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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 3 of 25 →
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Provincial.
place of high honour , and one ivhich I am indeed most truly proud of filling : on this very day , five years ago , I was placed in this chair , and I am glad of this opportunity of thanking you for the support , which you have so cordially and unanimously given ine in the carrying out of my various duties within this Province . There perhaps never was any time when the Craft was in a more flourishing state than at the present ; when Masonry was more as it should be ; when there , was a more general quiet
pervading the Order ; when the Brethren more dwelt together in unity . One of the great means in the production of this most desirable result has been the consolidation of the two Charities , so happily effected last year , the scheme of ivhich , on trial , works well , ancl although there are some who are doubtful as to its final result , still there are others who are most sanguine , not only in their hopes , but in their firm belief that every good that can be humanlhoped forivill attend the present state of our
Instiy , tution . To me it is most pleasing and gratifying to see that in these days an attempt should be made by those high in the seats of honour to cause , and bring about , in this country an universal mixing and gathering together of all nations , creeds , colours , and languages . The Great Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations has attempted this , and has succeeded far beyond the expectations of all ; but it must be remembered that Alasonry achieved this long before many of those nationswho now
, vie with happy England in arts and sciences , had emerged from their primitive ignorance ancl darkness . Alasonry has ever promoted this scheme ; and by promoting it quietly , steadily , and perseveringly , from the earliest antiquity , may perhaps be said to be one of the great instruments in the hands of the Great Architect of the Universe in bringing to pass
that ivhich now is going on , ancl is at once the envy and the admiration of all civilized nations . The great point to be admired in our Masonic system is , that as Brethren we meet , as Brethren we part ; that no religious or political discussion disturbs the harmony of our Lodges ; and thus we ensure a Brotherly good and kind feeling , which binds us closer and closer at every meeting of our Order . But , my Brethren , mistake me not ; I have already too often asserted the contrary ; we are neither , as a bodylatitudinarians in reliionnor libertines in political opinions .
, g , We are , as a body , of the religion of that country in ivhich we are located , and we are the strong supporters of government ancl good order wherever we may be placed ; and I here take the opportunity of again asserting , most firmly , that which I have ever asserted , that to all those who will take the trouble of looking fully into our Order , we are truly and essentially Christian in our constitution , our regulations , —our laws , and our ceremonies ; true and grantedthese are so framed as to admit
, all , who believe in a God to enter our gates ; still Christianity is our basis , onr groundwork , and , to every right thinking and well-intentioned Mason , constitutes the true secret of Freemasonry . AVhat is the creed of the Jew ? is he not looking forward for that most glorious event whicli we are satisfied has , liJOO years ago , taken place . To the Unitarian , to the Libertine , I say nothing more than this ; may the Great God , in whom each professed his belief when he first placed his foot within a
Masonic Lodg , e , guide his footsteps towards the true light , so that he may eventually see the real object of our system in the full blaze of Christian morality . That the Alahometan should belong to us is not extraordinary : his is u bastard system of religion , propagated by the sword , but still retaining so much of the pure light , from ivhich it has been pirated , as to shew at once its imposture and falsity—still a firm
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
place of high honour , and one ivhich I am indeed most truly proud of filling : on this very day , five years ago , I was placed in this chair , and I am glad of this opportunity of thanking you for the support , which you have so cordially and unanimously given ine in the carrying out of my various duties within this Province . There perhaps never was any time when the Craft was in a more flourishing state than at the present ; when Masonry was more as it should be ; when there , was a more general quiet
pervading the Order ; when the Brethren more dwelt together in unity . One of the great means in the production of this most desirable result has been the consolidation of the two Charities , so happily effected last year , the scheme of ivhich , on trial , works well , ancl although there are some who are doubtful as to its final result , still there are others who are most sanguine , not only in their hopes , but in their firm belief that every good that can be humanlhoped forivill attend the present state of our
Instiy , tution . To me it is most pleasing and gratifying to see that in these days an attempt should be made by those high in the seats of honour to cause , and bring about , in this country an universal mixing and gathering together of all nations , creeds , colours , and languages . The Great Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations has attempted this , and has succeeded far beyond the expectations of all ; but it must be remembered that Alasonry achieved this long before many of those nationswho now
, vie with happy England in arts and sciences , had emerged from their primitive ignorance ancl darkness . Alasonry has ever promoted this scheme ; and by promoting it quietly , steadily , and perseveringly , from the earliest antiquity , may perhaps be said to be one of the great instruments in the hands of the Great Architect of the Universe in bringing to pass
that ivhich now is going on , ancl is at once the envy and the admiration of all civilized nations . The great point to be admired in our Masonic system is , that as Brethren we meet , as Brethren we part ; that no religious or political discussion disturbs the harmony of our Lodges ; and thus we ensure a Brotherly good and kind feeling , which binds us closer and closer at every meeting of our Order . But , my Brethren , mistake me not ; I have already too often asserted the contrary ; we are neither , as a bodylatitudinarians in reliionnor libertines in political opinions .
, g , We are , as a body , of the religion of that country in ivhich we are located , and we are the strong supporters of government ancl good order wherever we may be placed ; and I here take the opportunity of again asserting , most firmly , that which I have ever asserted , that to all those who will take the trouble of looking fully into our Order , we are truly and essentially Christian in our constitution , our regulations , —our laws , and our ceremonies ; true and grantedthese are so framed as to admit
, all , who believe in a God to enter our gates ; still Christianity is our basis , onr groundwork , and , to every right thinking and well-intentioned Mason , constitutes the true secret of Freemasonry . AVhat is the creed of the Jew ? is he not looking forward for that most glorious event whicli we are satisfied has , liJOO years ago , taken place . To the Unitarian , to the Libertine , I say nothing more than this ; may the Great God , in whom each professed his belief when he first placed his foot within a
Masonic Lodg , e , guide his footsteps towards the true light , so that he may eventually see the real object of our system in the full blaze of Christian morality . That the Alahometan should belong to us is not extraordinary : his is u bastard system of religion , propagated by the sword , but still retaining so much of the pure light , from ivhich it has been pirated , as to shew at once its imposture and falsity—still a firm