Masonry Veiled In Allegory.

founded on the Fatherhood of God , " on which all sects and religions can unite . The various churches , religions , sects , and beliefs put these sublime truths before the minds of their votaries day by day , but the pure spirit and essence " is overlaid b y dogmas . " Masonry will hai'e none of these ! it establishes the one fact , the " Fatherhood , " and the second fact , the " Brotherhood , " conies as a matter of course . Why should it then be " Veiled in Allegory ? " Because the human mind requires something

to direct its thoughts and aspirations . The human mind is so corrupt that it requires a stimulus—an ideal . Place " Truth " before a man and he will look upon it as a mere matter of course . He may practise it , but it Avill be mechanically ; there will be no pure and free action . Masonry , hoAvever , steps in , and by its allegories and symbols , which require time and ability to comprehend , supplies the Avant—the ideal ! It will not make a really bad man good ; it may even at times , from imperfect knoAvledge on the part of its teachers , not have the required effect on material well suited for it , but it will hel p to direct the fairly regulated mind to higher and better endeavours .

The allegories of course Ave cannot openly expound . If we did , perhaps the old axiom would apply , and " familiarity woidd breed contempt . " This is not the Avay AA-MI our teaching . One lesson leads to another ; and though our teachings and symbols are homely , and Avhat Ave daily see around us , the familiarity never breeds contempt . And Avhy ? Because to the listless , the careless , the idle , the uninstructed , from their OAVU inattention , all these allegories , symbols , and mysteries are " as a sealed book . " They see the coverbut IOIOAV nothing of the inside of the volume ; but bthem a true Mason

, y , as he walks abroad , can easily discern the hand of the Almi g hty , and thus , eA * en if under temptation to do evd , he finds a means of escape . But it may be said even now : " If Masonry is such as this , if it does nothing but inculcate the good that the various religions preach , Avhat need is there for it ? Our ansAver is this : If religion Avas united —if it was one and indivisible—truly there would be little need of it . But religion is not united . Instead of there being one religion , there are thousands of sects and forms

of belief . The antagonism of creeds has been the cause of more wars and bloodshed than any other subject since the AA'orld began . Religion can , and does , teach the Fatherhood of God , but a common ground is required whereupon all sects and reli g ions can unite to further "the Brotherhood of Man . " Such common ground is Masonry . Religion , true and pure ( we do not mean any of the various forms thereof ) , does its duty in the Avorld , and it thinks no harm of its little handmaid , Masonry , which wins many a votary to its higher standpoint .

To the uninitiated , Masonry is , and ever must continue , a mystery and a paradox . We explain our princi ples , we tell our aims , which exemplify themselves , but we do not say IIOAV Ave arrive at our goal ; Ave do not tell our rituals , our symbols , our allegories , We AVIIO are members of our Order are satisfied and grateful ; those of our number Avho are listless and without aspirations cannot comprehend the full value' of the gem that is theirs . Masonry is , Ave think , a necessity to further the " Brotherhood of Man ;" Avhile , by its allegories and symbols , it giA * es the required stimulus and ideal , for Avhich the corruption of human nature has occasioned the want .