February,1952
Contents
Speculative Freemasonry As A Way of Life HAVE PRIDE !
DISTINCTIVE DOCTRINES OF MASONRY PARAPHRASED THE BLUE OF MASONRY
EDITORIAL COMMENT PHILALETHES SOCIETY NEWS
LIGHT AND THE WORD GERMAN MASONRY INTROSPECTIVE
FREDERICK THOMAS PARKER,
M.P.S.
THE STONE SQUARER
Speculative Freemasonry As A Way of Life
By CLIFFORD W. PARKIN, M.P.S.
North Hatley, Quebec, Canada
BY A REGULAR and systematic perusal of Masonic literature we are able to gauge the diversities of opinion among scholars on the many aspects of what, to us, is a very important subject, namely Freemasonry. We shall in such manner become better acquainted with its Legends, Symbolism, and Allegorical presentations of Knowledge, Philosophic reflections, and Ethics as contained in our ceremonials and ritual teachings. We shall comprehend also the significance of the transition of Ancient Operative Masonry to Modern Speculative Masonry as it developed from the middle of the 17th century in England and which attained such importance with the Great Revival of the early 18th.
It is good that we should thus replenish our understanding of fundamental matters connected with our Ancient Order. As candidates we undoubtedly were much impressed with the many admonitions and cautions delivered by the officers on the eventful occasion, yet at the same time probably confused by the wealth of words and unusual surroundings. As we passed on to the succeeding degrees, the light of understanding began to dawn upon us, and we realized a wonderful background existed behind and merged and harmonized with all these rites and ceremonies. The thrilling experiences, expressed in beautiful language of a bygone age are all suggested a previously undreamed of WAY OF LIFE. Brother Joseph Fort Newton expressed this delightfully by saying that our Masonic journey was like that of a pilgrimage of kindred souls all engaged in a Great Quest for those secrets which alone abide. If therefore we agree with this description of our purpose, we should reexamine frequently the causes which will guide us along the trail. It will help us, and also our brother Masons to do so.
Our Ritual contains a fine collection of the oral injunctions and experiences passed on from age to age by our Operative predecessors. To this has been added a symposium of Craft lore and traditions gathered from a mass of old parchment records in Britain and elsewhere. This tremendous task was undertaken in the early part of the 18th century and, though many differences were found in the versions, in all of them were the same expressions of a common desire to perpetuate the ideals for which the Craft had stood since time immemorial.
Back of the Ritual are the "General Regulations" of the Grand Lodge of England, (1721, amended 1738) and the "Old Charges" published in 1723. This last deals mainly with Masonic conduct and should in particular be most carefully read and noted. Another important item in our heritage of such literature is the "Ancient Landmarks." Together these documents form the Constitution of modern Speculative Freemasonry. Later assimilated and added to the Ritual, particularly in the Third Degree, is a wealth of philosophy and ethical teachings evidently derived from a number of other sources and which embody many ancient schools of thought in Eastern countries. The sum total represents a fund of wisdom which commands the admiration and respect of scholars far and wide. The phraseology employed to express the beautiful symbolism is a triumph of Logic and Rhetoric. It is indeed a marvelous guide for those seeking a higher and broader WAY OF LIFE.
In olden times, there were associated with the practical instruction given to Craft apprentices, certain injunctions as to personal conduct to be observed within the area of their work as well as in their social life. A Master Mason or Fellow of the Craft was regarded by the law as the guardian as well as the instructor of the apprentice. He had to see that the young man attended church and that he performed faithfully certain civic obligations. The indentured youth started on his career, not only with a high sense of his responsibilities as a future craftsman, but also conscious that his moral behavior was to be of more than average standard. We have every reason to believe that the practice of virtuous living was held in high esteem by our Ancient Brethren.
Following a term as a youth apprentice it appears to have been the custom that the developing young man was "Entered" and thus made a member of some Operative Lodge. After a further period of training and instruction the rank of Fellow of the Craft was attained, this step leading in due course to the full qualification of a Master. The system all tended toward a high grade of workmanship and, we hope, a higher standard of conduct than might have been the case had the moral instruction been omitted. Recalling the important part of the masons' work in connection with ecclesiastical buildings, we may comfort ourselves that early association with religious edifices may have imparted that semi-religious atmosphere which is characteristic of Speculative Masonic Lodges of a later era. Our Operative brethren built castles, guild-halls, market structures and other community buildings with the same skill and regard for appearance as that which influenced them in the construction of cathedrals and abbeys. Those works which now remain are evidence of a fine combination of elegance and stability. Our theory is that a strong moral influence, combined with excellent practical skill, is responsible for the many examples of architectural beauty and utility in the Old Lands. Many evidences support this contention.
One point in our Ritual, in reference to the relation between the workmen and their employers of the age under review seems of singular significance in these later times. We are told that wages were paid in the Middle Chamber of K.S. Temple during the construction of that historic edifice. It is further stated that the workers received their wages "without scruple or diffidence," knowing that they were justly entitled to them, but also having great reliance in the integrity of their employers. This establishes that a bond of mutual respect and understanding existed between them, both sensing they were jointly engaged in a meritorious enterprise and that the skill of the workman would have been of little account without the directive ability of the employer. A feeling of loyalty between one class and the other created a bond based on integrity and a desire to excel.
Let us try and make a fair comparison between conditions in this our 20th century and the period during which Speculative Freemasonry was slowly but steadily growing. The term, Speculative Freemason, was originally applied to distinguish such persons who, as patrons of Operative Lodges, had been admitted as honorary members of the Craft. In contrast with the working conditions and efficient organization of present time stone-masons, the tasks of our ancient brethren would be considered very hard and dangerous. Strenuous toil during long hours was necessary to shape and place the huge blocks of stone which gave strength and beauty to their buildings. Simple living and freedom from vicious habits were essential qualifications for the workers on those structures. Clear heads only could work on the high, vaulted interiors, lofty spires, and towering walls which were erected with primitive mechanical aids and supports of the times. Faulty workmanship would have meant danger to life and property, hence physical and mental well-being were the order of the times. Those ancient masons probably had little difficulty in applying reasonable injunctions against excessive drinking, gluttony, and similar weaknesses of the flesh, yet occasional warnings were necessary to guard against such breaches of careful living. Out of these rules and admonitions grew the complex system of ethics prescribed in our present Constitutions and Ritual. From its religious associations with the Church in medieval times, the Craft gradually emerged into a period when scholars of the early 18th century were able to evolve, still further, a system of morality which might ensure, for those who cared, a WAY OF LIFE which would be a model for others to emulate. The seemliness and decorum of our Rites and Ceremonial reflect the success of efforts thus made.
