UC-NRLF V^^^^ VALEDICTORY ADDRESS,- Containing a personal narrative of the motives which induced the Author to become an expositor of Masonry. DEDICATED TO THE FOLLOWING (SranU (Dfffcers. Bro. The Earl of Aboyne, P.G.M. for Northamps. and Hunts. . . W. H. Adams, Esq. P.M., 339, Boston, P.G.S.W. Lincolnshire The Hon. G. C. Anderson, P.G.M. Bahamas . . Rev. E. Brine, B.A., P.G. Chap. Worcestershire . . E. F. Broadbent, Esq. P.M. 374, P.G. Trea. Lincolnshire . E. A. Bromehead, Esq. P.M. 374, and P.G.J.W. Lincolnshire . . W. Browne, Esq. 407, Ireland, P.G.J.W. . . W. Buckle, Esq. 707, Handsworth, P.G. Sup. Works, Staf- fordshire . . John Burrows, P.G. Sw. B. Worcestershire . . Rev. W. J. Carver, Representative from the G. L. of Massa- chusetts . . J. D. Cherry, Esq. J.D. 69, Londonderry, P.G. Purs. . . Rev. E. M. Clarke, J.W. C9, Londonderry, P.G. Chap. . . Rev. J. E. Cox, M.A., Grand Chaplain . . Sir Charles Douglas, M.P. 356, Warwick . . Maxwell Daring, Esq. S.W. 640, Ireland, P.G. Purs. . . Thos. Ewart, Esq. P.M. 646, D.P.G.M. Northamps. and Hunts. . . Michael Furnell, Esq. S.G.I.G. 33. P.G.M. North Munster . , F. Foster, Esq. 69, Londonderry, P.G.S.W. Derry . . Alex. Grant, Esq. D.P.G.M. Derry and Donegal; Hon. Mem- ber of 126, 265, 279, 282, and 284, England; and 46, 196, 332, 407, and 589, Ireland . . T. D. Harrington, Esq. Z. Victoria Chap. D.P.G.M. Montreal . . T. Hewitt, Esq. P.G.S.W. North Munster . . J. A. Hicken, Esq. K.T.P.G. Stew. Madras . . Rev. W. N. Jepson, W.M. 374, P.G. Reg. Lincolnshire . . J. F. Johnston, Esq. 69, P.G. Sup. Works, Derry . . J. G. Lawrence, J.W. 326, P.G.J.W. Madras . . J. S. Langwith, Esq. P.M. 466, Grantham, P.G. Sup. Works, Lincolnshire . . William Lloyd, Esq. P.M. 51, 135, 689, 707, <5c P.G. Trea Warwickshire and Staffordshire 6 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. Bro. Very Eev. Archdeacon Mant, P.G.M. Belfast and North Down . . Jas. M'Murray, Esq. J.W. 69, P.G. Sec, Derry . . J. Maskell, P.M. 340, P. Dep. G. Sec. Madras . . J. Middleton, P.M. 374, P.G. 'Sec. Lincolnshire . . The Baron von Nettiebladt, P.G.M. Rostock, N. Germany . . Rev. C. Nairne, P.M. 374, D.P.G.M. Lincolnshire . . W. A. Nicholson, Esq. P.M. 374, P.P.G. Sup. W. Lincolnshire . . G. Oliver, Esq. P.P.G. Stew. Lincolnshire . . E. G. Papell, Esq. W.M. 326, P.G.J.W. Madras . . J. W. Pashley, Esq. P.M. 611, P.P.G. Trea. Lincolnshire . . Rev. T. Pedley, 646, Peterborough, P.G. Chap. Northampton- shire and Hunts. . . G. W. K. Potter, Esq. P.M. 109, London, G. J.D. . . J. Price, Esq. 69, P.G. Sec. B. Deny and Donegal . . S. Rawson, Esq. P.G.M. China . . W. Roden, Esq. M.D., P.M. 523 and 730, Kidderminster, D.P. G.M. Worcestershire . . S. Rankin, Esq. 196, P.G. Stew. Derry . . Rev. J. C. Ridley, P.G.M. Oxfordshire . . H. Ridley, Esq. 69, P.G. Trea. Derry . . W. Stuart, Esq. P.G.M. Hertfordshire, (3 copies) . . R. J. Spiers', Esq. P.M. 425, Grand Sword Bearer . . Capt. J. Stirling, 69, P.G. Stew. Derry . . Augustus Tilden, P.G. Sup. Works, Worcestershire . . W. Tucker, Esq. P.G.M. Dorsetshire . . R. Turner, Esq. P.M. 466, Grantham, P.P.G. J.W. Lincolnshire . . R. Taylor, P.M. 374, and P.G.D.C. Lincolnshire . . Henry C. Vernon, Esq. P.G.M. Worcestershire . . J. Wyld, Esq. M.P. Representative from the G.L. of Texas . . E. B. Webb, Esq. 69, P.G. Stew. Derry TO THE FOLLOWING Subscubfnjj fHcers anti Members of ^tfbate Bro. W. T. Adrian, P.M. Manchester Lodge, 209, Lambeth . . R. J. Alexander, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . E. W. Allpress, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . J. Arnold, J.W. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham . . Algernon Attwood, P.M. Universal Lodge, 212, London . . George Addison, Preston . . Marcus Attwood, Universal Lodge, 212, London . . J. N. Bainbridge, M.D., P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . T. Baker, I.G. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidderminster . . Alexander Bolton, Dublin, (Q copies) . . W. Boyd, P.S.W. and Sec. Social Friendship Lodge, 320, Madras . . G. F. Brady, M.D. Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . S. Brizzi, P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . William Brooks, St. Thomas' Lodge, 166, London . . C. F. Brown, J.W. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 7 Bro. J. Bull, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . C. Cameron, Calcutta . . J. E. Carpenter, W.M. Shakspere Lodge, 356, Warwick . . G. Chance, Sec. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . L. Chandler, P.M. St. Paul's Lodge, 229, Past Grand Steward, London . . W. Clarke, P.M. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras . . R. Cobbet, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Fillippo Coletti, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . F. Cook, Boston . . C. H. Cornwall, J.W. Yarborough Lodge, 812, London . . R. Costa, S.W. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . M. Costa, J.W. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Rev. S. 0. Cox, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . J. T. Darvill, P.M. St. John's Lodge, 107, London . . S. Dillet, P.M. Royal Victoria Lodge, 649, Nassau, Bahamas . . A. Dimoline, W.M. Royal Clarence Lodge, 81, Bristol . . W. W. Douglas, M.A. 730, Oxford . E. Dorling, P.M. Perfect Friendship Lodge, 552, Ipswich . . J. Durance, jun. Witham Lodge, 374, Lincoln . . Lieut. Connolly Dysart, Madras Army, First Lodge of Light, 69, Londonderry . . F. Elkington, S.W. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham . . C. W. Elkington, P.M. & Sec. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birm- ingham . . Capt. T. E. Ethersey, P.M. Universal Charity Lodge, 340, Madras . . Lieut. Ethersey, P.M. Perfect Friendship Lodge, 522, Ipswich . . W. T. Ethersey, P.M, Universal Charity Lodge, 326, Madras . . W. Evans, P.M. Temple Lodge, 118, London . . Rev. T. B. Ferris, Chap. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . W. H. Fletcher, S.W. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidder- minster . . J. W. Foulkes, I.G. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Frith, M.D. Calcutta . . Hector Gavin, Edinburgh . . E. Castellan Giampietro, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . W. Gillman, D.C. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham . . Alfred Glover, S.D. 803, Longton, Staffordshire . . R. Graves, P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Wm. Green, J.D. 803, Longton, Staffordshire . . W. B. A. Greenlaw, W.M. Lodge of Sincerity, 224, Plymouth . . B. Hall, Trea. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham . . J. Hamilton, Esq. High Sheriff, Donegal, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . John Harris, P.M. Albion Lodge, 9, London . . S. Harrison, Witham Lodge, 374, Lincoln . . T. Heffernan, Witham Lodge, 374, Lincoln . . N. Highmore, P.M. Lodge of Benevolence, 459, Sherborno .. Frederick Heisch, P.S.W. Shakspere Lodge, 116, 324,388, London . . J. Hodgson, Belfast, (3 copies) . . J. Hodgkinson, Burlington Lodge, 113, London . . W. Hodgkinson, Royal Standard Lodge, 730, Kidderminster 8 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. Bro. H. F. Holt, P.M. Cadogan Lodge, 188, London . . T. Home, J.G. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham . . How, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Jer. Howes, P.M. Lodge of Perseverance, 258, Norwich . . R. P. Hunt, W.M. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidderminster . . W. Imrie, D.C. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Thomas James, W.M. 786, Walsall . . C. Johnson, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . H. Kennet, P. M.and Trea. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras . . G. E. Lane, I.G. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras . Capt. Gr. A. Leach, Royal Engineers, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . S. H. Lee, W.M. Fitzroy Lodge, 830, London . . T. Lemale, P.M. Burlington Lodge, 113, London . . Rev. T. Lindsay, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . Ignazio Marini, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . F. Crew, Grand Master's Lodge ; Sec. Girls' School . . F. H. M'Causland, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . M. M'Dowell, P.M. Universal Charity Lodge, 340, Madras . . Hon. R. Garraway M'Hugh, P.M. Albion Lodge, 762, Castries St. Lucia. . . J. Melton, S.D. Universal Charity Lodge, 326, Madras . . Alex. Montague, W.M. 7^0, Cheltenham . . T. R. Moore, M.D. Salisbury . . R. C. Moore, P. J.D. Witliam Lodge, 374, Lincoln . . Thomas B. Morrell, M.A. 730, Oxford . . T. Morris, S.W. Universal Charity Lodge, 326, Madras . . J. Motherwell, M.D. Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry . . E. Muffins, P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London . . Rev. Erskine Neale, Kirton Rectory, Suffolk . . J. S. Newton, Stew. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham . S. Noble, P.M. Pythagorean Lodge, 93, Greenwich . Patrick O'Leary, P.M. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidder- minster . Capt. W. O'Neil, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry , . S. Ormsby, Light of the North Lodge, 69, & S.D. 640, Lon- donderry . . Wm. Palmer, Royal Standard Lodge, 730, Kidderminster P. V. Pereira, Calcutta Osmond G. Phipps, Ramsgate, P. M. 149, and 621, Provincial Grand Organist, Kent E. Preston, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry Samuel Pruce, Trea. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidder- minster T. Pryer, P.M. Oak Lodge, 225, London W. H. Read, P.M. Zetland in the East Lodge, 748, Singapore James Rettie, W.M. 54, Aberdeen C. Rice, P.M. 339, Boston J. Y. Robins, S.D. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham T. Rounce, P.M. Lodge of Fidelity, 813, Southwold J. K. Sanford, P.M. St. John's Lodge, 703, Rio de Janeiro J. Sharp, P.M. Shakspere Lodge, 3&6, Warwick G. T. W. Sibthorpe, S.W. Witham Lodge, 374, Lincoln J. Suns, J.W. 707, Handsworth VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 9 Bro. J. Sims, J.D. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham H. S. Skipton, M.D., S. W. Light of the North Lodge, GO, Lon- donderry E. D. Smith, W.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London J. Colson Smith, P.M. Zetland in the East Lodge, 748, Singapore H. S. Smith, Bristol, (4 copies) George Southall, P.M. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidder- minster R. Spencer, P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London, (50 copies) ' C. Stroughill, S.D. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London Tamberlik. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London W. M. Taylor, W.M. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham R. Taylor, P.M. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras J. P. Taylor, Stew. First Lodge of Light, 689, Birmingham W. Taylor, J.D. Hope and Charity Lodge, 523, Kidderminster C. T. Townscnd, P.M. Perfect Friendship Lodge, 522, Ipswich R. Toynbee, Witham Lodge, 374, Lincoln W. Trimble, Light of the North Lodge, 69, Londonderry W. G. Turner, J.D. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras T. Vesper, jun. W.M. Yarborough Lodge, 812, Louclon T. Wallace, W.M. Lodge of Fidelity, 813, Southwold J. G. Waller, Bank of England Lodge, 329, London J. Walmsley, P.M. Liverpool F. G. Worrick, S.D. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London Z. Watkins, P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London John F. White, P.M. Castle Lodge, 36, London W. Foster White, P.M. St. Paul's Lodge, 229, London J. Whitmore, P.M. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London E. G. Willoughby, P.M. 701, 782, Birkenhead M. C. Wilmot, Tyler. Social Friendship Lodge, 326, Madras ' M. Woodcock, Witham Lodge, 374, Lincoln W. L. Wright, P.M. and Trea. Bank of England Lodge, 329, London TO THE BRETHREN OF THE FOLLOWING SubscrlMng Slothes, Light of the North, 69, Londonderry Lodge 196, Ireland Universal Charity, 340, Madras Royal Sussex, 589, Belize, Honduras Royal Victoria, 649, Nassau, Bahamas St. John's, 703, Rio de Janeiro Zetland in the East, 748, Singapore Albion, 762, Castries, St. Lucia Social Friendship, 326, Madras Lodge of Instruction, Bristol Lodge of Instruction, Norwich Lodge of Instruction, Liverpool AND TO THE OFFICERS AND BRETHREN OF EVERY LODGE * THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE. 10 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. DEAR BROTHERS AND FRIENDS, HAVING arrived at the age of nearly threescore years and ten, my labours in behalf of the beloved institution of Freemasonry must be considered as drawing to a close ; and I have therefore thought it a duty to open the pres- ent volume with an Address to you, as a grateful return for the uniform courtesy which the Craft have testified towards me. These labours have not been actuated by motives of a pecuniary nature, for I have derived very little profit from my masonic publications ; and my chief rew r ard has been in the kindness and attention which I have received from the fraternity at large. I have never been troubled with an ambition to accumulate riches ; nor have I ever been overburdened with w r ealth, or greatly inconvenienced by its absence. Man wants but little hero below, Nor wants that little long. To secure your approbation has been my chief aim, and the possession of it constitutes the utmost limit of my ambition. The elements of a general address are so diversified, that the canon proposed by Churchill, however it might fail in a formal treatise, will apply excellently well here. This I hold, A secret worth its weight in gold, To those who write as I write now, Not to mind where they go, or how, Through ditch, through bog, o'er hedge and stile, Make it but worth the reader's while ; And keep a passage fair and plain Always to bring him back again. Some authors construct their prefatory introduction as a programme of the book ; some to conciliate the reviewers ; and others, more venturesome, hurl at the critics their unmitigated defiance ; like the sailor, w r ho VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 11 having occasion to pass over Bagshot Heath in a chaise, and being told that there were "hawks abroad," deliber- ately taking a pistol in each hand, he thrust his feet through the front windows crying out, " down with bulk heads, and prepare for action." My opening address to you, brethren, will be more modest. I have been too long before you, and have re- ceived too many of your favours, either to dread a severe sentence, or to feel the necessity of flattering you into good humour. It is well known that while a favourable review of any work passes unnoticed by the multitude, an unfavourable one is sought after with avidity, circu- lated amongst the author's personal friends with perse- vering industry, and frequently perused with the greatest unction, so much better pleased is poor human nature with hearing abuse and vituperation, than it is with quiet approval ; as we often observe a number of people collect together to witness a street quarrel, who will disperse when the dispute ceases, and the conversation assumes a peaceful tone. For this reason it might be prudent on my part to conciliate criticism ; but as my writings contain no severe reflections upon others, I am unwilling to doubt of their candid reception ; and after a literary career ap- proaching to half a century, it is too late for me to enter- tain much apprehension for the fate of a volume which is intended as the completion of a series, and the winding up of a masonic life. Like the Mosaic pavement of the lodge, my pilgrimage has abounded in variegated scenes of good and evil ; and success has been chastened and tempered by mortifying reverses. Fast friends I have had many, and bitter enemies not a few ; and honours and rewards on the one hand, have been balanced by vexation and trouble, and the basest ingratitude for essen- tial sendees, on the other. When I first entered the lists as a masonic writer, it 12 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. was intended, in a great measure, for my own private amusement ; and the popularity of my earliest publica- tions was entirely unexpected, as they were composed by snatches amidst the pressure of heavy and ceaseless duties, which neither my feelings nor my interest could induce me to neglect. Like Doctor Syntax, I set out in search of the picturesque, and, to my great surprise, found it solid fame. An event, too trifling to be recorded, originated my first publication, and consequently pro- duced all the rest ; as Pascal very pleasantly attributed the revolutions which took place in the world during the reign of Cleopatra to the longitude of her nose. At that early period I had formed a plan in my own mind, which was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of Freemasonry as a literary institution. It was gener- ally understood to be pursuing one unvarying round, cir- cumscribed within a very narrow compass ; including the ceremonies of initiation, passing, and raising, with a prescribed lecture for each degree ; touching, indeed, upon morality and several liberal sciences, but determinate upon none. To convince the reading public that Freemasonry pos- sessed within itself references of a more exalted character, and that it actually contained the rudiments of all world- ly science and spiritual edification, I contemplated work- ing out, in a specified cycle, a detailed view of its comprehensive system of knowledge, human and divine. The plan was extensive, and the chances were, that it would share the fate of that gigantic edifice on the plains of Shinar, which was intended to scale the heavens, and never be completed. But the mind of youth is elastic Hope urged me on, and enthusiasm lent its powerful aid to encourage me to persevere ; and with the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe, I have now the pleasure to present you with the concluding volume, by which the cycle is perfected and the cope stone laid. VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 13 And I may say, in the poetical language of a Most Ex- cellent Master, All hail to the morning that bids us rejoice ; The temple's completed, exalt high each voice ; The cope stone is finished, our labour is o'er ; The sound of the gavel shall hail us no more. It may be interesting to exhibit the entire plan in detail. It will occur to every thinking brother, that such an undertaking, to be perfect, must necessarily embrace History and Antiquities ; Rites and Ceremonies ; Science and Morals ; Types and Symbols ; Degrees and Land- marks; and, above all, it would require to be sho\vn what connection the Order bears to our most holy re- ligion ; and how far it recommends and enforces the duties w T hich every created being is bound to observe in his progress from this world to another and a better. To all these points my attention has been extended ; and for the purpose of exemplifying them by a regulated process, I have, at convenient intervals, issued from the press a graduated series of publications, each advancing one step beyond its predecessor, and, like the progressive terms of a syllogism, contributing their united aid to produce an intelligible conclusion. The first step was to show the antiquity of the Order, and somewhat of its early history : for this was the only basis on which all subsequent reasoning could be securely founded ; and in the absence of this footstone, the entire fabric, like the enchanted palace of Aladdin, would be unsubstantial and endure but for a moment. I therefore published a work on the Early History and Antiquities of Masonry from the Creation to the building of Solo- mon's temple, as an acknowledged period from which the history of the Order is clear and intelligible ; including dissertations on those permanent Landmarks of Masonry, the Creation, the Fall, the Deluge, the calling of Abra- 14 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. ham, the vision of Jacob, the deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the construction of the Tabernacle, the passage of the river Jordan, the contest of Jeptha with the Ephraimites, and the construction of the Temple. This attempt being well received, although I was com- paratively a stranger to the fraternity in general, having merely published a few masonic sermons, as the Grand Chaplain for Lincolnshire, previously to this period, which, it is extremely probable, were unknown beyond the limits of the Province, I was encouraged to proceed in my design. Still the foundation was not complete. It was neces- sary to show clearly to what religion, if any, the present system of masonry was analogous. On this question I came to the point at once, like Hippo thadee in Rabelais, " without circumbilivaginating about and about, and never hitting it in the centre," and unhesitatingly pro- nounced it to be Christianity, not only from internal evidence, but also from the following considerations. Freemasonry is unquestionably a cosmopolitical insti- tution, and therefore must have an affinity to a religion which is applicable to all times, and adapted to every people that have at any time existed in the world. These data are true with respect to Christianity and to no other religion that ever existed. The patriarchal dispensation was incipient Christianity. The holy men who lived before the time of Moses were all justified by the same principle of faith in God's revelation. They looked to the same blessings in futurity that are revealed in the Gospel ; and it is this principle of faith which will constitute their reward as well as ours at the day of judgment. Again, the revelation of the Jewish religion was another wide step towards the introduction of Christiani- ty. It was the second degree of perfection. And in this belief the saints and prophets who came after Moses VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 15 offered themselves freely to all the persecutions of the world in proof of their faith in a Deliverer to come; and hence the holy men under the law are held forth by the Apostles of Christ as examples to their followers. And the whole design of the Epistle to the Hebrews is to show that the faith of the patriarchs, both before and after Moses, was the same as ours, though their worship was of a different form. For these reasons, as the Christian religion extended over all time, and shall, at the appointed period, univer- sally prevail over the whole earth, it alone can apply to a cosmopolite institution like Freemasonry. The princi- pal events in the Jewish history are types of Christ, or of the Christian dispensation. But these events form permanent and unchangeable landmarks in the masonic lectures. Therefore the lectures of masonry are Christian. This decision is borne out by a manifesto of a foreign Grand Lodge, which contains the following characteristic passage, " Masonry may be made the means of accom- plishing the commands of the Great Architect of the Universe. He who is the best Christian, the most faith- ful man, will be also the best Mason. So let it be in the profane world and in church relations, live in brother- hood and peace." It is an artifice of the enemies of masonry, such as Mr. E. C. Pryer, Major Trevilian, and all others of the same school, to insinuate that masonry is anti-christian, that it may become unpopular and lose its influence ; but that the cry should be echoed by those who pretend to be acquainted with its genuine principles, surpasses my ingenuity to comprehend. It is the very point to which Weishaupt was desirous of bringing the disciples of Illu- minism. He taught that " genuine Christianity is 'no popular religion, but a system for the elected ; that Jesus communicated the higher sense of his doctrine only to his most intimate disciples ; that the latter had propaga- 16 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. ted this system among the primitive Christians by means of the disciplina arcani ; taught it in the mystic schools of the Gnostics, Manichseans, and the Ophites, in a two- fold manner, viz., exoterically and esoterically ; that at the last, after many migrations, and concealed in hiero- glyphics, it had become the property of the Order of the Freemasons." Meaning to infer that Christianity was a system of Ophiolatreia, and preserved only in the arcane mysteries of the Freemasons ; and that conse- quently pure Christianity was an unsubstantial vision. As Bishop Watson said of the opponents of Christi- anity, I repeat of the enemies of our noble Order. "I have often wondered what could be the reason that men, not destitute of talents, should be desirous of undermin- ing the authority of [Freemasonry], and studious in exposing, with a malignant and illiberal exultation, every little difficulty attending it, to popular animadversion and contempt. I am not willing to attribute this strange propensity to what Plato attributed the Atheism of his time to profligacy of manners to affectation of singu- larity to gross ignorance, assuming the semblance of deep research and superior sagacity; I had rather refer it to an impropriety of judgment respecting the manners and mental acquirements of humankind in the first ages of the world." To place this matter on the proper basis, and to show the opinion of eminent brethren of the last century, I published the STAR IN THE EAST, in which I endeavoured to show the absolute connection between Freemasonry and religion from the testimony of masonic writers ; from the fact that the historical portion of the lectures bears a direct reference to Christianity ; from the coinci- dence between the morality of masonry and that of our holy religion; and the symbolical reference of its general mechanism to the same faith. The rapidity with which the first edition of this little VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 17 work was exhausted, and the testimonies I received from intelligent brethren in every part of the United King- dom, to its value as a standard Text Book of Masonry, convinced me that I had been correct in my opinion of the universal belief that the present system of Freema- sonry is analogous to the Christian religion. I cannot throw odium or even doubt on the cross of Christ ; nor can I allow any contempt to be cast on that sacred atonement by which I trust to inherit the kingdom of heaven, either by my silence or connivance. I will admit my Hebrew brother into a mason's lodge I will exchange with him freely all the courtesies of civil and social life ; but as he will not abandon his faith at my command neither will I. We each pursue our own path, under the consequences of our own free choice, like Thalaba and his companion in the cavern of Haruth and Maruth. It is a false species of liberality which influences the feelings of many good and estimable men at the present day, and induces them to concede, out of re- spect to the prejudices of others, what they ought to hold most sacred. Ask your Hebrew brother to lay aside his prejudices, and eat with you and he will reject your proposal with abhorrence. Arid he acts on a correct and laudable principle for it is in accordance with the in- junctions of his religion. A writer in Sharpe's Magazine asks, " what is liberality ? for this is, after all, the question. We should not per- haps greatly err in representing it as a complex idea, embracing the virtues of courtesy, beneficence, charity in judgment, and self-denial in conduct. St. Paul was the first example of it, after the only perfect example of all good. His speech before Agrippa, his Epistle to Philemon, are instances of a refined courtesy ; his bene- ficence and self-denial are alike instanced in his laborious journeys, and his manual exertions to minister unpaid ; his chanty and kind judgment are the soul of all his con- 18 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. duct. Yet St. Paul would have gained no credit for libe- rality in our day ; for he would have made no sacrifices to spread Judaism or Gnosticism ; and further, he did his best to overturn both, while showing every kindness to the persons of those who professed them. While he commanded to do good toothers, he added, specially unto those which are of the household of faith. Nothing could be more illiberal, according to the principle on which the word is received at the present day ; for even if doing good unto all men were admitted on that princi- ple, we must now add specially unto those who are NOT of the household of faith." 1 I am far from affirming, however, that the analogy of Freemasonry with Christianity is universally conceded by the fraternity. Our ranks contain many individuals, whose opinions are entitled to respect, who reject the hypothesis as an untenable proposition ; and are ready to maintain that the glorious Symbol which forms the sub- ject of this volume is alien to the system of Freemasonry. And they assign as a reason for their theory, that as Free- masonry dates its origin at a period far anterior to the revelation of the Christian scheme, its elements cannot legitimately contain any reference to that great plan for the salvation of the human race. The argument, however, is inconclusive, because it is at variance with fact. Freemasonry, in whatever part of the globe it may at present exist, contains the emblem before us, sanctioned by all Grand Lodges, and rejected by none. And it is interpreted by a process agreeing with our own explanations ; embodied in the authorized Lectures, as propounded by the united wisdom of the two great sections of the fraternity assembled in the Lodge of Reconciliation, which was constructed for the sole purpose of placing the Order on its proper basis, by 1 Sharpo's Mag., vol. vii., p. 48. VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 19 revising the Lectures and regulating the ceremonies on the true model of primitive observance. Freemasonry must be interpreted according to the form in which it is actually presented to the senses, and not by any hypothetical propositions of what it was or might have been at a given period which is too remote for any records to exist that may explain its mechanism or peculiar doctrines, and respecting which our traditions are too imperfect to lead to any certain result. And the present Lectures of the Order actually contain a pointed reference to all the principal types of Christ or the Christian dispensation which are found in the Hebrew Scriptures, from the creation of the world to the actual appearance of the Messiah, when the sceptre had finally departed from Judah. The Freemasons of 1720, in the earliest system of Lectures known, explained the masonic phrase, T G A O T U, to mean, " Him that was placed on the topmost pinnacle of the temple ;" which applies to Jesus, and to him alone, as no other personage on record was ever placed in that inaccessible situation. The revised Lec- tures of Bro. Dunckerley, used up to the middle of the century, defined the Blazing Star as "representing the Star which led the wise men to Bethlehem, proclaiming to mankind the nativity of the Son of God, and here conducting our spiritual progress to the Great Author of our redemption." The Hutchinsoiiian Lectures, used twenty years later, explained the three lights or lumina- ries by "the three great stages of masonry; the know- ledge and worship of the God of nature in the purity of Eden the service under the Mosaic law, when divested of idolatry and the Christian revelation. But most especially our Lights are typical of the holy Trinity." And in the system of Lectures which prevailed at the latter end of the century, and up to the union in 1813, the five steps of the winding staircase were represented 20 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. as indicating " the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." The authorized Text Book of the United States of America confirms this view of the design of Freemasonry ; and it will be remembered that the Koyal Arch is pro- nounced by the English Grand Lodge as the completion of the Third Degree. The account of this degree commences thus : " This degree is more august, sublime, and im- portant, than all which precede it. It impresses on our minds a belief of the being and existence of the supreme Grand High Priest of our salvation, who is without beginning of days or end of years ; and forcibly reminds us of the reverence due to his Holy Name." And that there may be no mistake in the meaning of " the supreme Grand High Priest of our salvation," the degree is opened by a passage from St. Paul's Epistle to the Thessalonians, 2 " Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly," fee. Having thus laid the foundation of my proposed edi- fice on a solid basis, broad and deep on the antiquity of its pretensions, and its undoubted reference to an uni- versal religion as I professed to write for the general information of the fraternity, I now found, as honest John Bunyan has it, that " I must not go to sleep, lest I should lose my choice things;" and, therefore, com- menced the superstructure with an explanation of the elementary tenets of the Order, as a preliminary step towards a general view of its claims to a favourable con- sideration- which might spread throughout the length and breadth of the habitable globe. No science can be mastered without a competent knowledge of the terms and technicalities by which it is distinguished ; and Freemasonry, like Chemistry, will 2 2Thes. iii., 6 18. VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 21 be very imperfectly understood, unless the tyro be well grounded in the hidden meaning of the types and em- blems in which its occult principles are imbedded and concealed. Canons must be studied ere perfection can be attained. Every one must be an apprentice before he can entertain any pretensions of becoming a master. Without this preparation, no one will ever become an adept in the science of Freemasonry. To supply this desideratum, the volume called SIGNS AND SYMBOLS was next offered to the masonic public ; and it appears to have been fully appreciated by the fraternity, as the first edition of a thousand copies was sold off in a few months. In this work, I went fully into detail on all the acknowledged emblems by which the Order is distinguished, and explained them seriatim ; and a particular index enumerates upwards of two hun- dred Symbols which have been noticed in the twelve lectures which complete the volume. This publication opened a very extensive correspondence with brethren in every quarter of the globe where masonry flourishes, and the testimonies in its favour were so numerous and de- cisive as to constitute an unequivocal encouragement to proceed in my design, which I did not think it prudent to decline ; particularly as H. R. H. the Grand Master, after the \vork had been submitted to his inspection in MS., kindly allow r ed it to be dedicated to him ; and H. R. II. the Duke of York, the Duke of Leinster, Grand Master of Masonry in Ireland, and several )f the nobility and Provincial Grand Masters extended their patronage to it. The plan being now fairly opened, it appeared to me to be necessary, before proceeding further, to obviate an objection which had been raised against the antiquity and originality of the Order, by bringing forward a series of authentic evidences to prove that Freemasonry stands proudly on its own basis, without being indebted 22 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. to the religious mysteries of heathen nations ; for it was confidently affirmed by some respectable authorities, that the death of Osiris, Adonis, or Bacchus, which was cele- brated in those institutions, constituted the prototype of the mysteries of Freemasonry. And the identity of one with the other was alleged to be complete, not only from internal evidence, but from the supposed corre- spondence of facts and ceremonies with the Mithratic celebrations. Voltaire had treated Osiris, Hiram, and Christ, as fabulous avatars of the same personage. Volney, Pro- fessor Robison, and others, had promulgated the same opinions. In answer to all which, Mr. Maurice remarks that, " in the pure and primitive theology, derived from the venerable patriarchs, there were certain grand and mysterious truths, the object of their fixed belief, which all the depravations brought into it by succeeding super- stitions, were never able entirely to efface from the human mind. These truths, together with many of the symbols of that pure theology, were propagated and dif- fused by them in their various peregrinations through the higher Asia, where they have immemorially flour- ished ; affording a most sublime and honourable testi- mony of such a refined and patriarchal religion having actually existed in the earliest ages of the world;" and this simple mode of faith was Freemasonry in its most primitive form. Mr. Fellows, an American writer, promulgated the opinion that " the cenotaph, or mock coffin, used in the anniversaries, is typical of the death of the sun in the inferior hemisphere, under the name of Osiris, who is per- sonated under the Hiram of masonry." And De Quincy, an eminent and clever writer of our own country, adds, " in the earlier records of Greece we meet with nothing which bears any resemblance to the masonic institution but the Orphic Eleusinian mysteries. Here, however, VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 23 the word mysteries implied not any occult problem or science sought for, but simple, sensuous and dramatic representations of religious ideas, which could not other- wise be communicated to the people in the existing state of intellectual culture. In the Grecian mys- teries, there were degrees of initiation amongst its members," &c. To combat these erroneous opinions, and to clear the way for future discussion, I published a complete view of the entire system of religious mysteries, as practised in every part of the idolatrous world, under the name of a HISTORY OF INITIATION ; which, like the former, passed rapidly through the first edition ; and a second was published before the expiration of the year. This work contains a detailed view of the Spurious Freemasonry of India, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Britain, Scandinavia, Mexico, and Peru ; thus displaying in one point of view, all the principal mysteries which were practised over every part of the globe, noting their resemblances and peculiarities, to show that they had a common origin, which was dated at a period anterior to the general dis- persion on the plains of Shinar, and entirely unconnected with the traditional origin of Freemasonry. But notwithstanding the most complete demonstra- tion of a case, and however its truth may be apparent to an impartial judge, there are those who are tardy to confess an error in any theory which they have once advocated. It seems on a par with an acknowledgment of mental imbecility, and an incapacity to determine a simple proposition when submitted to their unbiassed judgment; and they are cautious of admitting the least doubt of the soundness of their intellect, lest their lite- rary credit, on which their future success appears to depend, should suffer any diminution; for every man is sensitively alive, and properly so, to the slightest shadow of a stain on his reputation. And hence arises 24 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. the anomaly of men persisting in error, even after their reason is convinced that they have advocated an un- sound hypothesis, although the most honourable course would be to acknowledge it untenable, and candidly regret that a hastly formed opinion should have led them astray. But to return. A progress thus signalized by unequivocal success was not likely to produce lassitude on my part. I therefore prepared to advance another step in my great design, by an endeavour to elucidate the true philoso- phy of the Order, to show it as it is, and not as it ought to be, according to the expressed opinions of some theo- rists ; to describe its construction, to display its use and tendency, and to enquire whether it has any cor- respondence with practical religion, and the duties which are enjoined by the Most High, as the test of faith and purity of heart ; for science, said the sage Iracagem, 3 "may polish the manners, but virtue and religion only can animate with exalted notions, and dignify the mind of immortality ; to neglect the first, is to turn our head from the light of day ; but to despise the last, is to grasp the earth when heaven is open to receive us. A wise and prudent spirit will so use the one as to improve the other, and make his science the handmaid of his virtue." To enunciate the above particulars I now anxiously address myself. Serious doubts had been entertained by the unlearned in its mysteries, whether Freemasonry possessed any rational claims to the character of a Literary and Scientific Institution; and these surmises were strengthened by the consideration that no proofs of it were to be discovered in any authorized publication which was accessible to the general enquirer. The absence of these proofs being elevated into a cogent and unanswerable argument of their non-existence, the 3 Tales of the Genii, viii. VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 25 cowan triumphed in the imaginary abasement of a science (so called) below the level of the most common mechanical art ; because they all, itself excepted, could produce abundant evidences of their utility, either in theoretical lectures, or the exquisite perfection of their manual productions; while nothing, as it was urged, appeared on the surface to recommend Freemasonry to public notice, but the external existence of the lodge room, decorated with symbols of a technical and specu- lative character, which, like the complicated diagrams of a necromancer, might bear an interpretation either puerile or fearful, no one knew which ; with an occa- sional procession to assist at some operative ceremony, which terminated in a banquet ; and there irregularities were sometimes exhibited, altogether incapable of extenuation or defence. While public lectures on Free- masonry were unknown, it was deduced that its utility and moral or scientific tendency were questionable, if not altogether imaginary. Under such circumstances it became necessary to the well-being of the Order, that some attempt should be made to neutralize the effects, if it were found imprac- ticable to defeat the existence of such unfounded asser- tions. And this could only be accomplished by placing within the reach of every enquirer, who would take the trouble to investigate the truth, some authentic treatise on the peculiar philosophy of the Masonic Order; and my previous publications having established for me an humble claim to the character of an authorized teacher of Freemasonry, it was suggested by several scientific brethren, for whose opinions I entertained considerable respect, that the fraternity looked up to me for some general undertaking which might silence the absurd cavils of our opponents, and place Freemasonry on the broad basis of an acknowledged literary institution. For this purpose I published Twelve Lectures on the 2 26 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. THEOCRATIC PHILOSOPHY OF FREEMASONRY, in which I entered minutely into an examination of the speculative character of the institution as a system of Light and Charity ; and of its operative division as an exclusively scientific pursuit which had been practised from the earliest times in every country of the world. This enquiry was followed up by an historical account of the origin, progress, and design of the Spurious Freemason- ry. I then took a view of the origin and use of hiero- glyphics ; and not only exemplified the symbols used in those spurious institutions which had attained the most permanent celebrity in the ancient world, but endea- voured to show that the true Freemasonry in all ages was " veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." The union of speculative and operative masonry then became a subject of discussion ; and I concluded with a detailed disquisition on the form, situation, ground, extent, and covering of a lodge, as well as an exemplifi- cation on the beauties of Freemasonry, in which I attempted to show that its peculiar ceremonies and observances had been judiciously selected, rationally maintained, and highly advantageous to those who are versed in their moral and symbolical references. These disquisitions became extremely popular, and the edition was speedily exhausted. I was next called on to show what masonry w r as actually doing at the present period, for the purpose of evincing that it was not exclu- sively theoretical, but that whatever had been advanced in theory was verified in practice. The fourteenth edition of PRESTON'S ILLUSTRATIONS, which I had edited in 1829, had been sold off, and the fraternity were anxious to see the history of masonry which it contains brought down to the present time ; for the Order had flourished for the last ten years beyond all former precedent, and it was thought expedient to place its transactions on perma- nent record. The HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY from 1829 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 27 to 1840 was accordingly prepared, and I have reason to believe that its publication was attended with beneficial consequences to the Craft in general, as it was received with marks of favour by the universal concurrence of the fraternity. During the whole of this period I had been a constant and regular correspondent to the Freemasons' Quarterly Review ; and my articles in that useful miscellany were applied to the general dissemination of masonic know- ledge, in its Speculative, Operative, and Spurious divisions ; diversified by an occasional essay on its chari- ties and its amusements. And I communicated the more readily and cheerfully with this journal, because I think that the great modifications which have manifested them- selves in the opinions of men towards Freemasonry of late years, would not have been produced without the efficient aid of this powerful engine. It has effected a wonderful revolution of opinion in favour of the Order by mild and gentle reasoning ; and has rendered extensive benefit to the Craft by diffusing information on the rules of discipline and practice, as well as on the public trans- actions of the lodges. To the blemishes of the system it has applied the actual cautery with singular effect. The patient has, indeed, winced under the operation ; but the cure is in progress, and the treatment, however unpalata- ble, is wholesome and salutary, and cannot fail to be productive of the most beneficial results. I had now arrived at a period when, however unmerited on my part, my literary fame stood high with the masonic public, and I could produce letters from every quarter of the globe in testimony of the utility and general estima- tion of my labours, of which I am, indeed, proud, although they have failed to make me vainglorious. By nature humble and unassuming, it is a difficult task to draw me out for the purpose of lionizing. The attempt has been made at sundry times and seasons, but with very little 28 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. effect. I still remain snugly ensconsed in my " hollow tree," and have nq^ taste for the distinction of exhibiting before popular assemblies. Perhaps I may be afraid of the fate of Don Quixote, who, at the highest pinnacle of his glory, when he had converted two flocks of sheep into rival armies, and saw them so clearly as actually to describe the armour of the knights and the devices on their shields, and at the moment when he contemplated a triumphant charge, was almost knocked on the head by an ignoble brickbat. However this may be, my attempts have been unceasing to restore a sublime Order to its legitimate place in public estimation, from which, as I well recollect, it had somewhat retrograded at the period when the two great divisions were united in 1813, proba- bly from the petty jealousies, and continued disputes of the brethren belonging to each of these sections, which nullified its claim to the characteristic of brotherly love. My next undertaking was a great work on the HIS- TORICAL LANDMARKS OF THE ORDER. The design was comprehensive, and was intended to embrace particular explanations, both historical, scientific, moral, and cere- monial, of Symbolical, Royal Arch, Ineffable, and Sublime Masonry, including the military orders and degrees. But in my own case, as I had been before the masonic public as an author nearly thirty years, and enjoyed the good fortune of being received with distinguished favour, it might be rationally imagined that I had employed my time unprofitably if I was not qualified for the under- taking. Besides, as the Eidolon confessed to Capt. Clutterbuck, in the Introductory Epistle to the Fortunes of Nigel, " while I please the public, I shall probably continue it merely for the pleasure of playing ; for I have felt as strongly as most folks that love of composition which is perhaps the strongest of all instincts, driving the author to the pen, the painter to the palette, often without VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 29 either the chance of fame or the prospect of reward." And I was not without hope that my project would be well received, if it were executed creditably. The labour required for the collection of materials for such a design, which was originally intended to be com- prised in fifty-two lectures, with an abundance of expla- natory notes, would doubtless be very great ; but part of the work had already been accomplished during the researches which had been previously made for former publications. My stores were far from being exhausted ; and my previous training in masonic lore had not been unproductive ; yet, I speak it in sorrow, when the work was fairly launched, and the preliminary number before the public, in which I had committed myself by a solemn pledge to carry it forward to the end, I experienced feelings somewhat similar to those of Pope when he had undertaken to produce a translation of Homer. "What can you expect," he says to his friend Jervas, "from a man who has not talked these five days? Who is with- drawing his thoughts, as far as he can, from all the present world, its customs, and its manners, to be fully possessed and absorbed in the past? When people talk of going to church, I think of sacrifices and libations ; when I see the parson, I address him as Chryses, priest of Apollo ; and instead of the Lord's Prayer, I begin, "God of the silver bow," &c. While you in the world are concerned about the Protest- ant succession, I consider only how Menelaus may recover Helen, and the Trojan war be put to a speedy conclusion. I never enquire if the queen be well or not, but heartily wish to be at Hector's funeral. The only things I regard in this life are, whether my friends are well ; whether my translation goes well on," &c. In like manner my thoughts, wishes, and aspirations were all on masonry, and nothing but masonry. It 30 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. formed the subject of my labours by day and my dreams by night, during the two long years it was in hand, from the Introduction to the Index; occupying a space of nearly fourteen hundred pages. But the patronage of the Earl of Zetland, the M. W. Grand Master, by giving authority to the work, was a full and adequate recom- pence for all my anxiety and toil. These volumes embrace a full and copious exposition of the doctrine and discipline, ceremonies and symbols, not only of blue masonry, but every order which had been at any time assimilated with it, whether justly or unjustly, to the amount of nearly a thousand degrees, including the blue, red, and black masonry of our own country, and the Ancien ct Accepte of the Continent and the United States, besides the speculative systems of the Orders of Bruce, the Temple of plermont, of Strict Observance, of Mount Tabor, of Zinnendorff, Swedenborg, Tschoudy Mesmer, Cagliostro, and many other empirics who invented systems for their own personal emolument; together with Adoptive, Swedish, Adonhiramite masonry, and other varieties in different countries which were identified with the Order. About this time certain imputations were cast upon Freemasonry, which, by their mild and insidious nature, and constant repetition, were calculated, as the eternal droppings of water will in time penetrate and wear away the most solid substances, to do more serious injury to the cause than all the absurd charges that were ever urged respecting the addictions of its members to the ridiculous fancies of Rosicrucianism and diablerie ; be- cause they attacked it on the side of its religion and morality, and would have converted us into a swarming hive of infidels. These charges originated in India, and had been deliberately concocted, and circulated in the public journals of the country; putting on, like lago, the form of civil and humane seeming, for the better com- VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 31 passing of their hidden loose affections ; with the design of withdrawing all good and pious men from the ranks of masonry, and preventing such persons, who, it will be believed, constitute our best and most valuable mem- bers, from seeking admission amongst us. And this effect it succeeded, in a- few instances, to produce. The objections, four in number, were stated as fol- lows: 1. That a true Christian cannot, or ought not, to join in masonry, because masons offer prayers to God without the mediation of a Redeemer. 2. That masonry inculcates the principles of brotherly love and charity to those peculiarly who have been initiated into the Order; whereas such acts, to be acceptable to God, should pro- ceed from a love of him reconciled to mankind through the sacrifice of Christ ; any other motive being not only not acceptable, but sinful. 