and even more particularly so, because when present he has an opportunity of defending himself. Never defame him yourself, nor suffer him to be defamed by others, if in your power to prevent it; and if his conduct be so dishonourable that you unfortunately cannot speak well of him, adopt the distinguishing virtue of our science, silence, or secrecy."

If a brother be calumniated falsely, it becomes a paramount duty to defend him in the face of the world. He who stands boldly forward to rebut a deliberate slander upon another's reputation, I regard in the light of something more than a common friend: he reduces to practice the dignified theories of Masonry; his benevolence is pure and unsullied by human passion, and he richly merits the obligations of gratitude in this world, as he is in the hope of receiving the approbation of his Judge in the world to come.

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Speak then no evil of your brother. If he have virtues (and surely all have some), let them be the theme of your discourse; if he have faults (and who is free from them?), mention them not; but in all your commerce with your brethren or the world, supply the wants and relieve the necessities of your brethren to the utmost of your power and ability; on no account wrong them or see them wronged, but timely apprize them of approaching danger; and view their interest as inseparable from your own.

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7 Mas. Lect.

8 Charge to the Second Degree.

CHAPTER X.

LIBRARY

OF THE UNIVERSITY CALIFO

OF

CONTAINING FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN

YEARS.

View of Masonry from the Deliverance to the Dedication of King Solomon's Temple.

In every society, however constituted, some form of government is necessary to preserve a spirit of subordination amongst its members; and to prevent it from degenerating into contempt or oblivion. In this respect, also, Masonry supports its claim to respect and veneration. An argument favourable to its beneficial tendency may be deduced from the excellence of its government, which is founded upon a pattern the most pure and perfect, the government of the Jewish and Christian churches.

In the early ages of the world, every head of a family united in his own person the threefold office of priest, prophet, and king; and it was not until the Mosaic dispensation was revealed that the concerns of religion were conducted by three distinct officers, or orders of men.

At the Flood, there is an appearance of something like a regular government, consisting of three distinct officers, who unitedly formed the head of the establishment, when organized in DUE FORM. But it was not until the erection of the tabernacle

that our craft was reduced to the perfect form which it has ever since retained. Moses, when, by the revelation of God, he was dividing the priesthood into three distinct heads, modelled Masonry after the same fashion; himself being grand master, and Bezaleel and Aholiab grand wardens.'

After prophecy had ceased, the teachers of Israel continued to be distinguished under three several appellations, each possessing distinct attributes; viz. wise men, scribes, and disputers. These were comprised by St. Paul in a single verse, when writing to the Corinthians: "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer?"

This number, it should seem, constitutes perfection; for the Christian church, of which all other dispensations were only types and shadows, has been placed under the same system of government. Jesus Christ united the threefold office of the ancient patriarchs in his own person, for he was a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec; who was no other, according to the best authorities, than the patriarch Shem, the son of Noah, the king, priest, and prophet of his family; and in that capacity blessed Abraham, who was his child in the ninth generation. These offices, however, were distributed by our Saviour, who divided the priestly

1 The false religions, which, indeed, were originally but perversions of the true, acknowledged the same form of government; because the ingenuity of man could not discover any form more firm and permanent than that which had been revealed from heaven. Hence Thoth, the great founder of idolatry, after the Flood, was surnamed Ter Maximus; because he was Philosophus maximus, Sacerdos maximus, and Rex maximus.—(Alex. Neapolit. 1. 2, c. 6.)

dignity amongst three distinct orders of men, in imitation of the temporary dispensation of Moses.

Hence, if the government of the Jewish church, established under the inmediate superintendence of God, or if the Christian church, modelled by Jesus Christ, be considered as specimens of perfection, the same must be admitted of Free-Masonry; as one of its orders, professedly not Christian, is governed by a king, a priest, and a prophet, invested with an equal dignity; and the rest of Masonry, which inculcates the only true religion, is directed by a mode of government equally perfect, and equally unobjectionable.

When Moses had escaped from the snares of the Egyptians, he conducted his charge towards Mount Sinai, where he had received his commission from God, intending to offer sacrifice on that spot, in obedience to the divine command; but his progress was obstructed by the Amalekites, who entertained many jealous fears respecting the movements of such a large body of people; against whom, however, they hoped to wage successful war, encumbered as they were with women and children, flocks and herds. Four other nations joined in this enterprise against the Israelites; tempted, most probably, by the hope of an easy conquest and abundant spoils.

The providence of God had prepared the Israelites for this exigency, by casting up the dead bodies of the Egyptians on the shores of the Red Sea; for the Israelites had retired from Egypt without weapons or means of defence against the numerous enemies they would probably have to contend with, before they should be peaceably settled in the pro

S

mised land. They spoiled the Egyptians of their offensive and defensive armour, and thus became prepared to meet every obstruction which might impede their design of entering into Canaan.

Thus provided, Moses placed his army under the command of Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in every respect worthy of the distinction thus conferred upon him. Moses, Aaron, and Hur ascended the mountain, and the two armies rushed to the onset with the utmost fury. Moses, in Moses, in prayer and supplication, elevated his ROD towards heaven; and it was observed that whilst this extraordinary rod was in this position, the Israelites successfully mowed down all before them. Fatigue at length compelled Moses to lay down the rod, and the battle turned in favour of the enemy. Aaron and Hur were therefore requested to assist Moses in supporting the rod, and the setting sun beheld the Amalekites entirely defeated. The shattered remains of their army effected their retreat amidst the darkness of the night, leaving all their most valuable property at the mercy of the victors. In commemoration of this decisive victory, Moses erected an altar, which he called Jehovah-nissi, which signifies JEHOVAH is my BANNER.

From hence the Israelites proceeded to Sinai, and pitched their tents at the foot of the mountain. Moses marked out a camp about the mount, and remained here for rest and worship, according to the directions he had received from God himself when he revealed His SACRED NAME. After solemn

2

2 Here Moses erected an altar and twelve pillars, according to the custom of the times. Some pillars were raised as memorials