THE BUILDER OCTOBER 1919

THE PLAN OF FREEMASONRY

BY BRO. EDWARD B. PAUL. P.G.M. BRITISH COLUMBIA

The following article, written by the author of "The Column of
Beauty" published heretofore, takes a broad and philosophical view
of Freemasonry as a whole. One may study Masonry from the
circumference to the center, from the details to the general, and
such is always worth while; he may also study it from the center to
the circumference, from the whole to the parts, and this also is
richly worth while, as the following essay will show.

TO MOST, if not all, of us, the recollection of our Initiation,
Passing, and Raising is fresh and vivid, and stands out from among
our subsequent Masonic experiences with a clearness to be explained
by the novelty of the situations in which we found ourselves, and
by the solemnity of the ceremonies in which we took part for the
first time. We perceived, then, that Freemasonry had a message for
us, if we could only comprehend it, and we relied on the knowledge
of our more experienced brethren to explain to us the many
mysteries hidden beneath the ceremonies and symbols of the lodge.
As we continued carefully to imbibe the lessons emanating from the
East, much that to us had seemed dark became brighter; but we felt
there was still much to learn. It is true that each symbol and
symbolic act in the lodge was separately explained, and its moral
and Masonic uses elucidated; but the detached parts of Freemasonry
were never, in our opinion, satisfactorily united into one
comprehensive whole, a knowledge of which is necessary in order
that the "Noble Science" may have the influence on our lives and
conduct, which is its chief end. My purpose, therefore, is to
endeavour to demonstrate that the allegories and symbols of the
lodge have a correspondence with each other, and are in the nature
of hieroglyphics which can be pieced together and made to reveal,
when deciphered, the lessons they were intended to convey. But as
symbols are, from their nature, susceptible of various meanings,
and as all investigators, no matter how honest their intensions may
be, are liable to assign forced interpretations to some of them, in
order that they may fit into a pre-conceived plan, it is necessary
that their pronouncements be submitted to the most rigorous tests,
lest Error and not Truth be the result.

The magnitude of my theme and the necessarily limited space
allotted to me for this lecture, have caused me to make
condensations which detract from the leanness of my arguments,
which would require treatment beyond the scope of a short address.
However, I lay the results of my investigations before you, begging
your indulgence for presenting, in mere outline, a subject of such
immense importance.

With this explanatory foreword, I shall now proceed to the subject
matter of my lecture.

There are three aspects of Freemasonry to which I invite your
attention:

1. Freemasonry as Philosophy.

2. Freemasonry as Education.

3. Freemasonry as the Handmaid of Religion.

These three aspects are sufficiently wide in their scope to deserve
much more time for their individual development than is at present
at my disposal. A word or two, however, may help to explain my
reason for placing them Philosophy, Education, Religion in the
order here presented.

Philosophy may be conceived as the science which lays down the
principles governing conduct that which states the Moral Ideal;
Education, as the means by which that ideal is attained, or, at
least, approached; and Religion as the outcome of the two the
experience of the individual while realizing, or partially
realizing, the Ideal. While these conceptions, no doubt, suggest my
divisions of the subject of my lecture, and the order in which they
are placed, I fear that, in my treatment of them, I may frequently
lose sight of any method which is intended in my design. Indeed, I
cannot pretend that this lecture is worthy of being regarded
otherwise than as the expression of random thoughts arising out of
the careful contemplation of our ceremonies and symbols, and
serious speculation as to their meanings.

FREEMASONRY AS PHILOSOPHY

To the philosophical student it will be obvious, in the course of
my remarks, that I use the word "Philosophy" in a very loose way.
In the first division of my subject I shall touch upon the ideal of
life, the nature of the self and the nature of knowledge. In the
third the nature of God and the Immortality of the Soul will be
among the problems considered problems which lie as much in the
province of Philosophy as the three treated under the first head.
Perhaps it would have been better to have made a sharper
distinction and substituted "Ethics" or "Moral Philosophy" for the
word "Philosophy" employed here; but, if you will bear in mind this
explanation, it seems to me convenient to allow the term to stand.

