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Article COIRESPGNDENCE. ← Page 7 of 11 →
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Coirespgndence.
However impossible it may be for us to form an adequate idea pf a Being who is universally present in every place at every moment of time , the fact is indubitable . Although He is now present with us wherever we may be , he is also in heaven—at the farthest corners of the earth—at the bottom of the sea- —and amongst the most distant stars of the firmament .
Here we have a superb and most stupendous example of universality , This is the G . A . O . T . U ., Jehovah , or the Alpha and Omega so frequently symbolized by our ancient Brethren as an indisputable title of Jesus Christ , who so proclaimed himself ' . "'by a great voice as of a trumpet , saying I am Alpha and Omega , the First and the Last , " and comforted St . John with the majesty of the same title saying , " fear not , I am the First and the Juast , " . '
In all these and several other passages of scripture , as Bishop Pearson truly observes , " this -title is attributed to Christ absolutely and universally ; and in the same eminence of expression in which it is attributed to the Almighty and EternalGod . " Again , space is universal , for it radiates from every minute point of the compass through the entire empyrean . Over this globe of earth the Deluge was universal . Sin is universal , but Freemasonry is not . But the great and enduring specimen or
instance of universality may be found in the system of Christianity . St . Peter tells the Jewish converts to Christianity that "in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness , will be accepted of Him . " And our Saviour , before he took a final leave of his disciples , commanded them to " go into all the world , and . preach the gospel to every creature" This was undoubtedly a principle of universality , which it is impossible to find in any other system ; for although Christianity , even nineteen centuries after the death of its founder , has not attained that extraordinary attribute , its final triumph is rapidly approaching .
All attempts on the part of Freemasonry to imitate it , will undoubted fail . It is true that Masonry advocates principles which have a tendency to bring about that period when "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; " when , in contrast with the present state of things , " men . shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks , when nation shall not lift up . sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more . " But the consummation of all these things is reserved by the Most High as the triumph of Christianity ,
Besides , the exclusion of our holy faith—which is so stoutly avowed by the universalists as a species of homage to other systems of religion which they know to be either abrogated or false—is an exercise of pseudo-liberality altogether unsuitable to the Christian character . Can such a course be palliated or defended by the plea of toleration ? I doubt it . Toleration at best is but a sufferance of something which w e do not approve . But to keep Christianity in the background , for the purpose of making room for other systems which they cannot
conscientiously approve , is a yery different affair ; because it would thus appear that Christianity was the tolerated institution , if placed in a neutral position under the apprehension of damaging its universality , while other modes of faith are allowed the privilege of unlimited illustration . It assumes the appearance of a crusade against our holy religion , as if they should say " only keep Christianity out of sight , and you are at liberty to bring paganism and modern Judaism as prominently forward as you please . "
Well may the cowan denominate us a nest of infidels . It is high time for the true friends of Masonry to be on the alert , that they may repudiate once for all the odious appellation . Now it must be observed that I do not object to the practice of illustrating the scientific division of Freemasonry by an allusion to kindred practices of antiquity , whether it be taken from the religious system of the Jews , or the philosophy
of the heathen ; but when Mb morality , ox a reference to the Great Triune Being who created the world is in question , I distinctly maintain that these subjects refer to the Christian religion , and to it alone , as I shall hereafter abundantly show , although I ask no more for Christianity than is freely conceded to all other systems of faith . The Jewish dispensation , was confined to the tribes of Israel , while that of the Messiah , as is frequently predicted in the the first Great Light ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Coirespgndence.
However impossible it may be for us to form an adequate idea pf a Being who is universally present in every place at every moment of time , the fact is indubitable . Although He is now present with us wherever we may be , he is also in heaven—at the farthest corners of the earth—at the bottom of the sea- —and amongst the most distant stars of the firmament .
Here we have a superb and most stupendous example of universality , This is the G . A . O . T . U ., Jehovah , or the Alpha and Omega so frequently symbolized by our ancient Brethren as an indisputable title of Jesus Christ , who so proclaimed himself ' . "'by a great voice as of a trumpet , saying I am Alpha and Omega , the First and the Last , " and comforted St . John with the majesty of the same title saying , " fear not , I am the First and the Juast , " . '
In all these and several other passages of scripture , as Bishop Pearson truly observes , " this -title is attributed to Christ absolutely and universally ; and in the same eminence of expression in which it is attributed to the Almighty and EternalGod . " Again , space is universal , for it radiates from every minute point of the compass through the entire empyrean . Over this globe of earth the Deluge was universal . Sin is universal , but Freemasonry is not . But the great and enduring specimen or
instance of universality may be found in the system of Christianity . St . Peter tells the Jewish converts to Christianity that "in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness , will be accepted of Him . " And our Saviour , before he took a final leave of his disciples , commanded them to " go into all the world , and . preach the gospel to every creature" This was undoubtedly a principle of universality , which it is impossible to find in any other system ; for although Christianity , even nineteen centuries after the death of its founder , has not attained that extraordinary attribute , its final triumph is rapidly approaching .
All attempts on the part of Freemasonry to imitate it , will undoubted fail . It is true that Masonry advocates principles which have a tendency to bring about that period when "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; " when , in contrast with the present state of things , " men . shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks , when nation shall not lift up . sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more . " But the consummation of all these things is reserved by the Most High as the triumph of Christianity ,
Besides , the exclusion of our holy faith—which is so stoutly avowed by the universalists as a species of homage to other systems of religion which they know to be either abrogated or false—is an exercise of pseudo-liberality altogether unsuitable to the Christian character . Can such a course be palliated or defended by the plea of toleration ? I doubt it . Toleration at best is but a sufferance of something which w e do not approve . But to keep Christianity in the background , for the purpose of making room for other systems which they cannot
conscientiously approve , is a yery different affair ; because it would thus appear that Christianity was the tolerated institution , if placed in a neutral position under the apprehension of damaging its universality , while other modes of faith are allowed the privilege of unlimited illustration . It assumes the appearance of a crusade against our holy religion , as if they should say " only keep Christianity out of sight , and you are at liberty to bring paganism and modern Judaism as prominently forward as you please . "
Well may the cowan denominate us a nest of infidels . It is high time for the true friends of Masonry to be on the alert , that they may repudiate once for all the odious appellation . Now it must be observed that I do not object to the practice of illustrating the scientific division of Freemasonry by an allusion to kindred practices of antiquity , whether it be taken from the religious system of the Jews , or the philosophy
of the heathen ; but when Mb morality , ox a reference to the Great Triune Being who created the world is in question , I distinctly maintain that these subjects refer to the Christian religion , and to it alone , as I shall hereafter abundantly show , although I ask no more for Christianity than is freely conceded to all other systems of faith . The Jewish dispensation , was confined to the tribes of Israel , while that of the Messiah , as is frequently predicted in the the first Great Light ,