The Bottineau courant., 1905-06-30

All these organizations whether
they be oriental or occidental, whether
they be fraternal or other wise have a
very profound relation one to the other
and a very common origin. It was the
same Father that the Astrologers of
Egypt, and Abraham of the Chaldeans
read in the stars above, that mani
tested himself to the human race in
the star of Bethlehem, that prompts
the mason to worship at his mystic
shrine, and the penetential Christian
to worship at His feet. To eliminate
this idea of God and religion from the
constitution of things, you would have
to destroy the public school system.
your sublime master pieces both of art
and literature would have to be scat
tered to the four winds; your churches
and universities would have to be
mingled with the dust the Mohamme-
dan mosques, and Buddhist temples
must be annihilated; the Bible and
Koran, the Vedas and Limyu, and all
the sacred literature of the world must
be consigned to the limbo of eternal
forgetfulness. But all this would be
nothing short of destroying life itself,
this idea of God and religion is pro-
jected through all the streams of time,
for verify, ''God is all and in ALL
This religious element has knit to-
gether every institution of the East
and the West. of the past and the
present, that has endeavored to lisp
some letter in the alphabet of religious
truth. So real is this, that the heiro-
glyphics, signs and cuneiform inscrip-
tions stamped upon the public build
ings and magnificent architecture of
Egypt are coincident with those of
later periods demonstrating conclu
sive by their association with the Ma
sonic Guilds of Europe that perambu--
lated the country for the purpose of
erecting religious edifices Whenever
La great Cathedral needed to be built,
the travelling mason went thither to
his task. These masons travelled in
conjunction with the clergy of their
day preserving the architecture, and
building churches for the people who
were becoming rapidly civilized and
christianized. Hence the mother lodge
of England was founded in the old.
city of York in the great Minister
Cathedral. In order that these ma
sons may be subjected to severe test
Of workmanship. signs and symbols
we're given in secret, which were
made known to the brethren. 4rs,..
Thus far we have come, with an
historic statement of operative mason.
ry which brings US to the transition
period between operative and specula-
tive. By speculative masonry we
mean the application and religious
conservation of the rules and principles
of operative masonry, to the venera-
tion of God, the publication of the
heart and the inculcation of religious
teaching. It is a fact worthy Of con-
sideration. that operative masonry
from time immemorial has been as
sociated with temple building and
church construction; and speculative,
of which we are masters, has its origin
in the sacred precinct of the temple
and its noblest patrons have been
kings. and princes, bishops and pre-
tlates in every land, cline and tongue.
Today we celebrate the anniversary of
our patron Saints. st. John the Bap-
tist and St. John the Evangelist.
Among the ancients the temples, the
affairs and high places were dedicated
to some divinity. The Romans con-
fided this duty to their consuls, CEN
sors, and chief magistrates and after
wards their Emperors. While other
nations dedicated theirs to jehovah.
This dedicatory custom has been pre-
served till this day among churches,
which are dedicate to st. Paul, st.
Peter, and st. Mark. A similar GUS
tom prevails in the. Masonic institution
and whilst our temples are consecrated
to God, we dedicate them to the pat
rons of the order. The Essences were
an order, in form and constitution, a
brotherhood similar to our own organ
ization, and was identically the same
in purpose. They lived life of seclu
sion from the world, their fare and
dress was plain and simple, their OBJ
ject purity and holiness. Josephus
says they wore the apron and this is
the distinctive badge Of a mason. The
thirty silent years Of John the Bap-
fists life. and the fact that he con-
demned the Pharisees and Sadducees,
hut nowhere condemns the Essences
who were equally an organization inn
portant, his ascetic life, his cell
bacy, his dress, his frugal fare, and
purity Of character is a clear represen-s Y
tation Of that order, hence, he is
adopted as our patron Saint, but sub
seauently these honors were divided
with John the Evangelist, because Of