Masonry And Its Mission.

lished by the Grand Lodge , which is open to the inspection of every one , be he a Mason or one of the uninitiated ( which book is particularly presented to the notice of every newly initiated member ) as from it he will learn his duties to the Craft in general—in this book , I say , one of the first passages is , " As a Mason I would first recommend to your

most serious contemplation the volume of the sacred law , charging you to consider it as the unerring standard of truth and justice , and to regulate your actions by the divine precepts it contains . Therein you will learn your duties to God , to your neighbour , and yourself - to God by never mentioning his name but with that awe and reverence which

are due from the creature to his Creator , by imploring his aid on all your lawful undertakings , and by looking up to him in every emergency for comfort and support . To your neighbour by acting with him upon the square , by rendering him every kind office in your poAver , ivhich justice or mercy may require ; by relieving his distresses , soothing his

afflictions , and by ahvays doing to him as you would he should do unto you . To yourself b y such a prudent and Avell regulated course of disci pline as may tend to preserve the faculties of your mind and bod y in their fullest energy , and may enable you to exert most usefully the talents with which God has blessed you , as well to his glory as to the welfare of your felloAV creatures . " What is there savouring of

infidelity , rebellion , or anything impure in that ? - The next grave charge against us , and one whicli many think weighs hardest upon us is that of deism . Here again see what the Book of Constitutions says : — " A Mason is obliged by his tenure to observe the moral law as a true Noachida , and if he ri ghtly understand the Craft he Avill never be a stupid

atheist or an irreligious libertine , nor act against conscience . In ancient times the Christian Masons were charged to comply with the Christian usages of each country where they travelled or worked , but Masonry being found of all nations , even of divers religions , they are now generally charged to adhere to that reli gion in which all men agree ( leaving to

each brother his own particular opinion ) , that is , to be good men and true , men of honour and honesty , by whatever names , religions or persuasions they may be distinguished , for they all agree in the three great articles of Noah , enough to preserve the cement of the Lodge . " And in an . ancient MS . found in the British Museum , and lately published by

Mr . Halliwell ( which is well Avorthy the attention not only of Masons but of all antiquarians ) full directions arc given as to their manner of life , their duty to their superiors , their employers , and their God , and even IIOAV they are to conduct themselves Avhen they attend at divine service in any of those noble buildings of which they erected so many to God ' s glory . These remain lasting memorials of their skill and

perseverance , and also are sermons in stones , forcibly shoiving that Freemasons were neither atheists nor deists . The charge of being nests ' of rebels and places for hatching conspiracies and revolutionary practices is only another specimen of the ignorance and imbecile credulity of our aspersers * it arose at the close of the last century : —

"About the year 1773-6 , " says an interesting paper in thc ¦ b' reeiiMsons Magazine , "Adam Weishaupt , a professor of canon law in tho University of Ingoldstadt , in Bavaria , in conjunction with some others , formed a secret society , called the llluminati . Weishaupt himself is said to have been an extreme political reformer and an infidel ; and the common belief

was that the French revolution and its subsequent train 01 horrors were the results of conspiracies hatched under the auspices , and in the club , of the llluminati . At the formation of his society Weishaupt was not a Freemason , but thinking that to be associated even , in the slightest degree with so excellent and time honoured an institution Avould

add credit and firmness to his new society , he became a member of a Lod ge at Munich here ho at first drew over acme young and enthusiastic members to join him , but as

soon as they witnessed the development of his hi gh degree they Avithdrew in disgust , and some of them betraying its principles , an examination was made into the charges brought against it , and the result was that the Elector of Bavaria suppressed the society in his dominions ; it had not , in fact , and no proof can be adduced that it ever had , any connection

ivith Masonry . " Had our calumniators looked into the Book of Constitutions , they would have seen that a Mason must be a peaceable subject , never concerned in plots against the state , nor disrespectful to inferior magistrates . As to the charge of impure and unholy rites , is it possible that a body of men of mature ageamongst whom it is no

, uncommon thing to find many ministers of our holy religion , would meet for such a purpose * or even if they did , would they ahvays open their Lodges and commence their proceedings Avith solemn prayer to the most high God . Would men of refined intellect , scholars , statesmen , fathers of families , and rulers of the land sanction any such improper proceedings

by their presence—far less would they , as is often the case , present their sons for initiation into the Order ? Would such words as the folloAving have been addressed by a father to his son on his initiation , Prince Ferdinand being Grancl Master , " I congratulate you on your admission into the most ancientand perhaps the most respectable society in thc

, universe . This moment , my son , you owe to me a second birth . Should your / conduct in life correspond with the principles of Masonry , my remaining years AA'ill pass away with p leasure and satisfaction . " These are not lig ht words , but well each' brother knoAvs that a good Mason must be a

good man , and that they are pregnant with truth and sincerity . What , then , is the mission of Freemasonry 1 It is to teach mon the 2 »* actice of morality , which Archdeacon Paley defines to be " that science Avhich teaches men their duty , and the reasons of it . " And here let me most distinctly assert that

Freemasonry is not a religion , though a reverend brother in America haswell denominated it as "the handmaid of religion . " I think , indeed , the words of the celebrated Dr . Johnson will most plainly convey my meaning;— "When the obligations of morality are taught , " says he , "let the sanctions of Christianity never be forgotten ; by whicli it will be

shown that they give strength and lustre to each other ' relig ion Avill appear to be the voice of reason , and morality Avill be the will of God . " Speculative Masonry is so far intei-AVOveii with relig ion as to lay us under tho strongest obligation to pay that rational homage to the Deity which at once constitutes onr duty and our happiness . It leads the contemplative to vieAV with reverence and admiration the glorious works of the creation , and inspires them with the most exalted ideas of the perfections of the divine Creator . Its system exhibits

a stupendous aud beautiful fabric , founded on universal piety ; unfolding- its gates to receive the worthy professors of every description of genuine religion ; concentrating as it were into one body their just tenets , unencumbered by the disputable peculiarities of sects and persuasions ; in a word , it is tho practice of every moral and social virtue . Its mission , then ,

is the promulgation , and practice of virtue , or , as a reverend divine has explained it , the doing good to mankind in obedience to the will of God , and for the sake of everlasting happiness . The constitution of human creatures , and indeed of all creatures that come under our notice is such , as that they are capable of naturally becoming qualified for states of life for

which they were once wholly unqualified . We find ourselves endued ivith capacities not only of perceiving ideas and of knoAvledge , or perceiving truth , but also of storing up our ideas and knoAvledge by memory . We are capable not only of acting , and of having different momentary impressions made upon us , but of getting a JICAV facility in every kind of action- —and of settled alterations in our temper and character ; the power of thc IAVO last is the power of habit . Our happiness and misery arc entrusted to our conduct , and made to de «