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Our Altar.
bowing at the altar of Brahma , tbe Mongolian longing and praying for snflicient merit to become a part of the Supreme Buddha , the Mohammedan kneeling with his face towards Mecca , the Christian humbly seeking for more of the grace and spirit of his Saviour ; it regards the whole human
species as one family , thereby recognising a universal Brotherhood , and as a necessary consequence a universal Fatbetrhood . A doctrine more grand I cannot conceive , and I am proud to extol it as one of the leading tenets of our Institution .
A tenet which the individual cannot exercise so universally but most confine largely to that with which he comes in personal contact , is relief . Bat the joy , the peace , the happiness , the comfort which it brings is twofold ; for never has hunger been appeased by charity , never has
destitution been supplied by plenty , never has sorrow been lightened by sympathy , never has man brought relief to suffering man when tho giving and receiving were accompanied by Brotherly Love , without both the relieving -and
relieved being happier for the act . Then let us not neglect the oportnnities around ns ; every day offers some chance " to soothe the unhappy , to sympathise with their misfortunes , to compassionate their miseries , and to restore peace to their troubled minds . "
Truth brings us into the domain of the Divine ; for there is nothing good and true , nothing absolutely free from error , nothing complete and perfect in all its parts , except only that which has felt the touch of the finger of God . Man in his natnral state is so weak , so prone to forsake
the good and choose the evil , that it is impossible to develop along the line of truth and justice and right , without asking and receiving the help of Divinity . Hypocrisy and deceit cannot be banished from our midst , Bincerity and plain dealing cannot distinguish us , nor can
our hearts and tongues join in promoting each other ' s welfare , nnleas devontly kneeling at the throne of grace we humbly search for truth where truth alone is found . Of these three tenets it has been well said that " Truth is the column of wisdom , whose rays penetrate and enlighten
the inmost recesses of our Lodge ; brotherly love the column of strength , which binds us as one family in the indissoluble bond of fraternal affection ; and relief the
column of beauty , whose ornaments , more precious than the lilies and pomegranates that adorned the pillars of the pbrcb , are the widow ' s tear of joy and the orphan ' s prayer of gratitude . "
To the world Masonry is truly a mystery ! What holds it together , what has held it together for ages past , what binds brother so closely to brother , what brings harmony out of discord , and " conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual
distance" ? are questions which the outside world is revolving over and over again . Permit me to say that the answer cannot be found in forms and ceremonies , nor in method of Lodge , government , nor in signs , grips , words , and tokens , bnt it can be found in the teachings and the
sacred associations that cluster around our altar . Brother Bromwell answered the whole category of questions when he said : " I maintain that the true theism , the order of creation and providence in general and particular , the whole philosophy of government and life ; the principle of
all equality , and the rationale of mental and moral advancement , are embodied in the simple and silent , but sublime lessons of the Lodge . " Another brother has tersely said : " Here rich and poor , great and humble , old and young ,
gather around the same altar and li > p the same vows to the same God . " It is the religion of Masonry , a religion so broad that all the intelligent beings of the universe can conscientiously embrace it , that binds the Fraternit y in bonds which cannot be broken .
What is the religioa of Masonry ? " Faith , Hope and Charity , which admonish us to have faith in God , hope of immortality , and charity to all mankind . " Every Mason , from the youngest Entered Apprentice who stands on the ground floor to Worshipful Master who presides in the
Holy of Holies , is bound by solemn promise to be active in tho exercise of these reli gious duties from the time he first enters his Lodge till his weary body rest peacefully in the grave ; for no man ever crossed the threshold of Masonry without seriously declaring upon bis honour that
he would " cheerfully conform to all the ancient usages and established customs of the Fraternity ; " nor has any man ever passed from the darkness of ignorance to the li ght of knowledge without learning that honest , earnest prayer , prayer that betokens a spiritual life and a personal
Our Altar.
experience , is among those " Ancient usages and established customs . " While wo are specifically taught "never to enter upon any great and important undertaking withont first invoking the blessing of Deity , " we are indirectly taught that in all our trials , troubles and vicissitudes , in
all the minor things of life which daily perplex us , He who leads the blind in their weary wanderings , He who turns their midnight darkness into meridian light , is ever ready and willing to " shield and defend us from the evil intentions of our enemies , and support ns under the trials and
afflictions we are destined to endure . " Masonry requires every one of her votaries to have faith in God , recognizing Him as the Creator aud Ruler of tho
universe ; a faith that accepts Him with His attributes of omnipotence , omniscience and omnipresence ; further we are not required to go ; beyond this point it leaves each one to think for himself . Oar creed is so liberal that tho
whole human family with all its systems of faith and worship can accept it ; overybody except the atheist only , and for the atheist , a being so narrow , so contracted , and so bigoted , that he cannot see or even conceive of any other being greater than himself , our Fraternity has no
room . A religion Masonry surely is , but it is non-sectarian ; it is a religion so broad that it contains the great central thought of every other religion under the shining sun . It is true that throughout all Christendom , the Bible , that " inestimable gift of God to man , " is accepted as the rule and
guide of our faith ; but no interpretation is placed upon it , each brother being free to read and construe that Holy Book as his conscience may dictate ; and yet it ia through its influence that Masonry is lifted from a system of faith
and worship which merely recognizes Deity , with all His unlimited powers , into the highest and grandest system of moral ethics found outside of the church which our Saviour founded .
