Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Consecration Of The Aldersgate Lodge, No. 1657 .
the Consecrating Officer to make some feyv observations to the lodge . On the present occasion those observations will be very few on my part , because this is somewhat an exceptional lodge , and the ott-told tale , if I may so call it , recommending care to the members of the lodge as to yvhom they should admit I need scarcely recommend to the members of this lodge , because from those who
compose the body of petitioners they are an army yvhom I am sure yvill all take care that none but proper members of the Craft arc admitted , and I need not at all dilate on that head . Brethren , it has been for some time past a matter of congratulation among Masons that the Craft is so rapidly extending its members , and I hope at the same time its influence ; but although I may rejoice to see that
extension in numbers and influence , I think there are some doubts as to yvhether yve are not going rather too fast at the present moment , and yvhether yve are not adding to our numbers'too hastily . I do not yvish of course to throiv anything like cold yvater upon the fferots thatt he Craft is making to extend its numbers , but at the same time it is not an unmixed benefit , inasmuch as a great many are
coming into the Craft at the present moment yvho I expect may , from those causes yvhich affect all men who are mixed up in commercial concerns and in matters of business—yvho may from some calamity or misfortune have to resort to us in years yvhich are coming for assistance in time of need and help yvhen they require it . We of course do not hold ourselves out as a benefit society ; but at the
same time it is difficult to sever the position of Freemasonry from in some respects a benefit society , and I have some apprehension that many are now entering our ranks yvho look to the advantages cf the Craft more than the real object of thc Craft , which is to assist others and not ourselves . It may be that I may be wrong in my conjecture ; but at any rate , as such I cannot but view it .
We have many charities connected yvith the Order . We have our Schools and our Benevolent Institution . We have our benevolent fund also , to yvhich Masons have resource yvhen they require help , and it is to that benevolent fund to yvhich I now more especially allude in the observations I am making to you . We must naturally look to an increase in the claims upon that fund , and unless yve leave
to our successors something like a large fund to fall back upon ( we have a good fund ; it is yvell known to those round this room ) , if yve do not leave to our successors a large fund to fall back upon in times to come they may find themselves in a difficulty , considering the rate at which yve are giving ayvay our moneys at the present time to meet the demands upon
them . I therefore say it , and say it advisedly , that the extension of Freemasonry is not an unmixed benefit , because yve must also look to our responsibilities in future times . I trust that the time is far dUtant yvhen yve may not be able to render that assistance to our brother Masons yvhich they urgently require . I do trust that , considering the numbers that join our rai . ks , there are sufficient among
them yvho yvill not require assistance to enable thc funds of thc Order to meet the claims of those yvho require assistance , and I , for one , like to sec funds yvhich are invested , as some sort of a guarantee fund for the future . Some do not view it in that light , and think yve ought to spend all thc money yve have at the present moment . I alyvays like to look foryvard , not to a rainy day , but at any
rate , to a day when yve shall have responsibilities to meet , yvhich 1 think yve are likely to have for many years to come . As I said before , brethren , I do not yvish to detain you long , because it is first of all unnecessary , and , again , because I am at all times unwilling to intrude my opinions too forcibly on those about me , but if thc Craft yvould consider for one moment the responsibilities they incur
yvhen they admit a Mason into the Order , I think it yvould be yvell for lodges in general . I am quite satisfied that I need not inculcate that duty on those petitioners that I see ai o and mc . I know , if I may so term it , this is intended to Le rather an aristocratic lodge than otherwise , and therefore it yvill be confined , or very considerably , not only to thc parishioners of the Aldersgate Ward , but to the
