Skip to main content

The Scarcity of Great Men (From Chapter 3)

From Chapter 3, and one of the 24 articles I wrote for “The Working Tools” Masonic Magazine as a monthly contributor.

I found this goinf through my archives, and I hope you enjoy!

 

The Scarcity of Great Men (Continue Chapter 3)

 

       Welcome!

 

                This month we're continuing with Chapter 3 “The Master” where Pike is explaining the third degree of freemasonry. 

 

       In these first paragraphs Pike is explaining on a spiritual realm, many SAY they have answers, but Pike challenges these people and suggests when it comes to spirituality; we really are only guessing so long as we are in our human form.

 

  Let’s begin!

 

 

        *      *      *      *      *      *

If, in teaching the great doctrine of the divine nature. of the Soul, and in striving to explain its longings after immortality, and in proving its superiority over the souls of the animals, which have no aspirations Heavenward, the ancients struggled in vain to express the nature of the soul, by comparing it to FIRE and LIGHT, it will be well for us to consider whether, with all our boasted knowledge, we have any better or clearer idea of its nature, and whether we have not despairingly taken refuge in having none at all. And if they erred as to its original place of abode, and understood literally the mode and path of its descent, these were but the accessories of the great Truth, and probably, to the Initiates, mere allegories, designed to make the idea more palpable and impressive to the mind.

 

They are at least no more fit to be smiled at by the self-conceit of a vain ignorance, the wealth of whose knowledge consists solely in words, than the bosom of Abraham, as a home for the spirits of the just dead; the gulf of actual fire, for the eternal torture of spirits; and the City of the New Jerusalem, with its walls of jasper and its edifices of pure gold like clear glass, its foundations of precious stones, and its gates each of a single pearl. “I knew a man,” says PAUL, “caught up to the third Heaven; . . . . that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard ineffable words, which it is not possible for a man to utter.” And nowhere is the antagonism and conflict between the spirit and body more frequently and forcibly insisted on than in the writings of this apostle, nowhere the Divine nature of the soul more strongly asserted. “With the mind,” he says, “I serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. . . .As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of GOD…. The earnest expectation of the created waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. . . . The created shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, of the flesh liable to decay, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

 

In these paragraphs Pike is brilliantly laying out the ideas of a spiritual plane by quoting from Revelations where John the Revelator described his vision of heaven. Pike mentions an eternal fire for the eternal torture of spirits. But this “torture of spirits" is only briefly mentioned and Pike then moves on to the Apostle Paul’s story of a man he knew caught up in the “3rd heaven” and heard ineffable words not possible for mortal man to utter. 

 

Paul is also quoted here saying “I serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin…”

 

  It seems Pike is laying out the idea that though we all yearn and strive for a better spiritual path and to serve our common man better, the imperfection of our humanity will almost always be our obstacle. In a way, Pike seems to be trying to ease our minds that we may not always succeed in our spiritual works. But we should always try to exhibit the better side of our nature. I believe Paul’s quote is used in this context as if to say “Even PAUL acknowledged his earthly side would win out on occasion….so relax!”

 

  Next:

 

 

 

           Two forms of government are favorable to the prevalence of

 

p. 66

 

falsehood and deceit. Under a Despotism, men are false, treacherous, and deceitful through fear, like slaves dreading the lash. Under a Democracy they are so as a means of attaining popularity and office, and because of the greed for wealth. Experience will probably prove that these odious and detestable vices will grow most rankly and spread most rapidly in a Republic. When office and wealth become the gods of a people, and the most unworthy and unfit most aspire to the former, and fraud becomes the highway to the latter, the land will reek with falsehood and sweat lies and chicane. When the offices are open to all, merit and stern integrity and the dignity of unsullied honor will attain them only rarely and by accident. To be able to serve the country well, will cease to be a reason why the great and wise and learned should be selected to render service. Other qualifications, less honorable, will be more available. To adapt one’s opinions to the popular humor; to defend, apologize for, and justify the popular follies; to advocate the expedient and the plausible; to caress, cajole, and flatter the elector; to beg like a spaniel for his vote, even if he be a negro three removes from barbarism; to profess friendship for a competitor and stab him by innuendo; to set on foot that which at third hand shall become a lie, being cousin-german to it when uttered, and yet capable of being explained away,–who is there that has not seen these low arts and base appliances put into practice, and becoming general, until success cannot be surely had by any more honorable means?–the result being a State ruled and ruined by ignorant and shallow mediocrity, pert self-conceit, the greenness of unripe intellect, vain of a school-boy’s smattering of knowledge.

 

The faithless and the false in public and in political life, will be faithless and false in private. The jockey in politics, like the jockey on the race-course, is rotten from skin to core. Everywhere he will see first to his own interests, and whoso leans on him will be pierced with a broken reed. His ambition is ignoble, like himself; and therefore he will seek to attain office by ignoble means, as he will seek to attain any other coveted object,–land, money, or reputation.

