THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY;
FROM THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, AND ITS PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE CIVILIZED WORLD, DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME.
THE ONLY HISTORY OF ANCIENT CRAFT MASONRY EVER PUBLISHED, EXCEPT A SKETCH OF FORTY-EIGHT PAGES BY DOCTOR ANDERSON IN 1723. TO WHICH IS ADDED THE HISTORY OF THE CRAFT IN THE UNITED STATES AND A WELL AUTHENTICATED ACCOUNT OF THE INITIATION AND PASSING OF THE HON. MRS. ALDWORTH, THE DISTINGUISHED AND ONLY LADY FREEMASON.
BY
J. W. S. MITCHELL, M. D.,
P. GRAND MASTER, P. G. HIGH PRIEST, AND P. E. COMMANDER OF MISSOURI.
VOLUME I.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.:
AMERICAN PUBLISHING HOUSE.
1858
PREFACE
TO
THE ELECTRONIC VERSION
The “Mitchell” history precedes both Robert Gould’s 6-volume History (1885) and Albert Mackey’s 7-volume history (1898). Prior to 1858, there was nearly a void of Masonic history, save for such as “Anderson’s Constitutions” (1723) and the “Monitorial” work of those such as Preston and Webb.
Dr. James W.S. Mitchell (PGM of Missouri) was the first to venture a major history, with a distinct bias toward the Antients. In the end, between the quality of the actual books (two volumes, bearing few graphics and published with small print), they are little known, today. It is perhaps validly said that Mitchell’s chief contribution was intellectual stimulation and contrast.
In 1858 Mitchell published “The History of Freemasonry and Masonic Digest.” By 1869 it was in its seventh edition, ranking second only to the works of Preston and Oliver; it was the most widely-read Masonic book in America. Vol. I of that edition contains 720 pages; Vol. II contains another 719 pages. Together, they covered the histories of Operative Masonry, Speculative Masonry, the High Grades, the Egyptian Mysteries, and included much material about Solomon; given that Mitchell followed Oliver in believing that Solomon was the first Grand Master.
Mitchell began his composition of Masonic history in 1855; ten years after Mackey published his “Lexicon;” containing a collection of brief articles and certain of Mackey's early Masonic theories. Both Mitchell and Mackey suffered from the void of reliable Masonic literature; there were no Masonic libraries. The authority up until that time was Oliver. Thus, Mitchell is entitled to credit for a massive undertaking, regardless of modern agreement with his views. Certainly, it took the best efforts of men such as Mitchell, Gould and Mackey to provide the foundation for modern Masonic history.
It should be noted that Mackey’s history was only half completed at the time of his death (1881); his work was completed and amended posthumously.
Mitchell’s work illustrates what was known, believed and practiced in Masonry in the United States, in the 1860s time frame – also the period of the American Civil War. Lacking a better foundation, Mitchell was obligated to reason and speculate, based on what little material was available; augmented by his best judgment and intuition. Certainly, Mitchell’s presented facts are both sincere and valuable, as are the facts presented in Oliver's books. Mitchell’s chapters on jurisprudence present an interesting set of positions on what was believed and practiced in the 1850's; that work being invaluable for comparison with modern jurisprudence.
Mitchell’s work was preceded by the "Baltimore Convention of 1843", held May 8th through the 17th, in an attempt to agree upon a standardized "mode of work" to be recommend to the various Grand Lodges. The intent being to create a Masonic ritual which could become the uniform standard in America.
The background to this convention came from the catechism form of the lectures of the day, which came to this country with Freemasonry. That system evolved from Anderson and Desaguliers; revised and "improved" by those such as Martin Clare, Thomas Dunkerly, William Hutchinson and William Preston.
The spread of the Prestonian work was largely credited to Thomas Smith Webb, who published his "Freemason's Monitor" in 1797. Webb supposedly received the Prestonian work from a pupil of Preston's, one John Hanmer. Webbs work was popularly received in almost every jurisdiction (Pennsylvania excepted). In general, the radical majority of the U.S. jurisdictions adopted some or all of Webb's modifications of Preston’s work. In turn, Webb's labors were greatly enhanced by Jeremy Cross, in his "True Masonic Chart," illustrated by the Connecticut engraver, Amos Doolittle. That work was the foundation of the art seen today on the various Masonic charts and lecture slides.
In the early days of Masonry in America, there was no standardized work. As described by Rob Morris: "The catechism being committed to memory the learner was supposed to possess the method of work, that is, the drill and drama, or ceremony of Masonry, which was made literally to conform to the lectures."
In the end, the Baltimore Convention adopted the lectures as taught by Thomas Smith Webb, making only three major changes of importance; recommending their adoption by the Grand Lodges, then in existence.
The matter of ‘ritual’ having been decided, the assembly of a viable history was mandated.
It is undisputable that Dr. Albert Mackey’s later illustrated encyclopedia and history prevailed in terms of both content and quality. While out of print by nearly a hundred years, the Mackey Encyclopedia (three volumes in its final format) and seven-volume History is also available in CD format.
Know James W.S. Mitchell:
PREFACE
IT has been said that the business of a historian is to detail facts unaccompanied by his opinions in favor of, or against particular theories. Others go further, and say that a theory in history is preposterous." Now all this sounds very well; as all men would be likely to agree in saying that the collation and proper arrangement of facts does indeed constitute history. But it is a question of grave importance, whether, under certain circumstances, it does not become the duty of the historian to do something more than this. How should we, at the present day, be able to arrive at a knowledge of some of the most important events of the middle ages, had not historians, after having detailed the known facts, reasoned tom cause to effect, in order to prove the existence of other facts, not self-evident ? One class of historians give us a very interesting and somewhat detailed account of the reign of Queen Semiramis, while another class, equally honest and intelligent, tell us that no such Queen ever lived, though both agree in stating the important facts of the supposed reign. Here is a palpable contradiction; and yet is it possible, by the use of other facts and reasonable deductions, drawn from thence, to determine which is right. Even at the present day, witnesses are being exhumed from the bowels of the earth, which, of themselves, speak no language now understood, but, when submitted to the antiquarian tests and compared with other and known developments, are made to testify of important truths which have been buried from the knowledge of men for ages past. It is a historical fact, that Cortes found a stone at the city of Mexico, so large that no man of his, or the present age, has been able to say by what power it had been elevated to its then situation. And must this mystery forever remain necessarily unsolved, because nothing can be found on record to explain it? On the contrary, should the means be discovered for raising similar bodies, would it not be the business of the historian, after detailing this fact, to reason upon the probability of the use of a similar power by the aborigines of Mexico? It is a historical fact, that the said stone contained a great number of devices and hieroglyphics, which could not be explained, even by the natives. And should this, or any future age, discover a key capable of clearly unraveling a part of these mystic symbols, may not the historian, after detailing this fact and its developments, proceed to explain the relative position of the remainder, and deduce from thence the probable reading of the whole?
In, like manner, where truth has been covered up, or mystified by fiction, it would seem to be the writer's duty to hunt up and bring to bear all accredited testimony within his reach. in order to lift the veil and expose the deception.
We have reason to believe that Masonry was, originally, a secret Society, and was, governed by laws known only to the members. We read of old manuscripts being in the hands of private members, at an early day, but we have evidence tending to show that those manuscripts bad reference alone to the fundamental laws, so far as they could be written, together with, such usages, as, at an early day, were not considered to belong exclusively to the Lodge room; and yet, even these were held to be exclusively the property of the initiated, and with which the world had no right to become acquainted.
Such, it is thought, was the condition of things until the seventeenth century, when some publications were made, but so meagre and unsatisfactory to the world, as to serve only to whet the curiosity of the lovers of ancient lore. Soon after the reorganization of Masonry in London; and the establishment of the present Grand Lodge system, a spirit of inquiry was set on foot by Grand Master Payne, for all reliable evidences of the true laws, usages, and, if possible, evidences of the history of the Society. As early as 1719, the Grand Lodge made a request to all private Masons, to bring, or send forward all manuscripts in their hands; which request was generally complied with, though a few, who still adhered to the old teaching, that no publications were allowable, committed to the flames some Masonic papers, rather than risk them in the bands of their descendants. It is believed, however, that no, material loss was sustained by the burning of said manuscripts, as those that were preserved contained all the important facts which had ever been written. And yet, after they were all carefully examined, it was found that they furnished but little more than an index, pointing to the rituals and traditions of the Order. Doctor Anderson was appointed a committee to collate the old laws, and, as far as practicable, write a history of English Masonry; and, while we have reason to believe that he faithfully collated and digested the laws, we are at a loss to account for the position he assumed in fixing the origin of Masonry. The Doctor did not claim that the manuscripts collected furnished his data; on the contrary, it was then generally believed that no such manuscripts had ever existed. We further know that he did not rely upon the legends or traditions of Masonry, for these all go to disprove his theory, viz.; that the Institution was as old as the world. It is hardly fair to suppose the Doctor did not know that, down to that period, the Fraternity believed that the origin of Masonry was known only from the teachings of the Lodge room; and yet be seemed to attach more importance to the supposed examination of a brother by Henry VI., in which the witness is made to say that "Masonry was known to the man in the West, before the man in the East," and, in assuming the hypothesis that Masonry was about as old as the world, very properly avoided any reference to those traditions which point to the man who was the instrument in bringing it into being, and perfecting its teachings.
When Doctor Anderson wrote, Masonry was but just emerging from the dark gloom of threatened annihilation, and it is not unfair to suppose that its first historian was more or less influenced by a desire to win for it, popularity: and if the great body of men were then, as now, more readily won by marvelous tales, than by simple and plain truths, we may conclude it was a master-stroke of the pen to deal in fiction; and this the more readily, because, admitting that he knew the Lodge room alone could furnish reliable testimony; be knew that Masons would not then have tolerated a publication of the facts. Certain it is, that the position be assumed carried with it the privilege of entering the broad field of conjecture, and afforded him an opportunity to feed the fancy of his readers with both facts and fiction: and the latter is equally as safe from criticism, for nowhere upon record could be found anything which would disprove either his hypothesis or his conclusions; in short, as the facts had never been published, the world was not prepared to gainsay his (the most extravagant) claims of its antiquity, nor to pronounce his theory “the baseless fabric of a dream!"
Since the publication of Anderson's Constitutions, containing a very faithful account of English Masonry, and a fancy sketch of its origin,
Page VIII PREFACE.
many sketches have been written, claiming to be historical, no two of which, it is believed, agree as to the time when the Order was inst> toted. These writers may be classed under four heads, and may be designated as follows: First, those who, in the main, agree with Anderson as to the origin of Masonry, but who undertake to fix the precise date‑some at the Garden of Eden, some in the days of Enoch, some in the days of Noah, and last, though not least, a celebrated divine of the present day fixes its existence in "the great empyrean of space, before this world was created." The second class, conceiving that something very like Freemasonry was absolutely necessary to relieve the descendants of Noah from the curse which God entailed upon them, by confounding their language, assume the hypothesis that Masonry was instituted at the Tower of Babel, before the dispersion, thus affording the tribes a universal language. The third class charge that the preceding classes are dependent upon mere theory, unsupported by any known facts for their conclusions, and, therefore, resolved to have, themselves, authentic testimony of the existence of the very oldest secret society, and, in their success in proving, from authentic records, the early existence of the Egyptian Mysteries, very wisely conclude that it is worse than useless to go further in their antiquarian researches, and jump to the conclusion that either Freemasonry is the mother of the Egyptian Mysteries, or vice versa. Thus, by some of this class, Masonry is the mother, and by others she is the daughter. The fourth class take exceptions to all the doctrines of the foregoing ‑deny the antiquity claimed for the Society, and undertake to show, from recorded testimony, that Masonry originated with the Orders of Knighthood, during the Crusades to the Holy Land. And now another adventurer enters the field, and, though " solitary and alone," he has the temerity to venture the opinion, that his predecessors were all wrong‑that the origin of, Masonry is not a matter of doubt, or should not be, to any well informed Mason. whose special attention has been called to a few well known facts; on the contrary, that its origin is so clearly and minutely detailed in the Lodge room, that all Masons must be brought to see that there alone can the whole truth be learned. This being the hypothesis of the Author of this work, it will
Page IX PREFACE.
be seen, from the facts before stated, that it would be impossible for him to write what he believes to be a true history of the Order, and throughout confine himself to a detail of recorded facts. And, aside from the consideration of the origin of Masonry, by what means may he proceed to detail its rise and progress throughout the civilized world, relying alone on recorded testimony, while only detached parcels of the whole truth have ever been published? Doctor Anderson has given us more historical detail than any other writer, and yet his investigations were confined mainly to England, Scotland, and Ireland; and, indeed, strictly speaking, his history is only complete, so far as it relates to the South of England, or, more properly, the city of London. Preston copied from Anderson, and brought down the history of the Grand Lodge of England, and its dependencies, to his own time. Doctor Oliver extended Preston's history through a period of ten years, but confined himself almost exclusively to his own Grand Lodge. Laurie's history is almost a literal copy of Anderson's, except of the Order in Scotland, which is much more minutely given. There are many volumes in the German and French languages, written with great ability, but, as far as the Author can judge, they all have reference to the various modern degrees, called Masonry. From what has been said, it will be seen that the Author relies upon the traditions for much, very much of the material upon which to found his history, and, therefore, he must reeds do all in his power to clear away the rubbish, and bring to light those sacred truths which have been thrown over by careless and unskillful workmen, and which, for more than a century, have been covered up, deeper and deeper, by fancy sketches of imaginary theory. If the traditions of Masonry are not reliable as authority for the foundation of a historical detail, then are they the merest phantoms of a distempered imagination, and we should blush to use them in the Lodge room, as the foundation of all our instructions. On the contrary, if they merit the high place they now occupy, as teachers of those great truths which, for ages past, have served to unite the discordant materials incident to man's nature, and link together a mighty Brother. hood, then are they entitled to all credit, and, by their aid, may the origin of Masonry be clearly pointed out, and a true history of the Order may be written and published to the world, with outlines sufficiently broad, and details sufficiently clear, to answer the just demands of the
Page X PREFACE.
uninitiated, and with still more precision to the understanding of the Craft; and all this, without doing violence to the laws of secrecy. With these convictions, the Author has undertaken to prove that Masonry took Its origin just where, and in the precise manner pointed out by our rituals and traditions; and whenever and wherever authenticated fact were to be found, he has endeavored to detail them impartially, without pausing to inquire whether they tended to prove or disprove his peculiar opinions. And where facts were not available, he has endeavored to glean the truth by analogy and sound deductions. In his history and review of the great batch of modern degrees, called, by their inventors, Masonic degrees, the Author has endeavored to have but one great end in view, viz., to show what is, and what is not Free masonry, and to warn the true Fraternity against amalgamations or entangling alliances with all outside institutions, however praiseworthy their objects and ends may be.
Page XIII
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
Death of Solomon....................... 1
Freemasonry a Secret Society.............. 17
Division of Solomon's Kingdom........... To the Traditions are we indebted for the Influence of Solomon's Masons............ 96
Early History.......................... 17
Death of Josiah, King of Judah......... 97
The origin of Masonry Investigated......., 18
Destruction of Jerusalem.................. 98
Preston's Views...................... 18
The Early History of the World............ 20
CHAPTER VI.
Dr. Oliver's Opinions Reviewed............ 23
Liberation of the Jews from Captivity...... 101
The Cabiri........................ 38
Reign of Cyrus......................... 102
Dr. Oliver's Initiation of Moses by Jehovah.. 39
Artaxerxes, Reign of................. 103
Laws by Moses to Lodges and Chapters,‑ Darius, Reign of...................... 103 Oliver................................ 40
Zerubbabel.......................... 104
Masonry the True Religion................. 46
Second Temple.................... 104
Masonry Aids to Spread the Gospel to Heathens............................... 47
Pythagoras.......................... 106
CHAPTER I. CHAPTER VII
The Author's Opinion of the Origin of Masonry........................... 60
Death of Alexander the Great......... 113
Masonry is of Divine Origin.............. 53
Euclid.......................... 113
Solomon the instrument in establishing Masonry............................... 54
Alexandrian Libry.............. The Three Degrees of Masonry, History of... 61
Tower of Pharaoh........................ 11
Entered Prentice.................... 63
CHAPTER VIII.
Asdrubal's Wife Curses Her Husband....... 121
The Fellow Craft, History of.............. 66
City of Rhodes.......................... 7
Lodges allowed to confer only the Apprentice Degree............................ 68
Colossal Statue........................... 118
Wall of China........................... 12
Second Section of the Fellow Craft's Degree.. 71
Lord Amherst's Visit to China.... 123
Distinction between Fellow and Fellow Craft. 74
The City of David................. 76
CHAPTER IX
King Solomon to King Hiram.............. 77
Fall of Carthage.................. 12
Hiram Abiff...................... 78
The Tuscan Order of Architecture......... 127
Classification of the Workmen on the Temple 80
Pompey the Great........................128
CHAPTER IV.
Masonry in Rome............ 128
Masonry in Judea................12
Solomon's Temple..............83
Reign of Herod 3 ............. 1
Celebration of the Cape‑Stone.............. 86
Dr. Oliver's Traditions of the Curious Stones. 88
CHAPTER X
Solomon the First Master.................. 89
ThBuildings Erected oy Solomon......... 90
Before Christ Forty Years................. 13)
Flight of Herod....................... 136
CHAPTER V. Judea in the Hands of a Stranger.......... 13
Lodges Established‑Grand Lodge at Jeru‑ Masonry Neglected........................ a.esm................................ 92 Charlemagne, Reign of............... 141
Page XIV
ziv CONTENTS. PAGE. AOIL The First Treatise on Architecture......... 143 CHAPTER XVI. Architecture of the Sixteenth Century Cor‑ Union of Scotland and England....... 204 pared......................... 145 Reign of James I................... 204 Inigo Jones,.............~............... 206 CHAPTER XI. Nicholas Stone........................... 207 Masonry in England, Introduction of..... 146 The Massacre of Four Thousand Protestants Introduction of the Saxons into England.... 151 in Ireland............................. 208 london Inclosed with a Stone Wall....... 151 Charles I. and Cromwell.................. 209 Origin of the Name England.............. 153 Cromwell, Washington, and Bonaparte..... 209 Masonic Records Lost in the Wars with the Restoration of Charles II.......... 210 Druids............................ 154 The'Kings call for a Masonic Assembly.....210 Prince Edwin................,.,... 154 General Assembly of Masons, 1663.......210 Grand Lodge at York.................... 155 Regulations of 1663.................... 213 King Athelstan.......................... CHAPTR I. First Prince of Wales.................... 161 Oxford College Built..................... 161 Operative Masonry Abandoned.... 2.... 214 The Templars Erect their Dormus De....... 161 Sir Christopher Wren................. 21 Celebration of the Cape‑Stone of Westminster Great Fire in London, 1666.............. 216 Abbey............... 161 Roofing for Houses in the Seventeenth CenOld Records of Masonry in the Reign of Ed‑ tury............................. 218 ward III.................... 162 Rebuilding St. Paul's Church........... 219 Sir Christopher Wren's Deputy............ 223 CHAPTER XII. Walbrook Church....................... 223 Edict of Henry VI. against Masons......... 164 Death of Charles II........................ 224 Tne Bat Parliament....................... 166 Reign of William and Mary............ 225 Winchester's Hostility to Masonry........ 166 Masonry Neglected................. 225 A Regular Lodge at Canterbury in 1400.... 171 CHAPrYf XVm. C~HAtI'i xAli. Masons Should Again Take Charge of Archi‑'The White and Red Rose.................. 173 tecture............................... 227 JLtter from John Locke.................. 173 Grand Master Wren's Letter of Instructions The Old Bodleian Manuscript.............. 174 to Builders........................... 229 Abrac............................. 181 G. Master Wren's great Age compels him to CHAPTER XIV Neglect Masonry....................... 234 The Churches of St. Paul and St. Peter..... 234 Reign of Henry VII................. 183 Apprentices Members of G. Lodge......... 235 A Lodge of Masions in 1502.it....... 184 Re‑organization of Masonry m the South of ons of Masons Initiated at Eighteen Years of England............................... 236 Age................................. 185 Grand Ma ter Payne's Administration...... 239 Henry VIII. and his Parliament deny the Occasional Lodge for the Duke of Lorraine.. 249 Right Divine of the Pope.............. 186 The Old Gothic Constitutions ordered to be Reign of Elizabeth..................... 187 Revised by Dr. Anderson, 1721.........241 Districting England‑Provincial G. Masters. 190 Committee cf Fourteen............. 241 The Character of Queen Elizabeth,........ 191 Masonry Popular in England....... 243 CHAPTER XV. CHAPTER XIX. Masonry in Scotland................... 194 Masonry at York.................... 260 Origin of the Scots.................... 195 Masonry Neglected in London............. 250 Macbeth's Descendants................ 197 Grand Lodge of England sends a Charter to Robert Bruce........................ 199 York............................. 251 Masons Lived in Camps or Huts............ 200 Committee of Charity..................... 253 Kilwinning and York the Nurseries of Ma‑ Stewards Admitted to Seats in G. Lodge... 255 sonry.................................. 200 Novelties in Grand Lodge.................. 255 Ordered by the King that the Masons Pay Frederick, Prince of Wales, Initiated... 256 the G. Master.......................... 201 Attempt to remove a Landmark....... 257 William Sinclair, G. Master............... 202 Second Edi:ion of the Book of Constitutons.. 257 diary Queen of Scots................ 202'
Clandestine Makings................ 261
Page XV
CONTENTS. XT PAGE. rAC6. Only Members of Lodges Ertitled to Charity. 259 Anti‑Masonry ir Holland and France....... 8. Rupture between G. Lodge of England and Bull of Pope Engenius against Masonry...... 81A that of York...................... 260 Imprisonment of Masons by the Inquisition. 329 Seceders and Ahiman Rezon.............. 260 Masonry in Switzerland................ The First Form for a Procession............ 262 The Council of Berne against Masonry.....30 Action Against the Ancient Masons........ 265 Synod of Scotland against Masonry....... 831 CHA'PTER XX. CHAPTER XXV. Reign of Georgem.................. 268 Masonry in Ireland...l.............. 332 Initiation of the Dukes of Gloucester and Address of the Grand Lodge of Ireland to the umbtlation of the Duk.es of G.loucester and. Cumberland.......................... 269 Duke of Sussex........................ 339 Taxing Grand Officers to Build a Hall....... 279 The Duke's Reply................. 3 Past G. Officers May Wear Gold JewelsCelebration in Dublin in 1838............. 341 Past G. Officers May'Wear Gold Jewels..... 270 Difficulty between G. Lodge and the Lodge of France, Germany, and America made the Antiquity............................. 274 CHAPTER XM. CHAPTER XXVI. History of Lodge of Antiquity‑Continued... 276 Masonry in Scotland.....................34 Initiation of Omdit‑ul‑Omran Bauhader.... 279 Monument to Bro. Robert Burns...... 349 Grand Officers with Robes................. 280 The Throne of a Grand Lodge..... 362 Regulations against Non‑affiliated Masons... 281 Monument to the Memory of Sir Walter Scott 366 New Regulations Adopted.............. 281 Laying a Corner‑Stone in Scotland..... 367 Fines for Non‑attendance................ 282 CHAPTER XXVII. CHAPTER XXII. Masonry in England.............. 361 Foundation Laid for the Female Orphan Charges against Brethren for Visiting Ancient School..~ S ‑Lodges. 361 i~,ules fSchoolo................................. 361 Rules for the School........... 287 Portraits of Grand Masters......... 862 Address of the G. Lodge to the King....... 290 Resolutions of Grand Lodge....... 363 Address of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Revoking Innovations........ 364 to Brother George Washington........... 293 Great Dinner, January, 183.......... 366 Washington's Reply..................... 294 CHAPTER XXVIII. Washington as a Mason.............. 294 fWashino as on.g294 The Dukes of Sussex and Kent Grand Masters Death of Washington‑Funeral...........295 of the two Grand Lodges.. 373 of the two Grand Lodges................ 378 CHAPTER XXIII. Union of the two Grand Lodges........ 373 Articles of Union.................... 374 The Jesuits and Masonry.................. 298 Consequences of the Unio. 382 Consequences oftheUnto.,............ 382 Expulsion of the Jesuits from all Countries W o o What is Spurious Freemasonry............ 384 except the United States............... 299 eete id t.29...... A Clandestine Mason Contending at law for Expose of the Articles of Union of the Jesuits 300. 301‑a Fee for Making a Mason............... 386 Weishaupt's Society....................... 301.................. Insubordination of Masons at Liverpool..... 386 Baruel and Robinson's Opposition to Masonry 302 Prince of ales Lo Prince of Wales Lodge.................. S8 Revolution in France..................... 305 Influence of Masonry on a Pirate........... 389 Inhuman Treatment of American Prisoners. 307 Beautiful Ceremony of Laying a Corner‑Stone 390 Robinson's Proofs of Conspiracy........u... 308 Extract from Dewitt Clinton's Address...... 315 CHAPTER XXIX. Expulsion of the Jesuits in 1847............ 3'8 Initiation of King William IV.‑The Offices Masonry Meddles not with Politics or Re‑ He Filled.............................. 393 ligion............................. 319 An Asylum for Decayed Freemasons........ 393 Address to the Duke of Sussex............. 396 CHAPTER XXIV. Masonry in the Nineteenth Century........ 401 Masonry in France....................... 320 The Duke of Wellington's Initiation......... 408 New Degrees..................... 324 Badges of Mourning.................... 410 Masonry n the East Indies................ 325 Belgian Proscription of Masonry..... 4.... 410 Organization of the G. Lodge of Ireland..... 325 Anti‑Masons Differ in Different Countries... 413 The Order of Knights Templar instituted.... 335 Lodges in the Army Opposed.......... 417 Warrants sent into Russia and Spain....... 326 Hindoo Opinions of Masonry............,. 421
Page XVI
Xvi CONTENTS. PAGE. Pi CHAPTER XX. The Compact of 1827................, 12 Masonry in the United States.............. 423 Rupture and New Grand Lodge............ 4 Was Masonry Among the Indians Before the CHAPTER XXxV. Times of Columbus..................... 427 The Greek Language among the Indians.... 427 Rupture of Union of St. John's Grand Lodge with the Indian Medicine Lodge.................... 431 Indian Medicine Lodge................ Grand Lodge of New York............... 530 No Evidence of Masonry among the Indians. 434 Lodges Established by a Council of Thirty Welsh Language among the Indians........ 435 third Degree....................... 553 third Degree.......................: CHAPTER XXXI. Union of 1858...................... 554 Was Freemasonry Known to the Aborigines Masonry in Pennsylvania.............. 555 of the South?.......................... 441 Smiths Aliman Re........... 55 he Ancient Mysteries of Mexico.......... 442 General Grand Lodge Recommended........ 6 The Great Temple of Mexico............. 444 Establishment of an Independent Grand Initiation Ceremony..................... 445 Lodge CHAPTER XXII. CHAPTER XXXVI. the Early Setflers in the United States..... 453 Masonry in Georgia....... 56 Discovery of this Country by Icelanders iever was any Athol Masnny in Mas 1003 of ta chusetts.................................. 53 6 1003..sachusetts............................ 56 Voyage ofColumbus.................. 454 Masonry in South Carolina............. 571 Voyage of John Cabot.................. 455 Masonry in North Carolina......... 576 Voyage of Sebastian Cabot................ 456 Masonry in Virginia..................... 578 Voyage from France................... 456 GGrand and Deputy Grand Masters of Virg;‑ia 586 Ponce de Leon's Vovage.............. 467 Grand Lodge of New Jersey............... 587 De Soto's Voyag...................... 458 GrandodgeofMaryland.587 Indians Carried into Slavery..... 458 MasonryinConnecticut............. 58 French Colony..462 Hiram Lodge, No....................... 589 Colony of Hugenots....................... 463 Grand Lodge of Rhode Island.............. 597 Malendez, the Spanish Assassin.......... 464 Grand Lodge of Vermont................. 5 Sir Walter Raleigh's Colony 4........... 466 History of Masonry in Kentucky........... 59 Manteo, an Indian Chief................... 467 Masory in Delaware......... 603 What Became of Raleigh's Colony......... 469 Masonry in Ohio........................ 60 Settlement at Jamestown............. 470 MasonryinteDistrictofColumbia. 09 Pocahontas and Smith................... 472 Masonry in Tennessee................... 610 The First Warrant sent to America......... 477 Masonry in Missiippi................. 60 Masonry in Louisiana.................... 611 CHAPTER XXXIII. Old Records of G. Lodge of Louisiana....... 612 Masonry in Massachusetts................ Masonry in Missouri................... 622 St. John's Provincial Grand Lodge Estab‑ Masonry in Alabama...................... 629 lished................................ 482 Masonry in Illinois........................ 638 St. Andrew's Grand Lodge Established..... 484 Masony in Florida....................... 638 Joseph Warren appointed Provincial Grand Organization of the G. L. and G. Chap. of Fla. 640 Master............................... 486 Masonry in ioi,........................ 642 Both Grand Lodges Suspended in 1775..... 487 Masonry in Texas........................ 645 Battle of Bunker Hill.................... 487 Grand Lodge formed................. 649 Re‑organization of St. Andrew's G. Lodge... 487 Grand Chapter........................ 653 St. John's Grand Lodge Resumes Labor..... 488 Masonry in California.................... 656 Union of the Two Grand Lodges............ 489 Masonry in Kansas Territory............... 661 CHAPTER XXXIV. Masonry in Nebraska Territory........... 662 History of Masonry in New York........... 498 Masonry in Oregon Territory..........6.... St. John's Lodge, No. 1................... 00 Masonry in Minnesota Territory.......... 664 A Thrilling Story of an Escaped Prisoner.... 501 CHAPTER XXXVII. The Athol Warrant for a Grand Lodge in New Royal Arch Masonry.............6.... 660 York........................... 503 Doctor Folger's Letter.................... 1 Establishment of the Present Grand Lodge.. 505 Council of Royal and Select Masters..... 700 Origin of Difficulties in New York......... 508 History of the Council Degrees in Alabama.. 710
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CHAPTER 1.
