{"content":[{"text":"Oration by the Provincial Grand Chaplain at St Laurence Lodge No 5511 \n on the 26th May 2012","bbox":{"left":0.155862,"top":0.031314,"width":0.6877530000000001,"height":0.036022000000000005}},{"text":"I congratulate you my brother on becoming a member of our wonderful organisation. \n Much of what has happened today will not sink in for several days, indeed it may not \n become clear until you witness somebody else being initiated. An address such as this is \n very rare at an initiation but today it has been requested for you and indeed the members \n of this Lodge and their visitors. Now if you cast your mind back a few minutes to the \n charge after Initiation you may well recall that you were informed that as part of your \n obedience you must refrain from every topic of religious or political discussion whilst in the \n presence of your brother Masons.","bbox":{"left":0.095076,"top":0.083085,"width":0.809429,"height":0.13067999999999996}},{"text":"One of the most admirable features of Freemasonry as practised in this country is the \n fact that it not only permits, but actively encourages, those who profess different religious \n beliefs to enter its ranks, true it was not always so, for until the 1830’s, or thereabouts we \n were an exclusively Christian order, but our own tenets led us to be open to all who \n profess a belief in a Supreme Being.","bbox":{"left":0.095076,"top":0.230626,"width":0.809267,"height":0.08149899999999999}},{"text":"Indeed Masonry provides one of the few instances in today's world where those of very \n varied spiritual backgrounds can meet and share in a common task. When Jews, Muslims, \n Parsees and Christians come together willingly in a lodge in Israel it is, and ought to be, a \n cause for real rejoicing. Now when your blindfold was removed you beheld the Volume of \n the Sacred Law and doubtless recognised that it was open on pages of what we would \n call The Old Testament. Indeed you will have realised that the Volume of the Sacred Law \n is none other than the Bible and is to be placed on the Master’s pedestal or close to it in \n all Lodges under our constitution. Had you have been of a different faith, then your holy \n book would have been placed beside the Volume of the Sacred Law for you to place your \n hand on, it would not replace it or be placed upon it.","bbox":{"left":0.095096,"top":0.328986,"width":0.8052140000000001,"height":0.16346699999999997}},{"text":"The basis on which such gatherings can take place is due, of course, to this very long- \n standing agreement not to discuss any point of theological or political concern.","bbox":{"left":0.095096,"top":0.509314,"width":0.8049320000000001,"height":0.03231899999999999}},{"text":"Such an agreed restraint meant that when British Freemasonry spread from being \n simply a practice in Europe to being a feature of Empire, those from an increasing range \n of beliefs could seek and enjoy membership. The writings of the masonic author, Rudyard \n Kipling, clearly illustrate this part of the story. In the countries of the Middle and Far East \n such a development was both sensible and necessary. When time permits I would \n recommend that you seek out and read a copy of Kipling’s poem ‘The stationmaster’.","bbox":{"left":0.095096,"top":0.558494,"width":0.8050090000000001,"height":0.0978929999999999}},{"text":"Now that such an agreed form of behaviour is both followed and understood it is \n perhaps as well that we should understand how the Craft came to adopt this helpful way \n of conducting their affairs. For masons, its origins go back to the early days of the Free \n and Accepted Craft.","bbox":{"left":0.095096,"top":0.673248,"width":0.804851,"height":0.06510700000000003}},{"text":"In medieval times all working stonemasons were born into a society which accepted \n one form of Christian belief. In such a situation it was obvious that there was not likely to \n be any dissension in religious matters but there could be, and was, a visible and constant \n involvement of these craftsmen with the local church institution that taught and upheld that \n faith.","bbox":{"left":0.095096,"top":0.754973,"width":0.804887,"height":0.08150000000000002}},{"text":"Indeed, as far as these stonemasons were concerned the connection was not just that \n they worshipped in these church buildings. The fact is that they were responsible for \n having built the places in which the Faith was taught. Christianity was not merely a matter \n expecting their support; it was the very source of their livelihood. Their common \n acceptance of belief was as natural as the very air they breathed.","bbox":{"left":0.095116,"top":0.853334,"width":0.805009,"height":0.08149899999999999}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}