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Article THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. ← Page 7 of 8 →
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The Freemasons' Repository.
clined to establish as axioms . He says , 'I have met with many particular facts , which convince me that this use had been made of the meetings of Masons , and that , at this time , the Jesuits interfered considerably , insinuating themselves into the Lodges , and contributing to encrease that religious mysticism that is to be observed in all the ceremonies of the order . This society is well known to have put on every shapeand to have made use of every mean that could
, promote the power and influence of the order . And we know , that at this time they were by no means without hopes of re-establishing the dominion of the Church of Rome in England . Their services were' not scrupled at by the distressed royalists , even such as were Protestants , while they were hi ghly prized by the Sovereign . We also know that Charles II . was made a Mason , and frequented the Lodges .
It is not unlikely , that besides the amusement , of the vacant hour , which was always agreeable to him , he had pleasure in the meeting with his loyal friends , and'in the occupations of the Lodge , which recalled to his mind their attachment and services . His brother and successor , James II . was of a more serious and manly cast of mind , and had little pleasure in the frivolous ceremonies of Masonry . He did
not frequent the Lodges . But , by this time , they were the resort cf many persons who were not of the profession , or members of the trading corporation . This circumstance , in all probability , produced redenomination of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS . A person who has the privilege of working at any incorporated trade , is said to be a freeman of that trade . Others were accepted as Brethren ,
and admitted to a kind of honorary freedom , as is the case in manyother trades and incorporations , without having ( as far as we can learn for certain ) a legal title to earn a livelihood b y the exercise of it . ' P . 23 . The assertion , that the " Jesuits interfered considerably with the Lodges , ' wants proof ; and I here challenge the professor to produce his authorities-. Nothing can be more improbable than that this
bigoted , however subtle body , should have countenanced an institution which took within its pale of charitable communion all the varying tribes of mankind . Besides , if they did interfere , it must have been to propagate their particular tenets ; and how this could be done , when tlnP ^ rimary constitutions of the order forbade all reli gious and political discussions , lam at a loss to apprehend . If their
influence was considerable , they would not only have procured the repeal of this law , but have foisted in doctrines and ceremonies peculiarly favourable to the Romish communion . That such innova - tions never took place , proves that Jesuitic **! craft either never tampered with the institution , or tampered with it in vain . But I add , moreover , that it is an indisputed fact , that the Jesuits lotted and
p countenanced the death of Charles I . Tlie historians of the period are agreed on this point , and the Roman Catholics have never controverted it . Such men , therefore , would not have belonged to a . society , the most distinguishing ceremony of which was a commemoration of tlie monarch to whose murder they had been accessary .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Repository.
clined to establish as axioms . He says , 'I have met with many particular facts , which convince me that this use had been made of the meetings of Masons , and that , at this time , the Jesuits interfered considerably , insinuating themselves into the Lodges , and contributing to encrease that religious mysticism that is to be observed in all the ceremonies of the order . This society is well known to have put on every shapeand to have made use of every mean that could
, promote the power and influence of the order . And we know , that at this time they were by no means without hopes of re-establishing the dominion of the Church of Rome in England . Their services were' not scrupled at by the distressed royalists , even such as were Protestants , while they were hi ghly prized by the Sovereign . We also know that Charles II . was made a Mason , and frequented the Lodges .
It is not unlikely , that besides the amusement , of the vacant hour , which was always agreeable to him , he had pleasure in the meeting with his loyal friends , and'in the occupations of the Lodge , which recalled to his mind their attachment and services . His brother and successor , James II . was of a more serious and manly cast of mind , and had little pleasure in the frivolous ceremonies of Masonry . He did
not frequent the Lodges . But , by this time , they were the resort cf many persons who were not of the profession , or members of the trading corporation . This circumstance , in all probability , produced redenomination of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS . A person who has the privilege of working at any incorporated trade , is said to be a freeman of that trade . Others were accepted as Brethren ,
and admitted to a kind of honorary freedom , as is the case in manyother trades and incorporations , without having ( as far as we can learn for certain ) a legal title to earn a livelihood b y the exercise of it . ' P . 23 . The assertion , that the " Jesuits interfered considerably with the Lodges , ' wants proof ; and I here challenge the professor to produce his authorities-. Nothing can be more improbable than that this
bigoted , however subtle body , should have countenanced an institution which took within its pale of charitable communion all the varying tribes of mankind . Besides , if they did interfere , it must have been to propagate their particular tenets ; and how this could be done , when tlnP ^ rimary constitutions of the order forbade all reli gious and political discussions , lam at a loss to apprehend . If their
influence was considerable , they would not only have procured the repeal of this law , but have foisted in doctrines and ceremonies peculiarly favourable to the Romish communion . That such innova - tions never took place , proves that Jesuitic **! craft either never tampered with the institution , or tampered with it in vain . But I add , moreover , that it is an indisputed fact , that the Jesuits lotted and
p countenanced the death of Charles I . Tlie historians of the period are agreed on this point , and the Roman Catholics have never controverted it . Such men , therefore , would not have belonged to a . society , the most distinguishing ceremony of which was a commemoration of tlie monarch to whose murder they had been accessary .