The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1850-06-12
COMMUNICATION.
j. o. o. F..--No. q.


II the Egyptian priests were PTactised, 10
ne time when The order assumed the name
uf FreemasDnry in Great Britain, Snd Odd
Fellowship IN the United States; how the sc
eret mysteries we're handed down from the
lssi, IhfoaKh tho iine Of the ancient Druids,
by Pythagorus aud other GrecianphilosopheTs
at,d connected themselves with the mitacu>
lous stories and legendary tales Of Roman
Calhoic supers,idod and subsequently, cons
uec,ed themselves f5f a time, about the l7ih
ceniury pi The Christian Era, with aspecies
Of nahis, called The 2osicTusian philosophy,
which sprung up aud overspread much ul
Earope, and 'as.ohished chr;siendom by IFS
prctsnues secrets and mystic glory. i.
h sas not until the beginning Of the 18th
century, that tho secret Ordei assumed The
pane Of speculative Masonry. Four COM
l,anies Of sione,masops, who were under
stood 10 be engeged in building the proud
cdiGces aG London, with Sir Christopher
Rren, as grand master of English architec-
Jnre, being moyedb desire for money,
tame, aud convvialiiy, met at the Applelree
isyefa, 10 that city, on The 2ith day of June,
A D. l7I7 and founded the 6rst grand lodge
IL ahich there is any record, either in Ma.
sonic OF Odd Fellow history, aud elected
.iheir officers, and printed Constitution. : :
irhe compan, then mad but three Degrees
Entered Apprentice, Fellow.craft, and Mass
Ter kIason-bjlt paY numbers from forty 70
ssliy degrees. Since the admitiance OF all
olher crnfis aud occupations, under lis ldola
gTous and speculative system, all the fruitful
. sources oJ imposition since the creation o.
The word, as well as the sacred scriptures
themselves, have been IansAcked to hunt NJ
subiccis and characters for new Degrees Il
be tncked to The society ol FreeInasonfy O
odd Fellows. among others, we hnd ii
Noble Grand, We Grand, Past Grand
Secretaries, Knight oflhe Red Cross, Knigh
,,f iha RFazen Serpent, knight Of he Sun
Knight tFempiOr, GroGd Fon'itf, Outside
Guardian, Grand Treasurer, Most Excelen
Scrlc, Most Excellent High Priest, order 0
ihe Holy Ghost, Most Excellent King
knights Of Malta, Captain General, Gen
eraIissimos, and GranG Bottle Holder ant
Chief Cork Drawer, OF something in hierog
lyphics very agch like it.
ANY approved man, if possessed Of bu
limited unaerstahding,by paying The Initiating
lee, aud attending regularly at lis meeting;
and ceremonies, may become Noble franc
+, 81 Master Mason, or even Most 'Norsh ipfu
Grand Master and thus keep mounting uf
ste tadder, from mystery to mystery, TIL he
arrives at the 43d degree of perfection
which tho newly Initiated are made TO be-
-i1eve CONSISTS IN s9dIowing white snakes,
10 enable him 10 understand Egyptian hero.
xgyiihics and goose gibberage, and drink blue
sDips milk to enable him to see the WIND, and
thus delest the approaching thunder storms!
Z D it few entered apprentices become more
enlightened than this, and the Eellow>cFafls
men are not much better instructed IN the
principles Of tha Order, while The masler
,aasons, whp have the requisite knowledge
keep the secret Of The origin Of the Fiaterni'
" to themselves, perhaps for tue purpose o'
keeping tie world in amazumcnt respecting
III. am assured that nineienIhs Of those
who constitute the rank aud file Of Odd
Fellowship, arc oven Ignorant OF the sAor'
history Of the order given above being con-
rented to learn the secret grips, signs and
I,ass wotds Of the lower Degrees, and consid
sr.na themselves sqfacieRlIy honored BY be-"
ing hailed as Brothers by those whom they
deem their superiors, and to parade The
streets with their ribands and white aprons
10 the astonishment and admiration OF the
ralgar aninitiated!
The "solemn obligations" Of Freemqs
or Odd Fellowship are OF such nature as
not 10 admit Of the initiated Withdrawing; il
lie consider exlra~judiciai oaths binding; a;
he is required TO invoke double damnatlon up
on bis Head, before be is made acquainted
with the duties required, il he tail toperlorn
ihe acquisitions OF the fraternity. lie is
thus hoodwinked into The Lodge, and every
subsequent degree mol only imposes new anC
additional obligations; but is repetition o.
All The preceding ones. Hence, il is that the
tcunipunctious yisiiings Of conscience,if any
nre s,ifled by the vile oath Of profanity, ta-
ken by the members Of the Order. They
sanno. repent, BECAUSE they dare no, con-
fess. Whatever crimes ME peYpetfated, the
conclusion is. aud must be by the perpetra-
,nfs, that they had better 60 on, than 60 back
Thus poor human nature is perverted, and
left without The pOwey Of repentance, or hope
of redemption
The Candidate, who has been seduced in
10 thc Lodge, presents himself blndfolded
and nearly naked, with the cable tow about
his nsck, without any previous knowledge
Is has been remarked, Of what he is 10 do, OF
af what Is 10 be required Of him. He first
steos of with the left foot aud brings The
heel Of the right into the halloS thereof, the
ebeeI cf the righ. foot against The ankle o
The left, will OF course form the right angle
Of an oblong square; the candidate then
kneels on his left knee, aud places his right
foot SO 10 10 form square with tho iell, he
turns his foot round until the ankle bone j:
as much III front oC him as the toes on the
ieft FOOT the candidates left hand is then puI
under tho fIoly Bible, square and compass,
and the right on them. The Worshipfdl
Master ihen approaches him, aud ditecls him
iSs.seosai your name, and say after me:
sI. IA b. Of nv own flee will aud accord,
in presence or Almighty God and this wor-
shipfuILbdgs Of free and accepted Masons
dedicated 10 God and held forth 10 the holy
order Of ST. John, do hereby and hereon
most soIemaly and sincerely promise and
ewear that will always bail, ever concea
at.d never reveal any pm or parts, art OF
arts. poinl or points Of ths secret qrts anc
mysteries Of ancient freemasonry, which
iiAss received, am about 10 receive, OF may
be hereafter instructed in, 10 any person OF
petaansin The known world, except i be iC
1 trde md lawful brother mason, or within
Inc body of Just and lawfully ecns'itaieC
lodge Of such: aad not unto him nor unit
= II y Ia .6sti f.sar y, N ha hut untd hin