Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-03-23
ADDRESS OF ELDER NICHOLSON,
The Teachings and Practice Of Ma
sOnry as Applied to Real Life.

Gentlemen:- It time honored custom
among the mystic brotherhood everywhere
where ever the honore1 name of Grand Mas
| ter Hiram Abiff, or Hyram King of Tyre is
known, to meet upon holy ground take of our
| shoes and humble ourselves under the mighty
hand of the great Grand Master of the uni
verse. and talk to one another about the prin-
ciple inculcated by that loving and lovable
mason, st. John the Baptist, the beloved of the
Lord. And who through all his life taught the
grand tenets of masonry, which are Faith,
Hope and Charity. Out Of which grow Wis
dom, Strength and Beauty.
I These are the grand pillars upon which
] Free Masonry rests: And we are proud to say
| that we, as mystic brotherhood, want no bet
ter. But in my remarks this evening 1 will
consider masonry under different head and
| from different standpoint. In the first place
L will look at the philosophy of the order, in so
| far as it engages in speculations on the nature
of man as an immortal, social and responsible
| being.
And in the second place we win look at its
teachings and practice as applied to the vari-
| Gus relations of life. 1t is well known and
demonstrated fact by naturalists, that in the
| animal kingdom there is a constant tendency
on the part of the different varieties of the
| same species of dom estic animals to revert TO
| one wild original stock; and so it appears to
| be with the human family. There is a con-
slant tendency to go back to the original state
| of barbarity and ignorance from which the
elevatinR and refining forces in constant oper-
| alton have redeemed it. During tho present
century discoveries have been made in orien-
tai lands which have brought to light from the
| gray and Wondering past the astonishing
fact that away back in the ages, two or three
| thousand years anterior to our earliest sacred
or classical history, there existed distinct and
well organized nationalities in Egypt and
| India, far advanced in all the elements of civ
| ilization, possessing language perfect after
| its plan, and also rich and cOpious literature
But these nations passed away; their sun set
| in darkness, and we have only buried cities
| and scattered fragments of their greatness to
| tell the sad tale of their fall.
Traces of fallen people and extinct civil
| iZation are also found in Central and South
| America, and Mound Builders of the Mississip-
| ri valley seem TO have been a superior race
| to the natives found there when the country
! was first explored. What caused the downfall
| of those nations, and the passing of their civ
| ilization cGn only be conjectured. No light
| can penetrate the blackness that surrounds
| their history; and tradition, like Sphinx.
| looks out over the desert of years, but utters
| no voice, and gives no clue to even their
| name.
Advancing on the pathway of time, until we
reach authentic history, we know that the de-
| cline and ultimate destruction of Greece and
Rome was caused by the RIGHTEOUSNESS and
general corruptness of the people. Had not
virtue departed from Rome, and luxury ener-
| waited her citizens, the Goths and Vandals
| could not have preyed upon the Seven Killed
City's pride, and spread the pail of barbarism
| where once the light of splendid civilization
| shone. We may then conclude that the cause
which brought about the Dark Ages" OF our
history also in former ages brought barbarism
upon the civilization Of the far distant past,
| and that the former, within given cycles of
time, has over-run and engulfed the latter as
vast waves might green island of the sea.
Whether the light of this age shall go out in
darkness or continue to shine on through the
future with ever Frightening rays, depends
upon the strength and persistency of the force
and influence that are building up and sustain
| ing our grand system Of civilization. Let US
therefore briefly inquire into the nature of
these forces and influences. They may be
divided into three general groups. Namely:
LIST. Those that pertain to the physical man
| and relate to the laws of health including the
| medical science with all its rules and appli-
| ances for the development of the body and
preservation of health.
| End. Those that train, enlarge and strength
en- the mind as the various drills, studies and
sciences of the schools, together with history
| and general literature.
3rd. Those which give strength, breadth and
depth to the moral and spiritual nature of
| rolf
CARNATIONS that have grown up and made
their impression upon the present age.
These are three great factors or pillars upon
| which rest the civilization of the world, and
| Masonry occupies a prominent place in this
| important group; in society and among the Or
| CARNATIONS. And while l would not detract
from the well-earned honors of other organic
atoms founded upon purely moral principles,
am persuaded that Free Masonry is better
designed for the accomplishment of its high
purposes than any other organization of this
class. The church is'not taken into considera-
ton in this connection for the reason that
| while it teaches morality it goes further and
claims through its fundamentally to lead men
to that divine source of light and purity where
they are regenerated in their spiritual natures.
and freed from the condemnation of sin
not claim so exalted mission; but it may be
termed the handmade of religion, as there is
not a thought in all its teachings but what
may be traced to Gods written word not one
but is recognized by every devoted Christian.
And not a word among its passwords, save
one, but what is found in the holy bible.
am aware that modern skepticism have
a survey of the powers of mankind. but Ma
| xuifh in no itlriadfofiOu of the
grand orient, Is not tinctured with skepticism.
A belief in the existence of God as the grand
architect of the universe is one of the most i'm
| portant land marks of the order. 1t is need
less to cite authorities on this point. We might
say that the very first Of the old charges be-
gins by declaring that Mason is obliged by
his tenure to obey the moral law, and if he
rightly understands the art he will never be q
stupid atheist nor an irreligious lbertine.
Nay verify, for the first confession demanded
of candidate for its sublime mysteries is q
firm belief in the God of the universe, and the
last sad rite Masonry performs by the open
grave, is to drop into the portals of the tomb
the evergreen emblem OF Immortality and
eternal life. The doctrine of the Immortality
OF the soul is forcibly taught in the third de
gree of our order, and this is the very founda
ton Of all forms OF religious faith. 1t has been
truly said, without belief in personal i'm
mortality, religion is surely like an arch rest
ing on one pillar; like bridge ending in ar
abyss" Subsidiary to this belief in God as 6
landmark of our order is the belief in 8 resurec
ton to q future life. The whole scope and de
sign Of the third degree is to teach the resur
cotton from the dead and inculcate the rewards
Of future. II the doctrine of the resurrection
were false. then would the ceremonies of the
third degree be simply a farce? But the sym
Dol of the resurrection from dead level to q
perpendicular is one of the sublimest acts tina,
the minds eye eyer gazed upon, or by which
the heart was ever made glad. 1t is not &c
positively impressed upen a candidate by exact
words as belief in the existence of God; but
| the doctrine ia taught nv very nlain irnnlina.