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Article NOTICE OF A MASONIC DESIDERATUM. Page 1 of 2 →
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Notice Of A Masonic Desideratum.
NOTICE OF A MASONIC DESIDERATUM .
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASON ' S REPOSITORY .
SIR , I HAVE long been in expectation of an elucidation of the mysteries of our sublime Institution , separated from those dry chronological details , and declamatory disquisitions , which have been so frequent of late years . The accounts of Solomon ' s Templethe descriptions of ancient
, structures , and of modern reli gious edifices , appear to me to have no proper connection at all with Freemasonry ; at least they appear to me to have none , when I am attending on the refined lectures in the higher degrees .
It is clear , from the obligations and the ceremonials of our Institution , that something more serious than mere O perative Masonry or Reli gious Architecture , ( if I may be allowed the term ) , p-ave rise to this peculiar Fraternity , which , springing up i ; i the East , in aoes ' far remote , has spread itself to the West , and has become wonderfully dignified and respected in these latter .
ages , The appearance of mechanical labour has indeed been o-iven to this Institution , but whether this has not been a mere semblance set up to deceive the vigilance of the arbitrary and bigoted part of the community among whom it was originally established , is a question that undoubtedly deserves more discussion than it has yet met with . . -
We can hardly imagine that plain Architecture would ever have acquired such a mighty importance , as to have been the means of establishing so peculiar an Order as this , which should subsist amonopeople possessed of no scientific skill , and be diffused into countriel where its'influence as a branch of science has certainl y never been felt .
If we view Freemasonry impartially , we shall find that it has hardly been connected with the practical arts of life any where ; and not at all so with those of that laborious complexion with which its appellation would lead us to suppose that it must he the most materially connected . In addition to this , if we attend closely to the ceremonies and allusions of our order , we shall certainly find much reason to be at the mechanical
surprised characteristics with which it is distinguished . The farther we carry our observation into the more elevated degrees , the more we perceive the remoteness of this affinity between - the operative and speculative parts of Masonry , till at length it is entirely lost . The sublime points know nothing of Masonry as a matter of art and manual labour . Masonry here becomes refined and sentimental , in the most elegant sense . " '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notice Of A Masonic Desideratum.
NOTICE OF A MASONIC DESIDERATUM .
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASON ' S REPOSITORY .
SIR , I HAVE long been in expectation of an elucidation of the mysteries of our sublime Institution , separated from those dry chronological details , and declamatory disquisitions , which have been so frequent of late years . The accounts of Solomon ' s Templethe descriptions of ancient
, structures , and of modern reli gious edifices , appear to me to have no proper connection at all with Freemasonry ; at least they appear to me to have none , when I am attending on the refined lectures in the higher degrees .
It is clear , from the obligations and the ceremonials of our Institution , that something more serious than mere O perative Masonry or Reli gious Architecture , ( if I may be allowed the term ) , p-ave rise to this peculiar Fraternity , which , springing up i ; i the East , in aoes ' far remote , has spread itself to the West , and has become wonderfully dignified and respected in these latter .
ages , The appearance of mechanical labour has indeed been o-iven to this Institution , but whether this has not been a mere semblance set up to deceive the vigilance of the arbitrary and bigoted part of the community among whom it was originally established , is a question that undoubtedly deserves more discussion than it has yet met with . . -
We can hardly imagine that plain Architecture would ever have acquired such a mighty importance , as to have been the means of establishing so peculiar an Order as this , which should subsist amonopeople possessed of no scientific skill , and be diffused into countriel where its'influence as a branch of science has certainl y never been felt .
If we view Freemasonry impartially , we shall find that it has hardly been connected with the practical arts of life any where ; and not at all so with those of that laborious complexion with which its appellation would lead us to suppose that it must he the most materially connected . In addition to this , if we attend closely to the ceremonies and allusions of our order , we shall certainly find much reason to be at the mechanical
surprised characteristics with which it is distinguished . The farther we carry our observation into the more elevated degrees , the more we perceive the remoteness of this affinity between - the operative and speculative parts of Masonry , till at length it is entirely lost . The sublime points know nothing of Masonry as a matter of art and manual labour . Masonry here becomes refined and sentimental , in the most elegant sense . " '