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Article FREEMASONRY AND THE SPANISH INQUISITION. ← Page 5 of 5 Article MASONRY IN SCOTLAND.—No. 2. Page 1 of 6 →
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Freemasonry And The Spanish Inquisition.
of the knights deprived them of the power of avenging the executions of James de Mola and his companions , and had no other object but the re-establishment of the Order ; this intention shared the fate of the first , after the deaths of the authors of it and their first disciples . From these facts it appears that the execratory oatli is without a motive or object in modern masonic lodges .
Masonry In Scotland.—No. 2.
MASONRY IN SCOTLAND . —No . 2 .
" The contrast between the strong and sound opinions that one hears expressed privately and the habitual abstenance from public action or even declaration , is distressing and humiliating . " But though this class exists , and from its activity and imperviousness is always to be feared , I see no reason to suspect that it forms the majority ; if it did , it would be all over with us ; but the majority seems to me to he sound , and not to have often erred except from being left uninstructed . " There are few who when they hear of something terrible , do not say listlessly , that ' It is very wrong , '—and a great pity , '—and that they ' wonder why it is submitted to '—and ¦ surely somebody will interfere , ' and then they cast the matter from them , and can never be made to stir a finger abuut it , —meanwhile the mischief proceeds . "—LORD COCKBURN
SIR AND BROTHER , —In his admirable letter to our Lord Provost , Lord Cockburn has enunciated some sound truths , which will prove valuable lessons to the inhabitants of this city , and will confer a lasting benefit to society at large . I think that an edition of this epistle to the masonic brethren in Scotland , would be of thegreatest possible advantage to them , altered to suit their peculiar position , upon the same principle , as a worthy minister once adopted when he altered , and preached from
in the pulpit , for the edification of his flock on the Sabbath day , Sir J . Reynold ' s " Discourse on the Fine Arts . " In my last , I noticed a i ' ew of the reasons which had led to the decline of Masonry in Scotland . I will now take a glance at the Grand Lodge , and show how we work the laws and constitutions , at head quarters ; not because there are no more errors to be pointed out in the private lodges—far from it ; but that a few remarks on the subject of the Grand Lodwill be more likelto
ge y interest a larger portion of the brethren , and may lead them to take steps for the improvement of the august body , which if they do , I have no doubt will ultimately tend to their own . I believe firml y with Lord Cockburn in his letter " that the majority seems to me to be sound , and not to have often erred , except from being left uninstructed . " This holds but too true of the whole Craft in Scotland , they know very little about the Grand Lodgeto give them more liht upon this subject
, g may therefore be of use , and in my feeble endeavours to instructmy brethren , and to rouse them from listless inactivity , to more energetic procedure , for the revival and improvement of what is a beautiful , and might be a most useful institution , did the brethren but appreciate the principles and maxims of the Order ; far be it from me towards those at the head of our Grand Lodge , to use any expression calculated to offend ; I trust that the princiles of the Craft shall ever guide meand that nothing
p , , " derogating from that respect which is due to a gentleman were he not a Mason" shall ever issue from my pen . Truth however compels me to say , that they do not take that interest in the affairs of the Craft , they do riot give themselves that trouble , of looking into and inquiring how matters stand , and many of them are ignorant how Scotch masonic
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry And The Spanish Inquisition.
of the knights deprived them of the power of avenging the executions of James de Mola and his companions , and had no other object but the re-establishment of the Order ; this intention shared the fate of the first , after the deaths of the authors of it and their first disciples . From these facts it appears that the execratory oatli is without a motive or object in modern masonic lodges .
Masonry In Scotland.—No. 2.
MASONRY IN SCOTLAND . —No . 2 .
" The contrast between the strong and sound opinions that one hears expressed privately and the habitual abstenance from public action or even declaration , is distressing and humiliating . " But though this class exists , and from its activity and imperviousness is always to be feared , I see no reason to suspect that it forms the majority ; if it did , it would be all over with us ; but the majority seems to me to he sound , and not to have often erred except from being left uninstructed . " There are few who when they hear of something terrible , do not say listlessly , that ' It is very wrong , '—and a great pity , '—and that they ' wonder why it is submitted to '—and ¦ surely somebody will interfere , ' and then they cast the matter from them , and can never be made to stir a finger abuut it , —meanwhile the mischief proceeds . "—LORD COCKBURN
SIR AND BROTHER , —In his admirable letter to our Lord Provost , Lord Cockburn has enunciated some sound truths , which will prove valuable lessons to the inhabitants of this city , and will confer a lasting benefit to society at large . I think that an edition of this epistle to the masonic brethren in Scotland , would be of thegreatest possible advantage to them , altered to suit their peculiar position , upon the same principle , as a worthy minister once adopted when he altered , and preached from
in the pulpit , for the edification of his flock on the Sabbath day , Sir J . Reynold ' s " Discourse on the Fine Arts . " In my last , I noticed a i ' ew of the reasons which had led to the decline of Masonry in Scotland . I will now take a glance at the Grand Lodge , and show how we work the laws and constitutions , at head quarters ; not because there are no more errors to be pointed out in the private lodges—far from it ; but that a few remarks on the subject of the Grand Lodwill be more likelto
ge y interest a larger portion of the brethren , and may lead them to take steps for the improvement of the august body , which if they do , I have no doubt will ultimately tend to their own . I believe firml y with Lord Cockburn in his letter " that the majority seems to me to be sound , and not to have often erred , except from being left uninstructed . " This holds but too true of the whole Craft in Scotland , they know very little about the Grand Lodgeto give them more liht upon this subject
, g may therefore be of use , and in my feeble endeavours to instructmy brethren , and to rouse them from listless inactivity , to more energetic procedure , for the revival and improvement of what is a beautiful , and might be a most useful institution , did the brethren but appreciate the principles and maxims of the Order ; far be it from me towards those at the head of our Grand Lodge , to use any expression calculated to offend ; I trust that the princiles of the Craft shall ever guide meand that nothing
p , , " derogating from that respect which is due to a gentleman were he not a Mason" shall ever issue from my pen . Truth however compels me to say , that they do not take that interest in the affairs of the Craft , they do riot give themselves that trouble , of looking into and inquiring how matters stand , and many of them are ignorant how Scotch masonic