Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-26
Masonry MOI Sectoriau.

Masonry, We are taught, unite men of
every nation, sect and opinion among
those who would otherwise be at perpet-
ual distance.
As before God, all men stand upon one
common level-to be condemned if
guilty, to be acquitted if innocent. So,
as Masons, we all stand on a level. He
has but poorly studied our ancient
rituals, whose heart is devoid of that
great doctrine Of Masonic charity which
does not alone consist in feeding the
hungry or clothing the naked, but en-
braces in its widest range the golden rule,
+" doing unto others as you would be
done by This is true charity, for this
reason, we have (although belonging to
Christian Church. always advocated
the adoption of prayers in which the
Great Creator of heaven and earth alone
should be addressed-the return to the
ancient rituals in which Christian Saints
are ignored and the Star of Bethlehem
holds no place There are inconsistent
cies which should hold no place in an
instruction whose members are composed
Of Trinitarians, Unitarians, Jews, Turks.
etc. To any protesting Christian, who
is of different opinion, we simply say
that our Savior, when asked how we
should pray, addressed that beautiful
composition, The Lords Prayer, in
which all of every creed can unite. We
have knelt at the altar with our Jewish
Brethren, who cheerfully united in that
beautiful prayer and felt pleased in so
doing. Yet some there are, who do not
feel toward their Jewish Brethren as
they should. We know an eminent Ma
son, prominent member of the Metho-
dist Church, who on a certain occasion
admitted publicly at a Masonic banquet,
that at one time he did entertain such
ideas, but thanked God that upon his
admission to the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite he owed his proper appre-
citation Of that great doctrine of Masonic
charity. We are proud of such ae-
knowledgment in so eminent a Mason. |
and that he gives the credit where it is |
due. The spirit Of the age is opposed /
to such liberal ideas, the spirit of Chris
tianity is opposed to it, the lessons
taught by the Great Head of the Chris
tian Church are opposed to it. Himself
4 jew, he first promulgated His doc
trines in His own country and among
His own people. When reviled He re-
viled not again when about TO suffer
The extreme penalty that an Infatuated
mob could infiict, He did not return evil
7or evil, but implored forgiveness on His
nurderers. He called to His council
he various sects Of the Jews. He drank
rom the well with the women of Sauna
ia The whole of His life from His
radle TO Calyary-from His resurrection
o His ascension-was one of charity
nd shall we who make professions of
ur Christianity be more selfopinion-
ted than He was? Shall we, who have
Ollowed Him from Golgotha, wept at
lis tomb and glorifed in His resurrec-
on, spurn and speak lightly Of our
'rother to whom we are united by a tie
lat in ancient times was considered as
rong as that of blood 4? Is it consist
ut with our professions
We have been many years Mason, :
II one of our tender years. We have
q divers occasions called upon Masons c
relieve Masonic distress, when church
embers were slow in doing so, and we ?
IN most solemnly declare TO the best of v
Ir recollection at this time, that we
ever appealed to a Jewish Mason in
Mn. Their religion and their Masonry Of
9TH teach charity, and that none shall "
Ifer while they can aid. We have c
yer seen a Jewish beggar or a jew to
ffering for the neeessaries of life. 81
nile We haYs seen many members of re