Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-10-14

. WEDNESDAY,. OCT(
that one BY Affirmation. The rule Of eoaduc.
laid down by Moses was subjective in its ap
plication; that laid down BY Jesus vas objec.
tive.
Here. then. was the parting Of the ways
Ever afterward upon one road the traveller
heard the "thou shalt not" and fear Of pun
ishment after hesitating footsteps and no
certain goal. On the other, svees song in
hve brief words, "thst ye love one another, /"
has confidently led mankind for 1000 years
onward and upward TO . more complete ap-
preciation Of the temporal and eternal value
Of those virtues which were taught by the
Immaculate One.
The source Of our modernism IL love, not -
negative, passive, subjective factor in
human affairs, bat - an Affirmative, active,
aItruistic one. The resultants of that factor
are schools. hospitals. sanitariums, charities,
philsnthropies, and all those varied and In
Vulnerable institutions which have for their
aim and object the betterment Of the mental,
physical and moral condition Of mankind.
These constitute the modernism OF which
am speaking. ~ 81 ~
church should be interested in everything
which originated with the Christ. Ny minor
premise It that our modernism is founded ON
the law Of Jesus. II these two premises are
correct, then the Protestant church should
be interested in each Of the resultants Just
enumerated. To discuss all these resuitants
In the abstract would be too great . task for
the limits Of ssingle essay, much more 20
the discussion Of each Of them In their con-
crete form. 81 Il n
II Is my purpose TO discuss one, and only
one, and that IL so-called secret, fraternal or
ders. Probably NO one win deny the truth OF
our major premise, namely. that the Profess
TINT church should be interested in every
thing which originated with the Christ. Per-
haps 1t may mot be 20 readily conceded that
fraternal orders are . concrete example Of the
effects Of the new commandment OF Jesus. II
We can establish the truth Of this premise,
then our syllogism 10 again complete and you
must concede that the Protestant church
should be interested In fraternal orders.
First, then, II may be noticed that fraternal
orders flourish almost exclusively in those
countries where the people profess the Chris
tian religion. In so-caIled heather or pagan
countries the counterpart Of orr fRaternAl
orders Is practically unknown. In our own
Christian land, counting only such - have
membership Of over Il, 100, there are thirty
eight different fraternal orders. while the to-
tai membership OF recognised fraternal or
ders in the United States and Canada falls
only little short Of loyooe.ooo.
To this mighty army the Odd Fellows con-
tribute 100000, the Masons 1904 while
the Modern Woodmen Of America and the
Knights Of Pythias swell the numbers by
over soo,eto and lover eooJoco respectively.
Bringing the figures little nearer home, We
have in Maine almost 37,oeo Masons, nearly
1900 Odd Fellows and over 1900 Knights Of
Pythias.
Again looking ut the totals given for the
larger territory Of the United States and
Canada, and comparing them with the mem
bership Of our Methodist Episcopal church
In the United States. which numbered 3,sl0.77s
in 1908, according to the figures given by DR..
n. x. Carroll, We see that the Odd Fellowship
alone Is An institution one-half a. large ~
your beloved religious body. Thus have fra
ternal orders kfown 70 their mighty propor-
tions side BY side with the Protestant church
snd In lands where the influence Of shat
church 10 mi6htiest.
lsds the proad boast Of every loyal Chris
tian that NO other institution wields such an
influence upon its environments - the Chris
tian church, Indeed. We often assert, without
fearof successful contradiction. that NO In
stitution can greatly thrive or long exist un-
less its roots sink deep into the soil Of Chris
| tisn truth and it, branches wave In the At
mosphere Of the Christian virtues. II this be
tEae, and whWwould here or now discredit the
Influence Of the church BY denying II, then
| we cannot escape the conclusion that frater-
nal orders are akin TO Christianity, else they
could not flourish, Is they have done. in .
Christian land.
Perhaps you may wish 10 remind me that
Odd Fellows and Aasons and Pythians not
only forget their vows but do even worse.
With shame and humiliation plead guilty to
the indictment. With sorrow also for the
fraility and perndy Of man, you will remem-
| Der that while the words Of the new COM
| mandment were yet warm upon the lips Of
| the Master, one Of his own disciples left the
table Of the last supper and went out into the
night where he was to meet and plot with
those whose purses contained the price Of the
field Of Aceldams.
That fraternal orders are . concrete ex-
ample Of the effects Of the new command
ment 10 further shown from an examination
Of their ritual and VOWS. violate no altar
secrets when say that not only do these
rituals and vows require an acknowledgment
of the existence of deity, but they demand
pledges from the neophyte which, IL kept,
would be the most complete obedience to the
new commandment Of Christ. Nay, more.
they admonish also . literal observance of
the religion Of love taught by the brother of
our Lord when he commanded US "to visit the
fatherless and widows in their afliction.'
Without regard to whom the accusation
may apply, let it be said that he is worse than
Judas was who will take upon himself the
VOWS and make the professions Of our frater-
nal orders, and then by profane and obscene
language or by dishonest and impure conduct
be recreant to these vows and to those profess
sions. The effect Of the new commandment
is not Judged by the act of Judas. Neither
should fraternal orders be judged by their
worse members.
The word spoken in the secluded chamber
of the city over against Bethany has gathered
force and influence through all the wears