The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-14
THE KNIGHTS TEMpLARS.
Nearly Every Texas Commaudery
Represented at Dallas.
THREE HUNDRED IN HE PARADE,
An Address by Ue,, j. n. carter,
Acting ns Grand rrciate--isous-
tonians Attract Attention.

Dallas today. Nearly every commandery III
the State is represented and the meeting is
said to be the most successful in The his
tory OF the order in Texas.
\ grand parade participated in by over
Svo sir Knights WAS had through the prin-
cpal streets To the First Methodist church
this morning. Grand proiato j. q. Cav
penter of Sherman was too feeble 10 con-
duet the religious ceremonies ana Rev Sir
Knight j. b. Carter rector of Grace Epfs-
copal church OF Galveston. acted instead.
Right Eminent Sir. Sir knights ana Dear
Friends
At the request OF the grand prolate tour
venerable and beloved father IN Israeli,
the right eminent grand commander has
appointed me 10 oihciatc on this occasion
In order TO tighten somewhat tho duties
oil hlm who. by reason of intirlnity, IL pre-
vented from performing the accustomed
duties of his Office at this conclayc II Is
our sincere hope, however that by the
blessing OF God he will soon again enjoy
such measure of health aud strength as
VIII enable him TO resume his place and
duties among us. In accepting this honor
rendered me | have, assure you. the
kneest sense Of the sacredness Of tho trust
and of my own inability to NIL the place Of
him who, during long years OF faithful
service has cnshrlned himself In our every
heart. and VINO from time TO time has
spoken to us words OF wisdom and poured
out upon us his heavenly benediction from
heart overlooking with love May he
ever have the peace OF God to keep his
heart and mind in the knowledge and love
of Christ
In the absence OF positive knowledge as
10 the character of address required OF
me today, / feel shall best discharge my
duty by presenting for our serious cousid-
mn ~,
Holy Book, the great light OF our order
found in St Paul's Epistle to the Corin
thians, 10th chapter, and 18Th verse:
Quit YOU Ike men; be strong
] would inyert the order of this text and
speak for short time on manly strength.
There has never been a time think, when
the world has not paid homage TO strength.
] refer you back TO the days and history
OF imperial Rome. There we see a coun
try which stood for all that meant strength
aud despised TO loathng ell that Was weak,
Her strength made her mistress of the
world. She was the source of It's law,
the home of It's sciences and the patron
OF its arts. Her arms were carried into
every part of the Eastern continent. her
eagles waved over the ruins of desolated
countries. while the monarchs of mighty
kingdoms were dragged at the wheels of
her victorious chariots as spells of war
She was strong. But where Is now her
strength. her splendor her power her
glory? distinguished forever. Her mould
ering temples. the mournful yessiees Of
her former grandeur, now afford only a
shelter TO her muttoring monks. where
are her statesmen, sages philosophers
orators gereralsf Go 10 their solitary
tombs and ask. She lost her national
character and with ii her strength, aud
her destruction followed The ramparts Of
her national pride was broken down and
vandalism desolated her classic fields. AM
why? Because the Lord Jehovah, tie
source Of all real strength, was not her
God. Her show OF mere brute force could
not stand against the hand of time, no
more than can that of an Individual Had
she developed moral strength as she did the
physical and mental she would have been
as stable as the seven hills which formed
the foundations of her imperial citsS The
Apostle Paul lived in those days AMI saw
Rome's weakness. lie knew that the real
abiding strength of nation, as of Il nan,
lay in their moral force--that great pur-
Tying, ennobling, saving power. which
makes men and nations really strong So
he writes to the i5phcsian Christians also.
TO be strong in the Lord and in the power
of His might and TO put on the whole
nrmor of God. that they might be- able to
stand In the evil day, and having done
ALL 10 stand ] am speaking today TO an
order which is Christian. ancient and hon
orable. Therefore the words of the holy
apostle come with special emphasis 10
you. my fellcw-sodlors of the cross.
The history OF the Templnr Is one OF
chiyalry, unseliishness and deep devotion
to the person and cause OF the blessed Inn
manuel, the prince OF peace, the great cap
tain of our salvation. We wear upon our
breasts the sacred symbol of his passion
the bood-red cross. the greatest symbol of
strength the world has ever seen. Arch
imcdcs boosted that he had found a full
crum, and II some one would find the lever
he would raise the world, Jesus Of Naza-
reth found the lever in malefactot's
cross and the fulcrum was hlg own pierced
heart and He who was hottest among the
holy and mghtiest among the mighty lift-
ed with His piecred hands empires off their
hinges, turned the stream Of centuries out
of its channel and still governs the ages
Would We then be strong as were our
knightly progenitors. We must zee the cross
as Constantine saw g. enylroned by the
dazzling glory Of the upper world and in
snribed "In hoe siguo vinces" ST. Paul's
admoEtion TO his CorinthI0n brethren was
"Quit you like men; be strong HIS ideal
man was one who possessed moral or spir-
itual strength. The mental and physical
condition would be regulated accordingly.
Ny friends, we live in an age which talks
much OF manhood and stT worshlps human
II Is most imperfect ST Paul considers
that during 1900 years there have bsen
really but two men. He says in Corin-
thians 18th chapter and 4Tth vnrsc. The
first man Is Of the earth: the second man
is the Lord from heaven" From Adam
10 Moses. then, there must have been a
parenthesis OF unmanhood When Jesus
Christ came the world beheld for the Sec
ond time Gods definition OF the word man
II this be so. what false standards OF man
hood prevail all around us, How has the
word with which God baptized the first Of
our race been perverted 10 The vocabulary
Generations Of plginies haze Succeeded the
perfect man, The third man viii never he
seen until our assembled Lord returns TO
earth to gather To himself His redeem I'd
ones and 10 establish His Kingdom which
shall never be moved Therefore. compan-
Ions OF the holy faith. watch ye stand fast.
quit we like men; be strong. And remem-
Der that mans real abiding strength lies in
his moral nature, which must be cultivated
il We would attain to ideal manhood. We
are here to deliberate upon matters per-
tanning 10 our beloved order IL Is there