The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-12

Z. s.ons ana Of eleven md adlaiaste
tered apprentice to the Royaf IA is .ssm tie e.
It is therefore le the ind ftrsi!eAesS'>
se In sfis aethenticsted Obligation OF ne pgon-
apprentice, that tske my. frs. dbleye eslsred
his inde6BiieResS l. not only intrias Aoh--ard
tefpss Of tha obligation itself bat aggrayateoYs
Inc previous pledge of the Candidate to confrm1
to the established usages and customs of the ordr
and by the charge given by the Master who admin.
listers the Oath, which charge enjoins it upon Ii.
Candidate duty to obey the instructions of the
Master Of the Lodge, and to keep the Secrets of
brother Mason, committed to him as such. The
obligation includes also the pledge to keep secret
the transactions Of the Lodge-without exception.
There are thus, according to- the understanding
of the Rhode Island Masons, and to yours, three
distinct classes OF secrets, to which every accept
ed Mason was bound-frst, to the secrets of Ma
sonry, consisting of the signals of communication,
and tokens OF mutual recognition. between the
members OF the paternity. Secondly, the secrets
OF brother Mas0s communicated as such-and
thirdly. the transactions in the Lndgsv And of
these yon and they consider the first class only as
essential to the order. But what is the principle
Of this distinction None such is found in tho
Oaths themselves, nor in any of the Masonic
Books, nor in the charges given by the Master to
the candidate for admission. Does the promise of
secresy given by the entered Apprentice extend to
the transactions Of he Lodge? IT does not in
the terms of the Oafh, 1t does not by the prac-
tice Of the Rhode Island Lodges for they enjoin
this portion Of the secrets by their bylaws upon
the penalty Of expulsion, but those same bylaws
contain provision whatever for the violation of
the essential secrets In all the Oaths aad Obliga-
tons subsequent to the degree of the entered APP
prentice, the promise includes the secrets of
brother Mason, communicated such, but not the
transactions Of Lodge, Chapter or Encampment.
These deemed binding only by virtue OF the
other promise of the candidate, that he will con-
form 70 the usages, customs and regulations of the
fraternity. But this distinction itself proves that
in masonic contemplation. the Obligation to keep
secret the transactions of the Lodge, is not the
Obligation, with Oaih and Penalty, to Keep the es-
sentlal secrets of the Craft For disclosing the
transactions Of the Lodge the penalty is expulsion
But the bylaws contain no such penalty for dis
closing the secrets of tine Craft What is this but
a recognition that the penalty for divugng he Sc
crets Of the Craft is different from the penalty for
revealing the tranactons of the Lodge that it is
a crime of much higher order, sanctioned by the
Oath with its penalty, and for which il would be
alike inconsistent and absurd to provide by by
law regulation of the Lodge.
My first objection to the promise of the entered
Apprentices Obligation, is its indefniteness-and
this objection extends to all the obligations of the
subsequent degrees, and to the Institution itself,
which is no where limited to any number of de-
grees. and is thereby rendered a ready ERglne OF
conspiracy for any evil purpose.
second objection to the promise, is its asicer-
salty. 1t is TO keep the Secrets of the C.ss. G,
never &c reveal any person under the Can
opy Of HedUen. The single exception has no 9TH
er effect than to exclude all other exceptions IL
is net confined to initiated brothers and regular.
Lodges, to whom the entered Apprentice can of
course, reveal nothing, they being already in aoss
session of Secrets which he promises to keep.
The promise, therefore, is never to reveal the Sc
crets of Masonry TO any person under the Canopy
of Heapen.
shall pursue this subject in another letter.
J. @. ADAMS.