Joshua, nor David, nor Solomon, nor Hiram, nor St. John the Evangelist, nor St. John the Baptist, belonged to the Masonic order. It is unwise to assert more than we can prove, and to argue against probability. There is no record, sacred or profane, to induce us to believe that these holy and distinguished men were Freemasons. To assert this may make the vulgar stare, but will rather excite the contempt than the admiration of the wise. Let Freemasons then give up their vain boastings, which ignorance has foisted into the order, and relinquish a fabulous antiquity, rather than sacrifice common

Some inquiring Brethren express their surprise that the irregularities here referred to should have been suffered to remain so long uncorrected in an age when science has made such ample strides towards perfection. The apologues or parables of Masonry are both beautiful and interesting, but it is a grievous error that they should be promulgated as serious facts. Such a proceeding is unworthy of a noble and beneficent institution. The Grand Lodge doubtless considers the anomalies of too trifling a nature to merit any grave official notice; and, therefore, the correction of historical mistakes naturally devolves on individual Brethren; although it must be confessed that such correction carries with it no authority, unless endorsed by Grand Lodge: a proceeding which might probably involve the alteration of a Landmark, and by consequence change the character of the institution. One unexplained tradition is the

origin of Masonic degrees, which is placed at a thousand years before the Christian era, viz., at the building of King Solomon's Temple, and that they were brought into existence by three distinguished individuals. And our present authorized Ritual promulgates the same idea. This is the delusion. which these Lectures are intended to dissipate.

L

LECTURE XXXV.

NUMBER OF PRIMITIVE DEGREES.

"There is a charm in truth that draws and attracts the mind continually towards it; the more we discover, the more we desire; and the great rewards are wisdom, virtue, and happiness. This is an edifice founded on a rock, which malice cannot shake or time destroy."-Dunckerley.

"A search after truth is the peculiar employment of Masons at their periodical meetings, and, therefore, they describe it as a divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue.”—ANON.

IT has been for many years an undecided question among Masons, whether the Third Degree has any just pretensions to antiquity. The time has arrived when this matter ought to be definitively set at rest by a sober appeal to accredited history. Truth forms an imperishable basement on which any amount of superstructure, whether physical or moral, may be securely placed, without exciting the slightest apprehension of permanent failure or accidental mishap. How then is it that, as the system of Freemasonry is professedly founded on truth, there should be any question about the veracity of its details; and that its general historical facts, and particularly the mechanical construction of the Third Degree, as illustrated by its ordinary legend, should be so difficult of proof? I have had, in my time, numerous

conversations with intelligent and learned Brethren, who think that, although the subject is involved in much uncertainty, the legend is neither more nor less than a myth of modern fabrication. Nay, many entertain serious doubts whether it be not a great mistake to endow Freemasonry with a legendary degree at all. The fair presumption is, according to their opinion, that ancient Masonry had only one degree (if that can be called a degree which is merely the designation of a skilled workman), viz., that of a Fellow-craft; but whether it was conferred with the ceremonies now in use is another and very different question, which it will be impossible, at this distance. of time and in the absence of authentic records, to answer correctly, although the probabilities are adverse to such an hypothesis. It is, however, a well known fact that the oldest ritual we are acquainted with contained but one O.B., and one brief and simple prayer; an arrangement which was continued down to the great schism in the year 1740. And it is also equally clear that apprentices were not eligible for admission to any Masonic degree; for the old laws strictly provide that no man shall be made a Mason except he be his own master, thus excluding apprentices and slaves. The several clauses of the O.B., attached to our present Third Degree, have been literally extracted, by whom it would be hard to say, from the most ancient York Constitutions, which, however, were originally binding on all the fraternity, even to the lowest apprentice.

Without presuming to dogmatize, because the customs of the primitive Craft are not very clearly

understood, I shall simply state my reasons seriatim, for entertaining an opinion that the Third is a modern degree. Should they be found puerile or erroneous, let them be rejected. If sound, as I firmly believe, they may tend to restore the primitive dignity of Masonry, at the risk of dissipating many a pleasing illusion; as the child who is in the seventh heaven of delight at reading an interesting fairy tale, becomes vexed and annoyed when he discovers that it is only a senseless fable. But Truth, being a Masonic virtue, must be preferred to fiction, and ought to be publicly vindicated and maintained, because its greatest foes are mystery and concealment. Veritas nihil veretur nisi abscondi. If any Brother possesses valid evidence to establish a higher antiquity for the Third Degree than I am disposed to assign to it, and is able to prove the greater accuracy and integrity of its legend, I hope, for the satisfaction of the Craft, he will produce it; for I have no hesitation in admitting that if any such evidence exists, it has escaped my researches.

Antediluvian Masonry (so called), as it was propagated by the Noachide in the post-diluvian world, was exclusively speculative; for speculative Masonry is simply the theory and practice of pure morality as exemplified in the patriarchal religion. Thus, when we contend for the high antiquity of the Craft, and assert that it was used by our great progenitors in Paradise, we only mean to infer that the obedience enjoined upon them was tantamount to the practice of Speculative Masonry as recommended in our symbolical Lodges at the present day. For although we