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Article TREVILIAN ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 24 of 34 →
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Trevilian On Freemasonry.
which I have described in my book , and which , so far as I have seen , is the universal characteristic of Masonry . But to come to the main point ; does Mr . Moore moan to assert , that the clause I rejoice in having broken , viz ., " that I would never speak evil of the Masonic Institution , " is not universally , and strictly , a part of the oath 1 Why it was so evidently at Exeterat the time I was charged with
, breaking it , and it was so thirty years before , at the other end of the kingdom ; proofs , at once , of its universal adoption . It is of so vast importance that the public should know the true meaning of this clause , that I will go over that ground again . The question is , what is the acceptation , and the effect , in Masonry , of this clause;—and what ( it may at the same time be asked ) is its
DESIGN 1—for the design of a rule is always to be read in its chief effect . Its design then , so read , is to seal the lips of the followers of Christ when they witness antichristian and blasphemous practices . The young Christian , ready to burst with indignation at the insults offered to his Saviour , in the ungodly repression of His holy name in prayerand in the systematic attempts to supersede His perfect
, rule , is admonished by the recollection of his oath that he dare not speak . He has been fool enough to ally himself with Satan , and finds that he must commit the treason of silence , and refrain from open praise . The clause is , to him , the very " nail" ( Deut . xv . 17 ) by which his ear is fastened to the post of satanic servitude . Sir , I speak no fables . I take my stand upon the Masonic funeral
service of 1838 ; the most daring exhibition of Deistical insolence and ungodliness that ever took place in a Christian city ; when the Saviour was ejected from among His people , and contumaciously desired to walk in the rear until His TURN should come . Horrible !
Atrocious ! I wonder the earth , with gaping mouth , did not demand the idolaters as its prey . I wonder the javelin of Phinehas was not ready , in every Christian land , to avenge itself of the public whoredom . And is Mr . Denis Moore ready to stand forward before the Christian public and say , that the clause which would repress this my solemn opinion—which would bid me be quiet , for that it was only a short accommodation of Faiths I had
witnessedis a just and holy clause , and deserving my respect 1 The man who shall deliberately answer this in the affirmative , is a miserable reprobate in his affections , the enemy of all that is holy , just , and true . Such an one will hold to his vile oath in the fear of man ; of the fear of God he has no knowledge . I tell Mr . Denis Moore that , if such be his notion of holiness and truth , I have nothing thereof
in common with him . According to my notions to act upon the mind of God , however tardily recognised , is Truth . To doff the plumes of one ' s good name , one ' s will , one ' s word , if it be necessary to His honour , is Truth . To cut off the hand which would present the cup of falsehood to a brother , is Truth . To break one ' s most solemn vows , when found to be the chains of rebellion and blasphemy , is Truth . And I further say , that these tenets are as
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Trevilian On Freemasonry.
which I have described in my book , and which , so far as I have seen , is the universal characteristic of Masonry . But to come to the main point ; does Mr . Moore moan to assert , that the clause I rejoice in having broken , viz ., " that I would never speak evil of the Masonic Institution , " is not universally , and strictly , a part of the oath 1 Why it was so evidently at Exeterat the time I was charged with
, breaking it , and it was so thirty years before , at the other end of the kingdom ; proofs , at once , of its universal adoption . It is of so vast importance that the public should know the true meaning of this clause , that I will go over that ground again . The question is , what is the acceptation , and the effect , in Masonry , of this clause;—and what ( it may at the same time be asked ) is its
DESIGN 1—for the design of a rule is always to be read in its chief effect . Its design then , so read , is to seal the lips of the followers of Christ when they witness antichristian and blasphemous practices . The young Christian , ready to burst with indignation at the insults offered to his Saviour , in the ungodly repression of His holy name in prayerand in the systematic attempts to supersede His perfect
, rule , is admonished by the recollection of his oath that he dare not speak . He has been fool enough to ally himself with Satan , and finds that he must commit the treason of silence , and refrain from open praise . The clause is , to him , the very " nail" ( Deut . xv . 17 ) by which his ear is fastened to the post of satanic servitude . Sir , I speak no fables . I take my stand upon the Masonic funeral
service of 1838 ; the most daring exhibition of Deistical insolence and ungodliness that ever took place in a Christian city ; when the Saviour was ejected from among His people , and contumaciously desired to walk in the rear until His TURN should come . Horrible !
Atrocious ! I wonder the earth , with gaping mouth , did not demand the idolaters as its prey . I wonder the javelin of Phinehas was not ready , in every Christian land , to avenge itself of the public whoredom . And is Mr . Denis Moore ready to stand forward before the Christian public and say , that the clause which would repress this my solemn opinion—which would bid me be quiet , for that it was only a short accommodation of Faiths I had
witnessedis a just and holy clause , and deserving my respect 1 The man who shall deliberately answer this in the affirmative , is a miserable reprobate in his affections , the enemy of all that is holy , just , and true . Such an one will hold to his vile oath in the fear of man ; of the fear of God he has no knowledge . I tell Mr . Denis Moore that , if such be his notion of holiness and truth , I have nothing thereof
in common with him . According to my notions to act upon the mind of God , however tardily recognised , is Truth . To doff the plumes of one ' s good name , one ' s will , one ' s word , if it be necessary to His honour , is Truth . To cut off the hand which would present the cup of falsehood to a brother , is Truth . To break one ' s most solemn vows , when found to be the chains of rebellion and blasphemy , is Truth . And I further say , that these tenets are as