Illustrations Of The History Of The Craft.

in its inner speculative teaching and outer and formal organization , is but the " servile imitation of an ancient and- useful Fraternity of actual Masons . " But this A'ery modern vieAv of the history of the Craftas far as I knOAV or

, understand the arguments of its supporters , has so far nothing but crude hypothesis ancl intolerant assertion in its favour , and seems destined to land us as a Fraternity , ere long , again on the shore of a most unlearned ancl unreasoning exposition of our

arclncology , our usages and our history . If it bo true , we may as Avell bring to an end at once those studies and investigations which of late years have been undertaken by so many able brethren , in order , from the unerring records of the past , to erect a

lasting edifice standing on sure foundation , perfect in its parts ancl honourable to the builders , which shall be able to resist alike successfully the attacks of criticism , ancl offer a satisfactory and reasonable history to our brethren and the Avorld of our ancient and beneficent Order . 3 . But the third vieAv remains for our

consideration , namely , that our Freemasonry may be safely traced through the mediceval ancl early guilds , direct in the first instance to the Roman Collegia , and then even much further back , in harmony AA'ith our OAVII ancient traditions . Bro . Dr . Findel puts the Avhole question most fairly , Avhen

admitting that a " certain connection existed " between the mediseval guilds and the Roman colleges , he goes on to ask , whether the former be a " direct continuation " of the latter—Avhether "there exists sufficient historical proof to justify the tracing back the Fraternity of Masons to the building corporation of Rome . "

Ancl though he lias thought Avell to ansAver both these questions in the negative and to say that " attempts to trace the history of Freemasonry further back than _ the middle ages have been up to the present time most decided failures , " I think he has alloAved Ms preference of his OAVU A'ieAV

to blind Mm someAvhat to the result of the researches of those able brethren AVIIO advocate the connection between the mcdiajval guilds and the Roman Collegia , and that he has not given sufficient Aveight to the evidence Avhich may be adduced in support

of this larger theory of Masonic history . It is impossible to hope to find to-day Mstorieal evidence of a perfect uniformity

of ritual and ceremony , of customs and usages , in which some set so much store between the present and the past . Indeed if that be requisite , Bro . Fmdel ' s argument in respect of the German Stoimnetzoii utterly breaks down , for he himself admits

that a " complete insight into the customs in use among the Fraternity of stonemasons into their origin and progress will most likely never be vouchsafed to us . " * NeA'ertheless he goes on to contend that they Avere the forefathers of modern German Speculative Masons , and in all essential particulars identical .

I would only adopt my learned brother ' s own admission and argument , ancl apply it to the view I am now advocating . In common AAnth those AVIIO maintain the same ^ new of Masonic history , 11 contend that the evidence Ave are already in

possession of , to link us on to the building colleges of the Romans , and thence to Grecian communities ancl Egyptian mysteries is very clear and very striking , and cannot any longer be disputed or cavilled at .

There is a very great body of evidence , which requires to be carefully considered and respectfully treated , and cannot , as it ought not to be hastily dismissed , Avithout duo weight being given , to Avhat may bo incontestably proved , in favour of any

favourite hypothesis or preconceived opinion of AA'hat the History of Freemasonry can safely be supposed to be . That there are many difficulties in the way of a perfect ^ develojmient of this last theory denybut they not

, no one can , are really greater than attend on Bro . Findel's more limited VIOAV , ancl such a difficulty , after the lapse of centuries , must , bo reasonably expected , as well as from the peculiar condition of the Masonic system !

I hope , in the next chapter , to put before my brethren Avhat is really the amount of reasonable evidence , or even any vieAV at all of Masonic history , as regards tho ancient building colleges and sodalities , up to the fall of the Roman Empire .