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Article TO THE EDITOR. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
ON THE NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MASTER OF A JIIASONIO LODGE . SIR , —The title of Alaster is one coveted hy many—obtained by many —and consequently many are responsible to the Alasonic svorld for the manner in svhich they use or abuse the honourable distinction . Nor does the responsibility rest therefor certainly they svho have the posver
, of election cannot he held blameless if the chair of their Lodges be filled by incompetence or ignorance . I wish that both parties svould seriously consider their various duties , and pause ere they rashly jeopardize the great interests of the Order for the sake of satisfying an unhealthy ambition , or personal feelings of partiality . The responsibilities resting upon the Alaster of a Lodge are various and manifold : responsibilities svhich no man should undertake unless before God antl his osvn conscience he
feels competent to fulfil them , and has moral courage resolutely to follosv tbe strict line of his duty . For a man to do his duty , it is of course imperatively necessary that he should knosv it . Here then is the first necessary qualification in a candidate for the Master ' s chair—that lie should knosv its duties . No man can knosv the duties of a Alaster among Alasons , svho has not frequently and zealously svorked svith the elders of the Craft , and attentively studied the principles , objects , and aim of the Order .
Hence it has been very svisely recommended that a Alason , previous to being elected to the Mastership , should go through all the minor offices ; and has been rendered imperative that he shall have served the office of Warden . Masonry is a system of probation , the rough ashler alone
should exercise the " prentice hand of the young Alason , and not for some time should the svorking tools of tbe Alaster-Alason be entrusted to his care . AVhen his svork can bear the test of the square and compasses ( and not till then ) should he dare to presume to sit in the chair of Solomon . It may be a very pleasing , and doubtless is a proud position to preside over a Lodge of Masons ; but true honour can only How from a perfect discharge of the duties entailed upon that office ; and the title of P . M . is a stigma to him whose skilless fingers can scarcely handle an
apprentice tool . It must therefore be necessary that the candidate be able to execute the svork . To judge from the manner in svhich the svork of some of the Lodges is executed , one ts'ouM imagine this-to be but a trifling consideration . For my part , I consider it such an essential , that I should like to see a Board of P . Alasters formed , svho perfectly
understand the svork , by svhom every candidate for the chair of a Lodge should be examined in the three ceremonies and general principles of the Order ; and svithout a certificate from svhom , stating his fitness , no man should be installed into the chair of any Lodge . As regards his moral claim , of course the Lodge svhich elects him ought to be the best judge , and is responsible for the actions of him on svhom its choice falls . ' A'lost decidedly he ought to he a man against svhom no
public acts of immorality can be alleged—and svith the semblance of virtue it svere svell to ascertain if he have the spirit also : one not given to excesses , but temperate , just , prudent , svith a love ofthe right path , & nA fortitude to tread in it ; charitable in its most spiritual sense ; kind and courteous in manner , yet firm in the truth ; drawing the good tosvards him by his urbanity , and repressing the pride of evil by the VOL . v . I
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
ON THE NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MASTER OF A JIIASONIO LODGE . SIR , —The title of Alaster is one coveted hy many—obtained by many —and consequently many are responsible to the Alasonic svorld for the manner in svhich they use or abuse the honourable distinction . Nor does the responsibility rest therefor certainly they svho have the posver
, of election cannot he held blameless if the chair of their Lodges be filled by incompetence or ignorance . I wish that both parties svould seriously consider their various duties , and pause ere they rashly jeopardize the great interests of the Order for the sake of satisfying an unhealthy ambition , or personal feelings of partiality . The responsibilities resting upon the Alaster of a Lodge are various and manifold : responsibilities svhich no man should undertake unless before God antl his osvn conscience he
feels competent to fulfil them , and has moral courage resolutely to follosv tbe strict line of his duty . For a man to do his duty , it is of course imperatively necessary that he should knosv it . Here then is the first necessary qualification in a candidate for the Master ' s chair—that lie should knosv its duties . No man can knosv the duties of a Alaster among Alasons , svho has not frequently and zealously svorked svith the elders of the Craft , and attentively studied the principles , objects , and aim of the Order .
Hence it has been very svisely recommended that a Alason , previous to being elected to the Mastership , should go through all the minor offices ; and has been rendered imperative that he shall have served the office of Warden . Masonry is a system of probation , the rough ashler alone
should exercise the " prentice hand of the young Alason , and not for some time should the svorking tools of tbe Alaster-Alason be entrusted to his care . AVhen his svork can bear the test of the square and compasses ( and not till then ) should he dare to presume to sit in the chair of Solomon . It may be a very pleasing , and doubtless is a proud position to preside over a Lodge of Masons ; but true honour can only How from a perfect discharge of the duties entailed upon that office ; and the title of P . M . is a stigma to him whose skilless fingers can scarcely handle an
apprentice tool . It must therefore be necessary that the candidate be able to execute the svork . To judge from the manner in svhich the svork of some of the Lodges is executed , one ts'ouM imagine this-to be but a trifling consideration . For my part , I consider it such an essential , that I should like to see a Board of P . Alasters formed , svho perfectly
understand the svork , by svhom every candidate for the chair of a Lodge should be examined in the three ceremonies and general principles of the Order ; and svithout a certificate from svhom , stating his fitness , no man should be installed into the chair of any Lodge . As regards his moral claim , of course the Lodge svhich elects him ought to be the best judge , and is responsible for the actions of him on svhom its choice falls . ' A'lost decidedly he ought to he a man against svhom no
public acts of immorality can be alleged—and svith the semblance of virtue it svere svell to ascertain if he have the spirit also : one not given to excesses , but temperate , just , prudent , svith a love ofthe right path , & nA fortitude to tread in it ; charitable in its most spiritual sense ; kind and courteous in manner , yet firm in the truth ; drawing the good tosvards him by his urbanity , and repressing the pride of evil by the VOL . v . I