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Article NOTES ON MASONRY IN BENGAL. ← Page 5 of 7 →
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Notes On Masonry In Bengal.
are recognised by the Constitutions . As this is the case , no time should be lost in effecting the abolition of this custom ; and as a sli ght specification of the evils resulting from its continuance , may accelerate the desiderated end , it shall be made . They are briefly these : —In the first place , by the exaltation of persons unskilled in the profound Mysteries of' their Art , the Craft becomes lessened in tie eyes of the aspirant . The Constitutions consider that Mason to be a P . i \; whohaving been
., , elected by the Lodge into the chair , is installed therein , and actually performs the duties thereof . Such a person cannot well obtain the hi gh honour , without being a Master of his Art ; and as such he is dul y honoured and respected . When his period of office expires , he retires from his office , and bears his honorary designation as having performed his duty . After that it is to him , and such similarly situated , that the Lodge in generalincluding the new Masterlook for those precepts
, , , rules and instructions , on which the well-being of the Society mainl y depends . If those who have not gone through this ordeal and proof of merit , be permitted to wear the same mark of honour , and to occupy the seat of distinction equally with those who have borne the heat and burden of the day , then , in the time of need , failure must ensue ; when experience is sought and wisdom demanded , the seat will be found vacated , and neither pleasure nor profit can be the result . The second
evil is the discouragement to serious study and reflection which this practice affords . When those who desire preferment see a rugged road ( if we may use the expression ) thereto , yet find by experience , that those who use this smooth and easy pathway , are considered equal to those who ascend the more honourable but more difficult course , they will naturally slacken in their praiseworthy efforts , and be inclined to follow the example of the rest . For all these reasons , so utterly subversive of true Masonic principles , we seriously press on our Rulers the remedy of this glaring defect . The fourth matter which we shall notice and discuss , is not of less
importance than either of those before-mentioned ; it is that of another custom prevalent in India—the formation of Lodges , by the granting of dispensations by a regular warranted Lodge , to a body of Masons desirous of forming a new Lodge , until such time as the warrant may be received from the Grand Lodge in England . This practice is as much in opposition to the Constitutions of Masonry , as the practices to which we have before adverted ; though thus much may be said of
it , that as yet no evil effect , as far as a diligent enquiry has enabled us to come to any conclusion , has ever resulted from it . Nevertheless , the practice is an evil , because it is a breach of the Constitutions , and because , though no harm may yet have arisen therefrom , that is no security that such may not arise . When we come to look for the reasons and for the excuses for this habitual disregard of the obedience usuall y yielded b y Masons to the laws which govern them , we come across two commonlreceived
y principles , usually written in Latin , but which we , writing English and not Latin , shall therefore anglify , i . e . " ignorance of the law excuses no fault against the law ; " and also , " necessity has no law . " Whether of these two be the most forcible , might perhaps , require some special pleading to determine ; at all events , common sense would lead to the most obvious conclusion , tiiat , however forcible the first principle may be , yet , as necessity has no law at all , there can be no offence against that which doesnot exist , and by parity of reasoning , there can be no necessity of an excuse for that which cannot
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Masonry In Bengal.
are recognised by the Constitutions . As this is the case , no time should be lost in effecting the abolition of this custom ; and as a sli ght specification of the evils resulting from its continuance , may accelerate the desiderated end , it shall be made . They are briefly these : —In the first place , by the exaltation of persons unskilled in the profound Mysteries of' their Art , the Craft becomes lessened in tie eyes of the aspirant . The Constitutions consider that Mason to be a P . i \; whohaving been
., , elected by the Lodge into the chair , is installed therein , and actually performs the duties thereof . Such a person cannot well obtain the hi gh honour , without being a Master of his Art ; and as such he is dul y honoured and respected . When his period of office expires , he retires from his office , and bears his honorary designation as having performed his duty . After that it is to him , and such similarly situated , that the Lodge in generalincluding the new Masterlook for those precepts
, , , rules and instructions , on which the well-being of the Society mainl y depends . If those who have not gone through this ordeal and proof of merit , be permitted to wear the same mark of honour , and to occupy the seat of distinction equally with those who have borne the heat and burden of the day , then , in the time of need , failure must ensue ; when experience is sought and wisdom demanded , the seat will be found vacated , and neither pleasure nor profit can be the result . The second
evil is the discouragement to serious study and reflection which this practice affords . When those who desire preferment see a rugged road ( if we may use the expression ) thereto , yet find by experience , that those who use this smooth and easy pathway , are considered equal to those who ascend the more honourable but more difficult course , they will naturally slacken in their praiseworthy efforts , and be inclined to follow the example of the rest . For all these reasons , so utterly subversive of true Masonic principles , we seriously press on our Rulers the remedy of this glaring defect . The fourth matter which we shall notice and discuss , is not of less
importance than either of those before-mentioned ; it is that of another custom prevalent in India—the formation of Lodges , by the granting of dispensations by a regular warranted Lodge , to a body of Masons desirous of forming a new Lodge , until such time as the warrant may be received from the Grand Lodge in England . This practice is as much in opposition to the Constitutions of Masonry , as the practices to which we have before adverted ; though thus much may be said of
it , that as yet no evil effect , as far as a diligent enquiry has enabled us to come to any conclusion , has ever resulted from it . Nevertheless , the practice is an evil , because it is a breach of the Constitutions , and because , though no harm may yet have arisen therefrom , that is no security that such may not arise . When we come to look for the reasons and for the excuses for this habitual disregard of the obedience usuall y yielded b y Masons to the laws which govern them , we come across two commonlreceived
y principles , usually written in Latin , but which we , writing English and not Latin , shall therefore anglify , i . e . " ignorance of the law excuses no fault against the law ; " and also , " necessity has no law . " Whether of these two be the most forcible , might perhaps , require some special pleading to determine ; at all events , common sense would lead to the most obvious conclusion , tiiat , however forcible the first principle may be , yet , as necessity has no law at all , there can be no offence against that which doesnot exist , and by parity of reasoning , there can be no necessity of an excuse for that which cannot