National Republican., 1874-06-02
ISRAEL A. N. E. CHURCH.
TIE CORNERSTONE OF TIE NEE
EDIFICE LxJn

TIE CORNERSTONE OF TIE HEE
EDIFICE L4In.
IMPosIN? hASoNIC CEREMONIES BY THE
GPaND LODGE OF THE DISTEICF-sPLEN-
DID DISPLAY OF CoLORED CITIZENS
GRAFTON BY MR. JOHN Il. BROOKS.
Asyas previously announced, tho ceremony OF
Iayipu the cornerstone of the new edihoe of the
CONGREGATION OF Israel Methodist Episcopal
Church one of the Oldest and best known in tAe
..DistrIcs, took place yesterday. The new buiid-
ing viii be located on the corner OF B and First
streets southwest It viii occupy lot Rlnsey By
sixty feet The architecture is Of the Gothic
1orter, the material Of brick aud stone, Rad when
completed It Will be one Of the finest sdihces for
worship In the District and an honor 70 the peo-
Die who are lAboring hard for It's construction.
Long before the hour named for tie commence
ment of the ceremonies crowds OF eolored people
had gathered in the vicinity, and by O'Clock
there were fully i've thousand present. The
Grand Lodge Of colored Masons, who had been In
Tited to lay the cornerstone, were rendered the
services 81 the Knights Templar rs an escort
and the Grand Oommandery, under the command
OF Most Eminent Commander John A. Gray, and
Gerfrsenane and Simon COMMANDMENTS In full
uniform, the officers and Master Mssons Of the
several lodges made up an escort which was In
hpItely credita5le to the craft. They assemble
! at their asylum, and after the line had formed
marched to the spot, headed by the Fort WhippIe
, band.
The cornerstone, which occupied the usual DO
copies OF the daily papers, the Bible, United
Estates and other coins, the names of the President
sand Cabinet District officials, the members ot
= the Grand Lodge and other interesting docu'
ments.
At o'clock the assemblage was called to order
by the pastor. Rev. Mr.. Mitchell, and devotional
exercises held. These were followed by short ad-
dresses by several well-known gentlemen, and
then the procession having arrived, the Grand
Lodge took charge; The Communicates we're
were formed In o circle, and few brief intro
-ductOry remarks were made by Grand Master
VIM. H. Myers, after which the cornerstone was
offieiatiSE s at tbe nI impreSsiTo VI eeremony % mo
The Most Worthy Grand Commander then In
.troduced Right Worshiptul Brother John II.
Brooks the orator Of the day, who delivered the
Most Rorshigrul Grand Master and Members Of
the FrdtsrHity:1SiL Knight. and EeliotO- Citizens;
me, in these interesting ceremonies, with great
reluctance from conscious inability to fully meet
1t Is noteworthy Of Masons that they avail
themselves OF but few, and never trivial occasions
to appear as an organized body in public. Some
great duty must at all times be the motive power
that will induce them to give up their sacred
places Of retreat and appear before the world;
not that they are afraid to meet the gaze and
criticisms OF all mankind, nor that they are
ashamed Of their profession, but because their
chief and great work, like that Of the true Chris
2a sSa Dc osT IN dea ead tSe
great lcveler, too often brings US before you in
discharge Of the melancholy duty Of committing
n brothers body to Its mother earth, and in his
RHful presence. no doubt, the mysteries that in
the eye OF the public seems to surround us, may
pnrtake Of fearful nature; but there are other
times and occasions when Masons have . delight
in coming out into the world properly clothed"
in the habiliments that distinguish them from
otners ana iS1 tne @ nee o. sGsea o1es tt
Temple Of Jerusalem to the present day.
That great monument Of human wisdom and
capacity, che Encyclopedias Brtttanica," in
speaking of FreemAsOnry, says: One of the first
objects Of man, in rude state Of being is to screen
himself and his family from tho heat Of the tropi-
cal sun, from the inclenency Of the polar regions,
or from the sudden changes Of more temperate
climateE. If he has arrived at such degree of
improvement as to live under the dominion OF q
superior, and under the influence OF religious
belief, the palace Of bis king and temple Of his
gods will be reared in the most magnificent style
which his skill can devise and industry accom-
plish. Architecture is accordingly entitled to o
very high position among the other arts. 1t is
itself the parent Of separate professions, and re-
knowledge for which few other professions have,
for the most part, any occasion. There 10 some
foundation in the very nature Of architecture for
these extraordinary privileges to which Masons
have always laid claim, and which they have
almost always possessed.