parishioners of that portion of the buildings which lie between here and West Smithfield and Neyvgate-street . If that is to be the case , I need not say that this lodge will be an advantage to the Craft , and I congratulate the members of the Ward of Aldersgate on having such a lodge established amongst them . I trust it yvill flourish now and hereafter , and that yvhen I am long gathered to
my fathers , somebody may look back to this time , and say that the then Grand Secretary of England consecrated the Aldersgate Lodge . ( Great applause . ) The ceremony then proceeded in due course , and , at the proper time , the Chaplain , thc Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , favoured the brethren yvith the following powerful and eloquent oration : —
V . W . Consecrating Officer , Wardens , and brethren all . As you , sir , have been good enough to ask me to say a few yvords to day by yvay of customary oration , 1 beg to assure you , that I esteem it both a favour and a privilege to be present on this interesting occasion , and to be permitted to assist , however humbly , at thc consecration of the Aldersgate Lodge , to be an assistant of one who like
yourself , so fitly presides over this distinguished gathering with the skill and urbanity for which you are well known in the Craft . But yet , sir , when I sat down to put my thoughts in order , there cropped up at once this not unnatural query , " What have you to say worthy of the occasion , yvorthy of your assembled brethren , yvorthy ofthe Craft to yvhich you belong ? So much has been advanced
by other Masons , and more eloquent orators on other occasions , 1 have so often myself trespassed on the forbearance of my brethren , that to many of us the yvord ' Oration " js only suggestive of an oft-told tale , which wearies hy repetition or tires us by its duration . It is unavoidable , indeed , but that a certain sameness must be thc characteristic of all our Masonic addresses , and ,
Consecration Of The Aldersgate Lodge, No. 1657 .
therefore , if in anything I am going to say to-day , I may seem to any to travel over ground yvell trodden before , I must ask you to extend towards me that fraternal consideration and friendly criticism yvhich , after a long Masonic membership , I knoyv full yvell arc never appealed to by any brother in vain . We live at a time , sir , yvhen , so to say , the worth of every earthly institution is
questioned by the often inquisitive rashness and restless criticism of modern thought , and yvhen on all sides of us yve often hear the enquiry , " What is the raison d'etre of this or that ? " It may , perhaps , also be fairly said that no institution which is not " per se" good and useful for man can withstand either the " encroaching hand ol time , " or can confront the captious objections of the hour .
much less conform to the wants of humanity , or advance the temporal and eternal yvelfare of our race . I do not say that such carping contentions are always just , for they are not , or that such critical objections are always soundvery far from it—but they exist , and we have to meet them , and deal yvith them as best yve may . When , then , as to-day , Freemasonry , as you have just well observed , sir ,
is extending her status on every side , when new temples are built up here , and neyv lodges are consecrated there , yvhen Freemasonry is alike the subject of pious calumny , and of popular curiosity , of religious condemnation , and of unhesitating eulogism at the same time , we naturally ask ourselves " What is the real worth of a society yvhich has such an antagonistic character for many , yvhich
some contend has only a claim for the open contempt , and others for the zealous sympathy of mankind ? " It has been the peculiar fate of Freemasons from the very first to have had bitter , irreconcilable foes , and warm and enthusiastic friends . Its history , Mr . Hallam has said , has been " yvritten by panegyrists and calumniators , each equally mendacious . " And at this very hour , yvhen
yve are all assembled here , to consecrate this Alelersgate Lodge according to our ancient rites , if yve go to the world without , and take up a daily paper , we see that praise and blame , admiration and excommunication , approval and condemnation , are dealt out , as it were , from the opposing points of the compass , in almost equal measure , with abounding fervour and vigorous calumniation .
