-
Articles/Ads
Article THE OBLIGATION OF A MASTER MASON ← Page 2 of 2 Article PRACTICAL WORK FOR MASONRY. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Obligation Of A Master Mason
the Pope , the Virgin Mary , and the confessional ; or in Athanasianism , Arianism , or Judaism , or in the Salvation Army , Christian Science , Spirit Rapping , local option , or prohibition ; or in beautiful female preachers ; sometimes I do not blame them for believing in them , for ,
as the little Sunday school scholar said , when the Lord came to make our Lady Ancestor , he caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam , and then he cut out his back-bone and made a woman of it ; or he may believe in and love his own old , ugly pastor , or he may believe in Mahommedanism , as
set down in the Koran , " God is God , and there is none other , and Mahomet is his prophet . " He may pray with his face to Mecca , and rejoice in anticipation of the pleasure he will have with his beautiful black-haired , dark-eyed wives in Paradise ; or , believing in God , he may adopt that form of
Buddhism , now seen only through the dim and misty past , that once prevailed in the buried and forgotten city of Siam , " Angker the Great , " a city whose army contained six million foot soldiers and seventy thousand elephants , and whose temple covered a space of ten acres , he may brood over its
ruins , believe "' in its Leper King and priests , in its six heavens and three kingdoms above them , and in Nirvana , the highest heaven of them all . He may believe that good spirits occupy the first heaven ; that the architects of the houses of the priests , each with sixteen thousand wives
occupy the second ; that those who wore white clothing , and continued , while on earth , in prayer , each with thirty thousand wives , occupy the third ; that those of both sexes , that performed works that were specially meritorious , while on earth , occupy the fourth ; that extra pious men , like some
we have in this community , perhaps , each with six hundred thousand wives , occupy the fifth ; and that those " who have perfect peace , " each with one hundred and five million wives , occupy the sixth and live in the midst of song and dance , and splendour and luxury , forever . This beats Solomon to
death . Buddha , unlike Mahomet , does not discriminate against the blondes . Doubtless he and Solomon believed in all shades of hair and eyes , and in the new , as well as the old woman . Imagine Solomon , on his bended knee , making love to a new woman , see him at the critical moment , as he
seizes her manly hand , and submits that momentous question , " Dear , will you be mine ? " Hear her , as she , rigid and erect , in the dignity of her new womanhood , answers , " Sir , you should not propound such a discriminating question to me , you should have said , ' Shall we be ours ? ' " For my part
I think this is the way it ought to be , it would give liberty to woman , and support to many of our unfortunate men , who are now unable to maintain themselves . Or he may go further , and believe in the three kingdoms and nine apartments of Siamese Buddhism , which lie above the six
heavens , inhabited , some by sanctified people of both sexes , some by men only ( the Lord excuse me from that heaven ) , some by women only ( that settlement will be very sparse ) , some by angels and little children ( a very
beautiful combination ) , or he may believe in their highest heaven , " Nirvana , " or quiescent existence in the outer and upper darkness , into which we enter from the heaven below , as Buddha says , as powder disappears , when lighted in the open hand .
Angker the Great is but a fading memory , dimly seen through the mist of the dead past , buried beneath the dense tropical foliage of a great forest , inhabited by birds , bats , and chattering monkeys . It sleeps in silence and solitude .
Well has a distinguished writer said , " Time sweeps away men , and kings as well as men , and palaces , and temples as well as palaces . Righteousness and its fruits alone are immortal . "
Or he may believe m the Witch of Endor , or in any of the doctrines or dogmas of the religious world , or he may discard all theories , believe in good deeds alone , walk uprightly before God , and keep in the shadow of our Order , and lean on its strong arm for support .
The Master Mason ' s Obligation touches not your creed , whatever it may be ; it deals not in dogmas , fanaticism or superstition . It is eminently tolerant of all reli gious faiths . It embraces the practical features of reli gion , of love to God and love to man . — " Masonic Herald . "
Bro . J . C . Remington , General Manager of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia , has been re-elected without opposition Grand Master of New South Wales .
Practical Work For Masonry.
PRACTICAL WORK FOR MASONRY .
