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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • Nov. 10, 1866
  • Page 3
  • EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Nov. 10, 1866: Page 3

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    Article PROFESSOR ROBERTSON ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article PROFESSOR ROBERTSON ON FREEMASONRY. Page 2 of 2
    Article EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA. Page 1 of 3 →
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Professor Robertson On Freemasonry.

readily bringing into common conversation the most sacred name of God , must necessarily lead to irreverence and impiety . What can be more alien to the spirit of the Gospel than these tAVO habits of falsehood and irreverence ?

" NOAV it seems very apparent that ifc is this evil habit which our Lord condemns . The Jews appear to have satisfied themselves , that they might swear as much as they chose , if fchey did not forsAvear themselves . But our Lord , enforcing

the spirit , not merely the letter , of the commandment , tells them' to swear not afc all ; and enjoins thafc , in their common discourse , they should only say , yea and nay ; as more than this can come only from the evil one , Mafcfc . v ., 37 . The very

Avords used , and the Avhole tenour of the passage show , that ifc is to common conversation that the precept applies . Sfc . James's Avords , James v ., 12 , are so nearly a repetition of our Lord ' s , that the former must be interpreted by the latter . So far

then Ave see the great evil of profane swearing , and of solemn asseverations on unimportant occasions . All such are strictly forbidden by , and thoroughly opposed to , the Gospel of Christ . . " Bufc on solemn and important occasions , and

especially in courts of justice , Ave have NBAV Testament authority for belieidng , that oaths are laAvful to Christians , as Avell as to Jews

Our Lord consented to be put upon his oath . Sfc . Paul frequently , in very weighty matters , calls God to witness , Avhich is essentially taking an oath , see Rom . ix ., 1 1 Cor . xv ., 31 ; 2 Cor . i ., 18 , 23 ; xi ., 10 , 31 ; xii ., 19 ; Gal . i ., 20 ; Phil , i .,

8 . This is St . Augustine ' s argument against the Pelagians though he says truly , that Ave must not SAvear carelessly , because St . Paul sivore Avhen there was good reason for sivearing . Again , in the Epistle to the Hebreivs , iii ., 11 ; vi ., 16 , 17 .

the Almighty is represented as sivearing ; and , in the latter passage , the apostle compares God ' s swearing Avith the sivearing common among men , saying , ' Men verily swear by the greater ; and an oath for confirmation is the end of all

strife , ' Heb . vi ., 16 . With this we ought to compare Matt , xxiii ., 16-22 ; see also Rev , x ., 6 . " In short , profane SAvearin g is altogether forbidden to Christians ; but religious attestation upon oath seems to be acquiesced in

as necessary , and admitted as lawful . " To this true and Scriptural statement , Ave should imagine , every right-minded Mason Avill subscribe .

Professor Robertson On Freemasonry.

Professor Robertson's second objection to our Masonic obligations is that "the oaths of the Freemason are not only secret , but , at the best , unnecessary ; for , should Ave even be unable to prove thafc in very many countries the ultimate objects of Freemasonry are most culpable , yet all admit that the matter SAVorn to in the minor

grades are most frivolous and puerile . But a frivolous or unnecessary oath is in the eyes of the Church a guilty oath . " With Avhat charming simplicity does the Professor take it for granted that " all admit that the matters sivorn to are most frivolous and

puerile . " Who , Ave ask , are the all ? We turn to the commencement of Mr . Robertson ' s pamphlet ; , and Ave find that the all comprise his most trustAvorfchy authorities , viz ., the Abbe Barruel , Professor Robison , the infidel Carlile , and M .

Eckert ! We ask , in the name of common sense , are the statements of such men as these to be preferred to those of the host of Avorfchies whose names are emblazoned on Masonry ' s scroll ; whose lives and conversation prove them to be genuine

folloAvers of that Blessed One Avho went about doing good ? Are Barruel , and Robison , and Carlile to be believed in preference to Wellington , and Washington , and Scott , and Locke , and Oliver , and the other great ; ancl good men of our Order , to

mention Avhose names time Avould fail us ? Are all the beneficent deeds of Masonry to be ignored , because a few pretentious , self-satisfied men choose to utter maledictions and slanders against her ; knoiving neither what they say , nor whereof they affirm . ? No ! so far from all admitting- that the matters

SAvorn to are most frivolous and puerile , we can safely assert ; , that Ave never met a single well-informed brother AVIIO Avas not deeply affected by , and delighted Avith , the teachings of our Craffc , Avhen first brought to light . And this li ght grows

brighter , and this admiration strengthens as she leads him hi gher up her mystic ladder . ( To he Continued . )

Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA .

