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Article OF THE SOCIETY OF FREEMASSONS. ← Page 3 of 6 →
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Of The Society Of Freemassons.
fools , of visionaries and the sensible . But it is equally impossible and ridiculous to wish to make known to others what they do not know themselves , and which they do not wish to discover to us . It is , then , a mystery in civil society , this numerous fraternity , which has g iven umbrage in certain countries . Until then they reveal everything to us , and make ns acquainted with those tracts of wisdom or of follyof reality or chimerawhich it keeps to itselflet
, , , us see what is permitted to all the world to divine of this enigma . The duties of a Freemason , and the statutes and regulations of the society , may be reduced to certain chief heads : — 1 . In regard to God and to Religion , they only require of a Freemason to observe inviolably the natural law , and all that the ideas of God and of virtue in general prescribe to uswithout entering into any detail of controversy and
, of particular opinion . * 2 . In respect to the Sovereign and State , a Freemason ought to conduct himself as a faithful subject , nor give any idea of improper intrigues , f . . . . nor enter into any faction ( secret political society ) . The building art fears war and civil strife ( confusion ) , which generally introduce rebellion and discord .
3 . With reference to the lodges , they thus call the name of the place where the brethren assemble to work . In the same way a regular assembly of Masons is called a lodge . Seven persons form , or can form a lodge , to wit , two Wardens , two Fellow Crafts , two Apprentices . All the brethren belong necessarily to some one lodge , and must , not the less , submit themselves to its particular laws as well as to the general laws of the society ;
in the same way that all men , whoever they be , must necessarily reckon to depend on some state , while they recognize the laws general which are inseparable from reason . In 1735 the society published a list of lodges which it acknowledged , arranged according to the date of their establishment , which has continued without interruption since 1671 , according to the work entitled "Masonry Dissected , " with the armst of each lodge , such as we represent them here .
We find in this little work the year of the establishment of each lodge , and the days on which they assemble . Lord Weymouth , whose arms we see here , § and who was G . M . of the Freemasons , and it is to him that Pine , the editor of this list , and himself a Freemason , has dedicated it . 4 . The fraternit y is composed of Masters , Wardens , || Fellow-Crafts , ( compagnons ) , and Apprentices . The compass , the rule , the square , and an apron , constitute the marks and ornaments of the " Free Massons . " And to these the trowel , and many other things belonging to the " mystery " ( metier ) of a Freemason .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Of The Society Of Freemassons.
fools , of visionaries and the sensible . But it is equally impossible and ridiculous to wish to make known to others what they do not know themselves , and which they do not wish to discover to us . It is , then , a mystery in civil society , this numerous fraternity , which has g iven umbrage in certain countries . Until then they reveal everything to us , and make ns acquainted with those tracts of wisdom or of follyof reality or chimerawhich it keeps to itselflet
, , , us see what is permitted to all the world to divine of this enigma . The duties of a Freemason , and the statutes and regulations of the society , may be reduced to certain chief heads : — 1 . In regard to God and to Religion , they only require of a Freemason to observe inviolably the natural law , and all that the ideas of God and of virtue in general prescribe to uswithout entering into any detail of controversy and
, of particular opinion . * 2 . In respect to the Sovereign and State , a Freemason ought to conduct himself as a faithful subject , nor give any idea of improper intrigues , f . . . . nor enter into any faction ( secret political society ) . The building art fears war and civil strife ( confusion ) , which generally introduce rebellion and discord .
3 . With reference to the lodges , they thus call the name of the place where the brethren assemble to work . In the same way a regular assembly of Masons is called a lodge . Seven persons form , or can form a lodge , to wit , two Wardens , two Fellow Crafts , two Apprentices . All the brethren belong necessarily to some one lodge , and must , not the less , submit themselves to its particular laws as well as to the general laws of the society ;
in the same way that all men , whoever they be , must necessarily reckon to depend on some state , while they recognize the laws general which are inseparable from reason . In 1735 the society published a list of lodges which it acknowledged , arranged according to the date of their establishment , which has continued without interruption since 1671 , according to the work entitled "Masonry Dissected , " with the armst of each lodge , such as we represent them here .
We find in this little work the year of the establishment of each lodge , and the days on which they assemble . Lord Weymouth , whose arms we see here , § and who was G . M . of the Freemasons , and it is to him that Pine , the editor of this list , and himself a Freemason , has dedicated it . 4 . The fraternit y is composed of Masters , Wardens , || Fellow-Crafts , ( compagnons ) , and Apprentices . The compass , the rule , the square , and an apron , constitute the marks and ornaments of the " Free Massons . " And to these the trowel , and many other things belonging to the " mystery " ( metier ) of a Freemason .