Albert Pike Morals and Dogma

MORALS and DOGMA by ALBERT PIKE
Morals and Dogma oI t he Anci ent and Accept ed Scot t ish Ri t e oI

Freemasonry , prepared Ior the Supreme Council oI t he Thi rty Third
Degree Ior the Sout hern Juri sdi cti on oI the United St at es: Charlest on,
1871.
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Al bert Pi ke, born December 29, 1809, was the ol dest oI si x chi ldren born
t o Benj ami n and Sarah Andrews Pi ke. Pi ke was raised in a Chri stian home
and at tended an Epi scopal church. Pike passed the entrance examinat ion at
Harvard Col l ege when he was 15 years ol d, but could not at tend because
he had no Iunds. AIt er traveli ng as Iar west as Santa Fe, Pi ke set t led in
Arkansas, where he worked as edi tor oI a newspaper beIore being admi t ted
t o t he bar. In Arkansas, he met Mary Ann Hami lt on, and married her on
November 28, 1834. To this uni on were born 11 chil dren.
He was 41 years ol d when he applied Ior admissi on in the West ern St ar
Lodge No. 2 in Li tt le Rock, Ark. , i n 1850. Act i ve in t he Grand Lodge oI
Arkansas, Pike took the 10 degrees oI the York Ri te Irom 1850 to 1853.
He recei ved t he 29 degrees oI the Scott i sh Ri te i n March 1853 Irom Al bert
Gal lat in Mackey in Charlest on, S. C. The Scot t i sh Rit e had been
i ntroduced in the Uni ted Stat es i n 1783. Charl eston was the l ocat i on oI the
Iirst Supreme Counci l, which governed the Scott ish Ri te in the Uni ted
Stat es, unt il a Nort hern Supreme Counci l was establi shed i n New York
Ci ty in 1813. The boundary between the Sout hern and Nort hern
Juri sdi cti ons, st il l recogni zed today, was Ii rmly establi shed in 1828.
Mackey invit ed Pi ke to join the Supreme Council Ior the Sout hern
Juri sdi cti on in 1858 i n Charl est on, and he became the Grand Commander
oI t he Supreme Counci l the Ioll owi ng year. Pike hel d that oIIi ce unt i l hi s
deat h, whi le supporti ng hi mselI in vari ous occupat ions such as edit or oI
t he Memphi s Dai ly Appeal Irom February 1867 t o September 1868, as well
as hi s law pract ice. Pi ke lat er opened a l aw oIIice in Washi ngt on, D. C. ,
and argued a number oI cases beIore t he U. S. Supreme Court . However,
Pike was i mpoveri shed by t he Ci vi l War and remained so much oI his li Ie,
oIten borrowi ng money Ior basic li vi ng expenses Irom t he Supreme
Counci l beIore the council voted hi m an annui ty in 1879 oI $1, 200 a year
Ior the remai nder oI his l iIe. He di ed on Apri l 2, 1892, i n Washi ngt on,
D. C.
Real i zi ng that a revision oI the ri tual was necessary iI Scot t i sh Ri te
Freemasonry were to survi ve, Mackey encouraged Pike to revise the ri tual
t o produce a standard rit ual Ior use in al l st ates in the Sout hern
Juri sdi cti on. Revisi on began i n 1855, and aIter some changes, t he Supreme
Counci l endorsed Pi ke' s revi sion i n 1861. Mi nor changes were made i n
t wo degrees i n 1873 aIter t he York Ri te bodies in Missouri object ed t hat
t he 29t h and 30th degrees reveal ed secrets oI the York Ri te.
Pike i s best known Ior his maj or work, Morals and Dogma oI the Ancient
and Accepted Scot ti sh Ri te oI Freemasonry, publi shed in 1871. Morals and
Dogma shoul d not be conIused wi t h Pi ke' s revi sion oI the Scott i sh Rit e
ri t ual . They are separat e works. Wal ter Lee Brown wri t es that Pi ke
"int ended i t |Moral s and Dogma| t o be a suppl ement t o t hat great
' connect ed syst em oI moral , reli gious and phil osophi cal inst ructi on' that
he had devel oped i n hi s revi sion oI t he Scott ish ri t ual . "
Morals and Dogma was t radi t ionally gi ven to the candidat e upon hi s
receipt oI the 14t h degree oI the Scott ish Ri te. This practice was st opped
i n 1974. Moral s and Dogma has not been gi ven t o candi dates since 1974. A
Bridge to Light, by Rex R. Hutchens, is provi ded t o candi dates today.
Hutchens lament s t hat Morals and Dogma i s read by so Iew Masons. A
Bridge to Light was wri tt en to be "a bri dge bet ween t he ceremoni es oI the
degrees and t heir l ectures i n Moral s and Dogma. "
TITLES OF DEGREES
1 - Apprenti ce
2 - Fell ow-craIt
3 - Mast er
4 - Secret Mast er
5 - PerIect Mast er
6 - Inti mat e Secretary
7 - Provost and Judge
8 - Intendant oI t he Bui l ding
9 - El u oI the Nine
10 - El u oI the Fi It een
11 - Elu oI t he Twelve
12 - Master Archit ect
13 - Royal Arch oI Sol omon
14 - PerIect El u
15 - Kni ght oI t he East
16 - Pri nce oI Jerusal em
17 - Kni ght oI t he East and West
18 - Kni ght Rose Croi x
19 - Pont i II
20 - Master oI t he Symbol ic Lodge
21 - Noachi te or Prussi an Knight
22 - Kni ght oI t he Royal Axe or Pri nce oI Libanus
23 - Chi eI oI the Tabernacl e
24 - Pri nce oI t he Tabernacle
25 - Kni ght oI t he Brazen Serpent
26 - Pri nce oI Mercy
27 - Kni ght Commander oI t he Temple
28 - Kni ght oI t he Sun or Prince Adept
29 - Scott i sh Knight oI St. Andrew
30 - Kni ght Kadosh
31 - Inspect or Inquist or
32 - Master oI t he Royal Secret
1871.
1 - Apprenti ce
THE TWELVE-INCH RULE AND THE COMMON GAVEL.
FORCE, unregulat ed or il l-regul at ed, i s not only wast ed in the void, li ke
t hat oI gunpowder burned in the open ai r, and st eam unconIi ned by
sci ence; but , st riki ng in the dark, and it s bl ows meeti ng only t he ai r, t hey
recoil and bruise i t sel I. It is dest ructi on and ruin. It is the vol cano, t he
earthquake, t he cycl one; -not growt h and progress. It is Polyphemus
bli nded, st ri ki ng at random, and Ial li ng headlong among the sharp rocks
by t he i mpetus oI hi s own bl ows.
The bli nd Force oI the people i s a Force that must be economi zed, and
al so managed, as t he bli nd Force oI st eam, li It ing t he ponderous iron arms
and t urni ng t he l arge wheel s, i s made to bore and ri Il e the cannon and to
weave the most deli cate lace. It must be regul at ed by Intel lect . Int el l ect is
t o t he people and t he peopl e' s Force, what t he sl ender needle oI the
compass is t o the ship--it s soul, always counsel l ing the huge mass oI wood
and i ron, and always poi nti ng to the nort h. To at tack t he ci tadel s buil t up
on al l sides agai nst t he human race by superst it i ons, despoti sms, and
prej udi ces, t he Force must have a brai n and a law. Then it s deeds oI daring
produce permanent result s, and t here is real progress. Then t here are
subli me conquests. Thought i s a Iorce, and phil osophy shoul d be an
energy, Ii ndi ng i t s ai m and it s eIIect s i n t he ameli orati on oI manki nd. The
t wo great motors are Trut h and Love. When all t hese Forces are combi ned,
and gui ded by the Intel l ect , and regul ated by the RULE oI Ri ght , and
Justi ce, and oI combined and syst emat ic movement and eIIort , t he great
revol ut ion prepared Ior by t he ages wi ll begin to march. The POWER oI
t he Dei ty Hi mselI i s i n equi li bri um wi t h Hi s WISDOM. Hence the only
result s are HARMONY.
It is because Force i s il l regul ated, t hat revol uti ons prove Iai lures.
