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This webpage -- and all others that start with http://bessel.org/russo/
-- were written entirely by Jason C. Russo 32°, as his personal summary of the
book, Morals and Dogma, written by Albert Pike in the 1800s. The credit
for the content of these summaries belongs exclusively to Bro. Russo, and
compliments, comments, and questions can be emailed to him at ssgrusso@earthlink.net
A SUMMARY OF THE MORALS AND DOGMA OF ALBERT PIKE
BY JASON C. RUSSO 32°
Chapter Two: The Fellow-Craft
This chapter of Albert Pike’s work should more appropriately be named the Political
philosophy and ideologies of Albert Pike. The symbolisms of the degree of Fellow
Craft are absent almost in their entirety and if not for the name of this chapter it would
never be known nor associated with the degree. This chapter of Pike’s work outlines
the political ideology of Scottish Rite Masonry as speculated by Albert Pike.
Pike begins this chapter with an explanation of the learning processes usually
associated with religious experiences throughout history. In ancient mythology personification for worldly events and actions were given
names, personalities and accounts to spin a believable tale for creation and to answer the questions of nature.
These fanciful legends failed to satisfy the deeper aspect of the human psyche and
deeper longings for logic and reason. Symbolisms were introduced into the learning
process and their vagueness gave speculative interpretation the individual could
expound upon. These symbols were capable of eliciting a feeling even if it could not
provide an adequate explanation. Sages crafted exhibitions and displays to perpetuate the meanings
of these symbols—becoming attractive to the eye and allowing the mind to grope and feel for their meaning.
Masonry follows this method to teaching or conveyance of meanings through the use
of symbolism and
the presentation and conferral of degrees—they present to the candidate degrees that induce the initiate to
explore philosophy and research the meanings and symbolisms of Freemasonry. The Symbols of the craft
become the instruction; then the candidate is given a rudimentary explanation of the
symbols—but it is up to the
individual candidate to apply his own meanings to what they were presented and given in the lecture. The
Mason must not simply be content to listen or even understand the lecture presented for him—the candidate
must find a means of applying these symbols and find a way to develop their meanings to become an
integral
part of his life.
With this method of teaching Pike likens the degree conferral system to that of a
Roman Palace of the
middle ages, improved by modern architecture yet constructed on a foundation predating the Roman empire
and it’s architectural systems. Pike credits Christianity with blossoming the idea of Fraternity, however I
disagree, and believe rather the Ancient Jews first began the principles of Fraternity—being tossed
as the
sands of the sea in conquest, enslavement, wondering, war, and living under the encroachment of foreign
governments, it was the Jews who first developed the system of Fraternity as a method of banding together by
a system of belief for mutual support. Pike does not credit Christianity with the principles of Equality due to
bowing to the political tyranny of Cesar. Pike credits Masonry as being the premier juggernaut
of Equality and
Liberty—Liberty being an alien concept for religious groups.
Man, in his history had created government and institutions to be the servant of
humanity, however it was
soon realized man could be made the servant to religious institutions and oppressive governments. It is the
duty of man to be free and to preserve that freedom of religion and country. Free men had soon realized tyrants
and despots existed who wish to usurp that freedom creating an entirely new definition of
Patriotism—striving
to maintain Free Government, Free Thought, Free Conscience, and Free Speech. These truths were soon
over applied and abused as the servants of anarchy who espoused ultimate falsehood and the antithesis of
Freedom. Anarchy though it espouses Freedom does not enforce the common Freedom and common
Equality of rights only a Lawful Government can enforce.
Masonry, under the mask and guise of Stone Masonry, together with the symbols and
tools of the craft
were used as the spearhead of Freedom, Equality and Liberty. It was this political philosophy that launched the
French and American Revolutions. The principles of Freedom, Equality and Liberty are those which when
possessed by a lawful and legitimate government committed to these principles invokes the blessings
of the
Great Architect of the Universe. It is Masonry which bestows universal Truth that
is unattainable by
denominationalism and bestows the greatest benefit and gift a man can possibly receive—manhood.
Pike next defines Philosophy as the knowledge of God through the observation of his
manifestations
and analogies, which becomes the intellectual and moral application in which religion tries to emulate.
“Philosophy is that intellectual and moral progress, which the religious sentiment inspires and ennobles”
(Pike 25). Pike next identifies science and nature as the manifestation of God’s Omnipotence—by studying
nature in all of its glory we can better comprehend the nature of God’s will on the Earth.
Knowledge Pike asserts can be transformed into Power—but by itself knowledge
cannot be utilized or
become Power. Only through the proper use and application of Wisdom and Justice can Knowledge be
transformed into the Power of Truth. The purpose of Education and Science is to create Wisdom. Pike next
attacks the York Rite system of memorizing the Catechism for proficiency—asserting that,
“…knowledge doest
not make him so, it is wasted, like water poured on the sands. To know the formulas of Masonry, is of little
value, by itself, as to know so many words and sentences in some barbarous African or Australian dialect…”
(Pike 26). If our knowledge of the meaning of Masonic symbols does not produce wisdom, charity and
justice—it then becomes of no use whatsoever. The true goal to Masonic education
and study is Wisdom, and
not merely knowledge. If we study simply meanings and the memorization of only words our efforts will be
wasted, the effects will be useless and no wisdom will be gleaned from its effort.
