THE BUILDER JANUARY 1925

High Purpose and Genius of Royal Arch Masonry

By BRO., THE LATE WILLIAM F. KUHN
GENERAL GRAND HIGH PRIEST, GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER, UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

DURING his term as General Grand High Priest Bro. Kuhn visited as
many Grand Chapters as he could find opportunity to do, and at the
same time accepted invitations to speak before other Grand Bodies.
Such brethren as have been able to read the Proceedings of these
various Grand Bodies must have been impressed with the vitality and
resourcefulness of the speaker's mind, for while his theme was
everywhere very much the same he managed to give it on each
occasion a form and application appropriate to the occasion. One of
the best reported of his addresses as Grand High Priest will be
found in the Proceedings of the Seventy-sixth Annual Convocation of
the Grand Chapter of Mississippi, held at Vicksburg, Feb. 21, 1924,
here reproduced.

AS General Grand High Priest, I am endeavoring to visit as many
Grand Chapters as possible during my term of office, and I have but
one theme: more dignified and impressive ritualism and a moral and
educational value of the Capitular degrees. It is a lamentable fact
that Royal Arch Masonry has not come into its own. Many Freemasons
are proud of the fact that they are Master Masons, or Knights
Templar, or Scottish Rite Masons, but seldom do they boast of being
Royal Arch Masons. There must be a reason for this, and it lies in
the fact that Capitular degrees have been conferred in an
undignified manner, and the moral, historical and educational value
have been entirely neglected. But a change is coming, and these
degrees are receiving more attention and a more dignified rendition
than ever before. It has been established beyond a doubt that even
the most light-headed of men prefer dignified work and an
occasional glimpse of the moral and intellectual values contained
therein.

Royal Arch Masonry will come to its own as soon as these facts are
recognized. Freemasonry is a beautiful allegory which unfolds to
the thinking Freemason the interesting story of the Loss, the
Recovery and the practical application of that which we call the
Word. This is all that the great text book, Freemasonry, contains.
The Loss is symbolized in the lodge, and the Recovery, with its
practical application to life, is symbolized in Royal Arch Masonry.
Freemasonry has a golden thread, a central idea running through all
of the degrees and around which all the symbolism of Freemasonry
revolves. This central idea, or the goal of Freemasonry, upholds
the entire fabric, and unless this is kept in mind, the whole
structure falls to the ground. This center is the Master's Word.

Freemasonry is not a lot of degrees piled one upon another without
any connecting link, or a heterogeneous mass gathered together with
the mere idea of fooling the candidate into taking many degrees.
But there is this goal running through Ancient Craft Masonry of
which the Capitular degrees are an important part thereof. The
non-recognition of this fact has prevented Royal Arch Masonry from
coming into its own. It has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and
made a jest, instead of recognizing the greatest field for
intellectual and moral development of anything in Freemasonry. This
co-relation of the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry was recognized
by the United Grand Lodge of England when it stated that "Ancient
Craft Masonry consists of the degrees of Entered Apprentice Fellow
Craft, Master Mason, together with the Holy Royal Arch," and in
section second, it declared "that the lodges may confer the Orders
of Chivalry under their several constitutions."

IT IS A PART OF ANCIENT CRAFT MASONRY

This means that the Royal Arch Degree is a part of Ancient Craft
Masonry, and the Orders of Chivalry were recognized as Masonic.
This constitutes York Rite Freemasonry. It naturally follows that
one degree is not higher than another, but is a part of the
unfolding of an interesting story, and the Royal Arch is as much a
part of Ancient Craft Masonry as the Master's Degree, and it may be
truthfully stated that no one is in possession of all of Ancient
Craft Masonry without the Royal Arch. In this interesting relation
and co-relation we have the beautiful symbolism of the Loss, the
Recovery and the interpretation of the Master's Word. If there is
a Loss there must be a Recovery, and the Recovery is of little
value unless you interpret the Recovery. It would be merely
theoretical, philosophical nonsense to discover the Master's Word,
and fail to interpret it in a practical application to our duties
as Freemasons.

