The herald., 1896-02-23
Anti.SeC:cC

w ~. pu =. aiu IN Wuich a most sweep
ing denunclsmen o is launched against my
criticism of the resolutions passed by the
"aiitl-secret" convention during its session
here in Los Angeles some time ago. In his
article Mr.. Butler eyinces a great and
painstak'ng drudgery in the tracing up of a
vast number of more or less secret socie-
tses-their character and purpose. For all
that, however, as far as | can ju lge, there
Is not throughout the whole article a single
statement made which disproves the val
ldity OF my criticisms. Even il my knowl-
edge as to the aims and objects of secret y
cietles were limited to the discoveries m de
by MIR Butler, | should already have been
supplied with sufficient material to demon
strate the truth of my contention. that se-
cret societies 'are dynamos of mental en-
ergy, dispatching waves upon waves OF
induction through the popular conscious
ness, thus moulding the deals of the ma
TONS If it was through the instrument
ality of secret socieries that such mighty
world drama as the French revolution
was brought about, as Mr.. Butler
contends, no ampler testimony
can he furnished as means
OF proving the slpre ne importance sich
societies have been, and still are. in the
evolutionary career of man. Still, in pa 's-
ing, II Is only fair TO pm Alright the erron-
eous conception Mr.. b. has of what con-
stituled The real cause for the French
revolution. secret societies. Ike the j &c o.
BIN and other fraterniues of similar char
acter, were indeed the instruments or
agencies through which these explosions of
human emotious took issue but the under
lying cause is to be found in the irrepres.
sible conflict between the spirit of men al,
moral and political freedom-battling for
its right to lve-aud the ghost of an out
lived, tyrannical and intoleralt clergy
backed up by degenerate nobili y-trying
to escape postponed death. Furthermore
tue tragedy on the night of Bartolemsw,
August 20, 1872, TO which Mr.. B. refers by
way of an argument against secret socie-
ties, has no meaning in the sense he takes
it. Neither Free Masonry nor any other
secret society as such were concerned in
that outbuTst of human fanaticism. 1t
was planned and executed by religious in
tolerance-the old repetition OF murder
ana massacres in the name OF Christ-one
of the many mlle-pos s along the path of
religious intolerance and despotism.
No one doubts that Jesutism gloried in
secret societies. In fact were it not be-
cause of that circumstance the tremendous
power welded by that sombre fraternity
would be wholly inexplcable. La its very
secrecy is to be found the key TO its fatal
strength. For Jesutism, by virtue of the
impenetrable secrecy by which it covered
the network of its operative 1orres, was en-
abled to control and direct. at one tin Of Is
history, every important movement vi The
world. And, in fact, the only effective and
deep-going strength the Christian church
ever had was exercised through the medium
of secret orders.
From beginning to end in his long arti-
Gle Mr. b has demonstrated with more or
less historical accuracy that secret So
cieties throughout the ages have welded
an extraordinary power. That this must
be 80 Is apparent to everyone who has OBJ.
served the result of concerted action.
Weakness and failure is due to a scatter.
ing and dissipation of energy. In secret
society such dissipation is guarded against.
Every unit of force is utilized and rendered
subservient for the accomplishment of a
certain end. One intelligence, SO to speak,
animates the whole organic .tion, and focus
ing its executive forces along given line
of action, The effect must be freighted with
a terrible po,elcy capable OF bringing
about the most deep-going changes, either
for good or for evil.
Thus far we both agree. But when Mr..
Is. asserts that the secrecy OF a society
at once betrays its evil character, we must
part company. For for land Mr.. b.
admits the presence of such force) can
be welded in any direction depending
FOR its application wholly upon the atti-
tude of the operator. Fire and gunpowder
no doubt are dangerous elements but they
are also at the same time prerequisites to
human culture. Now Mr.. B. assumes the
at ltude and intelligence of q person who,
referring to some drefuI explosion or con.
hagration caused bv ignorance or Grim
lnality-eXhorts the community to prohibit
the use of anything that can either burn or
explode. | grant that large number of
secret orders have abused their powers, but
that fact does not affect the principle in
volved. For throughout history we find
secret societies acting as agencies for the
transmission of inca lculable benefits upon
an advancing world.
1t was by the agency cf secret fraternities
that Christianity was able to tide over some
O. the critical junctures of its early his ory.
during the period the Ottoman empire
had its crescent planted ia Asia Minor and
Southern Europe, the devotees of
Christianity again and again had to take
refuge in caves and jungles and perform
their rites and worship in deepest secrecy.
During long stretch Of time when the
Visisoths, Vandals and Burgunds swept
murderously over the west and south of
Europe, Christianity was appar-
emily oblIerated and was main
tanned only through the medium
of secret societies, which eluded the pen of
the ravlshlng invaders. Likewise, under
the reign OF the Roman emperors Domi-
tan, Decius and Caracalla, Christianity at
long intervals depended upon secrecy for
lis safety and existence. The cioisters and
monastaries of the middle ages were
secret orders to all intents and purposes.
logan entrance to them, certain signs and
passwords had to be exchanged. The use.
fuines5 or these organizations at that time,
III spite OF the secrecy, is beyond question
ing. Superb trailslations of works, at
present extinct, were accomplished in these
retreats, which at the same time served as
sa o repositories for large number of
writings, OF inca.culable value to religion
and philosophy.
The very core and kernel of Christianity
Is esoteiic or secret. The so-called Lords
supper" is yet SO much of mystery that
few, If any, of our modern Christian ex-
Founders have found its true meaning.
Similarly with baptism and other symbolic
rites. Ihe Essences Or "Nazarites," which
Eusebius called the "Christians before
christ constituted a secret fraternity
which gave a vital impetus to the work of
the early Christians by imparting to the
movement aids and instructions which
were Kept i'll undefiled purity, by means of
secrecy, during the lapse of the ages. The
utle "brotner," used in the early
church, was of Essenian origin.
Students and critics, of Christi
ianity, like kicbendorfer, Renan, Prof.
Cocher, Dollinger. Thomas Taylor and 9th
ers held that St. Paul was an initiate in the
order oi tie Essenes. AT all events those
VINO are acquainted with the true meaning
OF the symbolism of esoteric Christianity
cannot escape from the conviction that
raul used the language and possessed ths
knowledge OF a mystic. So in First Corin-
thians lli:l0 he calls himself "master
builder" which is the only time that word
occurs in the Bible. The real meaning of