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Article ORIGINAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY FREEMASONRY. ← Page 5 of 6 →
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Original And Supplementary Freemasonry.
That the doctrines taught should differ in some particulars amongst differeut subdivisions of the various schools , was of course to be expected ; inasmuch as the imagination and reasoning powers of the teachers would in a measure influence the character of their tenets ; but throughout all may be seen the principal features of those important truths which in the earlier ages of the history of mankind promoted civilization , and strengthened the feeble bond of social union by the support of wisdom and the tie of brotherhood . In the words of Horace ,
" Sylvestres homines sacer interpresque Deorum Cffidibus et victu foedo deterruit Orpheus ; Dictus ob hoc lenire tigres rabidosque leones : Dictus et Amphion , Thebana ? conditor arcis Saxa movere sono testudinis , et prece blanda Ducere quo vellet . Fuit htec sapientia quondam Publica privatis secernere , sacra profanis ; Concubitu prohibere vago ; dare jura maritis ; Oppida moliri , leges incidere ligno ; Sic honor et nomen divinis vatibus atque Carminibus venit . "
We learn from the scanty accounts which have come down to us of the Eleusinian mysteries , the Grecian copy of those of Egypt , that the candidates for initiation were required to be of virtuous character and unstained reputation ; that the greatest purity of mind and body was inculcated , and that the system of instruction was of an elevated and intellectual character , and was revealed to the initiated at different intervals and in different degrees , —the most important truths relative to the
nature of the Deity , the falsehood of polytheism and hero-worship being communicated to those who received the highest degrees in the Mysteries . While , however , contending for the general value and importance of the Mysteries , I cannot shut my eyes to the fact , that , by the concurrent testimony of history , they were sullied and degraded by the misapplication of certain rites and ceremonies , which though essentially innocent in themselves , and mere allegorical representations or symbols
of important truths , must necessarily have exerted an injurious and demoralizing tendency , where , as among the great mass of the people the hidden meaning of such symbols and ceremonies was not justl y appreciated or understood ; and the perpetuation of these ceremonies , owing to the unchanging character of the Mysteries , in times of a different moral calibre , and diminished simplicity of manner , must have led to a misconstruction of their meaningand an lication entirelforei
, app y gn to their original purport . That the Mysteries deserved the epithet of " idolatrous" or the brand of superstition as regards their doctrines , I must on the authority of the most competent judges deny . The early fathers of the church , Clemens of Alexandria , who is said to have been initiated , and Justin , frequently speak of them in terms of approbation ; and Cicero , in his letter to Atticusexpressly declaresthat of the many good and excellent things
, , derived from the Athenians , nothing was of more value than the Mysteries , " since , " says he , "they teach us not only how to live well , but also how to die happily . " The worship of the " unknown God" speaks volumes in favour of the lofty and elevated ideas which they imparted concerning the Unity , the Eternity , and the incomprehensibility of the Great Architect of the Universe ; and the charge brought against them
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Original And Supplementary Freemasonry.
That the doctrines taught should differ in some particulars amongst differeut subdivisions of the various schools , was of course to be expected ; inasmuch as the imagination and reasoning powers of the teachers would in a measure influence the character of their tenets ; but throughout all may be seen the principal features of those important truths which in the earlier ages of the history of mankind promoted civilization , and strengthened the feeble bond of social union by the support of wisdom and the tie of brotherhood . In the words of Horace ,
" Sylvestres homines sacer interpresque Deorum Cffidibus et victu foedo deterruit Orpheus ; Dictus ob hoc lenire tigres rabidosque leones : Dictus et Amphion , Thebana ? conditor arcis Saxa movere sono testudinis , et prece blanda Ducere quo vellet . Fuit htec sapientia quondam Publica privatis secernere , sacra profanis ; Concubitu prohibere vago ; dare jura maritis ; Oppida moliri , leges incidere ligno ; Sic honor et nomen divinis vatibus atque Carminibus venit . "
We learn from the scanty accounts which have come down to us of the Eleusinian mysteries , the Grecian copy of those of Egypt , that the candidates for initiation were required to be of virtuous character and unstained reputation ; that the greatest purity of mind and body was inculcated , and that the system of instruction was of an elevated and intellectual character , and was revealed to the initiated at different intervals and in different degrees , —the most important truths relative to the
nature of the Deity , the falsehood of polytheism and hero-worship being communicated to those who received the highest degrees in the Mysteries . While , however , contending for the general value and importance of the Mysteries , I cannot shut my eyes to the fact , that , by the concurrent testimony of history , they were sullied and degraded by the misapplication of certain rites and ceremonies , which though essentially innocent in themselves , and mere allegorical representations or symbols
of important truths , must necessarily have exerted an injurious and demoralizing tendency , where , as among the great mass of the people the hidden meaning of such symbols and ceremonies was not justl y appreciated or understood ; and the perpetuation of these ceremonies , owing to the unchanging character of the Mysteries , in times of a different moral calibre , and diminished simplicity of manner , must have led to a misconstruction of their meaningand an lication entirelforei
, app y gn to their original purport . That the Mysteries deserved the epithet of " idolatrous" or the brand of superstition as regards their doctrines , I must on the authority of the most competent judges deny . The early fathers of the church , Clemens of Alexandria , who is said to have been initiated , and Justin , frequently speak of them in terms of approbation ; and Cicero , in his letter to Atticusexpressly declaresthat of the many good and excellent things
, , derived from the Athenians , nothing was of more value than the Mysteries , " since , " says he , "they teach us not only how to live well , but also how to die happily . " The worship of the " unknown God" speaks volumes in favour of the lofty and elevated ideas which they imparted concerning the Unity , the Eternity , and the incomprehensibility of the Great Architect of the Universe ; and the charge brought against them