ORATION ON MASONRY
by J. Q. Goss
ORATION DELIVERED BY J. Q. GOSS at OMAHA, NEB., JUNE 19, 1867
M.'.W.'. Grand Master, Fellow
Craftsmen, Ladies and Gentlemen: In standing before this
vast audience, composed of many whom we, in Masonic language,
term "profane," of the representatives of the Fraternity of this
State, and I have no doubt, of many others - skillful craftsmen
- representing the Fraternity at large, but not members of this
Grand Body, I feel that the duty assigned me is one of no
ordinary magnitude, and were it not that I have been schooled in
the Masonic lesson of obedience, my feelings would have
prompted me to have declined the honor of being your orator
on this occasion. I shall not, at this time. urge upon you
the necessity of becoming Masons, or ask you to unite yourselves
with the Fraternity, for this the regulations and spirit of
Masonry forbid; but in obedience to the commands of the Grand
Lodge, and in accordance with a custom of our Order, on
occasions like the present, I stand here to address you upon
the principles, the aims and object of our
institution. So much has been said and written about the
antiquity of Masonry, that no one, not impervious to the charge
of being a mere "copyist," would attempt, on such an occasion as
this, or indeed at any other time, to trace the Masonic
institution through all its periods of prosperity and adversity,
from its inception to the present time. In relation to the date
of its origin, permit me to say, that it is so far back in the
remote ages of the past that the precise time cannot be
determined. This is sufficient proof, if proof be necessary,
that Masonry is not of modern origin, that it has passed
through its periods of prosperity and adversity, and it stands
before you to-day with the traces of age upon its brow, yet
marked with none of those signs and evidences of decay,
which age generally produces. I shall not, then, on this
occasion, delve into the subterranean caverns of the dead past,
and, from amid the rubbish and ruins of antiquity, exhume musty
records, and from their time-stained pages decipher those mystic
characters and letters which tell of the mysteries of the
Gymnosophists of India, of the Persian Rite of Mithras, the
Egyptian of Osiris and Isis, the Eleusis of Greece, or of the
Scandinavian and Druidical Rites, of the Gothic and Celtic
tribes, and adduce these as proofs of the antiquity of
Masonry, for however much we may search those vaults of
antiquity, translate the dusty records of dead centuries, and
decorate and beautify the walls of our Masonic temple with
the fragrant garlands of poesy, or with traditions and
legends of the days of yore, it will avail us nothing, unless
we know what Masonry is, and what are its principles and
teachings. In leaving those empyrean heights, intended
only for the flights of genius, and contenting myself with
traveling in more practical paths, and an examination of the
vital, living present of Masonry - that in which we live and
move, and with which we have to do - I ask your indulgence for
the brief time allotted me on this occasion. Masonry is
founded in the very wants of the nature of man. When the human
emerged from the hand of the Divine Being, there was implanted
within him a desire for society and for social intercourse. The
declaration of God, that "it is not good for man to be alone,"
applies as well to every individual and to all classes of
society, as it did to Adam in the garden. Through the ages that
have rolled into eternity since God created man, and looked upon
everything that He had made, and pronounced it "very good," down
to the present, this longing for social intercourse has
maintained its position in the human breast, and inspired man
with noble aspirations and desires to elevate himself and his
fellow-man in the scale of moral and social being. It is true
that there are some who have none of those Heaven-born
aspirations and longings within their bosoms, who are
content to grovel in ignorance, and who seek not their own
good or the welfare of their race. Such as these can never
become Masons. It was but the beatings of the pulsations of
our common humanity that laid the corner-stone of the
Masonic temple, that has placed block upon block in the
walls of this stupendous edifice, and that will continue to
infuse life and energy into the hearts of those who bow at its
altars, until the temple shall be completed in all its parts -
the keystone having been placed in its proper position - a
monument to the wisdom of its founders and builders - its
pillars being strong and enduring, and "beauty" being
inscribed thereon in indelible characters. Man should not
live for himself alone, for he is a member of one great family
or brotherhood, each member of which derives its support and
assistance from the whole, and is therefore a dependent being.