Monsignore Nardi , for instance , some time back at Rome , kindly said we were "Goose Clubs . " The Roman Catholic Archbishop Vaughan at the Antipodes declares that we are " materialists , " that Freemasonry is " materialism , " and that we are members of a wide-spread secret society , yvhich is seeking to dominate mankind for base purposes , for sinister ends . A Reformed Presbyterian
minister in Scotland some short time ago , declared that yve yvere anti-Chiistian and irreligious ; and some foolish fanatics held lately an anti-Masonic congress in the United States , in order to oppose lhe growth of that Masonic Order , which in a little above IOO years , from a few hundreds has risen in America and Canada to the yvondrous number of nearly Ooo . ooo intelligent
and zealous Freemasons . Under such circumstances what can we say or do ? It appears to me , sir , that the best answer we can make to all such assailants especially is by our acts—the very yvoik which this maligned Order of ours calmly and continuously carries on year by year . Perhaps the happiest reply of Freemasonry to its perverse calumniators , is the epitaph—of its brother ,
and alleged Grand Alaster , Sir Christopher Wren , the builder of St . Paul's— "Siquaeris circumspice . " Do you yvant to know what Freemasonry is really doing in this yvorld of ours ? Regard its unselfish labours of love . It aids the needy and educates the orphan , it supports the decrepid , it cheers the widoyv , it dries up the tears of the sorrowing , and relieves the burdens cf the oppressed ; it
zealously endeavours to pour into the yvounds of our common suffering humanity the loving yvine and oil of the good Samaritan . Do you demand what are its true principles ? Listen I Freemasonry is a loyal , peaceful , patriotic , charitable , philanthropic , religious sodality , based on reverence for God and love for man , yvhose moral teaching is derived , and derived alone ( never
forget ) , from the inspired page , for Freemasonry in England , as well as in Scotland , Ireland , the United States , and Canada , stands avowedly built up on the ennobling sanction and sacred laivs of the Revelation and Will of God . In all our lodges , happily , as to-day , sir , that sacred volume lies open before us all as now , and we need not doubt , but that all of the sterling , stable , peaceful ,
religious character of English—nay , I will add , Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry—arises from this very fact , that as Freemasons yve have never been , and never will be ashamed , to declare openly our reverence and regard for the Best of Books , that great and yvondrous storehouse of yvisdom , morality , mercy , love , and truth .. There is , as some of us well know , in another country a mournful struggle
going on just now , which we all of us sincerely deplore . In that fair land , for yvhich as Freemasons and Englishmen we wish most heartily all national happiness , and peaceful progress , unfortunately the Bible has already been banished from its lodges , and a proposal is noyv being discussed to erase from their Book of Constitutions all mention of belief in God , and the immortality of the
soul . If any such unfortunate resolution should be finally adopted by the Grand Orient of France , such an act must tend to isolate French Freemasonry from the great family of Freemasonryinasmuch as the Grand Orient will have abjured one of the fundamental landmarks of our Cosmopolitan Craft . In England wc never can or will let go the very
bulwark of our Masonic profession , and in my humble opinion , as true Freemasons , we cannot lawfully enter any lodge abroad in which the sacred name of God is neither acknowledged nor invoked . But in this old island of ours Freemasonry happily goes on the " even tenour of its way , " undisturbed by hurtful chimeras , unmoved by hateful factions . It opens the portals of its lodges to all who ac-
Consecration Of The Aldersgate Lodge, No. 1657 .