ThereIore i t is that so oIten insurrecti ons, coming Irom t hose high
mountai ns t hat domi neer over t he moral horizon, Justice, Wisdom, Reason,
Ri ght , bui lt oI t he purest snow oI the i deal aIt er a l ong Ial l Irom rock t o
rock, aIter havi ng reIlected t he sky i n t heir t ransparency, and been swol l en
by a hundred aIIl uent s, i n t he majest ic pat h oI t riumph, suddenly l ose
t hemsel ves in quagmires, l ike a Cal iIorni a ri ver i n t he sands.
The onward march oI t he human race requires t hat the hei ght s around i t
shoul d blaze wit h noble and enduring lessons oI courage. Deeds oI daring
dazzl e hi story, and Iorm one class oI the guiding li ght s oI man. They are
t he st ars and coruscat ions Irom that great sea oI elect ri city, t he Force
i nherent i n t he peopl e. To st ri ve, to brave al l ri sks, to perish, t o persevere,
t o be true to one' s sel I, to grapple body t o body wit h desti ny, to surpri se
deIeat by the li tt le terror i t inspires, now to conIront unri ghteous power,
now t o deIy intoxi cated triumph--t hese are the exampl es t hat the nat ions
need and t he l ight t hat elect ri Ii es t hem.
There are i mmense Forces i n t he great caverns oI evi l beneat h soci ety; in
t he hideous degradat ion, squal or, wret chedness and desti t uti on, vices and
cri mes that reek and si mmer in t he darkness in t hat populace bel ow t he
peopl e, oI great cit i es. There di si nt erest edness vani shes, every one howl s,
searches, gropes, and gnaws Ior hi mselI. Ideas are i gnored, and oI
progress t here is no t hought . This populace has t wo mot hers, bot h oI t hem
st epmot hers--Ignorance and Mi sery. Want i s t hei r only gui de--Ior the
appeti te alone t hey crave sat isIacti on. Yet even t hese may be empl oyed.
The lowly sand we trample upon, cast i nt o t he Iurnace, melt ed, puri Ii ed by
Iire, may become respl endent cryst al. They have t he brute Iorce oI t he
HAMMER, but t hei r blows help on the great cause, when struck wit hi n the
l ines traced by t he RULE held by wisdom and di scret ion.
Yet i t is t hi s very Force oI the people, t his Ti tani c power oI t he gi ants,
t hat buil ds t he Iorti Ii cati ons oI tyrant s, and is embodied in t heir armi es.
Hence the possi bi li ty oI such tyrannies as those oI which it has been said,
t hat "Rome smell s worse under Vi tel li us t han under Sull a. Under Claudi us
and under Domit ian t here is a deIormity oI baseness corresponding t o t he
ugli ness-oI t he tyranny. The Ioul ness oI the sl aves is a di rect result oI t he
at rocious baseness oI the despot. A miasma exhal es Irom t hese crouchi ng
consciences t hat reIl ect the master; the publ ic authori ti es are unclean,
hearts are coll apsed, consci ences shrunken, souls puny. Thi s is so under
Caracall a, i t is so under Commodus, it i s so under Heli ogabal us, whi le
Irom the Roman senat e, under Caesar, there comes only t he rank odour
peculi ar to the eagle' s eyri e. "
It is t he Iorce oI the people t hat sust ains all t hese despot isms, t he basest
as well as t he best . That Iorce act s through armies; and these oIt ener
ensl ave than li berate. Despoti sm t here applies the RULE. Force i s the
MACE oI steel at the saddl e-bow oI the knight or oI the bi shop in armour.
Passive obedience by Iorce support s thrones and ol igarchies, Spani sh
kings, and Venet ian senates. Might, in an army wi elded by tyranny, i s the
enormous sum total oI utt er weakness; and so Humanity wages war agai nst
Humani ty, in despit e oI Humanity. So a people will i ngly submi t s t o
despot ism, and i ts workmen submi t to be despised, and i ts soldiers to be
whipped; t hereIore it i s t hat bat tles lost by a nat i on are oIten progress
at tai ned. Less gl ory is more l iberty. When the drum is silent, reason
someti mes speaks.
Tyrant s use t he Iorce oI t he peopl e t o chain and subj ugate--t hat i s, enyoke
t he peopl e. Then t hey plough wit h them as men do wit h oxen yoked. Thus
t he spirit oI l iberty and i nnovat i on is reduced by bayonet s, and pri nci ples
are struck dumb by cannonshot ; whi l e the monks mingle wit h the troopers,
and t he Church mi l it ant and jubi l ant , Catholi c or Puri tan, sings Te Deums
Ior vi ctori es over rebel li on.
The mi li tary power, not subordinate t o the civil power, agai n t he
HAMMER or MACE oI FORCE, i ndependent oI the RULE, is an armed
tyranny, born Iul l-grown, as At hene sprung Irom t he brai n oI Zeus. It
spawns a dynasty, and begi ns wi th Caesar to rot into Vit ell ius and
Commodus. At the present day it i ncli nes to begin where Iormerly
dynast i es ended.
Constantly t he peopl e put Iort h i mmense st rength, only to end in i mmense
weakness. The Iorce oI the people is exhausted in indeIi ni tely prol onging
t hi ngs l ong since dead; i n governing mankind by embal ming ol d dead
tyranni es oI Fai t h; restori ng di l api dated dogmas; regi l ding Iaded, worm-
eaten shri nes; whi teni ng and rouging ancient and barren superst i ti ons;
savi ng society by mult i plying parasi tes; perpet uat ing superannuat ed
i nst it ut ions; enIorci ng t he worship oI symbol s as t he act ual means oI
sal vat i on; and tyi ng t he dead corpse oI the Past , mouth t o mout h, wi th the
l ivi ng Present . ThereIore it i s that it i s one oI the Iatali t ies oI Humanity t o
be condemned t o et ernal st ruggles wit h phant oms, wi th superst it ions,
bigot ri es, hypocri si es, prej udices, the Iormulas oI error, and the pl eas oI
tyranny. Despot isms, seen in the past , become respect abl e, as the
mountai n, bri st l i ng wi th volcanic rock, rugged and horri d, seen t hrough
t he haze oI dist ance i s bl ue and smoot h and beaut iIul . The sight oI a
si ngle dungeon oI tyranny i s worth more, t o dispel i ll usi ons, and creat e a
holy hat red oI despoti sm, and t o direct FORCE aright , t han t he most
el oquent volumes. The French should have preserved the Basti le as a
perpet ual lesson; Italy should not destroy the dungeons oI the Inquisi ti on.
The Force oI t he peopl e mai nt ained t he Power t hat buil t it s gl oomy cel ls,
and placed the l i vi ng i n t hei r grani te sepul chres.
The FORCE oI the people cannot , by i ts unrestrained and Iit Iul act i on,
maint ai n and conti nue in acti on and exi st ence a Iree Government once
created. That Force must be li mi t ed, restrained, conveyed by di stri but ion
i nt o di IIerent channels, and by roundabout courses, to outl et s, whence it i s
t o i ssue as the law, acti on, and deci si on oI t he State; as t he wi se ol d
Egypt ian ki ngs conveyed i n diIIerent canal s, by sub-divi sion, the swell ing
wat ers oI the Ni le, and compell ed t hem t o Iert il i ze and not devastat e t he
l and. There must be t he j us et norma, the law and Rule, or Gauge, oI
const i tuti on and law, wit hi n which the publ ic Iorce must act. Make a
breach in eit her, and the great steam-hammer, wi t h i ts swi It and ponderous
blows, crushes al l the machi nery t o atoms, and, at last , wrenchi ng it selI
away, lies inert and dead ami d the ruin it has wrought .
The FORCE oI the people, or the popul ar wi l l, i n act ion and exert ed,
symbol i zed by t he GAVEL, regulat ed and guided by and acti ng wi thi n the
l i mit s oI LAW and ORDER, symbol ized by t he TWENTY-FOUR-INCH
RULE, has Ior i t s Iruit LIBERTY, EQUALITY, and FRATERNITY, --l i berty
regulat ed by l aw; equal ity oI rights in the eye oI the law; brot herhood wit h
i ts dut ies and obl igat ions as wel l as it s beneIi ts.
