The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-09
AGAINST FREEMAsoNRY.


intend to turn our attention to the Masonic So
ciety, to its whole doctrine, to its intentions acts
and feelings. in order to illustrate more and
more this wicked farce and stop the spread of
the contagious disease. There are several sects
of men, which, though different in name, Gus
toms, form and origin, are identical in aim and
sentiment with Masonry. Those who are chosen
to join the society must promise and swear to
obey the teachings with great respect and trust;
be ready to do whatever is told them, and accept
death and the most horrible punishment If they
disObey. In fact, some who have betrayed the
secrets dsObeyed an order are punished with
death, so skillfully and so audaciously that the
murderer escaped investigation of the police
Therefore, reason and truth show that the so
ciety Of which we speak Is contrary to
honesty and natural justice. Mason
ry generates bad fruits, mixed with
great bitterness. From the evidence above men
toned, we find its aim, which is the desire of
overthrowing all the religious and social orders
introduced by Christianity and building a new
one according to its taste, based upon the found
alton and laws of naturalism. Now. it is the
principle of naturalists, as the name itself indi-
Gates, that human nature and human reason in
everything must be our teacher and guide
Having settled this, they are careless of
their duties toward God, or they pervert them
with false opinions and errors. They deny that
| anything has been revealed by God they do not
admit any religious dogma, any truth, but what
human intelligence can comprehend. They do
not allow any teacher to be believed on his Off
cial authority. Now if one watches the proceed
pecially. where they are more free to do what
they like it will appear that they carry faith
fully into execution the tenants, the naturalists.
| They work, indeed, obstinately to the end that
neither the teaching nor the authority of the
church may have any influence and therefore
| they preach and maintain the full
sep sration of the church from the state.
| So laws and government are wrested from the
| wholesome and divine government of the Catho
| lie Church, and they want therefore, by all
means to rule states independent of the institu
tons and doctrines of the church. To drive off
the church as a sure guide is not enough-they
ado prosecutions and insults. Full license is
given to attack with impunity, both by words,
and print, and teaching the very foundations of
the Catholic religion The rights of the church
are violated, and her divine privileges are not
respected Her action is restricted as much as
possible, and that by virtue of laws apparently
not too violent but substantially made on pur
pose to check her freedom If other arguments
| were needed for this, it would be sufficiently
demonstrated by the testimony of many who
often in times by gone and even lately, declared
it to be the real supreme aim of the Freema
sons to prosecute, with untamed hatred Chris
tianity, and that they will never rest until Truth
see cast to the ground all religious institutions
established by the Pope. If the sect does not
openly require its members to throw away the
Catholic faith, this tolerance, far from
injuring the Masonic schems, is
useful to them. Because this is, first
an easy way to deceive the simple and unwise
ones, and it is contributing to proselytize. By
opening their gates to persons of every creed
they promote, i'll fact, the great modern error of
religious indifference and of the parity of all
worships, the best way to annihilate every re-
lgiOn, especially the Catholic which, being the
only true one cannot be joined with the others
without enormous injustice 1t is true that
Freemasons generally admit the existence of
God, but they admit themselves that this per
suasion for them is not firm, sure They do not
disseminate that in the Masonic family the ques-
ton of God is principle of great discord; it is
kuOvu how LATELY thew bad
serious disputes, 1t is fact that the sect
| leaves to the members full liberty of thinking
about God whatever they like, affirming or deny
| ing His existence. Those who boldly DENY His
existence are admitted as well as those who
like the pantheists admit God, but ruin the idea
| of Him, retaining an absurd caricature of the
| divine nature, destroying its reality. The only
morality which Freemasons admit and by which
| they would like to bring up the youth is that
which they call civil and Independent, or the
| which ignores every religious idea But how
| poor uncertain and variable at every breath of
| passion is this morality demonstrated by the
sorrowful fruits which partially already appear
| Nay, where it has been freely dominating hay
| ing banshed Christian education, probity aud
| integrity of manners go down, horrible and
monStFous opinions raise their head, and crimes
| grow with fearful audacity. But naturalists
| and Masons, rejecting divine revelation, deny
| the original sin, and do not acknowledge that
our free will is weakened and bent to evil. To
| the contrary, eXaggerating the strength and ex-
cellency of nature and settling in her the princi
! pies and unique rule of Justice, they cannot even
! imagine how in order to counterfeit its motives
and moderate its appetites, its continuous efforts
| are needed and the greatest cOnstancy, AS
! those shrewd and malicious men do not find
more servility and docility than in souls already
broken and subdued by the tyranny of the pas
| sions, there have been in the Masonic sect some
! who openly said and proposed that the multi
tudes should be urged by all means and artihce
| into license so that they should afterward be-
come an easy instrument for the most daring
| terprise For domestic society almost all the
doctrine of the naturalistS Is that marriage is
only civil contract, and may be lawfully
| broken by the will of the contracting
| parties; the state has power of
the matrimonial bond. In the education of the
| children no religion must be applied, and when
grown up every will select that which he
| likes. Now Freemasons accept these princi-
| pies without any restriction, and not only do
they accept them, but they endeavor to act so as
| to bring them INTO moral and practical life.
| The nature of Masonry will be soon changed and
reduced to temporary union, which can be
! done and undone at pleasure, The sect of
Masons aims unanimously and steadily also at
| the possession OF the education OF children.
| They understand that tender age is easy bent
| and that there is no more useful way of prepar-
| ing for the state such citizens they wish.
| Hence. in the instruction and education of
| children, they do not leave to the ministers of
| the church any part, either in directing or
| watching them. The principles of social science
| follow. Here naturalists teach that men have
all the same rights and are perfectly equal in
| condition; every man is naturally independent;
that no one has right to command others;
! that it is tyranny to keep men subject to
any other authority than that which emanates
from themselves. Hence the people are sover-
eigns Those who rule have no authority but by
| the commission and concession of the people SO
that they can DO depoeed, willing or unwilling,
according to the wishes of the people. We en-
treat and pray you, venerable brethren, who CO.
operate with us, to outroot this poison The first
thing to do is to strip from the Masonic sect It's
mask and show it as it is, teaching orally and by
pastoral letters, the people about frauds used by
the society to fatter and entice, the perversity
of its doctrines and the dishonesty of its works.
AS our predecessors have many times declared
those who love the Catholic faith and their own
salvation must be sure that they cannot give
their names for any reason to the Masonic sect