ing to circumstances, purely with a view "to her own profit and praise."

P. S. "Piety-enforced.

"As a Mason, you are to study the moral law, as contained in the sacred code." (Preston, b. 2. sec. 3.) And a note, referring to code, adds: "The Bible; and, in countries where that book is not known, [and where Mr. Preston's book is,] whatever is understood to contain the will or law of God."

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

"So much wrought still within them the desire

"To found this nether empire, which might rise

66

By policy, and long process of time,

"In emulation, opposite to Heaven."

Mil. b. ii, 295.

"THE Word Mason," says the Sovereign Inspector General, Dr. Dalcho, (second Oration, p. 11.) is derived from the Greek, and literally means a member of a religious sect, or one who is professedly devoted to the worship of the Deity."

I shall not stop to inquire of the Dr.-I beg pardonof the sovereign inspector general, what that pretended Greek word is; nor to take notice of the vanity, which, reckless of truth, would induce the unlearned reader to believe, that the plain English word Mason, a man of wholesome brick and mortar, originally meant, "a member of a

religious sect, or one who is devoted to the service of the Deity;" but only to illustrate, from the orations of this gowned teacher of Christianity, the Deistical nature of Free Masonry.

He says, p. 13. of Oration second, "As humanity ever springs from true religion, every religious sect which acknowledges the Supreme Being, is equally respected by the order." What is this but Deism?

He adds, a few lines further, "The Great Book of Nature is revealed to our eyes, and the universal religion of her God is what we profess, as Free Masons." This is very plain. Masonry discards all Revelation, and adheres to

the Great Book of Nature;" Arabs and Chinese, savages and Jews, Mahometans and Christians," are all cemented by the mystic union. How valuable is an institution founded on sentiments like these; how infinitely pleasing must it be to Him who is seated on the throne of mercy! To that God who is no respecter of persons." (Dalcho's second Oration, p. 17.) Good or bad, this is a system of pure Deism, a system dishonourable to our Divine Master, and to a Christian minister; but it is genuine Free Masonry.*

Here a word may be spoken for the vain boasting of the harmony of the fraternity. It is found in their books, and twenty-fourth of June orations, and in their daily conversation. "What a lovely institution, which unites the most discordant members in one happy fraternity!" It is a great mistake. The institution does no such thing. It unites only one class of men; others belong to the institution, Jews, Christians, &c., but it is vain to say they are united by it in any sense which annihilates their distinctive characters. Naturalists and Deists may be cemented by the

"A great number of eminent writers have made profession of Deism, and the major part of Socinians have ranged themselves under its standard. This sect, now become very numerous, is accused of admitting only the light of reason, and rejecting all revelation. It is not possible for a Chris

mystic union; or rather may become acquainted with each other by this union, and strengthen each other, and the cause of Deism, by the facilities for intercourse afforded by the secret words and signs of the craft, but they never can be united with pagans or Christians.

Free Masonry has no inherent good to create factions. When it is made the servant of a Deistical party, as it was by Voltaire and his crew, before the French Revolution; or of political factions, as it is at this time in Mexico; or of vanity and pompous show, as is common in our own country, Free Masonry derives some consequence from the use made of it but that it has no natural stamina upon which men may divide; no inherent virtue or benefit for which it is possible to excite a passionate desire, is manifest from the cheapness of her favours, and from the readiness with which she accommodates herself to all classes and condi tions of men, pagans or savages.

None quarrel for the dirt which is trodden under foot by every passenger; it is the silver and the gold, the precious treasures, which excite men to disgraceful bickerings. Frail man will yet rudely contend for an unequal portion of every earthly good; and no strife of this kind being found within the lodges, is a clear demonstration of the fact, that Free Masonry is a senseless thing, incapable of exciting the natural passions of the soul.

But the history of Free Masonry shows that the use of

tian to excuse their indocility; (Voltaire) but justice obliges us to acknowledge, that this is the only sect of all others, (Deists,) that has not disturbed society by its disputes; and which, though erroneous, has always been clear of fanaticism. It is, indeed, impossible that such a sect should be other than peaceable, since its followers are united with all mankind in the principle common to all ages and all countries; namely, the worship of one only God; allowing for the diversity of opinion in others, and seldom discovering their own. They say, that their pure religion is as old as the world," &c.-Voltaire, Manners and Spirits of Nations, chap. 182.

The Deist is a judge of Deism, and Voltaire, here describing Deism, does exactly describe the religious character of Free Masonry.

her has caused divisions among the fraternity. They have not quarrelled about her principles; that were impossible; but much have they divided upon the control of her. Witness the dispute between the grand lodges of York and of London, for the supremacy of England: peace made, A. D. 1792. Witness the division into ancient and modern, beginning, A. D. 1717, breaking out 1735 to 1738; and healed with a heap of ceremonies, A. D. 1813. (Vide Eu ropean Mag. and Lon. Rev. 1814.)

Witness the contest between the royal York of Berlin, and the grand lodge of Prussia; witness the schisms among the Philalethes, and among the Chevaliers Bienfaisants of France; and, also, the long and hard struggle which interested all Germany, between the strict Observantz, and those of the Rosaic system.

These were cases of violent hostility; and the dispute was not whether Free Masonry has three degrees of sublimity, or four degrees, or fourteen, or forty; all that is a matter perfectly immaterial; not whether Free Masonry should or should not continue to teach the black art, wonder-working, and the transmutation of metals; not whether she should relinquish her claim to a divine original, and be content with a leather apron, and a trowel bright with mortar and with use: no, the whole question was, who shall have the wielding of this black engine of night? And bravely they fought it.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Ancient Free Masonry is Deism.

What is Deism?

"The acknowledging a God, without the reception of revealed religion."-Walker:

It is not a little difficult, satisfactorily to prove any thing in relation to a topic which is sometimes operative, sometimes speculative, a mechanic art, or a liberal science; which is sometimes the very essence of Christianity, and sometimes the way of winning the faculty of magic; a religion in which all men agree, and the art of foresaying things to come; which, in fine, bows the knee sometimes in solemn invocation to the Deity, and teaches its pupils to become good and perfect without the help of fear or hope. Such a farrago of absurdities is ancient Free Masonry; and yet, if it have any distinguishing and uniform characteristic, this is it, viz. it acknowledges a God without the reception of divine revelation.

The quotations already made from standard treatises on Masonry, establish this trait in her character. But such is the importance of the subject, when viewed in connexion with the two thousand lodges of our country, and with the glorious and fearful truths of the gospel rejected by Free Masonry, that I shall not fear to tire the reader's patience by summoning before him further witnesses.

I do not attempt, even by the slightest implication, to prove that the Free Masons of our country are Deists; no such thing; but that our dark mistress teaches them the