Chinese Freemasonry.

ceremonial Mason of the present day . Speaking of Tau { i . e ., Reason , God , the Unembodied ) he says at the very outset , " The tan which can be tau-ed is not the Eternal Tau "—in other words , the Being or Essence which can be comprehended is not the Infinite Being or Reason . The next sentence is yet more remarkable .- " The name which can be named is not the Eternal Name . " That

is to say , that the Name is not orally communicable , or is not that sacred Name lost in all Masonic rites , but for which a shadow or emblematic name has been substituted . It is somewhat singular to see the Chinese philosopher proclaiming , at the outset of this metaphysical guide-book for his disciples , the very quintessence of Royal Arch Masonry . The true virtue of the Name in the Occidental systems ( comparativel y with China ) as proclaimed by the ancient Masons of Palestineand perpetuated bthe KabbalistsRosicruciansand

, y , , Freemasons , will here occur to every mind . M . Stanislaus Julien , in translating the next section of the first chapter , puts the original phrases into very singular words : " That which is without a name is the beginning of heaven and earth—with a name is the mother of all things . Therefore , he who is without passions beholds the mystery ; ancl he who always has passions beholds the issues "—in other wordsthe Name is

, the power of Creation , as held by the Theosophists , passing into passive chaos ( the female principle or mother chaos ) when spoken , and bringing forth externally perceptible things . Those who ( like the Brahmans of Hindustan ) are without passion perceive the reason of such a process ; men of ordinary calibre only see results . The ratio existing between these two conditions Lau-tzse calls " the abyss—the abyss of abysses—the gate of all mystery . "

Lau-tsze at once illustrates tins duplex existence and non-existence b y the doctrine of analogy , or contrast , setting beside beaut y ugliness—the one being the reason of the other ' s existence , and both a product of the mind , itself the judge by innate perception of relative superiority . In like manner the good suggests the existence of evil , and thus we have difficulty and ease , long and short , high and low , nay , even what to a Chinese

mind is the most striking , we have the first idea of time in the crude notion of before and after . Thus from the series of ideas we obtain Lau-tsze ' s idea of a true sage : — "He carries on teaching without words ; he produces without holding possession ; he acts without presuming on the result ; he con ^ letes his work and assumes no position for himself , and since he assumes no position for himself , he never loses any . " Is not this teaching a true equality of motive , such as theoretically prevails among Freemasons ? It can scarcely be expressed in fewer words .

As to the moral government by superiors , after some maxims of comparative unimportance , we find Lau-tsze recommending that the knowledge of evil should be kept from the people by inducing wholesome and proper alimentation , and in repressing- tumults , so that those unofficially accredited should not " dare to act . " This is all , in his metaphorical manner assigned to the sage , or ultimate initiate ( as I take it to be ) in his mysteries , over which I

suppose him to bear rule . But it is evident that the " masterly inaction" which has kept the Chinese Empire in a concrete agglomerative mass , has led in late years to great emigration . That emigration should take place is not by any means astonishing , for the Chinese code of punishment for even trifling offences is a risk that few would not rebel against . We are not , however , writing an exposition of the customs of China , but try to arrive at results . I

should think that chapters two and three of this remarkable book have been written to the command of some "licencer of the press " to put the work in proper form for "approbation . " The ideas of Lau-Tsze on the other have , at least , the merit of being as intelligible as those of Kant , Hegel , and Spencer , but there is infinite pathos in feeling of faith exhibited by the Pre-Christian . " Tau , " he says , " is empty ; its operation exhaustless . In its depth it seems the father of all things .