The fruits of Wisdom are incredulity where the wise man will not allow himself to be
enslaved. A wise
man knows his rights and values them, possessing the sentience of his own value and worth. He then asserts
independence and assists others and his country to maintain freedom. Knowledge does not make a person
wise, and without Wisdom independence is a foreign concept, making the knowledgeable person a
useful
pawn for the demagogue. The need for Masonry to impose political as well as moral duties on the initiate can
be plainly seen by observing the annals of history. Each chapter in human history is rife with horrors of
despotism, tyranny, rape, massacre, and genocide. All throughout history, while these acts of violence were
being committed upon humanity the blessings of the Church were bestowed upon the
tyrant and their regime.
It is the endeavor of the true Mason to work diligently to enforce the principles of
Masonry—Masonry is
morally and duty bound to aid and assist society and humanity. The force and power of Masonry needs to
assert itself upon society to make the necessary sacrifices for the betterment of mankind. Masonry cannot stop
the pursuit of effecting Truth and Wisdom upon governmental powers until, “nations gravitate
about the Truth,
like stars about the light, each in its own orbit, without clashing or collision; and everywhere Freedom,
cinctured with stars, crowned with the celestial splendors, and with wisdom and justice on either hand will
reign supreme” (Pike 28).
The path of the Fellow Craft is to follow the rule of reason, love and faith. Humanity as
a whole is driven
by a system of belief and not always by what is known—thus we are governed by faith and analogy, which is not
necessarily by the force of reason. To enthrone reason by itself is folly—for reason cannot fathom the
infinite—for in belief we find faith in the eternal; faith in the Great Architect of the Universe as a just and
loving
God—Faith is a necessity for man to live.
Each person makes presuppositions or prejudges another on the basis of a hunch, a
feeling or even a
notion where we continue as though they are true without truly knowing or coming to an informed decision
based upon fact. We place our trust and finances in a market economy by wagering our finances on trust; we
trust the business to be run properly which will in turn profit our shares—yet we have never met the
corporate
executive or their staff. We have faith and trust in their capabilities based upon the assertions of others. At the
same time there are those instances where our senses revolt and recoil without reason. We are bound by faith
to obey our senses despite the lack of factual evidence to base our decision.
Every human being must possess their own faith based upon their own reason. No
king, government,
tyrant, despot or zealot can force free will or faith. Faith is the right of every human born to this earth and
endowed by the Supreme Creator of the Universe. Faith cannot be forced; a man must be capable of applying
knowledge and reason to decide his own faith. “No man or body of men can be infallible and
authorized to
decide what other men shall believe, as to any tenet of faith…Each man must necessarily have the right to
judge of their truth for himself; because no one man can have any higher or better right to judge than another
for equal information and intelligence” (Pike 29).
Reason must have love to exclude fanaticism, intolerance and persecution. Without
love, reason bears
extreme political principles. Reason interwoven with love, together with faith in ourselves and also faith in others
is necessary to prevent us from being easily discouraged and distracted by the ever-present difficulties life
presents to us. The force created by reason, faith and love, is the force necessary for us to achieve
greatness,
and to achieve the impossible. Reason must be in the forefront of these other principles to guide and focus our
direction in life. Enthusiasm is the raw power of faith and love without the restraint of reason. It is enthusiasm
that gives birth to the patriot whose name is written and is remembered immortally. Enthusiasm produces
the
martyr for other men to follow and revere—without the restraint of reason, faith and
love can overcome the
senses in blind pursuit of truth. This truth singularly challenges the despot and is willing to do so alone for
principle.
Force and reason coupled with genius create power! It is this combination that molds
men to follow
behind a singular person or ideal. It is genius that stands unopposed and conquers in pursuit of truth. Genius
can accomplish great feats for the forces of good and the just. The Genius begotten power is the force that
allows man to influence other men. A free country that is ruled by genius, knowledge, reason, wisdom, love
and
intellect will endure. A Constitutional government that rules without the benefit of
genius is doomed to decay
and rot. Those in political power must be moral leaders of society, avoiding self-abasement and vulgar
pleasures. By providing moral guidance the legislature can teach loving kindness, and wisdom, thus molding
them from the anarchy of the rough ashlar—It is this example Masonry seeks to make by
transforming the
people into the three faced cube. It is the duty of all men to raise and elevate the moral consciousness of the
state and society at large.
Light is the combination of wisdom, reason, virtue, masculinity, intelligence, and
liberty. Light is the
principle by which God dispenses information to mankind through the use of his holy word; he dispenses light in
accordance with the truth that is time for use to receive. Masonry requires diligence in pursuit of light and the
pursuit of truth. At every turn we are in danger of lapsing into servitude—it is Masonry that must stir the
coals of
liberty. War is fatal to the Republic; it consolidates power that feeds the tyrant.
