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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • April 2, 1864
  • Page 9
  • MASONIC ECLECTICISM.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, April 2, 1864: Page 9

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    Article VANDYCK IN ENGLAND. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article MASONIC ECLECTICISM. Page 1 of 1
Page 9

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Vandyck In England.

¦ ¦ Qdte 'Street , -London , is an ori ginal ! of . Bei- -. ' 'Si'f Jbhfy Of Sir Anth . Van D yke , all at length , leaning again ,. , a rack , with a play-book , colitSiilplating . It is a p iece of gTSai value . " * The original , more , as Sir Joshua thought ^ in than Vand is ftt

Jansen ' s manner yck ' s , f Dr . Lee ' s , at Hartwell House , in Buckinghamshire . Dr . Lee is descended from the Sucklings . I will mention finally that Evelyn records his having seen at Bennet , Lord Arlington ' s , " two of Vandyck's , one of Avhich was his [ Lord '

Arlington ' s ] own picture at length , Avhen young , in a leaning posture ; the other , an " Eunuch singing . " Of the boy Bennet I know nothing more . The " Eunuch singing" is , I presume , the picture thus described at fol . 499 of the appraised catalogue of King Charles I . ' s collection : —

"St . James ' Y Singing Man , by S Anthony "Vandyke . £ 20 . Sold M Jasper y" 22 March , 1649 , for £ 23 . " PETER CUNNINGHAM , in the Builder .

Masonic Eclecticism.

MASONIC ECLECTICISM .

A striking characteristic of Freemasonry is its universality . It is peculiarly cosmopolitan in its adaptations . Wherever man finds a place to inhabit , Masonry may there find a home . Seas , rivers , or mountain ranges , may form what has been termed the natural boundaries of national territoriesbut they

, prove no bai-riers to the spread of Freemasonry . It asks not the candidate for initiation into its mysteries to what nation he belongs , or AA-hat creed he professes . These distinctions , however much the world may regard them , Freemasonry does not for one moment

consider . Yet , on the other hand , while viewing these circumstances of place of birth , or articles of belief , as unimportant , regarded as conditions of eligibility , Freemasonry has no tendency to denationalize or to weaken attachment to religious faith .

Adhesion to Freemasonry is consistent with the most zealous devotion to religion . Freemasonry teaches nothing which is in any way calculated to render its votaries indifferent to the claims of country , or the cause of truth . Tho pious Christian , the devout Jew , the Wahomedan in Turkey , the worshipper of the

grand Llama in Thibet , the simple follower of the Great Spirit AVIIO roams the Western wilds , the Calmue Tartar who scours the plains of central Asia , the conservative aud self-complacent Englishman , the restless and change-seeking Frenchman , the speculative and

dreamy German , the haughty and jealous-tempered Spaniard , the passionate Italian , all these may discover in the lod ge that which harmonizes with their diverse natures . In the lodge the Unitarian may meet the Trinitarian , and the Crescent may confront the Cross .

Tet how can this be ? How is it that out of so many nnharmonious elements , discord does not arise ? It -, nn strikes a cord in the human is tki F _ . ee _ m . v _—„ " -- ^ an breast deepef- tllaii tile IdvS 6 f fldtiQflalifcfj aee ^ . ,

afctachni eitit to ddctriiies . It is that i . iiicdvera iii tlli sentimeht arid princi ple of brotherhood , a fundamental soffleiliifig Underl ying nationality and arbitrary faiths —a platform 6 ii which all may unite , a level , on which all mankind may stailct . Out of this cosmopolitan featuresprings that other

, Masonic virtue , liberality of mind . In this respect the cause of religious freedom owes much to Freemasonry . The debt mankind owe to this institution for the mental enfranchisement which characterises the present age , is infinitely greater than professional reformers are disposed to acknowled

ge . The spirit of toleration with which Masonry inspires its disciples , admirably qualifies the mind for an unrestrained and disinterested search after truth . Penetrating beneath the foundations of creeds , and

discovering under them all a substratum of truth common to the whole , the Freemason learns to seek it everywhere ; and there is thus developed in him a spirit of eclecticism than whicli nothing is so well calculated to secure his progress in knowledge . The whole world of facts is open to him as a book which he is free to readwhen and where he will . And who

