ON MASONRY. vij

As the Mysteries of Masonry were in their beginning, and still are nothing other than those of the Christian Religion, people were extremely scrupulous about only entrusting this important secret to those whose discretion was tested, and of whom they were very sure. This is why they devised the system of Grades Degrees to test those to whom they wished to entrust them. At first, they only gave them the symbolic secret of Hiram, upon which the entire mystery of Maçonnerie bleue Blue Masonry is founded, as much for the Apprentif Apprentice and the Compagnon Fellow Craft as for the Maître Master. This is, in truth, the only secret of this Order known to the Public, and which consists only of the word Macbenac A significant word in the Master Mason degree, often interpreted as "the flesh leaves the bone", which has no relation to true Masonry.

Nothing else was explained to them for fear of being betrayed; and these Degrees had only been conferred upon them as a proper means...