Rome's Conflict With Freemasonry.

ROME'S CONFLICT WITH FREEMASONRY .

Br Bi : o . H . J . WHY - MI-KK , O . I . fl . ' * Tbe greatest ambition of Freemasonry is tho rooting oat of Cbristiaoity : benco , thore ia continual war liehveon it and thf-P . ipacy . ' —M . di Gnrgano .

IN the following article I propose to givo merely a recit it ion of the mo . I , remarkable of the attacks of the Church of Rom- ) or Freemason ry . The conflict will be found io have teen very one-sided—fcho attack has been ruiinlv by the chnrch—the ilefenco of Freemasonry has

been mere ry the arm onr of good report than by any effort on its par . Individual Freemasons , it is true , have suffered mac' " , ba " . as an Institution Freemasonry ha ? probably b en beneficially advertised by Papal anathema . AI thong ' i I c . iimofc believe there has over been

justification Cor t e persistent manner in which the Church of Rome has l-belled onr Order , on the other hand I cannot but think we fust threw down tho gauntlet by a declaration in fa * - of our earliest printed Charges . Regarding this and other matters I will refrain as far as possible from

expressing opinions of my own , but will confine myself very largely to stringing together bare facts , which constitute a part of Masonry ' s caso against the government of this church , to which wo innsfc admit many of our most respected members belong . I was myself initiated into

Freemasonry , passed and raised by a Roman Catholic Freemason , for whom , as well as for many other brethren of the same religions persuasion , I havo a sincere respect .

They , equally with other ot onr members , recognise there is a 1 mit to the authority of any church in secular and social affaire , especi . nliy when such affairs are designed to support the Slate and to further morality .

The quotation at the head of this article is from a work entitled " Irish and English Freemason * - * and their Foreign Brothers , " published iu 1877 , and affords some evidence that Rome continues to attack Freemasonry . The following are more of M . di Gargano ' s views : —

* ' English Freemasons iive in a Christian country , Irish Freemasons live in a pre-eminently Catholic one , and in the midst of millions of the most religious Christians in the world ; hence , leagued in a close brotherhood , guided and

inspired by the worldly prudence of the serpent , they arc obliged to mask and conceal , by shorn and merely verbal changes in their Bitmd , ceremonies , forms and expressions , that anti-Christian and anti-social spirit which is the very soul and essence of Freemasonry .

"On corporations , and poor law or mendicity boards , grand juries , railway and bank companies and pnblic offices , he will find that system equally uniform in ai * my constabulary , law courts , elections , & . •., & c , everywhere justice forgotten and merit overlooked for Masonic fraternal love , and I think he will agree with me that tlie Freemason

is a public and private enemy of God and man . ' It will not be uninteresting to briefly trace the history of this hostility .

The earliest record with which I am acquainted , pointing to an opposition between the Church of Rome and Freemasonry , exists in the second part of the sixth Charge in . Anderson ' s 1723 edition of the Constitutions . Here wo

read : — BEHAVIOUR after the LODGE is over and the BRETHREN not gone . You may enjoy yourselves with innocent Mirth , treating one another according to ability , but avoiding all excess ,

or forcing any Brother to eat or drink beyond his inclination , or hindering him from going when his Occasions call him , or doing or saying anything offensive , or that may forbid an easy and free Conversation ; for that would blast onr Harmony , and dtfeat onr laudable purposes .

Therefore no private Piques or Quarrels must bo brought within the Door of the Lodge , far less any Quarrels about " Religion , or Nations , ov Slate Policy , we being only , as Ala sons of the Catholic Religion above-mention'd ; we arc also of ail Nations , Tongues , Kindreds , and Language * , und arerosolv'd

against ALI , POLITICKS , as what never yet condue'd to tho Welfare if the Lodgr , nor ever will . This Charge htis been always strictly erjoy'd and observ'd ; hid especially ever since fire Ilejormntimt in BRITAIX , or the Dissent and Secession of these Nations from the Communion of ROME . There was to re-issue of the Constitutions until 1738 ,

Rome's Conflict With Freemasonry.

