Holly Springs gazette., 1845-02-15


beauties upon which the prying eye OF none
bur the Royal Arch and Select were ever
permitted TO rest. A II then was order. beau
fee The admiration and wonder ofthe world.
whose resp 'endent and unfival ed pclf-e~
tiens put the descriptive pens of Josephus,
Livy, and x nophon r, st. and whose
grandeur and subliTity, have BEEN he
| theme of ages was the performance of an
Order. to whose &c ,ius and discoveries
and to whose high Geome,rical skill and a
bllitv. mankind have ever acknowledged
themselves. under deserved and asling obli-
cations.
But the glory of Moriah has fallen The
Temple of the Mount OF God has crum-
bled Baby Ion and Tyre have passed pway.
Their eaudy banqnelng Halls are demo,
ished, aud Demon spirits anu crawling rep
tiles haunt the consecraIed scene Of their
early renown.
But blessed be God, My Brethren our
whirlwind oftheir desolalion, and has lived
embraces of a confding word.
Masonry has lived in every civilized
country aud cline. Yes she carried her
shining light to Ligotcd Egg p', in the
darkest days of lis Idolatry. 1t shrank
not from The threatened torures Of The cru
saders.
They carried no terrors IN their b-awnr
arm, TO hush the Masonic teachings ofa Pv,
thagoras, and 1haies, And the plains Of
Chaldea, and the Mountains Of Judea the
deserts Of India, and the valley Of the Nile,
were cheered BY 5 presence and eniiyen>
4 -, = k,f,r =. 3
has had lis enemies Ia every land and age,
still lis banners and lis cross. It's breast
plates, and It's crozers, have been borne
forward by the light Of intelligence, and
beating down The strong hand OF peTsecu>
tion IN their course, are worn now By
Moor and Hindoo, by Asiatic and Russian,
and in every land BIotheily love doth con-
lnue and prevail.
Yes, my Companions. the Ark Of the
Covenant has tloaled upon every Ocean
and rested upon every soil. The blrd Of
heaven has hovered a:ouLd It,
Storm nor tempest, whIrlWind nor Gisas
Ter, could repu sc it from an honored rest
ingiplace, wherever civilized society has
found hone. Il came to our shores. Il
was rocked in the cradle Of Liberty. in our
own happy Country, by q Washington, a
Fran kin, a Warren, Lafayette, and
q reen.
1t would be an unwarranta5le drafl upon
your time and patience, TO notice in cXicn-
20 al The different associations POSSESSING
he characl sticsef Free Masonry, lhat
existed before and since he building of lie
| Tem lie.
Enough. / trust, has been exhibited in
he impeIf ct history [ have sketchcd be-
fore you. to show hat the assumption that
Masonry is ofancient origin, sc far from de.
serving the stigma Of absurd crcdulitv, is
susceptible Of almost positive d monstgaliun.
will now my respected audience, speak
for few moments, Of the nature and o. ircs
had in view by he institution of Free AIa>
sonTy. And IN a few words, It's nature is
that OF social Brotherhood, connected to.
gether by certain and Interchangeable laws OF
| universal application; and lis elect. the
happiness OF the whole human race without
| regard to country, rank, OF creed; atd the
Z u'ual protection OF lis votarics UniverS
sal bentvolence is the essential split of its
beng Charity and Truth, the bond and se>
curly Of its preservation. Teaching n
| creed in religion, but that Independence up
or, and accountability To the one ct, rnal and
AImi9 hty God, it embraces in its c5mmu>
nion, the good and true of all secls and opn-
ions.
The Christian whose humble. vet unwa.
verlng faith. is in the sact ifice upon the
Gross; and The Aiahemelan. " hose hone Of
Paradise is gathered from the shrine of the
Prophet at Mecca the unbIushing Jew who
sui dreams Of Messiah yet to come: and
the untu.ored Indian, all have foul.d an all
tar at which unmoIested by the doomas of
others, they can offer up their devotion TO
the God of he Univ erse Men of all creeds
IN politics here-meet together, and fiud a re-
fuge from the dissentions which too often
mar the harmony of social intercourse.
And here all ranks from the Monarch
who sways the sceptres of Empires; 20 the
hamblest laborer who tolls for his daily
bread, meet upon the level OF true worth
and merit But this is not all, the sphere
OF lis Benevoience is not confined 10 the
circle oil The brotherhood. every suffering
human has claim upon the tender regard
of Mason.
lie IS not to wait until his ears ring with
the iamentation ofthe miserable bat is af
lectlonately to anticipate the wants the IN.
fortunate and inspire them with couraoe
NO, my Brethren, true Masonry
"Pauses not when al her door,
A shivering mortal stands
10 ask the cause that made him poor
Or why be help demands"
Bat she instantly stretches out her hand
to releave suffering humanity: this is one Of
the Offices she delights to perform.
But thus IS not the isolated Christian vir
tue which Masonry possesses; to this NAV
or 4