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Article AN ADDRESS TO THE MASON BRETHREN*. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Address To The Mason Brethren*.
the human heart . Piety towards GOD , the glorious Maste ' r-BuildeT ofthe universe , and Love to Mankind , are the two grand immoveable Pillars which support the Fabric of MASONRY . Reflect upon , and imitate , the wisdom and the virtue of those many great and good men of all languages , and tribes , and nations , who loried in being admitted to the knowledge of your noble Artand
g , who strove to transmit it pure from age to age . Kings and Nobles , and Priests and Generals , have boasted of being made acquainted with a science , whose object is to exercise and to improve some of the best affections of the human soul . Do ye vie with them in setting honour upon the Craft ,, and in transmitting it pure as ye have found itby keeping back from the Dooras well as- from the Hailof
Ma-, , , sonry , everything that is repugnant to its principle .-. There is great merit in your having hitherto taken good care that th ? High Offices in the Grand Lodge of Scotland should be held by none but Noblemen and Gentlemen of very great respectability and worth . It is well known , that the rules of every Society will be more or less strictly observed , and that good order will be better or
worse preserved , according to the degree of dignity and virtue wliich he possesseth who presides over it . Every institution , for whatever purpose it is designed , takes its colour , in some measure , from the character of its Master or President ; because it is a part of his office to g ive admonitions to others , as well as to exemplify the fixed rules « ud standing orders of the Society . The spirit ofthe Ruler , in all cases , is , in a certain degree , infused into those whom he directs .
The Office-bearers in every Lodge ought to take good heed to the characters of those whom they admit into the Society ; because an Accepted Mason is held by all Foreigners , as well as by us , to be a term ' which implies a man of honour and virtue ; one who has a rig ht to be admitted into the company if Gentlemen of every description , and-of the . bio-best rank . By granting a man the privilege of being an Accepted Mason do virtuall ive him a Letter of recommendation to the
, ye y g acquaintance and friendship , and confidence , of a certain , number of the most respectable characters that are to be found , in every part of the world . Would it , therefore , be treating them well , to abtue that confidence which they are naturally led to repose in you , by introducing undeserving men to their acquaintance and friendship ? I submit to youwhether such an ample and valuable Certificate ought
, to be granted to any , except those alone , who , upon enquiry , are found to be men of worth and virtue . Unless great attention be given to this particular , not only the Lodge of admission may itself come to suffer in point of character , but injustice may be done to the honour of the Craft in general , and a deceit imposed upon all those Brethren , both at home and abroad , who , trusting to your Attestation ,
g ive their hand of fellowship to persons who may be unworthy of their confidence and friendship , and even of being admitted into their company . This is one ofthe possible abuses of . MASONRY , which ought to be carefully guarded against . The younger part of my Brethren will , I hope , forgive me , while , in the spirit of sincere friendship , I wish to remind them , that they-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Address To The Mason Brethren*.
the human heart . Piety towards GOD , the glorious Maste ' r-BuildeT ofthe universe , and Love to Mankind , are the two grand immoveable Pillars which support the Fabric of MASONRY . Reflect upon , and imitate , the wisdom and the virtue of those many great and good men of all languages , and tribes , and nations , who loried in being admitted to the knowledge of your noble Artand
g , who strove to transmit it pure from age to age . Kings and Nobles , and Priests and Generals , have boasted of being made acquainted with a science , whose object is to exercise and to improve some of the best affections of the human soul . Do ye vie with them in setting honour upon the Craft ,, and in transmitting it pure as ye have found itby keeping back from the Dooras well as- from the Hailof
Ma-, , , sonry , everything that is repugnant to its principle .-. There is great merit in your having hitherto taken good care that th ? High Offices in the Grand Lodge of Scotland should be held by none but Noblemen and Gentlemen of very great respectability and worth . It is well known , that the rules of every Society will be more or less strictly observed , and that good order will be better or
worse preserved , according to the degree of dignity and virtue wliich he possesseth who presides over it . Every institution , for whatever purpose it is designed , takes its colour , in some measure , from the character of its Master or President ; because it is a part of his office to g ive admonitions to others , as well as to exemplify the fixed rules « ud standing orders of the Society . The spirit ofthe Ruler , in all cases , is , in a certain degree , infused into those whom he directs .
The Office-bearers in every Lodge ought to take good heed to the characters of those whom they admit into the Society ; because an Accepted Mason is held by all Foreigners , as well as by us , to be a term ' which implies a man of honour and virtue ; one who has a rig ht to be admitted into the company if Gentlemen of every description , and-of the . bio-best rank . By granting a man the privilege of being an Accepted Mason do virtuall ive him a Letter of recommendation to the
, ye y g acquaintance and friendship , and confidence , of a certain , number of the most respectable characters that are to be found , in every part of the world . Would it , therefore , be treating them well , to abtue that confidence which they are naturally led to repose in you , by introducing undeserving men to their acquaintance and friendship ? I submit to youwhether such an ample and valuable Certificate ought
, to be granted to any , except those alone , who , upon enquiry , are found to be men of worth and virtue . Unless great attention be given to this particular , not only the Lodge of admission may itself come to suffer in point of character , but injustice may be done to the honour of the Craft in general , and a deceit imposed upon all those Brethren , both at home and abroad , who , trusting to your Attestation ,
g ive their hand of fellowship to persons who may be unworthy of their confidence and friendship , and even of being admitted into their company . This is one ofthe possible abuses of . MASONRY , which ought to be carefully guarded against . The younger part of my Brethren will , I hope , forgive me , while , in the spirit of sincere friendship , I wish to remind them , that they-