and in that year the first Bull launched against Free . masonry was published by Clement XII . This document , with its supporting edict , was printed two or three times last century , and I believe has been reprinted in somo Masonie Magazines in this century , but it Js

still so little known to tbo majority of brethren that it 8 worth publishing in full . I have followed the translation as given in two Masonic Pocket Companions of last century . Bro . Woodford said of Papal Bulls : — ' * They issue from the apostolic chamber or chancery at Rome , signed by the

Pope , and sealed with a leaden seal , attached to tho parchment by a thin chord of silk or twine . " Tho Bullarium containing theso Bulls is an immense work of many folio volumes . " Here is the earliest Bull censuring Freemasonry : —

The condemnation of the Society or Conventicles De Liberi Muratovi or of the Free-Masons , under the Penalty of ipso Facto Excommunication , the Absolution from which is reserved lo the Pope alone , except at the Point of Death . Clement Bishop , Servant of the Servants of God , to all the

faithful of Christ , Health , and Apostolical Benediction . Placed ( unworthy as we are ) by the Disposal of the divine Clemency , in tho eminent Watch-Tower of the Apostleship , wo are over solicitously intent , agreeable to the Trust of the Pastoral Providence reposed in us , by

obstructing tho passages of Error and vice , to preserve more especially the Integrity of Orthodox Religion , and to repel , in these difficult Times , all clangers of Trouble from fche whole Cafcholick world . It has como to our knowledge , even from public Report

that certain Societies , Companies , Meetings , Assemblies , Clubs , or Conventicles , commonly called De Liberi Muratori , or Free Masons , or by whatsoever other Name fche samo in different Languages are distinguished , spread far and wide and aro every day increasing ; in which Persons of

whatever Religion or Sect , contented with a kind of an affected Shew of natural Honesty , confederate together in a close and inscrutable Bond , according to Laws and Orders agreed upon between them ; which likewise , with private Ceremonies , thoy enjoin and bind themselves , as well by strict

Oath taken on the Bible , as by the Imprecation of heavy Punishments , to preserve with inviolable Secrecy . Wo therefore revolving in our Mind the great Mischiefs which generally accrue from this Kind of Societies or Con venticles , nofc only to the temporal Tranquillity of the State

but to tho spiritual Health of Souls : And that therefore they aro neither consistent with civil nor canonical Sanctions ; since we are taught by the Divine Word to watch , like a faithful Servant , Night and Day ; lest this Sort of Men break as Thieves into tho House , and like Foxes

endeavour to root np fche Vineyard ; lest they should pervert , the Hearts of the Simple , ancl privily shoot afc tho Innocent : That we might stop np the Broad Way , which from thence would be laid open for the Perpetration of their Wickedness with Impunity , and for other jnsfc and

reasonable causes to us knovvn , have by the Advice of some of our venerable Brethren of the Roman Church , the Cardinals , and of onr own mere Motion , and from onr certain Knowledge and mature Deliberation , by the Plenitude of tho Apostolical Power , appointed and decreed to be

condemned and prohibited , and by this our present ever-valid Constitution , wo do condemn and prohibit the samo Societies , Companies , Meetings , Assemblies , Clubs , or Conventicles , De Liberi Muratori or Freemasons , or by whatever other Name they are distinguished .

Wherefore all and singular , the Faithful in Christ , of whatever State , Degree , Condition , Order , Dignity , and Pre-eminence , whether Laity or Clergy , as well Seculars as Regulars , worthy all of express Mention and Enumeration , wo strictly , and in Virtne of holy Obedience ,

command that no one , under any Pretext or Colour daro or presume the aforesaid Societies De Liberi , Muratori , " Freemasons , or by whatever other manner distinguished , to enter into , promote , favour , admit , or conceal in his oi their Houses , or elsewhere , or be admitted Members

of , or be present with the same , or be any wise aiding and assisting towards their meeting in any p lace ; ot to administer any thing to them , or in any manner , publicly or privately , directly or indirectly , or » J themselves or others , afford them Counsel , Belpt

or Favour ; or advise , induce , provoke , or P ! . J ? i ' other . * to be admitted into , joined , or be present with tm Kind of Societies , or in any Manner aid and promote theio-But that they ought by all means to abstain from fcIl ° ^ Societies , Companies , Meetings , Assemblies , Clnbs , or oo