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Article PROFESSOR ROBERTSON ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Professor Robertson On Freemasonry.
go off into an excursus on the social and intellectual blessings which the Catholic Church has actually conferred on mankind , compared Avith those Avhich Masonry promised , but could never realise . I conclude Avith a comparison between
the religious and political tenets of the deistical Masons , of the atheistical Illuminati and Jacobins , and of the pantheistic Socialists . " '' Such , " our lecturer states , " is the wide field I propose to to travel over to-nig ht . " It is
Jmdeed to Avide a field for a single lecture from even an abler man than Professor Robertson . But we must not be harsh . He would disarm criticism by the candid ovowal that he is " handling a subject which , " he says , " I sincerely believe , my powers are unequal to . " After carefully perusing his lecture Ave are
decidedly of the Professor ' s opinion . Neither truth nor modesty would permit ns to contradict him , when he asserts that he is handling a subject for which he is totally unfitted . We will go even further and give it as our conviction that this
important " fling" at our Order will not serve to raise him in public estimation as a " Professor of Modern History . " Indeed much cannot be expected from those Avho place themselves in the undesirable and false position of so-called professors
in a university without a charter , which exists only in the imagination of a generous but misled people , and which has been placed in antagonism to the Queen ' s University , an institution erected on a broad liberal , and truly Catholic basis , AA'hich has
done , is doing , and must do , immense good , if the bigots Avould but give it fair play . That Professor Robertson has formed a true
estimate of his mcompefcency to deal Avith the subject on Avhich he lectured before the Historical Society of the Catholic University , he immediately goes on to prove by citing the authorities from which his materials are drawn . They are as
folloAVS : — 1 . " The Abbe Barruel ' s vrork , entitled ' The Memoirs of Jacobinisnij' the second volume of which is very full upon Masonry . " 2 . "The main statements of Barruel are
corroborated by the Protestant writer . Professor Robison , of Edinburgh , in a book entitled , 'Proofs of a Conspiracy against all Religions and Governments in Europe / This work was published in 1798 , and dedicated to the great statesman and orator , Wyndkam . Robison had originally been a Mason . "
3 . "A manual of Masonry was published some years ago by the infidel bookseller , Richard Carlile . In this all the ceremonies , degrees , and instructions in Masonry are described . " 4 . "A work on-this subject appeared a few
years ago from the pen of a German Protestant , Dr . Eckert , an advocate at Dresden . . It is entitled , ' Freemasonry considered in its true signification , or in its organisation , its object , and its history . ' This Avork Avhich I received but a few
days ago , I have considered only in certain portions , and in a French translation . " It is then added with charming simplicity , " I beg leave to observe , that it is only from published documents I have draAvn the materials' of this lecture . "
Has it occurred to this learned teacher of history that his material may be unreliable ? Even very superficial inquiry would have shoAvn him that hisauthorities are no authorities at all . Would it not- , be only fair in him to listen to the maxim—which ,
ahistorian aboveall men should attendto—aud / iabwr et altera pars ? Should he not have read what . Freemasonry can say on its OAVU behalf , before lieventured on this bigoted , but fortunately weak , attack upon it ?
It Avill be interesting to learn from a man Avho ' " never saAV the light , " and Avhose information on _ the subject is derived from such trustworthy , sources as the infidel Carlile , et hoc genus oimie . —the history of the Masonic Order . Here it
is : — " Freemasonry in its first beginnings must be traced to the Masonic lodges of the Middle Age ,., in Avhich the architects held their sittings , and framed statutes for their corporations . Thus , it is Avell knoAvn , that Avhen Erwin of Steinbach had
begun the glorious Cathedral of Strasburg , he founded in that city a lodge , the centre and model of other lodges spread throughout Europe .. The heads of each of these lodges assembled at Ratisbon on the 25 th of April , 1549 , and drew up
the Act of Incorporation , which , instituted in perpetuity the Lodge of Strasburg as the chief lodge , and its president as the Grand Master of the Freemasons of Germany . The institute Avasformally sanctioned by the Emperor Maximilian in
the year 1498 , and that sanction was afterwai-ds ratified by the Emperors Charles the Fifth and Ferdinard the First . These ordinances subsequently renewed , were printed in the year 1563 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Professor Robertson On Freemasonry.
