Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

28 PRETENSIONS OF FREE MASONRY.
, der die sanction of twelve presiding officers of lodges in
New-York! and these are but the thousandth part of those
scattered through the various treatises of Masonry.
I was aware, before venturing objections to the pretensions
of Masonry, that the materials.to frame them were
not scarce; but so much more numerous are they, than I
had expected, that the topics on which it was my purpose
Chiefly to dwell, have not even been touched. I can give
no new view of this part of the subject by farther pursuing
it; and although the pretensions connected with the building
of Solomon's temple, have a common importance attached
to them, entitled to peculiar attention, I pass them
by for the present, confident that the sample of ancient
pretensions which has been presented and amply examined,
is a fair specimen of the whole lot. It would be wrong
to weary the reader's patience with this branch of the subject,
when others more interesting are pushing into view.
But before I take leave of the ancient pretensions of
Masonry, I will throw together those already considered, in
the way of a review, stamp them genuine, and lay them up
for future use. They are as follows.
1st That masonry is coeval with time. The charters, certificates,
diplomas, &c. of our lodges and grand lodges, &c.
are almost uniformly dated Anno Liicis. Even our common
masonic celebrations, for the greater mysticism, are
often dated, not in the year of our Lord, but in the year of
Masonry, i. e. in the year of creation.
3d. The two pillars of Enoch, erected to preserve die
knowledge of the liberal arts, and u particularly of Ma.
sbnry," through two calamitous periods of the earth;—
from which neither hieroglyphic, nor letter, nor word, has
been derived to modern art, particularly to Masonry.
3d. Enoch's wonderful vision, and subterraneous temple,
in which was preserved the golden triangle with the ineffable
name; and beneath whose deep arches the ancient masters
were swallowed up.
4th. The divine communication of this ineffable name.