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  • March 31, 1851
  • Page 51
  • THE CONDITION OF SCOTCH MASONRY.
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The Freemasons' Quarterly Review, March 31, 1851: Page 51

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Page 51

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The Condition Of Scotch Masonry.

all do not think alike ; many have not the inclination to study , even if they have the time;—too many , even yet , look upon the Institution as nothing more than a means of social entertainment , or as a sort of Benefit Society , and scarcely ever shew themselves in Lodge at all till " refreshment " is announced . If the mind be indisposed to profit by " the

secret arts and hidden mysteries of this peculiar system of morality , " the interval of a month , or even of six months , between taking the several degrees , will not suffice to make them acquainted with that mass of knowledge , which the introduction to " Light" is capable of unfolding to them . But the fault herein liesnot in the systembut in its abuse

, , —not in the manner of making Masons , but in the apathy and listlessness of those who are made . In Scotland , however , it is utterly impossible that any one can learn or discover what is before him , however anxious he may be to do

so . How is it possible he should do so , when the ceremonies , at his introduction into the Craft , are pushed on with the greatest rapidity , —when there is no opportunity for discovery of the break between each step onward , and when the work must either be hurried over for want of time , with a rapidity that bewilders the Candidate , or

destroys its beautiful proportions , and thus renders the whole proceeding absurd , rather than dignified—a solemn farce , rather than a noble reality ?—If , in fact , there be any truth in the saying ascribed to Napoleon , that "there is but one step from the sublime to the ridiculous , " it will be found verified to the letter in the proceedings of Scotch

Lodges , where all that is noble is marred—all that is instructive is disgraced , —and all that is put before the Brethren , who have a love for their'Order , tends to make them feel that they themselves are humiliated by the insult thus put upon one of the noblest institutions , which the world has ever seen established .

We once heard a P . G . Officer assert , in the Grand Lodge of England , —when the question of abbreviating the time for making Masons in the Colonies was under discussion—that when he was initiated , passed , and raised , in one night , in his native country ( Scotland ) , he hacl not the slightest idea of what was passing before

him;that when he came out of the Lodge , he was as ignorant as when he entered it , and that the next day he knew nothing at all about the matter . We believe that this honest avowal would be the general testimony of all those , who are admitted into Masonry under thc Scotch

“The Freemasons' Quarterly Review: 1851-03-31, Page 51” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 9 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fqr/issues/fqr_31031851/page/51/.
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Title Category Page
Ip—^S^—^ ^i^fe?^ SHeLF ft ; / : V y:: y ... Article 1
^^^J IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE OF ^fciS Article 2
Untitled Article 3
m A .i P°l Mi — ,' i Article 5
THE FREEMASONS' Article 6
CONTENTS. Article 7
NOTICE TO THE CRAFT: Article 8
CONTENTS. Article 9
CONT E N T S. Article 10
CONTENTS. Article 11
THE CHARITIES. Article 12
THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY MAGAZINE AND REVIEW. Article 13
LOVE'S TRIUMPH. Article 24
THE FIRST OFFENCE. Article 25
ON THE TABERNACLE AND TEMPLE Article 37
NOTES UPON FUNERAL SOLEMNITIES. Article 44
THE CONDITION OF SCOTCH MASONRY. Article 49
ON THE RHINE . Article 55
"THINKING" AND "WORKING" FREEMASONS. Article 57
MASONIC PROCESSIONS. Article 59
GEOMETRICAL MASON FLOOR CLOTH. Article 64
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 65
TO THE EDITOR. Article 73
TO THE EDITOR. Article 75
TO THE EDITOR. Article 76
TO THE EDITOR. Article 79
TO THE EDITOR. Article 80
TO THE EDITOR. Article 81
TO THE EDITOR. Article 82
Obituary. Article 83
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 105
THE 33RD DEGREE FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, AND THE DEPENDENCIES OF THE BRITISH CROWN. Article 108
THE CHARITIES. Article 111
THE 33RD DEGREE FOR ENGLAND AND WALESAND THE DEPENDENCIES OF THE BRITISH CROWN. Article 112
THE CHARITIES. Article 115
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS. Article 118
METROPOLITAN. Article 120
PROVINCIAL. Article 124
SCOTLAND. Article 137
COLONIAL. Article 148
EAST INDIES. Article 150
WEST INDIES. Article 152
AMERICA. Article 157
SWITZERLAND. Article 158
LITERARY NOTICE. Article 160
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 161
ERRATA IN THE LAST NUMBER. Article 162
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Page 51

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Condition Of Scotch Masonry.

all do not think alike ; many have not the inclination to study , even if they have the time;—too many , even yet , look upon the Institution as nothing more than a means of social entertainment , or as a sort of Benefit Society , and scarcely ever shew themselves in Lodge at all till " refreshment " is announced . If the mind be indisposed to profit by " the

secret arts and hidden mysteries of this peculiar system of morality , " the interval of a month , or even of six months , between taking the several degrees , will not suffice to make them acquainted with that mass of knowledge , which the introduction to " Light" is capable of unfolding to them . But the fault herein liesnot in the systembut in its abuse

, , —not in the manner of making Masons , but in the apathy and listlessness of those who are made . In Scotland , however , it is utterly impossible that any one can learn or discover what is before him , however anxious he may be to do

so . How is it possible he should do so , when the ceremonies , at his introduction into the Craft , are pushed on with the greatest rapidity , —when there is no opportunity for discovery of the break between each step onward , and when the work must either be hurried over for want of time , with a rapidity that bewilders the Candidate , or

destroys its beautiful proportions , and thus renders the whole proceeding absurd , rather than dignified—a solemn farce , rather than a noble reality ?—If , in fact , there be any truth in the saying ascribed to Napoleon , that "there is but one step from the sublime to the ridiculous , " it will be found verified to the letter in the proceedings of Scotch

Lodges , where all that is noble is marred—all that is instructive is disgraced , —and all that is put before the Brethren , who have a love for their'Order , tends to make them feel that they themselves are humiliated by the insult thus put upon one of the noblest institutions , which the world has ever seen established .

We once heard a P . G . Officer assert , in the Grand Lodge of England , —when the question of abbreviating the time for making Masons in the Colonies was under discussion—that when he was initiated , passed , and raised , in one night , in his native country ( Scotland ) , he hacl not the slightest idea of what was passing before

him;that when he came out of the Lodge , he was as ignorant as when he entered it , and that the next day he knew nothing at all about the matter . We believe that this honest avowal would be the general testimony of all those , who are admitted into Masonry under thc Scotch

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