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Article THE CHARITIES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article MASONIC ARISTOCRACY. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Charities.
cers , and the brethren of the province to assist us until we have secured the election of Bro . Wilson ' s son . Brethren , we repeat our candidates are—BENJAMIN TOWNSHEND CRABTREE , and
ROBERT CHRISTOPHER WILSON . The next will be the EIGHTH application , and we trust the last . To-day we have indicated what we will do with votes for tha Boys' School if honoured with the
confidence of the Craft ; and in an early number we will say something about the other Charities . In the meantime , we remind the brethren that votes for all the Charities may be made available by exchange for the boys , and in April and May next we shall be happy to receive as many proxies as may not be otherwise engaged .
Masonic Aristocracy.
MASONIC ARISTOCRACY .
Masons prize honour and virtue above all tlie external advantages of rank and wealth . —Masonic Lecture . " Prize honour and virtue above all the external advantages of rank and wealth ! " A goodly theory this ; but is it carried out in practice ? Were every man who calls himself a Freemason
( as too many do merely because they have passed through the ceremony of their initiation ) to lay his hand on his heart , and to answer this question truly and on his honour , it is much to be feared that an affii-mative reply would neither be promptly nor unanimously given . As Masons we ought to
meet upon the square—that is ou entering a lodge ; but it must not be forgotten that we also should part upon the level—that is on retiring from the lodge . The social rank we had deposed on passing within the door is to be resumed , and even by Masons acknowledged and respected . Masonry , indeed , levels within its pale all worldly
rank and honours , recognising those ' distinctions only which itself confers on worthy brothers of the Craft ; but to promote perfect equality , Masonry strives to raise the inferior , not to degrade the superior . Many instances might be adduced in which the equalising tendency of the Order has
promoted , not disturbed the peace and well-being of society ; has made men respect one another , who but for this tendency would never have met , except at a time and in places where the difference of their worldly positions would have been a bar to their ever really becoming acquainted . What
is it that divides mankind ? what is it that ferments ill-will , breeds disturbance , aud too often causes crime ? To one cause may nearly all these evils be attributed : not to mere difference of opinion , nob to mere distinctions of rank , for Masonry itself acknowledges and teaches that in every society of men some must of necessity rale
and others obey—but to the ignorance which exists in one class respecting the other . Political and polemical war often is the result of parties attributing to their opponents opinions which the latter never held ; and no positive insults have ever produced half the social evil that has arisen from a misunderstanding : between men . The low
iu the scale of society attribute to the great many feelings and many opinions which are merely the creation of their own imagination ; the great , in like manner , view the conduct and actions of the humble mostly through a distorted or false medium . The poor look too frequently on wealth as the
certain companion of pride and oppression ; and the rich too frequently associate poverty with the commission of every species of crime and wickedness . All this arises from these respective classes being as ignorant of the real feelings and motives for action of one another , as if they were not the children of a common country , the subjects of one Sovereign . When they meet in the world , it is not iu a manner to enable them to understand
one another , but when they meet in Masonry all external differences of position are merged in the holy Fraternity which then alone binds them together . Alas ! that it should occur to Masons so to have acted as to prevent a portion of our Craft from carrying out this sound principle . Strictly ,
men who could do any act which directly or indirectly tends to introduce into the fane of Masonry those ranks and distinctions which are admitted into society cannot be considered worthy of the name so disgraceful . Social position , wealth , rankdignityor power—languagecountry ,
re-, , , ligious belief or political principles—all are forgotten when men meet as Masons . Not that they are abandoned , but that to them no allusion is to be made . Once the badge of our Order laid aside , all these are resumed , and the Mason becomes what he was before . Will it be denied
, then , that his temporary forbearance has made him a better man ? Would , however , that this were universally true ; but some there are so wedded to the paltry rank they hold in the world , that rather than lose it for a momenteven within the sacred precincts of a
, lodge , they erect themselves into a self-constituted superior order of Masons , and cautiously exclude all who cannot boast an equal position with themselves in society . * * * * * * *
Perhaps some supporter of the system may exclaim , " though at our banquet we wish to have none but gentlemen , yet you know that all Masons , whatever they may be else , can visit the lodge . " Indeed ! how extremel y liberal to allow this privilegea refusal to suffer which in any lodge would be
, followed by the loss of its warrant of constitution . But the Masonic banquet is an integral part , and a most important portion of our system . It is not during the performance of the mystic rites in lodge that men can become acquainted , or ever exchange
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Charities.
cers , and the brethren of the province to assist us until we have secured the election of Bro . Wilson ' s son . Brethren , we repeat our candidates are—BENJAMIN TOWNSHEND CRABTREE , and
ROBERT CHRISTOPHER WILSON . The next will be the EIGHTH application , and we trust the last . To-day we have indicated what we will do with votes for tha Boys' School if honoured with the
confidence of the Craft ; and in an early number we will say something about the other Charities . In the meantime , we remind the brethren that votes for all the Charities may be made available by exchange for the boys , and in April and May next we shall be happy to receive as many proxies as may not be otherwise engaged .
