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Whatever about the value of the fantastic legends invented to explain
the origin of Freemasonry it is certain that the first grand lodge was
formed in London on the Feast of St. John the Baptist
(1717). That before this date there were a few scattered lodges
in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and that these lodges were the
sole remaining relics of a peculiar trade guild, composed of masons and
of some of the higher classes as honorary members, there can be little
doubt. The society spread rapidly in England, Scotland, and
amongst the Protestant colony in Ireland. From Great Britain its
principles were diffused throughout the rest of Europe. Freemason
lodges were established in Paris (1725-1732), in Germany
(1733), Portugal (1735), Holland (1735),
Switzerland (1740), Denmark (1745), Italy
(1763), and Sweden (1773). The Freemasons were bound
together into a secret society, the members of which were obliged by
oath and by the threat of severe penalties to obey orders and to
maintain silence regarding its affairs. The society had its ritual,
its degrees of apprentice, fellow, and master, and its passports and
signs. The particular lodges in each country were united under a
national grand lodge, and though the various attempts that have been
made to bring about an international organisation have failed, yet
there can be little doubt that Freemasons throughout the world maintain
the closest relations, and at least in general policy act usually as
one man. Freemasonry was patronised by members of the royal family in
England, by Frederick II of Prussia, Francis I of
Austria, the Grand Duke Francis Stephen of Tuscany, and by
Philip Duke of Orleans, who accepted the office of grand master in
France. Its members were recruited principally from the higher and
middle classes, as the entrance fees and expenses made it impossible
for anybody except the comparatively wealthy to become members. At the
time when the society was formed it was the nobility and middle classes
who formed public opinion in most countries, and it was thought that if
these classes could be won over to support the principles of
Freemasonry, they in turn could influence the mass of the people.
Freemasonry was established at a time when Deism and Naturalism were
rampant in England, and it secured a foothold in most of the
continental countries in an age noted for its hostility to supernatural
religion. In the first article of the "Old Charges" (1723)
it is laid down that, "A mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the
moral law, and if he really understands the art he will never be a
stupid atheist or an irreligious libertine." The precise meaning of
this injunction has been the subject of many controversies, but it is
clear from the continuation of the same article that the universal
religion on which all men are agreed, that is to say, a kind of
natural Christianity, was to be the religion of Freemasonry. The
society professed to be non-sectarian in its objects, but the whole
tendency of the rules and of the organisation in its practical working
has been to promote contempt for dogmatic orthodoxy and for religious
authority, and to foster a kind of modified Christianity from which
specifically Catholic doctrines have been eliminated.
In France and in Austria Freemasons and Rationalists worked hand in
hand for the overthrow of the established Church and for the spread of
atheistical views. The society professed also to forbid political
discussions, but here too the articles of the constitution are
intentionally vague, and it is fairly evident that in most of the
revolutions that have disturbed the peace of Europe during the last
hundred years Freemasons have exercised a very powerful influence.
For many reasons the anti-religious and revolutionary tendencies of
Freemasonry have been more striking in the Latin countries, France,
Spain, Portugal, and Italy, than in England or Germany. In
1877 the Grand Orient of France abolished the portions of the
constitution that seemed to admit the existence of God and the
immortality of the soul, and remodelled the ritual so as to exclude all
references to religious dogma. This action led to a rupture between
the Grand Orient and the lodges of England, Germany, and
America. Yet many of the Freemasons in these latter countries
sympathised with the attitude of their French brethren, and insisted
on interpreting after their own fashion the very ambiguous formula by
which the existence of a grand architect is recognised. There can be
no doubt that even in England a man may be a Freemason accepting
loyally all its articles, and yet refuse to believe in the existence of
a personal God distinct from the world. Freemasonry aims at
establishing a spirit of comradeship and brotherhood among its members.
They are bound to aid one another in every possible way and practically
in all conceivable circumstances. However objectionable such a
practice, and however dangerous to the public weal and to the interests
of the state it may be, it is precisely this feature of the society
that won for it its greatest number of adherents.
Freemasonry was condemned by Clement XII in 1738. In the
constitution "In eminenti", in which this condemnation was
promulgated, he explained the reasons that induced him to take this
step. These were the anti-religious tendencies of the society both in
its theory and practice, the oaths of secrecy and obedience to unknown
superiors, and the danger to Church and State involved in such secret
combinations. This condemnation has been renewed by several of his
successors, as for example Benedict XIV (1751), Pius
VII (1821), Gregory XVI (1832), Pius IX
(1865), and Leo XIII (1884). Since 1738
Catholics have been forbidden under penalty of excommunication to
become members of the society or to promote its success. According to
the constitution "Apostolicae Sedis" (1869), which is in
force at the present time, excommunication is levelled against those
who join the Freemasons or similar bodies that plot against the Church
and established authority, as well as against those who favour such
organisations and do not denounce their leaders.
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