-
Articles/Ads
Article THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE MASONRY EXPLAINED. ← Page 9 of 15 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Principles Of Free Masonry Explained.
of his worship , admitting of a variety of opinions , were subjects which bred the hottest debates , and afflicted society with the greatest evils . They observed , that every man regarded his own opinion as the perfection of reason ; and considered those who maintained the contrary , as the avowed enemies of God and man ; while they , on their part , were equally positive that he was in the wrong , and themselves in . 'the
rig ht . It occurred to them , that men would be for ever at variance with one another in matters of opinion , until they began to refleCt seriously on their own weakness ; and from that learn to think modestly of themselves , and candidly of the sentiments entertained by their neig hbours . This idea suggested to them the notion of a society , which , by excluding all the particularities in opinion , and receiving
only those general truths in which every man of common sense was agreed , should unite the whole human race in the sacred ties of virtue , candour , and friendship . ¦ They did not mean , however , that every person who became a Member of this Society should , upon his admission , renounce those particularities by which his nation and relig ion were distinguished from every other ; but , that every Member would
so regulate his partiality for them , as to live in friendship and respect for those who differed in these points from himself . They laid it down as a fundamental law , that all the Members should treat the peculiarities of one another with all that decency , gentleness , and forbearance which each thought due to his own ; and live together in all that peace and affection which an exact coincidence of sentiments
would have produced . - In this manner , my Brethren , did a warm and rational zeal for the happiness of mankind g ive rise to that Antient and Honourable . Brotherhood , which is so well known in the world under the appellation of Freemasons ; a Brotherhood which can number among its Members , as good , as wise , as illustrious men as the world ever beheld .
Those , whoever they were , that founded it orig inally , are to be regarded as the ancestors of Freemasons ; and their memory justly Claims the love and veneration of all their numerous posterity . The place , were it now known , where they held their first meetings , whether a house , or a shady arbour , or an open field , would be properly called the Mother Lodge , from which are sprung all those that are scattered over the face of the earth .
But concerning these matters , no certain accounts , that ever I could meet with , have been transmitted to our times ; they lie buried among numberless other subjects of curiosity in remote antiquity from our knowledge . History' deli ghts in reading the great and striking calamities that mankind bring upon themselves by their dissentions : the calm and peaceful transactions of Freemasonry had nothing sufficiently astonishing iu them to perpetuate their memory .
Freemasonry , at its Institution , like every other system of regulations , was undoubtedly very simple ; consisting only of a few rules for promoting order and charity among those who first embraced it . As these were all of the . same language , manners , reli gion , and government , they would have but a few peculiarities to , restrain ,- and . a few
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Principles Of Free Masonry Explained.
of his worship , admitting of a variety of opinions , were subjects which bred the hottest debates , and afflicted society with the greatest evils . They observed , that every man regarded his own opinion as the perfection of reason ; and considered those who maintained the contrary , as the avowed enemies of God and man ; while they , on their part , were equally positive that he was in the wrong , and themselves in . 'the
rig ht . It occurred to them , that men would be for ever at variance with one another in matters of opinion , until they began to refleCt seriously on their own weakness ; and from that learn to think modestly of themselves , and candidly of the sentiments entertained by their neig hbours . This idea suggested to them the notion of a society , which , by excluding all the particularities in opinion , and receiving
only those general truths in which every man of common sense was agreed , should unite the whole human race in the sacred ties of virtue , candour , and friendship . ¦ They did not mean , however , that every person who became a Member of this Society should , upon his admission , renounce those particularities by which his nation and relig ion were distinguished from every other ; but , that every Member would
so regulate his partiality for them , as to live in friendship and respect for those who differed in these points from himself . They laid it down as a fundamental law , that all the Members should treat the peculiarities of one another with all that decency , gentleness , and forbearance which each thought due to his own ; and live together in all that peace and affection which an exact coincidence of sentiments
would have produced . - In this manner , my Brethren , did a warm and rational zeal for the happiness of mankind g ive rise to that Antient and Honourable . Brotherhood , which is so well known in the world under the appellation of Freemasons ; a Brotherhood which can number among its Members , as good , as wise , as illustrious men as the world ever beheld .
Those , whoever they were , that founded it orig inally , are to be regarded as the ancestors of Freemasons ; and their memory justly Claims the love and veneration of all their numerous posterity . The place , were it now known , where they held their first meetings , whether a house , or a shady arbour , or an open field , would be properly called the Mother Lodge , from which are sprung all those that are scattered over the face of the earth .
But concerning these matters , no certain accounts , that ever I could meet with , have been transmitted to our times ; they lie buried among numberless other subjects of curiosity in remote antiquity from our knowledge . History' deli ghts in reading the great and striking calamities that mankind bring upon themselves by their dissentions : the calm and peaceful transactions of Freemasonry had nothing sufficiently astonishing iu them to perpetuate their memory .
Freemasonry , at its Institution , like every other system of regulations , was undoubtedly very simple ; consisting only of a few rules for promoting order and charity among those who first embraced it . As these were all of the . same language , manners , reli gion , and government , they would have but a few peculiarities to , restrain ,- and . a few