"Philosophy is the pursuit of Truth." This is the first and
simplest conception and definition of Philosophy we can form. Can
we, with truth, substitute the word Freemasonry for Philosophy in
that definition? Such a question propounded in a Freemason's lodge
can be answered only in the affirmative. The pursuit of Truth,
called by us the search for the Lost Word, is indeed the sole aim
and the chief end of all the teachings of Freemasonry.

But I do not forget that we are distinctly informed that the "Chief
Point of Freemasonry" is the promotion of the happiness of the
individual, and, consequently, of society. That is insisted on in
the Charge to the Brethren in the Installation Ceremony. The
ancient Greek moralists also considered that happiness is "the
great end of man, that this is the highest good, the end for which
all beings live, the object which they all pursue." In this
respect, also, Freemasonry agrees with other philosophies in its
definition of the chief end of man.

It may be asked, then, What is the aim of Freemasonry? Is it Truth
or Happiness ? There seems to be no doubt that Happiness is the
natural concomitant of Truth, and that that is the explanation of
the apparent contradiction in the statement of the aims of
Freemasonry. Truth and Happiness would thus have the same
relationship which Tennyson points out as existing between duty and
glory:

"He that walks the path of duty only thirsting 
For the right, and learns to deaden 
Love of self, before his journey closes 
He shall find the stubborn thistle bursting 
Into glossy purples, which outredden 
All voluptuous garden roses."


Thus, the aim of Philosophy and of Freemasonry being the same, you
will see my justification in dealing with Freemasonry as a
philosophy.

The nature of that philosophy cannot be clearly explained without
a short allusion to the Allegory of Freemasonry. In that allegory
the candidate is made to represent a human being in his progress
from birth to death, or, as the mental and moral development of a
man from childhood to old age closely corresponds to the mental and
moral advancement of the race, he may be said to represent human
knowledge as it ascends from darkness to light.

This ascent is made by three steps. And may I be permitted to
digress a moment to point out that in nature many physical entities
or qualities occur in threes or triads. Thus we have Space and its
three dimensions, Length, Breadth, Thickness; Matter and its three
states, Solid, Liquid, Gaseous. Physical Magnitudes, Length, Mass,
Time. Color, Red, Green, Blue or Violet. Sound, Loudness, Pitch,
Quality. Electric Current, Circuit, Electro-motive Force,
Resistance, etc., etc.

A three-fold division is also manifested in man's nature, which is
generally recognized as being made up of three distinct parts,
namely, Body, Mind, Spirit. Browning puts into the mouth of one of
the patrons of Freemasonry, St. John, the Divine, the following
words, which beautifully set forth this distinction:

This is the doctrine he was wont to teach, 
How divers persons witness in each man, 
Three souls which make up one soul; first, to wit, 
A soul of each and all the bodily parts, 
Seated therein, which works, and is what Does, 
And has the use of earth, and ends the man 
Downward: but, tending upward for advice, 
Grows into, and again is grown into 
By the next soul, which, seated in the brain, 
Useth the first with its collected use, 
And feeleth, thinketh, willeth-is what Knows: 
Which, duly tending upward in its turn, 
Grows into, and again is grown into 
By the last soul, that uses both the first, 
Subsisting whether they assist or no, 
And, constituting man's self, is what Is- 
And leans upon the former, makes it play, 
As that played off the first; and, tending up, 
Holds, is upheld by, God, and ends the man 
Upward in that dread point of intercourse, 
Nor needs a place, for it returns to Him. 
What Does, what Knows, what Is; three souls, one man.

As may be expected, therefore, these three parts of man's nature
are fully recognized in Freemasonry, each of the three degrees
representing one the First degree, the Body (the material world or
world of sense); the Second, the Mind; and the Third, the Spirit,
the Ego, of which the other two are ministers. Abundant proof of
this is to be found in the symbolism of Freemasonry, and it is
supported by the opinion of the ablest Masonic writers. This
distinction may be alluded to in each of the three divisions of my
lecture.

As has been mentioned above, the Pursuit of Happiness is the "chief
point" of Freemasonry as well as the aim of life as presented by
Philosophy, according to the ancient Greek moralists. All mankind,
in every age, from the darkest period of barbarism to the most
civilized epoch the world has ever seen, have been striving after
happiness. They may differ in their definition of the term, as well
as the means by which they can attain their object; but we may take
it for granted that ultimately they have happiness in view in all
their schemes for the conduct of their lives.

