every man is the fincere friend of every man; in a word, where all vigorously and cheerfully exert themfelves in acts of kindnefs and labors of love. Such principles, furely, will advance and establish the happinefs of the whole, and the welfare of each individual and upon fuch principles our fociety hath bidden defiance to opposition, and been secured from diffolution or decay.

GLORY to GOD in the higheft, peace on earth, and good will towards men, is the difpofition and the defire of every Free and Accepted Mafon. With fuch a temper, brethren, you will enjoy the fatisfaction of your own hearts, the approbation and concurrence of all the wife and good, and THE GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU. That divine Being, who is the author of peace and the lover of concord, will render your endeavors fuccefsful, and reward them with the bleffings of time and the glories of eternity!

FINALLY, BRETHREN, FAREWELL! ACcept the best wishes, as you share in the best affections of my heart!

e

THE special relation in which I have stood to you will now ceafe; but the affection connected with it, and the gratitude arifing from it, will ever remain.

My particular thanks are due to the officers and members of the GRAND LODGE for the honors and the patronage with which they have distinguished me. And I intreat them, WITH MY BRETHREN ALL, to accept my warmest acknowledgments for their affiftance and kindness. Their attentions have been fo flattering, their benevolence fo disinterested, their bounty fo liberal, their fympathy fo tender, that I must be inexcufably insensible not to feel; and feeling, criminally ungrateful not to exprefs, my many obligations.

THE affecting adieu I am now taking, brings forcibly to mind the laft folemn parting, when DEATH fhall separate me from those whom I have cordially loved; whofe fociety made the charm of my moft privileged moments; and to whom, under Providence, I owe moft of my earthly profperity.

TENDER and faithful friends! Death is haftening to interrupt, it cannot diffolve, our union. No! Virtuous attachments are eternal. They are renewed in Heaven. We meet again there, TO PART NO MORE!

A

MASONIC EULOGY.

DELIVERED AT WORCESTER, JUNE 24, A. L. 1794, ON THE FESTIVAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, BEFORE THE

OFFICERS

AND BRETHREN OF THE MORNING

STAR LODGE,.IN THAT TOWN, JOINED BY
TRINITY LODGE FROM LANCASTER.

RESPECTED HEARERS,

YOU fee before you A BAND OF BROTHERS, Connected with each other by the firmeft engagements and most affectionate ties. Warmed with the moft general philanthropy, they profefs to unite their endeavors in the benevolent design of affisting the perfection of the human character, and the harmony and happiness of fociety. Their inftitution boasts its origin in the earliest ages of

the world; and it retains its antient laws uncorrupted, its venerable rites and expreffive Symbols unchanged, and its, primeval ceremonies intire. The stupendous The ftupendous pyramids which were raised, the lofty obelisks inscribed, and the magnificent temples built, by mafonic hands, have yielded to the ravages of time; but the inftitution itself has furvived their overthrow, and outlived their glory. It will continue ftill, and flourish, till

"The great globe itself,

And all which it inherit, be deftroyed,
And, like the bafelefs fabric of a vision,
Leave not a wreck behind."

HAD we leisure, it would be an interesting and entertaining research to trace its progress through the various ftages of fociety it has fucceffively improved and adorned: To fee its early honors in Egypt ;* its CONSE

* Those who have most minutely investigated antient history, will have reason to date the origin of the Egyptian mysteries at the times of JOSEPH; who, not being able to subvert the idolatry and superstition of the country, and introduce his own purer faith, communicated to felect friends, under fuitable cautions, the knowledge of the Divine unity and spirituality, of the immortality of the foul, and fome leading truths in the patriarchal re

CRATION at Jerufalem; its fubfequent glory; and its preservation, and extenfion" in ages long gone by." It is true that in recur ring to fome periods of its remote history, we should have occafion to lament that the unfounded and illiberal prejudices of too many which it could not foften, and their corrupt paffions which it could not subdue, at times denied the craft its merited honors, opposed its cause, and impeded its progrefs.*

ligion. Thefe dogmas were tranfmitted down; but, through the lapfe of ages, became somewhat obscured and corrupted.

The Eleufinian and Gentile mysteries were probably branches of this more antient establishment; and not distinct institutions. For an account of these, confult ELIAN, Var. Hist. xii. c. 24, PAUSANIAS, X. c. 31. and MEURSII Eleufinia: In tom. 7. GRONOV. Antiq. Gr.

«Nor did the priests of the mysteries neglect to recommend to the brethren a fpirit of friendship and the love of virtue; fo pleasing even to the most corrupt minds, and so requifite to render any society respectable in its own eyes.”

GIBBON's obf. on the viith book of the Æneid, p. 7.

Prepoffeffion hurries people to condemn what they will not have patience to understand.

Happily at the prefent day these prejudices lose much of their pristine obftinacy. "Time has allayed the violence of party, and checked with a cool difcretion the tumults of oppofition. Mankind, fuperior to national predilection or the barriers of policy or priesteraft, begin to follow the genuine dictates of reafon, and honor the wife and the good whatever be their country or their creed."