Our hope is for immortality , and one of the most beautiful and impressive ceremonies of our Order ha 3 for its principal object to teach that he who lies down in the sleep of death shall rise again , The very thought of immortality is inspiring . Think of it ; that which is witbin , that
which controls our physical being and makes ns powerful for good or evil , that which is accountable to the State and to God for all deeds done in the body , that part shall survive death , and , passing beyond the grave , enter into the realms of an endless eternity .
It must be BO . PJafco , thou reasonest well : Else whenoa thia pleasing hope , thia fond deaire , Thia longing after immortality ? Or whence thia secret dread , and inward horror ,
Of falling into naught ? Why shrinks the soul Back on herself , and startles at destruction ? 'Tia the diVinifcy that stirs within ns ; 'Tis heaven itself that points out an hereafter , And intimates eternity to man .
Charity is that virtue which enables ns under all circumstances to place the best possible interpretation npon the lives and conduct of our fellows . It is diametricall y opposed to selfishness and is the only true safeguard to personal ambition . While it is not averse to honest
criticism , it stifles the tongue of rumour and smothers the low whispers of suspicion . When the chilly clouds of misfortune come within the horizon of any brother , and begin to spread over his clear skies ; aye , when the sun of his fair name is hid behind the deep blackness of evil reports ,
then Charity , with her broad mantle of brotherly love , covers the scene and waits for the light of truth to disperse the darkness of doubt , and for Justice to weigh in her even balance all the evidence and mete out reward or
punishment as the case may demand . Think of the sighs and sobs and heart-aches , think of the hours of grief and pain , that could have been saved the human family merely by practising this noble virtue . ( To be continued )
We havo received , from Messrs . Hamilton , Hills & Co ., Wholesale Fancy Stationers , of 22 Paternoster Row , London , specimens of their " Unique Series " of Christmas and Birthday Cards ; with samples of weding cards , menu cards , cards for hand painting , " Unique " playing cards ,
wall texts , & c . At this period of the year many of our brethren make a practice of sending a simple souvenir , expressing fraternal greetings . We can recommend the " Masouic " patterns issued by the firm we have mentioned as specially adapted for this purpose ]
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Our Altar.
bowing at the altar of Brahma , tbe Mongolian longing and praying for snflicient merit to become a part of the Supreme Buddha , the Mohammedan kneeling with his face towards Mecca , the Christian humbly seeking for more of the grace and spirit of his Saviour ; it regards the whole human
species as one family , thereby recognising a universal Brotherhood , and as a necessary consequence a universal Fatbetrhood . A doctrine more grand I cannot conceive , and I am proud to extol it as one of the leading tenets of our Institution .
A tenet which the individual cannot exercise so universally but most confine largely to that with which he comes in personal contact , is relief . Bat the joy , the peace , the happiness , the comfort which it brings is twofold ; for never has hunger been appeased by charity , never has
destitution been supplied by plenty , never has sorrow been lightened by sympathy , never has man brought relief to suffering man when tho giving and receiving were accompanied by Brotherly Love , without both the relieving -and
relieved being happier for the act . Then let us not neglect the oportnnities around ns ; every day offers some chance " to soothe the unhappy , to sympathise with their misfortunes , to compassionate their miseries , and to restore peace to their troubled minds . "
Truth brings us into the domain of the Divine ; for there is nothing good and true , nothing absolutely free from error , nothing complete and perfect in all its parts , except only that which has felt the touch of the finger of God . Man in his natnral state is so weak , so prone to forsake
the good and choose the evil , that it is impossible to develop along the line of truth and justice and right , without asking and receiving the help of Divinity . Hypocrisy and deceit cannot be banished from our midst , Bincerity and plain dealing cannot distinguish us , nor can
our hearts and tongues join in promoting each other ' s welfare , nnleas devontly kneeling at the throne of grace we humbly search for truth where truth alone is found . Of these three tenets it has been well said that " Truth is the column of wisdom , whose rays penetrate and enlighten
the inmost recesses of our Lodge ; brotherly love the column of strength , which binds us as one family in the indissoluble bond of fraternal affection ; and relief the
column of beauty , whose ornaments , more precious than the lilies and pomegranates that adorned the pillars of the pbrcb , are the widow ' s tear of joy and the orphan ' s prayer of gratitude . "
To the world Masonry is truly a mystery ! What holds it together , what has held it together for ages past , what binds brother so closely to brother , what brings harmony out of discord , and " conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual
distance" ? are questions which the outside world is revolving over and over again . Permit me to say that the answer cannot be found in forms and ceremonies , nor in method of Lodge , government , nor in signs , grips , words , and tokens , bnt it can be found in the teachings and the
sacred associations that cluster around our altar . Brother Bromwell answered the whole category of questions when he said : " I maintain that the true theism , the order of creation and providence in general and particular , the whole philosophy of government and life ; the principle of
all equality , and the rationale of mental and moral advancement , are embodied in the simple and silent , but sublime lessons of the Lodge . " Another brother has tersely said : " Here rich and poor , great and humble , old and young ,
gather around the same altar and li > p the same vows to the same God . " It is the religion of Masonry , a religion so broad that all the intelligent beings of the universe can conscientiously embrace it , that binds the Fraternit y in bonds which cannot be broken .
