Christianity And Freemasonry.

CHRISTIANITY AND FREEMASONRY .

WHAT an extraordinary medley of mental and physical strength and weakness there is in man . Lord Bacon , we arc credibly informed , fell back and fainted at the occurrence of an eclipse . The clever , keen , astute , and erudite Erasmus was dreadfully alarmed at the sight of au

apple ; Henry the Third of France trembled from head to foot at the appearauce of a cat ; the masculine-minded Mary of Medici ' s fainted at the sig ht of a nosegay of flowers ; while Ivan the Second of Russia would swoon on seeing a woman : and a brave Field Marshal of France fell

insensible to the ground on discovering a sucking pig served up at his table . These indeed were strange and singular results , due of course to peculiar personal antipathies , and we are now compelled to add to this very remarkable list the resurrection of tho very lamentable antipathy and holy

horror of the Sanhedrim or great council of the Romish Church against the society known as Freemasons , developing tho dreary and nnedifying spectacle of the sacred congregation , headed by the present , and in the past , by several occupants of the episcopal chair of that branch of

the Christian Church , anathematising the rulers , teachers , and members of an association of men who decline to be hold in a state of mental bondage or captivity by the state or government of a pontifical high priest . They would rather perform and fulfil in their offices and work the

commands of Christ to "Love one another ; " and in their labours , quietly and unostentatiously , practically perform tho injunction and duty , by exercising " Brotherly love , relief and truth" towards those who sorely need tbe assistance in their struggle with , and often defeat in their

conflict with " the world , the flesh , and the devil . The astute , clever , and wire-pulling ecclesiastics profess , by someoccultdivination and professed confessious , to havo discovered that the handiwork of Freemasonry and their "God Lucifer " is in every great political movement that affects

nations , and with tho usual sophistry , pertaining to tho old designing art of priestcraft , with misdirected zeal aud affected horror , declare that tho initiated are told , that " Eden was simply the eating of the forbidden fruit , and that tho God of the Christians and tho Jews was simply

tho destroyer of the human race . " To Freemasons this declaration will appear as so much fatuous imbecility , the result of an overwrought imagination , empowering the tongue to give utterance to what sensible men will appraise at its true value—simply a tirade of frothy declamation

"full of sound aud fury , signifying nothing ; " which vapid utterances may , and will , perhaps , bo accepted by the uniustructcd as eloquence , but which arc nothing else but vapid verbosity . In a recent synopsis of a sermon (

Qaodvide ) , a concluding one , in a course on " The Sec of Peter , " Mr . Luke Rivington—or lather , to give him his courtesy and honorific titles , Tho Rev . Luke Rivington , M . A ., London—made what ho doubtless considered a terrific and

characteristic assault on Freemasonry , and sheltering himself under the shadow and protection of the pulpit , in a temple sacred to tho worship of the Supreme Being , uttered tho most extraordinary views and opinions , from the standpoint of the Roman Catholic priest , and "pointed to tho

Masonic sect as it existed in its fullness on the Continent , as the chief enemy of the Papacy aud of Christianity , " and made sweeping assertions against the Craft inferentially and indiretly all over tbe world . This somewhat excitable Art-is Magister occasionally permitted his volubility to

overrun the mental discretion usually to be found in the pulpit of any Christian church , but which , however , very clearly demonstrated the bitter antagonism and animosity which animates tbe Roman heirarchy against the Order , aifording the members a slight idea of the Christian love it

bears towards fchem , when it is stated : " Even iu these days , our days , Lucifer had his worshippers , and obtained from God ' s creatures the adoration of himself in place of the

adoration of Christ the God Man . Our Holy Father had told us we were bound to explain and expose the real character , the diabolical character , of that whicb went by the name of the Masonic sect . It was that which at the

present moment was determining the whole course of human things - , it was that which at the present moment entered into politics , and guided them by the principles not of reli gion , but of diabolical superstition It was not possible to enter into any close investigation of the phenc menon of tbe life of this sect without coming to the wouoluaion that it was directed to oue aini , Jnamely , ! to bring

