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Article GLASGOW MASONICS. ← Page 6 of 12 →
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Glasgow Masonics.
lows : —• " Mr . Croupier , —Masonry litis now existed for more than four thousand years , and by the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe , nv-iy continue till the time arrives when all things shall be revealed . It is not my intention here to enter upon a discussion how Masonry arose , or for what purpose it and other similar institutions were founded , because I feel lhat the proofs I must bring forward are of a kind which I could only support and explain with
freedom within the walls of a tiled lodge ; but the general history of mankind indicates that there were beams of light in Eg-ypt when darkness prevailed over the greater part of the rest of the world . All have heard of the Ancient Egyptian Myst erics ; aud by many who have not taken either the trouble or the proper means of inquiring profoundl y into their nature , they have been much abused . These Mysteries were managed by the Priests ; ancl those who have heard that the Egyptian multitude worshipped not only animals , but even leeks aud
onions' How Egypt , mad with superstition grown , Slakes gotls of monsters—is hut too well known ; Eeligions nation , sure , ami blessed abodes , Where every garden is o'er-run ivith gods ! ' Those who have read of such , whether in Juvenal or elsewhere , suppose that this was also the religion of the Priests ; but from all that can be collected from the accounts handed down- to us of the Mysteries themselves , their object was to correct such absurdities , and to preserve
a pure and unsullied knowledge of the one great God , the Creator of all things . Tbis was not communicated to the public at large , for their minds were incapable of appreciating such knowledge ; nor was it ever communicated to the initiated all at once , but by steps or deg-rees ; so that , proceeding from one point to another , ihe mind mi ght be regenerated and raised to a contemplation of the attributes of our Maker . When these mysteries were transplanted into Greece , such , unquestionably , was also their import , lint religion , though it was made tbe chiel ' pursiiit , was not the side object of their attention . All brandies of learning and science were in the bands of the Priests and of tbe
initiated—Mathematics , Geometry , Astronomy , and Architecture , nay even Music , were taught by them , as well as Religion , Ethics and History . It is true , that after the lapse of centuries , and particularl y from the admission of females , many corruptions , nay even the vilest debaucheries , crept in—especially in Greece ; actuated partly by a desire to avoid which , and partly with the design of devoting themselves to Architecture , a colony from Eleusis passed over into Ionia , rather more than a thousand years before the Christian era , and formed themselves
into the association , celebrated for ages by the name of the Ionian Architects or Dionysian Artificers . These , however , still retained a similar , although purified form of initiation ; but , although for obvious reasons I dare not touch upon them here , most of the modes of recognising each other from those not belonging to the society seem to have been materially altered . It is from this body that wo Freemasons claim our descent ; and for the long space of three thousand
years , scarcely any alteration of consequence has taken p lace . Where nothing is allowed to be written , this assertion may appear difficult of proof ; but every well-educated Brother who has a knowledge of astronomy , may , if his mind be directed into the proper channel , perceive intrinsic evidence of what I have just stated . Assuredly gradual
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Glasgow Masonics.
lows : —• " Mr . Croupier , —Masonry litis now existed for more than four thousand years , and by the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe , nv-iy continue till the time arrives when all things shall be revealed . It is not my intention here to enter upon a discussion how Masonry arose , or for what purpose it and other similar institutions were founded , because I feel lhat the proofs I must bring forward are of a kind which I could only support and explain with
freedom within the walls of a tiled lodge ; but the general history of mankind indicates that there were beams of light in Eg-ypt when darkness prevailed over the greater part of the rest of the world . All have heard of the Ancient Egyptian Myst erics ; aud by many who have not taken either the trouble or the proper means of inquiring profoundl y into their nature , they have been much abused . These Mysteries were managed by the Priests ; ancl those who have heard that the Egyptian multitude worshipped not only animals , but even leeks aud
onions' How Egypt , mad with superstition grown , Slakes gotls of monsters—is hut too well known ; Eeligions nation , sure , ami blessed abodes , Where every garden is o'er-run ivith gods ! ' Those who have read of such , whether in Juvenal or elsewhere , suppose that this was also the religion of the Priests ; but from all that can be collected from the accounts handed down- to us of the Mysteries themselves , their object was to correct such absurdities , and to preserve
a pure and unsullied knowledge of the one great God , the Creator of all things . Tbis was not communicated to the public at large , for their minds were incapable of appreciating such knowledge ; nor was it ever communicated to the initiated all at once , but by steps or deg-rees ; so that , proceeding from one point to another , ihe mind mi ght be regenerated and raised to a contemplation of the attributes of our Maker . When these mysteries were transplanted into Greece , such , unquestionably , was also their import , lint religion , though it was made tbe chiel ' pursiiit , was not the side object of their attention . All brandies of learning and science were in the bands of the Priests and of tbe
initiated—Mathematics , Geometry , Astronomy , and Architecture , nay even Music , were taught by them , as well as Religion , Ethics and History . It is true , that after the lapse of centuries , and particularl y from the admission of females , many corruptions , nay even the vilest debaucheries , crept in—especially in Greece ; actuated partly by a desire to avoid which , and partly with the design of devoting themselves to Architecture , a colony from Eleusis passed over into Ionia , rather more than a thousand years before the Christian era , and formed themselves
into the association , celebrated for ages by the name of the Ionian Architects or Dionysian Artificers . These , however , still retained a similar , although purified form of initiation ; but , although for obvious reasons I dare not touch upon them here , most of the modes of recognising each other from those not belonging to the society seem to have been materially altered . It is from this body that wo Freemasons claim our descent ; and for the long space of three thousand
years , scarcely any alteration of consequence has taken p lace . Where nothing is allowed to be written , this assertion may appear difficult of proof ; but every well-educated Brother who has a knowledge of astronomy , may , if his mind be directed into the proper channel , perceive intrinsic evidence of what I have just stated . Assuredly gradual