Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

OF FREE MASONRY. 311
of this volume.] He who could wish to draw certain inferences
from this, would have a long course of reasoning to
run through, none of which appear to have ever been
thought of by the English Masons. With them, Jehovah is
no more than the universal God of human nature; it is, to
be sure, rather extraordinary, that they should pretend to be
the only people who have any knowledge of that God; but
their conclusion is, that all mankind, and particularly the
Free Masons, ought to live with, and succour each other,
like brethren. Nothing appears in their mysteries tending
towards the hatred of Christianity, pr that of kings.
" Their laws and institutes, with respect to religion, are
comprehended in declaring, * That a Mason will never be
a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious libertine. That though,
in former times every Mason was obliged to profess the religion
of the state or nation he lived in, at present, leaving
every one to enjoy his own private opinions, they- are only
bound to follow the religion in which every body agrees; a
religion which consists in being good, sincere, modest, and
men of honour. 9 Certainly such laws do not oblige the
English Mason to be a Deist, but only to be an honest man,
whatever may be his religion.
M With regard to the civil powers, a part of their laws
are expressed as follows: * A Mason shall be a peaceable
subject, and cheerfully conform to the laws of the country
in which he resides. He shall not be concerned in plots or
conspiracies against government; and he shall pay proper
respect to the civil magistrate. Should a brother be implicated
in rebellion against the state, he shall not be supported
in his rebellion. 1 Such are the laws to be found in Thomas
Wolson and William Preston, the one full of contempt,
the other full of zeal for English Masonry; both,
nevertheless, agree as to the laws of the lodges. We are
not, therefore, to confound English Masonry with the occult
lodges, which they have prudently rejected
" We perfectly well know, that many English are initiated
in the occult mysteries of the Rosicrucians and Scotch de-