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Article MASONIC DIDACTICS; Page 1 of 8 →
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Masonic Didactics;
MASONIC DIDACTICS ;
OR , SHORT MORAL ESSAYS OF UNIVERSAL ADAPTATION . BY BROTHER ___ .. H . SL . ADE , J __ L . B . 1 ' Masonry is a peculiar system of morals . " No . XXXVII . —PROGRESS IN KNOWLEDGE NECESSARILY LIMITED TO THE RANGE OF HUMAN INTELLECT .
Nescisse cupies , nosse qir _ e nimium expecis . —SENEC-I . THE acquisition of knowledge is one of those remarkable " signs of the times , " which so peculiarly distinguish the present from all previous eras in the world ' s history . But the quality of that knowledge , its quantity , and ' the method of instilling it , are not so clearl y defined as the universal spirit of the age is to acquire it . Without intermeddling with the various notional systems of the day
, which are offered to public notice , one general principle may be assumed , that there are many things concealed from human penetration , the knowledge of which a vain desire may impel us to seek , although such information be pregnant with the most imminent danger , both to individual and conventional happiness . To the philosophic moralist it is a problem yet to be demonstrated , whether an unlimited thirst after knowledge may be gratified with safetyeither to personsor the
com-, , munity at large . One fact is established to the conviction of all engaged in education , that the desire for knowledge is more an artificial than a real passion ; and that a barrier has been set to its attainment by the all-wise counsels of the Supreme , in the very different capacities to receive knowledge , which are met with by experienced instructors . The occult and fashionable sciences now in vogue , pursued to a
certain extent , have conferred eminence upon several of their professors ; but they possess a tendency to hurry us incautiously into conclusions that are at variance , perhaps , with facts , could we dive into all the forbidden secrets of nature ; and which certainly are at variance with many things , which the Great God of Nature has been pleased to reveal for the information of his creatures . Human comprehension is not calculated to investigate thoroughly those laws prescribed bHimwho " hath set bounds to the sea that it
y , shall not pass ; " and the impression which a superficial knowledge of such abstruse mysteries is calculated to produce upon the finite intellect of man , is much mote -likel y to conduce to his unhappiness than tranquillity . These circumstances taken into consideration , a discriminating mind will plainly see that there are insurmountable barriers judiciousl y placed against an over-inquisitive search into the " deep things" of the Divine Architect of the Universe ; beyond whichthey who attempt
, presumptuously , and it might be said , with impiety , to push their inquiries , must expect to reap the vicious fruits of such rashness and temerity . The stream of knowledge diverges into many pleasant rivulets , from which the driest thirst may be allayed , without assaying the troubled waters of scepticism and error I
Nee scire fas est omnia ! The wise Solomon declares , that , in much knowledge there is much VOL . VII . __ I .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Didactics;
MASONIC DIDACTICS ;
OR , SHORT MORAL ESSAYS OF UNIVERSAL ADAPTATION . BY BROTHER ___ .. H . SL . ADE , J __ L . B . 1 ' Masonry is a peculiar system of morals . " No . XXXVII . —PROGRESS IN KNOWLEDGE NECESSARILY LIMITED TO THE RANGE OF HUMAN INTELLECT .
Nescisse cupies , nosse qir _ e nimium expecis . —SENEC-I . THE acquisition of knowledge is one of those remarkable " signs of the times , " which so peculiarly distinguish the present from all previous eras in the world ' s history . But the quality of that knowledge , its quantity , and ' the method of instilling it , are not so clearl y defined as the universal spirit of the age is to acquire it . Without intermeddling with the various notional systems of the day
, which are offered to public notice , one general principle may be assumed , that there are many things concealed from human penetration , the knowledge of which a vain desire may impel us to seek , although such information be pregnant with the most imminent danger , both to individual and conventional happiness . To the philosophic moralist it is a problem yet to be demonstrated , whether an unlimited thirst after knowledge may be gratified with safetyeither to personsor the
com-, , munity at large . One fact is established to the conviction of all engaged in education , that the desire for knowledge is more an artificial than a real passion ; and that a barrier has been set to its attainment by the all-wise counsels of the Supreme , in the very different capacities to receive knowledge , which are met with by experienced instructors . The occult and fashionable sciences now in vogue , pursued to a
certain extent , have conferred eminence upon several of their professors ; but they possess a tendency to hurry us incautiously into conclusions that are at variance , perhaps , with facts , could we dive into all the forbidden secrets of nature ; and which certainly are at variance with many things , which the Great God of Nature has been pleased to reveal for the information of his creatures . Human comprehension is not calculated to investigate thoroughly those laws prescribed bHimwho " hath set bounds to the sea that it
y , shall not pass ; " and the impression which a superficial knowledge of such abstruse mysteries is calculated to produce upon the finite intellect of man , is much mote -likel y to conduce to his unhappiness than tranquillity . These circumstances taken into consideration , a discriminating mind will plainly see that there are insurmountable barriers judiciousl y placed against an over-inquisitive search into the " deep things" of the Divine Architect of the Universe ; beyond whichthey who attempt
, presumptuously , and it might be said , with impiety , to push their inquiries , must expect to reap the vicious fruits of such rashness and temerity . The stream of knowledge diverges into many pleasant rivulets , from which the driest thirst may be allayed , without assaying the troubled waters of scepticism and error I
Nee scire fas est omnia ! The wise Solomon declares , that , in much knowledge there is much VOL . VII . __ I .