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Article MASONIC DIDACTICS; Page 1 of 2 →
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Masonic Didactics;
MASONIC DIDACTICS ;
on , SHORT MORAL ESSAYS OF UNIVERSAL ADAPTATION . BY ^ BROTHER n . n . SI . ADE , LI , . D ., CLERK , M . M ., AND AUTHOR OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE DEFENCE OF SOCRATES , " AND OTHER WORKS . " Masonry is a peculiar system of morals . " No . XL—ON THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL .
• ' Verum est umbras eorporibus vivcrc conditis . "—Seneca . ' Tlie soul , secured in her existence , smiles At the drawn dagger , and defies its point . "—CATO . SENECA plainl y alludes here , in a figurative manner , to the manes , or spiritual part of the human formation . The ethereal essence that vivifies our mould—the basis of the moral system—is that main
hope of the Soul ' s immortality , whicli is implanted in the breast of almost every reasonable creature . Now , this important proposition is demonstrated in so able a manner by a very eminent moralist , that it leaves the subject barren to any gleaner of mediocre talent . His arguments for the existence of the Soul after the dissolution of the body , are briefly these : — First "from the nature of the Soul itself , and its immaterialitywhicli admits not of a doubt , except in the minds of sceptics ancl other sciolists .
Secondly , "from its passions and sentiments , with that secret satis-Jaction which it finds in the practice of virtue , and that uneasiness which follows upon the commission of vice . " And , thirdly , " from the nature ofthe Supreme Being , whose justice goodness , wisdom , and veracity , are all concerned in tins point . " ' l < rom such premises may be deduced a very rational inference ; that thsre is an immaculate immaterial somethingwhich mortal
, , , during our lifetime , inhabits this earthl y tabernacle ; and which , after death has done his office , departs unto that focus of etherial life whence it originally came . I he truth of the Soul ' s existence is farther confirmed b y " The Divinity that stirs within us . " It is that supernatural agent in every man ' s composition that " Intimates eternity to man . "
But deprive him of so blessed a hope , and , when affliction bows him to the dust , what is to prevent him seeking relief in suicide ? Wherein does man , without an Immortal Soul , excel the brute beast , which is often his equal m mental sagacity ? It is that principle which actuates him to " do good and to " eschew evil . " It is that which shall live " Unhurt amidst the war of elements Tlie wreck of matter , and the crush of worlds . " 'U ^ t'X'l 'Sdtfaros bavcrai o iaa .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Didactics;
MASONIC DIDACTICS ;
on , SHORT MORAL ESSAYS OF UNIVERSAL ADAPTATION . BY ^ BROTHER n . n . SI . ADE , LI , . D ., CLERK , M . M ., AND AUTHOR OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE DEFENCE OF SOCRATES , " AND OTHER WORKS . " Masonry is a peculiar system of morals . " No . XL—ON THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL .
• ' Verum est umbras eorporibus vivcrc conditis . "—Seneca . ' Tlie soul , secured in her existence , smiles At the drawn dagger , and defies its point . "—CATO . SENECA plainl y alludes here , in a figurative manner , to the manes , or spiritual part of the human formation . The ethereal essence that vivifies our mould—the basis of the moral system—is that main
hope of the Soul ' s immortality , whicli is implanted in the breast of almost every reasonable creature . Now , this important proposition is demonstrated in so able a manner by a very eminent moralist , that it leaves the subject barren to any gleaner of mediocre talent . His arguments for the existence of the Soul after the dissolution of the body , are briefly these : — First "from the nature of the Soul itself , and its immaterialitywhicli admits not of a doubt , except in the minds of sceptics ancl other sciolists .
Secondly , "from its passions and sentiments , with that secret satis-Jaction which it finds in the practice of virtue , and that uneasiness which follows upon the commission of vice . " And , thirdly , " from the nature ofthe Supreme Being , whose justice goodness , wisdom , and veracity , are all concerned in tins point . " ' l < rom such premises may be deduced a very rational inference ; that thsre is an immaculate immaterial somethingwhich mortal
, , , during our lifetime , inhabits this earthl y tabernacle ; and which , after death has done his office , departs unto that focus of etherial life whence it originally came . I he truth of the Soul ' s existence is farther confirmed b y " The Divinity that stirs within us . " It is that supernatural agent in every man ' s composition that " Intimates eternity to man . "
But deprive him of so blessed a hope , and , when affliction bows him to the dust , what is to prevent him seeking relief in suicide ? Wherein does man , without an Immortal Soul , excel the brute beast , which is often his equal m mental sagacity ? It is that principle which actuates him to " do good and to " eschew evil . " It is that which shall live " Unhurt amidst the war of elements Tlie wreck of matter , and the crush of worlds . " 'U ^ t'X'l 'Sdtfaros bavcrai o iaa .