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Article THE PRINCIPLES OF MASONRY. ← Page 2 of 5 →
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The Principles Of Masonry.
" Worthy Mussulmans have from time immemorial sought admission into , and been readily welcomed by the Craft ; and if you will refer to Mr . Baillie Frazer ' s account of the proceedings of the Persian Princes in London , you will find that they all took advantage of being there to be initiated . One of the late Kings of the Oude became a Mason , under the auspices , I believe , of the Marquis of Hastings , one of the most accomplished and learned Brethren that ever existed , and it was only so late as 1837 , that the initiation of the Envoy ofthe present Prince of that country took place at London in the presence of the W . M . the Duke of Sussex , who made a highly characteristic Masonic address on the occasion .
' Members of the Fraternity who read with attention the Travels of Brother Sir Alexander Burnes into Bokhara , will recognise something very like Masonry in his meetings with certain Mahomedan Chiefs ' I I have never heard of a Hindoo being received into the Brotherhood , although the learned Brother Archdeacon Robinson traced a connexion between Masonry and the Brahminical ceremonies , nor do I believe that any Parsee has yet been admitted into a British Lodge , but I know that there is
at present in possession of Brother Harry Barr , an authentic diploma as a Master Mason , granted by a French Lodge at the Mauritius to a Parsee lately deceased , and which has formed the ground of an application from a gentleman of the same persuasion in Bombay , to be ballotted for as a candidate in the Lodge Perseverance . " In the address which was voted by the Grand Lodge of England to George III . in IT 93 the Marquis of Hastings then acting Grand
, as Master under the Prince of AVales , thus explained the principles of Masonry : ' It is written , Sire , in the Institute of our Order , that we shall not at our meetings go into religious or political discussion , because , composed as our Fraternity is of men of various nations , professing different rules of faith , and attached to opposite systems of government , such discussions sharpening the mind of man against his Brother , might offend , and disunite . We fraternise for the purposes of social
intercourse , of mutual assistance , of charity to the distressed , and good will to all : fidelity to a trust , reverence to the magistrate , and obedience to the laws , are sculptured in capitals upon the pediment of our institution / " But as your observation refers particularly to religion , I cannot do better than transcribe for you verbatim from the Book of Constitutions , the first of the ancient charges , which is ' concerning God and religion . ' To this I shall also add the second , which relates to duty as a subject . These are as follows : —
1 . —CONCERNING GOD AND RELIGION . " A Mason is obliged , by his tenure , to obey the moral law ; and if he rightly understand the art , he will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious libertine . He , of all men , should best understand that God seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh at the outward appearance , but God looketh to the heart . A Mason is , therefore , particularl y bound never to act against the dictates of his conscience . Let a man '" reliion
s g or mode of worship be what it may , he is not excluded from the Order , provided he believe in the glorious Architect of Heaven and earth , and practise the sacred duties of morality . Masons unite with the virtuous of every persuasion in the firm and pleasing bond of fraternal love ; they are taught to view the errors of mankind with compassion , antl to strive , by the purity of their own conduct , to demonstrate the superior
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Principles Of Masonry.
" Worthy Mussulmans have from time immemorial sought admission into , and been readily welcomed by the Craft ; and if you will refer to Mr . Baillie Frazer ' s account of the proceedings of the Persian Princes in London , you will find that they all took advantage of being there to be initiated . One of the late Kings of the Oude became a Mason , under the auspices , I believe , of the Marquis of Hastings , one of the most accomplished and learned Brethren that ever existed , and it was only so late as 1837 , that the initiation of the Envoy ofthe present Prince of that country took place at London in the presence of the W . M . the Duke of Sussex , who made a highly characteristic Masonic address on the occasion .
' Members of the Fraternity who read with attention the Travels of Brother Sir Alexander Burnes into Bokhara , will recognise something very like Masonry in his meetings with certain Mahomedan Chiefs ' I I have never heard of a Hindoo being received into the Brotherhood , although the learned Brother Archdeacon Robinson traced a connexion between Masonry and the Brahminical ceremonies , nor do I believe that any Parsee has yet been admitted into a British Lodge , but I know that there is
at present in possession of Brother Harry Barr , an authentic diploma as a Master Mason , granted by a French Lodge at the Mauritius to a Parsee lately deceased , and which has formed the ground of an application from a gentleman of the same persuasion in Bombay , to be ballotted for as a candidate in the Lodge Perseverance . " In the address which was voted by the Grand Lodge of England to George III . in IT 93 the Marquis of Hastings then acting Grand
, as Master under the Prince of AVales , thus explained the principles of Masonry : ' It is written , Sire , in the Institute of our Order , that we shall not at our meetings go into religious or political discussion , because , composed as our Fraternity is of men of various nations , professing different rules of faith , and attached to opposite systems of government , such discussions sharpening the mind of man against his Brother , might offend , and disunite . We fraternise for the purposes of social
intercourse , of mutual assistance , of charity to the distressed , and good will to all : fidelity to a trust , reverence to the magistrate , and obedience to the laws , are sculptured in capitals upon the pediment of our institution / " But as your observation refers particularly to religion , I cannot do better than transcribe for you verbatim from the Book of Constitutions , the first of the ancient charges , which is ' concerning God and religion . ' To this I shall also add the second , which relates to duty as a subject . These are as follows : —
1 . —CONCERNING GOD AND RELIGION . " A Mason is obliged , by his tenure , to obey the moral law ; and if he rightly understand the art , he will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious libertine . He , of all men , should best understand that God seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh at the outward appearance , but God looketh to the heart . A Mason is , therefore , particularl y bound never to act against the dictates of his conscience . Let a man '" reliion
s g or mode of worship be what it may , he is not excluded from the Order , provided he believe in the glorious Architect of Heaven and earth , and practise the sacred duties of morality . Masons unite with the virtuous of every persuasion in the firm and pleasing bond of fraternal love ; they are taught to view the errors of mankind with compassion , antl to strive , by the purity of their own conduct , to demonstrate the superior