"To preserve the reputation of the Fraternity unsullied must be your
constant care."
Every Master Mason is charged with that great duty.
Obviously
it means the
reputation of the Fraternity before the non-Masonic world.
That
reputation is one of the greatest assets of Freemasonry; indeed, only by
our
reputation do we live and grow, since Masons are forbidden to proselyte.
No
real Mason ever asks a profane to join the Order; the man must seek the
Light;
not the Light seeking the man.
The reputation of Masonry in the world is that of an Order in which men
bind
themselves to secrecy; practice charity and brotherhood; do good without
self
advertising; choose wisely among our petitioners; work a gentle
influence upon
themselves and their fellows towards right conduct, clean
thinking and fine citizenship.
Freemasonry has certain contacts with the
public; for instance, her Masonic Homes
are public in the sense that they
stand as monuments to Masonic Charity for all the
world to see.
The world at large observes us in funeral processions, burying our
dead
with reverence, honor and ceremonies strange to profane eyes. It watches
our
Grand Lodges lay the corner stones of public buildings, pouring the
ancient
sacrifices of corn, wine and oil; dedicating and consecrating (if it is a
church)
the building to its uses. It sees us occasionally attend Divine
services in a body.
It can obtain beautiful books about Freemasonry, from
which it can learn of
the fundamental principles which underlie the Order.
But "the secrets of
Freemasonry are safely lodged in the repository of
faithful breasts.
Some Masons consider certain matters as "secrets" which
are not so, in fact,
even though they are not the subject of common talk
or
vain boast. It is no "secret"
that Freemasonry teaches and inculcates, in
so
far as her power lies, those
principles of law, order, morals,
citizenship,
fear and love of God which make for
the highest type of manhood.
The non-secret teachings of the three degrees are briefly as follows:
In
the Entered Apprentice Degree the initiate is taught the necessity of a
belief
in God; of charity towards all mankind, and especially a brother Mason;
of
secrecy; of the meaning of brotherly love; the reasons for relief; the
greatness
of truth; the advantages of temperance; the value of fortitude;
the part played in
Masonic life by prudence and the equality of strict
justice. He is charged to
inculcate the three great duties; to be reverent before God, to pray to Him for help,
to venerate Him as the source of all
that is good. He is exhorted to practice the
Golden Rule and to avoid excesses of all
kinds. He is admonished to be quiet
and peaceable, not to countenance
disloyalty and rebellion, to be true and just
to government and country
and
to be cheerful under its laws. He is charged to
come often to lodge but
not
to neglect his business, not to argue about
Freemasonry with the ignorant
but to learn Masonry from Masons, and once again,
to be secret. Finally he
is urged to present only such candidates as he is sure
will agree to all
that he has agreed to.
In the Fellowcraft Degree he argues that he will be secret regarding that
which must be kept secret; that he will obey the by-laws of his own lodge;
and the laws, rules, regulations and edicts of his Grand Lodge; to answer
proper summons; is again reminded of his duty as a Mason in charity and
relief. He agrees that a good Mason is an honest and upright man. He is
taught the importance of the seventh day and the advantages of learning in
general are placed before him, with especial reference to the science of
geometry. Emphasis is again placed upon a reverent attitude before Deity.
Then he is charged with the need for balanced judgment; is exhorted to
study the seven liberal arts and is shown that geometry is not only a
mathematical and Masonic science, but also a moral one. Regular behavior
is
impressed upon him, as well as "the practice of all commendable virtues.
In the Master Mason Degree all that has gone before is again emphasized,
and many additional duties and responsibilities are laid upon the
initiate.
Science, secrecy, fidelity to trust, courage, resignation and sacrifice
are
taught
in the great drama. His obligations are extended; his brotherly
relations with his
fellows are more clearly and strictly defined. Here is
taught the need for willing service;
that prayer is not only for the
petitioner; that he must be worthy of confidence;
that his strength is not
only for himself but for his falling brother; that wisdom
in not only for
the possessor but should be shared; that a brother has the right to know
of
approaching disaster.
He is charged to set a good example; to guard others,
as well as himself
from a breach of fidelity; he must preserve the ancient Landmarks
and he
must not countenance any changes in our established customs. Secrecy
is
again emphasized; the dignity of the character of a Master Mason is to be
upheld;
the faith and confidence of his fellows is put before him as the
reward for fidelity
and faith.
Reducing these great teachings to the least
possible number of words and
avoiding duplications produces the following list of those matters which a Mason
is taught, and to which he promises,
either actually or by implication, complete
agreement. On these rest the
reputation of the Fraternity. Belief in God, Charity,
Secrecy, Brotherly
Love, Relief, Truth, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, Justice,
Reverence,
Prayer, Veneration, Golden Rule, Peaceableness, Good Citizenship
Obedience
to Masonic Authority, Honesty, Observance of the Sabbath, Education,
Judgment, Fidelity to Trust, Courage, Resignation, Self Sacrifice, Service
to Others,
Trustworthiness to Confidence, Sharing Strength and Wisdom,
Setting a Good
Example, Preservation of the Ancient Landmarks, Faith,
Dignity.