This dependence of the parts is true of all created matter, and
is beautifully exemplified in all the works of the Sovereign
Architect of the Universe, as proclaimed in the dignity, peace
and harmony of nature. The animal world breathes out gases for
the vegetable kingdom, and in turn exhales or stores up those
elements that are essential to animal health and vigor. Every
mountain slope supports its own herbage, and from the gentle
rains which fall from heaven to moisten their surface, the
little rill is formed, which flows into the vale below and feeds
the herbage there, - thence it flows onward and still on, until
it reaches the boundless ocean, whose waves wash every
shore, and upon whose bosom is carried the commerce of the
world. The warm gulf stream that flows from the sunny regions of
the equator to near the polar coasts, softens the winds of that
arctic region; the poles, in return, send forth their vast array
of icebergs, which, floating onward, at length reach the torrid
zone, and there serve to temper the fierce tropical heat. Thus
we find that, by the harmonies of creation, selfishness is
condemned, and that from the interwoven service of nature each
department gives and receives a corresponding
benefit. The harmony of nature is produced by the
organization and order which over all prevails. The idea of
organization is in fact connected with that of order. This is
true of societies as well as in nature; and the more perfect the
organization, the greater the harmony. It makes no difference
how discordant the elements of which a society is composed; if
there is perfect organization, entire harmony exists therein.
This is beautifully illustrated in Masonry; within our lodges
may be found men of every shade of opinion, political and
religious; yet, notwithstanding those differences, peace and
tranquility abound; and while assembled in the lodge room, at
least, "brethren dwell together in unity." There is a
reciprocity of brotherly kindness, which springs up in the
hearts of those who in deed and in truth are Masons, that time
cannot obliterate, and that circumstance can never change. This
has been fully exemplified during the strife from which our
country has just emerged. When hostile armies met in deadly
conflict - when the fiercest passions of hate and revenge were
aroused - when the clashing of arms and the booming of the
cannon were heard - when the shrieks of the wounded and dying
saluted the ear on every hand - above all these, Masonry
asserted her sway - the mystic sign was not unheeded. It checked
those unholy passions of strife, envy, hatred and discord,
which, but a few moments previous, had crushed out all the
ennobling qualities of the man, and rekindled within the bosom
of those hostile combatants, those feelings of brotherly love
and affection which Masonry inculcates. We do not claim
for Masonry that it is of Divine origin. It is an institution
founded by man, upon those divine principles which underlie all
that is truly noble and good in humanity. Its object is to
educate man, and to develop him to the fullest extent in all
those faculties of his nature that tend to harmonize the human
family and to elevate mankind to the highest attainable
condition to which it is possible for human agencies and
institutions to raise him. Its teachings are pure and holy,
designed to fill the soul of the initiate with higher
conceptions of those duties which every man owes to himself,
to his fellow man and to his God. He is taught that to himself
he owes the sacred duty of refraining from all those indulgences
which tend to impair his faculties and degrade his being; to be
temperate in all his desires, and chaste in all his actions, and
to place such restraint upon all his affections and passions as
shall most effectually free his mind from the allurements of
vice. To his fellow man he is taught to act upon the
principles of brotherly love. From the time when he first
crosses the threshold of the Masonic temple, through all the
forms and ceremonies of the three degrees, until he becomes a
full brother among us, and as long as he continues to worship at
the Masonic altar, he is constantly reminded that it is his
duty to practice brotherly love, relief and truth. Love to his
fellow man, and especially to the brotherhood, is strongly
inculcated; and he is taught that the unity and harmony that
pervades the universe should form conspicuous elements in
the human character. To the individual who has been fully
prepared at heart to become a Mason, how beautifully sublime
must fall upon his ear the exhortation to "behold how good and
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." He
learns that
"There is a calm in friendship's hour,
There
is a spell when hearts unite,
There is a magic in that
power,
That leads to better worlds of light -
That cheers the
soul with heavenly ray,
And tells about a peaceful home,
And,
'mid the gloom of sorrow's day,
Says softly, 'brighter hours will
come.' "
This unity constitutes the secret of the permanence
of our Order. At our communications, all those subjects which
tend to produce discord and contention are strictly forbidden.
Political partisanship is forever debarred, and cannot enter
within our walls. In this respect, Masonry is indeed peculiar.