You wil l hear shortly oI t he Rough ASHLAR and the PerIect ASHLAR, as
part oI t he j ewels oI the Lodge. The rough Ashl ar is sai d to be "a stone, as
t aken Irom the quarry, i n i ts rude and nat ural st at e." The perIect Ashlar i s
sai d t o be "a st one made ready by t he hands oI the workmen, to be
adjust ed by t he working-t ool s oI t he Fell ow-CraIt. " We shal l not repeat the
expl anat ions oI t hese symbol s gi ven by t he York Ri t e. You may read them
i n i t s printed monit ors. They are declared to all ude to the selI-
i mprovement oI the indi vidual craItsman, --a cont inuati on oI t he same
superIici al int erpret ati on.
The rough Ashl ar is the PEOPLE, as a mass, rude and unorgani zed. The
perIect Ashl ar, or cubi cal st one, symbol oI perIecti on, i s the STATE, t he
rul ers deri vi ng t heir powers Irom t he consent oI t he governed; the
const i tuti on and laws speaki ng t he wi ll oI the people; the government
harmoni ous, symmet ri cal, eIIici ent , --it s powers properly dist ri but ed and
duly adj usted i n equil ibri um.
II we deli neate a cube on a pl ane surIace thus:
we have visi ble three Iaces, and ni ne ext ernal li nes, drawn between seven
points. The compl ete cube has t hree more Iaces, maki ng si x; t hree more
l ines, maki ng t wel ve; and one more point , maki ng eight . As the number 12
i ncl udes t he sacred numbers, 3, 5, 7, and 3 ti mes 3, or 9, and is produced
by adding the sacred number 3 to 9; whil e i ts own two Ii gures, 1, 2, t he
unit or monad, and duad, added t oget her, make the same sacred number 3;
i t was call ed the perIect number; and the cube became t he symbol oI
perIect ion.
Produced by FORCE, act i ng by RULE; hammered in accordance wi th li nes
measured by the Gauge, out oI the rough Ashlar, i t i s an appropriat e
symbol oI the Force oI t he peopl e, expressed as t he const it ut ion and l aw
oI t he St at e; and oI t he State i tsel I the three visi ble Iaces represent the
t hree depart ment s, --t he Executi ve, whi ch execut es t he l aws; the
Legi slat ive, whi ch makes the laws; t he Judi ciary, which interpret s t he
l aws, appli es and enIorces t hem, bet ween man and man, bet ween the St ate
and t he ci ti zens. The three i nvi sible Iaces, are Liberty, Equali ty, and
Frat erni ty, the threeIol d soul oI the St at e--it s vit al i ty, spirit , and int ell ect.
Though Masonry nei ther usurps t he place oI, nor apes rel igi on, prayer i s
an essenti al part oI our ceremonies. It i s t he aspirat i on oI the soul t oward
t he Absolut e and InIinit e Intell igence, whi ch i s t he One Supreme Dei ty,
most Ieebly and misunderstandi ngly characterized as an "ARCHITECT. "
Certai n Iacul ti es oI man are di rect ed toward the Unknown--thought,
medit at ion, prayer. The unknown i s an ocean, oI whi ch conscience i s the
compass. Thought , medit ati on, prayer, are t he great mysteri ous point i ngs
oI t he needle. It is a spi ri t ual magnet ism that thus connects the human
soul wit h the Deity. These majest ic irradi at ions oI t he soul pi erce through
t he shadow toward the l ight .
It is but a shall ow scoII t o say that prayer i s absurd, because it i s not
possible Ior us, by means oI i t, to persuade God to change His plans. He
produces Ioreknown and Ioreintended eIIect s, by t he i nst rument ali ty oI t he
Iorces oI nat ure, al l oI whi ch are Hi s Iorces. Our own are part oI t hese.
Our Iree agency and our wi ll are Iorces. We do not absurdly cease t o make
eIIort s t o at tai n weal th or happi ness, prolong l iIe, and cont inue heal th,
because we cannot by any eIIort change what is predest ined. II t he eIIort
al so i s predest ined, i t is not t he l ess our eIIort, made oI our Iree wil l . So,
l ikewise, we pray. Wi ll i s a Iorce. Thought i s a Iorce. Prayer i s a Iorce.
Why shoul d it not be oI t he l aw oI God, that prayer, l ike Fai th and Love,
shoul d have i ts eIIect s? Man is not t o be comprehended as a st art i ng-
point, or progress as a goal, wi thout those t wo great Iorces, Fai th and
Love. Prayer is subli me. Ori sons t hat beg and cl amour are pit iIul . To deny
t he eIIi cacy oI prayer, i s to deny t hat oI Fai t h, Love, and EIIort . Yet the
eIIect s produced, when our hand, moved by our wi ll , launches a pebbl e
i nt o t he ocean, never cease; and every utt ered word is regist ered Ior
et ernity upon the invi sibl e air.
Every Lodge i s a Temple, and as a whol e, and i n it s det ai l s symbol ic. The
Universe i tsel I suppl ied man wi th t he model Ior t he Iirst temples reared t o
t he Divi ni ty. The arrangement oI t he Templ e oI Sol omon, t he symbolic
ornament s whi ch Iormed i ts chi eI decorat ions, and t he dress oI the High-
Priest, all had reIerence t o the order oI the Uni verse, as then underst ood.
The Templ e cont ai ned many emblems oI t he seasons--the sun, t he moon,
t he planet s, the const ell ati ons Ursa Maj or and Minor, the zodiac, t he
el ement s, and the other part s oI t he world. It is the Mast er oI this Lodge,
oI t he Uni verse, Hermes, oI whom Khurum is the represent at i ve, that is
one oI t he light s oI the Lodge.
For Iurt her instruct ion as t o t he symboli sm oI the heavenly bodies, and oI
t he sacred numbers, and oI t he t empl e and i ts detai ls, you must wait
patiently unt il you advance i n Masonry, in t he mean t i me exerci si ng your
i ntell ect i n st udyi ng them Ior yourselI. To st udy and seek t o i nterpret
correct ly the symbol s oI t he Universe, is t he work oI the sage and
phil osopher. It is t o decipher the writ ing oI God, and penetrate int o Hi s
t hought s.
Thi s i s what i s asked and answered i n our catechi sm, i n regard to t he
Lodge.
* * * * * *
A "Lodge" is deIi ned to be "an assemblage oI Freemasons, duly
congregated, havi ng t he sacred wri ti ngs, square, and compass, and a
charter, or warrant oI const i t ut ion, authorizi ng them t o work. " The room
or pl ace i n which t hey meet , represent i ng some part oI Ki ng Sol omon' s
Temple, i s also call ed the Lodge; and it i s t hat we are now considering.
It is said to be support ed by t hree great col umns, WISDOM, FORCE or
STRENGTH, and BEAUTY, represented by the Master, the Seni or Warden,
and t he Juni or Warden; and t hese are said t o be the col umns t hat support
t he Lodge, "because Wi sdom, St rength, and Beauty, are the perIect ions oI
everyt hi ng, and not hi ng can endure wi thout t hem. " "Because, " the York
Ri te says, "it i s necessary that t here should be Wi sdom to concei ve,
Strengt h t o support , and Beauty to adorn, all great and i mport ant
undertakings. " "Know ye not," says the Apost le Paul, "t hat ye are the
t empl e oI God, and that the Spirit oI God dwel let h i n you? II any man
desecrate the temple oI God, hi m shal l God dest roy, Ior the templ e oI God
i s holy, which t empl e ye are. "
The Wi sdom and Power oI the Deity are i n equil i bri um. The laws oI nat ure
and t he moral laws are not the mere despoti c mandat es oI Hi s Omni pot ent
wi ll ; Ior, t hen they mi ght be changed by Hi m, and order become di sorder,
and good and right become evi l and wrong; honesty and l oyal ty, vi ces; and
Iraud, ingrati tude, and vice, vi rt ues. Omnipotent power, i nIi ni te, and
exist ing al one, would necessari ly not be const rai ned to consi stency. Its
decrees and laws could not be i mmutable. The l aws oI God are not
obli gatory on us because they are the enact ment s oI His POWER, or t he
expressi on oI Hi s WILL; but because t hey express His i nIi nite WISDOM.
