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Article PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL PROPERTY. ← Page 2 of 2 Article THE "TOUT ENSEMBLE" OF MASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article THE "TOUT ENSEMBLE" OF MASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article DISCORD versus HARMONY. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Proposed Extension Of The Girls School Property.
the Institution , who we are sure will immediately answet anv queries addressed to him in reference to the subject . The time at disposal is necessarily short—as we presume
tho owner cannot settle anything as to any part of his propert y until ho knows the decision of the Institu tion in regard to the portion the House Committee has been in treatv for—but , it is sufficient to allow of anv
inquiries which may be considered necessary by supporters of the Institution , for whose benefit and on whose behalf the negotiations so far entered into have been conducted .
The "Tout Ensemble" Of Masonry.
THE "TOUT ENSEMBLE" OF MASONRY .
EVERY initiate into the mystery of Freemasonry is entitled to know , and to legitimately profit by , all that there is in it ; and how much there is in it every Brother who has diligently sought the Light knows . Naturally , the newly-mado Brother sees only the " tout
ensemble" of Masonry , the whole taken together . Tin ' s composite unit is very striking , very suggestive , very instructive . It presents the appearance of a beautiful moral edifice , a Temnle not made with hands , a rare and
noble product of the finest human minds . No one man devised Freemasonry . Onr traditions teach us that never less than three Brethren have perfected anything for the institution . What perfect thing could Wisdom create ,
without the aid of Strength and Beauty ? Freemasonry has ever employed all three , actually and typically , and the result is a " tout enscmhle" that has challenged , the admiration of Masons , and even of the profane world
through all the past existence of the Craft . But this one , rounded , superficial view of Freemasonry , while the onl y one that the newly-made Brother can take , is far from the only ono that the zealous initiate takes , who all through
his career diligently seeks " more Light . " Such a Brother is not satisfied with the whole of Masonry taken together , but he scrutinises its component parts , its various characteristics . The tmd ensemble of some structures
material and moral , is beautiful to the eye , but when their parts are critically examined , they fail to justify the preliminary view , and instead of yielding pleasure , they disappoint and annoy . Not so Freemasonry . The facade
of its moral Temple is stately , noble and beautiful , and its interior is no less , but rather more so , and all that is enacted within tends to improve the mind , purify the heart and ennoble the life . Taken together , or taken separately
in its parts , Freemasonry is a science worthy of its originators , woi-thy of its initiates in all ages of the world , worthy of the devotion of a Washington , a Franklin , a
La Fayette , a Marshall , and a Dallas , and worthy of its unexampled career , surviving as it has the downfall of dynasties and nations .
Even after a Brother ceases to regard merely the tout ensemble of Masonry , and comes to look closer at the peculiar features which distinguish it , he may he enchanted with some one feature , and practically disregard the rest .
Some of these do not require that emphasis be laid upon them in order to win for them admiration . Who need call attention to the banquet ? It is superficial , it speaks for itself . So of kindred features . Nearl y all young Brethren
are diligent attendants at their Lodge , but unless they are students of Freemasonry , delvers in the quarries , seekers after Light , in the course of a few years they lose their primary enthusiasm become irregular in their attendance ,
and possibly drift into the throng of the indifferent , the suspended-for-non-payment-of-dues and the non-affiliates . Unless a Brother sees more thau the tout ensemble , five years in the Craft may measure the length of his active Masonic life .
What an example did Brother Benjamin Franklin , and the Freemasons of Philadelphia in the year 1732 , who were members of the St . John ' s Lodge of that clay , set us in this regard ! In the report of the Committee , dated 5 th June
1732 , which we printed tor the hrst time in the Keystone of last week , these Brethren manifested a laudable desire to become acquainted , not merely with Freemasonry as a whole , but also with it in some of its most important parts .
Thoso Masons of one hundred and fifty-three years ago , in the " city of Brotherly Love , " in this , as in other respects , were models for us , aud for Freemasons through all time .
They wished not only to admire tho shell , but to profit b y the kernel of Masonry . In substance they said this Freemasonry is founded upon Geometry and Architecture
The "Tout Ensemble" Of Masonry.
ind therefore ignorance of these "is very unbecoming a man who bears the worthy name and character of Mason . " ITow exceedingly true ! But these ancient Brethren did not stop with the enunciation of this truth . Ben
Franklin was nothing if not practical . This Committee recommended that the whole cash then in the treasury of the Lodge "be laid out in the best books of Architecture , suitable Mathematical instruments , & c . " They wished ihe
members of St . John ' s Lodgo to he , not merely superficial Masons , but that every one should enjoy and profit by all there was in Masonry . What was true then in this regard is true now , and will continue true to the end of time .
We shall mention but two parts of Masonry which will abundantly repay the study of any Brother , and these are , this very science of Architecture , upon which Bro . Ben Franklin and his associate Brethren laid so much stress ;
and tho eternal moral truths of Masonry , which are so forcibl y and continuously taught in the course of its work , and in which every initiate should feel the deepest interest . The physical man dies and is buried , but the spiritual man
shall live for ever . Immortality is ours . Momentous truth ! The Freemason who is not conscious of this , who is unimpressed by it , who does not act as though he were
the custodian of a Divine spark which may hereafter glow with the splendour of a sun , fails to apprehend one of the greatest and most glorious truths of Masonry . —Keystone .