3. That the mention of the Lord's name in the lodge is a contravention of the third commandment. And 4. That the Protestant Church of England knows nothing of the society of Freemasons, and therefore it is a desecration to suffer any section of that society to appear in the character of masons within the walls of its sacred edifices. My attention was called to the subject by a zealous mason in India, who stated all the charges seriatim in a letter to Dr. Grucefix, with a request that they might be forwarded to me for refutation. Accordingly I discussed them fully in a series of papers in the Freemasons* Quarterly Review, as they were certain to reach their destination through the medium of that periodical. They were afterwards transferred to a pamphlet called AN APOLOGY FOR THE FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, with additions, in reply to a statement which the Rev. Mr. Blunt, of Helston, in Cornwall, imputed to the Bishop of Exeter, to the effect that "the Church of England knows nothing of the distinctive principles of the society of Freemasons;" which, indeed, may be true in the 32 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. abstract, but by no means available as a reason for refus- ing the use of a Christian church for a masonic sermon, because a numerous host of the clergy, with the then Archbishop of Canterbury at their head, belong to the masonic body, and consequently may be supposed to know something of the distinctive principles of the Order. During the course of my researches for the illustration of the Historical Landmarks, I accidentally met with documents which singularly enough threw considerable light on other points in the history and details of the masonic system, that had hitherto remained in obscurity, and respecting which my enquiries had been previously unsuccessful. Several intelligent brethren had frequently expressed an earnest desire to be satisfied on certain undetermined questions which I was anxious to resolve. The result of these discoveries was given to the world in two pamphlets on the ORIGIN OF THE KOYAL ARCH, and on the unfortunate SCHISM which divided the Craft into two independent sections for more than half a century ; both of which I have reason to believe were satisfactory, and will set all speculation on each of these subjects at rest for ever. I also published a series of letters on the JOHANNITE MASONRY, addressed to the Earl of Aboyne, P. G. M. for Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, on which two hostile opinions exist amongst the fraternity, although masonic lodges were always dedicated " to God and holy St. John," by our ancient brethren; and Scottish masonry acknowledges that holy Apostle as its peculiar patron and tutelary saint. Besides, our annual festivals are enjoined to be celebrated on the day of St. John the Baptist or St. John the Evangelist; and down to a very recent period these two holy men were universally con- sidered the great parallels of the Order. To place this important question on its proper basis, VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 3U and to afford materials for an impartial discussion of its merits, I first endeavoured to refute a few objections which had been urged against the masonic parallelism of the two St. Johns; then I instituted an enquiry whether the patronage of masonry was originally vested in the two St. Johns during the last century or at any earlier period; and gave my reasons for considering each of these saints separately as a patron of masonry. And after a copious explanation of the parallelism, I enquired whether the patronage of masonry in the hands of these two Christian saints be strictly conformable with the construction and character of the Order ; and ended with a recapitulation of the whole argument, and a reply to some recent charges which had been published respect- ing the Rosicrucian origin of the Order. These charges are of very ancient date, for anti-masons have existed in every age of the world, although they have been recently adduced as novelties, and there is nothing new under the sun. Passing over Sanballat and his associates, the first anti-mason we read of in Chris- tian times was called Simon Magus, who mistook, as all his followers have done to the present day, the system of Christianity for a species of Rosicrucianism, by the exercise of which the Apostles were enabled to perform miracles and alter the ordinary course of nature. His fate is well known. He was followed by Barjesus, struck with blindness by St. Paul ; the Nicolaitans, and the Gnostics. Then came Hymenoeus, Marcion the tee- totaller, Alexander the coppersmith, and the actors in the ten Roman persecutions. A goodly company ; with whose proceedings and character the modern cowan appears ambitious to be classed. One of his most famous prototypes is the celebrated Manes, who, like Simon Magus and the anti-masons of our own times, endeavoured to identify the system of Light with the occult philosophy and the practice of 31 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. judicial astronomy, which was afterwards called Rosi- crucianism. He, like his predecessor Marcion, recom- mended total abstinence from intoxicating liquors, and substituted in their stead various amulets and charms as a protection from danger. Another worthy of the same class was the impostor Basilides, whose Powers and Intelligences, good and evil angels, with his Serpent Serapis, Abraxas, and three hundred and sixty-five demons, our opponents would fain identify with Freemasonry ; but the utter absurdity of his doctrines and practices constitutes an undeniable proof that they have no alli- ance with its principles. The catalogue might have been extended to the pres- ent time, terminating with the worthies Barruel and Robison, Soane arid E. C. Pryer; for every age abounds with them ; including Voltaire, Paine, and Carlisle in the old w r orld, and Morgan, Allyn, Stone, and Bernard in the new. In company with such worthy associates, par nobile fratrum, the cowan will doubtless consider it hon- ourable to persevere ; and it may therefore be expected that the Order will never be without opponents, to restrict its means of doing good. During the latter part of my masonic career, I have received frequent and particular enquiries respecting masonic ceremonies of public and private occurrences, about which the information has been scantily imparted, and consequently an exact uniformity is scarcely to be found. On public occasions particularly, such as pro- cessions, footstones, &c., a great diversity of practice has existed in different localities ; and visiting brethren have found it difficult to reconcile the anomalies which they have discovered in various lodges, where accident or design has induced them to be present. Enquiries into the practice of antiquity respecting ceremonies on which the Book of Constitutions is silent, and consequently much is left to the knowledge or discretion of masters VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 35 of lodges, have been numerous and pressing, and de- scended to the minutest particulars; even to the form and colour of every article of the dress of a Master Mason, from the hat on his head to the buckle of his shoe ; the former being supposed to be necessarily trian- gular, and the latter an oblong square. Although I have never omitted to comply with such requests, but have always placed myself at the command of the fraternity, as a reasonable tribute of gratitude for the continual marks of uninterrupted favour with which I have been honoured ; yet it was at length suggested that if all points of enquiry were collected, and cate- gorically arranged in the form of a Hand-Book, it would constitute an acceptable present to the Craft, as an use- ful Manual which might be at every brother's disposal, and referred to on all occasions as an authority from which there could be no appeal. And accordingly I took the hint, and issued the BOOK OF THE LODGE, which I have no doubt will be esteemed a necessary companion to every brother who is desirous of obtaining, at little expence and trouble, correct information on the rites and ceremonies of the Order. It may not be amiss, in this gossiping Address, which is confined to no particular subject, if I subjoin a few observations on the symbolical and actual habiliments of a Master Mason, as enjoined by authority in other times; which I think I have not enlarged on elsewhere. At the revival in 1717, it was directed and that there might be no mistake about the matter, the canon was inserted by Anderson and Desaguliers in the earliest code of lectures known, that the symbolical clothing of a Master Mason was, "skull cap and jacket yellow, and nether garments blue." After the middle of the century he was said to be "clothed in the old colours," viz., purple, crimson, and blue; and the reason assigned for it was, "because they are royal, and such as the ancient kings and princes 36 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. used to wear ; and we are informed by sacred history, that the veil of the Temple was composed of those colours;" and therefore they were considered peculiarly appropriate to a professor of " a royal art." The actual dress of a Master Mason was, however, a full suit of black, with white neckcloth, apron, gloves, and stockings; the buckles being of silver, and the jewel suspended from a white ribbon by way of collar. This disposition prevailed until the Union in 1813, when it was ordered that in future the Grand Officers should be distinguished by purple, the Grand Stewards by crimson, and the Master Mason by blue, thus reverting to " the old co- lours" of our ancient brethren. It will have been observed, that throughout these desultory remarks, no notice has been taken of those sub- ordinate parts of an author's employment, which consist in editing and illustrating the works of other men, although the undertaking is of a more laborious nature than writing an original work. It requires deep consi- deration to dive into the private thoughts of others, and penetrate the hidden meaning of abstruse passages which apply to another state of society. The masonic writings of our brethren of the last century are few in number, and had become scarce and inaccessible ; although they are of great value, inasmuch as they delineate the gradual improvements of the Order, and mark the process by which it imperceptibly disarmed its adversaries, and con- verted them into firm and active friends. For many years after the great revival, Freemasonry was considered ft paradox beyond the comprehension of ordinary capacities. As the mystical institution silently forced itself into notice, the world wondered, and some dar- ing spirits ventured to assail it with the shafts of ridicule. Indeed, so much importance was attached to its proceed- ings, that even Hogarth and Swift did not disdain to join in the hostile array. The clamour was, however, allayed VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 37 by the judicious efforts of Anderson, Desaguliers, Martin Clare, Calcott, Dunckerley, Smith, Hutchinson. Preston Inwood, and other gifted brothers, who quietly explained its principles, and directed public notice to the virtues which it inculcated, and to the symbols in which they were imbedded and preserved. Many valuable fragments are unfortunately lost, but the Remains are amply sutri- cient to excite the attention of the fraternity. Under these circumstances, I conceived that an acceptable ser- vice would be rendered the Craft, by collecting the scat- tered rays of Light and bringing them into one focus, that they might contribute their aid to the general illus- tration of the science. The above authors left behind them detached pieces on the subject of Freemasonry which are of great value; arid they have been collected and reproduced under the general title of the GOLDEN REMAINS OF THE EARLY MASONIC WRITERS; which consist of five volumes on Masonic Institutes, Principles and Practices, Persecutions, Doctrines, and Morality ; each volume being introduced by an original Essay on one of the following subjects, viz., the Masonic Literature of the eighteenth century ; the social Position of Symbolical Masonry at the same period ; Usages and Cuf;tni;is : Masonic Tests ; and Cy- pher Writing. In the mean time, new editions of the entire works of Hutchinson, Preston, and Ashe, were published under my editorial superintendence. In a cata- logue raisonne of my masonic labours, these trifles need only be mentioned as forming a series of adjuncts to the general design, like the statues or pictures that adorn the walls of a lodge-room, which is perfect in its construc- tion without them, but more ornamental and pleasing to the eye by their assistance. The following work completes the series, and consti- tutes the cope-stone of the edifice, by exhibiting a view of the ultimate resting-place to which all men aspire, 38 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. and which offers itself prominently to the eye of the mason every time he enters the lodge. The steps which lead to it are gradual .and progressive. By just degrees they every moment rise, Fill the wide earth, and mount unto the skies. POPE. The Holy Bible forms the basis of this great moral machine. It rests on the altar of Omnipotence, and pro- claims the rewards of faith and practice ; while the Lad- der connects earth with heaven, where the perfect mason hopes to consummate his worldly labours, and receive the recompence of his fidelity. I now feel like the architect, who, seeing that his plan in the erection of a magnificent edifice is nearly com- pleted, entertains some fears lest the finishing ornaments should deform the whole building. My Lodge has been erected according to the established rules of art; the floor has been consecrated, the internal decorations dis- posed in order, and not a single indispensable ceremony has been omitted, which might tend to confer the attri- bute of perfection on the whole design ; but as the hawk, when certain of his quarry, sometimes suffers the fate which he tries to inflict, I must take especial care that I do not impale myself on the heron's threatening bill. The covering is the most important portion of a lodge, and, to make it perfect, requires a judicious combination of skill and judgment. In this volume the experiment is made, but it needs the decision of the fraternity to deter- mine whether it will be attended with success. That a fund of useful information is spread over the volume, which is not contained in any of my former works, will admit of neither doubt nor denial. And be the judgment of the brethren what it may, I shall not imitate the example of the Archbishop of Granada, after his fit of apoplexy, who expostulated with his critic, by VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 39 observing, " Say no more, my child," said he, " you are yet too raw to make proper distinctions. Know that I never composed a better homily than that which yor disapprove ; for my genius, thank heaven, hath as yet lost nothing of its vigour. Henceforth I will make a better choice of a confidante. Adieu, Mr. Gil Bias, I wish you all manner of prosperity, with a little more taste." For my own part, I am open to fair and gentlemanly criticism ; and although I may be mortified at finding my hard-earned fame melt away like an icicle in the sun, yet I shall not complain if you, my dear brethren, pro- nounce it to be your deliberate opinion that my late severe indisposition has impaired my faculties, and dis- qualified me for a masonic w r riter. It is rather late in life to divest myself of habits of thinking and acting which I have fostered for nearly half a century, and which have constituted almost the only source of pleasure and gratification in which I have freely indulged during that extended period ; but I shall endeavour to lay them aside in cheerful acquiescence with the decision of those who are better judges than myself, if the opinion should prove to be unfavourable. I entertain, however, a sanguine hope that you will consider the covering to be at least equal to the rest of the fabric, and that the cope-stone adds beauty rather than deformity to the work. Should my anticipations be correct, your approval will be a cheer- ing reflection at the latter end of a life spent in the ser- vice of the fraternity. The above confessions may throw some light on the origin and design of publications which have long been familiar to you. The most satisfactory method of dis playing the usefulness of a science, is not by merely showing the extent of its application, but also the divers- ity of subjects which it embraces j and this has been my 40 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS object throughout the whole of my publications. If a pursuit is to be estimated according to its results, Free- masonry may be safely classed amongst the most com- prehensive of human sciences, and therefore the best adapted to the state of man on earth. And it is idle to object that its fruits do not appear in every initiated bro- ther. For if it were worth while to investigate the number of dabblers in any given science, we should find that those who really excel bear no greater proportion to those who fail, than may be traced in Freemasonry. The sciences of music, drawing, architecture, chemistry, and various others, have myriads of tyros, but few masters ; and the as Dodon&um, the loudest talker in these wordy days, is frequently the most shallow. It may be readily admitted, that there are a great num- ber of masons who are contented with very trifling acquirements in the art. So much the worse for them. But it will not follow that we possess no shining exam- ples of excellence, although, from the nature of the insti- tution, they are necessarily confined to the atmosphere of their own particular localities ; for no lodge can flour- ish for any length of time except it possesses some intelligent master spirit to conduct its proceedings. Freemasonry is not a science that admits of itinerant lecturing ; and therefore it cannot be expected that the uninitiated public know much about it ; and consequently their conjectures are very wide of the truth. They shoot their arrows wildly, and seldom hit the mark. Guessing is an unsatisfactory employment, and they are more pro- fitably engaged in the macaronic diction of the Grubbian Expos tnlantiuncula, Qui pro niperkin clamant, quaternque liquoris Quoin vocitant homines Brandy, super! Cherrybrandy, Ssepe illi long-cut, vel short-cut (returns) flare tobacco Sunt soliti pipos. VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 41 Freemasonry is a secret institution; and its peculiar benefits are limited to its own body. And although we act upon the ancient principle of procuUiinc quivis scclcstus, yet our lodges are open to all good and w r orthy men, and our mysteries are hidden from none but those whose presence would be of doubtful benefit, either to them- selves or the Order. We do not invite adherents, and therefore none can be disappointed. But we rejoice when men of name in science or literature solicit admis- sion amongst us, because w T e may confidently anticipate that the expectations of every person who possesses taste and judgment will be fully realized, and the pur- suits of masonry be congenial to his mind. I keep lingering over my task, and continue to scrib- ble for lack of moral courage to pronounce the \vord "FAREWELL" to those dear brethren and kind friends by whom I have ever been so well received and bounte- ously treated. Jucundi actl labores. And still the bene- diction must be uttered; for "the best of friends must part," and the most intimate and beloved connections will be severed in the end. In my various publications I have endeavoured to redeem the Order from the charge of frivolity, which was brought against it in the last century, by showing its applicability to many of the sciences I have portrayed its literary character I have pointed out the various sources of amusement and instruction of which it is the author and dispenser ; and in this, my closing work, I have shown how, in concur- rence with other causes, its sincere professors, through the merits of the Great Architect of the Universe, may find their way to another and a better world. My labours cannot have a more satisfactory termination. I am verging on that period which our Grand Master David pronounces to be "labour and sorrow," soon to pass away and be gone ; and it is extremely probable that the 42 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. fraternity will hear little more about me, except in an occasional Paper in the Freemasons' Quarterly Magazine and Review ! I now subscribe myself, Dear Brethren and Friends, Your obliged and faithful servant, GEO. OLIVER, D.D, SCOP WICK VICARAGE, Oct. 1st, 1850. THE SYMBOL OF GLORY. THE SYMBOL OF GLORY LECTUKE I. (Epurtle TO BRO. EDMUND A. RAYMOND, ESQ., G. M. REV. GEO. M. RANDALL, D. G. M. JOHN J. KORING. ESQ., S. G. W. THOMAS M. VINSON, ESQ., J. G. W. CHARLES W. MOORE, ESQ., G. SEC. THOMAS TOLMAN, ESQ., G. TREA. Of the G. L. of Massachusetts, U. S. DEAR BRETHREN, FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES, As the first and chief Grand Lodge in the United States of America, it will be needless for me to assure you of the high value which I place on the masonic dignity that you have conferred upon me in a manner not merely flattering to my feelings, but peculiarly honourable as an unequivocal testimony of your appreciation of my masonic labours. It is an exalted step, to which my humble ambition had never, even in thought, aspired ; and I am proud to have this public opportunity of testifying my gratitude. 46 THE SYMBOL I would convince the gainsayers that masons entertain a strong sense of obligation for favours received ; and show them that in the Lodge, as well as in the world, the incitements to a career of virtue do not fail to bring forth the fruits of good living, to the honour and glory of T G- A TU. In my intercourse with mankind on the subject oi Freemasonry, I have been accustomed to class its oppo- nents under three distinct heads. 1. Those who hate masonry because it is a secret institution, without being able to assign an adequate reason for their dislike. 2. Those who live in the neighbourhood of an ill-conducted lodge, and see the evil consequences which result from care- lessness on the one hand, or intemperance on the other. And 3. Those who are desirous of admission, and do not possess the requisite courage to encounter the presumed terrors of initiation. These classes are equally destitute of the most essential" virtues of the masonic order, faith, and hope, and charity. Believing nothing hoping nothing like the magician, Happuck, in the fairy tale, they entertain the most inve- terate feelings towards Freemasonry, because it favours the cause of virtue; and against which their objections are unsupported by the slightest shadow of evidence. All argument with them is therefore useless. One of them being asked why he continued to oppose Free- masonry, when, if he would take the trouble to read the publications of the Order, his prejudices would be effectu- ally removed, very coolly replied : " Perhaps so but I never do read!" This puts me in mind of an anecdote of Don Pedro's private confessor, who, when exhorting the Portuguese to battle, assured them that if they should fall, they would, that very night, eat their suppers with the blessed. With this assurance they went to battle and were defeated, the holy confessor being the first to run away. One of his companions shouted to him "How is this Father? Did you not tell us that those who fell should sup in Paradise?" "Yes," said the confessor, "but I "never eat suppers!" None of the above mentioned classes have any just grounds of complaints; and their tirades against the Order are therefore gratuitous in their motive, and unjust in their end. The divine science is perfectly unobtrusive , OF GLORY. 47 it is not forced on their notice ; it pursues the even tenor of its way, and interferes with no other society or class of men whatever. Where, then, lies the grievance? How are they injured? Does it monopolize any of their privi- leges does it deprive them of any advantage does it supersede any of their enjoyments? Nothing like it. It offers no disturbance to their habits of thought; it prevents no course of study, proscribes none of their amusements, nor defeats any of their plans, whether domestic, civil, or religious. Where, then, does the shoe pinch ? This question is answered by the story of the banishment of Aristides from Athens, because his sense of honour and justice was too great to allow him to prostitute his principles at the bidding of a successful rival. But, perhaps, they complain that if masonry, as is asserted, possesses any peculiar benefits and advantages, they ought to share in them. It is a fair presumption ; but ifc contains a full refutation of their own arguments and objections. For the benefits of masonry are open to their acceptance. They are refused to none who are worthy; and it will scarcely be contended that they ought to be conferred alike on the good and the bad. It would be like casting our pearls before swine; as they might thus be converted to an evil purpose, and reflect equal disgrace on the institution and themselves. If all the professors of our noble and sublime science would endeavour to merit the character of good and worthy masons, by a regular attendance on the duties of the Lodge ; by studying the peculiar principles of mason- ry, which I have embodied in the present Volume; and by practising in their several stations the precepts which are there inculcated, then would our opponents see and acknowledge the pre-eminent beauties of the Order, and be fully convinced that Speculative Masonry is something more than an empty name. In order to effect this purpose, I have taken the liberty, M. W. Grand Master, And my worthy peers, The Officers of the Grand Lodge, To dedicate to you the following Lecture, containing 48 THE SYMBOL some suggestions which, it is hoped, will merit your attention ; and to subscribe myself, With great respect, And fraternal affection, Your obedient Servant and Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Past D. G. M. of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts SCOP WICK VICARAGE, June 1, 1849^ OF GLORY. 40 Itttnre t[je /irst. On the present state of the Masonic Science. " Yn that tyme, throggh good Gemetiy, Thys onest craft of good Masonry Wes ordeynt and made yn thys nianere, Ycownterfetyd of thys clerkys y fere ; At these lordys prayers they cownterfetyd Gemetry, And gaf hyt the name of Masonry Far the most oneste craft of alle." ANCIENT MASONIC MS. "Laws convenient, proper, and effective at the time in which they were made, have not been altered to accord with the altered circumstances of Freemasonry, and the extension of the Lodges and localities of the fraternity. Such alterations must, however, be made in Freemasonry in accordance with the landmarks of the Order, which in this as in all other cases must be kept holy and inviolate." FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW, 1847. IN my letters to the Earl of Aboyne, P. Gr. M. for the counties of Northampton and Huntingdon, on the Johannite Masonry, I threw out a hint, that, on account of the altered state of society since our present Lodge Lectures were framed by the Lodge of Reconciliation, and enjoined by authority in 1814, a new revision was become necessary, to meet the requirements of an im- proved mode of thought arising out of the many extra- ordinary and unexpected sources of information which have been thrown open to the fraternity, by the rapid strides that science is making at the present period, and the many new vehicles for the propagation of knowledge which have become accessible by means of literary and philosophical societies, reading rooms, mechanics' insti- tutes, and the exertions of itinerant lecturers to familiarize the most abstruse scientific and philosophical subjects to 3 50 THE SYMBOL the capacities of all classes of mankind, which unite their aid to enlighten the understanding, and improve the morals of the present generation. Since the publication of these Letters, I have given my undivided attention to that particular subject, and am now fully convinced that such a revision would be attended with essential benefits to the Order. The masonic experience which I acquired during my occu- pation of the chair of a private Lodge for eleven years in the whole, succeeded by the sole management of a large and populous Province for nearly the same length of time, enables me to speak with some degree of confidence, on all subjects connected with the de- tails, as well as the general principles of the Order. And having observed, with feelings of sorrow and regret, its sensible decline in my own Province since the period of my decadence from that high office, a few remarks on the above subjects may neither be unacceptable nor inappropriate. Some years ago, the Grand Lodge of Ireland issued a paper of Queries to every private Lodge under its jurisdiction, that the general opinion of the Craft might be collected " as to the best means of improving the Order of Freemasonry." Amongst these queries we find the following. " Is the Order improving or declining? If declining, to what cause do you attribute its decay? What is the prevailing opinion among persons not of the Order respecting masonry? Is masonry reputable or disreputable in your neigh- bourhood ? What measures would you recommend for improving the state of the Order?" If some such course were adopted by other Grand Lodges, it might lead to a very useful result ; for we frequently hear the enquiry repeated by the non masonic world, that, in the present stirring times while science has been so rapidly on the advance, what has Freemasonry accomplished? This is a question which every right minded brother would rejoice, for the credit of the Order, to see triumphantly answered by a detail of the advantages which mankind have derived from its successful exertions, or the happy application of its principles to the general benefit of society. OF GLORY. 51 Now it is well known that the operation of Free- masonry is confined, in a great measure, to morals; although it is not without a just claim to some degree of merit as a teacher of science. And if we trace its progress for the last thirty years in every quarter of the globe where it flourishes, we shall find it fairly entitled to its share in the polite literature of the day, sanctioned by Grand Lodges, and patronized by wise and benevolent Grand Masters. These writings have contributed not a little to the general amelioration of the morals, and improvement in the tastes and man- ners of men which distinguish the nineteenth century of Christianity. The system of Freemasonry at the present day, is marked by an adherence to the good old custom, so strongly recommended and assiduously practised by the masonic worthies of the last century, and imitated by many other public bodies of men, of assembling the brethren of a Province annually under their own Banner, and marching in solemn procession to the House of God, to offer up their thanksgivings in the public congregation for the blessings of the preceding years; to pray for mercies in prospect, and to hear from the pulpit a disquisition on the moral and re- ligious purposes of the Order. It is to this custom that we are indebted for those invaluable treasures of masonic literature that are exhibited in the printed discourses of our clerical brethren. As for instance, those of our Reverend brothers Harris and Town, (U. S. of America) ; Inwood and Jones, (Kent) ; Haver- field, (Hampshire) ; Dr. Carwithen, (Devon) ; Dr. Orme (Lincolnshire); Grylls, (Cornwall); Erskine Neale, Freeman, (Suffolk) ; Walker, (West Yorkshire) ; Percy, (Dorset); Roberts, (Monmouth) ; Gilmour Robinson, (West Lancashire); Buckeridge, (Staffordshire); Brode- rip, (Somersetshire) ; Taylor, (Cheshire) ; Archdeacon Mant, (Ireland) ; Eyre Poole, (Bahamas) ; Hovenden and Ruspini, (Bengal) ; and many other talented and pious brethren whose names it would be tedious to enumerate. This custom is sufficient of itself to ensure the opularity of the Order, and create a respect for its oly principles in the public mind. I much regret 52 THE SYMBOL that a practice so consonant with the original design of masonry should have been discontinued in my own Province, and exchanged for other public observances, which, though they may be innocent, are a novel intro- duction; and in my opinion, an application of divine masonry to purposes that were never contemplated at its original institution. This hint may not be without its use in other localities ; and if the one must needs be done let not the other be omitted. The above custom would also be a means of pro- moting and encouraging that great attribute of the order EQUALITY. But lest this principle should be confounded with the communism and fraternization which have worked such irreparable mischief in other countries, it may be useful shortly to explain its design and reference as used by the Free and Accepted mason. The system of equality observed in a mason's lodge, teaches the doctrine of mutual wants and mutual assist- ance, and destroys the unsocial vice of Pride, by the operation of which one man is induced to despise his brother, as though he was not formed of the same clay as himself, although he may be greatly his superior both in talent, virtue, and usefulness. Freemasonry is essen- tially democratic in its construction, and strikes at the root of this pernicious vice, which wrought the destruc- tion of Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar, Bali of Hindoostan, and Shedad of the Paradise of India, by laying it down as an axiom that " we are all equal by our creation, but much more so by the strength of our obligation;" and that " we meet on the level and part on the square." Now, according to the doctrines of the Order the level demonstrates that we are descended from the same stock, partake of the same nature and share the same hope; and that though distinctions among men are necessary to preserve subordination, yet no eminence of station can make us forget that we are brethren, and that he who is placed on the lowest spoke of fortune's wheel, may be entitled to our regard ; because a time will come, and the wisest know not how soon, when all distinctions, except that of goodness shall cease; and death, the grand leveller of human greatness, reduce us to the same state. The lodge lectures arc copious in carrying out this OF GLORY. 53 principle, that there may exist no possibility of mis- understanding it. They instruct us that in the lodge a king is reminded, though a crown may adorn his head and a sceptre his hand, the blood in his veins is derived from our common parent, and is no better than that of his meanest subject. The statesman, the senator, and the artist, are there taught that equally with others, they are exposed by nature to infirmity and disease; that unforeseen misfortunes may impair their faculties and reduce them to a level with the meanest of their species. This checks pride, and incites courtesy of behaviour. Men of inferior talents, or who are not placed by fortune in such exalted stations, are also instructed in the lodge to regard their superiors with peculiar esteem, when they discover them voluntarily divested of the trappings of external grandeur, and condescending, in the badge of innocence and bond of friendship, to trace wisdom and to follow virtue, assisted by those who are of a rank beneath them. Virtue is true nobility, and Wisdom is the channel by which virtue is directed and conveyed; Wisdom and Virtue only, mark distinction among masons. Nothing can more vigorously contribute to the ba- nishment of pride from a mason's lodge, than such disquisitions. But to prevent the benignant principle of Equality from being prostituted to unworthy purposes, and used as a vehicle for any improper assumption of character, the ancient Charges provide that in the lodge the brethren are to pay due reverence to the Masters, Wardens, and Fellows; and out of the lodge they aro directed to salute one another in a courteous manner, calling each other brother, freely giving mutual instruc- tion as may be thought expedient, without being over- seen or overheard, and without encroaching upon each other, or derogating from that respect which is due to any brother, were he not a mason; for though all masons are, as brethren, upon the same level, yet masonry takes no honour from ar man that he had before ; nay, rather it adds to his honour, especially if he had deserved well of the brotherhood, who must give honour to whom it is due. As a vice, nothing is more intolerable, or more debas- ing than pride ; by which I mean that exclusive feeling which elevates one member of society, in his own 64 THE SYMBOL opinion, to an imaginary distinction above another of the same rank, and perhaps superior endowments. FOT this reason it is formally repudiated in the system of Free- masonry. Our Grand Master, King Solomon, was more urgent in his condemnation of this vice than on any other subject. He declares his hatred of "pride and arrogancy, and a froward mouth j" 1 and for this reason, because it produces contention, 2 brings a man to shame, 3 and certain destruction. 4 Indeed, throughout the whole of the Sacred Scriptures, this vice is unequivocally pro- hibited as the bitter parent of all evil. Pride was not made for man. Our blessed Saviour classes it with adultery, fornication, murder, theft, covetousness, deceit, blasphemy and foolishness. 5 And St. Paul adds that, "he who is lifted up with pride falls into the condem- nation of the devil. 6 In a word, of all the evils which have been introduced by the wicked spirit as the curse of man in his civil and social state, pride is the most pernicious. Every single vice is bad, but pride is the consummation of them all. And hence Freemasonry, that benevolent, and truly amiable science, has most unceremoniously banished it from the lodge, and sung its requiem ; for it is a moral leprosy, by which the soul is spotted and defiled, and filled with " wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores." Even the heathen, who w r ere ignorant of the benignant principles of true religion, believed its existence to be hostile to the peace and comfort of society. Tacitus says, Multos qui conflictari adversis videantur, beatos; ac plerosque,, quanquam magnas per opes, miserrimos ; si illi gravem fortunam constanter tolerent, hi prospera inconsulte utantur. And the ethnic poet, Horace, pro- mulgated the same doctrine, when he said, Non possidentem multa vocaveris Kccte beatum. Rectius occupat Nomen beati, qui dcorum Muneribus sapienter uti, Duramque callet paupericm pati. Dr. Doune illustrates this vice by these judicious re- flections, which are worth preserving. "Death comes 1 Prov. viii. 13. 2 Ib. xiii. 10. 3 Ib. xi. 2. 4 Ib. xvi. 18. 5 Mark vii. 21, 22. 6 1 Tim. iii. 6. OP GLORY. 55 equally to us all, and makes all equal when it comes. The ashes of an oak in a chimney are no epitaph of that oak, to tell me how high, or how large, that was ; it tells me not what flocks it sheltered while it stood, nor what men it hurt when it fell. The dust of great persons' graves is speechless, too ; it says nothing, it distinguishes nothing. As soon as the dust of a wretch whom thou wouldest not, as of a prince whom thou couldest not look upon, will trouble thine eyes if the wind blow it thither ; and when a whirlwind hath blown the dust of the churchyard into the church, and the man sweeps out the dust of the church into the churchyard, who will undertake to sift those dusts again and to pronounce this is the patrician, this is the noble flower ; and this is the yeoman, this is the plebeian bran." I have been rather diffuse upon this unmanly vice, because it is so positively prohibited in a mason's lodge : and I think also that if the teaching of Freemasonry on this particular point, were carried out in practice amongst mankind, it would strengthen the bond of union which cements man to his fellow, and thus become of the most essential service to society in general. But the most distinguishing glory of Freemasonry is Charity ; which, indeed, constitutes the peculiar charac- teristic of the age in which we live. Public institutions for benevolent purposes have sprung up in every me- tropolis and provincial town throughout the world, and there is no class of destitution which is now unprovided with a retreat where their sorrows are assuaged, and their wants supplied. The good Samaritan is every where at work. In this point of view also Freemasonry must be regarded as the agent of unbounded good. To its male and female orphan schools, and fund of Benevo- lence, which have long been in active and beneficial operation, we have added not only an Asylum for the worthy aged and decayed members of the fraternity, and an Annuity Fund for the benefit of the same class of destitute persons; but a projected establishment for the permanent support of the widows of indigent Freema- sons has been mooted in Grand Lodge, with the best wishes of the Craft for its happy termination, and I do not entertain the slightest doubt but it will ultimately be accomplished. In addition to all these noble institu- 56 THE SYMBOL fcions, we have private masonic funds for benevolent purposes in many of the lodges both of the old and new world. These details will clearly evince the claims which ma- sonry has on the community at large ; and that the active part she has sustained in forwarding the benevolent enterprizes by which the present age is distinguished, merits public approbation. We appear to be on the eve of some great and organic changes; whether for good or evil, the Great Architect of the Universe can only deter- mine. But it behoves Freemasonry to take such steps in the great drama of life, as to secure, if it be possible, the predominance of good. She ought to occupy the foremost rank in the work of amelioration, to watch over the best interests of the public, and endeavour to prevent the inconsiderate and unwary from being misled by the false glitter of unsound theories on the one hand, and hollow professions on the other, which are sure to ter- minate in disappointment and disgrace, and perhaps in consequences of a much more serious nature. If Freemasonry do not thus exert the influence she undoubtedly possesses for the benefit of humanity, her social claims will be nullified, and her pretensions pro- nounced to be an empty boast. It is quite clear, from a consideration of the uniform and gradual alterations and improvements in the details of Speculative Freema- sonry by successive grand lodges, that it was never intended to be stationary. The science had no prescribed lectures before the revival in 1717, but every Master of a Lodge exhorted his brethren to the practice of moral virtue, in short and extemporaneous addresses, according to his own capacity, and adapted to the comprehension of the brethren and the state of the lodge. An old ma- sonic manuscript of the tenth century, as is supposed, which may be found in the Old Royal Library in the British Museum, contains ample directions for this pur- pose. It strongly recommends the brethren to offer up their prayers regularly to God through Christ; to do their duty to each other, and to be constant in their attendance on the divine services of the church. It con- cludes by advising, Play tliou not but with thy peres, Ny tell thou not al that thou heres, OF GLORY. 67 Dyskever thou not thyn owne dede, For no merye, ny for no mede ; With fayr speclio thou mygbt have thy wylle, With hyt thou myght thy selven spylle. ******* Cryst then of hys hye grace, Geve yow bothe wytte and space, Wcl thys boke to conue and rede, Heven to have for yowre mede ! Amen ! Amen ! So mot hyt be, Say we so alle per charyte. In the Lansdownc MS. in the British Museum, (Bur- leigh Papers, N. 98, Art. 48,) we have another specimen of this moral teaching which is of great antiquity. The Master is there directed " in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be true to God and holy church, and to use no error or heresy; to be a true liege man to the king, and to do to every brother as he would like to be done to himself. That he shall keep truly all the council of the Lodge or of the Chamber; be no thief; true to the Master; and call his fellows by no other name than brother. That he shall not injure or pollute his brother's wife or daughter; and shall honestly pay for every thing he has." 7 The earliest authorized Lectures which I have met with, were compiled from such ancient documents as these, and arranged in a catechetical form by Desagu- liers and Anderson, as early as 1720. And this form was adopted because it was considered to be more useful in assisting the memory, and affording an efficient remedy against forgetfulncss or want of attention, than any other plan. The questions and answers are short and comprehensive, and contain a brief digest of the general principles of the Craft, as it was understood at that pe- riod. The First Lecture extended to the greatest length, but the replies were circumscribed within a very narrow compass. The Second was shorter, and the Third, called "The Master's Part," contained only seven questions, besides the explanations and examinations. If, under such an imperfect system, Freemasonry had 7 The same Paper contains many other charges for the regulation of conduct, most of which, however, may be found in the 15th Ed. of Preston, p. 71, and see F. Q. R. 1848, p. 142. 3* 68 THE SYMBOL not been susceptible of improvement, it could not have stood its ground, during the rapid progress of a taste for refined literature, and the accomplishments of civilized life which distinguished the beginning and middle of the eighteenth century. Intelligent brethren, however, soon became aware that something more than the repetition of a few set phrases and routine explanations, how inter- esting and important soever they might be in themselves, was required to cement the prosperity, and perpetuate the existence of a great society, which professed to con- vey superior advantages, and laid claim to a higher character, than any of the numerous antagonistic clubs and coteries of similar pretensions by which it was sur- rounded. A new arrangement was therefore pronounced necessary in the year 1732, and Martin Clare, A. M., a celebrated mason, who ultimately attained the rank of D. G. M., was commissioned to prepare a course of Lec- tures, adapted to the existing state of the Order, without infringing on the ancient Landmarks; and he executed his task so much to the satisfaction of the Grand Lodge, that his Lectures were ordered to be used by all the brethren within the limits of its jurisdiction. In accord- ance with this command, we find the officers of the Grand Lodge setting an example in the Provinces ; and in the Minutes of a Lodge at Lincoln, in 1734, of which Sir Cecil Wray, the D. G. M., was the master, there are a series of entries through successive lodge nights, to the following effect; that two or more Sections (as the case might be) of Martin Clare's Lectures were read; when the Master gave an elegant Charge ; went through an examination ; and the lodge was closed with songs and decent merriment." An evident proof of the au- thority of Martin Clare's Lectures, or the D. G. M. would not have been so careful to enforce their use amongst the brethren over whom he presided in private lodge. These lectures were nothing more than the amplifica- tion of the system propounded by Anderson and Desagu- liers, enlightened by the addition of a few moral refer- ences and admonitions extracted from the Old and New Testaments. They also contained a simple allusion to the senses, and the theological la'dder with staves or rounds innumerable. OF GLORY. 69 Freemasonry was now making a rapid progress in the island, both in dignity and usefulness ; and its popularity was extended in a proportionate degree. Scientific and learned men were enrolled in its ranks, and Martin Clare's Lectures were obliged, in their turn, to give way before the increasing intelligence of the Order. They were revised and remodelled by Bro. Dunckerley, P. G. M., and Gr. Superintendent for almost half the entire king- dom, whose opinion was considered by the Grand Lodge as decisive on all matters connected with the Craft. In these lectures Dunckerley introduced many types of Christ, and endued the ladder with three principal steps as an approach to the supernal regions, which he called Faith, Hope, and Charity. His disquisition was founded on 1 Cor. xiii. ; and he might have had in view the true Christian doctrine of three states of the soul. First in its tabernacle, the body, as an illustration of FAITH ; then, after death in Hades, Sheol, or Paradise, as the fruits of HOPE ; and lastly, when reunited to the body in glory, about the Throne of God, as the sacred seat of universal CHARITY. The original hint at a circle and parallel lines, as important symbols of the Order, has been ascribed to him. Thus the Lectures remained until towards the latter end of the century, when Hutchinson in the north, and Preston in the south of England, burst on the masonic world like two brilliant suns, each enlightening his own hemisphere, and each engaged in the meritorious design of improving the existing Lectures, without being con- scious that his worthy co temporary was pursuing the same track. There are reasons for believing that they subsequently coalesced, and produced a joint Lecture, which, though regarded at first with some degree of jealousy, as an unauthorized compilation, was at length adopted, and carried into operation by the concurrent usage of the whole fraternity. This course of Lectures was in practice till the reunion in 1813, and I believe there are still many Lodges who prefer them to the Hemming or Union Lectures, and still continue their use. With all these facts before us, it is clear that Free- masonry has undergone many changes since its revival after the death of Sir Christopher Wren. The essentials 60 THE SYMBOL remain the same, but the details have sustained considera- ble modifications, and are susceptible of still greater im- provement. He who ascends the Masonic Ladder, must not tarry at the Portal of Hope, if he wishes to attain the summit. If we are anxious to practise ourselves, or to disseminate for the benefit of others, the poetry and phylosophy of masonry, it will be necessary to show that such progressive alterations may be safely made, without any violation of the real ancient landmarks, or incurring the risk of weakening its hold on the purest affections. The opinion of our late Grand Master, H. R. H. the Duke of Sussex, was favourable to the views here exhibited. He publicly declared in Grand Lodge, that consistently with the laws of masonry, "so long as the Master of any Lodge observed the Landmarks of the Craft, he was at liberty to give the Lectures in the language best suited to the character of the lodge over which he presided." 8 And as an illustration of his opinion, the Lodge of Recon- ciliation was authorized to revise and reconstruct the Lectures which were in existence at that period. Under these circumstances, if some slight alterations and im- provements were made in the working details of the Order at the present day, with the sanction of the Grand Lodge, I should anticipate the happiest results from the measure. But the question will be asked, how is this to be ac- complished? By what process is such a desirable object to be attained without an invasion of Landmarks, which are so strictly guarded by a fundamental Bye-law, that their integrity cannot be violated without inflicting some serious injury on the institution ? The process is simple, and I think practicable ; and even if it be attended with some trifling disadvantages, they would be amply com- pensated by improvements which might be effected under a judicious modification of the lectures. Thus if the Landmarks, and such portions of the Lec- tures of each degree as are indispensable to the purity and character of the Order, were drawn out carefully and judiciously in the shape of a series of moral axioms, and divided into degrees, sections, and clauses, constructed 8 Quarterly Communication, Dec. 1819. OF GLORY. 61 with an equal regard to brevity and perspicuity, and accompanied by a strict injunction that every brother shall be perfectly acquainted with each before he be admitted to a superior degree, it appears highly probable that the most beneficial results would be produced. It may, indeed, be imagined, that under such a regimen many brethren would not advance beyond the first degree. I am of a different opinion. The test might discourage indolent and careless candidates ; but it would invite and augment the initiations of men of higher character. The facilities afforded by our present qualifications, fill our ranks with brotherhood who do us little credit; and the society would be really benefited by their absence. A lodge consisting of a dozen scientific members, would be more respectable, more useful, and more popular, than if it were filled with an uncounted number of sots, or even with dull prosaic brothers w r ho are indifferent to the poetry and philosophy of the Order. I should certainly anticipate no diminution of numbers under such a course of strict and wholesome discipline. The only perceptible effect would be, to improve the character of the brethren, by creating a spirit of enquiry and discrimination, which would tend to make it their sole aim, as masons, to increase their knowledge, purify their minds, and prepare themselves, by the morality of science, for greater perfection in another and a better state of existence. In our lodges, some brethren are always unfortunately to be found, with whom refreshment is the great attraction and the primary stimulus to their attend- ance at our stated meetings ; but on the improved prin- ciple which I would recommend, refreshment, although by no means to be dispensed with, would constitute a secondary motive, while it contributed to give a zest to the theoretical discussions and practical enjoyment which result from the social intercourse of congenial minds. The only difficulty which appears to attend the above plan, would be in the construction and arrangement of a digest that should meet the rquirements of every section of the Craft ; because in a matter of such im- portance, the concurrence of every Grand Lodge in the universe should be obtained, that a perfect uniformity in work might prevail. Every institution, to be perfect, should be consistent 62 THE SYMBOL with itself. And hence the insufficiency of the present lectures may be questioned. It is therefore desirable that the attention of the fraternity should be fairly awakened to the subject, that they may take the pre- mises into their most serious consideration, and endeavour to place Freemasonry on so substantial a basis, as to con- stitute the unmixed pride of its friends and defenders ; and defy the malice of -its traducers and foes, if any such are still to be found amongst those who are indifferent to its progress. It appears to me that all difficulty would vanish, and a satisfactory arrangement of the various matters at issue might be obtained, if the Grand Lodge were to appoint a Committee composed of brethren resident in London, augmented by delegates appointed from the Provinces, to enquire into all the varieties in the different systems of lecturing throughout the masonic world, and report upon them seriatim. And with respect to the Land- marks as very few points of difference were included in the original system, it would remain an open question whether, by an attempt to reconcile every variety of subsequent introduction, the real Landmarks of the Order would be at all invaded. I shall decline pro- nouncing any positive opinion on this point, but leave it entirely to the judgment of others. But should the adoption of any such measure be deemed expedient, the Grand Lodge would not be ex- pected to pledge itself to the absolute sanction of an incipient Report of the Committee, which could scarcely be free from errors. It would be competent to receive the Report ; but I should doubt, in a matter of such vital importance, whether that section of it which usu- ally meets in Freemasons' Hall, consisting chiefly of the Masters and Wardens of the Metropolitan Lodges, would be willing to decide the question without a formal appeal to such members of the Grand Lodge as reside in the country, comprising a great majority of its body. At this stage of the proceedings the Report would be naturally transmitted to the G. M. of each Province, for the consideration of local committees consisting of the Masters and Wardens of the Lodges, with the P. G. M. at their head, and any other scientific brethren out of office, whom they might think proper to associate with OF GLORY. 