-
Articles/Ads
Article TREVILIAN ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 22 of 34 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Trevilian On Freemasonry.
To the Editor of the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette . SIR , —You will not be surprised that I should claim the favour of again appearing in your columns , in reply to the letters of Mr . Denis Moore and the Rev . Mr . Carwithen . In the latter of these letters there occurs a sentence which gives me painas coming from the
, son of one so recently departed this life . Tho Rev . gentleman speaks of " the indelicacy of such ill-timed remarks . " I fully admit that the remarks alluded to were " ill-timed " with reference to the time of his father's decease ; but I must do my best to convince him that , as the choice of the time did not , so neither does the blame of that choicerest with me .
, It is , I believe , a received rule that whatever is put into a public journal , is amenable to public judgment and criticism ; and if this be true universally and on small matters , of greater force is it true on matters of a grave , still more so on matters of an offensive nature . Now , the article in your paper of the 27 th ult ., on the late Dr . Carwithenwas of this latter sort . Under the guise of being a
, harmless obituary notice , on the demise of an eminent minister of the Gospel , it not only made no allusion to that his sacred character , — which I only mention as a circumstance to excite surprise , —but also , ascribed to other principles than those supplied by his religion , the deeds of Christian ( I insist upon it , Christian ) charity , to which reference was made . That this was an unchristian proceeding , the
Rev . Mr . Carwithen must needs , I think , as a minister of the Gospel , agree with me . I wish I were able , with readiness , to bring forward the opinions of high divines , in confirmation of this position . A few words to the point I have accidentally hit upon . Tlie Rev . Robert Hall , in his 'Treatise on Infidelity ' ( p . 81 ) , when engaged in showing that what of good there was in the Pagan systems , was to be ascribed to the sparks of divine truth still remaining in those
systems , quotes the following words from Hooker : — " We have reason to think that all true virtues are to honour true religion as their parent . " This remark upon the Pagan systems is applicable to the deistical system of Freemasonry . It is not true that the charitable acts of Dr . Carwithen were the results of Masonry . The assertion to that effect was an offensive imfurling of the Masonic flag , —a thing disgusting to my eyesand not to mine onlybut to
, , those of multitudes ( I venture to say ) jealous for the truth in the " faithful city" where it was thus exhibited . Any one was well warranted in taking up the gauntlet thus thrown down , and standing up in defence of the truth . But if so , when should it be done ? Ought I to have deferred the reply for three or six months , in deference to the relatives of the deceased ? or should I accept the
occasion as it . was offered 1 Let me put the case that some eminent statesman ( say the present Premier ) had just been taken off by death , and that his admirers , as is not unusual , had put forth a political eulogy , dwelling particularly upon the praise of his Free-trade
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Trevilian On Freemasonry.
To the Editor of the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette . SIR , —You will not be surprised that I should claim the favour of again appearing in your columns , in reply to the letters of Mr . Denis Moore and the Rev . Mr . Carwithen . In the latter of these letters there occurs a sentence which gives me painas coming from the
, son of one so recently departed this life . Tho Rev . gentleman speaks of " the indelicacy of such ill-timed remarks . " I fully admit that the remarks alluded to were " ill-timed " with reference to the time of his father's decease ; but I must do my best to convince him that , as the choice of the time did not , so neither does the blame of that choicerest with me .
, It is , I believe , a received rule that whatever is put into a public journal , is amenable to public judgment and criticism ; and if this be true universally and on small matters , of greater force is it true on matters of a grave , still more so on matters of an offensive nature . Now , the article in your paper of the 27 th ult ., on the late Dr . Carwithenwas of this latter sort . Under the guise of being a
, harmless obituary notice , on the demise of an eminent minister of the Gospel , it not only made no allusion to that his sacred character , — which I only mention as a circumstance to excite surprise , —but also , ascribed to other principles than those supplied by his religion , the deeds of Christian ( I insist upon it , Christian ) charity , to which reference was made . That this was an unchristian proceeding , the
Rev . Mr . Carwithen must needs , I think , as a minister of the Gospel , agree with me . I wish I were able , with readiness , to bring forward the opinions of high divines , in confirmation of this position . A few words to the point I have accidentally hit upon . Tlie Rev . Robert Hall , in his 'Treatise on Infidelity ' ( p . 81 ) , when engaged in showing that what of good there was in the Pagan systems , was to be ascribed to the sparks of divine truth still remaining in those
systems , quotes the following words from Hooker : — " We have reason to think that all true virtues are to honour true religion as their parent . " This remark upon the Pagan systems is applicable to the deistical system of Freemasonry . It is not true that the charitable acts of Dr . Carwithen were the results of Masonry . The assertion to that effect was an offensive imfurling of the Masonic flag , —a thing disgusting to my eyesand not to mine onlybut to
, , those of multitudes ( I venture to say ) jealous for the truth in the " faithful city" where it was thus exhibited . Any one was well warranted in taking up the gauntlet thus thrown down , and standing up in defence of the truth . But if so , when should it be done ? Ought I to have deferred the reply for three or six months , in deference to the relatives of the deceased ? or should I accept the
occasion as it . was offered 1 Let me put the case that some eminent statesman ( say the present Premier ) had just been taken off by death , and that his admirers , as is not unusual , had put forth a political eulogy , dwelling particularly upon the praise of his Free-trade