Page 26 - Montana Freemason Feb 13
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Montana Freemason February 2013 Volume 86 Number 1
Master and Commander of Your Masonic Journey
The Unknown Mason
“Were we into Natural Freemasonry. Preston states, Freemasonry “is a
Philosophy and Practical complete science, which comprehends the system
Science, or Magic and of nature and morals, philosophy and physics,
Raising the Dead?” mathematics and mechanics; and forms an institution
that is wisely calculated to promote the universal
In the last Unknown philanthropy, true friendship, and general happiness
Mason article, From Whence amongst men.” He continues by stating, “the mind
Came you? What Came You is improved and the brethren are united in social
Here To Do?, we asked you harmony.” Now, we would like to ask you which of the
to ponder your perceived following two descriptions do you think most closely
origin and your perceived resemble Preston’s description of Freemasonry?
purpose. We suggested that
the answers to these two 1) “Under Desaguliers and his colleagues in Grand
questions, origin + purpose Lodge...Freemasonry provided a structure committed
will = your destiny. We explained to you that as to Whig ideology, the distribution of Newtonian
builders we construct what are known as schemas, natural philosophy and a practical and pragmatic
and if these schemas are constructed with flawed approach to science” (Richard Andrew Berman,
building materials (our flawed thoughts) we shall set The Architects of Eighteenth Century English
sail for our destination with the use of faulty logic, Freemasonry, 2012, 1720-1740).
faulty reasoning, and a faulty moral compass (faulty
working tools). This inevitably ends in a shipwreck, or
and just as when a large ship sinks it not only takes 2) “The re-birth or ‘raising’ of the Master Mason...
down the crew and passengers but also all the other suggests images of alchemy, magic, necromancy,
innocent people that just happen to be in the waters and immortality” (David Harrison, Genesis of
near the ship. Freemasonry, 2009, p. 155).
Sure, as Master Masons we set sail thinking that we Until next time, we wish you much happiness!
are destined to improve ourselves, the quality of the “Perfection is the aim of operative Masonry.
lives of our families, our neighbor’s, and the world at- Happiness is the aim of speculative Masonry”
large; however, how often do we wind up experiencing
the aforementioned shipwreck? And, if not a full - William Preston
blown shipwreck, how about simply a floundering Please e-mail us your thoughts at:
ship with a crew and passengers that never reach their
port of chartered destination? We can easily see that TheUnknownMason@gmail.com
being a Master Mason is not only the equivalent of
being the Master Builder of our own thoughts, beliefs,
and subsequent character, but we are also the Captain
of our own ship. This brings us further responsibilities
as we are responsible for our own actions and how
those actions affect our families, friends, neighbors,
and even the innocent bystanders.
O.K., with your Captain’s hat squarely in place let’s
review a couple of William Preston’s descriptions of
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