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Cr-li-Mi church ; but whether the Papal decrees against " secret societies " bad not been at that time , therefore , promulgated in that country , 1 eannot say . Many religious orders possessed privileges , and used peculiar ceremonies granted to them at different periods . I therefore protest against the uncharitable and unjustifiable lay-censorship of the " Tablet , " and till that I wish and have attempted to prove is , that British Freemasons do not entertain the infidel and blasphemous
opinions condemned in the pastoral of the Archbishop of Malta . If I dare express an opinion upon so momentous a subject , it is that our vicarsapostolic will never be cajoled into a condemnation of thousands by the intemperate assumptions of tin over-zealous editor of a newspaper , but rather be induced , if requisite , to examine into facts , and make a powerful representation to Rome in behalf of the disturbed consciences of their flocks . No explanations—no defences are admitted into " the Tablet , " except from " a clergyman . " Yet does this warfare of misrepresentation continue
against British Freemasonry as immoral , anti-Christian , infidel , anti-social , illegal , " illegal by the laws of this country ! " Illegal , indeed , —the late lamented Duke of Sussex ' , Grand Master of an illegal society ! Freemasonry—more ancient ( it is said ) than Christianity , and as universal , is not per se , subversive of Christianity , although too often abused , when assumed as acloak by infidel aud other eombinators , which is the case in Italy . The Pope , as temporal prince , has it right to use the strong arm of the law in order to exterminate troublesome aud dangerous associations in his
own dominions . A few are known to exist at the present day , Carbonari , Illnminati , Communist and the like , avowedly established for political and anti-Christian ends , some under the assumed name of Freemason , which combinations no one can deny are condemned by the church . But no man who venerates the truth can affirm , that British Freemasons hold the slightest kindred opinion with such " secret societies . " If the church in
anathematizing such abominations did make no distinction in those days , the innocent became included with the guilty ; and such necessity having now passed , the papal decrees , if not republished , become obsolete . It therefore rests with our Vicars-Apostolic to pronounce upon tbe necessity for such republication , and to interpret the canon law as to the value and force of the pupal edicts , without the presumptuous lay interference of the editor of a weekly newspaper , whose burning zeal is only to be satisfied with hecatombs of victims immolated to his imaginary hallucinations . Ten
just men would have saved Sodom and Ghomarrah—the known existence of thousands of just men and good Christians , will appeal in behalf of British Freemasons , unjustly and unwarrantably accused by the " TiiWet " of holding infidel opinions they repudiate , and abetting crimes they detest and abhor . I will not at present venture upon a definition of a " secret society , '' nor of an " unnecessary or secret oath , " nor attempt to determine whether a harmless " secret society" composed of millionsor a " secret oath" taken
, , by millions , be unnecessary or unlawful , as condemned by the papal decrees , by many divines said to have become obsolete . Our doctrine teaches by the commandment , " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : " that is forbidden . " All false , rash , and unnecessary oaths or vows- ; " " making- or keeping unlawful ones . " Our doctrine also teaches , that " an oath is lawful" " when God's honour , or our own or neighbour ' s honour , defence , or good require it . " But lawful authority must decide whether a society composed of millions will not abide this test . There are
many harmless convivial " secret societies , " with which I am acquainted , having no connexion with either politics or religion , in which the members rise by certain grades , and bound by neither oath nor affirmation , but in honour , by a signature in their books to the rules and regulations , after the manner of " the secret" in the apostolic ages of tbe church , when the catechumens were not admitted to a knowledge ofthe Divine mysteries .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Rejected Letters.
Cr-li-Mi church ; but whether the Papal decrees against " secret societies " bad not been at that time , therefore , promulgated in that country , 1 eannot say . Many religious orders possessed privileges , and used peculiar ceremonies granted to them at different periods . I therefore protest against the uncharitable and unjustifiable lay-censorship of the " Tablet , " and till that I wish and have attempted to prove is , that British Freemasons do not entertain the infidel and blasphemous
opinions condemned in the pastoral of the Archbishop of Malta . If I dare express an opinion upon so momentous a subject , it is that our vicarsapostolic will never be cajoled into a condemnation of thousands by the intemperate assumptions of tin over-zealous editor of a newspaper , but rather be induced , if requisite , to examine into facts , and make a powerful representation to Rome in behalf of the disturbed consciences of their flocks . No explanations—no defences are admitted into " the Tablet , " except from " a clergyman . " Yet does this warfare of misrepresentation continue
against British Freemasonry as immoral , anti-Christian , infidel , anti-social , illegal , " illegal by the laws of this country ! " Illegal , indeed , —the late lamented Duke of Sussex ' , Grand Master of an illegal society ! Freemasonry—more ancient ( it is said ) than Christianity , and as universal , is not per se , subversive of Christianity , although too often abused , when assumed as acloak by infidel aud other eombinators , which is the case in Italy . The Pope , as temporal prince , has it right to use the strong arm of the law in order to exterminate troublesome aud dangerous associations in his
own dominions . A few are known to exist at the present day , Carbonari , Illnminati , Communist and the like , avowedly established for political and anti-Christian ends , some under the assumed name of Freemason , which combinations no one can deny are condemned by the church . But no man who venerates the truth can affirm , that British Freemasons hold the slightest kindred opinion with such " secret societies . " If the church in
anathematizing such abominations did make no distinction in those days , the innocent became included with the guilty ; and such necessity having now passed , the papal decrees , if not republished , become obsolete . It therefore rests with our Vicars-Apostolic to pronounce upon tbe necessity for such republication , and to interpret the canon law as to the value and force of the pupal edicts , without the presumptuous lay interference of the editor of a weekly newspaper , whose burning zeal is only to be satisfied with hecatombs of victims immolated to his imaginary hallucinations . Ten
just men would have saved Sodom and Ghomarrah—the known existence of thousands of just men and good Christians , will appeal in behalf of British Freemasons , unjustly and unwarrantably accused by the " TiiWet " of holding infidel opinions they repudiate , and abetting crimes they detest and abhor . I will not at present venture upon a definition of a " secret society , '' nor of an " unnecessary or secret oath , " nor attempt to determine whether a harmless " secret society" composed of millionsor a " secret oath" taken
, , by millions , be unnecessary or unlawful , as condemned by the papal decrees , by many divines said to have become obsolete . Our doctrine teaches by the commandment , " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : " that is forbidden . " All false , rash , and unnecessary oaths or vows- ; " " making- or keeping unlawful ones . " Our doctrine also teaches , that " an oath is lawful" " when God's honour , or our own or neighbour ' s honour , defence , or good require it . " But lawful authority must decide whether a society composed of millions will not abide this test . There are
many harmless convivial " secret societies , " with which I am acquainted , having no connexion with either politics or religion , in which the members rise by certain grades , and bound by neither oath nor affirmation , but in honour , by a signature in their books to the rules and regulations , after the manner of " the secret" in the apostolic ages of tbe church , when the catechumens were not admitted to a knowledge ofthe Divine mysteries .