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Article PREJUDICE AGAINST FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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Prejudice Against Freemasonry.
How far Freemasonry interferes with the affairs of government will be best ascertained by one or two extracts from the Book of Constitutions . Such an appeal "to the law and to the testimony" is the more necessary , because this has lately become a subject of serious alarm , and because our institutes and rules , orders and ceremonies , though printed and published , are seldom consultedbut by the brethren . Others do not read them from indifference ; our
, enemies will not from contempt ; or else they fear to bring their assertions to this light , lest they should be reproved or confuted . This volume , curious for its articles of remote antiquity , and interesting for its instructive documents , contains the following principles : " Whoever would be a true Mason is to know that , by the privileges of his order , his obligations as a subject aud citizen will not be relaxed , but enforced . He is to be a lover of peace , and
obedient to the civil powers which yield him protection , and are set over him where he resides or works . Nor can a real craftsman ever be concerned in conspiracies against the State , or be disrespectful to the magistrate , because the welfare of his country is his most happy object . " * No man can be invested with the office of master of a lodge until he has signified his assent to those charges and regulations which point out the duty of that station , and promise
to submit ancl support them , " as masters have clone in all ages . " Among other particulars are these : " You agree to be a peaceable subject , and cheerfull y to conform to the laws of the country in which you reside . " " You promise not to be concerned in plots or conspiracies against government , but patiently to submit to the decisions of the supreme legislature . " " You agree to pay a proper respect to the civil magistrateto work diligentlylive in
, , credit , and act honourabl y with all men . "t Lastly , every candidate , upon admission , is thus charged : " In the State you are to be a quiet and peaceable subject . You are never to countenance disloyalty or rebellion , but yield yourself , and encourage in others , a cheerful conformity to the government under which you live . " t
How strange is it , my hearers , that an institution , thus guarded and fenced against political disobedience , should be suspected of being " the hot-bed of sedition ! " Or that anyone should think of imputing to men bound by these ties , governed by these laws , and under these restrictions , " plans of disorganization and rebellion ! " Do these principles lead to conspiracy ? Are they not diametrically opposite to all disaffection towards " the powers that be , whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors ? " Do they not
more resemble the good old loyal doctrine of passive obedience and nonresistance ?§ We blush for the ignorance and wonder at the perversit y of those who declare that they " view the brotherhood as a hoard of conspirators , who have long waited only for the baleful genius of a Weishaupt to launch out into all the crimes of a revolution . " )) That an institution which is founded on love to God and love to man , whose glory is to reward in its members those peaceful virtues which are most friendl y to their own internal tranquility and most beneficient and happy to the world ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Prejudice Against Freemasonry.
How far Freemasonry interferes with the affairs of government will be best ascertained by one or two extracts from the Book of Constitutions . Such an appeal "to the law and to the testimony" is the more necessary , because this has lately become a subject of serious alarm , and because our institutes and rules , orders and ceremonies , though printed and published , are seldom consultedbut by the brethren . Others do not read them from indifference ; our
, enemies will not from contempt ; or else they fear to bring their assertions to this light , lest they should be reproved or confuted . This volume , curious for its articles of remote antiquity , and interesting for its instructive documents , contains the following principles : " Whoever would be a true Mason is to know that , by the privileges of his order , his obligations as a subject aud citizen will not be relaxed , but enforced . He is to be a lover of peace , and
obedient to the civil powers which yield him protection , and are set over him where he resides or works . Nor can a real craftsman ever be concerned in conspiracies against the State , or be disrespectful to the magistrate , because the welfare of his country is his most happy object . " * No man can be invested with the office of master of a lodge until he has signified his assent to those charges and regulations which point out the duty of that station , and promise
to submit ancl support them , " as masters have clone in all ages . " Among other particulars are these : " You agree to be a peaceable subject , and cheerfull y to conform to the laws of the country in which you reside . " " You promise not to be concerned in plots or conspiracies against government , but patiently to submit to the decisions of the supreme legislature . " " You agree to pay a proper respect to the civil magistrateto work diligentlylive in
, , credit , and act honourabl y with all men . "t Lastly , every candidate , upon admission , is thus charged : " In the State you are to be a quiet and peaceable subject . You are never to countenance disloyalty or rebellion , but yield yourself , and encourage in others , a cheerful conformity to the government under which you live . " t
How strange is it , my hearers , that an institution , thus guarded and fenced against political disobedience , should be suspected of being " the hot-bed of sedition ! " Or that anyone should think of imputing to men bound by these ties , governed by these laws , and under these restrictions , " plans of disorganization and rebellion ! " Do these principles lead to conspiracy ? Are they not diametrically opposite to all disaffection towards " the powers that be , whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors ? " Do they not
more resemble the good old loyal doctrine of passive obedience and nonresistance ?§ We blush for the ignorance and wonder at the perversit y of those who declare that they " view the brotherhood as a hoard of conspirators , who have long waited only for the baleful genius of a Weishaupt to launch out into all the crimes of a revolution . " )) That an institution which is founded on love to God and love to man , whose glory is to reward in its members those peaceful virtues which are most friendl y to their own internal tranquility and most beneficient and happy to the world ,