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without clue regard to the whole truth , or the serious binding nature of the act . The oath attributed to Freemasons is perfectly voluntary , and no one would be admitted ivhose vanity or pride had urged him to differ with his Christian neighbours , ancl had created for himself a false conscience upon a received opinion , or ivhose conscience revolted at an act sanctioned by the Scriptures , the practice of all times , by the greatest ancl most pious men of ages past anil present . Quakers , Moravians , and others , are , however , protected in their religious scruples by an affirmation when requisite ; therefore this oath or affirmation cannot be alleged to be deficient in authority , or to be immoral .
FIFTH OBJECTION . LIBERTY AND EQUALITY . That the pernicious principles of a spurious liberty , and levelling equality , as propagated by Freemasonry , are subversive of all social order in society—destructive of all good government , and opposed lo the ¦ influence of true religion ; therefore impious aud immoral .
NOT SO , — Because the liberty practised and promulgated in the Lodges , is that natural liberty , secured by the laws of nature , compatible with the laws of nations , communities and individuals , acknowledging no enemy more dangerous than licentiousness in any form . The liberty of Freemasonry is subordinate to reason , to immutable justice , by which it must ever be supported ; to conscience , and a regard for the public welfare , by which it must be directed friendly to order ancl to peace . The liberty and
; equality of F ' reemasonry are understood in a sense entirely moral , and foreign to politics . The Abbe Barruel , too , has exempted British Freemasonry from the charge of establishing the wild notions of liberty , he asserts to have been taught in the Lodges of certain " secret societies , " on the continent . Therefore , the natural ancl judicious liberty of Freemasonry is neither impious nor immoral . Because the equality of Freemasonry has no relation to the distinctions
of civil order , trenches not upon the possession of riches or dignities . Freemasonry considers men of all ranks only with regard to the connection which unites them as members of one universal Brotherhood . The equality of Freemasons is one of those virtues , recommended by religion and morality , as is said by an eminent writer , " such institutions weaken pride , without destroying subordination , " which recal the rich ancl the magistracy to sentiments of natural equality , without injuring the legal
poiver of the latter , and the respect due to tlieir functions , and is of tlie highest advantage to morality and happiness , rendering them permanentl y useful . The Freemason desires to make but one great family of the whole human race under the Great Architect of the Universe , tlie Almighty Creator , and to induce mankind , on moral considerations , to regard and treat each other as Brothers . In the moral sense of the term must be understood this equalitythat Masons there are no
, among strangers , and man is every where at home , whatever may be the race to which he belongs , or the land in ivhich he is born . This equality , then , is not of that destructive or levelling description which would drag down the prince from the high station in which birth or fortune may have placed him , in order to degrade him to the level of the simple citizen ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Rejected Letters.*
without clue regard to the whole truth , or the serious binding nature of the act . The oath attributed to Freemasons is perfectly voluntary , and no one would be admitted ivhose vanity or pride had urged him to differ with his Christian neighbours , ancl had created for himself a false conscience upon a received opinion , or ivhose conscience revolted at an act sanctioned by the Scriptures , the practice of all times , by the greatest ancl most pious men of ages past anil present . Quakers , Moravians , and others , are , however , protected in their religious scruples by an affirmation when requisite ; therefore this oath or affirmation cannot be alleged to be deficient in authority , or to be immoral .
FIFTH OBJECTION . LIBERTY AND EQUALITY . That the pernicious principles of a spurious liberty , and levelling equality , as propagated by Freemasonry , are subversive of all social order in society—destructive of all good government , and opposed lo the ¦ influence of true religion ; therefore impious aud immoral .
NOT SO , — Because the liberty practised and promulgated in the Lodges , is that natural liberty , secured by the laws of nature , compatible with the laws of nations , communities and individuals , acknowledging no enemy more dangerous than licentiousness in any form . The liberty of Freemasonry is subordinate to reason , to immutable justice , by which it must ever be supported ; to conscience , and a regard for the public welfare , by which it must be directed friendly to order ancl to peace . The liberty and
; equality of F ' reemasonry are understood in a sense entirely moral , and foreign to politics . The Abbe Barruel , too , has exempted British Freemasonry from the charge of establishing the wild notions of liberty , he asserts to have been taught in the Lodges of certain " secret societies , " on the continent . Therefore , the natural ancl judicious liberty of Freemasonry is neither impious nor immoral . Because the equality of Freemasonry has no relation to the distinctions
of civil order , trenches not upon the possession of riches or dignities . Freemasonry considers men of all ranks only with regard to the connection which unites them as members of one universal Brotherhood . The equality of Freemasons is one of those virtues , recommended by religion and morality , as is said by an eminent writer , " such institutions weaken pride , without destroying subordination , " which recal the rich ancl the magistracy to sentiments of natural equality , without injuring the legal
poiver of the latter , and the respect due to tlieir functions , and is of tlie highest advantage to morality and happiness , rendering them permanentl y useful . The Freemason desires to make but one great family of the whole human race under the Great Architect of the Universe , tlie Almighty Creator , and to induce mankind , on moral considerations , to regard and treat each other as Brothers . In the moral sense of the term must be understood this equalitythat Masons there are no
, among strangers , and man is every where at home , whatever may be the race to which he belongs , or the land in ivhich he is born . This equality , then , is not of that destructive or levelling description which would drag down the prince from the high station in which birth or fortune may have placed him , in order to degrade him to the level of the simple citizen ;