THE MORALITY OF FREEMASONRY
by George Oliver
Chapter V from "A Star in the East" - 1825
Chapter
V - The morality of Masonry is precisely the same as that
of Christianity
Every well-governed lodge is furnished
with the Holy Bible, the Square, and the Compass. The Bible
points out the path that leads to happiness, and is dedicated to
God; the square teaches to regulate our conduct by the
principles of morality and virtue, and is dedicated to the
master; the compass teaches to limit our desires in every
station, and is dedicated to the brethren. The Bible is
dedicated to the service of God, because it is the inestimable
gift of God to man; the square to the master, because, being the
proper masonic emblem of his office, it is constantly to remind
him of the duty he owes to the lodge over which be is appointed
to preside; and the compass to the craft, because, by a due
attention to its use, they are taught to regulate their desires,
and keep their passions within due bounds. "The
ornamental parts of a lodge are, the Mosaic pavement, the
indented Tressel, and the blazing Star. The Mosaic pavement is
emblematic of human life, chequered with good and evil; the
beautiful border which surrounds it, those blessings and
comforts which surround us, and which we hope to obtain by a
faithful reliance on Divine Providence, which is
hieroglyphically represented by the blazing star in the centre.
The moveable and immoveable jewels are the square, the
level, and the plumb-rule, the rough and perfect ashler and the
tressel board. These appear to be mere instruments of labour;
but the moral, to which they respectively point, renders them
jewels of inestimable value. The square teaches morality and
justice; the level equality, and the plumb rule integrity. By
the rough ashler we are reminded of our rude and imperfect state
by nature; by the perfect ashler that state of perfection at
which we hope to arrive by a virtuous education, aided by
divine grace; and the tressel board reminds us that, as the
operative workman erects his temporal building agreeably to
the rules and designs laid down by the master on his tressel
board, so should we endeavour to erect our spiritual building
agreeably to the rules and designs laid dozen by the supreme
architect of the universe in the Holy Bible, which is a mason's
spiritual tressel board. That book, which is never closed in any
lodge, reveals the duties which the great master of all exacts
from us; and were we conversant therein and adherent
thereto, it would bring us to a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens." back to top
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