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Untitled Article
If the truth be told , it is , because the hidden principles of Masonry are not understood , that so little intellectual growth results from them . A ixian becomes a Brother , he is content merely with external knowledge , satisfying himself that he is able to satisfy others of his Masonic admission ; the rest of the matter is to him nothing but a periodical series of banquets ; he is proud of belonging to a powerful
Eraternity , yet acknowledges he feels rather stultified that for his own improvement his admission has done but little , though lie perhaps has never visited even a lodge of instruction in his life ! How is it to be wondered at , that this half-and-half Mason should dishonour the ceremonies and rites of his Order , and so far from being an exponent of its irresistible claims , if fairly put , upon public esteem , should abet and involuntarily , but potently encourage , the but too general disregard of them F
Ereemasonry , rightly enunciated , is not only a principle of systematic coherence , founded upon charity and sympathy , between members of a suffering world , but its very symbols—nay more , its absolute and inherent elements of existence , teach us that it regards all scientific knowledge as its legitimate object of speculation , whether eliminated in earth , air , fire , or water . It is at once a
moral code , and a scientific investigation . It teaches us to " look through Nature up . to Nature ' s God . " It bars out the vices , but it encourages the freest ingress and egress of the intelligence . Its spirit walks beneath " the Great Fountain Spirit of the Sky , " upon every path permitted to human intellect to tread ; exploring the foundations of the globe , with geology—soaring to its top , pillowed
amongst the stars , with astronomy—tracing the marriage deed between the moon and waves with laws of gravitation—or chasing the lightnings to their lair , by electricity . It is said our Masonry is speculative ; but where are its objects of speculation , if not whatever is grand in science , interesting in antiquity , elevating in history , purifying in ethics ? The lives of " the Great of Old , " the analysis
of recent discoveries , incidents of travel , the customs of nations , moreover , that materially of which our system bears the type , we allude to the study of architecture , besides a review of the literature of our own time , briefly , whatever tends to exalt the moral and intellectual faculty , is within the scope of true Ereemasonry , so that indolence despoils it of its honour , and ignorance plucks a jewel
from its crown . If , therefore , a ladder is fixed between earth and Heaven , on which the mind may ascend by successive steps of increasing knowledge , it would be absurd to suppose that the latter should not be encouraged by the very system which points to the Great Architect of the Universe as the object of its highest adoration .
It is the purpose , therefore , of this Magazine to endeavour , for the future , to realise , as far as possible , this most truly Masonic end . No expense nor trouble shall be spared to procure Articles replete with social benefit , and the very highest talent shall be employed in rendering this , their own authorised periodical , a work for Masons to
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
If the truth be told , it is , because the hidden principles of Masonry are not understood , that so little intellectual growth results from them . A ixian becomes a Brother , he is content merely with external knowledge , satisfying himself that he is able to satisfy others of his Masonic admission ; the rest of the matter is to him nothing but a periodical series of banquets ; he is proud of belonging to a powerful
Eraternity , yet acknowledges he feels rather stultified that for his own improvement his admission has done but little , though lie perhaps has never visited even a lodge of instruction in his life ! How is it to be wondered at , that this half-and-half Mason should dishonour the ceremonies and rites of his Order , and so far from being an exponent of its irresistible claims , if fairly put , upon public esteem , should abet and involuntarily , but potently encourage , the but too general disregard of them F
Ereemasonry , rightly enunciated , is not only a principle of systematic coherence , founded upon charity and sympathy , between members of a suffering world , but its very symbols—nay more , its absolute and inherent elements of existence , teach us that it regards all scientific knowledge as its legitimate object of speculation , whether eliminated in earth , air , fire , or water . It is at once a
moral code , and a scientific investigation . It teaches us to " look through Nature up . to Nature ' s God . " It bars out the vices , but it encourages the freest ingress and egress of the intelligence . Its spirit walks beneath " the Great Fountain Spirit of the Sky , " upon every path permitted to human intellect to tread ; exploring the foundations of the globe , with geology—soaring to its top , pillowed
amongst the stars , with astronomy—tracing the marriage deed between the moon and waves with laws of gravitation—or chasing the lightnings to their lair , by electricity . It is said our Masonry is speculative ; but where are its objects of speculation , if not whatever is grand in science , interesting in antiquity , elevating in history , purifying in ethics ? The lives of " the Great of Old , " the analysis
of recent discoveries , incidents of travel , the customs of nations , moreover , that materially of which our system bears the type , we allude to the study of architecture , besides a review of the literature of our own time , briefly , whatever tends to exalt the moral and intellectual faculty , is within the scope of true Ereemasonry , so that indolence despoils it of its honour , and ignorance plucks a jewel
from its crown . If , therefore , a ladder is fixed between earth and Heaven , on which the mind may ascend by successive steps of increasing knowledge , it would be absurd to suppose that the latter should not be encouraged by the very system which points to the Great Architect of the Universe as the object of its highest adoration .
It is the purpose , therefore , of this Magazine to endeavour , for the future , to realise , as far as possible , this most truly Masonic end . No expense nor trouble shall be spared to procure Articles replete with social benefit , and the very highest talent shall be employed in rendering this , their own authorised periodical , a work for Masons to