of the school of Daniel,25 who foretold the precise time of the coming of Messiah,26 we may naturally account for their journey to Jerusalem; which is illustrated in a Masonic degree called the Illustrious Order of the Cross; and their adoration of the divine child, who was a light to lighten the Gentiles, and a glory to his people Israel;" 27 the day-spring from on high; 28 the bright and morning star; 29 the day-star which riseth in our hearts.30 Chalcidius, in his commentary on the Timæus of Plato,31 corroborates this opinion, declaring it to be the universal belief of all nations, that "the appearance of a certain star should declare the descent of a venerable Deity for the salvation of mankind." And he adds-" When this star had been seen by some truly wise men amongst the Chaldeans, who were well versed in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies, they made enquiry concerning the birth of God; and when they had found him, they paid him the worship and adoration which were due to so great a being." The final manifestation of the Great Architect of the Universe is recorded in the ingenious degree of Knight of the East and West, taken from the book of Revelation." And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called THE WORD of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, 'clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF Kings, and LorD OF LORDS." 32 Now considering the omnipresent nature of God, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him,33 he necesssarily fills all space, and extends through all extent, connecting earth, heaven, and every part of the universe, in a chain of endless gradation; expressed in Freemasonry under the symbol of "a circle whose centre is everywhere, and whose circumference is nowhere." Whether we contemplate the most minute or the most magnificent objects of the creation, our minds are filled with an equal degree of wonder, awe, and adoration. All is Masonry. The spacious firmament, containing those blazing stars which beautify and adorn the spangled canopy of heaven, was the work of his hands; nor could the smallest particle of dust have been produced but by his holy `word. It was the Great Architect of the Universe whom God employed in forming the universe out of nothing; and the same Almighty Being is used in supporting and governing his own workmanship; and the visible communications vouchsafed by God to man, are referred by St. Paul to Jesus Christ, who, he says, " being the brightness of his glory,3 and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word (25) Dan. ii. 48. (28) Luke i. 78. (31) c. 7. (26) Dan. ix. 25. (29) Rev. xxii.16. (27) Luke ii. 23. (30) 2 Pet. i. 19. 34 (34) The Chaldee oracle adviseth us, when we see the most holy fire shining without a form or determinate shape, then hear the voice of it, that is. esteem it then the true oracle of God, and not the imposture of a demon. And such a fire Pseilus, the Scholiast, on thi oracle affirmeth to have been seen by many men." (Ten. ut supra, p. 317.) of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high."" St. Paul uses the word ANATOLE, Oriens, to represent the Redeemer of mankind in his glorious brightness. In the application of this word some distinctions have been made: unо avaroλov, means, from the east ; by ανατολαί, the rising of stars in general is signified ; and by η ανατολη, the expression of St. Luke, the rising of a particular star in the east, which is the blazing star of Freemasonry, and, with the Cabalists, denoted the eternal WISDOM of God, which is the same as the eternal WORD of God, or Christ. And hence the early Christians, when they prayed, turned their eyes towards the east, or in other words, towards the Saviour, who was crucified with his face towards the west. Clemens Alexandrinus gives as a reason for praying towards the east, that it is the dayspring, or source of light. And the same practice constitutes an essential ceremony in our Lodges, where wisDOM is placed in the east. God created man upright, in mind as well as in body; but he was tempted by the serpent to fall into sin, which was immediately punished. He was driven out of the happy garden, and the shekinah, or blazing star from heaven, was placed as a guard to protect the tree of life. From this shekinah proceeded that celebrated cabalistical symbol of the Deity called the Sephiroth, consisting of ten splendours, three of which are placed as the united light of God, or crown of glory. They were called splendours from a Hebrew root, signifying that they shone with the brightness of the sapphire. Corona summa, quæ est mysterium centri, ipsa est radix abscondita, et tres mentes superiores sunt germen, quæ uniunt sese in centro, quod est radix earum; septem vero numerationes quæ sunt rami, uniunt se germini quod refert mentes, et omnes se uniunt in centro, quod est radix in mysterio nominis radicalis et essentialis, quæ radix influit in omnes, et unit omnes influentiâ suâ."36 In one of the ineffable degrees of Masonry, called "Master in Israel," the blazing star is made to consist of five points, like a royal crown, in the centre of which appears the initial of the sacred name. They refer to the five equal lights of Masonry, viz., the Bible, square, compasses, key, and triangle; and as the blazing star enlightens the physical, so the five equal points