The Royal Arch portrays this Recovery. That is, if you receive the
degree in a manner that will enable you to recognize that you have
made the Discovery. Unfortunately, many who have received the Royal
Arch Degree did not receive anything and the whole thing was merely
a joke. Many newly-made Master Masons have been disappointed in not
receiving that which was promised them, and in the fact that they
were put off with a substitute, although they received the promise
that at the proper time the true Word should be discovered....

Originally, the Word may have been given in the Master's Degree,
but the introduction of the legend of Hiram Abiff necessarily made
a fourth degree possible. Not only made it possible but absolutely
necessary to symbolize the Recovery. This is the story of
Freemasonry. The candidate feels a disappointment in not receiving
the Master's Word as had been promised him, but he fails to grasp
the truth behind this denial, this disappointment, but when he
analyzes the question from every angle and side he will invariably
come to the conclusion that he w as unprepared and unqualified to
receive it. Men are not qualified to receive great truths
instantly. It has been stated that a great truth requires three
hundred years before it is accepted. The philosophy and history of
religion bear out this idea. It is a lamentable fact that great
truths, throughout the ages, have found unqualified ears. This is
true of ancient Babylon, of Persia and Egypt. It is true of the
Hebrew nation. All have been searching for truth. They have been
reaching out. They have been grasping for it. All the prophets of
the Hebrew people, from Moses to Malachi, and even including many
great men of modern times, have spoken words and taught truths that
fell upon unqualified listeners and deaf ears. It is the old, old
history, of rejection, because not understood. It requires years of
discipline, research and intellectual toil before arriving at the
stage of being qualified to comprehend great truths in their
completeness. The Master Mason did not receive that which was
promised him, because he was not qualified in those things that
"Mark the perfect man."

We are searching for the truth, the Master's Word, and this search
is evolutionary, constantly rising to a higher and better
conception. This is well illustrated in the conception of Jehovah
from that of Abraham down to the time of Christ. Every prophet took
an advanced step in his conception of Deity and the Tribal God of
Moses became the Father Omnipotent and loving to all who worshipped
Him.

FREEMASONRY IS A GREAT SCHOOL

Freemasonry is a great school in which every Freemason, if he
desires, may educate himself. He will not only be a historian, but
a Bible student. If he is a reader he will find the footprints of
Freemasonry in all history, in the arts and sciences.

The chapter degrees illustrate symbolically and teach four
important and necessary lessons, which he who seeks that which was
lost who would make the recovery, must have in his heart and soul.
Without the possession of these attributes no recovery will ever be
made and that which was lost will forever remain in darkness.

Every Freemason is symbolically a workman, whether his place is in
the quarries or shop. Every day finds him standing before the
Overseers to test the work wrought by him, according to the design
laid down in the "Great Trestle Board." These designs require good
work, and square work, because only good work and square work can
be used in the building of the temple. A square man, and a square
man only; a man who stands foursquare to the world, not a
trickster, a politician, a doughface, or a weathervane, is
demanded. A man who can face the world unshaken, unashamed, a bold
uncompromising man for all things right, is needed everywhere. In
the great search for that which was lost, such a man has taken a
long step on his journey.

One of the great essentials today is to have an open mind. You and
I are too bigoted in many things. We have our set ways, our set way
of thinking. You remember that when a beautiful stone was
presented, it was rejected because it did not fit the square of the
Overseer, and they heaved it over among the rubbish. The trouble
has been in the past, and is today, a great hindrance to
progression, that we are all carrying about little dinky squares
and every time anything new comes up we put our squares to it, our
notion of the thing, not our reason, but chiefly a notion and
conception, and if it does not fit the little squares of ours, we
heave it among the rubbish. We do not stop to analyze the question.
We have a preconceived notion, not an idea, hence we throw the new
thing overboard. This is true in politics; it is true in religion,
it is true in science. In fact it is true in everything that is
new. This is the story of the Master's Word. Everything new that
comes we meet it in a defensive manner. We do not canvass it and
examine it, but without thinking about it, reject it. We are not
open minded.