cept loyally the fatherhood of God , and the brotherhood of man , and yvhether it is right or wrong in so doing , it does so deliberately , asking no questions and imposing no test . It keeps itself aloof from all religious differences and all denominational difficulties , and welcomes all within its pale , except the atheist and the libertine , yvho can combine together in reverence to God , the Great Maker of us all ,
and in works of humanity , and the sympathies of social friendship . And within its lodges , happily , all is peace , all is good yvill , all is unity . No baneful passions from the outer yvorld are or ought to be admitted there , for there the clamours of sect and party are hushed , there the shibboleths of contending factions are unknoyvn . The lodge is meant to be an assembly of high-minded , kindly ,
truehearted brethren , good men , patriotic citizens , discharging all their domestic duties according to the dictates of conscience and the laws of God . The lodge may be likened to a family , which should be a unity in itself , and where , as yve knoyv , one unruly or discordant member often introduces lasting discord , trouble , and sorrow . Hence , as Freemasons , we cannot be too cautious as to whom
we admit into our lodges . It is not enough that because a man is yvell to do in the world , and able to pay his fees and subscriptions , that therefore he has a claim to be admitted into a lodge ; nor is it right that brethren , in their desire to swell their lodge funds , should overlook the countervailing defects which render too many , hastily received , " ab initio , " utterly unfit for Masonic felloyvship . For the
lodge , let me remind you once more , is intended to be a gathering for us of innocent sociality , of refined pleasure , as well as a meeting for customary yvork or charitable effort . We meet there , many of us differing from each other in the world without , but we meet and part in mutual harmony and good yvill . We follow different pursuits in life , and ours are varied callings in the yvorld , and yet we
congregate as members of one and the same Order . The layvyer , thc soldier , the sailor , the merchant , the clergyman , the employer of labour , the writer for the public press , the man of yvealth , ease , intellect , literary labours , artistic tastes , and scholastic acquirements , the prosperous and yvorthy citizen of this great metropolis—from these classes Freemasonry is recruited and . men in fact of all professions
and all pursuits here assemble , bound together by one great tie , reverence of God , love of our brethren , and yvith a capacity for generous friendship and an anxiety for general beneficence . We banish from us all those lower and often sordid motives , yvhich confront us in the yvay , and often yvaip alike our feelings and strivings in the common daily pathyvay of the yvorld . We are here a
band of brethren , rejoicing in each other ' s prosperity , grieving at each other ' s calamity , yvith hearts tender for suffering , and minds disposed to pity , and as we seek to make all our reunions pleasant and profitable , attractive and agreeable , so yve endeavour to remove from all any deteriorating associations which might detract from their pleasantness or mar their good . As Freemasons we
hate calumny and abjure detraction . We offer the kind offices of a generous friendship gladly to our brother , we uphold a brother ' s character in his absence as in his presence , and yve seek to realise more and more yvhat is certainly one of the distinguishing features of Freemasonry , the friendly association of those yvho are happy to meet , sorry to part , and glad , most glad , to meet again . Surely
then , sir , our great society has its uses , its need and value for us all ? I , for one , like many more noyv present , can speak from many years' experience of it , and I feel sure yve shall all agree in this , that some of our happiest hours have been spent , and some of our fastest friends have been made , in the peaceful sanctum of some humble Masonic Lodge . I do not hesitate to avow , and in this you will
all , I knoyv , sympathize with me , that I have for Freemasonry as an association of us mortal men , the deepest feelings of regard and affection . It is , indeed , a noble Institution , based on the most sacred principles calculated to bring into play all thc truest sympathies of the human mind and will , and is and may be of the greatest use , importance , and blessing for mankind . If it had
nothing else to offer us , its lessons of toleration , kindliness , hatred of persecution and bigotry , would supply us with an example much reeded at thc present day . It resembles in this the good old clergyman , pourtrayed by the happy muse of W . M . Praed , of yvhom it is recorded , "That yvhen religious sects ran mad , He held , in spite of all his learning , That if a man ' s belief is bad ,
It will not be improved by burning . " For Freemasonry , then , sir , let us sincerely yvish to-day all prosperity and success in this world , and , like the Psalmist , let us add , " May peace be within its walls , and plenteousness within its palaces . " In the words of a good old Masonic prologue , I would also say , — " Oh brethren , still pursue the task divine ,
Vor us has Rectitude mark'd out the line , Behold Humility the level bear , And Justice , steady-handed , fix the square . Within our lodge has Friendship placed her throne , There Unity has knit her sacred zone , There Reason , with humility of soul , There modest Mirth and Temperance guard the boyvl .
