Is Masonry A Religion?

IS MASONRY A RELIGION ?

An Address del leered hy F . C . Master Bro . John IV . McGrath , before Oriental Lodqc , Detroit , Mich ., 1 ' Jth May ISO I .

( Continued from page 53 . ) I THINK it was John Hall who said , it was a part of his religion never to hurt any man ' s feelings . What a blessing it would bo if all men possessed even that part of John Hall ' s religion .

Dr . Parkhurst , of New York , said , not long ago , " It is as much a Christian ' s dnty to love his country as his God , as much tho duty of a Christian to go to the polls election day , as for him to go to the Lord ' s Table on Communion day . "

The state of the political morals of tho people of a republic is a test of its religions condition . If tho state of political morals is low , commercial morals will also be low and even patriotism will be on the decline . If political morals aro low—if commercial morals aro at a low ebb ,

then there is a pressing need for a revival of religions thought and practice . These conditions are tho normal resultants of religious stagnation . The corrupt politician , tho enterprising brido giver , the dishonest adulterating

merchant , cannot be classed as a moralist , much less as a Christian . Theso are fche real atheists of any community —the enemies of the republic—the men who poison the ballot and corrupt the people .

Whether cr not Christ is to be regarded as a parfc of the God-head , tho great thonght which runs through all of His teachings is man ' s duty to man . He recites the parable of the Priest , tho Levite and the Samaritan , and then asks , " Which now of these three thinkesfc thou was

neighbour unto him tbat fell among thieves ? " In the sermon on the Mount , it was tho poor in spirit , they that mourn , the meek , the merciful , tho pure in heart , the peacemaker , the persecuted for righteousness' sake , they who hunger and thirst after right doing , that were

pronounced blessed , and to whom the promises were given . Again , "He that oppresses the poor , reproacheth his maker , but ho that honoureth Him , hath mercy on tho poor . " " Render unto Caosar tho things which are Caesar ' s , and unto God the things which are God ' s . " Thecommand

was none the loss specific as to the things which belonged to Ca ) sar . The things whioh belong to God under some interpretations are less tangible than those which belong

to Caosar . Some mon hug a dollar which belongs to Caisar , closer than they do any other bad habit . " Inasmuch as jo havo done ifc nnto the least of these , ye havo done it unto me ? " is the assurance . " Good

Master , what good thing shall I do , that I may inherit eternal life . " " Keep my commandments . " " All these have I kept from my youth up . " He was not told to build

an expensive church , or found a college , or endow a foreign mission . " Go , and sell all that thou hast , and give to the poor . " And he went away sorrowful . He took the matter under consideration .

I fear that if some typical Christ shonld , at this time , from one of our fashionable pulpits give such a direction , he would be invited to spend a year in Europe for the recovery of his health .

Where is thy brother Abel ? is as pertinent an inquiry to-day as in the long ago . Ask the question in your streets to-day , and yon will receive the same reply . " Am I my brother ' s keeper ?"

I heard a story a few days since which illustrates under what circumstances men resort to prayer . Two men were cast away in a small boat ; at night the storm came , and it seemed as though the boat would be swamped with every approaching wave . Thoy lost one oar , and ono continued

to paddle abont , while tho other got down on his knees to pray , and he prayed long and earnestly . Presently , the man with the oar shouted to the one on his knees , " Get up off yonr knees , what ' s the use of praying ; I can touch bottom . " If we conld , in this respect , apply the same rule

of action to our efforts in behalf of others , as we adopt with reference to ourselves , if we could pray only when ifc is not in our power to relieve , only when we cannot ourselves touch the needed article , there would be loss poverty , want and destitution .

When your poor neighbour is touching the bottom of tho flour barrel with the saucer , a sack of flour is the best prayer that you can utter . /

Is Masonry A Religion?

A pi-ayer for the relief of tho poor , is generally a peti . Hon thafc the Almighty Father will move somo other fellow ' s heart to pity . u Yo have hoard that it was said by them of olden time

thou shalt not kill . But I say to you , that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause is in equal danger . If thou bring fchy gift , first be reconciled to thy brother , and then como and offer thy gift . "

Thafc eminent patron of Masonry , St . John , when so old that he had to be born in the arms of friends into an assemblage of children , lifted himself up , and said , " Little children , love one another . " When asked , "Have you nothing else to say ? " he replied , " I say this again and again , because if you do this nothing moro is needed . "

Ono of the two great commandments on which hang all the law and the prophets is , "Thon shalt love thy neighbour as thyself . "

The pages of revelation , of sacred history , point with unerring certainty to the truth that the pathway of duty never leads away from man , but through man , the creature , to the Creator .

No marble monument was created to perpetuate tho story of the good Samaritan . None was necessary . It is emblazoned in song , in poetry , in prose . Heard once , it engraves itself upon the walls of the soul's inner chamber .

Tho act of the Samaritan was as clearly Masonic as though he had received all our rites . It was as purely Christian as though he had touched the hem of the Master ' s garment .

Trne religion is that something which makes men better , more honest , more just , more companionable , more kindly , more courteous , more obliging , more generous , moro benevolent , more considerate , more unselfish . It should not be disassociated with the life that now is . Its exercise

here in this life is a necessity—the greater necessity because there is the greater need of it . It is developed in tho market place , in the stream of life . If it does not there appear , it does nofc exist . True religion is but the observance of these laws which grow out of onr relationshi p ,

which exist because we exist , and this , too , is Masonry . It is not Bnddistic , for its great basic truth is the Fatherhood of God , and its ethical thought derives its inspiration from that relationship . It denies to no man his peculiar theological belief , but it does say that justice , fair-dealing

and truth shall be present in the market place as elsewhere . It excludes political discussion from the Lodgeroom , but it does not exclude its precepts from any of the

activities of life , whether commercial or political . Ifc insists nofc upon the display of its symbols , but that human conduct shall be surcharged with its tenets in all the relations of life .

The need of the times is not only less " vice" and " intemperance , " and " wickedness , " but less bulls and bears , pnts and calls , less corners , pools and syndicates , less scheming , less of what is called commercial shrewdness or keenness—but what really consists of getting a

man into a corner and then skinning him—less advantage taking—nofc only less men who will offer them , —less perversion of the will of the people , less stuffing of fche ballot box . These are the dangers that threaten the perpetuity of tbe republic . The greater danger because

the men who bull and bear , and pat and call , and scheme and skin , and bribe and corrupt , aro not unusually denominated " wicked , " but are men whose very reputability arms them with the influence and confidence necessary to accomplish the end sought .

What the world of to-day needs most is , infusion of ethical thought into her commercial and political life—the observance of that commandment upon which hangs all tho law and the prophets . —Keystone .

Bro . James Stevens asks us to notify that he is now arranging for fcho delivery of his lectures on tho Ritual and Ceremonial of Symbolic Freemasonry in several Provincial Lodges during the ensuing Masonic season , and wonld be p leased to correspond on tho subject with the Worshipful

Masters and Secretaries of such Lodges as may be desirous of hearing him , and fco forward thorn copies of press criticisms . Negotiations are afoot for lecture tours in Australia , New Zealand , and probably in the Cape Colonies , but these would nofc interfere with engagements at home during the present year .