Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-15


may add any theology that his conscience
may dictate. ] am told that a
correspondent wrote to the New York
Sun, few weeks ago, asking II he could
become q Mason II he believed in q great
first cause or power In the universe,
and the answer was given that he could.
Now this Is mistake. A man 90 be
Mason must state that he believes in an
everything and true God, Pie Father of
Heaven and earth. and the creator Of all
human beings. That is the God upon
which the foundation of Masonry IL ca
tablished. A man who simply believed
In the modern so-called scientific idea of
q first cause would not be accepted. m-
deed, there are branches of Masonry Cthe
knights Templars) that require belief
In the Trinity.
Masonry, ms understood the world
over, has for its foundation stone n be-
lief in the Supreme Being, and Il has
this belief In order that II may be uni
YersQl.
The bible is called the great light" Of
Masonry. Everywhere il Is found upon
its affairs. No duly constituted lodge Of
Free M0sons is complete without that
open book upon it's altar But. with the
Interpretation Of the bible the organiza-
ton has nothing to do; that is left TO
eacl, man. The bible Is the book of the
jew, as It is the book OF the Christian.
Someone has said that it is q question
whether n jew could be Il Mason, be-
cause Masonry recognizes the Christian
religion. Masons do not recognize
Christianity as a creed; they recognize
all Nen as brethren without regard
10 their religious belief. There is no
sectarinnism in lodge. If there
men from the four quarters Of the earth
could not meet upon a common plat
form.
In regard 10 the attitude Of Masonry
toward the state, IL may be said that
whenever lodge is formed all of It's
members, on initiation, are charged that
they must be loyal 20 the government
where they reside. They are especially
instructed not 60 couutenance disloyalty
or rebellion, but 10 cheerfully submit 10
the laws Of the land in which they live.
There have always been throughout
the world a considerable number of
Masons who were Roman Catholics. As
/ have already stated. when il Is known
that there are 10000 Alasons In Italy.
| and that the dominant church in that
country is Roman Catholic, IL IL quite
certain that 4 large number Of those
MasOns must be members of that church.
| In our own country, especially In our
| large cities, II is not at All unusual 20
find members of the Roman Catholic
church These brothers comprise men
| of all ages young men, middle aged
/ men and perhaps a smaller number OF
older men, who keep up their associa-
| ton with the order 1t has been sug-
| gested that these men join because they
| can count upon getting absolution for
the act from some church.
that Is the fact and il must be
| borne in mind that u man, whom he be
! comes a member, is not questioned as 10
his church affiliations, the one religious
! question being as 20 his belief in loving
and true God The fact that n man Is a
! Roman Catholic il not made known
when he joins the fraternity and may
never be known until outside circum-
stances bring about disclosure. ~ nd
dition TO this belief he viii not be re-
ceiyed into the order unless he Is re-
putable citizen, and comes well recon-
mended.
If Roman Catholic, having Joined
the order. repents having done So anu
desires to withdraw all he has 10 do -
20 have his name dropped from the roll
His connection with the order then
ceases lie Is not asked 20 perform any
Masonic duty, nor, on the other hand'
does he receive the benefit OF any Ma
sonic privileges
We have reason to know that Roman
Catholic priests do not ask such men %
reveal the secrets Of Masonry SO lar
as / have been able to learn priest
only asks such n man that he shall re-
nounce the institution. / have obtained
such information from families Of
Catholics who have been Masons,
an that they have been required
TO do In order 10 obtain the
absolution Of the church, was simply 70
renounee Masonry. / have known q
Considerable number OF Roman Catho-
lies who were Masons and only one o.
that entire humber refused 20 renounc,
the fraternity Ia order that he mighl
receive The absOluti0n Of the church
That man lived IN Brooklyn.
Though 2 have never personally
known priest who was Mason
have heard Of several who We're mem