should enlighten the moral condition of an initiated Brother. They denoted the five orders of architecture; the five points of fellowship; the five senses, which constitute the physical perfection of man; and the five zones of the world, all of which are masonically peopled. The punishment of Adam was followed by repentance, and repentance was the basis of that covenant between God and man which is embodied in the system of speculative Masonry; and comprehends the promise of salvation through faith in a Redeemer, who should bruise the serpent's head. Hence the serpent has been introduced amongst our symbols. One of M. Peuvret's degrees refers to this event: but it is expressed so cabalistically obscure as to be difficult of comprehension. Thus, the lecture says, "when Adam was created, the light of his life shone in the pure oil of divine essentiality; but, by his fall, mortal water penetrated so that his mercury became a cold poison, which was before an exaltation to joyfulness. So came darkness into his oil, and he died to the divine light, drawn thereto by the property of the serpent; for in the serpent (35) Heb. i. 3. (36) Sephir Jetzirah. Edip. Egypt. tom. ii. p. 279. the wrath kingdom and outward also, was manifest, whose subtilty Eve desired." With much more of the same kind. The conditions of the divine covenant included repentance, faith, and obedience, or our duty to God, our neighbour, and ourselves. And this was primitive Freemasonry. In different ages and nations the rites and ceremonies of religious worship varied; but its essence was always the same wherever the worship of the true God prevailed. And even when it was abandoned, the fictious worship of the spurious Freemasonry was so modelled as to imitate it as nearly as human reason could approach divine perfection. The principal feature in primitive worship, as in all succeeding ages till the coming of Christ, was annual sacrifices, instituted as an atonement for sin, and typical of that one great sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ as an expiation for the sins of all mankind. This sacrifice is not obscurely intimated in Freemasonry; but several of the degrees are founded upon, and derive all their excellence from the awful fact. In Templarism is described, "the splendid conclusion of the hallowed sacrifice, offered by the Redeemer of mankind, to propitiate the anger of an offended Deity." And again, in another degree, the Senior Sir Knight is directed to "take the signet, and set a mark on the forehead of those who have passed through tribulation patiently, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb which was slain, from the foundation of the world." The Thrice Illustrious Order of the Cross thus notices the atonement :-" It is now the first hour of the day, the time when our Lord suffered, and the veil of the temple was rent in sunder; when darkness and consternation was spread over the earth; and when the confusion of the old covenant was made light in the new, in the temple of the cross." There are several other Masonic degrees in which the crucifixion is referred to, and particularly the Rose + and Prince of the Royal Secret. This The system of religion, or Lux, or Masonry, call it by what name you will, was practised by the first family after the unhappy fall of man; and God's acceptance of Abel's sacrifice proves that his Freemasonry was true, and that his faith in obtaining salvation through the promised Messiah, and his obedience resulting from it, were well pleasing in the sight of God, for "he obtained witness that he was righteous."37 distinction tempted Cain to forfeit his obligation, and wrought upon the stormy passions of his heart till he murdered his brother, and fled into the land of Nod. Hence originated the degree called the Knight of the Black Mark. In his new residence he founded a colony, built a fortified city, and laid the basis of that idolatry which was subsequently embodied in the spurious Freemasonry, and soon overspread and contaminated the world. Amidst the accumulating oblivion of religious knowledge, Enoch, a primitive Mason, held the faith of the promised Messiah. "By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” 38 He clearly evinced his faith in Christ Jesus; and displayed a knowledge of his first coming by prophecying of his second. "Behold," says he, "the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to exécute judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly siuners have spoken against him."39 These events, and many others of equal importance in the life of Enoch have been embodied in a high degree, called the Knight of the Ninth Arch, in some systems, and the Royal Arch of Enoch, in others. Colonel Webb, in his Masonic Monitor, published under the sanction of the Grand Chapter of Rhode Island, and other Masonic authorities, has recorded the history and charges of this degree, and it will therefore be unnecessary to repeat them here. Thus we may safely conjecture that the Freemasonry of Adam included a knowledge of the doctrine of human redemption, which was preserved and transmitted to his descendants, from whom the Messiah was to spring. (To be continued) FREEMASONRY IN CHINA.