The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-19
THE KNIGHTS OF THE TEMPLE.
DR. FAIRS ELOQUENT SERMON TO
PALESTINE COMMANDERY.


IdeaIs-OnIy by Devotion to High
and Noble Ideals Has the Human
Race Progressed-The Forms o.
Chivalry Have Passed, But Its
Principles Survive-A Fine Show
ing Made by the Commandery.
The service at the Independent Presby-
terrain Church last night attended by Pal
estine Commandery knights Templar was
one of the most beautiful and appropriate
of the kind ever seen III the city. The SER
mon by the pastor and prelate, Rev. ].
Y. Fair, D. D., was just such a sermon
as was to have been expected for an &C
casion of the kind. Notwithstanding the
inclemency of the weather the service was
attended by a large congregation.
The Knights assembled at the Masonic
Hall at 7:30 o'clock and marched to the
church. There was a good turn out of
the Knights, who were in fun dress uni
form, Eminent Commander II. f. Wilson
being in command, with Past Command
ers Thomas Ballantyne and e. A. Cults
The pews on each side of the main aisle
had been reserved for the comsnandery
The opening hymn was Onward Chris
tan Soldiers" sung as the commandery
entered the church, the congregation re-
naming standing. This was followed by
an appropriate responsive service from the
ritual of the Knights, occupying about
fifteen minutes, and concluding with the
hymn "The Son of God Goes Forth 10
War"
The ancient origin of the Knights Tenn
plar, their noble aims and purposes and
the manner in which they discharged their
obligations, with an incidental review of
the rise of chivalry, the causes of it's rise
and the influence which it exercised upon
its own and subsequent ages as well as
upon Christianity in general, were ably
and eloquently discussed by DIR. Fair He
showed not only his thorough knowledge
of the history of the order, but his love
for the principles which it advocated and
maintained in ancient as well as modern
times
Dr. Fair told beautifully the incident
which gave rise to the greatest Christian
militant order of the middle ages; how a
little band of knights, holding fortified
citadel upon rock in the Holy Land,
deserted a band of pilgrims, on their way
to the Holy City, set upon and about to
be destroyed by an infidel force. The
knights sailed from their fortress, res
cued the pilgrims, and defeated their as
sailants. The occasion was one of great
rejoicing to the pilgrims who had given
themselves up for lost and special thanks
were given to God for their deliverance
The knights decided to accompany the
pilgrims to Jerusalem and were so greatly
impressed by the incident that they agreed
to form themselves into an order for the
protection of Christian pilgrims from the
infidels, it. being considered one of the
chief religious duties of the age to make
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
This was A. D. 111S. The little band of
knights numbered nine, triune trinity.
From this beginning rose the order which
excited the admiration and aroused the
enthusiasm of the entire Christian world
of the Middle Ages. So well did the little
band of knights perform their VOWS that
other noble spirits FASTENED to associate
themselves with them and returning pill
erims carried back to Europe the fame
of their deeds of proves and devotion TO
the cause of Christianity. The order grew
rapidly and in time became the most
powerful of the militant orders of the
Middle Ages.
The order established in castle in Je-
rusalem which they defended and thus be-
came known as the Knights of the Tenn
pie. The order became the inspiration of
the age, 1t fired the hearts of the Chris
tian hosts and gave terror to the Sara
Gems. The knights were vowed to power
". to abstemiousness and self sacrifice.
Their vows were taken upon the crossed
hits of their swords and they were sworn
never TO surrender To tell the story of
the Knights Templar, DR.. Fair said, would
be TO relate the history of Latin Christians
ity during the wonderful age of the CRU
sades. 1t was better to seek from their
history some useful thought Why keep
alive the memory of these medieval
knights? DR.. Fair inquired
His sword is rust,
His good heart dust,
His soul is with the saints, we trust.
Their castle has crumbled, the mode of
warfare has changed the objects for
which he fought have passed away. The
crescent no longer contends with the cross
in bloody warfare, and the cross is tri-
umphant over the crescent. The first
great lesson which their history teaches is
the need of a nigh ideal. Nothing is SO
noble and nothing so necessary as this.
The age, like the individual, which Is
without an ideal, degenerates. The race
has advanced forward and upward by
seeking high ideals. The ancient knight,
in the very beginning of his career, DR..
Fair said, was an idealist. In an age of
confusion, when law was unknown,
when might was right and the weak were
trampled under foot by the strong, he
swore devotion to woman and to protect
the weak and helpless. ChIvalry itself
was founded upon an ideal and in an age
OF darkness and confusion it furnished
almost the only protection to the weak
ana the helpless. Taking its inspira ton
from the cross it formulated a code of
ethics all its own in that dark age and
one signally in advance of it's time. The
knight consecrates his life TO help the
helpless, to defend the defenseless. to pro-
tect every innocent woman, to uphold her
honor and maintain her dignity. To the
true knight the true woman was always
sacred, and in her behalf he was always
ready to do battle and to sacrifice his
ne, II need be. 1t was a noble ideal, to
i've not for self. but for others. 1t was
hlgh ideal, did it not do some thing for
we world. Did 1t not reflect che spirit
OF one who died upon the cross for
Others =
me old knight had a grand mission. He
uelehded the temple and kept open the
way Tor the Christian pilgrim. He has
PASSED away. The old order has given
pace TO the The bav oh