Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-10-24

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under whose canopy kings and prophets, princes.
and noblemen, patriots and statesmen, philosophers
and poets; under whose canopy many worthy men
! OF every rank have been accustomed, from time
irnmemoria, to4assemble the plane of equality,
to regae themselves by an interchange OF those
friendly sentiments which constitute the zest oil
social enjoyment, and TO acknowledge the exis ence
OF one God, the Almighty Architect of the uni
verse, and Psoiessedly to adore and worship him,
as under the inspection of his omniscient eye, free
from the chilling influence OF party snimosities.
To revive IN our minds those recoections
on which as Masons, we delight to dwell and to
present some considerations not unworthy oil the
attention OF this respectable audience, will offer
a lew remarks on the progress Of Masonry as a
distinct order, and the influence Of its pin
| cipieS on society.
! Masonic principles are not only interesting 10 US
who are members OF the ancient fraternity; they
are important they are interesting to all, who
view with pleasure the progress OF those arts, to
those friendly modes of intercourse, which amelio-
| rate the condition OF man, which distinguish the
elegant and refined enjoymcnts Of civilize, life
from the negative pleasures of barbarsm. Every
one must deligh; 10 view the Influence of M So
nae principles, who delights in the JOYS of fiend-
snip, IN the repose OF peace, in the benign effects
OF henevolence, who and admires the beauty
of virtue, who beholds and venera,.s the perfec-
tons of the Deity and who reyeres and ado 49, his
| glorious character.
The origin OF masonic principles (not of mason
ry as a disinc, order) may be traced back to that
supendOus era, when the universe arose al the di.
vine command, in all its freshness and beauty and
perfection, glorious 10 the view of the no ming
stars-of angels and archangels who celebrated lis
birth in a song OF praise; by grand universal
acclsmation OF JOY After many ages had rolled
away, during which most nations OF the earth were
sunk IN ignorance, superstition and vice--during
which the truths protessed by Order were un-
derstood only by the few, who Were enlig htened Nv
divine revelation, 1t was the noble purpose OF So
lomon the wise., of kings, to commence the work
oi operative masonry, TO organize lodges & initiate
those who were worthy and well qualified, by
whose agency he reared the sacred temple that
splendid magnificent structure which stood Tor
ages, monument of his wisdom and piely, the
brightest monument OF Jerusalem, the glory of Is
rael. The history of Masonry from that remote
peEiod to the present day ,evlncng its excellence is
proof, that 1t has secured the cordial attachment
| oil the initiated for ;hree thousand years. 1t q
survived al the commissions of nations and ayes
preserving its beauty and symmetry and harmony,
| In their prmeval splendour, amidst the wreck of
empires amidst the desolations of the civil and
| political institutions OF The most fourishng king
dcms OF the earth. AT certain periods lis light
has been feeble and gimmering, Tor all around was
darkness and gloom; but whenever the torch If
science has been lighted up, whenever the arts
have been revived, masonry too has fourished as
The pat, on of Arts, the ha"dmaid of learning as
the friend of religion, extending its benign and
humanizins power over The rude materials of ma
ture, of the unt.rned passions of the soul
In its progress, ii has been advancing like the
rays of morning light from tie east to the ~ est
from Jldea, the ancient hill of Zion, it was trans
planted to Egypt, the birthplace of the arts and
sciences, from thence to Greece aud Rome the
lands OF patriotism, the plosophc abodes of the
4 4 .l,a.t 81. III
prey to corruption and vice. (tor il was vice that
| drove Liberty from their shores, and sunk them
In degradation, under the deaih-lke power of ty-
| ranny,) and when the nations OF Modern Europe
emerging from Gothic darkness, exchanged the
savage rites of cruel superstilous dolary for the
mild precepts ofthe gospel, & pre- eminence
under lis creative influence; masonry followed as
witness OF ITS truth proclaning that the ligh, of
christianity Is the true light, given " to enleh,en
every that cometh inio the world" With
the pilgrims who fled from the prosecutions of an
| ignorant, bIgoted, intolerani ZEAL masonry fed 10
hospltahle shores; and here in this land of indie
| pendence this asylum of liberty, and of the sa-
cred rights OF man, it has reared its splendid domes
has opened its mystic temples and invited the wor-
my and well qualified 10 enter-to approach it's an
cient affairs Ito view its radiant lights-to recev
from lis oracles lessons of wisdom and
virtue.
TO The patriot, the philantlropist, s The christi
an,lt Is delightful TO contemplate the influence which
It has silently exerted, in perfecting the arts, in
cheTlshnS the sciences, in soening the aspetItles
OF our nature, in oberatng preiuIce4, in heal
| ing the anlmosities OF party names in extinsuish
ing the deadly flames OF political strife, in snbdu-
ing the murderous resenIments of inveterate ha-
tired, and in extending The bond of fraternaI union
| thro' The great family OF The world
In the middle ages, while the farest portions of
Europe were suffering the disastrous effects OF
Gothic invasion and savage warfare, under the
power OF Papal tyranny while the human mind was
sleeping, indulgng in wild dreams OF superstition,
masonry extended fostering hand to the neplec, ed
| arts which were alnaost forgotten, and summon ed
and collected ingenious artists, formed them into
bands OF brethren, combined their physical and in
teilectual powers, and directed their wisdom TO
noble purposes. BY these skilul artists, whose
labors were extended from one country to another
| the knowledge of architecture was revived, its
-ye was improved, its fair proportions were again
displayed churches were erected and dedicated to
| the Most High. public edfces were constructed,
and elegance and taste united with convent
ente in the structure of private dwellings. which
were reared on the ruin- of rude and barbarou.
/ shelters, that were destroyed by time, or trans
formed into symmetrical order by the creative pow
er OF masonry. The splendid works reared under
the auspices OF our Order in every part of Europe
still attract the eye and admiration of intelligence
not only IN those countries where liberty protects
the Improvements o modern refinement but even
in Rome where the efforts of art are rerressed and
genius Is blasted, by the breath of tyranny, where
the popular mind s buried in the gloom of paps
superstition. In Greece too, the splendid ruins of
ancient structures now sprinkled with human blood,
she'd in those fearful and deadly contests, in which
the spirit OF ancient heroism is conflicting for indie
/ tyif foo al.