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The Builders
The Builders

Bishop Herbert H.H. Fox, Grand Chaplain
Bishop Herbert H.H. Fox, Grand Chaplain

My brothers, we are gathered together here as the strength and endurance of the structure. Sham and
Grand Lodge of an Order that represents in symbolic pretense are not tolerated. Every stone has its work
form the ancient crafts whose vocation it was to build. to do. The whole is held together by the strength that
There is little doubt that the Masonic Order is the every part supplieth. The reason why many of the
descendant of the trade guilds of ancient times. The buildings erected by our ancient brethren still stand is
building of these guilds was of various sorts various because they were erected on honor and in integrity.
sorts and kinds. It might have been the building of Even where time has destroyed the perishable parts,
delicate and beautiful works in gold and silver and the walls and foundations stand as a mute testimony to
precious stones. It might have been the buildings the workmanship of our ancient craft brethren.
the building of books in magnifi cent bindings and
illuminated pages whose workmanship has never been Masonry no longer has anything to do with the
surpassed. It might have been the building of stately building of material structures, except when a lodge
temples, whose soaring towers and tapering arches may have a temple built for its use, or a Grand Lodge
direct the mind of man to the worship of Almighty may offi cially lay the cornerstone of some great public
God. One thing we know of the workmanship of building. To use the Masonic words describing this
those old trade guilds. Their work was always done change, “our ancient brethren were operative Masons,
in a masterly manner and the worker was not ashamed but we work in speculative only.”
to put his name and mark on what he had done. The
Hallmark, the signifi cance of which has been lost, The modern Order of Masons which we represent
but which is still found on the silver we use at our here today has taken the standards of our ancient craft
tables, is a relic of the time when a Master gold or brethren and made them symbolic of human life and
silversmith must bring his piece to the gold or silver character. Our Speculative and Symbolic Order has
smith hall to be examined by the trade to determine taken the temples built in glory and beauty by our
whether is measured up to the standard of excellence ancient brethren and has said to them “These temples
of a master gold and silversmith if it was according to that you have made are glorious and beautiful, but
that standard, the mark was placed upon it. It was the the real temples of God are human hearts. “Ye are
mark of excellence. the temple of the living God, and the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you.” It is in the building of that temple
The same was true in the guilds of the time. that modern Masonry labors. It is signifi cant that while
Inferiority in workmanship was not tolerated by the in all the degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry the attention
guilds out of which Masonry has sprung. A man could of the initiate is directed to tools and parts of buildings
not gain admission to the Guild until he had shown drawing from them helpful moral lessons, the fi rst
himself a master of the craft. The long apprenticeships degree has more to say about God and God’s word
of those days made for perfection in workmanship. and the Cardinal and other Virtues together with the
Seven years were not looked upon as too much for tenets of Masonry which are the foundation of human
a man to spend in mastering the trade. When I was character than any of the other degrees. It would seem
a young man, I had to serve four years to learn the as though in this way at the very threshold of the
trade of a pattern-maker. Today an apprenticeship is Masonic Edifi ce the mind of the Candidate is turned to
almost unheard of. Whatever was built in the days the real purpose of Masonry.
of our ancient craft brethren was built according to a
standard of excellence that knew no inferiority either Throughout the ages, Humanity has been building.
in design or workmanship. And what superb achievements we see, before us.
Sometimes in our pride, we arrogate to ourselves
When it came to the buildings of our ancient craft the wonderful progress of our race. We point to the
Masons, every stone and every beam represented acquisitions of our times and without much thought lay
character and skill. In the highest type of architecture, the credit to the men of our day. No age has been so rich
no part of the building is without purpose in the in invention and discovery as the in which we are now
completed whole. It might ultimately be decorated living. In the life of anyone who has passed the half-
and beautifi ed, but its presence was essential to the century mark many of the most effi cient servants of our
Page 24 Montana Freemason January 2019