Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

396 CONCLUSION.
The glory of Us darkness has departed from Free Masonry,
and none is left it save the honour of the gentlemen -
who support it; men more honouring than honoured The
present state of things will not long continue. The sober
part of the members will secretly or openly forsake the
nocturnal assembly; the more sensible will avoid being
seen in public, childishly girt with a feminine badge," more
ancient than the golden fleece, or Roman eagle, more honourable
than the star and garter, or any other order which
can be conferred by any king, prince, potentate, or other
person, except he be a Mason, 19 viz. a white leather apron.
The society will fall entirely into the hands of the ignorant
and selfish. And who will have the courage to rescue
it from their hands ? What good man will enter its dark
yaults to control the spirits who will assemble there ? Not
one who prizes his good name enough to avoid bad com*
pany ; not one who is unwilling to countenance dark delusion,
at the risk of being accounted simple, or deeply designing
; not one who has understanding to perceive, that
in supporting a hypocritical mystery, he will stand convicted
before the public of some base purpose, some pursuit
of darkness, some selfish aim, which, to succeed, must, like
the fallen angel, " be cautious of day."
Such there are, and will be. To them Free Masonry is
suitable; they are welcome to it. But the virtuous and
upright, the pious and faithful, the just and true, have no
proper connexion with Free Masonry; those who revere
the testimony of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,
" Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words,
of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels:"
to them I call, in the language of the prophet, " Come out
of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and
that ye receive not of her plagues."
THE END.