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  • Jan. 1, 1794
  • Page 16
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Jan. 1, 1794: Page 16

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    Article THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE MASONRY EXPLAINED. ← Page 7 of 15 →
Page 16

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Principles Of Free Masonry Explained.

Such , my brethren , is the nature of our most excellent religior ?; such the duties which it exacts from all who profess it ; and such the motives and aids by which they are animated to perform them . From this short account of it you see , that it is kindly designed , and wisely fitted , to repair the ruins of human nature , by restoring the original and happy adjustment of its affections . Were men at sufficient pains lives bits

to understand its sacred doctrines , and square their y salutary precepts , they would soon be united to God and to one another , _ by piety , benevolence , and moderation . Their hearts would exult in a conscious sense of the divine favour ; no discordant and unsocial passion would disturb the harmony of their souls ; and the prospeit of endless felicity would smooth the more rugged part of their duty . No

religious institution ever appeared in the world , so perfectly _ adapted as Christianity , to give tranquillity of mind in every situation of life , and to cement the whole human race together , with friendship and brotherl y love . Every man of genuine piety and benevolence , will refleCt on its amiable tendency with growing satisfaction , and pray , that all nations were under its happy influence . But , alas ! the excess

Of self-love ; which , as already shewn , was the orig inal source of discord among men , has excluded the gospel from a great part of the world , and rendered it too ineffectual where it is professed . Worldly objeCts have , by their false charms , reduced the attention of mankind from those that are heavenly , and fixed it wholly , or for the greater part , on themselves . From this sketch of Christianity , I go on to explain the principles of Free-Masonry , and to shew you how they tend to correct the follies and injuries that men commit against one another .

My Brethren , yoa have already heard that the violation ot the adjustment given originally to the human affections , is the cause-of those evils whicli spring from society . ' You arc now to observe , that , amidst all the dissentions which this violation produced in ecclesiastical and civil ' government , there are certain articles in which all nations and societies are agreed . All men who make any use of their reason , acknowledthe existence of a Beingwho madeand presides over the

ge , , wOrld ; that he ought to be worshipped by ail his intelligent creatures ; that every person ought to abstain from hurting the charaCter , life , or fortune of his neig hbour ; that obedience is due to the laws of temperance , sobriety , and chastity ; and that every man is accountable to God for his condufi . 'Tis true , though all men admit of the truth of these articles in . general , yet , when they exp lain the manner in which extremel

they conceive them , their opinions about them are y wide of one another . Some , for . instance , hold the Deity to be' an eternal , incomprehensible , . and holy spirit ; and others , on the contrary , have conceived him as corporeal , and subjeCt to human passions . Again , some contend that he created and governs all things from -a generous princile of imparting happ iness to his creatures ; but others argue that

p his whole conduCt is directed -b y a regard for his own glory , which he manifests by saving a few men , and condemning all the rest to eternal perdition , But though divines in all ages and relig ions have kindled B 2

