Antiquity Of The Craft.

ofher cause than a tendency ^ often remarked in Western Europe , to reduce Freemasonry to a mere political society , stripped of its religions ( or Jesuitical as they call it ) associations , and employ it for political purposes , or as an engine of the

colourless vacuity of modern materialism . To this , the English and American minds , long trained to the union of laAv , liberty , and religion , and keenly alive to the vital difference between that toleration of free opinion on religion which is so eminently

Masonic , and the sceptic renunciation of religious belief Avhich is so clearly unmasonic , have never assented .

There is a class of minds , common to all ages , in whom incredulty is an instinctive prejudice rather than a result of investigation , whom no amount of indirect evidence is likely to convince . Thus Columbus tried in vain the monarchs of

Western Europe , and only succeeded in persuading a Queen that he could sail west until he should reach the East Indies ; Galileo could not convince the learned theologians of his day that the earth revolved ; nor could George Stephenson , less than

fifty years ago , convince a committee of the British Parliament that he could carry passengers hy railroads tAventy miles an hour , in safety . In mechanics , success is proof ; but in historical enquiry , there is no fixed standard . Even Paul the

Apostle defined his faith in the life to come , as " a reasonable hope . " We hve ia an investigating age , and cannot claim that the pretensions of oui- Craft to an antique origin are beyond the sphere of criticism ;

but , on the principles of just criticism , Ave ought 1 o object to the sufficiency of a course of reasoning that sets up the approved form of Lodgerecords used A . D . 1870 in lands of free speech and free societies , and demands that the

traditions of past centuries shall be proved by similar records under the penalty of utter disbelief in cases of failure .

The Antiquarians of our Craft in England havo furnished many evidences , far earlier in date than the formation of the Grand Lodge at London , of the existence of our Craft in that country ; some of them draAvn from early-restraining statutes of

Parliament , and notably-important notices of early York Masonry . These are attacked from two points—the one , doubting their authenticity ; tho other , by endeavours to draw a line of separation foetween the records of Masonry as a practical

art , and those which imply an ancient isac & sbg' -ei .-the moral , religious , and humanitarian , eosfeiass " that pre-eminently distinguish the GraSisai ^ efes .: ; times . It is not my purpose to attempt an- © ESSESE © - "

tion of the authenticity of esisting TSCSS ^& J 2 as " do I attach much importance-to such seas-sle © JE- means of shoAving any high antiquity , "Measvvss ? , for a society like ours , are compatible o * a >* - "smbsecurity , liberty , and peace—and all tb & ss- ZIPS , € &¦

modern date in Europe- Such- theorizers- as--would rely on them as an exclusive test ; - feg . i-i . that , for centuries , the fires of perse ^ sfe ^ hy political and religious authorities ,, ha-xa- ~? zg $ 7 jagainst free opinions and organisations l-iie --BSZT "

OAVU . Even now persecution is uoi ; . essis-jri--Within the past year many of our bieVisrss TteHss been put-to death in Cuba for the politissi © isfesrs ® - of being Freemasons . Do you- think ths-fes ^ -SBJ there , Avhere treachery surrounds evsTy IssE-Shy .

will keep records Avhosa discovery -w-ouM Ibczibg , the SAvift torture and the garotte to iks .- ass-fe . e £ every man indicated on- their lists 2 "Sa ' ssSsie--condition is but the reflex of long i & mZtz & Jsi ..:, during which other record than the breasi & S £ ibsfaithful was almost certain , death . We ars saiisfifeS-. that Christian communities existed for thy & s szzz >~

-turies prior to the council of Kicej . anclyaWs ^** :: * : no records of their organisations ,. The history of European persecniioaSj , l > y h-iiJiz and Church , of our Institutions ,. , shows- iha-i-. ji « 2 often for the safety of their own lives ,. Fras-suKscs-, ;

vainly attempted to preserve records n-liish- myj : served to light the flames of their own raartyriJa *^ . The non-existence of such Craft records- in . & E-. dark mediaaval ages is , to my mind-, & r sba & gcsr corroboration of the traditions-of the C : ? ail .- ikxffi

Avould be their production in full and zsgplm sequence . Having no prejudice against ths ligls : ? - ec lower grades of Freemasonry for si-tharr ^© li- ; ifi . ii . or religious reasons , and loving , its espsra & iTi-.

social humanity and broad religious tolsraJieai-. Avith my utmost strength , I have long-. Ife-sKs JJJ earnest seeker for the sources of these g 221 £ &» : > . principles , and the courses by which- Shej "hsrs-s : reached us . There are many crucial-tssta- 'S'i'ikJb ,

when applied to traditions , separate ths- gssiz :-. from the chaff . In no department of lstisr-3-isathe scholarship of this generation achisvsii asao s ^ brilliant success than in applying new tests dossEx