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Article MASONIC JOTTINGS.—No. 5. Page 1 of 1 Article THE RISE AND PURPOSES OF SPECULATIVE MASONRY. Page 1 of 2 →
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Masonic Jottings.—No. 5.
MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 5 .
BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTEE . THE TWO QUESTIONS . The two questions—who were the authors of Speculative Masonry , and who were the authors of our English organisation , are as different as are
the two questions—who were the inventors of an ancient doctrine , and who were the builders of the church in which it is now preached . RISE OP MASONRY . For the rise of Operative Masonry you may go
to the Troglodites , new from their caves , but for the rise of Speculative Masonry you must go to the Hindoos , to the Chaldams , to the Egyptians , to the Jews , to the Greeks and to the Romans . Old MS .
SPECULATIVE MASONRY NOT ALAVAYS TRUE FREE . AIASONRY . In our times , Speculative Masonry is not always true Freemasonry . In ancient times it could very rarely indeed be true Freemasonry .
LODGES OE GERMANY AND SCOTLAND . A Polish brother asks , if there is not satisfactory evidence , that at a remote period in the lodges of Germany and Scotland there were associated with Masonic Science the principles of religion , of
fraternity and of charity , principles infused by the Great Architect of the Universe iu the breast of man when he was created .
ENTIRELY NEW ORGANISATION . An organisation has some times been called " entirely new " when , upon examination it has turned out , that a change in the names of some of the parts composing it , was its principal novelty .
LODGE-UNI ACERBITY . The more extensive cultivation of Speculative Masonry , begun in the year 1717 , in strictness , rendered necessary no greater changes in the organisation of the lodge , than are the changes
which the addition of new sciences and languages to those already taught , raiders necessary in the organisation of a University . There were probably reasons with which we are unacquainted , that made it expedient not to limit the changes to those which were , in strictness , necessary .
A DEFINITION . A definition—a constant reader of the FKEEHASONS' MAGAZINE , defines non-Masonic language as " the language commonly used by Masons in Masonic Controversy . "
The Rise And Purposes Of Speculative Masonry.
THE RISE AND PURPOSES OF SPECULATIVE MASONRY .
By BEO . HEXKY MTJEEAY , District G . M ., Clima . An Address delivered to the Brethren of Zetland Lodge ( No . 525 ) , Kong Kong . ( Continued from page 63 ) . Thus , to quote at some length from Bro =
Findel , " the most important step had now been taken for the due conservation of the institution . Then it was that Freemasonry , as it is understood at the present day , dawned into ex i stence . Retaining the spirit of the antient brotherhood ,
its fundamental laws , as well as its traditional customs , all yet united in resigning architecture and operative masonry to the station to which they belonged . The customary technical expressions , which were excellently well-suited to the
symbolic architecture of a temple , were retained , but in a figurative sense , and withal bearing a higher signification . The Fraternity of Freemasons was now separated from architecture ; and , formed into an association having purely social aims , and
therefore capable of spreading itself to all quarters of the globe , it became the common property of . all mankind . The moral edifice to be erecterl should , like to the material edifices of Masons , have the general good of all mankind in view ; the
improvement of the members of the Fraternity should manifest itself by their growth in selfknowledge , voluntary activity , self-government , as well as in the practice of all the virtues ; the society should make men of all conditions better
citizens , better husbands , fathers , and friends . And here it must be remarked that Freemasonry looks upon free will as an absolute faculty of mankind j for freedom from great vices , passions , and prejudices , is assm-edly requitite to render a man
capable of cultivation , or of the gradual attainment of perfection . " " A Mason , " say the Antient Charges , is obliged , by his tenure , to obey the moral law ; and if he rightly understand the art he will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious
libertine . He , of all men , should best understand that God seeth not as man seeth , for man looketh at the outward appearance , but God looketh to the heart . A Mason is , therefore , particularly bound never to act against the dictates of his
conscience . Let a man ' s religion or mode of worship be what it may , he is not excluded from the Order , provided he believe in the glorious Architect of heaven and earth , and practise the sacred duties of morality . Masons unite with the virtuous of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Jottings.—No. 5.
MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 5 .
BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTEE . THE TWO QUESTIONS . The two questions—who were the authors of Speculative Masonry , and who were the authors of our English organisation , are as different as are
the two questions—who were the inventors of an ancient doctrine , and who were the builders of the church in which it is now preached . RISE OP MASONRY . For the rise of Operative Masonry you may go
to the Troglodites , new from their caves , but for the rise of Speculative Masonry you must go to the Hindoos , to the Chaldams , to the Egyptians , to the Jews , to the Greeks and to the Romans . Old MS .
SPECULATIVE MASONRY NOT ALAVAYS TRUE FREE . AIASONRY . In our times , Speculative Masonry is not always true Freemasonry . In ancient times it could very rarely indeed be true Freemasonry .
LODGES OE GERMANY AND SCOTLAND . A Polish brother asks , if there is not satisfactory evidence , that at a remote period in the lodges of Germany and Scotland there were associated with Masonic Science the principles of religion , of
fraternity and of charity , principles infused by the Great Architect of the Universe iu the breast of man when he was created .
ENTIRELY NEW ORGANISATION . An organisation has some times been called " entirely new " when , upon examination it has turned out , that a change in the names of some of the parts composing it , was its principal novelty .
LODGE-UNI ACERBITY . The more extensive cultivation of Speculative Masonry , begun in the year 1717 , in strictness , rendered necessary no greater changes in the organisation of the lodge , than are the changes
which the addition of new sciences and languages to those already taught , raiders necessary in the organisation of a University . There were probably reasons with which we are unacquainted , that made it expedient not to limit the changes to those which were , in strictness , necessary .
A DEFINITION . A definition—a constant reader of the FKEEHASONS' MAGAZINE , defines non-Masonic language as " the language commonly used by Masons in Masonic Controversy . "
The Rise And Purposes Of Speculative Masonry.
THE RISE AND PURPOSES OF SPECULATIVE MASONRY .
By BEO . HEXKY MTJEEAY , District G . M ., Clima . An Address delivered to the Brethren of Zetland Lodge ( No . 525 ) , Kong Kong . ( Continued from page 63 ) . Thus , to quote at some length from Bro =
Findel , " the most important step had now been taken for the due conservation of the institution . Then it was that Freemasonry , as it is understood at the present day , dawned into ex i stence . Retaining the spirit of the antient brotherhood ,
its fundamental laws , as well as its traditional customs , all yet united in resigning architecture and operative masonry to the station to which they belonged . The customary technical expressions , which were excellently well-suited to the
symbolic architecture of a temple , were retained , but in a figurative sense , and withal bearing a higher signification . The Fraternity of Freemasons was now separated from architecture ; and , formed into an association having purely social aims , and
therefore capable of spreading itself to all quarters of the globe , it became the common property of . all mankind . The moral edifice to be erecterl should , like to the material edifices of Masons , have the general good of all mankind in view ; the
improvement of the members of the Fraternity should manifest itself by their growth in selfknowledge , voluntary activity , self-government , as well as in the practice of all the virtues ; the society should make men of all conditions better
citizens , better husbands , fathers , and friends . And here it must be remarked that Freemasonry looks upon free will as an absolute faculty of mankind j for freedom from great vices , passions , and prejudices , is assm-edly requitite to render a man
capable of cultivation , or of the gradual attainment of perfection . " " A Mason , " say the Antient Charges , is obliged , by his tenure , to obey the moral law ; and if he rightly understand the art he will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious
libertine . He , of all men , should best understand that God seeth not as man seeth , for man looketh at the outward appearance , but God looketh to the heart . A Mason is , therefore , particularly bound never to act against the dictates of his
conscience . Let a man ' s religion or mode of worship be what it may , he is not excluded from the Order , provided he believe in the glorious Architect of heaven and earth , and practise the sacred duties of morality . Masons unite with the virtuous of