There moral Music lifts her tuneful lore , And Secrecy sits smiling at the door , Conscious , tho' not to prying mortals given , That all our actions are approved by heaven , Conscious , that all who aim at Virtue's goal , Bear our essential mysteries in their soul . "
V . W . Sir and Brethren , one word more , and I have done . For this new lodge , now to be consecrated , we yvill all of us offer our hearty good wishes . If the public character and Masonic merits of those who are to preside over it and direct it be any criterion of success , then we may safely leave its future in their hands , confident of this , that the honour of the Craft will be up
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Consecration Of The Aldersgate Lodge, No. 1657 .
the Consecrating Officer to make some feyv observations to the lodge . On the present occasion those observations will be very few on my part , because this is somewhat an exceptional lodge , and the ott-told tale , if I may so call it , recommending care to the members of the lodge as to yvhom they should admit I need scarcely recommend to the members of this lodge , because from those who
compose the body of petitioners they are an army yvhom I am sure yvill all take care that none but proper members of the Craft arc admitted , and I need not at all dilate on that head . Brethren , it has been for some time past a matter of congratulation among Masons that the Craft is so rapidly extending its members , and I hope at the same time its influence ; but although I may rejoice to see that
extension in numbers and influence , I think there are some doubts as to yvhether yve are not going rather too fast at the present moment , and yvhether yve are not adding to our numbers'too hastily . I do not yvish of course to throiv anything like cold yvater upon the fferots thatt he Craft is making to extend its numbers , but at the same time it is not an unmixed benefit , inasmuch as a great many are
coming into the Craft at the present moment yvho I expect may , from those causes yvhich affect all men who are mixed up in commercial concerns and in matters of business—yvho may from some calamity or misfortune have to resort to us in years yvhich are coming for assistance in time of need and help yvhen they require it . We of course do not hold ourselves out as a benefit society ; but at the
same time it is difficult to sever the position of Freemasonry from in some respects a benefit society , and I have some apprehension that many are now entering our ranks yvho look to the advantages cf the Craft more than the real object of thc Craft , which is to assist others and not ourselves . It may be that I may be wrong in my conjecture ; but at any rate , as such I cannot but view it .
We have many charities connected yvith the Order . We have our Schools and our Benevolent Institution . We have our benevolent fund also , to yvhich Masons have resource yvhen they require help , and it is to that benevolent fund to yvhich I now more especially allude in the observations I am making to you . We must naturally look to an increase in the claims upon that fund , and unless yve leave
to our successors something like a large fund to fall back upon ( we have a good fund ; it is yvell known to those round this room ) , if yve do not leave to our successors a large fund to fall back upon in times to come they may find themselves in a difficulty , considering the rate at which yve are giving ayvay our moneys at the present time to meet the demands upon
them . I therefore say it , and say it advisedly , that the extension of Freemasonry is not an unmixed benefit , because yve must also look to our responsibilities in future times . I trust that the time is far dUtant yvhen yve may not be able to render that assistance to our brother Masons yvhich they urgently require . I do trust that , considering the numbers that join our rai . ks , there are sufficient among
them yvho yvill not require assistance to enable thc funds of thc Order to meet the claims of those yvho require assistance , and I , for one , like to sec funds yvhich are invested , as some sort of a guarantee fund for the future . Some do not view it in that light , and think yve ought to spend all thc money yve have at the present moment . I alyvays like to look foryvard , not to a rainy day , but at any
rate , to a day when yve shall have responsibilities to meet , yvhich 1 think yve are likely to have for many years to come . As I said before , brethren , I do not yvish to detain you long , because it is first of all unnecessary , and , again , because I am at all times unwilling to intrude my opinions too forcibly on those about me , but if thc Craft yvould consider for one moment the responsibilities they incur
