The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-07-02

like fine gold from the furnace, purified
having taken deep root, and is now exer
cisins benign influence upon men Of
every country, sect and opinion. After
all the Vaccinations of corrupt world
against us, where stand our enemies :?
Kingdoms and empires have passed away
Masonry still exists. Its prosecutors OF
our own generation, where are they ? l.
dead, remembered only to be pitied; i
living, known only to hang their heads
with shame.
What are the teachings of Masonry :?
The Interchangeable law Of our institution
teaches US that a Mason is bound by his
tenure to obey the moral law, that i. BY
4 the mere fact of his being Mason obliges
him TO obey that law. What we mean
by the moral law, is that law given by
God to Moses at Mount Sinai, written at
first upon tables of stone; which law has
been preserved from destruction by the
Masonic fraternity, in a mysterious man
ner, that none but Masons know, from
the destruction of Jerusalem and all the
holy vessels of the Temple by Nebuchad-
nezzAr. until the reign of Cyrus, King OF
Persia, who gave Zerubbabel, the governor
of India, Joshua, the High Priest, and
Haggin, the Prophet, permission to as
semble at Jerusalem and form the first
Grand Masonic Council to adopt measures
for the rebuilding of the Temple. For
that long period not a copy of the law was
known to be in existence. The pious
Jews, in their captivity, instead of meet
ing their priest to hear the law read and
expounded, would assemble upon the sea
shore, and hang their hsrps upon the will
lows. They could only remember their
God in song. And for that precaution of
the fraternity, the Christian Church to-
day is indebted, in great measure, for
its vitality. 1t teaches Mason to be a
psaceable subject to the civil powers
wherever he resides; never to be concern
ed in plots and conspiracies against the
peace aud welfare of the nation; that Ma
soDry has always been injured by war,
bloodshed and confusion. As individual
members of society, it teaches US to avoid
all licentious or vicious habits, the indul-
gence of which might lead us to abuse
) the dignity of our profession. 1t teaches
|; us to regard the whole human species as
one family, the high and low, the rich
and poor, who, created by one almighty
parent, and inhabitants of the same plan.
ct, are to aid, protect, and support. each
other.
, The first lesson we teach the initiate,
is to be a good man and true; that truth
is a divine attribute; to always DO gov
erned by its dictates; to exclude or avoid
hypocrisy and deceit; to let sincerity and
plain dealing distinguish his actions; to
, let the heart and tongue join in promoting
r each others welfare, and rejoicing at each
, others prosperity. 1t also inculcates the
/ practice of the cardinal virtues-remper-
{ ance. Fortitude, Prudence and Justice.
These are the unalterable principles
and precepts of Masonry taught orally
] and in addition we have its symbolism.
Symbolic teaching was the ancient mode
e of communicating ideas. From the earliest
ages of the world, hieroglyphic language
was employed as the most easy and eff
( fecive mode of perpetuating great events
t 1t has been Gods peculiar method thus
S to reveal himself TO the world. See the
A.; old patriarch Jacob, before he dies, as
T sembing his twelve sons together, and
revealing to them their characters and
e destiny. To Reuben he says, "Thou arI
q unstable as water" To Simeon and LIE.
e vi, to represent them as instruments Of
0 cruelty, he tells them, sin their self-wil
a they digged down wall" Judah sis q
!, lions whelp;" the scepter and law-givins
: should remain with him until Shiloh come
n To ISsachar he says, "He is as strong as,
t crouching down between two burthens.'
j Daniel is serpent by the way, an addel
o in the path. Naphtali 'is a hind ie
c loose" Joseph "a fruitful vine" Thu,
G yelling their characters and destiny il
: allegory. The Passover was an impor
d tant ceremony to the Israeiites. The tim,
e of killing the Paschal lamb, four days be
:, fore the full moon; the scape- goat, bear
: ing away the sins of the people; the bra
d zen serpent, raised in the camp, that til,
poisoned Israelites might look and live
s. in fact, the whole Levitical economy, wa
IT represented by types and symbols. Ever
z our Saviour came, as the lion of tn,
Is tribe OF Judah; a vine, his disciples tn,
d branches; door; living rock; the ston
d which the builders rejected. He laugh
e his disciples in parallels, allcgory, and b!
1t types. He tells the Church it is a cit,
3 set on hill it is also like grain o
10 mustard seed And in fact, without type
t, and symbols, taught he but little. Tn
% ancient prophets foretold the destinies o
g their own people and the surrounding ma
g tons by the same impressive language
le Samuel rent his mantle to denote Saul
g loss of the KINGDOM Isaiah typi6ed tn
a captivity of Egypt aud Ethiopia by walk
n. ing barefoot; Jeremiah symbolized tn
b destruction of the Jews by the breakiu
l. of potter's vessel; he foretold their cap
g tivity by Nebuchadnezzar by bands an
&c yokes; and Ezekiel foreshadowed thei
r restoration by the resurrection of dr.
ID bones; the Jews, in their captivity, sym
lr bolized their despair by the silence G
lie their harps.
N Hence the language of Masonry, fror
A. its earliest period to the present time,
$, of allegory and symbols. You see upo
se our regalis, our banners, our affairs, an
e. the walls of our secret Lodges, tools, in
r plements and figures most expressive, a
n, unfolding to US great moral truths. TIL
h lamb skin, or white apron, presented to th
Of luilldlc, 10 cuOicmdtlC vi luDOC6uCo du
III purity, which'he is charged to wear unit
ID his entrance to the Grand Lodge abov,
aud there present it, unspotted as whe
l. he received it.
ID You see represented two beautiful Co
hi umns or pillars, in representation of thos
" placed by King Solomon near the pore
ID Of the Temple, placed there to common
" crate Gods dealing with his ancient pee
he pie while travelling 10 years in the wilde
,g ness; the pillar of cloud, that guided theI
n by day, and the pillar of fire, that CAV
Id them light by night. Thus the plot
su Jew, in his annual pilgrimage to Jerusi
d. lem, upon beholding the Temple, with i
We gorgeous decorations, also beheld the;
in memeptoes of Gods goodness and mere
u to his fathers.
K You discern also ladder extendir
ID from earth to heaven, representing Il
Is, ladder that the old Patriarch Jacob sa
-, L.. ,rha, f1a.;,rx c~o-,