In contrast to the conditions of the past, which was perhaps the Golden Age of Masonry, let us now survey our modern methods of erecting buildings for industrial enterprises and social needs. We see lofty structures of steel and concrete, often square and ugly, and shaped in pyramid fashion with towering stories, each of which may accommodate a thousand or more persons for toil or shelter. In construction of which the steel worker and the concrete mixer have replaced the once all-important stone-mason, while objective of utility and space-saving have superseded in the architecture old-fashioned ideas of elegance and art. One may wonder what effect this change has made in the general attitude toward the principles of our Craft.
It has been said that human nature does not change with the centuries; that the faults and virtues of mankind are ever the same. Be that as it may, we know that environment does have an effect on character. For example, a man whose working time is spent in mid-air tossing or bolting red-hot rivets in structural steel-work tends to develop a faster tempo of action and thought than one who is slowly and carefully working on a stone arch. Domestic life and social activities are also influenced by the conditions in which they revolve. Consequently a great transition has taken place in the habits and thought processes of our workers since, for instance, the Revival of Speculative Freemasonry. During this period of nearly 250 years, individual and group standards of action have changed so much that the working tools used in Masonic instruction as symbols for conduct almost seem to be relics of a bygone age. Further, we now find that any reference to old-time practices as a guide for modern methods is a subject of derision by the rising generation. There is a spirit of challenge of existing standards and a general feeling of unrest, while much dissatisfaction prevails.
During the past four decades we have passed through the horrors of two devastating world wars and two morale-shaking economic depressions. These events, with the possibility of others to come, have tended to shake faith in the soundness of our cherished institutions. The older generation awaits, almost with fear, the result of attempts to supplant our existing organizations with untried methods. We of the Masonic Brotherhood watch lest our ideals be submerged in the rushing tide of changes. We are anxious lest our dream of a Universal Society believing in TRUTH AND JUSTICE may prove a mirage. What can be done to avert such a disaster to our order? BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF, and TRUTH are consummations which MUST BE RETAINED as most desirable objectives if mankind is to remain civilized.
The constant craving for higher and still higher standards of comforts and facilities generally has caused Governments to cater to popular appeals for more and more assistance through grants to heads of families; these enable men to evade many obligations formerly borne as a duty. Such accepted benevolences however have their reaction in that they involve a surrender of certain LIBERTIES formerly enjoyed without restriction. The result is an increasing desire to depend upon others for support instead of whole-heartedly accepting the principle of independence. We hear much as to "Human Rights" but little in favor of increased personal responsibilities. If such trends persist, we shall gradually diminish our stock of mental, physical, and spiritual reserves by which we are now enabled to cope with the battle of life. These God-given qualities have to be strengthened by constant use if we are to survive.
The present great conflicts between the proponents of opposing economic ideologies have become most bitter because of the injection of sensationalism and distortion into the arguments pro and con. Our judgments become warped by prejudice, unpleasant emotions are unduly aroused and the issues soon are beclouded. When we are caught up in these maelstroms, it is difficult to prevent the milk of human kindness from becoming soured or the glands of compassion from shrivelling.
Groping for some way out of our mental cloudiness we return to the source from which we have previously received much comfort and inspiration. Ideals of confident behavior, self-help and perseverance are characteristic of Freemasonry. We know that Brotherly Love and harmony of thought are greater helps toward progress than rancor and discontent; that RELIEF for the distressed is most desirable if it is not looked for as a right to be first enjoyed and then demanded; that TRUTH is highly to be regarded if it does not mean that everything is to be viewed with suspicion.
We can receive aid if we seek the positive influences of these virtues. Notwithstanding any outside pressure of disturbing events we must ever keep in mind the urgent need for retaining the spirit of Good Fellowship and Fraternity to all worthy men, which is the proper approach to mutual respect and understanding. Let us be careful to distinguish between principle and prejudice, remembering that no person or theory is wholly right or wrong; it is simply a question of proportion. The spirit of toleration has distinct merit and will prove a valuable asset when meeting with a wall of opposition. Observance of the Golden Rule will often bring a response which stubbornness will never extract.
In these times of readjustment of economic and social conditions, it is desirable that men whose characters have been moulded in such organizations as our own be ready to take the lead in showing the LIGHT to their less fortunate fellow-citizens. Society today needs men of clear mind and courageous conduct to aid in shaping its destinies. The Philosophy, Logic, and Ethics of Freemasonry offer the wherewithal to build a FOUNDATION OF FAITH in ourselves. Development of sound judgment by Research and Education is a sure way of attaining a standing where we may be accepted as leaders. Not so long since a poet wrote: "The world needs men who are morally brave, unpretentious, firm and bold; who have vision far-reaching and bright . . ." The need is greater far today. We can confidently look to Freemasonry through the moral, religious, and philosophical doctrines of its WAY OF LIFE to equip its members to accept the challenge.
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WHEN the average young man is initiated, passed, and raised, he is often too far in time from Sunday School and not yet sufficiently interested in church to have more than a hazy concept on of history as told in the Bible. He comes from his raising convinced that he is now a lineal descendant of the builders of King Solomon's Temple. Solomon and the two Hirams were the first three Most Worshipful Grand Masters (later he becomes confused when he learns that a Grand Lodge has only one Grand Master at a time!). He visualizes the "3300 Master Masons, the 80,000 Fellowcrafts or hewers on the mountains and in the quarries and the 70,000 Entered Apprentices or bearers of burdens", and seldom asks who actually planned the temple, or accomplished all the work of gold and silver and precious stones and carvings and decorations, being quite satisfied that it was all done by the Hiram who was son of the widow of the tribe of Naphtali.
Later he reads a Masonic book and to his shocked amazement learns of the earliest manuscript of Freemasonry, the Regius Poem, dated approximately 1390, and is instructed that Freemasonry but tells a beautiful myth or allegory in its Master Mason degree and that actually Freemasons are descended from the builders of the cathedrals of England.
