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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 6 of 21 →
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Provincial.
considerable pains to investigate the origin , antiquity , and true design of Freemasonry ; and I flatter myself that I have made some progress in the study—although conscious that I have still much to learn . A question is frequently proposed to us by those who have not had the advantage of initiation into our mysteries—and sometimes by our female friendswhich causes some degree of embarrassment , because we find a difficulty in explaining princiles without betraying secrets . The question
isp " What is Freemasonry ? " How simple—yet how comprehensive . I know , continued the Rev . Doctor , the answer you will give ; but that answer , though perfectly satisfactory to ourselves , is not quite so clear to the uninitiated . As I am on my legs , therefore , with permission of the W . M ., 1 will explain to you what , in my opinion , Freemasonry is—an opinion founded on much impartial deliberation and extensive research . ( Great cheering . )
I understand Freemasonry under three separate denominations , the first of which is , that it is a System of Light . In this sense it was probably used by our progenitors in Paradise while they retained their innocency . If we search for the origin of Freemasonry under this designation of pure , ethereal , ineffable Light , our ideas are bewildered in the immensity of the subject . That bright blaze of perfect Beauty , which we denominate lightunited with perfect Wisdomand perfect Strength
, , , was coeval with the eternal divinity of Him who gave it birth . It has always existed , and for ever will exist , even when " the everlasting mountains how , and the perpetual hills be scattered . " And this ephemeral system , of which our terraqueous globe forms a part , with its few thousand years of time , is only an intercepted point in the vast and
incomprehensible eternity , which is illuminated with the spiritual essence of our glorious science . Another interpretation of Freemasonry , equally sublime and beautiful , is , that it is a System of Charity . I do not mean simply that charity which would induce us to give relief to a Brother in distress ; but charity in its broadest and most exalted sense—the universal love of God and man . Would you trace this sublime principle to its source ? You must look beyond the bounds of time;—you must penetrate the empyrean to
the heaven of heavens ; and there you will find it existing amongst the happy society of angels , before that black apostacy was introduced , which ended in the expulsion of the rebel spirits , and the restoration of this branch of Freemasonry , the bond of peace and of all virtues . And when the existence of this globe shall terminate ; when " the Great Architect of the Universe shall descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel , and with the trump of God ; " Masonic Charity will
continue to illuminate those blessed abodes where the just exist to all eternity . This splendid branch of the Masonic science is the distinguishing characteristic of the Deity . All other virtues , whether cardinal or theological , are mortal;—Charity alone is immortal . Like the central blazing star in the firmament of heaven , Charity shall shed its resplendent beams through endless ages of eternal glory . St . Paulin language purely Masonicspeaking of this virtuesays
, , , , " Charity never faileth ; but whether there be prophecies , they shall fail ; whether there be tongues , they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge , it shall vanish away . " AVhat were the reasons which induced the apostle to make such an assertion ? Why , because these gifts are transient , and adapted to an imperfect state ; because they would be useless in a state of Beatitude and Light . Even Faith and Hope , though essential to every
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
considerable pains to investigate the origin , antiquity , and true design of Freemasonry ; and I flatter myself that I have made some progress in the study—although conscious that I have still much to learn . A question is frequently proposed to us by those who have not had the advantage of initiation into our mysteries—and sometimes by our female friendswhich causes some degree of embarrassment , because we find a difficulty in explaining princiles without betraying secrets . The question
isp " What is Freemasonry ? " How simple—yet how comprehensive . I know , continued the Rev . Doctor , the answer you will give ; but that answer , though perfectly satisfactory to ourselves , is not quite so clear to the uninitiated . As I am on my legs , therefore , with permission of the W . M ., 1 will explain to you what , in my opinion , Freemasonry is—an opinion founded on much impartial deliberation and extensive research . ( Great cheering . )
I understand Freemasonry under three separate denominations , the first of which is , that it is a System of Light . In this sense it was probably used by our progenitors in Paradise while they retained their innocency . If we search for the origin of Freemasonry under this designation of pure , ethereal , ineffable Light , our ideas are bewildered in the immensity of the subject . That bright blaze of perfect Beauty , which we denominate lightunited with perfect Wisdomand perfect Strength
, , , was coeval with the eternal divinity of Him who gave it birth . It has always existed , and for ever will exist , even when " the everlasting mountains how , and the perpetual hills be scattered . " And this ephemeral system , of which our terraqueous globe forms a part , with its few thousand years of time , is only an intercepted point in the vast and
incomprehensible eternity , which is illuminated with the spiritual essence of our glorious science . Another interpretation of Freemasonry , equally sublime and beautiful , is , that it is a System of Charity . I do not mean simply that charity which would induce us to give relief to a Brother in distress ; but charity in its broadest and most exalted sense—the universal love of God and man . Would you trace this sublime principle to its source ? You must look beyond the bounds of time;—you must penetrate the empyrean to
the heaven of heavens ; and there you will find it existing amongst the happy society of angels , before that black apostacy was introduced , which ended in the expulsion of the rebel spirits , and the restoration of this branch of Freemasonry , the bond of peace and of all virtues . And when the existence of this globe shall terminate ; when " the Great Architect of the Universe shall descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel , and with the trump of God ; " Masonic Charity will
continue to illuminate those blessed abodes where the just exist to all eternity . This splendid branch of the Masonic science is the distinguishing characteristic of the Deity . All other virtues , whether cardinal or theological , are mortal;—Charity alone is immortal . Like the central blazing star in the firmament of heaven , Charity shall shed its resplendent beams through endless ages of eternal glory . St . Paulin language purely Masonicspeaking of this virtuesays
, , , , " Charity never faileth ; but whether there be prophecies , they shall fail ; whether there be tongues , they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge , it shall vanish away . " AVhat were the reasons which induced the apostle to make such an assertion ? Why , because these gifts are transient , and adapted to an imperfect state ; because they would be useless in a state of Beatitude and Light . Even Faith and Hope , though essential to every