The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-05-25
TEMPLARS WORSHIP
WITH NJ. E. CHURCH
Lodge Observes Ascension
Day as Guests of Rev. Par
ker and Congregation at
Morning Hour.
Minister Says Ancient Order
Founded on Christian Re-
ligion and Inseparable
From Faith.

Dignified in black uniforms with
plumed helmets waving, Richmond
Knights Templar attended the service
at the First Methodist church yester-
day morning as the guests OF Rev. b.
E. Parker and the congregation. Kew.
Mr. Parker told the story OF knight
hood and the ascension in honor of
which the order was invited to the
church. In part the speaker said:
1.-THE Ancient order Knights Temp
lar was founded upon the Christian re-
ligion. Their history is closely inter-
woven with the history of the church
of their age. 1t was said of each
knight, He is half priest and half
soldier Before elevation to the rank
of Knighthood the neophyte was re-
quired to be initiated by baptism into
the church and spend long hours In
prayer and self examination before its
affairs. He was bound by his knightly
vows to practice the Christian duties
and wear the white flower OF a pure
and blameless life. He looked upon
Jesus Christ as the ideal gentleman,
the true knight in whose character
the chivalric virtues found their su-
preme expression.
Religion to him was a personal at
tachment. He knew little about theol-
'ogy, but he was true blue in his devo-
ton to his Lord. He chose the cross
as the emblem of his order and was
proud to die in its defense. He lifted
the cross of Jesus before the crescent
and with the legend, In hoe signes
,Vinces,' on his lips rushed forward to
victory or to death. Knighthood as
illustrated by TemplarS meant man
hood consecrated in deathless devo-
ton to the service of Jesus Christ It
can not mean less than that today.
Founded on Church.
Gentlemen, you call yourselves
knights You remind us that your
order is founded upon the Christian re-
ligion. May l remind you that the
Christian religion is founded not upon
theory but a fact. That fact is the
life, death, resurrection and ascension
of Jesus Christ whose emblem you
wear upon your breasts today. This
fact must be regarded in it's entirety
1t must be accepted as a whole
Paul faced the situation in his let
ter to the Corinthians when he said:
If Christ did not rise from the dead,
then is our preaching and teaching
vain The ascension is a necessary
coro!lary to the resurrection. If the
story of this miraculous life did not
have some such ending, If another
death interviewed and the grave won a
final victory then the resurrection is
shorn of its significance. The ascen-
sion is an incomprehensible mystery,
but it is the only fitting end for such a
career. We must take it on faith as
the mystery of God.
ITO deny these facts as thoroughly
abrogates Christianity as to deny the
existence of God. The Christian relig-
ion can not endure apart from the
whole story of Jesus Christ
The fact that you are here today to
celebrate the anniversary of His
ascension testifies to your agreement
with the logic of this position We
are growing broader in our beliefs We
are more charita BILE in our attitude to-
wards the man who does not sign our
creed or worship after our fashion.
But we can not surrender the title of
a Christian to the man who rejects
Jesus Christ, Christ and Christianity
are insepara ble.'