Masonic Aristocracy.
MASONIC ARISTOCRACY .
Masons prize honour and virtue above all tlie external advantages of rank and wealth . —Masonic Lecture . " Prize honour and virtue above all the external advantages of rank and wealth ! " A goodly theory this ; but is it carried out in practice ? Were every man who calls himself a Freemason
( as too many do merely because they have passed through the ceremony of their initiation ) to lay his hand on his heart , and to answer this question truly and on his honour , it is much to be feared that an affii-mative reply would neither be promptly nor unanimously given . As Masons we ought to
meet upon the square—that is ou entering a lodge ; but it must not be forgotten that we also should part upon the level—that is on retiring from the lodge . The social rank we had deposed on passing within the door is to be resumed , and even by Masons acknowledged and respected . Masonry , indeed , levels within its pale all worldly
rank and honours , recognising those ' distinctions only which itself confers on worthy brothers of the Craft ; but to promote perfect equality , Masonry strives to raise the inferior , not to degrade the superior . Many instances might be adduced in which the equalising tendency of the Order has
promoted , not disturbed the peace and well-being of society ; has made men respect one another , who but for this tendency would never have met , except at a time and in places where the difference of their worldly positions would have been a bar to their ever really becoming acquainted . What
is it that divides mankind ? what is it that ferments ill-will , breeds disturbance , aud too often causes crime ? To one cause may nearly all these evils be attributed : not to mere difference of opinion , nob to mere distinctions of rank , for Masonry itself acknowledges and teaches that in every society of men some must of necessity rale
and others obey—but to the ignorance which exists in one class respecting the other . Political and polemical war often is the result of parties attributing to their opponents opinions which the latter never held ; and no positive insults have ever produced half the social evil that has arisen from a misunderstanding : between men . The low
iu the scale of society attribute to the great many feelings and many opinions which are merely the creation of their own imagination ; the great , in like manner , view the conduct and actions of the humble mostly through a distorted or false medium . The poor look too frequently on wealth as the
certain companion of pride and oppression ; and the rich too frequently associate poverty with the commission of every species of crime and wickedness . All this arises from these respective classes being as ignorant of the real feelings and motives for action of one another , as if they were not the children of a common country , the subjects of one Sovereign . When they meet in the world , it is not iu a manner to enable them to understand
one another , but when they meet in Masonry all external differences of position are merged in the holy Fraternity which then alone binds them together . Alas ! that it should occur to Masons so to have acted as to prevent a portion of our Craft from carrying out this sound principle . Strictly ,
men who could do any act which directly or indirectly tends to introduce into the fane of Masonry those ranks and distinctions which are admitted into society cannot be considered worthy of the name so disgraceful . Social position , wealth , rankdignityor power—languagecountry ,
re-, , , ligious belief or political principles—all are forgotten when men meet as Masons . Not that they are abandoned , but that to them no allusion is to be made . Once the badge of our Order laid aside , all these are resumed , and the Mason becomes what he was before . Will it be denied
, then , that his temporary forbearance has made him a better man ? Would , however , that this were universally true ; but some there are so wedded to the paltry rank they hold in the world , that rather than lose it for a momenteven within the sacred precincts of a
, lodge , they erect themselves into a self-constituted superior order of Masons , and cautiously exclude all who cannot boast an equal position with themselves in society . * * * * * * *
Perhaps some supporter of the system may exclaim , " though at our banquet we wish to have none but gentlemen , yet you know that all Masons , whatever they may be else , can visit the lodge . " Indeed ! how extremel y liberal to allow this privilegea refusal to suffer which in any lodge would be
, followed by the loss of its warrant of constitution . But the Masonic banquet is an integral part , and a most important portion of our system . It is not during the performance of the mystic rites in lodge that men can become acquainted , or ever exchange