FREEMASONRY was strictly a secret Society for more than two thousand, years; its members were forbidden to publish any thing, either in relation to its origin or teaching; and yet, throughout all that period, its history was transmitted from generation to generation, unspotted by time, and unadulterated by the sacrilegious hand of the innovator. Nor is this difficult to be accounted for, when it is remembered that the legends ‑ the traditions of the Order, have ever constituted a portion of the teaching, intimately connected with, and inseparable from, the ritual of the Lodge room. And these instructions have not only been communicated to all initiates, but they have been required so to impress them on their minds as to be able to teach in turn. Thus, while the middle or dark ages enveloped in oblivion the very footprints of the world's history, leaving us but the merest fables of Heathen Mythology to tell of Time's onward course, our Order, having been transmitted from society to society, from man to man, in the same unmistakable and unalterable symbolism, preserved its identity, and perpetuated its existence in the upward and onward mission it was instituted and sent forth to accomplish. We believe it is susceptible of the clearest proof that to the universal language of Masonry, and its unerring method of transmission, is the world indebted for a knowledge of the most remarkable events of seven hundred years of the world's history; and, to well informed Masons, it satisfactorily appears that by divine permission, it was made the instrument, not only for the preservation, but the discovery of the five books of Moses, after a lapse of four hundred and seventy years of lawless disorder. And, if there were no other interesting features in the general aspect of Masonry, these, it would seem, are abundantly sufficient to rivet the attention and excite the
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careful investigation of every inquiring mind, in relation to its true history and principles. But before we attempt to fix the point of time at which our Society was instituted, it becomes our unpleasant task to clear away the rubbish which has been thrown over it by unskillful and unfaithful workmen. The distinguished Preston says: "From the commencement of the world we may trace the foundation of Masonry; ever since symmetry began and harmony displayed her charms, our Order has had a being." If the author had stopped with the first part of the paragraph here quoted, we could readily have reconciled it with the facts, as we believe they exist, that the foundation was then laid. That some one or more of the great principles taught by Freemasonry were known from the foundation of the world, no well informed Mason is likely to question; but the existence of that principle, or even a knowledge of all the principles at that period, which are inculcated now by the Craft, does not prove that the system or art of teaching those principles was then known or practiced; and hence the objectionable part of the paragraph is that which declares "the existence of our Order ever since harmony displayed her charms." Now, this is a declaration that Masonry, as a Society, has existed ever since the creation of the world, for we must regard it as something more than the knowledge of certain principles, separate and distinct, or in chaotic confusion. Masonry is an Order, a Society of individuals, having a systematic art of teaching certain principles, and linking its recipients together by certain indissoluble ties which enable them to distinguish each other, and place them under obligations to befriend and relieve each other from the withering blight of misfortune; and it is as impossible to conceive of the existence of the Order without a community of individuals to constitute that Order, as to suppose the existence of a government without subjects to be governed. We desire the reader to satisfy himself in relation to the correctness of this position, for upon it depends the fitness of much about to be said; and we desire to use no terms which do not convey our meaning, nor assume grounds which are not sustained by facts. Preston, we believe, was a good man, and a devoted
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Mason; loved its principles and practiced them; but it is matter of extreme regret that he has done little more than to copy Anderson, and enlarge upon his wild theory. Had he traced Masonry to that period to which the written records point, or where Masonic tradition places it, his labors would have been rewarded by the plaudits of those who are seeking after true Masonic light. But his work would, in this particular, have possessed none of those charms of miraculous mystery after which the world is running with almost frantic rage. That this declaration is true, we have only to refer to the light literature of France, the very trash of which is read with more avidity and eager delight at the present day, than the ablest productions in the investigation of the means which conduce to man's true and lasting happiness; nor is this the only example of man's love of the wonderful. Science is being perverted and thrown into ridicule to suit the vitiated taste of the age. A gentleman, whose character for ability and learning in the literary world places him high as an instructor, may propose to deliver a lecture in any of the departments of science, and he can not, in any town in the United States, obtain half the number of hearers as can be had by the most illiterate vagabond who professes to close his eyes by an impenetrable hoodwink, and look with the eye of the mind through his own skull and distinctly see any object placed before him. Alas! how true it is, that while posterity will accord to this generation a rapid march in the onward course of improvements, they will also set us down as a race of men taking pleasure in being deceived; a people who are best pleased when most deceived, and the more ridiculous the manner used, the more fascinating the deception; and thus it is with Masonry, we delight to call our Institution" ancient and honorable;" ancient as having existed from time immemorial' and to confirm the belief of this oft repeated sentence, the historian is encouraged to date its origin back to a period anterior to that which affords any proofs for or against it; which leaves the writer at liberty to manufacture a tale of its origin and rise, as senseless and miraculous as the tuste of the age demands. Ia order that we may the better exhibit the ground we
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occupy, it will be necessary to inquire into the early history of man; this we shall do only so far as is absolutely necessary to the elucidation of the subject before us. If we were in possession of a clear and well defined history of the world, from its creation to the present day, we might arrive at correct conclusions with much less difficulty; but, unfortunately, the first eighteen hundred years are almost buried in impenetrable oblivion; for down to the time of the Flood, we know very little more than the genealogy of the Patriarchs, together with their vices and ultimate destruction by the Deluge. If we take civil history, we find its first dawn is to be traced only as far back as the foundation of the ancient kingdom of Babylon, or the Assyrian Empire; and even there its light is shrouded by many mists, penetrated by dubious rays. This period is about a century and a half after the Flood. Nimrod, the founder of Babel, was the great grandson of Noah, and even of his reign and government we know nothing, save from the writings of Moses, which are confined to a few particulars. That Ham and his sons rebelled against the authority of Noah seems probable, if we rely on the opinion of most chronologers; whereupon, Noah and his followers crossed into Persia, or India and China, and as Shem, whom he considered in the line of the Messiah, was doubtless a favorite with his sire, it follows as probable that they settled in the same country. That, while Elam, the eldest son of Shem, settled in Persia, Noah went still further East; and, though we are not well informed of the history of the Chinese Empire, its antiquity, the language of the people, their numerous traditions of the flood, render it probable that Noah was the first to give it being as a nation; it was certainly founded by the wisest men. To which may be added the somewhat singular fact, that Moses is silent in relation to Noah's history after the Flood; which is accounted for by writers on the ground that Noah had left Western Asia before the time to which Moses alludes, and his history is mainly confined to that scene. If Masonry existed and was operative in those days, then might we expect to find it in a higher state of perfection than at any subsequent period; for of all the cities, ancient or modern, of
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which we have an account, none, perhaps, will be found to surpass ancient Babylon, either in extent or grandeur. It was built on a fertile plain, watered by the river Euphrates, which ran through it, and was encompassed by a wall three hundred and sixty feet high, eighty‑seven feet thick, and inclosed a square of ground, each side of which was fifteen miles in length, so that a circuit of sixty miles was made in passing around the wall. There were fifty great streets, one hundred and fifty feet wide, crossing at right angles, and terminating in four other streets of two hundred feet in width at each side of the wall. The entire space within was improved with splendid edifices and beautiful gardens; the buildings were three and four stories high, and of superior workmanship; there was also, around, a square building of four hundred feet on each side, carried up to the height of the wall, and a platform of immense stone laid thereon, upon which earth was placed, which not only served to produce splendid hanging gardens, but supported large trees; these gardens were watered by an engine from the river. These people also erected the Tower of Babel, the height of which is variously estimated. We are inclined to fix it at something over six hundred feet; its base was forty rods square. Whether this was built by Nimrod, Ninus, or Semiramis, is not clearly shown. Ninus was much occupied in building and beautifying the city of Nineveh. Semiramis has also the reputation of giving to the world a reign of more splendor for her great works in architecture, as well as achievements in arms, than any other sovereign for many generations; but it is difficult to form any well grounded opinion of those who succeeded her; for although we are told she abdicated the throne in favor of her son Ninyas, it is not stated in what year of the world, nor do we know any more of the history of the Assyrian Empire for more than one thousand years. Tradition has scarcely given us the names of the monarchs; it is probable, however, that a knowledge of the arts and sciences was lost, and that the people became corrupt, dissolute, and idle; that the monarchy was totally destroyed. One thing is certain, we can not rely upon any of the details of civil history, until the reign of Nabonassar, which was about seven hundred and
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fifty years B.C. Nabonassar was cotemporary with Jotham, King of Judah, and his reign was within five or six years of the founding of Rome: to this period only, can we trace civil history with any certainty. About six hundred years B.C.. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, invaded the Assyrian Empire, and destroyed the city of Nineveh; two years after he laid siege to Jerusalem, and after two years of untiring efforts he took and destroyed it, burnt Solomon's Temple, and carried the Jews captive to Babylon. This brings us down to a period after the introduction of Masonry, as we believe; and although the sketch is imperfect, it is sufficient to enable the reader fairly and clearly to estimate our own views, as also those from whose writings we shall make extracts. We say the reader must be prepared to judge with what accuracy the history of Masonry could be traced back to the anti-deluvian world, even if it then existed, by any thing which we find in profane history, when we remember that the link is more than once broken, and for a period of time which renders it impossible ever to be united by any power of the human mind. This being true, we are left only two other sources of information:‑1. The Bible; 2. Tradition; and we give full credit to each; but we are not to be understood as saying If such a revelation can be found in a Mormon Bible, we are prepared to admit its truth; nor are we willing to admit the bare declaration of any man that a tradition exists establishing the fact that Adam was a Mason. But if the Holy Bible, or that only true and holy tradition which has been regularly transmitted from age to age, through the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry, places the Society in the antideluvian world, we will admit that we have learned Masonry in vain, and promise to commence de novo. If we could conscientiously believe that Freemasonry is Lux; that Lux is the true religion; that the true religion was revealed to Adam, then would we admit that Adam, Shem, Ham, Japheth, Enoch, and Noah were Masons ùthat Masonry dates its birth at the creation of the world‑and we could bring to our aid the testimony of nearly all the able writers who have figured as Masonic historians for the last one hundred years. Yea, we could reap the advantage of the testimony of
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one of the most learned writers of the present day, were we to take the ground that Masonry was instituted by a man who lived in the East, before Adam was created. Should we assume that Masonry is the uncontaminated worship of the only living and true God, we should be sustained by the same celebrated divine; and it would follow that, inasmuch as God had direct communications with Adam, and Noah having been pronounced a just man, these, at least, were "Ancient Free and Accepted Masons;" and as there is no evidence that Noah or his descendants departed from the true principles of religion, for at least one hundred years after the Flood, it would seem all were Masons until they rebelled against the authority of Noah, and assembled themselves together in the plains of Shinar, and attempted to build a tower, whose top should reach the starry heavens. If Masonry is Geometry, then were all the Antediluvians members of the Order; for Adam and Eve, especially the latter, gave evidence of a knowledge of this science. But we will more methodically accomplish the object in view, by taking up the works of Dr. Oliver, an eminent divine of England, who has written more on the subject of Masonry, in the form of books, we believe, than any other man. To say we are anxious for the result of an effort on our part to point out some of the inconsistencies and false positions assumed by so distinguished a historian, but poorly expresses our feelings; for the high position he justly occupies would deter us from the attempt, did we not believe his works are likely to do much mischief. As a Mason, we should not, in any case, tolerate a misrepresentation, but especially are we under obligation to expose spurious theories, when they tend to excite the ridicule and contempt of those who are not Masons, thereby bringing reproach upon the Craft. The first extract we shall make, is that to which we have already alluded, namely: "But Ancient Masonic traditions say, and I think justly, that our science existed before the creation of this world, and was diffused amidst the numerous systems with which the grand empyrean of universal space is furnished." * To this singular * Oliver's Antiquities of Freemasonri, page 26.
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if not Quixotic declaration, we deem it scarcely necessary to say more than simply deny its truth. We here assert that there is no such tradition; and in making this declaration, we feel called upon to state that we have taken all the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry, together with the Christian and appendant degrees; in short, all the degrees recognized in the United States as Masonic. With the traditions of Ancient Craft Masonry we profess to be familiar, and we assert here that there is no such tradition; but we do not regard the traditions of any degrees of so called Masonry, above or aside from those of Ancient Craft Masonry, as entitled to implicit confidence these we hold in such veneration, that we feel bound to speak plainly when an effort is made to misrepresent them. Had Dr. Oliver given it as his opinion that Masonry, in all its simple beauty, existed in millions of worlds, and from all eternity, we should not have complained; for, although it might have produced the impression on our mind that it displayed the recklessness of a fanatic, or hired advocate of a bad cause, still, as we could neither show that the position is incorrect, nor satisfy any one else that he did not honestly entertain the opinion, we would be justified in remaining silent. But we regard Masonic tradition as the very highest order of testimony which can be found, to establish any event which happened anterior to that period to which clearly defined written history leads us, and, therefore, can not permit spurious traditions to be substituted to establish every chimera of the brain, emanating from those who may cater to the public taste. We will not say that the principles of the science were not diffused throughout the empyrean of space from all eternity, for the simple reason that we do not know it to be untrue; we only say, there is no such Masonic tradition. The Doctor says that "Masonry is Lux ‑ that Lux is the true religion." Then it follows that none can be saved but Masons, for we do not suppose false religion will save any one. If he had said that true religion and true Masonry consist simply in the belief of the existence of one Supreme Being‑the enlightenment of the soul, showing a self‑existent and eternal first cause, then all men are, and ever have been, Masons; for every
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nation, kindred, and tongue, from the Anglo‑Saxon down to the wild savage of our own forests, have a law written on their hearts, pointing to the Father of Spirits. But Dr. Oliver tells us what Masonry is, and, therefore, we know what he conceives true religion to be:' Speculative Masonry is nothing else but a system of ethics, founded on the belief of a God, the Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer; which inculcates a strict, obedience of the duties we owe to each other; inspires in the soul a veneration for the author of its being, and incites to a pure worship of the Creator." * That this is true to the letter, all well informed Masons will testify. Freemasonry is a system of ethics; it cultivates and enforces the most sublime truths in relation to man's present and eternal being, and it incites and encourages its votaries to look to God, and ask His blessings and instructions; it points to the Bible as the great book of God's revelations; but it does no more. It seeks not to renovate the soul and make sacrifice for sin, by pointing to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. It points neither to circumcision nor baptism for the remission of sins. It is a system of morals only. It is not religion; it is not in reality any part of religion. It is, as the Doctor here declares it to be, a system of ethics; and yet, next to the Christian religion, it is the most perfect system ever known to man; but does it follow that God gave to man, at his creation, a system by which an association of men were to be formed into a secret society, for the cultivation and preservation of our sacred rites? The fact that Masons, in all ages, since the introduction of our Order, have taught one or more of the principles of the true worship and knowledge of God, is no more evidence of its coexistence with the creation, than is the fact that every religious society in Christendom, teaching, at this day, one or more of the same principles, proves their respective existence, as such, in the garden of Eden, or even in the days of our Saviour's sojourn on earth. Oliver's Antiquies, p. 28
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We fraternally ask the reader to remember the extract above, made with a view to compare it with others which we shall make in the course of this investigation; for, notwithstanding the Doctor takes the ground that Masonry is the true religion, it seems to us that the next, to which attention is here called, tends to prove that Masonry is no part of religion: "Placed in the Garden of Eden, Adam was made acquainted with the nature of his tenure, and taught, with the worship of his Maker, that science which is now termed Masonry., This constituted his chief happiness in Paradise, and was his only consolation after, his unhappy fall."* Now, if this science was communicated to Adam with a knowledge of the true worship, then it could not have been more than an appendage to, and not even a constituent part of, the true worship; but as this constituted Adam's chief happiness in Paradise, then are we left to infer that God revealed to Adam the plan of salvation for fallen men, viz., repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, before he fell, because, the Doctor says, this transpired in the Garden of Eden; but we must suppose that Adam did not repent until after his disobedience, for this would be to suppose an impossibility; on the contrary, if we take the ground that Adam was a Mason before his fall, then must we believe that Masonry is something more than religion, as we understand it; for we suppose the true religion embraces an acknowledgment of guilt on the part of the creature, and an outpouring of sorrow for sin to the Creator; but man's primeval purity in Paradise, before the worm of corruption polluted his soul, needed no repentance, as without sin there could be no sorrow, or pain, or guilt. In short, Adam was created holy, upright, and pure, and needed not a knowledge of the true religion to add to his felicity. Again, if it constituted his chief happiness before his fall‑when he could not have felt the want of a plan of salvation‑and was his only consolation after his fall, it could not have been mere religion. The Doctor is not content with showing that Adam was a Mason, but evidently endeavors to produce the impression that his partner was also a Mason: * Antiquities, p. 41.
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"Seduced by these specious declarations, the mother of all Masons violated the sacred injunctions of God, and, through her entreaties, Adam followed the pernicious example, and both miserably fell from a state of innocence and purity, to experience all the bitter fruits of sin, toil and labor, misery and death." * If the author had said that Eve was the mother of all men, then would we have understood him as not differing from other historians; but to assert that Eve was the mother of all Mormons, or all Odd Fellows, or all Masons, presupposes her acquaintance with, and practice of, all the peculiarities of the particular sect of which she was the mother. Abraham was the father of the faithful, because he practiced that faith so perfectly, that God was pleased to declare that through him should all the nations of the earth be blessed; and if Eve was the mother of all Masons, a question of somewhat serious import might arise. There is an opinion among the vulgar that Masons have dealings with the devil, and it is sustained by quite as well authenticated a tradition as some of those mentioned by the Doctor. Now, if Eve was a Mason before she partook of the forbidden fruit, may it not be said that the devil communicated to her the secrets of Masonry,in order that she should fall, and thereby become the mother of all Masons? This opinion is quite as tenable as that Masonry is the true worship; that the true worship was understood and practiced by her, and yet failed to arrest her disobedience, and thereby save the world from sin and death. The Doctor says that when Cain slew his brother, he fell from the true principles of Masonry; that the earth was cursed; that a mark was placed upon the fratricide, and evil pronounced against his posterity: "His race forsook every good and laudable pursuit, along with Masonry, and degenerated into every species of impurity and wickedness." t Yet to these people he traces the origin of operative Masonry ‑another evidence that Masonry was the work of the wicked * Antiquities, p. 47. t Ibid p. 46.
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one. Jabal invented the use of tents; Jubal, his brother, invented music; and Tubal‑Cain, his half‑brother, invented the art of forging metals: who, together with their great grand sire and his descendants, erected the first city, which they named lanoch, after Cain's eldest son. Now, that the descendants of Cain were the inventors of the arts above named is asserted by Moses; but, when we remember that they were under the curse of God, were wicked and rebellious, how are we justified in attributing to them the practice of Masonry, if it is the true religion, and especially when the Doctor tells us that they had lost all their Masonry? But, anon, the Doctor turns with holy horror from this wicked and rebellious people to the family of Seth, the son of Adam: "Who was educated by his father in the strictest principles of piety and devotion, and, when he arrived at years of maturity, was admitted to a participation in the mysteries of Masonry, to which study he applied himself with the most diligent assiduity. The progress he made in this study is fully demonstrated by the purity of his life. Associating with himself the most virtuous men of his age, they formed Lodges, and discussed the first principles of Masonry with freedom, fervency, and zeal." * Reader, strange as it may seem, the above extract comes from the pen of one of the most learned divines of the age‑one to whom it would seem we had a right to look for light and instruction; to whose moral guidance the novitiate, at least, might safely confide the direction of his footsteps in the pathway of moral purity and true piety, which alone lead to unfading glory. Were it an extract from that quarter where the marvelous is known to predominate, where the pens of the ablest writers are prostituted to the corrupted morals of an infidel people, and true piety is driven into exile, we might hope its effect would be as evanescent and harmless as the dreams of infidelity; but the works of Dr. Oliver are intended for preservation, to be placed in the archives of the Lodges, and handed down as a rich legacy to future ages, and we are responsible to Antdque, p. 48.
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HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY.
2' posterity, should the humblest among us permit the coinage of fiction, the mere invention of a tale, though emanating from the highest source, and that, too, in the enlightened nineteenth century, to go down to future ages as the first and only true history of Masonic events happening more than five thousand years ago, and not raise our warning voice. We will not deny the fascination which this new theory throws around the study of Masonry. With what pride would we reecho the glad tidings to the zealous and devoted Mason, that the long sleep of oblivion which has shrouded our history has passed away; that the mist of ages has been dispersed by the brilliant rays of Lux; that the vail has been rent by this celebrated divine, and we permitted to behold the standard of our Order, planted by Seth, the son of Adam, who, together with his brethren, actually" met in Lodges, and discussed Masonry with freedom, fervency, and zeal." We repeat, this would be news worthy to be chronicled abroad, were it only sustained by well authenticated history, either written or traditional; but, alas, so far from this being the case, we are constrained to regard even the theory of our author as leading the mind to disbelieve his own declaration; for if Masonry is the true religion and worship of God, and if Seth was educated by his father in the strictest principles of piety and devotion, what are we to understand the Doctor as teaching, when he uses the following language: "When Seth was arrived at the age of maturity, he was admitted into the mysteries of Masonry?" Could Adam have taught Seth, anterior to his maturity, the principles of true piety and devotion to God, without a knowledge of the true religion? Could he have been taught the principles of religion, without a knowledge of Masonry? In short, if the true religion and Masonry are one and the same thing, was not Seth, by the Doctor's own showing, taught the secrets of Masonry before he arrived to years of maturity? But, above all, we might ask What proof is there that Seth was a Mason? Give us the proof, and then, and not till then, are we prepared to‑believe that Seth and his brethren actually met in Lodges, and discussed the' great principles of Masonry with freedom, fervency, and zeal.
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"The seven liberal sciences, originally invented by Masona, were transmitted almost solely through their indefatigable zeal before the invention of printing." Here we are in the same lamentable dilemma as before. How much we regret that some known facts are not produced in support of this declaration. If a sufficient reason could be found to satisfy the inquirer after truth that Masonry existed in any form at this period, and that then, as now, it recommended the study of the sciences, the declaration of the author might be received as probable; but, can we flatter ourselves that well informed men will be prepared to admit, that because Masonry has been known for several past centuries to teach the arts and sciences, together with all the moral and social virtues, and points to the necessity of a knowledge of the one only living and true God, and a strict obedience to the divine law, that therefore Masonry was instituted in the Garden of Eden, or at any time during the antediluvian age? If history, sacred or profane, recorded the fact, or if the traditions of Ancient Craft Masonry could be brought to its support, then would we gladly give our adhesion; but it can not be thus traced. We will not deny that there are degrees called Masonic, and a great number of them, from which we may glean a tradition, leading back to the remotest period, and pretending to elucidate almost all the religions ever known or professed in the world; but where is the well informed Mason who does not spurn them as the production of modern times ùthe invention of men whose Masonic peddling propensities make them a scoff and a by‑word to the good and true everywhere? We boldly assert, and hold ourselves prepared to vindicate its truth, that there is no Masonic tradition emanating from Ancient Craft Masonryand we acknowledge no other as being true Masonry‑proving the existence of such an order of men anterior to the building of the Temple at Jerusalem; and even to that period, we shall have some difficulty to trace it,to the satisfaction of those who are not Masons, for the reason, that the most reliable traditions are hid from the world by the established usages of the * Oliver's Antiquities, p. 54.
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Institution, still we do believe that the candid reader, who will summon the moral courage to wade through our somewhat tedious investigation, will be constrained to admit that our conclusions are drawn from a reasonable supposition of their truth. Dr. Oliver seems to be aware that there might be some who would not be willing to regard his simple declaration as sufficient proof that Masons invented the sciences, and, therefore, uses the following most singular argument: "To trace these sciences back to their original, may be counted an adventurous task; but if, amidst the doubtful evidence which remains of these times, we find strong presumptive proof that they were in the exclusive possession of Masons in the most early ages of the world, it will show that Masonry is not a negative Institution, but that it is of some actual benefit to mankind."* Now, his conclusions would be, in the main, correct, if his premises were not false. He might find presumptive proof, perhaps, that the sciences were in the exclusive possession of Masons at the time to which he alludes, provided he could find presumptive proof that Masonry then existed; but the total absence of any proof, save the naked declaration of modern writers, leaves the author's deductions worthless. The science of numbers is said to have its origin with God, because Hecomputed time at the creation. Enoch invented an alphabet, to perpetuate sounds, which is called the first rudiments of grammar. Some are of opinion that Enoch communicated this knowledge to Methuselah; by the latter it was given to Noah, and by Noah to his sons, and thence to the world, after the Flood. The descendants of Shem have the honor of so improving on the original, as to produce the Hebrew tongue, while Ham and his sons conveyed the same alphabet to Egypt, whose priests, some hundred years after, dispensed with its use by introducing hieroglyphical characters, in order that their superior attainments might be kept secret from the masses. That astronomy and geometry were cultivated by the Antediluvians * Oliver's Antiquities, p. 81.
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is equally true. Josephus says that God found it necessary to give man long life, so that he might cultivate virtue and a knowledge of the sciences. That, as all heavenly bodies returned to their original places every six hundred years, a life of at least six centuries was required to obtain a knowledge of their relative motion, etc. The Pythagorean Society taught the sciences; but it does not follow, a priori, that the Pythagorean Society existed in the days of Adam, when it is known that the founder of that Society was born more than two thousand years after Adam's death? We think not; and yet there is quite as much reason for this belief as that, because Masonry has been known to exist several centuries, and inculcated a virtue or recommended the study of a science, a knowledge of which was possessed by Adam and his immediate descendants, therefore, Adam and his immediate descendants were Masons. The laws of Great Britain are founded upon, and inculcate many of the moral precepts of the laws of God; which principles were known to the Antediluvians, and yet it will not be contended that the British Government existed in the days of Adam; in like manner, Masonry teaches and enforces many of the injunctions giving to Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, but it does not follow that Masonry was practiced by all these men. "Enoch practiced Masonry, of which he was now elected Grand Master, with such effect, that God vouchsafed, by immediate revelation, to communicate to him some peculiar mysteries in token of His approbation." Here again the Doctor fails to produce any proof that Masonry existed in the days of Enoch, nor does he say by whom, or for what purpose, Enoch was elected Grand Master. Had the Antediluvans a Grand Lodge? Where did it hold its Grand communications, and who were its other officers? But, if the Doctor was at our elbow, he would doubtless readily answer al1 these questions, for it is not more difficult to have all the stations and places occupied, in this case, than it would seem to be in the days of Moses, and there he points out the very individuals who were in all the principal offices, even that of Deputy Grand
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Master, an officer not heard of, we think, before the eighteenth century, and certainly not before nine hundred and twenty‑six. To make the Doctor consistent, we must ask to draw some deductions which naturally follow. Masonry is Lux‑Lux is the true religion. God pronounced Enoch a just man, therefore, Enoch was a Mason, hence all good men having the knowledge and fear of God before their eyes, and living in obedience to His known commands, are also Masons, and either the Society of Christians or Masons is wholly unnecessary at this day; and we contend that there are especial reasons for the total abolition of Masonry, for we must not be so illiberal as to claim that we, as Masons, are in the possession of the only true mystic light of God's unsearchable riches and goodness, which can lead the world to worship at the footstool of His sovereign mercy, where alone the signet of truth is to be found, by the use of which we may enter the Grand Lodge of saints and angels, and be crowned with the royal crown of never fading glory, and yet withhold acknowledge of these ineffable gifts and graces from one‑half of the world. Surely our mothers, wives, and sisters should be permitted to enter within the veil of our holy sanctuary, and become partakers with us in our righteousness and redemption from sin. The following extract will astonish the enlightened American Mason, who has occupied a certain station and become well acquainted with the means which qualify him for it, as it exhibits one of two things equally remarkable, either that the same history of the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry is not given alike in England and the United States, or that the author is seeking to engraft Scotch Rite Masonry, so called, upon the ancient stock, as this pretended history is taken from the thirteenth degree of said rite. In speaking of Enoch, he says "Being inspired by his Maker, and in commemoration of a wonderful vision on the holy mountain, in which these sublime secrets were revealed to him, he built a temple in the bowels of the earth, the entrance of which was through nine several porches, each supported by a pair of pillars and curiously concealed from human observation. The perpendicular depth 3
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of this temple was eighty‑one feet from the surface, ieoch, Jared, and Methuselah were the three architects who constructed this subterranean edifice; but the two latter were not acquainted with the sacred motives which influenced Enoch in causing this cavern to be dug. The arches were formed in the bowels of the mountain which was afterward denominated Calvary, in the land of Canaan; and the temple was dedicated to the living God. He then made a plate of gold in the form of an equilateral triangle, each of whose sides was eighteen inches, which he enriched with precious stones, and incrusted it on a triangular agate of the same dimensions. On this plate he engraved the ineffable characters he had seen in his vision, and alone, in silence and solitude he descended through the nine portals into the temple, and placed this invaluable treasure upon a cubical pedestal of white marble. When the temple was completed, Enoch made nine secret doors of stone, and placed them at the entrance of the portals, with an iron ring inserted in each, for the facility of raising, in case any wise and good man of future ages should be led to explore the secret recesses of this sepulchral vault. He then closed up the whole, that the secrets there deposited might remain in perfect security amid the anticipated destruction of mankind, for the contents of this temple were not intrusted to any human being. Enoch paid occasional visits to the temple, for the purpose of offering up his prayers and thanksgiving, in a peculiar manner, to God, who vouchsafed to him alone such distinguished favors." * If the Doctor is correct in supposing that God communicated to Enoch,in his visions on the mountain, the secrets of Freemasonry, then we must believe that Adam was not a Mason. If the author had said, that God communicated new secrets in Masonry, then might we still grant that Adam was a Mason, made so by God, in the Garden of Eden, but he only received instructions in the lower degrees; perhaps he was only an Entered Apprentice: true, we should find some difficulty in believing that God ever communicated as freely of holy things to any man after the fall, as he did to Adam while he was *Oliver's Antiquities, p. 83
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permitted to converse with God face to face; but, be this as it may, if Masonry is the true religion which God communicated to Enoch, is it reasonable to suppose that he would have buried the secret in the bowels of the earth, without even making those who assisted him in the erection of his work acquainted with the only means by which they could escape eternal banishment from the presence of God? Would he have straightway buried the true religion from the eyes of men, until some good and wise men of future ages should discover and bring it to light? We hope never to call in question the mandates of Jehovah, though our finite mind may not be able to comprehend the reason which dictated them, and if it were recorded in the Bible, that God communicated to Enoch the secrets of Freemasonry, and directed him to bury them in the bowels of the earth, we would be the last to call in question its truth, but the same high veneration for His holy law, impels us to protest against that doctrine which tends to pervert His known will, in order to establish, as true, that which in reality, can be nothing more than mere conjecture, founded on premises originating only in the imagination. But in addition to the fact that there is no tradition in Masonry, as we understand it, which points to Enoch as the builder of a secret vault, there is a little defect in the manner of finishing this noble temple, which seems to place this ingeniously invented story at the door of some writer not quite so, learned as we know Dr. Oliver to be; had he devised the plan of the work, the rings which were placed in the several portals would have been made of gold or some other metal not liable to decompose, for as the design was evidently to conceal the secret for the use of future generations, after the flood, the Doctor never would have used iron rings, with the expectation that they would continue to exist as such, so long a time. The authorship of this invented tale is probably due to Debonville, Chevalier Ramsey's successor. Before we leave the subject, so often referred to, viz.:‑that Masonry is true religion, we feel called upon to notice one other fact, which seems to be inconsistent with this theory. In all the works of Dr. Oliver, he attributes to Masonry the discovery of the arts and sciences, and the practice of piety,
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while the fact,is staring him in the face that the very people known to be destitute of the true religion discovered and brought to light nearly all the sciences; for, in addition to what we have said in relation to the posterity of Cain, and much as we may boast of the influence of Masonry and the true worship of God, we marvel that our philosophers so little excel a Socrates, a Plato, or an Aristotle; we wonder that our mathematicians are so little superior to Euclid or Archimedes; would think it strange that our better writers are but a step ahead of a Demosthenes and a Cicero, or that in history so few stand above Herodotus. We say it is wonderful that, after the lapse of ages, each claiming to be wiser than the past, when Christianity and Masonry have, arm in arm, or, as the Doctor will have it, "united in one," been enlightening and improving mankind, developing the rich resources of the human mind, that even now we are so little superior to the heathen, for the above named men were all so. We wish to be distinctly understood as reviewing Dr. Oliver's opinions of Masonry, with no vain hope of measuring arms, as a historian, with him. We frankly acknowledge his infinite superiority in learning and research, but the true and well authenticated history of Masonry is attainable by all who have entered within the vail; and when we find errors and false doctrines inculcated, the higher the authority the more injurious the consequences which are likely to result; and the more necessary is it that all, who can wield a pen or talk upon the subject, should boldly stand up to the work, respectfully, but firmly contending for the doctrine once delivered to us by our fathers, and thus, in the might and majesty of truth, put to shame those who may so far forget their duty to the Craft and to posterity as to set up a theory having no foundation in fact. More especially is it our duty to enter our solemn protest against such a theory, if it shall manifestly tend to bring ridicule and disgrace upon our beloved Institution. We fraternally ask whether the course pursued by Dr. Oliver is not calculated to produce that effect? To illustrate some portions of his theory, we will relate a dialogue between Mr. Wilkins, an intelligent gentleman, entertaining a favorable opinion of
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Masonry, and really desirous of information; and Bro. Jones, who has taken all the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry: Mr. Wilkins.‑Where do you date the origin of Masonry? Brother Jones.‑In the Garden of Eden. Wilkins. ùMay I not ask you for proof that Adam was a Mason, as I find no account of it in profane or sacred history? If any exists, it must be traditional, and from my knowledge of the antiquity of your Society, I am inclined to think favorably of any Masonic tradition coming in a regular and well authenticated manner. Jones.‑Well, sir, we have no tradition to that effect, but Dr. Oliver, a celebrated divine, a learned historian, says, that Adam was a Mason, because Masonry, being the true religion, Adam evidently received it from God, who freely communicated with him in the Garden of Eden in reference to holy things. Wilkins.‑Whether God communicated to Adam, before his fall, the plan of salvation denominated the true religion, is by no means apparent from any thing we find in the Bible; but, aside from this, have you any tradition that Masonry ever was regarded as the true religion? Jones.‑We have not; but Dr. Oliver says, that inasmuch as Masonry, as now practiced, inculcates some of the principles of the true religion, and as God communicated freely with Adam, face to face, Adam must have been acquainted with, and in the practice of, the true religion, and therefore Adam was a Mason; and, beyond all doubt, Enoch was a Mason, because God revealed a secret to him in a vision on the holy mountain. Wilkins.‑My dear sir, if this be the best evidence of the antiquity and original principles of Masonry, you must excuse me for saying that I shall be compelled to regard the Institution as having claimed a standing and importance in society which it by no means merits, and the arguments of Dr. Oliver as too visionary to merit a serious answer. We appeal to the candor and good sense of the fraternity to say whether the conclusions of Mr. Wilkins are not such as every intelligent man would arrive at. "The Patriarch Shem continued, until the time of his death,
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to practice those principles of the Masonic science which he had learned from Lamech, Methuselah, and Noah, before the Flood. He communicated to his immediate descendants the mysteries of Enoch's pillar, and hence his sons, the Cabiri, became fraught with that knowledge, which rendered them so celebrated throughout the world." * We are aware that several historians entertain the opinion that the Cabiri were the sons of Shem, and among the number is the learned Bishop of Cumberland; but to show how uncertain this opinion is, it is only necessary to say that these authors are not agreed whether there were three or six of them, whether they were Axieras, Axiakersa, and Axiakersos, corresponding with Ceres, Proserpine, and Pluto; or whether Jove, Dionysius, and some others, not remembered, were of the number. Nor is it at all clear, that the Cabiri were in any way connected with Shem, or that they lived at the same time, much less is it settled that Shem or the Cabiri knew anything of Masonry. To us it is by no means satisfactory to say that because a secret society existed at that day, whether Dionysian, Elusinian, or Cabiric, that, therefore, Masonry was understood and practiced; nor is it plain to us that, because the Cabiri, in conjunction with Thoth and a host of other heathen, had succeeded in substituting their mysteries for the truth, thereby leading the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth from the true worship, that, therefore, they were Masons; nor yet because Abraham was called of God to restore the true worship, he was necessarily a Mason. We would, however, confess, that there is more reason for supposing that the Cabiric mysteries were Masonic, than that Abraham was a Mason, because both the Cabiric and Masonic,were secret Associations, while Abraham was called of God to do a work of faith and obedience to his Divine Master, which God intended should be an example to all men. for, through him the children of the promise were to arise, and there is no reason to suppose that God made Abraham anexample of perfect obedience through any secret confederates or associations with men. We are *Oliver's Antiquities, p. 141.