Among savages, the gratification of their passions and desires,
without regard to future consequences, seems to them the "highest
good." This is also true, to a certain extent, in the case of
children. Philosophy, generally, and Freemasonry have nothing to do
with that stage of human existence, except in so far as it might be
called a preparation period; for the whole life of man may be said
to be preparation for something higher the period of darkness for
the E. A., the E. A. for the F. C. and so on. It is, therefore,
necessary that, before proceeding further and higher, the human
being should be "duly and truly prepared."

It is not to be expected that a child or a savage can be prepared
at once to receive all the instruction necessary to the complete
development of his three-fold nature. He must advance by steps,
from the simplest to the most complex, from the concrete to the
abstract. There is no doubt that the idea of Mind, still more of
Spirit, comes later than the knowledge of the Body and other
objects that can be perceived by the Senses. Preparation,
therefore, for education along the lines of such knowledge as can
be derived only from natural objects must be incomplete. Hence our
candidate's preparation is in the First degree confined to the left
side. The symbolism of the left side is well known. That side has
always been regarded as the side of less honour that the right,
and, consequently, is appropriately used to represent the
Sensational part of man's nature, while the right side connotes the
Rational side.

Hence it is not difficult to conceive that Freemasonry, if it is
concerned at all with Philosophy, should make the First degree to
exemplify the Sensational, and the Second, the Rational School of
Philosophy-the two great schools of thought which have split
thinkers into two opposing camps, from the earliest times to the
present day. Both systems agree that happiness, in one form or
another, is the great aim of man, and that the life according to
nature is virtue, because it leads us right to the end for which we
were destined by nature, viz., happiness. But they differ in their
doctrines respecting happiness and nature and virtue. Both agree
that within certain limits the appetites, passions and desires may
be gratified, but the Sensational school maintained that the limit
was necessary for prudential reasons only, the Rational that
happiness springs from the limitation and subjugation of the
passions.

The connection between the First degree and the Sensational School
will be apparent if we recollect that "refreshment" in the old days
was not a mere banquet to be held or not held, after the ceremonies
of the evening were over, in a different room, but that it was an
integral part of those ceremonies, solemnized by the placing on the
refreshment table of the Lights of Masonry, by the prayers of the
Master and the other ceremonies of "opening," but "mingled with
social mirth, and the mutual interchange of fraternal feeling." It
may be regarded, therefore, as a rite emblematical of the liberty
of man to gratify his appetites, desires and passions subject to
the check of Temperance and Prudence, the two Cardinal Virtues of
the South and North, which we may personify as standing unseen and
silent on each side of the table, one behind and one facing the
Junior Warden. That check is represented also by the Common Gavel,
the symbol of Temperance, which must be used on the rough ashlar
before the Square of Morality can be made to fit its angles and
faces.

I will not tax your patience by dwelling on the similarity between
the Second degree and the Rational School of Philosophy. But I may
remind you that happiness according to the latter consists in the
limitation and subjugation of the passions, while the emphasis laid
by the former on Morality and Virtue and the subjugation of the
Passions seems to establish the parallel.  The Second degree also
lays special stress on the study of Geometry representing
Mathematics which subject was regarded by the old Greek
philosophers particularly Pythagoras as the symbol of Pure Reason.
In Architecture Geometry is the science which determines the form
of a structure, and which is more concerned about that than about
the substance or matter of which it is composed. The form
symbolizes the limit, and the materials, the appetites and
passions, the matter, in the Second degree, being completely
subordinated to the former, as has been shown to be the case in the
tenets of the Rational School.

But Masonry does not, like some of the old Philosophies, maintain
the irreconcilable opposition of mind or soul and matter. The
oblong squares of the Entered Apprentice and the Fellow Craft show
that each degree taken by itself is incomplete. It is only when
each is blended with the other that perfection is reached, as is
shown in the "perfect square" of a Master Mason, which is formed by
the union of the other two squares. This is one of many proofs in
our symbolism that the Third degree is the summation of the other
two with the addition of further lessons on the Nature of God and
Immortality.

