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Article COIRESPGNDENCE. ← Page 9 of 11 →
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Coirespgndence.
of displeasing their Jewish or Mahommedan Brethren . And his offence consisted in a temporising neglect of the Gentile converts that he might avoid the displeasure of certain Judaising Christians , whose prejudices he was desirous of cherishing lest they should abandon the faith they bad so recently embraced . Noris this the only instance on record where such a timid policy is strongly condemned in the sacred writings ; for even Aaron , during the absen ce of Moses in the Holy Mount , entertained the same apprehension of displeasing the " mixed
multitude" of Egyptian idolators who followed the Jews into the wilderness , and the heretics of his own nation who favoured their rebellious designs . To accommodate the wishes of these evil men , he endeavoured to establish the fiction of universality in religion by the construction of an emblem as the representative of the one and indivisible God , which might be worshipped in common both by the Egyptians and Jews , and proclaimed a festival in its honour . The attempt was so highly offensive to the Most High , that he said to Moses , " let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and consume them in a moment . "
Is such a policy , then , to be considered worthy of imitation T The experiment has been tried on a large scale in India , and the consequences have been most disastrous . The government of that immense peninsula , like the English Grand Lodge , " has abnegated not only the propagation , but even the confession of its own religion . It has given no encouragement to the missionary , it has discountenanced either chaplains or laymen in its own service , when they have endeavoured to address the natives on spiritual subjects . But , as is generally the
case , the policy founded on a basis of dissimulation has fallen to the ground . Every Mussulman and Hindoo knew that the Government was acting on principles which all its members in their secret hearts knew to be wrong . These cunning and suspicious Asiatics would not credit our self-abasement . Englishmen were Christians , and Christianity w as an aggressive religion . The Government must , then , wish converts to be made , and their discouragement of missionary enterprise must be a trick . " And the horrors which resulted from this latitudinarian policy are too patent to need either observation or remark .
" Let the Government , ' says a writer in the Times , from which the preceding extract has been copied— " Let the Government determine to uphold Christianity as its own religion , and to forbid anything like an abnegation of its principles , and we have little doubt that the Asiatic will yield obedience in the end . " May English Freemasonry profit by the advice , and learn wisdom by so pregnant an example . From this reasoning , then , it is evident that although no religion is at present universal , yet Christianity , as is quite clear from the first great light in Masonry will , at some future period , attain that distinguishing attribute ; but not
while a great portion of the human race are sunk in Judaic blindness , Mahomedan superstition , and pagan infidelity . Christianity is destined ultimately to swallow up all others , and cover the earth as waters cover the seas . This is ( i the religion in which all men will agree , " and there is no other ; for in the present state of the world such a . religion is not merely visionary , but its existence an absolute impossibility—and therefore to apply the phrase to any other mode of faith than Christianity is simply absurd . Although this glorious triumph will not take place
till the destruction of Antichrist , the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel , the stone which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his first vision , was to become a great mountain ; and then all the ancient prophecies are to be accomplished , which speak of the uninterrupted glory and universality of Christ ' s kingdom . Then the final conversion of the Jews will take place , and there shall be one fold under one shepherd , Jesus Christ , the Messiah of God . And this universality will be illustriously displayed at the day of judgment , when all the world shall bo summoned to appear before Him .
This holy faith , whose consummation is love , or charity , will bear . Freemasonry triumphantly through its trials aud vicissitudes to a safe and permanent haven , where it will attain the quality it now vainly claims ; carrying out this most sublime principle into eternity , and practising brotherly IOVK , the greatest and only surviving theological virtue , into the courts of God ' s house for ever . It is , therefore , only by a connection with Christianity that Freemasonry ; i 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Coirespgndence.
of displeasing their Jewish or Mahommedan Brethren . And his offence consisted in a temporising neglect of the Gentile converts that he might avoid the displeasure of certain Judaising Christians , whose prejudices he was desirous of cherishing lest they should abandon the faith they bad so recently embraced . Noris this the only instance on record where such a timid policy is strongly condemned in the sacred writings ; for even Aaron , during the absen ce of Moses in the Holy Mount , entertained the same apprehension of displeasing the " mixed
multitude" of Egyptian idolators who followed the Jews into the wilderness , and the heretics of his own nation who favoured their rebellious designs . To accommodate the wishes of these evil men , he endeavoured to establish the fiction of universality in religion by the construction of an emblem as the representative of the one and indivisible God , which might be worshipped in common both by the Egyptians and Jews , and proclaimed a festival in its honour . The attempt was so highly offensive to the Most High , that he said to Moses , " let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and consume them in a moment . "
Is such a policy , then , to be considered worthy of imitation T The experiment has been tried on a large scale in India , and the consequences have been most disastrous . The government of that immense peninsula , like the English Grand Lodge , " has abnegated not only the propagation , but even the confession of its own religion . It has given no encouragement to the missionary , it has discountenanced either chaplains or laymen in its own service , when they have endeavoured to address the natives on spiritual subjects . But , as is generally the
case , the policy founded on a basis of dissimulation has fallen to the ground . Every Mussulman and Hindoo knew that the Government was acting on principles which all its members in their secret hearts knew to be wrong . These cunning and suspicious Asiatics would not credit our self-abasement . Englishmen were Christians , and Christianity w as an aggressive religion . The Government must , then , wish converts to be made , and their discouragement of missionary enterprise must be a trick . " And the horrors which resulted from this latitudinarian policy are too patent to need either observation or remark .
" Let the Government , ' says a writer in the Times , from which the preceding extract has been copied— " Let the Government determine to uphold Christianity as its own religion , and to forbid anything like an abnegation of its principles , and we have little doubt that the Asiatic will yield obedience in the end . " May English Freemasonry profit by the advice , and learn wisdom by so pregnant an example . From this reasoning , then , it is evident that although no religion is at present universal , yet Christianity , as is quite clear from the first great light in Masonry will , at some future period , attain that distinguishing attribute ; but not
while a great portion of the human race are sunk in Judaic blindness , Mahomedan superstition , and pagan infidelity . Christianity is destined ultimately to swallow up all others , and cover the earth as waters cover the seas . This is ( i the religion in which all men will agree , " and there is no other ; for in the present state of the world such a . religion is not merely visionary , but its existence an absolute impossibility—and therefore to apply the phrase to any other mode of faith than Christianity is simply absurd . Although this glorious triumph will not take place
till the destruction of Antichrist , the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel , the stone which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his first vision , was to become a great mountain ; and then all the ancient prophecies are to be accomplished , which speak of the uninterrupted glory and universality of Christ ' s kingdom . Then the final conversion of the Jews will take place , and there shall be one fold under one shepherd , Jesus Christ , the Messiah of God . And this universality will be illustriously displayed at the day of judgment , when all the world shall bo summoned to appear before Him .
This holy faith , whose consummation is love , or charity , will bear . Freemasonry triumphantly through its trials aud vicissitudes to a safe and permanent haven , where it will attain the quality it now vainly claims ; carrying out this most sublime principle into eternity , and practising brotherly IOVK , the greatest and only surviving theological virtue , into the courts of God ' s house for ever . It is , therefore , only by a connection with Christianity that Freemasonry ; i 1