The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-10-08

in its true sense, the great truths and
grand principles which she teaches,
truths and principles which the Hi
rams and Solomon only put into ex-
ecution when they achieved their I'M
Iparalleled success, dates back to the
beginning of the world When the G.
a. o. T. L. set in motion the myriad
worlds which move with such geomet-
rical precision about each other in
the fields of space, making the music
of the spheres, when in the beginning
He created the heavens and the earth,
and the earth was without form and
void and darkness was upon the face
of the great deep. and He said let
there be light: and there was light,
Masonry on earth began! Nor are we
egotistical when We claim that, for
all who have ever made a faithful in
vestigatiOn of the science of Masonry
will readily attest the truth of what
[ have said. For to sum it all up. Ma
sonry is the science of human life
| follow her teachings, brethren, and
your life must prove a triumphant
| success.
But l must hasten on. The object
of Masonry now claims our attention.
! To go no further back than the build
| ing of King Solomon's temple, where
we have the first positive evidence of
organized Masonry. we find that the
prime object of the order was differ
ent from its first object now. In the
seven years during which the work
on the temple was going on the large
number of workmen employed were
| divided into companies, and each as
signed work in the department for
which he was qualified. The wages
were graded according to the skill of
the wOrkmen. To encourage care and
perfection in work those of a lower
grade were advanced to a higher or
der of work as soon as they had made
suitable proficiency Under the care
full instruction and supervision of Hi
ram, the cunning worker, progress
was bound to be repaid, and many
master-workmen were developed. A
building of such world renowned &C.
lebrity was bound to give prestige TO
the men who hal reached the dis
tinction of master workmen in its
construction. It was bound to awak
en- a desire for improved architecture
! throughout the then known world,
and create a desire for skilled me-
of the workmen. The king and the
two Hirams, in their uniteI wisdom,
conceived the plan and 1ai down the
rules, principles, laws and tenets of
the order. Then, as the worknlen be-
came qualified in character AMI skill
they were admitted into the Drder-E.
AS, F. C's., and master wOrkmen.
Certain signs, grips, pass words, etc.
by which hey could know each 9th
er after they F6G completed tie ten.
! pie, were indispensable. Icu can see
hen that tie CEJeCc Of the organZa-
| zion at that time was chiefly 20 carry
/ on operative Masonry. To travel in
j all lands and work and receive such
wages as were commensurate for one
who had graduated at the temple Of.
course. in addition to the advantages
to be derived in wages received, it
made a brotherhood Of the wOrkmen
who were bound to each other by ties
that made them all akin, and wher-
ever they met they were brothers, al
though they never had met before. As
these workmen scattered over the
world the order increased. Wherever
they met, a helping hand was always
there; for the order taught brotherly
love, charity, fidelity and truth. As
time rolled on the brethren scattered
all over the world and their numbers
greatly increased. But the immortal
truths so impressively taught by the
VI uCl WClC SClLGu ny Tic IlOSl eli |
lightened minds and Masonry grew
in favor with the intellectual world |
more for the moral truths that she
taught in such a surprisingly beauti- |
full manner, than for its operative fea- |
lures. Gradually operative Masonry !
was swallowed up in the scientific, |
and now we have the speculative Ma |
sorry. The object of speculative Ma
sorry, as l intimated a while ago, is |
to teach the science Of human life /
BY means of a system of allegory, |
types and shadows, she illustrates in !
a manner unapproached by any sys-
TEN of human invention how to sue |
cessfully live. and how to triumphant |
ly die. She takes hold of her init |
ates in the darkness of ignorance and |