Chapter XLI: Section III

_Hints relating to the state of Deism_, _Scepticism_, _Free-Masonry_, _&c. in this town_.

Considering the easy faith, or aversion to incredulity, which our townsmen, in common with most of their dear countrymen, have generally shewn, on almost all subjects and occasions, it may seem rather odd that there should be found here any religious unbelievers; and yet such is really the case. A very large portion of the community, comprehending not a few persons of reading and some reflection, appear to be at this time, either unconvinced, or decided disbelievers of the divine authority and truth of christianity. Nor is this perhaps much to be wondered at, when the case is duly considered. To many, no doubt, this unbelief, or infidelity, proves very _convenient_ and desirable, as it frees them from almost every moral restraint, and leaves them much at liberty to follow and gratify their vicious and lawless inclinations. Upon this ground we may pretty safely account for the scepticism and unbelief of _most_ of our avowed infidels. These too, seem to be the very worst of them, as they are more inexcusable than that other sort, who viewing christianity through the medium of its _corruptions_, hastily reject it altogether, as utterly unworthy of their credit or acceptance. But it may be said, “they are very wrong, in determining so hastily, without looking into the New Testament, and examining it as it is delivered there.” Very true. But who among our numerous christian sects and parties, will dare, for shame, to reproach them on that account, while they themselves, with all their professed veneration for that book, make no scruple to deviate from it, whenever their interest or policy, or the established formulas, creeds, or customs of their respective parties require them so to do? One takes up _the Athanasian Creed_, and says, “this is christianity; and except a man believe it he cannot be saved, but must, without doubt, perish everlastingly.” Can it be any wonder that an honest and rational enquirer should startle, and say, “if this be christianity, I cannot believe its divine authority, or that it came from God, for I am very sure that such a self-contradictory farrago can never have proceeded from him.”—Other articles in great abundance, all equally absurd and incredible, and very prominent in the creeds and observances of the religions world, might be here added, and which professing christians and christian ministers are daily representing and recommending, as unquestionable parts of christianity, and most worthy of our belief and reception. In viewing christianity through the mists and fogs of its numerous and enormous corruptions, it is certainly not very wonderful that many who are not disposed to bestow much time upon religious enquires should be discouraged, so as to stand aloof, and deem the divine authority of it incredible—and if they are very blameable for so doing, still no small portion of the blame must be imputable to those who have so greatly tarnished the beauties of christianity, and obscured its truth, by presumptuously introducing, supporting, and advocating those corruptions.

After all, the Deists are not to be deemed the worst enemies of christianity. Its most dangerous foes are to be found among its pretended friends and admirers, who would fain persuade us that our public and national transactions are all, forsooth, very christianlike and evangelical: and so by divesting christianity of its morality, and reducing it to a mere state engine, they do all they can to render it incredible and contemptible in the eyes of all reflecting and honest men.—Thus the American War, with all its enormities—the African Slave trade, West Indian system, Caribbean war of extermination, with all their horrors—the late war, with all its follies—Pitt’s reign of terror, with all its espionage and profligacy—our days of thanksgiving, fasting, and humiliation, with all their hypocrisy and solemn mockery—the Copenhagen expedition—the whole Irish system, and every public deviation from wisdom and moral rectitude, have been represented by these men as very justifiable, and thoroughly consistent with the dictates of christianity. These people consist of courtiers and statesmen, placemen and pensioners, laity and clergy, (even most of our prelates and dignitaries,) and in short, the whole of that immense multitude who live upon the public loaves and fishes, or expect to come in for a share of them. That they should profess the religion of the state, and be very clamorous too in its defence, is natural enough—as well as that they should be very ready to defend and justify all our public or state measures; but it is not quite so clear that they are more friendly or favourable to christianity, properly so called, than our professed deists: on the contrary, by identifying their monstrous corruptions with christianity, they may be said to be its worst enemies; in comparison with whom, our professed or avowed deists are feeble and harmless adversaries. The deists of this town are said to be very numerous, and would, if formed into a society, constitute, perhaps, the largest congregation in the place: but they are not of a gregarious or congregating character; {1120a} and they know in general so little of the New Testament, or uncorrupted christianity, that their objections seldom affect any part of it—their assault being chiefly directed against its outworks, or rather its corruptions: and for every attempt to expose and explore them they deserve every honest man’s thanks.

2. _Free Masons_. The origin of this numerous sect or fraternity, as well as that of the _Gypsies_, is involved in great and impenetrable obscurity. It is in vain to look even to the most knowing of its own members for any information upon that subject, that may in the least be depended upon. Almost every thing they urge or allege about it is evidently and ridiculously false and fabulous. They tell us that the art and mystery of Masonry was first introduced at the building of the _Tower of Babel_, and from thence handed down by _Euclid_, who communicated it to _Hiram_, {1120b} the Master Mason concerned in the building of _Solomon’s Temple_; where was an excellent and curious Mason that was chief under the grand Master _Hiram_ whose name was _Mannon Grecus_; who taught the art of Masonry to _Carolus Marcel_, in France, who was afterwards elected king of France; and from thence was brought to England in the reign of king _Athelston_, who ordered an assembly to be held once every year at York, which was the first introduction of it to England. {1121} At other times they say, that masons first appeared in England A.D. 43, when they built the monastery of _Glastonbury_. They might as well have introduced them at the building of _Stonehenge_, or at the commencement of _Druidism_, and erection of the _druidical altars_. But it probably slipt their memory. Others, indeed, though they seem not to have belonged to the craft, have actually supposed them to have sprung from the _druids_, who like them had a method of making themselves known to one another by certain _secret signs_; as is also said to have been the case with the _Gnostics_ and some other ancient heretical sects. Others, however, carry the origin of the order still farther back, even beyond the Flood, and name _Tubal-cain_ as one of the grandmasters of that period; in proof of which they refer to a certain document, which they call, an _original Record_.—Such wild and extravagant pretentions exhibit Free-Masonry in a very queer and unfavourable light: and they ought never to have been countenanced by any of the members who had any regard for their own characters.

