The Attack Of The Church Of Rome On Freemasons And Freemasonry.

pestiferous designs aud pernicious undertakings , and to provide an appropriate remedy and to restrain from sin those who are under us , as is the duty of the pastoral office , we do by the authority of the present council , invalidate , dissolve and make void

all assemblies , unions , societies and confederacies which are called brotherhoods or confraternities hitherto instituted by clergymen or laymen of whatsoever degree , state , dignity or condition they may be , and also the compacts , agreements and regulations established among them , and we declare them to be null and void and of

no effect , decreeing that all the oaths taken for the performance of the aforesaid acts are either illegal or worthless ; aud we ordain that no one shall be held to the observance of them , from which oaths we provisionally absolve them ; so

thathow-, ever , for their heedless and idle oaths they shall receive a salutary penance from their confessors . And by the aforesaid authority we prohibit them under penalty of excommunication to make use from this time

forth as formerly , of the said unions , societies , conventions and oaths ; they shall not institute confraternities of this kind ; one shall not give obedience nor afford assistance or favour to another ; nor shall they wear clothing which exhibits the signs or marks of the condemned thing ,

nor call themselves brethren , priors or abbots of the aforesaid society . And we ordain that this excommunication shall be " ipso facto , " if they act to the contrary of the present statute after it shall have been published for two Sundays in the church

of which they are parishioners . But indeed let each one within ten days from the time of the said publicatiou seek a confessor to absolve him , so far as he can , from the aforesaid oaths , and let him publicly profess his unwillingness to be

any longer a member of the aforesaid societ y . AVe also forbid their forming from this time forth such confederacies , conspiracies or assemblies under the name of a confraternity , otherwise Ave declare such attempts " de facto" invalid , void and of

no effect , and we subject those forming and attempting them to the sentence of excommunication , from Avhich they shall in no way be absolved , unless by a provincial council , except in the hour of death . But by this act ive do uot intend to disapprove of those fraternities formerl y

instituted for the relief of thc poor m which there arc no obligations nor oaths . From the time of Pope John XXII ., in the tenth year of Avhose Pontificate this statute at Avignon was passed , until the year 1738 , the Romish Curia slumbered ,

and the Popes were silent in respect of the Freemasons , or , indeed , we believe of secret societies . Some German writers say that Papal Bulls were granted in the interim to the German Masons , though the text of such has not yet been published , as far as

we are aware , and Sir AV . Dugdale , ( no slig ht authority , as some of our readers know ) , is saidto have traced backMasonry to Avandering Italian Freemasons , incorporated and protected by Papal Bulls . But such Bulls have not yet been discovered , though

they may Avell exist in some form . In 1738 , hoAvever , the Romish Church woke up from its sleep of centuries , and Clement XII . promulgated a Bull beginning " In eminente Apostolatus Specula , " April 27 , 1738 . This was a direct attack on , and a condemnation of Freemasonry . AVe g ive it from the " Pocket Companion " for 1759 , in extenso : —

Clement Bishop , Servant of the Seraanls of God , to all the Faithful of Christ , Health , and Apostolical Benediction . Placed ( unAvortliy as Ave are ) by the Disposal of the Divine Clemency , in the eminent AVatch-ToAver of the Apostleship , we -are ever solicitously' intent , agreeable to the Trust of the Pastoral Providence

reposed in us , by obstructing the Passages of Error and Vice , to preserve more especially the Integrity of Orthodox Relig ion , and to repel , in these difficult Times , all Dangers of Trouble from the whole Catholiok World . It has come to our Knowledgeeven

, from publick Report , that certain Societies , Companies , Meetings , Assemblies , Clubs , or Conventicles , commonly called De Liberi Muratori , or Freemasons , or by whatsoever other name the same in different Languages are distinguished , spread far aud wide ,

and are every day increasing ; in which persons , of what ever Religion or Sect , contented with a kind of an affected shew of natural Honesty , confederate Bond , according to Laws and Orders agreed upon between them ; which likewise , with private Ceremonies , they enjoin and bind themselves , as well by strict Oath taken