63 them. The Reports from each of these minor bodies, being transmitted to the Grand Lodge, should be sub- jected to anew committee for collation and revision, and embodied in a general statement of the entire results. A Draft of this being forwarded to all the Provincial com- mittees for their approval, should be finally submitted to the Grand Lodge, who would then, after other prelimina- ries had been arranged, be in a condition to pass a decisive Resolution on the subject. Communications should be forwarded to the Grand Lodges of Scotland, Ireland, America, the Continent of Europe, and all other places where they exist, accompanied by a detail of the steps which had been taken for the purification of the Order ; recommending the alterations to their notice, and solicit- ing their concurrence. And as there appears to be an universal desire throughout the whole masonic world for some uniform system of working, an opposition to the measure is scarcely to be contemplated. Effectually to prevent such a result, however, it might be advisable to communicate with the foreign Grand Lodges during the progress of the proceedings, soliciting their fraternal suggestions ; and a Draft of the final Resolution ought also to be submitted to each of them for approval, before it passed into a law which should be for ever binding on the whole fraternity in every part of the globe, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England, as it would be the concurrent production of the united wis- dom and research of all classes interested in the triumph- ant progress of the Order. Under some well organized plan of this nature, I am sanguine enough to entertain a certain anticipation of such results as would be generally satisfactory; and enable Freemasonry to produce a visible and genial effect on the taste, literature, and morals of the age. A regular and authentic Text Book being thus pro- vided to preserve the uniformity of the Order throughout the universe, every Master of a Lodge should be directed, either by himself or some other well informed brother of his appointment, to select a passage from this genuine fountain of truth, and deliver an original Lecture each Lodge night for the edification of the brethren ; after which a viva voce examination should take place; or, which would in some instances be better, a general con- 64 THE SYMBOL versation on the subject which had been thus selected. Such temperate discussions would excite interest and attention ; and the energies of individual brethren being thus brought out, much useful information would be elicited ; and a permanent impression would be made on the minds of the Junior brethren, which would tend to cement a love of the institution; produce a regular attendance of the members; and be every way advan- tageous to society at large. The times in which we live are peculiarly characterized by a deep research into the causes of things, and bold speculations for the improvement of science ; and while electricity and chymistry, steam and gas, and machinery of every kind, are earnestly engaged in a contention for superiority, Freemasonry must not pause upon the threshold ; while the world moves on in an uninter- rupted course of improvements, Freemasonry must not stand still ; for if she hesitates ever so little time will pass, and she will be distanced in the race. I have thrown together these few preliminary obser- vations, for the purpose of showing that a taste for the poetry of Freemasonry is necessary, to enable even an initiated brother to extract the honey from the comb, and to imbibe the sweets which the system so abundantly furnishes. If such a feeling were universal amongst the Craft ; nay, if a few talented brethren even, in every private lodge, were in a position to devote a small por- tion of their time to its cultivation, the most beneficial results would soon be displayed, in the increasing influ- ence of the Order, and its popularity amongst all ranks and descriptions of men. OF GLORY. 65 LECTUKE II. Dtbiroforq TO BRO. E. G. PAPELL, ESQ., J. G. W. & W. M. THOMAS MORRIS, S. W. CHARLES F. BROWNE, J. W. WILLIAM CLARKE, HENRY RENNET, WM. BOYD, JOHN MELTON, WM. GEO. TURNER, JAS. G. LAWRENCE, J. ARNOLD HICKEN, P.M., TREA. & P. M. SEC. S. D. J. D. > STEWARDS, Of the Lodge Social Friendship, No. 326, Fort George, Madras. W. SIR AND DEAR BRETHREN, I embrace this public opportunity of assuring you how highly I am gratified by the distinction you have con- ferred upon me in electing me an honorary member of your Lodge with the rank of a Past Master, because it is an unequivocal testimony that you appreciate at some little value the services I have humbly endeavoured to render to the greatest of all human institutions ; although 66 THE SYMBOL I am afraid it is more in accordance with your kind- ness and partiality, than the intrinsic value of the pub- lications to which you have, in such flattering language referred. I am, indeed, enthusiastically attached to an Order which, in my humble opinion, has been the means of conferring many essential benefits on mankind ; not only by the munificence of its members, and the extensive usefulness of its numerous charities, but by the infusion into general society of that refined morality w T hich is taught in the lodge, and, like the genial rays of the Sun in nourishing the productions of nature, has contributed, in no slight degree, to that high toned principle, and correct mode of thinking and acting which distinguish the fortunate times in which we live. But Freemasonry has a still higher boast, which not only constitutes the pride of its members, but also claims the serious consideration of those who have not had the advantage of initiation into its mysteries. It forms a step on the road to heaven. For, in addition to the means and opportunities of acquiring a knowledge of the faith and practice of our holy religion, which the Free and Ac- cepted mason possesses in common with the uninitiated, he has also the advantage of masonic instruction, which the latter do not possess. In the lodge, virtue is arrayed in her brightest form ; the practice of Christian morality is strongly recommended and enforced ; and the attentive mason is taught, by a series of interesting disquisitions, that if he devotes himself to the observance of the Car- dinal Virtues, and is guided by the sacred principles of Honour and Mercy ; if he ascends the staves or rounds of the theological Ladder, by the practice of Faith, Hope, and Charity, he will attain to a residence in the mansions which have been prepared for him by the Most High, to whom be glory for ever and ever. It is on such considerations as these that my attach- ment to Freemasonry has been founded. I have adhered to its principles and proclaimed its excellence, amidst evil report and good report, for a long series of years ; and I trust that the opinion I have formed of its moral superiority is substantially correct, and will remain unim- paired till T Gr A T U shall, in his own good time, translate me to another and a better world. OF GLORY. 67 With fraternal greetings and remembrances, I beg leave respectfully to offer the following Lecture on the Poetry and Philosophy of Masonry, And to subscribe myself, Worshipful Sir, And respected Brethren, Your obliged, And humble Servant, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Hon. Member of the Lodge Social Friendship, Madras. SCOPWICK VICARAGE, 1, 1849. 68 THE SYMBOL On the Poetry and Philosophy of Freemasonry. ** Ob, Love fraternal ! principle divine ! One touch of thee makes erring nature shine With the pure radiance of angelic grace Thatting'd with glory Adam's undimm'd face ; Bids strife depart to reign with fools and slaves, Whose creeds are narrow as their joys and graves ' By thy bless'd power behold one common band More wonders working than a fairy's wand. Columbia, Albion, Caledonia, Gaul, Erin, and Cambria bid their banners full ; All lands wherein thy influence is felt Into one universal nation melt." FROM THE ADDRESS AT THE 12TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL IN AID OF THE ASYLUM FOR AGED FREEMASONS. IT is an universal complaint, and tends to the deterio- ration of Freemasonry in public opinion, that amongst the numerous initiations which take place annually, so few should be prolific in bringing forth the genuine fruits of the Order. The world view the naked fact with astonishment, and judge unfavourably of the institution from the dearth of eminent characters by which it is distinguished and ennobled. There are not wanting amongst the candidates for admission, men of great talent and high standing in society, and it is very naturally asked, how it happens that their position in masonry so seldom adds to the laurels that adorn their brows ? The question is easy of solution. It is because they have other objects of pursuit which more urgently demand their attention ; or that they do not feel suf- ficient interest in the subject to enable them to follow up the necessary investigations w r hich may make them per- fect in the art; or that they are not thrown into a masonic society of sufficient calibre to keep their interest OF GLORY. 69 alive. In a word, it is because (no matter how it may have arisen) they are not fully imbued with the poetry and philosophy of the Order, but prefer the dull prosaic workings of common life, or entertain mistaken views of its nature and design. Those extremely talented and useful writers, the Brothers Chambers, speaking on the subject of poetry, say, "poetry may be defined to be the truth inspired bj feeling, and breathed into forms of beauty or sublimity. This definition seems to express the essential character- istics of poetry, in all its manifestations ; whether the inspired thought be developed in painting, in sculpture, in architecture, (Freemasonry), in music, in language, or in action ; they all range themselves under the same for- mula ; for they are but various modes of expressing the same divine principle." And again : " to be a poet, a man must not rest contented with conventionalities and out- ward shows; with mere arbitrary distinctions of right and wrong, however specious they may appear. He must have that directness and clearness of vision which can at once discriminate between the essential and the accident- al; between that which exists in the very nature of things, and that which is merely of artificial growth. An intellectual discrimination, however, is not all that is required. A man may be very acute in detecting falla- cies, and even in discerning truth, and yet have but a small claim to the character of a poet. To be a poet, he must not only see beneath the surface of things, but he must feel as deeply as he sees; he must not only see that a thing is true, but he must also feel that it is true ; else whatever it may be in itself, or to others, it can be no poetry to him. Let a man possess these two requisites, and if he is but true to himself, if he will but give scope to his own nature, and not fritter away his life and tal- ents by striving to cramp them into some artificial mould prescribed by custom, he will be a poet in the truest sense ; if he does not write poetry, he yet cannot fail in that which is often better, for his life will be a real poem, doubtless sadly chequered in its course, but ever eloquent in its significance ; ever earnestly striving after the real and innumerable." 1 1 Journal, vol. v. N.S. p. 210. 70 THE SYMBOL It is for want of being thus deeply versed in the poetry of Freemasonry, that so many, even of the fraternity themselves, differ in their estimate of it. But they draw their opinions from their own private feelings and pro- pensities rather than from any inherent property of the Order. While the bon vivant considers it to be a society established for the purpose of social convivialities, and the man of the world throws it aside as frivolous and useless, the more studious differ in opinion whether it be Christian or Jewish, moral or religious, astronomical or astrological. And all this confusion arises from a confined view of its nature and properties, which limits them to one particular point or phasis of the Order, while, in fact, Freemasonry is cosmopolitical, and embraces the whole region of poetry and philosophy, science and morals. Prejudice, in all its fantastic shapes, is arrayed against us ; which, as is well observed by Mrs. S. Hall, in one of her useful moral tales, is the more dangerous, because it has the unfortunate ability of accommodating itself to all the possible varieties of the human mind. Like the spider, it makes everywhere a home. Some of our glorious old fellows South, or Taylor, or Fuller, or Bishop Hall has it somewhere, that let the mind be as naked as the walls of an empty and forsaken tenement, gloomy as a dungeon, or ornamented with richest abili- ties of thinking ; let it be hot, cold, dark, or light, lonely or inhabited still prejudice, if undisturbed, will fill it with cobwebs, and live, like the spider, where there seemed nothing to live upon. While these shades of difference agitate the members of the society, we are no longer surprised that the unini- tiated should wander so much out of their way to satisfy their curiosity as to the real design of the Order. What is masonry? This is the great and important question which has puzzled the heads of all the uninitiated from the day of its first establishment to our own most curious times. What is masonry? I could give fifty definitions of it if I choose to be communicative ; but I should consider myself "courteous overmuch" were I to furnish the cowan with too great a portion of information at once, lie would be gorged into a plethoric habit of mind, which would set him a cackling like a young pullet after she OF GLORY. 71 has laid her first egg, and hops round the farm yard in an ecstacy of joy to tell her companions what a feat she has done. I shall give him only this one definition at pre- sent, and he may muse and meditate upon it at his leisure. Freemasonry is a triangle upon a triangle, placed in the centre towards the rising of the sun; chequered with the opus grecanicum, circumscribed with scroll work, permeating through the Sephiroth, and graduating to a perfect heptad. There ! Let the cowan digest that, and I will then impart some further instruction to edify his mind. He may think these are terms of diablerie and ghost raising. But I assure him they are not. It is true, an ancient objection against the Order was that the Freemasons, in their lodges, "raise the devil in a circle, and when they have done with him, they lay him again with a noise or a hush, as they please." Others diverted themselves with the story of an old woman between the rounds of a Ladder; or with the cook's red-hot iron or Salamander for making the indelible character on the new made mason, in order to give him the faculty of taciturnity. 2 I once initiated a Welch Rector, who was full of the Horatian urbanity as he could hold. Alas, he is gone to the world of spirits, and a better man does not occupy his place. He told me before he was made, in his oft-hand way, that being desirous of a private interview with his Satanic majesty, he sought initiation as the most proba- ble method of attaining his point ; for he understood that he was generally found in propria persona at our meet- ings, and amused the brethren by beating a tattoo on the board with his hoofs ! ! ! Many a laugh have we had together after his admission, when he knew what the true tendency of masonry was, and the real causes of any extraordinary sounds which might be easily miscon- strued. These, then, constitute some of the absurd conjectures of those unquiet spirits who are ever restless in their search after facts which constantly elude their grasp; and they are as far from enlightenment on the abstruse principles of the Order as were their forefathers, the cowans of the eighteenth century, whose pretended reve- 2 Anderson, Const. Ed. 1733, p. 227. THE SYMBOL lations were fated, each in its turn to disbelief and rejection from all right-minded men. One half the time and talent which they bestow upon the acquisition of illegal knowledge, where their toil cannot fail to be fruitless, would, if they had received initiation, like my friend the rector, and their enquiries had been directed into a legitimate channel, have converted them into good and worthy brothers, and given them an insight into the poetry and philosophy of masonry. This would have secured a permanent satisfaction to their own mind, and conferred upon them the approbation of the fraternity. Blanchard Powers, an aged transatlantic brother, in his Prize Essay on masonry, thus describes the benefits which it confers on society. " So sublime arid heavenly is the royal art, that it solves all difficulties. It kindles a flame of love in the breasts of those who are at the greatest distance from each other, in consequence of their political and religious tenets. It moderates and subdues the spirit of the fulminating priest ; his heart is melted into tender affection towards a brother mason ; he presents him the friendly hand, and cordially receives him into his bosom, and addresses him by the endearing appellation of a Brother. Masonry lays men under the most solemn obligation to support the government by which they are protected, and never to encourage dis- loyalty or rebellion. A mason will risk his life for his brother in the hour of danger, though he may be his enemy in the midst of battle." An intelligible view of the poetry and philosophy of Freemasonry may be gathered from the lodge Lectures themselves ; which describe it as " a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." In the old Lectures this description is explained in every section. The floor of the Lodge symbolically teaches that as the steps of man tread in the devious and uncer- tain paths of life, and his days are chequered by prosperity and adversity, so is his passage through this short and precarious stage of existence. Sometimes his journey is enlightened by success; at others it is obstructed by a multitude of evils. For this reason the floor of the lodge is covered with Mosaic work, to remind us of the precariousness of our situation here ; to-day prosperity may crown our labours ; to-morrow we may totter on the OF GLORY. 73 uneven paths of weakness, temptation, and adversity. Then while such emblems are continually before our eyes, we are morally taught to boast of nothing, but to walk uprightly and with humility before T Gr A O T U ; considering that there is no station on which pride can be stably founded. All men have birth, but some are born to more elevated stations of life than others ; yet, when in the grave, all are on the level, death destroying all distinctions. As Free and Accepted Masons then, we ought ever to act according to the dictates of reason and religion, by cultivating harmony, maintaining charity, and living in unity and brotherly love. In an Icelandic poem quoted by Mallet, we find the following curious picture of the chequered scenes of hu- man life ; which, though written at an unknown distance of time, and for the use of a barbarous people, bears a striking resemblance to the peculiar doctrine of Free- masonry on ttie same subject. Tha eymdir strida, &c. When grief oppresses the mournful mind, And misery's scourges the pale cheeks furrow, And back the world on thee wends unkind, And wanton joyaimce derides thy sorrow ; Think, all is round, and will turn anew, Who laughs to-day may to-morrow rue ; All's equalized. Again, the illustration of the I M J contains a direc- tion to the same effect. "As the tressel board is for the master to draw his designs on, the better to enable the younger brothers and the more expert Fellow Crafts to carry on the intended building with order, regularity, and success ; so may the Holy Bible be justly deemed the tressel board of the Grand Architect of the Universe ; because in that holy book he hath laid down such divine plans, and moral designs, that were we conversant therein and adherent thereto, it would bring us to a building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The Rough Ashlar is a stone rough as when taken from the quarry, and by the skill and ingenuity of the workmen being modelled and brought into due form, represents the mind of man in its infancy, uncultivated and irregular like this stone, but by the kind care and instruction of parents, guardians, and teachers, in endowing it with a liberal 74 THE SYMBOL education, the man becomes moralized, and rendered an useful member of society. The Perfect Ashlar is a stone of a true die square, which can only be tried by the square and compasses. It represents the mind of man after a well spent life in acts of piety and devotion to God, and benevolence and good- will to man, which can only be tried by the square of God's Word, and the com- pass of his own conscience." The Principal Point and the Original Signs are illus- trative of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth ; and of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice ; all of which are moral duties emanating from that sacred Volume which is always spread open upon the Pedestal ; and are copiously explained in the primitive lectures of masonry. Another beautiful illustration of the poetry of the Order is found in its application of the virtues of silence or secresy, which is one of the distinguishing virtues of the masonic science, and is regularly enforced in the ordinary masonic lectures. Of all the arts which masons profess, the art of secresy particularly distinguishes them. Taciturnity is a proof of wisdom, and is allowed to be of the utmost importance in the different transactions of life. The best writers have declared it to be an art of inestimable value ; and that it is agreeable to the Deity himself, may be easily conceived, from the glorious ex- ample which he gives, in concealing from mankind the secrets of his Providence. The wisest of men cannot penetrate into the arcana of heaven, nor can they divine ^o-day what to-morrow may bring forth. A certain Key is also spoken of in the Prestonian Lectures, which ought always to hang in a brother's defence and never to lie to his prejudice ; and the brethren are advised of the value of a tongue of good report, which ought always to treat a brother's character in his absence as tenderly as if he were present ; and if unfortunately his irregularities should be such, that this cannot with propriety be done, to adopt the distinguish- ing virtues of the science. This system was solemnly impressed upon the candi- date in the mysteries of Egypt, whence originated the famous quinquennial silence of Pythagoras. The priests of Egypt were aware, if ever any set of men were ac OF GLORY. 75 quainted with the maxim, that knowledge is power* The higher classes of the priesthood were extremely cautious how they communicated information to the younger and lower orders of the hierarchy; and these again were not less reserved in their intercourse with the rest of society. The numerous and dangerous ordeals through which the priests had to pass, and the long term of years allotted for their apprenticeship, sufficiently prove the truth of the statement which I have just been making. Every step by which the aspirant advanced, was preceded by a new trial of his patience, and a new proof of his fortitude. Before he passed into darkness, and when again he returned to the light, the object which still met his eyes, was the image of the god whose finger is on his lip. Silence and secresy were the first duties taught to the aspirant. He might listen, but he might not speak. If he heard a voice, it addressed him in the language of mystery. If he received informa- tion, it was conveyed to him through the medium of tropes and symbols. 3 In Freemasonry this silence or secresy is urged on the brethren, that they may avoid speaking of a brother's faults ; because human nature being imperfect, we are none of us free from errors of some kind ; and therefore, as we are liable to censure ourselves, w r e should refrain from passing sentence upon others, that they may be actuated by a similar motive, and avoid all unfavourable reflections on our own conduct. It is an amiable prin- ciple, and highly beneficial to society; for what good can possibly arise from a public exposure of each other's foibles or miscarriages. If I err to-day, and my brother charitably passes it over, shall I expose the fault which he may commit to-morrow? Such a course would merit the severest reprobation. We have a rule, which, if universally observed, would produce more peace and happiness in the world, than, I am afraid, is to be found amongst mankind at present. It is a golden maxim, applicable to all times and occasions, and cannot possibly fail in its operation. It was delivered by the Divinity taught in the gospel recognized in Freemasonry and is equally beneficial to all orders and descriptions of 3 Drummond. Orig., vol. ii., p. 207. 76 THE SYMBOL men. These are the words. WHATSOEVER YOU WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO UNTO YOU, DO YE ALSO UNTO THEM. This may be illustrated by a passage from the "Stray Leaves" of a Suffolk Rector. Speaking of an old soldier, whose latter years were spent in difficulties, he says : " Here was a man who unquestionably had spent the prime of his life in his country's service. He had carried her standard and had fought her battles. His blood had flowed freely in her cause. His adherence to her inte- rests had cost him dear. Wounds, which neither skill nor time could heal, disabled him from exertion, and ren- dered life a burden. To acute bodily suffering positive privation was added. Who relieved him? His country? No. She left him to perish on a niggardly pension. Who succoured him ? The great Duke, whose debt to the private soldier was so apparent and overwhelming ? No. Who, then, aided the wounded and sinking soldier in his extremity ? THE BROTHERHOOD a secret band, if you will, but active which requires no other recom- mendation, save desert, and no other stimulus than sor- row. And yet, how little is it understood, and how strangely misrepresented" If a brother, however, should grievously sin against the rules of the Institution or Society with which he is identified,, we have another rule of conduct which is wor- thy of notice. " If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy bro- ther. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three wit- nesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the assembly ; but if he neglect to hear the assembly, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 4 In the Book of Consti- tutions, (Private Lodges,) we find it provided, that if any brother behave in such a way as to disturb the harmony of the Lodge, he shall be thrice formally admonished by the Master ; and if he persist in his irregular conduct, he shall be punished according to the Bye-Laws of that particular Lodge ; or the case may be reported to higher ' Matt, xviii., 15-17. OF GLORY. 7V masonic authority ; but no Lodge shall exclude any member without giving him due notice of the charge preferred against him, and of the time appointed for its consideration. The proceedings against him are thus conducted with great caution and secresy. The erring brother must be privately admonished by the Master thrice. Some of these admonitions, it is hoped, may save him from exposure. If the two first should unhappily fail of their effect, the third is generally given in the pre- sence of two or three confidential friends and brothers, as witnesses of the fact, and sometimes before the Lodge ; and if this should also be disregarded, still mercy pre- vails he is furnished with a further opportunity of repentance and amendment of life. The case may be referred to the P. G. Lodge, or the Board of General Purposes ; and if he persist in his contumacy, he is pun- ished by fine, suspension, or, in extreme cases, by expul- sion. In the language above cited, he becomes, in our estimation, as an heathen man and a publican. The Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Massachu- setts contains the following very judicious regulation on this subject : " The accusation shall be made in writing, under the signature of a Master Mason, and given in charge to the Secretary of the Lodge ; who, under the direction of the Master, shall serve, or cause the accused to be served with, an attested copy of the charges, four- teen days at least previously to the time appointed for their examination, provided the residence of the accused shall be known, and shall be within the distance of fifty miles of the place where the Lodge having the matter in hand is located. If the residence of the accused be at a greater distance than fifty miles, then, and in that case, a summons to appear and show cause, forwarded to him by the mail or other conveyance, twenty days at least before the time of trial, shall be considered sufficient ser- vice. If his residence be out of the State, and unknown, the Lodge may proceed to examine the charges ex parte ; but if known, a summons shall be sent to him by mail, or otherwise, sixty days at least before the time appointed for the examination ; which shall be had in a Lodge spe- cially notified and convened for the purpose, at which no visitors shall be admitted, except as counsel or wit- nesses. The accused may select any brother for his coun- 78 THE SYMBOL sel, and witnesses shall testify, if masons, on their honour, as such. Hearsay evidence shall be excluded. The ques- tion Is the accused guilty or not guilty ? shall be put to each member of the Lodge, by name, commencing with the youngest. The answer shall be given standing, and in a distinct and audible manner, which shall be recorded by the Secretary. If the verdict be suspension or expulsion, an attested copy of the proceedings shall be sent up at the ensuing meeting of this Grand Lodge for examination and final action." Again, the secresy of Freemasons is an effectual anti- dote to slander and defamation. These are vices of the most baleful kind, because they injure the credit of him who is the subject of false report, without benefiting the slanderer. Defamation is a crime of the blackest dye ; it is founded in malice, propagated in hatred, and becomes the mischievous author of suspicion, envy, and all un- charitableness. Amongst numerous bodies of men, it must necessarily happen that characters will occasionally be found, how strictly soever the institutions of a society may guard against their introduction, who are base enough to pass unmerited censures on their brethren, even at the risk of sullying their own reputation ; and the usual consequences will follow, if great care is not taken to crush this mischievous propensity in its bud, and check the rising evil before any fatal results are ac- complished. If not if through favour, or fear, or timidity, or any other improper feeling in a Master of a Lodge, the necessary precautions are not adopted if the enjoined admonitions be deferred from time to time, or postponed ad infinitum, he w T ill soon find his Lodge in a state of insubordination and misrule, which will be highly discre- ditable to himself, and inflict a great portion of evil on the community which he governs. And more than this ; society will suffer from the bad example thus exhibited; for the disorders of a Lodge, like those of a city built upon a hill, cannot be concealed ; and the most disastrous effects may possibly ensue from the misconduct of a member, augmented and strength- ened by the discreditable connivance of the Master, whose duty it was to discountenance every attempt to violate the institutes of Masonry, amongst which the OF GLORY. 79 recommendations to avoid slander occupy a prominent situation. For what good can be expected to arise out of whisperings, backbitings, debates, strife, variance, emu- lations, anger, and evil speaking ? A high authority pro- claims that if any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. It was an excellent regulation of our own Grand Lodge in the last century, that when any brother was proposed to join a Lodge, or any candidate to be initiated, and it should appear upon casting up the ballot, that he was rejected ; it was absolutely forbidden that any member or visiting brother should discover, by any means what- soever, who those members were that opposed his elec- tion, under the penalty of such member being forever expelled from the Lodge, and if a visiting brother, of his being never more admitted as a visitor, or allowed to become a member; and immediately after a negative passes on any persons being proposed, the Master shall cause this law to be read, that no brother present may plead ignorance. This law ought to be revived, for a talebearer is un- worthy of a place amongst honest men. He is a despi- cable character, and ought to be avoided. He enters a Lodge listens to everything that is said, and reports it abroad with numerous exaggerations, and generally under a pretended seal of secresy as if those on whom he obtrudes his information care anything about his injunc- tions not to repeat the calumny. The slander spreads far and wide, and, like a secret poison, becomes incurable before the injured person knows anything about it. This, therefore, may justly be accounted one of the most cruel wounds inflicted by a tongue of evil report ; for it under- mines society, and frequently robs families of their peace, and innocent persons of their good name. It separateth chief friends ; and, therefore, a tongue that is given to this wicked practice, may be properly said to be set on fire of hell. For instance,' a neighbour has acted indiscreetly. The story is conveyed from ear to ear. It is carried from house to house. It is the topic of every circle. The evil-speaker hears the tale with rapture, and with rap- ture relates it. He enlarges upon the enormity of the 80 THE SYMBOL crime ; he lashes it with severity ; he loads the actor of it with the harshest epithets with which the language is able to supply him. Is he ashamed of his want of lenity and mercy ? Does he blush before his conscience when he retires into himself, and looks to the heap of stones, and hard ones, too, which he has thrown ? When he sinks upon his pillow, will the recollection of the words that have gone from him allow him to sleep? His sleep is as sound as yours. He flatters himself that he is actuated solely by a virtuous abhorrence of ini- quity. 5 Let every Master of a Lodge, therefore, when he hears an unfavourable report of any individual brother, which he has reason to think false or exaggerated, consider himself as an injured party, and bound by the duties of his office to do justice to a calumniated friend, who may, perhaps, be unconscious that his reputation has been assailed. It would be easy to proceed much further in illustra- tion of the poetry and philosophy of Freemasonry, but it will be unnecessary, as enough has been already said to show the nature of its working, and the effect which such a system is sure to produce upon a great majority of the members. And if carried into general practice, cannot fail to insure the most beneficial results to society, by the admixture of even that small portion who have received the benefit of masonic instruction ; because it is the sentence of one wiser than man, that " a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." The superficial mode which is at present used by many of our country brethren of conducting a lodge, is totally inefficient. And it can scarcely be otherwise, when only two or three hours in every month are devoted to the purposes of Masonry ; and out of which, the routine business of management the propositions, ballotting, initiations, passings, raisings, and desultory motions, occupy so much time, that little remains for the purpose of pursuing the studies necessary to a com- plete knowledge of the science. At best, the Lodge Lectures are too circumscribed for a course of general instruction; and yet they are quite as explanatory as 5 Fawcett's Sermons at the Old Jewry, vol. 1., ser. 9. OF GLORY. 81 the nature of the circumstances will admit ; for in the limited portion of time which can be assigned to their delivery, it would require almost the whole twelve months from festival to festival to go deliberately through the entire lectures of the three degrees. For this reason many Lodges confine themselves to the first three or four sections of the E. A. P. Lecture, and seldom touch on the other two, except at passings and raisings ; some are content with a simple explanation ol the Floor Cloth or Tracing Board ; while others seldom venture beyond the Qualification Questions ! Now it will be readily admitted that Freemasonry, as it ought to be, is invested with higher views and more interesting and useful objects of contemplation. By the principle of association, and a mutual interchange oi sentiments, it inculcates brotherly love among all man- kind ; it tends to soften the harshness of an exclusive or sectarian feeling towards those who differ from us in our views of religion and politics, although it allows ol no discussions in either the one or the other ; it suppresses the attachment to class, which is the bane of all other institutions ; and by the purity of its sentiments, it harmo- nizes the mind, ameliorates the disposition, and produces that genuine feeling of benevolence and Christian charity which " suffereth long and is kind ; which envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily pro- voked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all things, believeth all things, endureth all things." 6 The above principles are almost exclusively Christian, and afford ample evidence that a corroboration of the moral precepts of Freemasonry will be found in the Gospel of Christ. A talented Brother, with whom I have had an extensive correspondence on the subject of masonry, writes thus : " Your hypothesis that the Lec- tures of Masonry, as now authorized by the Grand Lodge, are intended to enforce the great truth of Chris- tianity, is undoubtedly correct. And as they were framed by a clergyman of the Church of England, less was scarcely to be expected. But I contend that all 6 Cor. xiii. 4 7. 4* 82 THE SYMBOL allusions to Christianity are interpolations in the system, In a mere Blue Lodge, which I maintain to have been originally restricted to working masons, with very few exceptions, nothing more was required than a moral explanation of the Bible, Square, Compasses, Level, and Plumb. In Scotland the three first degrees were considered to be confined almost entirely to science, and the correct definition of masonry is A science founded on Geometry, Mathematics, and Astronomy. And accord- ingly the top of the Master's Kod of Office is surmount- ed by a triangular spear head, on which are the let- ters G. M. A. The Scotch masons consider the moral explanation, if obvious and simple, to be proper, but refer all deep and mystical topics to a superior degree. In short they allow of no allusion to the New Testa- ment, nor to anything in the Old Testament after the book of Kings arid Chronicles, referring to the Temple of Solomon ; and there must be no anachronism. All after the building of the Temple, are topics that cannot be touched on until we arrive at the Royal Order of H. R. D. M. ; and therefore it is not en regie to refer to the chief corner stone till the appearance of a Christian degree. Faith, Hope, and Charity have no business in the lectures of the Blue degrees ; unless, indeed, we are to abandon our claims to antiquity, and admit that Freemasonry is a fabrication, invented at some recent period subsequently to the crucifixion of Christ." It will be observed, however, that Christian allusions abound in the lectures of masonry long before Dr. Hem- ming remodelled them in 1814. They exist copiously in the very earliest masonic manuscripts known ; which Mr. Halliwell pronounces to be a production of the 14th century; while others consider them to be coeval with the time of Athelstone. Christian references are also found in the first lectures authorized by our own Grand Lodge in 1720. In fact Dr. Hemming, so far from introducing into his formula any new allusions to our most holy faith, actually expunged some of those which were in use before his time. The first lectures after the revival, when it was arranged that " the privileges of masonry should no longer be restricted to operative masons, but extend to men of various professions, provided they were regularly OF GLORY. 83 approved and initiated into the Order," contained many Christian references, which were gradually increased in every successive arrangement, until Hutchinson, about the year 1784, interpreted the third degree as being exclusively Christian. Now although I cannot subscribe to this view of the case, it shows at least the feelings of our brethren of the last century on this par- ticular subject; and it is my deliberate opinion, that if even the group of symbols which form the subject of this volume, was struck out of Freemasonry, and it forms chiefly an illustration of the first degree, the system would be so thoroughly impoverished that it would fail to interest the mind even of an indifferent enquirer ; while the more talented candidate would take leave of us on the threshold, and consider the charges of frivolity and uselessness, which have be enpreferred by our enemies, to be amply confirmed. That this can never happen in masonry c*s it is at present constructed, will be shown by the evidence of my friend Bro. Tucker, P. G. M. for Dorset ; who, said, in his speech at Weymouth, 1846 : " The whole of our proceedings stamp the institution of Freemasonry with a character, divine in its origin, holy in its purposes, and conducive to the best interests of man. We will not enquire how far it may be supposed to be allied in form to the ancient Druid in his rites and mysteries, or in the erection of his temple, nor to the refined philosophy of the early Greek, or the dark and mysterious knowledge of the Egyptian hieroglyphic ; neither will we consider how far we are warranted in applying the use of fa- miliar masonic terms to the ancient patriarchs to whom came the divine message to man in all the power and terrific grandeur of heavenly majesty, as well as in the sweetness of divine love, in the still small voice of mer- cy; but we will take it on its own merits, as founded on the Word of God, as the guide of our days, and set- ting before us the hope of eternal life ; an institution equally apart from bigotry and fanaticism, teaching us to walk in the good old paths of our forefathers; to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God, being also heir with them of the same promises, and endeavouring to draw all mankind of every clime, colour, and religion, within the circle, to that point from which a master mason cannot materially err." 84 THE SYMBOL LECTURE III. (Bptatlt TO BRO. R. GRAVES, W. M. E. D. SMITH, S. W. R. COSTA, J. W. W. L. WRIGHT, P. M. & TREA. G. CHANCE, SEC. M. COSTA, S. D. W. L. W. APLIN, J. D. L. CAMPANILE, STEWARD. R. SPENCER, P. M. & M. C. Z. WATKINS, J. N. BAINBRIDGE, S. BRIZZI, ^>PAST MASTERS, E. MULLINS, J. WHITMORE, Of the Bank of England Lodge, No. 329, London. MY DEAR BRETHREN, I have much pleasure in dedicating to you the follow- ing observations on the Lectures on Masonry, as they were arranged at the Union in 1813, and directed to be used in all the private lodges under the Grand Lodge of England ; and am right glad that a public opportunity has occurred of acknowledging the kindness which you have extended to me on several occasions, and of expressing the gratification I have ever felt in being associated, as an honorary member of the lodge, with sc many eminent men, whose zeal and services in the cause of masonry have justly excited the approbation of OF GLORY. 85 fraternity, and placed them high in the estimation of the wise and good. It will be needless to repeat my opinion of the Order which we venerate and profess. It is well known that I have bestowed much attention on the subject both as a theoretical and a practical science, and the results of my enquiries are before you. The benefits arising from a competent knowledge of the poetry and philosophy of Freemasonry are open to every studious person, and may be easily attained by a proper exercise of the mental faculties. It is by care and industry that every earthly good is secured. The Freemason, therefore, who expects to reap any intellec- tual advantages from the Order, must study its principles with diligence and assiduity, as you have done, else he will fail in the attempt. A true knowledge of the science will not be acquired by indolence and apathy, nor by a mere acquisition of its signs, and tokens, and technicalities. These are but the keys to our treasure. The cabinet must be opened, and its contents examined carefully, and with an ardent desire to profit by the materials which are deposited there. If a brother be desirous of becoming useful to the science of Freemasonry, he will not be content with a mere superficial knowledge of the externals, but will examine its esoteric secrets with the feelings of an enthusiast ; and by bringing forth its latent virtues into view, will himself reap a full share of the blessings which it is so well calculated to confer on society at large. It is by the practice of such a judicious course of study that the brethren of 329 have distinguished them- selves ; and the acknowledgment of such a belief will not be thought presumptuous or inappropriate, when avowed by one who has the greatest pleasure in thus subscribing himself, My dear Brethren, Your obliged and faithful Servant and Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D. D., Hon. Member of the Lodge. SCOPWICK VICARAGE, August 1, 1849. 86 THE SYMBOL Kulm Up (Styirb. A. few observations on the Lodge Lectures, with the means oj acquiring a knowledge of them. "Bro. Lane said he had derived much pleasure and instruction from that source of knowledge which is contained in published works on Masonry. Those who know anything of the Continent, know that large collections of books exist in masonic societies there, and, that many valuable works were in this country, which the library, if established, might some day hope to possess. He had collected several rare and costly works on Masonry, valuable, even in the places where they were published and best known, for their scarcity ; these he intended to present if the library were established, and carried on under regulations that were satisfactory to him." Debate in Grand Lodge on the formation of a Library and Museum. THE Lectures of Freemasonry teach and if they taught nothing else, their value would be incalculable that it is only by the practice of the relative and social duties of life that our present condition can be bene- fitted, or even maintained. - The discharge of these per- manent obligations, will make good masters, as well as good servants; good magistrates, as well as good sub- jects; kind husbands, and faithful wives; for all have duties to perform, the absence of any one of which would break the chain of social relations, and destroy the peace and happiness of those who are unfortunately placed under its influence. A vicious parent, by evil example, will demoralize the principles of his offspring; and the consequences may be transmitted for years to come; as is the case with some physical peculiarities and blemishes ; whence arises the bad character w r hich we frequently find attached to particular families ; and adheres to them and their descendants, who inherit their mischievous propensities, sometimes through many generations. The proposition will hold good when applied to a masonic lodge. If the Master be addicted to intemper- OF GLOftY. 87 ance, the brethren will eagerly imitate the example, and plead it as an excuse for their own irregularities. But such a plea, though it may satisfy the conscience of an offending person, will avail him nothing in mitigation of the punishment which is due to his crime, whatever it may be, either in this world or in that which is to come. Would it be accounted a valid excuse in a court of justice, for a prisoner to urge the legality of his having committed a murder or a robbery, because others had done the same, or because they persuaded him to do it? Or wdll the laws of Masonry be invalidated, if an erring brother should plead "I only imitated the example which had been set by the W. M. when I got intoxicated, or slandered a fellow creature ; and therefore, he is the transgressor and not I." He might with equal justice blame the genial influence of the sun because it brings poisonous, as well as salutiferous, herbs to maturity. In the Book of Constitutions this is guarded against by a series of judicious regulations which can neither be evaded nor misunderstood. Indeed, the first lesson which is taught to a candidate is, the necessity of a strict adherence to his relative and social duties. And to give this the greater effect, it is directed to be done by the Master, in a Charge which he is enjoined to deliver at every initiation. In this Charge the following beautiful passage occurs. " As a citizen of the world, I am next to enjoin you to be exemplary in the discharge of your civil duties, by never proposing, or at all countenancing, any act that may have a tendency to subvert the peace and good order of society ; by paying due obedience to the laws of any state which may for a time become the place of your residence, or afford you its protection ; and, above all, by never losing sight of the allegiance due to the sovereign of your native land; ever remembering that Nature has implanted in your breast a sacred indisso- luble attachment to that country from which you derived your birth and infant nurture." Indeed, the same Charge declares that, the practice of social and moral virtue con- stitutes the solid foundation on which Freemasonry rests. And this view is borne out by the general teaching of the Lodge. A knowledge of the Lectures of Masonry is accom- plished by a system of mutual instruction which en- 88 THE SYMBOL courages and rewards industry. Indolence is, indeed, the parent of every vice. " If you ask me," says Lavater, "if you ask me which is the real hereditary sin of human nature, do you imagine I shall answer pride, or luxury, or ambition, or egotism ? No ; I shall say In- dolence ; who conquers indolence will conquer all the rest." It has been justly remarked that if the mind of man be not employed in good, it will be employed in evil. And hence spring the numerous crimes which deform society, and lead to a painful and ignominious death. The sagacious Greeks saw this in its true light, and their legislators provided against it by the introduction of judicious laws. Solon, as well as Draco, began with childhood, and provided for the good conduct of the future citizen by assigning masters adapted to the charac- ter and talents of the children ; and especial care was taken that no evil communications should contaminate their minds. A court of justice was appointed to superintend the process of education ; and if any improper person obtruded himself unnecessarily into the presence of the children, he was punished with death. When arrived at maturity, the school was changed for the gymnasium ; and they were still under the superintendence of the law, that the dangers of evil example might be avoided, and purity of manners secured. After this, rewards were assigned to virtue, and punishment to vice. A similar plan is pursued in a mason's lodge. The system of lecturing which is there used, if industriously and faithfully pursued, will produce the same effect, by extinguishing idleness, and promoting a spirit of enquiry and thought. Every person becomes desirous of excel- ling ; and this induces an earnest attention and applica- tion to the business in hand. The offices of the lodge are open to none but such as, by diligent reflection, have formed their minds to a habit of reasoning, which is the forerunner of knowledge, and enables them to exchange the character of pupils for that of teachers. The judicious division of the Lectures into sections and clauses, affords ample facilities for improvement; and by acquiring a competent knowledge of the parts ; by conquering the graduated steps in detail; the tyro soon becomes master of the whole ; and the excellency to which OF GLORY. 