The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-17


wants. and the enjoyments thus recognising and
indeed establishing law of his nature, that want
of society which renders it not good for man to be
alone. And it is the indulgence of happy dream to
imagine what would have been the happy condition OF
in their relation to each other had the original
idea of brotherhood not been perverted as one OF the
terrible consequences of the fall. All men living to-
geter as brethren arring interests; no clashlng
designs coldness; estrangement, and no en-
nifty but one common bond of unity and love, each
feeling for and with the other and all desiring and
striving for the common good OF all Alas! that this
should be but the indulgence of dream But sin
came; and with sin came hatred, murder. and separa
ton seeds, which, then sowed, kept their germinant
principle alive in the human heart even after the de-
structlon of the world by the flood, aud the subse-
quent dispersion OF the human race with its diversity
of tongues
But sin could not destroy mans inherent love of So
ciey his essential want of the aid and sympathy
of his feilow-man. destroyed his purity; ruined his
happiness; it brought misery and death upon him; it
divided him into hostile tribes and nations estranged
him from of his fellows by differences of tongue,
and by diversity of interests and pursuits there
by only made greater the want Of association and
pathy, and community of purpose, with those with
whom his lot was still cast, seeming to intensity it
compressed the limit of his Eyn,pathes just as you
render more solid you compress the substance of
bodies And this so because the fall has super
added TO mans constitution wants which not orig
inally part of his nature. He is liable to sick
and weakness and he therefore, needs the tender
nursing and the strong care of Others he is the
victim of trial and sorrow and he therefore, stands in
need of sympathy he now dies, and he, therefore,
needs kind hands to bury him. he often leaves behind
him helpless widow and children and he, therefore,
must the merciful help of others for them when
he is gone all this making him feel more than Adam
did in Eden how dependent man is on his fellow
And all through the ages that have passed since the
tribes and nations of the earth began increase, this
principle of mutual dependence and joint support has
been exemplfed II may be that this IS shown in but
a low form among those people who have almost lost
the type of humanity through ages Of darkness, g-
tribe of men, has yet been known, who did not
have some form of association that exhibited their
sense of the need Of joint action either for internal
government or external defense. And as you come
down through the ages you discover signs Of this
and more distinct until the light of Reveation first
dimly dawning and then gradually spreading until it
burst into the splendors of the Christian dispensaon
recalled men directly to sense of their common
brotherhood, and taught them how to recognise and
exhibit it.
And this is designed to be one direct result of Rev
elation: to bring back into his original relation
with his Creator and to restore the lost peace and har
mony among men themselves: to remind men, in the
language of the great Hebrew laws giver that they
brethren and in the language of the Christian procla
nation to announce earth peace good will towards
men,
! And how glorious idea How glorious fact
To give to more even they had originally
in Adam, central point of interest and agreement
central point of love and hope; around which all tn
nations OF the earth assemble and forgetting
erything else-ther differences of and tongue
their long estrangements their bitter enmities, and
their bloody wars-recognise only their common hu-
manity; their common Father; their common saliva
ton, and their common home And this is the design
and object of the Church, the rst the Divinely APP
pointed the only complete instrument for the purpose
But while the Church is thus the admitted instrument
of unity, love, peace and kindness among men, this
has prevented and need not prevent, associated
efforts for the Of objects to her
! Cause handmaids to herself. Thus the in
sttutons of monasteres and other brotherhoods with
the avowed purpose of directly accomplishing portions
of her work. which indirect effort could not so
readily accomplish has been recognition of this prin
cple And thus in countries where Revelation is most
reverenced mutually assisting, and unmitedly benev
and continue to flourish The old Guilds of Britain
some of which still sustain their name and objects
trades unions, hospitals asylums, charity Schools the
social science association all bear testimony to
craving for sympathy, his recognition of a common
brotherhood and his of mutual dependence aud
the necessity for mutual support.