, so well prepared rightly and full y to construe the sentences of truth with which he meets , as the man who has learned to love and to seek truth for its own sake , and who has been taught to p lace it higher in his estimation than the interests of sect or nation ? This is what we term the Eclecticism of

Freemasonry , aud Avhich Ave hold to be one of its most distinguishing features . This is what was meant hy the ancient English Mason , AVIIO , when called up for examination before King Henry VI ., said that among the secrets held by Freemasons , was the " arte of ffyndynge neue artes . " To qualify the mind for the search of new truth , Ave must establish its perfect freedom .

vv hile such is the eclectic tendency of Freemasonry , it may fail to impart its aspirations to every member of the Craft . There are those , no doubt , on whom these teachings have been thrown away . Instead of being characterized by the many-sidedness ( to employ a Germanism ) whicli a genuine Masonic eclecticism is calculated to endoAv them withthey acquire a

one-, sidedness , near akin to bigotry and blindness . At times Ave see this spirit taking possession of Masonic authorities aud Masonic writers , leading them to exhibit one-sided statements on questions at issue , and to conceal from the Craft facts , the publication of which would facilitate the formation of Aviclerand

, therefore truer views . Wherever this disposition is exhibited , it should meet with condemnation . It is decidedly un-Masonic—audit becomes an openquestion Avhether the interests of truth or of cliques are uppermost in the minds of such individuals . They who Avould keep the Craft in ignorance of aught which

concerns it , must be counted as among its foes . The mission of the true Masonic journalist is to diifuse , not all the darkness , but all the li ght in his possession , that he may thereby become the disseminator of truth rather than the apostle of ignorance . —American Monthly .

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1864-04-02, Page 9” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 6 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_02041864/page/9/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
MOTHER KILWINNING. Article 1
MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD. Article 4
MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD. Article 6
VANDYCK IN ENGLAND. Article 8
MASONIC ECLECTICISM. Article 9
GOETHE AS A FREEMASON. Article 10
MASONIC INCIDENTS. Article 11
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 12
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 14
METROPOLITAN. Article 14
PROVINCIAL. Article 15
ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE. Article 16
ROYAL ARCH. Article 17
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 17
MARK MASONRY. Article 17
IRELAND. Article 18
CHANNEL ISLANDS. Article 18
Untitled Article 19
Obituary. Article 20
FINE ARTS. Article 20
Untitled Article 20
Obituary. Article 20
THE PARTING. Article 20
TO SHAKESPEARE. Article 21
THE WEEK. Article 21
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 22
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Vandyck In England.

¦ ¦ Qdte 'Street , -London , is an ori ginal ! of . Bei- -. ' 'Si'f Jbhfy Of Sir Anth . Van D yke , all at length , leaning again ,. , a rack , with a play-book , colitSiilplating . It is a p iece of gTSai value . " * The original , more , as Sir Joshua thought ^ in than Vand is ftt

Jansen ' s manner yck ' s , f Dr . Lee ' s , at Hartwell House , in Buckinghamshire . Dr . Lee is descended from the Sucklings . I will mention finally that Evelyn records his having seen at Bennet , Lord Arlington ' s , " two of Vandyck's , one of Avhich was his [ Lord '

Arlington ' s ] own picture at length , Avhen young , in a leaning posture ; the other , an " Eunuch singing . " Of the boy Bennet I know nothing more . The " Eunuch singing" is , I presume , the picture thus described at fol . 499 of the appraised catalogue of King Charles I . ' s collection : —

"St . James ' Y Singing Man , by S Anthony "Vandyke . £ 20 . Sold M Jasper y" 22 March , 1649 , for £ 23 . " PETER CUNNINGHAM , in the Builder .

Masonic Eclecticism.

MASONIC ECLECTICISM .