His mental outlook on the Fraternity becomes clouded, his pride is shaken and his admiration, contentment, and gratification in his short Masonic dream are minimized.
This is, too often, a true picture. What it should be is so different, and so filled with the materials from which an exultant and seldom if humble pride in the Fraternity can be built that it is difficult to phrase without writing at too great length.
The Masons from whom our Fraternity is descended were not mere workmen; they were far more than carpenters, stone squarers, wall markers, mortar mixers. They were the most highly skilled artists and craftsmen of the Middle Ages.
Almost any man can build a shed of boards with saw, hammer and nails.
But the average man cannot build his own home. He does not know how to draw the plans. He has no knowledge of strength of materials. He knows nothing of building codes. Plumbing and electrical wiring are alike mysteries. To get his house built he must employ an architect and a builder and leave to these the application of the special knowledge needed to erect even a small bungalow.
What, then, would be the problem facing the average citizen who was told to build a great cathedral?
The man of today has electrical tools and prefabricated materials. A builder and contractor can erect almost any building in an incredibly short time because of the thousands of skills that are available through power and modern manufacturers. In the cathedral building age everything was done by man or at best, beast power. Boards were sawed and planed by hand. Carving was entirely by hand, whether of wood and stone. Excavating was by hand. Design was not from books but from brains and souls. No schools taught architecture, building, engineering, mathematics, surveying.
Yet no modern builder has exceeded in beauty the proportions, strength, magnificence of the cathedrals which were the accomplishments of those master builders from whom Freemasonry is descended.
It was not only cathedrals that they flung toward heaven to declare their reverence. The builders of the Middle Ages were responsible for the public buildings, the abbeys, the monasteries, the castles of the noblemen, the great forts.
No fools did this work. No ignorant men planned these structures. No uneducated artists dreamed the decorations or envisaged the proportions or conceived the nobility of the structures which have outlasted the memories of the men who built them and the vicissitudes of time and wars.
The Masonic Fraternity today picks and chooses from among those who ask to be received as apprentices and eventually to be entered in the books of the lodge. The cathedral builders of the Middle Ages also picked and chose. A youth had to have background, character, ability to learn. He needed recommendations from friends who would speak for him. For he was to be legally bound to the Master Masons in charge of the work; he was to become a member of the Masonic community, a part of the lives of the builders and often lived in the house of a builder in constant contact with his family.
During World War II, many great plants were hastily erected for the manufacture of munitions, planes, clothing, machine guns, a thousand other things. The first question the manufacturer had to answer was "where will the workmen live?"
Men must have shelter, food, amusement, schools for their children, stores. Hence arose in this country many new communities, more or less isolated from metropolitan centers, often many miles from the nearest town.
Here was erected not only the great plant but a village - homes by the hundred, parking lots, theaters, stores, restaurants, churches, libraries - a whole town made almost overnight to be inhabited by the workmen in the factory.
Much of the same problem faced those who authorized and financed the building of great cathedrals castles, government buildings in the Middle Ages. Many workmen came to these communities with the intention of spending a greater part, if not all their lives on the one job. Only when a cathedral or other structure neared completion would workmen consider moving. Because they were free of laws restricting the movement of workmen from town to town and country to country, builders could obtain workmen and apprentices in the concluding years of a great building's construction. He would have been a fool indeed who would indenture himself to a builder if he knew in advance that the structure to be completed in a few years would be his only job.
Any group of men engaged on the same project inevitably became clannish. They not only work together, where harmony must prevail if the work is to be successful, but they must play together. Their families must know each other. There grows up mutual respect in daily contact. Mutual pride comes into being when each can be proud of his fellow workman's labors.
Usually next to - often leaning against the cathedral being constructed - was the lodge. It was the meeting place for what military men today call "briefing." It was a place to keep tools. It was a hall in which to eat. It was a haven for those who would play, talk or sing together. Presiding in this structure would be the Master Mason - often "The King's Master Mason" - ruling the whole craft, being in fact, as well as in the modern name, Master of the Lodge.
The clannishness of such a community made it almost a tiled area. Outsiders were not welcomed. Where everyone knew everyone else and all were known to be selected and trained youths and men, those not so vouched for were interlopers. In Scotland such a man was called a cowan, a dry wall builder, a Mason without instruction. Later cowan meant any trespasser on the privacy of community life and especially lodge life.
Many different kinds of workmen were employed; quarry workers, builders of piers and layers of walls; tilers laid roofs, sculptors carved, and workers in stone made mosaics. Many of these laborers were local; many were not Freemasons but had their own gild or sodality. These workers were not really "in" but only "of" the community and none of these could becomes members of the builder's craft, since these latter must start as apprentices and serve their time - usually seven years - to "learn the work" and then make a "Master's piece" to entitle them to become "FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT."
That Freemasonry has only one aim, to build character in men, is no modern pronouncement, but a statement of a fact which has existed from the beginning of building as a great and holy craft. Men engaged in the tremendous task of cathedral building could not avoid the implications of their work. It was reflected in the principles set forth in the Old Charges and the Legend of the Craft, as told in some hundred and fifty ancient manuscripts.
The square was the foundation of the building; what more natural than that man must also be "square" if he was to stand erect among his fellows? By the plumb spires were flung towards heaven to the glory of God; By the Plumb man measured his worth in terms of both God and man.
Men would be injured, their families have illnesses, hardships would be suffered - could men engaged in a common task, living a common life, living, loving in a common worship leave such as these to suffer and to die? Mutual aid was inevitable; relief was inevitable; charity was inevitable.
It can be easily imagined that the lad who passed his tests and became an "entered" apprentice did so in a ceremony; that one who successfully made his "Master's Piece" and became a "Fellow of the Craft' also enjoyed a ritual, a pledging, a making. A Fellow was responsible for his tools; sometimes he made them, sometimes they were given him. Our presentation of the working tools in any degree may be the vestigial remains of a ceremony in which the tools were actually those with which the recipient would in the future cut, carve, and Build.
The early idea of the government was that of a king, prince, ruler, dictator, emperor, king, potentate, Pharaoh, who was all powerful, who could do no wrong whose word was law To serve him were thousands of lesser lights in government; soldiers, sailors, tax collectors, masters of the wordrobe, doctors, lawyers sooth sayers, cooks, retainers, slaves. In the early days of every nation to work was to be a menial; to be worked for, to be rich, was to be set apart, raised up, admired and envied.
