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Article ESSAY ON MODERN PSEUDO-MASONIC RITES.* ← Page 5 of 9 →
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Essay On Modern Pseudo-Masonic Rites.*
Primitive Catholic Christians . All these grades , except the first , are purely sacerdotal : the first is that of Levite of the Exterior Guard , or Knight Templar , and is military . The following extracts from the ritual of the Templars ivill explain the nature of tbe Order : — " The Church of Christ is governed by a sovereign Pontiff and Patriarch , an apostolical patriarchal Conclave , episcopal [ and primatial Synods , and curial Councils . The sovereign Pontiff is always the Grand Master of
the Order of Templars , and is elected , consecrated , and installed according to the ritual of the Order . He rules over the Primitive Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ . The apostolical Conclave consists of twelve apostles , princes of the church and consecrated bishops . These and the Pontiff hold their offices for life . " These passages prove that Masonry has no connexion with the true Order of Templars—though it is recognized and highly esteemed by the Brethren of the Primitive
Church . That in ancient times they were to a certain extent connected is pretty certain ; for it is admitted by most authors , that the original Knights were Freemasons , and that none but members of the highest grade were honoured with the golden spur . This , however , is far from giving the slightest right to the Masonic Knights Templars to claim a
relationship with the genuine Order . For the same argument would authorise the Carbonari , who always admitted Masons into their Order without any ceremony , to call themselves , as they boastingly did , Massoni grandi . Some obscure and discontented Masons in Paris , in 1793 , set themselves up for Templars , and established several Lodges of Templar Masonry . After amusing the Parisian Brethren for some time with their vagariesthe Templars died a natural death . These Templars must
, not be confounded with another Order of Templars now existing in England , and other countries , but little , if at all , known in France . There is also a degree of Masonic Templars '" ' in France , which is the 27 th grade of the " Rite Ancien et Accepte , " which has no sort of relation or resemblance to the English degree , and , indeed , is properly called not " Knights Templars , " but " Kni ghts Commanders of the Temple . " There is no attempt made bthe members of the French
y degree to claim any alliance with the real Order of Templars . From the above remarks it may be inferred , that most , if not all , the Orders of Masonry practised throughout Europe under the denomination of Chivalric , Christian , or Military Degrees , have not any authentic records to prove that they existed even so early as three centuries after the crusades , but on the contrary , are of a very recent date .
Ihe last sect is more agreeable than the other three , though just as little connected with Masonry . It consisted of an amalgamation of Masonry and Alchymy , and was called the Egyptian Hermetic or Misraitic Order . Of this more shall be said hereafter , as it is now essential to resume the historical sketch of the schisms in France . At the time of these disputes between the Councils and the G . Lodge , there were 2 . 5 Degrees known in Paris , which constituted the Rite Ancien et Accepte ' . It was divided into seven classes , the first of which consisted of the three symbolical Degrees . In this Order of Masonry no candidate was
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Essay On Modern Pseudo-Masonic Rites.*
Primitive Catholic Christians . All these grades , except the first , are purely sacerdotal : the first is that of Levite of the Exterior Guard , or Knight Templar , and is military . The following extracts from the ritual of the Templars ivill explain the nature of tbe Order : — " The Church of Christ is governed by a sovereign Pontiff and Patriarch , an apostolical patriarchal Conclave , episcopal [ and primatial Synods , and curial Councils . The sovereign Pontiff is always the Grand Master of
the Order of Templars , and is elected , consecrated , and installed according to the ritual of the Order . He rules over the Primitive Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ . The apostolical Conclave consists of twelve apostles , princes of the church and consecrated bishops . These and the Pontiff hold their offices for life . " These passages prove that Masonry has no connexion with the true Order of Templars—though it is recognized and highly esteemed by the Brethren of the Primitive
Church . That in ancient times they were to a certain extent connected is pretty certain ; for it is admitted by most authors , that the original Knights were Freemasons , and that none but members of the highest grade were honoured with the golden spur . This , however , is far from giving the slightest right to the Masonic Knights Templars to claim a
relationship with the genuine Order . For the same argument would authorise the Carbonari , who always admitted Masons into their Order without any ceremony , to call themselves , as they boastingly did , Massoni grandi . Some obscure and discontented Masons in Paris , in 1793 , set themselves up for Templars , and established several Lodges of Templar Masonry . After amusing the Parisian Brethren for some time with their vagariesthe Templars died a natural death . These Templars must
, not be confounded with another Order of Templars now existing in England , and other countries , but little , if at all , known in France . There is also a degree of Masonic Templars '" ' in France , which is the 27 th grade of the " Rite Ancien et Accepte , " which has no sort of relation or resemblance to the English degree , and , indeed , is properly called not " Knights Templars , " but " Kni ghts Commanders of the Temple . " There is no attempt made bthe members of the French
y degree to claim any alliance with the real Order of Templars . From the above remarks it may be inferred , that most , if not all , the Orders of Masonry practised throughout Europe under the denomination of Chivalric , Christian , or Military Degrees , have not any authentic records to prove that they existed even so early as three centuries after the crusades , but on the contrary , are of a very recent date .
Ihe last sect is more agreeable than the other three , though just as little connected with Masonry . It consisted of an amalgamation of Masonry and Alchymy , and was called the Egyptian Hermetic or Misraitic Order . Of this more shall be said hereafter , as it is now essential to resume the historical sketch of the schisms in France . At the time of these disputes between the Councils and the G . Lodge , there were 2 . 5 Degrees known in Paris , which constituted the Rite Ancien et Accepte ' . It was divided into seven classes , the first of which consisted of the three symbolical Degrees . In this Order of Masonry no candidate was