The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-08

Who is my brother? He who in acts of
kindness, charity and love makes HE
better for me. He who in lifeS busy,
tumultuous, huzzaying procession halts
to help the one who, fatigued, weary and
distressed, has fallen out by the way; he
| who acts in real ways on the true stage
| of experience in life's drama, not before
applaudng audiences or cheering com
munities, or landing nations, but some
| times amid unappreciativeness, against
| opposition and in the face of persecution.
| TO be who thus acts, who nobly performs
duties of sympathy. tenderness, helpful
ness for individual or broad humanity be,
he is brother in the highest sense
QUESTION OF BROTHERHOOD.
We come to you this evening to speak
on this question of brotherhood, a ques-
| ton as old as the first human family, as
| new as this present hour. Concerning
| the basic principles of your order | stand
| this evening with extended hand saying
unto you as Abraham to Lot: I'VE be
brethren" not in the sense whereby ne
cessity for continuous fellowship may be
| seen, not in the related sense of citizen
ship simply, but on the plain of human
needs, of human hopes and of human
helpfulness.
The church tonight links hands with
you as you link into the hands and hearts
| of your fellows, for l find the Order of
| Odd Fellows is a society of men fer fra
ternal purposes; an association of indi-
viduals of various creeds and ideas,
whose business it is not only to alleviate
| each others troubles in cases of necessity,
| but to cement themselves in the unity of
Friendship, Love and Truth" Thus 1t is
| not a mere pecunary advantage, as
many unfortunately understand it to be,
| its doctrine is that in all the circumstance
es of life in which brother may be
,,1n lA ic 10 aiNra ha h..
sci or the protection of his fellowmem-
| ber not as a favor merely but as a
right" In recognition of these truths, l
| am not disparaging the church as We
| understand the church. Its influence is
| not destroyed, nor its powers weakened,
| nor its position more pregnable because
| of this organization; the rather every in
Stitution where such principles as these
are made basic to life becomes a bulwark
and defense of the church. Placed in re-
| lation We understand that Odd Fellow
| ship was not pre-eXistant to the church,
| but the church to Odd Fellowship and
| this subsequent society has based itself,
| not upon man-developed ideas simply,
| but upon Gods truth as the same has
| been revaled to and by the church for
| the most glorious exponent of your trini-
| ty of foundation ideas was Jesus Christ,
! the Odd Fellow, odd in His friendship,
odd in His love and odd in His truth So
| He, the Corner Stone of the church, the
| church itself is the antecedent of the So
ceties which never have departed from
| or travelled any immeasureable distance
| away from the things of the church. Then
the question, Why does not the church
accomplish the things for which this and
kindred societies is pledged? If the church
| is primal, what occasion and what need
| for such organization as this?
NECESSITY SHOULD NOT EXIST.
| Viewed from and upon the surface the
necessity should not exist for ought not
| the church to measure itself against all
human needs and be ready to supply
| those needs? Is not the church a helpful
| institution; is 1t not an educational force;
| is 1T not the moral factor to make bet
| ter all life? Yes, a thousand times yes.
/ But, you are an organization, a society.
Now organization means eSclusiveness.
Society means seclusiveness
BY your organization you exclude GER
tain from your order. In your society
| you are seclusive as certain cermonies
| bear witness. But the church stands
| open arms inviting whatsoever Will" Fur
| ther, the church is pure charity body
| In that 1t gives out oftimes without hope
| of receiving. You are a reciprocal order
| in that you give to those from whom you
| have received-Quid pro quo. He who re-
| ceives must be he who gives, and | be-
| lieve that the intent of the church must
| not be the usurpation of that which you
| are committed by obligation to perform
! for when every society relation of man
| is dominated, controlled and governed
| by the church, when she must be con
| sidered as the all-prevailing and all
| paramount factor In all life, then will
| there be built a hierarchical empire and
the church with authority and the clergy
| with power will make of men puppets
to move as they pull the strings, for even
| clergymen are mortals and the church
| Is only comprehended as the clergy re-
veal her. So, then, by Independent COM
olnation you determine to be reciprocally
| beneficient.
You reach over to yonder man strug-
| Cling perhaps with life's severe task;
family dependent upon him, wages low,
| times hard, the few pennies he may have
| lContinued on Page 6l