The Great Book of Nature :: Academia Lodge № 847 - Free & Accepted Masons of California - A Traditional Observance Lodge"; ?> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="/favicon.ico" /> <link rel="home" title="Home" href="http://www.academialodge.org" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/style/847.css" media="screen" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/style/847_print.css" media="print" /> </head> <body lang="en-US">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td>  <br /><br /><br /><br /> <nav> <a class="nav_02_title" href="/about_our_lodge.php">About Our Lodge</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/about_principles.php">Statement of Principles</a>  <br /> <a class="nav_02_title" href="/events_loi.php">Lectures<br /> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-style: italic">&</span> Symposia</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/events_other.php">Other Events of Interest</a> <br /> <a class="nav_02_title" href="/library.php">Library</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/library_articles.php">Articles by Our Members</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/library_visual_arts.php">Visual Arts</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/library_reference.php">Reference Shelf</a> <br /> <a class="nav_02_title" href="/resources.php">Resources</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/resources_lodges.php">Traditional Lodges</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/resources_research.php">Masonic Research Bodies</a> <a class="nav_02" href="/search.php">Search</a> <br /> <a class="nav_02_title" href="/contact_us.php">Contact Us</a> </nav> <br /><br />  </td> <td>    <a href="/"><img src="/img/title_585_62.gif" width="585" height="62" border="0" alt="Academia Lodge No. 847, Free & Accepted Masons. We are California's Premier Lodge of Traditional Observance." /></a> <br /><br /> <div class="malkhut"> <h1>The Great Book of Nature</h1> <br />  <table align="right" width="250"> <tr><td class="smalltext"> <img src="/img/stained_glass_vesica_250_306.jpg" width="250" height="306" border="1" alt="" /><br /> Stained glass window in Freemasons Hall, London </td> </tr> </table> <blockquote> "The planets of each system represent kind neighbors; mutual amity prevails; sweet interchange of rays, received, returned; enlightening, and enlightened! all, at once, attracting, and attracted! Free Mason-like--none sins against the welfare of the whole; but their reciprocal, unselfish aid, affords an emblem of millennial love. Nothing in nature, much less conscious being, was ever created solely for itself. Thus, man his sovereign duty learns in this material picture of benevolence. If weighted aright, it is nature's system of divinity, and every student of the night inspires! 'Tis elder scripture, writ by God's own hand; scripture authentic! uncorrupt by man. Divine instructor! thy first volume this, for man's perusal; all in capitals! in moon and stars, heaven's golden alphabet, emblazed to size and sight; who runs may read, who reads can understand. 'Tis unconfined to Christian land or Jewry; fairly writ in language universal to mankind! a language lofty to the learned, yet plain to those that feed the flock, or guide the plough, or from the husk strike out the bounding grain; a language and comment to the sacred page, which oft refers its reader to the skies, as pre-supposing his first lesson there."<br /> <div align="right"> <strong>The Mystic Beauties of Freemasonry</strong> (1822)<br /> (paraphrased from Edward Young's <strong>Night Thoughts</strong>) </div> </blockquote> <br /> <p class="flush"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>  </td> </tr> <footer> <tr> <td bgcolor="#813538" align="center"><br /><span class="white">IN VIAM INITIATORVUM</span><br /><br /></td> <td bgcolor="#355781"><br /><span class="white"> Copyright © 2004–2010 Academia Lodge <span style="font-size: 85%">№ </span>847 </span><br /><br /></td> </tr> </footer> </table> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7512279-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}</script> </body> </html>