A. That every order of Masonry may be virtually present by their representatives, to ratify and confirm the proceedings of the whole. Q. What makes it regular? A. The warrant of constitution. Q. What is the warrant of constitution? A. The sanction of the Grand Master presiding over Masons for the country in which the Lodge is held. Q. When were you made a Mason? A. When the sun was at its meridian. Q. In this country, Masons' Lodges are usually held in the evening; how do you account for this which at first appears a paradox? A. The sun being a fixed body, the earth constantly revolving round it on its own axis, it necessarily follows that the sun is always at its meridian, and Freemasonry being universally spread over its surface, it follows, as a second consequence, that the sun is always at its meridian with respect to Freemasonry*. Q. By whom were you made a Mason? A. By the Worshipful Master, assisted by the Wardens, and in the presence of the brethren assembled. Q. Where was the Master placed? A. In the East. Q. Why so? A. As the sun rises in the East, to open and enliven the day, so is the Worshipful Master placed in the East to open the Lodge and employ and instruct the brethren in Masonry. Q. Where was the Junior Warden placed? A. In the South. Q. Why so? A. To mark the sun at its meridian, to call the brethren from labour to refreshment and from refreshment to labour, that profit and pleasure may be the result. Q. Where was the Senior Warden placed? A. In the West. Q. Why so? A. To mark the setting sun, to close the Lodge by the command of the Worshipful Master, after seeing that every one has his just due. Q. What do they conjointly represent? Very true. But where your Ups and DOWNS? Where your HEAVEN and HELL? Where dwell your GOD or GODS and DEVIL OF DEVILS? The above answer states a fact which pronounces religion to be founded on error, and bere Masonry, on its religious protences, contradicts itself. R. C. We have been just told that the sun is a fixed body, how then can it rise and set? R. C. A. The sun in the three stages of its diurnal progress*. A. As the sun rises in the East to open the day, and dispenses light, life, and nourishment to the whole creation †, it is well represented by the Worshipful Master, who is placed in the East to open the Lodge, and who imparts light, knowledge, and instruction to all under his direction. When it arrives at its greatest altitude in the South, where its beams are most piercing and the cool shade most refreshing, it is then also well represented by the Junior Warden, who is placed in the South to observe its approach to meridian, and at the hour of noon to call the brethren from labour to refreshment. Still pursuing its course to the West, the sun at length closes the day, and lulls all nature to repose; it is then fitly represented by the Senior Warden, who is placed in the West to close the Lodge by command of the Worshipful Master, after having rendered to every one the just reward of his labour, and after enabling them to enjoy that repose which is the genuine fruit of honest industry. THIRD CLAUSE. Q. Why were you made a Mason? A. For the sake of obtaining the knowledge and secrets preserved among Freemasons. Q. Where are those secrets kept? A. In their hearts. (no longer. R. C.) Q. To whom are they revealed? (to all who will read. R. C.) A. To Masons and Masons alone. Q. How are they revealed? A. By signs, tokens, and particular words. Q. By what means is any farther conversation held? A. By means of a key equally singular in its construction and in its operation. Q. Where is this key found? A. Within an arch of bone. Q. Where does it lie? A. It does not lie, it is suspended. Q. Why so? A. That it might be always ready to perform its office and never betray its trust through negligence. Q. What is it suspended by? A. The thread of life. Q. Why so nearly connected with the heart? A. To lock its secrets from the unworthy, and to open its trea sures to the deserving. Q. Of what is this key composed? *How can a fixed body make a progress, Mr. Senior Warden? R. C. + R. C. Pray, Mr. Senior Warden, define what you mean by WHOLE CREATION?S. W. (hesitating.)-I find that I cannot. A. It is not composed of metal (paper money will do) nor formed by any mortal art. Q. Explain this mystery? A. It is the tongue of good report, ever ready to protect, never to betray. Q. What are its distinguishing characteristics? A. To defend the interests of a brother in his absence, to epeak favourably of him, if truth will permit, and when that cannot be done with propriety, to adopt the Mason's peculiar virtue silence. MORAL. We have now Brethren closed the first section of our Lecture, which, though it professes to embrace little more than preliminaries, will serve to teach us that the zeal of masons in the acquisition of knowledge is bounded by no space, since they travel from East to West in its pursuit, and the principles which actuate the pursuit are highly conducive to morality-namely, the attempt to rule and subdue the passions, and lastly, where candour cannot commend, there silence will at least avoid reproach. Second Section. FIRST CLAUSE. Q. What preparation