Special thanks to George Helmer FPS

"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.

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