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TO OUR READERS .

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THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , APRIL 26 , 1879

The Endurance Of Freemasonry.

THE ENDURANCE OF FREEMASONRY .

One of the most remarkable characteristics of Freemasonry is its endurance in the world , and , above all , its endurance of antagonism and attack . We might draw a potent argument , according to Lord Macaulay , for its own inherent excellency and vitality , from this very actuality , but we

prefer on the whole to allow the reality of its history to speak for itself , alike to the " geist" of the ingenious , and the appreciation of the judgmatical . Numerous as have been the attacks on Freemasonry , in ancient and modern days , by able or by inept writers , it has survived every

assault and flourished amidst every storm . It has been assailed by prescripts and proclamations , by ban and Bull , by allocution and aspersion , by " Mandement " and manifesto , by the shafts of ridicule , the insidious treachery of slander , and the denunciations of open and vulgar

violence . And still there it is as before the world to-day in every quarter of the habitable globe , counting its faithful "alumni" by thousands and tens of thousands . Indeed , such is the alarm with which the "secrecy , fidelity , and obedience" which mark all true Freemasons

everywhere , have filled the suspicious and timid minds of Ultramontane accusers and enemies , that they have , forsooth , invented a Masonic army " in buckram , " and have grandiloquently turned our thousands into millions . Indeed , it

would be laughable were it not such a parody on all kindly feeling and just treatment in the world to note the panic terror which seems to seize on Ultramontane opponents , on Bishops and Archbishops , on Cardinals , yea , and on Popes themselves , infallible though they are said to be , when

they have to deal with the feared , yet hated subject of Freemasonry and Freemasons . And , no doubt , to them , one and all , its " staying power " is a fact , alike inexplicable and undeniable as it is an unpalatable " factor " they by no means like to be recognized in the progress of

man , society , and the world . For despite unjust accusations , despite unjuster sentences , notwithstanding allocutions and anathemata , Bulls by thedozen , and calm excommunications by the score , these " wicked Freemasons " seem to get on in the world pretty well , to take things

easily enough in all conscience , to be none the worse for all this " noisy artillery of menace and malediction , " and , in fact , on the whole to be as " well , " if not " better , " than could be expected under the peculiar circumstances of the case . Since 1738 , let

us bear in mind 140 years ago now , Freemasonry , through no fault of its own , has been the subject alike of public condemnation by the Church of Rome , and the object both of the petty malice and puny wit of countless scribblers of different nationalities . We do not say that , abroad

especially , the conduct of Freemasons has been always discreet , or their "saying and doings " justifiable and wise Masonically ; that , unfortunately , we cannot assert . But this we may fairly remark , that even supposing the complaints of thc Church of Rome to be in any sense justified

in respect of Freemasonry , the course pursued by its authorities has been simply , as we say , and from their own point of view , " to intensify the alleged evil , " and men have revolted from their "debasing practice of prosecution , " and the childish , the empty fulmination of

ridiculous and mendacious " Bulls . " As amusing instances of the " endurance of Freemasonry " of attacks in bygone years , and in the present generation , we give , in conclusion , one or two illustrations . In 1 748 , the Abbe Larudan , a man of little character and less ability , published at

Amsterdam , " Les Francsmacons Ecrases the Freemasons crushed , wiped out , " as a supplement to the work of the Abbe Peran , at Geneva , in 1742 , called " L'Ordre des Francsmatjons trahi ; the Order of the Freemasons betrayed . " We who know to-day what Freemasonry is , and what it has done in the world since 1 748 , can well

The Endurance Of Freemasonry.

understand how the childish prophecy of an intolerant and ignorant Roman Catholic antagonist has had no weight , and no fulfilment . Is Free , masonry " Ecrase ? " Let its enemies suppl y the fitting answer to the question . De Quincey wrote some foolish attacks on Freemasonry some

years back , both in London newspapers and a London magazine , and boasted still more childishly that the " whole bubble of Freemasonry had been shattered" by his words . We must always allow a good deal for the " aberrations " of that brilliant but beclouded writer , though no

one reads to-day essays which are worthless , diatribes which are puerile , because penned in complete ignorance of the history , much less of the reality , ofthe Order he was so eager and so bitter to denounce and decry . And what has the denudation even of a Pope done to Freemasonry ? Of Freemasonry it may

well be said to-day " Mens immot manet , " amid all the changes of time and the revolutions of the world ; and wherever it truly exists , and is properly vitalized , it endures , let us believe reverently , in the wisdom and protection of T . G . A . O . T . U ., because it is manifestly of utility to society , of honour to the Most High , and of blessing to mankind .

A Word Of Warning.

A WORD OF WARNING .

We have seen lately some evidences of a rather hasty and reckless school of Masonic exposition and symbolism setting in amongst us , against which we think it well to raise a few friendly notes of warning and remonstrance . One of the greatest evils Freemasonry has had

to contend with arch-sologically , is the uncritical school . And this fact arises from two other facts , curiously enough , which deserve noting and watching . We have had practically , since 1 717 , two systems at work in English Masonic teaching , and ritual , and symbolism—namely , Ihe

Johannite and the Universal . In the earlier part of the last century , practically , no doubt , despite the avowed teaching of Grand Lodge , the ritual of the lodges under the modern Grand Lodge was more or less Johannite , and the same tendency was observed and preserved in the

lodges of the " Antient Masons . " And hence have arisen two conflicting schools of teaching and symbolism in our Order . Oliver leant to the Johannite system , and as Oliver is a " household word " with many Masons , his views still linger in England , and find favour specially in

Ireland and Scotland , where the prayers are not , as with us , Universal , but Christian . Now , we do not object to a great " liberty of prophesying " in this respect . We do not and cannot see whj ' , within certain limits , at any rate , the two schools cannot legally co-exist . There always have

been Masons amongst us who see in Masonic ritual Christian symbolism , whether of designed or undesigned coincidence , and wc are not prepared to say that they are altogether wrong either in their assumptions or their conclusions . And , therefore , we always read with interest

and respect the arguments of Johannite Masons , though we cannot agree to depart from the compact of 1813 . There seems just now to be a danger , whether , in the search after what is new , striking , and sensational , some of our good brethren are not emitting theories which are erratic

and propounding teaching which must do harm rather than good . We , therefore , think it well to impress upon our readers all proper reticence in dealing either with Masonic ritualism or Masonic symbolism . We learn , for instance , that a Bro . Maddiver , in Scotland , teste the

Scottish Freemason , has been dilating on a subject —perhaps the most difficult and doubtful that he could have selected . If he liked in a lodge of those who held Johannite views to propound this peculiar opinion , be it so , only we object strongly to have a subject started in our rfliost

which , exploding like a bombshell , may lead to a sort of general controversy and conflagration-We had not noticed the fact ourselves , we can only add "culpa nostra , " but our able conteinp 0 ' rary , the Keystone , alludes to it in these few ,

expressive , words , and we think it well to tran s - fer his remarks to our columns : " Thc learnt Bro . Dr . Maddiver , of Rothesay , ( as thc HeotH ^ Freemason fraternally styles him ) , electrified tn brethren of Lodge St . Vincent , No . $ 33 , Glasgow