their occupation being in no wise incompatible with our profession, and they might be known and distinguished by the title of Operative Masons, as the Essenes were divided into Theoricks and Practicks :---but from the writings of the author of the Anglo-Norman Antiquities, we are convinced he was not a Free and Accepted Mason himself; and as the secrecy of that society had attracted the attention of many, who as their curiosity was exercised, raised conjectures on the name of Masons, to discover their origin and principles, or to reconcile their own opiniors: from whence, nothing was more likely to strike the attention of an historian, than this body of men; the haly-wark-folk rambling in Palestine were to his purpose.

WERE we claimants only of the title of mechanics, we might have chose as ancient and a more honourable branch of the arts and sciences;---we might have substituted geometry to a more worthy duty, and have honoured our Maker in some profession more expressive of our sense of his power and dignity.

OUR origin in this country is thought to be from the Phenicians who came here with the Tyrian Hercules, and introduced the doctrines of Ham and the Amonian rites, together with the Hebrew customs; and afterwards the emigrants from the Holy Land, who taught us the rules instituted by Solomon at the temple of Jerusalem; and finally, the propagators of the christian doctrine, who brought with them the principles of the Master's Order, and taught the converted those sacred mysteries which are typical of the christian faith, and professional of the hope of the resurrection of the

+ me have x me nothing to do with day dogonas of Feligion!

body, and the life of regeneration. Yet we fear few
among us are equal to the character we have assumed.
Our lodges are not now appropriated to worship and
religious ceremonies; we meet as a social society, inclined
to acts of benevolence, and suffer the more sacred
offices to rest unperformed.-Whether this neglect is
to our honor, we presume not to determine; in our
present state professing ourselves Free and Accepted Ma-
sons. We are totally severed from architects, and are
become a set of men working in the duties of charity,
good offices, and brotherly love_christians in religion-
た
sons of liberty and loyal subjects:—we have adopted

rules, orders, emblems, and symbols, which enjoin us
to live a life of morality :---we have furnished our
lodges with those striking objects, which should at
once intimate to us the mightiness and wisdom of God,
the instability of the affairs of man, and the various
vicissitudes in human life, and have set before our eyes
preceptors of moral works; and to strengthen our
faith, we have enlightened our lodge with the emblem
of the Trinity.

It is well known to us, that there is scarce a state in Europe, in which our fraternity have not formed a body. The wisdom of the ancients would pass abroad into many regions, and those who had assisted in the pious labours at Jerusalem, would, like Pythagoras, teach the sciences and mysteries which they professed, and communicate the system to which they had been initiated ;---religious men would retain the doctrines and mysteries with reverence, and with caution reveal them to those they thought worthy to receive; hence the original knowledge would pass into

many countries:--but there is no accounting for this universality of the society, upon the principles of architecture and operative masonry:---the rage of church building had not contaminated all Europe as it did England; neither is there any probable means to be deduced from architecture and the practice of builders, to account why in every tongue, and in every kingdom, the ceremonials of being made a Mason should be the same.---If the honor of architecture was all that was to be regarded in the society, various would be the devices by which the members in each nation would profess it.---As architecture, according to its present orders, had its progress from Egypt and Greece, some nations would have borrowed symbols and ensigns peculiar to those people; or we should have had in our ceremonies, or in our workings, some devices which might have distinguished to us the beauties, orders, ornaments, proportions, or symmetries, of some or all of the rules, modes, or orders of architecture, either from the plains of Shinar, from Egypt, Jerusalem, Tadmore, or Greece; or have retained some geometrical problems, on which the general principles of proportion in architecture were grounded or demonstrated:-but instead of that, it is well known to us, that there is nothing of that kind revealed. On the contrary, our mysteries are totally abstracted from the rules of mechanics: they are relative to religion and morality, and are conducive to pious works: they are unfurnished with any type, symbol, or character, but what appertains to demonstrate the servants and devotees of the great Mirovgavew.

THERE is not an instance of the European states
T

uniting in any one enterprize, save the holy war; and from thence, we most rationally must conceive, the present number of masons dispersed over the face of Europe was principally derived. The Amonian rites ́are almost totally extinguished, religious zeal has imbrued the sword in carnage, and Europe has groaned under persecutions; the Romans extirpated the Druids, Christians have glutted their cruel hands with slaughter, bigotry and enthusiasm in every age have reigned in bloodshed. By the crusades, the number of our society would be greatly augmented; the occasion itself would revive the rules of Masonry, they being so well adapted to that purpose, and also professional of the Christian faith, from whence sprang the spirit of the enterprize.After these pursuits subsided, bodies of men would be found in every country from whence the levies were called; and what would preserve the society in every state, even during the persecutions of zealots, the Master Masons Order, under its present principles, is adapted to every sect of Christians. It originated from the earliest æra of Christianity, in honor to, or in confession of, the religion and faith of Christians, before the poison of sectaries was diffused over the church.

To the ancient rules, deduced from Solomon, other laws, rules, and ordinances were added, during the enterprizes of the crusaders, for the prevention of riot, luxury, and disorder; and for maintaining that necessary subordination, which the command of such armies required. Many of those rules we retain in the conduct and government of our lodge, which can in no wise be deduced from any other original.

LECTURE XIV.

A COROLLARY.

WE E will conclude these lectures, with collect ing into one view, the propositions and maxims which have engaged our attention throughout the whole work; thereby to give a clear idea of the mysteries of Masonry, the progression and spirit of its institution, origin, and present state.

WE may have seemed prolix, and appear to have filled our arguments or representations with repetitions; but where that seeming impropriety takes place, it was necessary to urge a position which contended with some accepted error, prepossession, or vulgar prejudice.

FROM the ancient rites and ceremonies which we have laid before you, it will be easy for you to trace the origins of our own rites, and to discover the foundations on which our society was erected. It is evident they had their progress in the post-deluvian world from Ham. We have been under a necessity sometimes to use terms of art, or expressions which to others may not carry distinct and clear images; but to the brethren, breathe an energy which flows from the united force of technical terms, symbols, and hieroglyphics. When we speak of Masons under the denomination of a society, we mean Masons as embodied in lodges, according to the present manners in which such lodges are held. Our antiquity is in our principles, maxims, language, learning, and religion:-those we derive