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aware that there is a tradition attached to one of the degrees of Masonry, as now given, that leads us to suppose, upon a superficial view, that Abraham was a Mason when he returned from Egypt and settled in Mamre; that his nephew, Lot, was a Mason: aye, and the sametradition, so called, makes Melchizedeck, the priest of the Most High God, who had neither beginning of days nor end of years, a Mason! But who does not regard the degree as of modern introduction, got up with a long line of antiquity attached to it, in order to make it acceptable to those who may be placed in a situation to receive it? The traditions of Ancient Craft Masonry teach nothing which is inconsistent with reason, and which can not be reconciled with the known events of the age; but the trumpery which has been appended, by the introduction of new ceremonies, within the last one hundred years, and the calling them Masonic degrees, enables the writer who desires to embellish, and amuse the curious, to indulge his propensity to the full, but the consequences must be great loss to the cause of truth, and a tendency to subject the Fraternity to ridicule and contempt. Moses was ordained of God to deliver the children of Israel from bondage, and long before he escaped into Midian, he received manifest tokens of God's favor, by receiving instructions in the true worship; and yet, Dr. Oliver says, that Moses had been instructed in the mysteries of spurious Masonry in Egypt. "But when he fled to Jethro, he made him acquainted with the mysteries of true Masonry." Now, the reader will bear in mind that Jethro was a priest of Midian, an open and acknowledged worshiper of idols, and therefore could not have been well informed in the true worship; and if Masonry was the true religion we should certainly be inclined to suppose that Moses was better prepared to instruct Jethro, than Jethro him, for although there is some evidence that this idolator was favored of God, still, we are not at liberty to believe that he was qualified to give holy instructions to one whom God had inspired and taught. When Moses had erected the twelve pillars, Dr. Oliver says: "After solemn sacrifice, Moses disposed the people according
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to their tribes, and opened the first Lodge of which we have any certain tradition since the time of Joseph." It is scarcely necessary to say to the well informed Mason. that there is no tradition of any sort, from the degree of Entered Apprentice to the Select Master‑and no one contends that Ancient Craft Masonry embraces any degrees above‑that either Joseph or Moses were Masons, and certainly there is not the shadow of testimony to be found that Moses was ever Grand Master, and yet listen to the learned divine: Here he (Moses) held a solemn convocation to the Lord, and the people returned thanks for their miraculous deliverance, and entered into those indissoluble vows which implied unlimited and united obedience to the commandments of God. Over this Lodge presided Moses as Grand Master, Joshua as his Deputy, and Aholiab and Bezaleel as Grand Wardens." We feel called on to apologize to the reader for extracting so much from the writings of Dr. Oliver, tending as the above does to show his total want of knowledge of Masonic traditions, or his recklessness as a writer, but, as before intimated, the author's elevation of character gives him the power to do much good or harm, and, as many of our readers have not access to his works, we prefer the method here adopted of making full extracts, that it may be seen whether we do him injustice or not. We continue to make a further exhibit of the Doctor's views of the Masonic life of Moses, after he descended from the mountain, his face being covered with the glory of God. The Doctor says: "As a means of securing the practice of Masonry, and with it true religion, among the children of Israel, until a prophet like himself should appear among them to expand its blessings and convey them to all the nations of the earth, Moses convened a general grand assembly of all the Lodges, whether speculative or operative Masonry, to consult about erecting a tabernacle for divine worship, as no place,since the creation of the world had been exclusively appropriated to religion and dedicated to the true God, which He had condescended to honor with His
* Oliver's Antiquities, p. 258.
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immediate presence. In obedience to the mandate of Moses, the Masters of all the newly formed Lodges, the principals of the Chapter, the Princes of the tribes, with other Masons, assembled to receive instructions of their Grand Master. To this Grand Lodge Moses gave wise charges."* Now, reader, in all candor, what think you of this as coming from a learned and reverend gentleman, and brother Mason, who is engaged in writing for posterity? Moses, Grand Master I Joshua, Deputy Grand Master I etc. An assembly of all the newly formed Lodges I And if it be possible to conceive of one thing as being more ridiculous than another in this extract, it is that the principals of the Chapter were present at this Grand Lodge! If the author had intended in the use of the term Chapter to refer to an assembly of the clergy, as this term is sometimes used, he would not have connected it with Masonry, as he has done; but all doubt is removed when he says " the principals of the Chapter, the Princes of the tribes, and other Masons, asselmbled to receive instruction from their Grand Master;" so that he evidently means a Masonic Chapter. To this we have only to ask, whether Dr. Oliver, or any other Mason, will undertake to trace the existence of a Masonic Chapter to a period earlier than nine hundred and thirty‑four years before the coming of our Saviour? Can one jot or tittle of testimony, written or traditional, be found which will point to a period beyond the reign of Cyrus, King of Persia? We answer, positively, that there is not. Nay, is there any proof that a Royal Arch Chapter was known before the days of Chevalier Ramsey? We heard an Odd Fellow say that the Order of Odd Fellowship dated its origin to the Garden of Eden, declaring that Adam was an Odd Fellow; and, certainly,there is more truth in this than in many of the positions assumed by Dr. Oliver, for,we suppose,Adam was odd before he had afellow, while for many of the Doctor's opinions there is not even such a pretext. But that we regard some things connected with our beloved institution too sacredly to write about them as the Doctor * Antiquities, p. 266.
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has donl, we could make extracts, and not a few, that would astound the reader, who has not seen his works, and which clearly show that he is culpably ignorant of true Masonic traditions, as well as Masonic secrets; or,he is recreant to the cause he professes to espouse. We repeat, that if we have studied Masonry to any purpose, if we have received the degrees in due form, with the correct traditions belonging to the same, then has Dr. Oliver written what we could not. He has misplaced and transposed the degrees, and last,though not least, has antedated the origin of the Institution, without any sort of testimony which is entitled to credit. While Preston, Hutchinson, and others, have asserted that the principles of Masonry are coeval with the creation, no one, whose writings we have read, has been reckless enough to declare that Adam and all his prominent descendants, down to the Flood, were Masons. But it is reserved for Dr. Oliver unblushingly to publish to the world who were the distinguished officers of Grand Lodges, Chapters, and other Masonic Assemblies. If the author had said the same things in a different manner, if he had given it as merely his opinion, that Masonry was practiced in those days, and given a list of the Grand officers which he supposed existed, the Institution could not have suffered much; but when he gives these opinions as founded on Masonic tradition, the matter at issue assumes altogether a different aspect. We recollect but one instance in his Initiations or.Antiquities, where the reader is left to the choice of believing or not, by reason of his declaration depending on mere opinion. In speaking of the celebrated paper said to have been found in the Bodlyan Library, in which the witness on behalf of Masonry is made to say, that Masonry originated with the first man in the East, before the first man in the West, the celebrated Mr. Locke remarks, that " Masons believe there were men in the East before Adam." Dr. Oliver pronounces this opinion a mere conjecture, and this not being a conjecture of his, but of Mr. Locke's, the reader would be left to suppose that the Doctor writes alone by the authority of Masonic tradition, were it not for the fact, that, by turning to page 26 of his.ntiquities, we find this language has been already
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extracted, viz.: "But Ancient Masonic traditions say, and, I think, justly, that our science existed before the creation of this globe," etc. We can not but be struck with the difference which the Doctor makes between tweedle‑dum and tweedle‑dee. While the declaration of Dr. Locke goes to show that Masons believe Masonry existed before Adam was created is mere conjecture, the Doctor asserts, as by authority of Masonic tradition, that Masonry did exist before this world was created. We ask, whence comes the Doctor's traditions? We have learned, what has ever been esteemed the only true Masonry, viz., that which has been handed down to us by England. We attach no value to any French or modern rites. We profess to know and practice " Ancient York " Masonry, or Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry as coming to us through the Grand Lodge at York, in England. There is no other Masonry taught in the United States, except in Louisiana, which is not acknowledged elsewhere, and we assert, and challenge contradiction, that there are no traditions regarded as well‑founded or coming through any truly Masonic channel, either in the United States or England, which traces Masonry beyond the Temple of Jerusalem. But, after some two years labor and reflection, the Doctor has had a change come over the spirit of his dreams.. Since writing the works already referred to, he has produced a large work, entitled the Historical Landmarks, and in volume 1st, page 270, he says: "When Jacob fled to his uncle Laban, at Mesopotamia, to avoid the resentment of Esau, the servants were directed by his mother to carry the Masonic stone of foundation along with him, in the hope that its virtues might prove a talisman of protection in that long and perilous journey." To this the Doctor adds a note, and says: "The authority on which this tradition rests, is exceedingly doubtful," and closes by saying: "I shall, therefore, introduce the traditions of Masonry as they occur, without imposing on myself the trouble of vouching for their truth. The brethren may estimate them according to their apparent value." Now, is this what we had a right to expect? Corild we
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have supposed that Dr. Oliver would write some five or six volumes on the antiquity and traditions of Masonry, giving us line upon line in tracing it back to Adam by tradition, asserting in positive language that Enoch, Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Moses, Aholiab, and Bezaleel were all Masons, and several of them Grand Masters, and never give us reason to believe his traditions came in a questionable shape? Yet, after the lapse of two years, he lets us know that he is only writing the romance of Masonry; that it is his business to give all the idle traditions and superstitious tales of by‑gone ages, without being at the trouble to vouch for their truth, and giving the reader the glorious privilege of adopting whatever he may think proper! We hold that there are no false traditions in Masonry; all the traditions which we receive with the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry are true; they have ever been in substance the same; they must ever continue the same,if Masonry is permitted to remain,where it ever has been, unconnected with, and untrammeled by, any creeds, confessions, or associations of men; and that tradition which comes in any other way is not truly Masonic, and should not be introduced and used as such. We might bring together a thousand tales of ancient and modern times, representing Masonry to be any and every thing that the ingenuity or wickedness of man is capable of inventing, and, as a book of notions, we might sell our labor;but, we repeat, we were not prepared to expect this from Dr. Oliver. Thousands are likely to be misled by his works, from the fact that there are no records showing the origin of the Institution; and Masonic traditions stopping short at the Temple, those who are fond of the marvelous, and would fain persuade themselves that Masonry is religion enough for man's present and eternal happiness, will be too likely to adopt his opinions; there is the more danger of this, because he is an authorized teacher of religion. That he is deeply learned in ancient lore, no one.will doubt, and we only dare suppose that he is in the same situation where thousands of other learned men (who are Masons) are, viz., unlearned in the true Masonic traditions. If this be his situation, and he writes at all upon the subject, he
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must collect his testimony from the writings of others, and in the multiplicity of stuff to be found in.the world in reference to Masonry, it is impossible to separate the true from the counterfeit, unless the workman is acquainted with the signet. But even though we take this horn of the dilemma, the effects of Dr. Oliver's labor is not the less pernicious on the minds of those who prefer the romance of fiction to the plain and unadorned truth, which can only be acquired by receiving from the few who are qualified to teach the unwritten history of our Order. We may be asked if any high‑minded', honorable Mason would attempt to give to the world a history of Masonry, without a thorough acquaintance with all its mysteries and secret traditions? We answver unhesitatingly, Yes; and for confirmation of this opinion, appeal to the observation of the Craft everywhere. We ask them to institute an inquiry, and answer the following questions:‑How many Masonic orations have you heard? Who delivered them? What portion of these expounders of our doctrine and traditions were qualified to take the Chair, confer the degrees, and give the Masonic lectures which teach the traditionary history of the Institution? Alas, brethren, is it not true that, nine times out of ten, men are selected to give to the world the history and principles of Masonry, who are little more than able to pass themselves as Masons? How often is the inquiry made as to the brother's Masonic learning? If he is talented, acquainted with profane and biblical history, and of sufficient notoriety to command an audience, he is considered just the man, and such an one will collect from other writings such as he thinks calculated to please, without being able to determine how much of it is Masonic tradition. We know a worthy brother who has published a book on all the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry, and several modern ones, which was designed as a standard work (and by the way, it is somewhat widely circulated), who, to our knowledge, declined being examined as to his qualifications to sit in a Lodge of a certain degree, about which he had written learnedly, giving as the reason that he could not pass himself. This iame author, in social Masonic talk, frequently said things
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which those present had no right to hear, not really knowing to which particular place they of right belonged. We have no means of knowing what position in this particular Dr. Oliver occupies, but the most charitable construction we can at present place upon his course is, to suppose he is very defective in Masonic learning; we can not believe there is so much difference between true Masonic traditions of England and the United States. We frankly acknowledge that Ancient Craft Masonry has been shamefully subdivided, and that our English brethren are less'to blame for this than we are, of which we may speak hereafter; still, the truth is not to be lost sight of that the same traditional history is afforded by each. Say that in England Ancient Craft Masonry is all taught In three or four degrees, while in the United States nine are necessary. When one has taken them all, he is entitled to all the Masonic traditions; we believe we have them, and therefore believe Dr. Oliver has not. We fear the reader is growing weary of this somewhat lengthy notice of the productions of one author, to the neglect of those who have claimed to occupy somewhat similar ground. To this we beg to say that, but for the appearance of Dr. Oliver's works, it is not probable that we should have written a single page as preparatory to our contemplated history. We had supposed the opinions advanced by those who wrote from 1720 to 1808, had become almost obsolete, so far as they tended to antedate the existence of Masonry. We had thought that Anderson's History and Constitutions of Freemasonry was written at a period when the Institution was but just rising into newness of life, from a long sleep of feeble, if not sickly, existence, and that the man who was best qualified did not write its history. So we thought of Smith's Use and J.buse of Freemasonry. So we believed of Preston's Illustrations, and Hutchinson's Spirit of Masonry. But, above all, we had been so long in the habit of teaching and hearing taught, in the Lodges, the Masonic traditions blended with, and making part of, the degrees, that we were not prepared to encounter a dozen volumes, written or commented upon and enlarged, near the middle of the nineteenth century, by an eminent brother living in
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the home of our fathers, near the very halls in which our honored sires received the mystic light, and where they received authority and instructions to plant the glorious standard of our Order in the New World. We repeat,that we were not prepared to hear from that quarter, much less from such a brother, that Masonry was practiced by Adam, that Masonry is the true religion, when, by our laws, no such doctrine is or ever was taught. Masonry never knew but one religious test to give admittance within the walls of her holy sanctuary. A belief in the true religion or a false religion was never required by the traditions or rules of the Craft. A firm belief in the existence of the one living and true God is, and,we believe,has ever been, the only religious test. We are aware that efforts have been made to exclude that very people who, in the days of their glory and renown, established our time‑honored Institution. A race of men degraded and humbled down by the tyrannical laws of bigotry and oppression. A people who, though once the chosen of God, are now taught to feel the scourge of a malignant and inhuman power, crushing their energies and blighting their hopes of equal rights with other men. And why? Is it because they have no religion? No, but because they have not the particular religion of the powers that be. The heathen oppress them, because they are not heathen; the Catholics oppress them, because they are not Catholics; the Protestants oppress them,because they are not Protestants. Every religion is true or false, as men adopt or repudiate it. Masonry furnishes a refuge from all sectarian persecutions and distinctions. Its doors are ever open to those who believe in a Supreme Being, and whose character for morality and good deportment make them fit associates for gentlemen. We will not deny that invidious distinctions have been attempted by some Lodges in the United States; they have passed edicts requiring candidates for Masonry to subscribe to sectarian dogmas in the Christian religion. But such are the materials of which our Fraternity is composed, such the veneration for the Ancient Landmarks, that when departures of this sort have been kindly reproved, the offending brothers have cheerfully retraced their steps. If Masonry is the true religion, then should its ~privileges and
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benefits be restricted to the truly pious; and as we firmly believe in the truth of the Christian religion, we should confine Masonry to Christendom, and to a small number even here. Then would Masonry cease to be universal; then would we travel from land to land and from sea to sea, and rarely meet with the footprints of Masonry; then would it become sectarian in all its features; and so long as the Christian Church is not swallowed up by the"Masonic Church,"so long would our Lodges be filled with bigots, fanatics, and hypocrites‑just such materials as constituted nearly all the secret societies of the heathen. God save us from such an alternative. No. my brethren, let us go on in the even tenor of our way, teaching Brotherly Love, Relief, and Tru with the motto of "Faith, Hope, and Charity;" let us send it forth into the uttermost parts of the earth; let us make it what God designed it should be‑a moral preparation for holier things‑a stepping‑stone from virtue to grace‑a handmaid to lead us on, by gentle pursuasion, to higher and nobler deeds; and God, who never yet withheld the protection of his outstretched arm, will continue to shield and defend it through all ills. It may be, and we are tempted to believe it will become, one of the means employed by Jehovah to run through heathen lands and bring every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that Jesus is the Christ, not because it is the true religion, but because it inculcates all the moral precepts of the Holy Bible, and persuades all men to search that record. Yea, they can not be accomplished Masons in any other way. And how often has it happened, how often may it happen again, that, while its votaries are searching for Masonic truths, the Spirit of the Most High God will illumine their understandings, and light them on to ineffable glory. If the sacred truths which our Institution teaches may but make us better men, better citizens, better moralists, then it is worthy to receive the hearty welcome of all good and virtuous men, whether they be Christians or Pagans. But if it shall be able to accomplish more; if its tendency is to lead its votaries from the contemplation of sublunary things to the enduring blessings of another and a better world if it point to the great book of nature and revelations.
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a3 the source from which we may learn to escape impending ruii, and "lay hold of the hope set before us," then should it command the prayers of the virtuous, for then will it have. aj we believe it ever has had, the strong arm of Jehovah to succor and sustain it through all time. Should we ask more? Does justice demand more? Dare we claim more? Does Dr. Oliver, as aChristian, believe the plan of salvation revealed in the Scriptures at fault, that we need Masonry to perfect it? We answer, No, no; even he can not believe it! As educated Christians,we may believe that Masonry is calculated to lead men from the evil of their ways, and point to the glorious plan of redemption; it may go forth,like John the Baptist; proclaiming its heavenly mission to prepare the way for a mightier than it. It may point to the cross of a risen Saviour; it may tell of the wonderful works of Him who spake as never man spake; it may even lead the weary and fainting invalid to the Pool of Siloam, and tell of'the miraculous virtues of the water of life; bat its holy mission stops here; it can not wash the polluted soul from the disease of sin; it can not, because God has not so appointed. We claim for Freemasonry very much. We claim for it some powers which will be denied by those who do not. believe it points to the Christian religion; and while we respect their feelings, and question not their motives, we claim the same freedom from censure. We confidently look forward to the day when the great system of missionary labor, which has been so nobly begun in this land of ours, will be cheered on and powerfully aided by the mild and genial influence of Masonry. When the missionary shall go forth with the Holy tfible in one hand, and our Book of Constitutions in the other; when he shall plant the standard of our holy religion, and open a Lodge and preach the principles of Masonry in the imposing and solemn forms peculiar to our ceremonies, we venture to predict that the heathen Mason will be the first to embrace the Christian religion. Nor can it be otherwise, because to a proper understanding of Masonry, he must search the Bible. We now close our remarks as introductory to our history, only remarking that we shall doubtless have occasion frequently to refer to them in the progress of our history. I
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CHAPTER II.
HAVING, as we humbly conceive, clearly shown that Dr. Oliver has claimed for Freemasonry a degree of antiquity not sastained by any reliable testimony, and some principles which its votaries never practiced, we have only to add that our arguments will apply with equal force to all others who, in like manner, have attempted to throw a romance around its origin and early history. It now remains for us to show, as near as may be, when Masonry was instituted, and what were the principles taught in its primeval purity. We have said it was not known in the Garden of Eden; we have said it was not known to the Antediluvians; we have said that the fancy sketch which clothes Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and a host of ‑thers, with the royal robe of Grand Master, is too deeply covered with fiction to stand the mirror of truth; and we have further said, that there is no testimony upon which a prudent man would risk his character, as an author, going to show that it had abeing until the building of the Temple at Jerusalem. There, we believe, it was introduced and perfected. With every Mason who has become acquainted with the third degree, we shall have no difficulty to establish this truth. But how difficult does it become to satisfy those who are not Masons, that our venerated Institution has even this antiquity? For when we have given a true and faithful account of the excellent tenets of the Order, and traced it back to the most remote period of which there is the slightest recorded evidence, still is there a mighty interregnum to be filled by other means than sacred or profane history. We have stated that we rely more implicitly on a well defined tradition, transmitted from age to age, from one organized association to another, in support of any supposed event happening anterior to the dark ages, than upon any profane
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history, and we apprehend this is the opinion of most well informed men. The Mason, therefore, who has the tradition upon which we shall rely, will be constrained to admit our position to be correct, while those who know nothing of that tradition, are called upon to exercise a liberal faith in our declaration of what is, and what is not, clearly defined tradition; and we ask this the more earnestly, not because we care so much whether it has this or that much antiquity, but because Masonry has no history aside from, and independent of, its traditions. Strip it of its sacred lineage, as handed down from generation to generation, through the medium of oral communications, from father to son, from brother to brother, from society to society, and you reduce it to a level with the lowest schemes that were ever invented to delude a credulous or superstitious people. All our talk about "Ancient Land. marks," "Ancient Usages," becomes an idle tale, if Masonry originated before or since the building of the Temple. The entire fabric becomes a flimsy tissue of misrepresentations, worthy only of the ridicule of all. On the other hand, admit its origin as stated, the great good which it was designed to accomplish, and it stands forth in all the moral grandeur and magnificence of the first, the greatest, the most powerful auxiliary to our holy religion‑the only Association that, through weal or woe, through sunshine or storm, through evil as well as through good report, has never failed to inculcate and propagate the inimitable truths of God's holy law. All other associations have come and gone, because they were conceived in sin, or brought forth in iniquity. God's withering blight has been laid upon them, because corruption was in their midst. We say we must fix its origin at the erection of the Temple, because all Masonic traditions go to, and not beyond, that period of time. There is not an Ancient Craft Degree that does not point to the Temple, there is not a lecture that does not go back to the Temple, there is not a ceremony that does not lead the mind to that beloved spot. King Solomon was our first great teacher, he it was who conceived the plan and,‑'ght the beautiful system into being; and, while the excellent lessons taught by Masonry would remain just the same. we
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repeat, that if the Institution took its origin anywhere else, all the forms, ceremonies, and reasons for their use are false, and should be indignantly rejected. And with a view that our readers, who are not Masons, may the better understand and appreciate our views, we voluntarily give the most sacred pledge that we will not put forth and claim as Masonic history, that which we do not sincerely believe to be sustained by the tradition of the degrees; nor will it be difficult to confine ourself to the truth. The Ancient Craft Degrees are the same everywhere; their history is the same, and though the simple truth may strip the lectures of some gewgaws and trappings of modern innovators, and though they be deprived of some of the fascinations of modern refinement, the fault is not ours. As a faithful historian, we do not feel at liberty to write for those who expect us to tickle the fancy, and captivate the imagination, by dealing in the miraculous. We intend to have no interest in misleading any one. We expect our work to stand upon its merits for truth, believing, as we do, that much harm has already been done to a great and good cause, by claiming for it more than is warranted by the facts. Truth assumes many of the appearances, if not attributes, of falsehood, when it is overdrawn or clothed in fiction. There lived, in the early ages of the world, men whose excellent qualities and noble conduct rendered them, doubtless, ornaments to society, as the benefactors of mankind; but instances are numerous, where a just appreciation of their worth was merged into a blind deification and worship of their names, until so much fable attaches to their history, that, at this day, the most saga. cious are at a loss to determine whether such men ever lived, except in the imagination of an idolatrous world. We are not ashamed to say, that we tremble for the history and con. tinuance of Masonry, if it is to be enveloped in the mists of mere conjecture. We tremble at the judgment of an enlighten. ed community, if you prove that Masonry existed at a period when no traces of its good works can be shown, or at a period when every secret association, of which we have an account, was strictly idolatrous, and, as we believe, in every essential particular, save the account of the Flood, directly at war with
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our holy religion, and the laws of God. Prove to the well informed historian, that Masonry existed before the days of Solomon, and afterthe Flood, and he will be bound to declare, that it was a heathen Institution in all its original designs. Tell him that it existed beforetheFlood,and he will ask you, What for? What was it designed to perform? Was it to build the Ark? Was it to cause Adam to partake of the forbidden fruit, in order that he might learn the mystic art of making an apron? Or, was it to bring Adam to repentance after his fall? We believe Masonry has been made, by different writers, to do all these things; and yet is the history plain and simple when once understood. But when men have not given themselves the trouble to become acquainted with the well defined traditions of the Order (and great labor and time is required to do so), if they write its history, they must necessarily be groping in the dark. We here state, as our opinion, that God is the author of Masonry. Start not, reader; we do not mean to say that the Great Jehovah condescended to form Lodges, and preside in their midst, but we do mean to say that it was the result of a divine gift, as we shall presently attempt to show. We believe one of the objects designed to be accomplished by its introduction, was the overthrow of those secret societies that tended so powerfully to enslave the minds of the great masses, and subject them to the whims and caprices of the few, who governed and controlled the world through the machinations of priestly superstitions. Age on age had rolled away, since the great body of the people worshiped the one only living and true God. Here and there only was His name to be found engraven upon the hearts of men. Sodom and Gomorrah could not furnish ten who knew and acknowledged His divine law. The city of Jericho could furnish but one famnily, while many others were destitute of a soul to acknowledge His immaculate power. Even the children of Israel, that chosen people, selected for the purpose of receiving the manifestations of His mighty power and great glory, who were the daily recipients of His miraculous mercy and unceasing goodness, too often spurned the hand that fed them, and defied
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the power that preserved them from impending ruin. To us it seems strange, that when God made Himeelf known as the avenger of their wrongs, snatched them from the galling yoke of slavery, commanded an East wind to open them a way through the Red Sea, and when their mighty and relentless foe, like blood‑hounds, were at their heels, caused the river to give back its mighty torrent, and engulph Pharaoh and his host beneath its flood; we say, it seems strange that these people should ever cease to feel grateful, and fail to worship at His footstool. But, alas I how melancholy a picture does their after history present. The truth is, as we suppose, that the world had long been engrossed in the thick darkness of idolatrous worship, and the remembrance of Egypt's abominations was rolled under their tongues as a sweet morsel, for they longed for the flesh‑pots of their task‑masters, rather than the glory of their Heavenly Father. When Solomon was called to the throne of Israel, there were a number of secret societies in successful operation, all professing to teach the wonderful mysteries of nature, the miraculous power of certain gods, and teaching all initiates how to escape all evils in this,and the world to come. When we shall come to speak of these societies, the caverns, incantations, and ceremonies, every Mason will see that there is no shadow of resemblance between them and Masonry; but such was the regard entertained by the Egyptians for them, and such the estimate placed upon the admission to their honors, that few men lived without the hope of being permitted to enter the sacred Society, pass through the secret cavern, and be crowned with a knowledge which would serve as a talisman against all evil to which man is heir. And he who failed to perform the inhuman penance necessary to initiation, was ever after regarded as an outcast, unworthy the society of men, dead to the world, and cursed to all eternity. To counteract the direful effects of all this, could a better method have been devised than the establishment of a new secret Society, clothed with all the paraphernalia of secret ceremonies, signs, and symbols which Masonry has ever used? We wish not to be misunderstood: we do not believe that this was all that was to be effected by
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Masonry. Nor do we say that tradition tells us that it was created for this purpose at all. But we do say that the teachings of Masonry, instead of inculcating a belief in the power and miraculous influence of heathen gods, laid the foundation of a knowledge of that God and that religion which could alone enlighten the mind, and point to a glorious immortality. While we are constrained to admit that this opinion, as to one great end of the Institution, is probably expressed for the first time, and may, at first view, appear altogether visionary, we ask whether it is not in accordance with the general plans of the great Jehovah? Has He not, in all ages, adapted His instructions to the habits of His people? Has He not given numerous instances, clearly showing that He requires the use of means on the part of His created intelligences, to the accomplishment of the great end to be attained? Noah was required to build an Ark, in which he was to be saved; when, if it had been in accordance with the divine plan, Noah could have been saved without the use of any such means. In like manner, Moses was commanded to cast his rod upon the ground, and take it again; to thrust his hand in his bosom and take it out; to thrust it in a second time and take it out; to take water from the river, and pour it upon the dry ground; all these things were commanded to be done, as a prelude to the miracles intended to be exhibited to an unbelieving and gazing multitude;and yet, no one attributes the performance of these miracles to any power in Moses, except so far as God had bestowed. No one supposes that, by striking the rock, Moses possessed the power to make that act bring forth water. God used Moses as a means, through which infinite power was manifested. So with our Saviour, when He spat upon the clay, and with that clay opened the eyes of the blind. When He commanded the invalid to go to the Pool of Siloam, and wait for the troubling of the waters, in order to be healed, no one doubts the power of God to have effected these events by a simple act of will; indeed, the whole plan of salvation, the coming, death, and ascension of Jesus Christ, clearly exhibit the general plan of using means, and those means were always suited to the capacity, and, in many instances, agreeable to the
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preconceived habits of receiving and communicating instruction; and as John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way, wean the people from wickedness, and turn them to the Redeemer of the world, is it far‑fetched to suppose that Masonry was instituted to prepare the way, wean men from their secret, as well as open abominations, turn them from a blind worship of idols, and the machinations of a corrupt Society, to the great truths of God's holy law? The world has ever run after the marvelous and hidden mysteries of life; and while Masonry presented to the uninitiated all the charms of other secret societies, and surged him, by the same superstitious views, to seek admission, no man ever entered within the vail of its holy sanctuary without being taught to tremble beneath the strong arm of the mighty Jehovah, venerate His holy name, love and adore Him, as the chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely. It is not likely that any who were initiated into Masonry were ever after blind idolaters, for the very name which Masonry bore indicated to the world around, and reminded the initiated, that theirs was a knowledge above all the trappings of heathen mysteries. They were called the "Sons of Light," and truly were they a lamp to light the footsteps of a dark and benighted people, from the worship of a thousand immaginary gods, to a rational homage of Him " Who sits upon the whirlwind, and rides upon the storm." From the days of Abraham to the reign of Solomon, a period of more than fourteen generations, the Jewish nation continued to rise in power and influence among the nations of the earth; and yet it can not be supposed that this was owing to their superior attainments in knowledge, for, in the arts and sciences, they were greatly behind their neighbors. It must, therefore, have been the result of God's special care over them, and this protection of divine Providence continued about the same number of generations. We now proceed to notice some of the prominent events attendant upon the erection of the Temple. Those who are conversant with the Bible will remember that David desired to erect a house to the Lord, in which to. deposit the Ark of the Covenant, and afford a fit resting place for the
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great Shekinah, made every preparation in his power, amassing and laying up money for that purpose, and sought to learn the spot of ground upon which it had been decreed the house should stand, but God had determined that he, whose hands were stained with blood, should never build the Holy Temple. Yet, David being a man after God's own heart in all the outpourings of a benevolent spirit, God was pleased to promise him that the great and glorious work should be executed by his seed. When Solomon was called to the throne of Israel, out of the fullness of his soul to promote the happiness of his people, and cause them to live to the honor and glory of their Lord and Master, he devoutly prayed that his Heavenly Father would endow him with wisdom, adequate to the proper government of the great nation over which he had been called to preside. God, being pleased with the motive which prompted this thirst after knowledge, answered his prayer by granting him greater wisdom than had ever been bestowed on any king, and added thereto such riches as would enable him to perform the mighty work without let or hindrance. From the earliest period of his reign, Solomon commenced preparations and contemplated the speedy completion of the Temple; and, as he received superior wisdom as a divine gift, and as God set apart this work to be performed by him, is it not fair to suppose that this superior wisdom was given for the purpose of enabling him to perform the task assigned him in a manner which no other man was qualified to do? Solomon, as our traditions inform us, and as is recorded in the Bible, sent to Hiram, King of Tyre, to purchase timbers for the Temple. Hiram, being ardently desirous to assist in the glorious undertaking, cheerfully agreed to comply with the request; and, moreover, offered to have the timbers felled, hewed, marked, squared, and numbered, and delivered at whatever place might be designated by Solomon, without charge. Solomon desired to pay for them, and Hiram agreed to receive what would feed his workmen. " I will do all thy desire, concerning timber of cedar and timber of fir. My servants shall bring thom down from Lebanon unto the sea; and I will con
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vey them by sea in floats, unto the place thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them; and thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my brotherhood."‑1 Kings v. 8, 9. Upon this contract, Solomon sent to Hiram, annually, corn, wine, and oil. (See 1 Kings v. 11.) All the workmen were under the supervision and control of Solomon, as to the plan of the work and style of execution. He also sent into Tyre,and procured the services of Hiram Abif, generally known as the "Widow's Son," in contra‑distinction to Hiram, the King. The mother of Hiram Abif was of the tribe of Naphthali; and consequently, an Israelite, but his father was a man of Tyre. Hiram Abif, therefore, was only a Tyrian by courtesy, and not by the strict laws of the land. It is said, by some historians, that early in life he attracted the favorable notice of Abibalus, the father of Hiram, King of Tyre, who, foreseeing the preeminent talents of the young man, gave his powerful influence in advancing the young artist, and this kindness was rewarded by young Hiram's devotion to the advancement of his country's glory, and the happiness of the people; and though cut down in the bloom of years, he had acquired the well earned reputation of being the ablest artificer on the earth. Our traditions inform us that, in the mere form of the building, Solomon took for his model the Tabernacle which Moses erected in the wilderness. But we candidly confess our belief that too much latitude has been given to this history, as it seems to us the Tabernacle of Moses only served as a model for the Sanctum Sanctorum, and not for the entire edifice. We have said that Solomon instituted and established Masonry, and we now proceed to give some of the reasons which present themselves to our mind, in addition to those which we are not at liberty to publish. And first, as already stated, all our traditions point to him, as its first great founder. Second, he was the first Most Excellent Grand Master, of which we have any account. Third, Hiram, King of Tyre, and Hiram Abif, were King Solomon's confidential friends and counselors; and during the building of the Temple, and until it was neally completed, these three constituted the only Master Masons in the
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world; from them emanated all the instructions in the degrees ‑nor were any conferred but by their authority, and the third degree, as now in use, was instituted by King Solomon, as well to perpetuate an important event, and transmit to future ages a striking example of unprecedented integrity and moral firmness, as to serve the invaluable purposes contemplated by the great founder of a Society, whose very elements would be calculated to bind together, in one common union, a band of brothers in every age, cemented by those sacred and indissoluble ties which an association of benevolent spirits always engender. Fourth, Solomon foresaw that if the children of Israel continued in their rebellion against the holy laws of God to do them, their enemies would be let loose upon them, that their city and Temple would be sacked and destroyed, and the remnant of the Jews be carried away into captivity, and this, too, by barbarian force, the delight of whom would be to destroy every vestige of the arts and sciences, and especially the Holy Law and all the holy vessels. To guard, as far as God permitted against this impending evil, Solomon instituted a plan, by which a knowledge of the degree which was lost at the building of the Temple, a copy of all the holy vessels, a knowledge of the arts and sciences, together with a true copy of the Book of the Law given by Moses, were all safely deposited, preserved, and transmitted to after generations. Other reasons crowd themselves upon our mind, but, for the present, we pause to inquire the probable weight which should be given to these. We here repeat, that the clearly defined traditions of the Craft unequivocally teach all we have stated above. Then, is it not remarkable, that if Masonry existed before the days of Solomon, some of its traditions do not point to the time, place, or persons engaged in its practice? Is it notstrange, that Solomon is reputed as the first Grand Master, if Masonry existed in the antediluvian age, or in the days of Noah, Enoch, etc.? For if, down to the time of Solomon, Masonry had been in practice, how comes it that, at the time of the building of the Temple, Solomon and the two Hirams were for several years the only Master Masons in the world? Can it be believed that
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Masonry existed for ages before, and yet at the period of which we speak,but three could be found, even admitting our traditions to be silent as to their being the first? Will not the well informed Mason, who adopts the opinion that Masonry has existed in all ages, marvel that when the degree of Master Mason was lost, because of the peculiar condition in which Solomon and Hiram, of Tyre, had voluntarily placed themselves, that none others could be found upon the broad spread earth who were not so situated, but that it was necessary it should remain buried to the world for the space of four hundred and seventy years? But, say these lovers of extreme antiquity, Masonry was remodeled by King Solomon, and assumed a new form at the building of the Temple. To this we have only to answer that, while we can not absolutely prove that Masonry did not previously exist, we are driven to the conclusion, that if Masonry was remodeled by King Solomon, it was so done as to leave no traces of its previous existence in any form whatever‑for no man ever has, nor is it likely ever will, furnish one jot or tittle of testimony that Masonry at the Temple owed its existence to, or had any connection with, any secret association of previous existence. We, therefore, marvel that the man has ever been found to hazard his reputation by saying that Masonry, as a Society, is coeval with man, when this opinion is sustained alone by the supposition that its principles are such as must have been more or less in use in all ages. Nor have we ever been able to appreciate the desire of these men so tenaciously to adhere to this flimsy doctrine of extreme antiquity. We admit Masonry is endeared to our hearts by having a head made venerable by long ages; and we glory in the remembrance that it triumphantly marched through countless revolutions, and nobly withstood the crush and ruin of kingdom after kingdom, empire after empire, and still lives and shines on earth, as a star does in bright glory. We say, we rejoice in this, because it furnishes evidence, not easily rejected, that an all‑wise and over‑ruling Providence has shielded and protected it from the pelting of the pitiless storms that have been hurled against its bulwarks. But what need we more? Need we break through the barriers of truth, and trace
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its genealogy through the dark vista of time, until the very imagination is lost in the flitting clouds of other times and other worlds? Must the gray hairs, which have adorned its noble brow for more than twenty‑eight hundred years, be silvered over with a few hundred generations more, in order to gratify our propensity for the marvelous, and thus attach us to the Order? For ourself, we see not the necessity nor an apology for such a course. We now proceed to give what we believe to be the clearly defined history of the three first degrees. There were employed at the building of the Temple one hundred and fifty‑three thousand three hundred workmen. Whether these were all selected from the true descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, or indiscriminately from all parts of the world, is not of vital importance to the proper understanding of our subject; but we hope always to give a preference to the Holy Bible, especially when it is conflicted with by men who undertake, without any superior light, to set it at naught by mere declamation. Some such as these have stated, as historians, that, inasmuch as some Greek artists settled in Asia Minor about fifty years before the reign of Solomon, and as the Greeks were the best workmen in architecture then in the world, therefore, Hiram, King of Tyre, must have sent some of these to Solomon. We regard this as worse than mere conjecture, because it amounts to an effort to account for the unparalleled splendor of the Temple, when completed, on other grounds than those plainly taught in the Bible: "And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month, by courses; a month they were at Lebanon, and two months at home, and Adoniram was over the levy." "And Solomon had three score and ten thousand that bare burdens, and four score thousand hewers in the mountains. Besides the chief of Solomon's officers, which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work."‑1 Kings v. 13‑16.'The difficulty arising in the minds of some, in admitting the selection to be made from the Jews is, that this people were
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not accomplished workmen in architecture.' But of how little importance is this obstacle, if we admit the truth of the Bible, in stating that God gave Solomon superior wisdom; while, on the contrary, if we set out with the calculation that none worked on the Temple but the very best Greek artists, the superior style and finish of the building can not be thus accounted for; for whether we take, the statements of the Bible,or of Josephus, it is represented as so far transcending all others made by human hands, as to stand forth the wonder and admiration of the world‑and it will not do to say that it was remarkable only because of the rich and costly ornaments, for we are told in so many words, that " when the building was completed, its several parts fitted with that exact nicety, that it had more the appearance of the handy work of the Supreme Architect of the Universe than of human hands.' And it seems to us, idle to attribute the honor to any other than God Himself,operating through Solomon. It was erected by divine command‑and is it unreasonable to suppose that God would take care of His own house, and give wisdom to man for its completion in such a manner as to surpass all others? To us, there is nothing inconsistent or difficult to be understood in all the plan and execution of the work, if we will but consider that the Supreme Architect drew the plan, and if our brethren would read the Bible more, and mere speculators less, we should have much less difficulty to contend with in the history of our Order, and much more clearly understand our duty to God, our neighbor, and ourselves. The workmen were' divided into classes or Lodges, according to their skill and ability to perform higher or lower orders of work, and their advancement in knowledge and virtue. We will not stop to give in detail, our reasons, but we must be permitted to say, that we believe Masonry wasSpeculative as well as Operative in its original plan, and at a proper time we shall attempt to show that since the days of Sir Christopher Wren (the last Operative Grand Master), we have thrown off Operative, and retained, not substituted, Speculative Masonry; and that, whenever the Ancient Landmarks are well defined and clearly set forth, the valuable lectures of Brothers Webb, Cross,
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and others, must be shorn of much of their fanciful ornaments, which have been introduced to adapt the Institution to the times and circumstances under which we live. We believe that Entered Apprentices at the Temple were those who came forward and had their names recorded to serve till the work was completed‑that, thereupon, Solomon gave them a lesson, or set of instructions adapted to their capacities, calculated as well to promote their own interests and happiness, as to forward the great work; and as soon as they had proved themselves worthy, by having acquired an intimate acquaintance with said instructions, he gave them privileges and benefits which were enjoyed by none who were not engaged upon the Temple. Our traditions clearly teach that he gave them certain secret signs and tokens, by which they would be able to make themselves known as SONS OF LIGHT, whithersoever they might be dispersed. And we would ask, What advantage could result to them from this ability to recognize and be recognized by the Fraternity, if they were strictly operatives, and in possession of no skill as workmen, superior to thousands of the Greeks? We are inclined to the belief that Entered Apprentices,then,were qualified to do better work, and were better instructed in the arts and sciences, and a knowledge of God and his holy law, than were many of the most accomplished Greeks, and hence were they prepared, should any event prevent their further advancement in Masonic degrees, to go forth and reap the benefit of instructions received at the hands of one sent of God. This degree is justly esteemed of greatly less value than the third or even second; and yet, when we properly appreciate the moral lessons here taught, we are struck with the conviction that a God‑like wisdom must have instituted it. The very first lesson teaches the candidate that humility is necessary to the acquisition of all true knowledge, and here is shown a striking likeness between this great system of ethics and that sublime system of Christianity taught in the Holy Bible. To whom does Masonry promise its benefits and blessings? To those only who humble themselves to a proper condition to receive‑to those who come forward as deperdent creatures.
