The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-21
PYTHIAN KNIGHTS AT CHURCH.
CHAPLAIN sCHAEFFER's SERMON
TO THE UNIFORM RANK.

by a Large Congregation of
Church Members and knights in
Uniform.
The principles of Pythian Knghthood
were forcibly expounded by Rev. DR.. w.
c. Schaeffer at the Lutheran Church of
the Ascension yesterday morning, TO
large congregation composed of the MEM
bers of the church and the Uniformed
Rank of knights, who attended the SER
vice in a body.
In beginning his sermon DR.. Schaeffer
said he thought it proper to invite the
Knights at least once or twice a year
to attend divine service at his church,
Notwithstanding the custom had not been
formerly adhered to by him. Being
member of the uniformed rank in Savan-
nah, it was but natural that he could
unfold the divine truths. far-reaching
charity and immaculate conceptions on
which the order rests and from the prac-
tice of which it found it's origin
The text was from the first chapter of
Peter II, and the initial verses: Besides
this, giving all diligence, add to your
faith, virtue; and to virtue knowledge.
And to knowledge, temperance; and to
temperance, patience; and to patience,
godliness. And to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, char
ity''
Speaking of the principles on which Py-
THAN Knighthood is founded DR.. Schaeffer
said 1t is ito protect the weak, defend
the right, alleviate the sufferngs of a
brother, bury the dead, care for the widow
and educate the orphan; to practice the
enobling virtues of friendship, charity and
benevolence, by exercising charity toward
offenders and constituting words and deeds
in the most favorable light. 1t is proper
to always grant an honest purpose and
good intention to others by throwing the
mantle of charity over the unfortunate
and misguided to be found in every COM
munity. To defend even the bitterest one
when unjustly assaied and to stop the
circulation of slanders-this and more too
it is to be a Knight of Pythias.
Preserve a friendship among your
Selves" he continued, like that which
bound Damon and Pythias. That was a
! friendship, the chain of which was forged
in the fires of those weird, old Pythia-
| gorean affairs around which they so often
| knelt. 1t repealed even as triple STEEL
the sword of Dionysius, which only grew
| brighter and firmer in the reflected light
| of the headman's ak and finally linked the
| name of Pythias 10 the very pillows of
| Immortality. AS he stood beneath that
sad Sicilian sky and the sun for the last
time kissed his brow, he said: TITS sweet
| to die for those we love. This is a type
of that friendship which Pythian Knight
hood enjoins. 1t is friendship, the watch
word of which Is being faithful unto
death. 1t fights for no pillage, TANKS no
| sacrifices and surrenders to no adversely
| Not the base-born deserter in the night
! of disaster but the steel-clad loyalist.
who interlocks his shield with his com
rades and points to the folds of their COM
mon banner, where blaze with the eternal
stars, the words:
Yes come the mild weather, come storm
or come snow,
! Wen stand by each other however it blow
Affection and sickness and sorrow and
| pain,
Shall be to our friendship as links to the
| chain "
Among the other virtues, DIR. Schaeffer
|
terred not to that formal aims giving,
which is a misnomer for charity, but to
| That beautiful spirit SO matchlessly por-
| trayed by St Paul In it there was no
! criticism, 1t was generous in it's verdict
broad in its practices and turned a deaf
| ear to the Kisses of caumny
The third virtue of the order is that of
benevoience and the value of such an at
tribute was treated in touching and bean
| lr
not that calculating brokerage which ex-
| poets an equivalent for its disbursements
| mat he referred to, but that sensitive spon-
taniety which is always responsive to the
| appeal of those In distress He did NOT re
fer to that maudlin sentimentality. that is
| but an impracticable fanaticism, when he
| spoke OF benevolence but to a well or
oered' systematized philanthrophy, the cp-
| perfume benefactions of which relieve the
ills and misfortunes of a brother while liv
ing; that benevolence which, with faith
ful and provident hand, bridges the chasnn
of the grave to supplement the scantv rev.
enue of the widow and assure a maInte-
| nance to the orphan.
The great good that would come TO any
community If the principles of Knighthood
Were disseminated, was spoken of by Dr.
Schaeffer and he charged his listeners to
peerlessly exemplify the glorious graces
of good by faultless living He said a
mere profession of friendship and good was
insufficient was not enough-it should he
| vtalized with a powerful love. That
friendship which would rivet brothers to-
gether in one union when one was In ad-
versity when temptation surrounded him
on every hand, and when he was fast go
ing down the decline of destruction was
the kind he said, which should he cuItl-
waited. Nature says let a man rot when
he falls, but the strong arm of charity
friendship and love. says lift him IN
There is at times an impatience he said
which says let the debauchers go. and an
inclination to let the devil take the hind
most"
As an illustration OF the strong tie OK
| listing between brother Knights Or
Schaeffer pointed to an instance where n
ship was wrecked on the northwest coast
| of Ireland, A mother tried in vain TO nor
suade son not to go TO the rescue. with
the fear he would go down with the dis
tressed She pleaded with him because the
father and brother were lost at sea. and
the thought was then impressed on ner
! He resisted her entreaties however. ana
on returning with the only one who was
saved from the wreck il was found IA he
| n brother thought to have been lost al