Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-04-04
THE SECRET ORDERS.
Continued from Fourteenth Page.

Continued from Fourteenth rage.
the engraved figures of the tools of the
same? OF course, they are plumbs, levels
SQUARES and compasses in rearing the walls
of buried and long-forgotten structures Oh
antiquity What do these prove TO us?
That there were stone masons III those
DAYS? Well, yes, but we are not stone
masons We are metaphysicidns, philo-
sophers. students Of nature, and of God!
AS such. the carpenter interests, as much
as the mason. when we discover the i'm
pliments of his skill in the past and we
are interested in both because of their
connection with the great structures that
concealed the observances of the mysteries
of the ancients.
Freemasonry is founded upon the theory
that the essense of all things is Truth,
and that Truth is God. All discoveries
that illustrate the hopes, longings' reIig-
ions. faiths and aspirations of the race,
from the unknown past to the living pres
ent. are of vital interest TO the Freema-
son. The universally Of Freemasonry,
processes. permits no arbitrary boundaries
to human thought. and dictates no special
methods of finding out Truth, which is
God. 1t insists on the equality of man, on
the necessity OF organized society on the
government of the minority by the major
ity. with equal justice TO all. Its all-per-
vadng doctrine is, do unto others as you
would have them do unto you under like
circumstances This Golden Rule is as
old as the pyramids, and is a landmark
that must not be removed. Practically, 1t
includes the whole duty Of man. In fact
it includes the entire system of morals
yelled in a!legory. which Freemasonry
teaches 10 its neophytes.
Freemasonry uses the Gavel, not because
stonemasons used it. but because l. is an
expressive symbol to the Sons of Light.
IT was the compass, not because ansient
architects used it. but because they are a
spiritual symbol of infinite importance
when united with all the square. And
thus we might go on with all the working
tools of the craft. and Of which none Of
their uses were known to the Operatives.
We are indebted to Operative Masonry
for the tools of which we have made eX-
pressive and sacred symbols We are,
perhaps. not indebted to them for one of
the sublime instructions found concealed
behind them. and brought forth in the
development of our mysteries. And
whether we see the images of these tools
on the buildings long buried beneath the
debris Of decayed civilizations, or on the
existing structures of more recent, though
ancient people we are reminded of their
meanings to the initiated adopts, and not
of their mechanical uses. These Temples
tell of mysteries adopted in the gloom Of
early thought. advanced into the brighter
Nominations Of succeeding ages, and rails
ed TO the splendors of the consuming ell
makes that survived the decay of the
kingdoms they could not eXalt Egypt.
Persia. China and India occupy a much
fuller place in the civilization Of this coun-
try than the multitudes suspect
As the English language absorbs the best
that is found in all the great tongues. so
Freemasonry appropriates what has been
found of the philosophy exalted thought
and sublime dogmas of all the civilizations
of the earth. That is true Freemasonry.