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To whom does God promise the benefits and blessings of Chria tianity? To those only who humble themselves as suppliants at the footstool of his sovereign mercy. To whom does Masonry promise those invaluable secrets by which the Mason is permitted to enter the company and enjoy the advantages of the Sons of Light? He who voluntarily enters into a covenant to keep sacred and inviolable the mysteries of the Order, and obey its ancient and established laws. To whom does God promise those inestimable secrets of His holy council, which enables the recipient to exclaim, "I know that my Redeemer liveth?" To him only who will enter into a solemn covenant to walk in His statues and keep His commandments. To whom does the Entered Apprentice's degree promise a recompense of reward? To him only who shall divest himself of all the vices and superfluities of life, stand upon the Square of Virtue, live by the Plumb‑line of Truth, and thus form the corner‑stone upon which he may safely build his spiritual and eternal edifice. To whom does God promise a recompense of reward? To him only who will deny himself all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly and righteously in this present evil world. Thus we think may be traced even in this, the preparatory and least important degree, a striking likeness between the divine teachings of our Heavenly Father and the Institution of Masonry. Nor are these salutary lessons the invention of modern times. They were taught at the building of the Temple ùthey have been taught ever since, and palsied be the arm that shall be raised to oppose or withhold them. Who then will say that Masonry was Operative only in former times? Who shall say it was anti‑Christian in its formation? And, above all, who shall say that the finger of God does not point to its origin, and Hisright arm guard it in its onward march to the accomplishmaent of its divine mission of " peace on earth and good will to man." The Entered Apprentice is presented with a white garment, as an emblem of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct, so necessary to his gaining admission into the celestial Lodge
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above, where presides our Supreme Grand Master. He is taught so to divide his time, that he may devote eight hours to the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, eight to the common avocations of life, and eight to refreshment and sleep. He is further taught to use the " common Gavel " to divest his mind and conscience of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby the better fitting his body, as a living stone, for tha. spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal i.. the heavens. He is taught to look with wonder and adrnira tion at yonder "cloudy canopy, and starry‑decked heavens, whither every good Mason hopes to arrive by the aid of th6 theological ladder which Jacob, in his vision, saw ascending from earth to heaven, the three principal rounds of which are denominated Faith, Hope, and Charity, and admonish us to have Faith in God, Hope in immortality, and Charity toward all mankind; but the greatest of these is Charity, because Faith may be lost in sight,Hope ends in fruition, but Charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of eternity." The Entered Apprentice is pointed to the Mosaic pavement, the indented tassel, and the blazing star, to remind him that this life is checkered with good and evil, that around it hangs a beautiful tesselated border of comforts and blessings, which we may enjoy by a faithful reliance on divine Providence, the hieroglyphic star of the Entered Apprentice Mason. He is taught that the Mason's Lodge, in which our brethren formerly ceased from their labor and sunk to sweet repose, conscious of a well spent day in toil, and labor, and brotherly kindness, and charity, is typical of that Grand Lodge where saints and angels assemble around the throne of God to welcome the returning prodigal with songs of rejoicing and hallelujahs to the Lamb for ever and ever. This, this is Apprentice Masonry, and who does not discover the finger of God in all this? Oh! how must theChristian Mason's heart bleed at hearing this glorious Tnstitution wantonly assailed I
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CHAPTER III.
As THE second, or Fellow Craft's degree, as now conferred, is infinitely less important than it was at the building of the Temple, and, as a faithful historian, it will devolve on us to show why this is so, we shall not shrink from the task when the appropriate time shall arrive; but, as we are now considering the earliest history of our Order, we think it proper to lay before our readers Masonry as it then was, and in tracing its somewhat obscure advancement through several ages, arrive at, and account for, the changes alluded to, as best we may. That the Fellow Craft's degree embraced a much larger amount of valuable instruction, both in reference toSpeculative andOperative Masonry than is now to be found in the degree, we think the well informed Mason can not rationally doubt. Who and what were the eighty thousand Craftsmen employed at the building of the Temple? We hesitate not to say that they were accomplished workmen; that,while it was the business of the Entered Apprentice to prepare the Rough Ashler, it was the business of the Fellow Craft to polish and perfect the stone for the builder's use, to accomplish which great skill and experience were necessary; that these workmen were inferior only to the three thousand and three hundred whom Solomon had qualified by still superior instructions to take charge of and oversee the work, must be apparent to all; that the most vigilant watch was kept over them, in order that no imperfect work might be assigned to, or find a place in, the edifice; and that,to insure this result,the most perfect system of checks and balances were instituted. If we understand the degree, as then in use, the work of those men was regularly brought up to the Temple for inspection and careful examination by such as were fully competent; and the system of examination was so
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perfect as to admit of no infractions, nor was it possible that the Craftsmen could be imposed upon, should a corrupt overseer be placed to examine the work, for every Craftsman was furnished with means by which he was safely protected from having it appropriated to the use of another. So in reference to thi wages, which we are traditionally informed were paid regularly on the evening of every sixth day. No mistake or injustice could be done. Every man who had, in obedience to the established rules of the Order, accomplished a piece of work, had a right to demand, and always received, the wages justly due. And here we are struck with the simplicity and perfection of the system, as adding another evidence of the divine hand that directed; for, so infinitely perfect was the system, as noticed, that while the workmen were guarded and protected in all their rights, in like manner did it safely and completely protect King Solomon from any imposition, even to the smallest sum demanded by that vast multitude of Craftsmen. It is worthy of remark, that after the lapse of so many ages, and all the powers and inventions of man have, from time to time, been brought to bear, in order to facilitate easy and correct settlements of accounts and the speedy liquidation of just demands, no system has ever been discovered or brought into use that will at all compare with that to which we now allude, but which the Mark Master Mason of the present day can alone understand. We are aware that we lay ourselves liable to ridicule by those who are unacquainted with Masonry, in stating the fact that one man paid off regularly, justly, and satisfactorily, every Craftsman; and, when the number is considered, we are aware how natural it is for those who have not become acquainted with the simple plan, to declare the thing utterly impossible, and yet he who has witnessed an exhibition of the work has probably wondered more that he had not thought of so simple a method, than that the thing was impracticable. It will be seen, therefore, that we believe the Mark Master's degree, as now given, is part and parcel of the Fellow Craft's degree; that this is true, is manifested by a variety of reasons, few of which, however! can be written, but which must suggest themselves.
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To the intelligent Mark Master, indeed, the history of our Order shows that, in England, as late as the middle of the last century, subordinate Lodges had no power to confer higher degrees than the Entered Apprentice. The right to confer the Fellow Craft and Master's degree was reserved alone to the Grand Lodge, or to a Lodge summoned by the Grand Master. Again, the history of the degrees, as detailed in the Fellow Craft and the Mark Master's, embraces much of the history of the Temple, as also of the Institution of Freemasonry; and here we learn, most conclusively, that Masonry at the building of the Temple was Speculative, as well as Operative, in its character. The recipient of this degree is taught, not only the operative use of the Plumb‑line and Square, but the moral application of these important symbols to the life and conduct of man,as an intelligent and responsible being; he is forcibly impressed with the two‑fold representation that, while King Solomon decreed that all good and true men, who wrought their regular hours, and produced such work as the overseers were authorized to receive, should reap the reward of their labor in temporal things, so should he, whose life and conduct passed the Square of the Grand Overseer, in the final day of accounts, be entitled to receive and feed on "the corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy." He is forcibly taught, that as man was created a rational and intelligent creature, capable of the highest enjoyments in this life, so should he be constantly employed, not only in the industrious exercise of his physical powers, in producing and promoting man's comfort and convenience, by providing shelter from the inclemency of the seasons, but he is required to bring into active exercise all those higher and ennobling attributes of the mind, which render him only a little lower than the angels. The study of the arts and sciences, and their proper application to the melioration of the condition of man,is not only recommended, but, we apprehend, was formerly made to constitute a pre requisite to admission to this degree. We are prepared to admit that much of the lecture, as now given in the FellowCraft's degree, is of modern introduction‑still do we believe that the principle is retained. That the five orders of
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architecture were presented to the attention of the Masons in the order they are now used, or that the seven liberal arts and sciences were all classified, and given for the study of the candidate, in the manner we now use them, we do not believe; but we do believe that the history of theBrazen Pillars, the manner and end for which they were erected, and a close application to the study of astronomy, geometry, etc., were not only advised, but enforced, as a qualification for advancement to this degree. Nor is this a far‑fetched conclusion, when we remember the mission that Solomon was called to perform. Can any one suppose that God gave Solomon superior wisdom for no other purpose than the erection of the Temple? We think not. We can not conceive of an extraordinary exercise of infinite power for the accomplishment of a finite end onlynor does the moral condition of the world, at the period of which we write, authorize such a belief; but we are forcibly driven to the conclusion that the great end to be attained by that King, called of God, was to elevate the standard of moral excellence, by all means calculated to impress the mind of man with the belief of his immortality and dependence upon his great Creator. Tle working man was lifted from his low and degraded condition, to a level with the most favored of his species. The accomplished mechanic stood proudly preeminent among the most honorable and praiseworthy of men. Nor was this effect temporary in its character; for many centuries after, yea, down to the time of Sir Christopher Wren, princes and rulers sought for, and labored to obtain, a place among the architects of the land. But this elevated platform, upon which mechanics formerly stood, was not attained by mere machines, or by simply imitative beings;but the genius, the energy, the power of intellect was called into requisition. The recipients of the mystic tie were taught to throw off the worship of pagan gods, and the mummeries of debasing superstition; they were instructed to regard the law of Moses as emanating from the divine will of the only living and true God; they were taught to look upon vice as tending to mar the happiness of man on earth, and endanger his happiness to all eternity. They were persuaded and entreated, by all the beauty of
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holiness, to cultivate and practice every virtue, as a means of contentment on earth, and a final passport to another and a better world, where the righteous Judge will reward every man according to his merits‑when the good and true shall inheri the kingdom prepared for them, from the foundation of the world; and,as a powerful means of impressing the mind with the unlimited power of the great Jehovah, the student of Masonry, the humble but faithful Fellow Craft, was pointed to the starry heavens, hung with the rich drapery of God's handiwork; he was taught to look to the bending arch which overspreads this vast universe, and contemplate the illimitable power and great glory of that God, whoby His fiat spoke into being and harmonious action another and another, yea, worlds on worlds, until our own is lost, or stands as but a speck in the constellation of countless worlds, all ruled by the same unerring law of the Divine Architect of the Universe. How contracted and unsatisfying to the reflecting mind must be the doctrine that Solomon taught Operative Masonry alone. How false and ridiculous must our ceremonies appear, if they are, or ever were, intended only to minister to the temporal wants of man. How ridiculous to teach the novitiate the sublime truths contained in our lectures, as handed down from time immemorial, if these are all but a tale of modern invention? But how beautifully sublime, how ennobling to the soul, are all these lessons of instructions, if we feel assured they emanated from that man, called of God to teach mankind the secret of happiness, and furnish a password that shall gain us an entrance into the supreme Grand Council of Heaven. Masonry was evidently designed to lift the soul of man from its fallen and degraded condition, superinduced by a blind worship of a plurality of gods, to a knowledge of that system which can alone supply the wants and save from endless ruin; and he who is brought to study the heavenly bodies, and the arts and sciences, must have a mind strangely perverted, that does not behold the wonder‑working hand of our supreme Grand Master, and who will not acknowledge the rational homage due to the Creator and Preserver of all things. We do not believe that Masonry and geometry were ever
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synonymous terms, but we do believe that a study of geometry was made incumbent upon all who sought to obtain advancerent in Masonry. A knowledge of geometry, and an acquaintance with the liberal arts and sciences, was necessary to a proper understanding and appreciation of the divine attributes and powers of Jehovah; and, as intimated before, Solomon had a two‑fold mission to perform; it was his business, as well as pleasure, to erect a building to the honor and glory of God, and to teach mankind, through the medium of Masonry, how to fill that aching void in the soul,and satiate that longing after immortality. We have thought much upon the subject of this degree, and have come to the conclusion that, in the subdivision, the end has been made the beginning, and vice versa. We think the entire degree of Mark Master constituted the major part of the work of the degree of Fellow Craft, and the second section of the Fellow Craft's degree, as now given, is a modern invention. If the Fellow Craft's degree, as used at the Temple, was not founded upon a certain stone spoken of in the Bible, we would ask upon what event or transaction it was founded? And this inquiry is the more apparently proper, as all other degrees are founded upon some great transaction, either alluded to in the Bible, or handed down through our sacred and unerring traditions. The degree, as now conferred, is not sufficiently marked to characterize it as so important as the degree was at the building of the Temple; but,take it in connection with the Mark Master, and it at once presents a well defined history of the causes which led to its introduction, the great end to be accomplished by it, both in reference to the benefits it bestowed on the working class of the community, as mechanics, and the moral bearing and influence it was destined to exercise on all who were permitted to come within its pale and claim its benefits; yea, we doubt whether anything has ever been presented to the mind of man, so well calculated to restrain the wild passions of the human heart, draw the cords of love and reciprocal friendship so closely around the affections, and incite to noble and benevolent action. Where is the true Craftsman that would not feel drawn by the sacred ties of Brotherhood, when hailed
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by the sign of distress or suffering? Who would not feel it a privilege to administer to the wants of that) brother whom misfortune has assailed, or disease prostrated? Who would fail to recognize the stone spoken of in the Revelations of St. John: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving him that receiveth it."‑Rev. iii. 13. " He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear." Psalms:‑" The stone which the builders refused is become the head‑stone of the corner." Chronicles ii.:‑"And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring it to thee in boats by sea to Joppa, and thou shalt convey it up to Jerusalem." Ezekiel xliv., 1 and 5:‑" Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looketh toward the East, and it was shut. And the Lord said unto me:'Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary." How beautifully illustrative of the important truths inculcated by this degree, is a proper understanding and application of the Scripture here quoted! How infallible are the means here unfolded, of securing secret relief for suffering humanity I How simple, and yet how perfect, the plan here taught, of protecting all men from falling a prey to the cravings of hunger I We marvel, not so much that this degree was instituted for mutual protection of all its recipients, but that the means adopted are so simple and easy of execution, that all may understand‑ and practice them. That the secrets of this degree, which enabled the brother to recognize and claim the friendship and protection of the brethren everywhere, were given by King Solomon to all those who proved themselves worthy, we believe the traditions of the Order sufficiently show. That the eighty thousand Craftsmen were accomplished workmen and scientific
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men, we appeal to the perfection of the work as proof. That they were under the influence of the most perfect system of moral government, superinduced by the most sacred ties of that holiest of all the holy principles of Christianity‑love‑love to God and love to man, we may safely refer, not only to our traditions, but to the history of the building of the Temple, as given in the Bible. That so many men could be restrained from a violation of the law, by any other means short of divine influence, or the teaching of our holy religion, we think can not be seriously claimed, even by the skeptic, and that a mistaken view of the claims of justice, on the part of the Craft, and a corresponding dissatisfaction growing out of such an error, was readily determined and satisfactorily adjusted by a proper understanding of the true meaning and intent of the law (such as occurred on one occasion), can only be accounted for by the supposition that a power divine, a religious influence, was operating and harmonizing the whole. We dare not believe that men, in those days, were exempt from vicious desires, and uninfluenced by mercenary motives; we can not rationally suppose that so vast a concourse of men wrought together in perfect harmony, patiently submitting to the government of one man, influenced alone by the wages received, or the advancement they made in a knowledge of mere Operative Masonry. No, no; the omnipotent power of an omnipotent God was working in them to do of His own good pleasure. They had learned, not only valuable secrets, to render them efficient and accomplished workmen, but their judgments were convinced of the rational homage due to the Great Source of all good, and hence the exercise of moral principle upon their lives and conduct; hence their obedience, cheerfully and heartily given, to the Moral Law; and, while we boast of the rapid strides in intellect and moral culture, and the still onward march of mind, we could wish the evidence was before us that Masons of the present day stood shoulder to shoulder, an harmonious band, prepared to do as well as did these primitive Masons. How mortifying to the philanthropist, how heartrending to the Christian Mason, must be a comparison of the present with the past! Where is the spirit, the genius of
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Masonry, that once united the Brotherhood in the bonds of love, made holy by the mystic tie? Where is the plastic hand that once spread the cement of affection, and united the Fraternity into one common mass of pure and disinterested friendship? Has the spirit departed, or does it sleep, only to arise in might, and majesty, and great glory, to shed around its benign and vivifying influence over this broad land? Brethren, are you prepared to answer? God is waiting to be gracious. and it is with us to say whether our light shall be made so to shine, that others, seeing our good works, may glorify our supreme Grand Master. Let us, then, awake from the lethargy of our slumbers, put on the armor of our fathers, and go forth, resolved to do and dare all things for the glorious cause. The field is larger, and we have, perhaps, more discordant materials to amalgamate than had the primitive Masons, and, therefore, the greater the necessity for a more vigorous and powerful effort to subdue our passions, and improve ourselves in Masonry. Could we all live in strict obedience to the rules of our Order, could we show forth, in our lives and conversation, the spirit of the lessons we are all taught within the Lodge, how beautiful‑how incomparably beautiful would be the spectacle to a gazing and admiring world I We confess ourself involved in some difficulty in treating of the Fellow Craft and. Master's degree, because, in the first place, if we turn to the writings of Bro. Anderson, the author, or rather the compiler, of the Ancient Constitutions, in 1722, or Bro. Entick, who wrote in 1756, we are instructed that on some, indeed, on all occasions, it was then common to call Master Masons, Fellows; and, unless we are careful, a misconstruction of the author's views will be the result. It, however, appears plain to us that at that day it was common to speak of all Master Masons, not in authority, as Fellow Crafts, that is, Brother Craftsmen; while lie who had charge of the immediate work of erecting a building was called the Master Mason. This is manifest as late as the time of Sir Christopher Wren. who was the Grand Master of Masons, and superintended the erection of so many buildings in the city of London, after the great fire. Bro. Wren could not have been more than
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75 the designer, the great architect, while the Craftsmen were divided into Lodges, with a Master at the head of each, who was careful to see that the designs of the Grand Master were carried out while it is quite probable that very many of the Craftsmen or members of the Lodges were Master Masons. Second, because if the Master's degree had not been given, up to the time at which our traditions place it (iz., sear the completion of the Temple), we are at a loss to determine what was the degree of advancement of those three thousand three hundred overseers. But as the Master's degree, referred to in our traditions, intended to be given to the Craft after the Temple was completed, evidently embraced a set of instructions altogether superior to those in possession of the overseers, and, as these were never given by King Solomon, Hiram, King of Tyre, and Hiram Abif, is it not probable that the overseers received most of the instructions contained in the present Master's degree, and, after the completion of the Temple, these, and all other worthy Craftsmen, received the remainder of the degree, which enabled them to become undertakers, by having the power of drawing designs upon the Trestle Board, and that the instructions were given through the medium of the degree, then introduced and now in use? We can not believe that the overseers were no better instructed than the Fellow Crafts; and the beautiful system, introduced by King Solomon, for rewarding merit, and yet holding out inducements for all the workmen to remain engaged upon the Temple until its completion, may be seen and appreciated if we take this view of the subject, for while all were advanced in knowledge and an increase of wages, in strict conformity to their industry and skill, none were allowed to receive the crowning degree, embracing those instructions which qualified them to become undertakers or master builders, until after the completion of the Temple, for it must be manifest that if this instruction had been received at an early period, most, if not all, the workmen thus instructed would have left the Temple unfinished, and gone forth in the world as undertakers, as by this course they would have amassed great fortunes, and established themselves a name as superior workmen and architects, while the Temple could
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not have been completed at the time it was. We, therefore, suppose that King Solomon gave to three thousand and three hundred of the most accomplished Fellow Crafts,an additional set of instructions in architecture and the arts and sciences, thereby qualifying them to oversee the execution of the work assigned to the Craft; and this is the more probable, when we remember that these overseers were not qualified to inspect or superintend all the work. It is known to the well informed Mason, that our traditions inform us that some portion of the work was not intrusted to any but the three Grand Masters. Now, it is not likely that this would have been necessary, or that the time of these distinguished men would have been occupied in manual labor, had not some great reason operated to withhold a knowledge of the art of accomplishing the finest and most secret work from those engaged on the Temple. As the degree of Master Mason includes many of the most important rules for the well being and happiness of man, and the moral influence of its teachings are forcibly impressed upon the mind by appropriate symbols, we propose to return and give the reader a more minute account of the events that led to the introduction of the Order, and trace its history down to the present time. We have said that David desired to build the house of the Lord. to afford a resting place for the Ark of God, but not until near the close of his reign do we find him engaged in any important work of architecture. When he had taken the city of Jebus from his enemies, and fixed his residence at Zion we are informed that he employed workmen in repairing and beautifying the walls and public edifices, and so much was Zion improved, that this, in connection with his residence there, gave it the name of the city of David, and he gave to the old city of Jebus the name of Jerusalem. But while David was aware that God would not permit him to build the house of the Lord, we have evidence that he did all in his power to prepare for the work, for, a short time before his death, he assembled all the chiefs of his people, and informed them that he had gathered together an immense treasure, laid up large quantities of rich materials, and plans and models for the different parts of the building, acquainting them with the will of God,
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77 that the house was to be executed by his son Solomon, and he urged them to give their assistance and cooperation when the time should come. Shortly after, the King died, in the seventieth year of his age, having reigned seven years in Hebron, over the house of Judah, and near thirty‑three over all the tribes. The fraternal letters which passed between Solomon and Hiram, King of Tyre, although familiar to many of our readers, seem, nevertheless, necessary here, as a connecting link in this history. We, therefore, give the one most important and interesting to Masons: "King Solomon to King Hiram, greeting:‑Be it known unto thee, O King, that my father David had it a long time in his mind to erect a Temple to the Lord, but, being perpetually in war, and under a necessity of clearing his hands df his enemies, and make them all his tributaries, before he could attend to his great and holy work, he hath left it to me, in time of peace, both to begin and finish it, according to direction, as well as the prediction of ALMIGHTY GOD. Blessed be His great name for the present tranquility of my dominions; and by His gracious assistance, I shall now dedicate the best improvements of this liberty and leisure to His honor and worship. Therefore, I make it my request that you will let some of your people go along with some servants of mine to Mount Lebanon,to assist them in cutting down materials toward this building, for the Sidonians understand it much better than we do. As for the workmen's reward or wages, whatever you think reasonable shall be punctually paid them." King Hiram returned the following answer: "King Hiram to King Solomon:‑Nothing could have been more welcome to me than to understand that the government of your blessed father is devolved, by God's providence, into the hands of so excellent, so wise, and so virtuous a successor. His holy name be praised for it. That which you write for shall be done, with all care and good will; for I will give order to cut down and export such quantities of the fairest cedars and cypress trees as you will have occasion for. My people shall bring them to the sea‑side for you, and thence
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ship them away to: what port you please, where they may lie ready for your own men to transport them to Jerusalem. It would be a great obligation, after all this, to allow us such a provision in corn in exchange as may stand in your convenience, for that is the commodity we islanders want most." Solomon, thankfully accepting of this generous offer, ordered a yearly present to be sent to Hiram of twenty thousand measures of corn, twenty thousand measures of wine, twenty thousand measures of oil, twenty thousand measures of fine oil for his household, and twenty thousand of barley, and it was agreed that the timbers were to be delivered at Joppa. Hiram, the King, also sent Solomon a man of his own name, a Tyrian by birth, but of Israelitish descent, who was more than a second Bezaleel. In 2. Chronicles ii. 13, he is called Hiram Abif, the most accomplished and skillful workman on earth. Anderson, in his Ancient Constitutions, makes the assertion that, in Solomon's absence, Hiram Abif filled the office of Deputy Grand Master, and in his presence was Senior Grand Warden, or principal surveyor and master of the work. We make the following extract from the same work, pages 18 and 19:‑" In 2 Chronicles ii. 13, Hiram, King qf Tyre (called here Huram), in his letter to King Solomon, says,'I have sent a cunning man, El Hiram Abif,' which is not to be translated like the vulgate Greek and Latin, Hiram, myfather, for his description, v. 14, refutes it, and the words import only Hiram, of myfather, or the chief Master Mason of my father Abibalus. Yet, some think that King Hiram might call the architect Hiram his father, as learned and wise men were wont to be called by royal patrons in old times. Thus, Joseph was called.Tbuch, or the King's father, and this same Hiram, the architect, is called Solomon's father, 2 Chronicles iv. 6." But the difficulty is over at once by allowing the word Abif to be the surname of Hiram, the artist, called in the Scriptures Hiram Abbi, and again Hiram Abif, as in the Lodge he is called Hiram Abif, to distinguish him from Hiram, the King, for this reading makes the sense plain and complete, viz.:‑that Hiram, King of Tyre, sent to King Solomon the cunning workman called Hiram Abif. He is described in two places in the Bible,
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79 viz.:‑1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. In the first, he is called the Widow's Son, of the tribe of Napltali; and in the other, he is called the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan‑but in both that his father was a man of Tyre, that is, she was of the city of Dan, in the tribe of Naphtali, and is called a widow of Naphtali, as her husband was a Naphtalite, for he is not called a Tyrian by descent, but a man of Tyre by habitation, as Abed Edom, the Levite, is called a Gittite, and the Apostle Paul a man of Tarsus. But though Hiram Abif had been a Tyrian by olood, that derogates not from his vast capacity, for the Tyrians were now the best artificers, by the encouragement of King Hiram, and those texts testify that God had endowed this Hiram Abif with wisdom, understanding, and mechanical cunning to perform everything that Solomon required, not only in building the Temple, with all its costly magnificence, but also in founding, fashioning, and framing all the holy utensils thereof according to geometry, and to find out every device that might be put to him; and the Scriptures assure us that he fully maintained his character in far larger works than those of Aholiab and Bezaleel, for which he will be honored in Lodges till the end of time. In confirmation of the above,it may be proper to state that Hiram Abif was not only celebrated for his skill in building, but his superior knowledge extended to all kinds of work, whether in gold, silver, brass, or iron, as also in linen tapestry, or embroidery. Dires, the historian, is of the opinion that the love of wisdom was the chief inducement to that tender and devoted friendship which so long existed between Solomon and Hiram‑that they proposed to each other difficult and deep hidden problems, and Entick states that " Menander, of Ephesus, who translated the Tyrian annals out of the Philistine tongue into Greek, also relates, that whenever any of these propositions proved too hard for those wise and learned princes, Abdymonus or Abdomenus, the Tyrian, called in the old Constitutions, Amon, or Hiram Abif, answered every device that was put to him, and even challenged Solomon, though the wisest Prince in the world, with the subtility of the question he proposed." Now, that Hiram Abif solved all the difficu14
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problems put to him by Solomon, or Hiram, King of Tyre, is true, because the Scriptures declare as much. But we proceed to notice an important discrepancy between the statements of Anderson and nearly all the writers of the present day, in the subdivision of the Craft at the building of the Temple. Dr. Oliver, we believe, is the only one who agrees with Anderson, and he quotes the language and uses the figures of the latter, without exercising the magnanimity to give the credit. The following is an extract from Anderson's Constitutions " To carry on this stupendous work with greater ease and speed, Solomon caused all the Craftsmen, as well natives as foreigners, to be numbered and classed as follows: " 1. Harodim, Princes, Rulers, or Provosts, in number three hundred. " 2. Overseersand comforters of the people in working, that ‑were expert Master Masons, three thousand three hundred. "3. Stone squarers, polishers, and sculptors, and men of newing. and setters, layers,or builders, being able and ingenious Fellow Crafts, eighty thousand. "4. The levy out of Israel, appointed to work in Lebanon one month in three, ten thousand every month, under the direction of noble Adoniram, who was the Junior Grand Warden, thirty thousand. " All the Freemasons employed in the work of the Temple, exclusive of the two Grand Wardens, were one hundred and thirteen thousand six hundred, besides the Ish, ormen of burden, the remains of the old Canaanites, amounting to seventy thousand, who are not numbered among Masons." It will be seen, by the foregoing extract, that the three thousand three hundred overseers were, in the opinion of Bro. Anderson, not only Master Masons, but expert ones. But while we are gratified at being able to bring such high testimony in support of a theory we have been teaching for many years, viz., that the overseers were advanced above Fellow Crafts, much like the first section of the Master's degree advances at the present day, still we are not satisfied; for, as before remarked, if the tradition handed down to us is true, the Master's degree was not given until the completion of the Temple, that is, the degree
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81 which we now have, and overseers could not have had the one that was lost, for the same tradition informs us that, up to that period, none were in possession of it but the three Grand Masters. We also learn from Bro. Anderson another evidence in support of a theory in reference to Entered Apprentices, which we have taught for many years, and, until now, sustained only by the fact that Solomon was endowed with superior wisdom, and, therefore, was capable of giving to Entered Apprentices instructions in architecture and the arts and sciences, which would make them superior to any others in the world who were not under his control. If the opinion of Webb, Cross, and others, were true, that Entered Apprentices were bearers of burden only, of course our conclusion as to their superior knowledge was erroneous, but we never could bring our mind to believe that Solomon would admit seventy thousand men to the degree of Entered Apprentice Mason, or in any way unite them in fraternal bonds, and make them bearers of burden. Again, Anderson says that, while the Fellow Crafts were parceled off into Lodges, with Wardens over them, for the purpose of receiving the commands of King Solomon in a regular way, and the better to take care of their tools and jewels, they took Entered Apprentices, and educated them, with the noble purpose of perpetuating their succession, and handing down those valuable secrets from generation to generation. Nor is there any other opinion well sustained, for it is idle to suppose that Solomon instructed each, in person, daily; and, on the other hand, how much instruction could these Entered Apprentices have received, directly from the Fellow Crafts, or indirectly from King Solomon, if they were daily engaged in carrying the hod? On the contrary, take the ground assumed by Bro. Anderson, and a beautiful system is presented, by which the strong bonds of union and love, created by mutual friendships, are cemented by the holy ties of affection, never to be broken; for each ministered to the other's wants, comfort, and happiness, and the advancement of each, in knowledge and virtue, served but to heighten the enjoyment of all. How beautifully sublime appears this great plan of benevolence, when we are able to harmonize its several parts, and trace its 6
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foundation to Him only who could speak it into being! TWe marvel, not that all men do not study the benign principles of Masonry, and spread more widely the cement of Brotherly Love, but we do marvel that Masons, who are Christians, do not all study its beautiful proportions, and discover its intimate connection with our holy religion, and the strong arm of its power in bringing men nearer, and yet still nearer, the throne of grace. Can any man be a good Mason, and not remember that God is gracious? Can any man understand Masonry, and not feel that he has no right to violate His holy law? We answer, No, no; and every Christian Mason should use its principles as a means of reforming others.
