MASONRY CONSERVATIVE.
I Anyone who may study the spirit and genius of our Institution, will be impressed with the conservatism whioh pervades its history and its progress, and I which stands out pre-eminently as the cardinal principle underlying the whole fabric. Among all nations, and all religions, and under erery form of government, since we hare any reliable trace of its history, has Freemasonry preserved the even tenor of its way. In times of tranquility and peace, in times of bloodshed and war, in times when the public mind has been agitated and excited over questions which have shaken the very foundations of human society, in "times when pious zeal and religious intolerance have taken hold of the passions of men — smothering individual conscience and causing the commission of excesses, at the bare contemplation of which humanity shudders, in times of civil convulsion and internecine strife—in all and under all circumstances has our beloved Institution steadily kept and pursued the same conservative course. Why has it been thus ? What talismanic influence causes the wild waves of passion and fanaticism to break harmless at the portals of Freemasonry ?" Is it not owing to our conservatism P And why has Freemasonry been always thus conservative ? We know that in politios as well as in religion it has frequently happened that the most circumspect and orthodox have changed into ultra extremists, and have gone to the utmost excesses. Why have we not witnessed or - experienced within our Institution the transformations P It is because our fraternity has been governed by certain fixed and ancient landmarks—landmarks unaltered and unalterable. All our teachings,, traditions, and usages are of universal application. But the strict observance of the ancient landmarks of the Order always has been, and must still continue lo be, the means of preserving the Imtitu- , tion of Freemasonry in its present exalted attitude.—
M. W. WM. DUNHAM.
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Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3045, 18 November 1878, Page 1
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313MASONRY CONSERVATIVE. Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3045, 18 November 1878, Page 1
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