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On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
design or utility of the Order ; although his initiation may have been regular , and the landmarks carefully and correctly communicated . This important fact ought to bs well understood by every one who is desirous to excel . But if we look a little more closely into the design of our
beautiful Institution , we shall find , that not content with its system of morality and science , it aims at something of a higher and more spiritual character . It embodies the doctrine of the Fall and Restoration of Man ; and points , by a striking figure , to his resurrection from the dead , and perpetual existence in a future state .
Assuming that Speculative Freemasonry is the depository of such invaluable truths , it is of some importance that its claims to credence should be fully substantiated . I will proceed , therefore , in this paper , to examine what evidences remain , after the profuse and very gothic destruction of Masonic manuscripts in all agesto prove the uninterrupted
, existence of Freemasonry in this island , as an original and permanent Institution , from the earliest times of Christianity to the present period ; having , in a former series of Articles in this miscellany , brought its history down to the commencement of the Christian era .
The first document I shall adduce m proof of this fact , is a manuscript formerly existing in the Bodleian Library at Oxford ; which affirms that Pythagoras introduced his system of Masonry into the British Islands . This famous manuscript possesses the reputation of having converted the learned Locke , who was initiated after carefully perusing
and analyzing it . Before any faith can be placed on this invaluable document , it will be necessary to say a word respecting its authenticity . I admit that there is some degree of mystery about it , and doubts have been entertained whether it be not a forgery . We have the strongest presumptive proofs that it was in existence about the middle
of the last century , because the utmost publicity was given to it , and as at that time Freemasonry was beginning to excite a considerable share of public attention , the deception , had it been such , would have been publicly exposed by its opponents , who appear to have used the lash of ridicule very freely , as witness Hogarth ' s picture of " Night ; " where the principal figures represent some Brethren , decorated with aprons and jewels , returning from the Lodge in a state of intoxication ; the broad sheet of the " Scald Miserables , "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
design or utility of the Order ; although his initiation may have been regular , and the landmarks carefully and correctly communicated . This important fact ought to bs well understood by every one who is desirous to excel . But if we look a little more closely into the design of our
beautiful Institution , we shall find , that not content with its system of morality and science , it aims at something of a higher and more spiritual character . It embodies the doctrine of the Fall and Restoration of Man ; and points , by a striking figure , to his resurrection from the dead , and perpetual existence in a future state .
Assuming that Speculative Freemasonry is the depository of such invaluable truths , it is of some importance that its claims to credence should be fully substantiated . I will proceed , therefore , in this paper , to examine what evidences remain , after the profuse and very gothic destruction of Masonic manuscripts in all agesto prove the uninterrupted
, existence of Freemasonry in this island , as an original and permanent Institution , from the earliest times of Christianity to the present period ; having , in a former series of Articles in this miscellany , brought its history down to the commencement of the Christian era .
The first document I shall adduce m proof of this fact , is a manuscript formerly existing in the Bodleian Library at Oxford ; which affirms that Pythagoras introduced his system of Masonry into the British Islands . This famous manuscript possesses the reputation of having converted the learned Locke , who was initiated after carefully perusing
and analyzing it . Before any faith can be placed on this invaluable document , it will be necessary to say a word respecting its authenticity . I admit that there is some degree of mystery about it , and doubts have been entertained whether it be not a forgery . We have the strongest presumptive proofs that it was in existence about the middle
of the last century , because the utmost publicity was given to it , and as at that time Freemasonry was beginning to excite a considerable share of public attention , the deception , had it been such , would have been publicly exposed by its opponents , who appear to have used the lash of ridicule very freely , as witness Hogarth ' s picture of " Night ; " where the principal figures represent some Brethren , decorated with aprons and jewels , returning from the Lodge in a state of intoxication ; the broad sheet of the " Scald Miserables , "