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CHAPTER IV.
THE traditions of our Order, and the old records which were brought together by order of the Grand Lodge of England, in 1718, and carefully examined by Bro. Anderson and a Committee of the Grand Lodge, agree in fixing the time of laying the foot‑stone, or corner‑stone, of Solomon's Temple on the second day of the month Zif, which answers to the 21st of April, in the fourth year of the reign of King Solomon, the third after the death of David, and four hundred and eighty years after the passage of the Children of Israel through the Red Sea, in the year of the world two thousand nine hundred and ninety‑two, after the Flood one thousand three hundred and thirty‑six, and before Christ one thousand and twelve. This mighty structure was finished on the eighth day of the month Bul, which answers to the 21st of October, being the seventh month of the sacred year, and the eleventh of the reign of King Solomon. We presume a minute description of the Temple will not be necessary here, as we hope our readers are all familiar with the Bible; but we have made some estimates, which are not generally found in Masonic works, of interest to the reader of Masonic history. The length of the Holy Place, or Temple proper, from wall to wall, was sixty cubits, sacred measure. the breadth twenty cubits, and the heighth to the upper ceiling, thirty cubits, being every way just double the size of the Tabernacle. The Oracle, or Most Holy Place, was a perfect cube of twenty cubits. The wall of the outer court, or Court of the Gentiles, was seven thousand seven hundred feet in circumference, and all the apartments would contain three hundred thousand people. The Oracle and Sanctuary were
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lined with massive gold, beautified, embellished, and adorned with sculpture and numerous gorgeous and dazzling decorations of diamonds and all kinds of costly stones. It has been conceded, on all hands, that no edifice has ever been constructed that will at all compare with this in exact proportions and beautiful decorations, from the splendid portico in the East, to the glorious and revered Sanctum Sanctorum in the West. Men, in extreme vanity, have attempted to surpass this masterpiece of Masonry, but it has never been equaled, nor ever will, unless God shall again condescend to plan and oversee. We would venture an opinion upon the subject of religion with great diffidence, but we can not but think the construction of this Temple was intended to prepare the world for the religion of our Saviour; for, while the Jews would not worship with the Gentiles, and despised them as being unworthy the favor 2f Heaven, God put it into the heart of Solomon to provide a place for the worship of all nations, thereby preparing the minds of the Jews for that doctrine which offers salvation freely to all, placing all men on a level, and pointing all to the one only living and true God, as the source of every good and perfect gift. To those who deny that Solomon erected the Temple under the influence of supernatural power, we beg to propound a question, viz.: Why is it, that in the lapse of so many ages, with the onward march of mind, with all the improvements in the arts and sciences, no specimen of architecture has ever been produced to equal the Temple, either in exact proportions or beauty of finish? Why is it that no near approximation to it has ever been made? Anderson, in his ancient Constitutions, states that a short time before the consecration of the Temple, Hiram, King of Tyre, came to take a view of that mighty edifice, and inspect the different parts thereof, that he was accompanied by King Solomon and the Deputy Grand Master, Hiram Abif, and that after a thorough examination he pronounced it to be the utmost stretch of human art. Thathere it was that Solomon renewed the league with Hiram, the King, and made him a present of the Sacred Scriptures, translated into the Syriac tongue, which is
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85
said still to be extant among the Maronites and other eastern Christians, under the name of the Old Syriac Version. This,he states, took place in the year of the Flood 1356, before Christ 992. Now, the above statement that Hiram, the King, left at that particular time to visit the Temple, is all true, but the manner in which the author makes the representation, carries the idea to our mind that he intends to say that this was the only time Hiram ever visited the Temple, and our Masonic readers will perceive that this opinion conflicts with our traditions; for we are not only taught that Hiram, the King. spenlt much of his time at the Temple, but that in the erection of a certain piece of work he was an operative; hence, it becomes a grave questior with us, whether our traditions in relation to the Temple have not, by inattention and ignorant teachers, confounded the two Hirams, for we candidly confess our inclination to believe Anderson more nearly correct, as it does not seem reasonable to suppose that the King would leave his own people and kingdom, and devote a great portion of his time to(the erection of the Temple of Solomon. But Anderson is mistaken in stating the date of King Hiram's visit; he says:" It was a short time before the consecration, and in the year of the Flood 1356." Whereas, if this building was commenced in the year 1336, one thousand and twelve years before Christ,and was finished in little more than seven years, it must have been dedicated about one thousand and five years before Christ, instead of nine hundred and ninety‑two. We know there is a difference in the calculation of some chronologers of four years between the era of Christianity and the birth of Christ, but there is nowhere a difference of thirteen years. We are hence driven to the necessity of supposing the calculation incorrect, unless we adopt the opinion (not sustained by proof, that we know of), that the Temple was not dedicated until thirteen years after the laying of the cape‑stone. Again, Anderson states that the celebration of the cape‑stone was interrupted by the death of Hiram Abif, which every Master Mason will see is at variance with our traditions as given at the present day, but we will give the author's language. He says: "The Temple of Jehovah being finished under the auspices of
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the wise and glorious King of Israel. Solomon, the Prince of Architecture, and the Grand Master Mason of his day, the Fra ternity celebrated the cape‑stone with great joy; but their jo] was soon interrupted by the sudden death of their dear an( worthy Master Hiram Abif; nor less was the concern of Kin~ Solomon, who, after some time allowed the Craft to vent thei] sorrow, ordered his obsequies to be performed with grea solemnity and decency, and buried him in the Lodge near the Temple, according to the Ancient Usages among Masons; anc long mourned for his loss.' After Hiram Abif was mourned for, the Tabernacle of Moses,and its holy relics,being lodged in the Temple, Solomon in a general assembly, dedicated or consecrated it by solemi prayer and costly sacrifices past number, with the finest music vocal and instrumental, praising Jehovah, upon fixing the hol3 Ark in its proper place between the cherubims; when Jehoval filled His own Temple with a cloud of glory." The Master Mason will perceive that we can not enter intc an argument here to sustain or disprove Bro. Andersonu' views, but we may be permitted to venture the opinion thal they are the deductions of his own mind, drawn from some other source than old manuscripts. First, because we do not believe there is a particle of tradition to sustain him; and second, we do not believe a manuscript was then in existence detailing that portion of Masonic history; for we must all believe that much greater care and caution was used in committing to writing anything in reference to Masonry, than at the present day‑and his opinions go to show that the traditions of nearly all the degrees, as given at the present day, are incorrect, and for this we are not prepared. Dr. Oliver also states that Hiram Abif's death occurred during the dedication of the Temple, and that the dedication services continued twice seven days. Now, if Anderson is correct in saying that Hiram Abifs death interrupted the ceremonies, and a reasonable time was given to the Craft to mourn the loss of their beloved Master, how could the ceremonies have continued, as stated by Dr. Oliver, twice fourteen days? For we suppose he means successive days.
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87 We will make another extract from Anderson's Constitution* in reference to the splendor and magnificence of the Temple, and refer the curious reader to Josephus and the Bible for a more extended and minute account. " The Same of this grand edifice soon prompted the inquisitive of all nations to travel, and spend some time at Jerusalem, and survey its excellences, as far as was allowed to the Gentiles; and they soon found that the joint skill of all the world came infinitely short of the Israelites in the wisdom, strength, and beauty of their architecture, when the wise King Solomon was Grand Master of all Masons at Jerusalem, and the learned King'Hiram was Grand Master at Tyre, and the inspired Hiram Abif had been Master of the work; when true, complete Masonry was under the immediate care and direction of Heaven; when the noble and the wise thought it their honor to be the associates of the ingenious Craftsmen in their well formed Lodges; and so the Temple of Jehovah, the one true God, became the just wonder of all travelers, by which, as by the most perfect pattern, they resolved to correct the architecture of their own countries on their return." The fame which the Temple acquired was not based upon the size or extent of the edifice, for if we bear in mind that it was only one hundred and fifty feet long, by one hundred broad, it will be seen that, at that day, there were many buildings much larger. The Egyptian Temples, which could not be compared with Solomon's in proportion, style of execution, or beauty of finish, were, many of them, vastly more extensive in outline, and massive in form. The palace at Carnac, from West to East, is about twelve hundred feet, and this measurement does not include any of the appendages or apartments beyond the main building. The breadth is more than three hundred and thirty feet. The Temple of Jupiter, at Agrigentum, in Sicily, is three hundred and forty‑two feet long, one hundred and sixty‑one feet wide, and one hundred and nineteen high. The dimensions of St. Paul's, in London, as we learn from Sir Christopher Wren, is,from East to West, five hundred and twenty feet, and from North to South, exclusive of the portico doors, is two hundred and eighty‑one feet. The Temple of Solomon astonished and
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confounded the world, because of the perfection of all its parts, and by its evidences of the wonder‑working hand of God, the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, overshadowed by the Shekinah, the Urim and Thummim, the Holy Fire, and the OracularVoice of Jehovah. In reference to the costly stones used in beautifying the Temple, we insert, as a matter of curiosity, an extract from Dr. Oliver: "An old Masonic tradition relates that, about four years before the Temple at Jerusalem was commenced, Hiram Abif purchased from some Arabian merchants several curious stones and shells, which they informed him were discovered on the shores of the Red Sea by some persons who had been shipwrecked. Hiram, the King, hearing of this circumstance, deputed Hiram Abif, with certain vessels, to examine the place, for the purpose of making further discoveries. After some experiments, he succeeded in finding the Topaz in great abundance, intermixed with other stones of inferior value." Whether the Doctor intends to be understood that these formed a portion of the precious stones that David had laid up to ornament the Temple‑for this would answer to the same year that he abdicated the throne to Solomon ùwe can not surmise, nor can we say through what channel he acquires a knowledge of this "old Masonic tradition;" but, if we credit the story, and this was the first discovery‑of the Topaz, then it proves that the breast‑plate of the High Priest, spoken of in the Bible and by Josephus, was not used until after the building of the Temple, or within four years of its commencement, for the second stone in the breast‑plate was a Topaz, which was said to refer to Simeon. There is one remarkable feature iL the writings of Dr. Oliver, viz., a propensity or habit of taking the surmises of his predecessors, and adopting them as the result of his judgment, formed from investigation; and very often he uses almost the precise language of another historian, without giving that author the credit. For example, the following extract from Anderson's Constitutions, in a note, will.be found, in substance,stated on page 339 of Oliver's.tnti, quilies, not as an idle tradition, but as historically true:
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89 "The tradition is, that King Hiram had been Grand Master of all Masons; but when the Temple was finished, Hiram came to survey it, before its consecration and to commune with Solomon about wisdom and art; and finding the Great Architect of the Universe had inspired Solomon above all mortal men, Hiram very readily yielded the preeminence to Solomon Jedidiah, the beloved of God." The reader will at once see, we mean the Mason, the fallacy of this so called tradition, when he remembers that all our traditions taught in the Lodges represent King Solomon as the first Grand Master. Indeed, any other view of this subject would produce the most perfect confusion in the Craft, by making the entire traditions an absurdity, or a tissue of nonsense. The doctrine of the divine origin of Masonry would be thrown to the winds, unless, indeed, we should be so credulous as to fall into the views of Dr. Oliver, and say, that God taught Freemasonry to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Dr. Anderson, though he styles the story a tradition, evidently does not regard it as coming through an authenticated channel, or he would have recorded it as true; but Dr. Oliver, who,we suppose, gets it from some one of the editions of Anderson, gives it as Masonically or historically true. When Doctors differ, how are the unlearned to learn? The truth is, we do not wonder that some of the oldest and best informed Masons of the present day, entertain doubts about the good resulting from writing so much about Masonry, for it is a melancholy fact that most of the authors tend to lead us deeper and deeper into the mazes of conjecture, doubt, and difficulty. For the cure of this evil we know of but one plan, and the day may come when it will be adopted, viz., require every man who writes a book for sale, purporting to give the history of Masonry, to exhibit the work and lectures, and prove, thereby, that his history agrees with the well‑defined traditions, as taught in them; then, and not till then, will the young Mason be able to lay hold of a work upon which he may safely rely for correct information. For the present, we can only recommend him to acquire a knowledge of the lectures, and, in reading history, to reject all which does not conform to the
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traditions taughtin the Lodges; for it will be found that they, when properly understood, are inconsistent with no principle of common sense, but constitute, as a whole, a beautiful illustration of the Catholic, or universal religion, as taught in the lives of the Apostles and Prophets. King Solomon did not send his workmen away after the completion of the Temple, but employed the Craft in carrying on his other works. He built two palaces at Jerusalem for himself and Queen; the hall of judicature, with an ivory throne and golden lions; and Millo, or the Royal Exchange. This was constructed by filling up the gulf between Mount Moriah and Mount Zion; strong arches were thrown over, upon which many beautiful piazzas were erected, with lofty colonnading on either side, and between the columns was a spacious walk from Zion Castle to the Temple. He also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon, upon four rows of cedar pillars. This was his summer‑house, or place of retreat from the cares and toils of his administration. It was furnished with a watch‑tower, overlooking the road to Damascus. Solomon built several cities between Jerusalem and Lebanon, many store‑housesWest of the Jordan, and several towns or citiesEast of that river, to furnish a safe deposit and carry on commercial trade; and,last of all, he erected that famous city, called by him Tadmor. This was situated in the desert toward Syria, in the direction to Babylon. It was one day's journey from the river Euphrates and six from Babylon; this city had a lofty palace in it. In after times, this city was called by the Greeks, Palmyra of the Desert. We are informed by travelers, that the ruins of this once mighty city are yet to be seen. How the heart of the good and true Mason‑the lover of ancient lore‑must beat on beholding the mighty pillars, the royal arches, and other specimens of the greatness and grandeur of the reign of Solomon, fallen, broken, and dilapidated by the withering blasts of time, and the ruthless hand of hostile invaders! How must his soul sink within him, when he reflects upon the ever fading glory of man, and the perishableness of all earthly things! And yet; if the spirit of Freemasonry, the principles of our holy religion, animate his
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91 bosom, with what joy may he look from nature up to nature's God, and behold, in the perspective, a mighty city, a glorious habitation, spoke into being by the fiat of Him who builds for eternity I Aye, though we grope in thick darkness through this world of change, and mourn over the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds, the fall of kingdoms, principalities, and powers, the long sleep of our ancestors, and then, in the bitterness of heart, turn away to the new made grave of a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a child, or companion, and give evidence of the poignancy of our sorrow, by dropping a tear upon the green sod of the cold earth; oh I how must that bosom's pang be alleviated, how must his sorrow fade away, or mingle in sweet melody with those. life‑giving words, " Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Brethren, we read in vain, we go through the forms of initiation in vain, we lecture in vain, if we fail to apply the great moral principles of our Order to out walk in life. In vain we preserve the Ancient Landmarks of the Craft, if we make no effort to live up to their teachings.
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CHAPTER V. IMMEDIATELY after the completion of the Temple, Lodges were formed in various parts of the kingdom. Anderson says tlat old Constitutions relate the fact that Solomon annually assembled all the Masons in a Grand Lodge at Jerusalem, " to preserve the cement of fraternity,and transmit their affairs to the latest posterity." Just here we are met with a difficulty which we do not remember to have seen satisfactorily explained. Solomon seems to have been the Father of Masonry, or the instrument in God's hands to establish it. We believe Masonry always taught all the morals, all the virtues, that are inculcated in the Holy Bible. We have said,elsewhere, that Masonry was originally Speculative, as well as Operative; and though we do not believe, with Dr. Oliver, that it ever was the true religion, we most sincerely think all its teachings were in strict conformity to the principles which that religion teaches. It is nothing without the Bible; our traditions are false if the ground‑work of Masonry is not laid in the Bible; and though we may be compelled to admit that it has since been made subservient to other religions, and dance attendance to other gods, its tenets ever have, and ever will, point to the God of Moses, and to that religion which was pointed out, or promised to the seed of Abraham‑and hence we find it difficult to reconcile the early life of Solomon with the great principles and tenets of the Order. It does seem strange, that one endowed with superior wisdom should, by means of that wiscom, bring a set of principles into practice, bring all its recipients under obligations to live in conformity thereto, and yet be the first to depart from them; yea, it would seem that, at the very period when he was most engaged in disseminating the truths of Masonry, he was setting at naught the very
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93 doctrine which gave it power over all other institutions to do good; for while it taught the power,and might,and majesty,of the one only living and true God, Solomon was worshiping the various gods of his concubines. But this is not more remarkable than that God should choose him as the instrument to build His holy Temple, who so soon departed from the true worship; but how beautifully is the immaculate wisdom of our heavenly Father displayed in the life and character of Solomon, endowed, as he was,with wisdom such as man never had, and with riches, and honors, and pleasures, to the overflowing, and permitted to enjoy them all to the full extent, yet at last be constrained to cry out:" All is vanity without the fear of God and the keeping of Hiscommands, which is the whole duty of man." How strikingly illustrative of the phantoms after which man continues to run, through this short but eventful life; and how, like Solomon, do we all fail to find the haven of rest, and peace, and happiness, here below. Three years only was Solomon truly wise, and these were his last. He died A.M. 3029, in the fifty‑eighth year of his age. Even before the death of Solomon, many of those who received their instructions from him, and were, therefore, called Solomon's workmen; traveled into foreign countries in search of employment, delighted with an opportunity to disseminate the benign and holy principles of Masonry. We hear of them in Syria, Asia, Mesopotamia, and Scythia. We read of them in Assyria, Chaldea, Media, Bactria, India, Persia, Arabia, and Egypt, and also in many parts of Europe. It may seem singular that we have no historical account of their traveling into Greece or Italy, which can only be accounted for by supposing that the Greeks considered themselves sufficiently advanced in a knowledge of architecture, to do without the assistance of Solomon's builders, or the loss of an account of their work in this country has been the result of oversight. But the tradition is, that they traveled to Hercules' pillars on theWest, and China on theEast; and the old Constitutions affirm that one called Ninus, who had been at the building of Solomon's Temple, brought the refined knowledge of the science and the art into Germany and Gaul.
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If this tradition be true, it seems to us probable that Greece generally was supplied with Solomon's Masons, and especially when we remember the great, the unlimited fame of the Temple, and the accomplishments of the workmen, we can not suppose the Greeks would suffer the surrounding nations to surpass them in architectural embellishments. We ask the reader to bear in mind the opinion which we have given in relation to the manner of accepting an Entered Apprentice, as we shall soon see that the character which was given by Solomon to the workmen, continued to operate advantageously to them and their successors. Thus, we see that soon after the Masons commenced traveling, so highly were they esteemed that, in many places, they acquired privileges and immunities granted to no other people; they were called Freemasons, because they taught the art only to the freeborn. They built Lodges or rooms, in which they lived. in the vicinity of any building they undertook to erect: and by their proxnlity to the great and wealthy, who employed them. the moral principles taught, and so rigidly lived up to, attracted general notice. which, together with their superior knowledge of the arts and sciences, soon influenced men of the greaters wroa.th and of the highest order of talents to solicit and obtain association with them; and,if we are to believe the man‑;(clipt:s brought forward in 1718, kings, princes, and potentates sonn after became Grand Masters, each in his own dominion; and this is the more likely, as Solomon, the wisest King, had set the example. It is probable that Solomon endeavored to unite the world in the strong bonds of love. and encourage the study of the sciences, by a. tmitting arl those sages and learned persons who visited him,to see t.r T''emple and learn of his wisdom, into the mysteries of MaoL' i, and in this manner was a knowledge of the art so soon;arried to all parts of the world, and hence kings and princes becamo Grand Masters, or patrons of Freemasons in t\eij respective countries. In the year A.M. 3034, Solomon's dominions were divided into Israei and Judah. but such was the influence of moral worth, that Solomon's Masons, or, as they were called after his death, Solomon's travelers, found favor in the eyes of all good
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95 men, and; moreover, their skill in architecture and the arts and sciences were acknowledged to be superior to all others, and hence the division of empires and the wars of nations did not seriously affect them. About the period mentioned above, Jeroboam employed them to build him two palaces, one at Sichem, and the other at Penuel. They also erected for him two curious statues of the golden calf, with Temples for its worship; one was erected in Bethel, and the other in Dan, and to these the Israelites repaired to worship until they were carried away by Salmanesar. Soon after, King Baasha employed Solomon's travelers to build Tirzah, and King Omri built Samaria for his capital, at which place his son, King Ahab, afterward erected a large and sumptuous Temple for his idol Baal. He also built a palace of ivory, besides many castles and cities. The Temple of Baal stood, a monument of the skill of the builders and the folly of the founder, until it was destroyed by Jehu. The royal descendants of King Solomon continued to fill the throne and patronize the noble art of Freemasonry, either directly or through the High Priest, until the reign of Josiah, the last good King of Judah. Wit‑h io people did Solomon's Masons seem to exercise a greater and more beneficial influence than the Gentiles. The Syrians built a lofty Temple, and a royal palace at Damascus. Many beautiful structures were reared at Sardis, in Lydia, at Ephesus, and other cities on the coast. About thirty‑five years after the death of Solomon, the Temple of Diana, built by some Japhetites, in the days of Moses, was burned down, and the kings of Lesser Asia rebuilt and ornamented it with one hundred and twenty‑six columns of the best marble. each sixty feet high; but this mighty edifice was not finished until the seventh year of the reign of Hezekiah. King of Judah, about two hundred and twenty years after its commencement, and in the year, A.M. 3283. This Temple was four hundred and twenty‑four feet long, two hundred and twenty feet wide, and constructed by the Ionic order. It was regarded by all as preeminently magnificent, and hence became the third of the seven wonders of the world. Even Xerxes.
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who waged war against image worship, and destroyed nearly everything connected with it, spared this Temple in his passage to Egypt, and it remained a monument to the Mason's art, until it was burned down by an obscure and infamous individual, for the sole purpose of notoriety. It was afterward rebuilt by Democrates, the architect, at the expense of the neighboring princes. In the twelfth year of Jotham, King of Judah, A.M. 3256, Sardanapalus was besieged by his brother Tiglath Pul Eser and Nabonassar, until, in despair, he burned himself and concubines, and all his treasure in the old Palace of Nimrod, when the Assyrian Empire was divided between Tiglath Pul Eser and Nabonassar. This Nabonassar, we are told, erected a city near the old Tower of Babel, in the year A.M. 3257, and called it Babylon. In the days of this Prince, who ruled over Chaldea, much attention was given to the study of astronomy, and so great was the advancement made in the science, that after generations styled this the astronomical era. In one of the degrees of Masonry, we have a tradition that after Noah safely landed on Mount Ararat, and offered up sacrifice to God on an altar which he erected, that he turned his attention to the cultivation of the earth, for one hundred years; when, his posterity becoming numerous, he ordered them to disperse themselves and take possession of the earth, according to the partition which he made; that they traveled a westwardly course, until they came to the plains of Shinar, when they counseled together, and, fearing the consequences of a separation, and being desirous to establish for themselves a name, gathered themselves together in great multitudes, and built the city of Babylon and the Tower of Babel. Now, if this be true, there must have been a city there before the time of Nimrod. In short, Babylon is the first city of wlich our traditions give an account aftertheFlood;but the reader will bear in mind that this tradition is not attached to either of the Ancient Craft Degrees, and, therefore, is not entitled to implicit belief, and the less so, because the city of Babylon is not spoken of by any author, if we are not mistaken, until the days of Isaiah, the prophet. By a reference
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HISTORY, OF FREEMASONRY. 9V' to Isaiah xiii; 39, and chapter xlvii., it‑ will be seen tlhat he described the.inhabitants of the city, and foretold its destruction. It is true, he does not, we think, inform us when it was built, but, from the language used, we should infer it had been the pride of the Chaldeans for at least a century; and yet, if this Nabonassar was the Baladan spoken of in the Bible‑and some authors think so‑ he could not have built the city, for Baladan is spoken of by Isaiah as being King of Babylon at the time he foretold its destruction. We will not undertake to trace Masonry into every country, and point out the various cities that were built or adorned by Solomon's travelers, but will be content to look at some of the more prominent places. Masonry not only flourished in Eastern Asia, but it took a western direction also. Boristhenes, in Pontus, was bu.it about the period of which we are writing. Prusias and Cnalcedon, in Bithynia, Constantinople (then called Bizantium), and Lampsacus, in the Hellespont. The travelers also penetrated into Rome, Ravenna, Florence, and many others in Italy; Granada, and Malaga, and others in Spain; and also on the coast of Gaul. While these banded brethren were engaged in improving and ornamenting Damascus, they erected a public altar of such curious outlines and richness of finish as to completely captivate Ahaz, King of Judah, who ordered a pattern to be taken and sent to Uriah, the High Priest of Jerusalem, who had one built in imitation, and set it up in the Temple, in lieu of the old one. In A.M. 3394, Josial, King of Judah, was slain in battle by Pharaoh Necho, from which may be dated the commencement of heavy misfortunes to Jerusalem, and, indeed, all Judah; for, soon after the fall of Josiah, Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakim (who succeeded his father Josiah) his vassal, and, for his revolting, was ruined. Nor did the ambitious views of Nebuchadnezzar stop here. He captured all the royal family, and the flower of the nobles of Judah, making prisoners of the best Craftsmen, laid waste Israel, overrun and destroyed every festige of the arts and sciences, demolished or burned every thing that appertained to the one only living and true God,
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and at last glutted his vengeance in beholding the ruins of the masterpiece of architecture‑the inimitable, the glorious Temple of Solomon. Nebuzaradan, Nebuchadnezzar's Captain of the Guards, entered Jerusalem on the seventh day of the fifth month, four hundred and sixteen years after the completion of the Temple, took out all the sacred vessels, removed the two famous pillars, robbed the city and the King's Palace of all the riches they contained, and then, by order of his master, on the tenth day of the month, set fire to the Temple and city, overthrew the walls of the Towers, in short, made the whole a scene of desolation. This occurred, according to our computation, 588 years B.C., or A.M. 3416, though we believe it is generally recorded four years earlier. The remnant of the, Jews, whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive into Baby. lon, included very many of those noble‑hearted Giblemites, who descended from the builders of Solomon's Temple; and Masonic tradition informs us that they continued to hold secretly their Lodge meetings, and, in this way, taught their children the secrets of Freemasonry and the principles of the revealed religion of their fathers; for it will be remembered that, previous to the fall of Jerusalem, the power and authority to transcribe the law was confined to the Scribes, and hence but a small portion of the people were in possession of a copy, every copy found being destroyed by the infidel invader. The captive Jews, therefore, could only perpetuate their religion by teaching it to their children from memory, as they did Masonry. All the captive Masons were compelled, for the space of fiftytwo years, to devote their time, labor, and skill in finishing and ornamenting the buildings which the King of Babylon and his predecessor had commenced, as also the erection of new ones. In this way, the Chaldean masons, who wrought with the captive Jews, perfected themselves in architecture, for the specimens of their joint labor made Babylon the fourth of the seven wonders of art, and the boasted mistress of the world. The most remarkable structures were the walls of the city, the Temple of Belus, the King's Palace, and the hanging gardens. The Temple of Belus was ornamented with those famous pillars, taken from the Temple at Jerusalem, and also the Brazen Sea.
