The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-20
PREACHED TO THE PYTHIANs.
KNIGHTS ATTENDED SERVICES AT
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH.

Rev. DR.. w. c. Schaeffer, Chaplain of
the Regiment of the Uniform Rank,
Delivered the sermOn-The Day
the Thirty-FIfth Anniversary of
the Organization Friendship,
Charity and RenevoIence Were the
Heads of the Observation-Disclosures
and Others of the Congregation
Listened with Interest.
The thirty-ffth anniversary of the or
| ganization OF the Knights of Pythias was
observed yesterday morning by the Sa-
vannah members of the order by attend
| ing services at the Lutheran Church of
the Ascension. Rev. DR.. W. c. Schaeffer,
pastor of the church, is regimental chap
! lain of the uniform rank. and his sermon
| was of great interest. Many Knights Of
the lodges and of the uniform rank were
! present, a number of pews on either side
| of the middle aisle and near the front be-
| ing occupied by the members in uniform
and their brethren. The Uniform Rank
was under command of Mai J. Ferris
| Cam. In addition to the knights present
| there was a large congregation of church
members and friends of the order.
The chaplain drew the text Of his dis
course from Isaiah, 60:22: "A little one
| shall become a thousand and a small one
| a strong nation" He began by welcoming
the Knights to his church in behalf of
his congregation, and expressed satisfac-
| ton that such a plan had been conceived
| for celebrating the anniversary of the or
| ganization. Turning then to his text, he
showed it's eXemplifcation in the knights
| of Pythias and the rapid growth the order
| has had. The legend of the walnut she'll
| that expanded and stretched until 1t be-
came a tent of size sufficient TO shelter
| an entire army was told by DR.. Schaeffer,
| who likened it's expansion 10 that Whlch
| the organization has seen.
1T was Feb. 49, 1854" the chaplain said,
chat J. H. Rathbone and a select coterie
of friends in an unpTetentious room in the
capitol of the nation lifted up banner
on which the magic words, Friendship,
Charity and Benevolence" were inscribed.
| This banner unfolded until 1t covered and
blessed che company. Then it grew until
hundreds found shelter. happiness, friend
ship, charity and benevolence wherever its
shadow fell. 1t has grown since and Is
still growing, and now hundreds of thou
sands have sworn allegiance 20 the princi-
pes IL champions The mystic shield has
of Maine, the merchant prince of the me-
tiopolis. the statesman in the legislative
| halls. the judge on his bench. the farmer
| al the pillow, the mechanic in his shop, the
| lawyer the doctor. the preacher and the
| layman of every name and cline There
| is now a mighty army of 1921 members,
| of whom As l23 are in the Uniform Rank.
| So the text has been fulfilled, and all these
thousands are devoted to the sublime prin-
| clp.es of the order. The s11 $4,000 that
| have been paid out as benefcences testify
| to the wonderful story of the good the
| Knights have done for brother Knights
and for their widows and orphans
| The declaration of the principles and
| purposes of the order were expressed as
| follows: ITO protect the principles of
| kuighthood unto death, which are TO pro-
tect the weak defend the right, alleviate
| the sufferings of a brother, watch with
| the sick, bury the dead, care for the wild
ow and educate the orphan; to practice
| those enobling virtues, friendship, charity
| and benevoence; 10 exercise charity to-
| ward offenders; to construe words and
deeds in the most favorable light, grant
| ing honesty of purpose and good inten-
| tons to others and throwing the mantle
| of charity over the unfortunate or mis-
| guided to be found in every community;
| to stop the circulation of SANDERS and re-
| buke the slanderers; 10 defend even the
| bitterest enemy when unjustly assailed.'
This, the chaplain said, sis what it
means to be q true Knight of Pythias"
The beauty of the friendship of Damon
and Pythias was told and tribute was paid
the strong tie that bound the men in those
| times of selfshness violence and blood
| she'd In this friendship the nobliest traits
of human character were resplendently
illustrated long before the divinely in
| spred Word had announced 10 a dark and
selfish world that greater love hath no
man than this. that man lay down his
| life for his friends and 'love Is fulfill,
ment of the law
DIR. Schaeffer said that just as noble In
| stances of devotion live in these modern
days of Pythiauism and are exemplifed
| in ten thousand quiet and unobtrusiVe
MINISTRIES. II was with evident pride
that he referred TO instances in which the
Knights have shown their adherence to
the tenets of their order He mentioned
the visitation of the yellow fever scourge
at Memphis when the organized aid of
the Pythians exhibited beautiful exam
| pie Of that love and benevolence to which
| they are commended. and again the noble
self sacrifice OF Samuel H. Hines at Rich
n7ond in 1870. when Spotswood Hotel was
burned and he rushed back into the raging
furnace to rescue a brother Knight after
he had made good his own escape. Both
died beneath a falling wall, but the men,
DRY of that deed lives with Pythians and
it's exalted slpendor is enshrined in their
hearts. This was the friendship of A
brother for a brother. Beautiful friend
ship" said the chaplain, take possession
of the thousands Of Pythian affairs. of
the hearts of the hundreds of thousands
of true Knights. Sing your sweet songs
at every freside; go on and bind the neart
OF the race in one common brotherhood. -
After dwelling further upon the nobility
of the friendship enjoined in the Pythiar
statues, the pastor turned to the second
of the banner-inscribed words, Charity
the most pre-eminent of all graces. He
said the Savior and his disciples have
shown their love of charity and have
thrown upon the canvas in peerless por-
traiture the form and features, grace and
beauty, life and power of this heaven borr
spirit, this veritable Jacobs ladder upor
which it's ministers mount to heaven
1.-THE benevolence of the Pythians." said
Dr. Schaeffer, lis not that calculating bro.
kerage that expects an equivalent for It's