Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
French Views On English Ideas Of Freemasonry.
FRENCH VIEWS ON ENGLISH IDEAS OF FREEMASONRY .
IT is evident from a letter wo published last week from n , valued correspondent in Paris , and from the two letters in a translated form which appeared in onr issue of the 29 th nit ., that our French brethren are as yet unable to recognise the true character of the objections raised in England , Ireland , and Scotland , to the recent act of the
Grand Orient of France . The last mentioned body , in September last , resolved to expunge from the first article of its Constitutions that clause which declared explicitly that belief in God and the Immortality of the Soul , is a fundamental principle of Freemasonry . The grounds by which
this course is justified , as stated by 13 ro . the Rev . Pasteur Desmons , are principally these : —that the paragraph containing such declaration , was in contradiction with that which followed it , that it was a frequent cause of embarrassments to W . Masters , and that it was unnecessary , as
the objects of Freemasonry are independent of all dogmatic or religious ideas . We Freemasons , as the Rev . Bro . Desmons put it , " leave to theologians and casuists the car ? and trouble of discussing dogmas , and to authoritative churches that of issuing a syllabus . " And further on our
Rev . Bro . added , let " Masonry never come clown into the burning arena of theological discussions , which have ever engendered trouble and persecution . Let it refrain from ever claiming to be a church , a council , or a synod , for churches , councils , and synods have been frequently
violent persecutors , and that , too , by taking for their basis of action some dogmatic points which , by their very nature , were essentially intolerant . " Writing to Bro . Hycle Clarke on the 14 th November last , Bro . Tbevenot , Chief Secretary , says : — " the Grand Orient of France
have not abolished the Masonic formula ' to the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe , ' as you appear to believe , still less have they made profession of atheism in their General Assembly of September 1877 . " And then Bro . Thevenot somewhat later proceeds to show how the Grand
Orient "in common with the founders of the Order , understood that Freemasony should remain in every State a neutral ground to which all opinions could be admitted , and should there be respected ; and on which all honourable men , without distinction of nationalities , religions , races ,
or colour , could shake hands And Bro . St . Jean , who is President of the Council of the Grand Orient of France , writing on the 28 tb of the same mouth , to Bro . Sir Ed . Borough , Bart ., representative of the G . Orient at the G . Lodge of
France , speaks to a similar effect . " Let it suffice for me to affirm that , in modifying an article of their statutes , the Grand Orient of France by no means intended to make profession either of atheism or materialism , as would seem to be understood . No alteration has been made either
in the principles or in tbe practice of Masonry , and French Freemasonry remains what it has always been—a fraternal and tolerant brotherhood , which respects the religious faith and political convictions of its adepts , ancl leaves in these delicate questions to each one the liberty of his
conscience . " These statements , which are part only of certain recent declarations , comin ? as they do from ( a ) the Rev . brother who delivered the Report of the Committee
appointed to deal with the proposed amendment of the first article of the Constitutions of the G . Orient ; ( b ) the chief official in the bureau of the Grand Secretaries ; and ( c ) from the President of the Council of the G . Orient respectivel y , are of the greatest importance , and may be
French Views On English Ideas Of Freemasonry.
