There are double walls, or hollow pillars, in which such things were deposited. Few men will be at the expense of digging to the foundations of such buildings, where valuable marks and curious inscriptions might be found on the foundation, or what was called the angle-stone, which formed a perfect cube. This was a very ancient custom: the unbelieving Jews accused our Saviour of having stolen the mystic words, the Tetragrammaton, or Urim and Thummim, from the foundation of the Temple at Jerusalem, which they said he carried concealed about him, whereby he was enabled to work his miracles.

Soon after the progress of Christianity in England, all Europe was agitated by the zeal of an enthusiastic monk, who prompted the zealots in religion to the crusades; in which, for the purpose of recovering the Holy City and Judea out of the hands of infidels, armed legions of devotees and enthusiasts, in tens of thousands, poured forth from every state to waste their blood and treasure in a purpose as barren and unprofitable as it was impolitic.

It was deemed necessary that those who took up the ensign of the cross in this enterprise, should form themselves into such societies as might secure them from spies; and that each might know his companion and brother-labourer, as well in the dark as by day. As it was with Jeptha's army at the passes of Jordan, so also was it requisite in these expeditions that certain signs, signals, watch-words, or pass-words, should be known amongst them; for the armies consisted of various nations and various languages. We are told in the Book of Judges, "that the Gileadites took the passes of Jordan before the Ephraimites; and it was so, that when those Ephraimites who had escaped, said, 'let me go over, that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite?' If he said 'nay,' then said they unto him, 'say now Shibboleth,' and he said 'Sibboleth,' for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took them and slew them at the passage of Jordan."

6

No project or device could answer the purposes of the crusaders better than those of Masonry: the maxims and ceremonials attending the Master's Order had been previously established, and were materially necessary on that expedition; for the Mahomedans were also wor

shippers of the Deity, and the enterprisers were seeking a country where the Masons were, in the time of Solomon, called into an association, and where some remains would certainly be found of the mysteries and wisdom of the ancients and of our predecessors. Such Degrees of Masonry as extended only to the acknowledgment of their being servants of the God of Nature, would not have distinguished them from those they had to encounter, had they not assumed the symbols of the Christian faith.

All the learning of Europe in those times, as in the ages of antiquity, was possessed by the religious; they had acquired the wisdom of the ancients, and the original knowledge which was in the beginning; many of them had been initiated into the mysteries of Masonry, they were the projectors of this enterprise, and as Solomon, in the building of the Temple, introduced orders and regulations for the conduct of the work, which his wisdom had derived from the learning of the sages of antiquity, so that no confusion should happen during its progress, and so that the rank and office of each fellowlabourer might be distinguished and ascertained beyond the possibility of deceit; in like manner, the priests projecting the crusades, being possessed of the mysteries of Masonry, the knowledge of the ancients, and of the universal language which survived the confusion of Shinar, revived the orders and regulations of Solomon, and initiated the legions therein who followed them to the Holy Land; hence that secresy which attended the crusaders.

Among other evidence which authorises us in the belief that Masons went to the holy war, is the doctrine of that Order of Masons called the Higher Order; we are induced to believe that Order was of Scottish institution; separate nations might be distinguished by some separate Order, as they were by singular ensigns; but be that as it may, it fully proves to us that Masons were crusaders.

As the intention of this argument is not only to speculate on the ancient secresy among Masons, but also to treat of the secresy of Masons in this age, we must, therefore, turn our thoughts to the importance secresy is of amongst us, when there are no holy wars to wage,

and nothing but charity and brotherly love to cherish among Masons.

