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"If the unhallowed foot of the Deist presumes to step upon thy pavement, spurn him from thence, for he

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never frame to pronounce the 'shibboleth of Masonry; and if by his duplicity he should gain admittance there, and should dare approach the vail of our sacred tabernacle, let all the guards be assembled, and spurn him from thence, for he is not a true descendant of any of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

"The introduction of such strangers to the genuine principles of Masonry, is calculated to make confusion among the craft; they are not fit materials for the Masonic edifice; they are neither oblong nor square: they will answer none of the dimensions or weight of Masonry: neither can any of the working tools of the craft be adjusted upon them.

Weigh them in the balance, they are found wanting; TEKEL must be wrote upon them.

"Do we put upon them the twentyfour inch guage, there is no division to be found, no part for God.

"Bring the plumb-line to such an one; he neither stands upright before God or man.

"Lay upon him the square of virtue, put the mallet and engraver's chissel into the hand of the most skilful workman, there can no appearance of the diamond be found.

"Lay upon him the level, and who will be willing to be placed upon an equality with some of the before-mentioned characters ?

"Bring him upon the circle of benevolence, present him with some of our precious jewels; he has no eyes to see them, he will cautiously avoid them.

"Point him to the rounds of Jacob's ladder; he cannot climb them; heaven-born charity is a stranger to his bosom.

Attempt to make use of the trowel, there is no cement of brotherly love and affection in him: such materials are totally unfit for the Masonic edi

fice, and ought to be thrown over among the rubbish.

"And now, brethren, by reason of the introduction of such strangers among the workmen, our ancient and honourable institution is brought into disrepute among the pious and candid. Let our actions, and our morality, therefore, be such as to silence the tongue of slander, and blunt the dart of envy.

"Let us, my brethren, in viewing the evils that have come on Masonry, erect a temple of reparation, and have it situated near the borders of the wilderness, on that side which is stretched out towards the regions of light: and in it erect an altar of repentance, of just a cube, which every nation knows to be a figure of six equal sides; each side is three feet square; and suspend it three feet from the pavement, so that the top of the altar may exactly answer to the height of a man, so that no one may think himself above or below the humble exercise of repentance. And, as four sides of the altar will be perpendicular, and the other two in a horizontal position, the sour sides will face the four cardinal points: and on each side, we will have an inscription, in large capitals. On the east side, ILLUMINATION; and on the west, HUMANITY; on the north, RESOLUTION; and on the south, DEPENDENCE. On the bottom we will place a stone, with this inscription, The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner.' And upon the top we will have inserted in letters of gold, NO DEIST OR STUPID LIBERTINE CAN BE A MASON. Then we will write upon the pavement, 'whosoever humbles himself shall be exalted.' We will then sacrifice upon this altar, our pride and prejudice, and pusillanimity and rashness. This temple being situated due east and west, we will pass along the aisle of reformation to the east gate of regeneration, that opens into the regions of day. And at the opening of this gate, we shall receive a pass-word which

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M. E. BENJAMIN SMITH, of Granville, grand royal arch captain.

M. E. LUTHER D. BARKER, of Marietta, grand master of the third vail. M. E. POTTER WRIGHT, of Worthington, grand master of the second vail.

will be this, 'The Lord our Righteousness.' At the same time we shall receive a breastplate, inserted upon it faith, hope, and charity-explained in this way-faith in God-hope in immortality-charity to all mankind, and love to God supremely. And now being completely divested, having sacrificed all upon the altar, we shall be invested with a mitre and robe, || vail. with holiness to the Lord' inserted spon every part of it.

"Then shall we wear the lambskin to advantage, and be continually reminded thereby of that purity of life and conduct, which is so essentially necessary to gain admittance into the celestial lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the universe presides; which may we all be so happy as to obtain, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

OHIO GRAND CHAPTER.

The most excellent Royal Arch Chapter of the state of Ohio, met at Columbus, on the 13th of December last, and after transacting their ordinary business, which continued several days, they constituted the following officers for the ensuing year.

M. E. DAVIS EMBREE, of Cincinnati, grand high priest.

M. E. ANAXIMANDER WARNER, of Marietta, deputy grand high priest.

M. E. ALLISON C. LOOKER, of Chilicothe, grand master of the first

M. E. CHARLES SLOPER, of Columbus, grand sword bearer, and tyler.

SKETCHES OF THE ROYAL ART.

From the earliest ages of antiquity, the royal art was ever taught with the greatest circumspection, not in schools or academies, to a promiscuous audience, but was confined to certain families; the rulers of which instructed their children or disciples, and by this means conveyed their mysterious knowledge to posterity.

