The Origin And References Of The Hermesian Spurious Freemasonry.

THE ORIGIN AND REFERENCES OF THE HERMESIAN SPURIOUS FREEMASONRY .

BT REV . GEO . OLIVER , D . D . CHAPTER XV . THE REFERENCE TO THE GENERAL RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD . ( Continued from page 190 . )

To ascertain the merits of the deceased , that there mi ght be no mistake as to his ultimate destination , he was subjected to a death judgment . Tho body Avas placed in state within the vestible of the tomb , and an account was then given of the life and

conduct of the deceased . It was permitted to any one present to offer himself as an accuser , and the voice of the people might prevent a sovereign from enjoying the funeral obsequies ; a ivorldly ordeal , the dread of Avhich tended to stimulate the

Egyptian monarchs to the practice of their duty , far more than any feeling inculcated by respect for the laws , or the love of virtue . * His actions Avere then formally weighed in a balanceAvhich Avas placed before the

, image of Osiris- ; and is supposed to have had its origin or prototype in the handwriting on the Avail , Avhich predicted the death of Belshazzar . And on the Bembine table , and other Egyptian monuments , wo find the figure of Orus , as accpiitted and

purified from all earthly pollutions , rising from the dead in his mummy bandages , and bearing the hermetic cross as a symbol of everlastiim life .

We have already noticed the singular opinion of the Egyptians , that the souls of the deceased hovered about the body , and Avere not subjected to any transmigratory ] irocess so long as its earthly tabernacle ivas preserved from corruption . But this extraordinary people had another tenet

which consigned the dead to a place called by the Greeks Hades , hy which was meant a place of punishment for the souls of Avicked men in a region of everlasting darkness , Thus Nazianzen savs that " the

house of Hades is full of mist and darkness . " Chrysostom adds that ' * Hades is a dark mist . " Eustathius calls it " a dark place under the earth . " Nicetas , "the dark and dreadful tabernacle ; " and to close these authorities , Phavoriims says it is " a place void of light , and full of eternal darkness . "

It Avas termed by the Egyptians Ainente and had Osiris for its president , ivho entertained several inferior spirits under him and Phtha appears to have acted as a kind of judge , to Avhom Avas committed the ultimate destiny of souls . The deified Hermes ivas also considered an associate of Qsinis in this duty . Thus the Roman poet in his address to this deity , says : —

Tu pias lietis animas reponis Sedibus , virgaque levem coerces Aurea turbam , superis deorum Grains , efc imis . To Hermes was assigned the office of determining the passage of souls from one body to another according to their

respective merits . He Avas placed in the moon for that purpose , and the transmigrating process Avas divided and subdivided into thirty-tAvo parts or degrees of perfection , through Avhich the souls Avere destined to advance by greater or less

degreesaccord-, ing to the state of purity AAdiich they presented at the tribunal of judgment , until they were ultimately absorbed in the divine esselice , and floated freely in the empyra . urn as the human Scarab or emhlem of tho deity or perfectly purified soul , is

represented to do in the figure before us . The knoAvledge Avhich heathen nations possessed respecting the immortality of the soul and a future state of existence Avas , hoAvever , of very little practical utility . It is true the Greeks and Romans had their Elysium and Tartarusand the

, Hindoos their Siverga , or Nirvani ancl Patala ; and the manner in Avhich eternal punishment was supposed to be inflicted consisted of burning fire or freezing SIIOAV , of serpents , dragons , and other hideous reptilesand broiling in tormenting flame .

, But theh faith in these things Avas merely a speculative feeling ancl not a practical belief , for their religion consisted chiefly of observances in Avhich vice Avas canonized ancl obscenity encouraged , Avhile virtue existed only in the imagination as a brig ht