The Anacalypsis Of Godfrey Higgins.

religion—and even Sectarian religion , as exhibited in the Holy Bible of tho Christians—from Freemasonry , without obliterating the Society at tho same time . " But we should as much as possible ipfrain from " exhibiting the peculiar characteristics of Christianity in our Lodge prayers , when

a duo regard to tho universal tendencies of the Craft should incite us to sink onr differences when wo ' meet on the square , ' and unite in our appeals to the Heavenly Father and Creator of the Universe , AVIIO is adored by all religious societies , and is the Great I Am of all creeds . " As regards

politics , however , there is assuredly nothing to warrant the belief that Freemasonry was ever " a political society of any kind , at any time , or politically was ever of any consequence to mention , to any party , whether in power or otherwise . On the contrary , its real tendencies are , and appear to have

ever been , to soften and well-nigh extinguish all political distinctions and rivalries within the sacred precincts of the Lodge . " In fact , says Bro . Hughan , " We know of nothing which practically is so unpolitical in its general action , and yet so purely religious in its morality and constitution —apart from Christianity—as Freemasonry . "

Then are reproduced some early traditions , quoted in the ' Anacalypsis , as likely to prove of interest to all Masonic readers , and especially to Royal Arch Companions , who aro able to detect in the following , much that is not new to them .

"The Mosque or Temple on Mount Moriah was built by tho Caliph Omar , the son of Caleb , about tho year 1 G of the Hegira , A . D . 637 . Chateaubriand says : — ' Lo Mosqueo prit lo nom do cetto rooho Gameat-el-Sakhra . ' It has a large dome , under tho centre of which is a cave , and at tho top of it tho sacred stone which , in all these

religions , is generally found in or close to the temple or church . In the description of the Temple ( of Jerusalem ) , given by Mons . Chateaubriand , is an account of tho sacred stono to which I havo alluded . In this Mahommedan Temple , there are in the stono Pillar and tho Cave both tho Nabli or navel of tho earth , and the Yoni and tho

Linga , though they may now not bo understood . * * * Here , if I understand Mons . Chateaubriand , the stono is placed over the cave . Now I do not doubt that , in the ancient Temple of Solomon , there were the cave and tho mysterious stone pillar , pedestal or whatever it might be , the same as at Delphi and other places ; but in it tho pillar or

pedestal was probably not over tho cave but in it , as described b y Nicephorus Callistns ( a Greek historian of tho fourteenth century ) Lib . x . chap , xxxiii ., in the following words : — At the time when the foundation was laid , one of tho stones , to which tho lowest part of tho foundation was attached , was removed from its place and discovered

the month of a cavern which had been hollowed out of tho rock . Now since they conld not see to tho bottom , on account of its depth , tho overseers of the work , wishing to bo perfectly acquainted with the place , lot down one of tho workmen by means of a long rope , into the cavern . When ho came to tho bottom ho found

himself in water as high as his ancles , and examining every part of tho cavern , he found it to bo square as far as he could ascertain by feeling . He afterwards searched nearer the mouth of the cavern , and on examination , discovered a low pillar , very little higher than tho water , and having placed his hand upon it , be found lying there a

book , carefully folded in a piece of thin and clean linen . This book ho secured , and signified by the rope his wish to bo drawn up . On beinf drawn up ho produced the book , which struck the beholders with astonishment , particularly as it appeared perfectly fresh and untouched , though it had been brought out of so dark and dismal a place . When

the book was unfolded , not only tho Jews but the Greeks also wero amazed , as it declared , iu large letters , even at its commencement , In the beginning , §' c . To speak clearly , tho writing here discovered , did most evidently contain all that Gospel which was uttered by the Divine tongue of the virgin disciple . "

Naturally , Bro . Hughan refrains from particularisinc the several references to the account of the cave which occur in Masonic Legends , nor does he seek to explain their bearing , " for undoubtedly it must be conceded that our Traditions are , in many cases not peculiar to Masonry ,

but adopted from older Societies and Historical MSS . for the purpose of conveying moral lessons . " He goes on to quote from the second of a number of old books bound together in a curious little volume . This book which has no date , but "is apparently of the same age" as the first ,

namely , 1699 , is entitled " An Historcal Catechism , containing Ingenious Answers to many notable Questions of several tuouderfod matters in ancient History , as , What is the opinion of all our Historians about the apple old mother Eve tempted , Adam ivithal—Wh y the devil should talce the shape of

a serpent : of the Building of the Tower of Babel . * * * Part I . Begistenden the Hall Booh of the Company oj Stationers" In this occurs , after a description of the

attempt of Julian , the Apostate , to rebuild the Temple , the following , so much like the above extract from Nicephorus , "that nothing short of a common ori gin can account for their agreement . "