Discord Versus Harmony.
DISCORD versus HARMONY .
THE season of Masonic work may now bo said to have fairly set in , most of the Lodges having resumed their wonted activity after the summer recess . Those who have had the means aud leisure at their disposal to spend a few weeks at the seaside or elsewhere have had no reason
to complain on the score of weather , which is so essential an clement to tho enjoyment of a holiday trip , and let us hope they have returned with health invigorated and mental vigour recruited by their brief respite from the
worries and monotony of every day business life . May we couple with that Avish the desire that much of the friction which unhappily marked the closing days of lest session in connection with some Lodges may have subsided , under
the genial and refreshing influences of a " run out of town ? " We are led to this remark by a knowledge . that in certain hitherto prosperous and industrious Lodges unfortunate discords have arisen to mar the harmony and
comfort of the brethren , and in one or two cases conduced almost to anarchy amongst men who had erstwhile worked together in peace and unanimity . Now that they arc eutering upon a new season , however , it is devoutly to be
wished that any bad feeling which might have inadvertently crept into Lodges may be smoothed over by the wise and judicious action of Worshipful Masters and their predecessors in the chair , for a Masonic Lodge is a place in which no shadows should be found . Our trust is that
all brethren should go to work shoulder to shoulder , keeping in view the common aim and interest of all Masonic enterprise . The old motto holds good now as ever it did , that " a house divided against itself cannot stand , "
and the worst enemy that can exist to the stability of any Lodge is where dissension is allowed to creep in , with all its attendant miseries of jealousy and discontent . Consolidation is the goal which all the Officers and brethren
of a Lodge should strive to reach , and instead of an inordinate desire to create new Lodges for the sake of personal advancement , or the airing of any particular crotchets , every effort should be put forth to strengthen the
old ones , and to establish them on a firmer basis even than before . Let those who have been reigning with arrogant supremacy bend to the wishes and the varying teraperaments of those in subordinate positions , which if done
judiciously and wisely cannot but be productive of the most happy results . Equally ralulary will it prove if the members of Lodges , instead of resenting too fiercely any real or fancied grievances , will yield a little to the
exigencies of the moment , so as to heal any sores that may have been caused in the transaction of business in the past . Mutual concession is conducive of , and essential to , order and obedience , and gentle rule on the one hand , with
discip line aud cordial co-operation on the other , must ultimately result in general and mutu \\ satisfaction . It displays a weakness almost unpardonable when brethren who imagine themselves slighted , not only alienate them-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Proposed Extension Of The Girls School Property.
the Institution , who we are sure will immediately answet anv queries addressed to him in reference to the subject . The time at disposal is necessarily short—as we presume
tho owner cannot settle anything as to any part of his propert y until ho knows the decision of the Institu tion in regard to the portion the House Committee has been in treatv for—but , it is sufficient to allow of anv
inquiries which may be considered necessary by supporters of the Institution , for whose benefit and on whose behalf the negotiations so far entered into have been conducted .
The "Tout Ensemble" Of Masonry.
THE "TOUT ENSEMBLE" OF MASONRY .
EVERY initiate into the mystery of Freemasonry is entitled to know , and to legitimately profit by , all that there is in it ; and how much there is in it every Brother who has diligently sought the Light knows . Naturally , the newly-mado Brother sees only the " tout
ensemble" of Masonry , the whole taken together . Tin ' s composite unit is very striking , very suggestive , very instructive . It presents the appearance of a beautiful moral edifice , a Temnle not made with hands , a rare and
noble product of the finest human minds . No one man devised Freemasonry . Onr traditions teach us that never less than three Brethren have perfected anything for the institution . What perfect thing could Wisdom create ,
without the aid of Strength and Beauty ? Freemasonry has ever employed all three , actually and typically , and the result is a " tout enscmhle" that has challenged , the admiration of Masons , and even of the profane world
through all the past existence of the Craft . But this one , rounded , superficial view of Freemasonry , while the onl y one that the newly-made Brother can take , is far from the only ono that the zealous initiate takes , who all through
his career diligently seeks " more Light . " Such a Brother is not satisfied with the whole of Masonry taken together , but he scrutinises its component parts , its various characteristics . The tmd ensemble of some structures
material and moral , is beautiful to the eye , but when their parts are critically examined , they fail to justify the preliminary view , and instead of yielding pleasure , they disappoint and annoy . Not so Freemasonry . The facade
of its moral Temple is stately , noble and beautiful , and its interior is no less , but rather more so , and all that is enacted within tends to improve the mind , purify the heart and ennoble the life . Taken together , or taken separately
in its parts , Freemasonry is a science worthy of its originators , woi-thy of its initiates in all ages of the world , worthy of the devotion of a Washington , a Franklin , a
La Fayette , a Marshall , and a Dallas , and worthy of its unexampled career , surviving as it has the downfall of dynasties and nations .
