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Article MASONRY IN SCOTLAND. Page 1 of 7 →
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Masonry In Scotland.
MASONRY IN SCOTLAND .
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND REVIEW . Edinburgh , September , 1852 . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — WE have reason to believe that our Grand Master , the Duke of Atholl , is animated with a strong desire that Masonry in Scotland should advance ; that the stigma with which Scotch Lodges are
branded should be removed ; that Masonic matters should be more regularly conducted , ancl Masonic principles more faithfully carried out . We are sure that his visits to the United Grancl Lodge of England , and the private Lodges of that country , will be more likely to strengthen this feeling than to lessen it . We can imagine with what pleasure he witnessed the order , regularity , and quietness , with which the" Masonic business is conducted there ; and , whatever he may have
said , we are sure he must have felt a tinge of shame mantling his cheek , as he contrasted with that order , regularity , and quietness , the disorder , irregularity , and noise , which he well knows obtains in the Grand Lodge , as well as in many of the other Lodges here . You must not think , however , that I am giving wholesale praise to all the Lodges in England . By no means ! I cannot shut my eyes to the fact that there are exceptions to good order and regularity there , as well as
that there are exceptions to disorder and irregularit y here . The Grand Master is in a position to do good service to the cause of Masonic improvement in Scotland , and we are very , very much mistaken , if he do not attempt to foster the great principles of "
Brotherly love , relief , and truth . " These characteristics , as shown b y the actions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , it may not be uninteresting to notice . " Brotherly love , " as understood and exemplified there , appears to be the repetition of regularly stereotyped sentences in the shape of set speeches , the meaning of which those who deliver them either do not understand , or have not the least intention of acting up to . Unless all goes smoothly ,
according to the pre-arranged plan which the Brethren have in view , or if any unfortunate wight should venture to express an opinion , or propose anything , contrary to the judgment of those who arrange matters , —then woe betide him , —he will , without fail , experience the "Brotherly Jove" of Grand Lodge , which springs apparently from motives , —I was going to say , " interested motives , " . —but , as it is not Brotherly to ascribe " motives" to any one , much less to
a Brother , I will retract the expression ; for , should there be any such motives , they will , perhaps , speak for themselves . " Brotherly love " is , however , so closely connected with " Relief , " that ive must bring forward the one before we can finish the other ; and Relief in Scotland , so far as I have been able to understand its workings , is Charity . Now , I must admit that we adhere strictly to some of the leading axioms belonging to that virtue ; we pay
par ticular attention to the lessons which we have intuitively been taught ; for example , " Charity begins at home . " I need hardly offer evidence to prove how religiously we stick to this rule , as I consider it next to impossible for any one to prove that we are often found infringing the precepts of this natural law , or saving clause to our
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonry In Scotland.
MASONRY IN SCOTLAND .
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND REVIEW . Edinburgh , September , 1852 . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — WE have reason to believe that our Grand Master , the Duke of Atholl , is animated with a strong desire that Masonry in Scotland should advance ; that the stigma with which Scotch Lodges are
branded should be removed ; that Masonic matters should be more regularly conducted , ancl Masonic principles more faithfully carried out . We are sure that his visits to the United Grancl Lodge of England , and the private Lodges of that country , will be more likely to strengthen this feeling than to lessen it . We can imagine with what pleasure he witnessed the order , regularity , and quietness , with which the" Masonic business is conducted there ; and , whatever he may have
said , we are sure he must have felt a tinge of shame mantling his cheek , as he contrasted with that order , regularity , and quietness , the disorder , irregularity , and noise , which he well knows obtains in the Grand Lodge , as well as in many of the other Lodges here . You must not think , however , that I am giving wholesale praise to all the Lodges in England . By no means ! I cannot shut my eyes to the fact that there are exceptions to good order and regularity there , as well as
that there are exceptions to disorder and irregularit y here . The Grand Master is in a position to do good service to the cause of Masonic improvement in Scotland , and we are very , very much mistaken , if he do not attempt to foster the great principles of "
Brotherly love , relief , and truth . " These characteristics , as shown b y the actions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , it may not be uninteresting to notice . " Brotherly love , " as understood and exemplified there , appears to be the repetition of regularly stereotyped sentences in the shape of set speeches , the meaning of which those who deliver them either do not understand , or have not the least intention of acting up to . Unless all goes smoothly ,
according to the pre-arranged plan which the Brethren have in view , or if any unfortunate wight should venture to express an opinion , or propose anything , contrary to the judgment of those who arrange matters , —then woe betide him , —he will , without fail , experience the "Brotherly Jove" of Grand Lodge , which springs apparently from motives , —I was going to say , " interested motives , " . —but , as it is not Brotherly to ascribe " motives" to any one , much less to
a Brother , I will retract the expression ; for , should there be any such motives , they will , perhaps , speak for themselves . " Brotherly love " is , however , so closely connected with " Relief , " that ive must bring forward the one before we can finish the other ; and Relief in Scotland , so far as I have been able to understand its workings , is Charity . Now , I must admit that we adhere strictly to some of the leading axioms belonging to that virtue ; we pay
par ticular attention to the lessons which we have intuitively been taught ; for example , " Charity begins at home . " I need hardly offer evidence to prove how religiously we stick to this rule , as I consider it next to impossible for any one to prove that we are often found infringing the precepts of this natural law , or saving clause to our