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Article FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND. Page 1 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In England.
FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND .
( Continued from p . 476 . ) IN following up our history of Freemasonry in England , and feeling with regret that we are about to leave the chronicles of times replete with sublime conception , and most extraordinary ability in adapting magnificence with utility ; for those of speculative masonry as it now is , it cannot but
strike our readers as extraordinary , that a church which had done so much to foster it in its infancy , and support it iu its youth and maturity , should in later days , not only withdraw that support , but as far as possible , prevent any of the body from entering into its bonds of universal friendship and benevolence . That Gothic Masonry , ( according to the accepted term ) so replete with fine geometrical imagination , and by the harmonius
imitation of nature ' s works , seeming to lift our ideas to that Great Architect from whom all goodness springs , and without whose divine assistance , all our works are of no avail , was introduced with Christianity into this country , and that it increased in splendour till the reigns of the Tudors , when the excess of ornament became so great , that its sublimity was destroyed , and it seemed to lose that appearance of vigour , which is capable of withstanding the destroying hand of time—will be found in our earl y numbers .
In the fifteenth century , great advances were made in classical knowledge , scholars were not content with the studies handed down to them by the ancient Latin authors , but made great researches in Greek and Oriental learning , which led to the correction of the volume of the Sacred Law , as in its present state , and finally consummated the Eeformation . The church as then established , watched those innovations with a jealous eye ;
and although , perhaps willing to allow every liberality to a society , when considering it under her own peculiar protection , like a jealous mistress was unwilling to share her favours with universal countenance and support . We find that the re-introduction of the Augustan style into England , was contemporaneous with the Eeformation , and as Freemasonry progressed under the new system , its former supporters not only withdrew their
countenance , but have since enforced the most cruel laws to destroy it bypersecuting its members . This will no doubt fully account for the want of support from the crown during the interval between the death of Charles IL , and accession of William III ., when the mistaken zeal of James cost him his throne , and in no doubt shortened his life , for a court that could excuse its venality and profligacy by endeavouring to
force the lower classes to become religious ( according to its own peculiar notions of what reli gion should be ) could , from its entire want of that homely , and too little esteemed faculty of the mind , namely , common sense > hardly be expected to comprehend an institution , whose government is only enforced by moral principle and example . Upon the abdication of James , and the entailment of the crown on Mary , Princess of Orange , and Anne , Princess of Denmark , and their , issue ; and these failing , on William , Prince of Orange , in 1689 , which
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In England.
FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND .
( Continued from p . 476 . ) IN following up our history of Freemasonry in England , and feeling with regret that we are about to leave the chronicles of times replete with sublime conception , and most extraordinary ability in adapting magnificence with utility ; for those of speculative masonry as it now is , it cannot but
strike our readers as extraordinary , that a church which had done so much to foster it in its infancy , and support it iu its youth and maturity , should in later days , not only withdraw that support , but as far as possible , prevent any of the body from entering into its bonds of universal friendship and benevolence . That Gothic Masonry , ( according to the accepted term ) so replete with fine geometrical imagination , and by the harmonius
imitation of nature ' s works , seeming to lift our ideas to that Great Architect from whom all goodness springs , and without whose divine assistance , all our works are of no avail , was introduced with Christianity into this country , and that it increased in splendour till the reigns of the Tudors , when the excess of ornament became so great , that its sublimity was destroyed , and it seemed to lose that appearance of vigour , which is capable of withstanding the destroying hand of time—will be found in our earl y numbers .
In the fifteenth century , great advances were made in classical knowledge , scholars were not content with the studies handed down to them by the ancient Latin authors , but made great researches in Greek and Oriental learning , which led to the correction of the volume of the Sacred Law , as in its present state , and finally consummated the Eeformation . The church as then established , watched those innovations with a jealous eye ;
and although , perhaps willing to allow every liberality to a society , when considering it under her own peculiar protection , like a jealous mistress was unwilling to share her favours with universal countenance and support . We find that the re-introduction of the Augustan style into England , was contemporaneous with the Eeformation , and as Freemasonry progressed under the new system , its former supporters not only withdrew their
countenance , but have since enforced the most cruel laws to destroy it bypersecuting its members . This will no doubt fully account for the want of support from the crown during the interval between the death of Charles IL , and accession of William III ., when the mistaken zeal of James cost him his throne , and in no doubt shortened his life , for a court that could excuse its venality and profligacy by endeavouring to
force the lower classes to become religious ( according to its own peculiar notions of what reli gion should be ) could , from its entire want of that homely , and too little esteemed faculty of the mind , namely , common sense > hardly be expected to comprehend an institution , whose government is only enforced by moral principle and example . Upon the abdication of James , and the entailment of the crown on Mary , Princess of Orange , and Anne , Princess of Denmark , and their , issue ; and these failing , on William , Prince of Orange , in 1689 , which