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Article CONTENTIOUS FREEMASONS. ← Page 2 of 2 Article ROSICRUCIANISM. Page 1 of 2 Article ROSICRUCIANISM. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contentious Freemasons.
own ends by the aid of Freemasonry . We need hardly look for a precedent to guide the Deputy Grand Master in the work he performed , for it is proverbial that Freemasonry and Freemasons are ever ready to lend their aid in promoting any good work or inaucuratin "
any legitimate improvement . But in this particular case it would seem special care was taken to prevent anything like a misunderstanding ; tho consent to associate Masonic ceremonial with the work not being given until the required capital for the undertaking
had been subscribed , so as to preclude any possibility of it being said that the power of Freemasonry had been associated with the financial aspects of the case . We and many others have certainly been misinformed in regard to this particular work , but , as we said a
lew weeks back , the Earl of Lathom was to be relied upon to decide whether the undertaking at Douglas was worthy of Masonic countenance or not . He decided it was worthy , and we congratulate him and the
many Craftsmen who took an interest in the work on the success that attended their efforts , and very much regret that even the semblance of a rupture should
have occurred to disturb the general harmony of the undertaking . Such outbursts as have occurred in connection with this event lead one to consider whether some more
stringent regulations could not be enforced in order to neutralise the work of our contentious members , for it must always be borne in mind , as the Courier puts it , that whether the Grand Master and the Grand
Lodge are right or wrong , it is the duty of brethren to acquiesce in their decision , though they are under no obligation to give personal countenance to anything with which they disagree . Freemasonry recognises
the power of the majority to do as they please , and it is very much to be regretted that the minority are in many quarters adopting tactics which can hardly be characterised as fair , manly , or loyal to the Order .
The power of the press is great , but it will not be long before its conductors discover that they are being made tools of by the few contentious members of a
district , in opposition to the majority of loyal supporters of the chiefs , if tactics such as have lately obtained in various parts of the country are persevered in .
Rosicrucianism.
ROSICRUCIANISM .
IN times long gone by , there existed—up to the ere of martyrdom of scieuco—men of various races , religions , and climes , who , consolidated by a hnmauo feeling for the preservation of those means by which human life is maintained , and next to those by which human prosperity
in the true sense of knowledge is assured , formed a bond understood never to be broken , unless any brother of this strange Fraternity should be really worthy of expulsion , disgrace , and death . This mysterious body was bouud by solemn obligations of mutual succour , of impenetrable
secrecy , and of humility , while the recipient of its secrets was enjoined to labour for the preservation of human life by the exercise of the healing art . At various periods of history , this body has emerged into a sort of temporary light ; but its true name has never transpired , and is only known to
the innermost adepts and rulers of society . . By other names , having a sort of general relation , members of this body have , occasionally announced themselves , and amonothese perhaps that of Rosicrucian is the best known . Men of the most opposite wordly creeds , of diverse habits , and
even of apparently remote ideas , have ever joined together , consciously or unconsciously , to glorify the good , and despise , although with pity , the evil that might be reconciled to the good . But in the centuries of unrest which accompanied the evolution of any kind of civilization , either
ancient or modern , how was this laudable princi ple to be maintained ? This was done by a bod y of the learned existing in all ages under peculiar restrictions , and at one time known nnder the name of the Bosicrucian Fraternity . Although this body existed , its corporate character was by no means marked ,
Rosicrucianism.
Unlike tho Institutions with which antiquity and the middle ages abounded , and of which tho Masonic and other bodies aro tho modern equivalents , tho Fraternity of the Rosy Cross seldom had gatherings together . The brethren were isolated from eaoh other , although aware of thoir
mutual existence , and corresponding by secret and mysterious writings , and hooks , after tho introduction 0 f printing . They courted solitude and obscurity , and sought n tho contemplation of the divine qualities of tho Creator , that beatitude which the rude outside world despised or
' eared . In this manner , however , they also became tho iiscoverers and conservators of important physical secrets -vhich by slow degrees they graduall y communicated t > the world , with which , in another sense , they had so little to do . It is not , at the same time , to bo supposed that these
occult philosophers either despised the pleasures or discouraged the pursuits of their active contemporaries ; but as we ever find some innermost sanctuary in each noblo and
sacred fane , so they retired to constitute a body apart , and more peculiarl y devoted to those mystical studios for which the groat mass of -mankind wore unfitted by tasto or character . Mildness and beneficence marked such courteous
intercourse as their studious habits permitted them to havo with their fellow men ; and , in time of danger , in conturies of great physical suffering , they emerged from their retreats , with tho benevolent object of vanquishing and alleviating the calamities of mankind .
