Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

130 ORIGIN OF FREE MASONRY.
lightly ? ]s he some Jachin and Boaz, disowned by the fraternity
? Did the Masons kill him for a disgrace to the craft i
No, no; what Mr. Hutchinson has written,was esteemed
" for her profit and praise," and is prefaced with the following—
" SANCTION.
u Whereas brother William Hutchinson has compiled a
work, entitled, 4 The Spirit of Masonry;' and has requested
our sanction for the publication thereof; we, having perused
the said book, and finding it will be of use to this society,
do recommend the same.
" Petre, G. M.
" Rowland Holt, D. G. M.
"Thomas Noel, S.G. W.
" John Hatch, J. G. W.
44 Rowland Berkely, G. T.
* James Heseltine, G. Sec.' 1
Lord Petre is well known in the annals of Masonry, as
Grand Master of England, from 1772 to 1777; under whose
administration, the corner stone of Free Masons 1 Hall, London,
was laid.—Whew! Whew! Of what use is reason to
such men; or argument against such folly? 44 Having
perused the book, do recommend the same." Let Masonry
answer it.
The copy in my hands is an edition published at New-
York in 1800, and here follows a passage which the Lord
Petre and his grand officers must have read, and which
shows with what a determined spirit Mr. Hutcjiinson closed
his eyes to the truth, and hardened his heart in transgression,
while he would prove Masonry to belong to Heaven,
and not to bricks and mortar.
41 Our antiquity is in our principles, maxims, language,
learnings and religion; these we derive from Eden, (the
language of Eden in the lodges!) from the patriarchs, and
from the sages of the east, all which are made perfect under
the Christian dispensation. The light and doctrines
whieh we possess, are derived from the beginning of time,