The idea still persists. Russia, if we are to believe accounts, exists on slave labor. Hitler and Mussolini commanded through terror, pain, fear, murder, torture, concentration camps. Our country began when men and women fled to be free of oppression in matters religious, but a large part of our nation thrived for a while on the labor of slaves.
Slaves were always ignorant, not allowed to learn. There was no reason why they should learn. If they did the day's labor and were paid in food, raiment, and shelter, that was enough.
But it was not enough for the early builders, and it was certainly not enough for the builders of the Cathedrals. The Masons who constructed Europe's poems in stone were free men.
Perhaps their greatest contribution was the building of character into a nation, as we try to build character into men; a demonstration that a man who has nothing to contribute to the world is not worth the salt he eats; that only the builder is worthy of his hire and only the workman worthy of respect.
The builder must be accountable for his work. His labors must be worthy of trust. He cannot build a structure which will collapse; he cannot build one which will fail in stormy weather.
He must be master of his craft. Not all men can be held accountable for the result of their labors; the doctor may do his best but the patient may die; the fireman risks his life but was not called soon enough or had not water enough so the building burned. Lawmakers enact unworkable statutes which, failing, are repealed. They did their best and if they failed it was not through lack of character.
But the builder cannot fail; he must build successfully or never build again. To build successfully he needs learning and skill and skill and learning require character.
This was the craft to which men who were not builders were attracted; this was the society to which men who never expected to cut or lay stone applied for membership. And it was these non-builders who provided the means by which the operative craft became a speculative art. Speculative Masonry goes back to we do not know what early age, but long, long before the Mother Grand Lodge.
We, today, are all speculative Masons.
We are the lineal descendants of the builders of the Middle Ages.
We are the inheritors of their wisdom, their characters, their teachings.
Should this not be to all of us a matter of pride? Should not the pride be far greater than that we could have in the story of Freemasonry originating in the building of a temple constructed by slave labor under the wisdom, no matter how great, of a dictator?
In our real lineage, brethren, LET US HAVE PRIDE! - Short Talk Bulletin, Vol. XXIX, No. 1, January 1951, The Masonic Service Association of the United States.
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DISTINCTIVE DOCTRINES OF MASONRY PARAPHRASED
By V. M. BURROWS, M.P.S.
Long Beach, California
THE WORD Speculative we are told on page 958 of Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, is used by Freemasons in its primary sense as symbolic, or theoretical, when opposed to Operative, and we are further reminded that the Matthew Cook Manuscript makes such use of the word.
The lectures of the Symbolic degrees instruct the neophyte in the difference between the Operative and the Speculative divisions of Freemasonry. They tell him that "we work in Speculative Masonry, but our ancient Brethren wrought in both Operative and Speculative."
Brother Mackey wrote: "Operative Masonry was, in the inception of our history, and is in some measure, even now, the skeleton upon which was strung the living muscles and tendons and nerves of the Speculative system. It was the block of marble, rude and unpolished it may have been, from which was sculptured the life-breathing statue.
"Speculative Masonry, or Freemasonry, is a system of ethics, and must therefore have its Distinctive Doctrines. These may be divided into three classes, namely, the MORAL, the RELIGIOUS, and the PHILOSOPHICAL.
"The MORAL design of Freemasonry, based upon its social character, is to make men better to each other; to cultivate brother love, and to inculcate the practice of all those virtues which are essential to the perpetuation of a brotherhood. A Freemason is bound, say the Old Charges, to obey the moral law, and of this law the very keystone is the divine precept - the Golden Rule of our Lord - to do unto others as we would that they should do unto us. To relieve the distressed, to give good counsel to the erring, to speak well of the absent, to observe temperance in the indulgence of the appetite, to bear evil with fortitude, to be prudent in life and conversation, and to dispense justice to all men, are duties that are inculcated on every Freemason by the MORAL DOCTRINES of his Order."
"The RELIGIOUS DOCTRINES of Freemasonry are very simple and self-evident. They are darkened by no perplexities of sectarian theology, but stand out in the broad light, intelligible and acceptable by all minds, for they ask only for a belief in God and in the immortality of the Soul."
"The PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES of Freemasonry are scarcely less important, although they are generally less understood than either of the preceding classes. The object of these philosophical doctrines is very different from that of either the moral or the religious. For the moral and religious doctrines of the Order are intended to make men virtuous while its philosophical doctrines are designed to make them zealous Freemasons. He who knows nothing of the philosophy of Freemasonry will be apt to become in time luke-warm and indifferent, but he who devotes himself to its contemplation will feel an ever-increasing ardor in the study. Now these philosophical doctrines are developed in that symbolism which is the especial characteristic of Masonic teaching, and relate altogether to the lost and recovered word, the search after Divine Truth, the manner and time of its discovery, and the reward that awaits the faithful and successful searcher."
"So that, in conclusion, we find that the MORAL, RELIGIOUS, and PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES OF FREEMASONRY respectively relate to the social, the eternal, and the intellectual Progress of Man."
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By FRANCIS J. SCULLY, M.D., M.P.S.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
CUSTOM has established the names "Blue Lodge" for the Symbolic Lodge, and "Blue Degrees" for the degrees of the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Just why the Masonic Lodge came to be called a "Blue Lodge" is not easy to answer. The name has been used for so long its origin is lost in the haze of the early days of Masonry in England. Some claim it was established by tradition, others that it is symbolic of the lessons taught in these degrees.
As early as 1730 the Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of England wore white leather aprons lined with blue silk. One theory is that this color was adopted from the ribbon of the "Order of the Garter", as it has often been pointed out that the shade of blue designated for the aprons is "garter blue". However, it is generally believed that this color was not used by the Masonic Lodge in imitation of the "Order of the Garter", but was used by both orders because of its appropriate symbolism. The Grand Lodge of Ireland, which followed many of the usages of the Grand Lodge of England, made use of blue ribbon for the seals of their warrants as far back as 1730.
Blue has always been esteemed by the ancient people and nations as a sacred color, being the symbol of truth, hope, perfection, and divinity. By the Mason it has always been regarded as the symbol of Universal Friendship and Benevolence.
