The Craft And Its Criticisers.—I.

THE CRAFT AND ITS CRITICISERS . —I .

[ Prom a Correspondent ] , TURNING carelessly over the leai'es of a book a feiv days ago , I met AA-ith the folloAA'ing passage on Freemasonry AA'hich struck my attention— "If the charge that it has been converted into an organized secret conspiracy against , religion and existing governments has been unjustly made , it must he owned that the profound mystery in ivhich it has cloaked itself gaA'e some

colouring to such charges ; it being but natural to infer , that if there were anything to call for such extraordinary degree of secresy , it could hardly lie aught for good , or in accordance Avith the interests of society at large . The greater probability is that that there is nothing either good or had to conceal ; that the mystery of Freemasonry is nothing more than an innocent mystification ; and that its symbols and instructions , whatever meaning or purpose they may have oriinallymadare now become mere forms and si

g , gns retained by the brethren , or ' Free and Accepted Masons , ' as they style themselves , for the purpose of conferring peculiar importance on their harmless social meetings . " It occurred to me that a few remarks might appropriately be made on the above , tending to put the matter in the light in ivhich it ought to be considered , and that they AA-ould suggest others of a nature to satisfy the inquiries of such persons as are in the position ofthe ivriter ofthe ivhich

passage has been quoted ; and further , that they might be useful to young members of the Craft , AVIIO not unfrequently are made the objects of ridicule anion " their friends , not having yet gained sufficient experience to enable them to reply to the taunts and objections urged against them and the fraternity in general .

I am one of those Avho regard the term Freemasonry , " in a very broad sense , as comprehending everything that is wise and A'irtuous and holy , and of course am inclined to carry it back to the divine Author of all good in his communications AA'ith mankind in the earliest periods of the ivorld ' s history , as revealed in holy Ai'rit . jSTone can deny that those communications ivere made to a particular people w'hom he designed to honour and to make especially bis OAVU—in order that in his dealings Aviththem certain principles miht be establishedaccurate of the Creator of

g — knoivledge great all might be imparted—sure and fixed indications might be given of the object of man ' s existence on the earth , and the relation in Avhich he ought to stand to his Maker—clear ideas be impressed on the human mind of the difference betiveen good and evil , and of the consequences of a course of conduct marked by either the one or the other ; and all these important points ivere intended to be so stamped on the polity of the Hebreiv nationthat they

, might not only produce an effect upon that people , and furnish opportunities for the exercise of Divine approval or reprehension , so as to give clear proofs of what AA'as pleasing or offensive to the Deity , but that they might serve as examples to all future generations until the arrival of the period ivhen mankind should become fitted to receive a neiv and more spiritual dispensation for AA'hich the first ivas to be a preparation . Nor can it be denied that for Avise purposes it ivas intended that these communications should be

restricted to the JBAVS , and that a distinct line of demarcation should be drawn between them and the other inhabitants of the earth . To this end it AA'as ' undoubtedly necessary that conventional means should be established 3 B