The refreshment table of Freemasonry is symbolical not only of our
liberty, within the bounds of Temperance and Prudences to partake
of the material blessings lavished on us by God, but it is also an
emblem of a figurative table provided with materials for the
satisfaction of our mental and moral appetites. The viands are the
thoughts of great and good men either presented to us in books or
by word of mouth, and the satisfaction we derive from moral and
virtuous actions.

Freemasonry has set limits to prevent our abuse of these blessings;
but in placing before us material as well as mental and spiritual
food, it effectually rebukes those who look on physical
gratification, even within lawful limits, as sinful, and who seek
to obtain God's favour by neglect and contempt of His temple, the
human body.

"Let us not always say,
'Spite of this flesh today
I strove, made head, gained ground upon the whole!'
As the bird wings and sings,
Let us cry, 'All good things
Are ours, nor soul helps flesh more, now, than flesh helps soul!'"

FREEMASONRY AS EDUCATION

Plato states that "the aim of Education is to develop in the body
and in the soul all the beauty and all the perfection of which they
are capable."

The question before us now is, Does Freemasonry interest itself in
the subject of Education, and, if so, does the aim of the Education
suggested by Freemasonry resemble the aim of Education as defined
by Plato? I think there can be no doubt that the question must be
answered in the affirmative. Freemasonry expressly deals with the
development of Body and Soul and leaves nothing in the matter of
the education of its votaries that can be improved upon; for it
works in conformity to Nature, and in the order of Nature in the
matter of Education as in all other things in which it concerns
itself.

In order to comprehend, then, its system, let me remind you that
the First degree is the degree of the material universe. The first
step, therefore, in Masonic Education is education through the
senses. In the earlier stages of a man's life, he takes cognizance
only of such knowledge as can be acquired through the senses.
Nothing is real to him unless he can touch, taste, smell, hear or
see it. The most natural and, therefore, the most scientific method
of teaching the young is through the senses. The concrete must
precede the abstract. Such an education would be directed
especially to the enlargement and refinement of the receptive
powers; of those powers, above all which are directly relative to
fleeting phenomena the powers of sensation and emotion.

What is called "practical education" the training of the hand and
eye to obey the directions of the mind; aesthetic
education occupied very largely with those aspects of things which
affect us pleasurably through the senses, including art and the
finer sorts of literature; education of the heart dealing with the
love of Nature, animate and inanimate, above all, love and charity
towards our fellow men, which latter is the special lesson of an E.
A., and love to God, from Whom flows every good and perfect gift:
all these, without stretching the meanings of the symbolism, are
inculcated in the first degree of Freemasonry.

The candidate in the Second degree has made a further advance.
Abstract studies are set before him, having for their object the
development of all his intellectual faculties, the moral and
spiritual elevation of his character, and the further acquisition
of truth and knowledge. Cut I must remind you, here, that no degree
stands by itself. Each "grows into and is again grown into" by the
other two. you must not understand, therefore, that mind and
intellect are not trained in the First degree, but that they are
further greatly developed in the Second.

The beautiful symbolism of the Winding Stairs represents a synopsis
of the Masonic system of education.

The first three steps I take to mean a mere reminder, such as
occurs, again and again, throughout all the ceremonies of the
lodge, that three parts, Body, Soul and Spirit, constitute the
nature of Man; and they are intended simply as an introduction or
key to the Educational scale which commences with the flight of
five steps.

The first flight, then, refers to the five senses, and alludes to
the Education through the Senses, suggested in a former part of
this discussion.

The second flight of seven steps, referring to seven purely
abstract studies, is symbolical of Pure Reason, and shows an upward
advance in the candidate's intellectual progress.

But where is the third member of the triad in this ascent, which
the first three steps, according to the interpretation given above,
has led us to look for? To answer this we must ask another
question, "What has been the goal or aim of the candidate during
his long and arduous pilgrimage?" To which question there is only
one answer, "The Truth." He does not yet find it; but high up and
suspended in the distance he descries the letter "G." a mere
initial, a glimmering hope that his labour has not been in vain,
and that he has at last seen, faintly indeed and indistinctly, an
indication of the object of his search. He has still far to go, he
still has a rough and rugged road to travel; but his Faith is now
buoyed up by Hope, and he knows that he will reach the goal if he
continues true to his purpose.

