168 on its sublimity. Hear one: "In the royal arch Mason's degree I beheld myself exalted to the top of Pisgah," &c. We quote here, what the Sublime Master of Perfection so emphatically applies to the tradition of the sublime degree of master Mason: Nil fuit unquam "Tam dispar sibi." Never was any thing so contradictory. Second temple founded A. M. Solomon's temple finished A. M. 3466 3000 arch stood firm without a foundation! 466 years the royal This would be un accountable in any art except the "art of wonder working, and the facultie of Abrac;" which Finally, the royal arch is, and is not, a degree of ancient Free Masonry. It began 466 years before its beginning; being founded on a well known circumstance which occurred in building the second temple at Jerusalem; and conferred by king Solomon, as a reward, upon his grand master architects, at the completion of the first temple; all which is a mystery impenetrable to a master Mason, and worthy of the reader's profound admiration. CHAPTER XXVII. Review of Town's Speculative Free Masonry. "What have the Mason's taught mankind?" 66 They have taught the arts of agriculture, architecture, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, music, poetry, chemistry, government, and religion." -Book of Constitutions, Preston, F. M. Library, Hutchinson, and Calcott. PROTEUS had not so many different shapes as Free Masonry puts on; nor did he change his form with any more facility than our modern divinity will hers. His strength laid not in the might of his power, for though he transformed himself into a fierce looking savage, he was tame to the fearless assailant; though into a roaring fire, he burned not the hand that dared to grasp him; and though into a mighty torrent, he was easily arrested by a resolute arm. So with Free Masonry; all her strength lies in her power of eluding the grasp of her adversaries.* Those who have been admitted into her cave, either despise and forsake her, or use her arts for their own purposes, and are lost in the *"Fiet enim subito sus horridus, atraque tigris, 66 The wily god will try to loose his hold, "And various forms assume: "With foamy tusks will seem a bristly boar, "Or imitate the lion's angry roar; "Break out in crackling flames to shun thy snare, "Or hiss a dragon, or a tiger stare; "Or, with a wile thy caution to betray, "In fleeting streams attempt to slide away."-Dryden. medley of her pretensions. None grasp her and drag her to the light; and if her bones are exposed by some shrewd, or some perjured hand, to the common gaze, the world finds in them small likeness of her whose name is MYSTERY, and suffers them to be buried in forgetfulness. And there let them lie I meddle not with the works of others: I meddle not with any thing properly belonging to the Masonic craft alone; the signs by which they know one another. Masons may yet sing, as now, 66 "By points of good fellowship we still accord, "Observing each brother's true sign, grip, and word." I betray neither; but the character of the whole, it is my duty to proclaim; and that I do proclaim, in the words of this book: those who can may answer. The tokens are nothing to me. What matter if some determine to know each other, by touching knuckles or elbows! The signs of Free Masonry are as genteel as whispering in company, and among men are less offensive; for some of them would not be observed when a whisper would. They are a harmless thing, however, and need not interrupt our engagement with weightier matters. The antique record from the Book of Constitutions, with Mr. Locke's notes, contained also in Preston, in Hutchinson's Spirit of Masonry, with the recommendation of the grand officers of the Grand Lodge of England, in Calcott's Disquisition on Masonry, and in the Free Masons' Library, with the recommendation of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, accompanied, in every case, with notes calculated to conceal its falsehoods, utters at a breath the assertion plaIced at the head of this chapter. I shall not go about to disprove it; if it carry not in itself an antidote to its falsity, I cannot administer one. Free Masons teach "government and religion:" "what appears most odd, is, that they reckon religion among the arts;" and also among the arts for which mankind are indebted to the teachings of Masonry. And now, reader, I will take some pains to show how Free Masonry teaches mankind religion. In doing this I have no tale of private scandal to raise or to circulate; no secret of the true Noachida* to tamper with; no dependence to place upon the greatness of a single name for the facts in the case: but the great society Miegas, "I am in the midst of heaven," under the hand of an excellent grand chaplain, and the public signatures of its most distinguished patrons, and great grand officers, has copiously furnished the proof to our hand. "A System of Speculative Masonry.” 66 RECOMMENDATIONS. 66 "Grand Chapter of the State of New-York, convened in the city of Albany, Feb. 7, 5817. "Resolved unanimously, that this Grand Chapter recommend to the public in general, and more especially to all masonic brethren, The System of Free Masonry,' about to be published by Companion Salem Town, Grand Chaplain. The subject of that work having been exhibited before the members of this Grand Chapter in a series of addresses, we do recommend it as a most valuable production on Speculative Masonry, and believe it will be of great importance to the institution in general, and interesting to every friend of truth, of sound principles, and benevolent feelings. Here follows another, with nine names appended, and to *Dermott's and Hutchinson's ancient name of Free Masons. + I hope the reader will pardon the omission of names; they sometimes belong to men of high personal respect; it would be cruel to make their weakness our mirth, but Free Masonry herself is fair game. every name both a grand titular pre-fix and a suf-fix: e. g. "Most Excellent · Grand High Priest." A third recommendation, under the hand of Z. R. SPast Deputy Grand High Priest, says of this work, (which he entitles, Town's Addresses to the Grand Chapter of NewYork,) "They develope the origin, principles, and use of the institution, and redeem the sacred order at once from the ignorance, spleen, and mistaken dread of a too censorious world." The chapter of recommendations concludes as follows: "Recommendation of the Honourable and most Excellent Companion DE W. C., General Grand High Priest of the General Grand Chapter of the United States of America; Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of New-York, &c. &c. "Having perused some chapters of a manuscript, entitled, A System of Speculative Masonry,' by Companion Salem Town, of Washington county, highly approving the general outlines of this work, and being satisfied of its accurate and able illustrations of the benign principles of Free Masonry, I have no hesitation in recommending it to the Fraternity. Dated at Albany, 20th March, 5817."[Signed by a name that belongs to his country.] This last is more guarded than the preceding, and yet is sufficiently broad for animadversion. I sincerely regret that a gentleman deservedly distinguished should put his name in the front of this puffing work; but no name upon earth will be found sufficient to support the extravagance of the copious extracts which soon follow. |