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On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
What were the results of this moral and scientific training ? Why , it produced an inviolate adherence to order , and a spirit of fraternal union , which gave energy and permanence to the institution , and enabled it to survive the wreck of mighty empires , and even to resist the destroying hand of Time .
In the forest of Lebanon the Lodges were opened on " the highest of hills , " and the rites were protected by the umbrageous secrecy of the cedar grove , symbolical of mercy , piety , and immortality ; although it ought to be remarked , that the Mason-Lodge , wherever it may be opened , is an allegorical transcript of the holy hill of Moriah , consecrated
by the united piety of Abraham , David , and Solomon . Such valleys as I have just described were chosen by heathen nati ons as the site of their Spurious Freemasonry ; but not always on the principle which our noble science teachesthat they might escape the notice and interruption of profane persons . This is a princilenot onlinnocent but laudable
p , y ; for secrecy was never justly deemed a crime : on the contrary , the most pious of God ' s faithful worshippers have ever considered it to be an art of inestimable value , and peculiarly agreeable to the Deity , from the example which he gives us of concealing from mankind the secret mysteries of his providence . The followers of the Spurious Freemasonry
considered pleasant valleys to be agreeable to the gods because of their delightful situation , being generally enriched with springs of the purest water , which was a symbol of regeneration . And this belief—as St . Jerome expresses it , omnes provincias occupavit—extended to every region of the world .
From this belief it doubtless was that the temples of the Deity were frequently erected near deep valleys or fissures of the earth ; and no places were esteemed so sacred as those which were established in such situations . Even the adytum of the temple was frequently termed " the cavern . " * Benjamin Tudelensis , who wrote more than 600 years ago ,
informs us that in some of the islands of the East , the solar rites were performed in valleys , and the novices were instructed to leap through fires as a process of regeneration . Such customs were not restricted to those parts , for we have already seen that they were used in every quarter of the globe . And our own scriptures assert that similar ceremonies were practised by the apostate Jews in the Valley of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
What were the results of this moral and scientific training ? Why , it produced an inviolate adherence to order , and a spirit of fraternal union , which gave energy and permanence to the institution , and enabled it to survive the wreck of mighty empires , and even to resist the destroying hand of Time .
In the forest of Lebanon the Lodges were opened on " the highest of hills , " and the rites were protected by the umbrageous secrecy of the cedar grove , symbolical of mercy , piety , and immortality ; although it ought to be remarked , that the Mason-Lodge , wherever it may be opened , is an allegorical transcript of the holy hill of Moriah , consecrated
by the united piety of Abraham , David , and Solomon . Such valleys as I have just described were chosen by heathen nati ons as the site of their Spurious Freemasonry ; but not always on the principle which our noble science teachesthat they might escape the notice and interruption of profane persons . This is a princilenot onlinnocent but laudable
p , y ; for secrecy was never justly deemed a crime : on the contrary , the most pious of God ' s faithful worshippers have ever considered it to be an art of inestimable value , and peculiarly agreeable to the Deity , from the example which he gives us of concealing from mankind the secret mysteries of his providence . The followers of the Spurious Freemasonry
considered pleasant valleys to be agreeable to the gods because of their delightful situation , being generally enriched with springs of the purest water , which was a symbol of regeneration . And this belief—as St . Jerome expresses it , omnes provincias occupavit—extended to every region of the world .
From this belief it doubtless was that the temples of the Deity were frequently erected near deep valleys or fissures of the earth ; and no places were esteemed so sacred as those which were established in such situations . Even the adytum of the temple was frequently termed " the cavern . " * Benjamin Tudelensis , who wrote more than 600 years ago ,
informs us that in some of the islands of the East , the solar rites were performed in valleys , and the novices were instructed to leap through fires as a process of regeneration . Such customs were not restricted to those parts , for we have already seen that they were used in every quarter of the globe . And our own scriptures assert that similar ceremonies were practised by the apostate Jews in the Valley of