The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-09-05

| Let there then be no assumptions, nc
encroachments, no jealousies; but let each
, and every one, IN his several capacities
unite with al rSr The common, Benefit q
all.
But there seems to be an impression on
the minds of some that Free Masonry is
assuming; that she is disposed to encroach
upon The sacred precincts of religion, and
substitute ter rites for those of the chris
tian Church.
Although this discourse is by no means
Intended as an apology for masonry, nor to
give "a general expose of her principles and
purposes, yet | feel incumbent to pause a
moment, in order to disabuse any candid
mind that may be laboring under such an
erroneous impression.
Free Masonry is not religious iustitu-
tIon III the common acceptation OF the
term. 1t makes no pretensions to any
! such claims. II entertains no sacriligious
aims at supplaItIng or superseding the
Christian Church and seduo:ng the sineere
believer from his faith and hope in the
Great Redeemer
Did | suspec, her of any such intentions
however remote, i would be the first to
! repudlate and denounce her.
No. Masonry is content to occupy the
/ place of a servant; to act subordinate
part in imitation Of those noble Chile.
mites our ancient brethren, who, by their
I industrious and long continued toll in. the
I quarries contributed 50 essentially to the
erection Of the first Temple.
/ Did The royal masters and patrons of
this great work, King Solomon, or iIyram
King of Tyre, or our Grand and more
( practiced Master Hiram Abitf,-did they,
/ !or a moment suppose, because they had de
yised the plans and reared that stupeudous
ana beautiful supcrstructure that, thcre-
fore, they had a right TO devise and con
troll its ritual and administer the rites
whicii "eie to to te offered within itc holy
precincts? .;.'-
By no means They we.c content with
their own work They moved harmoni
ously in their own spheres. la this was
their glory. And with this they were
more than satisfied.
/ Free Masonry in its relations to religion
+ Is somewhat ike the d.speusation of John
,he Baptist. II is a dispcnsation going be.
fore and preparing the way OF the Lord in
the reign of grace, aad in the iispei-sation
/ of the universal and ImmeasUrablc chdri-
ties OF the Cos. ..el.
Like the morning star that precedes the
ri5in- of the sun, and goes not out but
.re,ts away into the light of heaven; 50
Masonry having accomplished her mission,
will be content to be whelmed and lost in
that glory which 50 exceedingly exec
lcth.
Bot Free Masonry is necessarily rel. :ious
in so far-as religion l. indispensable TO the
. cultivation Of virtue and morality
Iniecd religion enters into the very
frame work Of society, and constitutes the
basis of every moral duty, aud the bond oi
I'LL 49,,
cali lie 4 Mason who denies the existence
of God the Sovereign Ruler Of the Uni
verse aud our obligations to Him Ct rev
erenc5, homage. fealty and loGe No
atheist cau be mason.
Masous acknowledge and creatfu!ly re-
ceive that revelation which God h"s made
of himself and will in the inspired vol
Certainly in all christian courtries,) both
Vi the old Testament and the New.
The Bible Is the .reat light in Masonry
no work can be done will out it. 1t occu-
pies the most conspicuous place In every
sou!c procession by the brother most yeue
rlble for his age and experience.
Can a scofiing intidel be Mason p
Never. Masons invoke the blessing OF
God at their meetings, and ackuowIeds &c
their obligation to pray for each other.
No lodge can be opened without ''rayer
Can a good Mason be a prayerless man
Masonry holds the doctrines of the iui-
mortality of the soul and Of future state
of re.:itution. .-
There is an appeal to the moral sense
or, if You please, to the religious sense OF
man at every stage OF her proceedings tron,
frs; 10 last.
Free Masonry has her liturgy and hel
psalmoGy, in which she has provided ap
proprlate and impressive ceremonies fol
the obsequles of her deceased members
I when requested, or not otherwise provided
for
l,::d here also Masonry discovers thai
unobtrUs.ve modesty which Is character
istic of the order.
She does not impose these ceremonies
upon the public except by the request oi
the deceased brother; and even then
should surviving friends desire the burial
services of the church, Masonry cordially
Yields the preference and contents herself
with casting the speaking acac'a uron {
Lrcthers coffin and rendering the last hon
ors to departed worth =
| cannot here deny myself the pleasure
Of citing stanza or two from the mos
excellent Masters ode as a kind of epi'
tome Of Nasouio faith and sentiment
IAN tl.lngs IN darkness lay,
Tie word went forth
Up sirang celestial day.,
At natures birth;
The heavenly arch sub.inely bent above,
, And On the K4y >tcge b!azed Eternal LOVE-.
:. Heavens favorte, man was made
In beauty fair.
Crime changed Iessed Eden's shade
. To black despair;
Love riom the sacred arch came gently down,
Raised man from death an immortal crown
"Love then, in chorus sing;
Hail, love divine
Masous, your c.d bring
= To deck his shrine
= Christians unite while angels join in song
All earth ana heaven the glorious strain pfolcng."
That men are found within the pale o
our order who ere too debased to sustain
) her moral obligations and too stupid to az
preciate her beauties, we do not deny
We are ashamed to be obliged to COMES
it. But is that sufficient reason for dis
.carding the fraternity? On this principl
: we should be Obliged to discard ever,
other society. the church. and even Christ
, ianity itself.
Such is Masonry III its religious aspects
It is not a church. 1t is not religious de
nomination; but a society affiliated toGeth
er for mutual protection, aid, ana relief
, wherein order science, morality. and seo'
fellowship between man and nlah are IN
culcuted and cherished and whore unlVer
sal charity and bencvoience are ln5,5tet
!, on as as the minimum of Il Mason duty
1t is said by the bIo.rapher OF the I'M
mortal Schiller, who ha, shed such I'M
perishable lustre upon German Literature
that He was lover Uf men Or, ii
other words, he was pliilahthropISt.
The same may be SAID OF every true
Mason. The order is truly cosmopoiite
f |, belonrs to the world and it seeks til.
: benefi. of the whole human race.
The tirle has been when ! honestly be
l lieved that Free Masonry had had its day
and was about to be added to the acGu
mulating heaps of antique rubbish. Bu
, since have been admitted tc Il survey o
the materials of the inner temple, l have
come to a different conclusion.