Washington telegraph., 1849-07-25

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| eternal Judge, and charity to all man
kind? Masonry, as an Institution stands
closely allied to mans dearest earthly
interest. But again it has been asked
sWhat use moa0 for Masonry, since we
have christianity with all its attendant
blessings and privlleges?" What use
ask, for Temperance, Tract, and MsS-
saonary Societies? They are all acknowl-
edged to be important 0a11alaGr'es, and so,
we hesitate not to say, is Masonry, to
christianity, even in this day of great and
redundant light. This had we time, and
were we permitted fully to unfold, could
be easily made to appear. We are aware
that many very excellent and sensible
men, and men too, to very great degree,
free from prejudice, have INDUCED the
opinion that, Masonry is opposed to Chris
tianity, and that im1ielelity, in all its diver
sifed forms, has found protection in a
Masonic Lodge. No opinion could be
more erroneous. How man could re-
ceive the several degrees of Masonry,
and then indulge and advocate in6del SEN
timents, is something more than l can
understand. Every object with which
he is surrounded, and almost every cere-
mony in which he is engaged, directs the
mind to the adorable Iraaaaty-every step
he takes reminds him of his duty to God,
and the efficacious intercession of the
Great High Priest.
Some Of you by this time are ready to
inquire-"Is Masonry religious Institu-
tion?" No, not in the general accepta-
tloaa of that term. Masonry does not
profess, in itself, to change or sanctify the
heart. This is peculiarly the office of
Christianity and its divine author-but
Masonry looks to HeaUem for an avaaIang
sacrifice.
Masonry and Christianity though not
one and the self-same thing. are not, how
ever, incompatible. much less opposed to
each other; for thougl, religious as we'll
as political oartysSna is excluded from
our sanctuary-thongh we meet with the
disciples of Zoroaster and the son of Con-
fucius on IeveI, and part in good
peace with the disciple of Moses and the
follower of the Lamb while both stand
1oIatanb on the square of virtue and NOR
atty, yet the man who enters as q Chris
taaaa never passes into Dessns, nor is he
raised by lmtioleIlty-but being taught to
regard the Bible as the first great light of
the moral world, and as the most precious
of all the gifts of Heaven, he finds him
self strengthened instead of weakened in
faith, assured in hope, and virtuous de-
sires and enabled better thereby to abound
in works of charity. In a word, the
Christian Mason is taught to esteem the
first great light IN the golden candle
stick, as infinitely superior to the light OF
nature. reason and philosophy.
Since the advent of the Prince Of Peace,
Christianity and Masonry, rightly under
stood and practiced, have gone hand in
hand in the work of charity and love-
Before the glorious dawn of Masonry,
Aims houses and other EIeenaosyaaary in
stitutions, were unknown. Poverty was
almost without friend, and the humble
supplications of distress were lost amid
the proud pursuits of ambition, the wild
and terrible clash of arms, and the sweep
ing desolations and cruelties of persecu
ton, anarchy and despotism. Yet we do
not call Masonry, Religion; nor do we
offer it as substitute for any kind of re-
ligion, much Jess that Of Christianity.
If such were the fact how easily might it
be detected by the christian members Of
the fraternity-they would spurn such
pretensions, and abandon the Lodge for
ever; and you may not be surprised when
we tell you very large proportion Of the
ministers of the Gospel IN our country,
are Free and Accepted Masons. With
such an Institution as Chlstianty-the
last, the highest, the frmest, the only
hope of Immortal man, Masonry cannot,
does not conflict. but i'll the language OF
the great Washington, she claims the
honor and the relation of handmade,
as do, in fact all other benevolent institu-
tions which are founded on the immutable
principles of truth and justice. Since
Masonry is not Religious Institution,
"what then," lit will be inquired) sis 1t:
| I answer in few words. 1t is moral
order of enlightened men, founded on
pure and sublime virtue, empowered
through certain rites and symbols, with a
capacity of recalling to remembrance the
| moss interesting and important truths,
and prompted by an ever active, generous
and noble spirit, in promoting, without
ostentation, the most diffusive benevo-
lence, the most expanded philanthropy,
and the most warm and afectlonate broth
e7ly loue, mingling with these amiable and
excellent virtues, social enjoyments the
most innocent and instructive.
| -"Miscuit utile duci,
Deectando, pariterque monendo."
| At the door of Masonry, sta nd with my taper
---woud you view the glories of the temple!---
enter and dwell therein with this we might say,
| in the language of another, "The ingeniousness
of nature kindles blush at the praise which comes
so near to ourselves, yet who, but one OF its own
members, can speak the euIogy of an Institution,
only part of whose regulations and effects are