If "every" Freemason lived up to "all" these teachings, what an Utopia
the
world would be! But what is remarkable is not how many Masons fail,
but
how
many succeed! That they do succeed is evidenced by the reputation
of the Fraternity in Non-Masonic circles. Were Masons as a class false to their
teachings,
lax in their conduct, forsworn as to their obligations;
Freemasonry would not
posses the fair reputation she has: "Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy soul and with every
mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments
hang
all the law and the prophets." If the
Man of Galilee was content to
reduce
"all the law" to fifty-three words, surely
Freemasonry might formulate an
equally short statement of her aims and purposes.
But while "all the law" may be put into a few words, many thousand words
of
New Testament are needed to explain the teachings of Christianity. Men
learn
by repetition. They absorb that which is told to them, and retold, and
told
once more.
Freemasonry but follows the ancient manner of teaching when she
iterates
and reiterates the duties of a Mason towards his God, his
neighbor
and himself.
But because Freemasonry teaches by repetition, her detailed
reiteration makes
possible many ways in which a Mason may offend. If he
does
not actively break
a rule, he may fail as a Mason merely by a negative
attitude.
To fail to do good is not necessarily to do evil, but neither is
a
failure to work
mischief necessarily a doing of good works! It is expected
of men that they will fail,
otherwise they are not men, but Gods! If no
man
ever failed, Freemasonry would be
unnecessary.
When a building is completed, the workmen depart. When the
"House Not Made
With Hands" is perfectly erected, the Craft is no more use.
It is one thing
to fail in any Masonic duty; it is another to fail so publicly that the
reputation of the Fraternity is hurt - that reputation of which we are
taught that its
preservation is of vital importance.
Occasionally, more's
the pity, it is necessary for a Masonic organization to take
practical
steps
in regard to some brother who has failed to live up to the Masonic
teachings. Masons are only men who have solemnly agreed to do certain
things;
sometimes they are foresworn. Sometimes our committees do not do
their work
aright and we are given cracked stones to work upon. Sometimes
a
good man
changes as he grows older, and even the sweet and gentle
influence
of the Craft
cannot hold him in the straight and narrow way.
The lodge in which someone holds membership may well be advised to do
little
rather than much. There are times when something must be done; when the
reputation of which we think so much is hurt by failure to do. Then we
have
all
the misery and pain of a Masonic trial; the sad washing of dirty linen
in the lodge;
the grief of seeing our good and great Order dragged to some
extent into public notice;
when ever a Mason receives the worst Masonic
penalty - expulsion, or Masonic
death - the world at large usually hears
of
it
Few are the Masons who have no friends! Hence a Masonic trial is very
apt to create tense feelings in a lodge, if not worse, and the harmony
which
is "the strength and support of all well regulated institutions" is made
into a discord.
However, it cannot always be helped! - But in a great many cases
it can
be helped!
It is human to want to "get even." Our brother wrongs us; it is
only
natural to wish him taken before the bar of lodge opinion, and, perhaps,
punish
him
for his infraction of his obligation.
Brethren often see no further than
the
immediate present; the immediate
wrong doing; the immediate lodge trial
and
its results. A word of wise caution
may make him look further. No man,
unless suffering wrong of the most grievous
character, but may be caused
to
stop and think by reminding him of the many
obligations and duties he
assumed when he, too, became a Mason.
Let all such be asked, gently,
kindly,
considerately but pointedly -
"will this action you propose benefit you as
much as it will injure the lodge
and the Fraternity? Will the results,
inevitably to some extent public, do more
harm to that reputation which we
cherish than they will good to you? Is it not
possible that our erring
brother may be brought to make amends by less
drastic means than the sad
lodge trial?
Let no brother retort "but it should not become public!"
Agreed, a lodge
trial should never be a public matter. But while we hold our
own Mystic
Tie,
and the cord of secrecy is tight about our lips, we do not
hold relations
and friends in the same manner. John Smith is tried and suspended,
perhaps
expelled. He no longer goes to lodge. People want to know why.
In self
defense he says what he can - but what can he say? Inevitably the result
of
the trial becomes public. Then we suffer.
At times it is necessary to stand
pain to get rid of a cancer. But the
best
surgeon does not use a knife until
all other means fail. That lodge, that
Master and those brethren who seek
to compose differences, win the erring
back to the path their feet should
never have left, do a real service to
their lodge, to their offended brother,
to their erring brother and to the
Fraternity whose reputation "should be our
constant care."
To whisper good counsel in the ear of an erring brother is sound Masonic
teaching. To prevent tarnishing the reputation of the Fraternity we must
not
only endeavor to live up to the high level of our teachings, but strive
to
help our brethren do likewise. The best way, the brotherly way, the way
of
Freemasonry is by kindly caution, the friendly word of admonition, the
hand
stretched out to assist and save the worthy falling brother.
Only when these fail - and never then until after thinking first of the
Order, next of the lodge and last of self, should we go to the court of
last resort, prefer charges, have a trial and do ourselves the injury
which
comes always from the knife of publicity in the body of our
Ancient Craft.
Freemasonry, so we truly believe, is one of God's bright tools for
shaping of the rough ashlars which we are. Let us strive to keep it bright.
Author: Unknown
