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DISCOURSE X.

DELIVERED AT THE CONSECRATION OF KING DAVID's LODGE, IN TAUNTON, AUGUST 28, 1799.

ROMANS x. 3.

WE BE SLANDEROUSLY REPORTED, AND SOME AFFIRM THAT WE SAY, LET US DO EVIL THAT GOOD MAY COME.

WHEN partiality is fo bufily endeav

oring to render fufpicious the best actions, and prejudice fo artful in throwing out infinuations to the disadvantage of the worthieft characters, who can expect to escape "the ftrife of tongues ?" Especially as the ignorant and the evil minded are ever ready to adopt the furmife, however improbable; and to give currency to the imputation, however unjuft.

EVEN Our bleffed Lord, the holy and im. maculate Jefus," was defpifed and rejected of men." Not all the wonderful works that distinguished his miniftry, not the divinity of his preaching, the difinterestedness of his conduct, nor the fanctity of his morals, could fecure him from the oppofition of party and the rage of malignity. He forewarned his difciples of a fimilar treatment; and told them that they must expect to meet with unkind usage, bitter reproach, and violent perfecution, as well as he.* Accordingly "in every city they had trial of cruel mockings, and fcourgings, yea moreover of bonds, and imprisonments, and tortures. They were

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a fect every where spoken againft." The apoftles were reproached as being peftilent, factious, turbulent, and feditious fellows. They were not only accused of conspiring against the government of their nation and the peace of the world; but alfo, of aiming to overthrow the religious eftablishment of their own country, and of all others.§

Matth. x. 24-26. ↑ Heb. xi. 36. Acts xxiv. 5, 6.

Acts xvii. 6. § Acts vi. 13, 14. xviii. 13.

Not only were there imputed to them practices that were dangerous, but principles that were unjuft. So St. Paul intimates, in the paffage felected as a text, that there were those who charged him and his fellow laborers in the propagation of the gospel, with holding tenets that he detefted. He fays no more in confutation of the vile imputation than that those who profefs and practise upon fuch a principle deserve and will receive the highest condemnation but to attribute to him and his affociates fuch a motive, was a falfe and infidious charge.

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THUS We fee that the best men and the worthieft conduct may be mifreprefented and flanderously reported: and that the pureft purposes and the nobleft exertions in behalf of virtue, humanity, and peace, have been ftigmatized by fome, and opposed by others.

THE most unfair and difingenuous, need I add the most successful mode of attack, is to infinuate that the defign, however plausible, is mischievous; or, that the end, however

commendable, is effected by means reprehen, fible and unjuft.

THE bafe and vile doctrine of "doing evil that good may come," or, in other words, that "the end juftifies the means," has alfo been alledged against the FREE MASONS. Or, rather, it is exprefsly afferted of the Jesuits and Illuminees* by authors who defignedly implicate and involve our fociety with those corrupt affociations: declaring it to be formed upon the fame plan, founded on the fame principles, and furthering the fame designs.† To be fure they make fome referves and abatements in favor of Free Masonry; but ftill affert it to be the fatal fource to which all these bitter and destructive ftreams are to be traced.‡

See Abbe BARRUEL's biftory of Jacobinism, v. 3. New York edition, p. 61, 93, and 189. Profeffor ROBISON, Proofs of a confpiracy against the Religions and Governments of Europe, carried on in the fecret meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati, &c."

BARRUEL, vol. 3, p. 12, note, 91, 136, &c. Profeffor ROBISON, Philadelphia edit. p. 83, 42, 72, 75, 342, &c.

BARRUEL, vol. 3. p. 11, 38, 41, 52, 87, 152, &c. Professor RoBISON, P. 15, 165, 343, &c. M. Le FRANC, "la voile retiree."

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