The founders of the institution, and those who built upon the
foundations so skillfully laid, have ever solemnly declared
that this prolific source of bickering and strife should never
enter within her doors. How truly good and pleasant, then, is
it, when the heart has become careworn and chilled by the
beating of pitiless storms of adversity. to enter there, where
"kindred hearts in fond embrace doth meet." When the angry
waves of the troubled ocean of political contests have tossed us
about, and almost made shipwreck all the faith, hope and charity
that once existed within our breasts; when fierce prejudices and
passions have been engendered, how good and how pleasant to
enter the lodge room, where this fruitful source of jarring
discord cannot enter, and where heavenly peace is a welcome and
delightful guest. In religious matters, also, Freemasonry
holds itself aloof from any and all attempts to control the
opinions of its members. It is true that we recognize the
existence of Church and of State; but we also recognize to its
fullest extent the fact that were we to go farther than this,
were we to point out the party to which those who become
associated with us should belong, were we to lay down the
principles or tenets of a religious faith and practice to be
observed and believed by all, we should endanger the very
existence of our Order. In religion, therefore, where religious
denominations begin to construct their systems of faith,
Masonry halts. Here her path lies in a different direction
from theirs. Denominations, or religious sects, adopt a
theology peculiar to the views of their founders, and to these
views their devotees must subscribe; while Masonry demands
from its disciples a recognition of a simple and primitive faith
in Deity, an acknowledgment of, and a pure simple trust in Him
as the author and giver of all good - those principles in which
all men who are not atheists agree - leaving it to their own
consciences as to their application of this faith to their daily
walk and conversation; thus reserving to itself the sacred
mission of propagating the principles and true ideas of
brotherhood of man as extended as humanity itself, and of
uniting in the bonds of friendship and love those who otherwise
must have remained at variance, and possibly at enmity, with
each other. In the lodge room, then, we may truly say
that
Earth's distinctions vanish here;
We know no race,
nor sect nor clan,
Only the brother tried and dear;
Only the
Mason and the man. Hail, holy, happy brotherhood !
Truth,
love and friendship bind in one
Hearts that are true, sincere and
good,
By thy refining influence won.
There are certain
prominent points of Masonic duty, of which no Mason can be
ignorant, although he may not be acquainted with all the
minutiae and ceremonies of the Order. The peculiar traditions
and doctrines which are included in the lectures may, by him,
have been unexplored; but the principles of Brotherly Love,
Relief and Truth - of Faith, Hope and Charity - have all been
inscribed upon his tracing-board in such bright, indelible
characters that he cannot be uninformed as to his duties in
relation thereto. The true Mason is continually seeking
opportunities for the exercise of those virtues of which I have
just spoken, and which have formed so prominent a part in his
Masonic education. He knows his duties, and knowing, seeks to
reduce them to practice; for with him Masonry is a living
reality and not theory alone. It is in the practice of those
virtues that he delights for he has learned that in doing good
there is much joy. Is a brother afflicted and distressed, his
hand is ever ready to aid and assist him, and to relieve his
wants and necessities. The blessed influences of brotherly
love and charity - twin daughters of Heaven - prompt him to
those noble deeds of benevolence which give joy and gladness
to many a weary, sad and sorrowing heart. Masonic charity is
not limited to simple gifts and contributions of money or other
tangible material of worldly goods, although these, when
necessary, are right and proper, and are included within the
term of charity. The being who is compelled, by the force of
adverse circumstances, to beg from door to door, feels grateful
for a crust of bread or other food with which to appease the
cravings of hunger. Thanks are uttered for a pair of shoes to
protect the feet, or a coat to shield the body from the chilling
blasts of winter. He calls these acts charity, because they
alleviate his bodily sufferings and provide for him the
necessaries of physical life. True charity, however, extends
beyond these, to all the wants of the great brotherhood of
mankind. Have the cold and pitiless storms of a selfish,
unfeeling world beat upon the heart, charity throws around it
her broad mantle of brotherly love and affection, which
warms and infuses into its whole being new life and
animation, and as the genial showers and summer sun cause
the face of nature to smile and look glad, so the drops of
genial affection and the rays of brotherly love, beaming from
the benign countenance of one whose heart is prompted by the
honest impulses of genuine charity, cause the soul of the
recipient thereof to overflow with gratitude and joy. Is a
brother led astray by the erring propensities of his nature,
this charity prompts the true Mason to gently remind him of his
faults, to whisper good counsels in his ear, and to aid and
assist him in all his efforts at reformation. She bends over the
