The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-04-28
FREEMAsoNRY

r, Ia a remark able illustration oil the phil
o,onbical character of Freem asonry, and Of
Iis nerfect adoption as universal system
for aoes and ali lands, that however Its vo-
tales NAV differ in relation to Its details'
-unon the broad platform and geuerai teat-
urss all thoughtful student OF masonry agree
II, as though deputation from the gem
..a,;ons of fifty-eight centuries stood to-
osthsr before the "Tracing Board" and. at:
tsr searching debate as TO the wants OF
f., roankind and a full exploitation OF human
bab;is nreiudices, and in6rmities, agreed up
or danoht TO be drawn there, design not
TO be eradioated or Fundamentally cnsoseu
till time shall be no m oret ~ .
This broad platform, we say. meets the
snnrobstion Of ev cry tboughtiul mason *
"a so broad vet so well dtfioed; so hrm' yet
nndsraid with the heaviest blocks OF uutn'
O. that the wise and the good, likewise the
would be-g good, are tempted 20 step uPou !.
by al irresistible impulse. Masonry n'"sI
suyviive. There is that within IL, G@aPteG' aS
we said before, adapted to all lands ana 10
all lands and to all ages, and winch wnne
human habits. prejudices and Irhrmltles,
ard wa will add human yearnipgs remain,
VII oause il. to be -craved for and had, This
Is its mystery, this its history, this the key
TO exoteric and esoteric instruction that 1t IS
adapted to humanity and tciH be had.
: This broad platform, morally, is spread
ont upou certain divine precepts. They arc
divine both because, as tradition and history
declare, they we're divinely communicated
. TO men, a declaration we cannot doubt when
we see how far they are above human In
IelIigenee to have originated them, and d.
vine because of their uDexPlainable effects
upon the hearts of obedient men. They
are tbs Ten Command ents communicated
n r~or fhoa nf ma
As to their number, ten, the great Law
eiyer himself declares, Exodus xzxTv., %.
and Deut. W., - that this was the original
number, which the Greek word, decalogos,
in the Septuaeint confirms. They were at
first divided into two parts, being written so
upon two tables If stone. From the diVis-
ion of Oripep, which the Reformed Church
follows, as may be seen let.ered upoueVery
Episcopal Church in the land, the hrst ta-
Bile comprises the four precepts oftoVe to God.
the Second Table the six precepts OF duties
10 men.
In searching through all the systems OF
ethics, whether of pretended inspiration or
human origin, nothing so complies, SO com
prehausive, so compact upon the human
duties, can be found as this code. 1t en-
braces all that the Shaster, the Koran, the
Books of Confueius and the Holy Scriptures
themselves contain. However they may
. enlarge upon various doctrines, and heap up
mountains of details, they cannot at last go
. beyond the charm ed boundary which de-
hoyah set, when with his finger he traced,
as a sraver upon tracing board. composed
of two tablets of stone, ten simple receipts.
How wopderful!-how astounding
Our thoughts have been much turned to
this subject in the prepation of THE Code
Of Masonic law No inquiry seemed to
in rn
difficult Of solution, or which has had so
many conflicting solutions as this. t0hat must
= MGsoqs do as O Moral n1enf The diversity
OF sectarian views in some countries (ss the
DATED States and Englsnd); the total want
: OF reli Sious independence aud consequently
Of sects publicly acknowledged in others
Gas Spain and Itsly); the great diversity Of
minds perceive among the votaries of NJ a.
orry even 10 this conntry--some bang al
most bigots 10 relation 10 dehominatonal
views, while others are lmostskeptlcs ss to
any inspired doctriues-this addeu TO the
conflicting views entertained by the a
sonic authors of the day, some IKE OIIVer
and Scott, endesvoring to CtrIstIeniHey Free-
masonry others emitting the religious eIe-
ment entirely, renders it as above sud, mos;
difficult of solution. A writer may frame
. liet of moral and religions duties that will
cover score Of pages, and may aver that
each Of them is obligatory upon Masons.-
de may analyze all the works alluded to-
works that are considered AID used as in |
Dpired books by N asst rs in different sectoOS |
Of the elobs-ths Koran, Bible, ete--and |
odd to this cstslogue hundreds and thous-
ands Of precepts. fDrcible, smiable, tender,
sublims, important. pathesic-and when be
has done, glance ct the simple code Of ten /
--these plain marks upon this plain tracing
board, which Moses br, ught with him from
the cleft Of the rock-tyanscends while it
comprehends them all II is the law and I
til e prophets.'-Codeo of Masonic Law.