89 he thus visibly approaches, recommends him to the notice and applause of the brethren. The knowledge thus acquired is a species of wealth which is endurable, and cannot be taken away. When the city of Megara was captured by Demetrius, and the soldiers were about to plunder it, the Athenians, by a strong intercession, prevailed on the general to be satis- fied with the expulsion of the garrison. There was residing in the city at that time a celebrated philosopher whose name was Stilpo. Demetrius sought him out, and asked him if the soldiers had taken anything from him. He answered, "no, none of them wanted to steal my knowledge." A habit of systematic regularity being once attained by the practice of the lodge, it soon becomes character- istic of the man ; and this principle, judiciously exercised, will lead him to eminence, whatever may be the station which he occupies in the world. A heathen poet could tell us that idleness is the prolific parent of all vice. Quaeritur JEgystus quare sit factus adulter ; In promptu causu est ; desidiosus erat. On the other hand, perseverance is always successful ; for that which is attributed to misfortune, may often be the effect of imprudence or inattention. How frequently do we hear complaints from indolent men, that their time is so fully occupied in providing for the necessities of their families, that they have no leisure for specula- tive pursuits, when in fact there are more hours wasted in frivolities by such men than would serve to make them masters of all the arts and sciences, if they were properly applied. When Philip, King of Macedon, invited Dio- nysius the younger to dine with him at Corinth, he felt an inclination to deride the father of his royal guest, because he had blended the characters of prince and poet, and had employed his leisure in writing odes and tragedies. "How could the King find leisure," said Philip, " to write these trifles ? " Dionysius answered, "in those hours which you and I spend in drunkenness and debauchery." By the practice of industry, even during the short period employed by the master in delivering his period!- 90 THE SYMBOL cal instructions, any Brother may improve his mind by acquiring a competent knowledge of the Lodge Lectures"; and they will abundantly reward his labours, by leading him to regard the works of creation not merely with the eye of a philosopher, but with that of a Christian. They will teach him to look from Nature up to Nature's God, as displayed in his glorious works in the starry firmament, which every mason who is desirous of becom- ing perfect in the art should study with attention, as they display the wonders of his handy work. The canopy of the Lodge is an open book where he may read the tokens of power and magnificence which dis- play the absolute perfection of T G- A O T U. The annual recurrence of vegetation and decay affords strik- ing indications of his powerful Hand, but the beauties with which he hath decorated the heavens, are evident manifestations of his supremacy, still more sublimely apparent. They harmonize with his Holy Word, and contain incontrovertible proofs of its truth ; and the Master of a Lodge who omits to draw the attention of the brethren to these august phenomena, is deficient in his duties, and fails to make the science of Freemasonry subservient to the great end for which it is principally designed the glory of God and the welfare of man. The true mason will look with sentiments of awe and veneration on these and other great works which are open to his observation, although not, perhaps, specifi- cally mentioned in the lectures. I refer to the treasures as well as the terrors which the earth contains within its bowels ; minerals and metals ; boiling springs and burning mountains ; earthquakes and simoons, pestilence and famine. All these, if judiciously introduced as an illustration of certain portions of the lectures, will prove highly interesting to the brethren, and enable the intelligent Master to refer them severally to the power of the Most High. " For it is the Lord that command- eth the waters ; it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder ; it is the Lord that ruleth the sea ; the voice of Jehovah is mighty in operation ; the voice of Jehovah is a glorious voice. It breaketh the cedar trees ; yea, it breaketh the cedars of Libanus. He maketh them also to skip like a calf, Libanus also, and Sirion, like a young unicorn. The voice of Jehovah divideth the OF GLORY. 91 the flames of fire ; the voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Cades." 1 All our scientific disquisitions are invested with the same tendency. They serve to make us wiser and better men ; and if they fail to do so, the fault is not in the institution, but in the indifference of the recipient to the real object and design of masonic teaching. It will be readily admitted that the details of Free- masonry are somewhat faulty, and their amendment would tend to increase not only the benefits but the popularity of the Order. In the United States these details are carried out with much better effect than in some of our country Lodges ; the consequence of which is, that the Order is so universally and widely diffused throughout every class of the community in that Kepub- lic, as to constitute almost a national establishment. This is owing, however, in some measure to the amicable antagonism and social intercourse of its numerous inde- pendent Grand Lodges, which being placed amidst the private Lodges under their individual jurisdiction, they are enabled to superintend the working, to restrain dis- orders, and to apply an instant and effectual remedy for any irregularity which may spring up amongst them. It is a question, which the fraternity may answer, whether, if every province in England had its independ- ent Grand Lodge, masonry would not be more prosper- ous, more regarded, and more abundantly useful. As this, however, is a consummation which can scarcely be reduced to practice, we must consider whether cer- tain improvements may not lawfully be accomplished without it. And for this purpose we will again refer to the usage of the United States of America. One great cause of the overwhelming influence of transatlantic masonry, is the extensive encouragement given by its Grand Lodges to publications on masonic subjects. Their language is unanimous on this point. The Grand Lodge of New York, in its printed transactions, thus expresses its opinion. " In reference to the several masonic periodicals named by our D. G. Master, if judiciously conducted, as your committee entertain no 1 Psalm xxix., 2 7. 92 THE SYMBOL doubt they will be, they are calculated to accomplish & vast amount of good, by diffusing more extensively those sound, moral, and benevolent principles, which so emi- nently characterize this venerable institution ; we there- fore recommend those publications to the liberal patron- age of the fraternity." And again in the same document, we find the follow- ing clause, " In relation to the recommendation of the D. G. Master, desiring some action of the Grand Lodge with reference to Lectures to be delivered in the several Lodge-rooms, not only on the principles of masonry, but on the Arts and Sciences, embracing any or all such subjects as shall improve the moral and intellectual powers, and qualify the brethren for greater usefulness in the several spheres in which they move, rendering them, in an eminent sense, the lights of masonry ; we are of opinion that the adoption of such a practice would be attended with the happiest results, and add much to the interest of fraternal communications. The masonic institution is appropriately a school of the Arts and Sciences, as well as the moral virtues ; and therefore the Grand Lodge recommend in the strongest language, the adoption of the above specified course of instruction by Lectures on the practical, as well as the moral and men- tal sciences, in each of the subordinate Lodges. This whole matter appears to be one of deep interest, and if judiciously conducted by brethren competent to the undertaking, will not only be productive of great good to individual members, but to those communities where such lodges are established." The Grand Lodge of New Hampshire is equally explicit. Its Grand Master in 1843 thus promulgated his senti- ments from the throne: "You will permit me, brethren, to bring before you, for your coimtenance and support^ the Freemason's Monthly Magazine, published in Boston, Massachusetts, under the editorial charge of our valued brother, R. W. Charles W. Moore, Secretary of the G. L. of Massachusetts, and former publisher and editor of the Masonic Mirror, which was suspended during the dark years when the anti-masonic party of that State followed up persecution on the rights of our ancient and honour- able institution, with a zeal that could hardly be com- mendable, if used for a better purpose. This work is OF GLORY. 93 conducted with ability and interest. It is the fruit of reflection and study ; animated by a spirit that breathes love to man, and expresses in clear tones the faith of an institution that will outride all persecution; implanting in the heart of the initiated that charity which sufiereth long and is kind. To such a work, conducted on the true principles of Freemasonry, which cannot fail to further the progress of the Craft, I trust, and doubt not, you will give your support." This avowal and recommendation was warmly and eloquently advocated by several members of the Grand Lodge, who bore ample testimony to the high and exalted character of that pub- lication ; and it was unanimously recommended to " the Members of the Fraternity every where, as worthy and highly deserving their patronage and support." Nor do we find throughout the United States an adverse opinion on this subject. Indeed, the several Grand Lodges attach so much importance to printed disquisitions which may be accessible to the brethren, and conduce to pro- mote that degree of uniformity which is so desirable amongst the Craft, that at a general Convention of all the Grand Lodges in the States, holden at Baltimore in Maryland, May, 1843, a Committee was appointed to pre- pare and publish at an early day a text book, to be called the Masonic Trestle Board, embracing three distinct, full, and complete Masonic Carpets, illustrative of the three degrees of ancient craft masomy ; together with the cere- monies of consecrations, dedications, and installations; the laying of comer stones of public edifices ; the funeral service, and order of processions ; to which shall be added the charges, prayers, and exhortations, and the selections from Scripture, appropriate and proper for Lodge service. The Committee further reported, that they deem it expe- dient that a work be published to contain archeological researches into the history of the Fraternity in the various nations of the world. In compliance with a formal order to that effect, the Lecture on the Trestle Board has been printed, and is now before the public. In England there is an influential party whose study it is to discourage all scientific disquisitions connected with Freemasonry. Such a course, if persisted in, would throw us back upon the dark ages, and furnish our adversaries with a weapon which they would not fail to 94 THE SYMBOL wield with fearful effect. But happily we have a suffi- ciency of liberal minded brethren who are anxious to place the beauties of masonic benevolence, and the excellencies of masonic science fairly before the public, that its light may shine before men, to the glory of T Gr A O T U who is in heaven. These two sections entertain very different opinions on the best means of promoting and cementing the general interests of the Craft. The former think it inex- pedient to allow any alterations to be made in the system ; lest, under the idea of improvement, innovations should creep in, which might, in process of time, change the very essence of the institution, and gradually deprive it of those characteristics which are considered to be its greatest ornaments. The other party, who are also numerous and influential, are of opinion that masonry ought to keep pace with all other scientific improve- ments ; and that in the rapid progress of mental enlighten- ment, which distinguishes the present era, if this Order alone should remain stationary, and take no part in forwarding the march of intellect in its own peculiar sphere, it will forfeit its claim to public notice or approba- tion. In the present state of intellectual improvement, men do not meet together for the insane purpose of hearing repetitions of truisms with which they are already acquainted. Their minds reach forward to something new. They will not consent to retrograde, nor are they satisfied with remaining stationary. Time is considered too valuable to be wasted without actual improvement ; and it is by the exercise of the intellect that it is strength- ened and rendered capable of renewed exertion. To Free- masonry, as in all other human pursuits, the onward principle must be applied, if we would make it applicable to the poetry arid philosophy of life ; or the paralyzing question, cui bono? will be surrounded with difficulties that, in the end, will be found inextricable. The time is drawing near when the investigations of masonry must be carried on in common. Every member will demand his share of the work. The W. M. will be the Moderator to preserve the unanimity of the proceedings ; and his task of instructing and improving the brethren in mason- ry, will admit of a participation with other talented breth- OF GLORY. 95 ren, who have had as much experience as himself. By such a course the Order will be ennobled, and will claim and receive the respect to which it is fairly entitled. The former section of the Craft entertain a great aver- sion to publications on the subject of masonry, and dis- countenance them by every means in their power, under an impression that such writings, although exclusively confined to the philosophy and poetry of the Order, are calculated to do a great deal of mischief by enlightening the profane on subjects of which they ought to remain for ever in ignorance, except their knowledge be acquired through the legitimate medium of initiation. But if nothing were lawful but what is absolutely necessary, ours would be but a miserable world to live in. Literary talent would be circumscribed within a very narrow compass ; science would be consigned to oblivion ; the fine arts be suffered to decay ; and we should return to the state, almost savage, of the primitive inhabitants of this island, who dwelt in dens, and caves, and wretched hovels, and according to Dio Nicaeus, would bury them- selves in bogs up to their neck, and continue in that state for many days together without sustenance ; and retiring from thence they would take shelter in the woods, and feed upon the bark and roots of trees. Instead of cloth- ing, their bodies were tattooed with divers figures of animals and plants ; living continually at war with their neighbours, and offering their prisoners in sacrifice to the gods. The above objection, therefore, is not of sufficient weight to counterbalance the benefits which are derivable from masonic investigations. For these reasons, the latter class of our brethren entertain a reasonable opinion that Freemasonry ought not to linger behind any other scientific institution ; but in its onward progress ought to run parallel, at the least, with the very foremost, towards the goal of perfection. For this purpose they give their full sanction and encou- ragement to printed disquisitions on the general principles of the Order, because they consider such productions to be eminently calculated to carry out the scientific and benevolent designs of masonry, and to cause those who have been most bitter and active in their hostility, to entertain more modified views of the institution, and even to solicit the honour of initiation, that 96 THE SYMBOL they may become acquainted with its real tendency and design. The former would prefer the alternative, that errors and imperfections should eternally deform the institution, rather than see them dragged forth and exterminated by legislative enactment; and that silence on the subject will make the world believe Freemasonry to be perfect, and unimprovable even in the minutest particular. But mankind are not so easily deceived. They know very well that no human institution is perfect ; and their lynx eye is too penetrating, notwithstanding all our secresy and all our care, to allow our imperfections to escape their notice. If, therefore, we wish Freemasonry to be publicly esteemed as a popular establishment, let us boldly apply the actual cautery, and expunge every ques- tionable doctrine and practice from the system ; for a cure cannot reasonably be expected, unless we discover the cause of the disease. Amongst the latter class we find many successive Grand Lodges from the time of the great revival in 1717, as is evidenced by the organic changes to which they have given a decided and unequivocal sanction. As for instance, the gradual increase in the names and num- ber of the officers of Lodges. Originally these consisted of three only. In 1721, a Deputy Grand Master was first appointed. In 1722, the office of Secretary was instituted ; and this was succeeded in the following year by the nomination of Stewards ; but it was not till 1730 that the office of a Treasurer was added to the list. In 1732 a Sword Bearer ; but the office of a Deacon was unknown till the very latter end of the century. These were succeeded by Grand Chaplains, Architects, Portrait Painters, and, after the reunion in 1813, by an officer called Pro Grand Master which, however, appears to be considered necessary only when a Prince of the blood royal is on the throne. These are all changes in the original system, and were introduced for the improvement of the Order, under the following law of the first Grand Lodge; "that any Grand Lodge duly met, has a power to amend or explain any of the printed regulations in the Book of Constitu- tions, while they break not in upon the ancient rules of the fraternity." OF GLORY. 97 It appears, then, from the above authority, that al- terations, not affecting the Landmarks or fundamental principles of masonry, may be lawfully made under the sanction of the Grand Lodge; and also that such alterations have, from tune to time, been considered necessary by that body, to meet the requirements of an improved state of society. The question then arises, what are the Landmarks of Masonry, and to what do they refer ? This has never been clearly defined. I have already recorded my opi- nion on the Historical Landmarks, in a voluminous work, expressly written for their elucidation ; but it will be remarked that these are only the Landmarks of the Lec- tures, which, though practised by the fraternity under the above high sanction, have been almost entirely intro- duced into the system since the period of revival in 1717. There are other Landmarks in the ancient insti- tution of Freemasonry, which have remained untouched in that publication ; and it is not unanimously agreed to what they may be confined. Some restrict them to the O B, Signs, Tokens, and Words. Others include the ceremonies of initiation, passing, and raising ; and the form, dimensions, and support ; the ground, situation, and covering ; the or- naments, furniture, and jewels of a Lodge, or their characteristic symbols. Some think that the Order has no Landmarks beyond its peculiar secrets. And the Rev. Salem Town, long the Grand Chaplain of the State of New York, whose book on the Speculative Masonry was published under the sanction of the highest masonic authorities in the country, expressly declares that our leading tenets are no secrets. And again, "by a full and fair exposition of our great leading principles, we betray no secrets." Colonel Stone, in his Letters on Masonry and Antimasonry, says, "from the period at which I reached the summit of what is called ancient masonry, I have held but one opinion in relation to masonic secrets ; and in that opinion I have always found my intelligent brethren ready to concur. It was this ; that the essen- tial secrets of masonry, consisted in nothing more than the signs, grips, pass-words and tokens, to preserve the society from the inroads of impostors ; together with certain symbolical emblems, the technical terms apper- 5 98 THE SYMBOL taining to which served as a sort of universal language, by which the members of the fraternity could distinguish each other in all places and countries where lodges were instituted, and conducted like those of the United States." 2 Another American writer affirms that "the secrets of masonry are her signs, words, and tokens ; these the oath regards and no more. The common lan- guage of masons, in conversation or, the subject of masonry, is a proof that this is the opinion of the fra- ternity in respect to the application of the oaths." 3 If we adopt any of the above views of the subject, it will lead to a full conviction that some of the Landmarks have sustained considerable modifications, in order to adapt them to the improvements in science and morals which have distinguished the period when they were introduced. For instance, it is generally supposed that the O B is a Landmark. The Ex-President Adams, in leading the crusade against Freemasonry in the United States, A. D. 1834, which he hoped would elevate him to the presidency, calls it the chief Landmark of masonry, and that on which the very existence of the Order de- pends. And he adds dictatorially ; "the whole cause between Masonry and Antimasonry, now upon trial be- fore the tribunal of public opinion, is concentrated in one single act. Let a single Lodge resolve that they will cease to administer the B, and that Lodge is dissolved Let the whole Order resolve that it shall no longer be administered, and the Order is dissolved; for the aboli- tion of the O B necessarily imports the extinction of all the others." This is an extreme opinion; but there are many amongst ourselves who entertain a similar belief. Let us, then, enquire whether any alterations have been per- mitted on this vital point. There are very cogent reasons for believing that primitive Freemasonry had but one B for all the three degrees, which was short, expres- sive, and compact ; and the penalty has been handed to our own times as an unalterable landmark. It was in this form before the year 1500, as appears from the old masonic manuscript which has been published by Hali- well, "A good trwe othe ehe ther swere to hys mayster * Letter vii. 3 Ward's Freemasonry, p. 144. OF GLORY. 99 and hys felows that ben there ; that he will be stedefast and trwe also, to all thys ordynance, whersever he v go, and to hys lyge lord the kinge, to be trwe to hym, over alle thynge. And alle these poyntes hyr before to hem thou most nede be y swore." The points here referred to were condensed by Desaguliers and his colleagues Payne, Anderson, Sayer, Morrice and others in the O B of 1720. At present every degree has its separate B, with penalties modelled on the original specimen. But even the first B has sustained several alterations under the sanction of different Grand Lodges; and at the reunion under the two Grand Masters, the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, when a new arrangement of the Lectures was entrusted to the Lodge of Reconciliation by the United Grand Lodge, the ancient penalty was modified, and its construction changed from a physical to a moral punish- ment. I would not have it understood that I disapprove of the alteration ; although there are masons who consider it as the removal of an ancient Landmark, because I belong to that class who think that masonry, being a progressive science, is susceptible of improvement in accordance with the temper and intelligence of the age, without trenching on established Landmarks. I agree with Grand Master Tannehill when he says, "the Land- marks of the Order have existed through unnumbered ages, if not precisely in their present form, at least with- out any essential variation, although they have been handed down from age to age by oral tradition. The progress of society, the various changes that have taken place in the political, religious, and moral condition of mankind, have probably introduced various modifications in the forms and ceremonies of the Order ; still its fun- damental principles, and those characteristics which distinguish it from other human institutions, remain the same ; so that by its symbolic language, a mason of one country is readily recognized and acknowledged in ano- ther. To preserve these Landmarks, and transmit them to our successors, is a duty we owe to posterity, and of which we cannot be acquitted so long as moral obligation has any force." 4 4 American Masonic Register, vol. iv. p. 1. 100 THE SYMBOL The alteration of the Master's word is another instance of the discretionary power which is vested in the Grand Lodge, of authorizing organic changes ; for although not expunged, it was translated from the third degree to the Royal Arch by the Grand Lodge, of England after the middle of the. last century, and a new word substituted in its place. Before that period its masonic meaning was explained by the words, "the Grand Architect and Con- triver of the Universe, or he that was taken up to the top of the pinnacle of the holy Temple." Now, as no one was ever taken to the top of the pinnacle of the holy Temple but Christ, or the second person in the Trini- ty, there can be no mistake as to the meaning which our ancient brethren assigned to that sacred and sublime WORD. This construction was kept pre-eminently before the fraternity in every code of lectures which the Grand Lodge thought it expedient, as society advanced in intel- ligence, to recommend to the practice of the subordinate lodges. A series of types were first introduced ; then they were explained as being applicable to the Messiah ; and an illustration was appended explanatory of the five great points of his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. The herald and the beloved disciple were constituted the two great parallels of the Order, and sym- bolized by the figure of a circle, point, and parallel lines, which I have already, in a little work, devoted expressly to the subject, examined in detail; and to which I would refer the curious reader for further information, respect- ing these two presumed patrons of masonry. The three great virtues of Christianity were embodied in another emblem on the same road to heaven ; and which, as the authorized lectures expressed it, "by walking according to our masonic profession, will bring us to that blessed mansion above where the just exist in perfect bliss to all eternity ; where we shall be eternally happy with God. the Grand Geometrician of the Universe, whose only Son died for us, and rose again that we might be justified through faith in his most precious blood." Many of the above illustrations were expunged by Dr. Hemming and his associates in the Lodge of Reconcilia- tion, from the revised lectures ; Moses and Solomon were substituted as the two masonic parallels, and T G A T U OF GLORY. 101 was referred to God the Father instead of God the Son; forgetting, as Bishop Horsley observes, that "Christ, the Deliverer, whose coming was announced by the prophet Malachi, was no other than the JEHOVAH of the Old Testament. Jehovah by his angels delivered the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage; and the same Jehovah came in person to his Temple, to effect the greater and more general deliverance, of which the former was an imperfect type." The above changes were made under the idea that masonry, being cosmopolite, ought not to entertain any peculiar religious tenets, lest, instead of being based on the broad foundation of universality, it should dwindle into sectarianism. But, without reminding you, that so far from being a religious sect, Christianity, if we are to believe the Jewish or Christian Scriptures, is an univer- sal religion, which is destined to spread over the whole earth, and to embrace every created people in one fold under one shepherd the substitution of Moses and Solo- mon for the two Saint Johns, is in fact producing and perpetuating the very evil which the alteration was pro- fessedly introduced to avoid it is identifying the Order with a peculiar religion, which, though true at its original promulgation, was superseded by its divine author when the Sceptre had departed from Judah. At this period the religious atmosphere was enlightened by THE BIRTH OF LIGHT, in the appearance of Shiloh the Day Star from on high a Light to lighten the Gen- tiles, and the glory of the people of Israel ; who intro- duced a new Covenant, of which the religion of the Jews was a type or symbol ; except that as the Mosaic dispensation was temporary, that of Christ was general, for all nations, and everlasting, for all ages. 102 THE SYMBOL LECTURE IV. TO BRO. JOSEPH EDWARDS CARPENTER, W. M. SAMUEL OLDHAM, S. \V. JOHN BURGESS, J. W. SIR CHARLES DOUGLAS, M. P. P. M. CHARLES HARRIS, TREA. GEORGE J. KAIN, SEC. BREZZI , S. D. REV. W. WESTALL, J. D. JAMES SHARP, JUN., P. G. PURS. Of the Shakespere Lodge Warwick^ No. 356. MY DEAR BRETHREN, We live in strange, eventful times. Were our fore- fathers to rise from their graves, they would hold up their hands in astonishment, and pronounce it to be a different world from that which they had left behind them half a century ago. The work of locomotion, for which they were indebted to the power of living ani- mals, is now effected by means of steam produced from a mineral dug out of the bowels of the earth ; and even our artificial light, for which, at that period, a dead ani- mal contributed various portions of its body, is also the result of a different combination of the same material. OF GLORY. 103 The science of Chymistry has been the parent of both. And by the aid of another science, Electricity, we are enabled to hold familiar converse with friends at in- credible distances, without any fear of interruption or disappointment by the miscarriage of letters, or the un- faithfulness or death of messengers. A taste for the fine arts is propagated throughout the whole population by Schools of Design ; and a knowledge of general litera- ture is diffused by means of itinerant lecturers, whose disquisitions are calculated to improve the reasoning faculty, and elevate the mind of man to its proper sta- tion, as a rational being created for immortality. Amidst all this mass of moral and physical good, it behoves us, Free and Accepted Masons, to consider whether the Order we profess and admire is in a progres- sive state commensurate with the gigantic strides by which other sciences are advancing. The strife is an- tagonistic ; and if we mean to gain the prize if we have any ambition to win the applause of our contem- poraries here, or to share in the rewards of successful diligence hereafter, we must forget those things that are behind, and reaching forth towards those things which are before, we must press forward towards the mark. The Landmarks of masonry are necessarily stationary; for by a fundamental law of the Craft, they cannot be altered. To the Lectures, therefore, we must look for an evidence of the progressive improvement of the Order. And, accordingly, between the years 1717 and 1817, we have had six different arrangements of the Lectures, each being an improvement on its predecessor. But from 1814 to 1849, during which period such vast and momentous discoveries in science have been accomplished, our means of social improvement pursue the same un- varied round; and I am not cognizant that the Lectures have received a single alteration under the sanction of the Grand Lodge. If this apathy should unfortunately be of much longer duration, Freemasonry will soon be behind the times; and I am afraid its claim to a very remote origin will scarcely save it from neglect. A consummation which every true lover of the Order will most cordially deprecate. The doctrines contained in the ordinary disquisitions of our lodges, I have endeavoured to embody in the fol- 104 THE SYMBOL lowing Lecture, which I trust you will accept as an offering of fraternal friendship and gratitude for kind- nesses received; and by so doing you will confer an additional obligation on, Dear Brethren, Your faithful and obedient Servant, GEO. OLIVEK, D.D., Honorary Member of the Lodge. SCOPWICK VICARAGE, September 1, 1849. OF GLORY. 105 Iwtare examination of the Doctrines contained in the Lodge Lectures. " When to the Lodge we go, that happy place, There faithful Friendship smiles in every face. What though our joys are hid from public view, They on reflection please, and must be true. The Lodge the social virtues fondly love ; There Wisdom's rules we trace, and so improve ; There we, in moral architecture skilled, Dungeons for vice for virtue temples build ; Whilst sccptered Eeason from her steady throne Well pleased surveys us all, and makes us one." PROLOGUE AT EXETER, 1771. " Rewarde the just, be steadfast, true, and plaine, Represse the proud, maintaining aye the right ; Walke always so, as ever in his sight, Who guardes the godly, plaguing the prophane. And so ye shall in princely vertues shine Resembling right your mightie King divine." KING JAMES I. THE Lectures of Masonry contain an extensive refer- ence to a system of moral duties, applicable to every station of life, and to all situations in which a Mason can possibly be placed, although the explanations are not so ample and diffusive as might be wished. They apply in general to the duties which we owe to God, our neigh- bour, and ourselves ; including brief dissertations on the theological and cardinal virtues; on Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth ; and a variety of other subjects con- nected with Bible history ; for above all other means of promoting the interests of morality amongst the Brother- hood, it is felt that the influence of religion is the most efficient and certain ; and hence the system is based on the knowledge and acknowledgment of a God who is 5* 106 THE SYMBOL the creator of the world, and the author and giver of every good and perfect gift. Freemasonry must not, however, be mistaken for a religious sect, although it embraces that universal sys- tem in which all men agree ; while the infidel and atheist are excluded, because they prefer the dangerous alterna- tive of disbelieving the divine existence. It was on this rock that the efforts of Barruel, and some other oppo- nents of Masonry, who, labouring to neutralize and destroy its influence, were miserably shipwrecked amongst the quicksands of ignorance and error. They endeavoured to make out that it was a religious sect of a most exclusive nature, founded on the principles of deism ; and, failing in their proofs, all the elaborate superstructure which they had raised with so much labour and toil on this sandy foundation, fell to the ground in ruins. The trust of a Mason is in the Most High God, as a basis which can never fail, and a rock which never can be shaken. Nor is it a mere empty profession ; for it is borne out and illustrated by our practice. We open and close our Lodges with prayer ; the same formula is used at the initiation of candidates ; and no business of any importance is conducted without invoking the Divine assistance on our labours ; and the blessing of God can- not be expected to follow any man's profession, unless it be verified by a good and virtuous life. The Lectures of Freemasonry inculcate and enforce brotherly love as a means of inciting the performance of duty and the promotion of social happiness. But this doctrine, beautiful as it is, was thrown into shade by the introduction of the Theological Virtues, which display a Love that is divine ; the operation of which, even the extinction of Faith and Hope, will not affect it in the slightest degree. This virtue is immortal, and will form the chief attraction amidst those everlasting hills which lie beyond the summit of the Masonic Ladder. T G A T U himself taught it as it was never understood before ; and by his instructions Masonry became an universal science ; for he promulgated that great truth which Jew and Gen- tile alike refused to admit, that all mankind are brethren. No matter what may be the birth, language, or colour oi the skin, every man is a brother if he faithfully performs his duty to God, his neighbour, and himself. OF GLORY. 107 And what are all other connections when compared with this great principle? It is true, friendship is ex- ceedingly pleasant ; the relations of husband and wife, parent and child, are still more dear. But they fall into insignificance before the glorious immunity of being a brother to the whole human race ; and by consequence, a son of God. And every one who keeps the command- ments delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai, is entitled to participate in all the privileges of the Covenant made with the general Father of us all, by which we are con- stituted his children. A blessed fraternity ; consecrated by Faith ; supported by Hope ; and cemented by univer- sal Charity. Now, in the arrangements of this world, a parent is generally desirous of having his children about him ; and when arrived at years of maturity, he becomes solicitous to advance them to a prosperous situation in the world. And he rejoices when he finds them sober, industrious, and respected by worthy men. Is it not equally credi- ble that our Father which is in heaven should rejoice when his children obey the truth ; and that he is desirous of seeing them in the Grand Lodge above, standing round about his throne. Again, all earthly connections, how endearing soever they may be, have their portion of sorrow. Friends may deceive us, and bring us into trouble. A beloved child may pursue evil courses, and bring down upon himself shame, and on his parents grief and care. A contentious wife or husband embitters life, and proves the uncer- tainty of perfect happiness on earth. And there is an- other consideration urged by Freemasonry, which may stimulate us to prepare assiduously for a state where pain, and care, and disappointment have no existence ; and that is, the uncertainty which attends the enjoyment of all human felicity ; symbolized in a Mason's Lodge by the legend of the third degree. The relation of a father to a child, or of a husband to his wife, is delightful. But how excruciating is the sor- row with which the death of any one of them covers the survivors. Observe the weeping children at their father's grave j observe the father, overwhelmed with grief, crying out bitterly, "My son, my son, would to God I had died for thee 5" observe a distracted mother, who 108 THE SYMBOL will not be comforted, because her child is dead. Such sorrows attend all temporal pleasures and comforts ; as is indicated by the Mosaic pavement of a lodge. We are happy to-day we may be miserable to-morrow. If we are worldly, we are sure to feel the sorrows of the world. Is it not better to be spiritual, as all good Masons ought to be, who value their privileges and respect their obli- gation. By such reasoning the doctrines of Freemasonry are brought to bear on the duties of social life ; and if our sublime Order did not improve the condition of man as a citizen of the world, its practice would be an useless waste of time, and would scarcely deserve the attention of any conscientious brother. In the lectures we are taught to consider faith in TGAOTU, which constitutes the first step of the Masonic Ladder, as primarily necessary to the attainment of its summit. But Faith must be shown by its fruits. It must lead through the portal of Hope to the consum- mation of Charity ; for it is by the practice of morality that our faith is shown to be sincere, and made capable of producing a most refined Love. The duties taught in the Lectures of Freemasonry extend to almost every transaction of our lives, and contain rules which we may apply to every situation in which we are likely to be placed. Some of our opponents will affirm that morality is an useless qualification for any man to possess ; and that nothing is required to prepare us for the happiness of another world, but a simple profession of faith. But if this be true, why did Jehovah promulgate the moral law with such ceremonial pomp ? Did he reveal it with such tremendous accompaniments, without exacting obedience to its precepts ? So far from it, that its obli- gations have been retained in the system of Christianity. The Redeemer of mankind commanded his followers to love the Lord their God with all their heart, and soul, and strength. This He pronounced to be the first great commandment. And the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. For these and other reasons equally cogent, Freema- sonry teaches her members that if God had not intended the commandments of the moral law to be eternally bind- ing on the consciences of his creatures, he would not have OF GLORY. 109 re realed them with such circumstantial ceremony. Nor would the moral law of the Jews have been made the basis of our own system of religion, if Faith, the first step of the ladder, were capable, unaided, of giving us the victory. Other resplendent virtues must be super- added. And therefore the lectures of masonry enjoin that " as prudence directs us in this election of the means most proper to attain our ends, so justice teaches us to propose to ourselves such ends only as are consistent with our several relations to society, rendering to all without distinction those dues which they are respec- tively entitled to claim from us ; bending with implicit obedience to the will of our Creator, and being scrupu- lously attentive to the sacred duties of life ; zealous in our attachments to our native country ; exemplary in our allegiance to the government under which we reside ; treating our superiors with reverence, our equals with kindness, and to our inferiors extending the benefit of admonition, instruction, and protection." As these and other similar doctrines and duties form a part of the very first Charge which is delivered to the incipient Freemason, it may be useful to take a brief view of them, as they apply to God, our neighbour, and our- selves ; as they form an exemplification of the moral law which was communicated to our Grand Master Moses from the mountain where the Deity had previously mani- fested himself in a Burning Bush. The first Table of this law describes our duty to God ; and the second our duty to our neighbour and ourselves. Let us, then, see how intimately these duties correspond with the teaching of our noble Order. Freemasonry directs us to put our sole trust in the One God who dwelleth in the highest heavens, under the several names, in consecutive degrees, of Great Archi- tect, Grand Geometrician of the Universe, and Most High or Jehovah. And teaches the true brother that " every blade of grass which covers the field, every flower which blows, and ever insect that wings its way in the bounds of expanded space, proves the existence of a FIRST CAUSE, and yields pleasure to the intelligent mind. Were the enquiring mason to descend into the bowels of the earth, and explore the kingdom of ores, minerals, fossils, he would find the same instances of 110 THE SYMBOL divine wisdom and goodness displayed in their formation and structure ; every gem and pebble proclaims the handywork of an Almighty Creator. Should he exalt his view to the more noble and elevated parts of nature, and survey the celestial orbs, how would his astonish- ment be increased. If, on the principles of Freemasonry and true philosophy, he contemplates the sun, the moon, the stars, and the whole concave vault of heaven, his pride will be humbled, and he will be lost in awful ad- miration. The immense magnitude of those bodies, the regularity and rapidity of their motions, and the vast extent of space through which they move, are equally inconceivable ; and as far as they exceed human compre- hension, baffle his most daring ambition, till, lost in the immensity of the theme, he sinks into his primitive insig- nificance. To him, the Great Geometrician of the Uni- verse, the father of Light and Life, the fountain of eternal wisdom, let us humbly dedicate our labours; imploring him to bless and prosper the work of our hands, to his own glory, the good of mankind, and the salva- tion of our immortal souls." Our Lectures teach this ; and further add that we are not to defile ourselves by the worship of any other deity, but confine our adoration to Him alone. If it be asked how is it possible to worship any other gods? the answer is ready. By elevating gold into an idol, like the miser; who worships the glittering root of evil night and day ; who thinks of nothing else, and hopes for nothing else. Here, then, is an object which takes precedence of Jehovah. And I am afraid it is an idol which is wor- shipped by others besides the confirmed miser. Again; how many are there who make an idol of pleasure; and even neglect the Most High, on his own sacred day, to follow it. In a word, it will be found a living fact, that whatever is inordinately loved and fol- lowed to the neglect of the allegiance which is due to the Divinity, is an idol and constitutes a breach of that preliminary law which the lectures of Freemasonry strictly enjoin the fraternity to keep unbroken. It will not be difficult to ascertain whether such con- duct our its OF GLORY. Ill Great Architect of the Universe in all his undertakings, some reckless brother should prefer the things of this world ; if instead of looking up to Him in every emer- gency for comfort and support he should allow himself to be governed by the crude opinions or the interested recommendations of mankind ; if instead of relying on Him in all doubts and difficulties, with the awe and reverence which is due from the creature to the Creator, he should unfortunately depend on his own understand- ing and trust to his own judgment ; if instead of making it his study to obey the divine will and pleasure, he should be inclined to consider his own interest or conve- nience in preference to it we may be quite sure that the world is his idol, and business or pleasure, in his es- timation, are preferable to the decrees of a wise and benevolent Creator. Hence the propriety of the admonition to beware lest we bow down to a graven image, which is the second point noticed in the moral law, and constitutes a breach of masonic obligation. It may, indeed, be supposed im- probable, in these enlightened times, that any one would be so weak and so absurd, as to fall down and worship any inanimate substance. The thing appears prepos- terous ; but it is clear that the danger does not lie in the literal object of adoration. Whatever we covet inordi- nately, how trifling soever it may be, is an insult to the Deity. And therefore the Lectures of masonry teach us to subdue all our irregular passions and propensities, that a habit of virtue may be induced, to enlighten the mind and purify the soul. It may therefore be reasonably concluded that whoever loves anything better than his duty to God, to him it is a graven image in which he puts his trust ; however he may deceive himself and others at his initiation, by de- claring that he puts his trust in God. One of the duties which we owe to that divine Being as taught by Free- masonry, is to hold his Sacred Name in the utmost reverence. And some of the superior degrees account it Ineffable, and not to be profaned by allowing it utterance, except on the most solemn occasions ; as the high priest of the Jews was only allowed to enter the Sanctum Sanctorum on the great day of annual atonement ; be- cause the Almighty, proclaims that " he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain." 112 THE SYMBOL The Lectures further teach that our ancient brethren, after diligently attending to their worldly business six days in the week, devoted the seventh to rest and wor- ship ; and that it will be equally our duty and interest to copy their example ; because the profanation of the Sabbath is forbidden in the Sacred Roll of the Law ; and it unfortunately constitutes one of the crying sins of the nineteenth century. To give a better insight into the obligations of a Free and Accepted Mason on this point, I will suggest a few heads of self-enquiry to ascertain how far the above duties are binding on the fraternity ; first producing a passage from a copy of the ancient Gothic Charges of Freemasonry already referred to. " Loveday (Sabbath) yet schul they make nonn, tyl that the werke day be clene a gonn, apon the holy day ye mowe wel take leyser y nowygh Loveday to make, lest that hyt wolde the werke day, latte here werke for suche a fray ; to suche ende thenne that ye hem drawe, that they stonde wel yn Goddes lawe." And again. " Holy Churche ys Goddes hous, that ys y mad for nothynge ellus but for to pray yn, as the bok tellus ; ther the pepul schal gedur ynne, to pray and wepe for here synne." Do you, in obedience to this advice, conscientiously devote the Sabbath day to God, and spend its sacred hours in worship, in reading, and in meditation ; or do you neglect its duties, and devote it to worldly or carnal purposes ? The ancient masonic directions on this point, from the tenth to the fourteenth century, are plain and precise. "In Holy Churche lef nyse wordes of lewed speche and fowle wordes, and putte away alle vanyte, and say thy pater noster and thyne ave ; loke also thou make no bere, but ay to be yn thy prayere, yef thou wolt not thyselve pray, latte non other no way. In that place nowther sytte ny stonde, but knele fayr down on the gronde, and when the Gospel me rede schal, fayre thou stonde up fro the wal, and blesse the fayre, yef that thou conne, when Gloria tibi is begonne ; and when the Gospel ys y doun, agayn thou mygth knele adown on bothe thy knen down thou falle, for hyse love that bowght us alle: 1 It will, then, appear perfectly clear, that according to the teaching of ancient masonry, every abuse of that day which has been set apart as a day of rest, will be brought OF GLORY. 113 to a strict account ; for if Jehovah has solemnly warned us to " remember that we keep holy the Sabbath day," he will not fail to remember also whether we have obeyed or disobeyed the command. What, indeed, can be a more glorious sight for men and angels, than an assembly of human creatures, who have souls to save, united in the public worship of God, as directed in the above old masonic manuscript. Our Saviour laid this practical demand on the brethren ; "a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another." And he adds: "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples." This is the principal object of Freemasonry. It is, therefore, our indispensable duty to love the brethren ; or in other words, to do each other all the good offices in our power ; to be kind, compas- sionate, and charitable ; not to speak evil of others, nor to listen when others wish to speak evil of their neigh- bours. It is, indeed, too true that there are many in the world who appear to take delight in promoting disputes, and fomenting quarrels. But is it agreeable to the rules of masonry, to set friends at variance with each other, to disunite families, and to throw society into confusion ? On the contrary, its Lectures speak highly of the value of a tongue of good report ; and recommend the fraternity to speak as well of a brother in his absence as in his presence ; and, if unable to do so with a safe conscience, to preserve a strict and charitable silence, as the distin- guishing virtue of the Order. Let the master of a Lodge, therefore, take every opportunity of cautioning the breth- ren not only to refrain from slander themselves, but never to listen to it ; for it is a breach of the stringent injunc- tion of the grand patron of masonry, St. John the Evan- gelist, who, in imitation of his divine Master, frequently directs us to love one another. And for this reason, because if the love of God and man be the ground of our actions, it will promote our own happiness, and spread the blessings of peace and unanimity amongst all ranks and descriptions of men. This is the spirit which the Lectures of Freemasonry inculcate. It is the disposition of angels and the practice of every faithful brother. One of the numerous virtues which are strongly recommended in the masonic system, is filial piety. According to the ancient masonic record which has been 114 THE SYMBOL BO copiously exemplified in this Lecture, the reward of duteous children is thus stated. " These lordys chyldryn therto dede falle to lurne of hym the craft of Gemetry, which was the name of Masonry, the wheche he made ful curysly; throygh fadrys prayers and modrys also, thys onest craft he putte hem to; he that lerned best and were of oneste and passud hys felows yn curyste, gef yn that craft he dede hym passe, he schulde have more worschepe then the lasse." The heathen knew very little of this virtue ; for the custom of exposing infirm children votaque saepe Ad spurcos decepta lacus, was not a recommendation to the brothers and sisters of the unfortunate victims to be kind to their parents in return; although the law of Solon, called Alimenta, made it incumbent on children to provide for their aged parents. Amongst the later Jews this principle was virtually renounced ; although they were commanded to " honour their father and mother, that it might be well with them, and that they might live long upon the earth." And the duty was frequently reiterated in their sacred writ- ings. Thus the son Sirach says very affectingly, " honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget not the sorrows of thy mother. Remember that thou wast be- gotten of them, and how canst thou recompense them the things which they have done for thee?" Their dis- regard to parental necessities, however, was so remark- ably prominent as to be formally recognized by a Jewish statute, denominated Corban ; and hence our Saviour reproaches the Jews for making a corban of that which ought to be appropriated to the use of their parents. Thus if a parent was in necessity, and applied to his child for assistance, the answer was, I have already devoted what you require of me to God, and therefore if I give it you, I shall be guilty of the greatest profanation. The Talmud gives the form of appropriation ; and though it is contrary to reason and the feelings of nature, yet it was universally approved and practised by the Pharisees and their successors. OF GLORY. 