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Article THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. ← Page 5 of 7 →
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The Freemasons' Repository.
and benevolent purposes of brotherly love and mutual assistance ; such _ cpnsiderations should suffice to silence the clamour of spleen and inquisitiveness ; nor will the craft cease to maintain their credit and good fellowship , so long as they pursue the paths of justice and virtue , ¦ and adorn their profession by an inflexible adherence to the maxims of truth and honour . Accordinglyit becomes the interest of the brotherhoodas it has
, , ever been accounted one of their chief and primary cares , to admit such as are most inclined to adopt those maxims : but drunkards , reprobates , tale-bearers , lyars , litigious , profane , or illiterate persons , are far from being regarded as admissible members of the ancient and respectable confraternity of Free and Accepted Masons ; a denomination which may seem to implthat the qualitiesrather than the
y , art of a man , should entitle him to a fellowshi p in that august body , whose regard to decency and moral rectitude is not less-conspicuous ¦ than their disposition to humanity and benevolence ; and as one great end of this honourable institution is the promotion of commerce and social friendship , without compulsion or restraint , it must merit the approbation and esteem of every citizen in the world .
The principal acts of humanity and brotherly affection are unquestionabl y united in these well meant institutions ; and if unanimity and concord in carrying on designs for the honour of religion , and the good of our fellow creatures , if enlargedness of heart towards men , particularly towards our christian brethren , with respect to their various necessities , if these were the characters of true believers in the apostle's daysthe same characters areor ht to be lainllegible
, , oug p y in each amicable society , so as to exhibit a fair and adequate resemblance ofthe temper and manners of those early christians . It is an honour to the polity of these realms , that the necessities of the indigent are by no means forgotten ; hat still , it must be allowed , many cases there are of real distress , to which that provision which the law has appointed is neither easily , nor properly extended ; nor can it be
supposed to afford that relief which should be given to the greater part of those to whom it may extend : to which may be added , that by leaving every object of want and misery altogether to the care of the public , men forfeit entirely those means of proving to the world , raid to themselves , the goodness of their own hearts , and of making an undoubted free-will offering to God , out of that store with which he hath blessed them . '
: By the desi gns of the amicable societies united in one common interest , the deficiencies of a legal provision for the necessitous are frequently remedied by a competent supply ; and should it he urged that self-interest in the end has its share in the collection or management of such contributions , it is presumed that as no brother can be supposed to become entitled to any pecuniary advantage from the fund , till he can give sufficient proof that his necessity requires it , so each would of consequence do his best endeavour * to keep at the greatest distance from that necessity ; rather providing by frugal industry , that he may have to give to him that needcth .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Repository.
and benevolent purposes of brotherly love and mutual assistance ; such _ cpnsiderations should suffice to silence the clamour of spleen and inquisitiveness ; nor will the craft cease to maintain their credit and good fellowship , so long as they pursue the paths of justice and virtue , ¦ and adorn their profession by an inflexible adherence to the maxims of truth and honour . Accordinglyit becomes the interest of the brotherhoodas it has
, , ever been accounted one of their chief and primary cares , to admit such as are most inclined to adopt those maxims : but drunkards , reprobates , tale-bearers , lyars , litigious , profane , or illiterate persons , are far from being regarded as admissible members of the ancient and respectable confraternity of Free and Accepted Masons ; a denomination which may seem to implthat the qualitiesrather than the
y , art of a man , should entitle him to a fellowshi p in that august body , whose regard to decency and moral rectitude is not less-conspicuous ¦ than their disposition to humanity and benevolence ; and as one great end of this honourable institution is the promotion of commerce and social friendship , without compulsion or restraint , it must merit the approbation and esteem of every citizen in the world .
The principal acts of humanity and brotherly affection are unquestionabl y united in these well meant institutions ; and if unanimity and concord in carrying on designs for the honour of religion , and the good of our fellow creatures , if enlargedness of heart towards men , particularly towards our christian brethren , with respect to their various necessities , if these were the characters of true believers in the apostle's daysthe same characters areor ht to be lainllegible
, , oug p y in each amicable society , so as to exhibit a fair and adequate resemblance ofthe temper and manners of those early christians . It is an honour to the polity of these realms , that the necessities of the indigent are by no means forgotten ; hat still , it must be allowed , many cases there are of real distress , to which that provision which the law has appointed is neither easily , nor properly extended ; nor can it be
supposed to afford that relief which should be given to the greater part of those to whom it may extend : to which may be added , that by leaving every object of want and misery altogether to the care of the public , men forfeit entirely those means of proving to the world , raid to themselves , the goodness of their own hearts , and of making an undoubted free-will offering to God , out of that store with which he hath blessed them . '
: By the desi gns of the amicable societies united in one common interest , the deficiencies of a legal provision for the necessitous are frequently remedied by a competent supply ; and should it he urged that self-interest in the end has its share in the collection or management of such contributions , it is presumed that as no brother can be supposed to become entitled to any pecuniary advantage from the fund , till he can give sufficient proof that his necessity requires it , so each would of consequence do his best endeavour * to keep at the greatest distance from that necessity ; rather providing by frugal industry , that he may have to give to him that needcth .