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Article BLINDFOLD ADMISSION INTO FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article BLINDFOLD ADMISSION INTO FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 1
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Blindfold Admission Into Freemasonry.
BLINDFOLD ADMISSION INTO FREEMASONRY .
SOME of the critics of the Masonic system seek to make capital out of the secrecy they are pleased to ascribe to us in regaril to the initiation of new members . They urge that as Freemasons require serious obligations to be undertaken by those who
desire admission into the Order before the candidates ; know exactly what will be required of them , Freema-j sonry becomes an unlawful society , and the Masonic ! oath an unlawful one , because it is of its own nature
totally unconditional . This line of argument might be acceptable if it was the custom among Freemasons ; to force the outside world to take the obligation ami keep the secrets of Freemasonry , but as the reverse ^
is really tne case we cannot see now tne mai-ung ol unconditional promises or the voluntary acceptance of severe penalties can become unlawful , or in any way interfere with the liberty of tho subject . To meet the arguments of such critics we consider it is
only necessary to point out that every candidate lor , Freemasonry seeks admission into the Order of his own free will , and at no time is force or coercion used in connection with the teachings , of the Craft . A man who at any time objects to promise to keep
secret what he is about to be told in Freemasonry can at once retire , and no great harm is done ; hut it is absurd to argue as though it would be possible to impart all the lessons of Freemasonry first , and ask ior tne 01 irom tne
promise secrecy new memoer afterwards . Yet that is the only alternative we can see open if we accept the arguments of our critics in this particular .
We have before us an article headed "English Freemasonry , " which appeared in a recent number of a Ceylon paper , written by the Bev . K . F . Clarke , wherein the line of argument to which we have
referred is freely used . Our reverend critic says the first questiqn ^ hat suggests itself about such a society as Freemasonry is—For what end is it instituted ? Were he . to join any society whatever , says the writer .
he must first know for what end it associates its members together , and till he knows this he objects to " promise obedience by a solemn oath and under the severest sanctions . " We may excuse the writer
we are quoting for thus falling into what is really a popular delusion among his class . He is not asked to promise obedience to the laws of Freemasonry , and no solemn oath or severe sanctions are required
irom him by its members . They are quite content to leave him just as he is , in the full enjoyment of his own ideas about Freemasonry , and there are very many who will regret that his utterines should have
called forth even this reply from a Masonic source ; but supposing he comes to us and asks us to receive him into our midst , as every other candidate for freemasonry has in his turn done ? Wc suppose by that time he will have satisfied himself as to the end
Blindfold Admission Into Freemasonry.
for which Freemasonry is instituted , and he will no doubt be prepared to undertake the necessary obligations imposed bv Freemasonry ere he is admitted as
a member of it . By that time also he will probably have learnt to regard his present remarks as somewhat out of place and inconsistent , and will see the injustice of attempting to ridicule an association wln ' nh lm . s dnno him nn harm , and which has alwava 11 ¦¦
i * - * V" —« V »« . . . — — — — J ^ — been content to wait for candidates rather than force new members to join its ranks . Mr . Clarke argues that any society in the world is bound to give full information as to its objects to
those who are admitted into it , before their admission ; and without such information it is , ipso facto , an unlawful society . If I join a cricket club , he says , " I know that it associates its members together for the purpose of healthy recreation . If I join a literary
association it is for the object of intellectual culture . These ends are sanctioned by the laws of God and man , and are clearly set before me , with all the rules and regulations , before I join the association . It has
a right therefore to my obedience so long as I belong to it , but Freemasonry has no such legitimate end ; it binds me to I know not what , it requires me to join in promoting what I may he utterly averse to , it
exacts my submission to its authority without showing any justification for its claim to such authority . It does all this under a terrible threat , if I desert its ranks or reveal its secrets . " The argument so often
used that the writer of such language has based his opinion on the doings of Continental Freemasons will not hold good in this particular case , for Mr . Clarke specially says— " this is true of umtu
Jimgiitm . r retunasomy juau IM IUU-UII M » UI uixy , and therefore English Freemasonry is in its very essence a secret society , an unlawful society , a society subversive of the principles on which the moral order
of the universe is based . We do not like to think un-Maspnically even of those who revile us without cause , and . we cannot believe that Mr . Clarke has anything but ignorance to offer as an excuse for his remarks . No man , no matter what his malice , could
write as he has done if he really knew anything of what he was writing about , and on that ground we must not be too severe in passing judgment on his utterances . If the time ever comes for him to seek admission into the ranks of Freemasonry he will no
The Freemasons of Newcastle have purchased a block of buildings in Shakespeare-street , for the purpose of erecting a Masonic hall and club on an extensive scale , and which will accommodate all Lodges in the district .
doubt stand self condemned , and will then discover the error into which he has now fallen ; if not he may still learn to appreciate £ he merits of the Masonic system , which , though it may require hlindfold
obedience from its candidates , at least waits until they come to its doors—of their own free will and accordbefore attempting to bind them to secrecy , or to a strict ohservance of the rules of the Craft .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Blindfold Admission Into Freemasonry.