War consolidates power that
rests on the lap of one individual who is prone to demagoguery. The tyrants of the past are the same mold as
those to come in the future—the baseness of man is unchanging over time. It is the way of the world for
man to
sell himself into bondage on the word of the tyrant’s plea. The tyrant will make
the cry of necessity causing men
to toss their rights away for the necessity of the state. Once in power the tyrant becomes a beast in pursuit of
his own security. The tyrant seeks to control religion, and by religion the sanctuaries attempt to control the
hearts of men. Those who possess knowledge without wisdom are blind to this control and
willingly toss
themselves as to the fire in support of the state and state sanctioned religion. The temples that remain
uncontrolled by the state and the despot are attacked through the use of the media. They are vilified for their
beliefs, attacked for their staunch and unwavering positions. The cry of racism, homophobia, and
intolerance
are the battle cries of the despots who wish to tear down the battlements of the church where God is
worshipped in accordance with the words of his divine law.
Religion is a Power the despotic state must try to control in order to control the
people. Liberty is
destroyed as factions seek to disembowel truth and wisdom from religion. The bastions of moral law are
attacked by the debased and the debauched, for they seek not only acceptance but also elevation. The Tyrant
is all to eager to placate base desires and call moral that which is immoral. The social and moral fabric
of
society then becomes ready and ripe for the despot to step in and remove the last
vestiges of freedom—the
possession of arms.
The rulers brought to power by such abuse of liberty are doomed to fail; fools and
charlatans will be
elected to office who are unfit to rule their own roost; they will seek to create and enact laws as foolhardy as
their own reasoning—causing the state to fall inward and collapse. The desires for liberty that have remained
dormant in the psyche of the people will be reawakened by the insolence of the fool in office. Foolish
reasoning
that is enforced without the benefit of love, wisdom, and truth are as good for the cause of liberty as is the force
of arms.
Liberty and religious freedom are interwoven. There are those who are content to be
blindly led like
sheep by false religion and a despotic government. These individuals are apathetic; they are willing to allow
themselves to be lead like lambs who grope for any master to provide them direction—they are resigned to a
hypnotic state whereby false religion and the usurper state force them more deeply into their role of servitude.
These individuals are then utilized as zombie soldiers to accomplish the will of the
zealot going door to door to
succor others to join their legion of servile bliss. On occasion the zombie will awaken for a brief time and work
himself into a furious lather. The zombie will wrestle furiously into exhaustion and hopelessness because the
servile state is an anathema to the soul; they soon quietly go back to sleep and
resume their trance and forget.
As generations pass despotism is the only form of government the people know; they
embrace it for in
ignorance it is their parent. As time goes on it becomes more difficult to make the people believe the power
behind governmental authority, faith and government resides within themselves. To cause a person to claim
responsibility for himself and not rest his faith in government is a difficult prospect for those of
American Leftist
or Humanist thought. They wish to provide the government with all forms of responsibility—so that they have no
responsibility of their own. Freedom of thought takes time and grows as slowly as the oldest trees in the forest.
Liberty is robbed from the people as much by misuse as by neglect, apathy and absentmindedness.
There remains free people in even the most despotic and tyrannical regime. It is they
who will stand
against villainy with staunch self and mutual reliance. In times of calamity the enslaved will bow before their
master and submit to further indignations to their liberties. The free individuals will stand in open defiance with
a united front to oppose the newest tyranny. The enslaved will continue to soldier and rally against the
free,
seeking to sup at the feet of their master as a dog wishes attention while its master sits at the table. The free
must maintain and continue to exercise their freedoms if they are to maintain their vigilance. In order for the
free to endure, they must continually exercise the rights of freedom for as the maxim states, “eternal
vigilance is
the price of liberty.” There is a universal commonality to tyranny—the demagogue continues to enact laws that
revoke freedom and liberty under the guise of benefiting society. The people in great blindness hand over their
personal freedoms under the guise of safety and willingly place shackles upon their feet.
The despot will clamor to take away the arms of the people—and claim it is to protect
children. The
zombie blindly follows the despot truly believing this statement and hands over their only means of preserving
personal liberty and freedom. What more, the enslaved person vilifies the patriot and seeks to enact laws
restricting their rights to arms; one firearm at a time is singled out with new laws that are an affront to
liberty.
Arms that have never been a danger to any child or society are restricted. Firearms, which have never been
used in any crime against society will be targeted for confiscation. The inexpensive arms readily available to
the people are called a danger and are thus targeted. The ultimate goal of the despot is to revoke all rights so
that the patriot and free possess no means of resisting unlawful usurpation of liberty.
The blind fools of the
demagogue who possess knowledge without wisdom are integral pawns to their own demise.
* * *
The Compasses trace figures in mathematical planes of Geometry and Trigonometry.
Geometry
signifies the measurement of the earthly qualities, where Trigonometry measures triangles and is used to
measure the infinite or heavenly.
* * *
Pike here defines Virtue as, “heroic bravery, to do the thing thought to be true, in spite
of all enemies
of flesh or spirit, in despite of all temptations or menaces” (Pike 35). Masonic Virtue then is to utilize the
principles of Masonry to do what is right, just, true and wise, regardless of what the consequences may be.
