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Article THE PRACTICAL BENEVOLENCE OF FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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The Practical Benevolence Of Freemasonry.
and beneficial tendency of the rites and ceremonies , morals and science which are practised and enforced in the tyled recesses of the Lodge . The widow's tear—the orphan ' s cry-All wants—our ready hands supply , As far as power is given . The naked clothe—the prisoner free—These are thy works sweet Charity , Revealed tous from Heaven .
It was requisite that Freemasonry should assume a high position amongst the institutions of the country , at a time when , by the reestablishment of its Grand Lodge on a firm basis , public attention was called to the Order , and its general utility excited discussion amongst scientific and thinking men . Ashmole and Locke scrutinized our pretensions with severity , and were convinced . The triumph of our scientific claims was consummated by their initiation . The public
avowal of their sentiments was placed on permanent record , and they continued to attend the Lodges , and to advocate the principles of Freemasonry to the end of their lives . Locke took upon himself the trouble to examine and exemplify a manuscript in the Bodleian , for the information of Lady Masham ; who , he says , was " become so fond of Masonry , as to say , that she now , more than ever , wishes herself a man , that she might be capable of admission into the fraternity . " In thc
course of a most interesting investigation of this manuscript , he informs her Ladyship , that " it was his wish , the secrets of Masonry were communicated to all mankind ; since there is nothing more true than what the Masons teach , that the better men are , the more they love one another ; virtue having in itself something so amiable as to charm the hearts of all who behold it . " Subsequently , this eminent philosopher and Mason acknowledged to Lord Pembroke , that it was this very enquiry ivhich induced him to be initiated . " " It has so much raised my curiosity , " these are his words , " as to induce me to enter myself into
the fraternity ; which I am determined to do ( if I maybe admitted ) the next time I go to London , and that will he shortly . ' ' And Ashmole says of himself , in his diary , " on March the 10 th , 1682 , about 5 hor . p . m . I received a summons to appear at a Lodge , to be held the next day at Mason ' s Hall , in London . Accordingly , I went , and about noon was admitted into the Fellowship of Freemasons ; Sir William AVilson , Knt .: Captain R . Borthwick , and several others . I was the senior
Fellow among them , it being 35 years since I was admitted . " Shortly liter this period the Duke of Buccleugh proposed the establishment of a general fund of Benevolence , for the relief of distressed Masons . Local funds of the same description had been long before in active operation amongst the private Lodges ; for the writer of Ashmole ' s life says , that in his time " they had Lodges in different countries for the reception of strange Brethren ; and when any of them fall into
decay , the Brotherhood is to relieve them . " A general fund , however , appeared to promise a more extended usefulness ; and its formation placed Freemasonry before the public eye in a new and amiable form . It was soon followed by the establishment of those noble Foundations for the female children of indigent Brethren , or orphans ; one of which emanated from the piactical benevolence of thc Chevalier Ruspini , and was brought to perfection under the patronage of the Duchess of Cumberland ; and the other was subsequently formed under the name of the Royal Masonic Institution , for Clothing , Educating , and Apprenticing
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Practical Benevolence Of Freemasonry.
and beneficial tendency of the rites and ceremonies , morals and science which are practised and enforced in the tyled recesses of the Lodge . The widow's tear—the orphan ' s cry-All wants—our ready hands supply , As far as power is given . The naked clothe—the prisoner free—These are thy works sweet Charity , Revealed tous from Heaven .
It was requisite that Freemasonry should assume a high position amongst the institutions of the country , at a time when , by the reestablishment of its Grand Lodge on a firm basis , public attention was called to the Order , and its general utility excited discussion amongst scientific and thinking men . Ashmole and Locke scrutinized our pretensions with severity , and were convinced . The triumph of our scientific claims was consummated by their initiation . The public
avowal of their sentiments was placed on permanent record , and they continued to attend the Lodges , and to advocate the principles of Freemasonry to the end of their lives . Locke took upon himself the trouble to examine and exemplify a manuscript in the Bodleian , for the information of Lady Masham ; who , he says , was " become so fond of Masonry , as to say , that she now , more than ever , wishes herself a man , that she might be capable of admission into the fraternity . " In thc
course of a most interesting investigation of this manuscript , he informs her Ladyship , that " it was his wish , the secrets of Masonry were communicated to all mankind ; since there is nothing more true than what the Masons teach , that the better men are , the more they love one another ; virtue having in itself something so amiable as to charm the hearts of all who behold it . " Subsequently , this eminent philosopher and Mason acknowledged to Lord Pembroke , that it was this very enquiry ivhich induced him to be initiated . " " It has so much raised my curiosity , " these are his words , " as to induce me to enter myself into
the fraternity ; which I am determined to do ( if I maybe admitted ) the next time I go to London , and that will he shortly . ' ' And Ashmole says of himself , in his diary , " on March the 10 th , 1682 , about 5 hor . p . m . I received a summons to appear at a Lodge , to be held the next day at Mason ' s Hall , in London . Accordingly , I went , and about noon was admitted into the Fellowship of Freemasons ; Sir William AVilson , Knt .: Captain R . Borthwick , and several others . I was the senior
Fellow among them , it being 35 years since I was admitted . " Shortly liter this period the Duke of Buccleugh proposed the establishment of a general fund of Benevolence , for the relief of distressed Masons . Local funds of the same description had been long before in active operation amongst the private Lodges ; for the writer of Ashmole ' s life says , that in his time " they had Lodges in different countries for the reception of strange Brethren ; and when any of them fall into
decay , the Brotherhood is to relieve them . " A general fund , however , appeared to promise a more extended usefulness ; and its formation placed Freemasonry before the public eye in a new and amiable form . It was soon followed by the establishment of those noble Foundations for the female children of indigent Brethren , or orphans ; one of which emanated from the piactical benevolence of thc Chevalier Ruspini , and was brought to perfection under the patronage of the Duchess of Cumberland ; and the other was subsequently formed under the name of the Royal Masonic Institution , for Clothing , Educating , and Apprenticing