y in the eyes of the outside world, and
particularly in those of Roman Catholics, which is the more regrettable
since Freemasonry and the Roman Catholic Church are the only two
organized bodies in this country which really exercise discipline over
their members and forbid them to belong to subversive secret societies;
hence they provide the two strongest bulwarks against the occult forces
of revolution. For this reason, as we shall see later, they are the two
bodies which are the most feared by the recruiting agents of these
societies.

But in the case of Freemasonry the fact is unfortunately too little
known to the world in general. As a singularly broad-minded Jesuit has
recently expressed it:

The anti-clerical and revolutionary activities of Continental
Freemasonry did not begin when the Grand Orient finally abolished
God. During a century and more these evil forces had been at work.
Nevertheless English Masons only shrugged their shoulders and
looked another way, though the true character of foreign Masonry
was brought to their notice in such books as that of John Robison,
_Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments
of Europe_....

No doubt [the same writer says again] there has been at times a
deplorable amount of exaggeration among Continental Catholics in
attributing all the moral and social evils of the world to the
insidious workings of Freemasonry.... But so long as English
Freemasons resolutely avert their gaze from the anti-religious and
anti-social activities of their Continental brethren there can be
no hope of any better understanding.[692]

It is impossible to deny the truth of these strictures. As has already
been pointed out in the course of this book, British Freemasons have
frequently not only ignored Robison's warning but vilified him as the
enemy of Masonry, although he never attacked their Order but only the
perverted systems of the Continent; too often also they have exonerated
the most dangerous secret societies, notably the Illuminati, because,
apparently from a mistaken sense of loyalty, they conceive it their duty
to defend any association of a masonic character. This is simply
suicidal. British Masonry has no bitterer enemies than the secret
societies working for subversion, which, from the Illuminati onwards,
have always regarded honest Masonry with contempt and used its doctrines
for an u