f " ^ HE eloquent and scholarly address given by Brother _ i _ Professor Lewis at the ceremony at the Goede PIoop Temple , furnishes much food for reflection on the part of the thoughtful Mason . The distinct keynote of his discourse was the necessity of Masonry justifying its existence in the eyes of men of culture , by some special work of its own . Far be it
from us to assert that the inculcation of brotherly love and its kindred virtues , and the immense practical work carried on by the Order in the direction of charity , are not , in themselves such as to prove that we do not lead an entirely useless existence , but the question before us as thinking Masons is ,
whether we cannot go even beyond all this , and establish a claim to- the consideration of the outside world by engaging more than we do in pursuits of a scientific or educational character . If the truth must be told , the intellectual work of Masonry is a sadly attenuated quantity . It is indeed a
scandal to the better class of Masonic thinkers , that , even in the elucidation of our symbolism , the study of our lectures , and the unravelment of problems connected with the history of the institution , very little work is done , and that not as a matter of routine on the part of the ordinary Mason , but by a
tiny band of workers , who , very often , are in the Craft , rather than of it . It is a patent fact that any Brother may attain the highest eminence in the Order , without ever having learnt a line of a lecture , still less acquired the power to exemplify our work otherwise than by repeating it after the fashion of a
fairly educated parrot . So far as the great mass of Masons to-day are concerned , we have arrived at the position of regarding the rituals of the three degrees as the be all and end all of Masonry , instead of their being merely the portals throueh which the neophyte acquires the opportunity of
commencing his Masonic studentship . We have before compared this state of things to the manifest absurdity of a parson being considered " au fait" in his calling when he had arrived at the pitch of being able to repeat the services of baptism , marriage , and burial . And we have the less justification for our very
illogical position , when we remember that it is a distinct retrogression , in this enlightened nineteenth century , from the practice of our predecessors ¦ of a hundred years ago , who regarded the rehearsal of the lectures , with extemporaneous explanations and discussions thereon , as a part of every day
Lodge routine . Surely something more might be done than is done , to bring Masonry back to at least this comparatively humble standard . As Professor Lewis very aptly observed , Masonry is no longer under the reproach of having no literature . The failing is that that literature has so few
students . If every Lodge had a library , and made it compulsory on its Brethren that they should carry into practice what is at present a meaningless precept , the obligation to make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge , we should better commend ourselves to the intellectual lights of the Craft , who
too often , after entering into our ranks full of enthusiasm , leave it in disgust , because , as a very able Mason once aptly phrased it , they find the three degrees so many carefully
contrived locks , leading to an empty room after all . Any ordinary benefit society can dispense charity after its fashion . We , with all our glorious traditions , ought to do this , and much more also . — " South African Freemason . "
We recently paid a visit to the King William Restaurant and 1 ' avern , King William Street , near London Bridge , of which Bro . W . Robbins is the popular proprietor , and there found excellent accommodation for Lodges of Instruction .
Brethren intending to change their quarters should , before making arrangements , pay Bro . Robbins a visit . The House has been wholly renovated , and fitted with electric light . The Grill and Dining Rooms are well appointed , while all the articles supplied are of the very best quality .
Our congratulations to Bro . Charles Weeden , who has been created by Lord Wantage Provincial Grand Standard Bearer of the Province of Berkshire . Bro . Weeden is one of the best known Masons in North London , and is ever ready to coach a friend in the science which he knows so well .
* » The Brother who obeys the lessons taught in the Ritual of the Masonic Order is the unyielding friend of morality , and education , and liberty , and the sturdy foe to ignorance , vice , deceit , and intemperance , —Exchange ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Obligation Of A Master Mason
the Pope , the Virgin Mary , and the confessional ; or in Athanasianism , Arianism , or Judaism , or in the Salvation Army , Christian Science , Spirit Rapping , local option , or prohibition ; or in beautiful female preachers ; sometimes I do not blame them for believing in them , for ,
as the little Sunday school scholar said , when the Lord came to make our Lady Ancestor , he caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam , and then he cut out his back-bone and made a woman of it ; or he may believe in and love his own old , ugly pastor , or he may believe in Mahommedanism , as
set down in the Koran , " God is God , and there is none other , and Mahomet is his prophet . " He may pray with his face to Mecca , and rejoice in anticipation of the pleasure he will have with his beautiful black-haired , dark-eyed wives in Paradise ; or , believing in God , he may adopt that form of
Buddhism , now seen only through the dim and misty past , that once prevailed in the buried and forgotten city of Siam , " Angker the Great , " a city whose army contained six million foot soldiers and seventy thousand elephants , and whose temple covered a space of ten acres , he may brood over its
ruins , believe "' in its Leper King and priests , in its six heavens and three kingdoms above them , and in Nirvana , the highest heaven of them all . He may believe that good spirits occupy the first heaven ; that the architects of the houses of the priests , each with sixteen thousand wives
occupy the second ; that those who wore white clothing , and continued , while on earth , in prayer , each with thirty thousand wives , occupy the third ; that those of both sexes , that performed works that were specially meritorious , while on earth , occupy the fourth ; that extra pious men , like some
we have in this community , perhaps , each with six hundred thousand wives , occupy the fifth ; and that those " who have perfect peace , " each with one hundred and five million wives , occupy the sixth and live in the midst of song and dance , and splendour and luxury , forever . This beats Solomon to
death . Buddha , unlike Mahomet , does not discriminate against the blondes . Doubtless he and Solomon believed in all shades of hair and eyes , and in the new , as well as the old woman . Imagine Solomon , on his bended knee , making love to a new woman , see him at the critical moment , as he
seizes her manly hand , and submits that momentous question , " Dear , will you be mine ? " Hear her , as she , rigid and erect , in the dignity of her new womanhood , answers , " Sir , you should not propound such a discriminating question to me , you should have said , ' Shall we be ours ? ' " For my part
I think this is the way it ought to be , it would give liberty to woman , and support to many of our unfortunate men , who are now unable to maintain themselves . Or he may go further , and believe in the three kingdoms and nine apartments of Siamese Buddhism , which lie above the six
heavens , inhabited , some by sanctified people of both sexes , some by men only ( the Lord excuse me from that heaven ) , some by women only ( that settlement will be very sparse ) , some by angels and little children ( a very
beautiful combination ) , or he may believe in their highest heaven , " Nirvana , " or quiescent existence in the outer and upper darkness , into which we enter from the heaven below , as Buddha says , as powder disappears , when lighted in the open hand .