poor fallen brother, and with her broad mantle hides from the
inquiring and condemning gaze of the world the self-inflicted
shame and degradation, and at the first dawn of returning
reason, she lifts him again to his feet, and by the gentle
allurements of affection, endeavors to lead him back to the
paths of rectitude and self-respect. She enters the house of
mourning, and there, unto the saddened heart that has been
berefit of some loved one by the cruel hand of death, she
presents the cup of sympathy and affection, and pours the oil of
consolation into its bleeding wounds. This is the charity
which envieth not another and which puffeth not itself, which is
kind and forbearing, full of long-suffering, and goodness and
truth; and this charity every Mason should practice. It
is to be feared, however, that there are some who become members
of the Fraternity for the benefit they expect to derive from it,
rather than from a desire to confer blessings and benefits on
others. They are advocates of brotherly love, when that love is
to flow from another's breast towards them, but which kindles
within their own hearts no sympathetic spark of love and
affection. They believe it to be a duty to relieve the
distressed, and who more distressed than they? They hope that
great good will enure to them from their association with
Masons, and above all they believe that charity is the greatest
of Christian graces, and they have also learned that "charity
begins at home." Such men have no sentiment in common with the
teachings and spirit of Masonry. Within their breasts there
pulsates no emotion of pure love. They live for themselves, and
for themselves alone; and their hearts, if any they have, are
like the glaciers of the Alps and the icebergs of the arctic
seas. I thank God that but few such ever darken the doorway in
the Masonic temple; and those few soon find that the lodge is
no place for them, and they soon cease to frequent our
assemblies, for the heartfelt greetings and fraternal
communions there enjoyed are but torments to their
uncongenial natures. Faith, Hope and Charity are so
interwoven that they cannot be separated. They are stars which
give light and lustre to the Mason's pathway here, urging him
onward to the exercise of the noble principles of the Order to
which he belongs. Faith lends to him her seraphic wings, whereby
he soars above the transitory things of earth, and beholds the
Great Architect of the Universe, and learns to adore Him as
the chief good; while Hope points him to a home beyond the
tomb. He has "faith in God, hope in immortality," and these
engender within his bosom "charity toward all mankind."
These stars shine with brighter lustre, as he becomes more
and more in harmony with the teachings of Masonry. The poet
has sung:
There are three stars of lustre bright,
Which
cheer the Mason's conflict here,
And cast their pure and holy
light
Across life's billows dark :and drear The star of
Faith, when doubts arise,
And veil the troubled heart in
gloom,
Points to bright realms beyond the skies,
And lasting
joys beyond the tomb. When o'er life's ocean, rude and
wild,
Our fragile barks are madly driven,
The star of Hope,
with radiance mild,
Points to a harbor safe in
Heaven. When reckless of a brother's tears,
Down
pleasure's slippery track we go,
The star of Charity
appears,
And points us to that brother's woe. Oh !
brethren of the mystic tie,
Pure light upon our path will
shine
If on these stars we fix our eye -
"Faith, Hope and
Charity divine."
Masonry is a permanent institution. Its
existence dates far back into the annals of the past; and
although empires and kingdoms have been overthrown, and changes
and revolutions have taken place in Governments and in society,
since it first had a being, yet Masonry still lives having
withstood the ravages of time, the shafts of persecution,
through periods of prosperity and adversity; and to-day
occupies a prominent position on the earth - yea, is has
to-day a living, vital existence, and will continue to exist as
long as time shall be. It stands forth to the world as a tried
institution. She has been weighed in the balances, and
"Tekel" has not been written against her. Notwithstanding
the ancient origin that Masonry can boast, the permanent
character that she sustains, and the moral influence of her
teachings, she has, in all ages, been assailed by her enemies,
and the shafts of persecution have been hurled against her - yet
without effect. We may congratulate ourselves, however, that
organized opposition has long since ceased; yet there are still
some who bring objections against the Order. These
objections have been met and answered, from time to time, until
they have become stale; and, to Masons, it seems almost a waste
of time to consider them. There are one or two, however, that I
will at the present time briefly consider, coming, as they do,
from a source that deserves some attention, and also to combat
any idea that may be entertained of their truth. Some of our
clerical friends ( ?) have, not long since, asserted that
"Masonry teaches infidelity." We, who belong to the Fraternity,
know full well that this charge is utterly unfounded; but
coming, as it does, from those who profess to be ministers of
the Gospel of Christ, and who consider it to be their duty to
warn mankind against all attempts to overthrow the influence of
the Christian religion - and in this work we bid them Godspeed -
some might be induced to believe the charge. Let us first
inquire as to the means of knowledge of those who thus
