IRRELIGIOUS LIBERTINE
THE MASONIC REVIEW. - 1853
A correspondent
writes to us for information relative to the words which are
placed at the head of this article. He says: "In the Old Charges
I find the following expression: 'A Mason is obliged by his
tenure to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the
Royal art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor, an irreligious
libertine.' Now the word 'libertine' is defined as a man of
licentious habits of life, especially in relation to the other
sex, and the epithet 'irreligious' seems therefore to be
tautological in the sentence, while there seems to be some
confusion of thought in thus closely connecting libertinism of
conduct with Athesim in belief. Can you explain the
difficulty?" The only difficulty arises from the excusable
error of our correspondent in looking at the modern, and not at
the antiquated meaning of "libertine." A libertine now signifies,
it is true, a profligate and licentious person, but originally
it meant a freethinker, or Deist. Derived from the
Latin "libertinus," a man that was once a bondsman but who
has been made free, it was metaphorically used to designate
one who had been released, or who had released himself
from the bonds of religious belief, and become in matters of
faith a doubter or denyer. - Hence "a stupid Atheist" denoted,
to use the language of the Psalmist, "the fool hath said in
his heart there is no God," while an "irreligious
libertine" designated the man, who with a degree lean of
unbelief, denies the, distinctive doctrines of revealed religion.
And this meaning of the expression connects itself very
appropriately with the succeeding paragraph of the Charge alluded
to by our correspondent. " But though in ancient times,
Masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of
that country or nation, whatever it was, yet it is now thought
more expedient only to oblige them to that religion in which all
men agree, leaving their particular opinions to
themselves." The expression "irreligious libertine,"
alluding, as it does, to a scoffer at religious truths, is
eminently suggestive of the religious character of our
institution, which founded as it is, on the great doctrines of
religion, cannot be properly appreciated by any one who doubts or
denies their truth. - Miscellany. back to top
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