Historical Freemasonry.

in their temples , groves , & c , were "Freemason mysteries . " The " abominations " we read of in the Bible were reli gious rites : e . g ., the offering up of children by their parents on the altars of Bel or Moloch was a reli gious ceremony in which the worshippers danced round the altar with frantic cries and

hellish glee , drowning the agonized shrieks of their own burning offspring . To call " abominations " such as these " Freemasons' mysteries " * is surely a libel . The fact is , in all the Jewish territory I do not know of the least shadow of a proof that the Sidonian or Tyrian Craftsmen had any temple great or small in which they practised " Masonic mysteries , " nor that they had " Masonic temples " in their own countries either .

Again , see page 28 : — "The persecution of the Jewish builders of the second Temple Avill come forcibly to the memory of all Masons . " Well , suppose it does ; what has that to do Avith the Freemasous ? The hindrances put in the way of the builders of the second Temple mere ]} " - arose from the political jealousy of their neighbours , the Samaritans . It had nothing to do with Freemasonry ; it was a national antagonism and jealousy .

As Freemasons , I consider our proper plan in the meantime would firstly be to try if we can really connect ourselves fairly with the building fraternities of the middle ages . That is to say , let us in the meantime throw off all merely supposed connexion with Solomon and the JBAVSand try firstlif we can

-, y pro perly trace up a true historical connexion with the building fraternities of 700 years ago . When that is well done , and the orig in , rise , aud constitution of these mediaeval building fraternities properly understood , then may we consider if we have any grounds for trying to make out an existence of four times 700

years . For my own part , as yet I know of no good reason for dating our ori gin beyond the middle ages , and would only wish to see ( if it can be at all managed ) our connexion with our church building fraternities properly traced up .

It must not he imagined that because houses or temples were built both before and after the time of Moses or Solomou that the builders or operatives were necessarily Freemasons . If you say so , give some substantial proof . We all know that many of our present operative Masons are not Freemasons ,

yet they are none the worse operatives for that . The grand mistake with such Avriters as those of page 249 of the Magazine for September 2 S , 1867 , is that they consider , that " on its ( Freemasonry's ) principle was the Tabernacle in the Avilderness formed , " and so on ; whereas , iu fact , Freemasonry was instituted in

Christian times , "its framers largel y copying the princi ples " and ideas they were laying down from the Bible . The remark of Bro . C . P . Cooper on page 250 of said Magazine for Sept . 28 , 1867 , is most apropos - . — "Whoever undertakes to Avrite upon the origin and nature of early English Freemasonry , should begin by collecting as materials for his work everything to be found in our old chronicles , annals , and

histories , and in our rolls and records , civil and ecclesiastical , respecting the men Avho built our first stone * cathedrals and castles . " I observe in your Magazine , page 47 , an article headed " The Prince of Wales a Freemason " ( from the DailNews ) from Avhich I cull the

followingy , remarkable sentence : — " The cardinal virtues Avere kept alive by the Order of Freemasonry through the darkest times , that it Avas old and flourishing when King Solomon was admitted into it , aftenvards to become its Grand Master , and that the denizens of other worlds than this practise the mysteries f of

the Craft Avith the greatest benefit to themselves . " Now , while I agree with a great deal the writer of the above says , I trust he will , when he thinks over it , excuse me for saying that the above quotation is quite untrue and simply nonsense . To assert that " Solomon was admitted into our Orderand

after-, wards became Grand Master ! " What next ? How' ever , an idea has struck me . I Avill consult the " Spirits , " of whom we have been hearing so much of late—and here one comes .

" Can you inform me if Solomon was a Freemason , and , if so , in what lodge was he made ? " Spirit answers : — " Oh ! yes , Solomon was admitted a member of a lodge of Scots , viz ., the Lodge of Glasgow , on the 21 st day of June , j 1007 B . C ., H . A . being Grand Masterwhen shortly thereafter the

, Lodge of GlasgoAV was chartered by Solomon , King of Israel , 1007 B . C ., for Avhich mark of Eoyal favour the brethren unanimously elected him to succeed H . A . as Grand Master . "

" Now , Mr . Sp irit , that is too bad on Glasgow ; in fact , that's a lie !" Spirit ' s answer : — " Well , betwixt you and me , it is a lie ! I thought— ' As well be hauged for stealing a a horse as a sheep , ' for there ' s nothing like telling a good thumping lie when one is at it . However , I yet

will swear that it is as true that Solomon Avas made a Mason as that the Lodge of Glasgow St . John was chartered by Malcolm III . There , now , I won't say another Avord . " Spirit A'anishes . § One remark as to the Prince joining a foreign lodge . Since it was necessary for him to take a

foreign lady ( and Ave all approve of his choice ) for a wife , I see no great harm iu his choosing a foreign lodge for his " mother . " I trust the brethren will take the historical remarks or corrections I have made in good part . Our princiles are noble and goodand' founded upon the

p , truth . We must also get at the real foundation of our history , so that it also may be true . I intend to say something shortly in answer to Bro . A . O . Haye anent " rock-cut temples . " Yours fraternally , PICTTTS .