Antiquity And Utility Of Masonry.

plars , and all other institutions , regarding them tts tributaries in the great and necessary work of social reform . . In her speculative theory her name and nature

is known by the words , Fraternity , Friendship , Brotherl y Love , Relief , Truth , Equality , Integrity , Virtue , Faith , Hope , Charity , "Wisdom , Strength

and Beauty . Are these graces from the earth ? Verily they are not . The } ' are the essence of the Eternal God and breathe good to man .

The skilful mechanism of our order is wonderful in itself . The wisdom of which is surely from above . It is founded on Solomon ' s

Temple , the only Masonic structure that ever had a divine architect . The position , length and breadth , exterior and interior , floor and ceiling , lights and furniture , sacrifices and worship ,

altar and offerings , mercy seat and cherubims , the Skekinah , God are all symbolical figures of the sublimest truths in the word of God . Christ recognises the temple as figurative of himself ,

when he says , "destroy this temple , and in three days 1 will raise it up again . " He also recognises it as figurative of the heavenly Temple . 'Though Masons had no other foundation than this , with

its antitype , it is in itself a body of divinity , perfect , complete , with which to redeem the world . Did Christ destroy our foundation when he said , that there would not be left one stone upon another that would not be thrown down r Not so ,

he broke down the middle wall of partition , and raised the last stone , that he might give us the world for our foundation , and its regeneration for superstructure , charging us faithfully not lo

contine it to any particular tribe , city , or hill . 'The work has been progressing ever since . Now g ird on your white aprons , of pure innocent

gentleness , and continue with your mallet and chisel in polishing the stones thereof , till it becomes a lodge , worthy of its originator and Great Grand Master , God hnmanuel .

As alread y hinted , Masonry is an auxiliary to the Church , and in some respects her organisations , and modes of teaching are superior . Their principles are alike in opening the door of

communion to the worth ) " only , alike in the end they have in view , ami the compassion they bear for all . But the Church | is divided and subdivided , till von are lost amid the multiplicity of

creeds . Not so with Freemasonry , she is the same , pole to pole , and though she has no creed , she lias the whole Bible , and is the onl y fraternal centre-point around which all goodness can

meet , thus she is not sectarian and therefore ; more Christ-like . If Masons were true to j their great light , the Bible , how refreshing ¦ , would be their influence .

The Church chiefly teaches Divine Truth ah- ! stractlv , but Freemasons teach them wiled in allegory , and illustrated bv symbols , and herein thev follow the footsteps of the Master , the Great !

Divine teacher . Yes , symbols are the . speech of i ( rod , which leave a more indelible impression on i the mind anil memory of man , antl are productive j of more good , when administered with becom- j

ing propriety . Though comparatively young , her moral and social progress is marvellous indeed , She is found cvervwhere on or . r Globe , silently ,

and secretly sowing her seeds of goodwill to all . ! Her utility does not rest here , we find her , with I Ktilv , ay speed , building her engines ofeharitv , ;

Antiquity And Utility Of Masonry.

with which to convey her munificence to the homes of the needy , carrying into practice her heaven-born virtue , and how remarkable the ready , spontaneous , happy manner , with which

she makes the greatest strangers the greatest friends . She is an asylum of peace and love , a place of respite from the incongruity of the outer world .

We have now seen how hig h and divine the mission of Freemasonry is , and it should fill us with gladness , that all the aspects of the times are so encouraging , and g ive us room to hope

that vast and beneficient as that mission is , it will yet be triumphantly achieved . It is doing much to redeem the world from the thraldom of selfishness . The principles of union and love

which wc wish to diffuse are alread y slumbering in the bosom of the age . Love is not dead . These great Christian ideas , Union and Love , ideas so sweet atid gentle , yet so lofty , sublime ,

and poetical , which , if actnalised in life , would elevate us to the rank of seraphs . No , love cannot die , even in this age , saturated , as it is , with the unchristian morality of absolute selfishness , a

doctrine which is armed against all that is purest , and loveliest in the human heart . Still there are disinterested spirits , who worship at the shrine of virtue , and assert that truth and right are from

everlasting to evei lasting . Love still lives , the world ' s heart still throbs with its heavenly pulsations . It is the hi gh office of Freemasonry to retime the mvstie harp

of life , to the slumbering melodies of love , lo breath upon the smouldering spark of everlasting charity , to cement the broken links of harmony , and re-establish the unity of man .