I do not believe that any man can discover the Master's Word who is
a bigot, who is not willing to weigh things. We know what bigotry
has done in this world; that it has kept churches apart and has
made partisan politics. A Freemason ought to be a man with an open
mind, willing to analyze anything that comes along, from the
humblest to the most scientific. We have heard a great deal about
the fundamentalists and the liberals in religion. The
fundamentalist backs up and says, "No, that is not according to my
notion; I will reject it." The liberalist takes everything that
comes along, fails to analyze it well enough to see whether it fits
or not. You have heard of a distinguished citizen who was scared to
death for fear that somebody would find that his grandfather was a
monkey. It is being said that on account of science men are
doubting the Bible and rejecting it. This is a purely unthinking,
superficial view. My advice is, read all the scientists and all the
higher criticism, then analyze them and think it over. I know where
you will land. There is no danger to the thinking man of becoming
an atheist. All the criticism and all the scientific books, all the
theories of creation, when we apply them intelligently and
correctly, make the Bible stronger than ever. That which was mere
faith before now is substantiated by reason. Do not be afraid of
higher criticism. Do not be afraid of the so-called sciences. If
the religion you have cannot stand the test of true and proven
science, it is not worth very much. Religion will meet all
scientific truth and meet it in the proper spirit and in the proper
way. It may change some of our preconceived notions, but laying
aside these notions, your religion will come out stronger and
better than ever. I am not afraid about evolution. I believe in
evolution. I cannot see the flowers in the front yard without
making me believe in the principles of evolution. These beautiful
flowers were once weeds. The process of evolution has made them
what they are now. So with everything. But evolution does not
necessarily mean monkeyism at all. Even if it did, behind it all
stands the fiat, created. We cannot get away from that. I do not
care whether this world was made in seven days or whether it took
billions of years. Back of it all stands the word, created. So far
as the monkey is concerned, if we are evolved from the monkey then
it is a fine type of evolution and we must congratulate the monkey.
Of course, a great many people are afraid of having their ancestry
exposed, and I do not blame them, but the world does not care a fig
as to who your grandfather was, but it is asking, "Who are you,
what are you going to do?" Even the monkey evolution is not
nauseating, as I would rather have a good clean monkey for my
great, great, great grandfather than some people I know.

A Freemason ought to look things squarely in the face, lay aside
his prejudice, and study the question carefully. There is nothing
to be afraid of. Let us lay aside our dinky squares and recognize
the beautiful and not heave it over among the rubbish because we do
not understand it. There are many things that have been thrown in
the rubbish heap that in after years were discovered as the most
beautiful and important things. Men have lived, wrought hard, and
died rejected. It took years before their work was recognized, and
they stand today as remarkable men in the history of nations of the
world. An open-minded man is never a partisan. It is all right to
belong to a party; but it is all wrong to have a party own him, and
he fail to exercise horse sense in analyzing questions. A Freemason
ought to be an independent man, with no yoke about his neck. When
Freemasons can analyze questions, consider them deliberately, come
to a rational conclusion, they are coming closer to receiving the
Master's Word.

THE SECOND LESSON IS SELF-CONTROL

The second lesson is that of self-control, obedience to constituted
authority. This is taught in the Past Master's Degree. Of course,
very few of you have seen this lesson in the degree. This degree is
used chiefly in some Grand Jurisdictions as a means of making a
fool of a man and, as conferred, is a disgrace to Freemasonry; yet
it contains one of the fundamental principles of Freemasonry; that
before a man will rule, he must first learn to obey; that before he
would teach, he must first be a student; a Craftsman before he will
be a Master of the Craft; a subject before he would be a king; and
before he would enlighten others, he must become enlightened
himself. These principles are fundamental, but the tendency of our
present day is, that a man wants to be the boss before he is an
Entered Apprentice; be Master of his lodge before he has been an
obedient Craftsman. The world is suffering from unprepared men;
unprepared for existing conditions; for an honest day's work; for
adverse conditions that may arise, possessed of a mere smattering
of everything, but little of anything; an expert in all things but
an expert in nothing. Undisciplined men, men who lack self-control,
are a curse of the age. A disregard of law, and incompetency to
perform, is as prevalent among the better class as among the
crooks. Bold defiance of law is everywhere present. Men wink at the
violation of law, especially the eighteenth amendment. No Freemason
will violate this law or wink at the violation thereof. If he does
he will never find the Master's Word. A true Past Master has
learned the lesson of obedience in the school of discipline, has
become master of himself and is thoroughly prepared for the duties
upon which he would enter.

