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Article THE VISIBLE SYMBOL^ ← Page 5 of 6 →
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The Visible Symbol^
rial and manual part of their profession—they joined to it , under the instructions of their leaders , a correlative branch of studv .
And hence to the Freemason this operative art has symbolized in that intellectual deduction from it which has been correctly called Speculative Masonry . At one time each was an integrant part of one undivided system . ¦' ;' ¦¦ ' -ITbtv . ' . thafe the period ever existed when every operative Mason was acquainted with or initiated into the speculative science . Even now there are thousands of skilful artisans who know as little of that science as thev do of the Hebrew
language which was spoken by its found But Operative Masonry was in the inception of our history , and in some measure is even now , the skeleton upon which were strung the living muscles and tendons and nerves of the speculative system . It was the block of marble , rude and unpolished it may be , from which was sculptured the life-breathing statue .
Speculative Masonry , which is but another name for Freemasonry in its modern acceptation , may be technically and briefly defined as the application—or , perhaps , I might more worthily express it , the religious consecration—ot the rules and principles , the language and implements , of Operative Masonry to the ^ veneration of God , the purification of the heart , and the preservation of certain profound dogmas of mystical philosophy .
I have said that the operative art is symbolized m the speculative science ; let us now inquire , in the first place , how this is done in relation to the general purport of both . Bearing in mind that speculative or modern ^ Freemasonry dates its origin from the building of King Solomon's Temple by Jewish and Tyrian-artisans , the first important fact that attracts our attention is , that the operative Masons at Jerusalem were engaged in the
construction of an earthly and material temple , to be dedicated to the service and worship of God ; a house in which Jehovah was to dwell visibly by His Shekinah , and whence He was , by the Urim and Thummin , to send forth His oracles for the government and direction of His chosen people . Now the operative art having for us ceased ,
we , as speculative Masons , symbolize the labours of our predecessors , by engaging in the construction of a moral temple in our hearts , dedicated to the honour of Him w ho is the author of purity , and whence every evil thought and unruly passion should be banished , as the sinner and the gentile were excluded from the sanctuary of the Jewish temple .
This spiritualizing of the Temple of Solomon is the first , the most prominent , and most pervading of all the symbols of Freemasonry . It is the link that binds the operative and speculative divisions of the Order—it is that which to the latter gives its moral character .
Take from Freemasonry its dependence on the Temple , leave out of its ritual all reference to that sacrecjl edifice , and the legends connected with it , and the system itself , must at once decay and die , or at best remain only as some fossilized bone , imperfectly to show the nature of the living animal to which it once belonged .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Visible Symbol^
rial and manual part of their profession—they joined to it , under the instructions of their leaders , a correlative branch of studv .
And hence to the Freemason this operative art has symbolized in that intellectual deduction from it which has been correctly called Speculative Masonry . At one time each was an integrant part of one undivided system . ¦' ;' ¦¦ ' -ITbtv . ' . thafe the period ever existed when every operative Mason was acquainted with or initiated into the speculative science . Even now there are thousands of skilful artisans who know as little of that science as thev do of the Hebrew
language which was spoken by its found But Operative Masonry was in the inception of our history , and in some measure is even now , the skeleton upon which were strung the living muscles and tendons and nerves of the speculative system . It was the block of marble , rude and unpolished it may be , from which was sculptured the life-breathing statue .
Speculative Masonry , which is but another name for Freemasonry in its modern acceptation , may be technically and briefly defined as the application—or , perhaps , I might more worthily express it , the religious consecration—ot the rules and principles , the language and implements , of Operative Masonry to the ^ veneration of God , the purification of the heart , and the preservation of certain profound dogmas of mystical philosophy .
I have said that the operative art is symbolized m the speculative science ; let us now inquire , in the first place , how this is done in relation to the general purport of both . Bearing in mind that speculative or modern ^ Freemasonry dates its origin from the building of King Solomon's Temple by Jewish and Tyrian-artisans , the first important fact that attracts our attention is , that the operative Masons at Jerusalem were engaged in the
construction of an earthly and material temple , to be dedicated to the service and worship of God ; a house in which Jehovah was to dwell visibly by His Shekinah , and whence He was , by the Urim and Thummin , to send forth His oracles for the government and direction of His chosen people . Now the operative art having for us ceased ,
we , as speculative Masons , symbolize the labours of our predecessors , by engaging in the construction of a moral temple in our hearts , dedicated to the honour of Him w ho is the author of purity , and whence every evil thought and unruly passion should be banished , as the sinner and the gentile were excluded from the sanctuary of the Jewish temple .
This spiritualizing of the Temple of Solomon is the first , the most prominent , and most pervading of all the symbols of Freemasonry . It is the link that binds the operative and speculative divisions of the Order—it is that which to the latter gives its moral character .
Take from Freemasonry its dependence on the Temple , leave out of its ritual all reference to that sacrecjl edifice , and the legends connected with it , and the system itself , must at once decay and die , or at best remain only as some fossilized bone , imperfectly to show the nature of the living animal to which it once belonged .