Government may ridicule the right; false religion and the fanatic may decry Masonry for not ascribing to their
brand of zealotry. Despite all oppositions we are required to adhere to the principles
of virtue no matter what
difficulties may find us in performing our duty of the right.
Every man when applying himself to a creed must apply the philosophy in application
and ethic. These
two are necessary for harmony to take place. Each man may possess the philosophy of religion or the
philosophy of government or even the philosophy of Masonry, but without the application ascribing oneself to a
creed and not supporting it by ethical actions that support it is hypocrisy. There are many who
profess to be
Christians and many who profess to be Masons, but the ethics of their actions prove themselves to be to be
ethical heathens and practical atheists. At the same time there are men who profess neither the adherence to
a denomination or to Masonry, yet the application of their faith and logic are without question. Their are
many
men who are practical Masons and have never petitioned a Lodge—it is up to us to find these individuals and
endear ourselves to them in the hope they may petition our craft to become a Mason. “…there are many
Masons who have never undergone initiation; and as the ethics are the end and purpose of religion, so are
ethical believers the most worthy. He who does right is better than he who thinks right” (Pike
35).
Pike believes the creeds by which we ascribed to have very little effect upon our
actions, whether it is
our religion, our personal philosophies, or our political party. We are human and as such suffer the vices of
human nature. Masonry cannot change that which is born into us. The vices of human nature are at times
beyond our control. Having been initiated, passed and raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason
does
not and will not change our minds and hearts from the nature of our birth. As Masons we must continue to apply
faith by works and deeds as a continual reminder of actions supporting the tongue. If we merely profess the
tenets of Masonry and do not apply them we have done a disservice to the craft and humanity. Rather, if we
continue to apply the truth of wisdom to our lives and actions, we will have exemplified
the tenets of
Freemasonry as just and upright Masons.
A lavish tongue will beguile an entire population; the people are quick to flock to the
individual who
makes grandiose claims and verbose promises. The charlatan is closer to the baseness of the common man
than the wise sage. The crooked politician will be sought even in perilous times leaving behind the wise man.
The hearts of men have a difficult time accepting truth, and in times of imminent peril truth
scares the common
people. They would rather cling to the whispers of the self-righteous knave who promises the world rather than
the intellectual who outlines the difficult road in the spirit of truth.
Truth is subjective and is not a permanent fixture in nature. Truth is only applicable for
the time and
people who are meant to receive it—neither does truth remain truth for all time. To offer truth to those not ready
or capable of receiving it is wasted and will be scorned by the ignorant as well as the learned. There have
always been individuals whose learning and comprehensions transcend the time in which they live. Their lives
are cursed with knowledge unaccepted by their counterparts only to be understood
well after their death. In
each time and period of history truth rises to the surface and the enlightened individual must suffer the curse of
his own perception.
To try and convince people of truth who are not ready to receive it is a waste of time
and effort. No
amount of argument and conviction can open deaf ears. It is difficult to get several people to agree on what to
have for dinner and it is even more difficult when Masons are together; if you have five Masons together in a
room their will invariably be seven different opinions. Since men cannot even begin to agree on the
things that
do not matter at all in life—to get men to agree on matters esoteric and spiritual in nature is impossible. “Ask
the small sea-waves what they murmur among the pebbles! How many of those words that come from the
invisible shore are lost, like the birds, in the long passage? How vainly do we strain the eyes across the
long Infinite! We must be content, as the children are, with the pebbles that have been
stranded, since it is
forbidden us to explore the hidden depths” (Pike 38).
It is because no man can know the infinite and the mysterious nature of Deity, the
Fellow Craft is
admonished not to become overly confident in his own knowledge. An individual who espouses ignorant and
unsound reasoning is worse than the fool! As Masons we must espouse the principles of humility and sound
judgment; we should never become haughty in our own (mis)understandings. If we become proud and
boastful
of our limited comprehensions it will be our downfall. “Humility should dwell
with frailty, and atone for
ignorance, error and imperfection” (Pike 39).
As part of the lessons of humility we should never strive for tittles and offices if we are
to be mislead in
pursuit of power and authority. We should submit to office placed upon us by others; when in office it is our duty
to do so with humble work. We should never seek any higher title than Brother—that indeed is the highest title
and office we as men and Mason’s can achieve. We should not be likened to glory seekers, rather
our highest
intentions should be to the service of the craft for its betterment and not our own. The proudest achievements
we can possibly ever hope to obtain are those seen only by the immortal and Omnipresent Creator. The quiet
deeds we perform unbeknownst to other men are fully known by God; what is the approval of man when
we can
achieve the approval of the eternal living God? He knows our deeds; He alone sees the hidden and unseen
actions of charity.
The symbols of truth surround us in nature; it is with humility we should pursue
knowledge, truth and
wisdom. The moral and ethical lessons of nature surround us in all of God’s creations. If we pause and give
time to quiet reflection we can discern the moral and ethical lessons nature has to offer. If we allow ourselves to
stand humbled by the creator and glory in his unfathomable works of creation we will be more
receptive to the
divine lessons of truth. It is these divine lessons we should ever pursue with a pure heart and not empty titles.