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99 Jf what we read of the wonders of Babylon be true, the magnificence and extent of the works surpassed all others; and yet, for beauty of proportions and elegance of finish, nothing compared with the Temple of Solomon; nor did the wall which surrounded the city equal in extent the famous Wall of China. Nebuchadnezzar also erected, in the plains of Dura, a golden image of his idol god, Baal. This immense work of folly was sixty cubits high and six broad, and, according to Diodorus, contained upward of seven thousand drachms of pure gold, amounting in value to upward of fifteen millions of dollars. Thus labored and toiled the true: descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, borne down with oppression and slavery, and denied the privilege (dear to the heart of every Jew) of wor shiping the God of their fathers; but their long sufferings were destined to result in good; for the very opposite effect to that sought by Nebuchadnezzar was the result of their long and painful captivity, for when the proclamation of Cyrus was issued for the liberation of the Israelites, according to the word of God, these architects were the better prepared to return to the land they so much loved, and lay the foundation for the rebuilding of the Temple and the city of Salem. Cyrus ascended the throne immediately after Belshazzar was slain, A.M. 3468, and removed his imperial residence to Persia, and thus put an end to the Babylonish Empire, which had stood more than two hundred years. About one hundred and seventy years before the period just mentioned, the tribes became famous for their skill in architecture; for, under the reign of Dioces, they enlarged, beautified, and adorned Echbatana so wonderfully, as to command the admiration of all Greece, and although neither this city nor Persepolis were to be compared with the Temple, and other works of Solomon, the Greeks contended that Dioces was the founder of theFraternity of Freemasons. Dr. Anderson contends that Cyrus appointed Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, his Provincial Grand Master in Judah, with the High Priest Jeshuah, his Deputy. That Cyrus was Grand Master of Masons, even in his own country, our tradition does not inform us; but whether he was or not is of little
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consequence to this history, for the Bible and Josephus inform us that he was a friend to the Jews, and commissioned Zerubbabel to take charge of those who were liberated, and ordered the King's treasurer, Mithredath, to deliver into his hands all the silver and gold vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem, amounting to fifty‑four thousand; these Zerubbabel carried to Jerusalem, and the remainder were afterward, viz., in the reign of Artaxerxes Sangimanus, carried back by Ezra. Dr. Anderson does not mention Haggai as having any thing to do with the rebuilding of the Temple, and yet our traditions attribute to him the important part of constituting one of the Grand Council, that met and deliberated upon the best method of commencing and carrying on the work. We have stated elsewhere,* that it was determined in this Grand Council, for reasons known only to Masons, that none but the true descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, should participate in this glorious undertaking. One reason of this decree, aside from that to which we allude is, in our estimation, of the highest importance, viz., if God had erected the first Temple, through the instrumentality of that people whom he had chosen to be peculiarly His‑if Masonry were instituted by divine command, as the handmaid and co‑worker with the true religion, it is but reasonable to suppose He would not suffer Idolaters to take part in the second, though He did not intend the great Shekinah should dwell therein.t But, as we shall have occasion to consider this branch of our subject more at large when we come to treat of the higher degrees, we proceed now to continue our chain of Masonic events. * Masonic Address, delivered in Fayette, Mo., June 24, 1843. t Yet, now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, 0 Joshua, son of Josedeck, the High Priest; and be strong all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of Host.Haggai ii. 4.
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CHAPTER VI. THE Jews were liberated from Babylonish captivity, B.C. 636. See Ezra i. 2., Isaiah xliv. 28., from which it will be seen, that if the seventy years of captivity foretold by Jeremiah were completed in the first year of the reign of Cyrus, King of Persia, that captivity must have commenced twenty‑eight years before the destruction of Solomon's Temple and the city of Jerusalem, as from this period to the reign of Cyrus was only fifty‑two years. If we examine carefully the history of events, we shall find no diffiulty in supposing that the captivity of the Jews commenced at that period, when Nebuchadnezzar, the Great reigned in conjunction with his father; for the Bible informs us that he reigned forty‑three years alone, and onhe year and ten months with his father. In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, he issued the following proclamation: "Thus sayeth Cyrus, King of Persia, the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah," etc., etc. This proclamation was issued twenty‑six years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. By reference to the thirty‑second chapter of Jeremiah, we are authorized to believe that the captivity of the Jews commenced before the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah was himself made a captive two years before, viz., B.C. 590. Furthermore, we know that Jehoiakim, who was placed on the throne by Pharaoh, was dethroned, bound in fetters and imprisoned by Nebuchadnezzar. This Jehoiakim was placed on the throne B.C. 601 years, and reigned eleven years; so that his captivity was eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem, which, if added to the fifty‑two, accounts for sixty‑three of the seventy years of prophecy! And
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that these years may be computed is to be inferred from the fact. that at the same time Jehoiakim was dethroned, vessels of the house of the Lord were taken and carried to Babylon; and we have every reason to believe, that many of the Jews were made captives at the same time. See Chron. xxxvi. 6, 7. We have been thus particular in giving our views of this subject, because in one of the degrees of Masonry, this portion of Biblical history is, as we think, generally given improperly, and is calculated to produce an injurious effect. We allude to the number of years these Masons were in captivity, who, under the proclamation of Cyrus, returned to rebuild the Temple. The history, generally given by Masons is, that they were seventy years servants to Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, after the destruction of the Temple, and the intelligent inquirer after truth will likely ask if Masons, in these days, were not made until they were twenty‑one years old; then, the three distinguished individuals, spoken of in the Royal Arch Degree, must have been at least ninety‑one years old when they returned, which, when taken in connection with the active and important part performed by them after their return, does not seem reasonable. Now, we think they were in captivity only fiftytwo years, and may have been Masons before they left Jerusalem, and be only seventy‑three years old when they returned. But it is not necessary to the consistency of the tradition that they should have been Masons before their captivity; for our traditions represent that the captive Jews continued secretly to hold Lodges in Babylon, and the worthy individuals to whom we refer may have been present, in their youth, at the destruction of the Temple, and afterward became Masons in Babylon; but, as we before intimated, there are no good reasons to doubt their having taken the degrees before they left their native land. As long as Cyrus reigned, the Jews were protected in their much loved efforts to rebuild the Temple, but his successor Cambyses, being engaged in an effort to conquir Egypt, for this people had revolted, neglected or disregarded the workmen on the Temple. Some writers regard Amasys, the last ot Mitzraim's race, as acting Grand Master, in Egypt,when this
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108 revolt took place; certain it is, that he was held in high estimation by the Craft; for, as a manifestation of their high regard, they cut from a solid stone, a house twenty‑one cubits long, twelve broad, and eight deep, and brought it to Memphis a present to him. More than two thousand Masons were engaged upon this work for three years. Amasys had done much for the science of Masonry, he contributed largely to the building of the Temple of Apollo, at Delphi, in Greece, but at the very moment when this good man was building up and beautifying various cities, Cambyses was preparing to pull them down, by marching an army into Egypt, and destroying temples, palaces, and other monuments of Masonic art. Amasys did not live to witness this havoc, he died about the time Cambyses reached Egypt, and Cambyses died on his return, A.M. 3482. Upon the death of Cambyses, Smerdis, the Magian, assumed the name of Artaxerxes, and usurped the throne, who, being a wicked and corrupt man, was soon made the instrument, in the hands of the infidel and barbarous nations, to arrest the building of the Temple. They sent to him a memorial, charg‑ing that the Jews had ever been a rebellious people, against the authority of kings, and warning him that if they were suffered to rebuild the Temple and city, and congregate as formerly in large numbers, no king would be safe on his throne. To which he sent back a reply that he had had the old records examined, and found truly that the Jews had ever been enemies to kings, and, therefore, ordered that they be required to desist, from building the Temple and city. This edict was not conveyed to them in the usual way, but, it being in possession of their enemies, they hastily assembled an armed force, marched against the workmen and compelled them to disperse. The false Smerdis was, however, soon dethroned, and succeeded by Darius, B.C. 520. Although this Prince is represented by Masonic tradition as knowing nothing of the mysteries of Masonry, the memory of no man of his day is held in higher estimation by the Fraternity. Our traditions inform us that Zerubbabel made heavy personal sacrifices, and traversed the Persian dominions for no other purpose than to procure
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an interview with Darius, and, by reminding him of his early vows in favor of the Jews, endeavor to win his favor and protection in the great work of rebuilding the Temple and city. The King having heard of the fame of Zerubbabel, as a wise and accomplished Freemason, and being favorably impressed with the value of the Institution, demanded to know what the secrets were, and promised in return to raise Zerubbabel to one of the highest offices in his gift. The reply which Zerubbabel made was of such a character as to convince the King, not only of the great worth and importance of Freemasonry, but of the manifest impropriety of his request; whereupon, the King declared his determination, not only to protect the workmen until the Temple and city were completed, but made proclamation encouraging his loyal subjects to give gifts, and do all in their power to assist the Jews in their much loved enterprise. He also made large contributions from his own treasury to aid in carrying on the work; and in the sixth year of his reign, Zerubbabel finished the Temple, and celebrated the cape‑stone twenty years after he had laid the foundation thereof. Thus was that scripture fulfilled which declared that Zerubbabel should lay the foundation, and his hands should finish it. The consecration or dedication took place the next year, viz., B.C. 515. The Sidonians were equally as liberal in furnishing timbers for this as they had been in the days of Hiram, for the first Temple. We are informed that they prepared timbers in the forests of Lebanon, and, as formerly, conveyed them on floats to Joppa. An order to this effect had been issued by Cyrus, which they cheerfully obeyed, as also when it was renewed by Darius. During the reign of Darius, a new sect of religionists sprung up, under their great leader, Zoroaster. This sect were called Magians, and Zoroaster was styled their Grand Master, and hence they have been regarded by some as a Society of Freemasons, with how much truth we can not say. We suppose, however, that Masonry then, as now, was anti‑sectarian, and that Masons were to be found in all religious societies. Zoroaster was certainly a learned man, and encouraged teio
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1 05 study of the liberal arts and sciences, for his followers became celebrated everywhere, for their learning and knowledge, especially of geometry. The Greeks styled Zoroaster the teacher of all human and divine knowledge. This sect worshiped the sun, and were engaged in building fire temples, mostly in Eastern Asia, where they flourished until the drays of Mahomet. About 460 years B.C., Ahasueras married Queen Esther, who was regarded the greatest beauty of the day, and an accomplished Jewess. Under this reign Ezra was chosen head of the Craft. He built many synagogues in Judea. Nehemiah succeeded him, B.C. 455, who built the strong walls of Jerusalem. This work was prosecuted while the workmen were compelled to stand guard against their enemies. The history of the Craft in that portion of the world of which we have been speaking, presents nothing of striking interest for a long period of time. We call attention to Lesser Asia, B.C. 368, in order to show the state of Masonry and a remarkable evidence of the customs regulating marriages. In this year Mausolus, King of Cana, died; and though his reign was not marked by any notable deeds, his death was rendered famous by Artemisia, who was his sister and wife, who deeply bewailed his loss, and erected to his memory that famous monument at Halicarnassus, which was regarded as the fifth of the seven wonders of the world. This monument presented an exception to the general rule of building Masonic edifices, its length being from North to South. It was four hundred and ten feet in circumference, one hundred and forty‑one feet high, and sixty‑three cubits long. It was surrounded by one hundred and thirty‑six columns of the most beautiful sculpture. The East and West fronts had mammoth arches, seventy‑three feet wide, and on the side wall was erected a pyramid, terminating in a triangle, upon the top of which was constructed a coach and four horses, full size, admirably chiseled out of one immense block of pure marble. The Masons who had the superintendence of the work were Timotheus, Briax. Scopas, and Leocleares. We new turn our attention to Greece, where, as before
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intimated, we are involved in doubt and difficulty as to the time the royal art commenced flourishing. Some authors contend that it flourished there, as in other countries,shortly after the building of the first Temple, while others equally entitled to credit, fix the time at, or near, the completion of the second. We adopt the former opinion, for the reason that the evidences of a highly cultivated architecture is to be found in the ruins at Lemnos, Athens, Sicyon, and Candia, and they afford evidence of having been built before the Trojan war. But weare, nevertheless, constrained to admit that the history is so dark as to assume the character of fable, until the days of the Olympiads, which was B.C. 775, about twenty‑nine years before the founding of Rome. Whether the Temples of Minerva and Apollo, and their gymnasiums, were erected at an earlier period or not, they did not become famous until after the building of the second'Temple, at Jerusalem. If any of them were built before the Trojan war, they must have been greatly enlarged, beautified, and adorned after the time of Zerubbabel. The first of whom we have any authentic account, as a philosopher or architect, was Milesius, who acquired his knowledge in Egypt,and flourished in Greece B.C. 540, only some eight or ten years before the proclamation of Cyrus. About this time,Pythagoras, who had been a pupil of Milesius, traveled into Egypt. Our Masonic tradition represents Pythagoras as traveling through Asia, Africa, and Europe, and being initiated into several orders of High Priesthood, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. We think this tradition is not sustained by any respectable history, nor by the life of the man. We deem it proper to state here, that our views may possibly, be somewhat influenced by our preconceived and expressed opinions. We have frequently said, in delivering the lecture on the Master's degree, that we did not believe Pythagoras was a Mason, and we now proceed to an examination of the subject from the best lights we have. We have no evidence that the travels of Pythagoras were so extensive as the traditions represent. He went directly to Egypt in A.M. 3457, during the reign of Pisistratus, the
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IlSTORY OF FREEMASONRY. 107 tyrant of Athens. He lived twenty‑two years in Egypt, when Cambyses sent him to Babylon and Persia, in 3480, where he remained, learning legerdemain, for aught we know, of the Chaldean Magians, and picked up scraps of religion from the Babylonish Jews, and returned to Greece in 3489. Here he became the head of a sect or society, not of Masons, but religious fanatics, made up of all other religions, and resembling Masonry less,perhaps,than any, except that his followers were initiated into his Society with secret forms and ceremonies, but so different in their character, as at once to furnish strong presumptive testimony that he knew nothing of Masonry. He taught that God is a soul, everywhere in nature; that the souls of men are derived from this supreme soul, which is immortal: and the principle of all things being unity, he believed that between God and man there is an infinite number of spiritual agents, ministering from one to another to the great supreme soul. He taught the doctrine of metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, that even the desires of one animal passed,at its death, into another. Pythagoras was the first that assumed the name of philosopher, or lover of knowledge, and so extensive and profound was his knowledge, that he soon became celebrated, and thousands sought to be connected with his Society; and the more anxious were they, because he required five years severe and inhuman penance before they were permitted even to behold the great philosopher,thus producing the impression that the discoveries would be not only wonderful at initiation, but that temporal and eternal happiness would be their inevitable portion. The Pythagoreans lived abstemiously, eating no flesh, shunning all pleasures, so called, and held all property in common. They forbade the use of oaths, although every initiate was hound by the most solemn oath not to reveal any of the secrets which he instituted; and yet, if we take the opinion of some authors as authority, he only taught one secret, viz., the forty‑seventh problem of Euclid. He ascribed all things to fate or destiny, required his followers to live without the use of any drink but water; but the most remarkable, as well as the most ridiculous, was the injunction of five years silence before admission into the mysteries.
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That Pythagoras was the greatest man of his day can not well be questioned; indeed, such was the estimation in which he. was held by those who first wrote his biography, that they entertained the belief that he was, like Solomon, endowed with superhuman knowledge. He was a devoted student for thirtyfive years before he undertook to teach his followers in Greece; indeed, before he left for Egypt, his inordinate love of knowledge was apparent to his friends. His knowledge of the arts and sciences was so thorough, compared with any others of his day, that he must needs leave behind him the character of a learned and great man; but with all we must regard him as a religious fanatic; his doctrines were made up of the shreds and patches of all others, and differing from all in the singular combination of wisdom and superstition‑for while it was wise to teach his followers to bridle the tongue, how ridiculous to require five years total silence. While his code of morals, which taught that true wisdom tended to elevate man to a near resemblance to God, seemed the result of a most profound knowledge of the divine economy, how weak and groveling was that doctrine which taught that, after all the probation and penance endured, the soul, though purified, should enter again into a struggle with temporal life and earthly corruption, either in the bosom of another human being or an inferior animal. And so, in reference to all his doctrines; they were a system (if we may be allowed the term) of contradictions and inconsistencies. And now we ask our Masonic Brethren, in what does any or all the doctrines and teachings of Pythagoras resemble Masonry? Is it in his teaching morality? Some, men in all ages, have taught morality, who were not Masons. Is it in his teaching a knowledge of the arts and sciences? These, though ever encouraged by Masons, have never been confined to them. Is it in his requiring the applicants for admission into his Society to do penance five years? Masons never required a penance of any sort, nor a longer probation than was deemed necessary to know the applicant was worthy. Is it his sectarian doctrines of religion? Masonry has ever been opposed to sectarian religion, other than that which was delivered to the twelve tribes of Israel, upon
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109 which grand level all good men might meet‑a willing obedience to God's revealed will and benevolence to all mankind, has ever been the groundwork upon which is erected the noble structure of Freemasonry; and in what does this resemble the teachings of Pythagoras? For aught we know, he may have been a Mason, but we do know he was not a good one. Masonry has ever been opposed to superstition, fanaticism, and bigotry, and if the doctrines of Pythagoras did not abound in these, then have we learned them imperfectly. We are aware that the views we have here advanced are at war with the opinions of all, so far as we know, who have written of Masonry; and we have not the vanity to suppose they will be lightly adopted, if at all, nor do we care, only so far as the truth is concerned. We promised to give,what we believed to be a true history of Masonry, and this we shall do,if God shall give the ability, without stopping to inquire whether it is likely to be popular or unpopular. We think idle tales of modern invention have been dignified with the name of Masonic tradition long enough, and if we do no more than to awaken inquiry, and stimulate abler hands to separate the true from the counterfeit, we shall have accomplished much, very much, for the Fraternity of after time, and though our opinions be cast before the winds, if they are superseded by those that shall restore our beloved Order to, its primitive purity, divested of all the gewgaws and tinseled trappings of modern innovators, we shall have done more than if we had established anew doctrine or a new sect. To this end we labor, for this object we shall continue to labor, if our brethren will stand by and sustain us, until our Supreme Grand Master shall close our earthly career, and call us to render an account of our stewardship.
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CHAPTER VII. WHILE the doctrines of Pythagoras laid the foundation for t plausible system of infidelity, the influence of which may be traced through every age down to the present day, his thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences, or, we should say, his superior knowledge of them, wrought a mighty revolution in Greece. Geometry and architecture became the passion of the age, and, taking man as the model of architecture, the fine arts were cultivated with great energy. No man was esteemed an accomplished sculptor or painter, unless he was master of geometry and architecture. The academies of Athens and Sicyon were filled with the sons of the wealthy and best born of the land, and a knowledge of the arts and sciences became the stepping‑stone to power and influence. Masonry had ever taken the lead in cultivating and storing the mind with useful knowledge, and disseminating the principles of morality and virtue; and noW, more than ever, did it flourish in Greece, and very soon this nation of people, who had long been borrowing a knowledge of architecture from Egypt, became the teachers, not only of Egyptians, but the whole world. No country on the face of the earth can now boast c.fhaving had half the number of learned and great men. Greece had her Perseus, Philostratus, Appolodorus, Eupompus, Pamphilus, Artamones, Socrates, and Methrodorus. At this age lived Theodorus Cyreneus, the master and teacher of Plato, Xenocrates, and Aristotle, who became the teacher of Alexander the Great. At no age of the world did Freemasonry exercise a greater influence on the public mind. The sacred principles of the Institution found their way into every department of government. The laws were framed for its protection and support.
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Ill It was decreed that no slave should be permitted to study the arts and sciences; only the free‑born could become geometricians or architects; none but the free‑born could gain admission into a Lodge of Masons; and hence some believe this was the period when Solomon's travelers acquired the name of Freemasons, and that because the noble, the learned, and wise of Greece sought admission into, and were said to be accepted by the Maisons, that here it was they obtained the name of Accepted Masons. B.C. 335, Alexander, the Macedonian, gathered together an army, and gave Darius Codomanus battle at the Granicus, in which Darius was defeated. Alexander was equally successful at Issus and Arbela, and, taking possession of Tyre and Gaza, soon overrun and conquered all Egypt. Darius fled into Bactria, and was there assassinated by one of his own generals. The Persian Empire had existed two hundred and seven years, and terminated with the death of Darius; and in Alexander began the Grecian Empire, B.C. 334. To recapitulate the wanton and unprovoked outrages perpetrated by Alexander, would only go to show what an isolated case abundantly proves‑that he was one of those rare monsters of human nature, who was prompted by a sordid selfishness, and a reckless disregard of the means necessary to be used in ministering to his base passions. We read of monarchs, in former times, who were murderers either for the gratification of mere per. sonal revenge, or for the supposed perpetuity of their crowns, and we try to regard these events, or deeds of wickedness, as only taking place in the dark ages of the world; but is this true? No age in British history is so renowned for the wisdom cf the ministry and the intellectual equanimity of the sovereign, as the close of the seventeenth century, and yet Elizabeth became a heartless assassin. The truth is, as we think, that unlimited power in the hands of the few ever has, and ever will beget a spirit of tyranny, and whenever and wherever that power is concentrated in a single head, untrammeled by checks and balances of power, that head will likely show forth only the baser passions of the human heart. We doubt whether the aggregate amount of knowledge and virtue of the present day'
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is much greater than in the days of Alexander the Great; bul the spirit of freedom which begets a knowledge of personal rights is abroad in the land; and fear, not wisdom or virtue, restrains the wicked passions of crowned heads. Especially since the days of the lucky blunderer, Cromwell, have the people been learning that they were not created to be made foot‑pads for kings; and as a knowledge of personal rights is spread and communicated, a corresponding dimination of the principles of the one man power has been the result, until, as by a miracle, the model Government of the world sprang into being; and though the present movements in the old world may not, and most likely will not, immediately disenthral the nations of the earth from the chains of oppression, the good seed has been sown broadcast over the land, and the day is rapidly rolling on when the Goddess of Liberty will stand upon every hill, and wave the proud banner of freedom over the valleys of the earth. We have no evidence that Elizabeth was either a tyrant or a wicked woman, until power corrupted her heart. We have no reason to believe that Alexander was an unprincipled despoiler, until unlimited power, aided by the wine cup, brought forth the beastly passions of poor, corrupt human nature. At what period of Alexander's early life could he have been induced to set fire to the city of palaces, the beautiful Persepolis? But when corrupted by a knowledge of his unlimited sway, and maddened by the inebriating cup, he could, in a mere frolic, will to destroy the most splendid specimens of human art and ingenuity. And such were the debasing influences of tyranny, that willing tools were at hand to execute his behests. Even the renowned Democrates,who stood proudly preeminent, as the most learned and accomplished Mason of the day, could so far forget his own dignity as a man,as to pamper the vanity of his vicious Emperor. He it was who proposed to Alexander to convert Mount Athos into a statue of himself, with a lake in one hand, and a city in the other; which advice was approved, and woujd have been executed, but‑ for his desire first to build a city, to be his seat of power. He commenced building the city of Alexandria about the year B.C. 332, which became the
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13 capital of the kingdom. It is stated in Pliny's NJatural History, that Democrates first discovered the use of the papyrus. It is described as a species of bulrush, growing in the marshes of Egypt, especially ia the vicinity of the Nile. It grows about fifteen feet high; the stalk is about six inches in diameter, the bark of which, or, as some authors say, the leaves were converted into paper, upon which Democrates drew his designs of the city. Alexander died, drink,at Babylon, B.C. 323, and soon after his empire was divided between his generals. During the reign of Ptolemy Soter, B.C. 304, Euclid, the accomplished geometrician of Tyre, visited the Court of Ptolemy, who encouraged him to teach the noble science, especially to the sons of the lords of the land. We find in Anderson's Constitutions, extracts from the regulations of Euclid, which we believe to be the oldest record of Masonry now extant, and which, if true (and we have no reason to doubt it), should entitle Euclid to the high station in the estimation of the Fraternity which Pythagoras has occupied. When Ptolemy granted Euclid a commission to open a school, or Fraternity, for teaching the arts and sciences, Anderson states that an old Masonic record contains the following: "Euclid having received commission, he taught such as were committed to his charge the science of geometry, in practice. to work in stone all manner of worthy work that belongeth to building of altars, temples, towers, and castles, and all manner of buildings, and gave them a charge in this form: "First, That they should be true to their King and the lord they serve, and to the fellowship whereof they are admitted; and that they should be true to, and love one another; and that they should call each other, Fellow or Brother; not servant, nor knave, nor any other foul name; and that they should truly deserve their pay of their lord, or the master of the work, that they serve. "Secondly, That they should ordain the wisest of them to be the master of the work, and neither for love nor lineage, riches‑nor favor, to set another that hath but little cunning, to be master of the work, whereby the lord shall be evil served, 8
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114 HISTORY OF i'EhEMASONRY'. and they ashamed; and,also, that they should call the governor of the work, Master, in the time that they work with him. And many other charges lhe gave them, that are too long to relate; and to all these charges, says my author, he made them swear a great oath, that men used at that time. "And he ordained for them a reasonable pay, whereby they might live honestly; and, also, that they should come and assemble together every year once, to consult how they might work best, to serve the lord for his profit, and to their own credit; and to correct, within themselves, him that had tres passed against the Craft. "And thus was the Craft grounded there; and that worthy clerk, Euclid, gave it the name geometry, which now is called Masonry." Some of our friends will remember having heard us question the theory of Bro. Cross, and others, who have taught that geometry and Masonry were originally synonymous terms, will here see proof to the contrary. We are not surprised that Masonry has been called by other names in several ages of the world. Had the late efforts of the anti‑Masons in the United States, succeeded in rendering the Institution odious to the people, we do not hesitate to say that it would have lived, in all its simplicity and purity, under some other name; but, in all its attributes and ends, Freemasonry. So, perhaps, in the days of Euclid, Masonry.may have been called geometry by this eminent scholar; but the charges just quoted will satisfy any well informed Mason that they bear upon their face the very impress of our venerated Order, and it is to be deeply regretted that the other charges to which the old manuscript alludes were not preserved. It is matter of surprise to us that Dr. Anderson, when he was compiling or collating tile Ancient Charges and Constitutions, did not also give us the evidences of their antiquity, as presented on the face of the old manuscripts. For example, he gives us the Ancient Charges, as said to exist from the foundation of the Order, and, asit is not pretended that any alterations were ever made in them, they are satisfactorily handed down to'usi; bilt not so with the Ancient Constitutions. We are simply told;that this is an old Regulation',
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115 and that is a new Regulation; and although the date of the new Regulations can generally be traced, the old ones can not; and whether by the old Regulations. the author means those which were adopted by the Grand Convocation which assembled at York, in A.D. 926 or simply refers to an indefinite period anterior to the collation, we are not informed. "According to the old Constitutions," says Anderson, "Ptolemy, Grand Master., with his Wardens, Euclid and Straton, the Philosopher, built his palace at Alexandria, and the curious museum or college of the learned, with the library of Bruchiam, near the palace, that was filled with four hundred thousand manuscripts or valuable volumes." This immense library was the depository of the greatest minds of the day, from the surrounding country, and was much the largest collection of literary and scientific matter the world had ever seen; and no event, from the days of Noah, tended so powerfully to bury in the rubbish of oblivion the true history of the world, and a knowledge of the arts and sciences, as its destruction. It was burnt during the wars of Julius Cesar. Ptolemy Soter founded the tower of Pharo, or, as some authors call it, the ‑obelisk of Queen Semira mis. It was a tower twenty‑five feet square, and, when completed, was one hundred and fifty feet high. This pyramid was completed by Ptolemy Philadelphus, who succeeded his father. It was so constructed, we are told, as to present the image of Queen Semiramis, cut from a large stone, with smaller ones representing tributary kings. This opinion leads us into some difficulty; for it is not pretended that there was more than one Queen named Semriramis, and she, according to Aristotle, was the builder or ornamenter of Babylon and Nineveh.'This history represents her as not being so ancient, iby several centuries, and as being Queen to Nabonassar. The tower was built on an island, and was intended, as we think, mainly, if not entirely, to serve as a lighthouse for the Alexandrian harbor, and when completed, was regarded as the sixth wonder of the world, Philadelphus founded a number of cities, and rebuilt old Rahab, calling it Philadelphia. Ptolemy Philadelphus was evidently an eminent architect and encourager of the arts and sciences;
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indeed, so perfect was his style of architecture regarded, that for a long period the best and most perfect specimens were called Philadelphian. In his reign, or that of his son, another library was built near or adjoining the old one. It is said that Cleopatra afterward added to this library two hundred thousand manuscripts, presented to her by Mark Antony. As there is a remarkable similarity in the force of the reasons given by the great Emperor for the destruction of this great library, and those used by the great Alexander Campbell, of the present day, for the downfall of Masonry, Odd Fellowship, and Sons of Temperance, we will here give them in full. The Belchium, or Alexandrian Library, had often been subjected to the depredations of barbarian invaders during the revolutions and commotions of the Roman Empire, but it was as often repaired and replenished, until Alexandria was taken by the Saracens. At the period of the destruction of the library, there lived at Alexandria the famous Aristotelian philosopher, Johanes Grammaticus, who was a great favorite of the Saracen General, Amrus Ebnol. And he, being a great lover of the arts and sciences, requested, as a great favor, to be presented with this library, to which the General replied that the Caliph alone possessed the power to dispose of it, but that he would write to the Emperor and urge his request, which being done, the Emperorreturned for answer:‑" That if those books contained what was agreeing with the J.lcoran, there was no need of them, for the Alcoran was amply sufficient of itselffor all truths; but if they contained anything that disagreed with the.Jlcoran, they were not to be tolerated or endured; and, therefore, ordered that, whatsoever they contained, the whole must be destroyed without delay." Where. upon, they were distributed among the public baths, and served as fuel to heat all the baths of Alexandria for six months.
