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Article DETACHED SENTIMENTS.No. III. Page 1 of 1
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Detached Sentiments.No. Iii.
DETACHED SENTIMENTS . No . III .
PLUS ULTRA . MASONRY . ,
BY Generosity , the Freemason should understand the most exalted " feelings of the soul at the distress of another , and a benevolent readiness to relieve , without breaking in upon his own circumstances so , much , as to hurt the interest of his family , or . deprive hitn of thepower to confer an obligation upon any body else . " The virtue of a Freemason , amidst every distressing ' storm and adverse gale its votaries to the endand reigns trium
, preserves , - p hant over all . Infidelity may shoot its poisoned arrow , or imrno- ' xality . display its magnetic and attractive powers , yet even evilsmust gravitate to the centre , and solid virtue preponderate the whole . ,- •¦ •' ¦ . ¦ ¦ ... The real Freemason is eminently distinguished from the rest of mankind , by the uniform unrestrained rectitude of his conduct .
Other men are honest in fear of the punishments which the law might inflict : they are religious in expectation of being rewarded , or in dread of the devil , in the next world . A Freemason would be just , if there were no written laws , human or divine , ' except those that are written on his heart by the finger of his Creator , In every clirfiate , under every system of reli gion , he is the same . He kneels before the universal throne of God , in gratitude for the blessings he has ; received , and in humble solicitation for his future protection . He venerates the piety of good men of all religions . He disturbs
not the religion of his country , because , the agitation of speculative opinions produces greater evils than the errors it is intended to remove . -i-He restrains his passions , because they cannot be indulged without injuring his nei ghbour or himself . — -He gives no offence , because he does not chuse to be offended . —He contracts no debts which he is not certain that he can discharge , because he is honest . upon principle . —He nevers utters a falsehoodbecause it is cowardl
, y , and infinitely beneath the dignity of a real Free and Accepted Mason , which is the noblest and the hi ghest character on earth . ¦ The Freemason is : the enemy of hypotheses and systems , —but the friend of observation , experience , and sound reasoning . ¦ . 'Let not the unfeeling and unenli ghtened Stoic deride the pleasurest ofthe Freemason , and despise a-happiness which his gloomy soul
is incapable of tasting ; it presents many enjoyments , which' the age of reason will always behold with approbation . - i Whatever disposition tends to soften without weakening the mind of . a Mason , ought to be cherished ; and it must be allowed , that delicacy of sentiment , on this side the extreme , adds greatly to the happiness of every Mason , by diffusing an universal benevolence . ' The real Freemason will vindicate his friend-in his absence , and tell his failings to his face . Vol , IV , p , i 6 x .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Detached Sentiments.No. Iii.
DETACHED SENTIMENTS . No . III .
PLUS ULTRA . MASONRY . ,
BY Generosity , the Freemason should understand the most exalted " feelings of the soul at the distress of another , and a benevolent readiness to relieve , without breaking in upon his own circumstances so , much , as to hurt the interest of his family , or . deprive hitn of thepower to confer an obligation upon any body else . " The virtue of a Freemason , amidst every distressing ' storm and adverse gale its votaries to the endand reigns trium
, preserves , - p hant over all . Infidelity may shoot its poisoned arrow , or imrno- ' xality . display its magnetic and attractive powers , yet even evilsmust gravitate to the centre , and solid virtue preponderate the whole . ,- •¦ •' ¦ . ¦ ¦ ... The real Freemason is eminently distinguished from the rest of mankind , by the uniform unrestrained rectitude of his conduct .
Other men are honest in fear of the punishments which the law might inflict : they are religious in expectation of being rewarded , or in dread of the devil , in the next world . A Freemason would be just , if there were no written laws , human or divine , ' except those that are written on his heart by the finger of his Creator , In every clirfiate , under every system of reli gion , he is the same . He kneels before the universal throne of God , in gratitude for the blessings he has ; received , and in humble solicitation for his future protection . He venerates the piety of good men of all religions . He disturbs
not the religion of his country , because , the agitation of speculative opinions produces greater evils than the errors it is intended to remove . -i-He restrains his passions , because they cannot be indulged without injuring his nei ghbour or himself . — -He gives no offence , because he does not chuse to be offended . —He contracts no debts which he is not certain that he can discharge , because he is honest . upon principle . —He nevers utters a falsehoodbecause it is cowardl
, y , and infinitely beneath the dignity of a real Free and Accepted Mason , which is the noblest and the hi ghest character on earth . ¦ The Freemason is : the enemy of hypotheses and systems , —but the friend of observation , experience , and sound reasoning . ¦ . 'Let not the unfeeling and unenli ghtened Stoic deride the pleasurest ofthe Freemason , and despise a-happiness which his gloomy soul
is incapable of tasting ; it presents many enjoyments , which' the age of reason will always behold with approbation . - i Whatever disposition tends to soften without weakening the mind of . a Mason , ought to be cherished ; and it must be allowed , that delicacy of sentiment , on this side the extreme , adds greatly to the happiness of every Mason , by diffusing an universal benevolence . ' The real Freemason will vindicate his friend-in his absence , and tell his failings to his face . Vol , IV , p , i 6 x .