There is another aspect of the Winding Stairs which has struck me
as beautiful and worthy of your consideration. If we imagine a
spiral line drawn round a conical hill, it will appear to be like
a number of circles narrowing in diameter, or growing closer to the
centre the higher they rise, till, at the top, the circumference
disappears in the centre. So man, by labour, virtue, and faith in
God, may ascend, step by step, in his progress through life,
drawing nearer and ever nearer to Him, till finally, his earthly
pilgrimage over, his liberated spirit comes before His Holy
Presence, and is lost in the Light and Warmth of His infinite
Intelligence and His inexhaustible Love.

FREEMASONRY THE "HANDMAID OF RELIGION"

There is probably no society in this world more imbued with the
religious sense than the Fraternity of Freemasons. Questions of
Morality and Religion are freely and reverently discussed by them
in their lodges, and lectures on subjects bearing on the conduct of
human life are listened to by them with an interest and patience
which shows that they are animated not so much by fraternal
courtesy as by sincere desire for self-improvement. Nor is that to
be wondered at when one considers the reverence which every member
of the Craft pays to the ceremonies of the lodge and to the
excellent principles which are always inculcated therein. An
examination, therefore, into the principles of Freemasonry which
bring about this religious inclination among Masons, which my
experience assures me exists, is my purpose at this stage of my
lecture.

In the first place, a belief in God and Immortality is required of
every applicant for admission into a lodge. That is necessary for-
two reasons. First, as the name of God is so frequently invoked in
our assemblies, and as all our ceremonies and lectures tend to
impress on our mind His wonderful government of the world and our
dependence on Him, the presence in our midst of an atheist who
would certainly not sympathize with, if he did not actually scoff
at our proceedings, would prove a source of discord in a society so
dependent on harmony as its "strength and support."

Another reason for requiring of an applicant a belief in God, is
that without such belief he would lack the very foundation on which
the lessons of Freemasonry are based, and would, consequently,
finding himself out of sympathy with our beliefs, either cease to
associate himself with the Fraternity, or, keeping up a nominal
connection with it, lose no opportunity of belittling the
importance of our work, and of designating our symbolical teaching
as puerile and unworthy of the serious attention of any thoughtful
man. Thus he would not only derive no benefit himself, but would be
likely to create prejudice against us in the eyes of the profane.
This he might be able to do without violating the letter of his
obligation.

The preparation for and symbolism of each of the three degrees has,
of course, the same significance when Freemasonry is discussed from
the point of view of its being ancillary to Religion, as it had
when we were dealing with its Philosophical and Educational sides.
You will, therefore, not require further explanation if, as I
proceed, I refer to the Degree of Nature, the Degree of Mind and
the degree in which both the former are united into one Degree of
Perfection.

But, before proceeding to discuss this part of my subject I propose
to deal briefly with symbolisms which might be classified under
each of those three heads, but which it is more convenient to take
by themselves, as they throw light on what is to follow. And the
first of these that I shall speak about is the three knocks of the
candidate seeking admission to a lodge open on any degree. The
first knock refers to the fundamental necessity of prayer. The
subject of prayer is the first lesson given the E. A. on his
entrance into the lodge; prayer is taught by example, in each of
the Degrees; and prayer was the last act of H. A. B. before his
tragic death. "Ask and ye shall receive" is the interpretation of
the first knock, and that command, with its gracious promise, is,
further, beautifully symbolized on the Tracing Board of the E. A.
The story of Jacob's dream is familiar to you all and need not be
told here. But I shall give you what seems to be the Masonic
significance of it. The ascending angels bear to heaven the prayers
and petitions of men, and the descending angels bring back the
answers from God in the form of bounties and blessings.

The second knock, we are told, means "Seek, and ye shall find."
Here is a direct injunction to search for Truth. That search is the
paramount duty of every Freemason; in fact it is the sole object of
all the teachings of Freemasonry.

"Knock and it shall be opened to you."

If with all your hearts you prayerfully and truly seek Him, your
admittance into the Grand Lodge Above will not be denied. Your
search will then be rewarded; you will find the Lost Word; in God's
holy presence you will discover the Truth.