After the flood, the professors of this art were first distinguished by the name of Noachidæ, afterwards by that of sages, or wise men, (men instructed as Moses, in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,) Chaldeans, philosophers, masters in Israel, &c., and were ever venerated as sacred persons. They consisted of persons of the brightest parts and genius, who exerted their utmost abilities in discovering and investigating the various mysteries of nature, from whence to draw im

M. E. DANIEL F. REEDER, of Leb-provements, and inventions of the anon, grand king.

M. E. JOSEPH S. НUGHS, of Delaware, grand scribe.

M. E. BENJAMIN GARDINER, of Columbus, grand secretary.

M. E. LINCOLN GOODALE, of Columbus, grand treasurer.

M. E, REV. PHILANDER CHASE, of Worthington, grand chaplain.

M. E. ABRAM J. M'DOWELL, of Franklinton, grand marshal.

M. E. J. BAILHACHE, of Chilicothe, grand captain of the host.

M. E. JOHN SATTERTHWAIT, grand principal sojourner.

most useful consequences. Men whose talents were not only employed in speculation, or in private acts of beneficence; but who were also public blessings to the age and countries in which they lived, possessed with moderate desires, who knew how to conquer their passions; practisers and teachers of the purest morality, and ever exerting themselves to promote the harmony and felicity of society They were therefore consulted from all parts, and venerated with that sincere homage which is never paid but to real merit; and the greatest and

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CHARACTER OF JOSEPH CLAY, Esq. In a letter from James Cutbush, Worshipful Master of Lodge, No. 2, Lecturer on Chemistry, &c. to a Past Master of one of the Lodges in the city of Philadelphia, soon after Mr. Clay's death.

The character of Mr. Clay will ever grace the page of American biography. His mighty mind comprehended within its sphere the learning of the present day. In truth, the erudition of our much lamented brother was as extensive as the circle of the arts and sciences. His knowledge was not confined to any particular branch of learning, which generally characterises men in higher stations; but it was of that kind, embracing physical and metaphysical reasoning, which exalted his mind to the contemplation of celestial and terrestrial nature; and which called forth all the active energies of the intellectual faculty. We find him at once the statesman, natural historian, philosopher, chemist, and mathematician. He was also versed in Greek, Latin, and Arabic; and during his confinement, when the violence of the disorder abated, his mind was employed in the study of the Hebrew tongue; in which, I am informed, he made great progress. How great is that mind which embraces within its scope so many intricate and complicated sciences! How exalted is the contemplation of nature! His knowledge of botany, mineralogy, and some other departments of natu

*He that knows not how to be silent, can never know how to speak.

ral history, emanating as a ray which enlightens the bewildered traveller, soon bronght him into notice. Accordingly he was unanimously elected an honourary fellow of the Philadelphia Linnæan Society.

As a man of benevolence and charity, none was more conspicuous; as a statesman and financier, his judgment shone with resplendent lustre in the congress of the United States. As a representative, therefore, he did honour to his constituents, and to his country; for he was always found in that line of duty he owed his country and its general welfare. As a Mason, no one was more expert in the work of the craft. In the high and exalted station of worshipful master of lodge No. 3, to which he was called by the brethren of said lodge, he shone as a star of the first magnitude in the east ; as the pillar of wisdom, he illumined the lodge; as a column of the Corinthian order, he gave strength to his design, and beauty to his work. More lately, his unremitted zeal for the order of Masonry was shewn at the consecration of the New Hall, in the solemn rites and ceremonies in which he participated. With that zeal and perseveranse in works of charity and benevolence, we find him at the head of a new chapter in the Holy Royal Arch, in the character of high priest; the solemn duties of which he conducted with wisdom, harmony, and beauty-But, alas! he is no more.***

TO MASONIC CLERGYMEN.

Masonry is often censured on account of the multiplicity of clergymen, who totally neglect to attend and perform their WORK in the lodges to which they respectively belong, or in any other lodge where it is their duty to attend, for fear of incurring the displeasure of a few scrupulous members of their congregations."Our minister," say they, "is a Freemason; he was initiated into the lodge while he was a student in college, before he was sufficiently ac

quainted with the principles of the religion which he now professes, and was there any good in Masonry, he would not thus neglect the institution." Let such ministers of the gospel as have been initiated into the mysteries of Masonry, in a conscientious mauner, answer this objection; let them inquire of their own consciences whether they are doing their duty in neglecting to lend their aid to one of the most ancient, honourable, and benevolent institutions in the world; an institution nearly allied to the holy religion of which they are teachers; an institution which none of them dare to condemn, and which they are under the most solemn obligations to support. That there are refractory and immoral members in our lodges and chapters, we do not pretend to deny; but we do deny that the institution ought to be condemned on that account; and we know that the punctual attendance, and salutary precepts of our truly pious brethren, whether clergy or laity, has a tendency to "mend the morals and improve the heart."

A TRUE SERVANT WILL OBEY HIS

MASTER.

