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Article MASONIC TEMPLE, TRUE IDEAL OF. ← Page 2 of 2 Ad Untitled Page 1 of 1 Article PROFANITY AND INTEMPERANCE. Page 1 of 1
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Masonic Temple, True Ideal Of.
stone be pronounced "true and trusty" by the great Master Builder when ho shall have applied the square , level , and plumb of truth ? Freemasonry is uot a mere name by which men are known , nor are they Masons who are only snch in name .
Freemasonry is an institution founded upon principles , and without these it would be as " sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal "; and tbafc man only is a Mason who is one in heart and life , and whoso life aud conduct aro exponents of the principles of the Order . It is but little
to our present purpose to know the origin of the Order , or the good it has accomplished in ages past , unless what we have learned has wrought in ns its legitimate fruits . The magnificent and stately edifices reared by the hands of man , wifch vast corridors , supported on Tuscan , Doric ,
Ionic , Corinthian , or Composite pillars ; nor yet the imposing pageant of Masonio processions , however well marshalled or elegantly equipped , do not make Masonry what ifc is—a power in the earth . These , one and all , are but the scaffoldings , and are no part of its life and power . The
power is in the man and Mason , and not in the edifice or regalia , however imposing the one or elegant the other . The better part of man—that which thinks , and acts , and lives—is but meanly housed , being shut in on all sides by walls of clay ; and these , instead of aiding , only retard his
progress and serve as so many clogs fco prevent his onward and upward march . It is the soul , and not the clay walls , which makes the man . The rarest jewels when set in baser metals reflect their greatest power and disclose their richest lustre . It is the jewel within , and not the casket which is
without , that is of value . Bare and costly external adornments only servo to conceal the corruption which is within . The marble monuments reared by tbe hand of affection to mark the last resting place of loved ones , and perpetuate their names and memories in tho earth , are beautiful to
behold . All without is pleasing and attractive , but within all is repulsive . These monuments tell of what once was , but not of what now is . They unfold the story of the past , but tbeir rock-bound walls conceal the present reality . What mean these gorgeous palaces—these temples of art ?
Do they speak to us only of tho past , or are they durable monuments of a living present ? Are they exponents of the pure principles and ennobling tenets of the Order ? Are they schools of virtue and institutions of justice , where temperance , fortitude , and prudence are inculcated and
enforced by symbolisms so impressive and instructive as to preclude the possibility of a failure in profit to those who are brought nnder the hallowed influences thereof ? If so , then the present standard of the Order betokens a bright and prosperous future .
Brethren of the mystic tie , have we taken truth as the foundation of our Masonic spiritual temple ? A selfexamination to-day will be profitable to each of us . Are we worthily wearing the lambskin , the emblem of innocence ? Are we judiciously and conscientiously using the working
tools of an Entered Apprentice Mason by giving eight hours of each day to the service of God and onr distressed brethren , eight hours to onr vocations , and eight hours to refreshment and sleep ? Are we daily divesting onr minds and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life , that
our minds , may be fitted as living stones for thafc spiritual building " nofc made with hands , eternal in the heavens ?" Do we accept the Holy Bible as the , not a , great light in Masonry , and do we take it as the rule and guide of our faith and practice ? Do we never mention the name of
God except with that reverence due from a creature to the Creator ? Do we practice the great tenets of brotherl y love , relief , and truth , and are we governed by the cardinal virtues , temperance , fortitude , prudence and justice ? Are we ready to exemplify fche five points of fellowship , and do
we seek occasions so to do ? Are we standing upon the round of faith in the Masonic ladder to-day , and earnestly reaching oufc to grasp the rounds of hope and charity ? Are our examples before the young and rising generation consistent with the principles of our Institntion ? My
brethren , we are continually exerting an influence for good or evil ; which is it ? Let us to-day take a retrospect of the past , and if we have forsaken the old landmarks , let us
get back to duty and reconsecrate ourselves to the pure princi ples of our Institution , and from this time forth be good and true Free and Accepted Masons in our hearts and m our lives . —Force of Masonry .