115 Amongst masons the great principle of filial piety is denoted by the word Lewis, which signifies strength; and in operative masonry consists of certain pieces of metal, which, when dovetailed into a stone, form a cramp by which great weights, otherwise immovable, are raised to certain heights with very little difficulty, and fixed on their proper bases. In speculative ma- sonry, the word Lewis symbolizes the son of a master mason, whose duty it is to bear the burden and heat of the day in lieu of his parents, who, by reason of their age, ought to be exempt ; to help them in the time of need, and thereby render the close of their days happy and comfortable. His privilege for so doing is to be made a mason before any other person, however dignified. These precepts and duties are incumbent upon all good and dutiful children who have been initiated into the mysteries of masonry. They must honour their parents by a filial affection for their persons, a defer- ence to their opinions, a tender regard for their safety, and an implicit obedience to their commands. Being fully sensible of the immense obligations which their nurture and education have imposed upon them, they feel themselves at all times ready to show their respect by a constant and cheerful attendance to their wishes. If their parents are in want, they relieve them ; if they are feeble or infirm, they support them, and on every occasion are prepared to vindicate their welfare and happiness. Such are the obligations which masonry imposes, and they are well calculated to contribute to the general good of society; for they are founded upon the best feelings of our nature, and not only insure do- mestic happiness, but also harmony and peace amongst all ranks and descriptions of men. A parent has claims upon his child which none but a parent can know. No other can estimate the affectionate care and anxiety which dwell in the heart of a parent to produce the welfare of his offspring, at a time when they are in capable of providing for themselves when they must have perished, if deprived of parental tenderness. The wise man truly says, "the father waketh for the daughter when no man knoweth, and the care for 11C THE SYMBOL her taketh away sleep." Common gratitude, therefore, ought to point out the necessity of an adequate return, when age and infirmity have cast a shade over these early and constant friends, and the loss of health and strength is accompanied by adversity, and perhaps by sickness and pain. But experience shows that gratitude is too slender a tie to operate with a beneficial effect on stubborn or impracticable natures. We frequently see parents deserted by their children at a period when they are most in need of active assistance. They have arrived at maturity perhaps they have families of their own to provide for and this is considered a sufficient ex- cuse for leaving their aged parents to the mercy of the world. They have been indebted to them for nurture, for instruction, for the means of procuring subsistence ; and yet all these benefits are overlooked on a narrow and selfish principle which Freemasonry is solicitous to remove. They abandon their parents to want and all its miserable attendants ; and by such conduct, frequently bring their gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. The Mosaic pavement of a mason's lodge is placed there to show the vicissitudes of human life; that however prosperity may favour us with its smiles to- day, it is uncertain how long it will continue to bless us. Adversity may come when we least expect it, and penury and distress may follow joy and pleasure. The latter period of life may be subjected to want and misery, when we are most unfit to encounter it ; and instead of resting in peace after a long and troublesome journey, we may be compelled again to encounter the burden and heat of the day. This, then, is the period for the Lewis to display the virtues of filial piety and gratitude; and in such a case no danger is so great, but he will readily encounter it, and no toil so severe, but he will willingly bear it. This is strongly recommended in the system of Free- masonry ; and forms an important link in the chain of benefits which society receives from this benevolent institution. Now, as Free and Accepted Masons, we may be inclined to believe that we have done every thing OF GLORY. 117 which the Order prescribes in this particular, by obedience and submission to our immediate parents. But it is our duty also to honour all men, and love the brotherhood, whatever be their station, whether superiors, equals, or inferiors. To the first we owe submission; to the two last love and condescension. It will be for us to consider whether we have always obeyed this command, by submitting to lawful au- thority on the one hand, or treating our humbler brethren with supercilious contempt on the other. What alas ! is the greatness of this world ? All that can be said of the very proudest man in existence, after he is dead, is that he was born he lived and he died. Pride is as hateful to God as it is to man. He made the poor as w r ell as the rich ; and with him there is no respect of persons. The doctrines of masonry respect equally a brother's life ; the chastity of his wife and daughter ; and the protection of his property and reputation. A brother's life is a sacred deposit, which no one will dare to violate, if he duly reflects on the punishment of mur- der, as it is delineated in certain ceremonies which are familiar to the perfectly initiated mason. But there are some things more valuable than life. The Book which lies open on the pedestal of a mason's lodge will tell you what they are. " Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill ; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his Brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council ; but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." By these words we understand that anger and quarrelling are highly reprehensible, and therefore our laws contain stringent provisions against all such improper practices. Our Grand Patron St. John is particularly strong upon this point, when he says "he that loveth not his brother abideth in death." And he has a plainer expression even than this, and more to our present purpose. " Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 118 THE SYMBOL Who, then, can be innocent of this offence? Where is the man to be found who has never been at variance with his brother? And this, on the above authority, is called murder. And, indeed, hatred and illwill have often ended in murder, when the angry man deemed himself incapable of such a crime. Consider the delinquency of the three Fellow Crafts, and reflect on their punishment. And if we suffer ourselves to be provoked to anger on every trifling occasion, who can tell what injury may arise, if our anger be increased by insult and provocation. But there are many other ways of violating this pre- cept, against which the Free and Accepted Mason ought to be for ever on his guard. For instance ; in wishing for the death of any person who may stand in the way of our advancement ; or that of any official person w T hom we hope to succeed. This is at least a violation of our duty to God, our neighbour, and ourselves ; and a breach of our masonic obligation. The next precept to which I have referred, as being one of the peculiar doctrines which are contained in the lectures of masonry, respects the personal chastity of a mason's wife or daughter. Indeed it was a positive com- mand written by the finger of God "Thou shalt not commit adultery." And a primitive law of masonry was thus expressed. Thou schal not by thy inaystres wyf ly, Ny by thy felows, yn no maner wyse, Lest the craft wolde the despyse ; Ny by thy felows concubyne, No more thou woldest he dede by thyne. Gef he forfete yn eny of hem, So y chasted thenne most he ben ; Ful mekell care mygth ther begynne, For suche a fowle dedely synne. There is every reason to believe that this law is re- spected by the fraternity, although it condemns a sin which is sometimes practised by others without remorse, and talked of without shame. Our Grand Master, king Solomon, however, says, "rejoice young man, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes ; OF GLORY. 119 but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." We now come to the consideration of the inviolability of our neighbour's property and reputation, which Free- masonry binds us to protect as carefully as if they were our own. It is not enough that no encroachments are made on it by actual violence on our own part, or conni- vance when it is invaded by others. The good mason, who acts according to the instruction which he receives in the Lodge, will not endeavour to profit by his brother's ignorance or inexperience in any worldly transactions ; but so far from injuring him, he will protect him from danger by giving him timely notice of any attack which may be meditated by others ; thus showing to the un- initiated world that we are united by a chain of indisso- luble affection, which cannot fail to distinguish us while we continue to practise the distinguishing duties of our profession, Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. In the United States, there is, or was, a peculiar de- gree, by which the fraternity undertook to protect the interests of their brethren from encroachment ; and for this purpose, the candidate, at his admission, promises to caution his brother by sign, word, or token, not only when he is about to do anything contrary to the prin- ciples of masonry, or whenever he sees him about to in- jure himself by inadvertence or ignorance in buying and selling ; but that he will himself, being so cautioned, pause and reflect on the course he is pursuing ; and that he will assist a brother by introducing him in business to his friends, and to promote his interests by every means in his power. And further, Freemasonry teaches the brethren by its lectures that it is their duty to support a brother's char acter in his absence more energetically than in his pres- ence, because it is presumed that when present he will be able to vindicate his own reputation ; not wrongfully to revile him, or suffer him to be reviled by others if it is in their power to prevent it. An offence against this precept is committed by misrepresenting the conduct of a brother, or passing uncharitable reflections upon him ; by whispering, backbiting or circulating injurious reports. This has always been considered a fault of such magni- tude, that T a A T U has decreed that " all liars shall 120 THE SYMBOL have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone;" and Freemasonry discountenances slander by giving honour to the tongue of good report, which is indicated in the Tracing Board by a specific and ex- pressive symbol. I shall now consider a few negative virtues which are embodied in the lectures of Freemasonry ; trusting that they will be found equally valuable with those already mentioned ; and applicable alike to the fraternity, and to society at large ; because an abstinence from vice is as useful to the community as the practice of virtue. The best masons are not always the most learned men ; for the chief excellence of the Order does not consist so much in its science as in its morality. The moral and intellectual, though frequently found in unison with each other, are qualities essentially different. " That virtue proceeds from rectitude, and vice from error of judgment, we do not at all, perhaps, perceive with sufficient clear- ness. By the terms of distinction we are in the habit of using in familiar discourse, when we are speaking of the intellectual and moral characters of mankind, we are some of us, possibly, in some measure diverted from dis- cerning the derivation of right and wrong conduct, from just and false opinion. We speak, in common conversa- tion, of a good head and a good heart ; and we are care- lessly led by this local account of intellectual and moral excellence, to conceive of good sense and good living, as proceeding from different departments and provinces of our nature ; and fancifully to consider them as having their source where we thus figuratively assign them their seat," 1 But universal experience convinces us that this is not always the case. The cleverest and most talented men are sometimes extremely dissolute. Such persons, when they apply their learning or talent to improper purposes, are the most dangerous characters in existence. Their judgment and tact enable them to conceal the iniquity of their intentions, and they hence practise their ne- farious plans on the credulity of the public with impu- nity. Joseph Balsamo, better known under his assumed name of Count Cagliostro, was a clever charlatan of 1 Fawcett's Sermons, vol. i., p. 127. OF GLORY. 121 this description. His success in the prosecution of his schemes is thus detailed in the memoirs of Abbe Georgel, touching the case of Cardinal Kohan. "In the mean time an unfortunate circumstance contributed to hurry the Cardinal into extraordinary adventures. I do not know what monster, envious of the tranquility of honest men, had vomited forth upon our country an enthusiastic empiric, a new Apostle of the religion of nature, who created converts in the most despotic manner, and subjected them en- tirely' to his influence. "Some speedy cures effected in cases that were pro- nounced incurable, and fatal in Switzerland and Stras- burg, spread the name of Cagliostro far and wide, and raised his renown to that of a truly miraculous physi- cian. His attention towards the poor and his contempt for the rich, gave his character an air of superiority and interest which excited the greatest enthusiasm. Those whom he chose to honour with his familiarity, left his society with ecstacy at his transcendent qualities. The Cardinal de Rohan waa at his residence at Saverne, when the Count de Cagliostro astonished Strasburg and all Switzerland with the extraordinary cures he perform- ed. Curious to see so remarkable a personage, the Car- dinal went to Strasburg. It was found necessary to use interest to be admitted to the Count. If M. le Cardinal is sick, said he, let him come to me and I will cure him? if he be well, he has no business with me, nor have I with him. This reply, far from giving offence to the vanity of the Cardinal, only increased the desire he had to be acquainted with him. " At length, having gained admission to the sanctuary of this new Esculapius, he saw on the countenance of this incommunicative man a dignity so imposing that he felt himself penetrated by a religious awe, and that his first words were inspired by reverence. This inter- view, which was very short, excited more strongly than ever the desire of a more intimate acquaintance. At length it was obtained, and the crafty empiric timed his conduct and his advances so well, that at length, with- out seeming to desire it, he gained the entire confidence of the Cardinal, and possessed the greatest ascendency over him. His Egyptian lodges were opened at night in the Cardinal's own drawing room, illuminated by an 6 122 THE SYMBOL immense number of wax tapers ; and he succeeded in persuading his dupe, that under the influence of a famili- ar demon, he could teach him to make gold out of baser metals, and transmute small diamonds into large precious stones. And thus under the pretence of developing the rarest secrets of the Rosicrucians and other visionaries, who believed in the existence of the Philosopher's stone, the elixir of life, &c., he cheated the Cardinal out of large sums of money, which, instead of passing through the crucibles, found their way into the pockets of the sharper." The true science of Freemasonry guards against such impostures by the most stringent regulations ; and recommends the practice of virtue as a shield against the impositions of designing men. Thus the Constitu- tions declare that no person shall be admitted as a can- didate without notice and strict enquiry into his charac- ter and qualifications. That every candidate must be a free man and his own master, and at the time of his initiation, be known to be in reputable circumstances. He should be a lover of the liberal arts and sciences, and have made some progress in one or other of them. And previous to his initiation, he is called upon to sub- scribe a declaration that he will cheerfully conform to all the ancient usages and established customs of the Order. And even then, he cannot on any pretence be admitted, if, on the ballot, three black balls shall appear against him. The Charge delivered to an entered apprentice is equally plain and significant. " No institution can boast a more solid foundation than that on which Free- masonry rests the practice of social and moral virtue; and to so high an eminence has its credit been advanced, that in every age, monarchs themselves have become the promoters of the art, have not thought it derogatory from their dignity to exchange the sceptre for the trowel ; have patronized our mysteries, and even joined our assemblies." With such precautions, it will appear at least very improbable that vicious or unworthy characters should gain admission into a lodge. But unfortunately this does sometimes occur. And the characters of men undergo such extraordinary and unexpected changes by OF GLORY. 123 the force of circumstances, that it is impossible for Freemasonry to answer for the stability of every bro- ther who may have been enrolled amongst its members ; and such alterations in the disposition cannot be provi- ded against by any sumptuary law. The universal system remains unsullied by the introduction of an occasional impostor, although the locality where such an event occurs may suffer a temporary shadow to obscure its light ; for as Agesilaus observed when the director of ceremonies in the Gymnasium placed him in an unwor- thy situation ; " it is not the place that makes the man, but the man that makes the place honourable or disho- nourable." It is to be regretted, however, that such impostors sully and avert the stream of masonic charity. They prowl about the country with false certificates, and often succeed in deluding benevolent brothers, to the injury of those who are really in distress. And the difficulty of distinguishing between real and assumed objects of charity may be estimated from such cases as the following, which has been extracted from 'the Quar- terly Communication for Dec., 1823. "A Report from the Board of General Purposes was read, stating that an individual, calling himself Simon Ramus, had been endeavouring to impose upon the brethren, and to obtain pecuniary assistance, under colour of a fabricated certificate, stating him to have been a member of the Lodge No. 353. And also that another individual, calling himself Miles Martin, but supposed to be one Joseph Larkins, had, in a similar manner, been endeavoring to impose upon the brethren, under colour of a certificate from the Grand Lodge of Ireland and another from the Lodge No. 145, at Norwich; all which certificates had been detained and transmitted to the Grand Lodge. The Board stated that they were induced to make this Report with a view to guard brethren against further attempts at imposition by those individuals, although their means were in a great measure destroyed by the detention of the certificates." Such cases are of common occurrence in the country; and to guard against them as completely as possible, the laws, under the presumption that ignorance is the parent of vice, provide against the admission of un- 124 THE SYMBOL educated persons who are incapable of writing their own names, by requiring them actually to suscribe the Declaration. A want of attention to this rule is calculated to produce many other irregularities. The following censure of the Grand Lodge on this point merits general circulation amongst the brethren. For obvious reasons the name of the offending lodge is omitted. " It being remarked in the Grand Lodge that some of the brethren of the Lodge No. were unable to write, inasmuch as their marks only were affixed against their names, and amongsfr them was the Junior Warden; and the law, sec. iv., p. 90, declaring such individuals ineligible for initiation, the M. W. Grand Master will, after this notice, feel it a duty he owes to the Craft to bring under the cognizance of the Grand Lodge the conduct of any Lodge which shall violate the wholesome and necessary law above referred to ; a breach of which it is declared in the preamble to the regulations for proposing members, &c., p. SS, shall subject the offending lodge to erasure. And the M. W. Grand Master will require his Provincial Grand Masters to warn the lodges under their respective superintend- ence, of this His Royal Highness's determination, and to report to him any instance which shall come to their knowledge of a disregard of the law in this respect." 2 Quart. Com. 26th Sept., 1826. OF GLORY 125 LECTURE V. (Bptatle Debitotorq TO BRO. REV. CHARLES NAIRNE, D. P. G. M. & W. M. REV. W. N. JEPSON, G. T. \V. SIBTHORP, ESQ., E. F. BROADBENT, ESQ., G. H. SHIPLEY, RALPH TAYLOR, M. WOODCOCK, JOSEPH DURANCE, JOHN MIDDLETON, HENRY COTTON, S. W. J. W. P. M. TREA. P M. & SEC. S. D. J. D. P. M. & M. C. STEWARD, Of the Wiiham Lodge, Lincoln, No. 374. MY DEAR BRETHREN AND FRIENDS, Whom I know so well, and esteem so highly, will accept this trifling testimony of my regard, resulting from a connection of many years' standing, and a social intercourse that has, I flatter myself, been mutually advantageous. Oft have I met your social band, And spent the cheerful festive night; Oft, honoured with supreme command. Presided o'er the sons of Light. 126 THE SYMBOL And by that hieroglyphic bright Which none but craftsmen ever saw ; Strong memory on my heart shall write Those happy scenes when far awa'. BURNS. Those happy days are gone, never to return. Younger men may enjoy them as I have done ; although it will re- quire a very high degree of enthusiasm to impart the same relish which it has been my good fortune to possess. Some of my happiest moments have been passed in a mason's lodge. Commonplace maxims, if they were only clothed in the mantle of Freemasonry, have been invested with all the dignity of philosophy ; and prosaic precepts have mounted in my excited imagination to the sublime regions of poetic inspiration. I often look back upon that period with sensations of unfeigned pleasure. It was like a bright halo of glory which overshadowed my path, and cast its streams of glittering light about me. The Lodge was a Paradise of pleasure, and masonry spread a gleam of sunshine on my existence. Your lodge, my dear brethren, is associated in my mind with that season of felicity, as connected with my Provincial presidency; and I cannot offer you a better wish than that you may enjoy, as I have done, the social delights which spring from an intercourse with each other in a tyled Lodge, governed by Wisdom, protected by Strength, and en- livened by Beauty. There are many good masons in the Witham Lodge who have made it their study to investigate the doc- trines contained in the system of Freemasonry, and to trace them to their source, that their accuracy may be established by the most unexceptionable references. If it were not founded on the strong basis of truth, it would not have so nobly and triumphantly sustained the repeated attempts, both direct and indirect, and all insidious, to sully its fair fame, and blot it out of the list of those beneficent institutions which confer so much honour on their supporters, and such inesti- mable benefits on society at large. The symbol which forms the subject of the Lecture which I have the pleasure of dedicating to you, is of such importance as to admit of several interpretations, OF GLORY. 127 each illustrating the sublimity of its reference; and unitedly forming a constellation of moral and religious virtues which constitute an appropriate introduction to the divine qualities that point the way to heaven. That the Members of the Witham Lodge may expe- rience no difficulty in finding that narrow path, is the sincere wish of W. Sir, and dear brethren, Your sincere friend, And faithful Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Hon. Member of the Witham Lodge. SCOPWICK VICARAGE, October 1, 1849. 128 THE SYMBOL 3Cfrtatt tire The twelve definitions of the Circle and Parallel Lines considered. " The Circle has ever been considered symbolic of the Deity ; for as a Circle appears to have neither beginning nor end, it may justly be considered a type of the Deity, without either beginning of days or ending of years. It also reminds us of a future state, where we hope to enjoy everlasting happiness and glory." OLD LECTURES WHEN a candidate for masonic honours has been enlightened by describing the circle of duty round the central point of light, and is permitted to look round him and observe the appointments and decorations, he is particularly struck with the appearance of numerous instruments of mechanical labour which appertain to the trade of an operative mason ; intermixed with a profuse sprinkling of astronomical signs, and indications of a present Deity, which he sees arranged methodically about the Lodge. On whatever side he may turn his eyes, the effect is still the same. The ceiling is covered with symbols ; as well as the pedestal, the tables, the walls, and the pillars. And before him, on what he may take to be an altar, lies the Volume of the Sacred Law of God, covered with mathematical instruments ; which he also observes are repeated on the bosoms of the Officers. These we call Jewels, for the same reason as righteous men are often dignified with this title in the Holy Volume just mentioned, 1 because they are held amongst us in superior estimation. The floor is composed of Mosaic work, and surrounded with a tesselated border, in imita- tion of the lithostrata or tesselated pavements of the 1 Mai. iii., 17. OF GLORY. 129 Romans, so many remains of which exist in our own country. On a first view of this peculiarity, the ideas of the candidate may probably revert to the chambers of imagery, so well described by the prophet Ezekiel; 2 to the Pantheon of Rome, the Catacombs of Egypt, or the cavern temples of Hindoostan. But his antiquarian reminiscences will afford a very imperfect notion of the scene which is exhibited in a mason's Lodge ; for those decorations, unlike the symbols of masonry, consisted of sensible objects of veneration single and double-faced deities, compound and imaginary animals ; Genii with heads of birds, hawks, ibis, drakes, Of lions, foxes, cats, fish, frogs, and snakes, Bulls, rams, and monkeys, hippopotami, With knife in paw, suspended from the sky ; Gods germinating men, and men turn'd to gods, Seated in honour with gilt crooks and rods ; Vast scarabaei, globes by hands upheld From chaos springing, 'mid an endless field Of forms grotesque the sphynx, the crocodile, And other reptiles from the slime of Nile. 3 Similar monuments have been recently discovered in Central America, which Stephens thus describes. They " stand in the depths of a tropical forest, silent and so- lemn, strange in design, excellent in sculpture, rich in ornament, different from the works of any other people, their uses and purposes, their whole history so entirely unknown, with hieroglyphics explaining all, but perfectly unintelligible. Often the imagination was pained in gazing at them. The tone which pervades the ruins is that of deep solemnity. An imaginative mind might be infected with superstitious feelings. From constantly calling them by that name in our intercourse with the Indians, we regarded those solemn memorials as Idols, deified kings and heroes ; objects of adoration and cere- monial worship. We did not find on either of the monuments or sculptured fragments any delineations of human, or in fact, any other kind of sacrifice ; but had no doubt that the large sculptured stone invariably found before each idol, was employed as a sacrificial altar 8 Ezek. viii., 10. 3 Hall's Life of Salt, vol. ii., p. 416. 6* 130 THE SYMBOL The form of sculpture most frequently met with was a death's head ; sometimes the principal ornament, and sometimes only accessory ; whole rows of them on the outer wall, adding gloom to the mystery of the place, keeping before the eyes of the living, death and the grave ; and presenting the idea of a holy city the Mecca or Jerusalem of an unknown people." 4 And a most curious circumstance respecting these ancient monuments of a nation whose very existence is unrecorded, is worthy of notice here. The workmen in their construction, used certain mason-marks to indicate their own productions. Thus Stephens tells us that " on the walls of these desolate edifices were prints of the mano Colorado, or red hand. Often as I saw this print, it never failed to interest me. It was the stamp of the living hand ; and always brought me nearer to the builders of these cities. The Indians said it was the hand of the Master of the Building." 5 In a mason's lodge, however, every thing which the candidate sees before his eyes, possesses a symbolical meaning to recommend the practice of virtue in order to produce the glory of God, peace on earth, and good will towards men ; a result which is considered accepta- ble to T G A T U, because it cannot fail to prove a source of happiness to his creatures, and lead to an abundant reward in the mansions of the blessed. The explanations of one series of these masonic sym- bols will be amply sufficient to illustrate my proposition, that the poetry of Freemasonry should be understood and felt before the science can be estimated according to its real value ; for symbolism constitutes not only the materials, but the very essence of poetry. The early Christians had a symbol for every thing ; nor did they hesitate to borrow these expressive tokens from the heathen, if they promised to advance the interests of their own system of religion. As Lord Lindsay observes respecting the adoption of pagan rites and ceremonies into Christianity, " our ancestors touched nothing that they did not Christianize ; they consecrated this visible world into a temple of God, of which the heavens were the dome, the mountains the altars, the forests the pil- * Yucatan, vol. i., p. 158. 5 Ibid. vol. ii., p. 46. OF GLORY. 131 lared aisles, the breath of spring the incense, and the running streams the music, while in every tree they sheltered under, in every flower they looked down upon and loved, they recognized a virtue or a spell, a token of Christ's love to man, or a memorial of his martyr's suffer- ings. God was emphatically in all their thoughts, and from such, whatever might be their errors, God could not be far distant. It would be well for us could we retain that early freshness in association with a purer and more chastened creed." 6 The symbols of masonry possess the quality, above those of any other society, of exalting, by the sublimity of their nature, and the aptitude of their application, the character of the Order to its highest point of beauty and usefulness. In a word, Freemasonry differs essentially from all other human societies, in its moral organization and benevolent character. This difference, as is well expressed by our transatlantic brother, the Rev. Salem Town, in his first Prize Address, is clearly marked, and may be distinctly perceived to lie, primarily, in the simplicity and obvious purity of its first principles, and subordinately, in their natural and perfect adaptedness to the end in view. A defect in either case would mar the whole, endanger the unity, and defeat the design. Sound principles, injudiciously or wrongfully applied, may utterly fail to accomplish a desirable and proper object, simply for the want of adaptedness in the means, to secure the end. Freemasonry is a well adjusted course of means, most wisely carried out by its members, in the accomplishment of specific acts of a benevolent nature. The symbols which I have selected for my present purpose, are the Point within a Circle flanked by two perpendicular parallel lines, supporting the Holy Bible, on which rests the foot of a Ladder, containing staves or rounds innumerable ; and three gates, with the figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity, at equal distances from each other on the ascent. Its summit penetrates the highest heavens, symbolized by a semicircle or Rainbow edged with the three prismatic colours ; surmounted by the vesica piscis, and divine triangle containing the Sacred Name ; while the host of heaven are represented 8 Christian Art, vol, i., xxvii. 132 THE SYMBOL as singing " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." In the firmament is seen a Blazing Star, and the Sun, Moon, and seven Planets of the ancient world. This combination of symbols embraces the general plan and design of the masonic Order ; which is, to teach the brethren so to use things temporal that they finally lose not the things that are eternal ; or in other words, to instruct them how they may conduct themselves in their passage through this short and transitory life so as to entertain a just and reasonable hope at its conclusion, of receiving the joyful sentence of approval from the lips of a just but lenient Judge, " Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." To explain this glorious Symbol seriatim, we will first consider the situation where it is placed. Our ancient brethren, who reduced the scattered elements of Free- masonry into order at the beginning of the last century, considered the lodge to be situated in the valley of Jehoshaphat ; and that in whatever part of the world it might be opened, it was still esteemed, in a figure, to occupy that celebrated locality. Thus it was pronounced in the earliest known lectures, that " the lodge stands upon holy ground, or the highest hill or lowest vale, or in the Vale of Jehoshaphat ." This celebrated valley derived its name from JEHOVAH and SHAPHAT, which mean Christ and to judge; and as the prophet Joel had predicted that the Lord would gather together all nations, and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, it was believed by the Jews, (and the Christians subsequently adopted the same opinion,) that in this place the trans- actions of the great day of Judgment would be enacted. Thus in the ninth century, Bernard the Wise, a Chris- tian pilgrim, in his Travels in the Holy Land, says, " in the valley of Jehoshaphat there is a Church of St. Leon, in which it is said that our Lord will come to the last judgment." Sir John Maundeville, speaking of the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, gives the tradition of his time (A.D. 1322) as follows : " On that hill (Mount Tabor) and in that same place, at doomsday, four angels shall blow with four trumpets, and raise all men, that have suffered death since the world was created, to life; OF GLORY. 133 and they shall come in body and soul in judgment, before the face of our Lord, in the valley of Jehoshaphat. And it shall be on Easter day, the time of our Lord's resur- rection ; and the judgment shall begin on the same hour that our Lord descended to hell and despoiled it ; for at that hour shall he despoil the world, and lead his chosen to bliss." 7 The Mahometans entertained a similar belief. "Upon the edge of the hill," says Maundrell, "on the 7 His description of this valley is very curious and interesting. " In the middle of the Valley is a little river, which is called the brook Cedron ; and across it lies a tree, of which the Cross of Christ was made, on which men passed over ; and fast by it is a little pit in the earth, where the foot of the pillar still remains at which our Lord was first scourged ; for he was scourged and shamefully treated in many places. Also in the middle of the valley of Jehoshaphat is the church of our Lady, which is forty -three steps below the sepulchre of our Lady, who was seventy-two years of age when she died. Beside this sepulchre is an altar where our Lord forgave St. Peter all his sins. From thence, toward the west, under an altar, is a well which comes out of the river of Paradise. You must know that that church is very low in the earth, and a part is quite within the earth. But I imagine that it was not founded so ; but since Jerusalem has often been destroyed, and the wall beaten down and tumbled into the valley, and that they had been so filled again, and the ground raised, for that reason the church is so low within the earth. Nevertheless, men say there commonly, that the earth hath so been cloven since the time that our Lady was buried there ; and men also say there, that it grows and increases every day, without doubt. Beside that church is a chapel, beside the rock called Gethsemane, where our Lord was kissed by Judas, and where he was taken by the Jews ; and there our Lord left his disciples when he went to pray before his passion, when he prayed and said, 0, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. And when he came again to his disciples, he found them sleeping. And in that rock within the chapel we still see the marks of the fingers of our Lord's hand, when he put them on the rock when the Jews would have taken him. And a stone's cast from thence, to the south, is another chapel, where our Lord sweat drops of blood, and close to it is the tomb of King Jehoshaphat, from whom the valley takes its name. This Jehoshaphat was king of that country, and was converted by a hermit, who was a worthy man and did much food. A bow shot from thence to the south, is the church where St. ames and Zachariah the prophet were buried. Above the vale is Mount Olivet, so called for the abundance of olives that grow there. That mount is higher than the city of Jerusalem ; and therefore from that mount we may see many streets of the city. Between that mount and the city is only the valley of Jehoshaphat, which is not wide. From that mount our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven on ascension-day, and yet there appears the imprint of his left foot in the stone. Below is the stone on which our Lord -often sat when he preached ; and upon that same shall he sit at the day of doom." 134: THE SYMBOL opposite side of the valley of Jehoshaphat, there runs along, in a direct line, the wall of the city, near the corner of which there is a short end of a pillar jutting out of the wall. Upon this pillar, the Turks have a tradition that Mohammed shall sit in judgment at the last day; and that all the world shall be gathered together in the valley below, to receive their doom from his mouth." In this place, therefore, the people beheld in imagina- tion the Throne of Glory amidst clouds and darkness, surrounded by angels and archangels and the host of heaven. Here they heard the trumpet sound piercing the depths of the earth and sea, and calling up the dead from the most hidden recesses of both, to be rewarded or punished according to their works. And hence the valley became the burial place of those favoured few who could procure the great privilege of interment in such a sacred spot. The valley is now for the most part a rocky flat, with a few patches of earth here and there. The western side is formed by the high chalk cliff supporting the city wall, and the opposite side by the declivities of the Mounts of Olives and Offence. It was evidently a bury- ing place of the ancient Jews from the number of old sepulchral remains and excavations which it offers, and which the Jews have neither the means nor power to execute since their own desolation. That it was the cemetery of their fathers, and that they here expect the final judgment to take place, is a sufficient inducement to desire to lay their bones in this valley. For this reason many of the more devout Hebrews resort to Jerusalem from all parts of the world, to die there, and to be buried in the valley of Jehoshaphat. For the privi- lege of interment in this venerated spot, immense prices are often paid to the exacting Turks, and not seldom a grave is stolen in the solitude and darkness of the night. The modern Jews content themselves for the most part with placing Hebrew inscriptions on small upright slabs of marble, or of common lime stone, raised after the manner generally used in the East. Many of these are broken and dilapidated ; and altogether the scene offers a most desolate and melancholy appearance. And frmo the solitude of these hills, where no living creature is OF GLORY. 135 seen ; from the ruinous state of the tombs, some broken, some overthrown, and others half open, one might ima- gine that the trumpet of judgment had already sounded, and that the valley of Jehoshaphat was about to render up its dead. 8 On this consecrated ground our ancient brethren placed their lodge, as a sacred basement for the foot of the ladder, passing over a series of holy symbols, and reach- ing to the highest heavens ; veiled from the natural eye of man by a cloudy canopy, but visible to the eye of faith as the consecrated dwelling of the Most High, seated on a throne of Light, and shining, "like jasper and a sar- dine stone ; surrounded with a Rainbow like unto an emerald, and holding in his right hand the Great Book with seven Seals, which no man is worthy to open but the Lion of the tribe of Judah." 9 In the lowest abyss of the valley, reminding us of the cavern in w T hich John the Baptist dwelt in the wilder- ness of Judea; and the grotto of the Evangelist in the island of Patmos, where he was favoured with visions and revelations of the most sacred character, we find the basis of our symbol ; an altar inscribed with the circle and parallel lines, as a support to the great lights of masonry and the theological Ladder; concerning which there have been, at various periods, several different opinions amongst the fraternity. This mysterious circle was not introduced into masonry, as a compound symbol in its present form, till about the middle of the last century. The occasion and time of its introduction are equally uncertain, but I am inclined to think that it was first inserted by Bro. Dunckerley, as a finish to the symbolism of the masonic ladder, and to form an appro- priate altar for the Holy Bible, Compasses, and Square. Martin Clare's Lectures had the ciiole and point, but not the perpendicular parallel lines, which were a subsequent addition. The Emblem is now sufficiently expressive to demand our utmost attention ; and I have bestowed considerable pains in collecting the several interpretations which the varying fancies of ingenious brethren have at different 8 Pict. BibL, Joel iii., 2. Chateaub., vol. ii., p. 39. Clarke, vol. ii., o. 7. Buckingham, vol. i., p. 293. Richardson, vol. ii., p. 363. Rov. iv., 2,3; v., 1-5. 136 THE SYMBOL periods attached to it ; and a chronological arrangement will constitute the most intelligible and perspicuous mode of arriving at the true meaning of the symbol. 1. Its earliest reference goes as far back as the for- mation of the universe. The circle was supposed to represent the Deity diffused through all space, and the parallel lines, the heavens and the earth, because Moses, in recording the circumstance, commences his book with the words, " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The cabalistic Jews entertained some curious fancies about this emblem, although instead of two perpendicular parallel lines, they used semicircles ; but the reference was precisely the same. They held that the circle of every thing commences and terminates with God; the Almighty Creator being the beginning and end of the circle, the smallest atom within each of the semicircles proceeding from him. In the first instance it descends to the angelic, then by ordained degrees to the ethereal, from that to the lunar sphere, and then to our globe, which is first matter ; this terminates the semi- circle the farthest removed from the perfection of the Creator; then commences the other semicircle, which as- cends to the elements; from them to mists, then to plants; from them to irrational beings, and lastly to man ; ascending from a lesser to a greater intelligence, stopping the intellectual faculty of the superior intelli- gence of a divine origin, which is the ultimate connection between them, not alone from the angelic nature, but through it with the Supreme Divinity itself; the circle being thereby completed and graduated by all beings ; that is, beginning with the heavens or celestial and supe- rior, from major to minor; and then from minor to major, commencing with the earth or first matter, so that the circle which commences with God, and termi- nates with him, is completed. 10 2. Others fancied that the circle and parallel lines referred to the earth under the influence of night and day; and that the point represented the internal fire which the Pythagoreans believed to exist in the centre of the earth. And it might also have a reference to what the Kabbins say respecting the creation, that three V) R. Manasseh ben Israel. Concil., vol. i., p. 3. OF GLORY. 137 things were created on the first day, heavens, earth, and light ; meaning by the heavens, the celestial empire ; by the earth, chaos or first matter ; and by light, the sove- reign divine mind ; the latter, under this view of the case, representing the centre. Montfaucon 11 gives a symbol of the circle or globe divided sectionally to show its four concentric circles, attached to a figure of Isis; which he explains thus. " The first and largest circle is white, the second is blue, the third dark ash colour, the fourth red. This seems to signify the Elements. The red signifies Fire, the dark ash colour Earth, the blue Water, and the white Air. The Fire is in the centre, because it gives heat and life to all things. Here again the fire is considered the cen- tral point ; and the circle is flanked on each side by two Tables placed perpendicularly, containing figures of Osiris and Anubis. Isis or the circle representing Uni- versal nature, and the two parallel lines Eternity, and the Lord of Heaven. The above instances will show the antiquity of the symbol amongst both Jews and Gentiles. These opinions probably originated in the account of the creation, where Moses says, "and God saw the light, that it was good ; and God divided the light from the darkness" Many of the Jewish Rabbins were decidedly of opinion that by the darkness in this passage was meant the element of fire. They say that God having made it descend to that of air, it ignited and formed light. This illuminated one semicircle of the heavens, the other half being in darkness ; but the light, following the rotatory motion of the primum mobile, revolving from west to east, it formed night ; and then turning from east to west from whence it came, it formed day. But this light being too indistinct, for the necessary purposes of life, a more powerful agent was provided on the fourth day by the creation of the Sun. Under this interpretation the circle represented the Earth, and the parallel lines the Sun and Moon; the former being created to rule and govern the day, and the latter to rule and govern the night, as is testified by Mo- ses 12 and David ; 13 for, as the sun is said to rule the day, because he only then appears in the firmament, so the 11 Supplement, p. 205. l2 Gen. i., 16. 13 Ps. cxxxvi., 8, 9. 138 THE SYMBOL moon and stars have a delegated government in the night, because they then appear with splendour, and give a supply of light which the sun does not then immedi- ately afford. 3. The next interpretation of the symbol refers to the creation of man. The garden of Eden contained the pri- mary emanation of the Deity the spirit that produced thought, reason, and understanding in the first created pair and it was of a circular form. In the centre of this circle God placed a certain tree, which was the sub- ject of the original covenant with his creatures; and a symbol of the life which had just been bestowed upon our great progenitors ; and also of a future and still more happy life, which the circle, without beginning or end, denoted would be eternal ; while the tree of knowledge of good and evil was made the test of their obedience. Adam and Eve were the two perpendicular parallel lines ; being placed in the garden in a state of trial, as the ob- jects of God's justice and mercy; and when, by transgres- sion, the guilty pair fell from their high estate, by eating the forbidden fruit, justice demanded the threatened penalty of death, but mercy interposed, and they were banished from that happy region into a world of care, and pain, and sickness ; deprived of immortality and happiness ; with their eyes opened to distinguish be- tween good and evil, and to understand the severity of their lot. And it was lest they should violate the central point by eating of the tree of life, and thus exist forever in misery, that they were expelled from the divine circle of purity, to earn their bread by daily toil and labour. This opinion was entertained by some of our brethren towards the close of the last century ; and they consider- ed the circular garden of Eden under the superintendence of our first parents, as a symbol of the Universe, which is also a circle or sphere, under the guardianship of the justice and mercy of God ; and the diagram was the circle flanked by two lines perpendicular and parallel. 4. The emblem has also been referred to the Cherubic form which was placed at the gate of Paradise to prevent the return of our first parents to that region of never- ending happiness and delight, after their fall from purity and rectitude, in the attempt to acquire forbidden know- ledge. The u fire unfolding itself," or globe of fire, as OF GLORY. 139 described by the prophet Ezekiel, represented the Deity, and the living creatures on one side, and wheels on the other, denoted his power and goodness.* This was the interpretation of Archbishop Newcome, who wrote about the time when this symbol was first introduced into ma- sonry. In his notes on the prophet Ezekiel, he gives an exemplification of our perpendicular parallel lines. In that prophet's description of the Cherubim, the follow- ing passage occurs : "They turned not when they went, they went every one straight forward ;" on which the learned prelate thus remarks : " The wheels and horses of chariots bend and make a circuit in turning ; but this divine machine, animated by one spirit, moved uniformly together ; the same line being always preserved between the corresponding cherubs and wheels, the sides of the rect- angle limiting the whole, being always parallel, and the same faces of each cherub always looking onward in the same direction with the face of the charioteer. This proceeding directly on, in the same undeviating, inflexi- ble position, seems to show their steadiness in perform- ing the divine will, which advances to its destined goal right onwards " And again, "The axis of the former wheeh is always parallel to that of the latter. The wheels are sup- posed to express the revolutions of God's providence, which are regular, though they appear intricate." 5. It is a curious fact, and may serve as a practical illustration of our subject, that when the first races of men after the deluge became so numerous as to crowd the spot where they had settled with a redundant popu- lation, and they began to be afraid that it would be necessary for a great portion of them to disperse, and find out new colonies lor the subsistence of their tribes, they adopted the singular expedient of building a gigan- tic obelisk, or tower, as a common centre to the circle which their migrations to the north, south, east, and west, might form ; where they could assemble as at a point of union on any emergency that might occur ; and they appear to have been desirous of embodying the principle in the peculiar figure and character of the edi- fice. Accordingly, it was constructed in the form of the frustrum of a cone, with a graduated ascent; and a rising " Ezek. i., 4 140 THE SYMBOL platform, like a geometrical staircase, wound round the building, on which not only men but cattle were able to travel to the summit. The apex of the pyramid, or central point, contained an apartment secluded from common observation, which was denominated HEAVEN, and contained, amongst other secret apparatus, an ob- servatory for astronomical purposes. And this hypothe- sis is corroborated by the original words of Moses, when describing the Tower of Babel, which are not, as our authorized translation specifies, "whose top shall reach to heaven," but "whose top shall be heaven;" or, in other words, the place where the autopsia of the initiations should be consummated. Now, as this Tower contained seven stages, or apart- ments, one above another, it formed a stupendous illus- tration of the point within a circle, combined with the seven-stepped ladder, as exemplified in the Spurious Freemasonry of Persia, 15 and the Sephiroth of Jews. 16 The ascent was by an inclined plane, and therefore con- tained " staves or rounds innumerable," minute though they would be, with a gateway at each stage to prevent any unauthorized intrusion on the regions above. Thus Verstegan says, " The passage to mount vp, was very wyde and grete, and went wynding about on the out- syd ; the middle and inward parte for the more strength beeing alle massie ; and by carte, camels, dromedaries, horses, asses, and mules, the carriages were borne and drawn vp ; and by the way were many lodginges and hostreries both for man and beast." 17 And Benjamin of Tudela, who inspected the remains in the twelfth century, describes it as " a spiral passage, built into the Tower, in stages often yards each, leading up to the summit, from which we have a prospect of twenty miles the country being one wide plain, and quite level." Here, then, we have an illustration, at a very early period of the world's existence, of a great Circle, with a centraL apartment which represented heaven, and a path- way or Ladder of graduated steps or rounds leading to it, which none but the initiated were permitted to ascend. In this apartment, at the conclusion of the initiations 15 See the Signs and Symbols, N. Ed., p. 166. 16 Ibid., p. ]51. ir Rest. Dec. Int., p. 4, OF GLORY. 141 according to the testimony of an ancient writer, preserv- ed by Stoboeus, and cited by Bishop Warburton, 18 " a miraculous and divine light discloses itself; and shining plains and flowery meadows open on all hands before the enraptured candidates. Here they are entertained with hymns and dances with the sublime doctrines of sacred knowledge, and with reverend and holy visions. And now, having become perfectly initiated, they are free, and no longer under restraints ; but, crowned and tri- umphant, they walk up and down the regions of the blessed ; converse with pure and holy men, and eel ^brate the sacred mysteries at pleasure." 