Kabbalism, Secret Societies, And Masonry.

Shekinah , especially in relation to the doctrine of emanations ; the acknowledged allegorical system ; the use of the legends of the Talmud , applied to Masonry : all show from whence this society derived its mystery . " As an example we may quote the following note , taken almost at random from many others of like nature : —

"The order of Templars orig inated about this period . We find it asserted in a manifesto , issued A . D . 1802 , by the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General in Supreme Council , addressed to all the fraternity throughout the two hemispheres , that 27 , 000 Masons accompanied the Christian princes in the Crusades to

recover the Holy Land from the Infidels . While in Palestine , they discovered several important Masonic manuscripts among the descendants of the ancient Jews , ivhich enriched our archives with authentic written records , on which some of our degrees are founded . In the year 530 S and 5315 some very extraordinary discoveries were made , and occurrences ,

took place , ivhich renders the Masonic history of that period of the highest importance , a period dear to a Mason ' s heart , who is zealous'in the cause of his order , his country , and his God . " * These documents , if they existed at all , could he nothing else but Kabbalistie writings , though Masons ivould tell us that they contained histories and legends of their Craft from

the creation of the world to the destruction of Jerusalem ; for , like the Kabbalists , they would have us believe that their system is as old as the world . The lectures delivered at the lodges on tlie history of Masonry commence ivith tlie Mosaic record of the creation , and go on through tlie sacred annals to tlie

final destruction of the Temple : they read for the most part like second-rate lectures addressed to such bodies as "Young Mens' Christian Associations , " with a certain exception ; and that exception is , that on every possible occasion some allusion to Freemasonry is brought in , and legends from the Talmud introduced , slightly manipulated to serve the same purpose , till the reader becomes absolutely nauseated with the

same cocta a-tque recocta special pleadings for utterly impossible statements . On arriving at the account of the building of tlie temple of Solomon , the readers ' patience is tried to the utmost . Solomon is there styled " our Grand Master , " his workmen are ranged in degrees and in lodges , bearing titles like modern Freemasons ; thus we are told" tlie nine degrees of

, Freemasonry were placed by this wise Grand Master under superintendence of seven expert and ivorthy Masons , whose experience suggested a course of discipline which produced the desired effect . These seven grand superintendents were Tito Zadok , Adoniram . II- A ., G ., Stolkyn , Joabert , and Mohabin . There

were nine lodges of excellent Masons , nine in each ; over which ju'esided as many super-excellent Masons as Masters ; and these met in lod ge under the superintendence of Tito Zadok , Prince of Harodim ; twelve lodges of Master Masons , 300 in each ; ruled by twelve Grand Architects , and twenty-four Architects , as AVardens - , 1000 lodges of Fellow-crafts , eighty in each , with so many Mark Masters in the chairs , and 2000 Mark men as Wardens , " ! & c , with page after

Kabbalism, Secret Societies, And Masonry.

page of the like stuff ; and these lectures are written by priests of our Church , Doctors of Divinity , men . who have evidently carefully read and studied their ' subjects , yet in every part of the work there perpetually appears all this farrago of nonsense . It is , of course , impossible to suppose that the writers believe all this themselvesnor can ive imagine that they

ex-, pect to impose a like belief on their heare r * ; men , even of the lower orders , are too much instructed to take such stuff for history . What then can be the use of such lectures ? Why are they published and read ? The answer lies in the fact that Masonry has a " mystery" and this mystery is taught hy outward

, signs and symbols . In this respect it resembles the Kabbala , and may best he understood by adopting the threefold arrangement as given in our quotation from Dr . II . More's Conjcctura Cabbalistica—the literal , the philosophical , and the moral : the first being the shell which holds the other two . The writers indeed

are careful to point out thc latter , the moral meaning , in many places , and to give us a- key ivhereby ive may always discover this meaning in the various symbols they use , and in the artificial arrangement of their lodges ; they tells us ostentatiously how that the principal end of Masonry is the cultivation of the great virtuesboth heathen and Christianand how

, , that brotherly love and mutual hel p are the distinguishing features of the association . But of ivhat we termed , for want of a better word , the philosophical , not the slightest hint is given , the very existence of it is not even whispered . It is this that is the " mystery : " in this respect it resembles its forerunners in the

" Asian mystery , " and the still more ancient Jewish Kabbala , and Gnosticism ; or to go still further back , in the Egyptian , Syrian , and Eleusinian mysteries . Indeed , these lectures almost acknowledge the fact , though unconsciously , by calling those mysteries " spurious Freemasonry ; " and still more b y adopting

many of the mystical words aud terms ivhich they have borrowed from them , e . g . the Gnostic Avord " Abraxas . " This mystery has never been committed to writing , or if it was in earlier times , tlie writings have been carefully destroyed ; all is now delivered bv

word of mouth : tor ' each degree a certain amount of this philosophical Kabbala is taught , just as Ave saiv was the case Avith the Ismaeleeh in our quotation from A on Hammer , till the supreme philosophy is arrivedat in the highest degree . AVe thus understand howit is that the " Masonic secret" has been so ivell preservedancl never disclosed : it is an elaborate system

, of philosophy , underlying a literal history ; to attain to a complete knowledge of it requires such a vast amount of diligence and instruction , that few , excejit a small number of enthusiasts , ever think of exercising . By far the majority of Freemasons know as little of the " secret" as the uninitiated ; it is only safe men

that are advanced to the higher degrees , and are instructed into the hi g her mysteries . The signs and passwords are , of course , common to all , and used by all , but these are quite unconnected with the " secret . " AVe may see a proof of this in the fact that MohammedansBrahminsand other heathens are admitted

, , into the association , and to the lowest degrees , but cannot rise to the higher , Avhich involve a profession of faith in the Trinity , and the doctrines of the Gospelgenerally . We have thus endeavoured to trace the various develojmients of Kabbalistie jihilosophy through its