Ad00302
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Profanity And Intemperance.
PROFANITY AND INTEMPERANCE .
BEFORE concluding this address , I beg leave to call to your attention , painful though it may be to me , what I conceive to be flagrant violations of onr rules , regulations and principles . It is charged thafc somo subordinate Lodges within this jurisdiction retain members who profane the name of fche
Deity , and who blaspheme the name of that God in whom we are taught in tho moat solemn manner to " put our trust . " The Lodgo thafc tolerates such conduct is at variance wifch tho very fundamental principles and
doctrines of the Order . No Mason who properly regards his Masonic character will so far forget himself as to speak lightly of tbat Divine Being of whom we are reminded when within the walls of a Masonic Hall . Profanit y ia wrong in any man , but in a Mason it is a crime .
George Washington , first President of the United States , and for many years Worshipful Master of a Masonio Lodge in Virginia , while commanding the army of the Revolution , observing that profanity was prevalent among tbe troops , on the 3 rd day of August 1776 , issued an order
in reference thereto , in whioh he said , "It is a vice so mean and low , without any temptation , that every man of sense and character detests and despises it . " Where is the Mason who has so far forgotten his allegiance fco his Creator , his Benefactor , and his first entrance into a Lodge , as to
hurl into the face of the Almighty blasphemous oaths and epithets ? What has become of his dignity , his manhood , his nobility , his plighted faith ? Has he expunged from that book , tbe Holy Writings , that constantly lies upon the altar of the Lodge-room , the command that was issued
amid the thunderings of Sinai , " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ! " Truth needs no compound oaths to make ifc more fcrue . Pure and chaste language elovates and refines ; ifc gives dignity to manhood , and tone to character ; without it , the Masonic life is a fraud , and Masonic character a deception .
There is another vice to some extent prevalent , and I would be recreant to duty were I not to raise my voice against it , and warn the brethren of its consequences . Whilst we are satisfied this monstrous evil is on the decrease , yefc it is still amongst ns . I allude to
intemperance or drunkenness . It is a vice that carries with ifc wreck and ruin—ruin socially , ruin morally , ruin intellectually , ruin financially , and therefore , ruin Masonically . " Oh ! that men should put an enemy into their mouths to steal away their brains ; thafc we shonld with joy , gaiety
revel and applause transform ourselves into beasts , when every inordinate cup is unblest , and every ingredient is a devil ! " Strike from a man his good reputation , and he is shorn of his strength . Drunkenness dwarfs manhood , dethrones reason , destroys character . While our obligations
do not prohibit the moderate , temperate use of ardent spirits , yefc they do prohibit most stringently the excessive use of every intoxicating drink . Whatever our individual views and opinions may be in reference to the use of intoxicating beverages , Masonry restricts only to the
temperate use of them . Drunkenness ia in direct and unequivocal violation of our precepts and tenets . No drunkard , therefore , should be retained as a member of
any Lodge . I do not believe it would be a usurpation of authority for the Grand Master to arrest the charter of any Lodge that tolerates profanity or drunkenness among its members .
Brethren , wo cannot be too cautious , too circumspect . We cannot raise the standard of Masonry too high , morally Her code of morals , emanating from a divine source , and coming down through tho ages unimpaired , should be faithfully observed and rigidly enforced . Her members
should be men of spotless reputation . Ifc is nofc wealth , nor station , nor honour , nor learning , that constitutes the model Mason , but character unimpeached and unimpeachable . The humblest citizen is on the level with the highest representative of the nation . Hence our Order knows no
distinction among tbe just and the upright . Let us , then , as a brotherhood , strive to reform every vice , and purify every corruption found among our members—in love , warningin justice , reproving—holding on as long as self-respecfc
and allegiance to trust will allow , to the wayward and refractory , and when patience and long-suffering are exhausted , and the last fraternal effort is made to reclaim , and has proven futile , then , be just and fear not , applying tbe rule of discipline , according to the Constitution , laws and edicts of the Order . —M . W . J . G . Karris , Alabama .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Temple, True Ideal Of.
stone be pronounced "true and trusty" by the great Master Builder when ho shall have applied the square , level , and plumb of truth ? Freemasonry is uot a mere name by which men are known , nor are they Masons who are only snch in name .