They are not right because they are His laws, but His l aws because they
are ri ght . From the equi li brium oI inIi nit e wi sdom and i nIinite Iorce,
result s perIect harmony, in physics and i n the moral universe. Wi sdom,
rower, and Harmony consti tut e one Masonic t riad. They have other and
proIounder meanings, t hat may at some ti me be unvei led to you.
As t o the ordi nary and commonpl ace explanati on, it may be added, that t he
wi sdom oI the Archi tect i s di splayed i n combi ni ng, as only a ski l l Iul
Archi tect can do, and as God has done everywhere, --Ior exampl e, i n the
t ree, the human Irame, the egg, the cell s oI t he honeycomb--st rength, wi th
grace, beauty, symmetry, proporti on, li ght ness, ornamentat ion. That , too,
i s t he perIect ion oI t he orator and poet--t o combine Iorce, st rengt h,
energy, wi t h grace oI style, musical cadences, the beauty oI Ii gures, t he
play and i rradi ati on oI i magi nati on and Iancy; and so, i n a St ate, t he
warli ke and i ndustrial Iorce oI t he peopl e, and t heir Ti t anic strengt h, must
be combi ned wit h t he beauty oI t he arts, the sciences, and t he i ntell ect, iI
t he State woul d scal e t he hei ght s oI excell ence, and the people be real ly
Iree. Harmony i n t hi s, as in all t he Di vi ne, the mat eri al, and the human, i s
t he resul t oI equi l i brium, oI t he sympat hy and opposi t e acti on oI
contrari es; a single Wi sdom above them holding the beam oI t he scal es. To
reconci le the moral law, human responsi bil ity, Iree-wil l, wi th t he absol ute
power oI God; and the exi stence oI evi l wi t h His absol ute wisdom, and
goodness, and mercy, -- t hese are t he great enigmas oI t he Sphynx.
You entered t he Lodge bet ween t wo col umns. They represent the two
which st ood in the porch oI the Temple, on each side oI the great eastern
gat eway. These pil lars, oI bronze, Iour Iingers breadt h in thickness, were,
accordi ng t o the most authenti c account--that i n t he First and that i n the
Second Book oI Ki ngs, conIirmed i n Jeremiah-- eighteen cubi ts high, wi t h
a capi t al Ii ve cubit s high. The shaIt oI each was Iour cubi t s i n diamet er. A
cubit i s one Ioot and 707/1000. That is, the shaIt oI each was a li t t le over
t hirty Ieet ei ght i nches i n height, the capi tal oI each a l it tle over eight Ieet
si x inches i n height , and the diameter oI t he shaIt si x Ieet ten i nches. The
capi tal s were enriched by pomegranates oI bronze, covered by bronze net -
work, and ornamented wi th wreaths oI bronze; and appear to have i mi t ated
t he shape oI t he seed-vessel oI t he l ot us or Egypti an l i ly, a sacred symbol
t o t he Hindus and Egyptians. The pi l l ar or col umn on t he right, or i n t he
south, was named, as the Hebrew word is rendered in our translat i on oI the
Bi ble, JACHIN: and t hat on t he l eIt BOAZ. Our t ranslat ors say t hat the
Iirst word means, "He shall establi sh;" and t he second, "In i t is st rength. "
These col umns were i mitati ons, by Khurum, the Tyrian art ist , oI the great
columns consecrat ed to the Wi nds and Fire, at the ent rance to t he Iamous
Temple oI Malkart h, in the ci ty oI Tyre. It is customary, i n Lodges oI t he
York Rit e, to see a cel est ial globe on one, and a t errestrial gl obe on the
other; but t hese are not warranted, i I the object be to i mi t ate the origi nal
t wo columns oI t he Temple. The symbol ic meani ng oI t hese columns we
shal l leave Ior the present unexpl ained, only adding that Entered
Apprenti ces keep their worki ng-tools in the col umn JACHIN; and giving
you t he etymology and l it eral meaning oI t he t wo names.
The word JACHIN, in Hebrew, probably pronounced Ya-kayan, and meant ,
as a verbal noun, He t hat strengthens; and thence, Iirm, st able, upri ght .
The word Boaz is Baaz whi ch means St rong, St rength, Power, Might,
ReIuge, Source oI Strengt h, a Fort . The preIi x means "wi th" or "in," and
gi ves t he word t he Iorce oI the Lat in gerund, roborando--Strengthening
The Iormer word also means he wil l establ i sh, or plant in an erect
posit ion--Irom t he verb Kun, he st ood erect . It probably meant Act ive and
Vi viIyi ng Energy and Force; and Boaz, St abi l ity, Permanence, in t he
passi ve sense.
The Di mensi ons oI t he Lodge, our Brethren oI the York Ri te say, "are
unli mi t ed, and i t s covering no less than t he canopy oI Heaven. " "To t hi s
object , " they say, "the mason' s mi nd i s conti nual ly di rect ed, and thi ther he
hopes at l ast to arrive by the aid oI t he t heol ogi cal l adder which Jacob i n
his visi on saw ascendi ng Irom eart h t o Heaven; t he t hree principal rounds
oI which are denomi nated Fai th, Hope, and Charity; and whi ch admonish
us to have Fai th in God, Hope i n Immortal ity, and Charity t o all mankind. "
Accordi ngly a ladder, someti mes wit h nine rounds, is seen on the chart,
resti ng at t he bott om on t he earth, i ts top i n t he cl ouds, the st ars shi ning
above i t; and t hi s is deemed t o represent that mysti c l adder, whi ch Jacob
saw in hi s dream, set up on the eart h, and the top oI i t reaching t o Heaven,
wi th t he angel s oI God ascending and descending on it . The addi t ion oI the
t hree principal rounds t o the symbol i sm, i s wholly modern and
i ncongruous.
The ancients count ed seven planet s, t hus arranged: t he Moon, Mercury,
Venus, t he Sun, Mars, Jupi ter, and Saturn. There were seven heavens and
seven spheres oI these planets; on all t he monument s oI Mit hras are seven
al tars or pyres, consecrat ed to the seven pl anets, as were t he seven lamps
oI t he golden candelabrum i n the Templ e. That these represent ed t he
planet s, we are assured by Clemens oI Al exandria, in hi s St romata, and by
Phi l o Judaeus.
To ret urn t o it s source i n t he InIi nit e, the human soul , t he anci ent s held,
had t o ascend, as i t had descended, t hrough t he seven spheres. The Ladder
by which it reascends, has, accordi ng to Marsi li us Fici nus, in hi s
Commentary on the Ennead oI Pl ot inus, seven degrees or steps; and i n t he
Myst eri es oI Mi thras, carried to Rome under the Emperors, the ladder,
wi th i t s seven rounds, was a symbol reIerri ng to this ascent t hrough t he
spheres oI the seven planet s. Jacob saw t he Spi ri t s oI God ascendi ng and
descending on i t ; and above i t the Deity Hi msel I. The Mi t hrai c Myst eri es
were celebrat ed i n caves, where gat es were marked at the Iour equinocti al
and sol sti ti al point s oI t he Zodiac; and the seven planet ary spheres were
represented, which soul s needs must traverse in descending Irom the
heaven oI the Ii xed st ars t o the el ements that envelop t he earth; and seven
gat es were marked, one Ior each pl anet , t hrough which they pass, in
descending or returni ng.
We learn t hi s Irom Cel sus, i n Origen, who says t hat the symbol i c i mage oI
t hi s passage among the stars, used i n t he Mi thrai c Mysteries, was a ladder
reaching Irom earth to Heaven, divided i nt o seven steps or stages, t o each
oI which was a gate, and at t he summit an eighth one, t hat oI the Ii xed
st ars. The symbol was the same as that oI the seven st ages oI Borsippa, the
Pyramid oI vit ri Ii ed brick, near Babyl on, buil t oI seven st ages, and each oI
a diIIerent colour. In the Mi thraic ceremonies, t he candi dat e went through
seven stages oI init iat ion, passi ng through many IearIul t rials--and oI
t hese t he high ladder wit h seven rounds or steps was t he symbol .
