The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-23

he dwelt. thus he spoke. and thus he
Yet we stand upon the earth, lineai
Of Drimeval man. ever
entity acknowledging u creation
through the unknown fathers and
ages ago, by the great I Am.
to whom time, as man knows il, Is but
as the fieeting shadow OF the dial.
Probably we may never know the
ultimate beginning of Masonry. 1t is
more necessary to define that for
the performance Of Masonic duty, than
the first language upon earth in order
to use our own with propriety.
Yet, IL the proper study OF mankind
rs man, 1T cannot be without interest
to US, to recognize in distant countries
and past ages. the footprints OF the
craft, the workmanship of its tools, the
echos OF it's teachings. nay. even to
meet the central legend of its mystic
ries in STANCE lands and forgotten
tongues.
The materials dug from the rubbish
OF human annals. you are aware. have
supplied the foundation for theories al
most as numerous as writers With
some it is the modern development OF
the Eleusinian or other mysteries OF
the pagan world; with others of the
worlds renowned triumph of architect
ure, the Temple of Solomon. others
trace it's origin mons the Ro-
man colleges of artificers, the crusad-
ers for the cover Of the Holy Land.
the guilds of the middle ages, Ito the
stonemasons of Strasburg and Cologne.
the revolutionary struggle in England
in the time of the commonwealth, or
to the secret efforts of the house OF
Stuart to recover the throne of Eng
land"
But it is to the history of the build
ing and the details of the character Of
the temple Of Solomon, as the great
model of the spiritual temple Of the
Masonic life, thai our thoughts are
constantly directed from the hour Of
the apprentices entering, to the sum-
mons from the divine architect, to lay
aside the tools of earthly labor.
In its story, symbolism and legend
are combined. It is so vital to Masonic
service and illumination that a great
authority has said of it: THE spiritual
izing of the temple is the first, the
most prominent, and the most pervad-
ing of all symbols of Masonry. Take
from Freemasonry it's dependence on
he temple; leave out of it's ritual all
reference to that sacred edifiee. and
to the legends and traditions
ed with it, and the system itself would
at once decay and die, or at best, re-
main only as some fossilized bone,
serving merely to show the nature of
the once living body, to which it be-
longed. Well has it beer called 1.-THE
most cherished object in Masonic SYM
boliSm."
The speculative Mason is reminded
in his ritual that, as the operative ar
fist erects his temporal building in ac-
cordance with the rules and designs
laid down on the tr~estle-board of the
master workman, so he should erect
that spiritual building, of which the
material is a type, in obedience to the
rules and designs aid down by the
Architect Of the universe. in the
great books of nature and revelation!"
The trestle-board is, therefore, the
symbol Of natural and moral law. He
who is without God in the world, has
no master-workman; he is without q
trestle-board, and thus he cannot build
a spiritual temple.
1t is not to brethren versed in the
legendary lore of the branches Of Ma
sonry association, that I need recount
the connection in detail, (even if it
were possible in a brief hour), between
the exquisite imagery of our symbolic
science, and the incidents of the erec-
ton of that grand triumph of on
Structive power, that for four centu-
ries smoked with sacrifice, and shone
upon the hills Of Jerusalem. 1t was not
so much for it's size, as some have vain
~ IhooShl, u u ludl IL
was the joy of the whole earth. When
by the command Of God the ark was TO
be transported from the tabernacle Of
its journeyings, and find a resting place
in the holy of holes in the temple, such
directions were given in Holy Writ, as
to render the conclusion irresistible
that in eac and every part it was to
teach symbolic lessons to mankind.
With The materials most valuable, truly
and precious Of the world, were COM
bined the inspired wisdom of Solomon
to devise, the strength of Hiram, the
king Of Tyre, whose power and help
fulness were at his friends command,
and the beauty impaired by the skill
of Hiram Abiff. So careful indeed vas
the master-buiider, that legend relates
that he brought the topaz from a dis
| tant island of the Arabian sea that no
beauty or glory might be wanting. Well
might his loss at the very a hour
Of the finished work, impress the les
son of mortality upon the working null
titude, and the noble ceremonial Of his
sculpture teach the greatest of truths.
an Immortality beyond the grave, and
the necessity to prepare for it's COM
ing.
Cicero declared that "a well consti-
tuted commonwealth must be governed
not by written lax alone, but also by
the unwritten or tradition or Usage, for
the written law, no matter how plain,
may be diverted to various meanings,
u the republic is maintained by
usages and traditions. which though
mute, speak with a living voice, and
give the best Interpretation Of the
| written"
Mackay says: "It is not essential to
the value of the symbolism that the
legend shall be proved to be historical.
Whether considered as a truthful mar
rative Of an event that actually rans-
pired during the building of the tenn
pie, or simply as a myth embodying re-
. ligious sentiment, the symbolic lesson
of life and death and immortality is
still contained in it's teachings, and
! commands our earnest attention"
But you are aware that it's historic
verify is commended for, not only by the
~unlearned, but such authorities as the
great ~archeologist, Sir William Beth
am, who traces the Masonic wisdom to
the Dionysian societies or architects,
A CnT IN n