THE RELIGION OF MASONRY
by Rev. James E. Latimer, A. M.
THE CRAFTSMAN - 1866
It is religious, not by
creed or dogmatic statement, but deeply, necessarily so in its
spirit. Its symbols, in which it is so rich, all point to piety
- to a genuine religious experience. Nowhere do you see more
distinctly that nature is typical of man's being, his life, and
his destiny. The Lodge typifies the world. It is blue,
because the sky arches above it. The Mosaic pavement symbolizes
the lights and shades of human life. Menzel, the historian of
Germany, in speaking therein of Masonry, tells us "the aim of
this Society was the erection of the invisible temple of
humanity, and its allegorical symbols, the trowel, the square,
and the leather apron, were borrowed from the tools used in
common Masonry." In Oliver's "Signs and Symbols" we read,
"you must keep within the compass and act upon the square with
all mankind, for your Masonry is a dead letter if you do not
habitually perform its reiterated injunctions." Robert
Burns, who was a Mason, though because of his gross errors, not
a true (perfected) one, realized the symbolism and morality of
our Order, in lines written to the Lodge where he belonged -
lines not found in his published works
"May freedom,
harmony and love
Unite you in the grand design,
Beneath the
Omniscient Eye above,
The glorious Architect Divine!
That ye
may keep th' unerring line,
Still rising by the plummets
law,
Till order bright completely shine,
Shall be my prayer
when far awa'."
So better yet, and far more poetically has
the German Goethe set forth the typical character of Masonry -
Goethe, the first poet and largest brain of modern times. Thus
he sings in a poem entitled "The Lodge:"
"The Mason's
ways are
A type of existence,
And his persistence
Is as the
days are
Of men in this world. The future hides in
it
Good hap or sorrow,
We press through it -
Naught there
abides in it
Daunting us - onward. And silent before
us,
Veiled, the dark portal,
Gaol of all mortal;
Stars
silent rest over us
Graves under us silent. But heard are
the voices -
Voice of the sages
Of the world and the ages -
Choose well, your choice is
Brief, but yet
endless. Hero eyes do regard you
In eternity's
stillness,
Here is all fullness,
Ye brave, to reward
you,
Work and despair not."
Here is evidence enough of the
deep symbolism of Masonry. Its rites and ceremonies mean far
more than a careless observer may see. To me, they stand as
finger-posts pointing to the deep mysteries of religion. There
may be men who can see nothing religious in them. So there are
men who look with staring eyes upon the Sun of Truth and yet are
blind; and do we not read of one of old, who saw not the
angel of God in his way, and pressed on madly, till the dumb
beast beneath him broke the silence and chided his
master? Masonry does not afford us a church, and it does not
claim to be a religion. Yet I may say, and truly say, as St.
Paul says of the law, "It is a schoolmaster, to lead us to
Christ." It is, in fine, a beautiful porch, with long arcade,
hung with pictures of Bible scenes which familiarize the eye
with sacred objects, and lead you to the church and personal
religion. I do not say it always does this, but I do say it
ought to do this - it is admirably designed to do
this. It seems to me that every one of the degrees of Ancient
Craft Masonry is emblematic of a certain type of Christian
experience, and no one but a genuine pious man can fathom
their full meaning. That this is not a mere subjective
view of my own let me skew you by quoting from Masonic
authorities. William Hutchinson says: "The first state of a
Mason is representative of the first stage of the worship of the
true God. The second stage of Masonry," he continued, "rises
with the temple. The Master Mason," he goes on to say,
"represents a man under the Christian doctrine, saved from
the grave of iniquity and raised to the faith of
salvation." The venerable Salem Town, so long Grand Chaplain,
presents his view of the three degrees as follows: "In the
first, every observing candidate is led to view his moral
blindness and deplorable state by nature. The second is
emblematical of a state of improvement and trial. The third
presents the life of the good man in his pilgrimage state, with
enemies on every side - evil propensities to be conquered,
and remaining corruptions to be extirpated - amid all which
he keeps his integrity." If I may be permitted to add my
own view, and illustrate it by Pilgrim's Progress, I should say,
that the first degree represents the Pilgrim leaving the city of
destruction. The second leads him through the house of the
Interpreter, and the third brings him beneath the cross, where
his burden falls off and rolls into the sepulchre
below. My brothers, let us be Masons in deed, and not in word
alone. Heed the exhortation of Salem Town, as he tells you,
"Look through the forms of Masonry to the substance; through
the symbols contemplate their high and sacred
allusions." SYMPATHY FOR THE AFFLICTED.
When
Robbins and Riley were cast away upon the coast of Africa, many
years ago, in that country, far away from home and friends, they
were the recipients of Masonic favor. And at the hands of a
stranger, face to face they, found a brother. The story of their
extreme suffering from heat, thirst and hunger, beggars
description; there are but few cases on record which portrays
such human distress. And when they arrived at Mogadore, but mere
skeletons, as much so as they could be and be alive, they had
merely the spark of human life, and in this condition a stranger
came to them with a language spoken in signs and tokens. They
knew each other. They had somewhere upon the face of the globe
knelt before the altar - taken upon themselves a solemn
obligation to help a poor worthy brother in distress. Joy
and gladness overflowed their hearts, melting the strong men to
tears, when he kindly and sympathetically administered to the
necessities of his brethren. Like a good Samaritan, Bro.
Wilberforce bound up their sorrowful and aching hearts, and gave
them means to return home to friends and kindred. - Mystic
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