Blue is the color of the cloudless sky, the starry vault of the heavens, that home to which we are all traveling, "that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." It represents that lofty principle of Freemasonry which defines the conduct of one Mason toward another. It symbolizes brotherly love, that tie which binds all Masons into one common band and brotherhood.
Blue is the color of the ocean, stretching to boundless limits, far beyond the vision of man. It symbolizes, therefore, the vastness and the mystery of God and the miraculous way in which He finds His way into the hearts of mankind, purifying and refreshing their souls in preparation for the Grand Lodge above.
From "time immemorial", blue has been the color of Masonry. It is the supreme color of all Masonry, since it is the possession of every Master Mason. It is the color that distinguishes the Ancient Craft, giving its name to the Lodge and the Degrees. In all ages it has ever been the symbol of the greatest lessons. Therefore Masonry, which teaches its initiates noble precepts of the greatest purity and highest value, has appropriately chosen blue as its color - the symbol of those excellent virtues of Fidelity, Benevolence, Universal Friendship, and Brotherly Love.
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THE PHILALETHES - February 1952, Volume 7, Number 2. Harold H. Kinney, F.P.S., Editor. Copyright 1952, by The Philalethes Society, 352 Sycamore Road, Santa Monica, California. Publication schedule: Eight (8) issues per year or volume; January, February, March, May (April-May); July (June-July); September (August-September); November (October-November); and December. No advertising in any form solicited or accepted. When requesting a change of address, please give the old as well as the new address, including your postal zone number, if you have such. Annual subscription, in the United States of America, $3.00; elsewhere $4.00, payable in advance.
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WHAT WE THINK, OR WHAT WE KNOW, OR WHAT WE BELIEVE, IS IN THE END OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE, THE ONLY THING OF CONSEQUENCE IS WHAT WE DO. - RUSKIN. In the years that have passed our Society has been referred to as an International body of Freemasons who seek more light, and Freemasons who have light to impart. Prominent among its objectives were the leadership and inspiration of those in search of knowledge; the dissemination of knowledge and the encouragement of research on Masonic subjects by qualified brethren; the formation of study groups where students of Masonry and lovers of our Craft could exchange ideas and add to their understanding of the age-old symbols, landmarks, and ceremonies of the Craft, and to aid in coordinating the efforts of all who seek after LIGHT AND TRUTH. However, "what we think . . . know . . . or believe, can be of little consequence" unless we do something.
On every hand one hears discussions as to what measures should be taken to stimulate interest among the membership of the Fraternity; how we may bring about an interested participation in the lodge activities; what causes are contributing to absenteeism; whether or not we are derelict in our duty to instruct the new member; whether he is disappointed in what Masonry has to offer; whether its methods of teaching by allegories, legends, and symbols are too antiquated to hold the interest of the present day neophyte, or if our problem is that those who teach "are repeating parrotwise phrases they know not the meaning of, or are unwilling to delve into the hidden meanings of the Craft." Others hold that after the profound studies of Masonic scholars during the past two or three generations, many of the Craft have not kept pace, and are now suffering from the lack of reading, and the lack of talking and listening to Freemasonry.
If it is true that the problems that confront our Fraternity are attributable to lack of understanding; that many regard our ceremonies as an "incident of social life and treat them as rites of an archaic and perfunctory nature", then it is high time that we stirred ourselves from this stupor of complacency. . . . "THE ONLY THING OF CONSEQUENCE IS WHAT WE DO."
Masonry offers in dramatic form a fundamental philosophy, consistent with the religious systems past or present throughout the world, of the spiritual life of man, and a plan of the process of regeneration.
Let us as individual members, as well as a Society, take the leadership in seeing that candidates receive instruction; that the forces that lie behind and beyond the ritual are "brought to light"; that the candidates are shown how these TRUTHS can become dominant factors in their personal lives.
First let us "practise out of the Lodge those great moral precepts that are inculcated in it." Next, as men who have sufficient education to appreciate what Freemasonry has to offer, as seekers after knowledge, let us endeavor to make a daily advancement ourselves in the Craft whose work we are taught to honor with the name of "science", to strive to attain that degree of perfection in the "royal art" promised those who apply themselves assiduously. Thus we will increase our capabilities to teach others orally or by putting on paper meanings that are hidden to others who are in "search of light." The noblest tool of a Mason is his mind, but its value is measured by the use made of it. A well-informed Mason is a better, Mason, and better Masons make better Lodges.
- Harold H. Kinney, Editor
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New Member
DR. ROSCOE POUND, Eminent Authority on Masonic Jurisprudence, whose lectures on Masonic law, originally delivered before the Harvard Chapter of the Acacia Fraternity, were later delivered under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, printed in their proceedings, and later in "The Builder." University of California at Los Angeles. Recommended by Allister J. McKowen, F.P.S., and Dr. Frank H. Reinsch, M.P.S., Los Angeles, California.
Charles G. Reigner, F.P.S., Honored
Waynesburg College, an accredited institution of higher learning of the collegiate rank, located at Waynesburg, Pa., fifty miles from Pittsburgh, at its Mid-year Convocation and one hundredth anniversary of the completion of the first college building, on February 22nd, conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws upon Dr. Charles G. Reigner, a Fellow of The .Philalethes Society. Dr. Reigner was honored, on the recommendation of Dr. John A. Mackey, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, for his accomplishments in the field of education, as a distinguished author and poet, and a noted publisher.
The Fellows and Members of The Philalethes Society, who have enjoyed Brother Reigner's articles, poems, and books will join in the accolade of approval for this new honor and mark of esteem for one of their number, especially as it is a distinction highly deserved and truly earned.
Bound Volumes Soon Available
Bound Volumes of "The Philalethes" for the year 1951 will soon be available. This Volume (VI), like those offered to the membership previously, Volumes I through V, will be cloth bound in Masonic Blue, with the title and volume number stamped in gold on the outside cover and back bone. There is no center hump and the individual pages lie flat. Price for Volume VI (eight issues) $5.00. Advance orders for this volume will be accepted. The bound volume is recommended to Libraries, Masonic or otherwise, Masonic Study Groups, and for reference purposes. No complete sets remain in stock and a very limited number of bound volumes II, III, IV, and V are available any longer. Old bound sets of "THE PHILALETHES" have therefore become collector's items.
