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Article THE VISIBLE SYMBOLISM OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 3 →
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The Visible Symbolism Of Freemasonry.
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BY E . W . A . G . MACKEY . Syllabus . Science of Symbolism in General—Its application to Preemasonry—Symbolism of the Ancient Priesthood—Symbolism of Moses—Of Solomon— -Of the Union of Operative and Speculative Masonry—Par
—Pirst or Entered Apprentice Degree—Its Symbols and Symbolism— -Fellow Graft's Degree—Its Symbolism- ^ The Degree of MasterMason—Coincidences of the Ancient Mysteries with the Organized Symbolism of Freemasonry—The Construction of the Temple an importan t Symbol—Abstruser Symbols—The Form of the Lodge- ^ Its Officers---The Point within a Circle—Covering of the Lodge---Mystical Ladder of Jacob- —Deductions- —Conclusion .
The lectures of the English Lodges—which are far more philosophical than our own , although I do not believe that the system itself is f in general , as philosophically studied by our English Brethren as by biirseHes—have beautifully defined Freemasonry as " a science of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols . " But allegory
itself is but verbal symbolism ; it is the symbol of an idea or of a series of ideas , not presented before the eye in the form of a visible image or action , but clothed in language and exhibited in the form of narrative . And therefore the English definition amounts in fact to this , that Freemasonry is a science of morality , developed and inculcated by the ancient method of symbolism . As to the subject of the science , that belongs to the design of the institution ; the
mode in which that science is taught is to constitute the subject of the present lecture . But , in introducing this topic for consideration , it may be permitted me to say that it is this symbolic character of the institution which causes it to differ from every other association that the ingenuity of man has devised , and gives it that attractive form which has always secured the unwavering attachment of its disciples , and its own unalterable perpetuity .
Since then , symbolism forms so important a part of the system of Freemasonry , it will be well that we should commence our inquiries on the subject by an investigation of the nature of symbols in general . There is no science so ancient as that of symbolism ; and no mode of instruction has ever been so universal as was the symbolic in
former times . "The first learning in the world , " says the great antiquary , Dr . Stukely , constituted chiefly the symbols . The wisdom of the Chaldeans , Phoenicians , Egyptians , Jews ; of Zoroaster , Sanconiathon , Pherecydes , Syrus , Pythagoras , Socrates , Plato , of all the ancients that is come to our hand , is symbolic / 5 In fact , man ' s
earliest instruction was by symbols . The objective character of a symbol is best calculated to be grasped by the infant mind , whether the infancy of that mind be considered nationally or individually . In the first ages of the world all propositions were expressed in
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Visible Symbolism Of Freemasonry.
T ^
BY E . W . A . G . MACKEY . Syllabus . Science of Symbolism in General—Its application to Preemasonry—Symbolism of the Ancient Priesthood—Symbolism of Moses—Of Solomon— -Of the Union of Operative and Speculative Masonry—Par
—Pirst or Entered Apprentice Degree—Its Symbols and Symbolism— -Fellow Graft's Degree—Its Symbolism- ^ The Degree of MasterMason—Coincidences of the Ancient Mysteries with the Organized Symbolism of Freemasonry—The Construction of the Temple an importan t Symbol—Abstruser Symbols—The Form of the Lodge- ^ Its Officers---The Point within a Circle—Covering of the Lodge---Mystical Ladder of Jacob- —Deductions- —Conclusion .
The lectures of the English Lodges—which are far more philosophical than our own , although I do not believe that the system itself is f in general , as philosophically studied by our English Brethren as by biirseHes—have beautifully defined Freemasonry as " a science of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols . " But allegory
itself is but verbal symbolism ; it is the symbol of an idea or of a series of ideas , not presented before the eye in the form of a visible image or action , but clothed in language and exhibited in the form of narrative . And therefore the English definition amounts in fact to this , that Freemasonry is a science of morality , developed and inculcated by the ancient method of symbolism . As to the subject of the science , that belongs to the design of the institution ; the
mode in which that science is taught is to constitute the subject of the present lecture . But , in introducing this topic for consideration , it may be permitted me to say that it is this symbolic character of the institution which causes it to differ from every other association that the ingenuity of man has devised , and gives it that attractive form which has always secured the unwavering attachment of its disciples , and its own unalterable perpetuity .
Since then , symbolism forms so important a part of the system of Freemasonry , it will be well that we should commence our inquiries on the subject by an investigation of the nature of symbols in general . There is no science so ancient as that of symbolism ; and no mode of instruction has ever been so universal as was the symbolic in
former times . "The first learning in the world , " says the great antiquary , Dr . Stukely , constituted chiefly the symbols . The wisdom of the Chaldeans , Phoenicians , Egyptians , Jews ; of Zoroaster , Sanconiathon , Pherecydes , Syrus , Pythagoras , Socrates , Plato , of all the ancients that is come to our hand , is symbolic / 5 In fact , man ' s
earliest instruction was by symbols . The objective character of a symbol is best calculated to be grasped by the infant mind , whether the infancy of that mind be considered nationally or individually . In the first ages of the world all propositions were expressed in