':FreemHs0nry is en- ancient and respectable In
religion and condition in life. In order to confirm
this institution and obtain the ends for which it
Eas originally formed, every candidate comes
nnder G solemn engagement never TO divulge the |
mysteries Of tho Order. nor communicate to the |
uninitlated the secrets with which he may be in4
trusted and the proceedings and plaLs with which |
the fraternity may be engaged. The |
desire for pomp aad ceremony displayed at an
early period by the Roman Catholic priests, in the
exercise Of their religion, introduced CORE;
kpondirg desire for splendid monasteries and
cathedrais. In order to encourage
the profession Of architecture, the Pon:ifs Of
Rome and other potentates OF Europe conferred
on the fraternity OF Freemasons the most ifhpor-
tant privileges, and allowed them TO be governed
by laws, customs and ceremonies peculiar TO
nations, who were denominated Freei6asois, and
sTeSiea fBS.s Elegant S efareSss sSd eatAbearsi.
Which men still admire. The government of this
was remarkably regular. Freemasons
nclorS!iiLe9 the building Of religious structures
n al CiIIstendom,,
It viii thus be seen. my friends that the laying
Horship OF the living God was in ancient times
considered the exclusive right and duty Of Free
masons and, following in the footsteps Of our an
ciclt brethren, we are here to-day advisedly, not
for show and pomp, but in the performance OF an
important and interesting ceremony, that from
the earliest ages to the present day has been re-
garde0 as the peculiar work OF Freemasons.
Masonry has ever been the faithful handmaid
and friend Of the Church, and had the Church,
Ike Masonry, never devlated from her primitive
one single jar or ripple Of that harmonious inter-
course and friendship that had existed between
them from the time that great Jehovah command
ed the temple ut Jerusalem to be built to the sew
cnteenth century Of the Christian era. But the
Church had grown rapidly in numbers and power.
Many magnificent monAsteries and cAthedrals
had been erected, ambitious and designing men
had entered her priesthood. and the doctrines and
teachings Of the loWly Jesus, who had declared
that His kingdom was not Of this world, were
found TO be lily suited to the ambitions Of the
MhV taught that kingdoms and princlPslities in
His name should be established on earth.
1t was about this time the fatal step was taken
Of blending Church and State, and the assumption
by the Church Of the control Of the temporal
cal purposes with the State The same great
authority says, in speaking Of the causes that led
to the Roman Catholic Church opposing Masonry: |
very reason which prompted the Church to pro-
the fraternity ceased to exist; they therefore
withdrew from them that patronage which they |
had spontaneously protered and denied them
even The liberty Of holding their secret assem-
blies. But these were not the only causes which |
produced such striking change in the conduct Of
baYe already stated, the spirit Of Freemasonry |
was hostile TO the principles OF the Church OF
the mind; the object and policy OF the other was
10 retain It in Ignorance. When Freemasonry |
fiour!shed the power Of the Church must have
/ have adverted to these historical facts not in |
condemnation Of the course Of the Roman Cath |
Olc Church but in yindicatlon Of the claim Of Ma
estaSlish @ The fact tSst T the % Church, tSoIrh now
opposed to the Order, for many years during Its |
early history. regarded Masonry q handmade. |
No, my friends, Masonry is not envious or Jealous |
Of the power or influence Of any other society: |
With the Supreme Architect above as her Grand |
Master, and The Holy Blbls here below as guide |
ali ms instltutiohs % Entsf lie door cf MssOnFS and
EQQ will there find Orier Whoss object il Is 10 !
curb nJemperarv Passiv, to restrain the spirit Of
ambition and TO teach charity and fOrbearance 10
individuals. justice and integrity to governments
humanity and beaevOlence to nations; to Danish
from the world every source OF enmity and hos
which depend, in Q high degree, the peace and
order of society.
The establishing Of Christian churches among
the cOloTed people in this country has been of
told benefits, not only in bringing them to knoWl-
edge Of Jesus Christ, but in coUnteracting the
Gebaslng influences Of slavery and the slave laws;
saving them from moral degradation that is
fearful TO contemplate.
The slave laws recognized no obligation either
morally or intellectually to redeem them from
and minds by the teachings OF Christian love and
Fellowship. They were totally neglected and had
no rights that white men were bound to respect,
either Of religion or politics The Constitution OF
their country, which secured liberty to every
other person In the land, was to them q dead let
ter 1t is true the Church did not 90 SO far as to
exclude them by canon, but practically they were
excluded from all Of its benehts and their pres
ence was barely tolerated in secluded parts OF the
temple. They were not only the civil and politI-
cal Pariahs Of American society, but also Of the