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Article TO THE MOST HON. THE MARQUESS OF DOUGLAS. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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To The Most Hon. The Marquess Of Douglas.
bounded , made , among other excellent laws , one that three months should elapse between the degrees . Without now considering whether this be too long or too short an interval , I think this proposition incontrovertible ; that a tolerable acquaintance with the mysteries of each degree , should be a nine qua non previous to any other degree being conferred . It is certainly an absurdity , which must at once strike the least observing Brotherthat shouldin the course of a few
, any person , hours , be hurried through the three degrees of Masonry . But to apply these remarks to the event in question . There are several points in the account of the said fact worthy reprehension—to the three principal I shall confine myself . First , Masonry , contrary to its intention , in direct opposition to that declaration , which he was bound to make , must have been in some measure forced upon him . If you doubt of this , let me refer you for further information to the same excellent publication
, " The Freemasons' Review , " No . . 5 , page or , where the said gentleman states , in a letter to a friend , a member of the Lodge , " that he had uniformly resisted the entreaties of his most influential friends to become a Mason ; " and yet this very person is called upon to make the following declaration , ( except it was altogether omitted ) , " I do declare upon my honour , that , unbiassed by the solicitations of my friendsagainst my own inclinationand uninfluenced by or
, , mercenary other unworthy motives , I freely and voluntarily offer myself as a candidate for Masonry- ' / How could he be said to offer himself ; which implies solicitation on his part to be admitted a member , when he really was solicited to allow himself to be initiated . There is something
so very irregular in this one fact , that if there were no other violation of our ancient rules in the affair , it would demand the most severe reprobation . But , unfortunately , we find two more irregularities , for not only was he made a Mason without a clear apprehension of his own wishes , but he received three degrees in one night ! What an excellent Master must he be !—how capable of instructing the junior apprentices in our noble science!—Ye Brothers of Kilwinning ! whose
ye , predecessors re-established our sublime Order in Scotland ' in 1 U 0 , blush for this indiscipline , by which soon the very nobility of Masons is endangered . ' On calm reflection ye must blush !—And with what ideas must Mr . Hogg now look upon Masonic rank ! Will he ever exert himself in the cause of Masons ? 1 venture to prophecy it ! Never ! We have an instance of the effects of the very same irretrularitv in a noble individual
now living , whose splendid and versatile talents all must allow , though they may differ from him on many subjects—I mean Lord Brougham ; —his would have been a zeal for our Order , capable of producing the most beneficial results , had not his initiation been so imperfect ; but I need not dilate upon this event , which occurred long before you held the Masonic Sceptre ; yet I refer you for an account of it to that same
publication 1 have so often quoted , No . 5 , page 21 . , where we find these words : " No sooner said than clone ; away they sallied forth to the Lodge , where the future Lord Chancellor was DULY elected , passed , and raised a Master Mason ! " The consequence of which is , that from that day to this , to the best of my knowledge , he has never given one thought to the subject , and I do not wonder at it . Thirdly , it is stated , that a dispensation was obtained—from whom ?—and for what?—from the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Most Hon. The Marquess Of Douglas.
bounded , made , among other excellent laws , one that three months should elapse between the degrees . Without now considering whether this be too long or too short an interval , I think this proposition incontrovertible ; that a tolerable acquaintance with the mysteries of each degree , should be a nine qua non previous to any other degree being conferred . It is certainly an absurdity , which must at once strike the least observing Brotherthat shouldin the course of a few
, any person , hours , be hurried through the three degrees of Masonry . But to apply these remarks to the event in question . There are several points in the account of the said fact worthy reprehension—to the three principal I shall confine myself . First , Masonry , contrary to its intention , in direct opposition to that declaration , which he was bound to make , must have been in some measure forced upon him . If you doubt of this , let me refer you for further information to the same excellent publication
, " The Freemasons' Review , " No . . 5 , page or , where the said gentleman states , in a letter to a friend , a member of the Lodge , " that he had uniformly resisted the entreaties of his most influential friends to become a Mason ; " and yet this very person is called upon to make the following declaration , ( except it was altogether omitted ) , " I do declare upon my honour , that , unbiassed by the solicitations of my friendsagainst my own inclinationand uninfluenced by or
, , mercenary other unworthy motives , I freely and voluntarily offer myself as a candidate for Masonry- ' / How could he be said to offer himself ; which implies solicitation on his part to be admitted a member , when he really was solicited to allow himself to be initiated . There is something
so very irregular in this one fact , that if there were no other violation of our ancient rules in the affair , it would demand the most severe reprobation . But , unfortunately , we find two more irregularities , for not only was he made a Mason without a clear apprehension of his own wishes , but he received three degrees in one night ! What an excellent Master must he be !—how capable of instructing the junior apprentices in our noble science!—Ye Brothers of Kilwinning ! whose
ye , predecessors re-established our sublime Order in Scotland ' in 1 U 0 , blush for this indiscipline , by which soon the very nobility of Masons is endangered . ' On calm reflection ye must blush !—And with what ideas must Mr . Hogg now look upon Masonic rank ! Will he ever exert himself in the cause of Masons ? 1 venture to prophecy it ! Never ! We have an instance of the effects of the very same irretrularitv in a noble individual
now living , whose splendid and versatile talents all must allow , though they may differ from him on many subjects—I mean Lord Brougham ; —his would have been a zeal for our Order , capable of producing the most beneficial results , had not his initiation been so imperfect ; but I need not dilate upon this event , which occurred long before you held the Masonic Sceptre ; yet I refer you for an account of it to that same
publication 1 have so often quoted , No . 5 , page 21 . , where we find these words : " No sooner said than clone ; away they sallied forth to the Lodge , where the future Lord Chancellor was DULY elected , passed , and raised a Master Mason ! " The consequence of which is , that from that day to this , to the best of my knowledge , he has never given one thought to the subject , and I do not wonder at it . Thirdly , it is stated , that a dispensation was obtained—from whom ?—and for what?—from the