Lecture On The Origin, Nature, Object, And Tendency Of Freemasonry.

must always be so long as true Masonry exists , as the Great Lig ht of the Craft , I think no reasonable man will venture to contend that Christianity is not inculcated in its teachings . Again we aver , that the three leading principles of

Freemasonry are brotherly love , relief , and truth ; if therefore Christianity is truth , it must he recognised in , and form one of the leading principles of , Freemasonry ; otherwise Ave must deny the truth " of Christianity . If Christianity therefore , is truth , all

. other faiths must be the reverse , and can have nothing in common with Masonry ; for the truth of Masonry is that called for in our courts of justice , as "the truth , the Avhole truth , and nothing hut the truth . " Our freedom is one of our greatest boasts , and the New Testament informs us that it is the knowledge of the truth that shall make us " free . "

I will now proceed to refute the arguments against this position , to Avhich I have previously alluded . Iu answer to the first , " If the religion of Freemasonry is Christianity , Avhy do Ave ignore our Saviour Christ in our invocations and ceremonies ? " I answer emphatically that we do not , as I think I have conclusively

shewn , by my preceding observations , and , moreover , until the fusion of the two Grand Lodges in December 1813 , when , for some unaccountable , and much to be regretted circumstances , an alteration was effected , the ceremonies , and especially the lectures , were full

of direct Christian references , and , without going beyond the 1 st degree , I may state , that , in an edition of the Ahimon Rezon ( the text book of the ancient Masons ) , published in 1756 , 1 find a prayer , stated to have been used amongst the primitive Christian

Masons to the following effect : — " The might of the Father of Heaven , and the wisdom of his glorious Son , through the grace and goodness of the Holy

Ghost , being three persons in one Godhead , be with us at our beginning , and give us grace so to govern us here in our living , that Ave may come to his bliss that shall never end . Amen . " And another prayer mentioned there as used at " making , " concludes : " This we most humbly beg in the name and for the

sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour . " In an old text hook , dated 17 G 7 , 1 find the folloAving invocation , in the prayer then used , " on the making of a Mason , " " grant that this our friend may become a laivful brotherlet grace and peace be multiplied

, unto him , through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ . " The lodge lectures , in use before 1813 , abound in Christianity , but more especially those appertaining to the 3 rd degree , which , I do not intend now to enter uponbut even in those of the 1 st

de-, gree , in illustrating the principal steps of the Masonic ladder , viz ., F ., H ., and C , it is stated , that a true Christian faith is the evidence of things not

seen , but the substance of things hoped for ; this maintained and well answered , hy walking according to our Masonic profession , will turn faith into a vision , and bring us to that blessed mansion above , where we shall be eternally happy with God , the Grand Geometrician of the Universewhose Son died for ics ,

, and rose again , that Ave might be justified , through faith , in His most precious blood , " and in likening prudence to a blazing star , enlightening us through the dreary aud darksome paths of this life , the lecture goes on to say" we may apply this emblem

, to a still more religious import , it may be said to represent the star , which led the Aviso men to Bethlehem , proclaiming to mankind the nativity of the Son of God , and here conducting our spiritual progress to the author of redemption . " I might proceed

to quote to a much greater extent , but think I have done enough to maintain the principle , that Christianity is not and never Avas ignored in the invocations aud ceremonies of Freemasonry , which is one of the most formidable arguments against the

Society frequently urged by its detractors , and particularly by ministers of various religious denominations . Then the question , Avhy do we say that the

religion of Masonry is an universal religion is readily answered ; the true religion of Masonry , and the only religion that can be called universal , is " the knowledge of the Lord Avhich shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea , " and that " knowledge of the Lord is undoubtedly Christianity . It is true , Ave do not

require candidates for our mysteries to declare themselves Christians , any more than we question the religious opiuions of those who enter our public places of divine worship ; so long as they outwardly comply Avith certain observances , Ave are glad to receive them

within our pale , in the hope that the " true light" may ultimately shine upon them . As to Jews and Mahommedans being Masons , I believe they neA'erwere admitted until a comparatively recent date , and althoughas a moral institution , Masonry has many

, excellencies and advantages to them , they can only receive it as the former receive and recognise the Old Testament , Avithout understanding its true import ; in short , to us is accorded the inestimable privilege " of knowing the mysteries , but to them it is not given , "

because " they seeing see not , and hearing they hear not , neither do they understand" the light for them shineth in darkness , they being in darkness comprehend it not .

The concluding part of my subject has , I hope , been considerably explained by what I have already said . I sincerely wish that all professing Masons perceived the true object and tendency of Freemasonry , I fear that , as a rule , Masons are something like poets , "born and not made ; " some men cannot see hooks in trees and sermons in stones , " a primrose by the