accepted by our readers as authoritative definitions of the nature of tho amendment which has been recently sanctioned by the annual General Assembly of the Grand Orient of France . Ancl criticising them in this light , we feel disposed to affirm that , as they stand , ancl
but for the further knowledge we possess of their full meaning , there is nothing in tho several propositions we have quoted to which the slightest objection could be raised by the most exacting of our English , Scotch , or Irish brethren . Passing by for a moment the
stated contradiction between the . two paragraphs of tho first article , the Craft in the United Kingdom fully recognises and invariably acts upon the proposition that the care and trouble of discussing dogmas must be left to theologians and casuits . We know that " theological discussions havo
ever engendered trouble and persecution . " We do not dream of claiming for Freemasonry that it is " a church , a council , or a synod . " We are quite prepared to regard Freemasonry as a " neutral ground " on which " all honourable men , without distinction of nationalities , religions ,
races , or colour , can " shake hands . " We are aware the Grand Orient of France at its recent annual Assembly neither made , nor intended to make any profession " either of atheism or materialism , " for otherwise there would be no meaning in the clause of the first article as it now stands
" elle n ' exclut fersonne yonr ses croyances . " Wo are also prepared to believe that our French brethren consider that French Freemasonry , as now constituted , may still he defined to be " a fraternal and tolerant brotherhood , which respects the religious faith and political convictions of its
adepts , and leaves in these delicate questions to each one the liberty of his conscience . " We confess we have some difficulty in reconciling the retention of " the Masonic formula , To the Glory of the great Architect of the Universe " which , it seems , still figures at the head of the official
documents issued by the Council of the Grand Orientwith the exclusion from the first Article of the principle of belief in God . We should have imagined the natural logical acumen of our French brethren would have led them to avoid laying any great stress on a contradiction so
obvious . However , the Masonic formula in question is not abolished , and remains , as heretofore , at the head of official documents which emanate from the Council of the Order . We presume , therefore , there is a meaning in all this , though it is not for us to attempt to explain that
meaning . But to return to our main argument . We say that as far as the statements go which we have quoted , they are seemingly unexceptionable . It is not on any of the grounds , which Bros . Rev . Desmons , Thevenot , and de St . Jean have severally combated above , that , as we have
said , even the most exacting English , Irish , or Scotch Mason objects to the recent proceedings of Grand Orient . Religious and political discussions are strictl y forbidden in our Lodges , ancl all honourable men , without distinction of " nationalities , religions , races , or colour , " are eligible
to be admitted into our ranks . But here is the point at which all sympathy between the Craft in these islands and iu France ceases ; now , at least , that the Grand Orient has amended its Constitutions as stated . We sanction the admission of men of all reli gions , but we exclude , ipso facto ,
the men of no religion whatever . In France , the atheist as well as the theist is eligible . Our definition of the phrase " liberty of conscience " is entirely different from that which
prevails in France . We impose certain limits on freedom of conscience . We say there are certain points beyond which this freedom becomes as dangerous to society as the tyranny of which it is the exact opposite . In France it is
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
French Views On English Ideas Of Freemasonry.
FRENCH VIEWS ON ENGLISH IDEAS OF FREEMASONRY .
IT is evident from a letter wo published last week from n , valued correspondent in Paris , and from the two letters in a translated form which appeared in onr issue of the 29 th nit ., that our French brethren are as yet unable to recognise the true character of the objections raised in England , Ireland , and Scotland , to the recent act of the
Grand Orient of France . The last mentioned body , in September last , resolved to expunge from the first article of its Constitutions that clause which declared explicitly that belief in God and the Immortality of the Soul , is a fundamental principle of Freemasonry . The grounds by which
this course is justified , as stated by 13 ro . the Rev . Pasteur Desmons , are principally these : —that the paragraph containing such declaration , was in contradiction with that which followed it , that it was a frequent cause of embarrassments to W . Masters , and that it was unnecessary , as
the objects of Freemasonry are independent of all dogmatic or religious ideas . We Freemasons , as the Rev . Bro . Desmons put it , " leave to theologians and casuists the car ? and trouble of discussing dogmas , and to authoritative churches that of issuing a syllabus . " And further on our
Rev . Bro . added , let " Masonry never come clown into the burning arena of theological discussions , which have ever engendered trouble and persecution . Let it refrain from ever claiming to be a church , a council , or a synod , for churches , councils , and synods have been frequently
violent persecutors , and that , too , by taking for their basis of action some dogmatic points which , by their very nature , were essentially intolerant . " Writing to Bro . Hycle Clarke on the 14 th November last , Bro . Tbevenot , Chief Secretary , says : — " the Grand Orient of France
have not abolished the Masonic formula ' to the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe , ' as you appear to believe , still less have they made profession of atheism in their General Assembly of September 1877 . " And then Bro . Thevenot somewhat later proceeds to show how the Grand
Orient "in common with the founders of the Order , understood that Freemasony should remain in every State a neutral ground to which all opinions could be admitted , and should there be respected ; and on which all honourable men , without distinction of nationalities , religions , races ,
or colour , could shake hands And Bro . St . Jean , who is President of the Council of the Grand Orient of France , writing on the 28 tb of the same mouth , to Bro . Sir Ed . Borough , Bart ., representative of the G . Orient at the G . Lodge of
France , speaks to a similar effect . " Let it suffice for me to affirm that , in modifying an article of their statutes , the Grand Orient of France by no means intended to make profession either of atheism or materialism , as would seem to be understood . No alteration has been made either
in the principles or in tbe practice of Masonry , and French Freemasonry remains what it has always been—a fraternal and tolerant brotherhood , which respects the religious faith and political convictions of its adepts , ancl leaves in these delicate questions to each one the liberty of his
conscience . " These statements , which are part only of certain recent declarations , comin ? as they do from ( a ) the Rev . brother who delivered the Report of the Committee
appointed to deal with the proposed amendment of the first article of the Constitutions of the G . Orient ; ( b ) the chief official in the bureau of the Grand Secretaries ; and ( c ) from the President of the Council of the G . Orient respectivel y , are of the greatest importance , and may be
French Views On English Ideas Of Freemasonry.