Sacrifice, of which the altar is a symbol, is also one of the
requisites of Freemasonry. All that a Mason has property, even
life--must be given up for the "protection of innocence and virtue,
and for the defense of Truth."

The symbolism of the Sun is perhaps the most important vehicle for
the conveyance to our minds of Divine Truth. The Sun is the pattern
for the imitation of the Worshipful Master, because it is
symbolical of certain attributes of the Deity Love and
Intelligence, Order and Harmony. The warmth of the Sun is
emblematical of Love, and his light of Intelligence or Mind. The
three Lesser Lights are said to represent the Sun, Moon and
Worshipful Master. The Sun symbolizes the attributes of God, Love
and Intelligence. The Moon, which reflects the light, but not the
warmth, of the Sun Intelligence. The Worshipful Master,  Man, the
most perfect of His works.

The Sun also represents the Immanence of God. Its warmth pervades
the Earth and is necessary not only for the comfort, but also for
the life, of all organic creatures. In like manner God is
everywhere. In the beautiful words of Mrs. Browning:

"Earth is crammed with Heaven 
And every bush and tree 
Afire with God. But only he 
Who sees takes off his shoes."

His love is unfailing even to the lowest organism He has made; and
His intelligence is manifested in all the works of His hands, and
acts in the formation of a frost crystal as certainly and as
beautifully as in the growth of a blade of grass. "This deity,"
quotes Tagore from the Upanishad, "who is manifesting himself in
the activities of the universe, always dwells in the heart of man
as the supreme soul. Those who realize Him through the immediate
perception of the heart attain immortality."

One word more about Sun symbolism. The point within the circle is
the astronomical symbol of the Sun. The Sun is represented by the
central point, the circumference represents his rays. The compasses
is the instrument used for describing circles, the pivotal point
representing the central Sun, and the other point Light. Thus, in
the Fellow Craft degree, when one point has been elevated above the
square, the meaning seems to be that a certain measure of
intellectual and moral light has been vouchsafed to the candidate.
But when the pivotal point is also placed above the square, he has
received the pure light and warmth of Masonry  all the knowledge of
the Truth that "it is possible for him to obtain in a lodge of
Master Masons."

But the most important assistance which Freemasonry lends to
Religion is when it teaches the Craftsman that the existence of God
can be deduced from His works.

And, first, Freemasonry shows that God is manifested in Nature,
which is His creation. "The Heavens declare the Glory of God and
the Earth showeth forth His handiwork." The works of our greatest
poets are full of this theme. Nay, even savages, in their own rude
way, see a god in every manifestation of nature. It is not
wonderful, therefore, that Freemasonry should say that
"contemplating these objects" (of nature) "we are led to view with
reverence and admiration the wonderful works of Creation, and adore
their Divine Creator." All religions and most philosophies agree in
the necessity of a First Cause, or God. Freemasonry teaches us to
study Nature, to admire its beauties, to comprehend its wonderful
harmony, to appreciate the marvellous adaptation of every created
thing to its environment and the purpose for which it was created,
and reverently to worship the Maker and Creator of all things.

Thus, and far too briefly, I have laid before you the argument
which deduces the Cause from the Effect in the material world. By
our objective consciousness we try to trace the Divine in Nature.
But there is a higher consciousness-the subjective-which deals with
the Mind, and which traces the Divine in Man. This part of my
subject might also be presented to you under the heading: "God as
comprehended by the individual mind."

"Are the intelligence of God and the intelligence of man of the
same character ? Intelligence itself seems to constrain us to
answer this question in the affirmative. To suppose that the
supreme intelligence has nothing whatever in common with the human
intelligence, is to suppose that one of them is an intelligence,
and that the other is no intelligence at all. It is to dissolve the
very ground on which we conceive both of them as intelligences.
This truth, then, in regard to the constitution of the human mind,
and of all minds, seems to be a necessary axiom of reason. In all
intelligence there is an essential unity of kind, however small the
point of unity may be. . . . This unity constitutes the very bond,
and the only bond, between the Creator and the creature. Deny this
connection between the divine and human reason, and you destroy the
very possibility of religion." The preceding sentences, taken from
the philosophical works of Professor Ferrier, are, in short, the
summary of his argument for the connection between all finite minds
and the infinite mind of the Creator. The mind of Man, who,
compared with the rest of Creation, is physically insignificant, is
the most wonderful phenomenon that exists in the Universe. It
traces the paths of comets and planets, and predicts their
appearance at any position in the sky to a fraction of a second; it
calculates the distances from the Earth and from each other of the
most remote fixed stars; it even can tell their weights, specific
gravity, and the constitution of the solid and gaseous matters of
which they are composed. It harnesses the lightning and the
cataract and forces them into the peaceful service of humanity. No
object is too minute or too immense for its comprehension. And its
steady and daring progress in the past from one pinnacle of
knowledge to another makes the forecast of its further and greater
triumphs logical and certain.

