Father Suffield And Freemasonry.

and so silencing such detractors as know us not . Thesebrethren , we all know , are the genuine tenets and principles of our Order . May we endeavour to exemplify them in our lives , and transmit them pure and unsullied to all generations !

I am , Sir , faithfully yours , THOMAS NELSON , P . M ., P . S . G . D . Stocktou-on-Tees , Feb . 12 th , 1868 . Sir , —Supposing 250 millions of people believed Hartlepool to bo a thousand miles from the sea , and supposing

five millions believed it to be on the sea , and suppose some one referred me to a collection of statistical documents from multitudinous sources , including a considerable number of letters from leading men at Hartlepool , asserting the former , I should attach considerable Aveight to such a testimony . I refer Mr . Markham Tweddell to a published collection of documentary e \ ddence compiled

from Freemason publications . My remarks on the effectual and esoteric teaching and objects of Freemasonry are in accordance with the sentiments of 250 millions of mankind who accept the instructions and warnings of the Holy See . Mgr . de Segur , a man of European fame , still living , and only hindered by loss of sight from occupying one of tho highest offices for Avhich he was destined

, has written a brochure , entitled "Francs Macons , " which can be purchased for threepence . He declares that persons of social rank and unblemished character are kept in grades in which they are ignorant of any ulterior designs , and thus only regard the society as a means of innocent and kindly sympathy and amusement . Mr . Tweddell is in one of those grades ; and of

what passes in some other grades , he , as he tells us , knows nothing . Nay , as Barruel declares , those in such grades are bound by oath not to reveal their ulterior designs and mode of action to the less initiated grades . All human evidence necessarily comes through others ; and evidence does not lessen in weight because it is published with full references , challenging investigation , and by men of high social and literary position , writing

Avith the calmness of historians and moralists . Mr . Gyr declares his Avillingness to reply to any communications or inquiries from Freemasons . Will Mr . Tweddell kindly mention some of the answers to which he alludes ? for I should like to read one of the fullest and most approved replies . And , as it very likely that some of the statements made by Barruel , Robison , Gyr , Robertson , aud be incorrect

SSgur , may , I would like to know these , so as not to repeat their errors . I take it as a compliment , Mr . Tweddell attaching more importance to my personal assertions of private knowledge , than to statements of a similar character , made and published by men of European celebrity . But I think that most of your readers will prefer tho latter to tho former but that Mr

; . TweddelFs gentlemanly and kindly request may not be disregarded , I Avill add that about twenty-one years a"o , 1 received singular information as to the esoteric or inner objects and Avorldngs of Freemasonry , from a Roman citizen of distinguished character . And there havo been comniunictttions occasionally made to me since , conveying to me the knowledge of transactions in London , Brussels , Lisbonand St

, . Petersburg , similar to those stated explicitly in Barruel , Gyr , Robertson , and Segur ; and showing how Avell founded in results havo been the assertions of the Protestant Professor Robison sixty years since . A secret society hides often the most important of its proceedings both from Church and Stateand f rom its own membersit moreover fortifies

, ; such secrecy by a rash oath . The ignorance of evil amongst an immense preponderance of its members becomes rather au 'injury than a benefit . My apology for the length of this letter must be that , there can be no reason fcr my troubling yon on this subject again . Your obedient servant , ' R . RODOLI ' SuiriELD , O . S . D .

Sir , —Permit' me to-answer Father SriEeld s Iastf letter on the above subject , and to correct- him upon a matter of which , it is 1 clear , he knows aboat as- much as any well-informed gentleman can be expected' to-acquire without becoming one- of u-s . My accomplished ' brother , Markham Tweddell , who- is an ardent Freemason' and' in every way qualified to answer the reverend gentleman ,

calls upon Father Suffield to retract what he- stated " about Freemasonry , which , lie said , was rooted' ( mart the' term !) upon revolution and infidelity . The Roman-Catholic clergyman replies by reasserting what cannofr fail to give offence to a body of saen equal in intelligence ; , loyalty , and social standing to any society of like numbers in the kingdom . Is there any man of sense iii

England who will believe that Freemasonry , either inits exoteric or esoteric teaching , is founded upon infidelity and revolution ? What the mysteries of Freemasonry are , must ever remain a secret , revealed only to those Avho seek initiation into the Fraternity ; but T am persuaded that neither the Government nor the country Avill believe that there is anything inimical to

the wellbeing of the State inthatOrderof whichlconfess myself proud to be a member . Father Suffield quoes Professor Robison's "Proofs of a Conspiracy "—written about 1799 , I believe—in proof of his assertions as to the dangerous character of the Freemasons' Society . Well , sir , that book is full of misstatements , calumnies , and errors , and is so thoroughly unworthy of credit that

one might as Avell cite Murphy ' s " Confessional Unmasked , ' as the exponent of the teaching of Rome , as Professor Robison on Freemasonry . Now , sir , let us take the logic of facts . If Freemasonry is so bad a thing as the Dominican friar suggests , how is it that in the United Kingdom at this moment there are about 150 , 000 , and something like 3 , 000 are initiated every year ? How is that George TV . was Grand Master of England ; that , subsequently , William IV . became patron of the order ; that the late Duke of Sussex was

one of the most eminent and most learned amongst our brethren ; and the Duke of Kent , our beloved Queen ' s father , was almost equally distinguished for his zeal as a brother of the mystic tie- Tbe Duke of York and the Duke of Gloucester Avere also Freemasons , and showed a Avarm attachment to the Order . I suppose there never existed more patriotic men than the late Duke of

Wellington and Lord Palmerston ; yet thoy were both Freemasons . Lord Brougham will hardly he looked upon as a revolutionist ; yet he is a Freemason . The Earl of Carnarvon is generally supposed to be warmly attached to the Church of England ( which to be sure is not yet identical with the Church of Pv , ome ) , and to be a statesman of some rank ; yet he is a Freemasonand a

mem-, ber of tho 30 th degree . I am certainly not aware that we number among us any members of the Episcopal Bench , but there are numberless clergymen Avithin our ranks , Avho , I believe ( though it will hardly be credited ) , are as estimable in their lives as any member of the Roman communion . Father Suffield says that his sentiments are in accordance Avith those of 250 millions of

mankind who accept the Avaruings and instructions of tho Holy See . Well , sir , the sentiments of 300 millions of mankind are in favour of the system of Confucius ; but I am not aware that numbers , either in the one case or the other , are guarantees of truth , which is , after all , what we seek . Mgr . de Segur is quoted as the author of a brochure entitled " Franc Macons , " in which he

declares that persons of social rank and unblemished character are kept in grades in Avhich they are ignorant of any ulterior designs , and that , as Brother Markham Tweddell is in one of those grades , he is ignorant of course of Avhat goes on in the other degrees . I have the honour to be a member of Avhat are called the higher degrees in Masonry , and I emphatically deny that there is airj'fchiug inconsistent in those degrees with my honour as a gentleman , my loyalty as an Englishman , or my faith as a Christian . I have no doubt that Father Sut ' -