testify against us. Are they now, or have they ever been,
Masons? If not, they know nothing about Masonry, except so
much as they can derive from sources that are open to all
who do not belong to the institution. All others, then, have as
good an opportunity of judging as they. Read, then, our
Masonic literature - our Monitors - which give all that is
connected with the ceremonies of Masonry, that instructs the
candidate as to the principles of the Order. View the class of
men who are Masons; look at them, as they appear before you
to-day, and tell me if they are not men who rank as high in
community as those even who oppose us. Some of our members are
even ministers of that same Gospel of peace. Examine these
things carefully, and you can readily determine whether the
charge of "infidelity" is well founded. Masonry challenges your
scrutiny in this as well as in everything or objection that is
urged against her. There are others who bring wholesale
charges against Masonry because some of its members violate its
teachings. Is one Mason intemperate in his habits, then Masonry
teaches and encourages drunkenness. Does one Mason swear,
then Masonry teaches profanity. And thus, from the misdeeds of
its members, Masonry is brought into disrepute, and its enemies
exultantly exclaim: "I would not belong to an Order that teaches
or allows such practices as these." Stop, one moment, my
friend, and see what would be the result of your reasoning. Are
you a member of some one of the Christian denominations? Do all
who profess religion, or who belong to any of these
denominations, live in accordance with the doctrines of
Christianity? If not, then you must denounce Christianity, sever
the ties which bind you to the sect to which you belong, and
come out from among them. Again: God created man pure and
holy. He has laid down his laws for the government of the human
race. He says that "no drunkard shall enter the kingdom of
Heaven." He has commanded us to "swear not at all," thus
forbidding intemperance and profanity; yet men in society and in
the world, yea, even outside the Masonic ranks, become
drunkards and are profane, thus violating the laws of the
Creator, and committing those very vices that thou
condemnest in Masonry. Go then, thou objector against
Masonry on account of the misconduct of some of its members,
and find upon this wide world some place - some lovely spot -
where these vices do not exist, and there, perchance, thou
mayest dwell in peace, with no compunctions of conscience on
account of being associated with those who are contaminated with
those vices. If thou canst not find so blest a spot upon this
earth, let thy body take to itself wings and fly to some more
congenial sphere, where sin was never known, for here thou canst
not find a resting place, for those vices which thy soul so
abhors, to a greater or less extent, cover every portion of this
fair earth. In conclusion, Fellow Craftsmen, let me ask you
whether we, ourselves, are not, to a great extent, the cause of
those objections against our belovecd Order? And here, at the
close of this session of the Grand Lodge, as we are about
returning to our homes to engage in those duties which
devolve upon us in our several stations in life, and which we
as Masons are taught, "that we are on no account to
neglect," let us ask ourselves a few plain, practical
questions. Do we attend to our duties as Masons as we ought?
Do we live up to the principles of the Order that we profess to
love and cherish ? Do we act towards ourselves, our fellow men
and our God as Masonry has taught us we should ? Craftsmen, be
it ours to exemplify by our life and conduct, the noble
principles of Masonry. Let us, in all our actions, make a
constant application of those principles, that others, seeing
our good work, may be constrained to acknowledge the utility of
Masonry, and that our influence, silent, yet ever working, may
draw to the support of our Order the good and true of every
land. Take lovely charity by the hand; do whatsoever she
commands, and sweet peace will dwell within your faithful
breasts. The widow's tears will engrave m indelible characters
the benefits of Masonry. The mother's heaving breast - the
infant's cries - the orphan's thanks shall answer all objections
against the Masonic institution. Learn then, my brethren, the
art of doing good, of producing peace amidst the jarring
elements of disturbed nations - of producing order out of chaos,
and harmony out of discord. Learn to handle well the tools of
Masonry - especially the "trowel," and with it spread well that
cement of brotherly love and affection which produces no
discord nor envy, but instead thereof, that "noble emulation
of who best can work and who best agree." Then, when the dim
lamp of life is expiring, when we are about to close our labors
in the lodge below, to join the celestial lodge above, where the
"Supreme Architect of the Uni verse presides," we shall feel
conscious of having well performed our work - of having done
good, square work; and we shall feel happy, knowing that we are
in possession of the pass-words, which will gain us admission
into that lodge of the just, the true and the good, being "duly
and truly prepared" to become associated with those true
craftsmen who have gone before.
If from our throbbing hearts
shall flow
Pure streams of friendship, truth and love,
When we
"demit" from the lodge below,
Brothers, we'll join the lodge
above.
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