 

At length, office and honor are divorced. The place that the small and shallow, the knave or the trickster, is deemed competent and fit to fill, ceases to be worthy the ambition of the great and capable; or if not, these shrink from a contest, the weapons to be used wherein are unfit for a gentleman to handle. Then the habits

 

p. 67

 

of unprincipled advocates in law courts are naturalized in Senates, and pettifoggers wrangle there, when the fate of the nation and the lives of millions are at stake. States are even begotten by villainy and brought forth by fraud, and rascalities are justified by legislators claiming to be honorable. Then contested elections are decided by perjured votes or party considerations; and all the practices of the worst times of corruption are revived and exaggerated in Republics.

 

It is strange that reverence for truth, that manliness and genuine loyalty, and scorn of littleness and unfair advantage, and genuine faith and godliness and large-heartedness should diminish, among statesmen.....

 

 

 

    

 

 As Masons we practice politics as a part of our entrance into freemasonry and we continue to practice politics throughout our time in our lodges. I believe this is why Pike writes so frequently of politics in Morals and Dogma. Pike is giving us examples mostly on how NOT to lead. Warning after warning of being sure to do battle with our own selfish tendencies when we are in a place of leadership. To always try and do what is best for the majority even if what is best for the majority has the worst outcome for you personally as a leader. Sometimes this may even mean stepping down from your leadership position if you cannot execute your office to it’s fullest calling. So, as hard as it might seem sometimes as we read through this text, and you might hate politics, please try and see the lessons Pike is trying to express here.

 

I believe these lessons will make better leaders, and strengthen our character as we participate in our lodges.

 

  Next paragraphs:

 

 

 

       We should naturally suppose that a nation in distress would take counsel with the wisest of its sons. But, on the contrary, great men seem never so scarce as when they are most needed, and small men never so bold to insist on infesting place, as when mediocrity and incapable pretence and sophomoric greenness, and showy and sprightly incompetency are most dangerous...

 

Fraud, falsehood, trickery, and deceit in national affairs are the

 

p. 68

 

signs of decadence in States and precede convulsions or paralysis. To bully the weak and crouch to the strong, is the policy of nations governed by small mediocrity. The tricks of the canvass for office are re-enacted in Senates. The Executive becomes the dispenser of patronage, chiefly to the most unworthy; and men are bribed with offices instead of money, to the greater ruin of the Commonwealth. The Divine in human nature disappears, and interest, greed, and selfishness takes it place. That is a sad and true allegory which represents the companions of Ulysses changed by the enchantments of Circe into swine.

 

  A very enlightening and frighteningly true observation:  “We should naturally suppose that a nation in distress would take counsel with the wisest of its sons. But on the contrary, great men seem never so scarce as when they are most needed, and small men never so bold to insist on infesting place, as when mediocrity and incapable pretence and sophomoric greenness, and showy and sprightly incompetency are most dangerous.”

 

   When we observe things around us in our countries, states,  provinces,homes, or lodges  which are improper, we must work to make it better! We must stand  up and say or do something about it! YOU might be the great person who seeks to right a wrong and succeeds! 

 

 

 

   Let us demand greatness and do great things. Too many times we let the opportunity slip by to really make a difference because it might take too much effort, or put us in a vicarious place where we feel that our efforts might not matter. 

 

But, I believe any effort to try to improve the lives of those around us, to demand LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY, are efforts well executed and will always be worth the time and effort to make the changes needed for a better society.

 

 

 

    And that is this month's look at Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike.

  All excerpts are from Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike and the paragraphs have been condensed to fit into this article. I encourage you to read the entire text.

 

 Thank you for your time and devotion to this effort! 

 

 

 

     

 

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma and Lucifer?

Natural Law, the Law of Attraction and Freemasonry

    Greetings and welcome back to our study of Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma as we continue chapter 31.     This time, we will join Pike as he explains natural law and the laws of attraction and how it pertains to freemasonry.     Thank you for joining in, now LET’S READ PIKE!   Everywhere in the world there is a natural law, that is, a constant mode of action, which seems to belong to the nature of things, to the constitution of the Universe. This fact is universal. In different departments we call this mode of action by different names, as the law of Matter, the law of Mind, the law of Morals, and the like. We mean by this, a certain mode of action which belongs to the material, mental, or moral forces, the mode in p. 828 which commonly they are found to act, and in which it is their ideal to act always. The ideal laws of matter we know only from the fact that they are always obeyed. To us the actual obedience is the only evidence of the ideal rule; for in respect to the

The Ancients and Astrology

Greetings Everyone, and welcome back to our weekly study and opinion of Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma. We are continuing om with chapter 25 where Pike is writing about the ancients astrological beliefs. This section is more decriptive and not necessicarily giving me much room for much opinion. Pike is schooling us regarding what exactly was and not really leaving much to decipher. So, I will “get out of the way” as it is, and copy and paste just Pike’s text here for the next 4-5 paragraphs. Before I do so, let me relay some news from Universal Freemason. First, I am currently working on an app for your phones that will alert you when these lessons are posted, also there will be some very useful items for masons. Stay tuned regarding this development. Also, TODAY I will be casting the resin glow in the dark square and compasses and also some glow in the dark pentagrams. They will be up on eBay tonight, but if you are interested in purchasing either, or have suggestions or comments or q