The Good In Masonry.

THE GOOD IN MASONRY .

An Oration by Bro . F . A . Moore before the Grand Lodge F . and A . M . of Oregon , SOth Jane 1890 . WHAT wonderful changes have been wrought in Oregon during the few short years since this Grand Lodge was organised ! Then the groat North-west was

but little known . The distance across the dusty plains could be counted by the graves of loved ones who had fallen a prey to the dread cholera , or who had been stricken

down by the ruthless hand of the red savage . Then , when the last good-byes had been spoken to the dear ones at home , and the plodding ox team had been started toward the setting

sun—Where rolls the Oregon , and hears no sound Save his own dashings , the emigrant began to realise the distance that separated

this fair land from that which ho had called home . Upon arriving here after the toilsome journey , he first built a dwelling for himself and family , then the schoolhouse and church , and then the Masonic Lodge .

Forty years have passed , and that little Masonic germ , transplanted in this State with such care , has grown to giant proportions and its branches furnish cooling shade to the weary all over this broad land . Freemasonry has , since the early settlement , been one of the potent factors in the

development of civilisation here . Oar fair State has kept pace with her sister States in the increased settlement and cultivation of our fertile valleys and wooded hills , in fche amazing increase of wealth , and in the development of our natural resources .

While this rapid improvement and wonderful development have been made in our State , Masonry has kept pace "with , if she has not outstripped all , in the progress she has made by increasing her membership , and in spreading her

influence for good . As one wave overlaps another on the ocean beach to mark fcho approach of the incoming tide , so each year has carried the " high water mark " of Masonry further against the shore of ignorance and bigoted opposition .

On such occasions as these , ifc is proper fco note the object and purpose of our Order , and to mark its progress and effect upon civilization . Man , in all ages , has desired companionship . He was created a social being , and obeying fcho law of his creation ,

he has mingled with his fellow man , and his morals have been improved or injured by snch contact . If he associates with tho vicious , immoral or licentious , his life will be like theirs , and his power to do injury will bo in proportion to his influence . If his associations have been with fche good ,

the pure and the true , his life will reflect the character of such , and his power to do good will be unlimited . Freemasonry , realising the necessity of such association and companionship , has been established among men to . meet this demand of his nature ; and as individual effort is

strengthened by association in every branch of industry , so has our noble Order been strengthened and built up by tho individual factors of this body , and its influence for good is just in proportion to its aggregate morality and

intelligence . Any association which secures and holds the intelligence of mankind'must have some equivalent to give in exchange for the time and means spent iu acquiring a knowledge of its operations and effects upon mankind .

The fact thafc the young men join an Order does not prove ifc to be of material benefit ; but the fact that men now old and grey attend our meetings , and that their interest has not abated , but rather increased in the thirty

or forty years of their membership , tends to prove that Masonry offers them some equivalent in exchange for the effort made and expense incurred in attending the meetings of our Lodges .

What does Freemasonry , as an association , offer , and what inducements does it present that can appeal to fche intelligence of a thinking people ? Our purpose shall be to present , in a general way , some of the grand principles that underlie this social fabric .

Man has , by nature , a reverential desire to worship the Supreme Being , and also a desire to help , aid and assist his fellow man ; and in obeying these natural desires his

greatest happiness is attained . Freemasonry has been founded upon these two gre ; it fundamental principles : fche Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man .

The Good In Masonry.

The first greafc truth our Order teaches , and fche one every Mason recognizes , w , that God is the Supreme Architect of the Universe , the Creator of all things ; not the unknown force of nature , nor the unknowable of science , but the personal Deity of the Holy Bible .

This Book of Books is the chief " cornerstone of oui f nstitntion . To it the novitiate ' s attention is first directed .

To it Masons in all ages have turned , and found words of counsel and cheer ; and from its sacred pages we derive instruction for our guidance , and learn that the Creator rewards His believing followers , nofc only in this life , but in the world to come . We teach no religious dogma , and

require no religions test ; yet a belief in the existence of the Supreme Being is a prerequisite to participation in our rites . The object is to inculcate a desire for truth , of which God Himself is the only symbol . No Mason can deny this proposition and live up to the teachings of the

Craft . The whole Masonic superstructure rests upon this solid foundation . Eliminate from our Order this Grand proposition , and the whole fabric must fall ; the degrees of Masonry wonld become meaningless symbolism , and it were a waste of man ' s time to acquire a knowledge of our

mysteries . Admitting fche proposition to be true , the noviate finds a hidden beauty in every word . The symbolism represents a grand and noble type , and one worthy of the careful consideration of intelligent men . Thte " old , old story , " is

ever new , and fche old man who heard ifc first in the vigour of a young manhood , now drags his weary form , bent with years of toil , to listen once more to its recital , feeling in his heart thafc he is amply repaid for the laborious effort required .

When the Mason becomes thoroughly imbued with the grandeur and sublimity of the works of Nature , and looks up to and recognises the Author , he then realises he has a work to perform , and finds it in ministering to his

fellow man . If the Mason fails m grasping this central truth , he fails in his duty to his fellow man , becomes lukewarm and careless of bis Masonic duties and obligations , and finally quits their associations .

This recognition of God as fche Author of Creation benefits the believing Mason by giving him a lofty ideal . Ifc broadens and deepens his intelligence . Ifc awakens hi-i admiration and causes him fco think less of self and to act

more for others . Aside from this , M . i . somy teaches no creed . Ifc deals with man as a hnman being and attempts to correct his morals . Ifc tenches him to snbdne his passions and to control his appetite , and to so acfc that his life may reflect the character of his associates .

No wars have been so fierce or cruel as religious ones . There is no sacrifice so revolting thafc a religious devotee will nofc perform it . Let any man depart from the great Masonic standard of religious truth and he afc onne becomes a fanatic , and seta up a dogma to illustrate and intensify

his peculiar mode and manner of religious worship . Masonry tempers this relig ious zeal aud teaches man from that greafc light—the Holy Bible—thafc all men were created equal , and as such are entitled to charitable consideration . Religious fanaticism severs this friendly

sentiment , and causes one member of the family to draw his sword against another who does not endorse his peculiar belief . Any system of association which is not broad enough to embrace men of all classes who are morally qualified and possess this requisite belief , is unworthy of fche support or membership of thinking people .

Freemasonry , then , is intended , nofc for any class , but for all mankind . Its objecfc is to make the world better and brighter ; to hold up to the world a code of morals so simple and so pure , that any conscientious , thinking man

may readily endorse the same ; to paint immorality , vice a ^ d licentiousness in deeper and darker hues , and by this glaring comparison to aid the Mason in making the wise and proper choice .

Man ' s equality is another grand lesson . The divine riffht of kinsrs is ' denied in our Order . These class

distinctions , created by men for their convenience , have no binding force among us . The beggar in the street , the king on his throne , aud all the class grades between , we are taught to regard as one common brotherhood . Masonry regards man for his moral worth , not for his distinction . We meet upon the level of human equality .

Masonic charity , as another grand lesson , seems to have been placed at the very apex of tbe vast pyramid of Masonic duties . Masonic charity is but a synonym for Masonic sympathy . The grandest object of Freemasonry