"The Philalethes Index" covering Volumes l to 5 inclusive will be sent to any Freemason requesting the same, furnishing at the same time name, number, and location of the Blue Lodge of which he is a member.
Our Society, not being endowed and comparatively small numerically, is wholly dependent upon the prompt payment of dues, and subscriptions, and the sale of extra copies or bound volumes of "The Philalethes."
If there are brethren who are in a position to make donations, either small or substantial, it is hoped that they will do so, as the activities of the Society, so far as they involve expenditures, are conditioned by the funds available.
Our Secretary - Treasurer, Allister J. McKowen, F.P.S., is mailing due notices, subscription renewals, etc., to which the Fellows and Members are urged to give their prompt attention. Many have already remitted for 1952 dues and received their cards for the new year.
Along with the notices will be mailed RECOMMENDATION BLANKS for MEMBERSHIP in The Philalethes Society, which you are urged to use to stimulate the growth of our Society. If each one of our present membership were to nominate only one Freemason during 1952, our membership would speedily reach such numbers as to soon place the Philalethes Society in the forefront of Masonic Research Groups.
Books and Pamphlets Received
The Editor acknowledges with gratitude the following books and pamphlets received from the Fellows and Members of the Society, which have been added to the growing library of the Society:
An interesting Historical Report by Harold V. B. Voorhis, F.P.S., delivered by the author on Jan. 14, 1952, at the 100-year Celebration of Mystic Brotherhood Lodge No. 21, F. & A. M., of which he is a Past Master.
Les Secrets de la Franc-Maconnerie, Deuxieme Edition, 1951, from Maurice Cock, F.P.S., Brussels, Belgium.
Two excellent books of Poems and Essays, by the author, Dr. Charles G. Reigner, Litt.D., F.P.S. "Anchored Roots", beautifully illustrated with photographs, and "Enduring Values".
Highlights of the History of Royal Arch Masons of Maryland, by Charles G. Reigner, P.H.P., F.P.S.
Proceedings of F. & A. M., for the State of New Jersey; also the Municipal Year Book of the City of Newark, N.J., 1950-51, from Sherwood V. Westlake, M.P.S., and Chaplain of St. John's Lodge No. 1. Special reference is made to this old Lodge which was instituted May 13, 1761. Among the interesting pictures are two drawings of Military Park, as it appeared to the artist in 1776, when it was used as a camp site by Gen. George Washington, in 1880, and a photograph of it today, the Bi-centennial of Washington's initiation into Masonry. It was while camped in this common that Thomas Paine wrote those famous lines from "The Crisis" at Washington's request to restore the shattered morale of his troops: "These are the times that try men's souls . . . Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly . . ."
The Proceedings of the 124th Annual Assembly of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Massachusetts, from the M.I.G.M. Gardner, R.P., Barker.
"The Roman Catholic Church and Democracy", The Beacon Press, by Harold R. Rafton, from the author.
Numerous Books and Pamphlets from Dr. Ing. Theodor Vogel, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Germany, and a member of Philalethes Society. Several of those received are from the pen of Dr. Vogel. These have been directed to those members who are qualified to translate them from the German language. We await with interest their translations.
Among the items of Masonic news contained in the January 1952 issue of "Die Vereinigte Grossloge", the official publication of the United Grand Lodge of Germany, several copies of which were received from Dr. Vogel, was an article concerning the passing of our late President and Editor, Brother Walter A. Quincke, with this tribute: "Er hat die hochsten Ideale der Freimaurerei vorgelebt."
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By HARRY E. H. GRANT, M.P.S.
Mountain View, California
LIGHT enables you to visualize a Temple not made with hands nor forever unmade by false materially selfish concepts, but Eternal in the Harmony of Being. Without Light there can be no sustained life nor growth nor a seen Way.
You are admonished by Wisdom to advance out of the darkness of Ignorance into the Light; to really become conscious of that which is never absent, and to utilize reflect, or bear witness to the Light.
We are conscious of the presence of Light only through its effects or utilization, its revelation or reflection in color, form, and beauty.
Even artificial light is a prime means of protection against vice and crime.
Light reveals that which was before concealed, and by it we find that which seemed to be lost. Failing to reflect the Light, man is himself lost and cannot see the Way. God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. When man cultivates receptivity, God is seen and dwells among men.
THE WORD has place and power in human affairs. It communicates itself to man through men, and the expressed word is superior to any other sight or sound.
This is the Hope of the world, that darkness, which is ignorance, will ultimately be dispelled by the Light, good prove victorious over evil, error be disproved because discredited, and Truth be established by the Word.
The Word is a manifestation of the Mind of the Creator, and is pregnant with unlimited or infinite potentials.
The Word has a corrective as well as a creative potency. It is able to heal sorrow, sickness, and all non-natural or untoward circumstances and conditions. The Word is a very present help when you are in trouble.
Just as a few forceful and true sentences have emancipated peoples, so The Word may be depended upon to redeem the individual all of mankind.
The Will of God for you is expressed through the Word.
Editor's Note - The foregoing are abridged topics from "The Will of God for You", by Harry E. H. Grant.
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Be worth while in your own thought, then you will be worth while in the presence of others.
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By DR. ING. THEODOR VODEL, M.P.S.
Schonungen-bei-Schweinfurt, Bayern, Germany
(Introductory Note - The following excerpts from the report of the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Germany, Vereinigte Grossloge der Alten Freien und Angenommenen Maurer Von Deutschland, Frankfurt am Main, delivered at the Annual Communication, June 15, 1951, at BadEms, reveal German Masonry to be undergoing an interesting self-analysis and evaluation, a realization of the necessity of understanding the fundamental problems of life and the imperative need for Brotherhood. Dr. Ing. Theodor Vogel, Grossmeister, recently became a Member of The Philalethes Society. He has already contributed numerous articles, pamphlets and books to the Library of the Society, which are in process of being translated. Future issues will contain translations, and undoubtedly papers written especially for "The Philalethes." - The Editor.)
IN MY WELCOME at BadEms I said that this Annual Communication of 1951 must be a day of consciousness; a day of considering the past and the future, the source of our power, the demands which the present time and the future will ask, and the limits which are drawn to the Craft of the United Grand Lodge of Germany and the worldwide union of the Craft.
