Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-12-02
THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREE
MASONRY.

A paper read November IS, 1892,
before the Taxewell lodge of A. i.
and A. A., at thor hall i'll Tazewell,
Va, by Judge $. q. Graham.
Men have told us that Masonry,
"Like every other society, which ever
huurislied, must sink with the lupse
of years aud the changes il The splr-
it of society" This was suid long
ago, and said IN my time. This was
none the less false prophecy Han
is being, created b. tho Great Mas
ter with every attribute that mikes
him the highest type of social order
and system; and the beut OF his eDer
gies and reason ia to make humanity.
AS body, what his ideal dictates,
one great united social brotherhood.
In his intellectual development, his
social and gregarious proclivities
have caused him to form stable gov
ernments and create nations, with
constitutions to which lie comDels
obedience.
Individual existence itself. enforces
the universal aid divine law, which
we call order" Masonry. '.Freenia
Honry,' Us the world knows it, is but
the highest result Of this great law
OF order. Its principles are the con.
crete OF accepted morals, that are in
themselves absolutely unnssuilnble.
Who can successfully assail them
1t demands belief i'll but one al
mighty God, snd whatever may be
the contention over the divinity of
other beings, spirits or sacred char
acters, the thinking world, more now
than ever, comedies that there must
be "Great First Cause" In this
sole requisition OF one divine power,
lies the fountaid hta OF the wisdom
OF Freemasonry. How well consid
cred, indeed it is ! Without divine
power. the sacred obligations which
bind us as brotherhood would be-
futile. Thete would be no reward
for our charity, no ground for our
hope, no incentive for the pl rejection
OF virtue.
Great principles, to survive the in
vestigations of mankind, must bo of
universal application; they must com
prehend all freemen. LIT the Ma
hometan make his pilsrin...: % 10 Mec
ca; let tue Christine rl,,,t rinte the
doctrines OF his inspired Masters; let
the jew look for his coming Messiah,
but all can make the same solemn
VOW at the altar of Masonry.
H.pt bn Ciuufc nucnrt flat a.,
OF our society besius with creation;
that it is Inherent even among saw
nges. No we'll informed OF thinking
Mason now believes this, for it is un.
true. the prentice hand of nature
WAS imperfect. not only in the me
chanism OF the physical, but the mon
tai world. Masonry is hut the
evolved result and outcome of the in.
herent love that finite man has for
the society and fellowship of his kind.
The Caucasian race, among whom
alone Masonry fourishes, entertains
the sublime idea that the climax of
human happiness will exist in the
universal equality aud freedom # it's
race. In its Masonry kings are no
batter than their subjects; hence Ma
sonry never emanated from the cruel
and selfish savage-it could not. My
research makes me rather believe
tnat it had it's origin in the protec
ton of the craft from savage cruelty
and oppression. Let it be ancient or
modern, none but an enlightened
creature could originate such an or
der
The primitive man knew no law
but the survival of the fittest. They
destroyed tho old, the weak and the
helpless, because they were useless;
we assist and prolong the lives of
such with boundless charity. They
made slaves and beasts of burden OF
their women, to our order they are
the objects Of our chlvalry and pro
lection. They gave free sway To
their passions, with no more restraint
than the beasts of the field; we not
only inculcate, but demand virtue,
We help the brother of strange
land; they sold him in bondage; we
relieve each other in distress; thew
robbed and pillaged the defenceless
Then, how can it be said, with truth
that our great order had its origin in
savage race, or its birth in darl,
agef
We know, beyond dispute, that
speculative Masonry had its first or
gnnized origin in the year TIT; but
there was period far beyond the
reach OF authentic history, however
that had its splendor, intelligence
and greatness as well as we. All that
would unfold this to us is gone, save
the work Of the operative Mason
which alone is left to tell the tale
written with his working tools along
the cliffs and valleys of the Nile.
Architecture mas always command
cd the highest notice and intellect o.
she world. The ancient enlightened
world excelled in this. 1t built struc
lures with stone SO large, as to move
which, required force now lost te
mechanics or art.