There must have been supreme satisfaction to King Solomon to erect
the magnificent and costly Temple of Jehovah. It represented all
that the Oriental mind could conceive as an offering to God. The
inspiring display that marked the preliminary step to, and the
dedication of, the Temple is one of sublimity and glory. The
inspired writer depicted it so graphically, describing this scene,
touched the theme with more than mortal pen. Picture the Temple
reflecting its golden splendor under the noon-day sun; imagine the
great choir chanting antiphonally that wonderful psalm, "Lift up
your heads, oh ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors,
and let the King of Glory come in." Listen to that inspiring prayer
of the King, standing on the brazen scaffold in his rich and kingly
robe, see the fire descend on the sacrificial altar, and the Temple
illuminated by the Divine Presence, while the vast throng fall
prostrate worshipping and praising. "For He is good, for His mercy
endureth forever." Who would not like to have witnessed this
wonderful scene?

But, has not the same scene been re-enacted in many a human heart?
It may not have had the external splendor; it may not have been
that of a King or Prince, but that of an humble man, who toiled
daily, yet this individual, personally dedicated, partook of the
same splendor, heard the same choir, uttered the same prayer, and
beheld the fire descend on his meager sacrifice, and felt the glory
of the Divine Presence. We are, indeed, Temple Builders. Some are
building a magnificent temple. Some are building the best temple
they can. Men differ in ability. Men differ in opportunities. But
it does not matter whether you are building a little temple,
building of bricks rather than granite, or bricks without straw,
yet the temple is being builded. You and I will have to complete
our temple and the last stone must be put in position and may it
receive the plaudits as of old, "Grace, grace be unto it."

Companions, do you not think that if a man is independent, does
square work, and square work only, controls himself and is obedient
to constituted authority, who is building a temple in this world,
do you not think he is getting pretty close to the Master's Word?

HE DESCRIBERS PURPOSE OF THE WEARY SOJOURNERS

I have often thought of those three weary sojourners coming out of
Babylonian captivity, making their long and toilsome journey from
Babylon to Jerusalem with only one purpose in mind, and that was to
rebuild the city and the House of the Lord. These three Jews were
heroes but, while just released from captivity, it should be
remembered that the great age of the Jewish nation was not in regal
splendor in its solidarity as a nation, in its armies, in its
wealth, or its expansive boundaries, but its golden age was the
seventy years of captivity. It was the literary age of Jewry. Out
of it came its sacred writings, the collation of its remarkable
history of her people, her prophetic literature and her psalter.
Had the captivity never occurred the world might have been denied
its greatest heritage, the Old Testament. From the school of
captivity emerged a people immortal, a people who were the creators
of the sacred and undying literature of the world, and the
steadfast adherence to Jehovah.

Note the purpose and aim of these three weary sojourners. A purpose
that was never lost in their long and toilsome journey, on foot,
over rough and ragged roads through desolation and amid ruins, but
ever onward toward Jerusalem, the city of their fathers. The
journey was not taken to secure ease, comfort, emolument or honor,
but solely for the purpose of engaging in the noble and glorious
work of rebuilding the city and House of the Lord. This truly was
a noble purpose, but it did not embrace all, as they did not expect
even "the hope of a fee or a reward." This was the climax of their
noble purpose. It was unselfish. It was unstinted service, a
service to their home, to their people and to their God. What
greater encomium can be given to these faithful, devout, returning
captives than to say they served? Any portion of the work, however
humble, their willing hands were willing to perform. The keystone
of the Royal Arch should bear upon it, "I Serve." Service,
self-sacrifice, should be the battle cry of Freemasonry, and he who
does not wish to serve or sacrifice, will never discover the
Master's Word.

These three zealous Jews discovered it. They did not discover it in
a palace but in a vault. They found it after digging away the
rubbish, away from the sight of men, not for worldly applause or
honor, but for pure service, and they found it.

This is the beautiful story of Freemasonry: The loss of the
Master's Word and its recovery by men being fully prepared and
qualified searching for it, and willing to make long and toilsome
journey through life, with one end in view, to assist the noble and
glorious work of building the House of the Lord, working for
humanity without the hope of fee or reward. When Freemasonry grasps
this idea, that it is a life service, a life of self-sacrifice,
then will Royal Arch Masonry come to its own. When we grasp the
idea of Royal Arch Masonry as I have tried to explain it, it will
not any longer be a mere stepping stone from the lodge to the
commandery, but we shall consider it an honor to be Royal Arch
Masons, and no higher honor can come to any man than to appreciate
and understand Royal Arch Masonry.

