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Article THAT RELIGION IN WHICH ALL MEN AGREE.* Page 1 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
That Religion In Which All Men Agree.*
THAT RELIGION IN WHICH ALL MEN AGREE . *
The compilers of the first clause in the oldest Book of Constitutions of the oldest Freemasons' Grand Lodge , did not understand the Christian religion only , by . the sentence "THAT RELIGION IN WHICH ALL MEN AGREE . " . .- It frequently happens of late that the reverse of the above assertion is heard to be . the meaning of those who attempt to defend the conduct of the Lod which have expressed themselves favourable to the initiation
ges into Freemasonry of Christian candidates only , or are disposed ' to admit only members of that creed as visitors , because , according to . their ideas , none other than Christians can be made Freemasons , and members of different faiths , if admitted , are grossly cheated , and a Lodge not agreeing with them must cease to be a genuine Freemasons ' Lodge . . I have once more read with the greatest attention that which has now become a scarce book—'' The Constitutions of the Freemasons , for the
use of the Lodges , London , in the year of Masonry 5 T 23 ; Anno Domini 1723 , " and found therein what appears to me to be satisfactory proof That the first clause does not limit to Christians only the capability to become candidates for initiation into Freemasonry . This I will attempt to demonstrate . The book commences with a traditionary tale of Masonry . According to it , Masons were coeval with the formation of the world . That is to
be inferred indeed from the date ( 5723 ) on the title-page . Moses is therein styled Grand Master who often marshalled them into a regular and general Lodge while in the wilderness , and gave them wise charges , orders ; ' & c ; The wise King SOLOMON was GRAND MASTER of the Lodge at JERUSALEM , and the learned King HIRAM was GRAND MASTER of the Lodge at Tyre , and the inspired HIRAM ABIF was MASTER OF WORK . " The last named Hiram , or Huram , is named as " the most accomplished Mason upon earth . " I judge from thisthat these threeand no other
, , Mason , as also their united building , is represented in the genuine ancient ceremony , more particularly at the ritual of raising . "The temple contained most lovely and convenient apartments for Icings arid princesi priests and Levites , Israelites nod Gentiles also ; it being an house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS . " When the buildirig of the temple was finished ; the masons wandered to different countries . "But none ' of the nations , not altogether , could rival the Israelites , far less excel therri
in masonry , and their temple remained the CONSTANT PATTERN . " According to this oral history , Nebuchadnezzar , King of Babylon , was a Mason , and Zerubabel was a Master M ason of the Jews . Farther on am prig the Masonic worthies , figure the great THALES , MILESIUS , his scholar the great ' 'P YTHAGORAS , proved the author of the forty-seventh prbpositibif of Euclid ' s first book , which , if duly observed , is the foundation of all Masonry . ' Iti ' s . erigraveriona tablet with the lines , to show the correctness of th ' e ' -propbsiti 6 ri , ' arid susperided within tlie srria'llef angle of the square .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
That Religion In Which All Men Agree.*
THAT RELIGION IN WHICH ALL MEN AGREE . *
The compilers of the first clause in the oldest Book of Constitutions of the oldest Freemasons' Grand Lodge , did not understand the Christian religion only , by . the sentence "THAT RELIGION IN WHICH ALL MEN AGREE . " . .- It frequently happens of late that the reverse of the above assertion is heard to be . the meaning of those who attempt to defend the conduct of the Lod which have expressed themselves favourable to the initiation
ges into Freemasonry of Christian candidates only , or are disposed ' to admit only members of that creed as visitors , because , according to . their ideas , none other than Christians can be made Freemasons , and members of different faiths , if admitted , are grossly cheated , and a Lodge not agreeing with them must cease to be a genuine Freemasons ' Lodge . . I have once more read with the greatest attention that which has now become a scarce book—'' The Constitutions of the Freemasons , for the
use of the Lodges , London , in the year of Masonry 5 T 23 ; Anno Domini 1723 , " and found therein what appears to me to be satisfactory proof That the first clause does not limit to Christians only the capability to become candidates for initiation into Freemasonry . This I will attempt to demonstrate . The book commences with a traditionary tale of Masonry . According to it , Masons were coeval with the formation of the world . That is to
be inferred indeed from the date ( 5723 ) on the title-page . Moses is therein styled Grand Master who often marshalled them into a regular and general Lodge while in the wilderness , and gave them wise charges , orders ; ' & c ; The wise King SOLOMON was GRAND MASTER of the Lodge at JERUSALEM , and the learned King HIRAM was GRAND MASTER of the Lodge at Tyre , and the inspired HIRAM ABIF was MASTER OF WORK . " The last named Hiram , or Huram , is named as " the most accomplished Mason upon earth . " I judge from thisthat these threeand no other
, , Mason , as also their united building , is represented in the genuine ancient ceremony , more particularly at the ritual of raising . "The temple contained most lovely and convenient apartments for Icings arid princesi priests and Levites , Israelites nod Gentiles also ; it being an house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS . " When the buildirig of the temple was finished ; the masons wandered to different countries . "But none ' of the nations , not altogether , could rival the Israelites , far less excel therri
in masonry , and their temple remained the CONSTANT PATTERN . " According to this oral history , Nebuchadnezzar , King of Babylon , was a Mason , and Zerubabel was a Master M ason of the Jews . Farther on am prig the Masonic worthies , figure the great THALES , MILESIUS , his scholar the great ' 'P YTHAGORAS , proved the author of the forty-seventh prbpositibif of Euclid ' s first book , which , if duly observed , is the foundation of all Masonry . ' Iti ' s . erigraveriona tablet with the lines , to show the correctness of th ' e ' -propbsiti 6 ri , ' arid susperided within tlie srria'llef angle of the square .