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Article EDITORIAL PRÆCOGNITION. ← Page 4 of 6 →
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Editorial Præcognition.
that their complaints we not set at rest , because they are fully competent to carry any measure they please , if they would take their places in Grand Lodge in suflicient force . They complain further , that there are some Provincial Grand Masters who , instead of taking the brethren , at their provincial meetings , to church , as in tbe good old times of Imvood , Harris , and Oliver , for the purpose of invoking the blessing of God on their labours , lead them to a ball in full masonic costume ; as the gentry of olden
time used to exhibit their servants and retainers at an assize or county meeting , in blue coats and badges ; whence , instead of a praying institution , as Masonry undoubtedly is , it becomes a dancing institution , which it decidedly is not . You will observe , brethren , I am merely rehearsing the contents of my country correspondence ; for myself , I have no objection to a legitimate masonic ball , when it is conducted on right principles , and the object pure and holy charity ; because I think that our female friends ought to have every opportunity afforded them of sharing in our amusements ; for it is a well known axiom in Masonry , that
' No mortals can more The ladies adore , ' & c . But I cannot approve of the custom of allowing a ball to supersede the religious services of the Order . My letters advise me that from the above causes , and others which I pass over , for my strength is almost exhausted , the brethren are everywhere seceding from the lodges , and Masonry is falling into disrepute . These irregularities have excited our adversaries into active opposition ; and there is now a powerful party arrayed against
us , of heterogeneous materials indeed—Roman Catholics , Puseyites , Tractarians , Evangelicals , Infidels , Methodists , and Quakers ; men who are always quarrelling amongst themselves , but can cordially unite , like Herod and Pontius Pilate , against our divine institution , —yet they possess sufficient pertinacity to create an unfavourable opinion in the breasts of indifferent people , if we are imprudent enough to close our eyes to their machinations . The ' Tablet , ' the ' Christian Remembrancer , ' the ' English Churchman / PaineCarlileECPryerBluntSoaneTrevilianand
, , . . , , , , their compeers , cordially join in the unholy work . " " O , ho 1 " Bro . Sharp interposed , " are you there with your bears ! Why the Doctor has impaled Mr . Soane alive in his little Johannite Mirror , which , by the bye , is one of the most spirited works I ever read ; and I have elevated Major Trevilian to the same unenvied distinction in the ' Leamington Courier ; ' and there they stand , like the thieves on each side of the cross , as a beacon and a warning to other delinquents of the same category . ' Say , ' Pope observes ,
' Say , what revenge on Dennis can be had ? Too dull for laughter , for reply too mad . j On one so poor you cannot take the law ; On one so old your sword you cannot draw ; Uncaged then let the harmless monster rage , Secured in dulness , madness , want , and age . '" " I am not sorry for this , " the worthy Doctor continued , " although my usual opinion on such matters is that of the fool in the fable . ' Why do sword ?
you carry a ' said he to a soldier who had a formidable weapon under his arm . ' To kill my enemies , fool , ' the man of war answered . ' Let 'em alone , let ' em alone , ' the fool replied ; 'they'll die fast enough without your assistance . ' So I would generally let alone all the abortive publications which are intended to injure Freemasonry , assured that they will of themselves sink quietly into oblivion , as all previous attempts of the same nature have already done . " " Let them read , " said Bro . Whitmore , " Dr . Oliver ' s masonic publications , and they will not fail to he convinced that we are neither deists nor infidels . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Editorial Præcognition.
that their complaints we not set at rest , because they are fully competent to carry any measure they please , if they would take their places in Grand Lodge in suflicient force . They complain further , that there are some Provincial Grand Masters who , instead of taking the brethren , at their provincial meetings , to church , as in tbe good old times of Imvood , Harris , and Oliver , for the purpose of invoking the blessing of God on their labours , lead them to a ball in full masonic costume ; as the gentry of olden
time used to exhibit their servants and retainers at an assize or county meeting , in blue coats and badges ; whence , instead of a praying institution , as Masonry undoubtedly is , it becomes a dancing institution , which it decidedly is not . You will observe , brethren , I am merely rehearsing the contents of my country correspondence ; for myself , I have no objection to a legitimate masonic ball , when it is conducted on right principles , and the object pure and holy charity ; because I think that our female friends ought to have every opportunity afforded them of sharing in our amusements ; for it is a well known axiom in Masonry , that
' No mortals can more The ladies adore , ' & c . But I cannot approve of the custom of allowing a ball to supersede the religious services of the Order . My letters advise me that from the above causes , and others which I pass over , for my strength is almost exhausted , the brethren are everywhere seceding from the lodges , and Masonry is falling into disrepute . These irregularities have excited our adversaries into active opposition ; and there is now a powerful party arrayed against
us , of heterogeneous materials indeed—Roman Catholics , Puseyites , Tractarians , Evangelicals , Infidels , Methodists , and Quakers ; men who are always quarrelling amongst themselves , but can cordially unite , like Herod and Pontius Pilate , against our divine institution , —yet they possess sufficient pertinacity to create an unfavourable opinion in the breasts of indifferent people , if we are imprudent enough to close our eyes to their machinations . The ' Tablet , ' the ' Christian Remembrancer , ' the ' English Churchman / PaineCarlileECPryerBluntSoaneTrevilianand
, , . . , , , , their compeers , cordially join in the unholy work . " " O , ho 1 " Bro . Sharp interposed , " are you there with your bears ! Why the Doctor has impaled Mr . Soane alive in his little Johannite Mirror , which , by the bye , is one of the most spirited works I ever read ; and I have elevated Major Trevilian to the same unenvied distinction in the ' Leamington Courier ; ' and there they stand , like the thieves on each side of the cross , as a beacon and a warning to other delinquents of the same category . ' Say , ' Pope observes ,
' Say , what revenge on Dennis can be had ? Too dull for laughter , for reply too mad . j On one so poor you cannot take the law ; On one so old your sword you cannot draw ; Uncaged then let the harmless monster rage , Secured in dulness , madness , want , and age . '" " I am not sorry for this , " the worthy Doctor continued , " although my usual opinion on such matters is that of the fool in the fable . ' Why do sword ?
you carry a ' said he to a soldier who had a formidable weapon under his arm . ' To kill my enemies , fool , ' the man of war answered . ' Let 'em alone , let ' em alone , ' the fool replied ; 'they'll die fast enough without your assistance . ' So I would generally let alone all the abortive publications which are intended to injure Freemasonry , assured that they will of themselves sink quietly into oblivion , as all previous attempts of the same nature have already done . " " Let them read , " said Bro . Whitmore , " Dr . Oliver ' s masonic publications , and they will not fail to he convinced that we are neither deists nor infidels . "