go off into an excursus on the social and intellectual blessings which the Catholic Church has actually conferred on mankind , compared Avith those Avhich Masonry promised , but could never realise . I conclude Avith a comparison between
the religious and political tenets of the deistical Masons , of the atheistical Illuminati and Jacobins , and of the pantheistic Socialists . " '' Such , " our lecturer states , " is the wide field I propose to to travel over to-nig ht . " It is
Jmdeed to Avide a field for a single lecture from even an abler man than Professor Robertson . But we must not be harsh . He would disarm criticism by the candid ovowal that he is " handling a subject which , " he says , " I sincerely believe , my powers are unequal to . " After carefully perusing his lecture Ave are
decidedly of the Professor ' s opinion . Neither truth nor modesty would permit ns to contradict him , when he asserts that he is handling a subject for which he is totally unfitted . We will go even further and give it as our conviction that this
important " fling" at our Order will not serve to raise him in public estimation as a " Professor of Modern History . " Indeed much cannot be expected from those Avho place themselves in the undesirable and false position of so-called professors
in a university without a charter , which exists only in the imagination of a generous but misled people , and which has been placed in antagonism to the Queen ' s University , an institution erected on a broad liberal , and truly Catholic basis , AA'hich has
done , is doing , and must do , immense good , if the bigots Avould but give it fair play . That Professor Robertson has formed a true
estimate of his mcompefcency to deal Avith the subject on Avhich he lectured before the Historical Society of the Catholic University , he immediately goes on to prove by citing the authorities from which his materials are drawn . They are as
folloAVS : — 1 . " The Abbe Barruel ' s vrork , entitled ' The Memoirs of Jacobinisnij' the second volume of which is very full upon Masonry . " 2 . "The main statements of Barruel are
corroborated by the Protestant writer . Professor Robison , of Edinburgh , in a book entitled , 'Proofs of a Conspiracy against all Religions and Governments in Europe / This work was published in 1798 , and dedicated to the great statesman and orator , Wyndkam . Robison had originally been a Mason . "
3 . "A manual of Masonry was published some years ago by the infidel bookseller , Richard Carlile . In this all the ceremonies , degrees , and instructions in Masonry are described . " 4 . "A work on-this subject appeared a few
years ago from the pen of a German Protestant , Dr . Eckert , an advocate at Dresden . . It is entitled , ' Freemasonry considered in its true signification , or in its organisation , its object , and its history . ' This Avork Avhich I received but a few
days ago , I have considered only in certain portions , and in a French translation . " It is then added with charming simplicity , " I beg leave to observe , that it is only from published documents I have draAvn the materials' of this lecture . "
Has it occurred to this learned teacher of history that his material may be unreliable ? Even very superficial inquiry would have shoAvn him that hisauthorities are no authorities at all . Would it not- , be only fair in him to listen to the maxim—which ,
ahistorian aboveall men should attendto—aud / iabwr et altera pars ? Should he not have read what . Freemasonry can say on its OAVU behalf , before lieventured on this bigoted , but fortunately weak , attack upon it ?
It Avill be interesting to learn from a man Avho ' " never saAV the light , " and Avhose information on _ the subject is derived from such trustworthy , sources as the infidel Carlile , et hoc genus oimie . —the history of the Masonic Order . Here it
is : — " Freemasonry in its first beginnings must be traced to the Masonic lodges of the Middle Age ,., in Avhich the architects held their sittings , and framed statutes for their corporations . Thus , it is Avell knoAvn , that Avhen Erwin of Steinbach had
begun the glorious Cathedral of Strasburg , he founded in that city a lodge , the centre and model of other lodges spread throughout Europe .. The heads of each of these lodges assembled at Ratisbon on the 25 th of April , 1549 , and drew up
the Act of Incorporation , which , instituted in perpetuity the Lodge of Strasburg as the chief lodge , and its president as the Grand Master of the Freemasons of Germany . The institute Avasformally sanctioned by the Emperor Maximilian in
the year 1498 , and that sanction was afterwai-ds ratified by the Emperors Charles the Fifth and Ferdinard the First . These ordinances subsequently renewed , were printed in the year 1563 .