yvhen they admit a Mason into the Order , I think it yvould be yvell for lodges in general . I am quite satisfied that I need not inculcate that duty on those petitioners that I see ai o and mc . I know , if I may so term it , this is intended to Le rather an aristocratic lodge than otherwise , and therefore it yvill be confined , or very considerably , not only to thc parishioners of the Aldersgate Ward , but to the
parishioners of that portion of the buildings which lie between here and West Smithfield and Neyvgate-street . If that is to be the case , I need not say that this lodge will be an advantage to the Craft , and I congratulate the members of the Ward of Aldersgate on having such a lodge established amongst them . I trust it yvill flourish now and hereafter , and that yvhen I am long gathered to
my fathers , somebody may look back to this time , and say that the then Grand Secretary of England consecrated the Aldersgate Lodge . ( Great applause . ) The ceremony then proceeded in due course , and , at the proper time , the Chaplain , thc Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , favoured the brethren yvith the following powerful and eloquent oration : —
V . W . Consecrating Officer , Wardens , and brethren all . As you , sir , have been good enough to ask me to say a few yvords to day by yvay of customary oration , 1 beg to assure you , that I esteem it both a favour and a privilege to be present on this interesting occasion , and to be permitted to assist , however humbly , at thc consecration of the Aldersgate Lodge , to be an assistant of one who like
yourself , so fitly presides over this distinguished gathering with the skill and urbanity for which you are well known in the Craft . But yet , sir , when I sat down to put my thoughts in order , there cropped up at once this not unnatural query , " What have you to say worthy of the occasion , yvorthy of your assembled brethren , yvorthy ofthe Craft to yvhich you belong ? So much has been advanced
by other Masons , and more eloquent orators on other occasions , 1 have so often myself trespassed on the forbearance of my brethren , that to many of us the yvord ' Oration " js only suggestive of an oft-told tale , which wearies hy repetition or tires us by its duration . It is unavoidable , indeed , but that a certain sameness must be thc characteristic of all our Masonic addresses , and ,
Consecration Of The Aldersgate Lodge, No. 1657 .
therefore , if in anything I am going to say to-day , I may seem to any to travel over ground yvell trodden before , I must ask you to extend towards me that fraternal consideration and friendly criticism yvhich , after a long Masonic membership , I knoyv full yvell arc never appealed to by any brother in vain . We live at a time , sir , yvhen , so to say , the worth of every earthly institution is
questioned by the often inquisitive rashness and restless criticism of modern thought , and yvhen on all sides of us yve often hear the enquiry , " What is the raison d'etre of this or that ? " It may , perhaps , also be fairly said that no institution which is not " per se" good and useful for man can withstand either the " encroaching hand ol time , " or can confront the captious objections of the hour .
much less conform to the wants of humanity , or advance the temporal and eternal yvelfare of our race . I do not say that such carping contentions are always just , for they are not , or that such critical objections are always soundvery far from it—but they exist , and we have to meet them , and deal yvith them as best yve may . When , then , as to-day , Freemasonry , as you have just well observed , sir ,
is extending her status on every side , when new temples are built up here , and neyv lodges are consecrated there , yvhen Freemasonry is alike the subject of pious calumny , and of popular curiosity , of religious condemnation , and of unhesitating eulogism at the same time , we naturally ask ourselves " What is the real worth of a society yvhich has such an antagonistic character for many , yvhich
some contend has only a claim for the open contempt , and others for the zealous sympathy of mankind ? " It has been the peculiar fate of Freemasons from the very first to have had bitter , irreconcilable foes , and warm and enthusiastic friends . Its history , Mr . Hallam has said , has been " yvritten by panegyrists and calumniators , each equally mendacious . " And at this very hour , yvhen
yve are all assembled here , to consecrate this Alelersgate Lodge according to our ancient rites , if yve go to the world without , and take up a daily paper , we see that praise and blame , admiration and excommunication , approval and condemnation , are dealt out , as it were , from the opposing points of the compass , in almost equal measure , with abounding fervour and vigorous calumniation .
