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Article THE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS OF MASONRY. Page 1 of 1
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The Historical Landmarks Of Masonry.
THE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS OF MASONRY .
To the Editor ofthe Freemasons' Quarterly Review . Scopwick Vicarage , June 10 , 1844 . SIR , —I have had rather an extensive correspondence respecting the manner in which it is my intention to treat the subject proposed for the twenty-fifth lecture of " The Landmarks ; " viz ., " A general view of all the Orders and which are practised at the present time . " I
Degrees am told that this title is too vague to convey any definite idea of an inquiry so interesting to the fraternity at large . Anxious to afford every facility in my power towards the comprehension of the entire science of Freemasonry , I have determined to give a brief reply through the medium of your widely-circulated periodical . I candidly admit the impossibility of doing ample justice to a subject of such vast extent as a history of all the " hauls grades " of continental ^ within the of a single lectureBeing in possession of
Masonry compass . the names of nearly eight hundred degrees , the simple enumeration of such a host would ' occupy all the space usually appropriated to that purpose . It is my intention , therefore , to trace their origin , and describe their tendency , by a general analysis of " Sublime and Philosophical Masonry , " as it was enunciated during the last century ; with a corollary displaying the practice of the Order as it now exists in every country of the habitable globe . During this process , 1 propose to notice the
respective systems of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ; of Ramsay , ot the Jesuits ; of Hunde , Sweclenborg , Zinnendorff , Rosa , Scrsepfer , Gugomos , Stark , Bedarride , Fessler , Scrsecler , Cagliostro , and Bahrdt ; including the Eclectic , the Hermetic , the Mizraic or Egyptian , the Scotch , the Cabalistic , the Swedish , the Adonhiramite , Templary , and Androgyne Masonry ; altogether containing the above number of degrees , more than three hundred of which will he named and illustrated . The pretensions of the several governing bodies in the two hemispheresunder
, whosesanction the "hautsgrades" are worked , will be briefly investigated ; viz ., the Grand Orient , the Supreme Council of the Rite ancien et accepte , the Metropolitan Chapter of France , the Mother Lodge of the Scotch Philosophical Masonry , the Grancl Lodges of Germany , Prussia , Sweden , America , & c . & c . Such a course , it is freely admitted , is too comprehensive for a lecture of the usual dimensionsandthereforesome latitude will be necessary
; , , to afford me an opportunity of doing justice to the subject . 1 am at present undetermined whether it will not be expedient to divide it into two lectures ; but , however this may be , I shall endeavour to produce such an authentic and perspicuous account of the degrees of high Masonry as may be satisfactory to every class of inquirers , and augment their love of the pure and ancient system , by a comparison with the inflated rituals and absurd nomenclature by which the continental
innovations of the eighteenth century were distinguished . 1 am , Sir , yours faithfully , GEO . OLIVER , D . D .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Historical Landmarks Of Masonry.
THE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS OF MASONRY .
To the Editor ofthe Freemasons' Quarterly Review . Scopwick Vicarage , June 10 , 1844 . SIR , —I have had rather an extensive correspondence respecting the manner in which it is my intention to treat the subject proposed for the twenty-fifth lecture of " The Landmarks ; " viz ., " A general view of all the Orders and which are practised at the present time . " I
Degrees am told that this title is too vague to convey any definite idea of an inquiry so interesting to the fraternity at large . Anxious to afford every facility in my power towards the comprehension of the entire science of Freemasonry , I have determined to give a brief reply through the medium of your widely-circulated periodical . I candidly admit the impossibility of doing ample justice to a subject of such vast extent as a history of all the " hauls grades " of continental ^ within the of a single lectureBeing in possession of
Masonry compass . the names of nearly eight hundred degrees , the simple enumeration of such a host would ' occupy all the space usually appropriated to that purpose . It is my intention , therefore , to trace their origin , and describe their tendency , by a general analysis of " Sublime and Philosophical Masonry , " as it was enunciated during the last century ; with a corollary displaying the practice of the Order as it now exists in every country of the habitable globe . During this process , 1 propose to notice the
respective systems of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ; of Ramsay , ot the Jesuits ; of Hunde , Sweclenborg , Zinnendorff , Rosa , Scrsepfer , Gugomos , Stark , Bedarride , Fessler , Scrsecler , Cagliostro , and Bahrdt ; including the Eclectic , the Hermetic , the Mizraic or Egyptian , the Scotch , the Cabalistic , the Swedish , the Adonhiramite , Templary , and Androgyne Masonry ; altogether containing the above number of degrees , more than three hundred of which will he named and illustrated . The pretensions of the several governing bodies in the two hemispheresunder
, whosesanction the "hautsgrades" are worked , will be briefly investigated ; viz ., the Grand Orient , the Supreme Council of the Rite ancien et accepte , the Metropolitan Chapter of France , the Mother Lodge of the Scotch Philosophical Masonry , the Grancl Lodges of Germany , Prussia , Sweden , America , & c . & c . Such a course , it is freely admitted , is too comprehensive for a lecture of the usual dimensionsandthereforesome latitude will be necessary
; , , to afford me an opportunity of doing justice to the subject . 1 am at present undetermined whether it will not be expedient to divide it into two lectures ; but , however this may be , I shall endeavour to produce such an authentic and perspicuous account of the degrees of high Masonry as may be satisfactory to every class of inquirers , and augment their love of the pure and ancient system , by a comparison with the inflated rituals and absurd nomenclature by which the continental
innovations of the eighteenth century were distinguished . 1 am , Sir , yours faithfully , GEO . OLIVER , D . D .