You see the Lodge, it s det ail s and ornament s, by i ts Light s. You have
al ready heard what these Light s, t he greater and l esser, are said to be, and
how t hey are spoken oI by our Brethren oI the York Ri te.
The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses, are not only styled the Great
Light s in Masonry, but they are al so technical ly call ed the Furni ture oI the
Lodge; and, as you have seen, it i s hel d that t here is no Lodge wit hout
t hem. Thi s has someti mes been made a pret ext Ior excluding Jews Irom
our Lodges, because they cannot regard t he New Testament as a holy book.
The Bi bl e is an i ndispensable part oI the Iurni ture oI a Chri st ian Lodge,
only because it i s the sacred book oI the Christ ian rel igi on. The Hebrew
Pent ateuch i n a Hebrew Lodge, and t he Koran in a Mohammedan one,
belong on the Alt ar; and one oI t hese, and the Square and Compass,
properly understood, are the Great Lights by which a Mason must walk
and work.
The obl igat ion oI t he candi date is always t o be t aken on t he sacred book
or books oI his reli gion, that he may deem it more sol emn and bi ndi ng;
and t hereIore i t was that you were asked oI what rel igi on you were. We
have no ot her concern wit h your reli gious creed.
The Square i s a ri ght angl e, Iormed by two right l ines. It is adapt ed only
t o a plane surIace, and bel ongs only t o geometry, earth-measurement , t hat
t rigonomet ry whi ch deal s only wi t h pl anes, and wit h t he earth, which t he
anci ent s supposed to be a pl ane. The Compass descri bes ci rcl es, and deals
wi th spheri cal t rigonomet ry, the science oI t he spheres and-heavens. The
Iormer, thereIore, is an emblem oI what concerns the eart h and t he body;
t he l att er oI what concerns the heavens and the soul . Yet t he Compass i s
al so used i n plane trigonomet ry, as i n erect ing perpendi cul ars; and,
t hereIore, you are remi nded t hat , al though in thi s Degree bot h points oI
t he Compass are under t he Square, and you are now deal ing only wi t h t he
moral and pol it ical meaning oI t he symbol s, and not wi th their
phil osophi cal and spirit ual meanings, sti l l the divine ever mi ngl es wi th
t he human; wit h the eart hly t he spi ri tual int ermi xes; and there is
somethi ng spiri tual in the commonest dut ies oI li Ie. The nati ons are not
bodi es poli ti c al one, but al so soul s-poli ti c; and woe t o t hat people whi ch,
seeki ng the materi al only, Iorgets t hat it has a soul. Then we have a race,
petri Iied in dogma, whi ch presupposes the absence oI a soul and t he
presence only oI memory and inst inct, or demorali zed by lucre. Such a
nature can never lead ci vil i zati on. GenuIl exion beIore t he i dol or the
doll ar atrophies the muscl e which walks and the wi ll which moves.
Hi erat ic or mercanti le absorpt ion di minishes the radi ance oI a people,
l owers it s horizon by l oweri ng it s level , and depri ves i t oI that
understanding oI t he universal ai m, at t he same t i me human and di vi ne,
which makes the mi ssionary nat i ons. A Iree people, Iorget t i ng t hat it has a
soul to be cared Ior, devot es all it s energi es to i t s material advancement.
II it makes war, it i s t o subserve it s commercial i nterest s. The cit izens
copy aIter t he St at e, and regard weal th, pomp, and l uxury as t he great
goods oI li Ie. Such a nat ion creat es weal th rapidly, and dist ri butes i t
badly. Thence the t wo extremes, oI monstrous opulence and monst rous
misery; all t he enj oyment t o a Iew, al l the privati ons to the rest , that i s to
say, to the people; Pri vi lege, Except ion, Monopoly, Feudal i ty, spri nging
up Irom Labour i tsel I: a Ialse and dangerous si tuati on, which, making
Labour a bl i nded and chai ned Cyclops, in the mi ne, at the Iorge, in t he
workshop, at the l oom, in the Ii eld, over poisonous Iumes, in mi asmat ic
cel ls, in unvent il ated Iact ori es, Iounds publi c power upon pri vat e mi sery,
and plant s t he greatness oI the State in t he suIIeri ng oI the indi vidual. It i s
a greatness il l const it ut ed, in whi ch al l the mat eri al element s are
combi ned, and i nto which no moral element ent ers. II a peopl e, li ke a star,
has the right oI ecl ipse, t he l ight ought t o return. The ecli pse shoul d not
degenerate into ni ght .
The three l esser, or t he Subl i me Light s, you have heard, are the Sun, t he
Moon, and the Mast er oI t he Lodge; and you have heard what our Bret hren
oI t he York Ri t e say i n regard t o t hem, and why t hey hol d t hem t o be
Light s oI the Lodge. But t he Sun and Moon do i n no sense li ght t he Lodge,
unless it be symboli cally, and t hen t he l ight s are not t hey, but those t hi ngs
oI which t hey are t he symbol s. OI what they are the symbol s t he Mason in
t hat Rit e i s not told. Nor does t he Moon in any sense rule the night wi th
regulari ty.
The Sun i s t he anci ent symbol oI t he li Ie-givi ng and generat ive power oI
t he Dei ty. To the ancients, li ght was the cause oI l iIe; and God was t he
source Irom whi ch al l li ght Il owed; the essence oI Light , t he Invisi ble
Fire, developed as Flame mani Iested as l ight and splendour. The Sun was
Hi s maniIestat ion and visi ble i mage; and the Sabaeans worshi ppi ng the
Light--God, seemed to worshi p t he Sun, in whom they saw t he
maniIestat ion oI the Deity.
The Moon was t he symbol oI the passive capaci ty oI nat ure to produce, t he
Iemal e, oI which t he l iIe-gi vi ng power and energy was t he male. It was t he
symbol oI Isi s, Astarte, and Art emi s, or Diana. The "Mast er oI LiIe" was
t he Supreme Dei ty, above bot h, and maniIested through bot h; Zeus, t he
Son oI Sat urn, become King oI t he Gods; Horus, son oI Osiri s and Isis,
become the Master oI LiIe; Di onusos or Bacchus, l ike Mit hras, become t he
author oI Light and LiIe and Truth.
* * * * *
The Mast er oI Light and LiIe, t he Sun and the Moon, are symboli zed in
every Lodge by t he Master and Wardens: and t hi s makes i t t he duty oI t he
Master t o dispense l ight t o the Brethren, by hi msel I, and through the
Wardens, who are hi s mi ni sters.
"Thy sun, " says ISAIAH to Jerusalem, "shal l no more go down, neit her
shal l thy moon wi thdraw it selI; Ior t he LORD shal l be t hi ne everl asti ng
l ight , and the days oI thy mourni ng shal l be ended. Thy people al so shall
be all righteous; t hey shall i nheri t t he land Iorever." Such i s t he type oI a
Iree peopl e.
Our northern ancestors worshipped thi s t ri -une Dei ty; ODIN, t he Al mighty
FATHER; FREA, hi s wi Ie, emblem oI uni versal mat ter; and THOR, hi s
son, the medi ator. But above all t hese was t he Supreme God, "t he aut hor
oI everythi ng t hat exist et h, t he Eternal , t he Ancient , the Living and AwIul
Being, t he Searcher into conceal ed t hi ngs, the Bei ng that never changet h."
In t he Temple oI El eusi s (a sanctuary li ghted only by a wi ndow i n t he rooI,
and representi ng t he Universe), t he i mages oI the Sun, Moon, and
Mercury, were represent ed.
"The Sun and Moon, " says the learned Bro. ' . DELAUNAY, "represent the
t wo grand principles oI al l generat ions, the acti ve and passi ve, the mal e
and t he Iemal e. The Sun represent s the actual light. He pours upon the
Moon his Iecundat ing rays; bot h shed their li ght upon their oIIspri ng, the
Blazi ng Star, or HORUS, and the three Iorm the great Equi l at eral Tri angle,
i n t he centre oI which is the omniIic let t er oI t he Kabal ah, by which
creati on is sai d to have been eIIected. "
The ORNAMENTS oI a Lodge are said to be "the Mosai c Pavement, the
Indented Tessel, and t he Blazing Star. " The Mosaic Pavement , chequered
i n squares or lozenges, is said to represent t he ground-Il oor oI King
Sol omon' s Temple; and the Indent ed Tessel "t hat beaut iIul tessel l at ed
border whi ch surrounded i t. " The Blazi ng St ar in the cent re is sai d to be
"an emblem oI Divine Provi dence, and commemorati ve oI t he star which
appeared to gui de t he wise men oI the East t o the place oI our Savi our' s
nati vity. " But "t here was no stone seen" wi thi n the Temple. The wall s were
covered wi th planks oI cedar, and t he Il oor was covered wi th pl anks oI Ii r.
