South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-05
POINTS OUT DUTY
Of KNIGHTHOOD IN
THE PRESENT DAY
Still Have Battles to Fight For
Christianity But They Do Not
Call For the Physical Exer-
ton of Old Says Rev. Davis.

hnlBDShOOd prdctced Dy the hHl6htS
Templs,r OF today. telling of the rea-
sons for the existence Of each kind OF
knighthood
1T is fitting" he said, that you
as Knights Templar should attend di-
vine service in one of the branches
of Christ's church. The Ancient
Templars were organized In defense
OF the Christian faith. each affiliatlng
with that now famous organization
did so in order better to practice the
Christian graces But especially is 1t
appropriate for you to observe Easter
day. since the Medieval Knights were
forced TO protect the Holy Sepulchre,
and those making pilgrimages thereto,
against the invasion OF MOslem Cal
tiffs and infidel invaders
zone question naturally presents it
self at the threshold of this service,
a question that has agitated the minds
Of Templars for q century and with
which their press IS teemtng- II IS
whether your order has an unbrOken
connection with that chivalric organ
izatiOn OF the past. AS TO whether the
spirit and tenets OF your order have
been handed down viva voce through
the centuries of whether the two or
PLANTATIONS are distinct
OF Historical Value.
Separated by more than 400 years
from the days when Walter DeCiiftOn
(12O9) admitted the dispersion Of Me-
diaeval Knights to 1745 when the
morning of modern Templarism be-
gins to tinge the eastern sky. The yues-
ton, however, to our minds can only
be of secondary importance; can have
only historical value.
More vital than the question Of his
tory is the spirit OF man that makes
history possible: more important than
the question as TO whether the exact
symbols and practices that belonged
10 the knighthOu4 or old are now the
identical ones - "a itch you are the
receptacles; is the question as to
whether the virtues that made them
immortal are the ones which you are
practicing.
The mantle of Elijah meant nothing
to Elisha upon whose shoulders 1T fell
unless the spirit OF the master fell
upon his successor, until he could
withstand the mOckings Of his time;
smite In triumph the waters Of Jordan
and cause kings to tremble and ar
mics TO dispense
80 with you, though your mantle be
not Identical with that OF the organi-
zatfon which defended the Holy Sep
uIchre, yet = your cross and banner
mean 10 you what 1t meant TO them
by the higher law Of the unity of life.
YOU are their worthy successors. For
he who displays the spirit of chlValry;
carries a banner which means life TO
the friends of Jesus and death TO his
foes and a cross in whose sacrifice he
trusts is a knight as worthy as any
who ever buckled sword, and his work
is not circumscribed by the time in
which he lives, but belongs TO the
ages
Founded On Fact.
Judged by this standard. If wor-
thy, you belong to the knights OF old
Ill. 70 hn a
founded your society on the Christian
faith. That alone would make you
one with the knights of old. For in
Christ is the one principle of unity of
life.
'.PcuI rebuked the Corinthian church
for discussions about divisions. one
saying I am Paul. another saying /
am OF AppolIos.' He said, All things
are yours, whether Paul or ApponOs or
Ciphas or Christ All in Christ is
yours that was theirs-all are ours,
all are yours, ell are theirs, whether
the past or present or future. All
YOURS all theirs whether Luther, Ne
lancthem or peerless Calvin; all yours,
all theirs. whether dweller in monas-
teries or welding sword on battlefield;
whether Huss or Ridley or Latimer;
all yours whether martyrs of Pied
mont or Switzerland, Of Lyons or
Smithfield OF Wurtenburg or Rutter-
glen.
All are ours, all are yours, all are
theirs. whether Wesley or Whitfield
or Sturgeon or Cake or Asbury or
Webb or Judson. Whether William OF
Orange or wellington or Butcher or
Nelson or Cromwell or Washington or
Gladstone or Lincoln. All are ours, all
are yours. all are theirs, whether sci
ence or philosophy. art or literature.
discovery or invention, culture or
achievement
Battle For Christianity.
"AlI are yours, all are theirs. wheth-
er the victories gained in defence OF
Christianity in the middle ages or of
modern times. Whether in embattled
conflict in the orient or in halls OF
debate In the OCcident: whether on
fields OF battle at GAIA when but IS
templars were left out OF 500 that
fought, or at the Temple OF Safed de-
Tended by 500, all OF whom fell
choosing death 20 apOstasy; or
whether Witnessing in the modern
world 10 the reality OF the spiritual in
the age OF the material.
I'VE shall not therefore today seek
10 Justify your right 10 be dubbed as
knights by any historical line OF sue
ccssion. but rather by the practice OF
these virtues and the defence Of the
truths for which they fought and
then lay down course Of duty sug-
EeSted by THIS Easter DAY.
some OF the requisites OF ancient
knightnOod we merely suggest:
Must Accept Christ.
ITO be a Knight one must accept
the Christian faith. While other or
ganizations might hold simply 10 mo-
rality they hold 20 religion. While
Eome may only demand faith in Cod in
Unity. the old knights believed in God
In Trinity.
''Nor was their religion religion OF
the head, but a religion OF the heart
They knew little about the theological
discussions OF their times; were unac-
quainted with the dusty volumes that
adorned the sparsely equipped libra
ries Of their day; could not present
the arguments for the trinity nor give
the theological and philosophical rea-
sons for the incarnation nor give the
grounds Tor the resurrection, but
with all their hearts they believed IN
Christ; and with all their heart they
hated tho enemies Of Christ and loved
tho defenseless men and women who
Fngda UtfgrFtrr1n - HOW Land.