Earn The Builders: A Story And Study Of Masonry Documented By Joseph Fort Newton Shared As Electronic Format

beautiful book full of praises and verses to Masonry, In an attempt to describe what are the ideology, philosophy and wisdom of the Masonry, the author explains the development, mission and spirit of the organization along the way, giving quite a full picture of what would otherwise commonly known as being secretive and subversive.
It clarifies a lot of the misconceptions by going to the roots and sources of the organization, Whether you are a Masonry or not, or whether you want to become one, you will surely find a lot of enlightenment simply by reading the book.
I heartily recommend it. unbelievable, thorough in its examination of the craft but adding insight to its historical narrative, unlike other works of its type it is not a recitation of facts and dates, this book builds upon the narrative to expound a deep insight underlying the philosophies behind the craft.
highly recommend. A great book detailing the history of masonic views in the world, Rather than try to determine just when Freemasonry started historically, Mr Newton Chronicals philosophic ideal through the ages which are akin to the ideals of modern Freemasonry.
I quite enjoyed the historical perspective, If you're interested in knowing about Masons thoughts and philosophy and not the bizarre controversial ceremonies check this short book especially for their history or thepageslong Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike especially for their dogma.


"Here, then, are the real foundations of Masonry, both material and moral: in the deep need and aspiration of man, and his creative impulse in his instinctive Faith, his quest of the Ideal, and his love of the Light.
Underneath all his building lay the feeling, prophetic of his last and highest thought, that the earthly house of his life should be in right relation with its heavenly prototype, the worldtempleimitating on earth the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
If he erected a square temple, it was an image of the earth if he built a pyramid, it was a picture of a beauty shown him in the sky as, later, his cathedral was modelled after the mountain, and its dim and lofty arch a memory of the forest vistaits altar a fireside of the soul, its spire a prayer in stone.
And as he wrought his faith and dream into reality, it was but natural that the tools of the builder should become emblems of the thoughts of the thinker.
Not only his tools, but, as we shall see, the very stones with which he worked became sacred symbolsthe temple itself a vision of that House of Doctrine, that Home of the Soul, which, though unseen, he is building in the midst of the years.
"



"There are even evidences, in the earliest historic records of China, of the existence of a system of faith expressed in allegoric form, and illustrated by the symbols of building.
The secrets of this faith seem to have been orally transmitted, the leaders alone pretending to have full knowledge of them, Oddly enough, it seems to have gathered about a symbolical temple put up in the desert, that the various officers of the faith were distinguished by symbolic jewels, and that at its rites they wore leather aprons.
From such records as we have it is not possible to say whether the builders themselves used their tools as emblems, or whether it was the thinkers who first used them to teach moral truths.
In any case, they were understood and the point here is that, thus early, the tools of the builder were teachers of wise and good and beautiful truth.
" . . so the Masons might claim they're a continuation of ancient religions and orders, but only in spirit and not a real continuation that is transferred from man to man without discontinuity.
They claim otherwise, but their need to proving it historically guessing at it here, and being more crisp about it in other parts shows it's a weak link.
It's parallel to Muslims claiming Moses and Jesus are Muslims too in spirit and in actuality, though people who say they follow these two say otherwise.




"Hereafter, if any one asks to know who uplifted those massive piles in which was portrayed the great drama of mediaeval worship, he need not remain uncertain.
With the decline of Gothic architecture the order of Freemasons also suffered decline, as we shall see, but did not cease to existcontinuing its symbolic tradition amidst varying, and often sad, vicissitude until, when it became a fraternity teaching spiritual faith by allegory and moral science by symbols.
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This is mentioned in the book and is taken from The Middle Ages by Henry Hallam: "The curious history of Freemasonry has unfortunately been treated only by its panegyrists or calumniators, both equally mendacious.
I do. not wish to pry into the mysteries of the craft but it would be interesting to know more of their history during the period when they were literally architects.
They are charged by an act of Parliament with fixing the price of their labor in their annual chapters, contrary to the statute of laborers, and such chapters were consequently prohibited.
This is their first persecution they have since undergone others, and are perhaps reserved for still more, It is remarkable, that Masons were never legally incorporated, like other traders their bond of union being stronger than any charter, "



