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On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
And our traditions further inform us , that Lodges were regularly opened by the Brethren employed to prepare the materials for tlie Temple of Solomon , in the deep quarries of Tyre . Now it will be observed , that the ancient stone-quarries of the Eastwhence the materials were taken for cities and
, temples , were not open , like the quarries of this country , but partook more nearly the character of mines . They were subterranean ; the roofs being supported by pillars , and furnished with secret adyta of considerable magnitude and extent , which served as apartments for various purposes , with shafts or chimneys to facilitate the escape of the mephitic gas .
In these apartments , which were the primitive " lowest of valleys " of Freemasonry , the Lodges of Tyre were opened , whether of entered apprentices , fellow-crafts , or masters . Here were two Lodges of super-excellent masters , as supervisors of the work ; six Lodges of excellent masters ; eight grand architects , and sixteen architects ; all men of superior
talent , who had been selected for their proficiency in the sciences , and placed as superintendants over the workmen . This was a necessary provision ; for thus they were enabled
to regulate the proceedings , and to preserve order and arrangement in the several departments which were assigned to them . There were three classes of masters in thirty-six Lodges , called the menatzchim ; and seven hundred Lodges of ghiblim , or operative fellow-crafts , under Hiram Abiff , their grand master . The number of persons employed in
every department amounted to 113 , 600 , besides 70 , 000 labourers . In the forest of Lebanon the same classes were arranged , although varying in numbers , with the addition of 10 , 000 entered apprentices , in 100 Lodges ; over which Adoniram was constituted grand master . It will be observed that each of the above degrees had its distinguishing signs
, words , and tokens ; without which , confusion and disorder could scarcely have been prevented . The apprentices messed by seven in a company , and the fellow-crafts by five . The masters and wardens of all these Lodges were men of enlightened minds and matured understandings—well skilled in geometry and the rules of proportion . In these deep
valleys they trained their respective brethren and fellows to the practice of blending moral virtue with the pursuits of science ; and inculcated charity , or brotherly love , as the distinguishing feature of their profession . Nor were the cardinal and theological virtues omitted in their disquisitions .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
And our traditions further inform us , that Lodges were regularly opened by the Brethren employed to prepare the materials for tlie Temple of Solomon , in the deep quarries of Tyre . Now it will be observed , that the ancient stone-quarries of the Eastwhence the materials were taken for cities and
, temples , were not open , like the quarries of this country , but partook more nearly the character of mines . They were subterranean ; the roofs being supported by pillars , and furnished with secret adyta of considerable magnitude and extent , which served as apartments for various purposes , with shafts or chimneys to facilitate the escape of the mephitic gas .
In these apartments , which were the primitive " lowest of valleys " of Freemasonry , the Lodges of Tyre were opened , whether of entered apprentices , fellow-crafts , or masters . Here were two Lodges of super-excellent masters , as supervisors of the work ; six Lodges of excellent masters ; eight grand architects , and sixteen architects ; all men of superior
talent , who had been selected for their proficiency in the sciences , and placed as superintendants over the workmen . This was a necessary provision ; for thus they were enabled
to regulate the proceedings , and to preserve order and arrangement in the several departments which were assigned to them . There were three classes of masters in thirty-six Lodges , called the menatzchim ; and seven hundred Lodges of ghiblim , or operative fellow-crafts , under Hiram Abiff , their grand master . The number of persons employed in
every department amounted to 113 , 600 , besides 70 , 000 labourers . In the forest of Lebanon the same classes were arranged , although varying in numbers , with the addition of 10 , 000 entered apprentices , in 100 Lodges ; over which Adoniram was constituted grand master . It will be observed that each of the above degrees had its distinguishing signs
, words , and tokens ; without which , confusion and disorder could scarcely have been prevented . The apprentices messed by seven in a company , and the fellow-crafts by five . The masters and wardens of all these Lodges were men of enlightened minds and matured understandings—well skilled in geometry and the rules of proportion . In these deep
valleys they trained their respective brethren and fellows to the practice of blending moral virtue with the pursuits of science ; and inculcated charity , or brotherly love , as the distinguishing feature of their profession . Nor were the cardinal and theological virtues omitted in their disquisitions .