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On Freemasonry. The History And Antiquities Of Freemasonry.
sublime theories of the Order . They were a branch of the Kasideans , whose doctrinal reformation they carried into effect , ancl called themselves ESSENES , from a Syriac word which signifies to heed , referring to their indefatigable virtue , and the careful solicitude which they displayed to eradicate the moral diseases which had been placed in their souls by
the hand of nature . This name was assumed , to signify that they were resolved to adhere strictly to the worship of that august Being , who is " better than good , more uncompounded than the number ONE , ancl more ancient than unity . " When the decree of Cyrus was issued , the greater part of this sect returned to Jerusalem ; but a remnant
remained in Babylon , and prevented the science from beinglost in Chaldaea . A copious description of this remarkable body of men , who preserved Freemasonry from extinction during the dark ages preceding the birth of Christ , is reserved for the subject of a separate article .
LITERARY GLEANINGS . —The heart of a wise man should resemble a mirror , which reflects every object without being sullied by any . We should hold the immutable mean that lies between
insensibility and anguish . Our attempts should be not to extinguish nature but to repress it . Our greatest glory is , not in never falling , but in rising every time we fall . Men may be very learned , and yet very miserable ; it is
easy to be a deep geometrician , or a sublime astronomer , but very difficult to be a good man . A man who leaves home to mend himself and others is a philosopher ; but he who goes from country to country , guided by the blind impulse of curiosity , is only a vagabond .
In a polished society , that man , though in rags , who has the power of enforcing * virtue from the press , is of more real use than forty stupid bramins , or bonzes , or guebres , though they preached never so often , never so loud , or never so long . —( Goldsmith . )
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. The History And Antiquities Of Freemasonry.
sublime theories of the Order . They were a branch of the Kasideans , whose doctrinal reformation they carried into effect , ancl called themselves ESSENES , from a Syriac word which signifies to heed , referring to their indefatigable virtue , and the careful solicitude which they displayed to eradicate the moral diseases which had been placed in their souls by
the hand of nature . This name was assumed , to signify that they were resolved to adhere strictly to the worship of that august Being , who is " better than good , more uncompounded than the number ONE , ancl more ancient than unity . " When the decree of Cyrus was issued , the greater part of this sect returned to Jerusalem ; but a remnant
remained in Babylon , and prevented the science from beinglost in Chaldaea . A copious description of this remarkable body of men , who preserved Freemasonry from extinction during the dark ages preceding the birth of Christ , is reserved for the subject of a separate article .
LITERARY GLEANINGS . —The heart of a wise man should resemble a mirror , which reflects every object without being sullied by any . We should hold the immutable mean that lies between
insensibility and anguish . Our attempts should be not to extinguish nature but to repress it . Our greatest glory is , not in never falling , but in rising every time we fall . Men may be very learned , and yet very miserable ; it is
easy to be a deep geometrician , or a sublime astronomer , but very difficult to be a good man . A man who leaves home to mend himself and others is a philosopher ; but he who goes from country to country , guided by the blind impulse of curiosity , is only a vagabond .
In a polished society , that man , though in rags , who has the power of enforcing * virtue from the press , is of more real use than forty stupid bramins , or bonzes , or guebres , though they preached never so often , never so loud , or never so long . —( Goldsmith . )