Freemasonry is an institution founded upon principles , and without these it would be as " sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal "; and tbafc man only is a Mason who is one in heart and life , and whoso life aud conduct aro exponents of the principles of the Order . It is but little
to our present purpose to know the origin of the Order , or the good it has accomplished in ages past , unless what we have learned has wrought in ns its legitimate fruits . The magnificent and stately edifices reared by the hands of man , wifch vast corridors , supported on Tuscan , Doric ,
Ionic , Corinthian , or Composite pillars ; nor yet the imposing pageant of Masonio processions , however well marshalled or elegantly equipped , do not make Masonry what ifc is—a power in the earth . These , one and all , are but the scaffoldings , and are no part of its life and power . The
power is in the man and Mason , and not in the edifice or regalia , however imposing the one or elegant the other . The better part of man—that which thinks , and acts , and lives—is but meanly housed , being shut in on all sides by walls of clay ; and these , instead of aiding , only retard his
progress and serve as so many clogs fco prevent his onward and upward march . It is the soul , and not the clay walls , which makes the man . The rarest jewels when set in baser metals reflect their greatest power and disclose their richest lustre . It is the jewel within , and not the casket which is
without , that is of value . Bare and costly external adornments only servo to conceal the corruption which is within . The marble monuments reared by tbe hand of affection to mark the last resting place of loved ones , and perpetuate their names and memories in tho earth , are beautiful to
behold . All without is pleasing and attractive , but within all is repulsive . These monuments tell of what once was , but not of what now is . They unfold the story of the past , but tbeir rock-bound walls conceal the present reality . What mean these gorgeous palaces—these temples of art ?
Do they speak to us only of tho past , or are they durable monuments of a living present ? Are they exponents of the pure principles and ennobling tenets of the Order ? Are they schools of virtue and institutions of justice , where temperance , fortitude , and prudence are inculcated and
enforced by symbolisms so impressive and instructive as to preclude the possibility of a failure in profit to those who are brought nnder the hallowed influences thereof ? If so , then the present standard of the Order betokens a bright and prosperous future .
Brethren of the mystic tie , have we taken truth as the foundation of our Masonic spiritual temple ? A selfexamination to-day will be profitable to each of us . Are we worthily wearing the lambskin , the emblem of innocence ? Are we judiciously and conscientiously using the working
tools of an Entered Apprentice Mason by giving eight hours of each day to the service of God and onr distressed brethren , eight hours to onr vocations , and eight hours to refreshment and sleep ? Are we daily divesting onr minds and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life , that
our minds , may be fitted as living stones for thafc spiritual building " nofc made with hands , eternal in the heavens ?" Do we accept the Holy Bible as the , not a , great light in Masonry , and do we take it as the rule and guide of our faith and practice ? Do we never mention the name of
God except with that reverence due from a creature to the Creator ? Do we practice the great tenets of brotherl y love , relief , and truth , and are we governed by the cardinal virtues , temperance , fortitude , prudence and justice ? Are we ready to exemplify fche five points of fellowship , and do
we seek occasions so to do ? Are we standing upon the round of faith in the Masonic ladder to-day , and earnestly reaching oufc to grasp the rounds of hope and charity ? Are our examples before the young and rising generation consistent with the principles of our Institntion ? My
brethren , we are continually exerting an influence for good or evil ; which is it ? Let us to-day take a retrospect of the past , and if we have forsaken the old landmarks , let us
get back to duty and reconsecrate ourselves to the pure princi ples of our Institution , and from this time forth be good and true Free and Accepted Masons in our hearts and m our lives . —Force of Masonry .
Ad00302
v ^ S ™ «""" SHIHG C OMPXHS LIMITBD supply goods on Hire direct from tavo thn oif ^ j VSiSPL ° , , ? , ye 8 rs ' credit without eecarity . Purchasers have tho choice of 100 Wholesale Houses . Call or write for Prospectus .
