The High Grades.

doubt into many a Mason ' s mind , rudely to shake longcherished traditions , nay ei-en to undermine the foundation of a goodly fabric , the growth of many generations , that , animated by sincere affection to the order , and impressed with tho result of several years study of Masonic antiquities , I presumed to lift up a humble voice of warning and of protest .

I hoped [ thereby to lead many other skilled and skilful Masons in this country , truly " Masters of tho work , " to examine for themselves and study for themselves our fast increasing evidences ; to think for themselves , to judge for themselves , and not hastily to yield credence to " dicta " however dogmatic , or to assertions bow-ever pretentious .

I fain would hope that this Avill yet be one result of the present discussion , as far as many of your readers are concerned , and if so , my aim will in a great measure be attained . In the meantime Bro . Matthew Cooke , has taken part in the discussion , and it is to his remarks and statements that I now seek to oiler a reply . With regard to any personal controversy , as existing between

Bro . Eindel , and Bro . Leeson , I am utterly ignorant of any such persona ] difference . My allusion was to a fact well known to any Mason who has ever travelled on the continent , and thus I also understood Bro . Eindel , that they are in great vogue and high reputation , in some foreign countries , certain so called " high degrees , " ivhich tend to the injury of genuine Masonry ; and which ,

in themselves are so puerile and ridiculous , as never to have found , as far as I know , a permanent footing in England . Time and space alike preclude my treating of them seriatum , nor is it indeed needful . The fact has been recently admitted in the pages of the MAGAZINE , and it is iu truth incontestable . If there are any , who have time or taste for so profitless au enquiry , they can easily procure at some second hand bookseller ' s , one of those numberless French

histories of tho High Grades , and the last edition of Mackey ' s valuable Lexicon of Freemasonry , will give to any who really want such information , all that they can require . 1 can only repeat that many of those degrees are the " creations of charlatanism ancl imposture . " But my remarks applied to foreign high degrees . I have

expressed no opinion , as I have no right to do , whatever my doubts may be , in respect of the " high grades " as they are at present practised in this country , except as claiming superior antiquity to craft masonry . The original and leading statement of my defensive reply , was , " the only true historical theory of masonry is to be found in the unbroken connection between our present

-speculative and adoptive masonry , and the operative guilds of the early and middle ages . " It seems hardly needful for me to reiterate this statement , but yefc I do so , in the fullest confidence , that sub-• sequent research aud study will place it beyond dispute , except with those who dispute , for disputation ' s sake . In using the word " adoptive" who will kindl

, anyone y take the trouble to read my statement with the context , wiilsee at once , that I used it in antithesis to operative , and in harmony with speculative , just as later on I repeated purposely the expression " the identity betAveen operative and adoptive masonry . " I did so designedly , to mark the antithesis as betAveen operative and non-operative ; operative as opposed to

adoptive , in answer to those who would separate the two ; and in the great liberty of our mother tongue , I ventured to commend this fact antithetically to the readers' notice . No one who will gwe a full and fair consideration to such a use of words can really suppose that I could mean here , by " adoptive , " " la maconnerie d'adoption , " as our French neighbours call it , and it is rather hard , that an arbitrary and altogether incorrect use of a word by one writer , is to deprive another writer of what is fairly allowable by the use and construction

The High Grades.

of the English language . With respect to my reference " to the earliest constitutions of our order , still happily preserved in the British Museum , " a word or two of explanation is needful . There are , in the British Museum , no less than five copies , in MS ., of tho " ancient constitutions or order of Freemasons , " irrespective of a ancient printed in the Gentleman ' s Magazine

very copy , for 1815 , ancl of that earliest copy of all , which has recently beeu given forth to the Craft , by Bro . Mattheiv Cooke . Three of these I have by me UOAV , collated word for word ; two others aivait a leisure season , Avhile , iu addition to these , is the masonic poem on the same subject , earlier than any prose copy , and which Avas edited by Mr . Halliwell some years back .

These are the authorities to ivhich I alluded , and I unhesitatingly affirm , ( let any one be the judge of the truth of lvkafc I say , ) that all these are derived from a common origin , that they all preserve ( with some variations ) a mai-ked identity of legend ; that they set forth , on the whole a constant sameness of rule and regulation , that they all point ( if to an operati ve brotherhoodas

, most surely they do ) equally to a secret order , ancl that they all recognize , more or less distinctly , tho admission of non-operatives to the privileges of the Craft , one of them in express words . One MS . indeed , next in antiquity to the Constitutions recently published , transcribed about the close of the seventeenth century , not only mention the Master , and fellow , and apprentice , but also

contains the sum "given" by more than one non-operative "to be made a Mason . " As regards the antiquity of our ritual , at a fitting time and place , I am quite ready to enter into that subject , and hope ere long to do so . So too as regards the alleged anachronism of the Eoyal Arch Degree ; ivhich I should never have alluded to , but for the unwise remark of Bro . Shuttieworth . It is amusing to observe , that while Ave are cooly called upon , to surrender , at

once , without a word of remonstrance or objection , traditions invaluable to us by long use and longer antiquity . "We yet have proffered to us , in lieu thereof by the same hand which so ruthlessly destroys these cherished witnesses of the past , certain wonderful " rites , " of which we are corrolacently told " the proofs are everywhere , ' ' ' but ivhich , as far as one can judge , the bold assertion

to clay , only resemble what Carlyle calls "bottled moonshine . " One word as to Masons' marks . It is impossible for me noiv to enter on so extensive a subject , but I hope , that this very controversy may induce my learned and indefatigable brother , "W . E . ShaA \ r to ive to the Masonic worldhis valuable lecture

, g , on Mason's marks , aud the illustrations he has so sedulously collected . I believe , that it will ere long be proved , Avithout fear of contradiction , that Mason ' s marks are all parts of one general system , governed by geometrical pi-inciples , and are , as they are meant to be , the outward "indicies" of mystical teaching , the external tokens of an associated

ancl universal brotherhood . It is time for me to draw these far too lengthy remarks to a close , ancl iu so doing , I Avould ask your readers to believe that all I have ventured here to put forward , proceeds from my deep regard and veneration for our noble brotherhood—a regard and veneration now extending over a space of well nigh twenty years . Had I not ,

Avhether rightly or wrongly , thought it the subject of attack , I should , not have troubled you so much . Henceforth , I shall work on , in silence having said my say , collecting evidences and verifying authorities , hoping one day , if the Great Architect of the Universe give me health ancl opportunity , to illustrate and put togetherthe " history of the Craft in land" for the

, Eng , improvement and instruction of all faithful " Craftsmen . " I am dear Sir ancl Brother , faithfully ancl fraternally yours , A . F . A , 'WooDrQB-.. Swilliugfcon , Leeds , April ISfcb , 1862 .