There i s no evi dence t hat t here was such a pavement or Il oor i n t he
Temple, or such a borderi ng. In Engl and, anci ent ly, the Traci ng-Board was
surrounded wit h an indent ed border; and i t is only i n Ameri ca that such a
border is put around t he Mosai c pavement . The t esserae, indeed, are t he
squares or lozenges oI the pavement. In England, al so, "t he i ndented or
denti cul ated border" i s cal led "t essel lat ed, " because it has Iour "tassel s, "
sai d t o represent Temperance, Fort it ude, Prudence, and Just ice. It was
t ermed t he Indent ed Trassel; but thi s is a mi suse oI words. It is a
t esserated pavement , wi t h an i ndented border round i t.
The pavement , al ternately black and whi te, symbol izes, whet her so
i ntended or not , the Good and Evil Pri nci ples oI the Egypt ian and Persian
creed. It i s the warIare oI Michael and Sat an, oI the Gods and Ti tans, oI
Balder and Lok; bet ween l ight and shadow, whi ch i s darkness; Day and
Ni ght ; Freedom and Despot ism; Reli gious Liberty and the Arbi trary
Dogmas oI a Church that t hi nks Ior it s votaries, and whose Ponti II clai ms
t o be i nIal l i bl e, and t he decret al s oI i t s Counci ls t o const it ute a gospel.
The edges oI t hi s pavement , i I in lozenges, wi ll necessari ly be indented or
denti cul ated, t oot hed li ke a saw; and to complet e and Iini sh it a borderi ng
i s necessary. It is compl eted by tassel s as ornament s at the corners. II
t hese and t he borderi ng have any symbol ic meani ng, it i s IanciIul and
arbit rary.
To Ii nd in t he BLAZING STAR oI Ii ve poi nts an al l usion t o t he Di vine
Provi dence, is also Ianci Iul; and t o make i t commemorat i ve oI t he Star
t hat is sai d to have gui ded the Magi, is to give it a meani ng comparat i vely
modern. Origi nal ly i t represent ed SIRIUS, or t he Dog-st ar, the Iorerunner
oI t he inundat i on oI the Nil e; the God ANUBIS, compani on oI ISIS i n her
search Ior the body oI OSIRIS, her brot her and husband. Then it became
t he i mage oI HORUS, the son oI OSIRIS, hi msel I symboli zed al so by the
Sun, t he author oI the Seasons, and the God oI Ti me; Son oI ISIS, who
was the uni versal nature, hi mselI t he pri mi ti ve mat ter, inexhausti bl e
source oI LiIe, spark oI uncreated Iire, universal seed oI all bei ngs. It was
HERMES, al so, the Master oI Learning, whose name i n Greek i s that oI
t he God Mercury. It became the sacred and pot ent sign or character oI t he
Magi , t he PENTALPHA, and i s the signiIicant embl em oI Liberty and
Freedom, bl azing wi th a st eady radi ance amid the wel tering elements oI
good and evil oI Revol uti ons, and promisi ng serene skies and Iert il e
seasons to t he nat i ons, aIt er the st orms oI change and tumul t.
In t he East oI t he Lodge, over t he Master, i ncl osed i n a triangle, is the
Hebrew let ter YOD. In the Engli sh and Ameri can Lodges t he Let ter G. ' . i s
substi tuted Ior thi s, as the init ial oI t he word GOD, wi t h as l it tl e reason as
i I t he let ter D. , i ni ti al oI DIEU, were used in French Lodges inst ead oI the
proper let ter. YOD is, i n t he Kabal ah, t he symbol oI Uni ty, oI the Supreme
Dei ty, the Ii rst l ett er oI the Holy Name; and also a symbol oI t he Great
Kabal i st ic Triads. To underst and it s mysti c meani ngs, you must open t he
pages oI the Sohar and Siphra de Zeni ut ha, and other kabali sti c books, and
ponder deeply on their meaning. It must suIIice to say, t hat it i s t he
Creati ve Energy oI the Dei ty, i s represented as a point, and that poi nt i n
t he centre oI t he Ci rcl e oI i mmensi ty. It i s t o us in t his Degree, the symbol
oI t hat unmaniIested Dei ty, t he Absol ute, who has no name.
Our French Brethren place thi s l ett er YOD in the cent re oI the Blazi ng
Star. And in t he old Lectures, our anci ent Engl ish Brethren said, "The
Blazi ng Star or Gl ory i n t he centre reIers us t o that grand luminary, the
Sun, which enl ightens the eart h, and by i ts genial i nIluence di spenses
blessings to manki nd. " They cal led it al so i n t he same l ectures, an emblem
oI PRUDENCE. The word Prudent ia means, i n i t s ori ginal and Iul lest
signiIicat ion, Foresight; and, accordi ngly, t he Blazing Star has been
regarded as an emblem oI Omni science, or t he Al l-seei ng Eye, whi ch to
t he Egyptian Ini ti at es was the emblem oI Osi ri s, the Creat or. Wi t h the
YOD i n t he centre, i t has t he kabali sti c meaning oI t he Di vi ne Energy,
maniIested as Light , creat i ng t he Universe.
The Jewels oI the Lodge are sai d to be si x in number. Three are cal led
"Movabl e, " and three "Immovabl e. " The SQUARE, t he LEVEL, and t he
PLUMB were anciently and properly cal led the Movable Jewel s, because
t hey pass Irom one Brother t o anot her. It i s a modern innovati on to call
t hem i mmovabl e, because t hey must al ways be present in the Lodge. The
i mmovable jewel s are the ROUGH ASHLAR, t he PERFECT ASHLAR or
CUBICAL, STONE, or, i n some Ri tuals, the DOUBLE CUBE, and the
TRACING-BOARD, or TRESTLE-BOARD.
OI t hese j ewels our Bret hren oI the York Rit e say: "The Square inculcat es
Moral ity; the Level, Equal ity; and the Plumb, Rect it ude oI Conduct . "
Thei r explanat ion oI the i mmovabl e Jewel s may be read in t heir moni tors.
Our Brethren oI the York Ri te say that "t here i s represented in every wel l-
governed Lodge, a certain poi nt , wi t hin a ci rcl e; the point represent i ng an
i ndi vi dual Brother; t he Ci rcl e, the boundary l ine oI hi s conduct , beyond
which he i s never t o suIIer his prej udi ces or passi ons to bet ray hi m. "
Thi s i s not t o i nterpret t he symbols oI Masonry. It is sai d by some, wit h a
nearer approach to interpretat ion, that t he point wit hi n t he circle
represents God i n the cent re oI the Uni verse. It is a common Egypt ian sign
Ior the Sun and Osiris, and is sti ll used as t he ast ronomical sign oI t he
great l uminary. In t he Kabal ah the poi nt i s YOD, t he Creat ive Energy oI
God, irradiat ing wit h light the circul ar space whi ch God, the universal
Light , l eIt vacant, wherein to creat e t he worl ds, by wit hdrawing Hi s
substance oI Light back on al l sides Irom one point .
Our Brethren add that, "t his circle i s embordered by t wo perpendi cular
paral lel li nes, represent ing Sai nt John t he Bapt ist and Saint John the
Evangel ist , and upon t he t op rest t he Holy Scri ptures" (an open book). "In
going round this ci rcl e, " they say, "we necessarily t ouch upon these two
l ines as wel l as upon t he Holy Scri pt ures; and while a Mason keeps
hi msel I circumscri bed wi t hi n t heir precept s, it i s i mpossi bl e t hat he
shoul d material ly err. "
It woul d be a wast e oI ti me to comment upon thi s. Some wri ters have
i magi ned that t he paral lel l ines represent the Tropics oI Cancer and
Capri corn, which t he Sun alt ernat ely t ouches upon at t he Summer and
Wi nter sol sti ces. But t he tropi cs are not perpendicular l ines, and the i dea
i s merely IanciIul . II the parall el li nes ever belonged t o the ancient
symbol , they had some more recondi te and more Irui t Iul meani ng. They
probably had the same meaning as the twin col umns Jachin and Boaz. That
meani ng i s not Ior t he Apprentice. The adept may Ii nd it i n the Kabalah.