What is the religioa of Masonry ? " Faith , Hope and Charity , which admonish us to have faith in God , hope of immortality , and charity to all mankind . " Every Mason , from the youngest Entered Apprentice who stands on the ground floor to Worshipful Master who presides in the
Holy of Holies , is bound by solemn promise to be active in tho exercise of these reli gious duties from the time he first enters his Lodge till his weary body rest peacefully in the grave ; for no man ever crossed the threshold of Masonry without seriously declaring upon bis honour that
he would " cheerfully conform to all the ancient usages and established customs of the Fraternity ; " nor has any man ever passed from the darkness of ignorance to the li ght of knowledge without learning that honest , earnest prayer , prayer that betokens a spiritual life and a personal
Our Altar.
experience , is among those " Ancient usages and established customs . " While wo are specifically taught "never to enter upon any great and important undertaking withont first invoking the blessing of Deity , " we are indirectly taught that in all our trials , troubles and vicissitudes , in
all the minor things of life which daily perplex us , He who leads the blind in their weary wanderings , He who turns their midnight darkness into meridian light , is ever ready and willing to " shield and defend us from the evil intentions of our enemies , and support ns under the trials and
afflictions we are destined to endure . " Masonry requires every one of her votaries to have faith in God , recognizing Him as the Creator aud Ruler of tho
universe ; a faith that accepts Him with His attributes of omnipotence , omniscience and omnipresence ; further we are not required to go ; beyond this point it leaves each one to think for himself . Oar creed is so liberal that tho
whole human family with all its systems of faith and worship can accept it ; overybody except the atheist only , and for the atheist , a being so narrow , so contracted , and so bigoted , that he cannot see or even conceive of any other being greater than himself , our Fraternity has no
room . A religion Masonry surely is , but it is non-sectarian ; it is a religion so broad that it contains the great central thought of every other religion under the shining sun . It is true that throughout all Christendom , the Bible , that " inestimable gift of God to man , " is accepted as the rule and
guide of our faith ; but no interpretation is placed upon it , each brother being free to read and construe that Holy Book as his conscience may dictate ; and yet it ia through its influence that Masonry is lifted from a system of faith
and worship which merely recognizes Deity , with all His unlimited powers , into the highest and grandest system of moral ethics found outside of the church which our Saviour founded .
Our hope is for immortality , and one of the most beautiful and impressive ceremonies of our Order ha 3 for its principal object to teach that he who lies down in the sleep of death shall rise again , The very thought of immortality is inspiring . Think of it ; that which is witbin , that
which controls our physical being and makes ns powerful for good or evil , that which is accountable to the State and to God for all deeds done in the body , that part shall survive death , and , passing beyond the grave , enter into the realms of an endless eternity .
It must be BO . PJafco , thou reasonest well : Else whenoa thia pleasing hope , thia fond deaire , Thia longing after immortality ? Or whence thia secret dread , and inward horror ,
Of falling into naught ? Why shrinks the soul Back on herself , and startles at destruction ? 'Tia the diVinifcy that stirs within ns ; 'Tis heaven itself that points out an hereafter , And intimates eternity to man .
Charity is that virtue which enables ns under all circumstances to place the best possible interpretation npon the lives and conduct of our fellows . It is diametricall y opposed to selfishness and is the only true safeguard to personal ambition . While it is not averse to honest
criticism , it stifles the tongue of rumour and smothers the low whispers of suspicion . When the chilly clouds of misfortune come within the horizon of any brother , and begin to spread over his clear skies ; aye , when the sun of his fair name is hid behind the deep blackness of evil reports ,
then Charity , with her broad mantle of brotherly love , covers the scene and waits for the light of truth to disperse the darkness of doubt , and for Justice to weigh in her even balance all the evidence and mete out reward or
punishment as the case may demand . Think of the sighs and sobs and heart-aches , think of the hours of grief and pain , that could have been saved the human family merely by practising this noble virtue . ( To be continued )
We havo received , from Messrs . Hamilton , Hills & Co ., Wholesale Fancy Stationers , of 22 Paternoster Row , London , specimens of their " Unique Series " of Christmas and Birthday Cards ; with samples of weding cards , menu cards , cards for hand painting , " Unique " playing cards ,
wall texts , & c . At this period of the year many of our brethren make a practice of sending a simple souvenir , expressing fraternal greetings . We can recommend the " Masouic " patterns issued by the firm we have mentioned as specially adapted for this purpose ]