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1794-01-01, Page 16” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 5 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01011794/page/16/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
Untitled Article 3
LONDON:. Article 3
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 5
ERRATA. Article 5
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE; OR, GENERAL AND COMPLETE LIBRARY. Article 6
A DISCOURSE, Article 7
DESCRIPTION OF FREEMASONRY. Article 9
THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE MASONRY EXPLAINED. Article 10
A PRAYER, USED AT THE INITIATION OF A CANDIDATE. Article 24
ADDRESS TO FREEMASONS IN GENERAL. Article 24
THE CEREMONY OBSERVED AT FUNERALS, Article 25
THE FUNERAL SERVICE. Article 27
FOR THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE. Article 31
ON THE UTILITY, CHOICE, AND USE OF PLEASURES, Article 32
ANECDOTE OF A WRETCHED PORTRAIT PAINTER. Article 36
ON THE NATURE OF DESIGN AND DECORATION IN ARCHITECTURE. Article 37
ON GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. Article 39
A VIEW OF THE PROGRESS OF NAVIGATION. Article 41
ON LONGEVITY. Article 43
THOUGHTS ON THE NEW-YEAR; AND ON THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE. Article 47
A FRAGMENT ON BENEVOLENCE. Article 49
ON THE SACRED CHARACTERS OF KINGS. Article 50
ON KEEPING A SECRET. Article 53
GENEROUS SENTIMENTS. Article 54
ANECDOTES OF THE LATE HUGH KELLY. Article 55
ANECDOTE OF MARESCHAL DE TURENNE. Article 60
EQUALITY OF THE SEXES. Article 61
DEAN SWIFT. Article 61
THE PRINCE OF WALES. Article 62
DOMESTIC PEACE AND HAPPINESS, Article 63
SINGULAR PROPHECY. Article 64
PARTICULARS OF THE PLAGUE IN PHILADELPHIA. Article 65
TEMPERANCE. Article 69
STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 71
PROLOGUE Article 73
EPILOGUE Article 73
POETRY. Article 75
ON THE DECEIT OF THE WORLD. Article 76
ON THE VANITY OF THE WORLD. Article 77
LINES ON AMBITION. Article 77
ELEGIAC STANZAS Article 78
ODE Article 79
TO THE AFFLUENT. Article 80
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 81
MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. Article 85
Untitled Article 86
Untitled Article 86
Untitled Article 86
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Principles Of Free Masonry Explained.

Such , my brethren , is the nature of our most excellent religior ?; such the duties which it exacts from all who profess it ; and such the motives and aids by which they are animated to perform them . From this short account of it you see , that it is kindly designed , and wisely fitted , to repair the ruins of human nature , by restoring the original and happy adjustment of its affections . Were men at sufficient pains lives bits

to understand its sacred doctrines , and square their y salutary precepts , they would soon be united to God and to one another , _ by piety , benevolence , and moderation . Their hearts would exult in a conscious sense of the divine favour ; no discordant and unsocial passion would disturb the harmony of their souls ; and the prospeit of endless felicity would smooth the more rugged part of their duty . No

religious institution ever appeared in the world , so perfectly _ adapted as Christianity , to give tranquillity of mind in every situation of life , and to cement the whole human race together , with friendship and brotherl y love . Every man of genuine piety and benevolence , will refleCt on its amiable tendency with growing satisfaction , and pray , that all nations were under its happy influence . But , alas ! the excess

Of self-love ; which , as already shewn , was the orig inal source of discord among men , has excluded the gospel from a great part of the world , and rendered it too ineffectual where it is professed . Worldly objeCts have , by their false charms , reduced the attention of mankind from those that are heavenly , and fixed it wholly , or for the greater part , on themselves . From this sketch of Christianity , I go on to explain the principles of Free-Masonry , and to shew you how they tend to correct the follies and injuries that men commit against one another .

My Brethren , yoa have already heard that the violation ot the adjustment given originally to the human affections , is the cause-of those evils whicli spring from society . ' You arc now to observe , that , amidst all the dissentions which this violation produced in ecclesiastical and civil ' government , there are certain articles in which all nations and societies are agreed . All men who make any use of their reason , acknowledthe existence of a Beingwho madeand presides over the

ge , , wOrld ; that he ought to be worshipped by ail his intelligent creatures ; that every person ought to abstain from hurting the charaCter , life , or fortune of his neig hbour ; that obedience is due to the laws of temperance , sobriety , and chastity ; and that every man is accountable to God for his condufi . 'Tis true , though all men admit of the truth of these articles in . general , yet , when they exp lain the manner in which extremel

they conceive them , their opinions about them are y wide of one another . Some , for . instance , hold the Deity to be' an eternal , incomprehensible , . and holy spirit ; and others , on the contrary , have conceived him as corporeal , and subjeCt to human passions . Again , some contend that he created and governs all things from -a generous princile of imparting happ iness to his creatures ; but others argue that

p his whole conduCt is directed -b y a regard for his own glory , which he manifests by saving a few men , and condemning all the rest to eternal perdition , But though divines in all ages and relig ions have kindled B 2

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