The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-27
ODD FELLOWS AT CHURCH.
REV. DIR. sCHAEFFER'S SERMON To
THE SAVANNAH LODGES.

in RegaIfa March From Their Hall
TO the Church of the Ascension.
DIR. schaener's Discourse the
Principles of odd FeIIOwship-The
Lodges Adopt ResoIutiOns-The
Augusta odd Fellows Fail TO Ar
rive.
The odd Fellows celebrated their sew
enty-seventh anniversary, which fell on
yesterday. by attending divine services
last night at the Lutheran church Of the
Ascension.
About 40 odd Fellows met at the hall at
7.30 O'Clock. leaving thence for the church
shortly before o'clock.
With the large congregation which had
already gathered the church was entire
~ filled when the odd Fellows marched in
and occupied the seats reserved for them.
They wore their regalia, and so many
gathered together in one place made a
pleasing sight. The pulpit had been dec
GRATED with roses in honor Of the occa-
sion.
The service began with the recitation Of
the one hundreth Psalm by the pastor and
congregation. This was followed by the
Gloria Patri," by the choir. The anni-
versary hymn was also sung by the choir.
The sermon by Rev. DR.. Schaeffer was
one Of his best efforts. and was so thor
oughly in touch with the spirit Of the
occasion as to meet the unanimous in
dorsement OF all present.
DR.. Schaeffer's text was from the twelfth
chapter and Goth verse Of Exodus, What
mean We by this service" His topic was
Odd Fellowship and the principles and
spirit Of the order. In beginning his dis
course DR.. Schaeffer said that he felt a
privilege had been conferred upon him,
and that he had been honored in being Sc
lected TO preach the anniversary sermon.
1t was not inappropriate, he said, that
this occasion should be celebrated in the
Lutheran church, whose founder had
made the first successful effort in mod
ern times to establish personal, civil and
religious liberty. breaking forever thesfet-
tiers that ensIaved the soul. He pointed
out that the Odd Fellows and the Luth-
eran church were working on the same
line in caring for the orphans and pro-
viding homes for the aged, the Lutheran
church having, more institutions Of this
kind than ah the other Protestant
churches combined.
In the name of my church." he said,
Il bid you welcome to our church home,
and may God bless our service together
tonight"
DIT. schaeffer spoke of anniversaries
and their purpose abiding to the pass
over service Of the Hebrews, where the
goodness and mercy of Cod as shown TO
his people in the past was recalled. This,
said he, lis our nth anniversary. How
humble the beginning What surprising
results! What a magnificent historyi II
Thomas Wildey, John WEIGH. John Dun
can, John Cheathem and Richard Rush
worth could to-day stand amongst US,
with amazement by the unparalleled
achievements, the beneficent record Of
this order founded by them.
"A membership of more than 100000 and
since their day nearly 100000 sick, sOr-
rowing and bereft relieved, upon whom
has been expended more than S67 COO, 90!
How luminous these seYenty-seVe,l
years, with the heavenly radiance of fei-
lowship, love and truth! Well may we
meet in Gods house tonight and so come
before the great God, in whom we trust
with heartfelt thanksgiving, for the pros
perity He has vouchsafed and for the
good He has enabled us to do and with
hearty acknowledgment of His hand in
all our success, our progress and improve
ment to rejoice before Him and ascribe
to Him all the honor and glory. Let US
sing His praises; let us thank Him for
the past; let us implore the continuance
OF his protecting care
DR.. Schaeffer said that some people OBJ
jected to the odd Fellows and other. secret
orders on account of their secrecy. He
treated this objection with ridicule
The secrecy of our operations" said
he, give some people an immense deal
are terribly exercised for fear somebody
will do something that nobody ever will
hnd out. We are sorry for their sakes
that IL is So We would like to arrange
matters for accommodation and comfort.
but 1T would give US considerable incon-
Venience at this late day, and then-we
are afraid they might tell. If the position
of those who object to our secrecy be
tenable, then there is no state or condition
or society which would not in a greater
or less degree, be liable to the same con-
nfi In, fol,
is not only proper, but necessary Each
family has its private affairs, which would
not only be improper, but often produc-
tive of harm for the world at large to
know.
The existence, the design, the govern
ments of these orders are not hidden from
the public. True, we have some signs and
passwords for the benefit of our own men,
bers. These harm nobody. They are to
keep the enemy outside; that's all. The
ceremonies of initiation are secret Now
our enemies declare that about this mat
ter we are so secret that no one knows
what We do, and yet strange to say in the
same breath almost, they tell of the works
of darkness, the midnight orgies the in
tercourse with the gentleman with horns
and all the awful things we do whose
like can no where else be found on earth
or under the earth. Before entering upon
these dreadful mysteries every man is
solemnly assured that neither then nor
ever afterward, win anything be required
of him that will in any degree interfere
with the duties he owes to himself, his
country his family, or his church,
1T is charged upon us that secret or
! ders are antagonistic to and usurp the
| place of the church, that when once in the
| order men are satisfied to tarry there and
| go no further; that secret orders are re.
| garded a substitute for the church; their
morality an equivalent for the vital godli-
| ness of Christianity In the effort to sus-
| tain this charge books have been published
and sermons preached
This would be a most serious charge
| were there any basis for it.
| More than 100000 men belong to the
| various secret orders in this country and
! doubt not in all that vast number there
| may be some against whom the charge
| would be well founded, but that does moi
! justify a wholesale condemnation of in.
/ situations, very large ma.
| 1ority of whom are zeaIous
! members of the church. jealous for inc
| honor of their Master and His cause
] Some of the noblest and truest Christians
/ of all lands belong TO secret orders. Their
! chiefest joy is the religion and church ol
/ the Lord Jesus and II is not to be suppos.
| ed they would retain connection with an
| order whose tenets antagonized their re.
| lgion. True. men will be better men /,
| they honestly practice the precepts of
/ these benevolent orders, hut these socie.
| ties do not claim to make men Christians
| nor do they offer any substitute for Chris.