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Article THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE MASONRY EXPLAINED. ← Page 11 of 15 →
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The Principles Of Free Masonry Explained.
reconciliation ; here the elevation of nobility sinks into condescending gentleness and complaisance ; here the . distressed are sure of finding sympathy and relief ; here modesty and merit receive that countenance which is so often denied them in the invidious world ; here all are upon a' level , without losing the honour due to their respective ranks ; here freedom , simplicity , and decency of manners , always reign ; herein a wordis the habitation of universal benevolencebrotherl
, , , y iove , and temperate mirth . ' From the short account , my Brethren , which you have heard of Christianity , and from that now given you of the principles of Freemasonry , you may see how differently these two institutions aim at the removing the cause of those ' evils - \ yhich spring from society . - These evilsyou rememberwere shewn to arise from the adjustment
, , between the selfish and benevolent affeCtions being violated ; by which men were moved to treat one another with fraud and violence . Allow hie to endeavour to set before you the difference betvveen our holy religion and Freemasonry , in their efteCts on society . Christianity , it is evident , considers mankind as in a state 0 / depravity . Their continual infringement on the laws pf reli gion ,
humanity , and temperance , puts this point beyond doubt . In order to restore the adjustment of the affeCl'ions , and render men gentle , charitable , and beneficent to one another , the Christian Reli gion commands them to root out of their minds every passion that arises from the excess of self-love , that so they may be united in the unanimous
belief of its doctrines and obedience to its precepts , and thus raised as near as may be to the ori g inal rectitude of their nature . Freemasonry too , ' considers mankind as in a state of depravity ; but to adjust their affections , and warm them with benevolence for one another , b y the means pointed for these purposes by Christianity , is not its aim nor in its power . It does not pretend to root out the excess of self-lovebut to hinder it from breaking out to the hurt of
, society ; not to unite men in an entire coincidence of opinions and conduCt , but to bear easil y with the particularities of one another ; hot to raise them to the ori g inalreftitude of their nature , but to render their turbulent passions as harmless as possible . It takes them in all'their degeneracy , and would so regulate that degeneracy as to restore candour ; forbearance , and peace to the world . Christianity ,
i ^ n short ; , would render mankind p ious and virtuous by reforming human' nat ' ur ' e ; and Freemasonry would lay a check upon the malicious and unsocial-passions of mankind , and encourage their kind affections without changing their nature . " This appears to me , as far as I am able to judge , to be the vast difference between Christianity and Freemasonry . ¦ The first of these
institutions is , beyond all dispute , worthy of the wisdom and goodness of God , its great author : the second does honour to the wisdom and goodness of rii _ n , to which it owes its orig in . It is the g lory of this last , that it falls in with our heavenly religion , in promoting human happiness , though by means less noble and sublime . ¦
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Principles Of Free Masonry Explained.
reconciliation ; here the elevation of nobility sinks into condescending gentleness and complaisance ; here the . distressed are sure of finding sympathy and relief ; here modesty and merit receive that countenance which is so often denied them in the invidious world ; here all are upon a' level , without losing the honour due to their respective ranks ; here freedom , simplicity , and decency of manners , always reign ; herein a wordis the habitation of universal benevolencebrotherl
, , , y iove , and temperate mirth . ' From the short account , my Brethren , which you have heard of Christianity , and from that now given you of the principles of Freemasonry , you may see how differently these two institutions aim at the removing the cause of those ' evils - \ yhich spring from society . - These evilsyou rememberwere shewn to arise from the adjustment
, , between the selfish and benevolent affeCtions being violated ; by which men were moved to treat one another with fraud and violence . Allow hie to endeavour to set before you the difference betvveen our holy religion and Freemasonry , in their efteCts on society . Christianity , it is evident , considers mankind as in a state 0 / depravity . Their continual infringement on the laws pf reli gion ,
humanity , and temperance , puts this point beyond doubt . In order to restore the adjustment of the affeCl'ions , and render men gentle , charitable , and beneficent to one another , the Christian Reli gion commands them to root out of their minds every passion that arises from the excess of self-love , that so they may be united in the unanimous
belief of its doctrines and obedience to its precepts , and thus raised as near as may be to the ori g inal rectitude of their nature . Freemasonry too , ' considers mankind as in a state of depravity ; but to adjust their affections , and warm them with benevolence for one another , b y the means pointed for these purposes by Christianity , is not its aim nor in its power . It does not pretend to root out the excess of self-lovebut to hinder it from breaking out to the hurt of
, society ; not to unite men in an entire coincidence of opinions and conduCt , but to bear easil y with the particularities of one another ; hot to raise them to the ori g inalreftitude of their nature , but to render their turbulent passions as harmless as possible . It takes them in all'their degeneracy , and would so regulate that degeneracy as to restore candour ; forbearance , and peace to the world . Christianity ,
i ^ n short ; , would render mankind p ious and virtuous by reforming human' nat ' ur ' e ; and Freemasonry would lay a check upon the malicious and unsocial-passions of mankind , and encourage their kind affections without changing their nature . " This appears to me , as far as I am able to judge , to be the vast difference between Christianity and Freemasonry . ¦ The first of these
institutions is , beyond all dispute , worthy of the wisdom and goodness of God , its great author : the second does honour to the wisdom and goodness of rii _ n , to which it owes its orig in . It is the g lory of this last , that it falls in with our heavenly religion , in promoting human happiness , though by means less noble and sublime . ¦