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Article THE MASONIC MIIROR, ← Page 7 of 13 →
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The Masonic Miiror,
posed by the noble Brother might possibly not accomplish any great amount of good , but it could not be productive of harm amongst the popular world who were not Masons , that such a statement should be . officially and authoritatively issued as an exposition of our principles . There was a vast amount of ignorance as to what Preemasonry really was . He agreed with Bro . Savers that it would not be right to interfere in purely Roman Catholic countries , and in the case of
Lodges not holding under our constitution . ' ' But the Island of Trinidad wasneither in South America nor in Spain . It was a British possession , and we had a specific coihplamt from a Lodge in it holding under the Grrand Lodge of England . ( Hear , hear . ) A proposal like this aimed no insult at any specific religion , and he would not have supported it if it did . On these grounds he appealed to them not to be led away by the eloquence of Bro . Havers . ( Laughter and . . applause . )/' .: . -w :: ;¦ .
Bro . James Mason Said , that although as Masons they could not discuss religious dogmas , yet-they were not forbidden to sympathize with Brethren in affliction , or to express that sympathy when occasion offered . If the Church of England were to attempt any such interference in this country , he hoped that there was no doubt but that every Brother would give vent to the principles of Ereemasonry , and exercise Hs powers to the utmost to prevent any interposition on the part of
any Church , between the privileges of Ereemasonry and the privileges of religion . Although they could not discuss the forms of any Church , yet when that Church placed itself in direct antagonism to Freemasonry , they had a most undoubted right to let that Church know , and let the whole world know ., what the grand principles of Ereemasonry were ; and he could not conceive any evil whatever which could arise from the adoption of such a course . ( Hear , hear . )
The Bev . Bro . J . E . Cox : The Church of Borne declares itself infallible , and must therefore continue to oppose Cur Order , as it has done . ( Hear . ) The Brother * who has said that our principles are not known to the Roman Church , is wrong . The Romish priests understand what are the principles of Freemasonry as well as any Brother in this room ; and it is rather because of , than for want of , that information , that they act towards us as they do . As surely as any resolution of this kind should be carried out and sent to Roman Catholic countries , so
surely will it become the cause of an aggravation of that persecution which is now complained of . ' ( Hear , hear , and cheering . ) I am satisfied of this , that the only course we can pursue in this case , is to do as we did in the case of the Mauritius Brethren—to pass a resolution expressive of our heartfelt sympathy with them . { Applause . ) The Romish priesthood have a certain course to take , and they will take it , and no statement read to them will make them alter their
system . ( Hear , hear . ) I earnestly therefore , entreat Grand Lodge not to adopt the proposition before it , as it would only tend to increase the existing persecution of the Brethren , and to aggravate the annoyances to which they are at present subjected . IsTo one felt more for their Roman Catholic Brethren than he did ; . but he knew that this motion , if carried out , would only injure those whom it was intended to benefit . ( Applause . ) The Rev . Bro . Portal , who was assailed with boisterous calls for a division on every hand , said he had mixed with Roman Catholics to some extent , both in this country and on the Continent , and he could assure the Brethren that much
misapprehension prevailed amongst them as to what Freemasonry was . He had found Roman Catholics shrink from him when they found he was a Freemason . They said , " You are a Mason ? You Masons stir up sedition wherever you go I " ( Loud laughter and applause . ) He said , "We don't do anything of the sort . " ( Hear , hear . ) There was a great difference between the de facto excommunication under which all Roman Catholic Masons are supposed to lie , and excommunication in the ordinary acceptation of the term . He had met with a Roman Catholic Brother once at a place on the Continent , and asked him how he managed in this
respect . His reply was , " Oh ! my priest is a good fellow . " ( Applause and laughter , ) He maintained , therefore , that such a brief statement as that which had been referred to would do good . Bro . Lord Pamnure , who was received with loud applause , said : I think Grand Lodge would fall into a great error if they passed this ' motion . ( Hear ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Miiror,
posed by the noble Brother might possibly not accomplish any great amount of good , but it could not be productive of harm amongst the popular world who were not Masons , that such a statement should be . officially and authoritatively issued as an exposition of our principles . There was a vast amount of ignorance as to what Preemasonry really was . He agreed with Bro . Savers that it would not be right to interfere in purely Roman Catholic countries , and in the case of
Lodges not holding under our constitution . ' ' But the Island of Trinidad wasneither in South America nor in Spain . It was a British possession , and we had a specific coihplamt from a Lodge in it holding under the Grrand Lodge of England . ( Hear , hear . ) A proposal like this aimed no insult at any specific religion , and he would not have supported it if it did . On these grounds he appealed to them not to be led away by the eloquence of Bro . Havers . ( Laughter and . . applause . )/' .: . -w :: ;¦ .