Profanity And Intemperance.
PROFANITY AND INTEMPERANCE .
BEFORE concluding this address , I beg leave to call to your attention , painful though it may be to me , what I conceive to be flagrant violations of onr rules , regulations and principles . It is charged thafc somo subordinate Lodges within this jurisdiction retain members who profane the name of fche
Deity , and who blaspheme the name of that God in whom we are taught in tho moat solemn manner to " put our trust . " The Lodgo thafc tolerates such conduct is at variance wifch tho very fundamental principles and
doctrines of the Order . No Mason who properly regards his Masonic character will so far forget himself as to speak lightly of tbat Divine Being of whom we are reminded when within the walls of a Masonic Hall . Profanit y ia wrong in any man , but in a Mason it is a crime .
George Washington , first President of the United States , and for many years Worshipful Master of a Masonio Lodge in Virginia , while commanding the army of the Revolution , observing that profanity was prevalent among tbe troops , on the 3 rd day of August 1776 , issued an order
in reference thereto , in whioh he said , "It is a vice so mean and low , without any temptation , that every man of sense and character detests and despises it . " Where is the Mason who has so far forgotten his allegiance fco his Creator , his Benefactor , and his first entrance into a Lodge , as to
hurl into the face of the Almighty blasphemous oaths and epithets ? What has become of his dignity , his manhood , his nobility , his plighted faith ? Has he expunged from that book , tbe Holy Writings , that constantly lies upon the altar of the Lodge-room , the command that was issued
amid the thunderings of Sinai , " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ! " Truth needs no compound oaths to make ifc more fcrue . Pure and chaste language elovates and refines ; ifc gives dignity to manhood , and tone to character ; without it , the Masonic life is a fraud , and Masonic character a deception .
There is another vice to some extent prevalent , and I would be recreant to duty were I not to raise my voice against it , and warn the brethren of its consequences . Whilst we are satisfied this monstrous evil is on the decrease , yefc it is still amongst ns . I allude to
intemperance or drunkenness . It is a vice that carries with ifc wreck and ruin—ruin socially , ruin morally , ruin intellectually , ruin financially , and therefore , ruin Masonically . " Oh ! that men should put an enemy into their mouths to steal away their brains ; thafc we shonld with joy , gaiety
revel and applause transform ourselves into beasts , when every inordinate cup is unblest , and every ingredient is a devil ! " Strike from a man his good reputation , and he is shorn of his strength . Drunkenness dwarfs manhood , dethrones reason , destroys character . While our obligations
do not prohibit the moderate , temperate use of ardent spirits , yefc they do prohibit most stringently the excessive use of every intoxicating drink . Whatever our individual views and opinions may be in reference to the use of intoxicating beverages , Masonry restricts only to the
temperate use of them . Drunkenness ia in direct and unequivocal violation of our precepts and tenets . No drunkard , therefore , should be retained as a member of
any Lodge . I do not believe it would be a usurpation of authority for the Grand Master to arrest the charter of any Lodge that tolerates profanity or drunkenness among its members .
Brethren , wo cannot be too cautious , too circumspect . We cannot raise the standard of Masonry too high , morally Her code of morals , emanating from a divine source , and coming down through tho ages unimpaired , should be faithfully observed and rigidly enforced . Her members
should be men of spotless reputation . Ifc is nofc wealth , nor station , nor honour , nor learning , that constitutes the model Mason , but character unimpeached and unimpeachable . The humblest citizen is on the level with the highest representative of the nation . Hence our Order knows no
distinction among tbe just and the upright . Let us , then , as a brotherhood , strive to reform every vice , and purify every corruption found among our members—in love , warningin justice , reproving—holding on as long as self-respecfc
and allegiance to trust will allow , to the wayward and refractory , and when patience and long-suffering are exhausted , and the last fraternal effort is made to reclaim , and has proven futile , then , be just and fear not , applying tbe rule of discipline , according to the Constitution , laws and edicts of the Order . —M . W . J . G . Karris , Alabama .