Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-10-24

enhances the charm and value OF tine OF
der We have nothing to conceal 10
which we are ashamed. We have noth
ing to hide which is detrimental to tn
public welfare or to individual character
You may recall the way in which Py
thagoras used to lecture-he has peer
called one of our ancient brethren ana hi
biography is to be found in our Masonic
/ encyclopedia. This is the way he lee
tured He used TO have sheet that h'
put 10 before his eyes and then lecturec
behind the sheet to certain number OF
brethren. and they were called the esoter'
ic; and then there were some other breth'
rem on the other side of the sheet who
could not see the lecturer but could hear
his voice. and they were called the eEoter-
ic. Those who had the deeper and pro
founder lessons were called the esoterici
those who were beyond and who only re-
ceived the general impressions were called
the exoteric: and it was always regarded
as Sitting that there should be these two
classes.
Now we believe in the same thing.
We are not secret society at ali; in one
sense. we are only society with secrets.
and the difference is very marked. 1
secret society is one that covers up its
tracks. and that does rot let its doInS7
be known IA Kind q ''hu-ktuN' or
..Nh..e Cap" sort OF institution.
But We are not of that kind. If man
comes along and asks me about Masonry,
am always willing to give him all the
information in my power, because the Sc
vret Of Masonry is not so much III the
grip" or IN sign. or in word The
real secret of Masonry lies in n kind Of
lpcOnmunicable, understandable spirit
that takes hold OF man as soon as be
opens his mind to let the light in, and in
Huences and governs him from that time
onward; and that cannot he told, because
there is no speech 10 tell it.
But when you come to the ordinary
matters. people even publish books to tell
the secrets OF Masonry. | have read
some of them and they are very intere It
ing reading, but somehow they do not
get at the merit Of the thing. There is
something nobody can describe. which
YOU and | know, and the eXoteric band
cannot know until they are esoteric.
There Is an impression that a secret So
ciety is contrary to the best interests of
nation. Now that depends upon the ma
ture Of the society. We all have our Sc
crets l.. there a business man, in COM
pany with his friends or partners, who
hasn't? They are not plotting mischief
against the community, bu; they do not
think it necessary to publish their bal
ance sheet and send it out every day.
In our families we have our secrets; so
in our cabinet; so in government; so in
the councils of churches they all have
meetings where they talk together about
things that do not belong in general to
the public.
- e ,fE,t
ting to undermine the government, il We
were trying to defraud some people out
of their right Of suffrage, if we were seek
ing to break down the influence of part
of our people, we would indeed be
worthy of condemnation.
Ny honest feeling. however, is that we
are not a secret society. but only a society
with secrets, and that adds TO our
strength. There is something in re-
serve. There is something in not simply
opening your bosom and wearing your
heart upon your sleeve; there ere times
when man ought to hold himself in
check; there are moments when silence
becomes, indeed, precious and gracious,
and silence is one of the special virtues
that we inculcate. There must be some
pause and some moment of stiffness.
The poet has written
In silence mighty things a'e wrought
silently bullded. thought on thou-ht,
Truths temple -reets The sky
The S,,ll with her SubseTv!rnJ POWERS
l. ~treu-t hened silently
"Soundla-- as charlot~ ON the SLOW.
The Sap.iu-- OF the forest grow
To- trees uf mighty g!rth:
Each nlEAtly star in silence burns,
AM every ,iay IN silence tura~
The axle of the earth
There is criticism of our order abroad
in the land which l occasionally hear and
always hear with much distress. 1t is
this, that Freemasonry is antagonistic to
the church, that its influence is away
from religion and not toward it. | al
ways brand such statement a black
and malicious lie and yet there are some
who keep on believing in this falsehood.
How they can do so in the light that is
ever being shed on our attitude toward
Deity and the Word OF God is past my
comprehension.
As an illustration, take the recent gift
of our late Bro. Patten OF Philadelphia,
who died on the 18th of last month. He
left most of his vast fortune estimated at
between two and three million dollars to
establish a school and home for male or
phans of Master Masons. 1t is not to
his magnificent charity to which | wish
to direct your especial attention, but to
this specification in his will concerning
the religious instruction of multi.udes Of
youth that from now on will profit by
his generosity.
1t reads thus-.'As the Holy Bible, that
lnestimable gift from God to man. the
rule of our faith and the guide of our
conduct, lies ever open upon the altar in
our lodge rooms, so shall it be the great
light to illumine the moral nature of the
orphans and the foundation of the moral
instruction of the said institution, whose
inmates must be regularly and faithfully
taught the sacred truths therein found. >
No, Masonry is not antagonstic to the
church, it is just the opposite. it is a
handmade to religion. For while it does
not assume to take the place of religion it
hoes incuIcate those principles of pure
and reverence for Gcd that
should help any man toward faith and
good works. What certain individual
Freemasons may do is one thing but
when we take the teaching and the entire
of the order into consideration.
we find il helDfui tn Orpanizad rsl;r;o,,