This Institution, which was first founded in the mysteries of religion, is now maintained by us on the principle of lending mutual aid and consolation to each other. How should we be able to discern the Brethren of . this family but through such tokens as should point them out from other men? Language is now provincial, and the dialects of different nations would not be comprehensible to men ignorant and unlettered. Hence it became necessary to use an expression which should be cognizable by people of all nations. So it is with Masons; they are possessed of that universal expression, and of such remains of the original language, that they can communicate their history, their wants and prayers to every Brother Mason throughout the globe; from whence it is certain that multitudes of lives have been saved in foreign countries, when shipwreck and misery had overtaken them; when robbers had pillaged, when sickness and want had brought them down to the gates of the grave, the discovery of Masonry has proved effectual to save them; the discovery of being a Brother has stayed the savage hand of the conqueror, lifted in the field of battle to cut off the captive, has suspended the sword imbrued in carnage and slaughter, and subdued the insolence of triumph to pay homage to the Craft!5

The importance of secresy with us is such, that we may not be deceived in the dispensing of our charities, that we may not be betrayed in the tenderness of our benevolence, or let others usurp the portion which is prepared for those of our own family.

To betray the watchword which should keep the enemy from the walls of our citadel, in order to open our strongholds to robbers and deceivers, is as great a moral crime as to show the common thief the weakness

Instances of these effects are numerous; and there is not a Mason living, of any standing, but can furnish cases where a knowledge of Freemasonry has "relieved distress, taught the ignorant, and wiped rivers of tears from the eye of bereavement; where it has reconciled jarring interests, and converted the bitterest enemies into the dearest friends." Such is its daily operation. Hence all mankind may see the benign influence of Masonry, as all true Masons have done from the beginning of the world, and will do to the end of time.-EDITOR.

and secret places of our neighbour, that he may take his goods. Nay, it is still greater, for it is like aiding the sacrilegious robber to ransack the holy places, and steal the sacred vessels and consecrated elements, devoted to the most sacred rites of religion. It is snatching from the divine hand of charity the balm which she holds forth to heal the distresses of her children; the cordial cup of consolation which she offers to the lip of calamity, and the sustenance her fainting infants should receive from the bosom of her celestial love.

As such, then, is the importance of our secresy, wherefore should the world wonder that no masonic tongue has ever revealed it? It was mentioned by divine lips, "What man is there of you, whom, if his son ask for bread, will give him a stone; or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent?" Then, can there be a man so iniquitous among Masons, as to guide the thief to steal from a sick Brother the medicine which should restore his health? the balsam which should close his wounds? the clothing which should shield his trembling limbs from the rigors of the winter? the bread which should save his soul alive?

Such is the importance of our secresy, were there no other ties upon our affections or consciences than merely the sense of the injury we should do to the poor and wretched by a transgression of this rule, we are persuaded it would be sufficient to seal the lips of every man who professes himself to be a Mason.

ARGUMENT XVI.

ON THE OCCUPATIONS OF MASONS, AND ON THE EVIDENCE THAT THEIR OCCUPATION IS NOT A MERE MECHANICAL LABOUR, BUT THE EXERCISE OF THE BEST QUALITIES OF THE MIND.

IN a former Argument, I have declared it to be my opinion, that Masons, in the present state of Masonry, were never a body of architects. By the "Book of Constitutions," published by authority, we see no grand communication held in form till of very late date; neither is there any evidence therein to contradict the positions I have laid down. The succession therein described is by no means to be accepted and understood in a literal sense, but as a pedigree or chronological table of the servants of the Deity, working the duties of righteousness

We ground a judgment of the nature of our profession on our ceremonials, and flatter ourselves that every Mason will be convinced they have no relation to building and architecture, but are emblematical, and imply moral, and spiritual, and religious tenets. It appears self-evident, that the situation of the Lodge, and its several parts, are copied after the tabernacle and Temple, and are representative of the universe: implying that the

The author has fallen into this error by forgetting that Freemasonry is divided into two branches, Operative and Speculative. The former comprises all natural, mathematical, and mechanical knowledge, so far as it is subjected to the external senses; and the latter, the knowledge of the hidden order of the universe, and the secret things both of heaven and earth, more particularly those of a spiritual and intellectual nature. The knowledge of Operative Masonry is derived from three sources: 1. From observation and experience, which are common to all mankind; 2. From judgment and reflection, with which God hath endowed his creatures in various proportions and degrees; and 3. From the traditions of the masters of wisdom and science in every age, whether oral or written. It was founded, at the building of the Temple, by the three Grand Masters; who are represented by the three lights which are emblematical of their respective characters-Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty.—Editor.