Father Foy On Secret Societies.

lence , and much less so if there were many acts of kindness ! But were not those acts of benevolence confined to those who were members of these societies or those who were related to them by the bonds and ties of relationship and friendship ? He asked

, as Pius IX . pointed out in a great allocution on the subject , if benevolence was the chief object of these societies , why the need of these terrific oaths , these terrible initiations ? because charity and benevolence and kindness had been going on for 1900

years , since the reign of Christ and His Church on earth , and therefore there Avas no need for such initiations as these if charity was the onl y thing to be attended to . Consequently , they must not consider their charities so much as persons belonging to secret societies Avould have them do . The lecturer then read the folloAving extract from Barruel ' s work on the

subject , explanatory of the process of initiation into a secret society : " Every mason Avho wishes to be admitted into the Scotch degrees and even into all other degrees of masonry , is first taught that until that period he has lived in slavery , and it is on that account only that he is admitted into

the presence of the other brethren Avith a rope about his neck , praying that he may be delivered from his bonds . But Avhen he aspires to the third Scotch degree , he must appear in a far more humiliating costume . The candidate is shut up in a dark

cell , a rope Avith four slip knots is tAvisted round his neck , he is stretched out upon the floor ; there , by the dull light of a twinkling lamp , he is abandoned to himself to meditate on the wretched slavery in which he existsand to learn properly to

, estimate the value of liberty . At length one of the brethren comes and introduces him to the lodge , leading him by the rope , holding a draAVn sword in his right hand , as if he meant to run him through the heart in case he made any resistance . After

having undergone a long examination , and particularly after having been sworn never to reveal the secrets with which he is entrusted , he is declared free . It would be useless to enumerate all the different oaths ; it is sufficient to say that each degree and

sub-division of a degree has its peculiar oath , and they are all frightful ; all call on the vengeance of the brotherhood on the unhappy man who shall betray

thensecret . " ( Barruel , vol . 2 , p . 305 . ) NOAV , as he wished to point out , and as all Catholic writers Avho treated of the subject told them the great secrets were not in the loAver grades . Persons belonging to the lower grades were used as dupes and instruments

for carrying out their purposes , but to them these higher secrets Avere not revealed . Nor Avere the persons Avho were entrusted with these secrets kings and princes . They had also a Avitness to that , a French writer who could not be left aside

—Louis Blanc , than whom , it vrould be admitted , no one could be more antagonistic to any relig ion Avhatever . He says : " As the three Masonic grades ( Apprentice , Companion and Master ) included a great number of men who Avere entirely opposed

by their station and principles to all social subversion ; the innovators multiplied the degrees of the mystic ladder Avhicheach had to climb ; they created fresh lodges , reserved for ardent souls , they instituted the hiher grades of' Elect' ' Knights of

g , the Sun , ' ' of Strict Observance , ' and of ' Kadosch' ( or regenerated man)—dark sanctuaries , the doors of which were never opened to the adept till after a long series

of trials , calculated to prove his progress m revolutionary education , to try the constancy of his faith , and to test the strength and mettle of his character . There , in the midst of practices Avhich are already peurile and sinister , it pleased certain sovereigns , the Great Frederick among the restto

, take the troAvel and gird themselves with the apron . Why not ? The existence of the hi gher grades being carefully concealed from them , they only knew about Freemasonry what could be revealed to them without danger . They had no need to

trouble their heads about it , kep t doAvn as they were in the lowest grades , Avhere they saw only an opportunity of amusements , joyous banquets , principles taken up and laid down at the threshold of lodges , formularies that had no reference to ordinary

life—in a word , only a comedy of equality . But in these matters comedy borders closely on tragedy , and princes aud nobles were brought to sanction with their names and blindly to serve AA'ith their influence to latent enterprises directed against

themselves . Darkness , mystery , an awful oath to pronounce , a secret to learn for each trial courageously borne—a secret to keep