This day of consciousness, being a time of meditation, the Grand Master must ask the Craft at the beginning of the deliberations a question he has during the past days and weeks put before himself and the brethren he has met in his travels. "What was the most beautiful and the happiest time of German Freemasonry ?"
Was it the time when we were sitting in our old, well-built, well-founded houses, when we were allowed to work in our fine, rich temples, far away from the noises from the unrest and the troubles of the world? The time when all of us were satisfied and safe, when we could banish distress from the thresholds of our houses, when we lived and dreamed easily about the questions of our people and the problems of world affairs in an old and honorable way and when we were happy with ourselves? Was that the most beautiful and happiest time of German Freemasonry?
Was it not the time when after 1945 the German Craft was faced with a hard, nearly superhuman task which taxed the limits of our power, the time of ruins, of penance, of distress and hunger, of poverty, bitterness and abandonment? The time when we had to remove rubbish and ruins to clear the ground for a new foundation, was this time not better and happier? The time when the Free and Accepted Masons in Germany were called by the Great Overseers of Destiny, were allowed to place the corner-stone for the Grand German Lodge, were allowed to hunger together with the displaced brethren; when they were free of the burden, of the shadow and the too safe possession of the past - was that not the hour of probation, the hour to which that Faustian word should be applied, "You are so beautiful!"
To ask the question is to answer it. Yes, the greatest and happiest, the most beautiful and wonderful time of German Freemasonry began when in 1945, after fifteen years of probation, we were allowed to work again. When we could recognize the plan which was made by the Supreme Architect of the Universe, when we became free of externalities, when we heard the inner voices again, when we could serve the distress, the hopelessness and the despair of our people, when we became apprentices, fellows, and masters of the real Royal Art, and were allowed to recognize and realize the wish of many German Masonic generations, to collect the brethren in lodges again, of really growing together as a Craft. Considering this, from 1945 up to this date in German Freemasonry everything happened with a marvelous and wonderful consistency, it had the grace of destiny. (Editor's Note - Reference is here made of the effort to gather together the lodges of the districts, over a period of six years, with a report by the Chancellery at the end of the Masonic Year 1950/51 of 201 lodges and 123 Masonic clubs in the area of the Western German Republic). From the numbers mentioned, you can see that far more than a thousand candidates, young men, have become members of our union; that again the deadly brutality of the criminals of 1933 has been stopped. Certainly destiny does not spare us the tragedy of our generation, which we must recognize in the life of our people, in politics, in the churches and in almost all institutions of public life, the tragedy that the grandfathers have to educate the grandchildren, that the fathers and husbands are being missed because millions and millions have become the victims of a murdering time and a murdering state; men who are also being missed in our lodges. May we be able to overcome this tragedy.
I deem it a necessity to think of the German speaking and German working lodges beyond Germany . . . they which once were established by old German Grand Lodges in the area of foreign jurisdictions, which kept ritual and language of their native country, remained fraternally unified with us, also if they have according to the Chapter Right of the Old Landmarks placed or will place themselves under the control of the obedience of that country in which they have become residents. We greet them from the Annual Communication 1951, which is the day of remembrance and consciousness.
The relations between the United Grand Lodge and the jurisdictions abroad have been steadily completed. Our communications are currently reporting on the foreign relations, the diplomatic service of Freemasonry. With more than 60 regular Grand Lodges all over the world, in Europe, in the United States, in South and Central America, in Asia, in Africa and Australia regular relations have been established and Grand Representatives have been exchanged. These relations are not only formal things, but that they have a very deep reason was mentioned by me before. I deem it a necessity to repeat those words today: We German Freemasons would be a lost crowd, if not the strength of the larger community would support us. If once there was a time in German Freemasonry that desired isolation, now we confess freely, Never Again! For the sake of our young people, for the sake of our nation, the fraternal chain has to encompass the world and German Freemasonry has to be a link in it which will be welcomed with respect and honor, and which will have a decisive importance.
With thanks we confess that the United Grand Lodge has grown and has found respect. We recognize this in the loyal and fraternal way with which the grand lodges being on friendly terms with us esteem our jurisdiction and our right. We recognize this in the friendly visitation with the field lodges of the troops stationed in Germany, and in the fact that they place their work under the control of the Old Landmarkes, so that the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Germany also in the field lodges of foreign obediences he visits in his Chapter Right, is charged to keep the gavel.
From the above we may see that German Freemasonry has passed from the condition of self-respect. . . . We have always talked about value and dignity of the German Craft . . . into the condition of respect. That the United Grand Lodge as a representative of German Freemasonry will always do everything to keep this respect through discipline and order, that it feels more than ever responsible in its demands from lodges and brethren of being guard and watcher of this discipline, not only through the desire to convince, but also through a fraternal part of necessary severity, should and may not be astonishing. The United Grand Lodge has a greater responsibility than any German Grand Lodge has ever had before, and it has to ask for understanding that it is willing to take this responsibility very seriously. (Here follows a discussion of administrative problems, and necessary regulations; the activities of the Masonic Relief Service and Labor Office, and the importance of proper press publicity. - Editor's Note).
The internal life of Germany Masonry, which had become poorer in the times of satiety and which by single brethren had been maintained only on a level worthy of the history of the German Craft, seems to be approaching a new spring time, as will be obvious to attentive visitors of our lodges. Particularly our young brethren are showing a strange inclination for researching, for debating and discussing the problems of the time. There are no famous orators traveling through the country and relating about Masonry, but there are the silent ones bearing the fire and inflaming it again and again in the hearts of the brethren. Above all it is my first duty here to thank the Collegium Masonicum for its work. Wherever in all the Orients the active brethren of our lodges have assembled, among them fellows and masters with silver hair, but nevertheless with the good will to get to the fundamental problems of human life; wherever in all the lodges the Worshipful Masters and Officers' Councils are furthering to the best of their ability such a serious and necessary board, there are still appearing the results of the common work...
The Grand Lodge wants more from you and from me! It wants to demonstrate to us the divine beauty sometimes the horrible violence of life, to make known the metaphysics of all our work; it wants to place you into the majesty of that autonomous moral claim which a great English Mason once interpreted with the knowledge "Work, and don't despair!" and which a great German Mason proclaimed in our proper manner with the respectful and fateful words, "We bid you hone."
My brethren, which is the position of the Grand Lodge of German Freemasons when thus displaying its mission to the fraternity?
