Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

234 FREE MASONRY.
religious sect, or one who is devoted to the service of the
Deity;" but only to illustrate, from the orations of this
gowned teacher of Christianity, the Deistiqa) nature of
Free Masonry.
Re says, p. 13. of Oration second, " As humanity ever
springs from true religion, every religious sect which acknowledges
the Supreme Being, is. equally respected by the or*
der." What is this but Deism ?
He adds, a few lines further, " The Great Book of Nature
is revealed to our eyes, and the universal religion of her
God is what we profess, as Free Masons." This is very
plain. Masonry discards all Revelation, and adheres to
** the Great Book of Nature ;" Arabs and Chinese, savages
and Jews, Mahometans and Christians, " are all cemented
by the mystic union. How valuable is an institution founded
on sentiments like these; how infinitely pleasing must it
be to Him who is seated on the throne of mercy ! To that
God who is no respecter of persons " (Dalcho's second Oration,
p. 17.) Good or bad, this is a system of pure Deism,
a system dishonourable to our Divine Master, and to a
Christian minister; but it is genuine Free Masonry.*
Here a word may be spoken for the vain boasting of the
harmony of the fraternity. It is found in their books, and
twenty-fourth of June orations, and in their daily conversation.
u What a lovely institution, which unites the most
discordant members in one happy fraternity!" It is a great
mistake. The institution does no such thing. It unites
only one class of men; others belong to the institution,
Jews, Christians, &c, but it is vain to say they are united
by it in any sense which annihilates their distinctive characters.
Naturalists and Deists may be cemented by the
* u A great number of eminent writers have made profession of Deism,
and the major part of Socinians have ranged themselves under its standard.
This sect, now became very numerous, is accused of admitting only the
Jight of reason, and rejecting all revelation. It is not possible for a Chris-