The Teachings Of Masonry.

THE TEACHINGS OF MASONRY .

LONDON , SATURDAY , 00 T 0 BEB 11 , 1802 .

The following is extracted from a sermon preached in Saint Cuthbert's Church , "Wells , on 3 rd July , 1 SS 2 , before the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset , by the Eev . E . E . Wallis , Priest Yicar of "Wells Cathedral , and Chaplain of the Benevolent LodgQ , JTo . 653 , which has been published by our reverend

brother for the benefit of Masonic Charities : — In formally giving a law to the Israeliies , God had neither explicitly nor implicitly relieved the Gentile world from the moral obligation to love God and man . The re-publication of the requirements of the decalogue as a written code to the children of

Abraham , was necessary to place them on a distinct and visible ground of peculiarity as being in covenant relation with God ; but already the world had been actually governed according to the terms of that code for 2000 years , and notwithstanding the Mosaic institute , it . still continued to be governed upon the

same great ethical principles . Although God for a special purpose declared himself the Father of Israel , he in no way abrogated his paternity to all the world besides . And in proportion as humanity could apprehend this simple and majestic relationship , and the bonds under which man was linked by it to his brother man , it was elevated and purified and ennobled by that knowledge .

It is confessed , indeed , that this great natural law of love was at the best very inadequately and feebly appreciated . But there was not wanting a conviction among mankind , that some such principles realised and applied might pervade the hearts of men , and extend beyond all accidental limits of name and countryand nation and agetill it embraced the

, , whole human creation of God . Such principles we now recognise as capable of issuing in that comprehensive and sublime law , which our Lord declared to involve all the primary revelation of God to man . This law if it could have effectually operated upon human nature ( do not mistake what I say ) would

have rendered the gospel unnecessary , for then would righteousness have been by the law , and Christ would have died in vain . And the recognition of this law , marred and in great measure obliterated , as it has Been in practice , by all the evils that cling to a fallen nature , is the first and fundamental principle of

Masonry . To plead among men for an enlarged and universal apprehension and application of the teachfflgs of love to God and man is the object and purpose of Masonry . , It is not too much to say that something , in nature similar to our Masonic Association , mast needs have

pegun to exist as soon as , in a disorganised world , m dividual souls began to perceive that distinctions of race and name were accidents , but that as God had Wade of one blood all the nations of the earth , so in Virtue of that common parentage , all men must be brethren . Such a truth as this once apprehended by m dividuals would become the germ of an association such as the Masonic . It was in its degree the acknowled gment of a principle which it remained for

the gospel to fructify and develope to its larger issues . Does it appear to us that such a doctrine is too obvious and necessary to have afforded foundation for so peculiar an edifice ? Does it seem that , for the sake of keeping in view so natural a principle , there needed no system of mystery and ceremonial—no

elaborate institution and association ? Let it be considered , however , that in the old times a universal brotherhood would seem to be a denial of the very conditions of special societies . Such a doctrine , even in the light of Christian civilisation , although admitted in termsis constantly repudiated in fact . But

, when patriotism was almost the essence of religior , and when , beyond the limits of nationality , all men were esteemed barbarians or dogs , —openly to maintain the fraternal bonds of a common humanity , would have been to incur the risks which will always attend the missionaries of a noble and neglected

iruth , in a selfish and imsympathising world . Therefore the principle avowed by the few here and there had to be veiled in darkness and secrecy , in mystery and symbol—to be hidden from the world , —and often to bear the reproach of guilt consequent on concealment rather than to challenge the enevitable

scorn and contempt of society by its open publication . But it will be objected , that however useful such a system might claim to have been before the Christian Era , yet it cannot be of the same value or meaning now , when the Gospel of Jesus Christ has proclaimed on the authority of the Pather the world-wide brotherhood of all believers Christ Jesus—a brotherhood em'bedying in its elements the most pure and elevated morality ; and supplying , moreover , in the

circumstances of its origin , the way in which such a morality might be carried out in this life , and linked to eternal happiness in the life to come . In short , the question is a most important one . Has not Christianity superseded all need of such associations and obligations as axe found in Masonry . To this question I suggest the following answers : —

Christianity is a spiritual "brotherhood : Masonry is a social one . In the same sense in which Christianity supersedes or relaxes social and civil bonds and obligations , even so it must ( if brought into conflict ) supersede and set aside such terms of association as ours , but in no other sense . Christianity stands

upon a totally different platform from Masonry . Masonry is a human institution—Christianity is a divine one . But the gospel does not render useless and ineffectual all other means of moral education and . discipline—it does not ignore all social virtue and human excellence among men . These things ,

indeed , become adorned and beautified when gospel principles raise and illuminate them . But until Christianity can be made the pervading spirit of of human virtue and worth , until the gospel can not only be preached but actually instilled into the hearts of men and nations all over the world , are we refuse

to recognise and use those moral restraints which may be derived from lower teachings ? God governs by law until the gospel can be received . The training of a merely moral institution is not to be despised , when otherwise there would be no training at all , as the law was the schoolmaster to bring men to Christ , so the teaching of the great laws of love , which are the basis of Masonry , may lead men . to apprehend the more perfect and spiritual system set