It has the knowledge that our generation, that our time is not allowed to be satisfied, to enjoy the daily pleasures, and to wait in contemplative silence for the last end. It has the knowledge that it has to work and to fight against old and new adversaries, that perhaps once it will be forced to oppose the fate, that it will be called to answer for its attitude.
We know the bulwarks which to occupy we are ordered by the voice of our conscience, the bulwarks of humanity, and tolerance in our beloved, suffering, poor worried German people. It is our first duty to devote ourselves to this people and its immortal soul, that it will not stagger again into the abysses of extremes, that it will not become again a plaything of the great seducers and tempters.
We know the other bulwarks which are erected, where through the middle of our country and people the boundary is drawn between . . . freedom and tyranny . . . between the eastern and western standards of living. We know these are the last bulwarks of freedom which at least are granted the occidental peoples. This freedom must be defended, not so much by means of military forces, but by means of TRUTH, FIDELITY, AND HOPE, with the fervent will of our senses and our hearts.
We believe it will be possible to remain masters of these bulwarks . . . and in doing so we feel that it is our obligation to erect new bastions against the ultimate slavery in religious life. We know that after having been victors in the battle against political despotism, we shall be forced to fight against other despotic powers. Every power oppressing the conscience of free men and presuming to be the only solicitor of eternal and unchangeable truths will be our enemy.
My brethren! Let us combine against that power, against all powers oppressing the life of men . . . and let us confess those immortal words of the Old Charges:
"But, though in Ancient times Masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of that country or nation, whatever it was, yet it's now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves; that is, to be good men and true, or men of honor and honesty, by whatever denominations or persuasions they may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the center of union, and the means of conciliating true friendship among persons that must have remained at a perpetual distance ..... Execute brotherly love which is the cornerstone and the keystone, the cement and the glory of our Craft .... that all may see the benign influence of Masonry, as all true Masons have done from the beginning of the world, and will do to the end of time. Amen - So Mote it be!"
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Beyond the explorations of science or the speculations of philosophy, the human instinct still humbly or blindly gropes its way toward God, and is dissatisfied when it cannot find Him.
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It is psychologically true in our dealings with individuals in general, that by seeing what is good, and welcoming it, we shall be more likely to change that which is bad.
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FREDERICK THOMAS PARKER, M.P.S.
Fred T. Parker, as his name appears on the stationery of the Grand Lodge of Quebec, is District Deputy Grand Master of Montreal District No. 2.
Brother Parker was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 9th of September, 1892. He is a widower, has three children and six grandchildren. He resides at 810 Upper Belmont Ave., Westmount, Montreal, Quebec. His occupation, Manager of the Traffic Department of Canadian Industries, Ltd.
Fred T. Parker was initiated an Entered Apprentice, March 19, 1937, passed to a Fellowcraft, September 7, 1937, and was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in Mt. Royal Lodge No. 32, Montreal, November 5, 1937.
Subsequently he became a member of Montreal Chapter No. 7, December 15, 1938; of Richard Couer de Leon Preceptory, Jan. 25, 1940; Karnak Temple, December 7, 1940, and the Scottish Rite, January 29, 1945.
In 1947 Brother Parker served as Master of Mt. Royal Lodge No. 32. In 1943 he was chosen Chairman of the Westmount Study Club, and since then has been active in the work of that organization. One of his papers before this Study Club provided the material for the series of articles just completed in "The Philalethes" under the title "The Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences." Although he claims not to have enjoyed the privilege of a "college education", his intimate knowledge and appreciation of the cultural arts and sciences as evidenced by the series of articles referred to, reveal an erudite mind and the attainment of unusual scholastic qualifications and character.
In his official capacity as District Deputy Grand Master, Brother Parker does considerable speaking on Masonic topics, and for a number of years has contributed to other Craft papers.
He is an Honorary member of Lake Magog Lodge No. 56, and has served as Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Past Masters Association.
In September, 1948 he was elected to membership in The Philalethes Society upon the recommendation of Charles E. Holmes, F.P.S.
It is a real pleasure to present the picture of Brother Fred T. Parker on the title page of this issue of "THE PHILALETHES"
- H. H. K.
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The two great ideals that man has discovered in the whole field of antiquity are reverence for the gods and practical love for man.
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". . . and the Gebalites did fashion them and prepared timbers and stones to build the house." 1 Kings, V-18
In Bezetha's gloomy void, by a torch light's flickering flare,
Leaned a swarthy youth by a roughened block, holding a bronze tri-square,
And his eye was bright, and his brow was blacked, by a scowl 'neath his tangled hair
And he muttered thickly o'er his work, through the reek of the smoke filled air.
"Why should I cut on this cursed lime; why should I waste my skill,
Squaring the blocks the slumsy craft,
Drawn out of Canaan by Solomon's draft,
Bearers of burdens, from quarry and raft,
Bring in this burrowed hill?"
"By Astaroth! By Moloch grim! Why was I sent below,
From Gebal's shore, where in rocking blue,
The Great Sea's waves beat deep and true,
To a cavern dank and a motley crew,
Building a house ford kingdom new,
To a God I do not know?"
A great light shone through the rock-ribbed roof, and he saw as in a dream,
A temple set upon a hill, aglow in a wondrous gleam
Of a light that poured from a Blazing Star, a molten golden stream;
A temple set on David's hill, where Enoch walked unseen.
And the Ashlars true that hod left his hand, proved by square and line,
Bound each to each by mortised joints, shone with a light divine,
Building as one a gleaming wall, flashing a holy sign,
The symbol of One God of all eternity and time.
And o'er it all against the sky, he saw as in a maze,
The working tool within his hand, transformed by burnished rays,
An emblem of the sons of men, a truth to gauge their ways,
A guide eternal for their paths, down to the end of days.
In Bezetha's rock-arched vault, by a torch light's flickering flare,
Worked a swarthy youth on a roughened block, cutting the stone with care,
And his eye was bright, and his brow was light 'neath the wave of his raven hair,
For he saw each perfect ashlar leave his hands a symbol fair,
And the sons of men, in brotherhood, walk upright by his square.
- By the late Right Worshipful Charles L. Young Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of Colorado. Service Letter No. 127, Committee of Masonic Education, M.W. Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Colorado, January, 1951.