The JUSTICE and MERCY oI God are i n equi li brium, and the resul t is
HARMONY, because a Single and PerIect Wi sdom presides over bot h.
The Holy Scri pt ures are an ent irely modern addit i on t o the symbol, l ike
t he t errestrial and celest ial gl obes on the col umns oI t he portico. Thus t he
anci ent symbol has been denat ural i zed by i ncongruous addi t i ons, l ike that
oI Isi s weepi ng over the broken col umn containi ng the remains oI Osiri s at
Byblos.
* * * * * *
Masonry has i ts decalogue, which i s a law t o i ts Init i at es. These are i ts
Ten Commandments:
I. God is the Et ernal, Omni potent, Immut able WISDOM and Supreme
INTELLIGENCE and Exhaust less Love.
Thou shalt adore, revere, and l ove Hi m !
Thou shalt honour Hi m by pract i si ng the vi rt ues!
II. Thy religion shal l be, to do good because it i s a pleasure t o t hee, and
not merely because i t i s a duty.
That t hou mayest become the Iriend oI the wise man, thou shal t obey his
precept s !
Thy soul i s i mmort al ! Thou shal t do not hi ng t o degrade it !
III. Thou shalt unceasi ngly war against vice!
Thou shalt not do unt o others t hat whi ch thou woul dst not wish t hem t o do
unto t hee !
Thou shalt be submi ssive t o t hy Iort unes, and keep burni ng t he l ight oI
wi sdom !
IV. Thou shal t honour thy parent s !
Thou shalt pay respect and homage t o the aged!
Thou shalt instruct the young!
Thou shalt protect and deIend i nIancy and i nnocence !
V. Thou shal t cheri sh thy wi Ie and t hy chil dren!
Thou shalt love t hy country, and obey i ts l aws!
VI. Thy Iri end shal l be t o t hee a second sel I !
Mi sIort une shal l not est range t hee Irom hi m !
Thou shalt do Ior his memory whatever t hou wouldst do Ior hi m, i I he
were l ivi ng!
VII. Thou shal t avoid and Ilee Irom insi ncere Iriendshi ps !
Thou shalt in everyt hing reIrai n Irom excess.
Thou shalt Iear t o be t he cause oI a stai n on thy memory!
VIII. Thou shalt all ow no passi ons to become t hy master !
Thou shalt make the passi ons oI ot hers proIit abl e lessons to t hysel I!
Thou shalt be indulgent t o error !
IX. Thou shal t hear much: Thou shal t speak l it tl e: Thou shal t act well !
Thou shalt Iorget i nj uries!
Thou shalt render good Ior evi l !
Thou shalt not misuse eit her t hy st rength or t hy superi ority !
X. Thou shalt study to know men; that thereby thou mayest learn t o know
t hysel I !
Thou shalt ever seek aIt er virt ue !
Thou shalt be just !
Thou shalt avoid idl eness !
But t he great commandment oI Masonry is thi s: "A new commandment
gi ve I unt o you: that ye love one anot her! He that sai th he i s i n t he light,
and hat eth hi s brot her, remaineth st i ll i n t he darkness. "
Such are the moral duti es oI a Mason. But i t is also the duty oI Masonry t o
assi st i n elevat ing the moral and i nt el lect ual level oI society; i n coini ng
knowl edge, bringi ng ideas int o circulat ion, and causing the mi nd oI yout h
t o grow; and i n put ti ng, gradually, by the teachings oI axi oms and t he
promul gati on oI posi t ive laws, the human race in harmony wi th i ts
dest inies.
To this duty and work the Ini tiate i s apprent iced. He must not i magi ne t hat
he can eIIect nothing, and, thereIore, despai ri ng, become i nert. It i s i n
t hi s, as i n a man' s dai ly li Ie. Many great deeds are done in the smal l
st ruggles oI l iIe. There is, we are told, a det ermi ned though unseen
bravery, which deIends it sel I, Ioot t o Ioot, in t he darkness, against the
Iatal i nvasi on oI necessity and oI baseness. There are nobl e and
mysterious t ri umphs, which no eye sees, which no renown rewards, whi ch
no Ilourish oI trumpet s salut es. LiIe, mi sIortune, i sol ati on, abandonment ,
poverty, are batt le-Ii elds, which have thei r heroes, --heroes obscure, but
someti mes greater t han those who become il lustrious. The Mason shoul d
st ruggle i n t he same manner, and wit h the same bravery, agai nst those
i nvasi ons oI necessity and baseness, which come t o nati ons as well as t o
men. He shoul d meet them, too, Ioot t o Ioot , even in t he darkness, and
prot est against t he nati onal wrongs and Iol li es; against usurpat i on and the
Iirst inroads oI t hat hydra, Tyranny. There is no more sovereign el oquence
t han the trut h i n indignati on. It is more di IIicult Ior a peopl e t o keep t han
t o gai n thei r Ireedom. The Protest s oI Trut h are al ways needed.
Conti nually, t he right must prot est agai nst t he Iact. There is, in Iact,
Eterni ty in t he Ri ght . The Mason shoul d be t he Priest and Soldier oI t hat
Ri ght . II hi s country shoul d be robbed oI her li berti es, he should sti ll not
despair. The prot est oI t he Ri ght agai nst the Fact persist s Iorever. The
robbery oI a peopl e never becomes prescript i ve. Reclamat i on oI it s rights
i s barred by no length oI ti me. Warsaw can no more be Tartar than Venice
can be Teutonic. A peopl e may endure mil it ary usurpat ion, and subj ugated
Stat es kneel to St ates and wear the yoke, while under the stress oI
necessi ty; but when the necessi ty disappears, iI t he peopl e i s Ii t to be Iree,
t he submerged country wi ll Iloat t o the surIace and reappear, and Tyranny
be adj udged by Hi st ory t o have murdered it s vict i ms.
Whatever occurs, we shoul d have Fait h in the Just ice and overruli ng
Wisdom oI God, and Hope Ior t he Fut ure, and Lovingki ndness Ior t hose
who are i n error. God makes visi bl e t o men His wi ll i n event s; an obscure
t ext , wri tt en in a mysterious l anguage. Men make t heir t ranslat ions oI i t
Iorthwit h, hasty, incorrect , Iull oI Iaul ts, omissi ons, and mi sreadings. We
see so short a way along t he arc oI t he great circle! Few minds
comprehend t he Di vi ne t ongue. The most sagaci ous, t he most cal m, the
most proIound, decipher the hi eroglyphs sl owly; and when they arrive wi t h
t heir t ext, perhaps the need has l ong gone by; there are already twenty
t ranslat ions in t he publ ic square--the most incorrect being, as oI course,
t he most accepted and popular. From each t ranslat ion, a party is born; and
Irom each mi sreadi ng, a Iacti on. Each party believes or pretends that i t
has the only true t ext , and each Iact i on bel i eves or pret ends that i t alone
possesses the li ght . Moreover, Iact i ons are bl i nd men, who ai m straight,
errors are excell ent project il es, st riki ng skil lIul ly, and wit h all the
viol ence t hat springs Irom Ialse reasoni ng, wherever a want oI l ogi c i n
t hose who deIend the right, l ike a deIect in a cui rass, makes them
vulnerable.
ThereIore i t is that we shall oIten be di scomIit ed i n combati ng error
beIore t he peopl e. Ant aeus l ong resi sted Hercules; and the heads oI t he
Hydra grew as Iast as t hey were cut oII. It i s absurd to say t hat Error,
wounded, wri thes in pai n, and di es ami d her worshippers. Trut h conquers
sl owly. There i s a wondrous vi tal ity i n Error. Truth, i ndeed, Ior the most
part , shoot s over t he heads oI the masses; or iI an error i s prostrated Ior a
moment , i t is up agai n i n a moment , and as vigorous as ever. It wi l l not
die when t he brai ns are out, and t he most stupid and irrati onal errors are
t he l ongest -l i ved.