And even the many schemes of socialists frenzied
has been some Of them, fraught with mischief OF
every kind, morally and socially, they are yet
but so many paintiye appeals from mans inner heart
for the fellowship the sympathy and the brothery kind
ness the strong craving for which nature has planted
within him. never read theme socialism with
out painful coincidence Of pity; pity for the unap
peased hunger of the soul which thus cries for the
bread of human fraternity pity, for the perverted
cravings of that longing soul; pity, that should
not abandon the Utopian schemes that reason exre-
rence and truth declare to be mpracticable they
were even practicable, likely to be only evil in man
present fallen, condition, and fix their hopes upon and
direct their efforts to the realisation of the Divine plan
for mars recovery and happiness.
Now among all those schemes which man himself has
devised for the satisfying OF these wants of his nature
there must always rank first the institution of FREE
MASONRY.
But when speak of Masonry as being for this ex-
emplifcation OF humanity do not wish to be nsun-
derstood ignoring the religious basis of the insttu
ton, the elevated system of morality which its
teachings everywhere inculcate, and its symbols so
beautifully represent Masonry is than broth
erhood Of mutual benevolence more than the proane
conceive to be by those signs and ceremonies those
of charity and kindnesses which its externals
Based upon Divine Truth, open his eyes to
the light that shines from her Eastern Arch witness
l.a.
not reyerently confess to the worship of Him who
above all, aud through all while of her
modern developments, she follows the course of Reve-
ation through its many streams type and prophecy,
until they converge and widen into the broad current
of Christianity, enforcing devout recognition of the
complete system of Christian faith | do not ignore
the claim set up in her behalf by of her most
i ghtened and devoted teachers, that at her first
institution, one chief object she held in view to
acquain heather nations with knowledge of the one
true God. AndI remind you with satisfaction. ofthat
which every true Mason will lay to heart and which he
who does atentiyey consider not worthy to be
Mason, that while her first aim, was the perfection OF
speculative system which rigidy enjoins strength o
principle, beauty of holiness, and the ,cisom OF
right life. Indeed, know of no system of moral phi
osophy purer than that Of Masonry ethics better
calculated to inspire men with the principles of integ
rity, sobriety, purity and love; and unhestatngiy
say that he whose life does not show outward
formty to these principles short of his duty
violates the solemn obligation which he took at the al
tar of Masonry, and is unworthy Of her Offices ant
: privileges Shew me worthy Mason, and you show mi
: a worthy man; but show who, though Ma
son. leads unworthy life, and tell you and tell hin
to his teeth that you show most unworthy Mason
And this we must make known to the World, because
Masonry has to bear the heavy burden in its estima
tion of the evil dongs of her unworthy MEMBERS
we must endeayor to remove its false impressions.
But we return to the idea of brotherhood. Wha
does it involve? We have better illustration thar
that which presents itself in the domestic relation
n family of brothers-unted under common father
all acknowledging his authority; all jealous for th
honor and purity of their home; all the protectors
S their mother and sisters; all united in community 0
interest all anxious for each others welfare all guard
ing against any cause of strife among themselves al
bound together with bonds of love; all holding
the secrets of each others bosom. How beautiful
picture! And you know, brethren, that this is to th
!, very life picture of real living Freemasonry.
n A lodge of Masons is united under its master, az
family is united under its father; while all Masons
whatever nation and tongue, united under the on
Great Architect of the Universe the Father of all
and the obligations and teachings of Masonry require al
that illustration suggests. Obedience to the Dvln
moral law careful guarding of the purity of the lodge
5 working for one common end, the good of Masonry
lively anxiety for each Others good the avoidanc
Il of strife and enmity; the encouragement of love; al
r inviolabe confidence between each other and th
S watchfu guarding, and caring for, of Masons mother
and sisters wives and daughters widows aud orphans
Ignoring all differences of opinion all subjects for
eign to the purpose OF his order weighing brohe
according to the of his private views, whehe
they be social scientific, political religious bu