The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-16
By ROB. MORRIS.

i Ian as all young Masons are, to com
l,rebend that most difficult and mos
Paantiful of Masonic subjects, the philoso
~, Of the Third Degree. / had failec
f+bns far to get competent instructor
one professional lecturer whom EN-
T17ved at considerable expense to eluci
date the theme fer my private benefit
tnew no more about it than-well, won
sav how little he did know; but the mos
circular form of the Arabic numerals
Exactly expresses the amount OF Masonic
o+tainments, as well in the third as in the
tbree degrees of Masonry. Others, old
and Young, to whom | applied to unite
he yarious knots that had confused my
Ind. could only cut them, Alexander
fashion, by denying that there was any
',1vstery at all in them! So / went on
NV perplexed way, getting ray or two
here and there land more from DR.. Oil
,ers writings than any other source),
until | had the good fortune to fall in
with master mind, no less person than
Brother Chas. Scott, just then issuing
bis first work. "The Analogy of Ancient
Craft Masonry to Natural and Revealed
Relioion;" and whose singular abilities
in this direction had so excited the atten-
tiop of his Mississippi brethren as to cause
his early elevation to the the Grand
Nastership of that State. 1t was at
Jackson, and in his own Lodge, that /
frst Witnessed his manner Of governing
The Craft and heard his masterpiece of
Masonic philosophy, the symbolism of the
Third Degree. / can never forget the
impresson made that hour upon my mind.
What a direction was that hour given to
NV Masonic career, past and future, can
only be known in the mind Of Omnipo-
tence.
Brother Scott began by recapitula-
ting the ceremonial itself. Intetlinking
is various parts with much ingenuity, he
drew the image of a great tragedy worthy
the mind and attention of Shakespeare,
in which the incidents all led to the same
proper conclusion, and of which the whole
made up a drama of great naturalness,
pathos and life. l have often taken this
view of the Third Degree in my subse-
quent course as professional lecturer, and
always find while passing through it, that
| am indebted for my best passages to my
recollections of Brother SCOTS lecture
that night. l have read the best TRACE
dies of Shakespeare and other dramatists,
but have not found a subject so well
adapted to be the masterpiece of human
passion already intensified for the hislri-
onic art, as the legend of the Third Degree
Following upon this, Brother Scott
spiritualized the whole. Incident after
incident so naturally followed each other
in the action of the drama, was shown up
in equal naturalness in relation to the
moral and spirit life as a Mason. We
we're taught-but why recapitulate the
truths unfolded in that splendid effort of
giant mind. You have heard me to-
night pursuing the same theme; and my
model was shaped upon his. Few, |
apprehend, ever heard him upon that sub
ject, without acquiring lasting respect
equally for the philosopher and his
theme.
But have a story to tell in this con-
nection. A year or two afterward, so
iourning in another State, CHANGED upon
a Lodge in which were three brothers,
all of one birth, physically as well as
Masonically. They were pointed out to
me by the brethren present, not only as
remarkable for the fact that they were
born the same hour and initiated at the
same ceremony, but because there was
curious incident connected with their Ma
sonic beginning. 1t seems that they were
formerly members of the same denomina-
ton, denomination whose principal enc
mics (the world, the flesh, and the deviD
are symbolized to their heated minds
under the name of Masonry" Though
meek and mild in a general way, yet the
three brothers were wrathful and bitter in
the extreme in relation to all matters con-
nected with the subject of Masonry.
Neither Masonry nor Masons had any
favor in their sight. In their monthly
meetings, when called upon for remarks"
and suggestions, their burden was
this outrageous Order, and the way it
was spreading and deluding the young
men Of their flock.
In fact it was playing havoc among
their young men. Every meeting or two
some degenerate son of a hardshell sire
came home late, looking thoughtful, in
tellectually and happy, and acknowledged
in reply to the pressing questions as to
his recent whereabouts, that he had
been to the Masons' Lodge" Report
said that the eldest born of one of the
three brothers was contemplating the
same rash, daring and blasphemous step.
To counteract the effect that these ac-
ceSsions to Masonry were having upon
the Church, special meeting was called,
preachers were invited from a distance,
and the word went out that general de-
mOlishment of Freemasonry might be
anticipated.
To prepare for the occasion various
works were ordered at the expense of the
ecclesiastical treasury, and Morgan's ''Il-
lustrations," Bernards Light" and
Crafts Key were the profitable results.
These were carefully studied, their little
discrepancies harmonized as well as pos
able, and the proper passages, mostly
from the foot-notes, penciled for use. But
now occurred the curious incident which
promised you, in which Brother Scott
had part. Some brother Mason in the
neighborhood, not having the fear of the
church before his eyes, took copy of
SCOTS Analogy that belonged to himself,
tore out the lectures upon the Third De
gree, and sewing them up, mailed them
to the clerk of the Church as a veritable
anti-Masonic document. He. having
hastily perused it, laid it with the others,
and so the matter rested until the day of
debate arrived.
A great audience assembled, which
the large Church room scarcely held.
The preachers were numerous, and If
was difficult to say who were the most in
terested-the Masons or the members of
the Church. Passage after passage from
Morgan was read and commented upon
by the Moderator, who, warming with
his theme, next took up the Analogy,
Supposing it to be Demands work, and
declared that he should now show up s'the
ungodly doctrines, the diabolical tenden-