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Article ON FREEMASONRY, ← Page 5 of 5 Article CHAPTER I. Page 1 of 6 →
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On Freemasonry,
hooks . I laugh at you , because I sincerel y believe that your labours , as you gravely call them , are a mere plaything , and therefore beneath the notice of an educated man . Beyond this , your deponent saith not . " " If this be the amount of your prejudices , we shall have you under the operation of the brand one of these days ; for you admit—which is a preparatory step to a favourable opinion of the institution , and a desire of knowledge—that it contains nothing absolutely vicious , or contrary to the dictates of morality and reli gion ; for in a confession of ignorance , there is a reasonable hope of amendment . "
" I will go with you one step further , and acknowledge that I have often thought it strange that men should be bold enough to write condemnatory essays on any given subject , and commence their tirade with an open confession that they are profoundly ignorant of its first principles . Thus evoking a ghost , and enjoying a great deal of self-satisfaction in having been fortunate enough to knock it on the head . There seems to be a fair proportion of Irish bullism in such a proceeding . " " Since you appear open to conviction we shall have some leasure in
, p enlightening your understanding ; and before we have done , we shall undoubtedly inspire a desire for that more perfect knowledge which can only be attained b y initiation . " From this conversation we felt ourselves pledged to pursue the subject by a series of essays in our widely circulated miscellany ; assured that no other medium would so effectually promulgate the theory—when lo ! the parcel of our friend , the Doctor , arrived most onnortunelv—our anxietv was
assuaged—our labours superceded—and we have only the easy task of presenting the contribution for the perusal of those whom it may concern _ merely premising that every argument which has been at any time advanced against the institution , may be considered as answered by the very quiet method which the Historian of Masonry has pursued in the papers now placed at our disposal . He descends to no personal arguments—casts no uncharitable reflections on any individual opponent , how embittered soever he may have shown himself against the Order but enforces the
; great principle , that an institution which inculcates all the moral virtues , both negatively and positively , must be fairly entitled to public approbation—worthy or the practice of all good and pious men ;—and cannot be justly chargeable with such ' high crimes and misdemeanours , " as our adversaries so stoutly prefer . ]—Ei > . P . Q . R . '
Chapter I.
CHAPTER I .
INTRODUCTORY . " Hail Masonry , thou Craft divine ! Clory of Earth , from Heaven reveal * d | Which doth with jewels precious shine , From all but Masons' eyes conceal'd ; Thy praises due , who can rehearse , In nervous prose or flowing verse ? From scorching heat and piercing cold , From beasts whose roar the forest rends From the assaults of warriors bold
, The Masons' art mankind defends . Be to this art due honour paid , From which mankind receives such aid FELLOW -CRAFTS' SONG . « ^ blind and ' fS ' t ^ ' ^" i " * Mas ? 1 v ° I > . actice universal beneficence , by being eyes to the ^ s ! SiiSBSSS 3 SSBSSSS ^ SFREEMASONRY is a comprehensive institution which embraces all mankind in a common bond of universal brotherhood . Creeds or modes
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry,
hooks . I laugh at you , because I sincerel y believe that your labours , as you gravely call them , are a mere plaything , and therefore beneath the notice of an educated man . Beyond this , your deponent saith not . " " If this be the amount of your prejudices , we shall have you under the operation of the brand one of these days ; for you admit—which is a preparatory step to a favourable opinion of the institution , and a desire of knowledge—that it contains nothing absolutely vicious , or contrary to the dictates of morality and reli gion ; for in a confession of ignorance , there is a reasonable hope of amendment . "
" I will go with you one step further , and acknowledge that I have often thought it strange that men should be bold enough to write condemnatory essays on any given subject , and commence their tirade with an open confession that they are profoundly ignorant of its first principles . Thus evoking a ghost , and enjoying a great deal of self-satisfaction in having been fortunate enough to knock it on the head . There seems to be a fair proportion of Irish bullism in such a proceeding . " " Since you appear open to conviction we shall have some leasure in
, p enlightening your understanding ; and before we have done , we shall undoubtedly inspire a desire for that more perfect knowledge which can only be attained b y initiation . " From this conversation we felt ourselves pledged to pursue the subject by a series of essays in our widely circulated miscellany ; assured that no other medium would so effectually promulgate the theory—when lo ! the parcel of our friend , the Doctor , arrived most onnortunelv—our anxietv was
assuaged—our labours superceded—and we have only the easy task of presenting the contribution for the perusal of those whom it may concern _ merely premising that every argument which has been at any time advanced against the institution , may be considered as answered by the very quiet method which the Historian of Masonry has pursued in the papers now placed at our disposal . He descends to no personal arguments—casts no uncharitable reflections on any individual opponent , how embittered soever he may have shown himself against the Order but enforces the
; great principle , that an institution which inculcates all the moral virtues , both negatively and positively , must be fairly entitled to public approbation—worthy or the practice of all good and pious men ;—and cannot be justly chargeable with such ' high crimes and misdemeanours , " as our adversaries so stoutly prefer . ]—Ei > . P . Q . R . '
Chapter I.
CHAPTER I .
INTRODUCTORY . " Hail Masonry , thou Craft divine ! Clory of Earth , from Heaven reveal * d | Which doth with jewels precious shine , From all but Masons' eyes conceal'd ; Thy praises due , who can rehearse , In nervous prose or flowing verse ? From scorching heat and piercing cold , From beasts whose roar the forest rends From the assaults of warriors bold
, The Masons' art mankind defends . Be to this art due honour paid , From which mankind receives such aid FELLOW -CRAFTS' SONG . « ^ blind and ' fS ' t ^ ' ^" i " * Mas ? 1 v ° I > . actice universal beneficence , by being eyes to the ^ s ! SiiSBSSS 3 SSBSSSS ^ SFREEMASONRY is a comprehensive institution which embraces all mankind in a common bond of universal brotherhood . Creeds or modes