The Yazoo City Whig. [volume] (Yazoo, Miss.) 1844-1851, 1844-08-09
VOL. 8, No. 5.-Whole No. 412.

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Alannal (of winch there arc MANY rubsh~
ed 10y an Inttlhg, at member Of The frater.
nifty. You will there learn that it IS an AS
soclalion Of men, as mrn, as the creatures
OF GOd-ihe children of one ommon parcu',
who acknowledge the existence Of Go ard
their responsibility, at least to sucn aH *.
tent as TO be The basis Of s.iori5i obligation
Ia iln,to bind them 10 the praciiC of Ger
tain virtues, abstinence from certain vices 4,
the performances of certain duties 10 each
other, in accordance with the very ltter,
or at least the spIlt of christianity itself
Its essen'ial elementary principles, from
the very nature of lis obi CT, must lie f ",
in gu nee Of The moral ignorance aud
general corruption of man kind, and upon
these it proposes 10 form a bond Of union
among men OF different countries ,langlagas,
manners and customs, gavernmr MIS-, laws
and various forms OF rel gioa II is not 4
universal code OF morals, aud therefore cab
never instruct men in ali their duIcs I'd
each other, but seeks 10 turn few Hcku owl
edged principles To good practical account
These principles are all good; and if evil
still exists in the practice of Masous, II is
either because they do not fully act upon
their own principles, or because it proceeds
from cause which lies beyond the reach
of Masonry, and which nothing but TIC
Spirit Of the living God can ever remove
the corruption Of our carual nature. In the
mean time, no one who acknoW lodges hs-
obligation to plac ice masonic virtues, is in
the smallest degree released from his Oils
CATION TO carry out, in actual practice, every
requirement Of The pure and perfect word
of God. Every christian. therefore, may be
mason, though many Inasois, alas. ton
many are very far from being christians.
: And though the mySlIci tie which binds
J Masuns TO each other he such that differ
! ence Of creed in religion or Politics can
: never break prosperity cannot dissolve,
2 aud adversely always Strengthens IN this
: world of sin and sorrow, il does not and
o cannot ensure a union in the land from
y whose bourne no traveller returni; aud tht re.
: fore every Mason should be chri,tlan.-
q How painful the reflection TO the christian
# Mason, that bond, so perfect III this life
" that uochanGe oftme. place or cIrt nlnstan-
d ces atteFly destroy ii while conscience
& lives in the breast, love, hope or fear has
" Judgment in the heart, or even sensibiIity
r remains in the system, must be eirTnaIlg
= broken, with respect 10 all those u no wilfui
e " refuse to walk by that light above all
l. other lights, the Holy Scriptures. the sacred
e dedication of Masonry to God, that which
d shines in each Of her Temples, aud toward
)i which she ever points her steady finger, EN-.
Phaticaly saying this, this is the great Tfus-
IS tle.B Board on which the Grand Master has
r. drawn all his d signs, and he only who works
Y, by this shall pass into the Grand Lodge
II above. You know, my brethren, the pro-
'r found respect which every Mason should
u feel for the word of God, for reasons which
= we cannot, in this place, speak of. You
il know the solemn scenes which have beer
s. Ienderet. trebly solemn To YOU, by the i'm,
is ipressive lessons which have already beer
al taught YOU in the sacred language itself
n Al the world ought 10 know that if Iht
e, language of the Bible be removed from tht
y. Lodge, The Mason would have Gitl,'to say
Of his tongue would clpavp to the rcof of hi
Y. mouth; and if you remove the principles q
or christianity, YOU would remove both Masrl.
re and Masonry hare walls and unmranins
le symbols would loudly proclaim the gIor.
Y, has dcpaTted'.
~ The truth Is, Masonry has not only draw
m her peculiar symbolic language, hen imFos
e ing and solemn. ceremonies, her mysier!ou
a meth Is of communication and h,r mora
or duties from Revelation, but from the sam
l. source she has drawn her first and most q
seniial elementary principles; and they az
to the very same upon which christianity Use
lie rests. They are these, God exists, and
it, the m raj Governor of the Universe, VII
es, rewards the righteous and punlshcs I'll
OF wicked. Without these first principles rs
m li.ion cannot exist, and If ei'her of the
t he removed, Masonry Grasses to bt. MaSonl
lis makes God the ol jeet Of trust and worsai
ON as we'll as fear, and rejects from her alt
ads every candidate who will not thus far,
re. least, DO homage toDei y. Her languas
is pe,emptory and unyielding TO every ca
il didate Of every nation, Of every religion,
we every subordtat creed in religion, mora
of or politics; thus fan thou must 60 in acknoW
one edgng your responsibility 10 the Gfe
her. Achiiect, or you c'nnot pass the We
onc threshold Of Masonry.
tout we have mol time, on this occasion,
Iris~ pursue, in detail, this analogy and pout
The specific duties which Masonry rrquir
the and the benefits it secures in the culiyat
enly Of kindly social feelings, protection. #
le 10 violence, aid in distress, comfort in aft
any ton, relief in poverty, Instruction in igr