" Q . What happened at their laying a foundation ? A . There was a stoue which slipped from its place , and discovered the month of a cave cut in a rock—The overseers of the work not

The Anacalypsis Of Godfrey Higgins.

being able to see to the bottom of it , let down a labourer by a rope . Being come to the bottom , he was up to his ancles in water , and found tho place four square , and laying his hand on a littlo pillar above water , ho met with a book wrapt up in a clean linnen cloth . Being drawn up , tho spectators wero amazed it should be so fresh lying in

such a dark hole . Tlio book being opened , surprised both tho Jews and Grecians that were present ; they found in tho beginning of it these words wero capital letters : " In the beginning was tho Word , ancl the Word was with God , and the Word was God "—and indeed , saith the historian , that Scripture did manifestly contain all the Gospel which tho beloved disciple , St . John , had declared .

Other curious references to legends now incorporated in Masonic degrees , Bro . Hughan says , he has been told are to be found in ancient writings , especially in a book by Philostorgos , a Greek author , who flourished in the fifth century ; and he invites Dr . Mackey to dip into the history

of this Greek , in order to trace , if possible , tho origin of other Masonic legends , adding , " If wo mistake not , the Cave , so graphically and similarly described in the two preceding extracts , is , in all probability , the original of tho legends of the Royal Arch and some of the degrees of tho

Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . Ifc is surely more reasonable to suppose that each legend of our Masonic degrees is an adaptation of Traditions

previously circulated without any connection with the Craft , than to believe that our Masonic legends or traditions aro peculiar to the society ,, and have always been so—a belief contrary to fact . "

Here ends Bro . Hughan ' s dissertation on Godfrey Higgins ' s Anacalypsis . It has afforded us great pleasure to read it , and still greater pleasure to reproduce it iu these columns for the benefit of our readers .

Masonic Portraits (No. 16.) The Churchman.

MASONIC PORTRAITS ( No . 16 . ) THE CHURCHMAN .

"Thy Church , Sir Priest , shall dominate the world ; It shall win , by peaceful means , supremacy , And govern men by omnipotent lovo . O ' er tho vast globo its gentle sway shall reach , And , with the glowing orb of day , the sun of New Jerusalem shall shed its mild , undying beams . "

IT is the boast of our Order that its precepts find favour , not merely with various minds and temperaments , but that men of all creeds can unite on the neutral floor of the Lodge room in perfect accord and amity . Every shade and denomination of the Christian religion finds its representatives amongst us , and the pure Theist , the

Brahmin , or the Mahommedan are welcomed as brothers . Modern civilization , with its levelling and humanising influences , could alone have achieved a triumph like this . The brotherhood of man is first roughly taught by our necessities and our dependence on each other , before

Masonic morality—with its vast and far reaching influences—can fairly come into play . However widely the Masonry of the middle ages was spread in Europe , it was chiefly propagated amongst Christians . The early rites to which we trace our ritual were indeed wide enough to

comprehend the Jew and the Greek , the Egyptian and the Chaldean , but modern Masonry , with its graud message of peace and goodwill to mankind , has finally levelled the inequalities of the human heart , and taught the world the difficult lesson of practical toleration . From one

section of the Christian Church we have experienced hostility and persecution , and its rulers ignorantly declare that the principles of the Order are incompatible with true relig ion and morality . Masons , however , do not pay much attention to the thunders of the Vatican , nor are they

inclined to return railing for railing . TL « y point with pride to the fact that the clergy of the established reli gion in this country have recognised the value of the Order as a great and abiding moral force . They are proud to point to the fact that many of the distinguished brothers who

have achieved the highest eminence in the Craft are clergymen , who have virtually admitted that revelation and the Order are in harmony with each other . Those principles which are eternally true , and which lie at the root of" all the great religious systems of the world , will

always command the veneration and the assent of mankind , and it is with these that Masonry deals . As regards practical morality and veneration for the Supreme Being ,

the Order is in harmony with the highest teaching of tho Vedas or the Koran , with the sublime self-sacrifice of Buddha , and with the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures . Some of the hymns of the Rig Veda , in honour of the