Freemasonry Attacked And Defended.

both our lodges and Royal Arch chapters , when they are open ; God is openly worshipped in prayer , reveientl y said , at the cpening and closing ceremonies ; our lodges are dedicated to Gcd—hrw , then , can Masimy leungcdly ? When white is black and chalk is cheese , it maybe ; but not until theu . Freemasonry is , ostensibly and really , theoietically and practically , a godly institution .

The second libel is , that " it claims to be a religion , a saving religion . " It claims nothing of the kind . It is religious , but not a religion . It aims to make men better and happier ; and recognizing that only the good can be truly happy , it seeks to plant the seeds of virtue and morality in the minds and hearts of all of its init ' ates . It uses the Bible because the Bible is an

efficient ally—the mcst efficient ally—to that end . Freemasonry lacks every element of a religion . It has no formal creed , no ministering priests , no sacrifices , and no religions ritual . It does aim to make " good men and true , " and so far is the " handmaid of religion , " but it aspires to he no more than that . Will not the Reformed Presbyterians allow us to be their servants ? Has jealousy reached this point ? Instead of being zealous of good works , these people are jealous of good works .

The third libel is , that Masonry "is an unchristian institution ; " This is equally untrue as the previous assertions ; and it is untrue in all senses . First , Freemasonry is not in any sense adverse to Christianity ; nor is it adverse to any form of religion . For the reason that it stands netuial between all religions , it is often falsely charged with being irreligious and unchristian . It was never designed to be a religionbut it was intended to comprehend in its

, membership good men of all reli gions . It has accomplished this result , happily , and it has subserved a glorious purpose in making men of different religions to live together in peace , in the lodge , and , as a necessary consequence , afterwards in the rufer world . Masonic lodges during the middle

ages ( as we learn from our old charges ) were distinctively Christian and Roman Catholic , but at the so-called "Revival" in England in 1717 , the Craft broadened its platform ' : and became , what it remains to this day , positivel y pro-religious , but nnsectarian , because it was designed to be cosmopolitan and comprehend in its membership good men of all nations and creeds upon the face of the whole earth . Its broad principles of charity may well be emulated by sectarians of every name—Reformed Presbterians and

BaptistsEisy , p copalians and Methodists , Roman Catholics and Jews , Trinitarians and Unitarians . All of the liberal spirited in these denominations will admit that those who trul y love and serve God below will be welcomed to the bliss that awaits the servants of God in heaven in the great herafter ; but these are far from mingling together , or living peaceably , here below—it is only in the Masonic lod ge that these differing reliionists can sit as it were in heavenlplaceswith

g y , words of fraternal regard on their lips and mutual love in their hearts . It is exactly true that the peace and harmony which reign in a Masonic lodge make it , so far , " like a little heaven below . " Freemasons , then , are not unchristian but they are filled with the spirit of Charity , which is the very spirit of Christ and of Christianity .

The fourth libel is , that " there is no Christ in Masonic prayers . " In answer to this we would remark , all are familiar with the " Lord's Prayer , " which is known as the " model prayer . " Is Christ's name mentioned in it ? notwithstanding which we presume it is acceptable to God , and answered in mercy as quickly and effectually as though it were formall y offered in Christ ' s name . In the first lace we thenin lto this fourth libelthat even

p say , , repy , though Christ were not named in Masonic prayers , these prayers are offered to the one onl y true and living God , and will be heard and answered by Him as certainl y as will the Lord ' s Prayer . But , in the second place , prayer may be offered up in a Masonic lodge in the name of Christ . It is not usual because it is not necessary , but there is no landmark to prevent or forbid it ,