Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-06-17

pheme-that you may cause none who
come within our fold to regret what
We style the high privilege of admis-
sion, but rather that you may give the
most incontestable proof TO ALL both
within and without our order that you
are not only i'm word and profession
but i'm deed and i'm truth what you pro-
fess to be - that you are brethren -
"Srs, We are brethren" - then act as
brethren and Let brotherly love CON
tinue." We cannot easily escape the
observation that all men are brethren.
All who are not knights OF Pythias
lie under the same obligation TO act
as brethren to us and TO each other, as
we do TO all the world. For by crea-
tion we are all the children of one
common Parent. OF one blood the
Great Architect of the Universe made
all the families of the earth. See the
order of His work.
He laid the broad foundations of the
universe He raised without AK or ham,
mer the circular walls OF the earth.
He rooted il with yonder beautiful
canopy. and ornamented it with Won
derful worlds Of light. and. like a
workman who needed not To be
ashamed of his performance, pro-
nounced the wondrous fabric good.
Next He built the human frame, fur
nished its interior part with immortal
| ity, pronounced His creature. man,
very good. and declared him the COM
mon father Of the intended human
race
Again as the Provider i'm The course
of nature and the riches of His Prov
idence does He prove i'm ten thousand
times ten thousand Instances that He
is the common Father of US all and
that all we are brethren. But above
all does He prove our universal broth
erhood i'm the unfathomable, unlimited
and unbounded price He paid in the
blood of Jesus Christ for the purchase
of the world. Here none are exempted
in this mighty ransom. He who tasted
death for every man upon the cross,
sealed with His blood the universal
bond, and in His wide-stretched arms
of universal love embraced dying
world and bid all live and bid them
live to Him brethren.
As men in the world we are all
brethren. See, then, as you return
through the world to your Heavenly
Father, that you "fall not out by the
way" but act as brethren-"Let broth
erly love continue"
Beside these various bonds of union
by which all men are united. you who
are knights of Pythias have entered
into engagements and obligations than
which nothing can be more binding,
nothing more sacred. Recollect and
feel with all its intended force that if
il be possible, in stricter bonds than
the bonds of all men, Eye are breth-
rem" - brethren by bonds which never
can be broken. but with the highest.
deepest. broadcast breach OF all moral
honesty. civil integrity and religious
sincerity - bonds which you entered
into, Of your own free will and accord.
your condition is deplorable in the ex-
If, then, YOU do not act as brethren.
treme.
l need hardly say that as Knights of
Pythias your interests are one. If you
deny a worthy brother that which is
his due. you make a cruel breach in
the bonds Of bIotherly union, you give
him pain, and the world a subject for
reproach, and yourself sting Of con-
science.
breach Of this duty Will scarcely adj
init of an excuse. To defame or suffer
brother TO be DETAINED without in
teresting yourselves for the preserva-
tion Of his name and character. there
is scarcely the shadow Of an excuse to
be formed. Defamation is always
wicked. Evil speaking is the pest or
civil society. the disgrace of every de-
gree Of religious profession. the poi
sonous bane of all brotherly love"
"Sirs ye are Decentralization value the
reputation Of your brother as you
would your own his disgrace. especial
~ i'm the relation of it, will always be
a part OF your own, and if he deserves
not your love and complacency, at
least he has demand upon your pity
and cOmmiseration; speak not evil one
of another. for he that speaketh evil
of his brother judgeth his brother.
and judgment is not the prerogative Of
man. LASTLY. in brotherly union your
felicity should be one; as in civil So
ciety, all the members form one body
polite. As i'm the religious world, all
the members constitute one body with
Christ as the Head. so I'm the knights
Of Pythas. all the members fifty
framed together, can only form that
brotherly union quite complete. The
rich add to the support of the poor,
the poor add to the comfort Of the
rich, the cheerful Danish the gloom
from the melancholy. The tears OF
misery sometimes melt the stony heart.
and make it sensible OF sublime and
heavenly pity, and smiling commisera-
tion of the benevolent wipes away the
tears of sorrow from the distressed,
and the happiness of the good and
charitable is increased by giving relief
To those who are i'm misery
The profession OF adding to the hap
piness of others Is one Of the promi-
nent features of our order. Fail not
then. in the performance OF that very
peculiar part of your profession over
which the world around you keeps a
nice and scrutnizing eye.
Let diligence, temperance and So
briefly be the prevailing habit OF your
domestic life. that idleness and extrav-
agance may neevr i'm any instance
cause your families 20 lament your
want OF conjugal and parental affec-
ton. He that cares not for his own
household cannot be worthy Of the
name OF a Knight; he has denied the
Faith; he is worse than an infdel
Let strict morality. humble piety