He faithful , then , brethren , to the idea of your Order . See that ye live , the principles that ye teach . See that ye labour to extend the mystic tie of sympathy , till as a chain of li g ht , it shall

encircle the entire of humanity . Labour at your exalted work . Be valiant in your holy warfare , and when the great ideal of Masonry shall be realised , and Christ ' s Divine heart beating in the

bosom of humanity , then shall be fulfilled the prophetic dream of a golden age . 'Then shall the human race inarch forward and upward , engirdled with celestial sunshine , and baptised in

the chorus of a heavenly psalm of love . Rall y around your Order . Uphold the standard of Peace , Love , and Unity , till the wcrltl feels the power and the blessedness of your holy secret

brotherly communion . Cease not your efforts , for the secret principle is spreading its branches like a green bay tree . It is majestically , though silently , working the regeneration t ^ i the world . The

reformations of the past owe much to ils instrumentality , and the lime will arrive , when the world will become one Brotherhood , one family of peace , and may not the gentle ,

proteetng s ' . iiehl of our Order surround them all . Already it is Christlike , caring for the widows and the orphans . Continue in the Divine work of charity , till pauperism , and the consequent

evils of selfishness , be for ever fled away . The glory of Accepted Masonry will , yet overshadow the cope stones of regeneration . Then let us

live as beeometh our great Order . 'To you who are members of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , I would say , use all your influence to prune the unbecoming branches , which tend only to retard

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the growth , and to destroy the beauty and sym metry of our favourite mystic tree . Encourage all her benevolent schemes , and "li ght for her more , for in this respect , our own wealthy , peaceful Scotland is lamentably behind .

Footsteps Of Freemasonry;

FOOTSTEPS OF FREEMASONRY ;

OR , FREEMASONRY IN RELATION' TO AUTHENTIC HISTORY . By W . Vis EH BKIHIU-K , M . D .. J . W . i ,, 2 g ., Hon .

Secretary Sphynx Lodge of Instruction . ( Continued I rum page 1 \ 2 . J Many wonderful things tire supposed of Freemasonry and its presumed historians seem to

have but one object in common , to render its philology ridiculous . Even some of the more rational describe it as impersonate , and coeval with the origin of man , and that its solemn

pledge of mutual faith , is only a primeval greeting supposed to have been introduced by Adam . But assertions of this kind prove nothing , and is an argument duly provided for by Cervantes ,

who makes Sancho l'anza , demand of the Scholar of Salamanca , " can your Reverence who knows everything , tell us , who was the first thief . " His Reverence hesitating , he answered

it himself , " Perhaps it was the Devil , for he it , was who first went out ( of Heaven ) on the fly ( or tranqi . ") Has the knight of the sorrowful countenance really lived , fought , and died in

vain r 'The proverb , however , that there is " nothing new , " is nevertheless not destitute of a certain

degree of truth , for most things may be said to have had their prototypes , even American claims were not unknown in the good old times when the doctrine was ,

"'That they should take who had the power . And the ) " should keep who can . " Our object , however , has not been to assert

triusms , but to endeavour to point out by the argument of cumulative evidence , that Freemasonry has an authentic paternity , and isconneeted in its origin with those systems which have dominated , and

even still ( not less energetically ) rule the world . To talk of Institutions dying out seems trite . but who can point out any existence , however humble , in the moral or physical world which

can he said to be wholly lost . The sparrow fills not without an emotion of the Deity , the mere polypus has left an impression on creation that can never cease .

So it is with the political , polemical , and philosophical world , ami the contests of ancient types of civilisation and philosophy tire still as actixe . as ever . Even races of beings have not

ceased in the sense sometimes indicated ; Nature is not careless of its own , and is not continually shrieking" 1 care for nothing—all shall go . " It is the merest materialism to think so ,

"Whatever fickle tongues may tell , " and at which even Lucretius would have blushed . Even when least expected , ancient types may

be traced , for we , have ; already pointed out , in allusion to our own distinctive garb , that the Surplice and its accompanying vestments , the cope and alb were derived from Rome , and still