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Article MASONRY FOUNDED ON SCRIPTURE. ← Page 2 of 6 →
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Masonry Founded On Scripture.
selves into different companies or societies , each regulated by various and particular customs , and by peculiar signs , tokens , and words ; by which each member of that community was to be governed and distinguished , and separate !} -known to each other from the rest of the world in general . Thus , we find b } ' the express command of God himself , that the offspring of Abraham was to be distinguished by every man-child *
among them being circumcised : who by that means bore in their bodies the token of their covenantwith God . —And thus when in process of time , this token was become common to many nations as to the Edomites , IshmaeliUs , & c . the Jews , or Children of Israel , by the immediate command of God himself were separated and set apart , as a distinct sect , or- peculiar people , and were distinguished from
the rest of the world , by the observation of singular rites and particular ceremonies . —And thus again when the Gileadites demanded of the Epbraimites , t who were desirous of repassing Jordan , to pronounce the word Shibboleth , they , by the peculiarity of their pronouncing this word , and calling it Sibbolctb , easily and readily , though it were / in the nihtdistinguished them from their own brethrenand im-
g , , mediately slew them . . ' From which examples of antiquity we may learn , that even from the earliest ages of the world , and that by the appointment of God himself , mankind divided themselves into several societies , each
regulated by particular laws , as well as they were distinguished by peculiar customs . It must also be admitted , that the orig inal end and design of such separation from the rest of mankind , was principally to promote virtue and to suppress vice ; and that those particular customs , rites , and ceremonies , observed in each as characteristics , were constituted to keep out the unknownwickedand profane ; though in themselves things
, , indifferent , having , in their nature , neither real good nor evil ; but served only as a-bond to cement and tie them together , and as a tokento put them in mind of the obligation they lay under as social beings , to perform those weightier matters of justice and mercy , of brotherly love and relief to each other , as well as that natural and rational duty of walking humbly or truly with fheir God .
- If then society be so essential to the happiness of man ; if of Divine Appointment , which the text itself confirms ; the two first duties there recommended being social ones , and the }' , with that rational duty of walking humbly with God , comprehending the whole duty of man , that society must certainly be good and desirable , whose grand and fundamental princip les are to do justlyto love mercy , and to walk
hum-, bly with God . What I propose in farther discoursing on these words is , First , to shew what is here meant by doing justly . Secondly , what by loving mercy . Thirdly , what by walking humbly with God . Fourthly , I shall endeavour to shew that all persons , who really act
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonry Founded On Scripture.
selves into different companies or societies , each regulated by various and particular customs , and by peculiar signs , tokens , and words ; by which each member of that community was to be governed and distinguished , and separate !} -known to each other from the rest of the world in general . Thus , we find b } ' the express command of God himself , that the offspring of Abraham was to be distinguished by every man-child *
among them being circumcised : who by that means bore in their bodies the token of their covenantwith God . —And thus when in process of time , this token was become common to many nations as to the Edomites , IshmaeliUs , & c . the Jews , or Children of Israel , by the immediate command of God himself were separated and set apart , as a distinct sect , or- peculiar people , and were distinguished from
the rest of the world , by the observation of singular rites and particular ceremonies . —And thus again when the Gileadites demanded of the Epbraimites , t who were desirous of repassing Jordan , to pronounce the word Shibboleth , they , by the peculiarity of their pronouncing this word , and calling it Sibbolctb , easily and readily , though it were / in the nihtdistinguished them from their own brethrenand im-
g , , mediately slew them . . ' From which examples of antiquity we may learn , that even from the earliest ages of the world , and that by the appointment of God himself , mankind divided themselves into several societies , each
regulated by particular laws , as well as they were distinguished by peculiar customs . It must also be admitted , that the orig inal end and design of such separation from the rest of mankind , was principally to promote virtue and to suppress vice ; and that those particular customs , rites , and ceremonies , observed in each as characteristics , were constituted to keep out the unknownwickedand profane ; though in themselves things
, , indifferent , having , in their nature , neither real good nor evil ; but served only as a-bond to cement and tie them together , and as a tokento put them in mind of the obligation they lay under as social beings , to perform those weightier matters of justice and mercy , of brotherly love and relief to each other , as well as that natural and rational duty of walking humbly or truly with fheir God .
- If then society be so essential to the happiness of man ; if of Divine Appointment , which the text itself confirms ; the two first duties there recommended being social ones , and the }' , with that rational duty of walking humbly with God , comprehending the whole duty of man , that society must certainly be good and desirable , whose grand and fundamental princip les are to do justlyto love mercy , and to walk
hum-, bly with God . What I propose in farther discoursing on these words is , First , to shew what is here meant by doing justly . Secondly , what by loving mercy . Thirdly , what by walking humbly with God . Fourthly , I shall endeavour to shew that all persons , who really act