St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-06
SECRECY NOT A SIN
REV. WRIGHT PROTESTS AGAINST
THE PAPAL BAN ON FREE
MASONRY.
PALADIN KNIGHTS OBSERVE
EASTER BY ATTENDING A SPECIAL
SERVICE AT ST. PAUL1S
CHURCH.
MASONRY REvERED THE BIBLE.
While Not Opposing the Tenets Of
the Church, Which Still Had
Secret Councils.
PALADIN KNIGHTS OBSERVE
IAsoNRY REvERED THE BIBLE.

| Rev. DR.. John Wright rector of St PauI's
Episcopal church, held special Easter service
| yesterday afternoon, when he addressed t1s
hfty knights Templar Of Paladin eom1nandery.
Just back of the chanceI rail stood a largo
cross of Easter lilies and snliIax uuen a haze
bearing the name of the commandery. The
entire church was filled by congregation on
all sloes OF the nave, the center Of which was
reserved for the Knights AS the -urncessfor.I
n3mn was heard in the distance. the COM,
mandery took places ON bof, sides AZ tna
| main aisle. Against their black uniforms
were brilliant the red belt. the white ,o+,-,
oaldric, edged with black velvet, bearing the
cross on the breast passing over the right
shoulder and supporting at the left side with
cuihisheo cnalns, the silver scabbard for the
ieniplArs historic sword. Facing the aisle.
each knight held with his left hand and upon
A's rlgnt shoulder the black chapeau, crowned
NY lts moving ostrich plume and with his
rlsnc hand stretched forth the naked sword
lts UP meeting that of corresponding sword
across the aisle. Underneath the "arch ~
steer came the surpHced choir bows AZ
thelr front was the choir cross decked with
feses at the rear the officiating clergy. ending
WIN the rector himself. When, during tho
subsequent service, the apostles cread v,os
reclted, each knight arose, and drawing bts
sword held its gEttering point toward +bo
! SKY. Ihus was the venerable creed ranao+od
by the devout Knights of st. John. the nreda-
cessors OF the Templars, well nigh 1. OO0 vears
ago.
| Dr wright began his address with the stata-
inent that 1t was to protect the sex sacrad IN
the christian. degraded to the Mohammedan.
| Ian
| century was founded the Knights of ST. .Iohn.
afterwards these knights established great
nospltal or refuge in the holy city for Chris
tlan pilgrims. Still later the order assumed
the name of the Knights Templar, occupied
the Island of Malta, constructed there ex
tenslVe churches, castles and Notifications
| Wnlch still exist, destroyed Mohammedan
piracy upon the Mediterranean and made that
greatest OF mediaeTal highways secure for the
! worlds commerce. Then the Knights TempIar
were IN full accord with the Church of Rome,
Wnleh has OF recent years declared Masonry
IN all It's branches under the ban of the pope.
| because Masonry is a secret order "But
| exclaimed the rector ''are not the proceed
| ings' OF the presidents cabinet Invariably Sc
cret? Are not the councils of every European
| monarch equally secret? Is not the Church
| OF Rome an organization of secrecy?
| WHO knows of the deliberations of the car
dlnals that select new pope? Who among
| is chosen, except by the sight of smoke ris-
| ing through a vatican chimney from the
| burning and useless ballots? Who knows Of
| the arguments advanced in the councils of
| cardinals and of bishops? Not that any one
| suspects these dignitaries of wrong doing
because they conceal their councils. These
| councils are secret because they are good
for secrecy may advance the right in many
cases. Even the noble creed that YOU have
just rec1ted was the secret watchword Of
| Christ, proving His faith to follow Chris
tian, transmitted by word of mouth alone
| forbidden to be written during more than 700
years ana never recorded from the birth of
| Christ until the year 1885," Dr. Wright said
that as Mason, he knew that it's secrets
| concealed nothing repugnant to the Christian
| Ialth 6ut much that was Strengthening COM
fortlng, reviving to the believer in Christ.
| In the Masonic lodge room the Bible was the
DOCK OF books. Still did the Cemrnauderv of
| 81 Jonn IN New York city reverently pre-
| serve the Bible upon which George Washing
| ton took his oath as the first president of the
| United States. Still was there seen at Fred
| erlcksburg, Virginia. the Bible upon which
| washington was sworn when he became
| Mason-an order the degrees of which he
| took deliberately and after much examiua-
| tlon into principles. These he found agree
| aple 10 the gentleman, the patriot, the Chris
tlan. The operative Masons, whose prin-
| cIpies descended to the speculative order of
modern times, had constructed many of the
noblest cathedrals Of Gothic tfnes-cathedraIs
| wherein are still heard the service of tho
roman church. With the operative Ma
sons the church had always been in accord
| and it was fact that when, In f717, the
nrst grand lodge of speculative masonry was
rounded in London, ''the book of coustitu-
| ton was composed by Rev. James Anderson.
fervent Christian of the most orthodox
school-a Scotch Presbyterian. Dr. Wright
mad been told by scrupuTous Christians how
much masonry had helped their faith and he
believed that among Masonic brethern the
young man would be safe from the saloon
and from worse temptations. He reoretted
that the Roman church did not extend to the
Mason the fellowship 1t had accorded his
predecessors, and which 1T would probably
accord him in a future age
Singing the recessionaI hymn the choir
and clergy, as the service ended passed
from the church through another "arch Of
steel" ~