The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-05-23
For the Middlebur y Register
Wesleyan Conference.
BY ONE OF THEM.

paris.
For the Middlebur yRegister.
Wesleyan Conference.
BY ONE OF THEM.
At the session of the Wesleyan Cham
plain Conference held at Weybridge last
week, some of the members took occasion
to announce that while they were labor
ing to promote the gospel of Christ, they
also held it to be their duty to make war
upon all secret societies, and therefore
claimed for themselves the cognomen Of
Radicals" "Reformers," &C.. and when
the motion was pending to extend the
usual courtesies to clergymen Of other
Christian denominations, inviting them
to seats, exceptions were made TO men,
bcrs of all secret societies. In one of
the sittings of the conference it was an
nouneed that on Saturday at three O'Clock,
the public discussion of these subjects
would be the order of the day Notice
was also given that the Rev. Adam
Crooks Editor Of the American Wesleyan,
was present prepared to sell several STAN
dard works, and certain celebrated ex-
positions of masonry. Whether the
brother is agent for the sale Of the works
which he sells, was not announced, but
it is presumed that he gets a small COM
mission on the books, and if he needs it,
we sincerely hope the good brethren will
De considerate, and generously aid him
by the purchase of such Of his books, as
may best please them. For they assure
us, that all the secrets of the order are
fully laid open, and for triAe, every
one can possess them.
When the time had arrived, on
Saturday, after the adjustment Of some
preliminaries the discussion began.
Father Croaker, as he is Familiarity
called, very excellent man, but whose
name is suggestive of i'll omen, led the
van. Others followed with some small
talk, but at length Rev. Mr.. Kenaston,
and Rev n. Wardner both very able
divines, and who claim to be much learned
in masonry, made speeches of very i'm
pressive eloquence. For more than an
hour, they held the audience entranced in
breathless rapture, while they portrayed
the anti-cvangelical features of free ma
sonry, showing as they said from stan
dard masonic authors what masonry
claims to be and to do. After which
Rev. Mr., Wardner gave challenge for
public debate.
The vote before named, excluding ma
sons from seats in the conference, had
the effect to make the challenge seem
little out of place. Still the challenge
was vehemently pressed from the plat
form, on the principle l presume that
masonry as is assumed, is no longer a
secret institution, and its members if
clergymen were entitled to the benefit Of
the house.
In the discussion which was conducted
with great eloquence, the masonic frater-
nifty with more alacrity than delicacy,
were charged with fraud and hypocrisy,
and lying. And it is to be regretted
that the speakers busted themselves so
long with certain minor side issues, upon
which masons are by no means agreed,
not once referring to the great fundamen-
tai principles of the order as if they in
tentionally ignored, them or did not know
them to exist. That such q challenge
should be given seemed strange. land wheth-
er these Bretheren hoped to elicit state
ment, or defence of the principles of ma
sonry, on their platform is not known to
us. But they should know that the
warmest friends of the order, do not care
to defend their principles. Like the
PHILOSOPHY of Plato, and symbols Of Py-
thagoras, they must shift for themselves.
We admire the speculations of Plato on
religion and morals, because they are
the scintilations of a strong mind, strug-
Cling through the darkness and gloom,
for more certain light. We admire
the symbols of Pythagoras who endured
the severest privation and discipline that
he might be esteemed worthy to approach
the Shrine of Minerva, in Egypt. So all
his disciples were obliged to follow him
through a most bitter ordeal, that with
patience and 6rmness they might be in
itiated into the awful esoteric truths Of
PHILOSOPHY, which they were bound by
solemn oaths, not to divulge.
Free masonry celebrates the develop.
ment of the better principles of our ma
ture, as they have struggled along dowr
through the slow march of ages. But
these principles are not claimed to be
essentially christian, nor as such are they
to be defended. The constitutions o.
masonry, the symbols of Pythagoras, ant
the PHILOSOPHY of Plato though they dc
harm to no one, for the most obvious rea
sons must all make their way in thu
world, as best they can.
Some will admire, and others will pro
test, and with no i'll motives we comment
them to the consideration of the Learned
, and the curious of ell ages, aud anon
others, to our very excellent Wesleyan
Brethren whose good intentions are b.
no means questioned or assailed. The
will not find them all they might desire
and if they are not secret, they are uu
doubleday restricted, and as such, cor
8 spire to make US acquainted with the col
i ditions of men, who lived in the agt
which they illustrate. 1t is related of
woman who was forced by tyrant
f disclose the mysteries of the PythagoTea
System, but rather than violate her oat
bit off her own tongue and spit it in Il
IS face of the tyrant. Possibly these goe
1t brethren may meet with no better su
z cess than the tyrant, in their efforts
% comprehend the work and struggles