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Article ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 4 of 9 →
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On Freemasonry.
Lectures , " we find the five steps in this degree referred to " the birth , life , death , resurrection , and ascension of Jesas Christ . " The ceremonies of the third degree ivere openly explained by learned brethren , not many years after the revival of Masonry , to be typical of Christianity . * And it does not weaken the force of the argument , to urge that
these direct references were expunged from the system at the revision of the lectures consequent on the Union of Ancient and Modern Masonry in 1813 ; it is enough to shew that they existed in the earliest knoivn ritual ; and hence constitute an evident proof that Freemasonry , at its reviA'alwas considered applicable to that religion which is
, the perfection of Judaism , and the glory of the ivhole earth . I have been led into these observations by the receipt of a letter from an eminent Mason in India , who has obligingly furnished me with some objections against Freemasonry , ivhieh appear to be urged with great force and effect in our eastern dependencies , and tend to obstruct the progress of
the Order amongst the inhabitants of those distant regions . They are made to assume the form of three separate arguments , and are stated as folloivs : — 1 . "ft is objected that a true Christian cannot , or ought not , to join in Masonry , because Masons offer prayers to God without the mediation of our Redeemer , through whom alone our pravers can meet ivith acceptance . " ;
2 . "It is objected that ive . inculcate , the principles of brotherly loveand charity as peculiarly incumbent onus because we , are bound by the ties of Masonry ;; whereas such acts , to be acceptable to God , shoukl . proceed , from a love , of God , reconciled to mankind through the . sacrifice of , Christ ; any other motive being not only , not acceptable , but sinful . " ' . r -
3 . " Objects that the mention of the Lord's name , in ; the Lodge . is a contravention of the third commandment ., It is fully acknoAvledged that this Name is neA'er . in , trqduced \ yith levity , but ivith the greatest reverence ; .. yet ,, is not its use in some degree objectionable , in the same Avay as is ; its heedless introduction into any ordinarydiscourse ?" ,
, ,. These objections are specious in appearance , but extremely superficial when submitted to the test of critical examination . They all originate in a mistaken idea of the nature and design of Freemasonry , It is assumed to be a system of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry.
Lectures , " we find the five steps in this degree referred to " the birth , life , death , resurrection , and ascension of Jesas Christ . " The ceremonies of the third degree ivere openly explained by learned brethren , not many years after the revival of Masonry , to be typical of Christianity . * And it does not weaken the force of the argument , to urge that
these direct references were expunged from the system at the revision of the lectures consequent on the Union of Ancient and Modern Masonry in 1813 ; it is enough to shew that they existed in the earliest knoivn ritual ; and hence constitute an evident proof that Freemasonry , at its reviA'alwas considered applicable to that religion which is
, the perfection of Judaism , and the glory of the ivhole earth . I have been led into these observations by the receipt of a letter from an eminent Mason in India , who has obligingly furnished me with some objections against Freemasonry , ivhieh appear to be urged with great force and effect in our eastern dependencies , and tend to obstruct the progress of
the Order amongst the inhabitants of those distant regions . They are made to assume the form of three separate arguments , and are stated as folloivs : — 1 . "ft is objected that a true Christian cannot , or ought not , to join in Masonry , because Masons offer prayers to God without the mediation of our Redeemer , through whom alone our pravers can meet ivith acceptance . " ;
2 . "It is objected that ive . inculcate , the principles of brotherly loveand charity as peculiarly incumbent onus because we , are bound by the ties of Masonry ;; whereas such acts , to be acceptable to God , shoukl . proceed , from a love , of God , reconciled to mankind through the . sacrifice of , Christ ; any other motive being not only , not acceptable , but sinful . " ' . r -
3 . " Objects that the mention of the Lord's name , in ; the Lodge . is a contravention of the third commandment ., It is fully acknoAvledged that this Name is neA'er . in , trqduced \ yith levity , but ivith the greatest reverence ; .. yet ,, is not its use in some degree objectionable , in the same Avay as is ; its heedless introduction into any ordinarydiscourse ?" ,
, ,. These objections are specious in appearance , but extremely superficial when submitted to the test of critical examination . They all originate in a mistaken idea of the nature and design of Freemasonry , It is assumed to be a system of