Bro . James Mason Said , that although as Masons they could not discuss religious dogmas , yet-they were not forbidden to sympathize with Brethren in affliction , or to express that sympathy when occasion offered . If the Church of England were to attempt any such interference in this country , he hoped that there was no doubt but that every Brother would give vent to the principles of Ereemasonry , and exercise Hs powers to the utmost to prevent any interposition on the part of
any Church , between the privileges of Ereemasonry and the privileges of religion . Although they could not discuss the forms of any Church , yet when that Church placed itself in direct antagonism to Freemasonry , they had a most undoubted right to let that Church know , and let the whole world know ., what the grand principles of Ereemasonry were ; and he could not conceive any evil whatever which could arise from the adoption of such a course . ( Hear , hear . )
The Bev . Bro . J . E . Cox : The Church of Borne declares itself infallible , and must therefore continue to oppose Cur Order , as it has done . ( Hear . ) The Brother * who has said that our principles are not known to the Roman Church , is wrong . The Romish priests understand what are the principles of Freemasonry as well as any Brother in this room ; and it is rather because of , than for want of , that information , that they act towards us as they do . As surely as any resolution of this kind should be carried out and sent to Roman Catholic countries , so
surely will it become the cause of an aggravation of that persecution which is now complained of . ' ( Hear , hear , and cheering . ) I am satisfied of this , that the only course we can pursue in this case , is to do as we did in the case of the Mauritius Brethren—to pass a resolution expressive of our heartfelt sympathy with them . { Applause . ) The Romish priesthood have a certain course to take , and they will take it , and no statement read to them will make them alter their
system . ( Hear , hear . ) I earnestly therefore , entreat Grand Lodge not to adopt the proposition before it , as it would only tend to increase the existing persecution of the Brethren , and to aggravate the annoyances to which they are at present subjected . IsTo one felt more for their Roman Catholic Brethren than he did ; . but he knew that this motion , if carried out , would only injure those whom it was intended to benefit . ( Applause . ) The Rev . Bro . Portal , who was assailed with boisterous calls for a division on every hand , said he had mixed with Roman Catholics to some extent , both in this country and on the Continent , and he could assure the Brethren that much
misapprehension prevailed amongst them as to what Freemasonry was . He had found Roman Catholics shrink from him when they found he was a Freemason . They said , " You are a Mason ? You Masons stir up sedition wherever you go I " ( Loud laughter and applause . ) He said , "We don't do anything of the sort . " ( Hear , hear . ) There was a great difference between the de facto excommunication under which all Roman Catholic Masons are supposed to lie , and excommunication in the ordinary acceptation of the term . He had met with a Roman Catholic Brother once at a place on the Continent , and asked him how he managed in this
respect . His reply was , " Oh ! my priest is a good fellow . " ( Applause and laughter , ) He maintained , therefore , that such a brief statement as that which had been referred to would do good . Bro . Lord Pamnure , who was received with loud applause , said : I think Grand Lodge would fall into a great error if they passed this ' motion . ( Hear ,