Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-07-04

lies at the foundation OF all society and good or.
dcr--that bcnevoleDce which is the essential spir.
IL Of frnternal bonds that charity and truth
which are the basis Of love and confidence
urge only that religion which teaches belief In,
dependence on, aud nccOun ability ", the one
Eternal and Almighty God, W ch Is taught in,
aud enforced by the ceremony OF Initiation, leav
lug minor matters Of faith with each ones con.
science and his God On this broad platform of
mora faith all the good aud rue Of all sects and
creeds, aud opinions can hold communion, whcth.
cr they take for their Bible the Old or the New
Testament. Whatever they adopt as the standard
Of their faith, aud religious belief, aud consc.en.
iiously regard us the emhnatOn OF Divine Wisdom
Masonry recognizes ns the Great Light that illu.
mines her Altar But all must have some stand.
ard of religious faith, IA it Is contrary W the An
cient Charges of th, Order to make an Atheist Or
irreligious lbcrtinea Nason.
cannot too iorcibly nculcate upon you the Ma
sonic Cardinal irtue of Temperance. On bis
initiation every candidate Is chtr2cd to "avOid all
ntemperancc that may impair his faculties or de.
base the dignity Of his professions" lntemper-
ance has ever been the bane Of our Order and the
cause Of far the greater part OF all our troubles,
II tolerated in our Lodges it will dcblr the goCd,
who would otherwise scck admissions; for what
< cd man desires admission Into II society that
tOlcrntes drunkenness, and tellJwships drunk.
ards? BE particular then, in scrutinizing the
not polluted by those who prefer the Altar of
b cchus to the Altar of Masonry and If such un.
fortunately gain admission into the Lodge, and
rcproOfs and admonitnn will not reclaim them
let them be cut off, and made terror to others
Let the boast of your Lodge be in in the moral
excellence of its members rather than In its
numbers Intimately connected with the moral
character of n Lodge isa subject to which | can
u omit cali your attention and enforce the
~ |
contracting debts So fat as possible avoid run.
ming your Lodge in debt, for the almost necessary
consequence will be the admission o. unworthy
persons to membership for the purpose o. raising
funds to relieve the pecuninry embarrassments
the Lodge. More difficulty and trouble occu
to Lodges from the embarrassed state of their
finances than from any other cause, Intemper.
ance excepted. 1t causes discussions and tnan
cial expedients, embarrassing to the or'ccrs anC
Improbable to the members and generally lead
ing to the accepting of esery thing that offers
for the sake of raising the means of relief to al
embarrassed tr asury Let me caution you. from
long experience, to suffer many Inconvenience
rather than embarass your L1dge with debt.
FINAL ,, Brethren let it be the aim Of each on c
of us to live Masonry as well profess it. Be
punctua in Attendance, make your meetings in.
t"resting to be att actve-let them be Sab.
baths in the restless week of life. in which YOU
may Cease from the outer worlds sensuous la.
bors, and turn for communion, aud examination
to the inner world OF your own hearts, and mark
workings, and tendencies, their wnywarluess and
errors--and prepare tor their reformation. The
great truths and moral duties here inculcated
are calculated to make Us better Nasons, bet
! ter citizens, better men. We are here taught
by symbols most expressive, and impressive, the
most beautiful system of morality, prohibiting all
/ that is debasiug, or degrading, and earnestly
inculcatng whatSoeve' is true, whatsoever Is just
whatsoever is pure, Whatsoever is lovely-oang
into exercise the nobest feelings of the heart the
loftest aspirn tions of the soul and bringing into
REQ equlsition the strongest powers of the intellect
Hence Masonry, when rightly understood,
dispcls the lowring clouds oiignorance, wipes
away the suilocating mists ofbgotry and gives
freedom of thought, of speech, and of action
and enables the mi ghty, Godlike intellect to
shake off the tetters of vice, and sclfshness,
emerge from its i!rison. house, and step forth
into the beautiful sunlight of knowledge in
all its Godlike majesty 'redeemed regencra
ted, and discnthraled."
| WorShipfpl Muster - The situation to
which yon have been promoted viii draw upon
you the Scrutinlzing ewes of the world. The
world at large, as well as the Brethren will be
expecting. and have right to expect, til t youl
conduct, and behavior will be such as may be
safely initiated. 1t is your duty. as know il
!
| the world, us well as in the lodge. Room, and
among the Brethren, be such as will stand the
test of the Grand OvCrsccr's Squarc-tlat
your work may not, like that of the untailh-
tul Craftsman of former times, he rejected,
and thrown over among the rubbish as unfit
for use.
| Brethren, of the Masonic Fraternity; let
me inculcate on each one of you the duty OF
applying Yourselves to the study of Missionary
.,l,. .,l,t,.
SO that you NAV bc prepared to give reason
for the faith within you. Reco lect that
Masonary does not consist in the torms and
ceremonies ofthe Order. but in acting. living,
moral principles, inculcatcd in its teachings
Remember that we are most solemnly charged
to inculca and practice the three great du-
ties: to God. to our neighhors, and to our
selves. To God, in never mentioning his
name but with reverence; to our neighbor, in
doing TO lin as we would wish he should do
unto us; and to ourselves. in avoiding all in
temperance: and that he who violates these
charges shows himself an unworthy Mason.
Let us. as Mnsons, whether in the tyled lodge,
or in our general intercourse with the world,
remember that each one Of us is solving
the great problem of life. the demonstration
of which will be revealed in eternity. The
heat and burden of lies day Of labor
with us will soon be over and our work he
tested by the square Of an uncrring Judge.
Persovere, then, in the performance OF every
good work and duty; triumph over every
lemptationi let not LIES pains and ills
cause your faith to waver; let not this weary
priglinage Of tears dcpress your hope,
and let not the confines Of time fix limit
to your charity. Brighten the links of the
enleSs chain uf masonry that cncrcles the
world; let il be pur and lustrous forever, so
that the master spirits of future masonry may
have no cause to shed tear over its furnished
surface, or hrave a sigh over its shattered
fragments, but hand it down, untarnsed, and
unbroken till time and masonry shall perish
[ topp,h her