The Charter Of Cologne.

attendeutibus ad ea , qua hisce temporibus ealamitosis , efc per civium dissentiones et discordias turbatis , nostras supra diotae societati , omnibusque , qui huio caementariorum liberorum , vel Joannis ordini adscripti sunt , fratribus imputantur eonsilia , opiniones , machinationes , tam

occultae , quam palam compertae , quae omnia , ufci a nobis , ita quoqtie ab indole , proposito , praeceptisque hujus consociationis vel maxime sunt aliena ; insuper constitit , hujus ordinis socios eo praesertim , quod inexfcricabilibus quae nos ligant , quaeque sanctissime , ab omnibus obsei-vantur arcanis atque pactis devincti sumnsatque certius

, ab extevis et profanis vituperemur , et publicae execrationi devoveremnr , de redintegrandi templariorum ordinis crimine accusari , nosque publico ita vulgo designari ; pei-inde ac si eo consilio essemus devincti et eonjurati , ut huic quasi ordini adscripti , ejus bona atque dominia recupei-are , postremi , qui f uifc huic ordini pi-aefeotus , summi magestri

necem in regum et principum , qui hujus cviminis rei atque dicti ordinis extinctions auctores extiterunt , posteros vindicare vellemus ; banc in finem iu ecolesia schismata , in temporalibus autem imperils et dominationibus conturbationem et seditionem moliremur ; odio atque invidia in papam , ponfcificem maximum ,

imperatorem , omnesque reges tlagraremus ; nullorum exterornm potestati , solis vero superioribus et electis nostrae eonsociatonis , per omnem terrarum orbem disseminatae , magistris obtemperantes , secveta ipsorum mandata et clandestina oonsilia secretis epistolarum commerciis , missisque nuntiis exsequeremur ; nullis denique aliis ad

nostra arcana aditum daremus , quam qui corporis tormenbis explorati et pertentati , exsecrando Sacramento se nostris ligaverint atque consecraverint conclavibus : Propterea , omnibusque iis perpensis , utile atque perquam necesse visum esse , verum statum nostriqne ordinis originem , quoque tendat ipsius charitafcis institutumsicut

, ea singula a praecipuis , maxime in arte peritis , et genuinis instituti scieutiis illuminatis , magistris comperta sunt et comprobata , exponere ; eaque ita exposita singulis nostras societatis conclavibus vel mansionibus in examplar , a nobis subscriptum obsignatumque redacta at exarata ederequibus in

que ; perpetuame ri memoriam , de hoc nostro pacto renovato , deque intacta propositi integi-itato , constare possit : utque etiam , si qua civium gentiumque ad odia , invidiam , intolerantiam , bella , proclivitate in diem incre - brescente , haecnostraconsociatioinposterum fflagis magisque gravaretur minus

, quo statumsubstantiamque suam conservare , earn m quibusdam terrae regionibns dilatari , soque i psam lemporum progi-essu minus mcolumem , intactam et incorruptam servare possifc , nihilominus melioii tempore tempestateque magis commoda , si non omnia , attamen vel unum alterumve harum

addressed to all the above-mentioned Lodges , to our Brethren , present and future , declare , that forasmuch as we have been considering the designs which in these calamitous times , embroiled by civil dissensions and discord , have been imputed to our foresaid Society and to all the Brethren belonging to this

order of Free Masons , or of John , opinions , machinations , secret as -well as openly detected , all which are utterly foreign to us , and to the spirit , design , ancl precepts of the Association . It moreover appears that we the members of this Order ( chiefly because we are bound by those inscrutable secrets of our connection and covenant , which are

most secretly kept by us all ) , in order that we may be more effectually vilified among the uninitiated and profane , and that we may be devoted to public execration , are accused of the crime of reviving the Order of Templars , and commonly designated by that appellation , as if we had combined and conspired for the purpose of recovering , as

members of that Order , its property and possessions , and avenging the death of the last Grand Master who presided over that Order , on the posterity of the kings and princes who were guilty of the crime , and who were the authors of the extinction of said order—as if with that view we were exciting schisms in the

cburches , and disturbance and sedition m the temporal government and dominions—as if we were influenced by hatred and enmity against the Pope , the chief Pontiff , the Emperor , and all kings—as if obeying no external power , but only the superiors and elected of our own Association which is spread throughout the whole world , we

executed their secret mandates and clandestine designs by the private intercourse of correspondents and emissaries , —as if in fine we admitted none into our Mysteries but those who , after being scrutinised and tried by bodily tortures , became bound and devoted to our Conclaves . Therefore , having all these considerations in view , it hath seemed

to us expedient , and even absolutely necessary to expound the true state and origin of our Order , and to what it tends as an institute of charity itself , according as these principles are recognised and approved by those who are most versant in the Highest Craft , and by Masters enlightened in the genuine sciences of the Institution , and to give forth

to the Lodges or Conclaves of our Society , the principles thus expounded , digested , and organised , as an exemplar , authenticated by our signatures , whereby a perpetual record may remain of this our renewed covenant and the unshaken integrity of our purpose ; and also in case , through the daily increasing propensity of the people to animosit

y , enmity , intolerance , and wars , this , our Society , should hereafter be more and more oppressed , inasmuch as to be unable to maintain its standing and consolidation , and thus be dispersed to some distant regions of