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Article CHRISTIANITY c. UNIVERSALITY. ← Page 3 of 3 Article " THE OXFORD PARTY (?)." Page 1 of 2 →
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Christianity C. Universality.
faith which they hold ( even though that book be written by a bishop ) although they may differ from him on minor points . This is a Christian country , and the bulk of the Freemasons in it arc Christians . In England Christianity is not a sect , ancl it is a disgrace to a community composed with ' but lew exceptions of Christians , that they can only say there are allusions in their ritual to the Saviour . It cannot be denied , that this our great and excellent society lies under a heavy imputation ; it is either indifferent to , ashamed of
or , its faith . I may he told this society is a society in which morality is taught , and I must draw a distinction between morality and religion : if reli gion is so excluded , why do we open and close our Lodges ivith solemn prayer ? AVhy do we offer a prayer at the conferring of each degree ? Neither Jew nor Unitarian will respect us one bit less that we confess our faith . Both churchman and dissenter will meet just as happily , and will have no cause for secret shame when wc openlacknowledour
y ge religion ; the minister of parish church and chapel will be spared the inconsistency of preaching to their several congregations faith in Christ as their only means of salvation ancl acceptance ivith God—and at their Lodge gatherings offering prayer and thanks without even the mention of His name . This Magazine is not the place for a theological controversy as to the merits of Christianity ; neither is it the place to publish a challenge to such controversy ; but its pages have ever been to those who e reform
open urg where needed , and to those who would not otherwise be able to express their feelings . AVith many apologies for occupying your space at so great a length , permit mc to remain , Yours fraternally , A PROV . QTIASD CEATLAIX .
" The Oxford Party (?)."
" THE OXFORD PARTY (?) . "
TO THE EDITOK Oi' THE I'BEBIUSOHS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC JUKKOfl . SIK AND BKOTHEH , —I see , in your Magazine of yesterday , that Bro . Hcyes , AV . M . of the Boivnshire Lodge , No . 864 , Liverpool , is said to have asserted that certain members of Grand Lodge , whom he denominates "Ephraimites , " "had come from Oxford , and were called ' the Oxford party . '" May I ask him , wlur has so called them , and why ? The names
of Bro . Portal and the Earl of Carnarvon have been too often before the public lately to make me guilty of any indelicacy in at once connecting their names with Bro . Heyes ' s statement : but in connecting them with this statement , let mc refer Bro . Heyes to the account in your pages some weeks back , of Bro . Portal ' s observations , and of the general proceediii" -s at the last meeting of the Provincial Grancl Lodge of Oxfordshire ; and ° 'I think that , at the same time that he admits that Bro . Portal has done
some good to the Craft ( witness our pocket edition of the Book of Constitutions , ancl the business paper of Grancl Lodge ) , ancl that no party spirit prevails in Oxfordshire , he will also allow that he has no right to identify a whole province—as he does—with the policy of a few men , to whom ( however much public opinion may he at variance ivith them ) we must at least , in justice , impute honourable motives . Moreover , I cannot see what right any one has , while denouncing the conduct of any person or persons as " unhrotherly , " or as the " cause of" unbrotherly conduct , in the very same breath to make use of au offensive expression with regard to those ivith whom he differs . May I be allowed to add , that after all the heart-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Christianity C. Universality.
faith which they hold ( even though that book be written by a bishop ) although they may differ from him on minor points . This is a Christian country , and the bulk of the Freemasons in it arc Christians . In England Christianity is not a sect , ancl it is a disgrace to a community composed with ' but lew exceptions of Christians , that they can only say there are allusions in their ritual to the Saviour . It cannot be denied , that this our great and excellent society lies under a heavy imputation ; it is either indifferent to , ashamed of
or , its faith . I may he told this society is a society in which morality is taught , and I must draw a distinction between morality and religion : if reli gion is so excluded , why do we open and close our Lodges ivith solemn prayer ? AVhy do we offer a prayer at the conferring of each degree ? Neither Jew nor Unitarian will respect us one bit less that we confess our faith . Both churchman and dissenter will meet just as happily , and will have no cause for secret shame when wc openlacknowledour
y ge religion ; the minister of parish church and chapel will be spared the inconsistency of preaching to their several congregations faith in Christ as their only means of salvation ancl acceptance ivith God—and at their Lodge gatherings offering prayer and thanks without even the mention of His name . This Magazine is not the place for a theological controversy as to the merits of Christianity ; neither is it the place to publish a challenge to such controversy ; but its pages have ever been to those who e reform
open urg where needed , and to those who would not otherwise be able to express their feelings . AVith many apologies for occupying your space at so great a length , permit mc to remain , Yours fraternally , A PROV . QTIASD CEATLAIX .
" The Oxford Party (?)."
" THE OXFORD PARTY (?) . "
TO THE EDITOK Oi' THE I'BEBIUSOHS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC JUKKOfl . SIK AND BKOTHEH , —I see , in your Magazine of yesterday , that Bro . Hcyes , AV . M . of the Boivnshire Lodge , No . 864 , Liverpool , is said to have asserted that certain members of Grand Lodge , whom he denominates "Ephraimites , " "had come from Oxford , and were called ' the Oxford party . '" May I ask him , wlur has so called them , and why ? The names
of Bro . Portal and the Earl of Carnarvon have been too often before the public lately to make me guilty of any indelicacy in at once connecting their names with Bro . Heyes ' s statement : but in connecting them with this statement , let mc refer Bro . Heyes to the account in your pages some weeks back , of Bro . Portal ' s observations , and of the general proceediii" -s at the last meeting of the Provincial Grancl Lodge of Oxfordshire ; and ° 'I think that , at the same time that he admits that Bro . Portal has done
some good to the Craft ( witness our pocket edition of the Book of Constitutions , ancl the business paper of Grancl Lodge ) , ancl that no party spirit prevails in Oxfordshire , he will also allow that he has no right to identify a whole province—as he does—with the policy of a few men , to whom ( however much public opinion may he at variance ivith them ) we must at least , in justice , impute honourable motives . Moreover , I cannot see what right any one has , while denouncing the conduct of any person or persons as " unhrotherly , " or as the " cause of" unbrotherly conduct , in the very same breath to make use of au offensive expression with regard to those ivith whom he differs . May I be allowed to add , that after all the heart-