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Article LECTURE ON FREEMASONRY, ← Page 6 of 7 →
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Lecture On Freemasonry,
Moses , Solomon , Pythagoras , Plato , ancl numerous others , were all initiated into the Secret Societies of their limes . The first spread his doctrine amongst the Persians , about the time of Darius Hystaspes , and thereby preserved the worship of one God , by the name of the True Light , Avhichuiifortuuately in darker ages , degenerated into the Avorship of fire itself , instead of Avhat it represented , ancl Avhich , together Avitli the sunhad been oriinalldesigned bZoroaster as the visible
, g y y emblem of the Deity . Moses , the inspired laAvgiver of the JeAvs , professed and preserved amongst his enslaved brethren in Egypt , the adoration of one God . Solomon erected a temple to the true and eternal God of Israel , Avhich in beauty and extent far surpassed that erected at Delphos in honour of Apollo by Agamedes and his friend Trophonius . Pythagoras , on his return from Egypt into Greece , instituted his Sect the princiles of the Egyptian sagesAvhichbeing founded
upon p , , upon the belief of an undivided Deity , obliged him ancl his disciples to the strictest secrecy , to secure them against the persecution of their countrymen , Avho were immersed in the deepest idolatry . Plato also had AA'itli his intercourse with the JeAvs in Egypt imbibed the knowledge of the true God , and on his return to his native country , found it prudent to adopt the principles of secrecy in his school . Having thus far endeavoured to that the primitive Secret
prove , Societies Avere formed into close bodies from mere necessity , and from the principles of self-preservation so natural to man ; and having also , as far as reading and research could assist me , endeavoured to prove that their studies were directed to benefit mankind , amidst the storming of the most disheartening opposition by ignorance , superstition , ancl
customs ; and that they have praiseAVorthily penetrated through the densest clouds of human ignorance and perversion of the noblest faculties of man , in order to make the lig ht of truth triumph , it will IIOAV become my duty also to prove that the Society of Freemasons , AVIIO draAV their orig in from those Secret Societies , still preserve some similarity to the former . Freemasons in their Secret Societies obligate their disciples , similar to their ancient Brethren , to keep their doctrines , of
their engagements , and their transactions , from those Avho are not their Order . This obligation is not composed of such tremendous oaths Avith AvhicliAve are charged by bigots , AVIIO , ignorant , as they naturally must be , of the whole of our transactions , unless they had been received into our society , thunder their unholy anathemas and excommunications against us , ancl thereby make fools approve their rash acts , the world wonder , and the Mason smile at their daring insolence to condemn their felloAv creatures for imaginary sins against God ancl religion , Avhich must ultimately be laid to the charge of those triflers Avith their neighbours '
consciences . The Freemason is obligated to fulfil the principles which all relig ions inculcate , namely , to love our neighbour , to assist him in his distress , to speak as well of him in his absence as in his presence , ancl never to enter into conspiracies against the State , and good order . This being the foundation upon Avhich Freemasons are obligated to erect their superstructure , all the unjust conjectures of the profane must fall to the ground , and the sole objection that remains ivill be , and I may say , with the curious , a very material one , why
Freemasons keep all their transactions from the uninitiated , if it be true , as they state , by the above groundwork , that they are all benevolence and chari ty ? This is easily answered , and without entering into a discussion on this trifling subject , I Avould simply answer the curious , that charity
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lecture On Freemasonry,
Moses , Solomon , Pythagoras , Plato , ancl numerous others , were all initiated into the Secret Societies of their limes . The first spread his doctrine amongst the Persians , about the time of Darius Hystaspes , and thereby preserved the worship of one God , by the name of the True Light , Avhichuiifortuuately in darker ages , degenerated into the Avorship of fire itself , instead of Avhat it represented , ancl Avhich , together Avitli the sunhad been oriinalldesigned bZoroaster as the visible
, g y y emblem of the Deity . Moses , the inspired laAvgiver of the JeAvs , professed and preserved amongst his enslaved brethren in Egypt , the adoration of one God . Solomon erected a temple to the true and eternal God of Israel , Avhich in beauty and extent far surpassed that erected at Delphos in honour of Apollo by Agamedes and his friend Trophonius . Pythagoras , on his return from Egypt into Greece , instituted his Sect the princiles of the Egyptian sagesAvhichbeing founded
upon p , , upon the belief of an undivided Deity , obliged him ancl his disciples to the strictest secrecy , to secure them against the persecution of their countrymen , Avho were immersed in the deepest idolatry . Plato also had AA'itli his intercourse with the JeAvs in Egypt imbibed the knowledge of the true God , and on his return to his native country , found it prudent to adopt the principles of secrecy in his school . Having thus far endeavoured to that the primitive Secret
prove , Societies Avere formed into close bodies from mere necessity , and from the principles of self-preservation so natural to man ; and having also , as far as reading and research could assist me , endeavoured to prove that their studies were directed to benefit mankind , amidst the storming of the most disheartening opposition by ignorance , superstition , ancl
customs ; and that they have praiseAVorthily penetrated through the densest clouds of human ignorance and perversion of the noblest faculties of man , in order to make the lig ht of truth triumph , it will IIOAV become my duty also to prove that the Society of Freemasons , AVIIO draAV their orig in from those Secret Societies , still preserve some similarity to the former . Freemasons in their Secret Societies obligate their disciples , similar to their ancient Brethren , to keep their doctrines , of
their engagements , and their transactions , from those Avho are not their Order . This obligation is not composed of such tremendous oaths Avith AvhicliAve are charged by bigots , AVIIO , ignorant , as they naturally must be , of the whole of our transactions , unless they had been received into our society , thunder their unholy anathemas and excommunications against us , ancl thereby make fools approve their rash acts , the world wonder , and the Mason smile at their daring insolence to condemn their felloAv creatures for imaginary sins against God ancl religion , Avhich must ultimately be laid to the charge of those triflers Avith their neighbours '
consciences . The Freemason is obligated to fulfil the principles which all relig ions inculcate , namely , to love our neighbour , to assist him in his distress , to speak as well of him in his absence as in his presence , ancl never to enter into conspiracies against the State , and good order . This being the foundation upon Avhich Freemasons are obligated to erect their superstructure , all the unjust conjectures of the profane must fall to the ground , and the sole objection that remains ivill be , and I may say , with the curious , a very material one , why
Freemasons keep all their transactions from the uninitiated , if it be true , as they state , by the above groundwork , that they are all benevolence and chari ty ? This is easily answered , and without entering into a discussion on this trifling subject , I Avould simply answer the curious , that charity