BLINDFOLD ADMISSION INTO FREEMASONRY .
SOME of the critics of the Masonic system seek to make capital out of the secrecy they are pleased to ascribe to us in regaril to the initiation of new members . They urge that as Freemasons require serious obligations to be undertaken by those who
desire admission into the Order before the candidates ; know exactly what will be required of them , Freema-j sonry becomes an unlawful society , and the Masonic ! oath an unlawful one , because it is of its own nature
totally unconditional . This line of argument might be acceptable if it was the custom among Freemasons ; to force the outside world to take the obligation ami keep the secrets of Freemasonry , but as the reverse ^
is really tne case we cannot see now tne mai-ung ol unconditional promises or the voluntary acceptance of severe penalties can become unlawful , or in any way interfere with the liberty of tho subject . To meet the arguments of such critics we consider it is
only necessary to point out that every candidate lor , Freemasonry seeks admission into the Order of his own free will , and at no time is force or coercion used in connection with the teachings , of the Craft . A man who at any time objects to promise to keep
secret what he is about to be told in Freemasonry can at once retire , and no great harm is done ; hut it is absurd to argue as though it would be possible to impart all the lessons of Freemasonry first , and ask ior tne 01 irom tne
promise secrecy new memoer afterwards . Yet that is the only alternative we can see open if we accept the arguments of our critics in this particular .
We have before us an article headed "English Freemasonry , " which appeared in a recent number of a Ceylon paper , written by the Bev . K . F . Clarke , wherein the line of argument to which we have
referred is freely used . Our reverend critic says the first questiqn ^ hat suggests itself about such a society as Freemasonry is—For what end is it instituted ? Were he . to join any society whatever , says the writer .
he must first know for what end it associates its members together , and till he knows this he objects to " promise obedience by a solemn oath and under the severest sanctions . " We may excuse the writer
we are quoting for thus falling into what is really a popular delusion among his class . He is not asked to promise obedience to the laws of Freemasonry , and no solemn oath or severe sanctions are required
irom him by its members . They are quite content to leave him just as he is , in the full enjoyment of his own ideas about Freemasonry , and there are very many who will regret that his utterines should have
called forth even this reply from a Masonic source ; but supposing he comes to us and asks us to receive him into our midst , as every other candidate for freemasonry has in his turn done ? Wc suppose by that time he will have satisfied himself as to the end
Blindfold Admission Into Freemasonry.
for which Freemasonry is instituted , and he will no doubt be prepared to undertake the necessary obligations imposed bv Freemasonry ere he is admitted as
a member of it . By that time also he will probably have learnt to regard his present remarks as somewhat out of place and inconsistent , and will see the injustice of attempting to ridicule an association wln ' nh lm . s dnno him nn harm , and which has alwava 11 ¦¦
i * - * V" —« V »« . . . — — — — J ^ — been content to wait for candidates rather than force new members to join its ranks . Mr . Clarke argues that any society in the world is bound to give full information as to its objects to
those who are admitted into it , before their admission ; and without such information it is , ipso facto , an unlawful society . If I join a cricket club , he says , " I know that it associates its members together for the purpose of healthy recreation . If I join a literary
association it is for the object of intellectual culture . These ends are sanctioned by the laws of God and man , and are clearly set before me , with all the rules and regulations , before I join the association . It has
a right therefore to my obedience so long as I belong to it , but Freemasonry has no such legitimate end ; it binds me to I know not what , it requires me to join in promoting what I may he utterly averse to , it
exacts my submission to its authority without showing any justification for its claim to such authority . It does all this under a terrible threat , if I desert its ranks or reveal its secrets . " The argument so often
used that the writer of such language has based his opinion on the doings of Continental Freemasons will not hold good in this particular case , for Mr . Clarke specially says— " this is true of umtu
Jimgiitm . r retunasomy juau IM IUU-UII M » UI uixy , and therefore English Freemasonry is in its very essence a secret society , an unlawful society , a society subversive of the principles on which the moral order
of the universe is based . We do not like to think un-Maspnically even of those who revile us without cause , and . we cannot believe that Mr . Clarke has anything but ignorance to offer as an excuse for his remarks . No man , no matter what his malice , could
write as he has done if he really knew anything of what he was writing about , and on that ground we must not be too severe in passing judgment on his utterances . If the time ever comes for him to seek admission into the ranks of Freemasonry he will no
The Freemasons of Newcastle have purchased a block of buildings in Shakespeare-street , for the purpose of erecting a Masonic hall and club on an extensive scale , and which will accommodate all Lodges in the district .
doubt stand self condemned , and will then discover the error into which he has now fallen ; if not he may still learn to appreciate £ he merits of the Masonic system , which , though it may require hlindfold
obedience from its candidates , at least waits until they come to its doors—of their own free will and accordbefore attempting to bind them to secrecy , or to a strict ohservance of the rules of the Craft .