In a rude period of turmoil , of battle , and of political change , they placidly pursued their way , the custodians of human learning , and thus acquired the respect , and oven tho reverence , of their less cultivated contemporaries . They were regarded as sanctified personages , of whom men spoke
with bated breath , and with a species of awe such as individuals regarded as being in communion with intelligences of an ultramontane nature could alone inspire . The very fact of their limited number led to their future elevation in the public esteem , and there grew up around them
somewhat of " tbe divinit y that doth hedge a king . " Nor did these pursuits uniformly withdraw them from tho more active duties of their respective times . Some of them , such as thc Abbot John of Trittenliam , ruled over communities of
monks , and preserved , by copying , the ancient , historical and poetical works of Hellas and Italy ; others applied themselves to the arts of legislation , and were eounseilors at various courts ; others , again , like Cornelias Agiippa von Nottshcim , sought their fortunes as town orators ami
jurmts , while some followed the arts , like Alberta * Mngan- ' , and a largo proportion devoted themselves , as in the ease of John Bsipfcistfi Porta . Theophrasftis Aureolns Bomba . stus
Parn . ce | .-ns , and Johann Faust , to the study and practice of medicine . Thus the , mystical fraternities did not neglect the practical and useful , while ( hey pursued the move rerondile studies of mental and theosophio lore .
It may , however , be truly said , that , these philosophers were divided into two great , schools—tho one occult , silent , and jealous of intrusion ; and the other militant and even blatant in their pretensions . All sections of men bear this twofo'd character ; and while we may very properly
regret , the waste of energy which consumed itself in the fruitless search after the philosopher ' s stone , and the art of producing gold and precious stones , we ought not to lose sight of the undoubted fact that these enthusiasts , in a marked degree , contributed to an iucreasein our knowledge
of psychology aud mental science in other ways . Even of the alchemists there were two orders—tbose who laboured at the physical forge and crucible , and those who , by a
theosophic process , sought to elevate the mind into a knowledge of its constitution ; thus perfecting a much higher series of investigations , aud arriving at a mystical gold beyond all price .
In a certain sense , these philosophers contributed very grently to the common stock of human wisdom . They insensibly prepared the way for larger and grander views of the divine purpose in humanity—to them wc owe the first promulgation of more exact ideas on the mutual
interrelations of duty and right , the palingenesis , of nature ; and rightly so . For as the scienco of mathematics contains within itself protoplasmatic forms of things , and the scienco of morals comprehends the application of these form 3 to intellectual purification , so the Bosicrucian doctrine
specifically pointed out , the use and interrelations between the qualities of the substances in nature , although then * enlarged ideas admitted of a moral survey . The Freemasons , while they have deserved the esteem of mankind for charity and works of love , have never
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contentious Freemasons.
own ends by the aid of Freemasonry . We need hardly look for a precedent to guide the Deputy Grand Master in the work he performed , for it is proverbial that Freemasonry and Freemasons are ever ready to lend their aid in promoting any good work or inaucuratin "
any legitimate improvement . But in this particular case it would seem special care was taken to prevent anything like a misunderstanding ; tho consent to associate Masonic ceremonial with the work not being given until the required capital for the undertaking
had been subscribed , so as to preclude any possibility of it being said that the power of Freemasonry had been associated with the financial aspects of the case . We and many others have certainly been misinformed in regard to this particular work , but , as we said a
lew weeks back , the Earl of Lathom was to be relied upon to decide whether the undertaking at Douglas was worthy of Masonic countenance or not . He decided it was worthy , and we congratulate him and the
many Craftsmen who took an interest in the work on the success that attended their efforts , and very much regret that even the semblance of a rupture should
have occurred to disturb the general harmony of the undertaking . Such outbursts as have occurred in connection with this event lead one to consider whether some more
stringent regulations could not be enforced in order to neutralise the work of our contentious members , for it must always be borne in mind , as the Courier puts it , that whether the Grand Master and the Grand
Lodge are right or wrong , it is the duty of brethren to acquiesce in their decision , though they are under no obligation to give personal countenance to anything with which they disagree . Freemasonry recognises
the power of the majority to do as they please , and it is very much to be regretted that the minority are in many quarters adopting tactics which can hardly be characterised as fair , manly , or loyal to the Order .
The power of the press is great , but it will not be long before its conductors discover that they are being made tools of by the few contentious members of a
district , in opposition to the majority of loyal supporters of the chiefs , if tactics such as have lately obtained in various parts of the country are persevered in .
Rosicrucianism.
ROSICRUCIANISM .