Monsignore Nardi , for instance , some time back at Rome , kindly said we were "Goose Clubs . " The Roman Catholic Archbishop Vaughan at the Antipodes declares that we are " materialists , " that Freemasonry is " materialism , " and that we are members of a wide-spread secret society , yvhich is seeking to dominate mankind for base purposes , for sinister ends . A Reformed Presbyterian
minister in Scotland some short time ago , declared that yve yvere anti-Chiistian and irreligious ; and some foolish fanatics held lately an anti-Masonic congress in the United States , in order to oppose lhe growth of that Masonic Order , which in a little above IOO years , from a few hundreds has risen in America and Canada to the yvondrous number of nearly Ooo . ooo intelligent
and zealous Freemasons . Under such circumstances what can we say or do ? It appears to me , sir , that the best answer we can make to all such assailants especially is by our acts—the very yvoik which this maligned Order of ours calmly and continuously carries on year by year . Perhaps the happiest reply of Freemasonry to its perverse calumniators , is the epitaph—of its brother ,
and alleged Grand Alaster , Sir Christopher Wren , the builder of St . Paul's— "Siquaeris circumspice . " Do you yvant to know what Freemasonry is really doing in this yvorld of ours ? Regard its unselfish labours of love . It aids the needy and educates the orphan , it supports the decrepid , it cheers the widoyv , it dries up the tears of the sorrowing , and relieves the burdens cf the oppressed ; it
zealously endeavours to pour into the yvounds of our common suffering humanity the loving yvine and oil of the good Samaritan . Do you demand what are its true principles ? Listen I Freemasonry is a loyal , peaceful , patriotic , charitable , philanthropic , religious sodality , based on reverence for God and love for man , yvhose moral teaching is derived , and derived alone ( never
forget ) , from the inspired page , for Freemasonry in England , as well as in Scotland , Ireland , the United States , and Canada , stands avowedly built up on the ennobling sanction and sacred laivs of the Revelation and Will of God . In all our lodges , happily , as to-day , sir , that sacred volume lies open before us all as now , and we need not doubt , but that all of the sterling , stable , peaceful ,
religious character of English—nay , I will add , Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry—arises from this very fact , that as Freemasons yve have never been , and never will be ashamed , to declare openly our reverence and regard for the Best of Books , that great and yvondrous storehouse of yvisdom , morality , mercy , love , and truth .. There is , as some of us well know , in another country a mournful struggle
going on just now , which we all of us sincerely deplore . In that fair land , for yvhich as Freemasons and Englishmen we wish most heartily all national happiness , and peaceful progress , unfortunately the Bible has already been banished from its lodges , and a proposal is noyv being discussed to erase from their Book of Constitutions all mention of belief in God , and the immortality of the
soul . If any such unfortunate resolution should be finally adopted by the Grand Orient of France , such an act must tend to isolate French Freemasonry from the great family of Freemasonryinasmuch as the Grand Orient will have abjured one of the fundamental landmarks of our Cosmopolitan Craft . In England wc never can or will let go the very
bulwark of our Masonic profession , and in my humble opinion , as true Freemasons , we cannot lawfully enter any lodge abroad in which the sacred name of God is neither acknowledged nor invoked . But in this old island of ours Freemasonry happily goes on the " even tenour of its way , " undisturbed by hurtful chimeras , unmoved by hateful factions . It opens the portals of its lodges to all who ac-
Consecration Of The Aldersgate Lodge, No. 1657 .