6. There are some who compare the symbol before us to the golden candlestick, flanked by two olive trees, mentioned by Zechariah ; 19 the candidate representing the circle, the oil the point, and the trees the two perpen- dicular parallel lines. The former was an emblem of the Jewish nation, governed by the central oil, or the Holy Spirit of God ; and the olive trees were the two anointed ones, viz., the King and Priest, applied by the prophet to Zerubbabel and Jeshua, who were raised up by divine providence to preside over the temporal and spiritual affairs of the Jewish nation when the Second Temple was building ; and bearing an ultimate reference to the Lights and ornaments of the Christian Church. "Upon several occasions," says Bishop Newton, " two have often been joined in commission, as Moses and Aaron in Egypt, Elijah and Elisha in the apostacy of the ten tribes, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua after the Baby- lonish captivity, to whom these witnesses are particu- larly compared. Our Saviour sent forth his disciples two and two ; and it has also been observed that the princi- pal reformers have usually appeared, as it were, in pairs ; as the Waldenses and Albigenses, John Huss and Jerome of Prague, Luther and Calvin, Cranmer and Ridley, and their followers." Amongst ourselves, however, the can- dlestick above mentioned, or divine circle, is an acknow- ledged symbol of Christ, who supports the true Light, or his church, which is represented by the central point. The oil is the Holy Spirit, and the two anointed ones, or determinate witnesses to the truth and usefulness, as 18 Div. Leg., vol. i., p. 235. l * Zech. ., 4. 142 THE SYMBOL well as the universal application of Christianity, are gene- rally considered to be the two St. Johns. 7. Others there are who apply the symbol to that singular type in the prophecy of Zechariah, which was intended to pourtray the establishment of the Gospel on the ruins of the Law. The passage is very remarkable, and I quote it entire. " I took unto me two Staves ; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands ; and I fed the flock. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month ; and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then said I, I will not feed you ; that that dieth, let it die ; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day ; and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price ; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter ; a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Then I cut asunder mine other staff even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel." 20 Here the circle represents the great Being who dicta- ted the prophecy, of which himself was the subject; the centre symbolized " the flock of the slaughter," or the Jewish nation; the parallel lines, Beauty and Bands, or in other words, LOVE and UNITY, to signify the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Thus in a masonic song which was written about the period when this expressive symbol was introduced into the Order, we find the following characteristic reference to these two parallels under the signification of Beauty and Bands. Ascending to her native sky, Let masonry increase ; A glorious pillar raised on high, Integrity its base. fin Zech. xi. 7-14. OF GLORY. 143 Peace adds to olive boughs, entwin'd, An emblematic dove, As stamp 'd upon the mason's mind Are UNITY and LOVE. The staff was a type of many orders of men. As a crook it was the ensign of a shepherd ; as a crozier, which varies very little from a shepherd's crook, it characterises a bishop or a prophet; as a sceptre it designated a king. Bishop Hall says, in his explana- tion of this symbol, " the one called Beauty, was the staff of mercy, and gracious pleasurable protection ; the other, called Bands, was the staff of unity for conjoin- ing the church, or of just censure and correction to those who are opposed to it." As if he had said, since they refused to be united to me in love, under the type of the staff of Beauty, I will break my other staff, Bands, to signify the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dissolution and dispersion of the Brotherhood which hitherto subsisted between my people. Some, however, are of opinion that the whole trans- action was intended as a representation of the circum- stances attending the treachery of Judas Iscariot to his Master ; and, indeed, the Jews themselves expound the prophecy as being applicable to the Messiah. The application of Beauty and Bands to the science of Free- masonry was in much esteem with our brethren at the beginning of the present century ; but at the reunion, being pronounced inconsistent with the general plan of the Order, it was expunged ; and is now nearly forgot- ten, except by a few old masons, who may, perhaps, recollect the illustration as an incidental subject of re- mark amongst the fraternity of that period. 8. Again ; the two parallel lines were sometimes referred to the two great dispensations the Law and the Gospel, thus omitting the patriarchal system, which, as they believed, was not an actual religious dispensa- tion, because it was not formally delivered by the Divinity unto man ; and had no written Law. If this interpretation be true, the Parallels would be Moses and Christ ; a disposition which does not correspond with the true principles of the Order ; although in some of its definitions, the latter, as Jehovah, has been referred to the point. If the hypothesis of the Sun and Moon 144 THE SYMBOL be adopted, as hinted above, the parallels would be Moses and Joshua ; for Onkelos, and some other Kab- bins are of opinion, that Moses imparted to Joshua a part of that lustre which surrounded his countenance when he descended from the mount, after his conversa- tion with Jehovah. Thus they say, Moses shined like the Sun, and Joshua like the Moon. Under this head may be classed the reference which was sometimes assigned to the parallel lines, of the pillar of a cloud and of fire which accompanied and guided the course of the Israelites at their Exodus, from Egyptian bondage ; and was typified in the two great pillars of Solomon's porch, that the people might recall this great event to their remembrance, whenever they went in or out of the Temple for worship ; and under- stand that during the whole of their wanderings in the wilderness they were led, not so much by Moses as by the Hand of God, who had adopted them as his pecu- liar people. 9. Others have sought a solution of the enigma in the science of astronomy. These affirm that the point in the centre represents the Supreme Being ; the circle indicates the annual circuit of the sun ; and the parallel lines mark out the solstices, within which that circuit is limited. And they deduce from the hypothesis this corollary, that the mason, by subjecting himself to due bounds, in imitation of that glorious luminary, will not wander from the path of duty. This doctrine will require no refutation in the opinion of those who do not consider Freemasonry to be an astronomical figment. And it is quite clear that when this symbol was introduced into the Order, the brethren never dreamt of interpreting Freemasonry by refer- ence to the solar system, as is fully evinced by the pub- lications of Calcott and Hutchinson, both of whom were living ornaments of the Craft at the period alluded to. But when an astronomical interpretation is deter- mined on, whether of masonry or religion, every fact and symbol is pressed into the service, and made to coincide with the hypothesis, how strained or far fetch- ed soever it may be. An amusing instance of this is given by Black well, in his edition of Mallet's Northern Antiquities, where in a note on the Scandinavian triad, OF GLORY. 145 he says that its members "Har, Jafuhar, and Thridi, are the three stars of Orion's belt ! He also regards them as symbols of the winter's solstice, the (we presume both vernal and autumnal) equinox, and the summer solstice ; an hypothesis which shows that the astronomi- cal method of explaining ancient myths is as apt to lead learned men on a wild goose chase, as conjectural etymology." 10. In a system of Lectures used by some of the London Lodges immediately after the Union, and com- municated to me at the time by an esteemed brother, a Barrister, now alas ! no more ; the centre and the paral- lels exhibited a singular specimen of pseudo symbolization which it is difficult to unravel ; where the former repre- sented the Deity, and the two latter his Justice and Mercy, as already noticed. The passage was as follows : In all our regular well formed lodges, there is a certain point within a circle, round which it is said, genuine professors of our science cannot err. This circle is bounded on the north and south by two perpendicular parallel lines. On the upper, or eastern part of the peri- phery, rests the Holy Bible, supporting Jacob's Ladder extending to the heavens. The point is emblematic of the omniscient and omnipresent Deity ; the circle repre- sents his eternity, and the two perpendicular parallel lines his equal justice and mercy. It necessarily follows, therefore, that in traversing a masonic lodge, we must touch upon the volume of the Sacred Law ; and whilst a mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, remembers his Creator, does justice and loves mercy, he may hope finally to arrive at that immortal Centre whence all good- ness emanates. 11. The elucidation of this portion of our symbol which is most prevalent in our lodge practice, at the present time, is this. In all regularly constituted lodges there is a point within a circle round which a mason cannot materially err. This circle is bounded between the north and south by two grand parallel lines, the one representing Moses, and the other King Solomon. On the upper part of this circle rests the volume of the Sacred Law of God, which supports Jocob's Ladder, and its sum- mit reaches to the heavens ; and were we as adherent to the doctrines therein contained as both those parallels 1 146 THE SYMBOL were, it would not deceive us nor should we suffer decep- tion. In going round this circle, we must necessarily touch on both those parallel lines as well as on the Sacred Volume ; and while a mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, he cannot seriously err from the path of duty. 12. One other interpretation remains to be noticed. The point is supposed to symbolize an individual mason circumscribed by the circle of virtue ; while the two per- pendicular parallel lines by which the circumference is bounded and supported, are the representatives of FAITH and PRACTICE. This is the definition. The point repre- sents an individual brother, and the circle is the boundary line of his duty to God and man ; beyond which he ought never to suffer his passions, prejudices, or interests to betray him. The two parallel lines represent St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, who were per- fect parallels in Christianity as well as in masonry ; and upon the vertex rests the Holy Bible, which points out the whole duty of man. In a progress round this circle, the two lines and the Bible restrict us to a certain path, and if this path be steadily persevered in, it will enable us to mount the ladder, through the gates of Faith, Hope, and Charity ; and finally to take our seat in the blessed regions of immortality. In the lectures which are still delivered in our old provincial lodges, the following illustration is used. From the building of the first Temple at Jerusalem to the Babylonish captivity, the lodges of Freemasons were dedicated to King Solomon ; having from the deliverance out of Egypt to the first named period been dedicated to Moses. From the building of the second Temple to the advent of Christ, they were dedicated to Zerubbabel ; and from that time to the final destruction of the. Temple by Titus, they were dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Owing to the calamities which were occasioned by that memorable occurrence, Freemasonry declined; many lodges were broken up and the brethren were afraid to meet without an acknowledged head. At length a secret meeting of the Craft was holden in the city of Benjamin ; who deputed seven brethren to solicit St. John the Evangelist, who was at that time bishop of Ephesus, to accept the office of Grand Master. He replied to the OF GLORY. 147 deputation, that having been initiated into masonry in his youth, he would cheerfully acquiesce in their request, although now well stricken in years ; thus completing by his learning what St. John the Baptist had begun by his zeal ; and drawing what Freemasons call a line parallel ; ever since which, the Lodges in all Christian countries are, or ought to be, dedicated to the two St. Johns. These various conjectures, like "a cluster of pomegra- nates with pleasant fruits," which have been the produce of different periods and phases of the Order, are all inge- nious if they be not orthodox. Like the fat kine of Pharoah, they equally display a beneficial nurture, and point out its moral and religious tendency. Here is no overstraining of facts, no unnatural antagonism, to serve the purpose of some wild or untenable theory; but every interpretation is alike consonant with the deduc- tions of reason, without being at variance with revela- tion, or contrary to the established laws of Nature. Each, like the growth of the acacia, has budded in its spring, flourished its brief period of summer, and shed its leaves in autumn, to make room for its successor ; which has pursued a parallel course ; and the following lecture will be devoted to a consideration of which is the most eligible interpretation in consonance with the general principles on which Freemasonry has been founded. 14S THE SYMBOL LECTURE VI TO BRO. THOMAS CLEAR, - J. C. SMITH, - G. T. CASWELL, - C. S. CLARKE, - JOHN CRITCHLEY, - G. PRICE, - T. BOLTON, - D. L. DAVIS, W. M. S. W. J. W. P. M. TREA. SEC. S. D. J. D. Of the St. Peter's Lodge, Wolverhampton, No. 607, MY DEAR BRETHREN AND FRIENDS The consciousness that you still retain a lively recol- lection of my presence amongst you, when a mutual interchange of affection and thought cemented an inter- course which commenced under circumstances of the greatest personal interest to myself; and was not only continued during the entire period of my residence as the Incumbent of the Collegiate Church, and the head of the Ecclesiastical Establishment in the town, but terminated in a public and spontaneous demonstration of the feel- ings that you were kind enough to entertain towards me OF GLORY. 149 during a series of trying events, cannot fail to excite in my bosom sensations of the most pleasurable nature, accompanied by a lively gratitude for the continuance of that friendship which sustained no diminution amidst the hostile denunciations of a clique of interested indi- viduals who were leagued in an unnatural coalition to ruin my peace of mind at the least, if they should fail to accomplish a more destructive purpose. During the arduous conflict, your sympathy consoled me, your friendship animated me, and ultimately, your assistance procured for me a complete and unques- tioned triumph. I have much pleasure in having this public opportunity of assuring you, that I entertain no unkindly feelings against those whose hostility was most bitter. Freemasonry has taught me a different lesson ; and I sincerely tender my unsolicited forgiveness to them, in Christian charity, with the same cordiality as I hope myself to be forgiven at the bar of judgment. The sole aim of my life has been to benefit my fellow creatures; and my principles are well embodied in the following lecture which I have the honour to dedicate to you. If the two parallel lines by which the circle and point are flanked and supported, have, as I believe, a reference to faith and practice, they include forgiveness of injuries; and I trust that my practice will always verify this valuable principle of masonic teaching ; that when I meet my persecutors at the last great tribunal, I may salute them as friends with the grip of a Master Mason ; and, by the five points of fellowship, unite with them in an indissoluble chain of sincere affection, which may con- tinue unbroken throughout all eternity. Believe me to be, Worshipful Sir, And esteemed Brethren, Your faithful friend and Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Honorary Member of St. Peter's Lodge. SCOP WICK VICARAGE, November 1, 1849. 150 SYMBOL Kniun i[j* $iit[r Enquiry into the true meaning of the Circle and Parallel Lines. "In regard to the doctrine of our Saviour, and the Christian reve- lation, it proceeded from the East. The Star which proclaimed the birth of the Son of God, appeared in the East. The East was an expression used by the prophets to denote the Eedeemer. From thence it may well be conceived that we should profess our prayers to be from thence ; if we profess, by being masons that we are a society of the servants of that Divinity whose abode is in the centre of the heavens." HUTCHINSON. " To Thee, whose temple is all space, Whose altar, earth, sea, skies ! One chorus let all being raise ! All Nature's incense rise ! POPE So MANY reflections arise in the mind on a full consid- eration of this comprehensive symbol ; like a majestic river augmented by the rich contributions of its tributary streams ; and so various are the opinions which successive races of masons have entertained respecting its real interpretation, that we find it impossible to dismiss the subject without some brief statement of our own views on those particular points which have hitherto divided the fraternity. We need be under no surprise that interpretations of an abstruse symbol should vary by passing through different hands, because every one knows that in the most common transactions of life, accounts related by several eye-witnesses, however they may assimilate in facts, differ considerably in the details. This is not a novel observation, for it is mentioned by Sir Walter Raleigh and many others, as constituting one OF GLORY. 151 of the greatest obstructions in the compilation of history. Different authorities produce such adverse accounts of the selfsame fact, that confidence is shaken, and it be- comes difficult, if not absolutely impossible, to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Such being the obstacles which are always found to embarrass a narrator of his- torical truth, we no longer wonder that there should be diverse opinions on subjects merely speculative, which are not based on any indisputable authority. Such is the position of the symbol before us. It has been interpreted differently at different periods, and successive Grand Lodges have sanctioned each new hypothesis as it arose ; although in some cases the expla- nation appears to have been at variance with analogy and the general principles of the Order. The theory, for instance, which places the Deity in the centre of the circle, is opposed by his own assertion when , He says, "Do I not fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord." 1 The point is evidently a misappropriation of the Creator ; and he was more correctly represented in the ancient hiero- glyphics by the entire circle. The cabalistic Jews, indeed, used a symbol resembling the circle and point, by describ- ing a circle round the letter Jod ; but it was the letter, and not the situation where it was placed, viz., in the centre, which they interpreted as an emblem of the Deity ; which might probably be the reason why Hutch- inson, in our motto, confines him to the centre of heaven, when our Scriptures represent him as being peculiarly present, not in the centre, but in the highest, heaven. This is further evidenced by the fact, that they used an equilateral triangle for the same purpose more fre- quently than a circle. It was the Letter that formed "the idea of God;" and they pronounced upon it this glowing enconium. "It is a ray of Light which darts a lustre too transcendent for the contemplation of mortal eye ; and though the thoughts oi' man may pervade the universe, they cannot reach the effulgent light which streams from the letter JOD." The centre is a symbol of Time, and the circle of Eternity. The latter, like the universe, being unlimited 1 Jer. xxiii., 24. 152 THE SYMBOL in its extent ; for time is but as a point compared with eternity, and equidistant from all parts of its infinitely extended circumference ; because the latter occupied the same indefinite space before the creation of our System, as it will do when time is extinguished, and this earth, with all that it contains, shall be destroyed. And there- fore the hypothesis which would confine the Eternal, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, 2 to the emblem of time, is evidently unsound, and must be rejected. The ancients took the entire Universe for the centre, and left the circumference undefined ; but still it was tenaciously asserted that deus circulus est, including the circumference how boundless soever it might be; and our emblem was not intended to embrace such an indefinite and comprehensive illustration. It is true, in the Pythagorean circle, or the universe, the central fire represented UNITY; but it was not referred to the One God the Creator, but to Vesta, of whose inextinguishable fire it was an emblem, for Vesta signifies fire ; and therefore her temples were generally spherical, to represent the universal circle. The Basi deans, on the other hand, confined their supreme Deity, whom they called IAO (Jehovah), Abraxas or Meithras, to the circle of the year, which is as bad as placing him in the centre, arid perhaps worse, as a single year is a more perverse limitation than all time. St. Jerome informs us that Basilides gave to the Almighty the monstrous name of Abraxas, because, according to the import of the Greek letters, and the number of days in the Sun's course, Abraxas is found in the circle of the Sun, in the same manner as the word Meithras was also found by the Gentiles, because the letters contained the same number. Thus Basilides made the circle to consist of three hundred and sixty-five heavens, and placed Abraxas or the Sun in the centre ; and referred him to Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness. In conformity with this doctrine, we find on numbers of the Basilidean gems, the figure of a Cock; which, according to Montfaucon, " is, without doubt, a symbol of the Sun, who holds in his hand a whip to animate his horses with, while travelling on his unvarying circle . and 2 1 Kings viii., 27. OF GLORY. 153 has probably a cock's head given him, because that bird generally proclaims the Sun's rising. And it is to be observed that all the gems of this character containing figures of Abraxas, have generally relation either to the Sun or its operations, as most other Egyptian figures have. Many of these ancient heretics believed that Jesus Christ was the same with the material Sun; which notion gave occasion to their mixing Christianity with the divinities of that superstitious nation." 3 Montfaucon has given seven folio engravings containing several hun- dreds of these gems ; many of which contain the letters A. and , to signify the eternity of God. 4 The Deity, however, is Omnipresent, and cannot be confined to any individual locality, but is equally diffused throughout the entire universe. Grand Master David asks, " whither shall I go from thy Spirit ; or whither shall I flee from thy presence ?" And answers, "if I climb up into heaven thou art there ; if I go down to hell, thou art there also. If I take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." It is true, that at one period the light of God's knowledge shone only on the favoured land of Judea, while all the rest of the world were involved in the darkness of idolatry; but God was even in the darkness ; for the pious Psalmist continues, " the darkness is no darkness \vith thee, but the night is as clear as the day." 5 The Jewish doctors contended that their country was the only region of true Light ; and that Jerusalem con- stituted the central point of the Earth, which they regarded as an extended plain ; for it had been asserted by their inspired monarch, that God wrought out his salvation, by establishing them and their religion " in the midst of the earth." 6 Macrobius tells us that veteres omnem habitabilem terram extensa chlamydi similem esse dixcrunt. And we have the testimony of several early Christian travellers to the existence of this persuasion. Thus bishop Arculf, whose journey was accomplished in the year of Grace 700, says that " near to Golgotha he 3 Montf. Ant., vol ii., p. 227. 4 See the F. Q. R., 1848, p. 378 5 Ps. cxxxix., 6-11- 6 Ps. Ixxiv., 12. 7* 154 THE SYMBOL observed a lofty column which at mid-day, at the summer solstice, casts no shadow, which shows that it is the centre of the earth." Bernard, who travelled in the year 867, speaks of the same thing. " Between the aforesaid four churches is a parvis without roof, the walls of which shine like gold, and the pavement is laid with precious stones ; and in the middle four chains coming from each of the four churches, join in a point which is said to be the middle of the world." Saewulf, who travelled A.D 1102, adds, "at the head of the church of the Holy Sepulchre, in the wall outside, not far from Calvary, is a place called Compass, which our Lord Jesus Christ him- self signified and measured with his own hand as the middle of the world." Sir John Maundeville, A.D, 1322, adds his testimony to the same belief. He says, " Judea is the heart and middle of all the world ; and hence it was right that he who created all the world should suffer for us at Jerusalem, which is the middle of the world, to the end and intent that his passion and death, which was published there, might be known equally to all parts of the world." And speaking of the church of the Holy Sepulchre, he says, " in the midst of that church is a compass, in which Joseph of Arimathea laid the body of our Lord when he had taken him down from the cross, and washed his wounds. And that compass, men say, is the middle of the world." The Rabbi Judah a Levi says, in confirmation of this hypothesis, " as the heart is in the centre of the body, so is the Holy 'Land the centre of the world's population, and is therefore more acceptable to the Lord. For as the world is divided into seven climates, that land is situated in the best of them ; the Psalmist describes it as beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth. There it was that Cain and Abel contended, and Cain's punishment consisted in being banished from it. The patriarchs selected it for their place of interment. Abra- ham satisfied the children he had by Keturah with presents, that they might quit it and leave Isaac in quiet possession of its fertile mountains and plains. Esau abandoned it entirely to Jacob, and went to dwell in Seir. From all which it is collected, that this country was ever considered to be peculiarly and exclusively holy." Hence the Holy Land was esteemed the central OF GLORY. 155 point, while the rest of the world occupied the outer circle, and were accounted by the Jews to be profane. This interpretation, however, is insufficient to reconcile the anomaly of confining the Deity to the centre, or any other place ; although his divine Shekinah might and did occupy the Sanctum Sanctorum, in the Temple at Jeru- salem, which, as we have just seen, was believed to constitute the centre of the earth. The true religion, or Light, as we Christians conscien- tiously believe, is now universally diffused, and therefore would be more aptly represented by the circumference, bounded only the limits of the habitable globe ; for the light is gradually dispelling the darkness by the labours of our indefatigable missionary establishments ; and in God's good time it will enlighten the whole universe, radiating in all directions to the heaven of heavens, till it blends with the circumambient lustre which surrounds the throne of God. It would be the height of presumption to circumscribe the omnipresent Deity within the narrow limits of a religion, which, though revealed from Heaven, and con- sequently true, during the period of its lawful authority, is no longer in force. The Sceptre has departed from Judah, and the temporary system which it upheld has been superseded by a dispensation that is destined to be universal. The Jewish religion was for one nation only, while Christianity is a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of the people of Israel. Still we firmly believe that the Old Testament is not contrary to the New ; for both in the Old and New Testament everlast- ing life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. Let it not be thought that it is my intention to offer any disparagement to our Jewish brethren, or to the religion they profess ; for the subject I am discussing is open to them, and to all who acknowledge the being of a God. I interpret the symbol according to my own convictions as a minister of the Gospel who is not ashamed of the Cross of Christ. The Jews are an extra- ordinary people, for they remain unchanged amidst the political fluctuations of nearly 2000 years. They are entitled to our consideration and our gratitude ; for we are indebted to them for the blessing of Moses and the 156 THE SYMBOL prophets, without which we should be ignorant of the history of the world, and the ways of God to man ; and should have w r anted those glorious and divine precepts which are a source of consolation when almost every- thing else fails. Homer and Virgil are sublime ; but what are they when compared with Moses and David, who were inspired by the Deity to indite a series of divine hymns which cast every other composition into the shade. They are full of such exalted strains of piety and devotion, as a writer of the last century well ex- presses it, such beautiful and animated descriptions of the power, the wisdom, the mercy, and the goodness ot God, that it is impossible for any one to read them without feeling his heart inflamed with the most ardent affection towards the Great Creator and Governor of the Universe. And although, in conformity with' the voice of their own prophet, they are scattered among all people from one end of the earth to the other, yet they are not totally destroyed, but still subsist as a distinct people. "The Jewish nation, like the Bush of Moses, hath been always burning but never consumed. And what a mar- vellous thing it is that after so many wars, battles, and seiges; after so many fires, famines, and pestilences; after so many years of captivity, slavery, and misery, they are not destroyed utterly, and although scattered are still distinct. Where is there anything comparable to this to be found in all the histories, and in all the nations under the Sun?" As to the project of converting the Jews to Christi- anity it is not to be thought of until the time of their restoration shall arrive. The attempt is sure to be unsuc- cessful, because it bears a close resemblance to a wish to frustrate the prophecies. It has been predicted that they shall be dispersed among all nations and not be amalgamated with any ; but their conversion would pro- duce marriages and intermarriages with Christian people, and in a few generations the distinction would be lost. God has appointed a time when they shall be restored and converted to the true religion ; and when that time comes, nothing can prevent the fulfilment of the prophecy. The omnipresent Deity wants no assistance in the accom- plishment of his purposes; and when it is his gracious OF GLORY. 157 pleasure, there shall be but one fold under one shepherd, and the Messiah of Jews and Christians shall reign for ever and ever. Dr. Schulhoff, in a speech recently delivered at Bir- mingham, observed, u we cannot pray without adopting the language of the Jews ; we cannot read the Scriptures without meeting with their history upon every page. Men were sent into the world as a question, a riddle, or an enigma, not yet answered or resolved, and for this reason they might ask who were the Jews V They were that little family who were born in Canaan, who went into Egypt, who had been hunted from country to coun- try, from land to land, from dungeon to dungeon, from the death by fire to the death by water. Who were the Jews? Ask the dust of Canaan ; ask the walls of Ziori, overcome by the scimitar of the Saracen. The Jewish was the nation out of which, according to the flesh, came the Messiah ; which produced the Apostles, and the early Christian converts." And he concluded by asserting that the present position of the Jews is necessary for the honour of God; and is a great proof of the truth of the Gospel. Many of the heathen nations who entertained imperfect notions of God's universal presence, as in the masonic definition above noticed, confined him to the centre. The first settlers in Egypt transmitted to their posterity an exact copy of our point within a circle, expressed in emblematical language. The widely extended Universe was represented as a circle of boundless light, in the centre of which the Deity was said to dwell -; or in other words, the circle was symbolical of his eternity; and the perpendicular parallel lines by which it is bounded, were the two great luminaries of heaven, the Sun and Moon, the former denoting his virtue, the latter his wisdom. And this idea was generally expressed by the head of a hawk placed in the centre of a circle, or an endless serpent enclosing an eye. In like manner Pythagoras considered the central fire to be the mansion of the Deity or God ; and assimilated it with the monad, because it is the be- ginning and ending of number. In the Stone temples of the Celtae we find indications of a similar belief. But divine revelation has taught us a more correct and rational doctrine ; and we possess the advantage of knowing that Jehovah or God in the Old Testament, is no other than 158 THE SYML'OL the Messiah or Christ in the New. Hence the following singular elucidation of the above doctrine has been de- duced, and is actually in practice by some of our lodges at the present day. Our ancient brethren, in depicting on the Tracing Board the Plumb, the Rule, the Level, and the setting Maul, intended by the latter to represent the point within a circle ; and in a speculative sense referred them to the death of T G A T U, or Christ upon the Cross. And as, in the allegory, the above instruments were used, so in the fact, they were really concerned in the death of the actual Grand Master, whose Cross was formed from the junction of the Level and the Plumb. Now as the point within a circle is a very ancient symbol, and was venerated in many nations, as a representative of the Deity, it is considered by those who adopt this exposition to refer to the Eternal Father, who gave his Son to die for the sins of men. They go on to say in their application of the symbol, that as Speculative Masons we ought not to be contented with deriving one moral lesson from every single emblem depicted on our Tracing Board; but to consider each as a text on which to build a copious Lecture. For instance ; the point within a circle, in the first degree, has an application totally different from what it bears in the third. In the former it describes the boundary line of a mason's path through this life, the limits of which are the precepts of the Law and Gospel, by which he is circumscribed to prevent his going astray. And if he adheres to these precepts, amidst evil report and good report, the Ladder, whose foot is placed on the Holy Bible, will conduct him to a celestial mansion whi^-h is at present veiled from mortal eye by the starry firma- ment. But in the third degree this emblem has a mystical reference to Christ as our centre ; according to his own declaration " where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The prayer which was formerly used is considered very appro- priate by those who adopt this mode of explaining the circle and point. It began thus; "0 Lord God, thou great and universal mason of the world, and first builder of man as it were a Temple, be with us as thou hast OF GLORY. J69 promised, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt be in the midst of them, &c." After our Lord's resurrection, the disciples changed their time of assembling together in closely tyled lodges, for fear of their enemies, from the seventh to the first day of the week ; and on that day our Lord appeared to Mary and directed her to go to his brethren, and inform them that he was about to ascend to the Grand Lodge above, into the presence of him who was both his Father and their Father ; and in the evening when they were assembled together, "the doors being shut," or in other words, the lodge being closely tyled, came Jesus and stood in the midst of them, making use of the masonic greeting, "Peace be with you." Our brethren would naturally feel surprised at the presence of a stranger in a closely tyled lodge ; but when he had given them proofs (by showing them those signs of distress in his hands arid feet and left breast,) that he was their Brother, they dismissed all fear and rejoiced exceedingly. It was here that he promised to be always in the midst of them ; and cheered by the recollection of this gracious promise, they were naturally led to the hope of finding him within the centre of their circle whenever regularly assembled in a just and perfect lodge dedicated to the glory of God and the welfare of mankind. Hence all Christian masons are required by the circle and point to understand, that whenever they meet as brethren, his Allseeing Eye is present in the centre ; and thus they are incited to discharge their duties towards him and to each other with freedom, fervency, and zeal. Thus, as those whose who use this illustration conclude, all our emblems having a tendency to inculcate the practice of virtue amongst its genuine professors, the more moral lessons we can derive from any of our emblems, the more securely founded will be the respect which Masonry may claim at the hands of all mankind. The two perpendicular parallel lines have been appro- priated to Moses and Solomon, on the presumption that they represent those two parallel edifices, the Tabernacle and Temple ; these being the only two places in the early ages of the world where the true worship of God was celebrated ; and the above masonic worthies being the builders of these mysterious sacred oratories, are 160 THE SYMBOL considered to be the legitimate patrons of an Order that professes to be based on the science of decorative archi- tecture. Some of our brethren, however, are inclined to question the propriety of this ascription ; and to doubt whether its truth can be accurately demonstrated by a reference to facts. They argue that if one of these parallels be assigned to Moses as the builder of the Tabernacle, the paternity of the other may be justly contested by Zerub- babel and Herod, each of whom built the Temple at Jerusalem, as well as Solomon. And if that edifice be meant, which, according to the testimony of the prophet Haggai, was the most glorious, the preference must be given to Herod, because it was his Temple which was enlightened by the actual presence of the Prince of Peace, of whom the Shekinah of the Jews was but a symbol ; and consequently was superior to that of either Solomon or Zerubbabel. The true mason, however, will hesitate to admit the claim of Herod, as one of the Parallels of the Order; because he was so far from professing the true faith, that the historian has recorded of him, that he laboured zealously to remove all the prejudices of the Jews in favour of the law of Moses, by introducing among them the customs of heathen nations ; by which he intended, if possible, to Romanize Judea. The designs which he had manifestly formed against their religion, and his violation of every custom to which the Jews were sin- cerely attached, appear to have been considered the certain forerunners of some dreadful evil to that people. Herod was in name their king, but in deed the enemy of their country and their God. The above appropriation is further encumbered with the anomaly of four claimants to the parallelism of the Order; viz., Moses, Solomon, Zerubbabel, and Herod; and I cannot see any alternative but to admit or reject them all ; and those who have adopted this view of the case, unanimously agree to prefer the latter. If, how- ever, as some are inclined to think, the parallels be esteemed symbols of the two great dispensations of religion, they would then apply to Moses and Christ, who were really parallels in many important respects, while Moses and Solomon possessed no single attribute OF GLORY. 161 in common, which can give a colour to the position in which they have been placed as equal patrons of Masonry, and joint supporters 01 the circle and point. The two former coincide in character and attributes in many remarkable particulars; and there was no other prophet who ever resembled Moses, so much as Jesus the Messiah. None of the ancient prophets can answer this description. None of them were law-givers like Moses ; none of them had such clear communications with God ; for their prophecies were revealed to them in visions and dreams. Moses and Christ are the only two who per- fectly resemble each other in these respects. The Jews were addicted to the idolatry of the Egyptians ; and were taught by Moses the true way of worshipping God. Subsequently they were the slaves of superstition ; when Jesus Christ taught them true religion. The system of Moses was confirmed by stupendous miracles, so was that of Christ. Moses led the people to the promised land ; and Christ directs us to a better country. Moses fasted forty days, and so likewise did Christ. Moses and Christ equally fed the people miraculously. Moses led the people through the Red Sea; and Christ walked upon the sea. The face of Moses was surrounded by a bright glory when he descended from the mount ; and the face of Christ shone like the sun, upon Mount Tabor. Moses deputed twelve men to survey the land; and Christ committed the same office to twelve Apostles. St. John mentions the Christian parallelism between Moses and Christ in express terms, when he says, " the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ;" 7 intimating that although the resem- blance between Moses and Christ was striking, yet there was no absolute equality; for that the latter was as much superior to the former, as Grace and Truth are superior to the Law ; and St. Paul tells the Jews that they are not now under the Law, but under Grace; 8 adding in another place, that by Christ all that believe are justified, which they could not be by the Law of Moses. 9 And he more plainly asserts in another place, that " Moses was faithful as a servant, but Christ as a Son;" and that Christ was counted worthy of more 7 John i., 17. 8 Kom. vi., 14. 8 Acts xiii., 39. 162 THE SYMBOL glory than Moses, inasmuch as "he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house;" that is, the difference between Christ and Moses is that which is between him who creates and the thing created; and then, having before ascribed the creation of the world to Christ, he adds, " he that built all things is God." 10 Still Masonry has not ventured to introduce the Re- deemer of mankind as one of its great Parallels, because in neither of his natures has he any equal. As man he was sinless as God he was divine. Besides, Christ is no other than Jehovah, T G A T U, and he is symbolized by the circle. If, therefore, the parallel lines have any reference to this great Being, they can be no other than his divine and human natures, which would be masoni- cally inapplicable ; and we have already a very significant emblem to the same effect, viz., the peiitalpha, double triangle, or seal of Solomon. The circumambulation of the candidate is generally presumed to have an intimate connection with the symbol under our consideration; and therefore some have considered that originally the space included within the two parallel lines, from one extremity to the other, north and south as w r ell as east and west, which is an oblong square, represented the Lodge ; the circumference of the circle being the boundary line threaded during the ceremony ; the centre being the candidate, or rough ashlar, the point from which all superficial and solid figures emanate, in the first or most superficial part of Masonry; for- if one limb of the compasses be fixed, and the other movable, the point formed by the first touch of the latter, if continued, would form the circumference of a circle. In this case, the pedestal on which the Sacred Volume rests would represent Wisdom, or the W. M. ; and the two lines Strength and Beauty, or the S. W. and J. W.; the Ladder, the three Theological Virtues, and the summit, perfection, symbolized by the perfect ashlar. The whole being crowned by an ethereal mansion veiled from mortal eye by the starry firmament; or, as it is termed by Job, " the face of God's throne," 11 and surrounded by clouds and darkness, 12 that though the dwelling-place of the Most High is hidden from our 10 Hcb. iii., 3-6. u Job xxvi., 9. ia Ps. xcvii., 2. OF GLORY. 163 view, his decisions are the result of unerring justice and perfect truth. This constitutes a lucid symbol of the omnipresent and omnipotent Deity, whose Throne is in the highest heavens, the region of perpetual light, and not in the central point of Time : for the act of going to heaven is always represented by ascending. 13 Job says "God is in the height ; thick clouds are a covering to him ;" 14 which is confirmed by Jeremiah, who adds, " the Lord shall cry from on high," 15 and not from the centre. 16 David in his remarkable prophecy says, " Thou hast ascended up on high." 17 And in fulfilment of this prediction, the Apostle affirms that Christ was made higher than the heavens; 18 ascended above all the heavens ; 19 and sitteth at the right hand of Majesty in high places." 20 This idea of perfect happiness above the skies, the residence of the Supreme Deity, was not confined to the Jews and Christians, but was universally admitted by the heathen. It is clearly enunciated by Homer in the Iliad, and by Hesiod in his Theogony, who measures the distance between the highest heaven and the lowest hell, by the falling of a heavy weight, which he says, notwith- standing the inconceivable rapidity of its course, will take nine days and nights to fall from heaven to earth, and the same length of time to descend from the earth to Tartarus. It will, however, be observed, that although God is thus said to dwell in the highest heavens, yet being omnipresent, he is bound to no limit or space ; and the expression is merely intended to imply that there his glory is more particularly manifested. Considered in the above point of view, the figure under our notice constitutes one of the most glorious and expressive symbols that has. ever been submitted to the consideration of mankind. The most reasonable opinion which appears to have been formed on the circle and point, is that which makes the candidate represent the centre, placed within the 13 See Rev. xxi. " Job xxii., 12-14. 15 Jer. xxv., 30. 16 Consult Ps. cxlviii., 1. Heb. vii., 26. Eph. iv., 8, 10, and many other passages. 17 Ps. Ixviii., 18; and compare John iii., 13, with Eph. iv. t 9, 10. 18 Heb. viii., 26. 19 Eph. iv., 10. 20 Heb. i., 3. 164 THE SYMBOL circle of duty, and his conduct regulated by the twc lines of * faith &nd practice; because, without the operation of these heaven-born qualities, it will be impossible for him to keep his passions within the boundary line of reason and Scripture, and to avoid those errors which will interrupt and retard his progress through this world to another and a better. The same idea was symbolized by our brethren of the last century, by the figure of a brother properly clothed, standing beneath the extended legs of a pair of compasses. If, then, the two parallel lines represent the faith and practice of a rational soul, they are with the strictest pro- priety assigned to the two St. Johns, because the one finish- ed by his learning what the other began by his zeal. The Evangelist was the most perfect personification of faith that the world ever witnessed ; not only from the tenor of his writings, and because he was the beloved disciple of his Master, but also because his faith preserved him as wit- ness, and the only witness amongst the Apostles of Christ, of the destruction of the Jewish polity, and the triumph of that universal dispensation which shall ultimately, as I sincerely believe, supersede all others, and cover the whole earth as the waters cover the sea. And in like manner, the Baptist was the personification of practice, because he confined his preaching to repentance and good works, both of which are exclusively practical. And hence it is believed that these two great and pious men acquired the distinguishing character of the patrons of Masonry. I have given the reasons which have been assigned for parallelism in another place, 21 but, as every book ought to be perfect in itself, it may be necessary to repeat them here. "The two St. Johns were equally distinguished by the Redeemer of mankind ; the one as a burning and shining light whence the gnostics assumed that the Spirit of light entered into John the Baptist, and there- fore that he was in some respects to be preferred to Christ and the other was called the beloved disciple, and the divine." Thus they formed a personification of Greatness and Goodness, which were ever the qualities that drew down public respect and applause ; and amongst 81 See Mirror for the Johannite Masons, p. 114. OF GLORY, 165 heathen nations, as we learn from Selden, constituted the attributes of the celestial deities, and elevated deceased mortals to the skies. For these reasons, the two St. Johns were likened to the pillar of fire and cloud which attended the Israelites in their escape from Egyptian bondage. The Baptist, because. he preached the unquenchable fire which is the punishment of sin ; and the Evangelist, because he incul- cated the subdued virtue of brotherly love, the practice of which, like the operation of the cloud to the camp of Israel, when it moderated the heat of the sun in that parched climate, would serve to avert the ever-burning fire of hell. This pillar was a light and a guide to the Israelites through the wilderness of Sin, that they might attain the Promised Land in safety ; and the two St. Johns one by announcing the Saviour, and the other by his benevolent doctrines are a light and a guide to all mankind while toiling through the sinful wilderness of this world, that they may arrive at the heavenly Canaan, and rest for ever from their labours. Besides, St. John the Evangelist was chosen to be a witness of Christ's transfiguration, and was actually enveloped in the cloud on that remark- able occasion. Again, as the columns of Solomon's porch, called Jachin and Boaz, were typical of this cloudy and fiery pillar, so the early Christians likened them to the two St. Johns, which appears, in the estimation of our ancient brethren, to have made parallelism complete. Boaz represented strength, and Jachin to establish ; and together, they referred to the Divine Promise, that God would establish his holy Temple in strength. The for- mer referred to the Sun, which rejoiceth as a giant to run its course f 2 and the latter the Moon, because, like the pillar of a cloud, its light is mild and beautiful, being only a reflection of the Sun's more powerful rays ; and hence it was prophesied of Solomon, that his kingdom should remain in peace and righteousness so long as the Moon endureth. 23 The promise of David includes both. "His seed shall endure forever; and his seat is like as the Sun before me. He shall stand fast for evermore as 33 Ps. xix., 5. * 3 Ibid. Ixxii., 7. 166 THE SYMBOL the Moon, and as the faithful witness in heaven." 24 Hence, according to the testimony of Jarchi, Solomon said : "My kingdom being thus permanently established as the sun and moon, its duration shall be marked by the existence of these pillars, for they will remain firm and immovable as long as my successors shall continue to do the will of God." In like manner the two St. Johns were esteemed pillars of Christianity, and patrons of Masonry. The one repre- senting strength, and the other a principal agent to establish the permanency of both by inculcating brotherly love or charity, which is their chief virtue, and of more value than all the rest. By these instruments Christianity and Masonry have been established in such strength, that they will endure for ever. And at that period, when the designs of Omnipotence are completed, the Sun and Moon, by unmistakable tokens, shall declare to the world that their glory is expiring. The Sun will turn into darkness, and its light being thus withdrawn, the Moon will be obscured; at which period St. John the Baptist, as a righteous man, will shine forth as the Sun, standing at the left hand of the Judge amidst the clouds of heaven ; while the pure and holy doctrines of his illustrious parallel will for ever remain as the employment of saints and angels in the heavenly mansions of the blessed; where there is " no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it, for the glory of God will lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." 25 According to the opinion of Dean Stanhope, who is no slight authority in such matters, the office of John the Baptist consisted in promulgating the very doctrines which distinguish the noble Order of Freemasonry. He employed himself in "making guilty people sensible of their sins, reproving open wickedness, unmasking hypo- crisy, beating down spiritual pride ; importuning men to repentance, by representing, with a faithful zeal, the horrible mischiefs and dreadful conclusion of a wicked course of life, and the terrors of that Master, who, at his coming to purge the floor, will not fail to separate most nicely between the wheat and the chaff, and burn the latter with unquenchable fire. We shall do well to take 24 Ps. kxxix., 36, 37. 