Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

I
AND HIS SECHET SOCIETY. 19
help in testing, disproving, or confirming the statements and
suggestions made in this hook, for, the sooner error is confuted
and truth established, the better for all.
If these statements be incorrect, those especially connected tvith
trades and crafts, it must be easy for those at the head of great
houses connected with such crafts plainly and unreservedly to
confute them. Men are not usually found to be backward in
contradicting other men's assertions when they consider thenown
knowledge superior. And to the simple question, " Am I
wrong? " the answer " Yes 11 would be at once conclusive and
satisfactory, if delivered by a competent authority and an
honorable man.
Such an answer has hitherto been withheld, and it cannot be
thought unreasonable if for the present we continue in the faith
that the statements and theories here set forth are approximately
correct. When those who have it in their power absolutely to
confirm or refute our observations will do neither the one nor the
other; when published books are found invariably to stop short
at the point where full information is required, and which must
be in the possession of those who, having written up to that
point, know so well where to stop and what to omit, then we are
assured that the questions remain unanswered, the books incomplete,
because those who have in their possession the information
which we need are bound by vows to withhold it. In Freemasons'
language, they " cannot tell"— an expression which
recurs with remarkable frequency in correspondence on these
subjects, and which is judiciously or graciously varied and paraphrased:
" I regret to be unable to give you the information you
seek "— " I am sorry that I can tell you nothing which will assist
your researches"— " These inquiries are most interesting —
wish it were in my power to help you," etc.
In vain have we endeavored to extract the answer, " I do not
know. " Such a phrase does not seem to exist amongst the formula?
of Freemason or Rosicrucian language.
It has been our effort, throughout this work, to keep each
subject distinct from every other; at the same time showing
how all are inseparably linked and bound together; how every