Notes By Father Foy On His Second Lecture.

converts in every part of the Union . The party Avas numerous , active , Avell-organised , and everywhere sought political ascendancy , not only in the several States , but in the general government of the country . "

MANICH 2 EISM , AND THE OCCULT MYSTERIES OF SECRET SOCIETIES . ( From "Barruel , " Vol . II ., p . 409 . ) "If themysteries of masonry really are to be traced back to Manesif he be the true

, father , the founder of the lodges , Ave must first prove it by his tenets , and then by the similarity and conformity of then secrets and symbols . " 1 . With respect to tenets—tdl the existence of eclectic masonry , that is to say

, till the impious sophisters of the age introduced into their lodges their impious mysteries of Deism and Atheism , no other God , no other Jehovah is to be found hi tho masonic code , but that of Manes , or the Universal Being , subdivided into the

God Good , and the God Evil . It is that of Cabalistic Masonry and of the ancient Rosicrucians ; it is that of the Martinists , Avho seem to have copied the Albigeois adepts . A most extraordinary fact is , that in an age when the gods of superstition

Avere to disappear before the gods of our modern sophisters , tho God of Manes should have preserved his ascendancy in so many branches of masonry . " 2 . Manes , in particular , is the founder of that religious fraternity which the occult masons interpret into a total

indifference for all religions . Manes Avished to gain over to his party men of every sect . " 3 . But , above all , there is the similarity in the code of Manes and the occult lodges on the principles of disorganising Liberty and Equality . That neither

princes nor kings , superiors nor infijriors , might exist , Manes taught his folloAvers that all laAvs and all magistracy Avas the work of the evil principle . " 4 . The same conformity is to be found in the degrees of the adepts before

initiation in the profound secrets . Manes had his Believers , his Elect , and his Perfects . These three degrees correspond AA'ith those of Apprentice , FelloAV-craft , ancl Perfect Master . The name of elect has been

preserA'ed m masonry , but it constitutes the fourth degree , " 5 . The same terrible and inviolable oaths bound the disci ples of Manes as bind tho adepts of the occult lodges to keep the secrets of their degree . St . Austin , before he Christian

Avas a , had been elected to the degree of believer nine years , Avithout being initiated into that of elect : ' SAvear or forsAvcar yourself , but be true to your secret , ' Avas their motto . " 5 A . The same number ancl almost

identity of signs . The masons have three Avhich they call the sign , the grip , and the Avord . The Manichteans also had three—the Avord , the grip , and the breast . " 6 . Every mason Avishes to ask by offering his hand Avhether you have seen

the light ; it Avas precisely by the same method that the Manicha 3 ans recognised each other , and felicitated a brother on having seen the light . ' ¦ 7 . If Ave penetrate the interior of masonic lodges Ave shall find

representations of the sun , of the moon , and of tho stars . These are nothing more than Manes ' s symbols of his God Good , that he brings from the sun , and of the different

genu Avhich he distributed in the stars . If the candidate is only admitted into the lodge blindfold , it is because he is yet iu the empire of darkness , Avhence Manes brings his God Evil . " 8 . In the degree of master , everything denotes mourning ancl SOITOAV . The lodge

is hung in black , iu the middle is a sarcophagus , resting on five steps , covered with a pall . Around it , the adepts in profound silence mourn the death of a man Avhose ashes are supposed to lie in this tomb . This man is at first said to be Adoniram ,

then Molay , Avhose death is to be avenged by that of all tyrants . The allegory is rather inauspicious to kings , but it is of too old a date not to be anterior to the Grand Master of the Temple . " The Avhole of this ceremony is to be

found in the ancient mysteries of the discipline of Manes . This Avas the ceremony Avhich they called Bema . They also assembled round a sarcophagus on five steps decorated in like maimer , and rendered great honour to him Avhose ashes it AA'as supposed to contain . But these honours Avere all addressed to Manes . It lvas his death that they celebrated , and