25 Rev, xxi., 23. OF GLORY, 107 the Baptist for an example of our conduct, by living a life of severe virtue ; by boldly rebuking vice ; and if by this we incur the displeasure of men, by suffering with a constancy like his. If this were duly attended to, a mighty change would soon be effected even in the profli- gate and profane world." Such investigations as these constitute the true poetry of the Order, and render the pursuits of Freemasonry of real and intellectual value to the intellectual man. Who- ever, therefore, is desirous of regulating his life and conduct by the teaching of Freemasonry, will do well to make its symbols his study, and endeavour to bring their hidden meaning to bear upon the every-day occur- rences of life. Plutarch has somewhere told us that while Alexander the Great was but a boy, so far from rejoicing at his father's success in battle, complained to his young companions that his father would leave nothing for him to do when he grew up to man's estate. They replied, that all which had been done by his father was for his enjoyment; but he said, what better shall I be in possessing ever so much, if I do nothing ? So it is with us. Freemasonry has done a great deal, but it has left something for every individual Mason to do ; and he who does it not, must not expect to be rewarded. Nothing can be a greater anomaly than knowledge without practice. It is like hiding our talent in a napkin, or placing our light under a bushel. To produce a beauti- ful effect, the talent must be used and the light displayed, or we shall be pronounced unprofitable servants, and cast into outer darkness ; which will be a most lamentable destiny for those who boast that they have been brought to light, and have consequently enjoyed superior advantages in acquiring information on which to found a concurrent practice. But where the central point has been illumi- nated by the bright rays proceeding from Eastern wisdom, and invigorated his faith by the practice of moral virtue, he will gradually ascend the innumerable rounds of the Masonic Ladder, and enter into peace when the archangel shall proclaim that time shall be no more. 163 THE SYMBOL LECTURE VII. lebimtonj TO BRO. C. E. ANDERSON, G. POWELL, J. G. SHIPWAY, T. DOUGLAS HARRINGTON, REV. W. T. LEACH, J. WHITLAW, W. P. STREET, N. RYAN, W. N. COURTNEY, R. CHALMERS, J. V. NOEL, > j. M'COY, s W. M. S. W. J. W. D. P. G. M. & P. M. CHAP. TREA. SEC. S. D. J. D. D. OF CER. STEWARDS, Of St. George's Lodge, Montreal, Canada, No. 643, DEAR BRETHREN, The circumstances under which I was elected an honorary member of your Lodge, have afforded me unfeigned pleasure. If I have rendered any services to Masonry, as you are pleased to say, by my publications, I assure you that the time which has been employed in their composition passed very agreeably to myself, because one of the principal amusements of my leisure hours has ever been the study of antiquity, and the acquirement of hieroglyphical knowledge. I am there- OF GLORY. 169 fore doubly rewarded, inasmuch as you have added to the pleasure which such researches have conveyed to my mind, an unequivocal testimony of your approbation. The subject of the following Lecture, which I have the honour of dedicating to you, is of very extensive application. The definition predicates that "its foot vests on earth while its top extends to heaven ;" and it embraces all the intermediate steps by which the human soul mounts to immortality. It is an emblem for all time, and embraces interests which no region of the world can change nor any age decay. When Moses was at the Burning Bush, he was com- manded, as an act of reverence, to take off his shoes. And when the Prophet Ezekiel was forbidden to mourn for the loss of his wife, one of the indications of this extraordinary instance was, to "put on his shoes." The present Jews in Barbary, according to Addison, when a death occurs in their family, do not stir abroad for seven days after the interment ; or if they should be compelled by any extraordinary or urgent cause to leave their dwelling, it must be barefooted, as a token of reverence to Him by whom they have been stricken. How much more ought we to express our humility and reverence, when we stand on ground which has been consecrated by Three Grand Offerings, and bears that Holy Book which is the source of all our hopes and comforts. When Jacob occupied the same situation, he said, " surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, how dreadful is this place ! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the Gate of heaven." That you, my brethren, may ascend the Theological Ladder with the same devout and holy feelings, and in the end receive the reward of your faith, even the salva- tion of your souls, is the fervent wish of W. Sir, And dear Brethren, Your faithful Servant and Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Honorary Member of St. George's Lodge. SCOPWICK VICARAGE, December 1, 1849. 170 THE SYMBOL Kuim fye $wnt|j. The three Great Lights which form the basis of the Ma- sonic Ladder explained, with a description oj the Ladder and its accompaniments. " Tyll that I came unto a ryall Gate, Where I sawe stondynge the goodly portres, Whyche axed me, from whence I came a late ; To whome I gan in every thynge expresse All myne adventure, chaunce, and busynesse, And eke my name ; I told her every dell ; Whan she herde this she lyked me right well." STEPHEN HA WES. THE next object which attracts our attention in the Symbol of Glory, is the Holy Bible, which is the great charter of a Christian's faith, and anchor of his hope, as well as one of the Great Lights of Masonry. It forms the Tracing Board of the Great Architect of the Uni- verse ; and he has laid down there such glorious plans and moral designs, that were we conversant therein and adherent thereto, it would bring us to a building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The Bible is the gift of God to man. It is the consummation of wisdom, goodness, and truth. Many other books are good, but none are so good as this. All other books may be dispensed with ; but this is absolutely necessary to our happiness here, and our salvation hereafter. It is the most ancient record of facts known in the world ; the materials of its earliest history having been compiled, as is most probable, by Shem, or perhaps by Noah. The Rabbins say that Shem was the instructor of Abraham in the history of former events ; and that from Abraham they were naturally transmitted through Isaac, Jacob, and Levi, to Moses. And no injury is done to the just arguments on behalf of the inspiration of Scripture, as OF GLORY. 171 Calmet judiciously observes, if we suppose that Shem wrote the early history of the world; that Abraham wrote family memoirs of what related to himself; that Jacob continued what concerned himself, and that, at length, Moses compiled, arranged, and edited, a copy of the holy works extant in his time. A procedure per- fectly analogous to this was conducted by Ezra in a later age ; on whose edition of the Holy Scripture our faith now rests, as it rests, in like manner, on the prior edition of Moses, if he were the editor of some parts ; or on his authority, if he were the writer of the whole. The evidences of its truth do not depend on the uncer- tain deductions of human reason, but upon the teaching of the Holy Spirit of God. Its details are confirmed by signs, and wonders, and manifestations of the divine power. On its veracity our holy religion must stand or tall ; and therefore our hopes of salvation anchor upon it, as on a rock which can never give way. It is the pillar and ground of Truth ; the pedestal and support of Faith ; and hence the Masonic Ladder is planted there as on a foundation that cannot be shaken ; because its divine author is Jehovah himself. Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, centre in its pages ; for its wisdom is Faith, its strength is Hope, and its beauty is Charity ; a double triad which constitutes Perfection ; and realized in the pentalpha, which, in the symbolization equally of Chris- tianity and Masonry, refers to the two natures of the incarnate Deity. This First Great Light of Masonry is not only perfect, but free from every admixture of imperfection; for if the slightest doubt could be raised respecting the truth of any single fact or doctrine which it contains, it would cease to be the Book of God, and our Faith and Hope would no longer have a solid basis to rest upon. But so long as we believe the Deity to be a wise, and powerful, and perfect being, we must also believe that every thing which emanates from his authority is equally wise, and powerful, and perfect, and consequently worthy of the utmost veneration. " The events recorded to have happened under the old dispensation are often strikingly prefigurative of those which occur under the new ; and the temporal circum- stances of the Israelites seem designedly to shadow out 172 THE SYMBOL the spiritual condition of the Christian church. The connection is ever obvious ; and points out the consist- ency of the Divine purpose, and the harmony delibe- rately contrived to subsist between both dispensations. Thus in the servitude of Israel are described the suffer- ings of the church. In the deliverance from Egypt is foreshown its redemption ; and the journey through the wilderness is a lively representation of a Christian's pil- grimage through life, to his inheritance in everlasting bliss. So also, without too minute a discussion, it may be observed, that the manna of which the Israelites did eat, and the rock of which they drank, as well as the brazen serpent by which they were healed, were sever- ally typical of correspondent particulars that were to obtain under the Christian establishment ; as under the sacrifices and ceremonial service of the church, of which the institution is here recorded, was described the more spiritual worship of the Gospel." 1 The Bible, as the lectures of Masonry predicate, is the sacred compact from God to man, because he has been pleased to reveal more of his divine will in that Holy Book than by any other means ; either by the light of Nature, the aid of Science, or Reason with all her powers. And, therefore, as might be expected, it contains a code of laws and regulations which are adapted to every situa- tion in which a created being can possibly be placed. And it not only incites him to virtue, but furnishes a series of striking examples both of good and evil conduct, that he may avoid the one and practise the other to his eternal advantage. And further, if it gives copious instructions to rulers and governors that they may perform their exalted duties with strict justice and impartiality, it is no less prolific in its directions to men occupying inferior stations of life, to be obedient to the laws, and to respect the powers under which they live, and by which they are protected. Its precepts extend to the duties of rich and poor, parents and children, husbands and wives, masters and servants. There is not a grade in civil society, from the monarch on his throne, to the peasant between the stilts of a plough, but may find ample instructions for moral go- 1 Gray's Key, p. 98. OF GLORY. 173 vernment, and the regulation of his desires, in that com- prehensive Book. And their universal application and divine origin are manifested by the fact, that those who disregard their operation themselves, display an instinct- ive respect for every one who professes to take the Bible for a rule of faith, and a guide to the requirements of moral duty. But this Sacred Volume possesses one peculiar excel- lence which is denied to every other book. We frequently find an entire code of civil duties embodied in a single passage ; which, if universally observed by all classes of society, would turn this earth into a Paradise, and its inhabitants into a band of brothers. If mankind could be persuaded to adopt the rule of mutual assistance and mutual forbearance which is there recommended, and copied in the system of Freemasonry ; if they would, on all occasions, do as they would be done >?/, nothing would be wanting to the completion of human happiness. It w r as the violation of this rule that made Cain a murderer, and filled the antediluvian world with such violent antipathies and unnatural crimes, as made an universal purgation necessary to cleanse it from its gross pollutions. It was the same disregard to this rule which made Nimrod a hunter of men, Pharaoh an impious con- temner of God's judgments ; Absalom a rebel, and Judas a thief. And in our own times it arms man against his fellow, and produces all. that wickedness and vice which human laws, how stringent soever they may be, have totally failed to banish from the world. The Book before us contains rules for preserving health by the exercise of Temperance and Chastity ; for procuring blessings by the practice of Fidelity, Industry and Zeal ; for securing a good reputation by Integrity and a faithful discharge of every trust ; and for inheriting the promises by the exercise of Faith, the encouragement of Hope, and the practice of Charity, or the universal love of God and man. Upon the first Great Light, we find two others the Square and Compasses ; which are va*ried in their posi- tion in every degree, to mark the gradual progress of knowledge ; and the former is opened at different pas- sages appropriate to each ; for the Bible being considered the rule of a Mason's faith, the Square and Compasses, 174 THE SYMBOL when united, have the same tendency with respect to his practice. The latter are appropriated to the Grand Master, as the ruler and governor of the Craft, because they are the principal instruments used in the construc- tion of plans, and the formation of ingenious designs ; which constitute his especial duty at the erection of magnificent edifices. The former belongs to the whole Craft; because, as they are obligated on it, they are bound to model their actions according to its symbolical directions. But the peculiar appropriation of the Square is to the Master of a private Lodge. Its utility as an implement of manual labour belonging to operative Masonry, is to try and adjust all irregular corners of buildings, and to assist in bringing rude matter into due form ; while to the speculative Mason it conveys a corresponding lesson of duty, teaching him, that by a course of judicious train- ing, the W. M. reduces into due form the rude matter which exists in the mind of a candidate for initiation; and thus, being modelled on the true principles of genu- ine Masonry, it becomes like the polished corners of the Temple. And by virtue of this jewel, which sparkles on his breast, he is enabled to cause all animosities, if any such should unfortunately exist among the brethren, to subside, that order and good fellowship may be perfect and complete. In a word, the Square points out the general duties of the Master of a Lodge, which are, to consider himself subordinate to the Grand Master and his officers ; to keep a regular communication with the Grand Lodge; to give no countenance to any irregular Lodge, or any person initiated therein ; not to initiate a person without a pre- vious knowledge of his character; to respect genuine brethren, discountenance impostors and all who dissent from the original plan of Masonry; and above all to set an example to the Lodge, of regularity, decorum, and propriety of conduct. The Square reads a lesson not less instructive to the whole fraternity; and enjoins them to regulate their ac- tions by Rule and Line, to harmonize their conduct by the principles of morality and virtue, and mutually to encourage each other in the practice of their masonic duties, by the efficacious influence of good example; OF GLORY. 175 which constitutes an additional illustration of the first Great Light. It is, indeed, a remarkable peculiarity of that Holy Book, that it unites precept so closely with example, as to afford instances of moral and religious conduct which will apply to all mankind, rich or poor, with equal effect. And this is one reason why, in the system of Freemasonry, the Bible is so closely connected with the Square and Compasses. If I were to adduce all the instances contained in the first Great Light, I might refer to almost every page ; for we can scarcely open the Book, without finding some great example either of good or evil, which may incite us to the prac- tice of virtue or the hatred of vice. The influence which every man possesses in his own particular sphere is very considerable. Our Grand Master Solomon, when a poor man delivered, by his wisdom, a small city from the army of a very powerful monarch, was led to con- sider the superiority of wisdom above riches; and con- cluded that as a wise and good man might be extremely useful to those around him by his example, so might a foolish and wicked man do a great deal of mischief by the same means. In society example is like leaven to a lump of dough ; and its influence is so great as to produce the most favor- able or prejudicial effects to the interests of mankind. Each individual observes what others do; and thinks there can be no great harm in copying their example. "I am no worse than my neighbors," is very common language; and such reasoners seem to think that they shall be justified in a breach of the moral law by a refer- ence to the conduct of others. But can such a plea be admissible in a Masons' lodge ? Does Freemasonry sanc- tion such an unreasonable argument that the vices of one man will be an excuse for those of another ? It should rather appear from the general tenor of the doctrines promulgated in the Lodge, that if any person sets a bad example, it would not only affect the reputation of those who follow it, but it would also increase his own respon- sibility. The Master of a Lodge is therefore bound to set his brethren an example of morality and justice, which form the true interpretation of the significant Jewel by which he is distinguished ; for such is the nature of our consti- 176 THE SYMBOL tution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so others of course must learn to submit and obey. Hu- mility in both is an essential duty. And at his installa- tion he solemnly declares that he will " work diligently, live creditably, and act honourably by all men ; that he will avoid private piques and quarrels, and guard against intemperance and excess ; that he will be cautious in his carriage and behaviour, courteous to his brethren, and faithful to the Lodge ; and that he will promote the general good of society, cultivate the social virtues, and propagate a knowledge of the art of Masonry, as far as his influence and ability can extend." By the Compasses, which are appropriated to the Grand Master, we learn to limit our desires in every station, that, rising to eminence by merit, we may live respected and die regretted. This instrument directs us to regulate our lives and conduct by the rules contained in the first Great Light ; and our motto is : Keep within compass, and you will be sure To avoid many troubles which others endure. By the same symbol we are reminded of the impartial and unerring justice of the Most High; who, having in his sacred Tracing Board defined the limits of good and evil, will reward or punish us according as we have obeyed or rejected the divine law. This is an important consideration, and worthy the attention of every initiated Mason ; because it involves those peculiar doctrines which are characteristic of the Order man's personal responsibility, the resurrection, and a future state. In that awful description of the last Judgment, which is recorded in this sacred Tracing Board, Charity or benevolence to our poorer fellow-creatures is made the test of acceptance or exclusion ; and this is an eminent masonic virtue; but Bishop Porteus says, "it is an observation of some importance to be impressed on our minds, that although Charity to our neighbour is a strin- gent duty, yet it is not the only virtue which we ought to practise ; for this makes only one of that large assem- blage of virtues which are required to make us perfect. We must therefore collect the terms of our salvation, not from any one passage, but from the whole tenor of the Sacred Writings taken together; and if we judge by OF GLORY. 177 this rule, which is the only one that can be safely relied on, we shall find that nothing less than a sincere and lively Faith, producing in us, as far as the infirmity of our nature will permit, universal holiness of life, can ever serve to make our final calling and election sure. But thus much we may collect from that Holy Book, that Charity or love to man is one of the most essential duties of our religion, and that to neglect this virtue must be peculiarly dangerous, and render us unfit to appear at the last day before the tribunal of the Judge." Such is the teaching of the Great Lights of Masonry ; and they therefore constitute an appropriate basis for the foot of the Theological Ladder to rest on, whose princi- pal steps are Faith, Hope, and Charity, and whose sum- mit is the Throne of God. This Ladder contains staves or rounds innumerable, as the emanations of these three great virtues, with angels ascending and descending thereon. A corresponding symbol among the Jews contains no less than fifty rounds, which they call GATES, and are considered as so many degrees of wisdom, or avenues to the attainment of sublime and mysterious truths. It is incumbent on men that they study the Mysteries w r hich contain this ineffa- ble symbol, before they can receive the influx of divine light. The progress of the candidate in the ascent of this ladder is represented as being exceedingly slow, and obstructed by numerous difficulties ; and few there are who arrive at the summit. Moses is said to have passed through only forty-nine ; and Joshua was unable to pene- trate further than the forty-eighth ; but even Solomon, whose wisdom surpassed that of all other men, could never open the fiftieth gate, which leads immediately into heaven, and opens on the Throne of the infinite and omnipotent God whom no man can see and live. 2 Many of our best divines have entertained an opinion that there are some grounds from analogy to conclude, that a scale of beings exists above us, and another below. And Bishop Hurd says that " the belief is almost univer- sal of such a graduated scale ascending from us to God, though the uppermost round of it may still be at an infinite distance from his Throne. But the direct, indeed 2 Basnage, p. 189, with Authorities. 8* 178 THE SYMBOL the only solid proof of its existence, is the Revealed Word, which speaks of angels and archangels, nay myriads of them, disposed in different ranks, and rising above each other with a wonderful harmony and proportion." The Masonic Ladder was represented by the artists of the middle ages, in the form of a geometrical staircase ; and may be seen in an existing specimen on the triumph- al arch of S. Maria Maggiore, at Rome. A symbolical gateway, arched over, is placed at the bottom, another about midway up the ascent, and a third at the top. These are the Gates of heaven, which are expanded to admit all those who have faithfully performed their duty to God, their neighbour, and themselves. These Gates are mentioned at a very early period of the history of mankind, in connection with the Theo- logical Ladder ; for Jacob, to whom the supernal vision was vouchsafed, called it the House of God, and the Gate of heaven. 3 And the same imagery is used by the prophets. Our Grand Master David affords a remarkable instance of the existence of a belief that the mansions of bliss are accessible by means of Gates ; and he not only speaks of the Gates of death, through which the soul passes before it is "lifted up ;" 4 but rejoices that the Gates of righteousness and the Gate of the Lord are open for the righteous to enter in; 5 and describes the heavenly choir, at the resurrection of Christ, as uniting in the joyful chorus, "Lift up your heads, O ye Gates, and be ye lift up (opened) ye everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may come in." 6 In like manner Job mentions " the Gates of death," and " the doors of the shadow of death ;" by which he evidently meant the entrance into Sheol, the world of departed spirits. The Saviour of mankind describes the way that leads to the realms above as being narrow and of difficult ascent, and the Gates thereof so strait, that few will be able to gain admission. 7 And adds that though the Gates of this city are always open, they are not open for every one to enter in, but are closed against " everything that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ;" 3 but are reserved for those who have faithfully performed 3 Gen. xxviii., 17. 4 Ps. ix., 13, cvii., 18. 5 Ibid, cxviii., 19, 20. 6 Ibid, xxiv., 7. 7 Matt, vii., 14. 8 Ibid, xvi., 18. OF GLORY. 179 their duty to God and man. He speaks also of the Gates of hell, 9 which the Christian commentators make to be three in number, and call them Death, the Grave, and Destruction. Death being the first Gate which leads to the realms of eternal misery ; it is placed at the end of a broad and well beaten path ; the Grave comes next ; and Destruction is the final Gate opening into the bottomless pit, which the Jews believed to be in the centre of the earth, under the mountains and waters of Palestine. They appropriated, however, to their Gehenna, three different openings to this place of darkness ; the first is in the wilderness, and by that GateKorah, Dathan, and Abiram descended into hell ; the second is in the sea, because it is said that Jonah, who was thrown into the sea, cried to God out of the belly of hell ; 10 the third is in Jerusalem, for Isaiah tells us that the fire of the Lord is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem. 11 Under this representation the three Gates are Earth, Water, and Fire. The same image was used by heathen nations who made their Elysium and Tartarus accessible by the same Gates. Servius, the commentator upon Virgil, says that the Inferni are divided into nine circles, accessible by so many Gates. The first contains the souls of infants ; the second the souls of those who, through their simplicity, could not conduct themselves like rational creatures ; the third, of those who, through despair, had laid violent hands upon themselves ; the fourth, of those who perished through extravagant love ; the fifth, the souls of warriors; the sixth, of criminals who had suffered a violent death. Passing through the seventh Gate the souls were subjected to purification ; which being com- pleted in the eighth, they passed forward through the ninth, being thoroughly purified, into the Elysian fields. 12 In the most early ages the heathen imagined that there were certain Gates through which the souls were to pass to their infernal abodes ; and from thence, it was, that they used this periphrastical form of speech of going to the Gates of hell, to signify a man's dying. Thus * Kev. xxi., 27. l Jonah ii., 3. 11 Isai. xxxi., 9. 18 Montf., vol. v., p. 93 180 THE SYMBOL Hezekiah speaks, " I said in the cutting off of my days, that I shall go to the Gates of hell." 13 Which figurative expression in that place is understood simply of death ; whereas in the New Testament the Gates of hell signify the powers of darkness. The pagans, however, from whom this mode of speech appears to have been borrowed, understood by the Gates of hell the real entrance into Pluto's dominion. These Gates of hell are frequently found in the monuments of Greece and Rome. 14 The Persians represented the soul, in its progress to the perfection of a better state of existence, as passing up a tall and steep Ladder, consisting of innumerable steps, and opening by seven Gates into so many stages of happiness. Celsus, as cited by Origen, says on this subject; "the first Gate is of lead; the second of tin; the third of brass ; the fourth of iron ; the fifth of copper ; the sixth of silver ; and the seventh of gold. The first they attribute to Saturn, pretending that lead denotes the slowness of that planet's course ; the second to Venus, which resembles the softness and splendour of tin ; the third, for its solidity and firmness, to Jupiter ; the fourth to Mercury, because iron and mercury are applicable to all sorts of work ; the fifth, which, by reason of its mix- ture, is of an unequal nature, to Mars ; the sixth to the Moon, and the seventh to the Sun, because gold and silver correspond in colour with these two luminaries." Thus the ascent of the Ladder w T as graduated and adapted to the mythology of the people, and terminated in a blaze of glory ; for the Sun was the supreme deity of the Persians, and next to him the Moon. The three theological virtues, in the Ladder of Free- masonry, are disposed as the guardians of the principal entrances or Gates, which are closely tyled to the cowan, and the guides through the three stages of a mason's career. These may be likened to the same number of parts in a primitive Basilica or Christian church ; viz., 1, the portico for the penitents or unbaptised persons ; 2, the nave, or church militant, for the catechumens or those who have been received into the congregation ; and 3, the chancel or church triumphant, for the perfect Chris- tian. 13 Isa. xxxviii. , 14 Montf., vol. v., p. 98. OF GLORY. 181 These three graces of a religious life are thus placed, in conformity with the description of their respective characteristics by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xiii. ; and being exclusively attached to Christianity, and admitted into no other religion that ever existed on the face of the earth, leaves the Free and Accepted Masonno alternative but to explain them by the Christian ritual ; although they have been explained by a transatlantic Mason as follows. "Faith is the genius of Spring; Hope of Summer; and Charity of Autumn. Faith of Spring, because faith and works must always come together ; Hope of Summer, because from that point the Sun looks vertically down upon the seeds which have been com- mitted in faith to the fertilizing bosom of the earth; Charity of Autumn, because then the Sun empties his cornucopia into our desiring laps. Faith is the eastern pillar ; Charity the western ; and Hope the keystone of this Royal Arch." 15 It will be unnecessary to say that I differ in toto from the above author, in his appropriation of these sublime virtues ; and solemnly protest against the principle of making Hope instead of Charity the keystone of the arch. In the symbol before us we see a female figure seated at the foot of a Ladder, like a dignified matron, under a palm tree, with a dove holding an olive leaf in its mouth, perched on one of the branches, and a lamb at her feet. She bears a Cross in one hand, and a Key in the other. In some of our masonic portraitures, we find Faith designa- ted by a patera or cup ; which is, however, a more appro- priate symbol of the Roman goddess Fides, who bears no resemblance to our companion of Hope and Charity. This deity, who may be considered the representative of Fidelity, had a temple in the Capitol, and her priests wore white veils ; and oaths taken in her name were considered peculiarly binding. She was sometimes re- presented with a Cup, at others with a basket of fruit and ears of corn. Occasionally she was represented by a turtle dove, on account of its faithfulness to its mate. The most usual symbol, however, was the two right hands joined together in the grasp of friendship. It is true, we sometimes find, amongst the paintings 13 Fellows. Masonry, p. 284. 182 THE SYMBOL and mosaics of the middle ages, the figure of Faith bear- ing the Patera ; as for instance, on the north basement on the shrine of the blessed Virgin at Florence ; but this may be accounted for under the supposition that the artists, being Italian, doubtless took the symbol from the visible attributes of the Roman goddess, without ever reflecting that Christian Faith and the Fides of their fanciful pantheon had not a single quality in common, although the name might suggest a similar appropriation. In heathen nations a Cup was the insignia of Fides, because it was esteemed oracular ; and Julius Serenus has explained the Egyptian method of divining by it. The adept filled it with water, and deposited therein thin plates of gold or silver charged with magical charac- ters. The demon was then invoked by certain prescribed forms of incantation ; and the enquiries were answered by the cabalistical hieroglyphics on the plates rising to the surface of the water. Some say that if melted wax were poured into the cup, upon the water, it would arrange itself in the form of letters, and thus give a dis- tinct answer to the proposed enquiries. It was for some such purpose that Dido poured out water from a Patera between the horns of a white cow. Ipsa tenens dextra Pateram pulcherrima Dido Candentis vaccse media inter cornua fudit. Sometimes the Patera was used by women for the pur- poses of divination ; and for these reasons it can scarcely be esteemed an appropriate symbol of Christian faith. In fact its use is explicitly forbidden in the Christian system; for St. Paul calls it "the cup of devils." In the heathen sacrifices, as Macknight informs us, the priests, before they poured the wine upon the victim, tasted it themselves, then carried it to the offerers and to those who came with them, that they also might taste it, as joining in the sacrifice and receiving benefit from it. The cup of devils meant, therefore, the sacrifice offered to the demon or idol, and was therefore expressly con- demned. Amongst the professors of a true religion, the Cup appears to be a more appropriate symbol of Temperance than of Faith ; and it was always so considered by Jews OF GLORY. 183 as well as Christians. At a Jewish feast, the president used to take a cup of wine into his hand, at the com- mencement of the ceremony, and after solemnly blessing God for it, and for the mercy which was publicly acknowledged, he drank himself, and then circulated it amongst the guests, who also drank, each in his turn. It is called by David, "the cup of salvation," but Jeremiah terms it, "the cup of God's wrath ;" in the former case it was used as an incentive to temperance ; but in the latter as a denunciation against ebriety ; which always occurred at the Jewish carnival of Purim, where, as in the corresponding ceremonies of the Bacchanalia, the rule was, not to leave off drinking while the topers were capable of distinguishing between the phrases Blessed be Mordecai ! and cursed be Haman ! For this reason the Cup was also considered by the Jews as an emblem of the chequered mixture of good and evil by which human life is diversified. The symbols by which Faith is here designated, possess a more dignified reference. The palm tree has always been considered a symbol of victory, because it is so elastic as to bend under any pressure without break- ing asunder, and to regain without difficulty its former erect position when the pressure is removed ; thus appearing to be impregnable to all attacks. Hence it was assigned by the early Christians to Faith, because St. John says, "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith." 1G For a similar reason it was esteemed an emblem of the immortality to which Faith leads, because the ancients feigned that this tree never decays. Mariti reports the traditions which exist amongst the Arabs respecting this extraordinary tree. They allege that it will live for hundreds of years ; and they had not the vestige of a tradition amongst them that either they or any of their ancestors ever saw a palm tree that died of itself. It bears fruit for ever, 17 and therefore is an appropriate emblem of Faith, which, by its fruits, produces immortality and happiness. It was also a symbol of other Christian virtues, viz., justice, inno- cence, and a pious and virtuous life. The above interpretation points out, according to 16 1 John v., 4. 17 Ps. xcii., 14. 184 THE SYMBOL Pierius, 18 the reason why Faith is symbolized by a Cross, which is the true palm tree of a Christian; and by means of which the Jew and Gentile will ultimately form one church, and profess one faith, according to that saying of the Redeemer, " if I be lifted up I will draw all men to me." Thus the faithful servants of God were marked in their foreheads with the sign of the Cross to distinguish what they were, and to whom they be- longed. Now, among Christians, baptism, being the seal of the covenant between God and man, is therefore, by ancient writers, often called the seal, the sign, the mark and character of the Lord ; and it was the practice in early times, as it is at present, to make the sign of the Cross upon the foreheads of the parties baptised. The same sign of the Cross was also made at confirmation ; and upon many other occasions the Christians signed them- selves with the sign of the Cross in their foreheads, as a token that they were not ashamed of a crucified Master ; that on the contrary they gloried in the Cross of Christ, and triumphed in that symbol and representation of it. 19 The dove is the inhabitant of a pure element which we hope one day to obtain by the exercise of Faith. It was therefore used by the early Christians, and adopted by the Free and Accepted Masons who were employed in the erection of our magnificent cathedrals and churches, as a symbol of this divine quality. Its application in this character was very widely disseminated. On the reverse of a coin of Elagabalus, Faith is represented as a sitting figure, holding a turtle dove in one hand, and an ensign in the other, inscribed Fides Exercitus. The olive figured the peace of mind which the true and faith- ful Mason enjoys in the contemplation of God's perfections through the medium of the glorious symbol under our notice ; and the unity and love which they bear to each other. The Lamb is the representative of the faithful flock of the Good Shepherd ; and hence the use of the lamb-skin in a Lodge, as an emblem of innocence, more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle ; more honour- able than the Star and Garter, the Thistle and Rose, or 18 Hieroglyphic^, fo. 371. C. Ed. Basil, 1575. 19 Newton on the Prophecies, Diss. xxiv., Part 1. OF GLORY. 185 any other order under the sun which can be conferred by king, prince, or potentate, except he be a Mason. Indeed, white garments, were always considered as distinguishing marks of favour. They were worn in the courts of Princes; and the garments of priests were generally white. They were an emblem of purity, and are therefore interpreted in the Christian system by "the righteousness of saints." 20 The Cross is a symbol of the eternal life indicated by a perfect religion; in virtue of which, all who believe shall be enabled to start on their Christian course with a full assurance of Hope. Faith will unlock the Portico of the Church militant, that the Christian soldier may enter and commence his warfare with the three great enemies of his soul ; and if he should be victorious in the conflict, and continue faithful unto death, the Captain of his salvation will give him a crown of life. 21 For this purpose Faith is invested with a Key, as a symbol of power and authority ; which is especially referred to in the condemnation which was passed on the public teachers in the law of Moses ; who are charged with having taken away the Key of knowledge by which the kingdom of God is opened to mankind, in the multi- tude of false glosses, superstitious traditions, and hetero- dox interpretations under which they had buried the pure Word of God. These expounders were designated by a golden Key, as the symbol of their office. 22 The Cross is in her left hand, and the Kevin her right; because the former is always conspicuous, while the latter depends on the hand that contains it. If the candidate perceives the Key in the right hand of Faith, it augurs favourably for his masonic progress ; because the right hand was esteemed auspicious, and was supposed to point to the east, whence the benign influences of light and heat, motion and life are disseminated. Thus the heathen aruspices, when they made their observations, always stood with their faces towards the north, so that the right hand might point towards the east. Faith is placed near the Holy Bible, to show that it is the evidence of things not seen, and a sure confidence in things hoped for. By the doctrines therein contained, 80 Rev. xix M 8. 21 Ibid, ii., 10. 28 Luke ri., 52. 186 THE SYMBOL we are taught to believe in the blessings of redemption ; and with his faith thus strengthened, the Christian Mason is enabled to ascend the first step on the road to heaven. This faith naturally creates a Hope that we may be partakers of the promises contained in the volume which is thus recommended to our notice; and, accordingly, Hope is represented by a female figure resting on an anchor, to symbolize " the anchor of the soul" on which our hopes are founded, and bearing the insignia of power. Hence Hope appropriately occupies the centre of the space between earth and heaven ; to intimate that if the faithful brother perseveres in the uniform practice of his moral and social duties, not only to God, but also to his neighbour and himself, he will finally overcome all diffi- culties. Hope will unlock the second gate, and admit the zealous Mason into the Naos of the Temple, where he is allowed to participate in divine things; and then unveils the glories of the Church triumphant. With such an object in view, he manfully labours to ascend the steep acclivity for its attainment. Hope is to the soul what an anchor is to a ship: a sure and steadfast stay amidst the storms of temptation; which when firmly placed upon the rock of Ages in the Holy of Holies, within the veil, will bear him safely through all his difficulties. In the Heathen mytholog}^ the figure of Hope is generally represented upon medals, a great number of which are furnished by Montfaucon, as a female crowned with flowers, and resting her right hand upon a pillar, with a bee-hive before her, out of which rise flowers and ears of corn. She sometimes holds, in her left hand, poppies ; sometimes lilies, and at others, ears of corn. And most of these symbols have, at one time or another, been introduced into Freemasonry. When Faith shall be rescinded by beholding its glorious object face to face, and Hope shall be superseded by certainty, Charity will still subsist as the virtue of angels and just men made perfect. Its personation is therefore rightly placed at the summit of the Ladder, where we represent it as a female seated, with an infant on her lap, and two children of unequal ages at her knees. She is also invested with the symbolical Key, and has a circular Jewel suspended from a collar round her neck, OF GLORY. 187 on which is inscribed a Heart. At this point the Ladder forms a junction with the highest heavens, and penetrates the regions which lead to the throne of God. The practice of Charity displays itself in relieving the wants, and comforting the distresses of our brethren in the flesh ; and this constitutes the chief boast and glory of our divine science. But this is the least and most inferior part of Charity, and if it consisted in nothing more, it would be difficult to determine why St. Paul should have given it such a decided preference over the other two, by saying, " Now abideth Faith, Hope, and Charity, these three, but the greatest of these is Charity." 23 Bishop Home says, " Love cannot work ill to his neighbour ; it can never injure him in his person, his bed, his property, or his character ; it cannot so much as conceive a desire for any thing that belongs to him. But it resteth not content with negatives. It not only worketh him no ill, but it must work for him all the good in its power. Is he hungry? It will give him meat. Is he thirsty? It will give him drink. Is he naked? It will clothe him. Is he sick? It will visit him. Is he sorrowful? It will comfort him. Is he in prison? It will go to him, and, if possible, bring him out. Upon this ground, wars must for ever cease among nations, dissentious of every kind among smaller societies, and the individuals that compose them. All must be peace, because all would be love. And thus would every end of the incarnation be accomplished ; good will to men, peace on earth, and to God on high, glory to both." This divine virtue consists in the love of God and man, which is the only perfect and durable quality we can possess. Prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, know- ledge shall vanish away ; even Faith will become useless when we see God as he is ; and Hope will be swallowed up in certainty; but Charity will be the employment of just men for everlasting ages. " This benevolent disposi- tion is made the great characteristic of a Christian, the test of obedience, and the mark by which he is to be distinguished. This love for each other includes the qualities of humility, patience, meekness, and bene- 23 1 Cor. xiii., 13. 188 THE SYMBOL ficence; without which we must live in perpetual discord ; and it is so sublime, so rational, and so bene- ficial, so wisely calculated to correct the depravity, diminish the wickedness, and abate the miseries of human nature, that did we universally practise it, we should soon be relieved from all the inquietudes arising from our unruly passions, as well as from all the injuries to which we are exposed from the indulgence of the same passions in others." 24 Thus the exercise of Faith and Hope having terminated in Charity, the Mason who is possessed of this divine quality, in its utmost perfection, may justly be deemed to have attained the summit of his profession ; figura- tively speaking, an ethereal mansion veiled from mortal eye by the starry firmament ; and emblematically depicted in a Mason's lodge by stars, which have an allusion to as many regularly made Masons ; without which number no lodge is perfect, nor can any candidate be legally initiated therein. On the whole, to use the language of a writer of the last century, the Ladder was designed for a type and emblem of the covenant of grace, which was in force from the time of man's apostacy, and began to be put in execution at the incarnation of our Saviour Christ, that only Mediator, who opened an intercourse between earth and heaven. To this mystical meaning of the Ladder, the Redeemer is supposed to allude when he says, "hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." 25 24 Soame Jenyns. View of the Internal Evidences of Chris- tianity. 25 John i., 51. OF GLORY. 189 LECTURE VIII. TO BRO. THE EARL OF ABOYNE, P. G. M. JOHN TITTERTON, W. M. WILLIAM PIKE, S. W. JOHN ROYCE, JUN., J. W. & SEC. REV. T. PEDLEY, CHAPLAIN. J. WEBB, S. D. N. BINEY, J. D. W. STRICKLAND, P. M. & STEWARD, Of the St. Peter's Lodge, Peterborough. MY DEAR BRETHREN, Nothing can be more natural than for a Mason to feel a predilection in favour of the Lodge where he first saw light streaming from the east, to convey a new impetus to his understanding, and to invigorate his reason with the bright rays of Truth, as the beams of the rising sun gild objects in the west with a portion of their gorgeous splendour. My Alma Mater is the St. Peter's Lodge. There I first imbibed those elements of masonic knowledge -which formed the ground-work of all my subsequent studies ; and I shall never forget the pleasurable sensations with which I listened to the first instructions I received from Bro. Stevens, who was then the Worshipful Master. In the same lodge my masonic regeneration was completed, 190 THE SYMBOL for there I received all the three degrees. You will not, therefore, wonder that I entertain lively recollections of a community where I became acquainted with a system which has been a source of no ordinary pleasure and satisfaction, amidst the variegated scenes of a long and eventful life. It was said of the Egyptian Isis, as I had the pleasure of remarking on a personal visit to the lodge in 1843, and I repeat it here to show that no change has taken place in my filial affection and gratitude to the St. Peter's Lodge ; it was said of the Egyptian Isis, who was the mother of the Spurious Freemasonry, that she was all that was, and is, and shall be ; and that no mortal was able to remove the veil that covered her. My masonic Mother has acted towards me a kinder and more mater- nal part. She removed the veil of darkness and igno- rance which blinded my eyes and clouded my understand- ing; displaying to my delighted view all the charms of her philosophy, her morality, her science ; a new world of splendour and surpassing beauty, where Faith, Hope, and Charity, form a gradual ascent to the Grand Lodge above ; enlightening the studies of geometrical science by the practice of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice ; and cheering the road to heaven by the charms of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. I am grateful to the Lodge of St. Peter for having con- ferred on me the title of a Master Mason ; a title which, like our glorious badge of innocence, I consider to be more ancient, and more honourable, than any other order under the sun ; and I trust I have never disgraced the confidence which was then reposed in me. I have ever considered Freemasonry as the best and kindest gift of heaven to man ; subordinate only to our most holy religion. I consider it to be an institution where men of all opinions, and all shades of opinion in religion and politics, may meet as on neutral ground, and exchange the right hand of fellowship ; may pursue their mental researches into the region of science and morality, without fearing any collision from hostile opinions to sever the links of har- mony and brotherly love by which their hearts are cemented and knit together. The doctrines which arise out of a consideration of the mysterious Ladder of Freemasonry, are of a character so OP GLORY. 191 overwhelming, that the mind with difficulty grasps the mighty subject. Freemasonry defines the three princi- pal staves or rounds, leaving the innumerable intermediate ones unnoticed, and applies them to those eminent Theo- logical Virtues which no religion but Christianity con- siders to be imperative on the worshippers of the TQAOTU. A disquisition on these sublime graces, as applied to the system of Freemasonry, forms the subject of the fol- lowing Lecture, which is gratefully inscribed to you by Worshipful Sir, And dear Brethren, Your faithful friend, And Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Hon. Member of the St. Peter's Lodge. SCOPWICK VICARAGE, January 1, 1850. 192 THE SYMBOL Iwtarc 0# ?7ie Theological Virtues, and their application to Free- masonry. " When constant FAITH, and holy HOPE shall die, One lost in certainty, and one in joy ; Then thou, more happy power, fair CHARITY, Triumphant sister, greatest of the three, Thy office and thy nature still the same, Lasting thy lamp, and unconsumed thy flame, Shalt still survive Shalt stand before the Host of Heaven confest, For ever blessing and for ever blest." * PRIOR. " More ancient than the golden fleece, More dignified than star Or garter, is the badge of peace, Whose ministers we are. It is the badge of innocence And friendship's holy flame ; And if you ne'er give that offence, It ne'er will bring thee shame." BRO. SKEWING. OF the Theological Virtues it may be truly said, as we have already predicated of the staves or rounds of the Masonic Ladder, that they are innumerable, although Freemasonry classes them under three principal heads, as the generic parents of them all. I have already observed in a previous lecture, that as these virtues have been in- troduced into Masonry, it will be impossible to treat on them perspicuously without a reference to the Christian system ; although I am inclined to think that those who invented the symbol had an eye to the life of man in its three main divisions, youth, manhood, and old age ; or in other words it was considered to be typical of the begin- ning, middle and end of our existence, prefigured by the three degrees of Masonry. These stages, however, on a OF GLORY. 193 careful examination, will be found to correspond with the three great virtues which mark the pilgrim's course from this world to the next. The ancient philosophers, arguing from the universal progress of generation, increase, and decay, held as a general principle, that all things have a beginning, mid- dle, and end ; and that the wise man who has begun well, like the gradual process which converts the rough into a perfect ashlar, will pass his life in acts of piety and virtue, till he receives his reward with God, who is all in all ; the beginning, middle, and end of every thing just. This reasoning is of universal obligation, and will be found equally applicable to all religions, as well as to the system of Freemasonry. 1. In the Spurious Freemasonry initiation was thought to convey a spiritual regeneration, somewhat similar to that which takes place at the baptism of an infant, according to the ritual of the Church of England. Hence the first initiation was frequently made at a very early period, which was significantly called " the begin- ning of life," and water was profusely used as the exterior symbol of the new birth. This was a period of innocence ; and the candidate was clothed in white robes as the badge of his acquired purity, because white was considered to be the colour most acceptable to the gods. And before he could be further enlightened in the mysterious doc- trines of the orgies, it was necessary that he should prepare himself by penance and mortification, and entertain a steadfast faith in the efficacy of the institution to enable him to lead a life of piety and virtue, that he might be prepared, at the close of his existence, to ascend to Ely- sium, the sacred abode of the celestial deities. M. Portal says, in his valuable Essay on Symbolical colours, printed in Weale's Architecture, " Christianity reproduces the doctrines taught in the mysteries. Jesus said, unless a man be born again, he cannot seethe king- dom of God. The symbol of regeneration was the rebirth of nature in the spring-time, the vegetation of plants, of trees, and the verdure of the fields. The Messiah, going to execution, consecrated this symbol, as he had already established it by the parable of the sower. Bearing his Cross, he said to those who followed him, if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done 9 194 THE SYMBOL in the dry? The green tree designates the regenerated man, as the dry tree is the image of the profane, dead to spiritual life." White robes were common to the neophyte in every ancient system of religion throughout the whole habit- able globe. Even amongst the Jews a similar practice prevailed. The musicians and singers in the services of the Temple, were clothed in white ; l as are a similar de- scription of men at the present day in our Cathedral and Collegiate Churches. Kiag Solomon, that Great Master of Masonry in Israel, directed his subjects to clothe themselves in white garments, 2 and to let their actions display a corresponding degree of purity and holiness. White is the symbol of truth, and black is the symbol of error. White reflects all luminous rays, which are an emanation from the Deity ; while black is the negation of light, and was attributed to the author of evil. The former being the symbol of Truth, and the latter of falsehood. The book of Genesis, as well as the heathen cosmogonies mention the antagonism of light and dark- ness. The form of this fable varies according to each nation, but the foundation is everywhere the same ; under the symbol of the creation of the world, or the springing of light out of darkness, it presents the picture of initiation and regeneration. 