Even after a Brother ceases to regard merely the tout ensemble of Masonry , and comes to look closer at the peculiar features which distinguish it , he may he enchanted with some one feature , and practically disregard the rest .
Some of these do not require that emphasis be laid upon them in order to win for them admiration . Who need call attention to the banquet ? It is superficial , it speaks for itself . So of kindred features . Nearl y all young Brethren
are diligent attendants at their Lodge , but unless they are students of Freemasonry , delvers in the quarries , seekers after Light , in the course of a few years they lose their primary enthusiasm become irregular in their attendance ,
and possibly drift into the throng of the indifferent , the suspended-for-non-payment-of-dues and the non-affiliates . Unless a Brother sees more thau the tout ensemble , five years in the Craft may measure the length of his active Masonic life .
What an example did Brother Benjamin Franklin , and the Freemasons of Philadelphia in the year 1732 , who were members of the St . John ' s Lodge of that clay , set us in this regard ! In the report of the Committee , dated 5 th June
1732 , which we printed tor the hrst time in the Keystone of last week , these Brethren manifested a laudable desire to become acquainted , not merely with Freemasonry as a whole , but also with it in some of its most important parts .
Thoso Masons of one hundred and fifty-three years ago , in the " city of Brotherly Love , " in this , as in other respects , were models for us , aud for Freemasons through all time .
They wished not only to admire tho shell , but to profit b y the kernel of Masonry . In substance they said this Freemasonry is founded upon Geometry and Architecture
The "Tout Ensemble" Of Masonry.
ind therefore ignorance of these "is very unbecoming a man who bears the worthy name and character of Mason . " ITow exceedingly true ! But these ancient Brethren did not stop with the enunciation of this truth . Ben
Franklin was nothing if not practical . This Committee recommended that the whole cash then in the treasury of the Lodge "be laid out in the best books of Architecture , suitable Mathematical instruments , & c . " They wished ihe
members of St . John ' s Lodgo to he , not merely superficial Masons , but that every one should enjoy and profit by all there was in Masonry . What was true then in this regard is true now , and will continue true to the end of time .
We shall mention but two parts of Masonry which will abundantly repay the study of any Brother , and these are , this very science of Architecture , upon which Bro . Ben Franklin and his associate Brethren laid so much stress ;
and tho eternal moral truths of Masonry , which are so forcibl y and continuously taught in the course of its work , and in which every initiate should feel the deepest interest . The physical man dies and is buried , but the spiritual man
shall live for ever . Immortality is ours . Momentous truth ! The Freemason who is not conscious of this , who is unimpressed by it , who does not act as though he were
the custodian of a Divine spark which may hereafter glow with the splendour of a sun , fails to apprehend one of the greatest and most glorious truths of Masonry . —Keystone .
Discord Versus Harmony.
DISCORD versus HARMONY .
THE season of Masonic work may now bo said to have fairly set in , most of the Lodges having resumed their wonted activity after the summer recess . Those who have had the means aud leisure at their disposal to spend a few weeks at the seaside or elsewhere have had no reason
to complain on the score of weather , which is so essential an clement to tho enjoyment of a holiday trip , and let us hope they have returned with health invigorated and mental vigour recruited by their brief respite from the
worries and monotony of every day business life . May we couple with that Avish the desire that much of the friction which unhappily marked the closing days of lest session in connection with some Lodges may have subsided , under
the genial and refreshing influences of a " run out of town ? " We are led to this remark by a knowledge . that in certain hitherto prosperous and industrious Lodges unfortunate discords have arisen to mar the harmony and
comfort of the brethren , and in one or two cases conduced almost to anarchy amongst men who had erstwhile worked together in peace and unanimity . Now that they arc eutering upon a new season , however , it is devoutly to be
wished that any bad feeling which might have inadvertently crept into Lodges may be smoothed over by the wise and judicious action of Worshipful Masters and their predecessors in the chair , for a Masonic Lodge is a place in which no shadows should be found . Our trust is that
all brethren should go to work shoulder to shoulder , keeping in view the common aim and interest of all Masonic enterprise . The old motto holds good now as ever it did , that " a house divided against itself cannot stand , "
and the worst enemy that can exist to the stability of any Lodge is where dissension is allowed to creep in , with all its attendant miseries of jealousy and discontent . Consolidation is the goal which all the Officers and brethren
of a Lodge should strive to reach , and instead of an inordinate desire to create new Lodges for the sake of personal advancement , or the airing of any particular crotchets , every effort should be put forth to strengthen the
old ones , and to establish them on a firmer basis even than before . Let those who have been reigning with arrogant supremacy bend to the wishes and the varying teraperaments of those in subordinate positions , which if done
judiciously and wisely cannot but be productive of the most happy results . Equally ralulary will it prove if the members of Lodges , instead of resenting too fiercely any real or fancied grievances , will yield a little to the
exigencies of the moment , so as to heal any sores that may have been caused in the transaction of business in the past . Mutual concession is conducive of , and essential to , order and obedience , and gentle rule on the one hand , with
discip line aud cordial co-operation on the other , must ultimately result in general and mutu \\ satisfaction . It displays a weakness almost unpardonable when brethren who imagine themselves slighted , not only alienate them-