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Article MASONIC DIDACTICS; ← Page 2 of 2
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Masonic Didactics;
No . XXIV . —THE UTILITY OF PENITENCE . Quern pcenitet , nccesse pome est innocens . —SRNKCA . A repentance of our misdeeds is halfway towards an amendment of conduct , and greatly diminishes the cause which set in jeopardy our innocence . And to manifest a real sorrow for our etrors , is tbe token of broken and contrite irit
a sp , declaratory of our desire to make some reparation for any injury inflicted , and reinstate our names among the ranks of the innocent . Because , as in the case of effects resulting from sudden anger , the truly elevated mind , when roused by some provocation to infringe the rules of propriety , on returning to cool reflection , justly reprobates its own indiscreetness as severely as the sternest moral censor ; and
anxiously desires to offer every becoming concession that might ameliorate the displeasure of the aggrieved party . Thus displaying a disposition that exhibits an innocence of natural character on the part of him who has been seduced to offer an offence of a more trivial description ; and a justice of character on the part of him , who having committed a more serious and grievous wrong , seals the sincerity of his penitence ban act of retribution
y . Whereas , on the contrary , an unprincipled and ill-regulated mind will oftentimes rather endeavour to aggravate an injury or offence , by some fresh accession to a former fault or crime , than seek to redress the calamity it has occasioned , or restore the reputation it has lost or destroyed , by the confession of a penitent admission of guilt . This moral axiom distinguishes the utterly depraved from the accidental and unhardened offender .
A great mind , under circumstances of incitement or irritation , is like the expansive ocean , ruffled and swelled by a sudden tempest . When the storm has subsided , it again resumes its usual calmness and dignity of motion . The little mind is like a dirty puddle , collecting every rain-drop of the paltry passions of a party , and always continues a nuisance on the highway of society , till the advancement of the sun of science and mental culture absorbs its insignificant contents , and men , rejoicing in the progress of useful knowledge and sound morals , just remember that such things were .
" Repentance of an evil done Implies , we will that evil shun . " One of the most remarkable instances of the utility of penitence , is that recorded in the Sacred Volume of the disciple Peter . Although for the moment seduced to renounce his divine Master by impious oaths , yet , at the simple crowing of the cock , he was warned of Ms error , and , with tears , immediately repented . The sincerity of his repentance , foolish and his action
profane as previous was , restored him to his divine Master ' s love and favour . Truly says the elegant Pliny in that trite apothegm" Nemo moitalium , omnibus Iioris sanit . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Didactics;
No . XXIV . —THE UTILITY OF PENITENCE . Quern pcenitet , nccesse pome est innocens . —SRNKCA . A repentance of our misdeeds is halfway towards an amendment of conduct , and greatly diminishes the cause which set in jeopardy our innocence . And to manifest a real sorrow for our etrors , is tbe token of broken and contrite irit
a sp , declaratory of our desire to make some reparation for any injury inflicted , and reinstate our names among the ranks of the innocent . Because , as in the case of effects resulting from sudden anger , the truly elevated mind , when roused by some provocation to infringe the rules of propriety , on returning to cool reflection , justly reprobates its own indiscreetness as severely as the sternest moral censor ; and
anxiously desires to offer every becoming concession that might ameliorate the displeasure of the aggrieved party . Thus displaying a disposition that exhibits an innocence of natural character on the part of him who has been seduced to offer an offence of a more trivial description ; and a justice of character on the part of him , who having committed a more serious and grievous wrong , seals the sincerity of his penitence ban act of retribution
y . Whereas , on the contrary , an unprincipled and ill-regulated mind will oftentimes rather endeavour to aggravate an injury or offence , by some fresh accession to a former fault or crime , than seek to redress the calamity it has occasioned , or restore the reputation it has lost or destroyed , by the confession of a penitent admission of guilt . This moral axiom distinguishes the utterly depraved from the accidental and unhardened offender .
A great mind , under circumstances of incitement or irritation , is like the expansive ocean , ruffled and swelled by a sudden tempest . When the storm has subsided , it again resumes its usual calmness and dignity of motion . The little mind is like a dirty puddle , collecting every rain-drop of the paltry passions of a party , and always continues a nuisance on the highway of society , till the advancement of the sun of science and mental culture absorbs its insignificant contents , and men , rejoicing in the progress of useful knowledge and sound morals , just remember that such things were .
" Repentance of an evil done Implies , we will that evil shun . " One of the most remarkable instances of the utility of penitence , is that recorded in the Sacred Volume of the disciple Peter . Although for the moment seduced to renounce his divine Master by impious oaths , yet , at the simple crowing of the cock , he was warned of Ms error , and , with tears , immediately repented . The sincerity of his repentance , foolish and his action
profane as previous was , restored him to his divine Master ' s love and favour . Truly says the elegant Pliny in that trite apothegm" Nemo moitalium , omnibus Iioris sanit . "