* A secret association exists in China, entitled the TRIAD SOCIETY; which, although not a Masonic Fraternity, has in its circumstances such points of apparent similarity, that we anticipate the interest our readers will take in the perusal of a digest of the following account. THE NAME appears to be the San ho hwuy, i. e. "The Society of the Three United, or the Triad Society." The three united in this name are "Heaven, Earth, Man," which are the three great powers in nature, according to the Chinese doctrine of the universe. In the earlier part of the reign of his late Chinese majesty Kea King, the society was called T'heen te hwuy, i.e. "The Colesto- terrestrial Society, or the Society that unites Heaven and Earth." It nearly upset the government, and its machinations were not entirely defeated till the eighth year of that emperor's reign, when the chiefs were seized and put to death; according to the bombast of Chinese reports, not one member was left under the wide extent of the heavens. The fact, however, was just the reverse, for they still existed and operated, but with more secresy, and, to cover their purposes, assumed the name of the "Triad Society;" but the name by which they chiefly distinguished themselves is Hung kea, i. e. the "Flood Family.” There are also other associations formed both in China and in the Chinese colonies, as the T'heen how hwuy, i. e. the "Queen of Heaven's Company, or Society;" called also the Neang ma hwuy, or "Her Ladyship's Society;" meaning the "Queen of Heaven, the mother and nurse of all things." Although these associations are rather for commercial and idolatrous purposes, than for the overthrow of social order, yet it is said that the members of the "Queen of Heaven's Society," who settled in Bengal and other places, unite in house-breaking, &c. THE OBJECT. As the society increased, it degenerated from mutual assistance, to theft, overthrow of government, and to aim at political This article is condensed from a paper published in the second part of the first volume of the "Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society in Great Britain and Ireland." The paper was written by the late DR. MILNE, Principal of the Anglo-Chinese College, and was read on the 5th February, 1825. The leading points of the original paper are explained and illustrated by various plates; which, to the learned antiquarian, render the subject comparatively easy to comprehend. power. In the colonies, its objects are plunder, and mutual defence. Many of the idle, gambling, opium-smoking Chinese (especially of the lower classes), belong to this society, and engage to defend each other against the police; conceal each other's crimes; and assist the escape of detected members: e. g. A Chinese tailor in Malacca, named Tsaou foo, who committed murder, in the close of 1818, shortly after the transfer of the colony, and made his escape from the hands of justice, was a chief man in this society; and, it is believed, had a considerable number of persons under his direction, both on the land and at sea. There cannot be a doubt but his escape was partly owing to the assistance of his fellow-members, as a rigorous search was made for him by the police. In places where most of the members are young, if one takes a dislike to any man who is not a member, the others are sure to mark that man as the butt of their scorn and ridicule. If any one feels injured, the others take part in his quarrels, and assist him in seeking revenge. Where their party is very strong, persons are glad to give them sums of money annually, that they may spare their property, or protect it from other banditti, which they uniformly do when confided in, and will speedily recover stolen goods. In such places as Java, Sincapore, Malacca, and Penang, when a Chinese stranger arrives to reside for any length of time, he is generally glad to give a trifle of money to this brotherhood to be freed from their annoyance. The professed design, however, of the San ho hwuy is benevolence, as the following motto will shew: Yew füh tung heing Yew ho tung tang. The blessing, reciprocally share; They assist each other, in whatever country, whenever they can make themselves known to each other by the signs. The laws, discipline, and management, have not been divulged; these are said to be written on cloth, for preservation in a legible state; so that the party possessing it, if pursued, may throw it into a well or pond, from which he may afterwards take it out; or if compelled to swim across a river, he can carry the MS.; and, as the ink has a peculiar property, the impression remains legible. The heads of the fraternity have, as may be expected, a larger share of the booty. THE INITIATORY CEREMONIES take place at night, in a secret chamber, in which there is an idol, to which offerings are presented, and before which the oath of secresy is taken. The Chinese say there are San shih luh s'he, i. e. " thirty-six oaths." These are, however, probably so many different particulars, with imprecations against those who shall disclose the nature and objects of the society. A small subscription is given to support the general expense. Kwo Keaou, or crossing the bridge." This bridge is formed of swords laid between two tables (an end resting on each), or else set up on the hilts, and meeting at the points. The persons who receive the oath, take it under this bridge, which is called "passing, or crossing the bridge." The yih ko, or chief ruling brother, sits at the head of this steel bridge |