American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1825-09-27
V olilille ~.

street or across the oceau -in robes in rags He
may wear the turban, or the crown, The tiara the
milre or the black cap Of Geneva The military hat
with lace and feathers, or the broad hrim OF dral,
color; 1t mason, he is admitted; and when he
has entered the door, 1t is too late for him 10 find
fault with his company. AS he shall not be molest-
ed himself, SO he snail not disturb others. There
the Greek and the Turk must lay aside their quar-
rel and sit together with The Jew, the Chrissn, the
Indian and the Missionary where the swo,d, the
sceptre and the crosler submit TO the mystic in1u-
ence OF the trowel Like the great fabric of human
society," this too must contain the poor the weak and
the wicked; for to do good it is necessary there
should be those TO whom it is to be dcne, as that
there should be others able to DO il shtrefore VIC
have the poor always with us Among Individual
masons one may confer an obligation and another
may receive it !; the benehcence Of the one and the
gratitude OF the other. acts both Of them grace
ful and equally contribute to ornament the lodge
but the collected lodge is always gver and never
receiver. On The admission of me nber OF tie
highest rank, an honor is bestowed, and favor
conferred on him, and not by him. The Monatch
himself accepts it, not with profession of thanks
or by an equivalent in value that cancels the debt,
but by ar act OF unequiyocal humility for one
great landmark of Masonry is, that ii is free II So
lcits aid, and asks for converts, liz, is snz.
ious rather that the inexperienced and lhoue hess.
who may be actuaed by curiosity, operated ul,
by sympathy, or outward show, should be well adj
vised, that there are some whom cannot take,
many that will not have, and none that we can
urge for the design is To benefit those " ho Join
us, in any other way than by enabling them 10
benefit Others and they may do this without being
masons. There is, therefore, no urgency for pro-
selyes that do without nor any other en-
hortation than that you should cooperate with US in
the work that about.
That the single object of the lodge is to extend
and multiply acts Of benefcence, in the s,lict sense
of the words, is plain from this, that it has never
been known 10 interfere in any other. The insiiu.
ments that it food and clothing, the life boat
the apparatus Of the humane society, and the per-
sonal cXertions Of man to relieve the distress, ard
come to the Of his fellow man. These are
the working tools of our protession and such is its
object. | promised you the liberty OF drawing
your own infe,ences; is the object good one
The means devised for the attainment OF this
end, the secrecy, the language and the govern.
ment OF the lodge, and these means will be pro.
nounced wise or not, they may be found to an
swer the purpose, or fail of it. Secrecy is wisely
adapted to begin and continue Masonry, because it
is necessary. If the lodge should work in public,
who in short time, would be lis menhers How
would it exclude unworthy and hurfu ones; where
would be its means of doing good. where its go
vernment, its order, its responsibility ? RI il was
to let out it would be like the breaking gu, of wa.
tiers, and mingle with the worlds whole popuia-
ton, so that it would have o,te existence than
the existence of man. 1t world fost in broken
masses disspated and weak, in the deuge OF sell
ishnes corruption. and depravity. The silver cord
would be loosed, and the three fold cord would be
broken, and the Masons Of this age would be blast
ed like the builders of Babel when they were too
many to keep together.
Besides, secrecy is Of itselfa virtue, and is augh.
such in the lodge, and taught efiectually;
should be able to keep their Secrets and should
never violate the confidence of others, nor can
they without sense Of meanpess, that renders
them too despIcable TO be talked about. So high
" was this virtue esteemed among The Ancien!s,
that old friend Py,bagoras taught il painful
pprt Of his SCIENCE and condemned his new disci-
pies to dead silence of from two 10 five years,
varying as he found them or less worthy of
his confidence. Some stupid writers have said, if
masonry be good, tell us, and extend The good
we do extend the good but if we tell you. minute
y, the means by which do it, we should fail of
communicating The power TO you, and should lose
it ourselves. If you wish TO know, and are worthy,
there is way of entering in, that is by the doors
and we know the difference between him that enter
eth in by the door, and him that clim5eth up some
other way"
Shortly after the commencement of the last war
a tax was laid on candles, which, Ricardo lee
ture would prove, made them dearer A Scotch
wife in Greenock remarked to the chandler, Pstdy
Macbeth, that the price was raised, and asked why