The achievements of the human mind are not confined, however, to
the discoveries of scientific truth. Too great homage cannot be
paid to the mighty minds of the men to whom such triumphs are due.
But the unveiling of the workings of the soul by poets,
philosophers and other men of letters is further and even greater
testimony to the majesty of the human intellect. Well might the
great world-poet exclaim:

"What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite
in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action
how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god!"

Man, endowed with mental faculties which enable him to comprehend
the laws by which the Universe is governed and the harmony of
Creation, cannot fail, by comparison with the processes of his
mind, to believe that the natural objects whose secrets it has been
able to discover, are governed and regulated by a mind similar in
nature to his own, and only differing in degree. He perceives that
other human minds are like his own, and that mind is an
indissoluble bond of union between man and God. Wordsworth, in
"Tintern Abbey," not only brings out the thought of union between
God and Man, but also emphasizes the bond of union between Nature
and God, which I have already discussed. Man, he says, has:

"A sense sublime 
Of something far more deeply interfused 
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, 
And the round ocean, and the living air, 
And the blue sky, and the mind of man,- 
A motion and a spirit that impels 
All thinking things, all objects of all thought, 
And rolls through all things."

God is thus revealed in Nature, and God is thus revealed in Man.
But there is another revelation recognized by Freemasonry in every
degree namely, the V. O. T. S. L. "the inestimable gift of God to
Man as a guide to his daily faith and practice." The religion of a
Freemason is left to his own conscience, but the sacred writings
are always open in his lodge, a silent, but eloquent, witness that
Freemasonry is not only not indifferent to religion, but that she
expects every craftsman to be a religious man. In fact, she
mentions the "irreligious libertine" as a man who has no right to
the privileges of the Craft.

These are some, only, of the many arguments which prove Freemasonry
to be the Handmaid of Religion. Could any mistress be better
served?

IMMORTALITY

We have given much time to the contemplation of the lessons of the
South and West. Have we no message from the North? Yes, indeed! The
place of darkness is a region not to be afraid of, but rather to be
regarded with affection and gratitude. For it is the place of
"sleep and his brother, death."

"Now blessings light on him who first invented sleep!" says Sancho
Panza in Don Quixote, "It covers a man all over, thoughts and all,
like a cloak; it is meat for the hungry, heat for the cold, and
cold for the hot. It is the current coin that purchases all the
pleasures of the world cheap, and the balance that sets the king
and the shepherd, the fool and the wise man, even."

What better eulogy could be written on Sleep than that? It is
rightly associated with refreshment in the first division of the
twenty-four-inch Gauge.

But, some one may say, "Sleep is a blessing, I grant you, but how
about Death? After sleep comes waking; but Death means the leaving
all that is near and dear to men, and the severing of every tie
which binds them to earth. Death is the end." Is it? If it is, then
is the teaching of Freemasonry vain; vain is the teaching of
Religion. But we Freemasons are taught that Death is not the end.
Though all things are dark, and the knell of low-twelve is sounding
in our ears, though our brother's mangled body is lying covered
only by the rubbish of the temple; though our loving hands remove
him from the grave where he was "indecently interred," and the
evidence of our nostrils gives unmistakable evidence of physical
dissolution, we know that all is well with him, for the G.A.O.T.U.
has taken him by the hand, and raised him to take his place in
another lodge a real lodge of Perfection  where he is surrounded by
the dear ones who have preceded him there, and where he awaits the
arrival of those whom he dearly loved and by whom he was dearly
loved, with perfect confidence, for he knows the Truth. He has
found the Master Mason's Word