Angker the Great is but a fading memory , dimly seen through the mist of the dead past , buried beneath the dense tropical foliage of a great forest , inhabited by birds , bats , and chattering monkeys . It sleeps in silence and solitude .
Well has a distinguished writer said , " Time sweeps away men , and kings as well as men , and palaces , and temples as well as palaces . Righteousness and its fruits alone are immortal . "
Or he may believe m the Witch of Endor , or in any of the doctrines or dogmas of the religious world , or he may discard all theories , believe in good deeds alone , walk uprightly before God , and keep in the shadow of our Order , and lean on its strong arm for support .
The Master Mason ' s Obligation touches not your creed , whatever it may be ; it deals not in dogmas , fanaticism or superstition . It is eminently tolerant of all reli gious faiths . It embraces the practical features of reli gion , of love to God and love to man . — " Masonic Herald . "
Bro . J . C . Remington , General Manager of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia , has been re-elected without opposition Grand Master of New South Wales .
Practical Work For Masonry.
PRACTICAL WORK FOR MASONRY .
f " ^ HE eloquent and scholarly address given by Brother _ i _ Professor Lewis at the ceremony at the Goede PIoop Temple , furnishes much food for reflection on the part of the thoughtful Mason . The distinct keynote of his discourse was the necessity of Masonry justifying its existence in the eyes of men of culture , by some special work of its own . Far be it
from us to assert that the inculcation of brotherly love and its kindred virtues , and the immense practical work carried on by the Order in the direction of charity , are not , in themselves such as to prove that we do not lead an entirely useless existence , but the question before us as thinking Masons is ,
whether we cannot go even beyond all this , and establish a claim to- the consideration of the outside world by engaging more than we do in pursuits of a scientific or educational character . If the truth must be told , the intellectual work of Masonry is a sadly attenuated quantity . It is indeed a
scandal to the better class of Masonic thinkers , that , even in the elucidation of our symbolism , the study of our lectures , and the unravelment of problems connected with the history of the institution , very little work is done , and that not as a matter of routine on the part of the ordinary Mason , but by a
tiny band of workers , who , very often , are in the Craft , rather than of it . It is a patent fact that any Brother may attain the highest eminence in the Order , without ever having learnt a line of a lecture , still less acquired the power to exemplify our work otherwise than by repeating it after the fashion of a
fairly educated parrot . So far as the great mass of Masons to-day are concerned , we have arrived at the position of regarding the rituals of the three degrees as the be all and end all of Masonry , instead of their being merely the portals throueh which the neophyte acquires the opportunity of
commencing his Masonic studentship . We have before compared this state of things to the manifest absurdity of a parson being considered " au fait" in his calling when he had arrived at the pitch of being able to repeat the services of baptism , marriage , and burial . And we have the less justification for our very
illogical position , when we remember that it is a distinct retrogression , in this enlightened nineteenth century , from the practice of our predecessors ¦ of a hundred years ago , who regarded the rehearsal of the lectures , with extemporaneous explanations and discussions thereon , as a part of every day
Lodge routine . Surely something more might be done than is done , to bring Masonry back to at least this comparatively humble standard . As Professor Lewis very aptly observed , Masonry is no longer under the reproach of having no literature . The failing is that that literature has so few
students . If every Lodge had a library , and made it compulsory on its Brethren that they should carry into practice what is at present a meaningless precept , the obligation to make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge , we should better commend ourselves to the intellectual lights of the Craft , who
too often , after entering into our ranks full of enthusiasm , leave it in disgust , because , as a very able Mason once aptly phrased it , they find the three degrees so many carefully
contrived locks , leading to an empty room after all . Any ordinary benefit society can dispense charity after its fashion . We , with all our glorious traditions , ought to do this , and much more also . — " South African Freemason . "
We recently paid a visit to the King William Restaurant and 1 ' avern , King William Street , near London Bridge , of which Bro . W . Robbins is the popular proprietor , and there found excellent accommodation for Lodges of Instruction .
Brethren intending to change their quarters should , before making arrangements , pay Bro . Robbins a visit . The House has been wholly renovated , and fitted with electric light . The Grill and Dining Rooms are well appointed , while all the articles supplied are of the very best quality .
Our congratulations to Bro . Charles Weeden , who has been created by Lord Wantage Provincial Grand Standard Bearer of the Province of Berkshire . Bro . Weeden is one of the best known Masons in North London , and is ever ready to coach a friend in the science which he knows so well .
* » The Brother who obeys the lessons taught in the Ritual of the Masonic Order is the unyielding friend of morality , and education , and liberty , and the sturdy foe to ignorance , vice , deceit , and intemperance , —Exchange ,