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Article CHAPTER I. ← Page 5 of 6 →
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Chapter I.
will venture to set his foot on the unknown regions which lie beyond that forbidden barrier . It is really a pity that any person of talent should place himself so completely under the dominion of prejudice , as to decry an institution which , at least , does no injury , even supposing that it does no gootl , which , however , I can by no means admit ; for I consider it—and ever
have considered it—the very first of human institutions ; the dispenser of earthly blessings ; because , as a masonic writer of the last century properly remarks— " It comprehends within its circle every branch of useful knowledge and learning , and stamps an indelible mark of preeminence on its genuine professors , which neither chance , power , nor fortune can bestow . When its rules are strictly observed , it is a sure foundation of tranquillity amid the various disappointments of life ; a
friend that will not deceive , but will comfort and assist , in prosperity and adversity ; a blessing that will remain with all times , circumstances , and places ; and to which recourse may be had , when other earthly comforts sink into disregard . And more than this , it gives real and intrinsic excellency to man , and renders him fit for the duties of society . It strengthens the mind against the storms of life , paves the way to peace ,
and promotes domestic happiness . It meliorates the temper and improves , the understanding ; it is company in solitude , and gives vivacity , variety , and energy , to social conversation . In youth it governs the passions , and employs usefully our most active faculties ; and in age when sickness , imbecility , and disease , have benumbed the corporeal frame , and rendered the union of soul and body almost intolerable , it yields an ample fund of comfort and satisfaction . " * Under these circumstances I may be askedas I frequently have been
, , why I give myself the trouble to enlighten the understanding of men who have eyes , but will not see ; who have ears , but will not hear ; and who have comprehension , but will not understand ? It is a posing question , and can only be answered , by saying with the indifferent sportsman , that when he shoots into the midst of a flock of gulls , he sometimes , by chance , brings down a bird . So by these strictures I may succeed in opening the eyes of an occasional gainsayer to the truthand show him
, what a gull he has been by giving implicit credit to crude assertions unaccompanied by proof . Besides , there is always a suspicion on the slanderer , which frequently turns his defamation against himself ; and a very few words of vindication will often be sufficient to neutralize whole volumes of abuse . I once knew a schoolmaster who bestowed
great pains to persuade his pupils of the moral turpitude of Freemasonry . And his denunciations of the institution were pompous and incessant . But the pedagogue overshot his mark ; the suspicions of the boys were aroused , and when they were emancipated from fears of the birch , and became men , most of them sought initiation that they mi ght ascertain the correctness of the hypothesis , and be enabled practically to refute the malicious insinuations which they had heard . And they entered with greater zeal into the practice of the Orderbecause they
, found good where they were instructed to expect evil . All mankind are inclined to be captious , and to doubt the genial operation of what they do not perfectly understand . How else are we to account for the existence of all the absurd opinions which are afloat respecting the means of salvation , and particularl y for infidelity and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chapter I.
will venture to set his foot on the unknown regions which lie beyond that forbidden barrier . It is really a pity that any person of talent should place himself so completely under the dominion of prejudice , as to decry an institution which , at least , does no injury , even supposing that it does no gootl , which , however , I can by no means admit ; for I consider it—and ever
have considered it—the very first of human institutions ; the dispenser of earthly blessings ; because , as a masonic writer of the last century properly remarks— " It comprehends within its circle every branch of useful knowledge and learning , and stamps an indelible mark of preeminence on its genuine professors , which neither chance , power , nor fortune can bestow . When its rules are strictly observed , it is a sure foundation of tranquillity amid the various disappointments of life ; a
friend that will not deceive , but will comfort and assist , in prosperity and adversity ; a blessing that will remain with all times , circumstances , and places ; and to which recourse may be had , when other earthly comforts sink into disregard . And more than this , it gives real and intrinsic excellency to man , and renders him fit for the duties of society . It strengthens the mind against the storms of life , paves the way to peace ,
and promotes domestic happiness . It meliorates the temper and improves , the understanding ; it is company in solitude , and gives vivacity , variety , and energy , to social conversation . In youth it governs the passions , and employs usefully our most active faculties ; and in age when sickness , imbecility , and disease , have benumbed the corporeal frame , and rendered the union of soul and body almost intolerable , it yields an ample fund of comfort and satisfaction . " * Under these circumstances I may be askedas I frequently have been
, , why I give myself the trouble to enlighten the understanding of men who have eyes , but will not see ; who have ears , but will not hear ; and who have comprehension , but will not understand ? It is a posing question , and can only be answered , by saying with the indifferent sportsman , that when he shoots into the midst of a flock of gulls , he sometimes , by chance , brings down a bird . So by these strictures I may succeed in opening the eyes of an occasional gainsayer to the truthand show him
, what a gull he has been by giving implicit credit to crude assertions unaccompanied by proof . Besides , there is always a suspicion on the slanderer , which frequently turns his defamation against himself ; and a very few words of vindication will often be sufficient to neutralize whole volumes of abuse . I once knew a schoolmaster who bestowed
great pains to persuade his pupils of the moral turpitude of Freemasonry . And his denunciations of the institution were pompous and incessant . But the pedagogue overshot his mark ; the suspicions of the boys were aroused , and when they were emancipated from fears of the birch , and became men , most of them sought initiation that they mi ght ascertain the correctness of the hypothesis , and be enabled practically to refute the malicious insinuations which they had heard . And they entered with greater zeal into the practice of the Orderbecause they
, found good where they were instructed to expect evil . All mankind are inclined to be captious , and to doubt the genial operation of what they do not perfectly understand . How else are we to account for the existence of all the absurd opinions which are afloat respecting the means of salvation , and particularl y for infidelity and