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Article ON FREEMASONRY. THE NUMBER THREE. Page 1 of 16 →
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On Freemasonry. The Number Three.
ON FREEMASONRY . THE NUMBER THREE .
BY THE REV . O . OLIVER , rj . I > . ( No . 2 . ) IF the doctrines of Pythagoras were to be traced through all the combinations of which they are susceptible , Number would be found to constitute the alpha and omega , of his
system , and the Number THREE would be the tripod whence all his oracles proceed . And the same excellence which this philosopher ascribed to numbers , the Free and Accepted Mason attributes to geometrical symbols . Pythagoras concludes that " in the nature of things exists something , which hath beginning , middle , and end . To such a form
and nature he attributes the number three , saying that whatsoever hath a middle is triform , so he called every perfect thing . And whatever is perfect useth this principle , and is adorned according to it . This was expressed by the Triad ; and when he endeavoured to bring his disciples to the knowledge thereof , it was accomplished by the form of this Triad . "
The number three was a symbol of marriage , friendship , peace , and concord ; because it collects and unites , not similars , but contraries It was also an emblem of wisdom and prudence ; because men order the present , foresee the future , and learn experience by the past . Hence the number three was said to extend its influence to all nature , and to
comprehend all terrestrial things , by embracing the birth—lifedeath , of men and animals , the commencement—middleend , of all earthly matters ; and the past—present—future , of universal space . It constitutes " the Seal of the First Cause , who is truth itself , for his being alone is true , and not dependent on another cause . For this reason TRUTH is a
moral virtue that ought to be esteemed , since , as Abarbanel observes on Zech iii . 8 , 9 , it includes every active precept , and everv theological virtue . " * The Greeks had a high veneration for odd numbers , because it was thought that numero deus impure grnulet ; and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. The Number Three.
ON FREEMASONRY . THE NUMBER THREE .
BY THE REV . O . OLIVER , rj . I > . ( No . 2 . ) IF the doctrines of Pythagoras were to be traced through all the combinations of which they are susceptible , Number would be found to constitute the alpha and omega , of his
system , and the Number THREE would be the tripod whence all his oracles proceed . And the same excellence which this philosopher ascribed to numbers , the Free and Accepted Mason attributes to geometrical symbols . Pythagoras concludes that " in the nature of things exists something , which hath beginning , middle , and end . To such a form
and nature he attributes the number three , saying that whatsoever hath a middle is triform , so he called every perfect thing . And whatever is perfect useth this principle , and is adorned according to it . This was expressed by the Triad ; and when he endeavoured to bring his disciples to the knowledge thereof , it was accomplished by the form of this Triad . "
The number three was a symbol of marriage , friendship , peace , and concord ; because it collects and unites , not similars , but contraries It was also an emblem of wisdom and prudence ; because men order the present , foresee the future , and learn experience by the past . Hence the number three was said to extend its influence to all nature , and to
comprehend all terrestrial things , by embracing the birth—lifedeath , of men and animals , the commencement—middleend , of all earthly matters ; and the past—present—future , of universal space . It constitutes " the Seal of the First Cause , who is truth itself , for his being alone is true , and not dependent on another cause . For this reason TRUTH is a
moral virtue that ought to be esteemed , since , as Abarbanel observes on Zech iii . 8 , 9 , it includes every active precept , and everv theological virtue . " * The Greeks had a high veneration for odd numbers , because it was thought that numero deus impure grnulet ; and