Freemasonry From The Outside.

FREEMASONRY FROM THE OUTSIDE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , AUGUST 27 , 1864 .

( From the Kendal Mercury . ) What is the inward part or thing signified in Freemasonry ? In vague and general terms we are told that Masonry is one of the loftiest things in the world . Its outward and visible signs of its inward and spiritual graces are as old as

Adamnay , older , for the creation of the Avorld was only an act of Freemasonry . Its " signs" of to-day are clearly traced in the reign of King Solomon . It makes the Christian a better Christian ; and further than this Ave fancy it is impossible for even Freemasonry to go . We have heard a " Mason "

affirm that it is impossible to fully understand the Bible without first being initiated into the mysteries of Masonry . And yet in these days of broad , open truths the

Masons keep their Craft a secret—a profound secret , for a betrayal of Avhich death itself ( if the betrayer had his deserts ) would onl y be too light a punishment . We have seen a great deal of Freemasonry in Kendal during the past week . The procession was pretty ; the men Avere dressed in

the best that could , we suppose , be had for English money ; and perhaps each individual of the hundred brethren was , and is ( we sincerely hope it ) a peer in Heaven ' s own order of nobility . But we heard , on all sides , from the crowd that looked on , the uniform question— " What does it all mean ?"

What is Masonry shorn of its jargon and secrets ? What is there in it to cause a young man to long earnestly to be called after its name ? Is there anything in addition to nods , and winks , and peculiar grips of the hand ?

We ask for the sake of information—will any one of the hundred brethren condescend to enlighten us , in common-sense terms , and they will , in shedding light upon us , shed light upon very many more . " It is good for brethren to dwell in unity , " and as all mankind are brothers why not

try to make all Kendal , to begin with , Freemasons ? If that Avould not be the proper thing —why not ? The true Master Builder , who rebuilt the Temple in three days preached to the whole world . If there is a boundary to the universe there is possibly also a boundary to His

charity . We don't Avish to say a word against the Masons , but is their Masonic charity built on the same foundation ? Or is it simply a relic of the days before gas lamps and lucifer matches Avere invented ? It is interesting ; but so is Punch and Jud y . We cannot always bow down to interesting

things . Above all things it were simply ridiculous to boivn clown to a Secret—to go into a societ y with your eyes closed , and then remain in it with your lips closed ( to outsiders ) for ever . Ask a Mason what it means , and you are , in nine cases out- of ten , told that it is good , loyal ,

virtuousand nobody knows what ; but ask how it is better , more loyal , more Adrtuous than other societies profess to be , and there is a dead lock . We speak lor ourselves—Ave never yet asked a Mason for definiteness and got it . 0 , that we had it before us in black and white \

0 , that the Rev . W . Cockett , Avho preached so admirable a sermon , could have shown the world a light of Freemasonry to be set on a hill-top to give light to the nations—to " the world at large !" But that can never be . Before a man can know what Masonry is he must be a Mason . And before

he can become a Mason he must be prepared topay so much ** down , " and so much a year in the future , or till he arrive at a certain age . The "Grand Master Builder" had his first objects among the poor . We are puzzled to know how the Masons are following * in His footsteps . If any

person can shoAV us we will be grateful to that person till our dying days . Only , if any one will so favour us , pray let it be the Avhole story—not half of it . Our lady readers in particular are especially solicitous . And ' the promise , faithfully , that it shall never go

farther than the Mercury carries it . They want to know what is said and done in the lodges . They " want to know the shibboleth of the tribes , and if it is common to the little Benjamin of Kendal , and the bi g Judah of London . In short they Avant an explanation and we , in their name , offer a new apron of elegant needlework , and of divers colours to the first Kendal Mason Avho in the

interests of humanity will dare to—split . We offer the apron to any Mason of any degree ; but if a P . G-. I . W . will ' ¦ ' split" we are authorised to offer ten talents of silver and three changes of aprons . The thing is important : —who'll bid ? We known one P . G . I . W . who is learned in the art of taking bids ancl draAving them?—will he on such a momentous occasion consent to bid

?—Heor any one ? It would be a glorious event . Think ! —it Avould be done for the first time in the history of the Avorld—or indeed in the history of Masonry , compared with which the history of the Avorld is nothing . The man Avho splits will be the hero of countless generations . His will be the one

name to which ladies will pay most honour till the end of time . Does the thing need argument ? Then let us plead that the age of secrets is all but gone ; that the last respectable vestige of it is Freemasonry . If it is the noble thing it professes to be it should belong to all . If it secures truth , sobriety , and all the virtues surely we outsiders need it too . Once communicate it to the world and Teetotal Societies

would be needed no more . Midnight missions would be things of the past , for the brothers Avould be good , and the sisters Avould no more need saving . Sects and parties ; wars and rumours of wars would be at an end . The universe would be one church and one brotherhood , and the Masonic grip would bring down the angels of