Christianity And Freemasonry.

creatures to satisfy the thirst of that fallen angel for adoration ; that it might be taken away from Christ , to whom it belonged as tbe God Man , and that it might be given to Lucifer himself . " The peculiar idiosyncrasy of mind which

could develop such extraordinary language with reference to the subject , is indeed a " phenomenon" in itself , aud quite characteristic of the hicc-ius doctius of the verbal ju ^ o-ler ; while the mental process of reasoning which could

arrive at sueb a conclusion is , in itself , absolutely miraculous , and deserves to be recorded in the archives of that Church , which can only describe Christian charity as impious , atrociouB , outrageously dreadful , and in

connection with tbe devil . Condemnation such as this , in which Freemasonry is described as " diabolical , " comes with singular inaptitude from tbe Bishops of a churoh which instituted and organised tbo solemn day held by tbe

Inquisition for the session of its court—the Autodafe . It proves the audacity and singular assurance of men , who , in assuming to describe original sin , election , and that irresistible grace which they so seriously lapk—while

endeavouring fee preach Christian love and charity towards all men , fail in accomplishing their work in terms of tho highest purity and refinement , fprgefcting in their sacerdotal assumption

that—Clay and clay differ in dignity , Whose dust is both alike . In the exuberance of his excited imagination , and in a further exhibition of his Christian denunciation , this priest

of charity , this clerical teacher of a Christian assembly , is reported to have declared that Freemasonry " Struck at the very root of all Christian revelation whatsoever ; and if it could only gather within its marvellous prevailing

network multitudes of Christiana and keep them for awhile , aud summon them , perhaps afterwards blindfolded , to be led by the choicer spirits to the higher grades , wherein its objects were more perfect , then it could govern , then it could

direct vast masses of people , itself unseen , although known to exist . " This charge , at least , compasses a very wide assumption , proving the uttor ignorance of the speaker upon the subject , to which ho presumes to give utterance .

Nevertheless , it demonstrates how far from , and how wide of pure truth priestly adversaries are prepared to go , and who , taking advantage of their clerical office ouly prove the truth of Shakespeare ' s lines : "Tho empty vessel mikes the greatest souud . "

0 ! what may man within him hide , Though angel on the outwurd side ? Members of the Order know full well that its origin is shrouded in darkness , aud its history may to a ceitaiu

exteufc be somewhat obscurp , but in every confidence it may be asserted " That it is the most ancient society in the world—that its principles are based on pure moralitythat its ethics are the ethics of Christianity—its doctrines ,

the doctrines ot patriotism and brotherly love—its sentiments , tbe sentiments of exalted benevolence . All that is good , and kind , and charitable , it encourages : all that is

vicious , and cruel , and oppressive , it reprobates ; and whereover the wandering steps of civilized men have left their footsteps , North , South , East , and West , there temples have been established .

The first step towards adorning a discourse is , for the lecturer , or would-be speaker , to become thoroughly acquainted , with the governing facts of his subject , it' he desires to affect or persuade his audience . But in the case

under review the absolute want of that knowledge painfully developes evidence of a paucity of intelligence concerning the facts , that renders the would-be-tirade a simple burlesque , not in conformity with the subject , and as' a

discourse , ill-becoming the character of the edifice in whicb it was delivered : leaving entirely out of the question the clerical role of the would-be assailant of an institution ,

whose teaching and ritual strongly recommends itself to the attention and acceptance of every right-thinking man not bound down by the adamantine fetters of an ecclesiastical despotism .

A little study of the learned work by Abbe Robin—•' RecJierches sur le Initiations Anciennes et Mvdernes "—will , perhaps , enable certain clerics of the Church of Rome to

hold a more charitable opinion , and lead them to exhibit a little more Christian toleration towards Freemasons , who , even if they are placed under the ban of that Church , do uot exhibit much fear of the consequences , or of any ulterior