IN times long gone by , there existed—up to the ere of martyrdom of scieuco—men of various races , religions , and climes , who , consolidated by a hnmauo feeling for the preservation of those means by which human life is maintained , and next to those by which human prosperity
in the true sense of knowledge is assured , formed a bond understood never to be broken , unless any brother of this strange Fraternity should be really worthy of expulsion , disgrace , and death . This mysterious body was bouud by solemn obligations of mutual succour , of impenetrable
secrecy , and of humility , while the recipient of its secrets was enjoined to labour for the preservation of human life by the exercise of the healing art . At various periods of history , this body has emerged into a sort of temporary light ; but its true name has never transpired , and is only known to
the innermost adepts and rulers of society . . By other names , having a sort of general relation , members of this body have , occasionally announced themselves , and amonothese perhaps that of Rosicrucian is the best known . Men of the most opposite wordly creeds , of diverse habits , and
even of apparently remote ideas , have ever joined together , consciously or unconsciously , to glorify the good , and despise , although with pity , the evil that might be reconciled to the good . But in the centuries of unrest which accompanied the evolution of any kind of civilization , either
ancient or modern , how was this laudable princi ple to be maintained ? This was done by a bod y of the learned existing in all ages under peculiar restrictions , and at one time known nnder the name of the Bosicrucian Fraternity . Although this body existed , its corporate character was by no means marked ,
Rosicrucianism.
Unlike tho Institutions with which antiquity and the middle ages abounded , and of which tho Masonic and other bodies aro tho modern equivalents , tho Fraternity of the Rosy Cross seldom had gatherings together . The brethren were isolated from eaoh other , although aware of thoir
mutual existence , and corresponding by secret and mysterious writings , and hooks , after tho introduction 0 f printing . They courted solitude and obscurity , and sought n tho contemplation of the divine qualities of tho Creator , that beatitude which the rude outside world despised or
' eared . In this manner , however , they also became tho iiscoverers and conservators of important physical secrets -vhich by slow degrees they graduall y communicated t > the world , with which , in another sense , they had so little to do . It is not , at the same time , to bo supposed that these
occult philosophers either despised the pleasures or discouraged the pursuits of their active contemporaries ; but as we ever find some innermost sanctuary in each noblo and
sacred fane , so they retired to constitute a body apart , and more peculiarl y devoted to those mystical studios for which the groat mass of -mankind wore unfitted by tasto or character . Mildness and beneficence marked such courteous
intercourse as their studious habits permitted them to havo with their fellow men ; and , in time of danger , in conturies of great physical suffering , they emerged from their retreats , with tho benevolent object of vanquishing and alleviating the calamities of mankind .
In a rude period of turmoil , of battle , and of political change , they placidly pursued their way , the custodians of human learning , and thus acquired the respect , and oven tho reverence , of their less cultivated contemporaries . They were regarded as sanctified personages , of whom men spoke
with bated breath , and with a species of awe such as individuals regarded as being in communion with intelligences of an ultramontane nature could alone inspire . The very fact of their limited number led to their future elevation in the public esteem , and there grew up around them
somewhat of " tbe divinit y that doth hedge a king . " Nor did these pursuits uniformly withdraw them from tho more active duties of their respective times . Some of them , such as thc Abbot John of Trittenliam , ruled over communities of
monks , and preserved , by copying , the ancient , historical and poetical works of Hellas and Italy ; others applied themselves to the arts of legislation , and were eounseilors at various courts ; others , again , like Cornelias Agiippa von Nottshcim , sought their fortunes as town orators ami
jurmts , while some followed the arts , like Alberta * Mngan- ' , and a largo proportion devoted themselves , as in the ease of John Bsipfcistfi Porta . Theophrasftis Aureolns Bomba . stus
Parn . ce | .-ns , and Johann Faust , to the study and practice of medicine . Thus the , mystical fraternities did not neglect the practical and useful , while ( hey pursued the move rerondile studies of mental and theosophio lore .
It may , however , be truly said , that , these philosophers were divided into two great , schools—tho one occult , silent , and jealous of intrusion ; and the other militant and even blatant in their pretensions . All sections of men bear this twofo'd character ; and while we may very properly
regret , the waste of energy which consumed itself in the fruitless search after the philosopher ' s stone , and the art of producing gold and precious stones , we ought not to lose sight of the undoubted fact that these enthusiasts , in a marked degree , contributed to an iucreasein our knowledge
of psychology aud mental science in other ways . Even of the alchemists there were two orders—tbose who laboured at the physical forge and crucible , and those who , by a
theosophic process , sought to elevate the mind into a knowledge of its constitution ; thus perfecting a much higher series of investigations , aud arriving at a mystical gold beyond all price .
In a certain sense , these philosophers contributed very grently to the common stock of human wisdom . They insensibly prepared the way for larger and grander views of the divine purpose in humanity—to them wc owe the first promulgation of more exact ideas on the mutual
interrelations of duty and right , the palingenesis , of nature ; and rightly so . For as the scienco of mathematics contains within itself protoplasmatic forms of things , and the scienco of morals comprehends the application of these form 3 to intellectual purification , so the Bosicrucian doctrine
specifically pointed out , the use and interrelations between the qualities of the substances in nature , although then * enlarged ideas admitted of a moral survey . The Freemasons , while they have deserved the esteem of mankind for charity and works of love , have never