A statement on the importance of the Secrets of Freemasonry

A question is recurrent in the minds of the neophyte more than any other :

Why , if Freemasonry is abound with secrets which are advantageous to mankind, are those secrets not freely divulged for the good of society in general ?

It is because if the mysteries and privileges of free and ancient Freemasonry were to be indiscriminately handed out , our institution might be undermined. Becoming familiar with those mysteries  would soon make them appear to lose value and fall into disregard. After all , one of the weakness in the nature of  man is that he is in general more captivated by  novelty than by the intrinsic value of things.

Whatever is new  it readily captivates his imagination and whatever is familiar – or easily obtainable ! – is instead disregarded.

Our ceremonies are not superficial , they have their use. They inculcate instructions to the well attentive mason and they teach him to view our secrets through a proper medium , even showing him the circumstances that gave rise to them. If the mason  ponders on the tenets conveyed to him , he will inevitably find them greatly constructive and precious  and will thereafter  guard them as sacred.

Our practices may appear frivolous  and our ceremonies may seem as if they can be adopted , changed or abandoned at pleasure but only so in  the eyes of the misguided. Unfortunately on the basis of that false assumption we may sometimes see the “deluded” being  hurried through all the degrees , ignoring the properties of what they pursue or even possessing a single requisite for advancement. Passing through the usual formalities he may accept offices and take on the government of the Lodge by potentially  being neither fully knowledgeable of the rules of the institution  he has joined  nor understanding the trust that is placed in him. But fortunately this situation represents the exception and not the rule because the consequences of such practice may soon become apparent and  Anarchy and Confusion  would  ensue in the Lodge.

To begin with every Art has its mystery and  requires a gradual progression of knowledge to return any degree of perfection. Similarly in Freemasonry , no brother can become sufficiently knowledgeable in its true value without proper instruction and exercise. This does not imply at all that a person of limited education or whose field of work takes much of his time and application, should be discouraged in his effort to gain knowledge of Freemasonry.

To qualify for admission  in  our institution and to share its privileges and ancient mysteries it is not necessary for a man to know all of the parts of our science.  In a  Lodge the Freemasons meet as one family and all privileges on account of Religion , Country and social position are  removed! And although some brothers are more capable than others in their different spheres of work and life, everyone  can  prove a good Freemason and thus become advantageous to both our institution and to the community.

So mote it be !