The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-15
TIE TEMPLARS' DAY
CELEBRATION OF ASCENSION BY
CHARLOTTESVILLE CoMMAxDERY.
Grafton by Rev. DIR. Leech, Tracing
the Origin and Benefits of Knight
hood, Followed by n banquet.
pecial to the Indianapolis Journal.

crowded audience at the First NJ. E. Church
and banquet. AT the church Rev. DR..
Switzer, of West Lafayette. acted pre-
late, and Rev. DR.. Leech, the pastor, deliv-
cred the address. The musical parts of the
elaborate ritual were rendered by Mr. G. f.
Hughes, Miss Mary Campbell, Miss Edna
Dice, A. A. Mccain and Mrs. A. b. Ander-
son. The following is a full sketch of the
grafton of DR.. Leech, tracing the history of
knighthood and the chief benefits received
by men from the event ofsChrists ascen-
sion. DIR. Leech said:
The study of the history of knighthood
Is full OF intense interest. The records of
the crusades are interlaced with the. an
nails or the three chief orders of religio-
military knighthood-the knights Templars.
the Ieutonic knights and the Knights Hos
pitallers. In the wars of Palestine, for the
defense OF the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem,
struggling for many decades with the Mo-
mammalian legions, led by Salad.n and his
predecessors. these three orders engaged in
different departments of Christian service.
1t was part of the long contest of the cross
with the crescent. Indeed Europe was in
constant danger Of Moslem conquests until
John Sobieski forever settled the question
of Moslem invasions, outside of the walls
of Vienna, almost at the dawn Of the
eighteenth century. The knighthood of the
crusades made this possibility by intensi-
Tying general European sentiment in favor
or common Christian civilization. The
knights were usually unmarried men, sworn
TO protect the weak from oppression, and
10 defend the cause Of right against wrong.
They were taught 10 fight in panoply COM
p,ete, on horseback. and to respect worthy
character and pure morals. They who
called themselves knights of the Holy Sepul-
chre gave their chief attention to the ac-
brs Fa ama Sy nrsv h e O
this fraternity was designated by the golden
cross hanging from black band. The
knights Hospitallers wore the robes and
haH IF ba Anp In hro IL
Teutonic Knights wore white mantles with
black crosses. The Knights Templars were
the two French crusaders, Hugo de Paganis
and Godfrey Aldemar. Their badge was
red cross on a white cloak. Their positive
mission was to give military protection to
the numerous pilgrims who fiocked, after the
first crusade, to Jerusalem and other sacred
places"
guished Knights Tempars whose biographies
constitute the key to the history Of the
order. Pope Honoris the Third" said the
speaker, paid the knights Templars lofty
honor. They fourshed in all of the prov
inces Of Christendom. Pope Innocent the
Third was doubtless a Knight Templar:
Lateran and Lyons church councils. They
were frequently guardians of princes and
almoners of kings. Sovereigns conferred on
them immense estates and kings borrowed
from them enormous sums of money. Their
vast wealth excited the cupidNy of Philip
the Fourth Of France and their overshadow-
ing political power won for them the strong
dislike of Pope Clement the Fifth. Within
a period of six years these two men stripped
to Imprisonment and death in inquisitions.
and suppressed the order. The terrible suf-
ferings of the knights Templars under these
rulers constitute one of the darkest pages in
the history of, so-called, Christian civiliza-
ton.
Throughout the crusades and other vir-
tual ecclesiastical wars the knights Tenn
plars exhibited magnificent prowess and
bravery In battles with the Moslem COM
manders. The awful massacres of the
knights, at Hittin by Saladin, the conquest,
by this great Moslem commander. of Jeru-
salem and it's final loss to Christendom. the
thrilling stories of the sieges OF Acre and
Damiata, the splendid but unsuccessful
fighting Of the Tempiars at Jaffa and GAIA.
at which latter city but eighteen knights
survived the bloody contest and the surr ..n-
der of the fortress of Safed when the entire
garrison of Knights, numbering six num-
dred, accepted death by the sword In pref
erence to the embrace of the Mohammedan
faith manifest the Christian heroism or the
knights of the middle ages.
You who bear their name at the thresh-
old of the twentieth century, are not called
to an inheritance of their self-sacrihce, per-
lis, sufferings and martyr deaths: Under
the worlds best flag and most desirable
ySu are s eb;s 10 nniVer
sary of our Redeemers resurrection. Au-
gustine tells us that the Christians OF the
first century so memorialized THIS gay mat
commentaries the departure OF the risen
Christ for His celestial capital. Let us med
itate on this sublime event and its chief
lessons for the study of this generation.
THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY.
MARK and Luke TELL in their gospels, the
beautiful story of the ascension. Luke elabf
crates it in the Acts of the Apostles. Fof
forty days since His resurrection Christ has
been publicly demonstrating His victory
over DEATH before selected witnesses, and
instructing His disciples in matters apper-
a ,tv.ry
has dawned. They pass over the crest Of
Olivet. They assemble near to Bethany. two
and a half miles from Jerusalem, on the
Jericho road. Here Christ delivers His
earthly valedictory. He tarries to organize
the worlds society, and appoint the first
missionaries for the entire word. Now He
manifests that He has arisen TO die no
more, as He ascends into the ETHEREAL con-
cave before His astonished apostles. His
ascension is the logical result OF His resur-
rection. 1t was indicated in Old Testament
prophecy and foretold by himself. A thou
sand years before He was crucified David
wrote Thou hast assembled on high; thou
hast let captivity. captive; thou hast received
gifts for men, AS ancient conquerors
led their captives in chains in their triumph
al professions, so when Christ assembled
He broke the y Of f Satan sin e and Sea5h
could be found in the treasury of the atone
ment, chief among which stand us,fhcation
from sin, the sanctification Of the soul, the
giorifcation of the resurrection body, the
permanent administration Of the Holy Spirit,
the high priesthood of Jesus Christ mans
mediator with God and an Immortality of
heavenly blessedness. Christ applied TO
himself David's prophecy in which He rep
resents the divine Father as saying, Sit
TnS my n ha1d u nere ba Sks
sents the assembled Christ as receiving from
His Father kingly authority-as being beside
the Father in a ruling posture while the
pennons OF the cross move on among the
nations to universal victory. When on the
morning of His crucifxion, He was brought
before the Sanhedrin He uttered these brave
words, Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit
on the right hand of the power of God He
announced that He was about TO change His
residence from earth to heaven. To Mary
Magdalene He said, after His resurrection,
ascend unto my Father and your Father
to my God and your God Here He again
emphasizes His physical transition TO the
skies. He says in substance, Mary! Go and
tell my friends that their expectations as 10
my temporal kingdom are but dreams: that
/ go back to heaven with my personal mis-
sion ended
1.-The scene of the ascension was publicly
witnessed. 1t stands overwhelmingly ac-
credited. 1t was sudden, glorious. swift and
victorious. His disciples were present.
tence, After the Lord had spoken TO them,
He was received up into heaven Luke
writes. While He blessed them He was
parted from them and carried up. into
heaven He further writes, While they be-
he'd He was taken up and cloud received
Him out Of their sight While they looked
steadfastly towards heaven. as He went up,
two men stood by them in white apparel,
who also said, We men of Galilee! Why
hare xfr<r IN.