Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

270 FRANCIS BACON
If we read aright some ambiguous narratives in books which,
are nothing if not mystical, and which bear marks of being of
Masonic origin, there have been, not only quarrels, but faithless
members in the society, who, instead of " handing down the
lamp " which had been consigned to their charge — instead of
merely preserving or publishing, in due season, some work, not
their own, have clung to it, claimed it, and endeavoured to profit by
it. Is that true, which such hints in books, endorsed by verbal
information, incline us to believe, namely, that the Masons are
no longer all " true patriots and loyal subjects," and that, in
some countries, at least, " mutual toleration in matters of speculative
opinion and belief " is no longer one of the " valuable
characteristics of thecraft"? These, joining to their disrespectfor
religion the kindred disrespect for any authority except their
own, are applying themselves to degrade, if possible to demolish,
all forms of church worship, defacing the Beauty of Holiness,
reducing Christianity to Humauitarianism, and landing their
followers in a cold agnosticism, or a worse spirit of antagonism
to Christianity.
The causes of atheism are, Bacon says, " divisions in religion,
scandal of priests, custom of profane scoffing in holy matters,
which doth little by little deface the reverence of religion ; and,
lastly, learned times with peace and prosperity; for troubles and
adversities do more bow men's minds to religion. They that
deny a God, destroy man's nobility; for certainly man is of kin to
the beasts by his body ; and if he be not of kin to God by his
spirit he is a base and ignoble creature. It destroys, likewise,
magnanimity and the raising of human nature, . . . and as atheism
is in all respects hateful, so in this, that it depriveth human
nature of the means to exalt itself above human frailty." 1
Bacon's axiom, " Thought is free," expressed something very
different from irreverent license of thought ; neither did he advocate
the idea that " the raising of human nature " was to be
achieved by disregard of the Powers that be. The majority of
right-minded and loyal Masons are, doubtless, of his opinion, and
1 Essay Of Atheism,