3 The beginning of life, or infancy, is still characterized, in every class of society, by white robes or ribbons, to denote the sinless innocence of the new-born babe after baptism has washed away the stains of original sin. And the Divinity has promised that every Christian, who should preserve his purity by overcoming the tempta- tions of the world, shall be rewarded with a white stone as a passport into the regions which lie beyond the cloudy canopy ; for in that holy place this colour is par- ticularly distinguished. Those who are admitted are clothed in white raiment, ride on white horses, and are seated on white thrones. 4 Supported and encouraged by these authorities, the early Christians invested the catechumens with a white 1 1 Chron. xv., 27. ? Eccles. ix., 8. 3 See Weale's Archit, Part, v., p. 23. 4 Rev. ii., 17, iii., 5-21, vii., 14, vi., 11, xix., 14, xx., 11. OF GLORY. 195 robe, accompanied by this solemn charge : " Receive the white and undefiled garment, and produce it without spot at the great tribunal, that you may obtain eternal life." At the initiation of a candidate into Masonry, the same ceremony is used to characterize his newly acquired purity, and to display the advantages which are now placed within his reach, if he seek after them with diligence, zeal, and a steady faith in their efficacy. He is invested with a lamb's skin or w r hite leather apron, which is the distinguishing badge of a Mason, more ancient and honourable than any existing order, being the badge of innocence and bond of friendship ; and he is strongly exhorted that if he never disgrace that glori- ous symbol of his profession, it will never disgrace him. And at the conclusion of the ceremonies, " FIDELITY " is particularly recommended to his notice; and he is told that if this be his constant practice throughout the chequered scenes of life, "God will assuredly be with him." This spirit of unwavering Fidelity, says a talented transatlantic Brother, "never shrinks from the declara tion of truth, nor cowardly abandons duty in warning a brother of approaching danger, or labouring with affec- tionate zeal to reclaim his erring footsteps. It teaches us to walk circumspectly ourselves, and to deal kindly and faithfully with each other under all circumstances in life. If a brother is exposed to temptations, we must succour him, and, if need be, throw around him all the safeguards of moral restraint a benevolent heart can devise. Such fidelity, on the part of masonic brethren, would cure many of the evils, and avert many of the misfortunes incident to the weakness and frailties of human nature. It would dry up many a fountain of sorrow, and wipe off many a reproach cast on this ancient Order of men. Such fidelity and tender regard, such zeal and brotherly love, would be strictly in character with masonic principles, a proper discharge of explicit obligations, and a direct approach to the broad line of duty fixed by the ancient landmarks of the Order." 5 At the beginning of life youth is carefully instructed in the chief truths of his religion, which are the pillar 6 Town's Prize Essay. 196 THE SYMBOL and ground of his Faith ; for if the foundation of this grace be not laid in early life, its existence at a more advanced period will be almost hopeless, as the world is now constituted, because Hope and Charity both spring from it, and they are virtues which ought to distinguish the two following stages of life. The newly initiated Mason is therefore exhorted to strengthen his Faith, which is represented as being the evidence of things not seen, the substance of things hoped for ; and by which we have an acknowledgment of a Supreme Being, are justified, accepted, and finally received. This being maintained, and bringing forth its fruits, will turn Faith into a vision, and bring us to that ethereal mansion above, where the just exist in perfect bliss to all eternity; where we shall be for ever happy with God, the Great Architect of the Universe, whose only Son died for us, that we might be justified through Faith in his most precious blood. This Faith is indicated in the colour of symbolical Masonry, viz., sky blue or hyacinth ; which the ancient Christian fathers compared to the qualities of the Sala- mander, which not only lived in flames, but extinguished fire. The hyacinth, they said, if it be placed in a hot furnace, is unaffected, and even extinguishes it. Thus this colour was considered a symbol of enduring Faith, which triumphs over the ardour of the passions and extinguishes them. Blue Masonry, in like manner, enun- ciates such excellent moral precepts as the fruits of Faith, that were we strictly adherent thereto, we should be exempted from the ever-burning fire of hell. There is but one method of producing Hope in man- hood, and Charity in old age, and that is, to educate children in the true principles of their Faith, or in other words, of religion and virtue. This was so much regard- ed in the earliest times, when men were little better than barbarians, that we might almost be tempted to believe it was implanted by Nature in the human breast. Plu- tarch informs us that the children of the Lacedaemonians were brought up from their infancy in obedience to their parents, and profound reverence for all their superiors in age and authority. They were instructed both by pre- cept and example to honour the hoary head ; to rise from their seats when an aged man entered the room where they were assembled; and to stand still and remain OF GLORY. 197 silent when they met him in the streets until he had passed by. If any one showed himself refractory to the instructions of his tutors or guardians, or even murmured at their reprehensions, they were severely punished ; and it was accounted highly dishonourable in their parents if they did not repeat the correction for the folly and injustice of their complaint. Thus was Faith and confidence implanted at the begin- ning of life, by those who even did not know what it meant in its true and legitimate sense, but called it by the name of " trust or assurance ;" for they were only half civilized, as is exemplified by what the same author says about their hatred of science. " They looked upon speculative sciences and philosophical studies as so much time misspent ; and for this reason they would not suffer the professors of them to reside within the limits of their jurisdiction; because they considered them as subjects which debased the excellency of virtue by vain disputa- tions and empty notions." The Faith thus inculcated amongst the heathen, was inoperative, and therefore ineffectual to promote any good or valuable purpose. Not so the Faith of a Christian Mason. His religious belief is taught to the youthful Christian in the form of a catechism, which contains an epitome of the terms of salvation; and a Confession of Faith, called the Apostles' Creed, is so firmly fixed in the memory of every individual, as never to be eradicated amidst the varied scenes of the most eventful life. But a true Christian Faith is not like that of the heathen, a mere dead principle of assent, opinion, trust, or assur- ance, but a lively and unshaken belief in things not seen but hoped for. In the language of Bishop Pearson, the very dust of whose writings has been compared by a competent authority to gold, " when anything pro- pounded to us is neither apparent to our sense, nor evident to our understanding, in and of itself, neither certainly to be collected from any clear and necessary connection with the cause from which it proceedeth, or the effects which it naturally produceth, nor is taken up upon any real arguments, or reference to other acknowledged truths, and yet notwithstanding appeareth to us true, not by a manifestation, but attestation of the truth, and so moveth us to assent, not of itself, but by 198 THE SYMBOL virtue of the testimony given to it, this is said properl> to be credible ; and an assent unto this, upon such cred bility, is, in the proper notion, Faith or belief." 6 2. When a youth has completed his education, and h^ Faith is confirmed by a perfect understanding of the basis on which his hopes are founded, he arrives at man- hood, and becomes convinced of the necessity of reducing his knowledge to practice in an intercourse with his fellow-creatures. Faith shows him very clearly that it is by the manner in which he discharges the obligations of duty here that he will be judged hereafter; and that his title to reward will be grounded on his faithful per- formance of the duties he owes to God, his neighbour, and himself. Such reasoning enlightens his soul with the bright beams of Hope, which spring eternal in the human breast, and show that wise dispensation of Providence, that Man never is, but always to be blest. The heathen nations were fully impressed with the validity of such reasoning ; and it is strikingly displayed by the Abbe Barthelemi, in a dialogue between Philocles and Lysis, in his learned work called the Travels of Anacharsis. It is rather lengthy, but will amply repay a serious perusal, as the sentiments are purely masonic, and applicable to our present purpose. Philocles. What service is most pleasing to God? Lysis. Purity of heart. His favour is sooner to be obtained by virtue than by offerings. Philocles. Is this doctrine, which is taught by the philosopher, acknowledged also by the priests? Lysis. They have caused it to be engraven on the gate of the temple of Epidaurus, Entrance info these places is permitted only to pure souls. It is loudly declared in our holy ceremonies ; in which, when the priest has said, Who are those who are here assembled? the multitude reply, Good and virtuous people. Philocles. Have your prayers for their object the goods of this world'/ Lysis. No ; I know not but they may be hurtful : and 6 Pearson on the Creed, Art., i. OF GLORY. 19S I should fear lest the Deity, offended at the indiscretion of my petitions, should grant my request. Pkilocles. What, then, do you ask of him ? Lysis. To protect me against my passions ; to grant me true beauty, which is that of the soul, and the knowledge and virtue of which I have need; to bestow on me the power to refrain from committing any injust- ice ; and, especially, the courage to endure the injustice of others. Philocles. What ought we to do to render ourselves agreeable to the Deity? Lysis. To remember that we are ever in his presence, to undertake nothing without imploring his assistance, to aspire in some degree to resemble him by justice and sanctity, to refer to him all our actions, to fulfil punctu- ally the duties of our condition, and to consider as the first of them all, that of being useful to mankind; for the more good we do, the more we merit to be ranked among the number of his children and friends. Philocles. May we obtain happiness by observing these precepts? Lysis. Doubtless ; since happiness consists in wisdom, and wisdom in the knowledge of God. Philocles. But this knowledge must be very imper- fect. Lysis. And therefore we can only enjoy perfect hap- piness in another life. In the above quotation we have a copious illustration of the moral duties attendant on the virtue of Hope amongst the followers of Pythagoras ; and their practice might be recommended to some who have received the initiatory sacrament of baptism. In the lectures of Masonry, Hope is defined to be the anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast; and it is symbolized by the colour of purple, which was assigned by the ancients to death, as the gates of Elysium, because those who have lived piously, hope to be translated to that blessed region, where they will be happy amidst fields of purple roses. Hence Homer pronounces death to be "a purple glory." The ancients had so great an esteem for this magnifi- cent colour, that it was especially consecrated to the service of the Deity, and was supposed to be capable of 200 THE SYMBOL appeasing his wrath. Moses made use of cloths of this colour for the Tabernacle, and for the habiliments of the high priest; and the Babylonians, in like manner, clothed their idols in purple. For some such reason this colour was made symbolical of the virtue of Hope, which Christianity as well as Masonry defines to be the anchor of the soul, because it is both sure and steadfast. The same attributes are applied to the purple colour of the ancients, which was so firm, that no length of time could make it fade. Plutarch tells us, in his life of Alexander, that the conqueror found, amongst the treasures of the kings of Persia, a prodigious quantity of purple stuffs, which had been stored up for 180 years, and yet pre- served all their primitive lustre and freshness. Manhood may be compared to the second degree of Masonry, or, " the middle," in the language of the philosophers, not merely because it is intermediate be- tween the first and third, but because it is practical, and teaches the sciences, which constitute the employment of men in the prime of life, when their minds are vigor- ous, and., their bodies active and capable of enduring fatigue. The second degree also, by the splendid appear- ances in the Middle Chamber, which are but a glimpse of greater glories in reserve for the successful aspirant, who aims at something beyond the veil, infuses a Hope of participating in that more perfect knowledge which is communicated in the sublime degree. In a communication from the Grand Lodge of Ham- burgh to the Grand Lodge of New York, U. S., dated A.D. 1840, the following passage occurs, which is appli- cable to the subject in hand. "We have one God and Lord; we all Hope for one heaven. This unites the Mason to every man, and teaches him to overlook many faults in others which might else have wounded his feelings, and preserves the good- will of those who would otherwise have been his opponents. Thus Masonry may be made the means of accomplishing the commands of the Great Architect of the Universe. He who is the best Christian, the most faithful man, will be also the best Mason. So let it be in the profane world and in church relations, live in brotherhood and peace. Let Freemasons be thus united, and they will stand like an impenetrable phalanx, full of joy and the hope of vie- OF GLORY. 201 tory." If, therefore, we be faithful unto death, Hope will present us with a crown of life. Brotherly love is the virtue of the middle period of life, and constitutes a distinguishing characteristic of a Fellowcraft Mason. In primitive times the great body of the fraternity seldom advanced beyond that degree ; and it included many other shining virtues, and amongst the rest Fidelity, which is an essential ingredient in Brotherly Love or Friendship ; and without fidelity Hope cannot exist. It would seem, therefore, that human hap- piness is suspended on this virtue. Wherever it is found to exist in perfection, there we may look for the stamina which cements the social condition of man. Lavater has laid it down as an axiom to "examine what, and how, and where, and when, a man praises or censures; he who always, and everywhere, and, as to essentials, in an uniform manner, censures and blames, is a man that may be depended upon." In this man we see the perfection of fidelity, and with him we may expect to enjoy uninterrupted friendship, which is superior to all worldly pleasures. A mutual interchange of soul and sentiment will produce unalloyed satisfaction, where the feelings and propensities are un- restricted either by suspicion or doubt, and perfect confidence reigns triumphant. It is the feast of reason and the flow of soul, including comfort in affliction, solace in sickness, and consolation amidst the frowns and persecutions of an ungracious world. This unalloyed friendship, arising out of fidelity, the offspring of Hope, forms one of the chief recommenda- tions of the masonic system ; although it is to be feared that in the world the instances of it are not so numerous as might be wished, if we are to credit the opinion of him who said, that though his acquaintances would fill a cathedral, his friends might be contained in the pulpit. A masonic writer of the last century says that the sys- tem of Masonry is established on the comprehensive plan of universality. " Were friendship," he continues, " confined to the spot of our nativity, its operation would be partial, and imply a kind of enmity to other nations. Where the interests of one country interfere with those of another, Nature dictates an adherence to the welfare of our own immediate connections; but, such interfe- 9* 202 THE SYMBOL rence apart, the true Mason is a citizen of the world, and his philanthropy extends to all the human race. Unin- fluenced by local prejudices, he knows no preference in virtue but according to its degree, from whatever country or clime it may spring." A striking illustration of the virtue of Fidelity in a subject towards his prince, is recorded of Bishop Lati- mer; who having preached what was considered to be an offensive sermon before King Henry VIII., he was commanded to apologize from the pulpit in the king's presence on the following Sunday ; and for this purpose he commenced his sermon thus: "Hugh Latimer, dost thou know to whom thou art this day to speak ? To the high and mighty monarch, the king's most excellent Majesty, who can take away thy life if thou offendest; therefore, take heed thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest, ana upon whose mes- sage thou art sent? Even by the Great and Mighty God, who is always present, and who beholdeth all thy ways, and who is able to cast both body and soul into hell together ; therefore, take care that thou deliver thy message faithfully ;" and he then proceeded to deliver the self-same sermon which he had preached on the pre- ceding Sunday. After dinner the king commanded the bishop's attendance, and asked him how he dared to conduct himself in that offensive manner? He replied that it was in the honest discharge of his duty both to God and the king; and that he could not have acted otherwise with a quiet conscience. His Majesty, con- trary to the expectations of the court, applauded his fidelity, and thanked God that he at least possessed one honest and faithful servant. If this species of fidelity were carried out in all the relations of private life, the effects would promote the general good. A sincere friend is no flatterer. He will reprove error, as well as applaud virtue ; and the one is not more necessary to the best interests of his friend than the other. Admonition is as useful to preserve the health of the mind, as medicine is to restore that of the body) and however it may wound a sensible man's self- love, he will receive it as a tribute of friendship of the greatest value. For this reason, our ancient brethren, OF GLORY. 203 when they composed those valuable charges which are above all praise, considered it their duty to admonish every brother, in the regulation of his behaviour at home, and in his own neighbourhood, " to act as becomes a moral and a wise man ; particularly, not to let his family, friends, and neighbours, know the concerns of the lodge, &c. ; but wisely to consult his own honour, and that of the ancient brotherhood." Such are the instructions given to the Fellowcraft Mason to stimulate his Hope ; and if he models his life and conduct by these and similar precepts contained in the Volume at the foot of the Ladder, he will finally, in the expressive language of Masonry, "overcome all diffi- culties, and inherit a glorious reward." 3. As we descend into the vale of years, the practice of Brotherly Love or Charity, which began in man- hood, is consummated at the prime of life ; and accord- ingly in the third and last degree of Masonry, death and the resurrection are plainly set forth. The mortality and corruption of the body, as well as the immortality of the soul are strikingly symbolized by a coffin, skull, and bones, as emblems of the former, surmounted by a blooming sprig of cassia, to symbolize the latter ; and the same awful doctrines are typified in the corn, wine, oil, and salt, which are used at the consecration of our lodges ; all appertaining to the third degree of Masonry ; and like the " achievements of modern chemistry, facili- tate and elevate our idea of that splendid change which may pass on the meanest relics of mortality. We had seen, it is granted, more wondrous transformations in Nature, so early, indeed, and so often, that we forgot to consider and admire them ; we know that He, by whom all things were made, must have an energy whereby He is able to subdue all things to himself; but when a human artificer, who confessedly knows nothing of the substance of that matter on which he operates, or of that mind by which he investigates its properties, obtains, by sure processes, a vital fluid (oxygen gas) from a coarse mineral ; and inflammable air (hydrogen gas) from water ; and shining metals (potassium and sodium) from the ashes of wood or sea-weeds ; philosophy thus seems, by her own advances, to cast more and more of practical scorn on her own incredulous question, How are the dead raised up, 204 THE SYMBOL and with what body do they come ? Shall a frail and puny inquisitor of Nature, whose hand and head must soon return to dust, effect changes thus surprising ; and He who created the operative hand, the inquisitive eye, the inventive mind shall He not show us greater works than these, that we may marvel ? Measure the probable excellence of the work by the infinite superiority of the agent, and then conceive now magnificently he is able to verify the prophetic words, It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." 7 All the above symbols are calculated to show the un- certainty of life, the certainty of death and judgment, and the necessity of practising Charity, and doing the works of a righteous man that we may have a righteous man's inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. This virtue is indicated in Masonry by the crimson or rose colour, which was a symbol of regeneration ; for the candidate is considered perfectly regenerated as a Mason, when he has been raised to the third degree. M. Portal, who is a competent authority on the symboli- zation of colours, says, there is a relation between rose colour and Christian baptism which opens the doors of the sanctuary ; a relation which is again found in the Latin word rosa, derived from ros, the dew or rain ; the rose tree being the image of the regenerated, while dew is the symbol of regeneration. Horapollo tells us that the Egyptians represented the human sciences by water falling from heaven. Among this nation the sciences were within the temple's precincts, and revealed only to the initiated. In their spurious Freemasonry the rose was a symbol of regeneration and love. The ass of Apuleius recovered the human form by eating crimson roses presented to him by the high priest of Isis. In effect it is only by appropriating to himself the Love and Wisdom of the Deity, signified by red and white, and by their union in the rose, that the regenerated neophyte casts away his brutal passions, and becomes truly a man. Charity forms the basis of the masonic institution ; and I shall not consider myself out of order by telling you 7 Shepherd, Private Devotion, p. 305 OF GLORY. 205 what the Lodge Lectures say of it. The definition was originally extracted from a valuable little book which was in every body's hands sixty years ago, called, " Economy of Human Life," and is very expressive of the virtue it is intended to illustrate. Charity ! O how lovely in itself! It is the brightness and greatest orna- ment of our masonic profession. Benevolence, th ecom- panion of heaven-born Charity, is an honour to the heart trom which it springs ; and is by Masons nourished and cherished. Happy is the man who hath sown in his breast the seeds of benevolence, the produce of which is love and charity ; he envieth not his neighbour, he believeth not a tale when reported by a slanderer, he forgiveth the injuries of men, and blotteth them out from his recollection. Then let us remember that we are Masons and men ; let us ever bs ready to assist the needy if it be in our power to do so ; and in the most pressing time of necessity let us not withhold a liberal hand, so shall the most heartfelt pleasure reward our labours, and the produce of love and charity will most assuredly follow. In working out this beneficent principle, which holds the highest rank amongst the Theological virtues, and in the figurative language of Masonry, " will exalt its pro- fessors to an ethereal mansion in the skies," Freemasonry has regard to the three stages of destitution that of infancy, unavoidable misfortune, and extreme old age. For all of these when proved worthy, relief is at hand. The destitute orphans of deceased brethren are placed in schools where they are clothed, taught, and fed ; where they are brought up in the practice of religion and virtue ; and when they arrive at the proper age, are placed in situations where their previous training may make them good and worthy members of society. Here, then, we have an unquestionable proof of the operation of Freemasonry on society in general. The Royal Cumberland School for the orphan children of Freemasons was found to operate so beneficially, even at its first establisment in 1789, and was fraught with such an abundance of unalloyed good, that other public bodies soon found it their interest to imitate so laudable an example. On this model the National and British Schools were formed ; as well as the School at St. John's Wood 206 THE SYMBOL for the orphan children of the Clergy, and many others which have a similar end in view ? thus proclaiming the extensive advantages to all orders and descriptions of people, which have resulted from the benignant example of Freemasonry. Again ; our aged brethren who have passed their lives in the practice of masonic principles, and have acquired the approbation of mankind in their several stations ; if, in the decline of life, misfortune overtakes them, they are entitled to the provisions of an Asylum, and Annuity Fund, which will afford them the means of subsistence; will contribute to make the closing hours of their pilgrim- age a scene of serenity and comfort, and enable them to prepare to meet their God at the approach of that period when the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. But the influence of masonic charity does not rest here ; for one of the fundamental principles of the Order is, "not to halt in the walk of benevolence while any- thing remains undone." And therefore we have also a fund of Benevolence, from which relief is extended to those whom calamity may have visited ; and whose career of usefulness has been clouded by any casual mischance. These donations have, in numerous instances, proved the means of averting ruin, by removing any temporary diffi- culty which the inadvertence of others may have thrown in the way. The insolvency, for instance, of any person whose dealings have been extensive, may involve many innocent and industrious families in calamity, and in the absence of some friendly aid, may terminate in . their utter ruin. In such cases the fund of Benevolence is at hand,and the recommendation of the Officers of a Lodge will produce immediate relief to ward off the danger, and give time for the energies of a worthy man to expand themselves, until he is able, like the Bruce, in ancient Scottish history, to surmount the difficulty, and replace himself in the position from which the unexpected casualty had threatened to remove him. Such instances redound highly to the credit of the masonic institution, and force a conviction of its utility on the mind, even of the most sceptical casuist. And they do more than this. They extend the benefits of the Order to society in general, by restoring a confidence in OF GLORY. 207 worldly affairs which might otherwise be destroyed ; and many families may be benefited by the renewed solvency of one, who, but for the aid thus needfully imparted, would perhaps have been the innocent cause of ruin, or at least mischance to others. The fund of Benevolence also extends its benefits to the widows of worthy brethren, and enables them, by a timely donation, to wind up satisfactorily the worldly affairs of him they have lost, and to place themselves in some station by which they may provide the necessaries of life for the future. And there are many cases on record where the Grand Lodge has bountifully granted to such interesting objects of benevolence, the sum of 50, or even 100, to avert the evils of poverty and indi- gence from those who have seen better days, and who consequently are quite unprepared for a sudden change from comparative opulence to absolute want. Such obvious examples of munificent assistance have stamped Masonry with the seal of universal approbation. Its benefits are known, and its benevolent principles being thus applied to promote the interests of virtue, are estimated by the world as the undoubted emanations of a real love for that benignant religion which teaches Charity and Brotherly Love as the perfection of Faith and Hope. There is no alloy to the pleasure which the dispensation of such benefits produces in the mind ; and it may be reflected on at all times, as being well pleas- ing to the Great Architect of the Universe ; because it is an axiom which cannot be refuted, that no life is so acceptable to Him, as that which contributes to the wel- fare of our fellow creatures. Here, then, Freemasonry stands unrivalled. No other private institution supports so many charities, or contri- butes so largely to lighten the evils of life. The great moralist says, " man is a transitory being, and his designs must partake of the imperfections of their author. To confer duration is not always in our power. We must snatch the present moment and employ it well, without too much solicitude for the future, and content ourselves with reflecting that our part is performed. He that waits for an opportunity to do much at once, may breathe out his life in idle wishes, and regret, in the last hour, his useless intentions and barren zeal." 208 THE SYMBOL The stream of masonic charity is constant and never- failing. Every class contributes to the fund, and every class derives some benefit from its application. The rich are amply repaid in the satisfaction of mind which it pro- duces ; and the poor have their reward at times of the most pressing need. Cast thy bread upon the waters, and it will return to thee in many days. The distinguishing feature in the distribution of our benevolence is that the instances of it are known to very few, even of our own body, and are never proclaimed to the world. Our alms may be truly said to be done in private, as were those of the secret chamber of the Jews, where money was privately contributed for the relief of the poor. There were two chambers in the sanctuary : one of which, called " the chamber of Secrets," was the place where pious persons deposited their charities for the maintenance of poor children. The Jews appear to have entertained a very high opinion of the merit of pri- vate charities. R. Jannai, seeing a certain person give a piece of money to a poor man, told him that it would have been much better to have given him nothing than to have done it so publicly. And our Saviour Christ mentions benevolence before prayer ; intimating that it would be well to precede all supplications to God by the practice of charity to man. It must not be supposed that Freemasonry confines its charities solely to its own body ; for, it was justly repre- sented in the Morning Herald some years ago, that the sum of ,3000, contributed in India, principally amongst the Freemasons, had been placed in the Bank of Ireland, to the credit of the Mansion House Committee, for the relief of the destitute poor of that country. These human institutions of a refined benevolence, which spring from Faith and Hope, are lively indications of that Charity which is divine ; the spiritual love of God and our brethren in the flesh. This is the sublime virtue which opens the gates of heaven ; symbolized, as we have already seen, by the Rose. And hence Charity or Brotherly Love teaches us to conceal the faults and infirmities of our brethren, or to speak of them under the Rose, and endeavour to reclaim them from vice to virtue and lead them to the practice of Religion, whose ways aro ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. OF GLORY. 209 If our endeavours to produce this auspicious change in the heart and affections be successful, we shall realize the happiness of the angels of heaven, who are repre- sented as rejoicing over a sinner that repenteth. If he suffer from the pestilential breath of calumny and defa- mation, Charity incites us to undertake his vindication, and restore his good name. Are we injured, we must forgive ; if our enemy is placed in our power we must be merciful; for Freemasonry teaches us to " cultivate brotherly love, the foundation and capestone, the cement and glory of our ancient fraternity ; to avoid all wrang- ling and quarrelling, all slander and backbiting ; not to permit others to slander any honest brother, but to defend his character and do him all good offices, as far as is consistent with our honour and safety." Charity envieth not we must not either repine at the good fortune of our brother, or rejoice at his calamities ; for Freemasonry teaches us to let " the hand and the heart unite in promoting his welfare, both temporal and spiritual, and rejoicing in his prosperity." Charity think- eth no evil we must not put a bad construction on oui brother's words, because it is impossible for us to know the motives by which he is actuated. And in nine cases out of ten, if we presume to judge him by the standard of our own feelings, we shall be guilty of passing an unmerited sentence upon him, and perhaps also upon ourselves. On the contrary, it is our duty, as Masons, to follow the advice contained in the First Great Light: "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite- fully use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." 8 Freemasonry teaches us further, in the exercise of this universal Charity, to " respect a genuine brother, and if he is in want to relieve hiui, or direct him how he may be relieved. We must employ him in some good work, or else recommend him to be so employed. But we are not charged to do beyond our ability ; only to prefer a poor brother that is a good man and true, before any other poor people in the same circumstances." 9 This state of perfection the heathen could neither 8 Matt, v., 44. 9 Ancient Charges, vi. 210 THE SYMBOL understand nor acquire. It is true they pretended that their mysteries would restore the soul to its primitive purity, and release it from those shackles by which it is restricted in its worldly tabernacle ; that initiation is the precursor of a happy life here, and an introduction to Elysium hereafter, by the communication of divine know- ledge, and a spiritual regeneration. To attain which the neophyte underwent four proofs of purification by the elements. The earth represented the darkness of the profane; water or baptism was the emblem of exterior regeneration, by triumphing over temptations ; air de- signated divine truth, enlightening the understanding of the candidate, as jirc, or the Supreme Being opened his heart to love divine. The symbolic proofs were purely exterior ; they figured the four material spheres through which he must pass before attaining the three heavens represented on earth by the three degrees of initiation, which confer a spiritual regeneration. 10 And when he had passed to the highest degree, he was introduced to an illuminated apartment, the type of Elysium, where, as Apuleius expresses it, having arrived at the gate of death, and seen the dreary abode of Proserpine, he was relieved by passing through the elements, and beheld at midnight the sun shining with meridian splendour. And more than this, Plato tells us that the regenerated candi- date saw celestial beauty in all its dazzling radiance, and joining in the blessed anthem, he was admitted to the beatific vision of heaven, and pronounced perfect. The candidate was then dismissed with a formula which enjoined him to " Watch and abstain from evil." The above was nothing more than a senseless and incomprehensible hypothesis. The heathen philosophers even the very best of them while they exercised their disciples with lessons of virtue, practised in secret every revolting vice. The same cannot be justly predicated of Freemasons; who, to their pure precepts, add a corresponding purity of practice; and having thus passed through the Gates of Faith, Hope, and Charity, are admitted into the Grand Lodge above, where Charity constitutes the great bond of perfection and happiness. 10 Weale's Architecture, part v., p. 4. OF GLORY. 211 What joy more pure, or worthier of our kind. Than when the good, the wise, the pious meet, By bond of kindred love, or friendship sweet, Link'd in a fellowship of heart and mind, And rivalry of worth ! Nor shall they find More joy from aught in that celestial seat, Save from God's presence, than again to greet Each other's spirits, there to dwell combined In brotherhood of love. The golden tie, Dissolved, again unites. Ordain'd to train Earth's tenants for their dwelling in the sky. Faith lost in sight, and Hope in joy, shall wane, Their task fulfill'd ; but heaven-born Charity, Gcd's greatest gift, shall still in heaven remain. 11 11 Bp. Mant's Happiness of the Blessed, p. 90* THE SYMBOL LECTURE IX. (Bpistle TO BRO. WILLIAM MOSELY TAYLER, W. M. FRANCIS ELKINGTON, S. W. JOHN ARNOLD, J. W. BENJAMIN HALL, TREA. CHAS. WM. ELKINGTON, P. M. & HON. SEC, JOSIAH YEOMANS ROBINS, S. D. JOSEPH SIMS, J. D. WILLIAM GILLMAN, DIR. OF CER, JOSEPH FRANCIS TAYLOR, > JOHN SIMPSON NEWTON, ) Of the First Lodge of Light, Birmingham. MY DEAR BRETHREN, What can be more appropriate than to dedicate to the Lodge of Light a professed disquisition on the source of all Light the Throne and peculiar residence of that great and glorious Being who is Light itself, and in whom there is no darkness at all ? The contents of the Sacred Roll of the Law are our guides and directors in the narrow path which leads to the supernal mansions of Light; and this divine pro- perty is there displayed as an universal emblem of every good, while its antagonistic principle of darkness sym- bolizes every thing evil. Light is represented in that OF GLORY. 213 Holy Volume as a symbol of Joy and pleasure, while calamity and affliction are expressed by the figure of "gross darkness and the shadow of death." And hence, in the ancient systems, these two principles represented the antagonism of life and death in both the spiritual and material states. A Lodge of Light is therefore peculiarly a place of " decent enjoyment," and the abode of those intellectual pleasures which leave no sting behind. As darkness is frequently put for affliction, so is Light for happiness ; which is one step in advance of the above interpretation. The evangelical prophet, animated by the prospect of the bright appearance of the Sun of Righteousness to confer blessings and redemption on mankind, breaks out into an enthusiastic expression of the pleasure he derives from the stupendous contempla- tion of the birth of Light. "Arise, shine ; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people ; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy Light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising." Such, and so beneficial, to compare small things witn great, may be the rejoicing of the members of the Lodge of Light, while engaged in the practice of an Order which inculcates Faith, Hope, and Charity, as the potent virtues of their station on earth, and by the faithful use of which they may attain to the glories which appertain to the cloudy canopy at the summit of the Masonic Ladder. Another definition of Light afforded by the Book which adorns the Pedestal of Wisdom, is " spiritual knowledge." This is frequently symbolized by a burning lamp, as the candlestick by which it is supported represents the Church of God, whether Jewish or Christian, as the vehicle of that knowledge ; for the one was but a type of the other ; although one of the ancient Fathers says, quis in candelabro, nisi redemptor humani generis desig- natur ? However this may be, spiritual knowledge con- stitutes the third step in Light on the way to glory. And accordingly St. John, one of the great parallels and patrons of Masonry, interprets Light to signify the Christian dispensation ; and speaks of the advent of 214 THE SYMBOL Christ as THE BIRTH OF LIGHT. " Light is come into the world ;" and as a learned Mason of the last century truly remarks the Light here meant can be no other than that of divine revelation, which brought life and immortality along with it. The Christian dispensation is constantly and uniformly described in Holy Writ under the figure of Light, from the time that the first faint glimmering of it appeared at a distance, till it shone forth in its full lustre and glory. It is of the same use to the spiritual, that the light of the sun is to the natural world. It gives life, health, and vigour to God's new creation ; it makes the day of salvation to dawn upon us, it opens to us the prospect of another and a better life, and guides us in the way to glory and felicity. Happily has your Lodge been designated: may its members ever participate in that happiness, not only in the present world, but also in the blessed regions of Light where felicity is perfect, and uninterrupted Charity will reign for ever and ever. Such is the sincere wish, My dear Brethren, Of your faithful Servant and Brother, GEO. OLIVER, D.D., Honorary Member of the Lodge of Light. SCOPWICK VICARAGE February 1, 1850. OF GLORY. 215 Knim Explanation of the Cloudy Canopy and its attendant symbols at the Summit of the Ladder. " The pleasant garden, and the crystal stream, The tree of life which bears on every bough Fruits fit for joy, or healing ; on the brow, Of glorious gold a living diadem ; The thrones which blaze with many a radiant gem ; The branching palms, the raiment white as snow ; Are these the joys that heaven's abodes bestow ? Or may they rather earth-found figures seem Of heavenly bliss ? To me it matters not If I but reach the mark, whatever the prize Of God's high calling." BISHOP MANT. An ethereal mansion veiled from mortal eye by the starry fir- mament." LECTURES OP MASONRY. 44 Aristotle admirably describes the wonder which would seize upon men, supposing them to have lived up to a certain age underground, and to be then brought suddenly into the light. Allowing them to have inhabited subterranean palaces, adorned with sculpture and painting, and every ornament procurable by wealth ; admit that they might have heard of the power and majesty of the gods ; yet how great would be their emotion should the earth open suddenly, and disclose to them the vast scenes we daily witness ! the land the sea the sky the prodigious volumes of the clouds the power of the winds the Sun, its magnitude, its splendour, gilding the whole earth, filling the whole heaven ! And then, the spectacle presented by the face of night! The whole firmament glittering with stars, the increasing or waning moon. Seeing all these things, could they doubt that there are gods, or that these are their works ?" TRANSLATED FROM CICERO. THE Cloudy Canopy. That mysterious veil which shrouds the secrets of the Grand Lodge above from human observation. " In my Father's house are many mansions," said that Holy Being whom we address as 216 THE SYMBOL T G A T U, which constitute the reward of all who endeavour to qualify themselves for such an inheritance by the practice of the Theological Virtues ; and they are spacious enough for all who may be found worthy at the great and final trial. Symbolical Masonry has three degrees; the life of man has three stages; the Ladder has three principal steps ; and heaven has the same number of gradations, 1 in the highest of which is the Throne of God. The Ladder before us reaches to the ceiling of the Lodge ; which, according to the masonic definition of its altitude, is "as high as the heavens;" and, in the language of the most ancient Lodge Lectures with which we are ac- quainted, is "a cloudy canopy or the clouds of heaven;" referring, probably, to those passages of Scripture which describe the day of Judgment, "when the Son of Man shall come in the clouds, arid all his holy angels with him;" 2 and gather all nations together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 3 A cloud was always considered an une- quivocal token of God's presence ; 4 and coming in clouds, or with the clouds of heaven, was an acknowledged Jewish symbol of majesty and power. The Rainbow was an emblem of God's covenant with mankind after the Flood, and is a continual sign that God will perform its conditions. The Jews also believed that the sun and fire were legitimate symbols of a divine appearance. The day of Judgment was therefore proclaimed by a " mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud ; a rainbow upon his head ; and his face as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire." 5 In the course of a few years after our glorious symbol was introduced into Masonry, an addition was made to the explanation of the covering of the Lodge, in the words, "a cloudy (or celestial) canopy, sprinkled with golden stars." About the latter end of the century the defini- tion was altered to " the beautiful cloud and spangled canopy of heaven ;" and it is also said of the Deity in the lectures of that day, that "he has stretched forth the heavens as a canopy, and crowned his temple with 1 2 Cor. xii., 2. 2 Dan. vii., 13. Matt, xxiv., 30. 8 Joel iii M 2. * Isoi. vi., 4. 1 Kings viii., 10. 6 Rev. x., 1. OF GLORY. 217 stars as with a diadem." Our transatlantic brethren say, "the Lodge has a cloudy canopy, a starry decked heaven, where all good Masons hope at last to arrive by the aid of the Theological Ladder, which Jacob, in his vision, saw ascending from earth to heaven." The gates of heaven, therefore, are represented in our symbol as being hidden amidst clouds and darkness; because our Grand Master David had described the locali- ty of the Deity in these words. "He bowed the heavens also and came down ; and it was dark under his feet. He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly ; he came flying upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him. At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed." 6 At the dedication of the Temple this description was verified, for the cloud of glory removed from the Tabernacle into the Temple, filling the whole house with thick and impenetrable darkness ; from which a light subsequently broke forth, which was so intense that the priests were unable to bear its oppressive lustre ; whence Solomon exclaimed in his sublime prayer on that occasion; "the Lord said he would dwell in the thick darkness." The summit of the Ladder passes over all appearance of matter; penetrates the open door, 7 and is lost and amalgamated in a flood of eternal Light where dwells the blessed Trinity, to whom be glory and honour for ever and ever. ! 'tis a glorious city ! passing ken Of eye, and stretch of thought ! earth's cities glow \Vith no such lustre, nor such riches show. Holiness is its name. Each citizen Is pure and holy. There with sainted men, Purged from the native dross of earth below, And spirits whose natures no pollution know, God dwells, and He who once for man was slain, The Lamb all spotless. Who a post would hold Therein, by him must thitherward be trod The path of holiness. That chosen fold Defilement enters not. And lo, in broad Letters of light its charter is enroll'd, NONE BUT THE PURE IN HEART SHALL SEE THEIR GOD." 8 6 Psalin xviii., 9-12. 7 Rev. iv , 1. 8 Bp. Mant's Happiness of the Blessed, p. 65. 10 218 THE SYMBOL It may be deemed presumptuous to attempt a descrip- tion of the glories of this holy place, which is hidden from mortal view by the cloudy canopy of the Lodge, because so little can be known of the happiness of heaven. It is described in several parts of our First Great Light, as "a continuing city" 9 containing "many mansions ;" 10 and as being of the greatest magnificence. The foundations are said to be composed of precious stones, the walls of jasper, the gates of pearl, the streets and mansions of transparent gold, shining with the bril- liancy of painted glass. Here are Golden Candlesticks surrounding the Divine Being, whose eyes are as a flame of fire ; who holds in his right hand the Seven Stars ; whose countenance shinetli like the Sun in its strength, and out of whose mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, 11 " to smite," according to the testimony of the prophet Isaiah, 12 "the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips to slay the wicked." 13 Amidst those supernal dwellings is a sea of crystal, with a prismatic arch of coloured light, and four and twenty elders seated round about the Throne of God, which is encompassed with a living circle of eyes, to denote Wisdom, Prudence, and Foresight; clothed in raiment of unsullied whiteness, with crowns of gold upon their heads, to represent the glorified saints who have fought the good fight of Faith. Nor has the blessed region any need of Sun or Moon, because it is enlight- ened by the glory of the Most High, and the surpassing splendour of Him that sitteth on the throne. Our gross conceptions are incapable of comprehending the sublimity of the glorious scene. Of this, however, we may be certain, that whoever overcometh the three great enemies of his soul, shall be endowed with an en- larged capacity of comprehension as the eyes of Elisha's servant were opened to see the chariots and horses of fire by which his master was protected from the attack of the Syrian forces. Along with this increased enlight- enment, will be given white robes, as the symbol of admission ; as the Jewish priests were admitted to their office ; the simple form of which was, after ascertaining 9 Heb. xiii., 4. 10 John xiv., 2. 11 Rev. i., 14-16. 12 Ibid, xi., 4. 13 See the Landmarks of Masonry, vol. iL, p. 117. OF GLORY. 219 that they were free from personal defects, to clothe them in white garments, and admit them into the courts of the priests. The saints had also given to them a White Stone with a new Name. And this was the custom in all ancient criminal processes where a verdict of acquittal was pronounced. By the same token the victorious Christian receives the approving sentence of God. They will be placed before the throne of God, " and serve him day and night in his Temple ; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more, neither shall the Sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water ; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." 14 This eternal residence is symbolized by a Triangle within the Vesica piscis, containing the Allseeing Eye of Providence, and surrounded with a Rainbow, and the host of heaven praising God and saying: "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." 15 It appears extremely probable that Jacob saw these glories, and the Shekinah at the summit of the Ladder; for our Scriptures affirm that "the Lord stood above it;" but the Targum of Onkelos gives the passage, " Gloria Domiria stabat super ea." And Christ himself promises to his disciples that "they shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." 10 The Holy Trinity is represented by the three prismatic colours which bound the celestial circle ; which was ex- plained by the Theosophical Masons of the last century, as "the centre of a Cross, signifying the Trinity in a globular Rainbow ; wherein the red signifies the Father's property in a glance of fire ; yellow, the Son's lustre and majesty; blue, the substantiality; the dusky brown, the kingdom of darkness. On such a Rainbow Christ will sit to judge the world at the last day in the valley of Jehoshaphat ; and thus is he undivided everywhere, and in that Man who is born of God is the whole undivided M Rev. vii., 15-17. 15 Ibid, v., 13, 18 John i., 51. 220 THE SYMBOL heart of God, the Son of Man sitting in the circle of his life upon the Rainbow at the right hand of God." The equilateral triangle, according to the theory of Pierius, 17 represents POWER by the first angle, WISDOM by the second, and LOVE by the third; and that their union in ONE produces CHARITY, which is the brightest emanation of the Deity. The same machinery occurs in the doctrines of the Jewish cabalists, who deduce it from a passage in the book of Wisdom; 18 where the Sacred Triangle ^s recognized under three several denomi- nations, viz., Goodness or LOVE, Light or WISDOM, and Creation or POWER, which they consider to be the names of the three spheres which emanate from the throne of God. In the Sacred Writings the Divine Being is repre- sented as seated on an azure throne, surrounded by a red or fiery sphere, in the centre of a rainbow formed of brilliant prismatic colours ; 19 blue being the symbol of Wisdom, green of Power, and red of Love. In the ancient initiations, the three degrees correspond to these celestial spheres ; and the symbolic colours, red, blue, and green, indicate fire, air, and earth. Within the triangle is the Allseeing Eye, to symbolize the Omnipresence of God in his watchful care over his creatures ; and the equal distribution of those good things which will contribute to make us happy in this world, and invigorate us with the hope of sharing in the incon- ceivable blessings of another and a better. The universal Parent of all good Stream' d from the cloudy canopy a flood Of Light, conferring bliss without alloy ; In coruscations brilliant, clear, and bright, To clear the candidate's astonished sight, And the oblivious darkness to destroy. And lest with wilful blindness he should stray In devious tracks of error's mazy way Plunging himself anew in sin and shame, The ascent to heaven is to his mind presented ; Faith, Hope, and Charity, are there cemented, As illustrations of the Sacred Name. 20 17 Hieroglyphica, fo. 291, F. Ed. Basil., A.D. 1575. 18 Wisd. vii., 26. 19 Ezek. i., 28. Kev. iv., 3. 20 From an unpublished Ode on Masonry, by the late Rev S. OJi- Vr, rector of Lambley. OF GLORY. 221 The sacred emblem is placed within the vesica piscis ; a glory which usually encircles, in some ancient paint- ings, the whole body of Christ, shaped like a fish, and suggested by the word w&vs, acrostically formed from the initial letters of his titles, viz. : fyoovs Xptoros, Otov vios