The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-02

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ian princes and priests became emulou
of that knowledge which, developed ii
the quarry and the forest, had immor
talized their cities and temples, and ben!
allowed to participate in the mysteries
gradually wrought innovations therein
until the anciently pure Masonic ritua
was stained blythe pollutions Of idolatry
that at the building of Solomon's TEN
pie that ritual was purged of those pol
lutions, and the clear rays of Masonic
Hight again cleaned through the dark.
ness Of error; and finally, that from that
time until now, in all its mental and
moral features, Freemasonry has remain.
ed the same. Ignorance has underrated
it-political ambition has endeavored to
crush it-bigotry has prescribed it, and
perjury has sought to betray it with a
kiss; but, sustained by the conscious
nessof its inherent purity, the Order has
emerged again and again from the fur
mace of persecution, without even the
smell of fire upon its garments, and to-
day the light of its good deeds shines
with .entold brilliancy amid the dark
ness which cofnprehends it not.
So much for the origin of Freema-
sonry. 1t has become fashionable of
late years with some Masonic writers to
assume the position that SO long as the
moral excellence OF Masonry can be easily
demonstrated, the antiquity Of its origin
is of little consequence. Against this
position I beg to enter my earnest pro-
test. I regard the antiquity of Masonry
as one of its strongest claims upon our
respect and admiration. A reverence
for antiquity is a sentiment common to
the human race. All history and all ex-
perisnce unite to teach us that Time is
the only certain test of human excel
lence, and that, however d:stasteful it
may be to human vanity, there is mine
Of wisdom in that maxim of Tertullian :
whatever is ancient is true whatever
is modern is spurious" The most con-
vincing evidence of the truth of this as
sertion is found in the history of to-day.
We see the noblest productions of art
and science-the most brilliant schemes
for human happiness-the greatest in
ventions and the most useful improve
ments, continually abandoned for others
yet more promising. OR supplanted by
others of still greater utility. Yet ''the
eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the
ear filed with hearing;;" and in the quiet
hour of reflection, the soul feels that it
has been contaminated by it's contact
with this restless round Of novelty. It.
self immortal, it Graves communion with
immortal things; and if the pen of inspi-
ration had never written the history of
mans Immortality, and if Nature had
never taught it by the life which daily
springs, from the ashes of dead seeds,
his own soul would have been eloquent
of it in its deathless affection for the per-
manent and the undying. The oak,
which to-day renews the promise of its
youth, though its rugged arms have
wrestled with the winds and lightnings
of centuries; the ocean, whose bosom is
as placid in each recurring calm as if it
had not been convulsed by the storms of
eternity; the consultations of heaven,
which shone as brilliantly last night, as
in that hour when, starting on the march
Of Time, they t'sang together, and all
the sons of God shouted for joy"-:hese
have for us fadeless beauty and an i'm
mortal charm, chiefly because they link
together the living and the dead years
Of that Eternity of which We feel our
selves to be a part and parcel. And if
antiquity of itself possesses such high
claims upon our reverence and admira-
ton, where. among the monuments of
human ingenuity, shall we look for a
nobler example of it than is to be found
in that Order to which we belong?
| have said that Freemasonry is a
system of morality. A more perfect
one human wisdom has never planned.
From the moment that candidate for
initiation presents himself at the door
Of an Entered Apprentices lodge, until
that solemn hour when the sublime
mysteries of the Masters degree are
unfolded to his sig hit. every sign, every
symbol, every ceremony is fraught with
a lesson Of the purest morality, and
forcibly inculcates the practice Of virtue.
Time, and the nature Of my Masonic
obligations, will not permit me to no.
tice in detail the various moral lessons
which Masonry teaches, but [ cannot
forbear mentioning those three, which
in Masonry, as in revealed religion,
embrace the entire system Of morality, |
since they comprise our duty to God,
our neighbors and ourselves.
The first great lesson we are taught |
in Masonry is to subdne our passions
and if Masonry taught nothing else,
this alone should entitle it to universal
It seems as difficult to realize,
as it is impossible to oyer-estimate, the
Of elf-discipline. 1t is in
deed the chief corner stone of mans |
spiritual, moral and Masonic edifce.
In the warfare between the nobler and
the baser qualities Of his nature there
can be no permanent truce nor compro-
mise. He must subdue his passions
or they will subdue him; and at once
the most common and saddening spec
tacle is that of a man, made in the i'm
age of his Maker. crouching under the
lash Of those base passions which pecu-
Iiarly characterize the brute creation.
Il is no less true than humiliating re-
lection that among the pagan nations
of Greece and Rome there was much
more exalted respect paid to this cardi-
nal principle Of Masonry and morality
han is witnessed among the Christian
1ations of modern times. Indeed the
lncients generally regarded # Of such