The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-30
FROM OHIO.
MECHANIC
ORERLIN. Nav II. Il


To the Editor of the wORKIsaxAS's ADveoArE,
THE following Is continuation of the arti-
Gle, revised, alluded to in former commu-
nication.l
Does practical Christianity anywhere equal
freemasonry, as a matter Of fact, In her
friendships or her charities | admit she
ought and would if she was like her Divine
Master, OF If she lived up to her principles
and professions, but does she as matter Of
fact, is the question: There is reason to be-
lieve that Jesus Christ would not be owned
or recognized by any denomination or even
individual church, on earth, were he again
to appear in EXTREMIST poverty, and in the
person of negro, for instance,s IS he would
be sure to, almost, in order share his re-
proach, and suffer with him. The fact is,
our Christianity needs supplementing or
outstanding, or something of the SORT
Show me par lei to the case am now
about to narrate? A young war widow liv-
ing in St. Paul, Mimi, was burnt out not
fire occurred in the night and she had barely
time to escape in her night clothes by put
ting her two children, mere babes, out Of the
window into the deep snow, and proceeding
with them to the house Of a neighbor. Her
husband, fortunately for her now, at least,
was freemasoT The nasons took her in
charge and cared for her, bountifully. She
was soon taken sick and required a nurse,
and they provided her with one and all else
necessary to her comfort, until she was able
to journey. They then paid her expenses to
N. ii. with her now three children, in pur-
suit of her father in-law, whom she did not
succeedin finding as she expected. She w.,
there provided with a passage to another
point, in pursuit Of the same or another re
lative, and failing again she was assisted to
come to this place on the same errand, and
failing here she was assisted to housekeep-
ing, and the masons here were unremittIng
in their at entions, so long as she chose to
remain, and until she concluded to return to
St. Paul, when she was assiste means
necessary for the journey. These and many
more particulars of the same sort, had from
the mouth or the lady assisted, herself, and
this happened because she CHANGED to oc-
cupy a part Of our dwelling. What was
done for her was not doled out grudgingly,
as a charity apparently, but appeared to be
done cheerfully, and as if prompted by love.
have never seen anything in the church
equal, or even approach, this case, and
have been member some thirty. five years
The masons appeared to desire her not to
realize that she was a recipient Of charity
giving her more than the value Of her money
when she had occasion to purchase anything,
and paying her large price for her work,
as IL she were indeed a sister.
If frsemasonry is not all it ought to be,
can il not be improved or reformede Has
this ever been tried 2 The murder of Nor
gan they do not defend 1t is by no means
certain to my mind that our political and re-
ligious state, being what they are, that Sc
cret societies are not among the creatures
of God and good, and to be received with
thanksgiving. IL men condemn what they
will not emulate, we have a right, think to
question their motives. Ii is natural for
men to dislike to be outdone. and it IS rea-
sonable to suppose that if the churches had
no rival in the fell her charities would be
still colder than they are, and perhaps die
out altogether. Peradventure, this may be
what she desires, to-wit: to remove free
masonry gu. of her way, SO that shs may
become entirely dead to all appearance Of
charity.
Hold Il she not at this moment coop |
Grating with capital in the circulation Of the |
most iniquitous system in this land, the sun
ever looked uponf Some of US know she is, !
and that without her consent this unparal- |
leed iniquity could never be consummated |
She has related herself to it precisely as she |
did to negro slavery in the south, and mil |
lions, at this moment, are suffering robbery 1
and death by slow processes. at her hands, |
because she refuses 10 obey her Master, in 1
putting usury out Of the land, an not prac-
Using il upon her brethren. She il not up /
with the old Levitical law, even, as to this
thing, even when we are about to be des- /
troyed as a nation on account OF 1t. No |
such crime as this is charged to freemasonry,
to my knowledge.
The nomiaally Christian church places
herself ia the way Of reform aad disputes
progress inch by inch. Christianity does
not Christ did not, and no such thing can l
Justly be laid to the charge of either. af-
firm that be who will live cody in Christ
Jesus, shall suffer persecution, in and by the
nominal church Of to-day.
E. M. LEONARD.