Companions, many of you are High Priests of your chapters,
candidates are coming into your chapters. Will you explain to them
this story--that they are searching for eternal truth, or will you
make these solemn ceremonies a scene of buffoonery? I sincerely
hope not. These ceremonies are too sacred and it would be a
sacrilege to introduce anything that is not in keeping with the
dignity of Freemasonry. Shrine ceremonies have no place in
Freemasonry and only the light-headed and the moron will indulge in
it.

THERE HAS BEEN TOO MUCH RUSH

There was never a time in Freemasonry when this ought to be brought
home with greater force. There has been a great rush into
Freemasonry. There has been a hip and hoorah about it. Men have
come having no conception of what Freemasonry is, but they are
going to drop out. The tide is going out. Dimissions and
suspensions for non-payment of dues will increase. What are you
going to do with this vast amount of unthinking material? Among
this material are many good men as well as a mass of driftwood.
Many have come without qualifications.

Let me tell you a little story. During the Civil War, Senator Vance
of North Carolina, one of the most brilliant men of the Southern
States, being an active Confederate, was disfranchised by the
government. After the war he was elected to the United States
Senate. He went to Washington with his certificate of election and
was informed that his election was all right, but having been
disqualified, and this disability not yet removed, he therefore
could not be seated. He was informed that if he would remain in
Washington a short time, Congress would doubtless pass a bill
removing his disability. But Senator Vance determined to go home.
In doing so he took an ordinary coach and a seat opposite two
ministers, a Baptist and a Presbyterian. These two Dominies soon
became engaged in a warm discussion on the question of
foreordination and election. The war waged hotly between the Navy
and Infantry of the Lord's Kingdom. After a while, the Presbyterian
minister, noticing that Senator Vance was very much interested,
said to him, "Stranger, you seem to be interested in our
discussion. What is your opinion of election ?" Senator Vance said,
"I have a very positive opinion. An election is not worth a damn
until your disabilities are removed." This is a good Masonic as
well as theological statement. Too many men have been and are still
coming in whose disabilities have not been removed. They are here.
What are you going to do about it? Are you going to educate them as
Freemasonry ought to educate her young men, or are you going to let
them drift and finally drop out by taking their dimits or by
non-payment of dues? Every man is not fit to be made a Mason. There
are some who naturally will drop out if Freemasonry is not
congenial. We have moral morons as well as intellectual morons, and
a moron is not fit to be made a Mason, whether he be one morally or
intellectually. Will you help those that remain ? Are you going to
have a circus out of it, or are you going to be sincere and teach
these men the great central thought of Freemasonry?

Now, Companions, as Royal Arch Masons, will you please consider
these things: that the chapter means much. It is the great stepping
stone to the central idea, the Master's Word, the Recovery of it
and its interpretation and application. It is not foolishness. It
is sincere, dignified work, just as much as the church itself. I
sometimes think that if we took Freemasonry sincerely, studied it,
brought it out as I have tried to explain to you, it will lead
every man to the door of the church .


Letter G

By ROB MORRIS

That Name! I learned it at a mother's knee
When, looking up, the fond and tearful face
Beaming upon my eyes so tenderly,
She prayed that God her little son would bless!

That Name! I spoke it when I entered here
And bowed the knee, as each Freemason must;
From my heart's center with sincerity
I said, "In God, in God is all my trust!"

That Name! I saw it o'er the Master's chair
"The Hieroglyphic bright," and, bending low,
Paid solemn homage at the emblem there
That speaks of God, before whom all must bow!

That Name! In silence I invoked its power
When dangers thickened and when death was nigh!
In solemn awe I felt the death clouds lower
And whispered, "God be with me if I die!"

That Name! the last upon my faltering tongue
Ere death shall still it, it shall surely be
The Password to the high celestial throng
Whose Lord is God in truth and majesty !

That Name then, Brothers, always gently speak,
Before your father's, mother's name revered!
Such blessings from His gracious hand we take,
O be His honor to our souls endeared!