To learn we must first be responsive to the divine lessons of creation. We cannot learn
anything from
knowledge and science if they are absent of moral truth; what benefit is the memorization of useless factual
knowledge if we have no means of applying it to our lives? We first must let go of preconceived notions and
shift our focus away from earthly pursuits and material gain.
Greed for wealth and greed for office are the two
pillars for the antithesis of Masonry and are the
columns dedicated to destruction. Greed for wealth and power are two poisons which rot the soul, “The two
greeds are twin plagues of the leprosy, and make the man unclean; and whenever they break out they
spread until “they cover all the skin of him that hath the plague, from his head to his foot.” Even the raw flesh
of the heart becomes unclean with it” (Pike 40). As in our day and age men are constantly
pursuing these
goals and grovel after these two columns of damnation. The pursuit of wealth drives men mad—it destroys the
principles of morality and ethic by its very nature. Greed for power is equally rotten—it breeds corruption and
abuse. Once power and wealth are achieved it belies liberty by creating oppression to further
empower ill
begotten authority.
Only by hard work and dedication can we achieve legitimacy. Work is the effort that
produces
respectability and virtue. Work is an honest labor; wages produced via work is respectable, the rest following
honest labor is refreshing, whereas any other refreshment is empty and void of pleasure. The Fellow Craft
should never discount his labor—no matter how menial or uneventful it may be. Even the smallest and
seemingly insignificant labor can change the course of history. It becomes a small piece of a
greater whole; it
is the small cog which helps turn the great turbines. Each small piece fits together for a greater and common
goal, no job and no endeavor could truly be complete if not for the sum of the parts to bring the finished product
to fruition. Even the simple tasks completed by the Fellow Craft are significant and imperative to the
end result.
“Let no Fellow-Craft imagine that the work of the lowly and uninfluential is not worth the doing. There is no
legal limit to the possible influences of a good deed or a wise word or a generous effort. Nothing is really
small” (Pike 41).
Even in nature the smallest action by the inconsequential animal has great impact on
the environment
and the world as a whole. No piece of nature can be complete without affecting the whole; whole ecosystems
can be destroyed with the removal of a simple and seemingly insignificant organism. “Every bird which flies
has the thread of the Infinite in its claw. Germination includes the hatching of a meteor, and the tap of a
swallow’s bill, breaking the egg; and it leads forward the birth of an earth-worm and
the advent of a Socrates”
(Pike 41). The most negligible action in nature can have the most profound and drastic impacts. Even the
smallest action can be employed by God to change the course of history. The smallest actions which can be
acclaimed to luck or providence are not really small at all—they profoundly impact nations, are the
deciding
factor in battles and allows the Holy Spirit to perform God’s will.
The simplest power possessed by every human being can influence the course of
history. Thought, or
an idea begun singularly and spread through media can topple an entire nation. Ideas that have spread and
ground themselves into the collective consciousness of the people can fuel revolutions. The idea begun by the
singular individual, even the most seemingly insignificant member of society can have
everlasting results.
There is no mathematical equation that can calculate the basis and outcome of thought. The eloquent speech,
or the simple good deed may have lasting and lingering effects, whereby one single individual can alter the
tides of history.
Every individual possesses self-determination and self will. The sovereignty a man
possesses over his
own spirit is the birth of liberty. The association and collection of individual sovereigns form the state where
each individual divests himself of certain rights that translate into respect for the rights of others—or common
law. This equitable concession to common law or universal principle of rights is Equality. When
each individual
is willing to enforce and protect the universal and common law the product is Fraternity. Where liberty is the
zenith, equality is the foundation whereby each man is found equal with political, moral, social and spiritual
rights and freedoms.
The educational system should be the tool to perpetuate equality, whereby all are
taught to read and
reason. One school for all produces one common and equal society. This is only the case when the school
system is unbiased and neutral in dispensing this equality. Should political thought and indoctrination enter into
the public school system the end result is the reverse of equality, whereby the school
becomes the propaganda
machine for one political party’s advantage towards the indoctrination of youth. Should factions utilize the
school system for the purpose of molding and shaping young minds to accept debased and immoral practices,
revoke the law and spirit of God’s presence, and program children into a national socialist
mindset—the
foundation of society will crumble and the state will collapse.
Our democratic constitutional republic has its strengths and weaknesses. The
legislative process is
lengthy; bills are bogged down in discussion and revisions, where committees deliberate on a solution that
must be voted upon. Where legislation is stuck in a quagmire and consent cannot be obtained—the enemy of
the state can work its evil designs. “The difficulty lies in discovering the right path through the chaos
of
confusion” (Pike 44).
There are also those in the legislature who will blindly follow the will of their
constituents leading to
inevitable failure. At times the legislator must follow the inward and common sense of honest law that lies
within, without fear of retribution or reprisal. The ability to trust another person is universally lacking unless an
emergency forces cohesion. The longer the span without an emergency the greater the mistrust
becomes. The
greater the suspicion people have for their legislators the greater the inefficiency in the legislative process.
