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Article LECTURE ON FREEMASONRY, ← Page 3 of 7 →
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Lecture On Freemasonry,
were uncovered , of Avhich we have proof in the temple of Persepolis ; and nearer home , in the ruins of the temples of the Druids , Avho al ! worshipped the Deity at night , which enabled them to behold the Heavens bespangled Avith stars , & c . & c . The Eleusiuian Fraternity had their pass-words ancl signs , of Avhich house Ompaoc served as a pass , and signified " go , you are initiated . " In the temple of Istachar or Persepolisthe triangular palaces in the forecourtand of its still
, , many visible splendidly finished ornaments are proof that here Zoroaster gave instructions in silence and secrecy to his Fraternity ; and here his sacred Avritings Avere carefully preserved , until they Avere destroyed by Ottoman barbarism , under an impression that the Alcoran contained all that Avas necessary for man to knoAV . The Jews , during their slavery in Egypt , ( bund it necessary to establish Secret Societies for the presentation of the knoAvledge of one undivided Deity , ancl they , in all probability , continued their "
Secret Societies after their delivery by their inspired leader Moses , until the building of the celebrated temple of Jerusalem . Of their having had , previous to that event , some Secret Societies , AA'e find traces in the Books of Moses , as Avell as in the Prophets . The Essenians and Sadducees appear to . have kept some mysteries of great importance . In regard of the mysteries celebrated in the temple of Jerusalemin which Scripture and tradition bear us outFreemasons
, , cannot full y agree with that classic historian , the Roman Tacitus , AA'ho states that Pompey had found onl y inania arcana , or insignificant mysteries , in the temple of Jerusalem . This may be easily excused in Tacitus , owing to the great ignorance of the Romans of his days about the Jews ancl early Christianity .
1 he Orientalist , Lucas , AA'I IO Avrote in the seventeenth century , speaking of the ancient Pythagoreans , giA'es the letters G and D as sacred letters amongst them . The first signifying Geometry , and the letter D Daimonia , or the knoiAdedge of godly things . He also relates , that a Pythagorean having accidentall y discovered the body of a deceased brother , by some letters or signs on his body , Avho having died poor , he buried him honourably , aud paid his debts . This proves that Masons to this day presence some of those ancient landmarks , consisting in signs
and tokens , Avhich Avere delivered to them by those ancient Secret Societies . That signs and some other marks whereby the several Secret Societies kneAv their brethren , Avere in use among the builders of Solomon ' s temple , js evident to every Freemason , from the traditional accounts . The Secret Societies being guarded against the admission of intruders , and more particularly of the numerous spies , always ready to persecute those AVIIO , despising the Idol worship , cultivated that of the onl y true and living God , also embraced in their studies the arts and sciences ; and their Societies became Avhat in our clays Ave might
call Universities , or bctiools for the divine , the statesman , and the naturalist . Chemistry and natural history formed no small share of their learning . The Persian antiquities inform us that their Avise men or magi initiated their royal princes , ancl other men of rank , in astronomy , geometry , and the art of governing . The Athenians obliged every statesman to become initiated in the Eleusiuian mysteries . Amianus Marcellus , in his 23 rd book , informs us , that the Bactrian king , Zoroaster , had enriched the Machachistry , or Magic Art , Avith the mysteries of the Chaldeans , and Hystaspes with the Indian mysteries , but . more particularly Avith astronomy . It is also clear that , by the LaAvs of the Twelve Tables , Ne quid inaugurati faciunto , that the Romans
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lecture On Freemasonry,
were uncovered , of Avhich we have proof in the temple of Persepolis ; and nearer home , in the ruins of the temples of the Druids , Avho al ! worshipped the Deity at night , which enabled them to behold the Heavens bespangled Avith stars , & c . & c . The Eleusiuian Fraternity had their pass-words ancl signs , of Avhich house Ompaoc served as a pass , and signified " go , you are initiated . " In the temple of Istachar or Persepolisthe triangular palaces in the forecourtand of its still
, , many visible splendidly finished ornaments are proof that here Zoroaster gave instructions in silence and secrecy to his Fraternity ; and here his sacred Avritings Avere carefully preserved , until they Avere destroyed by Ottoman barbarism , under an impression that the Alcoran contained all that Avas necessary for man to knoAV . The Jews , during their slavery in Egypt , ( bund it necessary to establish Secret Societies for the presentation of the knoAvledge of one undivided Deity , ancl they , in all probability , continued their "
Secret Societies after their delivery by their inspired leader Moses , until the building of the celebrated temple of Jerusalem . Of their having had , previous to that event , some Secret Societies , AA'e find traces in the Books of Moses , as Avell as in the Prophets . The Essenians and Sadducees appear to . have kept some mysteries of great importance . In regard of the mysteries celebrated in the temple of Jerusalemin which Scripture and tradition bear us outFreemasons
, , cannot full y agree with that classic historian , the Roman Tacitus , AA'ho states that Pompey had found onl y inania arcana , or insignificant mysteries , in the temple of Jerusalem . This may be easily excused in Tacitus , owing to the great ignorance of the Romans of his days about the Jews ancl early Christianity .
1 he Orientalist , Lucas , AA'I IO Avrote in the seventeenth century , speaking of the ancient Pythagoreans , giA'es the letters G and D as sacred letters amongst them . The first signifying Geometry , and the letter D Daimonia , or the knoiAdedge of godly things . He also relates , that a Pythagorean having accidentall y discovered the body of a deceased brother , by some letters or signs on his body , Avho having died poor , he buried him honourably , aud paid his debts . This proves that Masons to this day presence some of those ancient landmarks , consisting in signs
and tokens , Avhich Avere delivered to them by those ancient Secret Societies . That signs and some other marks whereby the several Secret Societies kneAv their brethren , Avere in use among the builders of Solomon ' s temple , js evident to every Freemason , from the traditional accounts . The Secret Societies being guarded against the admission of intruders , and more particularly of the numerous spies , always ready to persecute those AVIIO , despising the Idol worship , cultivated that of the onl y true and living God , also embraced in their studies the arts and sciences ; and their Societies became Avhat in our clays Ave might
call Universities , or bctiools for the divine , the statesman , and the naturalist . Chemistry and natural history formed no small share of their learning . The Persian antiquities inform us that their Avise men or magi initiated their royal princes , ancl other men of rank , in astronomy , geometry , and the art of governing . The Athenians obliged every statesman to become initiated in the Eleusiuian mysteries . Amianus Marcellus , in his 23 rd book , informs us , that the Bactrian king , Zoroaster , had enriched the Machachistry , or Magic Art , Avith the mysteries of the Chaldeans , and Hystaspes with the Indian mysteries , but . more particularly Avith astronomy . It is also clear that , by the LaAvs of the Twelve Tables , Ne quid inaugurati faciunto , that the Romans