A striking characteristic of Freemasonry is its universality . It is peculiarly cosmopolitan in its adaptations . Wherever man finds a place to inhabit , Masonry may there find a home . Seas , rivers , or mountain ranges , may form what has been termed the natural boundaries of national territoriesbut they

, prove no bai-riers to the spread of Freemasonry . It asks not the candidate for initiation into its mysteries to what nation he belongs , or AA-hat creed he professes . These distinctions , however much the world may regard them , Freemasonry does not for one moment

consider . Yet , on the other hand , while viewing these circumstances of place of birth , or articles of belief , as unimportant , regarded as conditions of eligibility , Freemasonry has no tendency to denationalize or to weaken attachment to religious faith .

Adhesion to Freemasonry is consistent with the most zealous devotion to religion . Freemasonry teaches nothing which is in any way calculated to render its votaries indifferent to the claims of country , or the cause of truth . Tho pious Christian , the devout Jew , the Wahomedan in Turkey , the worshipper of the

grand Llama in Thibet , the simple follower of the Great Spirit AVIIO roams the Western wilds , the Calmue Tartar who scours the plains of central Asia , the conservative aud self-complacent Englishman , the restless and change-seeking Frenchman , the speculative and

dreamy German , the haughty and jealous-tempered Spaniard , the passionate Italian , all these may discover in the lod ge that which harmonizes with their diverse natures . In the lodge the Unitarian may meet the Trinitarian , and the Crescent may confront the Cross .

Tet how can this be ? How is it that out of so many nnharmonious elements , discord does not arise ? It -, nn strikes a cord in the human is tki F _ . ee _ m . v _—„ " -- ^ an breast deepef- tllaii tile IdvS 6 f fldtiQflalifcfj aee ^ . ,

afctachni eitit to ddctriiies . It is that i . iiicdvera iii tlli sentimeht arid princi ple of brotherhood , a fundamental soffleiliifig Underl ying nationality and arbitrary faiths —a platform 6 ii which all may unite , a level , on which all mankind may stailct . Out of this cosmopolitan featuresprings that other

, Masonic virtue , liberality of mind . In this respect the cause of religious freedom owes much to Freemasonry . The debt mankind owe to this institution for the mental enfranchisement which characterises the present age , is infinitely greater than professional reformers are disposed to acknowled

ge . The spirit of toleration with which Masonry inspires its disciples , admirably qualifies the mind for an unrestrained and disinterested search after truth . Penetrating beneath the foundations of creeds , and

discovering under them all a substratum of truth common to the whole , the Freemason learns to seek it everywhere ; and there is thus developed in him a spirit of eclecticism than whicli nothing is so well calculated to secure his progress in knowledge . The whole world of facts is open to him as a book which he is free to readwhen and where he will . And who

, so well prepared rightly and full y to construe the sentences of truth with which he meets , as the man who has learned to love and to seek truth for its own sake , and who has been taught to p lace it higher in his estimation than the interests of sect or nation ? This is what we term the Eclecticism of

Freemasonry , aud Avhich Ave hold to be one of its most distinguishing features . This is what was meant hy the ancient English Mason , AVIIO , when called up for examination before King Henry VI ., said that among the secrets held by Freemasons , was the " arte of ffyndynge neue artes . " To qualify the mind for the search of new truth , Ave must establish its perfect freedom .

vv hile such is the eclectic tendency of Freemasonry , it may fail to impart its aspirations to every member of the Craft . There are those , no doubt , on whom these teachings have been thrown away . Instead of being characterized by the many-sidedness ( to employ a Germanism ) whicli a genuine Masonic eclecticism is calculated to endoAv them withthey acquire a

one-, sidedness , near akin to bigotry and blindness . At times Ave see this spirit taking possession of Masonic authorities aud Masonic writers , leading them to exhibit one-sided statements on questions at issue , and to conceal from the Craft facts , the publication of which would facilitate the formation of Aviclerand

, therefore truer views . Wherever this disposition is exhibited , it should meet with condemnation . It is decidedly un-Masonic—audit becomes an openquestion Avhether the interests of truth or of cliques are uppermost in the minds of such individuals . They who Avould keep the Craft in ignorance of aught which

concerns it , must be counted as among its foes . The mission of the true Masonic journalist is to diifuse , not all the darkness , but all the li ght in his possession , that he may thereby become the disseminator of truth rather than the apostle of ignorance . —American Monthly .

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