In a constitutional republic, free speech is generally and universally abused; the
greater the freedom the
greater the abuse—for in this freedom of speech masters in double-talk have arisen to hide their words and
laws in an epic of babble and nonsense. Freedom of speech is the most precious and important aspect of
liberty; the abuse of that speech is the most contemptible abuse of freedom imaginable. This
freedom is
wasted on the congress that spews nonsense and gibberish in double-talk. They are like vipers with forked
tongues whose flowery words are only meant to deceive and corrupt.
Thought pursues its end in deeds that translate into actions; too much talking destroys
the ability of
accomplishment. Silence produces great thought and even greater actions. Those who perform great deeds
are usually the ones who quietly contemplate their plans and translate them into deeds; they do not prattle with
grandiose speeches. “Too much talking, like too much thinking, destroys the power of action. In
human
nature, the thought is only made perfect by deed” (Pike 45).
The oppressor usually makes his way into the congress through the use of deceptive
speeches and a
lying tongue. The demagogue climbs to office on false pretenses and once there they use their mastery of
deception to rescind one unalienable right and freedom at a time. They will clamor for safety with the innocent
pictures of children and puppies—but their designs are not honest. They seek to remove and revoke the
Liberty
each of us possess and is guaranteed. Like the snake-oil salesmen, they will use their forked tongues to
convince the weak-minded populace to buy into their scam thereby enslaving themselves.
It is only on the rarest occasion the most capable individual is elected to office. If a
worthy and
well-qualified individual runs for office they will be spurned and scorned with contempt. Only on seldom
occasions and never in a time of calamity will the people choose a wise man that will pursue truth. The trickster
and charlatan will tell the people what they want to hear, impressing the masses with smoke and mirrors. The
wise man does not demean himself with such superfluous acts. The human species is
attracted to superfluous
displays like a moth to the flame. They become so bedazzled by words they are enthralled and soon find
themselves in the fire.
The persecutor does not need a well or elaborately conceived plan to lay the trap of
deception—the
people are all too willing to deceive themselves into destroying the very fabric of their republic. The masses will
offer up their liberties and freedoms for the guise of public safety. Let the charlatan invoke the innocent or the
child and the people will toss their personal sovereignty and liberty to the wind. The honest fool will
come to
office with sincere intentions for what they perceive to be the common good while the tyrant patiently waits to
reap the spoils of their ignorance and injustice.
It should be a treasonous act to bar or prevent any qualified individual from running for,
or holding office.
Any person who is so qualified to do so should have the full faith and confidence in their ability to run for political
office regardless of their financial status. When political office becomes a status of only the rich and affluent
members of society, those individuals who run for office fail to represent their constituents in the
least manner.
Should personal wealth and affluence become a precursor to political office the nation has denigrated itself into
an economic fiefdom. Should an individual climb to office by means of personal wealth and the employment of
unethical or disreputable smear campaigns and then proves to be a miserable failure in
office—he should be
scorned as an enemy of the state for having purchased his office on the premise of lies.
When the unfit and unjust rise to power through whatever means, be it personal
wealth, deception or
ignorant folly the power of promotion and appointment will likely always be abused. Despite the ease and
presence of qualified individuals to fulfill positions; the weak-minded knave will invariably attain the highest
appointments, so as not to appear more learned than the individual making the appointment or
promotion.
Whenever these spurious appointments take place the public and media must criticize and denounce such
actions and appointments.
The tools of the Fellow Craft are the written word and printed media—no other means
exist to right the
wrongs of a republic. The difference between liberty and tyranny is as great a span as the distance between
the highest heaven and the furthest depths of hell. The printed media and public paper with its political satire
wields a terrible swift justice. It is up to the Freemason to utilize and employ these tools to set the path
liberty
and justice aright. The effects of the printed media are lingering; they can and
will voice the opinions of history
for future generations to judge. Each period of history is known for its literature, written works detailing political
and social commentary for all time’s sake detailing any injustice brought upon the people.
Authoritarians and despots are the enlightenment to free thinkers and are the morning
sun to an
apathetic populace. All of the immoral and oppressive laws do more to affect public awareness of the written
word then any other time in a society’s history. When government attempts to restrict thought and speech by
controlling the written word a veritable fountain of thoughts bubbles forth as from the ground in illegal printed
media. When the tyrant seeks to repress free speech history will have found the
printed word will have
flourished; by those words historians will judge the past.
The demagogue will be the precursor for the tyrannical leader; they will clamor for laws
of safety, “disbar
the gun for they can kill children.” The ignorant populace will toss away their rights to freedom. As crime soars
ever higher the tyrant will come to power and revoke even more rights. At first it will be a continuation of the
pretext of safety, but gradually and over time each liberty is revoked; the tyrant will be fully in power and
the
people will have found themselves without the means or ability to resist.
There are those who will bow like cowards before the tyrant, and those who will lay
prostrate like a dog
offering its belly seeking titles, honors and positions. These dogs are likened to the Judas’ of a republic—they
betray truth and enslave their neighbor for personal gain. They will sell their neighbors into enslavement under
tyrannical and oppressive laws; they will seek to get fat off the table scraps of the dictator in power.
Those who
love truth and right should publicly ostracize these denizens of society; they are the dogs and scourge of
humanity.
