Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

PRETENSIONS OF FREE MASONRY. 2l
served, and only preserved pure, in the hearts of sincere
Masons! If this pretension mean any thing, it is no less
than impious; but as in the hearts of intelligent Masons, it
means nothing, let us away with it; let it be blotted out of
the books for ever, that it no longer prove a snare to the unwary.
One notable circumstance (sec. 11.) is: u The true name
is said to have been visible in the temple at the time St Jerome
flourished, written in the ancient Samaritan characters."
This is the way with masonic tradition, so exact, as
even to remember the Samaritan characters! but what
temple was that? Enoch's subterraneous temple fell in,
after the erection of Solomon's; Solomon's was destroyed
by Nebuchadnezzar; and the foundations of the second
temple were ploughed up by Titus, A. D. 70.
Free Masonry pretends, that the true and ineffable name
was deposited in each of these three temples; but what masonic
temple was there in the time of St. Jerome ? St. Jerome
is well known to have been among the most learned
of the ancient fathers, the mortal enemy of the Origenists,
the cotemporary of Theodosius the Great, and of Alaric,
king of the Goths; and to have died A. D. 420, 350 years
after the total subversion of the last temple by Titus. Yet
in St. Jerome's time, if we can believe masonic tradition,
the true name was visible in the temple, written in the ancient
Samaritan characters!
v This is the same witness who testifies that king Solomon
built the temple, not unto the name of the Most High; and
that the wisest man (0,Free Masonry, how much your debtor
for this information,) did not know the true pronunciation
of the name which his father David had sweetly sung: " Bless
the Lord, O my soul; all that is within me bless his holy name:"
" O, give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name; sing
unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous
works; glory ye in his holy name:" but he learned it from
the golden triangle, which no sooner than his light expired,
the man saw!