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CHAPTER VIII. B. 0. 304. When Antigonus was near eighty years old, and during his wars with Cyprus,'he demanded succor of the Rhodeans, to which they sent back for answer a request that he.could not compel them to take up arms against their friend and ally, Ptolemy. This reply so offended Antigonus, that he sent against them his son Demetrius, with a fleet of two hundred ships of war, one hundred transports, with forty thousand men, accompanied with about one thousand small vessels with provisions, etc. Rhodes was known to be a city of great wealth, and the soldiers under Demetrius expected rich booty. Demetrius was one of the most learned and scientific men of his day, as well as a brave and accomplished officer, and carried with him great numbers of those vast machines, then in use, for throwing arrows and battering down walls. The Rhodeans had, after sending away useless citizens, but about six thousand Rhodeans and one thousand strangers, together with a few slaves, to defend the city; but, at that period, the city held many eminent architects, and all were called upon to exert their best skill, and fight for their homes; and, notwithstanding the many scientific plans of assault resorted to by Demetrius, the Rhodeans were successful in counteracting them, till, after a siege of twelve months, Demetrius was willing to make an amicable adjustment and compromise of their difficulties; and, in order to leave behind an evidence of his high regard for their science and bravery, he made them a present of all the machines of war which he had employed against them. As an evidence of the high estimation in which the arts and sciences were held by this distinguished chief, we will here relate, upon the authority of Pliny and Vitruvius, that at that time there was living in Rhodes a celebrated painter, named Protogenes. The rooms he occupied
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were situated outside of the city, and,consequently,exposed to the violence of the soldiers of Demetrius; but, as though noth ing could disturb his mind, or draw it from the pursuit of his profession, he continued his labors, unmoved by the noise of war; and on being asked by Demetrius for an explanation of his conduct, replied: "Because I am sensible you have declared war against the Rhodeans, and not against the sciences." Whereupon, Demetrius ordered a guard to preserve him unharmed. This artist's masterpiece was the Inlysees, a historical picture of a heathen god, or hero, said by the Rhodeans to be the founder of that city. Pliny thinks that this painting was the cause of Demetrius' raising the siege, as he states it hung in that quarter of the city where alone it was possible for a successful assault to be made, and that sooner than expose so fine a specimen of art to destruction, Demetrius abandoned his enterprise; but this historian is not sustained in this opinion by those who wrote about the same time, and the idea is ridiculed by Rollin and others. We have said thus much about Rhodes, at the period referred to, for the purpose of showing somewhat of the history of the last of the seven wonders of art. The Rhodeans sold the machines which had been given to them by Demetrius, for three hundred talents, upward of three hundred thousand dollars, with which, together with a sufficient sum raised from other sources, they built the great Colossus across the mouth of the harbor. Charles of Lindus, a celebrated Mason and architect, was employed by the city to‑perform this stupendous work, which occupied him and all his craftsmen twelve years. It was built of brass; and when we remember its hightseventy cubits, or one hundred and five feet‑and that its form‑that of a man‑was perfect in all its parts, we may form some estimate of this vast human statue. Contemplate a human figure, with one foot on either shore, and a natural stride sufficiently wide to allow the largest ships, under sail, to pass between its legs. This mighty Colossus stood only sixtysix years, when it was thrown down by an earthquake, B.C. 236. We have no accurate account of the amount of materials
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19 employed in its building; but a tolerably correct estimate may be drawn, when we consider that it remained prostrate until A.D, C72. about eight hundred and ninety‑four years, subject to the waste of time and the purloining of men, and then weighed over eight hundred thousand pounds. The sixth Caliph of the Saracens, having taken Rhodes in the year above named, sold the brass to a Jew merchant, who loaded nine hundred camels with it, and it is fair to suppose each camel carried nine hun dred pounds. We are at a loss to determine what great purpose this great statue, much the largest in the world, was designed to answer. We know this people worshiped the sun, and that the statue was dedicated accordingly; but we can find nothing in their religion which would suggest the idea of such a statue, and it was certainly not so constructed as to afford a place of'worship. If left to our conjecture, we should be inclined to say that it was intended for the two‑fold purpose of serving as a fit place for a beacon‑light to approaching vessels, and to excite the wonder and admiration of the world; though, at the present day, we should be inclined to regard it as a specimen of their folly. Certain it is, whatever may have been the design of th9 Rhodeans, it did not long answer the end for which it was designed; for, like the Tower of Babel, the vengeance of Heaven was poured out against it. The city of Carthage, so renowned in ancient history, and to which we have already barely referred, was founded byElisa, or Dido, who married a near relative named Ascerbas, who, for his wealth, was murdered by Dido's brother, Pygmalion, King of Tyre. She, however, eluded his avarice, by secretly withdrawing from the country, carrying with her all her late husband's wealth, and after long wandering, landed on the coast of the Mediterranean, near Tunis, and purchasing some lands from the inhabitants, settled, with her few followers, about fifteen miles from that town, and afterward commenced building Carthage‑signifying new city. Dido was afterward courted by Jarbas, King of Getulia, and threatened with a war in case of her refusal to marry him. This Princess having made a solemn vow to her husband never to consent to a second marriage,
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and not being capable of violating that vow, desired time to return an answer, when she ordered a pile to be raised, and ascending to its top, drew a concealed dagger and plunged it to her own heart, thus setting an example of integrity and virtue which tended no little to stamp the character of Carthagenians for many ages. How many monarchs or presidents of the present day would sacrifice their own lives sooner than involve their nation in a war? When we contemplate the growth and prosperity of Carthage‑the vast power and influence which it long exercised, not only over Africa, but her conquests were extended into Europe, invaded Sardinia, took nearly all of Sicily and Spain, and for six hundred years was mistress of the seas‑and by her great wealth, intelligence, and bravery, was prepared to dispute preeminence with the empires of the world ‑we are struck with the wonderful ways of Providence. Here was a mighty nation of people, brought into being and power by a single act of a mercenary assassin. For a long period before the Romans acquired any fame for architecture, or the science of government, the Carthagenians had established wise laws, built several thousand cities, ornamented with stately castles, etc. Their skill in masonry was of that kind which tends to show them to have been an intelligent and warlike people. Their marble temples, gold statues, splendid palaces, good ships, and well constructed forts, point out this people as occupying the most prominent position of any in the world; and when we consider that their ships sailed on every known sea, carrying on a trade with all the known world, we are not surprised that they so long disputed with the Romans the right of universal empire. But the envy and ambition of the Romans never slept or slumbered; they had a pretended prophecy‑' Delenda est Carthago "*‑Carthage must be demolished‑which after several long and bloody wars was accomplished by Scipio, B.C. 150. This was the constantly reiterated expression of Roman Senators, and served to keop alive the hostile feelings of the people to the envied fame of Carthage, but it is very questionable whether there was even a pretended prophecy in those words
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121 It is not a little curious that a lady, also,figured somewhat conspicuously at the fall of Carthage. After the main city was given up, Asdrubal, his wife and two children, with nine hundred soldiers who had deserted from Scipio, retired to, and fortified themselves in, the Temple of Esculapius, and,owing to its favorable position, might have held out a long time; but the cowardly Asdrubal came out, and,with an olive branch in his hand, threw himself at Scipio's feet, begging for his life. The Temple was then set on fire, when Asdrubal's wife presented herself and two children in view of the army, and addressed Scipio in a loud voice: ù" I call not down curses upon thy head, O Roman, because thou only takest the privilege allowed by the rules of war; but may the gods of Carthage, and those in concert with them, punish, according to his deserts, the false wretch who has betrayed his country, his gods, his wife, and children!" Then turning to Asdrubal she said:‑" Perfidious wretchl! thou basest of men, this fire will presently consume both me and my children; but as to the unworthy General of Carthage, go, adorn the gay triumph of thy conqueror; suffer in the sight of all Rome the tortures thou so justly deservest." She then seized her children, cut their throats, and threw them into the flames, and, with a bound, followed after them. The Sicilians, who had descended from the Greeks, early practiced geometry and architecture at various places, but especially at Syracuse; for when Marcellus brought his Roman army against that city, it was twenty‑two miles around it, and could not, therefore, be subdued by a siege. Nor was Mar. cellus more successful in storming it, because of the able devices of the learned Archimedes, the Master of the Masons of Syracuse, whose plans were so skillfully laid, that he was able to counteract every movement of the Roman army, and it is probable that Marcellus would have utterly failed, but for the love the people of the city had for their festive day; for it was while they were occupied with one of these, that a single tower was permitted to be imperfectly manned, which the Roman general took advantage of, and, making himself master of it, the city soon fell into his hands. Marcellus gave strict orders to save Archimedes, but this great architect was so. deeply
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engaged in devising means to repel the Romans, that he was not aware of the city being in the hands of the enemy, and was murdered by a common soldier. Marcellus was a lover of the arts and sciences, and deeply mourned the loss the world had sustained in the death of Archimedes, and gave him honorable burial. This occurred B.C. 212. We have every reason to believe that Greece, Carthage, and Sicily sent out architects and builders into many parts of Europe, particularly Italy and Spain, and also on the coast of Gaul; but we know very little of Masonry in these countries until after they were overrun by the Romans. We do not recollect how many works of art have been claimed as constituting the seven wonders of the world, but there is no specimen of Operative Masonry which, to our mind, presents so much mystery as the celebrated Wall of China, which, though it has long occupied a place on the map, we do not, to this day, know when or by whom it was built. Our knowledge of the Chinese Empire is of modern date. We think it was near the close of the sixteenth century that some Jesuit priests entered, by some stratagem, within the wall, and after remaining some time brought away, or professed to do so, the secret of making their ware. The Chinese believe that they have occupied the same spot of ground from the creation of the world, which they make some two thousand years older than it appears fiom the accounts of Moses. They have an account of several floods, but deny that even the great deluge reached China. This people have a few learned men who are somewhat acquainted with astronomy; for they record all remarkable eclipses and conjunctions of the planets, and but for the modern improvements and discoveries in astronomy, we should be driven to the Bible alone, to set aside their chronological calendar; but the celebrated Cassini, observing their account of a remarkable conjunction of sun, moon, and some of the planets, which took place, according to their showing, shortly after the creation, or about six thousand years ago‑calculated back, and proves that such a. conjunction actually took place in China one thousand eight hundred and twelve years before Christ, or in the time of Abraham, ibout
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123 four hundred years after the Flood; which, if true, shows the government to be very ancient, and that their account of the creation is incorrect. One thing seems to be very certain, viz., that this people possessed a knowledge of architecture in an eminent degree, before they built their GreatWall. That they have retained that knowledge or improved upon it, without any assistance from other nations, furnishes another evidence that architecture was better understood by the ancients than it is at the present day; for,in point of magnitude, the world never saw anything to equal the Wall of China. We state from memory, that it is fifteen hundred miles long, and sufficiently thick for carriages to be drawn and pass each other on its top. Different opinions are entertained in reference to the style of the work; but we think the length of time it has stood, underwrites the quality of the work. We think it probable that this people had been surrounded by warlike tribes, and being themselves lovers of science, and averse to war, inclosed themselves in a wall; and so rigid and complete became their seclusion, that they lost even a knowledge of‑other nations. We read, some twenty‑eight years since, Lord Amheist's account of the manner and customs of the Chinese, ffom a personal intercourse with them, inside the Great Wall. We are not positive as to the particular stratagem used on this occasion to gain his admission, but, if our memory is correct, he bore a present of a fine carriage from George III., of England, with the condition that it was to be delivered to the Emperor in person, and Lord Amherst states that, after great precautions and blindfolding, he was admitted. He informs us that the policy of the government is, in many respects, the very reverse of any Anglo‑Saxon nation. For example, while we are using every power of mind to do away with manual labor, the canals are so built that all goods are landed at the most distant point of the empire, from the place of final destination; and that no means of conveyance is then allowed but that of manual labor; nor is this so very'remarkable, when we remember that they forbid emigration, and must needs seek to give employment to all citizens; for it will be remembered that the business houses,
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which are situated outside of the wall, in order to carry on commerce with other nations, furnish employment to a very small portion of the citizens. Since, in these latter days, the Chinese have permitted a more liberal intercourse with other and Christian nations, we have some prospect that the effect will be a conversion to Christianity, a cessation of infanticide and idolatrous worship, and a turning to the true worship,aand a general system of slaughtering adults under the sanction of Chinese laws abandoned. England has already given them a foretaste of coming events. Lord Amherst represents the common people as being a faithless, lying set of ignorant beings; but,in giving credit to the man. ner of his reception, we are left at liberty to infer that they may have been instructed to deceive him, with the intention that he should know as little as possible of their true character and condition. We think this author states that when the carriage was presented to the Emperor, he ordered his best workmen to make one just like it, and conceal or destroy the original, showing a determination not to let the people know that he would use any article of foreign manufacture. In relation to the ignorance of the people, we should be surprised to hear any other account than that given by Lord Amherst; for the nature of their language, and character of government, must ever confine any very extensive knowledge of the arts and sciences to the few who are privileged by birth or wealth. It matters not to which of the sons of Ncah we trace this people. It is very evident that they understood‑Operative Masonry at an early period; but, as far as we know, there is no account, either historical or traditional, ofan organized Society of Freemasons in the empire, even to the present day. Yet, it is not impossible that it does there exist; and, if so, its traditions might tend to remove much of the obscurity which shrouds a portion of Masonic history. But we have strong reasons for supposing that no such Society ever (xisted there until introduced by Englishmen,within a short period. All the traditions and teachings of Masonry, as iar as we understand them, are founded on, and corroborative of, the Bible; and the traditions of the Chinese are at open and direct variance
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125 with that holy volume. But, if the opinions of Dr. Oliver are correct, that geometry is Masonry, and that Masonry is the true religion, then have that people been long Masons, and the true religion is not to be found in the Bible. The great works of the Chinese leave no room to doubt their early knowledge of geometry and architecture; and,of course, as their religion and traditions ante‑date the accounts of the Bible, and give altogether a different history, their religion can have no connection with the Christian religion. So that, if they have the true, we have the false religion. We have read and heard, again and again, that Masonry is universal; that we have brethren of the mystic tie in every inhabited part of the globe, and, for aught we know, it may be so; but we are not prepared to believe, as true, mere declamation, unaccompanied by proof of any kind. Masonry is universal in its principles, upon one important condition, viz., the belief in one Supreme Being; but we have nowhere any authority for making Masons of those who believe in a plurality of gods. We have heard that we have brethren among the various tribes of Indians; but, while there is nothing in their faith to disqualify them (they all believe in a Supreme Being), we ask if we have any account of Masonry among the Indians prior to their intercourse with the whites? A few have been made, as Brant was, by the whites, who knew them to be worthy from an intimate acquaintance; and a few others have been made also by the whites, as was recently done in Ohio, with6ut any knowledge of the moral fitness or qualifications of the candidates. In the case alluded to in Ohio, our brethren seek to find an excuse in the fact that an Indian interpreter, a half‑breed, had with him a precious relic, on which was painted some mysterious characters, the tradition of which, from what we can learn, was about as much like "ancientDruidism," or the "Society of Red Men," as Masonry. But as the half‑breed was, from his own account, somehow connected with some Indian mystery, ergo, it was spurious Masonry, and he deserved to be healed. If Masons are thus carelessly and recklessly made at this day, when the Institution is so gloriously in the ascendant, is it
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remarkable that Chinese Masons are to be found in the persons of those who have visited Christendom? Point us to the Lodge, among the Indians or Chinese, that can trace its origin to a period anterior to their intercourse with a Christian or civilized people, and we may be prepared to credit the story of universal Masonry. To us it does seem strange that so many able writers labor to make Masonry so much more than common sense will bear them'out in; when, if its well known history and character is given without exaggeration, it will appear proudly above all other human associations, as a system of ethics, capable of being understood by all; and it is the more remarkable, when we reflect that these extraordinary claims are calculated to excite the ridicule and animadversions of the thinking historian. Tell an intelligent man that Masonry is the true religion, and that its members are to be found in every tribe, kindred, and tongue ‑one portion acknowledging the Bible as the rule for the government of their faith, another the Koran, another without any written law, but worshiping the sun. moon, stars, animals, sticks, or stones and what must he think of you, orof Masonry? We can find a reason for believing animal magnetism, clairvoyance, Millerism, Mormonism, enchantment, or even witchcraft, or any other imposition of the day; but we are at a loss to conceive of a single reason going to show that Masonry is the wonderful system of palpable contradictions,which makes it the true religion and spurious religion, Christian andanti‑Christian, and, withal, as old as the world, and as wide‑spread as the universe of man. The Chinese evidently understood architecture at a period long anterior to our knowledge of their internal government; the immense wall alone proves this. And if we take the account of Moses, as much may be said of the Antediluvians; but does it, therefore, follow that the Antediluvians, Chinese, and Christians have ever practiced the same system of ethics, through the medium of the same organized Society, Freemasonry? We find the task a difficult one, to trace, satisfactorily, the Association from the days of Solomon to the great Convocation of York, in England, in 928.
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CHAPTER IX. THE Hetrurians used the Tuscan order of architecture at a very early period of their history, but from the Greeks, who never used this order, they learned the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders; and when Turrenus, the last King of the Tuscans, bequeathed his government to the Romans, B.C. 279, they had built many splendid specimens of their art. The Romans, seeing these, invited their workmen to Rome, where they taught their knowledge of architecture. When Marcellus took possession of the rich spoils of Syracuse, he imitated the great Archimedes, by becoming the Grand Master, or patron of Masonry, and employed all the most accomplished Fellow Crafts to build the celebrated theatre at Rome; also a Temple to Virtue, and one to Honor. But the Romans still remained greatly in the rear of the Greeks, until the time of Scipio Asiaticus, B.C. 190, who led the Romans against the King of Syria, and took, by force, the country West of Tarsus. Here they beheld the magnificent specimens of Grecian architecture with wonder and admiration, and they sought carefully to imitate them. Soon after this event, there followed a series of conquests, which tended powerfully to foster and build up a love of the arts and sciences. In the time of Scipio Africanus, who was an encourager of the arts and sciences, Carthage, the great rival of Rome, was taken, and by order of the Senate destroyed, B.C. 146, but not until Scipio, who mourned to see such specimens of magnificence destroyed, had learned much of Carthagenian architecture. Nor is this all that tended to establish the glory of the Roman Republic. About, the same period,lumnmius entered and sacked Corinth, the queen city of Greece, from which were taken, not only the finest specimens of art, but the learned in science and
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128 HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY architecture were invited'to Rome, from which period Rome assumed a proud stand among the nations of the earth. The noble palace of Paulus Emilius, the triumphal arch of Marius, in Gaul, and the three theatres at Rome, rose in their splendor One of these theatres was so remarkable in size and style of finish, that we are induced to give a brief description of it here. This building was capable of holding eighty thousand persons. The interior was divided into three separate divisions or lofts of scenery, one above another, supported by three hundred and sixty columns; the first row of marble, the second of crystal, and the third of wood. Between these columns were three thousand human statues,beautifully formed of brass. In the days of Tarquinus Superbus, the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was built, and their god, Jupiter, was made of clay; but this Temple being destroyed, the great Sylla had the columns taken from Jupiter Olympus in Greece, and used them in building the new Temple in Rome, and made Jupiter of pure gold. Pompey the Great built a splendid theatre near his palace, that held forty thousand persons. At this period, no people were so fond of shows of all kinds as the Romans; and though in all ages theatrical amusements have seemed to lead to the toleration of more or less obscenity and immorality, it is nevertheless true that to this species of public amusement are we much indebted for the advancement of this people in literary taste, and a love of knowledge and virtue. We have been speaking of the proudest days of Rome, all things considered, but now a mighty struggle commenced between two great men‑Pompey and Julius Caesar contending for supremacy. The struggle was between two great Generals, of giant intellects, and long was the effort of doubtful result; but finally, Pompey was routed at Pharsalia, and murdered in his attempt to escape, and thus the Republic of Rome, which had existed for more than one hundred years, fell to rise no more. Caesar was proclaimed perpetual Dictator and Imperator. The High Priest reformed the Roman calendar, B.C. 48. It is stated by Pliny that Julius Caesar built the great Circus, three furlongs in length and one in breadth, which was capable of holding, at the shows, two hundred and jai4ty thousand
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HISTORY OF FREEMASON RY. 129 people. He built Caesar's Palace, the beautiful Temple of Venus, and ordered Corinth and Carthage to be rebuilt about one hundred years after they were destroyed. But how shall we reconcile this statement with the short period which elapsed between his ascension to power and his death? We do not say that he did not accomplish all the great works assigned to him, but we believe that,if he did so, they must have been commenced long before he was declared Dictator, for he was murdered at Pompey's statue, by his ungrateful friend Brutus, B.C. 44. It must ever remain a matter of opinion and doubt, whether the fall of Caesar was, or not, a national calamity. On the one hand, the lovers of liberty and republican government will contend that as a tyrant he deserved to die, that Rome might return to her republican form of government; while on the other, it may with truth be said that the Roman people had lost their capacity to govern themselves; but all agree that the consequences which followed resulted in the glory of the Roman Empire, for the conquest of Egypt, the death of Cleopatra, the fall of the Grecian monarchy immediately followed, and ushered in the magnificent Augustan age, which was destined to throw a halo of glory around the Roman Empire, making it not only the seat of imperial power, but the nursery of the arts and sciences; and though eighteen hundred years have now rolled away, the magnificence and glory of that age furnishes a fruitful theme for the pen of the scholar, statesman, and orator. Augustus was not only a lover of science, and a great encourager of the arts, but some of the greatest men of any age then lived, and were co‑workers with him to give imperishable fame to the RomanEmpire. We doubt whether, since the days of Solomon, a man has lived who, as Grand Master, or overseer of the Craft, has done more to advance the interest and prosperity of Operative Masonry than did Vitruvius, who wrote learnedly on the subject of geometry and architecture; and under the patronage of Augustus, assisted by Agrippa, commenced building B.C. 29. He first employed the Craft in repairing the public works which had been torn down or injured during the wars. He then built the bridge at Arminium, and at Rome he erected the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of 9
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Mars, the great Rotunda, the splendid Forum, the Palace of Augustus, the beautiful statue in the capitol, and many other statues in the palaces, the library, the portico, the park, and the splendid Mausoleum; and placed in the Temple of Venus a gold statue of Cleopatra,which had been brought from Egypt. But we shall look with wonder and admiration at this golden age of Operative Masonry, when we contemplate the effect which the erection of these public edifices had upon the private citizens of Rome, who, becoming disgusted with their old brick mansions, and enamored with the Augustan style, tore them down and rebuilt of pure marble, so that, in the death hour of Augustus,he could with truth say, "I found Rome built of brick, but I leave it built of marble." The remains of the very buildings of which we have been writing have been found and faithfully described by travelers in the nineteenth century, from which we may fairly raise the question whether architecture has marched forward or receded for the last nineteen hundred years. We believe it has receded, ind will continue to do so until a revolution in the classifica‑:ion of employment is produced. So long as it shallbe regard3d more honorable recklessly to advocate a bad cause, or shield and defend villainy in a court of justice, or ignorantly tamper with human life by every species of deception and fraud, or stand behind the counter and live by misrepresentations, or even to spin street yarn and live a drone in the hive of nature. ‑we say, so long as the world shall regard all these occupations more honorable than to be master of a noble science, men of, the best minds and ample means will not become master builders or accomplished architects. Men are not now, as formerly,: educated for architects. The European crowned heads and best born make only the learned professions honorable; while. Americans, grateful for foreign crumbs of fashion, not only trucklingly ape foreigners in this, but seek to excel them by placing a well dressed scientific gambler greatly above a pennyless scientific mechanic. That this is all wrong, few if any will question; every intelligent, thinking man, who desires the honor and prosperity of his country, must admit that the present state of society is not likely to promote the progress
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131 of the mechanic arts. There was a time when architecture was practiced by the most learned and wise men of the day; then architecture flourished, and that people who excelled in this became the great people of the age. There was a time when the science of medicine was in the hands of barbers, and it dwindled into insignificance. If the day shall ever come when men will be esteemed in proportion to their merit, skill, and knowledge of their business ùwhen the learned and accomplished mechanic shall stand as high in the community as the learned lawyer or doctor‑then, and not till then, will the art of building be cultivated, and the science of geometry once more engage the attention of the learned and wise. But to whom shall we appeal with the hope of even beginning this reformation? Our attention was forcibly called to this subject by our learned and able correspondent " G." whose article may be seen in the first and second numbers of the Signet. He calls upon Freemasons to go back and redeem the noble science of architecture from its fallen condition, and place it before the world in its former grandeur. He boldly makes the charge (and no mechanic has offered to refute it) that there is not a brick mason in the city of St. Louis who is capable of ascertaining what amount of pressure a brick,made of the ordinary clay, is capable of sustaining. He instances the shot tower that fell in this city a few years since; he states that the neighbors became alarmed, thinking there was danger of its falling,; that some scientific mechanics were called upon to examine it, and they pronounced it safe, and the next day it fell. He calls upon the Masons to educate the orphan children, and make accomplished builders of them. In short, he calls upon us to assume control of the science, and so encourage its study, that once more the world may know that the Society of Freemasons could at any time furnish competent builders. We know there is no probability that these suggestions will lead to any immediate practical good; but there is hope "if the tree be cut down, the tender branches thereof will not cease." There is hope that these remarks may, at some future day, awaken the mind of some lo er of the noble, but decaying science, and stimulate him to lay the foundation of a glorious revolution.
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Should the day come when a Grand Lodge would offer premiums for the best specimens of architecture, that Grand Lodge will have begun the good work. We return to our history, by carrying our readers into Judea, B.C. 180. At this period, the High Priests of Jerusalem had charge of Masonry under the Kings of Egypt, and hence they are styled by Anderson and others Provincial Grand Masters, until Seleucus Philopater, King of Syria, seized upon Palestine. His son, Antiochus Epiphanes, persecuted the Jews with great cruelty, until they were rescued by the Asmonean Priest, Judas Maccaboeus. This High Priest was not the regular descendant of Joshua,the High Priest, but came of the line of Joarib, the great grandfather of Mattathias, the Priest of Madin. The lineal successor of Joshua was Onias, who, being deprived of his right by the Syrian Kings, traveled into Egypt, and built a Temple at Heliopolis; and being greatly assisted by the Jews then in Cyrene, he endeavored to make this Temple resemble the one at Jerusalem. He commenced it B.C. 149, and being speedily completed, stood until A.D. 73, a period of two hundred and twenty‑two years, when it was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor. Mark Antony induced the Senate of Rome to create Herod, the Edomite, Khig of Judea, B.C. 33. Herod, by the help of the Romans, conquered Antigonus and mounted the throne at Jerusalem. He got rid of all the Asmonean Priests, and by his fiat made and set up High Priests according to his own will and pleasure. Herod became the greatest builder of his day‑he was regarded as the patron or Grand Master of all the Lodges in Judea, and greatly added to the knowledge of Masonry,by sending to Greece for the most expert Craftsmen, whose superior knowledge of architecture was of great service to the Jews. After the battle ofActium, B.C. 30, Herod being reconciled to Augustus, began to show his great powers of mind, and exemplify his knowledge and taste in architecture. He erected a splendid theatre at Jerusalem, after the Grecian order; he next built the city of Sebaste, or Augustus, in which he built a small Temple after the model of the great one at Jerusalem. He built a Temple of pure white marble at Paneas; also the cities
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133 of Antipa tris, Phasaelis, and Cypron, and the tower of Phasael at Jerusaiem. But that which added most to his fame throughout the world, was his rebuilding the Temple of Zerubbabel. Herod seems to have had two great objects in view in this great undertaking‑first, to win the attachment of the Jews; and, second, to establish his name among the nations of the earth as a wealthy and scientific Prince. The Temple at Jerusalem had been standing about five hundred years, and was much decayed and injured by the many wars to which it had been exposed; but the attachment of the Jews to this venerable edifice may be seen when Herod gathered them together,and informed them that he designed throwing down the old Temple for the purpose of rebuilding it anew, for the alarm which this intelligence produced was such that Herod was compelled to promise that the Temple should not be pulled down until everything was in readiness to rebuild; and accordingly he set about preparing materials, employing great numbers of masons and one thousand wagons, in collecting the stones and timbers. Herod acting as Grand Master, divided the masons‑ten thousand in number‑into Lodges, and selected two learned Rabbins ‑Hillel and Shammai‑his assistants, or Wardens. Within two years he had got all things in readiness for the new Temple, when he pulled down the old one, and laid the corner‑stone, or foot‑stone as it was then called, just forty‑six years before the first Passover of Christ's personal ministry. The reader will remember to have read in John ii. 20, that the Jews said to Christ, " forty and six years hath this Temple been in building." Now, this may seem inconsistent with the historical facts handed down to us, if we are not careful to interpret the meaning of these Jews correctly. We learn that the Temple proper, or the most holy place in theEast, and the porch in theWest, and passage leading to both, were finished at an immense cost in the short space of one year and six months from the laying of the corner‑stone; and all the balance of the building as planned by Herod, and constituting the original design as drawn by him on the trestle board, in eight years more, when the capestone was celebrated by the Fraternity with great pomp aid splendor; and the more so,because the day was the same in the
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year that Herod received the crown. But a great number of masons were retained in adding outer buildings, so that if the Jews intended to refer to these as part and parcel of the Temple, it was in building forty‑six years at the Passover, and was continued all the time our Saviour sojourned on earth, and several years after, and up to the time when Gesius Florus, who was made Governor of Judea, discharged eighteen thousand masons, which gave great offense to all the Jews; for they were constrained to regard this as a stroke, not only at their Temple, but also at their worship. Josephus describes this Temple as a magnificent marble edifice, set off with a great profusion of costly decorations, and as being the finest building upon earth since the days of Solomon. It was much larger than the Temple of Zerubbabel, and was modernized with the Grecian order of architecture. This Temple was not finished, in all its parts, until about six months before its destruction, A.D. 64. And now we approach that wonderful and interesting period when peace and tranquility was to cover the face of the earth. When all wars and rumors of wars were to be swallowed up in glad tidings of great joy. When the new Star of Bethlehem should decorate the heavens,and guide the wise men of theEast to the manger. The Temple of Venus was closed, as if ashamed of the superior light which was soon to burst upon a gazing and admiring world. Augustus had reigned twenty‑six years after the conquest of Egypt; his reign was made glorious by his many works of art, and his liberal encouragement of the sciences, but now become still more famous by his having lived and reigned at that period, when the Word was made flesh; when Christ, the Saviour, the mighty Prince of Peace, was born into this world,to be a propitiation for our sins and a lamp to our feet, to lead us from the errors of our way and point us to the glorious morn of the resurrection, when our bodies shall rise and become as incorruptible as our souls; when, if we have walked in newness of life and kept the faith as once delivered to the saints, we may all hope to arise and ascend higher, and yet still higher, through the countless realms of never ending bliss, and live with Him in eternal glory.
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CHAPTER X. WE do not feel it to be our duty to enter into a biblical research in order to show all the striking evidences furnished by God.to man, when and how the Messiah would makeHia advent into the world‑this task appropriately belongs to doctors of divinity‑but as being intimately connected with the authentic history of mankind, and especially with the Jewish nation, the birth‑place of Masonry, we think it not out of place to quote the following prediction of the Patriarch Jacob. When his spirit was about to leave its tabernacle of clay, and appear before the awful Judge of quick and dead, he assembled his twelve sons, who were the chiefs of the twelve tribes, and foretold many things which would befall that people, and among them the following stands conspicuous: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be." We will now trace some of the prominent events which transpired shortly before the coming of our Saviour, from which we may learn how far the above prophecy was fulfilled. About 40 years B.C., Phcorus, son, of the King of Parthia, entered Syria with a powerful army, and from thence sent a strong detachment into Judea, with instructions to place Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, upon the throne. Several prominent Jews, among whom was a brother of Herod's, were enticed to the army of the enemy, under a pretext of compromise, when they were placed in irons. Herod, at this critical period, escaped from Jerusalem. When the Parthians entered the city, not finding Herod, they placed Antigonus on the throne, and delivered the prisoners into his hands. Phasael, knowing that an ignominious death awaited him, dashed out his brains against the wall of his prison. Hyrcanus had his
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136 TISTORY OF FREEMASONRY. life granted, but, in order that he might never be able to enter the priesthood, Antigonus caused his ears to be cut off, knowing that the Levitical law required that the High Priest should be perfect in all his parts or members. In the life of Hyrcanus may be seen a striking exemplification of the devoted attachment of the Jews to the Holy City. After he was mutilated as above, the Parthians took him to Silencia, in Babylonia, where he remained a prisoner until Phraates received the crown, who caused his liberty to be restored and allowed him to have free intercourse with his countrymen, who regarded him as their King and High Priest, and raised him a revenue to keep him in splendor; yet the love he bore to his native country caused him to disregard these advantages and comforts. He returned to Jerusalem, whither Herod had invited him, and who afterward had him put to death. When Herod escaped from the city, he went to Egypt and thence to Rome. Antony was then enjoying the high power conferred upon him by the triumvirate. Herod desired Antony to procure the crown for Aristobulus, to whose sister he was betrothed; but Antony caused the crown to be conferred upon him, in violation of all Roman usage; for until now they had not ventured to interfere with the rights of royal houses in behalf of a stranger. But in this case, even the Senate bowed obedience to the will of Antony, by declaring Herod King of Judea, and caused the consuls to conduct him to the capitol, where he received the usual honors; but it was by no means certain,for some time,that he would be4able to keep his position. Antigonus refused to resign a throne which he had acquired at so much cost, and for two years maintained his defense. In the winter, B.C. 38, Herod made vigorous preparations for a suetessful campaign in the spring, and opened it with the sieze of Jerusalem. Antony had given orders to Sosius, Governor of Syria, to use his utmost to reduce Antigonus, and give Herod full possession of tie throne, and the two armies, being united, amounted to sixty thousand, and after a siege of six months, took the city. This army, contrary to the orders and will of Herod, put thousands of the Jews to the sword, and flooded the land with blood. Antigonus, being thus defeated, threw
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137 himself at the feet of his conqueror, who sent him in chains f Antonv. Herod, not feeling secure while Antigonus lived, induced Antony to have him put to death. He was tried, condemned, and executed as a common criminal. This was a violation of Roman usage, his being a crowned head. Thus this unexampled event, by which the sovereign authority of the Jews was given into the hands of a stranger, and the reign of the Asmoneans, which had continued one hundred and thirty years, substituted by an Idumenian, was the prophecy being fulfilled‑thus was the sceptre about to depart from Judah, and the prediction of Jacob about to be fulfilled:‑Judah should reign over all other tribes until Shiloh come; the Jews should exist as a nation, and be governed by Judah until the coming of the Messiah. The tribe of Judah has no longer the right to rule‑the magistrates are no longer taken from thence, for Shiloh has come, "and untoHim shall the gathering of the people be." Herod had been made King contrary to all law; but the decree of Heaven had gone forth ‑the sceptre had departed from Judah, and King Emanuel was to commence his peaceful reign on earth. In the twentysixth year of Augustus, the Temple of Janus was closed up, because the whole world was at peace; the WORD was made FLESH; Jesus Christ was born‑after Solomon's reign nine hundred and seventy‑one years, in the year of Rome seven hundred and forty‑five, in the year of Herod thirty‑four, and in the year of the world four thousand. Four years after the birth of Christ, A.M. 4004, or Anno Domini 1, the Christian era begins. Augustus was a great friend and patron of Masonry, giving employment and respectability to all worthy Craftsmen; he reigned with great splendor forty‑four years, and was succeeded by his colleague, Tiberius, under whose reign the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified by Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. Tiberius afterward banished Pilate for this deed of injustice. Under this reign the Augustan style of architecture continued to be cultivated, and the Crafts men met with great encouragement. Nero built a splendid palace about this time, and erected a brass statue of himself, one hundred and ten feet high.