accepted by our readers as authoritative definitions of the nature of tho amendment which has been recently sanctioned by the annual General Assembly of the Grand Orient of France . Ancl criticising them in this light , we feel disposed to affirm that , as they stand , ancl
but for the further knowledge we possess of their full meaning , there is nothing in tho several propositions we have quoted to which the slightest objection could be raised by the most exacting of our English , Scotch , or Irish brethren . Passing by for a moment the
stated contradiction between the . two paragraphs of tho first article , the Craft in the United Kingdom fully recognises and invariably acts upon the proposition that the care and trouble of discussing dogmas must be left to theologians and casuits . We know that " theological discussions havo
ever engendered trouble and persecution . " We do not dream of claiming for Freemasonry that it is " a church , a council , or a synod . " We are quite prepared to regard Freemasonry as a " neutral ground " on which " all honourable men , without distinction of nationalities , religions ,
races , or colour , can " shake hands . " We are aware the Grand Orient of France at its recent annual Assembly neither made , nor intended to make any profession " either of atheism or materialism , " for otherwise there would be no meaning in the clause of the first article as it now stands
" elle n ' exclut fersonne yonr ses croyances . " Wo are also prepared to believe that our French brethren consider that French Freemasonry , as now constituted , may still he defined to be " a fraternal and tolerant brotherhood , which respects the religious faith and political convictions of its
adepts , and leaves in these delicate questions to each one the liberty of his conscience . " We confess we have some difficulty in reconciling the retention of " the Masonic formula , To the Glory of the great Architect of the Universe " which , it seems , still figures at the head of the official
documents issued by the Council of the Grand Orientwith the exclusion from the first Article of the principle of belief in God . We should have imagined the natural logical acumen of our French brethren would have led them to avoid laying any great stress on a contradiction so
obvious . However , the Masonic formula in question is not abolished , and remains , as heretofore , at the head of official documents which emanate from the Council of the Order . We presume , therefore , there is a meaning in all this , though it is not for us to attempt to explain that
meaning . But to return to our main argument . We say that as far as the statements go which we have quoted , they are seemingly unexceptionable . It is not on any of the grounds , which Bros . Rev . Desmons , Thevenot , and de St . Jean have severally combated above , that , as we have
said , even the most exacting English , Irish , or Scotch Mason objects to the recent proceedings of Grand Orient . Religious and political discussions are strictl y forbidden in our Lodges , ancl all honourable men , without distinction of " nationalities , religions , races , or colour , " are eligible
to be admitted into our ranks . But here is the point at which all sympathy between the Craft in these islands and iu France ceases ; now , at least , that the Grand Orient has amended its Constitutions as stated . We sanction the admission of men of all reli gions , but we exclude , ipso facto ,
the men of no religion whatever . In France , the atheist as well as the theist is eligible . Our definition of the phrase " liberty of conscience " is entirely different from that which
prevails in France . We impose certain limits on freedom of conscience . We say there are certain points beyond which this freedom becomes as dangerous to society as the tyranny of which it is the exact opposite . In France it is