Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-11
KNIGHTS TEMp|AR
Attended Special Services at the North
Street N. B. Church.
Wheeling and CyrsAe comman-
dries Marched to the Church in a
Body-An Excellent and Appro-
pirate Sermon Preached by the
Pastor, the Rev. G. B. Graham.
A Synopsis Of His Remarks.

PAieSoO 80 AAAoA IIedcneQ Dy LIE
Pastor, the Rev. G. B. Graham.
A Synopsis Of His Remarks.
There were special services of a very
interesting and impressive character at
the North Street NJ E. church last
evening, for the Knights Templar.
Members of Cyrene and Wheeling
Communicates met at their halls and
marched to the church. A special pro-
gramme had been arranged. including
exercises by the knights. A special
sermon, appropriate to the occasion.
was preached by the pastor. the Rev.
I. b. Graham, of which an abstract is
appended.
IeXt-"And God said, let there be
llent, and there was light
mere are few, If any. passages of
scripture more familiar to this audi
ence, and especially to Masons. than
that quoted as our text. and vet its
meaning has never been fully appre-
hended by any; nor will it be under
stood as long as there is darkness,
elther moral or physical, in the uni
verse. After God had created the
heavens and the earth he planned for
their continuance. After he formed
man he gave laws for his observance
which were violated, and brought
darkness to his neral, and sorrow to
his physical nature But the same
authority who said, Let there be
Ugh, on the physical worldt said also
I am the light of the world" moral
ly and Intellectually.
we call attention now to the Ma
sonic feature of this worship. Mason
ry what is 1t? A. G. Mackey says in
MS Lexicon: Masonry is of two kinds,
operative and speculative. Operative
masonry is engaged in the construc-
ZION Of material edifices by means of
stone and marble; speculative masonry
IS occupied in the erection Of a spir-
itual temple, by means of symbolic in
structlon. The latter. which is also
called Freemasonry, adopts and SYM
bollzes Tor its sacred purpose the i'm
plements and materials which are used
IN the former. Hence, operative ma
sonry IS an art, and speculative a
science; and while the objects of the
one are profane and temporal, those Of
the other are sacred and eternal"
Again he says, "A science which is
engaged in the search after Divine
Truth and which employs symbolism
as It's method of instruction"
F'reemasonry, however, is not a sys-
tenn of religion. 1t is but the hand
maid TO religion, although it largely
and effectually illustrates one great
branch Of it, which is practice
lierio
principles OF F'reemasonry are assured
ly religious. 1t embraces the leading
features of religion. To say that it is
not religious institution would be to
deny its fundamental principles. It
has been founded and nurtured in re-
llgion. and it is to its pre-eminently
religious character that it owes its de-
velopment. Hence any endeavor to
separate Freemasonry and religion
would be to destroy the foundation
principles of the ORDER says Rev. Nj.
F. Carey in ''Freemasonry in All
Ages
The revelation of Gods will to man
is technically called the spiritual
moral and Masonic trestle board of
every Mason. He is by these to erect
spiritual temples to eternal life True
goodness and piety Of life is incuca-
ted to every Mason as the rule of his
conduct. The voice of the Grand
Architect OF the Universe speaks
through the symbolism of every cere-
mony from the very inception of the
candidate into the order The SYM
bolisms and ceremonies used by Ma
sons teaches him to receive light from
hn MI IF 7 ioI,t
to their fellow men. And yet Mason
ry does not inquire after a mans sec
tartan creed, whether he be Jew
Christian or Mohammedan Nor is it
a substitute for Christian duty or OBJ
legation. 1t does not interfere with
creeds, sects or their doctrines. but
teaches fundamental religious truths in
perfect accord with the Christian
scheme of salvation. The religious
spirit of the institution is the motive
power of its progress and success. A
genuine devotional spirit pervades the
whole Of it's forms and the blessing Of
God is solemnly invoked on all Ma
sonic bodies and the holy law OF sacred
word is displayed openly upon all its
affairs.
1t may be said that the creed of
Masonry consists in a belief in God, the
Creator CT all things, visible and invis-
ible, the Great Architect of the Uni
verse, and in the immortality of the
soul and the resurrection. As already
expressed, the chief design of Masonry
is to aid man in his search for truth,
and all other things are subordinate.
The Truth is symboliZed by the Word
and is ever associated with the highest
conception of Jehovah.
The speaker gave a very interesting
account of the origin of Masonry, and
continuing, said:
The evolution of the order and its
arrival at it's present noble. honor
able and magnificent position, has not
been in name only, but in forms, in
orders and in practice, like the church
rising in one part of the world and
receding i'm another.
In the Fifteenth century and after
the Reformation, the operative feature
of the order became less important UNI
til speculative Masonry entirely super
ceded it. Masonry, like the church in
another particular, has had its periods
of revivals. In 100 there began what
is known in Masonic history as the
Revival" which continues III a de
gree TO the present and is not likely
TO soon decline.
Masonry has taken systematic and