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In the year A.D. 64, Vespasian sent his son Titus to subdue the Jews. and take possession of Jerusalem. When his soldiers were sacking the city, one of them, contrary to orders, set fire to the Temple, and soon after the whole city was leveled with the earth, so that not one stone was left upon another; and that the prophecies might be fulfilled, the conqueror caused a plow to be run over the ruin thereof, as a testimonial of its total and final desolation. Vespasian has the honor of introducing the Composite order of architecture, when he erected his splendid amphitheatre. This Prince ordered the Jewish Temple in Egypt to be demolished, A.D. 73, and died A.D. 77. When Titus had overrun the country' of the Jews, he returned and caused a triumphal arch to be raised, and adorned it with splendid engravings and rich sculptures; also his noble palace and other public buildings. Domitian rebuilt the Temple of Capitolinus, which he overlaid with plates of pure gold. He also built the Temple of Minerva,and a palace,more splendid than that of Augustus, containing stately galleries, halls, baths, and beautiful apartments for his women. He died A.D. 83, and was succeeded by Nerva, who died A.D. 95, having adopted Trojan, who, by aid of the renowned architect and geometrician, Apolodorus, constructed a splendid bridge over the Danube, built two triumphal arches, a palace, circus, and his famous column, one hundred and twenty‑eight feet high, with one hundred and twenty‑three stairs. In those days no public buildings were erected without having mystical inscriptions, evidently designed to hand down to the Masons of future ages the mysteries of the Order. This noble column was ornamented with mystical figures, ascending in spiral lines, from the base to the capital. In A.D. 130, Adrian, who was a Mason of great learning, built the Roman Wall, in England, the remains of which are probably yet to be seen in Northumberland. He also built a bridge at Rome, his Mausoleum, etc., etc. We are now approaching a period when Masonry was neglected. We read of Antoninus, Marcus, Aurelius, Comnmodus, and others, as having built some edifices, and, more or less, patronizing Masonry; but nothing remarkable is recorded
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139 until the reign of Constantine the Great, who reared at Rome the last triumphal arch after the Augustan style. In A.D. 306, this great Prince removed to Byzantium, which he called Constantinople. He took with him many monuments of Italian art, and the best artists, that he might ornament Constantinople, where he expended large sums in the employment of the Craft, to erect many magnificent structures, including his own equestrian statue; and died A.D. 336. Architecture, and, indeed, all the arts and sciences, now dwindled at Rome, and as an evidence of the liability of man to pass to extremes, we are constrained to notice that this state of things was much owing to the mistaken zeal of the Christians; for such was their hatred of idolatry, that they injudiciously destroyed many of the noble monuments of art, until the Roman Empire was divided between Valentinian and Valens. The former died A.D. 374, the latter A.D. 378. The northern nations of Europe, the Goths, Vandals, Huns, Allemans, Dacians, Franks, Saxons, Angles, Longobards, and many others, had grown in power and boldness in proportion as Rome became weak. They invaded Greece, Asia, Spain, Africa, and Gaul, and even Italy itself, overrunning, like a mighty avalanche, the civilized world, trampling under foot every specimen of polite learning, and waging open war against the arts and sciences. How wonderful will appear the ways of Providence, when we remember what the Anglo‑Saxon race once was, and what it is now! Verily, "the first shall be last, and the last shall be first." Amid the gloom of Masonic desolation, of which we have been speaking, one bright spot appeared and tended to preserve our noble art. Theodosius the Great ascended the throne in the East A.D. 378. who arrested the onward march of' tile barbarians; and so devoted was he to our Order, that he enacted a law exempting all the Craft from taxation. Soon after he became sole Emperor of the East andWest, and then partitioned the Government between his two sons, Honorius and Arcadius. They both expended much of the rich spoils ot war, from Greece, Egypt, and Asia, in building, etc. When Justinian the First came into power, he determined,
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at all hazards, to support and sustain the noble Craft, and suto ceeded in restoring the Roman Empire almost to its former grandeur. In A.D. 526, finding the arts and sciences in great peril of being for ever lost, he dispatched his brave General Belisarius, with a powerful army against Totila, the Goth. who. at the head of an army of savages, took old Rome, and set fire to it, which, after burning thirteen days, left poor remains to be rescued by Belisarius. From this period may be dated the downfall of the arts and sciences in Italy. The Augustan style of architecture was here lost‑the harmony of Lodges was broken Masonry was overthrown and well nigh destroyed by Gothic ignorance. Justinian succeeded in arresting from savage vengeance the substance of the civil law, and by the assistance of his wise councilmen, digested a code which bears his name. He rebuilt the church of St. Sophia, at a cost of three hundred and forty thousand talents in gold, which he vainly attempted to make equal to the Temple of Solomon. The world is indebted to Justinian for great achievements, and his name is venerated for many accomplishments and virtues; but there is one dark spot upon his fame that centuries more will not efface. He caused the eyes of Belisarius to be put out, and left him in abject poverty, and only able to preserve life by begging alms at the gates of St. Sophia. As if to hold up to derision and scorn the dastardly conduct of Justinian, the faithful historian has recorded the words of the royal beggar: "Give a halfpenny to Belisarius, whom virtue had raised and envy depressed." From the period of which we have been speaking, the arts and sciences declined for several ages. Persecutions and bloody wars succeeded in quick succession. Emperor after emperor was murdered by his successor; cruelty and rapine covered the land and disgraced the very name of Christian, and led to still more disastrous results. In the beginning of the seventh century, the Mohammedans had become numerous, and stimulated by the vindictive spirit of their opponents‑goaded on by the wild and merciless bigotry of their faith‑they came forth, as an avenging host, carrying fire and sword over the land, laying waste every vestige of elegance or refinement. The e...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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141 noble specimens of art were torn down or consumed, and even the gigantic tree of Masonry was shorn of its beautiful foliage, and drooped beneath a cloudy sky for many ages. The Augustan style was here lost, and if not dug up amid the ancient ruins, in the nineteenth century, is lost for ever. When, after the lapse of years, the Goths began to assume some pride and taste for building, it was but too manifest that the very principles were unknown; for with all their wealth and ambition, and the unceasing study of their ablest.designers, aided, too, by the secrets of the Order, which had been transmittcd from father to son, and from Lodge to Lodge, they succeeded only in bringing forth that uncomely order, ever since called the Gothic, which to this day is sometimes used in massy structures‑occasionally in a church or convent; but the taste that admires this order more than the Grecian or Roman style, must, we think, prefer disorder and disproportion to form and symmetry. Yet the laudable efforts of the Goths to supply the loss of the old style of architecture tended, finally, as we shall see, to restore, in some measure, the earlier and mlre perfect orders. Toward the close of the eighth century, Charlemag e endeavored, by every means in his power, to reestabli h Lodges, and resuscitate the ancient orders of architecture. A taste for fine building was thus engendered, and the French kept up unceasing efforts for the cultivation of architecture, geometry, and the sciences, in the days of Hugh Capet; and the result was, that, before the close of the tenth century, the Fraternity had so improved on the Gothic style that they ran into the other extreme, making their work as much too slender and delicate, as the Gothic had been too massy and cumbersome. The church of St. John, at Pisa, in Tuscany, under the direction of a Greek undertaker, Buschatto, presented somewhat the appearance of the ancient style of building, which was improved upon by others down to the sixteenth century; but the first prince who publicly took steps to produce a revival of the ancient style was Charles of Anjou, King of Naples. He employed Nicholas and John Pisan, father and son, to build an abbey in the plain of Taglia Cotzo, where
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Charges had met and overthrown the pretender Couradin. They built the King's new castle at Naples, and other edifices, that did credit to the age. They, together with Cimaboius, took apprentices, and educated in their Lodge many young men, who became master builders; but the most distinguished was Giotto, who became an eminent architect, and established an academy, as Lodges were then properly called, and from this Lodge proceeded a fund of knowledge in geometry and architecture, that sent forth an undying influence over all Italy, A.D. 1300. Nor did the community, as now, fail to appreciate their learning and skill; their being mechanics was no bar to public favor or public honors. Many of them took part in the important offices and affairs of the government. One of the pupils educated in the Lodge above named,Laurentio Ghiberto, framed the two brazen gates of St. Johns, which, after standing long years, were seen by Michael Angelo, who in rapture exclaimed, "they are fit to be the gates of Paradise." We pass over several who became distinguished as undertakers and as men of science, and call attention to Dominigo Ghirlandais, who was the master of Michael Angelo, and several other distinguished men. But, up to this time, much of the Gothic style of building was used at Florence, when‑Bruneleschi ‑who served an apprenticeship, and studied at Rome the beautiful and just proportions of the old Roman buildings, then lying in ruins‑returned and introduced the pure Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders. In this noble effort, he and his successors were aided and encouraged by the Princes of the house of Medicis‑for John de Medicis, and his son, Cosmo 1., were educated in the Lodge at Florence, and each became Grand Master; and the Society or Lodge was called the revivers, because they were mainly instrumental in reviving the Augustan style. Cosmo erected a large library building, and filled it with manuscripts from Greece and Asia. To this library was attached a cabinet, containing everything which he could collect that was either rare or curious. He established an extensive commerce by sea and land, and acquired the title of the father of his country. He died lamented by all and mourned for by the Masons, A.D. 1464.
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148 Peter de Medicis succeeded him, and was a friend to the Craft; he died A.D. 1472, and was succeeded by his son, John Julian de Medicis, who was said to be the most remarkable youth of his day. He was the most beautiful, the most accom0lished, and withal the best operative mechanic in Florence. He did much to restore and reestablish the ancient style of architecture. He died A.D. 1498. His grandson, Laurenzo, built a great gallery in his garden, for the education of the most promising youths of the country. His second son, John, afterward elected Pope Leo X., was Grand Master of Mi sons In erecting the cathedral of St. Peter, at Rorne. His (c: usin, Julius, afterward Pope Clement VII., was also Grand Master, and continued the building of St. Peter's; thus it will be seen that the whole family were devoted to arts and sciences, lovers and encouragers of Masonry, until Cosmo II. was created Grand Duke of Tuscany, A.D. 1561, who became so'eminent in his knowledge of architecture and his devotion to Masonry, that Pope Pius V. and the Emperor Ferdinand styled him the great Duke of Tuscany. He was the Grand Master of all the Masons of Italy. He established the famous Academy or Lodge at Pisa, for the education and improvement of Entered Apprentices. He died in his fifty‑sixth year, A.D. 1574. At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Augustan style of building revived in Italy. Leon Baptista Alberti was the first author in modern times who wrote on architecture; so says Anauetel, Anderson, Reece, and others. If this be true, it is not wonderful that Masonry remained so long at a low ebb. This author, it seems, gave an impetus to science, and ere another century passed away, a greater number of distinguished architects lived than in any other age of the world. The Popes, Princes, and the States of Italy, all united to encourage and give character to the learned Masons, and thus promote its cultivation in the higher classes of society. The celebrated Bramante studied Masonry at Milan, examined the sleeping remains through all Italy, and became so proficient in the art as to be employed, by three successive Popes, to build at Rome the cloister of the church of Peace, the paiace at Chancery, and many other splendid and tastefully decorated
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edifices, including a beautiful little church at Mount Orio. Under Pope Julian II., Bramante was ordered to draw the design of St. Peter's, at Rome, and at the head of a large assembiage of Cardinals, Clergymen, and Craftsmen, he leveled the corner stone, A.D. 1507. This mighty structure now stands the proudest specimen of human art upon the earth, but Bramante only lived to conduct the work seven years. He died A.D. 1514, and, by order of Pope Leo X., was buried in the church. Raphael, a celebrated painter, had studied Masonry under Lramante, and succeeded him as superintendent of St. Peter's, until he died A.D. 1520. Had he lived, he was to have been made a Cardinal. Next came Jocunde and Antony San Gallo into the office of superintendents or overseers of the work, until they died A.D. 1535, when Pope Paul III. appointed Michael Angelo, now the most celebrated draughtsman, and, afterward, the most distinguished architect of that, or, perhaps, any other age. He found fault with the draughts of his predecessors, hence made a new model, by which that lofty and magnificent Temple was carried on to completion. It would be tedious to mention all the buildings, the designs of which were drawn by Michael Angelo; suffice it to say, that his long life was spent in the glorious cause of both Operative and Speculative Masonry, and at the advanced age of ninety years, he left behind him a fame as imperishable as the world's history. It will not be uninteresting to illustrate the high estimation in which accomplished Masons were then held by kings and princes, by stating that Cosmo the great Duke of Tuscany, stole the corpse of Michael Angelo and solemnly followed him at the head of an immense procession of Masons to St. Cross, at Florence, where he was interred with Masonic honors, and a tomb erected to his memory, which was beautifuiiy adorned with three marble statues, representing Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture. Vignola, aided by Ligorio, as his Warden, succeeded Michael Angelo, the latter was discharged from his office by Pope Gregory XIII., for altering the model of Michael Angelo. Vignola acquired a high reputation as a draughtsman, and died A.D. 1573, and was succeeded by Maderni, who built the
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145 frontispiece of the Temple. During this age, as intimated, many distinguished men lived and astonished the world with their learning and devotion to Masonry; but we shall mention only one more, and hasten to close thij part of our history, that we may commence considering the history of our Order in England, about which all American Masons feel the deepest in ter2st. About the period of which we have been writing, Andrea Palladio, of Venice, became distinguished by the publication of his opinions of the old orders of architecture, giving accurate descriptions of the most magnificent Temples of the ancients. This work is spoken of in such terms, as to cause us to regret our inability to lay hands on it. We now leave Italy, at the close of the sixteenth century, having been once the mistress of the world, by the strong arm of power, and twice the great cradle of learning, and the homre of the arts. In this golden age of Masonry, Lodges were truly what they should be‑academies of learning. Convocations were held, not alone for the practice of Masonic ceremonies. but also to foster, protect, and encourage the cultivation of true knowledge and virtue. Masons were educated and rendered scientific architects, learned draughtsmen, and practical builders. The world knew to whom application might be safely made for a competent and honest workman, to design and superintend the erection of substantial and beautiful buildings. How strikingly would a minute description of the house in which we are now writing, illustrate the falling off in architecture since the sixteenth century! Why, reader, several of our friends have warled us of the imminent danger we are supposed to be in of being buried in the ruins of this our land lord's new four story house. The front wall is supported by wood pillars, said to be a little larger than poke‑stalks, and made to present a tolerable appearance by being boxed up in one‑inch plank; and as for our office, the wind is now coming in so freely, above, beneath, and at each side of the doors, that our light, a good old fashioned tallow candle, is blown hither and yon. a,
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C HAPTER XI. BY those who are well acquainted with the history of Eingland, as found on record, we shall not be expected to fix the date when Masonry was introduced into that country, with any reliable accuracy. There is intermingled so much fable with all the early accounts of the settlement of that Island, that go one at this day can distinguish between the romance of Heathen Mythology and sober truth. Whether Bladud, who lived about 900 years B.C., was educated in Athens, and coming here, built Bath, and produced the waters there, and pifterward, in an attempt to fly with artificial wings,fell from the Temple of Apollo or that the entire story is a fiction, can lnot now be determined. Whether the Druids of Britain prac ticed many of the customs and usages of Masons near 1100 bears B.C., or whether fheir story is not something like the surmises of the present day, that because one of the red men of the forest is found in possession of a piece of bark, or bone, with some unintelligible characters engraven thereon, ergo, he is a Mason‑we shall not undertake to decide; but we venture the opinion that there is about as much reason in the one as the other. The Druids are supposed to have been Masons, because they had their secret societies, and refused to publish what transpired therein. Now, if it could be shown that this was the only secret Society in existence at the time, then we should be constrained to conclude that it was a Masonic Society; or that no Society of Masons then existed; but it is easy to show the existence of quite a number of secret societies, all teaching and practicing the doctrines of false gods, about the period alluded to: and, if we rely upon our traditions,/it must be manifest that Masonry was not then instituted, and though it came into beipg very soon after, it never did teach the doctrine of a plurality oi gods; so that the authors who make the ancient Druids a
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147 Masonic Society must oe reckless of truth, or know but little of the traditions of our Order, for the Druids were infidels, or believers in a plurality of gods. In the history of England we have another proof that geometry and Masonry never were one and the same thing; for there is abundant proof that, while the Island was inhabited by bands of savages (and long before the visit of the Romans), they erected dwellings, and even built towns, the remains of which are yet to be seen. In applying the term savage to the first settlers of Britain, we do not use the term to be understood in the ordinary acceptation of the present day. We do not mean to say that they knew nothing of the arts‑far from it‑for they must have not only understood much about architecture, but also the science of navigation; while they were, nevertheless, savages in their manners and customs. The cities of York an4 Edinburgh were built before Masonry was instituted, and the only way in which writers can succeed in ante‑dating Masonry is by making it exclusively Operative; and hence it will be found in the writings of all these lovers of the marvelous, that every monarch who caused any building to beerected is set down as, not only a Freemason, but the Grand Master of Masons; and, indeed, we must use some caution in the examination of this subject, or we are liable to be deceived, because until the eighteenth century, a very large proportion of the members of our Order were operatives; but it must not be inferred that they were not also Speculative. On the contrary, our traditions clearly show that, at the building of Solomon's Temple, the principles of morality.and the doctrines of Moses were clearly taught. We have before stated, that for many centuries no employment or occupation was regarded more honorable than that of architecture‑the best men and the best minds were employed or occupied in the cultivation of a practical knowledge of the art of building; and, hence, when we now read an account of the building of cities in former times, we are bound to infer that Masons were employed therein; but it is a great mistake to suppose that all workmen employed on every building were Masons, or members of the Society. A mistake very much like this has been the
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148 HISTORY OP FREEMASONRY. cause of a very incorrect account of the number of Masons employed at the building of Solomon's Temple, a large propor tion of writers having regarded all that workedontheTemple or in the forests, as Fellow Crafts, or Entered Apprentice Masons, when it would seem to us as ridiculous to suppose King Solomon would make a levy of thirty thousand men, and unconditionally introduce them into the Society, a leading characteristic of which has ever been that no one could be admitted but by a voluntary request, leaving it very certain that drafted men were not likely to obtain its benefits. On the other hand, we know of no period since the building of the Temple, when architecture flourished, that it was not mainly in the hands of Freemasons, either under this name, or that of " Solomon's Builders;" and, hence, in writing the history of the Order through the middle, or dark ages, we are authorized to infer that Masonry was prosperous or depressed much in pro portion as architecture advanced or declined. But there is the more difficulty in fixing the period at which our Order was introduced into England, because of the perpetual wars and changes which were so long kept up. The first account upon which we can rely for information, in relation to the inhabitants, is to be found in Caesar's Commentaries, about 50 years B.C. Dr. Anderson gives a singular reason to account for Caesar's not pursuing his conquest‑viz., that he wished to be Grand Master of Rome‑unless the Doctor regarded every king or ruler as holding that office. Agricola is, probably, the first Roman that undertook any buildings of magnitude; nor have we any evidence that he did much more than to throw up a wall of earth, to protect the Romans from the incursions of the Picts, whom he had defeated, or rather, for a time, driven before him, until they were reinforced: for they soon broke over the wall, and continued their barbarous warfare upon the South, rendering the Roman possessions a scene of continual bloodshed. Adrian came in person, A.D. 120, and W'ilt Adrian's Wall, which also failed to protect the Romans. About ten years after this, King Lud is spoken of as being the first Christian who ruled on the Island; out during his reign the Romans suffered so many and heavy
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149 losses at the hands of the Northerners, that they were compelled to purchase peace at a heavy sacrifice of money. Then came Severus, A.D. 207, who, in his efforts to subdue the barbarians, lost over fifty thousand men, and was glad to retire within Adrian'sWall, and rebuild it with stone. The first edifice of any note, of which we have an account, was a temple built by Chrispiness, the altar‑stone of which was found in the beginning of the eighteenth century. We read of one, called the Worthy Knight Albanus, who, A.D. 303, was converted to the Christian faith, and became a great encourager of the Craft; and as he was the first who suffered martyrdom for Christianity, it may not be difficult to account for his name having come down to us as "St. Alban." Dr. Anderson says, that " the old Constitutions affirm, and the old English Masons as firmly believe it, that Carausius employed St. Alban to environ the city of Verulam with a stone wall, and to build therein a fine palace; for which that British King made St. Alban steward of his household, and chief ruler of the realm. St. Alban also loved Masons well, and cherished them much, and he made their pay right good, viz., two shillings per week, and three pence to their cheer; whereas, before that time, through all the land, a Mason had but a penny a day and his meat. He also obtained of the King a. charter for the Freemasons, for to hold a General Council, and gave it the name of Assembly, and was thereat himself as Grand Master, and helped to make Masons, and gave them good charges and regulations." It is a curious fact, and well worthy of notice, that several writers who contend that Masonry originated in the Garden of Eden, or, at least, in the days of Enoch, and continued to be practiced in all countries, but especially in Greece and Rome, yet contend that Masonry was not introduced into Britain until the twelfth century, when it was sent there by a Lodge then recently established in Kilwinning, Scotland. Now, if Masonry was flourishing in Rome, A.D. 55, when Caesar visited Britain and laid the foundation of a colony, it is by no means unreasonable to suppose Masonry was soon after introduced, and we have no evidence of its introduction before the time of St. Alban, viz.,near the close of the third century after
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Christ, can only be accounted for on the ground that the Roman settlers were almost unceasingly harassed by the Picts, Saxons, and other northern tribes, for more than two hundred years, and it may be that no attempt had been made to establish a Lodge until the days of St. Alban, and yet it is not unlikely that traveling Lodges existed in the Roman army, from the time of the first invasion, a record of which may have been lost. At any rate, we can not think it unreasonable to believe that St. Alban was a Mason, and that the Institution flourished in Britain during his day; for it will be remembered that,long before this period, the natives in theSouth part of tie Island had adopted the manners and customs of the Romans, and imitated them in the erection of buildings, and the cultivation of some of the sciences; indeed, historians inform us that many of the more wealthy sent their sons to Rome, where they received a knowledge of the polite arts and the sciences, as taught in the best schools. Leland informs us that St. Alban was thus educated, and soon after his return home he was converted to the Christian faith by his fellow traveler, Amphibalus. Being a man of unblemished integrity, and unwavering in the honest discharge of all his duties, it may easily be seen that from his conversion he left no fit occasion unemployed to promulgate the doctrines of Christianity‑thus rendering himself obnoxious to the hatred and unrelenting persecutions of the infidels, in A.D. 303, when, in honor of his high birth and eminent learning, they condescended to behead him. Guthrie, in his History of England, tells us that the Emperor Carausius, who governed the Island at this period, was not only an accomplished architect, but gave great encouragement to learning and learned men, and he induced many distinguished architects to remove from Rome, so that at the close of his reign he had gathered around him a large body of accomplished workmen, many of whom were doubtless Masons; for about this period the city of Autun is spoken of as having suddenly grown into a beautiful town by the rebuilding of the ancient houses, and erecting splendid temples,and other public edifices, which attracted attention to the "Roman Brotherhood," by which title the Masons were then best known in Britain.
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151 The British Empress Helena, wife of Constantius Chlorus, enclosed London with a stone wall A.D. 306. After the death of Constantius, Constantine the Great, his son, ruled with great wisdom, encouraging learning and the Christian religion, and during his reign the Emperor enjoyed the blessings of peace and prosperity. But soon after his death, A.D. 336, the Northerns joined with the Saxon pirates,and renewed hostilities with the South, which was continued, from time to time,with opposite results,until A.D. 410, when Honorius was forced to renounce the Roman sovereignty over Britain; but, being reinforced, changed again the fortunes of war, until A.D. 426, when the Roman Legion was withdrawn, leaving the Southrons at the mercy of the northern barbarians, who overran the country, and destroyed many fine specimens of Roman art and Masonic skill. Masonry noW dwindled into ruin on the Island, for the few Romans that remained became identified with the Southrons, and lost their influence with the natives. But many specimens of their Masonic art are still to be seen, among which is "Arthur's Oven," a temple erected by the Romans to their god Terminus. About A.D. 450, the Southrons invited the Saxons of Lower Germany to come over and assist them, which invitation was accepted by Prince Hengist, who brought over a small army, consigting of only two thousand men, and here commenced laying the foundation upon which was destined to be raised the great Saxon race. For more than three hundred years the Romans had tried in vain to maintain their foothold: they had lost in a single campaign fifty thousand men, and suffered innumerable defeats and disasters, until finally they were forced to withdraw their forces and abandon their claim; but now two thousand Saxons joined the Southrons, drove before them the Scots and Picts; and, being from time to time reinforced, they succeeded in establishing seven kingdoms, when the Anglo‑Saxons rapidly increased in numbers and power until King Arthur died, leaving the Britons with only a few petty Kings, whose powers were soon surrendered or taken from them. The Anglo‑Saxons were a blood‑thirsty, savage people, unacquainted with any science, unless a skill in butchering
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152 HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY, human beings be dignified with that appellation‑then, indeed, would they have high claims, for they deliberately murdered three hundred nobles at one time. But, nevertheless, the material for a great and chivalrous people lurked in their composition; for very soon after they were converted to the Christian religion, the fruits of great and energetic minds were manifested. A.D. 597, about forty monks, sent by Pope Gregory, converted,all the Kings of the Heptarchy, when the Island commenced changing its appearance as by a magic wand ‑churches, monasteries, and towns sprung up, and the arts and sciences were industriously cultivated‑but they knew nothing of any but the Gothic order of architecture. The Cathedral of Canterbury was built A.D. 600; Rochester, A.D. 602; St. Paul's, London, A.D. 604; St. Peter's, Westminster, A.D. 603; but they were greatly deficient in the art of building until A.D. 710, when Kenred, King of England, sent to Charles Martel, then Grand Master of Masons in France, with a request that he would send some of his most skillful Masons to instruct the Anglo‑Saxons, not only in geometry and architecture, but also in the ancient customs and usages of the Order. Martel cheerfully complied with this request; and while we have reason to admire the rapid strides that were soon after made in the cultivation of the arts and sciences, and the great moral influence exerted by the introduction of the Christian religion, we are, nevertheless, furnished with a striking instance, tending to show the proneness of man to pass suddenly from one extreme to another. This people had but recently emerged from barbarism and irreligion; they had but recently held in contempt the people and doctrines of Christianity; and yet, as soon as they embraced the doctrines of the Bible, no act was too rigorous, no taxes too high, to enforce the consummation of any and every plan devised by their priests to promote the interests of the Church. Masons were in high favor, and were courted by kings and princes; for they alone could be relied on to erect churches and build splendid monasteries in every nook and corner of the earth. The common people were taxed until the Church owned nearly half the real estate in Britain and Scotland, and were lorded over until they
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153 became, in effect, slaves to the Church,instead of worshipers of God. Nor did religious fanaticism stop here; piety was not estimated by a godly walk and conversation, and an effort to reform the world by the mild teachings of our Saviour; but a spirit of bigotry and intolerance crept into the Church, until practical religion assumed the appearance of a scourge, rather than a blessing to mankind. Thousands, both male and female, secluded themselves in cloisters, and ‑thus hid themselves from the face of men, spending the remnant of their days in moping from cell to cell, with a woebegone and ghastly countenance, as if God had created and filled this world with the rich bounties of His munificent hand, to be appreciated and enjoyed by the beasts of the field and fowls of the air, while man was doomed to pass his pilgrimage on earth in a living grave I But this inordinate religious zeal effected much good in the cultivation of the arts and sciences. Kings and queens, princes and nobles, priests and laymen, vied with each other in cultivating a knowledge of geometry and architecture, in order that costly churches, gorgeously ornamented, might spring up all over the land. Masons were courted and caressed by the heads of the Church, and although down to the close of the Heptarchy nothing was known about the use of brick, architecture continued to advance, though confined to the clumsy Gothic order. The Anglo‑Saxons had always called the Britons Gualish or Walishmen, until after the days of King Arthur, when they denominated the settlement beyond the Severn, Walishland, or Wales. All the old French writers call this people Galles, from their ancestors, the Gauls. During the barbarous wars on the Island, for more than one hundred and sixty years, Operative Masonry was almost entirely neglected; but that Lodges continued to meet and practice their speculative, or moral rites, in Wales, we have reason to believe; indeed, Operative Masonry did not lay dormant long, for, before the days of Martel,we find in that country numerous churches and other public buildings, erected by the Brotherhood. When Egbert succeeded to the sovereignty of the Six Kingdoms, A.D. 830, the Angles were more numerous than any ither tribe, and hence he called the country England, and the
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people Englishmen. Masonry continued to flourish under his reign, as also under those of Ethelwolf and Edward, Sen., who was succeeded by Ethred, deputy King of Mercia, the husband of Edward's sister; she who became renowned as the great heroine of Mercia, because by her daring bravery she drove out the Danes. The next who had charge of the Craft was Ethelward, who founded the University of Cambridge, A.D. 918. The King died A.D. 924, and was succeeded by his son, Ethelstan, whose mother was a concubine. This King made his brother Edwin overseer of the Craft. Historians are divided in opinion as to whether Edwin was the brother or son of the King, and long, as well as contradictory, articles have been written to prove the one and the other, and to show that the Kingdid, and did not, murder his son or brother. Dr. Anderson makes the following extract from the old Masonic records, which, in our opinion, settles the question that Edward was brother to the King: "That though the ancient records of the Brotherhood, in England were most of them destroyed,or lost in the wars with the Danes, who burnt the monasteries where the records were kept, yet King Athelstan (the grandson of King Alfred), the first annointed King of England, who translated the Holy Bible *nto the Saxon language,when he had brought the land into rest and peace, built many great works, and encouraged many Masons from France and elsewhere, whom he appointed overseers thereof. They brought with them the charges and regulations of the foreign Lodges, and prevailed with the King to increase the wages. "That Prince Edwin, the King's brother, being taught geometry and Masonry, for the love he had to the said Craft, and to the honorable principles whereon it is grounded, purchased a free charter of King Athelstan, his brother, for the Freemasons, having among themselves a CORRECTION, or a power and freedom to regulate themselves, to amend what might happen amiss, and to hold a yearly communication in a General Assembly. "That, accordingly, Prince Edwin summoned all the Free and Accepted Masons in the realm to meet him in a congress
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155 at York, who came and formed the Grand Lodge under him as their Grand M/aster, A.D. 926. "That they brought with them many old writings and records of the Craft‑some in Greek, some in Latin, some in French, and other languages; and from the contents thereof they framed the CONSTITUTIONS of the English Lodges, and made a law for themselves,to preserve and observe the same in all time coming." Preston makes, in substance, the same extract, but prefaces them with the following rather singular remarks, viz.: " A record of the Society, written in the reign of Edward IV., said to have been in the possession of the famous Elias Ashmole, founder of the Museum at Oxford, and which was unfortunately destroyed, with other papers on the subject of Masonry, at the Revolution, gives the following account of the state of Masonry at that period." * We regard these extracts as furnishing conclusive proof that the opinion that Masonry was first introduced into England through Kilwinning Lodge,of Scotland, in the twelfth century, is without foundation; for the standing of Dr. Anderson, as an honorable and impartial historian, was too elevated to leave grounds to suppose he would give the foregoing, as extracts from the old records,if they were not to be found there; and, moreover, it will be remembered that his history was, by order of the Grand Lodge of England, submitted to the severe scrutiny of a learned Committee, before it was sanctioned by that Grand body; but, above all this, we have a tradition which not only clearly points to the Convocation at York, in 926, but sets forth the more important and unpublished reasons for the holding of said Convocation at that particular time. Indeed, the tradition referred to satisfactorily accounts for the addition of the word York to those of Ancient Free and Accepted Mason. The intelligent and accomplished Mason will readily understand to what we allude, and agree with us that, although a change was not made in the body of Masonry, an important change was made in a portion of our ritual, which * Preston's Illustrations, p. 141.
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change has ever been approved, and sacredly regarded by all good and true Lodges of Ancient Craft Masons. The addition of the word York has ever been used to show that the Masons approve of, and are governed by, the edicts of the said communication. If the change here alluded to had operated only in England, it might not now be regarded as a principle engrafted into our rules, but as it became a fixed law throughout the world in conferring the two first degrees, we hold that no Grand Lodge is at liberty to drop the word York from the body of her charters‑not that the name is essential to any principle or practice of our rites, but because it is commemorative of the event which made such action necessary, and points to a prominent evidence of the recuperative power of our time‑honored and heaven‑protected Institution, when assailed by traitors from within, or malevolence from without. Bro. Preston makes no allusion to the