is necessary to be made a Mason? A. In the heart. Q. That being internal, how is it to be exemplifierl? A. By the declaration I was called on to make with respect to the motives which induced me to seek the privileges of Free masonry. Q. Of how many parts is that declaration composed. A. Three. (N.B. This declaration is given in full in the first letter, and for that reason, omitted here. R.C.) Q. What further testimony were you required to give as a proof of the sincerity of your intentions? A. I was required to sign my name to the substance of the foregoing declaration. Q. Where did the next or external preparation take place? Q. How were you prepared? A. I was deprived of all metal and hoodwinked, my right arm, left breast and left knee made bare, my right heel slipshod, and a cable-tow put round my neck. Q. Why deprived of metal? A. That I might bring nothing offensive or defensive into the lodge, as the principles of Masonry forbidding the one renders the other unnecessary. Q. The second reason? A. To prove to me, that wealth and distinction, however valued in the world, could have no influence in procuring my admission or advancement among masons. Q. The third reason? A. To imprint on my memory the peculiarity of a circumstance which occurred at the building of the Temple of Jerusalem, under the auspices of King Solomon, inasmuch as, during the whole time, there was not the sound of axe, hammer or any other tool of brass or iron heard within the precinct of Mount Sion, to disturb the peaceful sanctity of that holy place. Q. How was this structure completed without the aid of th se implements? A. The stones were hewn in the quarry, there carved, marked and numbered. The timber was felled and prepared in the forest of Lebanon and conveyed by floats from Tyre to Joppa. The metals were fused and cast on the plains of Zeredathah. After which, the whole was conveyed to Jerusalem, and there set up by means of mauls and other implements prepared for that purpose. Q. Why were the materials prepared so far off? A. The better to distinguish the excellence of the Craft; for, although the materials were prepared at so great a distance, when they came to be set up at Jerusalem, the whole appeared more like the work of the Great Architect of the Universe, than of mortal hands. Q. Why were metallic tools prohibited? A. That the temple of God might not be polluted". Q. What is the moral inference which we derive from their prohibition? A. That our ancient and venerable institution depends not for its support and permanency on any principle of a compulsive or coercive nature, but is best cemented by the perfect union and harmony of its constituent parts. SECOND CLAUSE. Q. Why were you hoodwinked? A. In case of refusal to undergo the accustomed ceremonies in making a Mason, I might be led out of the Lodge without discovering its form. Q. The second reason? *And pray, Mr. Senior Warden, why does a meiallic tool pollute? You cannot make good work without them. By and by, we shall find you all but deifying the chisel. Besides, your stones and timber must have bad metallic tools upon them somewhere, and pray say whether metallic tools pollute less in one place than in another? Bah! it is trash. R. C. A. That, as I was received into Masonry in a state of utter darkness, until duly brought to light, so it was considered, that I should keep all the world in ignorance of our institutions until they were lawfully gained. Q. The third reason? A. That my heart might be taught to conceive before my eyes were permitted to discover. Q. Why was your right arm made bare? A. As a token of confidence, and to show that I was unarmed and unguarded. Q. Why was your left breast made bare? A. As a token of sincerity, and to show that I was no impostor. Q. Why was your left knee made bare? A. As a token of humility. Q. Why were you slip-shod? A. It alludes to a very ancient custom of slipping from off the foot, as a pledge of fidelity to the articles of my solemn compact. Q. Why was a cable-tow placed round your neck? A. That if influenced by fear, I should attempt to fall back, all hopes of retreat might be cut off. Q. Being thus properly prepared, where were you conducted and by whom? A. To the door of the Lodge by a friend, whom I afterwards found to be a brother. Q. How did you then appear? A. I was neither naked nor clothed, barefooted nor shod, but poor and blindfolded, in a humble halting posture. Q. Why, in that condition? A. That I might thence learn as a Mason to practise universal beneficence, to be as eyes to the blind aud feet to the lame, that, whenever, in my progress through life, I should meet with a worthy man, particularly a Mason, in that state of distress, the appearance of which I then voluntarily assumed, I should stretch forth my right hand of fellowship to comfort, succour and protect him. THIRD CLAUSE. Q. Being in a state of darkness, how did you know it to be a door? A. By meeting with opposition and afterwards gaining ad mission. Q. Whom did you meet to oppose your entrance? A. One whom I afterwards found to be the tiler. Q. What is his peculiar duty? A. To be armed with a drawn sword, to keep away all cowans |