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Article A CENTURY OF FREEMASONRY* ← Page 6 of 6
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A Century Of Freemasonry*
unioii for the opening of the mind , tho ennobling of the spirit , tho purificai . ii >!! of manners . Within their bosoms there was stirring , with more or ks . < of consciousness , the conviction , that the thinking and feeling man was called to something more elevated than to recommence at every dawn the daily circle of life . They were sensible of the necessity of possessing a city of refuge , in which , unassailod by the strife Avithout in the world , about Church and State , and the thoughts and conflicts of ' existence ,
similar natures might commune , impart their experience one to another undisturbed by the vigilant eye of the spy , and follow the impulses of their better natures . If that whieh was offered them were untrue coin , they were still innocent , for they had sought and striven for the true , ancl the sterling heart of Freemasonry has ever more gloriously manifested itself in this fact , that these men , notwithstanding the temporary disfigurement to which it has , in the course of events , been subjected , remained faithful to the love of their youth ; throughout life , exercising humanity and benevolence to the greatest degree , and demonstrating to other thoughtful minds , that social ancl spiritual freedom have ono place
beneath the sun , where goodwill toward men , and in especial toward the Brethren , may be exercised in truth and humility . " * Ancl ere I close these sentences , may I be permitted to jioint out the necessity which called these places of refuge into existence ? With the IOAVCI- classes , especially , do Ave find an attempt to keep up forms and ceremonies haA'ing some
pretension to symbolism , more perhaps than may be at first suspected , in places where the mass may not enter . It woulcl be a curious inquiry , the setting forth and displaying of the history of those ancient bodies which exist in some districts among the miners ancl colliers—those continuations of the Druidical and Forest Orders . It is not reasonable , with so
many examples before us , to deny that the tradesmen who call ( with justice perhaps , and in conformity Avith custom ) their crafts " mysteries , ancient and noble , " hai'e not a right to the phrase . If the working Masons , who contemplated beauty in the high form in which architecture manifests it , had a mystery , a great and a noble one , so too might other sections of the community possess similar mysteries of various values .
But my task is done . If any part of the occurrences noticed in the pages I have written look like warnings or lessons , which the Most High ancl Adorable himself writes with fire in the indelible pages of history , let them be esteemed as warnings . There is a danger to fight through , a problem to work out , a bright prospect at the end of the strife ; ancl this not onlin
y life generally , but also in Masonry . Let us fix otu- eyes upon the growing light , and with humility thank T . G . A . 0 . T . U . for his boundless mercy and goodness in giving us such a scene of action . I- will join my feeble voice with the chorus that sivells to Heaven .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Century Of Freemasonry*
unioii for the opening of the mind , tho ennobling of the spirit , tho purificai . ii >!! of manners . Within their bosoms there was stirring , with more or ks . < of consciousness , the conviction , that the thinking and feeling man was called to something more elevated than to recommence at every dawn the daily circle of life . They were sensible of the necessity of possessing a city of refuge , in which , unassailod by the strife Avithout in the world , about Church and State , and the thoughts and conflicts of ' existence ,
similar natures might commune , impart their experience one to another undisturbed by the vigilant eye of the spy , and follow the impulses of their better natures . If that whieh was offered them were untrue coin , they were still innocent , for they had sought and striven for the true , ancl the sterling heart of Freemasonry has ever more gloriously manifested itself in this fact , that these men , notwithstanding the temporary disfigurement to which it has , in the course of events , been subjected , remained faithful to the love of their youth ; throughout life , exercising humanity and benevolence to the greatest degree , and demonstrating to other thoughtful minds , that social ancl spiritual freedom have ono place
beneath the sun , where goodwill toward men , and in especial toward the Brethren , may be exercised in truth and humility . " * Ancl ere I close these sentences , may I be permitted to jioint out the necessity which called these places of refuge into existence ? With the IOAVCI- classes , especially , do Ave find an attempt to keep up forms and ceremonies haA'ing some
pretension to symbolism , more perhaps than may be at first suspected , in places where the mass may not enter . It woulcl be a curious inquiry , the setting forth and displaying of the history of those ancient bodies which exist in some districts among the miners ancl colliers—those continuations of the Druidical and Forest Orders . It is not reasonable , with so
many examples before us , to deny that the tradesmen who call ( with justice perhaps , and in conformity Avith custom ) their crafts " mysteries , ancient and noble , " hai'e not a right to the phrase . If the working Masons , who contemplated beauty in the high form in which architecture manifests it , had a mystery , a great and a noble one , so too might other sections of the community possess similar mysteries of various values .
But my task is done . If any part of the occurrences noticed in the pages I have written look like warnings or lessons , which the Most High ancl Adorable himself writes with fire in the indelible pages of history , let them be esteemed as warnings . There is a danger to fight through , a problem to work out , a bright prospect at the end of the strife ; ancl this not onlin
y life generally , but also in Masonry . Let us fix otu- eyes upon the growing light , and with humility thank T . G . A . 0 . T . U . for his boundless mercy and goodness in giving us such a scene of action . I- will join my feeble voice with the chorus that sivells to Heaven .