The Wilmingtonian., 1884-08-16
MASONIC.


Tho Influence of Masonry.
For good is felt throughout the whole
civilized world it finds it way into the
hamlets of the poor and into the palaces of
the rich the home of the widow and orphan
is gladdeued by its generous hand, and the
weary traveller is cheered by its benefeien-
ces. 1t restraints man from the commission
of crime and injustice and stretches forth its
hands to remove temptation from the erring;
it is active in all those things which tend
to elevate mankind, and is the relentless
enemy of vice in every form. 1t has been
the means of calling into existence almost
every benevolent Order which exists to-day.
Masonry, by her tenets and cardinal virtues,
draws unbidden to her sanctum sanctorum
the high, the low, the rich and the poor,
and numbers them all alike, her plighted
sons and workmen. BY her sublime princi-
pies, and noble deeds she challenges the
admiration of all men. She has stood the
ravages of time, the commissions Of the civil,
and the revolutions of the political world,
and will never be destroyed, because she is
founded on philosophic basis-upon the
truth. And in this connection let me say
that our institutions not sustained by its
signs, grips, and passwords, that the mere ini-
tiating, passing and raising of a man does
not make him a Mason in the true sense of
the term; the heart and the mind must be in
sympathy with the objects of the insttu-
ton the desire to be made Mason should
be joined with determination to be SER
viceable to humanity. To be called Mason
signifies much, but to be one signifies much
more The name should be guarantee
to the world that he who bears the title
is man Of honor, libclality and moral
character, a man of integrity and broad
minded benevolence toward his race.
Let us, therefore, brethren, endeavor to
sail according to our Ancient Chart, and
maintain our high code OF morals, assumed
when time was young. Let the institution
be distinguished by the moral character
and intelligence of our members, rather
than by our numerical strength. Let us see
to it that every Mason is man of good
natural sense, of good, clean, everyday
character, honest truthful and sober Let
our Masonry be no mere name or formality.
Let us gather the spirit of its teach
ings, exemplify that the spirit in
our intercourse with each other and
with the world at large, and our own
Bothered condition will reflect itself in
the world about u.s. Outside the Lodge
room let our lips be silent as to the mys-
teries of Masonry, and our lives vocal for
it, Let us work together in unity of pur-
pose for the accomplishment Of good to the
race with out this unity our theories are
ropes of sand, and Brethren, let me here
ask in candor (and let each Brother
answer for himself), whether we have
taken such an interest in carrying OUT the
noble principles of our institution
that it has been the means of bring
ing joy to those that We're sorrowing,
comfort to those that We're wretched,
relief to those that were destitute, and con.
ISOLATION to those that were in trouble? Have
the lips of hunger appealed to us in vain Z
Was Brother naked and we clothed him
not? Have VIC bound up the wounds of the
afflicted in life's battle? Have we wills
pered words of counsel md adm1nition il
the ear of an erring Brother? Have we
stretched forth our hands to raise the fallen
Have we remembered Brothers. wants ~
we'll as our own when Offering up our ador
alton to Deity? Brethren, think Of these
things and govern yourselves accordingly
I'M. W. Frank Church.
The Rev. i. Husband, referring on Sun
day night to Freemasonry, remarked tina
he was more especially led to make SOM
remarks, because he had been reading j.
the newspapers during the last week Of TIL
Pope's New Encyclical, which is, we az
told, long document denonncing Free
masonry. He was sorry that his Holmes
had not something better to teach the worl,
than such out-of-time doctrine II
spoke that night not as Mason
but as an outsider although he wa
not outside through any want O
belief in the truth and beauty of Masonry
lie admired Masonry, not chiefly for il
grand Ritual or antiquity, but chiefly bccaus
of the truth which underlined its doc
trnes, that is of helping each other, show
ing acts of Broherly kindness one TOWARD
another, and of kindness between man an
his brother man. He had noticed this esp,
ciaIly when travelling through foreign land
If two Masons happened to meet each oth'
they were no strangers, although strange
in the flesh Masonry taught them that
they passed Brother in trouble or fallt
through circumstances of sickness or calar
ity, they should go to that man and off
him the hand and try to lift him up. TIL
was the religion of the Gospel, althous
seemingly not that of the Vatican. In til
way we showed the spirit of Christ VIII
we helped one another and we were TIL
doing the will and work of God.--bolkesso
(Eng) Chronicle.
Colorado makes wife abandonment, into
ication, gambling or immorality par
admission into any Of its Lodges.
Life Of Blaine.
IL