George Washington on the Sacred Fire of Liberty and the Republic

The doctrine on the sacred fire (i.e., the divine spark) and noumenal fire came from far antiquity — from Africa, from the Jewish Sodalites, from Aryavarta, from the natives of Persia, the seven Greek sages, and the Hellenistic and Roman Stoicism down to American Republicanism. When first chief, George Washington stated in his first Inaugural Address, inaugurated on Masonic honors with his hand on a Masonic Bible, he stated to the American people under his governance, that the Republic is an experiment. An experiment, I am afraid we are failing at. The weight of our actions and thoughts are being measured in time; and the only means of protecting the vision of the Republic is to triumph over our human failings and flaws. Republicanism demands this effort.

George Washington took his first presidential oath on April 30, 1789 with his hand placed on a Masonic Bible. This Bible was loaned by St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons, which sought to avoid using a Bible from a specific religious denomination. This choice can also be seen as symbolic, but also avoided the idea of establishing an official religion for the new nation. Instead, it speaks to Masonic and general Christian principles, which advocates and is built on fraternal associations over sectarianism.