But then here is shown that Mason is very old and true: "Unfortunately, as so often happens, no records of old Craftmasonry, save those wrought into stone, were made until the movement had begun to decline and for that reason such documents as have come down to us do not show it at its best.
Nevertheless, they range over a period of more than four centuries, and are justly held to be the title deeds of the Order.
Turning to these Old Charges and Constitutions, as they are called, we find a body of quaint and curious writing, both in poetry and prose, describing the Masonry of the late cathedralbuilding period, with glimpses at least of greater days of old.
Of these, there are more than half a hundredseventyeight, to be exactmost of which have come to light since, and all of them, it would seem, copies of documents still older.
Naturally they have suffered at the hands of unskilled or unlearned copyists, as is evident from errors, embellishments, and interpolations, They were called Old Charges because they contained certain rules as to conduct and duties which, in a bygone time, were read or recited to a newly admitted member of the craft.
While they differ somewhat in details, they relate substantially the same legend as to the origin of the order, its early history, its laws and regulations, usually beginning with an invocation and ending with an Amen.
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"Now the crux of the whole matter as regards Accepted Masons lies in the answer to such questions as these: Why did soldiers, scholars, antiquarians, clergymen, lawyers, and even members of the nobility ask to be accepted as members of the order of Freemasons Wherefore their interest in the Order at all What attracted them to it as far back as, and earlier What held them with increasing power and an everdeepening interest Why did they continue to enter the Lodges until they had the rule of them There must have been something more in their motive than a simple desire for association, for they had their clubs, societies, and learned fellowships.
Still less could a mere curiosity to learn certain signs and passwords have held such men for long, even in an age of quaint conceits in the matter of association and when architecture was affected as a fad.
No, there is only one explanation: that these men saw in Masonry a deposit of the high and simple wisdom of old, preserved in tradition and taught in symbolslittle understood, it may be, by many members of the orderand this it was that they sought to bring to light, turning history into allegory and legend into drama, and making it a teacher of wise and beautiful truth.
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"Time was when one man framed a dogma and declared it to be the eternal truth, Another man did the same thing, with a different dogma then the two began to hate each other with an unholy hatred, each seeking to impose his dogma upon the otherand that is an epitome of some of the blackest pages of history.
Against those old sectarians who substituted intolerance for charity, persecution for friendship, and did not love God because they hated their neighbors, Masonry made eloquent protest, putting their bigotry to shame by its simple insight, and the dignity of its golden voice.
A vast change of heart is now taking place in the religious world, by reason of an exchange of thought and courtesy, and a closer personal touch, and the various sects, so long estranged, are learning to unite upon the things most worth while and the least open to debate.
That is to say, they are moving toward the Masonic position, and when they arrive Masonry will witness a scene which she has prophesied for ages.


At last, in the not distant future, the old feuds of the sects will come to an end, forgotten in the discovery that the just, the brave, the truehearted are everywhere of one religion, and that when the masks of misunderstanding are taken off they know and love one another.
Our little dogmas will have their day and cease to be, lost in the vision of a truth so great that all men are one in their littleness one also in their assurance of the divinity of the soul and 'the kindness of the veiled Father of men.
' Then men of every name will ask, when they meet:

Not what is your creed
But what is your need

High above all dogmas that divide, all bigotries that blind, all bitterness that beclouds, will be written the simple words of the one eternal religionthe Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, the moral law, the golden rule, and the hope of a life everlasting!"



"Masonry is Friendshipfriendship, first, with the great Companion, of whom our own hearts tell us, who is always nearer to us than we are to ourselves, and whose inspiration and help is the greatest fact of human experience.
To be in harmony with His purposes, to

be open to His suggestions, to be conscious of fellowship with Himthis is Masonry on its Godward side.
Then, turning manward, friendship sums it all up, To be friends with all men, however they may differ from us in creed, color, or condition to fill every human relation with the spirit of friendship is there anything more or better than this that the wisest and best of men can hope to doSuch is the spirit of Masonry such is its ideal, and if to realize it all at once is denied us, surely it means much to see it, love it, and labor to make it come true.
"



"When is a man a Mason When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and couragewhich is the root of every virtue.
When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellow man.
When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sinsknowing that each man fights a hard fight against many odds.
When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them, and above all how to keep friends with himself, When he loves flowers, can hunt the birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy when he hears the laugh of a little child.
When he can be happy and highminded amid the meaner drudgeries of life, When starcrowned trees, and the glint of sunlight on flowing waters, subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead.
When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response, When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of divine things and sees majestic meanings in life, whatever the name of that faith may be.
When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn fellow mortal and see something beyond sin.
When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope, When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellow man, with his God in his hand a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a songglad to live, but not afraid to die! Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give to all the world.
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