Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1832-02-24

veal,
MIR. Halle, another of the Committee. took
the same view of the case. lie say nopropri-
etyi requiring masons to disclose their Sc
crets, They had stated these secrets related
entirely to themselves, and did not affect eth
ers, and were harmless.
The undersigned, having entirely dissentcd
from this view of the case, which he believes
has resulted in partial investigation Of the
whole subject referred to the Committee, by
protecting masons on oath, from ,sclosing any
of the secrets of masonry, or the proceedings
of their bodies, which they might think injuri-
GUS or disreputable to the institution to make
public he begs leave to state his reasons for
such opinion on his part.
If an investigating Committee to enquire in
to the whole subject, were to allow masonic
witnesses to consider their secrets. upon their
assurance, that those secrets did not interfere
with others, were harmless and related only to
themselves; why should they not have been
protected also, from disclosing their oaths?
1t is known that many, if not most masons,
consider these oaths as much the secrets of ma
sonry, as any other part OF the system; and It is
known to the undersigned, that there are adhe-
ring masous, who have declared that they
would not disclose their masonic oaths, under
their civil oath The undersigned understands
that witness, examined in Newport, by the
Chairman, declined taking his oaths on this
ground.
l. is believed, that it is very recent admis.
sion by masons, that their oaths are not as much
a part Of their secrets, as their ceremonies. IT.
then, the Committee ought to have been salts.
fed with the declaration of masonic witnesses,
that there was nothing dangerous or, injurious
70 society, in the forms Of initiation, ceremo-
4 IL, II III taxVs
been satisfied with the same declaration in ref.
erence to their oathsl Every adhering masor
sworn, was ready to say these oatls were en-
tirely harmless; & il the Committe We're bounc
to be satisfied with their construction of the ma
ture of the secrets, without enquiIing wha
those secrets were. why should they not trus
TO the same construction of the oaths, withou
recurring Them to be produced, for the Gene
raj Assembly to put their own construction
upon them.
The undersigned therefore. dissents from tn
decision of the Committee, in protecting ma
sonic corporations, from full disclosure of al
their secrets and ceremonies: by which aon
this General Assembly could Judge whethe
the private transactions of these corporations
are such as ought to be countenanced and aP
proved by their sanction; and he submits It It
the consideration Of the Assembly, whethe
corporations claiming the right thus to kce
them in ignorance, and withhold their procee
dings under oath, ought to be approved an,
sustained.
The undersigned. as he has before stated. be
lieves that the true construction of masoni
oaths 4 penalties, cannot be understood, with
on, disclosure Of the ceremonies connected
with them. They also compromise all the Sc
crct means of communication, without which
the effect and influence of the oaths, would bt
much less dangerous; because, when divested
of the ceremonies and organization Of the in
stitution, they would not furnish means OF sec
ret cooperation and concert throughout the
world as they now do. Standing by themselves
they would only bind one man. who could no
know or communicate with others in secret
bot connected with these secrets, they bind
whole bodies of men, all over the world, with
secret means of communicating signs, whicI
they are sure to obey, and to keep each other.
secrets of every description, murder and trea
son not excepted. if there be any exception a
ali in the highest degrees.
Some Of the secrets, which the witnesse.
would not disclose, are believed, by the under,
signed, TO be as important as their oaths. Re
ference is particularly made to the ceremony. il
the royal arch degree, of representing God APP
pearing to Moses in the burning bush. III,
V
this, in one of their approved books, (the chart
by Jeremy l.. Crosse refused to explainit III,
undersigned believes that ceremony to be high
ly impious. and such as If exhibited in public
would subject the exhibitor to indictment f
blaspleniy-
Another of the secrets, which witnesses wer
net required to disclose. embraced, as the uu
dersigned believes, an oath, as binding as an
oath in any degrees, and confirming all forme
oaths. To show this, the oath itself. as give
inAllyn's Ritual is here presented. 1t occur
in the knights templars degree. The candidat
takes human scull in his hands. in which Their
is wine, and repeats after the Most Emnen,
(the title of the presiding officer of the Encamr
ment, in which this oath is administered) a
follows:
"1his pure wine take from this cup in ties
timony Of my belief of the mortality of tn
soul; and as the sins of the whole world wer