Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

310 ABBE BARRUEL'S VIEWS
infamous behaviour would have made many desert the
lodges. This monstrous Adonis disgusted all Strasburg,
and was betrayed by the cries of the Egyptian sisters* It
was no longer the age when the mysteries of the Adamites
could be approved of. He was driven from that town for
having attempted to introduce them. He would, in like
manner, have ruined the craft, had he continued to confound
his lodges with those of the east Such was not the
behaviour of our modern Masonry. On the contrary, it
appeared, that it had neither religion nor government in
view; and they were seldom mentioned in the generality of
lodges. It was only on the day of initiation, that the reflecting
adept could surmise that it had any future object;
but even on those very days, the trials were rather a subject
of diversion than of reflection; and so far from meditating
on the allegorical emblems, they were rather diverted from
it by the sect, until favourable dispositions had been discovered
in them for their farther initiation. The sect well
knew, that a day would come, when a small number of the
Occult Masons would suffice to put all the inferior multitude
of. adepts in motion. It is thus that it may be easily
explained, how there have existed so many honest Masons,
and how so many are still to be found, who have never
surmised any thing in their games, but the mysteries of an
innocent Uberty and equality, no ways alluding either to religion
or to the state.
" In defence of English Masonry, we may add, that they
allow only of the three first degrees. Prudence and wisdom
have made them reject the wish of avenging the death
of Adoniram on his pretended assassin, a wish that we
have seen converted, in the occult lodges into a desire of revenging
the Masons, and their founder, Molay, and then
into a wish of avenging the masonic liberty and equality by
the extinction of all kings. Nothing of this is to be found
in the English Masonry. Nor is that mysterious pursuit of
the word which was lost by Adoniram, to be traced. You
are immediately informed that it is Jehovah. [Vide p. 160.