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Article THE LATE BROTHER JOHN RAMSBOTTOM. ← Page 5 of 5 Article A FEW MORE WORDS ON REFRESHMENT. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Late Brother John Ramsbottom.
Bro . Ramsbottom , as has been already observed , was a liberal contributor to the Girls' School ; he was a life-subscriber to the Boys ' School , ancl no sooner was the Asylum project started , than he gave it his warmest approbation . At the Festival of the Girls' School in 1835 , when returning thanks for the honour shown to him in drinking to his health as Treasurer , he concluded in the following words , " I lament , that whilst provision to some extent is made for the sons and daughters
of Freemasons , none of a similar nature yet exist for the direct assistance of Freemasons themselves . So strongly do I feel on this important subject , that I promise my personal support , and look forward with confidence to the time when all the objects of Masonic protection shall be assembled under one roof . " The cause of his death arose , we understand , about a year since , when he met with a severe accident in his leg from a fallfrom which he
, very slowly recovered , and was enabled to take carriage exercise ; but the debility resulting from a confinement so uncongenial with his constitution and habits , became chronic , and he at length sank under exhaustion . He could take little or no nourishment , ancl what little he was able to swallow , the action of the stomach was unequal to assimilate . Finally , as to the character of the late Brother John Ramsbottom , it was that of a just , upright , and honourable Freemason .
A Few More Words On Refreshment.
A FEW MORE WORDS ON REFRESHMENT .
IT may be urged—in opposition to the opinions which I have advanced in a former number—that if a lodge of Masons subscribing so much a year each , agree to spend such sums in banquets , they have a right so to do ; agreed ! I do not deny the right , but the policy of the proceeding . So many reasons could be urged against it , that I am surprised the evil has not become so palpable as to make the cry for reformation universal in the craft . I look upon it as an incubus , whose
crushing influence disorganizes the body of Masonry , and most certainly circumscribes the sphere of its usefulness . If Masonry consists of a subscription , to be expended in banquets—and such is the Masonry of thousands—in what respect is it superior to the numerous orders iu existence ? Nay , it is inferior to many : for instance , the Odd Fellows , Foresters , & c , whose funds are sacred to ' charity ; and becomes on a level with the numerous meetings convened for the purposes of
convivial intercourse alone . Such must be the thoughts of the popular world ; and such opinions of us cannot tend to swell our numbers with those of whom the spiritual temple of Masonry should be composed . Such a state of things must have a contrary tendency . It must swell our ranks with the thoughtless votaries of pleasure—the good fellows of the table ; with hearts warm at the call of Bacchus , but cold to the invitation of Charity . Such men will not through the labour and
go per severance necessary to master the abstruse secrets of our science ; and lack the frame of mind to demonstrate to the world , either in theory or practice , that Masonry is a system of morality . The small minority may labour to convince men that Masonry inculcates the divinest truths in religion and morality , but to what purpose ? The lives of the majority give thc lie to the professions of thc few , ancl hinder thc spread
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Late Brother John Ramsbottom.
Bro . Ramsbottom , as has been already observed , was a liberal contributor to the Girls' School ; he was a life-subscriber to the Boys ' School , ancl no sooner was the Asylum project started , than he gave it his warmest approbation . At the Festival of the Girls' School in 1835 , when returning thanks for the honour shown to him in drinking to his health as Treasurer , he concluded in the following words , " I lament , that whilst provision to some extent is made for the sons and daughters
of Freemasons , none of a similar nature yet exist for the direct assistance of Freemasons themselves . So strongly do I feel on this important subject , that I promise my personal support , and look forward with confidence to the time when all the objects of Masonic protection shall be assembled under one roof . " The cause of his death arose , we understand , about a year since , when he met with a severe accident in his leg from a fallfrom which he
, very slowly recovered , and was enabled to take carriage exercise ; but the debility resulting from a confinement so uncongenial with his constitution and habits , became chronic , and he at length sank under exhaustion . He could take little or no nourishment , ancl what little he was able to swallow , the action of the stomach was unequal to assimilate . Finally , as to the character of the late Brother John Ramsbottom , it was that of a just , upright , and honourable Freemason .
A Few More Words On Refreshment.
A FEW MORE WORDS ON REFRESHMENT .
IT may be urged—in opposition to the opinions which I have advanced in a former number—that if a lodge of Masons subscribing so much a year each , agree to spend such sums in banquets , they have a right so to do ; agreed ! I do not deny the right , but the policy of the proceeding . So many reasons could be urged against it , that I am surprised the evil has not become so palpable as to make the cry for reformation universal in the craft . I look upon it as an incubus , whose
crushing influence disorganizes the body of Masonry , and most certainly circumscribes the sphere of its usefulness . If Masonry consists of a subscription , to be expended in banquets—and such is the Masonry of thousands—in what respect is it superior to the numerous orders iu existence ? Nay , it is inferior to many : for instance , the Odd Fellows , Foresters , & c , whose funds are sacred to ' charity ; and becomes on a level with the numerous meetings convened for the purposes of
convivial intercourse alone . Such must be the thoughts of the popular world ; and such opinions of us cannot tend to swell our numbers with those of whom the spiritual temple of Masonry should be composed . Such a state of things must have a contrary tendency . It must swell our ranks with the thoughtless votaries of pleasure—the good fellows of the table ; with hearts warm at the call of Bacchus , but cold to the invitation of Charity . Such men will not through the labour and
go per severance necessary to master the abstruse secrets of our science ; and lack the frame of mind to demonstrate to the world , either in theory or practice , that Masonry is a system of morality . The small minority may labour to convince men that Masonry inculcates the divinest truths in religion and morality , but to what purpose ? The lives of the majority give thc lie to the professions of thc few , ancl hinder thc spread