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publish it , " —would deter any one from venturing ngain to essay your fairness aud honesty upon so important a subject as Freemasonry , represented or misrepresented . From your article on " Freemasonry , " in " the " Tablet , " 16 th December , 18 ! 3 , it appears that this warfare was commenced in your absence , which would have accounted for the previous rejection of two short letters , protesting against the harsh and bitter denouncements hy ( as happens ') your A-CMMI t . encns against" the sect . " But not only have you followed this uncharitable conductyou have adopted these pragmatical notionsand
, , selected for your text the pastoral of the Archbishop of Rhodes , for the purpose of confirming your own mistaken , imaginary interpretation of the decrees of Popes against " secret societies , " the infidel and wicked combinations on many parts ofthe Continent , whether under the designation of" Illnminati , " " Carbonari , " or " Communists , " under the assumed name of " Freemasons . " But you commit a most pernicious error , and are guilty of a very gross injustice in classing British "Freemasons , " "Odd Fellows , " " Ancient Druids , " and the like " secret societies , " instituted fov convivial
and charitable purposes from time immemorial , —with the wicked combinations of France , Germany , and Italy . There never was the slightest coincidence between them except of charity , any more than between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches , because some of the offices resemble . It is often painful to witness Catholic writers resort to that unworthy subterfuge of our opponents , charging individuals aud whole bodies with opinions and crimes they hold in abhorrence—classing radical reformers with infidels — liberal Catholics with Atheists—and now the " Tablet "
, classes " Freemasons" with the " Illnminati , " " Carbonari , " and " Communists , " in order to affix odium against persons holding harmless opinions . Deeds of blood and rebellion perpetrated under the cloak of Freemasonry , are abuses , as much so as tlie rapine and slaughters which have been committed under the sacred names of liberty and religion . But to the point . Is there a man in England , whether bishop , priest , or layman , who can believe that his Royal Highness , the late Duke of Sussex , " Grand Master of Englandor any one of the hundreds of noblemen or gentlemen
, among our aristocracy who belong to the society of Freemasons , ever entertained the opinions laid to the charge ofthe society condemned in Malta , — " This infernal sanhedrin , the scope and tendency of which are no other than to shake off every tie of duty , human or divine , and to destroy , as far as it may be possible , all the foundations of the Catholic religion . " Who , that ever witnessed the Christian and amiable demeanour of this
lamented prince when presiding , year after year , at our public dinners ut the Freemason ' s Tavern in behalf of Catholic charities , and many other noblemen and gentlemen of the English aristocracy , can imagine such good men , such great men , to countenance or claim membership with , — " Lodges , diametrically opposed to our most Holy , Catholic religion , destructive of every bond of heavenly as well as earthly authority , contradic-1 ory to all the maxims of the Gospel , and tending solely , under the fraudful veil of a deceitfully pleasing novelty , and ill-understood philanfhrophy , and
a spurious liberty , to disorganize , to overthrow , and to destroy all that is religious , honourable , or beneficial , not only to the'Catholic as such , but to the simplest citizen in his social position . " Having , however , thus in the " Tablet , " under your guidance , recommenced the fray , I hope you will not , without good reason , refuse this plea for British Freemasons , in contradistinction to your most unjustifiable denunciations of a society , having , in England , no connexion whatever with either politics or reliionNowequallis it impossible that Catholic
g . , y Freemasons ever can entertain the abominable doctrines and opinions condemned in your text , or coalesce with persons who do . No bishop , priest , or layman , who is at all aecjnaiutcd with the truth , can hazard so gross a supposition . You have proved a great deal too much , and so far have conferred a boon upon societv , if your undue lay-interference in spi-YOL . II . " jj
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Rejected Letters.
publish it , " —would deter any one from venturing ngain to essay your fairness aud honesty upon so important a subject as Freemasonry , represented or misrepresented . From your article on " Freemasonry , " in " the " Tablet , " 16 th December , 18 ! 3 , it appears that this warfare was commenced in your absence , which would have accounted for the previous rejection of two short letters , protesting against the harsh and bitter denouncements hy ( as happens ') your A-CMMI t . encns against" the sect . " But not only have you followed this uncharitable conductyou have adopted these pragmatical notionsand
, , selected for your text the pastoral of the Archbishop of Rhodes , for the purpose of confirming your own mistaken , imaginary interpretation of the decrees of Popes against " secret societies , " the infidel and wicked combinations on many parts ofthe Continent , whether under the designation of" Illnminati , " " Carbonari , " or " Communists , " under the assumed name of " Freemasons . " But you commit a most pernicious error , and are guilty of a very gross injustice in classing British "Freemasons , " "Odd Fellows , " " Ancient Druids , " and the like " secret societies , " instituted fov convivial
and charitable purposes from time immemorial , —with the wicked combinations of France , Germany , and Italy . There never was the slightest coincidence between them except of charity , any more than between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches , because some of the offices resemble . It is often painful to witness Catholic writers resort to that unworthy subterfuge of our opponents , charging individuals aud whole bodies with opinions and crimes they hold in abhorrence—classing radical reformers with infidels — liberal Catholics with Atheists—and now the " Tablet "
, classes " Freemasons" with the " Illnminati , " " Carbonari , " and " Communists , " in order to affix odium against persons holding harmless opinions . Deeds of blood and rebellion perpetrated under the cloak of Freemasonry , are abuses , as much so as tlie rapine and slaughters which have been committed under the sacred names of liberty and religion . But to the point . Is there a man in England , whether bishop , priest , or layman , who can believe that his Royal Highness , the late Duke of Sussex , " Grand Master of Englandor any one of the hundreds of noblemen or gentlemen
, among our aristocracy who belong to the society of Freemasons , ever entertained the opinions laid to the charge ofthe society condemned in Malta , — " This infernal sanhedrin , the scope and tendency of which are no other than to shake off every tie of duty , human or divine , and to destroy , as far as it may be possible , all the foundations of the Catholic religion . " Who , that ever witnessed the Christian and amiable demeanour of this
lamented prince when presiding , year after year , at our public dinners ut the Freemason ' s Tavern in behalf of Catholic charities , and many other noblemen and gentlemen of the English aristocracy , can imagine such good men , such great men , to countenance or claim membership with , — " Lodges , diametrically opposed to our most Holy , Catholic religion , destructive of every bond of heavenly as well as earthly authority , contradic-1 ory to all the maxims of the Gospel , and tending solely , under the fraudful veil of a deceitfully pleasing novelty , and ill-understood philanfhrophy , and
a spurious liberty , to disorganize , to overthrow , and to destroy all that is religious , honourable , or beneficial , not only to the'Catholic as such , but to the simplest citizen in his social position . " Having , however , thus in the " Tablet , " under your guidance , recommenced the fray , I hope you will not , without good reason , refuse this plea for British Freemasons , in contradistinction to your most unjustifiable denunciations of a society , having , in England , no connexion whatever with either politics or reliionNowequallis it impossible that Catholic
g . , y Freemasons ever can entertain the abominable doctrines and opinions condemned in your text , or coalesce with persons who do . No bishop , priest , or layman , who is at all aecjnaiutcd with the truth , can hazard so gross a supposition . You have proved a great deal too much , and so far have conferred a boon upon societv , if your undue lay-interference in spi-YOL . II . " jj