cept loyally the fatherhood of God , and the brotherhood of man , and yvhether it is right or wrong in so doing , it does so deliberately , asking no questions and imposing no test . It keeps itself aloof from all religious differences and all denominational difficulties , and welcomes all within its pale , except the atheist and the libertine , yvho can combine together in reverence to God , the Great Maker of us all ,
and in works of humanity , and the sympathies of social friendship . And within its lodges , happily , all is peace , all is good yvill , all is unity . No baneful passions from the outer yvorld are or ought to be admitted there , for there the clamours of sect and party are hushed , there the shibboleths of contending factions are unknoyvn . The lodge is meant to be an assembly of high-minded , kindly ,
truehearted brethren , good men , patriotic citizens , discharging all their domestic duties according to the dictates of conscience and the laws of God . The lodge may be likened to a family , which should be a unity in itself , and where , as yve knoyv , one unruly or discordant member often introduces lasting discord , trouble , and sorrow . Hence , as Freemasons , we cannot be too cautious as to whom
we admit into our lodges . It is not enough that because a man is yvell to do in the world , and able to pay his fees and subscriptions , that therefore he has a claim to be admitted into a lodge ; nor is it right that brethren , in their desire to swell their lodge funds , should overlook the countervailing defects which render too many , hastily received , " ab initio , " utterly unfit for Masonic felloyvship . For the
lodge , let me remind you once more , is intended to be a gathering for us of innocent sociality , of refined pleasure , as well as a meeting for customary yvork or charitable effort . We meet there , many of us differing from each other in the world without , but we meet and part in mutual harmony and good yvill . We follow different pursuits in life , and ours are varied callings in the yvorld , and yet we
congregate as members of one and the same Order . The layvyer , thc soldier , the sailor , the merchant , the clergyman , the employer of labour , the writer for the public press , the man of yvealth , ease , intellect , literary labours , artistic tastes , and scholastic acquirements , the prosperous and yvorthy citizen of this great metropolis—from these classes Freemasonry is recruited and . men in fact of all professions
and all pursuits here assemble , bound together by one great tie , reverence of God , love of our brethren , and yvith a capacity for generous friendship and an anxiety for general beneficence . We banish from us all those lower and often sordid motives , yvhich confront us in the yvay , and often yvaip alike our feelings and strivings in the common daily pathyvay of the yvorld . We are here a
band of brethren , rejoicing in each other ' s prosperity , grieving at each other ' s calamity , yvith hearts tender for suffering , and minds disposed to pity , and as we seek to make all our reunions pleasant and profitable , attractive and agreeable , so yve endeavour to remove from all any deteriorating associations which might detract from their pleasantness or mar their good . As Freemasons we
hate calumny and abjure detraction . We offer the kind offices of a generous friendship gladly to our brother , we uphold a brother ' s character in his absence as in his presence , and yve seek to realise more and more yvhat is certainly one of the distinguishing features of Freemasonry , the friendly association of those yvho are happy to meet , sorry to part , and glad , most glad , to meet again . Surely
then , sir , our great society has its uses , its need and value for us all ? I , for one , like many more noyv present , can speak from many years' experience of it , and I feel sure yve shall all agree in this , that some of our happiest hours have been spent , and some of our fastest friends have been made , in the peaceful sanctum of some humble Masonic Lodge . I do not hesitate to avow , and in this you will
all , I knoyv , sympathize with me , that I have for Freemasonry as an association of us mortal men , the deepest feelings of regard and affection . It is , indeed , a noble Institution , based on the most sacred principles calculated to bring into play all thc truest sympathies of the human mind and will , and is and may be of the greatest use , importance , and blessing for mankind . If it had
nothing else to offer us , its lessons of toleration , kindliness , hatred of persecution and bigotry , would supply us with an example much reeded at thc present day . It resembles in this the good old clergyman , pourtrayed by the happy muse of W . M . Praed , of yvhom it is recorded , "That yvhen religious sects ran mad , He held , in spite of all his learning , That if a man ' s belief is bad ,
It will not be improved by burning . " For Freemasonry , then , sir , let us sincerely yvish to-day all prosperity and success in this world , and , like the Psalmist , let us add , " May peace be within its walls , and plenteousness within its palaces . " In the words of a good old Masonic prologue , I would also say , — " Oh brethren , still pursue the task divine ,
Vor us has Rectitude mark'd out the line , Behold Humility the level bear , And Justice , steady-handed , fix the square . Within our lodge has Friendship placed her throne , There Unity has knit her sacred zone , There Reason , with humility of soul , There modest Mirth and Temperance guard the boyvl .
There moral Music lifts her tuneful lore , And Secrecy sits smiling at the door , Conscious , tho' not to prying mortals given , That all our actions are approved by heaven , Conscious , that all who aim at Virtue's goal , Bear our essential mysteries in their soul . "
V . W . Sir and Brethren , one word more , and I have done . For this new lodge , now to be consecrated , we yvill all of us offer our hearty good wishes . If the public character and Masonic merits of those who are to preside over it and direct it be any criterion of success , then we may safely leave its future in their hands , confident of this , that the honour of the Craft will be up