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Article THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. ← Page 5 of 5
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The Freemasons' Repository.
rulers forget their interest , which should lead them to support if . In such a state , the pure morality of true relig ion vanishes from the sight . There is commonh no remains of it in the relig ion of the nation , and therefore all goes together . ' Perhaps there never \ vas a nation where all these co-operating causes had acquired greater strength than in Fittuc :-. Oppressions of all kinds were at a heiht . The luxuries of life v-eie :-njoyed
exg clusively by the upper classes , and this in the hi ^ heu decree ol refinement ; so that the desires of the rest were v hetied to the utmost . Religion appeared in its worst form , and seemed calculated solely for procuring establishments for the younger sons of ( he insolent and useless noblesse . The morals of the higher oiders of the cleigy and
of the . lai . y were equally corrupted . Thousands of literary men were excluded by their station from all hopes of advancement to the more respectable offices in the chinch . These venied their discontents as far as there was safety , and were encouraged by many of the upper classes , who joined them in their satiies on the priesthood . The clergy ' opposed them , it is true , but feebly , because they could " virtuous be
not support their opposition by examples of their own - haviour , but were always obliged to have recourse to the power of the church , the very olvjeCt of hatred and disgust . The whole nation became infidel ; and when in a few instances a worthy Cure uttered the small ' still voice of true religion , it was not heard amidst _ the general noise of satire and reproach . The misconduct of
administration , and the abuse of the public treasures , were every day growing more impudent and glaring , and exposed the government to continual criticism . But it was still too powerful to suffer this to proceed to extremities ; while therefore infidelity and loose sentiments of molality passed unpunished , it was still very hazardous to publish any thing against the state . ' Thus was prepared-the way for revolution .
SCOTCH MASONRY . ' It was in ( he lodge held at St . Germain ' s that the degree of Chevalier Mason Ecossois was added to the thiee symbolical degrees of Eng lish Masoniy . The constiiuron , as imported , appeared too coarse fnrriie refilled taste of our neighbours . Therefore the English degrees
of Apprentice , Fellcw-cratt , and Master , were called symbolical , and the whole contrivance was considered either as typical of something more elegant , or as a preparation lor it . The degrees afterwards superadded to this leave us us indouht which of these views the French entertained of our Masonry . But at all events , this rank of Scotch Knight was called the frst degree i " > f the Mason Parjait . There is a device
belonging to this lodge which deserves notice . A lion , wounded by an arrow , and escaped from the stake to which he had been bound , with the broken rope still about his neck , is represented lying at the mouth of a cave , and occupied with mathematical instiun . ents which are lying near him . A bioken crown lies at the foot of the stoke . There can . be tittle doubt but that this emblem alludes tn . the dethronement , the captivity , the escape , and the as ; , Ir . m of James II . and his hopes of rotstabliihment by the help ofthe lp \ a ! Brethren . '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Repository.
rulers forget their interest , which should lead them to support if . In such a state , the pure morality of true relig ion vanishes from the sight . There is commonh no remains of it in the relig ion of the nation , and therefore all goes together . ' Perhaps there never \ vas a nation where all these co-operating causes had acquired greater strength than in Fittuc :-. Oppressions of all kinds were at a heiht . The luxuries of life v-eie :-njoyed
exg clusively by the upper classes , and this in the hi ^ heu decree ol refinement ; so that the desires of the rest were v hetied to the utmost . Religion appeared in its worst form , and seemed calculated solely for procuring establishments for the younger sons of ( he insolent and useless noblesse . The morals of the higher oiders of the cleigy and
of the . lai . y were equally corrupted . Thousands of literary men were excluded by their station from all hopes of advancement to the more respectable offices in the chinch . These venied their discontents as far as there was safety , and were encouraged by many of the upper classes , who joined them in their satiies on the priesthood . The clergy ' opposed them , it is true , but feebly , because they could " virtuous be
not support their opposition by examples of their own - haviour , but were always obliged to have recourse to the power of the church , the very olvjeCt of hatred and disgust . The whole nation became infidel ; and when in a few instances a worthy Cure uttered the small ' still voice of true religion , it was not heard amidst _ the general noise of satire and reproach . The misconduct of
administration , and the abuse of the public treasures , were every day growing more impudent and glaring , and exposed the government to continual criticism . But it was still too powerful to suffer this to proceed to extremities ; while therefore infidelity and loose sentiments of molality passed unpunished , it was still very hazardous to publish any thing against the state . ' Thus was prepared-the way for revolution .
SCOTCH MASONRY . ' It was in ( he lodge held at St . Germain ' s that the degree of Chevalier Mason Ecossois was added to the thiee symbolical degrees of Eng lish Masoniy . The constiiuron , as imported , appeared too coarse fnrriie refilled taste of our neighbours . Therefore the English degrees
of Apprentice , Fellcw-cratt , and Master , were called symbolical , and the whole contrivance was considered either as typical of something more elegant , or as a preparation lor it . The degrees afterwards superadded to this leave us us indouht which of these views the French entertained of our Masonry . But at all events , this rank of Scotch Knight was called the frst degree i " > f the Mason Parjait . There is a device
belonging to this lodge which deserves notice . A lion , wounded by an arrow , and escaped from the stake to which he had been bound , with the broken rope still about his neck , is represented lying at the mouth of a cave , and occupied with mathematical instiun . ents which are lying near him . A bioken crown lies at the foot of the stoke . There can . be tittle doubt but that this emblem alludes tn . the dethronement , the captivity , the escape , and the as ; , Ir . m of James II . and his hopes of rotstabliihment by the help ofthe lp \ a ! Brethren . '