Not only about their origin or extraction, but also in what relates to their subsequent history, are the Free-Masons chargeable with propagating the most idle fabrications. Thus they tell us a most strange tale about the grand master _Hiram_, called also _Hiram Abiff_; how _three_ out of the 15 _fellow crafts_ conspired to assassinate him, which they effected as he was coming out of the _Sanctum Sanctorum_, where he had been praying. This was at noon day. They hid the body, afterwards buried it, and then absconded. These ruffians, whose names were _Jubela_, _Jubelo_, and _Jubelum_, were afterwards discovered near Joppa, by _three other fellow crafts_, who had gone in pursuit of them. They were then brought before king Solomon, by whose orders they were all three executed. Hiram’s body, being by the king’s order dug out of the grave where the three masonic ruffians had buried it, was afterwards solemnly interred, forsooth, in the _Sanctum Sanctorum_.—The tale is pretty long in some of the masonic books; but this is the substance: and it is very disgraceful to the fabricators and the propagators of it, as it discovers a glaring propensity to the most sottish and profligate kind of lying.—Much might be here added to the same purpose; but this it is hoped will induce the members of this community at Lynn, to review and reject this and every other exceptionable part of their system.

As to the mode of admission, parade about the cardinal points of the compass, where the master and inferior functionaries are stationed, and their forms about tyling the lodge, setting the men to work, and calling them off to take refreshment, &c. &c. they may be all harmless enough, or at least, comparatively so: yet to the serious by-stander, or uninitiated, they can hardly fail of appearing in no small degree frivolous and childish.—Many indeed have deemed the whole system or institution of masonry a designed burlesque upon scripture and religion. But though there may be many circumstances that would seem to bear that way, yet such is the unquestionable respectability of many of its members that it is very certain such a design could never have met with their concurrence or countenance. The fact, that such characters do really belong to this community seems also to prove that there must be some good points pertaining to masonry, which recommend it to their approbation, and hide in a great measure, or at least appear to counterbalance the defects above mentioned. In particular, it is said, that those of this fraternity, not only are much given to conviviality and good fellowship, but also abound in acts of kindness and charity, especially among themselves, and towards their brethren in distress; and even that they are generally among the most active promoters of benevolent deeds, or good works in the places where they reside. If it be really so, it will account for that warm attachment to masonry which many well disposed and respectable persons have often manifested. In short, when we consider the fair and estimable characters of many of our masons, the order appears respectable: but, on the other hand, when we advert to the forged and absurd tales, and to those idle forms, customs, and ceremonies that are attached to the institution, we cannot help wondering how those worthy members can patiently or possibly endure them, or quietly continue in the connection. But they conceive, no doubt, that the good preponderates, or that the excellencies of masonry outweigh its defects, and satisfy their minds with that consideration. Be it so, it is not meant here to judge or blame them for so doing: they have certainly a very good right to think and act for themselves, so long as no one is thereby wronged or injured.

The present form and organization of the masonic sect appear to be but of very recent origin, and cannot perhaps be traced beyond the era of the revolution. The fraternity soon after began to assume something like its present appearance; and as it consisted mostly of rather suspicious characters, it was for a long while deemed a tory or jacobitical institution. It did not spread very much before the accession of the Brunswick family; after which it multiplied apace, but was still thought to consist, chiefly at least, of disaffected persons and friends of the pretender. In process of time, however, that reproach was completely done away, when it came to be known that not only courtiers, but even some branches of the reigning family were among its members.

The first regular lodge in this town was opened at the White Lion Inn, October 1. 1729. Since which time there is supposed to have always existed here one or more regular lodges. There are now here three lodges. Two of them deem themselves to all intents and purposes regular and orthodox, but are not willing to allow the third to be so. What is the real ground of this difference, or what it is that constitutes masonic regularity or irregularity, orthodoxy or heterodoxy, is beyond the competency of the present writer to pronounce or explain. He has been informed by some of the Lynn masons, that the whole number of them now in this town, (exclusive, as he understood, of those of the irregular lodge) amount to above five hundred: from which it would seem that masonry is here at this time in a thriving and flourishing condition. As to their great and boasted secret, we shall not presume to guess what it may be, but shall most willingly let it quietly remain among the mysteries, without the least solicitude or wish for its discovery. Nor will we so much as mention the heavy charge which professor _Robison_ and the _Frenchman_ brought some years ago against the whole order; believing as we do that it was totally unfounded.

3. _Society of True Britons_. This institution did not last long. It seemed not to have any very important object in view. The dignified name it assumed, with the pompous formalities of its organisation, could not therefore insure its permanence. It was established with no small parade, with _Governor_, _Deputy governor_, _Secretary_, _Sword-bearer_, &c. together with _laws_ and a _constitution_, which all the members were solemnly to _swear_ to observe, and keep inviolate. The first meetings of this memorable Society were held in the autumn of 1749; after which they were conducted for sometime in great form: but their proceedings appeared in general very much like a burlesque upon all corporate bodies and social institutions. This might be very easily exemplified, but it would probably afford the reader but little gratification, as we cannot find that the society proved of any material benefit to church or state; or to the town itself—some of whose leading families, however, such as its _Bagges_ and _Brownes_, were among its members. {1126} But we will here dismiss the subject and close this section.