Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/836

 MASONBY

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SIASONRY

<me true religion, one dogma, one legitimate belief [(4), 1, 271]. Consequently, also, the Bible as a Masonic symbol, is to be interpreted as a symbol of the Book of Nature or the Code of human reason and conscience, while Christian and other dogmas have for Freema- sonry but the import of changing symbols veiling the one permanent truth, of which Masonic " Science ** and "Arts" are a "progressive revelation", and applica- tion [ibid.. I 280; (1), 516 sq.].

It should be noted, that the great majority of Ma- sons are far from being "initiated" and "are grovel- ling in Egyptian darkness" (Chr., 1878, II, 28). "The M^nry of the higher degrees", says Pike [(4), 1. 3111 " teacheathe great truths of intellectual science; out as to these, even as to the rudimente and first principles. Blue Masonry is absolutely dumb. Its dramas seem intended to teach the resurrection of the body." "The pretended possession of mysterious secrets, nas enabled Blue Masonry to nimiber its initiates by tens of thousands. Never were any pretences to the pos- session of mysterious knowledge so baseless and so ab- surd as those of the Blue and Sx)yal Arch Chapter De- pees " (ibid., IV, 388 sq.). "The aping Christianity of Blue Masoniy made it simply an emasculated and im- potent society with large and soimding pretences and slender performances. And yet its mmtitudes adhere to it, because initiation is a necessity for the Human Soul; and because it instinctively longs for a union of the many under the control of a single will, in things spiritual as well as in things temporal, for a Hierarchy andaMonarch" (ibid., IV, 389 sq.). "It is for the Adept to imderstand the meaning of the Symbols" [(1), 849]; and Oliver declares: "Brethren, high in rank and office, are often imacquainted with the elementary principles of the science" (Oliver, "Theocratic Phil- osophy' ', 355). Masons * ' may be fifty years Masters of the Chair and yet not learn the secret of the Brother- hood. This secret is, in its own nature, invulnerable; for the Mason, to whom it has become known, can only have guessed it and certainly not have received it from anv one; he has discovered it, because he has been in the looge, marked, learned and inwardly digested. When he arrives at the discovery, he unquestionably keeps it to himself, not conununicating it even to his most intimate Brother, because, should this person not have capability to discover it of himself, he would likewise be wanting in the capability to use it, if he received it verbally. For this reason it will forever remain a secret" (Oliver, Hist. Landmarks, I, 11, 21; "Free- masons' Quarterly Rev.", I, 31; Casanova in Ragon, "Kit. 3rd Degree", 35).

In view of the fact that the secrete of Masonry are unknown to the bulk of Masons, the oaths of secrecy taken on the Bible are all the more startling and im- justifiable. The oath, for instance, of the firat degree IS as follows: " I, in the presence of the Great Architect of the Universe, . . . ao hereby and hereon solemnly and sincerely swear, that I will always hide, conceal and never reveal any part or parts, any point or points of the secrete or mysteries of or belonging to Free and Accepted Masons in Masonry which may heretofore have been known by, shall now or may at any future time be communicated to me" ete. "These several pointe I solemnly swear to observe \mder no less penalty, than to have my throat cut across, my tongue tern out by the root and my body buried in the sands of the sea", "or the more efficient punishment of being branded as a wilfully perjured mdividual, void of all moral worth". "So help me CJod", ete. Similar oaths, but with severer penalties attached, are token in the advanced degrees. The princ^al contente of the promises are according to Pike: eighteenth degree: "I obligate and pledge my*- self always to sustain, that it belongs to Masonry to teach the great unsecterian truths, that do not exclu- vxely belong to any religion and acknowledge that I Aave no right whatever to exact from others the ac-

ceptation of any particular interpretation of masonic symbols, that I may attribute to them by the virtue of my personal beUef. I obligate and solenmly pledge my- self to respect and sustein by all means andfunder any circimistances Liberty of Speech, Liberty of Thou^t and Liber^ of Conscience in religious and political matters" FPike (4), III, 68]. Thirtieth D^ree: A.— " I solenmly and freely vow obedience to afl the laws and regulations of the Order, whose belief will be my behef, I promise obedience to all my regular superiors. ... 1 pledge myself to be devoted., soul and body, to the protection of innocence, the vindication of right, the crushing of oppression and the punishment of every infraction against the law of Humanity and of Man s righte. . . never, either by interest or by fear, or even to save my existence, to submit to nor suffer any material despotism, that may enslave or oppress humanity by the usurpation or abuse of power. I vow never to submit to or tolerate any in- tellectual Despotism, that may pretend to chain or fetter free thought, ete." B. "I solemnly vow to consecrate my life to the ends of the Order of Knights of Kadosh, and to co-operate most efficaciously by all means prescribed by the constituted authorities of the order to attein them. I solemnly vow And consecrate, to these ends, my words, my power, my strength, my influence, my intelligence and my life. I vow to con- sider myself henceforward and forever as the Apostle of Truth and of the rights of man." C. "I vow my- self to the utmost to bring due punishment upon the oppressors, the usurpers and the wicked; I pleoge my- self never to harm a Knight Kadosh, either by word or deed. . .; I vow that if I find him as a foe in the battlefield, I will save his life, when he makes me the Sign of Distress, and that I will free him from prison and confinement upon land or water, even to the risk of my own life or my own liberty. I pledge myself to vindicate right and truth even by might and violence, if necesqyy and duly ordered by my regular superiors. ' ' D. "I pftdge myself to obey without hesitation any order whatever it may be of my regular Superiors in the Order" (ibid., IV, 470, 479, 488, 520).

VII. Outer Work of Freemasonry: Its Achieve- ments, Purposes and Methods. — The outer work of Freemasonry, though imiform in ite fundamental character and its general lines, varies considerably in different countries and different Masonic svmbols. pursued by Englisn, German, and American Masonry, while practically at least, they are neglected by Ma- sons in the Latin countries, who are absorbed by pK>litical activity. But even in England, where rela- tively the largest sums are spent for charitable pur- poses, Masonic philanthropy does not seem to be mspired by very high ideals of generosity and disin- terestedness, at least with respect to the great mass of the brethren; the principal contributions are made by a few very wealthy brethren and the rest by such as are well-to-do. Moreover, in all coimtries it is al- most exclusively Masons and their families that profit by Masonic charity. Masonic beneficence towards the "profane " world is little more than figurative, con- sisting in the propagation and application of Masonic principles by which Masons pretend to promote the welfare of mankind; and if Masons, particularly in Catholic countries, occasionally devote themselves to chariteble works as ordinarily understood, their aim is to gain sympathy and thereby further their real pur- poses. In North America, especially in the United States, a characteristic feature of the outer work is the tendency toward display in the construction of sump- tuous Masonic "temples", in Masonic processions, at the laying of cornerstones and the dedication of public buildmgs and even of Christian churches. This ten- dency h&a frequently been rebuked by Masonic writ- ers. "The Masonry of this continent has ffone mad after high degreeism and grand titleism. We tell the
 * ' Charitable** or '* philanthropic** purposes are chiefly