The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-10-07
PROGRESS OF FREEMAsONRY

this country.
PROGRESS OF FREEMAsoNRY.
The Order Has Ever Been Attended
bv Faith. Hope and Charity.
Freemasonry, says the Atlanta
Journal, like every other good thing,
had small beginning. 1t may be
compared TO the mustard seed which
Is the least of all seeds but when 1t
attains its growth 1T becomes great
tree in whose branches the fowls of
the air may lodge. Not fowls but the
mightiest men of cen uries have
lodged" in the tree of Masonry.
The origin Of Nj sonry is hid in the
remote depths Of antiquity. Some
say it began in Egypt, the cradle Of
civilization.
Deep in those solitary woods,
Where oft the genii OF the floods
Danced round the cradle Of their Nile
And hailed the newborn giants ST. ile.'
Others say it began in ancient
Greece, and from there was carried by
emigrants into Asia Minor.
Certain it is there were Free Ma
sons in ancient Tyre at the time of
the building OF Solomon's temple, the
Widows son being the grand master
who went to Jerusalem and aided
King Solomon in the building of that
most sublime structure ever dedicated
to religion. This was operative Ma
,onry, sort OF ancient labor union
which enabled the workmcn to jour
ney from place to place and be recOg-
nized by signs, thus obtaining protec-
tion and receiving better pay for the
support of their families. Many OF
the finest buildings in the orient and
also in Europe were built by these
union workers. the ancient Free
MasonS, SO called because the craft
was exempt from certain fines and
penalties and other restrictions placed
on the non. organized workmen.
Many individuals Of highest prom.
inence, among them Henry the
Sixth, aud also Henry the Seventh
Joined the order, wEo we're not re.
quired TO labor, but we're sort ol
honorary members. Spccu'a i've Ma.
sonry may be said to have begun in
1914 by Elias Ashmole, in London
and that is the form Of MaSonr,
which exists at this day, operative
Masonry being thing of the past
speculative Masonry an organization
kept up by signs and symbols teach
ing the most exalted principles know
to the ages, has gone into almost al
lands until there are in the world to-
day about fifteen thousand lodges
and one million, five hundred thous
| and members.
When 1t is remembered that these
are all picked men. there being NJ
women or children, no young men il
their homage, nor old men in thcil
dotage, knaveS, or fools, it will be seer
what splendid body Of men the Ma
sons are. And they have achieved
their wonderful progress not by self
praise, electiUneering or play Ing be
fore the grand stand Of the country
out by the secret, quiet but powerful
exhibition OF their principles in tn,
hearts and lives of their members,
Masonry may be &C Cmpared to ma
jeStic river-broad and deep -noise
less, but mighty, enriching and re
freShing whatever it touches, and re
ceiving its tributaries from the volun
tary actions Of those who wished t
enjoy it's privileges and lest upon it.
tOSom.
Mas onry has ever Teen attended
by the graces of faith, hope and chari
\, r,
these is charity, for faith may be
lost in sight, hope ends in fruition
but charity extends beyond the grave
into the boundless realm Of eternity. y
But this charity does not consist
merely in giving money to the poor.
While 1t does not necessarily EN-.
brace that love to God which is essen.
tial to the salvation Of the soul. II
insists on many duties that go hand
in hand with those Commended TO us
in the Bible. 1t teaches ina especial
and beautiful sense the brotherhood
of men. 1t bids us TO be kind and
generous TO all, and especially to those
banded together in this order. 1t
does not conflict with our duties tC
ourselves, our family or our God. 1t
does not take the place Of religion, as
so many affirm. have never met a
Mason who thought he could be saved
by merely connecting himself with
this venerable brotht rhCod. Many
OF the best Christians | have ever
known have been MaSons and the true
Mason ever honorS and revers the
name OF God.
There was time in Europe wht IN
Masonry became unpopular, because
it was charged that Masons plotted
secretly against the government
Wretched, mona!chial and oppressive
as the governments were, that was
not strange. But the MaSons today
submit themselves TO the powers that
be, and never band together for politi-
cal and seditious purposes.
Neither does Masonry seek, as some
have maintained, to injure the
church, but Is rather an ally to that
most sacred Of all the institutions Of
The earth. Masonry, like Christianity,
teaches the essential equality OF all
men; not the social or political equali-
ly which is heresy Of the Declaration
OF Independence, but that all are en-
titled TO life, liberty and the pursuit
OF happiness.
MaSC nary teaches that whatever
may be the adventitious crcumstan-
ces surrounding men there are two
places where they are equal, the lodge
and the grave; and the symbolic teach
ings of Masonry on life, death and