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Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. ← Page 5 of 7 →
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United Grand Lodge.
The M . W . the G . M . having read this correspondence , again expressed the pain it had given him to haA'e been compelled to come
communication . I may , my Lord , be mistaken , but I apprehend that a letter distinguished as " private , " should not have been regarded as either official or conclusive , or employed as a means for substantiating the propriety of removing me from my oflice ; nevertheless , I have thought it right to publish my private letter to your Lordship , as , in consequence of your Lordship ' s decision , I desire nothing more earnestly than that the widest possible circulation may be given to the circumstances which have led to my dismissal . It is natural , after the attachment which I have ever shown to Craft Masonry ,
and after my constant endeavours to sustain its principles , and , as I am convinced , to carry them out to their legitimate development and conclusions ;—it is but natural , I repeat , that I should strive to justify myself before my Masonic Brethren , ancl deprecate the severity of your Lordship ' s sentence upon me , seeing that , unfortunately , there is no appeal from your Lordship ' s verdict . In the first place , it appears that the union of Craft jewels with the dress and decorations of Christian Masonic Degrees , not recognised by the Book of Constitutions , and decided by your Lordship as opposed to them , is one ground of
offence . If your Lordship can take the trouble to make the inquiry , it will be found that the late George IV . and also the duke of Sussex wore non-Masonic jewels with the full Masonic costume of G . M . This combination of non-Masonic with Masonic decorations is by no means uncommon in many Provinces , and not alwaj's discountenanced by P . G-. Masters . I am aware that it is irregular , and that in this point I bad erred against the Book of Constitutions , and had in consequence taken the resolve as expressed in the concluding paragraph of my private letter to your Lordship , not to repeat that error for the future . I am
obliged , however , to seek for other reasons for your Lordship ' s decision , inasmuch as every brother must consider that the infraction of the law referred to , regulating a mere question of costume , and not any vital point of Masonry , has been too severely avenged by the deposition of a P . G . M . from his office .
In the next place it is asserted that " the proceedings referred to , at Wareham , were so completely at variance with the Ancient Constitutions and foundation of Ereemasonry , and to the expressed and declared Law of the Grand Lodge , which you as G . M . are solemnly pledged to uphold and enforce , that you feel it impossible to view them without the deepest pain . " I think that the authority for your Lordship ' s accusation , the Freemasons' Quarterly Review , does not contain in its report of the proceedings at Wareham , any proof of the assertion hazarded in the paragraph I have quoted . I unhesitatingly assert that the " proceedings , "
by which I understand the " business of the P . G . L ., held at Wareham , were strictly conducted NOT ' at variance , ' but in perfect accordance with 'the Ancient Constitutions and foundation of Freemasonry , and with the expressed and declared laws of the Grand Lodge . '" The meeting was numerously attended , and witnesses will not be wanting , if required , to sustain my opinion . I now turn to the last point of accusation , namely , that " the doctrines promulgated ( by me ) are so opposed to the universality of the Craft , which admits within its pale all who ' believe in the Glorious Architect of heaven and earth , and practise the
sacred duties of morality , and that without inquiring into their particular mode of worship . ' " One difficulty attends my free discussion of this point , which also affects your Lordship . I advocate the full development of the worship of the Divinity in all its attributes , and that of the sacred duties of the moral law as expanded in the Christian law . In a word , I profess tbe principles and hold the degrees of Christian Masonry , to w * hieh your Lordship is Masonically opposed , and for which I firmly believe I have been deposed by your Lordship . But the universality of Craft Masonry is not affected by Christian B'lasonry , " no one can enjoy the privileges of the latter who has not proved himself a good man in the former , and who consequently has promised his allegiance to Grand Lodge . It is a necessary qualification for the Ancient and Accepted Eite , that the candidate comes recommended by lus honest practice of the princip les of Craft Masonry .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge.
The M . W . the G . M . having read this correspondence , again expressed the pain it had given him to haA'e been compelled to come
communication . I may , my Lord , be mistaken , but I apprehend that a letter distinguished as " private , " should not have been regarded as either official or conclusive , or employed as a means for substantiating the propriety of removing me from my oflice ; nevertheless , I have thought it right to publish my private letter to your Lordship , as , in consequence of your Lordship ' s decision , I desire nothing more earnestly than that the widest possible circulation may be given to the circumstances which have led to my dismissal . It is natural , after the attachment which I have ever shown to Craft Masonry ,
and after my constant endeavours to sustain its principles , and , as I am convinced , to carry them out to their legitimate development and conclusions ;—it is but natural , I repeat , that I should strive to justify myself before my Masonic Brethren , ancl deprecate the severity of your Lordship ' s sentence upon me , seeing that , unfortunately , there is no appeal from your Lordship ' s verdict . In the first place , it appears that the union of Craft jewels with the dress and decorations of Christian Masonic Degrees , not recognised by the Book of Constitutions , and decided by your Lordship as opposed to them , is one ground of
offence . If your Lordship can take the trouble to make the inquiry , it will be found that the late George IV . and also the duke of Sussex wore non-Masonic jewels with the full Masonic costume of G . M . This combination of non-Masonic with Masonic decorations is by no means uncommon in many Provinces , and not alwaj's discountenanced by P . G-. Masters . I am aware that it is irregular , and that in this point I bad erred against the Book of Constitutions , and had in consequence taken the resolve as expressed in the concluding paragraph of my private letter to your Lordship , not to repeat that error for the future . I am
obliged , however , to seek for other reasons for your Lordship ' s decision , inasmuch as every brother must consider that the infraction of the law referred to , regulating a mere question of costume , and not any vital point of Masonry , has been too severely avenged by the deposition of a P . G . M . from his office .
In the next place it is asserted that " the proceedings referred to , at Wareham , were so completely at variance with the Ancient Constitutions and foundation of Ereemasonry , and to the expressed and declared Law of the Grand Lodge , which you as G . M . are solemnly pledged to uphold and enforce , that you feel it impossible to view them without the deepest pain . " I think that the authority for your Lordship ' s accusation , the Freemasons' Quarterly Review , does not contain in its report of the proceedings at Wareham , any proof of the assertion hazarded in the paragraph I have quoted . I unhesitatingly assert that the " proceedings , "
by which I understand the " business of the P . G . L ., held at Wareham , were strictly conducted NOT ' at variance , ' but in perfect accordance with 'the Ancient Constitutions and foundation of Freemasonry , and with the expressed and declared laws of the Grand Lodge . '" The meeting was numerously attended , and witnesses will not be wanting , if required , to sustain my opinion . I now turn to the last point of accusation , namely , that " the doctrines promulgated ( by me ) are so opposed to the universality of the Craft , which admits within its pale all who ' believe in the Glorious Architect of heaven and earth , and practise the
sacred duties of morality , and that without inquiring into their particular mode of worship . ' " One difficulty attends my free discussion of this point , which also affects your Lordship . I advocate the full development of the worship of the Divinity in all its attributes , and that of the sacred duties of the moral law as expanded in the Christian law . In a word , I profess tbe principles and hold the degrees of Christian Masonry , to w * hieh your Lordship is Masonically opposed , and for which I firmly believe I have been deposed by your Lordship . But the universality of Craft Masonry is not affected by Christian B'lasonry , " no one can enjoy the privileges of the latter who has not proved himself a good man in the former , and who consequently has promised his allegiance to Grand Lodge . It is a necessary qualification for the Ancient and Accepted Eite , that the candidate comes recommended by lus honest practice of the princip les of Craft Masonry .