The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-02-10
Extracts from Address of Grand Master
VIM. French TO the Masonic Grand
Lodge.
LODGE MEETINGS ON THE SABBATH.


On the 23d of April last, received 4 let
ter from Lodge "a, f" stating that all its
members were farmers, and that it was very
incOnVenient for them to attend meetings
on week days, and desired my opinion as 20
the legality and propriety Of holding their
regular meetings on the Sabbath. Ireplied,
that while Masonry is in no sense a religious
institution, and makes no pretentIons to
save mems souls, yet Masonry - e at
moral institution, and embraces in its mem
bership good and pure men Of every cline
and creed, and the man that practices its
teachings and precepts, must Of necessity
be a good man. 1t teaches due reverence
for the Deity and all His works, as well as
our duty to God, our country, our neighb0r
and ourselves. The applicants for our mys
teries are required to possess necessary
qualifications the principal one is belief
in God, and without which no man can be
a Mason. Belief i'm God implies future
responsibility to Him, and obedience to His
Divine laws. Masons accept tho Holy Bible
as rule and guide to their faith and prac
tice, II lies upon the altar in every Lodge
room, and without its presence no Lodge
can hold a legal meeting. Let US see what
is written in the book: Remember the
Sabbath day TO kept holy. Six days shalt
thou labor, and do all thy work: But the
seventh day Is the Sabbath Of the Lord thy
God: az IT thou shalt not do any work" This
command was written upon a table of stone,
amidst the thunderings of Sinia, by the
hand of the Almighty himself, and since
then it has been obeyed and reverenced by
the good and the pure of every age and
cline. In this land OF ours, the first day Of
the week is set apart and recognized as the
Sabbath. The civil law entorces a due
observance of that day, and God forbid that
it may ever be said that Masons, il violation
of Divine and human laws, should ever find
it necessary to hold any meetings on the
Sabbath-funeral occasions alone excepted.
l am of the opinion that it would be impr0p-
er and illegal to hold a regular communi-
cation on the Sabbath. 1t would be better
for the honor and good name Of Masonry,
that the Lodge should cease to exist.
THE BURIAL OF SUSPENDED MAsoN5.
On the 22d of April last, / received
letter from Malone Lodge, No. 10l, asking
for a special dispensatlon to bury Bro. "B."
with Masonic honOTs, in case of his death,
which was imminent. This old brother
had been a member of that Lodge for about
twenty years, aud half that time its Wor-
shipful Master, but had Omitted from the
Lodge. and moved into the jurisdiction Of
Jefferson Lodge, and affiliated with it, and
was suspended by it for non-payment of
dues, and was then under suspension.
Such an appeal was we'll calculated to,
and did, arouse my sympathies. 1t was
hard to refuse this dying request of the old
brother, and of his family, but duty COM
PEELED me to refuse the dispepsation, because
do not believe that a. is in the power of
your Grand Master to restore to good
standing Mason properly suspended. That
power is vested alone ia the Lodge that
suspended him. In this case it required
the action of the brother (by the payment
Of dues1 to reinstate him, and unless his |
dues were paid or his Lodge RENTED them, /
and reinstated him, there is no other power /
that can restore him, unless the laws of
this Grand Lodge are trampled under foot. /
1t may be said that this is an exception /
al case, and that the Grand Master might /
have granted the request. If your Grand 1
Master had the right or power TO restore this (
brother to good standing by special dispen-
that would have been the effect
1f the dispensation-then he would have
the power TO restore to good standing every |
brother who stands suspended for non>pay- /
nent of dues.
I received three similar applications, and /
1ne 70 hold Lodge of Sorrow all of which /
refused, for the reasons above given. If
brother is unable to pay his dues because
If his physical condition, and poverty, the
lodge ought to remit them, and should not
irop him. / do not believe that Lodge
will refuse to remit q brothers dues upon
/ proper application to do so, when he is
unable to pay them and when brother so
il snapm sded for non-pay-
nent, either he or the MT.odqe Is at fault,
ind then the Grand Maa ~ or Grand F.ldanA