Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
M
maticiari of the ^ concerned ih ^ cellent and curious Mason that wasl Chief under the Grand Master Hiram , whose Name was M Mawd , in France ^ was draught into England by the Time of Kihg ^ Aihelston , who ^ ordered an Assembly toihe held once every Year ia ^ of it into S ^
xc iiim supra Libmm ; dwm preceptor debeant legi : ^ i . e . Whilst one of the Seniors holdeth the Wnr ^ > that he or ought to read the Laws or Charges , ; " f Which Charges were , That ^ true to one ano ther without exception , and should be obliged to relieve their Brothers * and Fellows' Necessities , or put them to labour , and reward & em accordingly . as it
" A But in these latter days , Masonry is not composed of Artificer ^ was in itsprimeval State , when some fe declare a Mansufficiently qualified for an operative Mason . The ^ rm of Free and ! Accepted Mason ( as it now is ) has Years : No constituted Lodges or Quarterly Com 1691 , when Lords and Dukes ; Lawyers , and Shopkeepers , and other inferior Tradesmen , Porters not excepted ^ were admitted into this Mystery , or no Mystery . ;
" < The first sort "being introduced at a very great Exipence , the second sort at a ^ Moderate Bate ^ and the latter for the Expence of Six or Seven Shillings , for which they receive that Badge of Honour , which , ( as they term it , ) ¦ is more Ancient and more honourable than the Star and Garter ; which Antiquity is accounted according to the Rules of Masonry , as delivered ^ b ^ since Adam , which I shall leave to the candid Reader to determine .
"'' From the Accepted Masons sprang the real Masons , from both sprang the Qormogons , whose Grand Master , the Vmgi , deduces his Original from the Chinese , whose writings if to be credited , maintained the Hypothesis of the Pre-Adamites , and consequently must be niore Antique than Masonry , (( The most free and open Society is that of the Grand Kaibeber , which consists of a select Company of responsible People , whose chief discourse is concerning Trade and Business , and promoting mutual Friendship , without Compulsion or Restriction .
" ' But , after admission into the Secrets of Masonry , if any new Brother should dislike their proceedings , and reflect upon himself , for being so easily cajoled out of his Money , declining the Fraternity , or secluding himself upon the Account of the Quarterly Expences of the Lodge , and Quarterly Communications , notwithstanding he lias been legally admitted into a constituted and regular Lodge , he shall he denied the privilege ( as a Visiting Brother ) of knowing the Mystery for which he has already paid : "Which is a manifest Contradiction , according to the Institution of Masonry itself , as will evidently appear by the following Treatise . ,,,
Thus concludes the Preface of this singular production , the first of all the numerous Masonic exposures , or so-called exposures , to which any importance is to be attached , and importance only because Dr . Anderson thought it worth his while to reply to it . The plain perjury of which Prichard must have been guilty would he in itself ludicrous , if perjury can be ludicrous in any case . If his dissection or exposure of Preemasonry was true , he broke his Masonic
obliga-* . Our readers will observe the longevity for which Hiram , Manon Grecus , and the other celebrities mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs were remarkable according to Mr . Prichard . + S £ in prig .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
M
maticiari of the ^ concerned ih ^ cellent and curious Mason that wasl Chief under the Grand Master Hiram , whose Name was M Mawd , in France ^ was draught into England by the Time of Kihg ^ Aihelston , who ^ ordered an Assembly toihe held once every Year ia ^ of it into S ^
xc iiim supra Libmm ; dwm preceptor debeant legi : ^ i . e . Whilst one of the Seniors holdeth the Wnr ^ > that he or ought to read the Laws or Charges , ; " f Which Charges were , That ^ true to one ano ther without exception , and should be obliged to relieve their Brothers * and Fellows' Necessities , or put them to labour , and reward & em accordingly . as it
" A But in these latter days , Masonry is not composed of Artificer ^ was in itsprimeval State , when some fe declare a Mansufficiently qualified for an operative Mason . The ^ rm of Free and ! Accepted Mason ( as it now is ) has Years : No constituted Lodges or Quarterly Com 1691 , when Lords and Dukes ; Lawyers , and Shopkeepers , and other inferior Tradesmen , Porters not excepted ^ were admitted into this Mystery , or no Mystery . ;
" < The first sort "being introduced at a very great Exipence , the second sort at a ^ Moderate Bate ^ and the latter for the Expence of Six or Seven Shillings , for which they receive that Badge of Honour , which , ( as they term it , ) ¦ is more Ancient and more honourable than the Star and Garter ; which Antiquity is accounted according to the Rules of Masonry , as delivered ^ b ^ since Adam , which I shall leave to the candid Reader to determine .
"'' From the Accepted Masons sprang the real Masons , from both sprang the Qormogons , whose Grand Master , the Vmgi , deduces his Original from the Chinese , whose writings if to be credited , maintained the Hypothesis of the Pre-Adamites , and consequently must be niore Antique than Masonry , (( The most free and open Society is that of the Grand Kaibeber , which consists of a select Company of responsible People , whose chief discourse is concerning Trade and Business , and promoting mutual Friendship , without Compulsion or Restriction .
" ' But , after admission into the Secrets of Masonry , if any new Brother should dislike their proceedings , and reflect upon himself , for being so easily cajoled out of his Money , declining the Fraternity , or secluding himself upon the Account of the Quarterly Expences of the Lodge , and Quarterly Communications , notwithstanding he lias been legally admitted into a constituted and regular Lodge , he shall he denied the privilege ( as a Visiting Brother ) of knowing the Mystery for which he has already paid : "Which is a manifest Contradiction , according to the Institution of Masonry itself , as will evidently appear by the following Treatise . ,,,
Thus concludes the Preface of this singular production , the first of all the numerous Masonic exposures , or so-called exposures , to which any importance is to be attached , and importance only because Dr . Anderson thought it worth his while to reply to it . The plain perjury of which Prichard must have been guilty would he in itself ludicrous , if perjury can be ludicrous in any case . If his dissection or exposure of Preemasonry was true , he broke his Masonic
obliga-* . Our readers will observe the longevity for which Hiram , Manon Grecus , and the other celebrities mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs were remarkable according to Mr . Prichard . + S £ in prig .