The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1908-01-17
/. RgcN ON
FREE fiASoRRY.
efsl e nSpuss CharCh Iasr
ganaav . naH Rraltl.

he origin OF Fres Masonry, that we
not know. On this point Masonic
writer's IRE not unit. Theories may
aya been advanced. And each has
Been 81 erted b. Ingenious If not con-
qo argument BY one we are m
fmed that Moses was 8 Gfand Mas
that Joshua was his deputy, and
h0liab and Begalei Grand Wardens.
an of which may be true. You cannot
grove the contrary. By another we are
Informed that Free Masonry dates is
og9in IA the early Patriarchal period.
~ another 20 the building Of the Tenn
81 King Solomon BY another %
ancient Pagan mysteries. BY sn-
(0lher 70 the CrusadeSs. But whatever
tits origin as 70 date, we cannot deny 70
nae Masonry the authority end pres
Of ancient descent. However, let
& not d taken that We claim Tor Mason
\ ~ ~ n08 organized, and as now SYM
boGealIv se9geseEted - remote IN
hrigIn rot no well informed man
makes any such elGim., II - for
Masonry ag an 0per0tfUe fSstitWti0l
olat We can justly claim antiquity OF
origin. AsnoW organized, Masonry
may point back 70 the building corpora
IONS 81 The middls ages. That Is, as
architectural Brotherhood, distin-
'd b. signs, b. Wor6s, a1s1 b
brothefIy Ties which have not been es-
kentially changed, and by symbols and
Iads which have only been developed
a extended Yet, while these SYM
htlic representations have remained the
same. Masonry as n institution has
undergone q change. That Is, u has
8ed from on operative art to rep
sentative service. But these build
inr corporations Of the middle ages,
what Of their origin They did not
serine up Ia q day. They must have
had an origin and an archetype. Their
liar charatteT points hack % some
source IS TIE time and place Of their
hIth So backward we go 70 70 Roman
coIIes Of aftiicers. which were
spread over Europe By the invading
41rcaa az the empire. And these we
trace back 20 Numa who gave to them
ONE political and q certain religious
acteF. Backward still WegO 20 the
epted birthplace Of Free Masonry
tas femple Of Solomon. To that place
ar Dericd MasOns look as the place
and time Of our originf But / am un-
wiling 20 stop there. And for this am
rad to give reason for the Faith
! that n ia ne. Free Masonry presents
more sn ore Sspesa The question of
ant aIig of origin Is more easily set
TIED ben we consider thematter in the
aanect of brotherhood. That is. a
erhOOd composed Of symbolic Mas
10 and Fellows and apprentices, de-
wed from an association Of operative
Masters and Fellows and Apprentices
che building q moral temple character;
the other building a material one Of
st|one and mortar. Free Masonry has
always been secret association. And
ysk while holding secrets which concern
Rsons only, thefe is within It's beauti-
ful folds the symbolic expression of q
most important religious idea. A fact
Which c0nnects Masonry with all the
ancient mysteries, which, with a like
secrecy, gave the same symbolic eX-
precision % the same religious idea The
only rational conclusion then from these
facts Is that al the ancient mysteries
embodying the same religious idea must
have had one and the same common
lsOurce. From antiquity there comes
lFree Masonry. That Is from the one
c0mmon source, Free Masonry obtained
IL legend, and the symbolic mode Of
Instruction, and the important and
beautiful lesson which such instruction
II designed 20 teach.
= Free Masonry then, as an architecture
al motherhood, must have been an es-
tahIshed institution before the Temple
\ Of Solomon was built. And this broth.
lefhood Of operative masOns extended
oyer q vast territory, embracing with
It's sphere Of influence other lands
ID Kingdoms, and numbering in the
nft many, many thousands Of APP
entices and Fellows, as we'll as the
asterB Of the art OF that day So
asonry goes Blackjack with certain
d % the building corporations Of the
NJ ddie ages; back with certainty 10 the
Rtman colleges Of arti6cerB and 70
Nllma. hack @ the Temple 81 Jerusa-
lud: back % the ancient mysteries Of
Egypt through an association Of opera
ti0'e n9sons, who IN turn sprang from
3 onion o. oFgantxatiOh OF stone cut
tetn And, IS our argument IN support
od thla contention Which / make,
Nant remind non az the symbolic mode
n InnI 1f % hich has always been
oct l,nf PRES Mascnrg- Masonry when
DNn O. th5 wo7ld Aa an operative
A. ern prireipally m the
hn s1t1rial temples, and
Ma b 81 ko@n b tire world today
80 tive service which con
eeaa ileplf n tha baildlug Of temples
So 81 rymbols Of Fres masonry
% eg1loIa 81 Masonic teach