During the birth of rule those in office seek out the best and most qualified personnel
to fill positions of
authority and strive diligently to find those who are just to fill public office. Time breeds decay, apathetic
feelings and a general lethargy among the populace who have grown comfortable with the status quo. The
ideals of those in office shift slowly and are no longer the pursuit of public good, truth and justice; they
become
positions to pursue lusts, envies, and riches. Moral decay will seat in office the self serving imbecile whose
cruelties will grow as he begins to fear for the security of his office—the greater the knowledge of usurpation of
rights and liberties, the greater the oppressiveness will become.
It is in the very nature and core of man to be cruel and base—the most cruel are
employed in office by
governments that have gone awry and strayed from their course of liberty. These barbarous individuals take
sick delight in inflicting subjugation upon their neighbors. A tyrannical government becomes more abusive as
their foul rule is brought out into the light of day. Fear of the enlightened citizen breeds even more
harsh and
unjust laws that further restrict the natural human and unalienable rights of man. The despot is cursed with the
knowledge of his illegitimacy and conducts himself accordingly. In a just and free society all laws are enforced
equally on all with only the common law-or natural law of nature as its guide.
There are remarked and contrasting differences between the American and French
Masons when
compared to those in England. The French and American Masons espouse the principles of Freemasonry as
being Liberty and Equality. Where the French pursue Masonry as a source of Truth and Liberty, the English
contrast this view as being peaceable subjects of even the most vile and oppressive government. The
fruits of
these differences are the manner in which they are brought to light. Where the French and American view of
Masonry erupted into Revolution, the English have watered down their principles and purged from their mist
those who would enforce the true tenets of Masonry. True Freemasonry challenges tyranny and exposes the
demagogue. True Masonry is not placid, but rather proactive. It is the unwavering
cause of justice that bore the
French and American Revolutions. Following the American Revolution and as the relations grew and
blossomed between England and America, American Masonry has diluted itself adhering to the passive nature
of the English Mason. The tenacity against zealotry and tyranny true Masonry espouses is
why monarchs and
religious zealots have condemned the craft. As Americans continue to lose the freedoms they have fought so
hard to establish they must reawaken the patriotic spirit and true nature of Masonry to decry the demagogue
before they are once again enslaved.
Political appointments denigrate the state—appointees give way easily to
factionalism that rots the body
politic. The habit and policy of electioneering, the practice of begging for office equates to bribery with office
that in turn is corruption in office. Election to office must be through honest means; only when an election is
honestly won the chosen man has the blessing of God. We must choose the candidate wisely because the
wise choice bears divine support. The fraud who obtains office through deceit and lies is contrary to the will of
God. Their office will breed Injustice and Oppression, “…the fruitful parent of Deceit, Distrust, Hatred,
Conspiracy, Treason and Unfaithfulness” (Pike 51). As true Masons it is our duty to
charge the fiends of
Oppression with truth and reason. The cause of justice, whose supports are truth and reason is the cause of
the right; we should charge boldly the oppressor.
To perpetuate and continue upon a course of freedom it is up to each individual to
exercise rights on a
continuous basis. If the individual members of a state have failed to pursue their own freedoms, the state in turn
cannot be expected to maintain freedom absent the will of the people to exert them. The citizen must be willing
and able to exercise the smallest of their freedoms; without the ability to protect the
insignificant freedoms the
great freedoms will be as easily plucked from their hands as a child’s rattle. The free thinker should pursue
public office and once there he must be prepared to pursue truth and reason at all times. Without this fortitude
and forbearance it will be impossible to attain wisdom; law must be firmly grounded—without the anchors of
reason truth cannot be maintained and the slightest current well carry them off course.
The class system will also deteriorate and destroy of a free people. Even in
democratic states great families will arise creating a caste of wealthy administrators.
With any rise to power there is a natural urge for
centralization and consolidation of power. This consolidation of power will create greater bureaucracy whereby
the powerful and rich families will always find a place in office by virtue of their names
sake. Positions are often
created out of thin air to reward the faithful servant and eventually there will be administrative red tape for every
aspect of life. The more bureaucrats there are the more oppressive laws are crafted to torture the people.
Where one tyrant is bad—a plethora of bureaucrats multiply the misery exponentially.
Political truths are not universal principles; each country and each society has a
different set of truths
whereby political philosophy may govern—and these principles change over time. Only through living laws that
may correct themselves over time can progress keep up with political offices. These policies can only come
about through actual and practical experience. Instead of breeding adepts to change with the flow of
time,
individuals become lazy, placid and sluggish. It can become difficult to get these
individuals to act even for
their own benefit. At times a strong central government is necessary to promote action during times of
necessity. “The central power must take the reins when the people drop them” (Pike 52). In all governments
there still must be the wise and just central authority capable of intercession for the benefit of the people
when
the people become too lazy to react. The actions of the central government absent the energy of the people
must act with wisdom and truth or else it too will become corrupt.
Sluggishness of the people can and will lead to an assertive central power. The
apathy of the people is
the very attitude that will allow them to be enslaved. When an entire generation has leaned on the government
to provide for them and make their decisions the people are indeed slaves and have willingly shackled
themselves. The last vestiges of freedom are gone when the central government begins effecting local
policy.
