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Article ON FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 13 →
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On Freemasonry.
ON FREEMASONRY .
T HE NUMBER THREE , BV THE HEV . G . OLIVER , D . D . THE Science of Freemasonry embraces every branch of moral duty , whether it be applied to God , our neighbouror ourselves . " A Mason is obligedbhis tenure
, , y , to obey the moral law ; and jif he rightly understand the art , he will never be a stupid atheist , nor an irreligious libertine . " This peculiarity in the system is expressly inculcated on every member of the Order , at his first admission into a Lodge ; so anxiously has Freemasonry provided against any mistakeas to its peculiar tenets . No
, Brother can be ignorant of the great points of Masonic duty , although he may be unacquainted with the minuter details . The traditions and peculiar doctrines which are included in the more abstruse portions of the Lectures , may have remained unexplored ; but of its moral and
religious tendency , he cannot be uninformed . The details of Wisdom are inscribed on its Tracing-board , in broad and indelible characters ; and its general principles are so plain , that he who runs may read . There is one distinguishing feature of the present age , which displays an increasing regard for the interests of
morality . And the most auspicious anticipations of the ultimate prevalence of right principles may be entertained from this source alone . Even , in the absence of all the public institutions for the dissemination of useful knowledge , with which the present age abounds , this alone would proclaim the rapid progress of civilizationwhich
, can only be sound and useful , when found in connexion with the practice of virtue . I allude to the prevalence of an anxiety for the increase of religious edifices for the worship ofthe Creator ; and of Masonic halls for the inculcation of morals . Each of these sacred edifices bear a reference to the Temple of Solomon .
Thus it was said of the Hol y City of Jerusalem— " Very excellent things are spoken of thee , thou City of God . " And well might excellent things be spoken of it ; for it was not only placed in the centre of a fertile country , and abounded in magnificent buildings;—it was not only the scat of government , and the residence of the kings and VOL . I . I l
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry.
ON FREEMASONRY .
T HE NUMBER THREE , BV THE HEV . G . OLIVER , D . D . THE Science of Freemasonry embraces every branch of moral duty , whether it be applied to God , our neighbouror ourselves . " A Mason is obligedbhis tenure
, , y , to obey the moral law ; and jif he rightly understand the art , he will never be a stupid atheist , nor an irreligious libertine . " This peculiarity in the system is expressly inculcated on every member of the Order , at his first admission into a Lodge ; so anxiously has Freemasonry provided against any mistakeas to its peculiar tenets . No
, Brother can be ignorant of the great points of Masonic duty , although he may be unacquainted with the minuter details . The traditions and peculiar doctrines which are included in the more abstruse portions of the Lectures , may have remained unexplored ; but of its moral and
religious tendency , he cannot be uninformed . The details of Wisdom are inscribed on its Tracing-board , in broad and indelible characters ; and its general principles are so plain , that he who runs may read . There is one distinguishing feature of the present age , which displays an increasing regard for the interests of
morality . And the most auspicious anticipations of the ultimate prevalence of right principles may be entertained from this source alone . Even , in the absence of all the public institutions for the dissemination of useful knowledge , with which the present age abounds , this alone would proclaim the rapid progress of civilizationwhich
, can only be sound and useful , when found in connexion with the practice of virtue . I allude to the prevalence of an anxiety for the increase of religious edifices for the worship ofthe Creator ; and of Masonic halls for the inculcation of morals . Each of these sacred edifices bear a reference to the Temple of Solomon .
Thus it was said of the Hol y City of Jerusalem— " Very excellent things are spoken of thee , thou City of God . " And well might excellent things be spoken of it ; for it was not only placed in the centre of a fertile country , and abounded in magnificent buildings;—it was not only the scat of government , and the residence of the kings and VOL . I . I l