There is nothing, perhaps, in which a good servant takes more delight, than in strictly obeying the commands of a beloved master. And perhaps no greater inconsistency can exist, in a human being, than to profess his love and devotion, and to acknowledge his allegiance to a master, whose precepts he treats with contempt, and whose commands he puts at defiance. And who is the acknowledged Master of every Freemason? It is no less a Being than He who created all things out of nothing! the Great Architect of the Universe, the Everlasting God, who holds the destiny of every creature in his hand, and whose eye is continually on all our works; who looks down from the Grand Lodge above, into the body of every lodge beneath the sun, and into

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the heart of every member; who scrutinises every action, and knows every thought; who measures our work by his own unerring rule, and who will bring us to an account for the manner in which we have performed our duty towards Him and towards our brethren. This same Grand Master has plainly given in that book, which we profess to take for the rule of our faith, in the 20th chapter of Exodus, his peremptory commands; which every true Mason will strive with all his might to obey.

Every Mason who makes use of the name of God, in any other manner, than “with that reverential awe which is due from a creature to his Creator," is not only guilty of highly UNMASONIC CONDUCT, and places himself upon a level with the lowest dregs of society, but incurs the penalties of the laws of his country; laws which, as a Mason, he is most solemnly bound to obey, and to support both by precept and example. He gives the lie to his professions, and greatly contributes towards bringing into disrepute an institution highly honourable in itself, and beneficial to the world.

MISCELLANEOUS.

WONDERS OF CREATION.

BY THE REV. DAVID SIMPSON.

The grand evidence of Christianity rests beyond doubt on the claims of Revelation; but this consideration should not prevent our attention to the auxiliary testimony which is furnished by the Author of nature in his physical creation.

While we daily study the former, we shall do well to pay all due attention to the latter, according to our opportunities of investigation. To an enlightened observer, they both carry indubitable marks of their great original. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the earth is full of his riches.' The most perfect catalogue of stars, before Herschel appeared, did D d

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not contain quite 5000, but by the vast superiority of his glasses, he hath discovered 44,000 stars, in a few degrees of the heavens; and by the same proportion, it is supposed that 75 millions are exposed in the expanse to human investigation. Lalande supposes that a glass of Herschel's power may discover 90 millions of stars in the whole surface of the heavens, and that even this number is but small, in comparison of what exists. All these stars are of a fiery nature, and conjectured to be so many suns, with their systems of planets moving round them. We know the sun to be the centre of our system. It is accompanied with 29 planets, besides about 450 comets. What an amazing idea does this give us of the works of God! And if such be the work, what must the Workman be!

Every part of nature, with which we are acquainted, is full of living creatures, with stores of every kind to supply their necessities. This little globe of ours is known to contain within its bowels a great variety of valuable minerals, and to be covered with about 20,000 different species of vegetables, 3000 species of worms, 120,000 species of insects, 200 species of amphibious animals, 550 species of birds, 2,600 spécies of fish, and 200 species of quadrupeds. How immense then must be the number of individuals! One fly is found to bring forth 2000 at a time, and a single codfish to produce considerably more than three millions and a half of young. Leewenhock tells us, that there are more animals in the melt of a single codfish, than there are men upon the whole earth. Over all these creatures preside upwards of 730 millions of human beings. Such is the family of the great Father here upon earth! And when it is considered, that the earth itself, with all its furniture, is no more, when compared with the whole system of things, than a single grain of sand, when compared with a huge mountain, we are lost in the im

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mensity of God's works, and constrained to cry out, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him! And if to this immensity of the works of creation, we add the admirable structure of the whole, and the exquisite perfection of every part, we shall not fail of being exceedingly affected with the ineffable wisdom of the Divine Architect. To bring this consideration more within the grasp of human comprehension, let us take to pieces and examine the several parts of any one creature which God hath made; and we shall find a perfection among its several powers, and an adaption of its situation in the grand scale of existence, far surpassing human skill. Let the most perfect anatomist that ever existed, make his observations upon the human frame: let him examine with the greatest possible attention the tout ensemble of the structure, then let him proceed to the several parts, of which the microcosm is composed; first, the powers of the mind; the understanding, the will, the memory, the conscience, and the various affections; next the five senses; the touch, the taste, the smell, the hearing, and the sight; afterwards let him proceed to the several fluids of the body; and then to the 300 bones, the 40 different sorts of glands, the 466 muscles, the 40 pair of nerves, the fibres, the membranes, the arteries, the veins, the lymphæducts, the excretory vessels, the tendons, the ligaments, the cartilages; and let him explore the whole and every part with the greatest degree of accuracy, knowledge, and judgment, that ever centered in man; and then let him honestly say, whether he could suggest the smallest improvement in any one respect. If he were an atheist before such an investigation, like the celebrated Galen he would be converted to the belief of the Divine Existence, would compose a hymu in praise of the Creator of the world, and sing with the great progenitor of mankind:

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