principles which you inculcate. in 80
far rs | am capable of giving an in
telligent opinion, nre unexccptiona.
bly, good. Many of the most pious
land devout in the churches of chris
tendon havo their names, ENROLLED
among your number, and the lightof
true Christian Knighthood shines
I from their lives. This may be men.
i toned, simply to emphasize the fact
that Kniglltl,ood and Christianity are
4 perfectly aud always compatibie.L
IWere it otherwise efESany of yoprsbest
men would separsts,from you idrever.
I Christianity viii always rejoice in
your charitics whether seen or un-
seen. 1t is not tooomuch to say, il
4 l understand your Organization, that
i you havea right to the sylnpathies
!. of the church. And now if these be
, facts. md j think you will say they
lare, tile church also lhss tho ,.i,,Ittd