By Bro . D . MUURAX LYON , one of tlie Grand Steivards in the Grand Lodge of Scotland . Compulsory Attendance at Funerals . —Masonic Poor Rates . In a code of bye-laAvs recently submitted by a daughter lodge for approval of the Grand Lodge

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1866-11-10, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 10 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_10111866/page/3/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY IN CORNWALL. Article 1
PROFESSOR ROBERTSON ON FREEMASONRY. Article 2
EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA. Article 3
MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. Article 5
THE NEMESIS: A TALE OF THE DAYS OF TRAJAN. Article 6
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 9
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 10
CAUTION AS TO THE ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES. Article 10
Untitled Article 11
MASONIC MEM. Article 11
METROPOLITAN. Article 11
PROVINCIAL. Article 13
ROYAL ARCH. Article 15
CHANNEL ISLANDS. Article 15
Obituary. Article 16
MASONIC FESTIVITIES. Article 16
Poetry. Article 17
MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOV. 17TH, 1866. Article 18
THE WEEK. Article 18
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Professor Robertson On Freemasonry.

readily bringing into common conversation the most sacred name of God , must necessarily lead to irreverence and impiety . What can be more alien to the spirit of the Gospel than these tAVO habits of falsehood and irreverence ?

" NOAV it seems very apparent that ifc is this evil habit which our Lord condemns . The Jews appear to have satisfied themselves , that they might swear as much as they chose , if fchey did not forsAvear themselves . But our Lord , enforcing

the spirit , not merely the letter , of the commandment , tells them' to swear not afc all ; and enjoins thafc , in their common discourse , they should only say , yea and nay ; as more than this can come only from the evil one , Mafcfc . v ., 37 . The very

Avords used , and the Avhole tenour of the passage show , that ifc is to common conversation that the precept applies . Sfc . James's Avords , James v ., 12 , are so nearly a repetition of our Lord ' s , that the former must be interpreted by the latter . So far

then Ave see the great evil of profane swearing , and of solemn asseverations on unimportant occasions . All such are strictly forbidden by , and thoroughly opposed to , the Gospel of Christ . . " Bufc on solemn and important occasions , and

especially in courts of justice , Ave have NBAV Testament authority for belieidng , that oaths are laAvful to Christians , as Avell as to Jews

Our Lord consented to be put upon his oath . Sfc . Paul frequently , in very weighty matters , calls God to witness , Avhich is essentially taking an oath , see Rom . ix ., 1 1 Cor . xv ., 31 ; 2 Cor . i ., 18 , 23 ; xi ., 10 , 31 ; xii ., 19 ; Gal . i ., 20 ; Phil , i .,

8 . This is St . Augustine ' s argument against the Pelagians though he says truly , that Ave must not SAvear carelessly , because St . Paul sivore Avhen there was good reason for sivearing . Again , in the Epistle to the Hebreivs , iii ., 11 ; vi ., 16 , 17 .

the Almighty is represented as sivearing ; and , in the latter passage , the apostle compares God ' s swearing Avith the sivearing common among men , saying , ' Men verily swear by the greater ; and an oath for confirmation is the end of all

strife , ' Heb . vi ., 16 . With this we ought to compare Matt , xxiii ., 16-22 ; see also Rev , x ., 6 . " In short , profane SAvearin g is altogether forbidden to Christians ; but religious attestation upon oath seems to be acquiesced in

as necessary , and admitted as lawful . " To this true and Scriptural statement , Ave should imagine , every right-minded Mason Avill subscribe .

Professor Robertson On Freemasonry.

Professor Robertson's second objection to our Masonic obligations is that "the oaths of the Freemason are not only secret , but , at the best , unnecessary ; for , should Ave even be unable to prove thafc in very many countries the ultimate objects of Freemasonry are most culpable , yet all admit that the matter SAVorn to in the minor

grades are most frivolous and puerile . But a frivolous or unnecessary oath is in the eyes of the Church a guilty oath . " With Avhat charming simplicity does the Professor take it for granted that " all admit that the matters sivorn to are most frivolous and

puerile . " Who , Ave ask , are the all ? We turn to the commencement of Mr . Robertson ' s pamphlet ; , and Ave find that the all comprise his most trustAvorfchy authorities , viz ., the Abbe Barruel , Professor Robison , the infidel Carlile , and M .

Eckert ! We ask , in the name of common sense , are the statements of such men as these to be preferred to those of the host of Avorfchies whose names are emblazoned on Masonry ' s scroll ; whose lives and conversation prove them to be genuine

folloAvers of that Blessed One Avho went about doing good ? Are Barruel , and Robison , and Carlile to be believed in preference to Wellington , and Washington , and Scott , and Locke , and Oliver , and the other great ; ancl good men of our Order , to

mention Avhose names time Avould fail us ? Are all the beneficent deeds of Masonry to be ignored , because a few pretentious , self-satisfied men choose to utter maledictions and slanders against her ; knoiving neither what they say , nor whereof they affirm . ? No ! so far from all admitting- that the matters

SAvorn to are most frivolous and puerile , we can safely assert ; , that Ave never met a single well-informed brother AVIIO Avas not deeply affected by , and delighted Avith , the teachings of our Craffc , Avhen first brought to light . And this li ght grows

brighter , and this admiration strengthens as she leads him hi gher up her mystic ladder . ( To he Continued . )

Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA .

By Bro . D . MUURAX LYON , one of tlie Grand Steivards in the Grand Lodge of Scotland . Compulsory Attendance at Funerals . —Masonic Poor Rates . In a code of bye-laAvs recently submitted by a daughter lodge for approval of the Grand Lodge

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