The regulation of labor and wages completes their demise. Experience is the cruelest teacher and the lessons
of calamity and foolishness will make men wise to their transgressions. Even when our neighbors have tossed
their liberties aside and are lulled to sleep, we must keep the faith. Faith is what will save the individual, and
collective faith can accomplish most anything to include freedom.
“The spoken discourse may roll on strongly as the great tidal wave; but, like the wave,
it dies at last
feebly on the sands. It is heard by few, remembered by still fewer, and fades away, like and echo in the
mountains, leaving no token of power…. It was the written human speech, that gave power and permanence
to human thought” (Pike 54). While we hold dear to faith we must act upon it; to act upon faith requires
speech. Not the spoken word that rolls off the tongue and is lost on the wind—a feeble and fruitless
gesture,
but rather the written word. The written word is the power and testament that will endure, standing the test of
time. The written word will become immortal when viewed in the pages of history.
There are many forms of the written word that may be employed and to various
effects. The greatest
written documents having the greatest amount of impact are those that are available to all men. When the
written word is disseminated far and wide for all to read and hear it has the power of uniting men to a common
and singular cause. This singular response has force of will behind it. Such prolific speech causes
thought and
action. A nation can unite to a singular purpose with a singular goal in mind. It is up to the Mason to be behind
the power of the written word, to guide truth and reason to produce wisdom. Without the guiding force of
wisdom the collective mob can easily become an anarchist mob—a worse fate than that of the despot.
When choosing those who will represent us we must ensure they are wise in thought
and speech. All too
often the wise individual is overlooked because of their quiet disposition. The shallow and superficial are often
mistaken for wise sages because they are eloquent speakers. Flowery words and grandiose speeches
deceive too many into believing there is substance of thought behind their words. The individual
who is worth
listening too is often quiet and slow to speech. Do not allow the infrequency of their words to disturb
judgment—they have been listening intently; when they do speak they have made a valuable and formidable
decision. The empty words of a swift talker are just that, the empty ramblings of a know nothing.
Truth is a double-edged sword; political truth cannot be conveyed solely on the basis
of logic and
reason, we can argue logic fruitlessly. In order to convey political truths one must possess logic and
reason—but in order to convey truth it must be delivered with common sense so that it can be understood. The
philosopher cannot rise to power because his words are not understood. Without the ability to convey meaning
and truth to the common man, logic and reason is wasted because it cannot be digested and understood.
Truth must be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner necessary to promote faith. Faith in reason
and logic is the glue binding the people together in pursuit of a common truth.
The philosopher cannot rise to a leadership position because his reasoning is beyond
the people; his
thought possesses truth incomprehensible by the commoner and is useless to the foundation of faith. Truth, if
not reasoned for comprehension cannot be communicated effectively. Without the ability to communicate
reason, knowledge, and logic, truth cannot invoke faith necessary for a man to lead others. Faith is the glue
that binds truth; faith is the great motivator of people in pursuit of the unseen spirit.
Truth cannot always be
explained in a perfect manner, but with the proper reasoning ability the correct amount of knowledge and the
ability to utilize logic to solidify a foundation the people can generate faith—the force common and necessary to
shape and control nations.
Communication is the foundation by which faith, reason, truth and logic are
communicated—it is for this
reason Speech must remain free and unregulated by government. At times freedom of speech will be used
and abused by those who squawk and shrill like little children; we must listen to all of this squabbling to also
hear the profound words of the wise sage. Even the fool can possess profound moments of
intellect; the wise
person can discern the profound from folly and decipher hidden truths from foolish ramblings. There is some
truth in all men and even the fool will at times hit the mark. We need to read and filter to find the truths covered in
nonsense.
A people must also learn to forget and let go of outmoded truths in order to receive
new truths in its time
of revelation. If we cannot forget the old longer applicable truths we cannot receive the new truth God has seen
fit to deliver. It is difficult to let go of what has been held as true. Even when we know times have changed it is
difficult part with long held ideals and traditions—but to let go is a must. We must always search
and criticize
our beliefs. Like the stone Mason we need to acquire our materials, sit down and think before we begin
construction; old methods of building may no longer be prudent and new methods may need to be developed.
These new developments are like new truths; we would not today utilize a cart and wagon to haul a load when a
truck is available.
Human thought is highly capable to produce new ideas, but all too often new ideas are
fruitless. Every
foolish notion conceivable has been dreamt and seriously considered. As Masons we must control our foolish
notions with the use of our Masonic working tools. Each tool has a specific purpose and use. In addition to the
working tools we have been provided--the two-handed hammer is utilized to combat wild thoughts and
foolish
ideas. The sword, an emblem of soldierly combat is utilized to cleanse the stagnation pervading our lodges
and must be used judiciously to restore the brotherhood. The sword is the tool that cleanses the Lodge of
lethargy; it purifies the seats of those who sit in high and pleasant places of knowledge without wisdom. The
sword wields truth and wisdom that cuts unreasoned knowledge to shreds. Pray for
the brother who is
wounded by this sword of wisdom—that his wound may be healed with this cleansing blow fulfilling our
requirement to duty to Fraternity.
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