Nevert heless, Masonry, which is Moral i ty and Phi losophy, must not cease
t o do i t s duty. We never know at what moment success await s our eIIorts--
generally when most unexpected--nor wi th what eIIect our eIIort s are or
are not to be at tended. Succeed or Iai l, Masonry must not bow to error, or
succumb under di scouragement . There were at Rome a Iew Cart haginian
soldi ers, taken pri soners, who reIused t o bow to Fl ami ni us, and had a
l it tl e oI Hanni bal' s magnani mity. Masons shoul d possess an equal
greatness oI soul . Masonry should be an energy; Iinding i ts ai m and eIIect
i n t he ameli orati on oI manki nd. Socrates shoul d enter i nto Adam, and
produce Marcus Aureli us, in ot her words, bring Iort h Irom the man oI
enjoyment s, t he man oI wi sdom. Masonry should not be a mere watch-
t ower, bui lt upon mystery, Irom which to gaze at ease upon t he worl d, wi t h
no other result t han to be a convenience Ior the curi ous. To hol d t he Iul l
cup oI t hought t o t he t hi rsty l i ps oI men; to give t o al l the true i deas oI
Dei ty; t o harmoni ze consci ence and science, are t he province oI
Phi l osophy. Moral i ty is Fait h in Iull bl oom. Contempl at ion shoul d lead to
act ion, and t he absol ute be pract ical; t he ideal be made air and Iood and
dri nk to the human mi nd. Wi sdom i s a sacred communi on. It is only on
t hat condit i on t hat i t ceases t o be a st eri le love oI Science, and becomes
t he one and supreme met hod by which to unit e Humani ty and arouse i t to
concert ed act ion. Then Phi l osophy becomes Reli gion.
And Masonry, li ke Hist ory and Phil osophy, has et ernal duti es-- et ernal ,
and, at t he same t i me, si mpl e--t o oppose Caiaphas as Bi shop, Draco or
JeIIeri es as Judge, Tri malci on as Legislator, and Ti berius as Emperor.
These are t he symbols oI the tyranny t hat degrades and crushes, and t he
corrupt ion t hat deIil es and inIest s. In the works publi shed Ior t he use oI
t he CraIt we are tol d that t he t hree great t enets oI a Mason' s proIession,
are Brotherly Love, Rel i eI, and Truth. And it i s true t hat a Brot herly
aIIect ion and kindness shoul d govern us in all our intercourse and
relat i ons wi th our bret hren; and a generous and li beral phil ant hropy
act uate us i n regard t o al l men. To rel ieve the di stressed i s pecul i arly t he
duty oI Masons--a sacred duty, not to be omi t ted, negl ected, or coldly or
i neIIi ciently compl ied wi th. It is also most t rue, t hat Trut h i s a Di vi ne
at tribute and the Ioundati on oI every vi rtue. To be t rue, and t o seek to Ii nd
and l earn the Trut h, are t he great obj ects oI every good Mason.
As t he Ancients did, Masonry styles Temperance, Fort i tude, Prudence, and
Justi ce, t he Iour cardi nal vi rt ues. They are as necessary t o nati ons as t o
i ndi vi dual s. The peopl e that woul d be Free and Independent, must possess
Sagacity, Foret hought , Foresi ght , and careIul Ci rcumspecti on, all which
are included in the meaning oI the word Prudence. It must be t emperate in
asserti ng i ts rights, temperate in it s council s, economical i n i t s expenses;
i t must be bold, brave, courageous, pat ient under reverses, undi smayed by
disasters, hopeIul amid calamit ies, li ke Rome when she sold the Ii eld at
which Hanni bal had hi s camp. No Cannae or Pharsal ia or Pavia or
Agi ncourt or Waterl oo must di scourage her. Let her Senate sit in t heir
seat s until t he Gauls pl uck them by t he beard. She must, above al l thi ngs,
be just, not t ruckl ing to the strong and warri ng on or plunderi ng the weak;
she must act on t he square wit h al l nat ions, and t he Ieebl est tribes; al ways
keeping her Iait h, honest i n her legi slati on, upright i n al l her deal ings.
Whenever such a Republ ic exi st s, i t wil l be i mmortal: Ior rashness,
i nj usti ce, int emperance and luxury in prosperi ty, and despair and di sorder
i n adversi ty, are the causes oI t he decay and di lapidat ion oI nati ons.
1871.
2 - Fell ow-craIt
In t he Ancient Orient, all reli gion was more or less a myst ery and there
was no divorce Irom i t oI phi losophy. The popular t heol ogy, taki ng the
mul ti t ude oI al legories and symbol s Ior reali t ies, degenerated int o a
worship oI the celest ial l umi naries, oI i magi nary Dei ties wit h human
Ieeli ngs, passions, appeti tes, and l usts, oI i dol s, st ones, ani mals, rept il es.
The Oni on was sacred to t he Egypt ians, because it s diIIerent layers were a
symbol oI the concentric heavenly spheres. OI course t he popular rel igi on
could not sat isIy t he deeper longi ngs and t houghts, t he l oIt ier aspirati ons
oI t he Spi rit , or the logic oI reason. The Ii rst , thereIore, was taught t o t he
i ni t i ated in the Myst eri es. There, al so, it was taught by symbol s. The
vagueness oI symboli sm, capabl e oI many int erpret ati ons, reached what
t he palpable and conventi onal creed could not . Its i ndeIi nit eness
acknowl edged the abstruseness oI the subj ect: i t treated that mysteri ous
subject mysti cally: it endeavored t o il lust rat e what it coul d not expl ain; t o
excit e an appropriate Ieeli ng, i I i t coul d not devel op an adequat e i dea; and
t o rmake t he i mage a mere subordinate conveyance Ior the concept i on,
which it selI never became obvious or Iami li ar.
Thus the knowl edge now i mpart ed by books and let ters, was oI ol d
conveyed by symbols; and t he pri ests i nvented or perpet uated a displ ay oI
ri t es and exhibit i ons, whi ch were not only more at tract i ve t o t he eye than
words, but oIten more suggest i ve and more pregnant wit h meani ng to the
mind.
Masonry, successor oI the Myst eries, st il l Iol lows t he ancient manner oI
t eaching. Her ceremonies are l ike the anci ent myst ic shows, --not the
reading oI an essay, but the openi ng oI a problem, requiring research, and
const i tuti ng phi losophy the arch-expounder. Her symbols are t he
i nstruct i on she gives. The lect ures are endeavors, oIt en parti al and one-
si ded, to i nterpret these symbols. He who woul d become an accompl ished
Mason must not be cont ent merely t o hear, or even t o understand, the
l ectures; he must , ai ded by them, and they havi ng, as it were, marked out
t he way Ior hi m, study, i nterpret, and develop t hese symbol s Ior hi msel I
* * * * * *
Though Masonry i s identi cal wit h the ancient Mysteries, it i s so only i n
t hi s quali Ii ed sense: t hat it present s but an i mperIect i mage oI thei r
bri ll iancy, the ruins only oI their grandeur, and a syst em that has
experienced progressi ve alt erat ions, t he Iruit s oI social events, pol it ical
ci rcumstances, and t he ambit i ous i mbecil i ty oI it s i mprovers. AIter
l eaving Egypt , t he Mysteries were modi Ii ed by t he habi ts oI the di IIerent
nati ons among whom they were introduced, and especial ly by t he reli gious
syst ems oI the countries int o which t hey were t ransplanted. To mai nt ai n
t he est abl ished government , l aws, and rel igi on, was t he obl igati on oI t he
Ini ti ate everywhere; and everywhere t hey were t he heri tage oI the priest s,
who were nowhere wi l l ing to make t he common people co-propri etors wit h
t hemsel ves oI phi losophical trut h.
Masonry i s not t he Coli seum in ruins. It is rat her a Roman palace oI the
middle ages, disIi gured by moderll archi tect ural i mprovement s, yet bui l t
on a Cyclopcean Ioundat ion l aid by the Etruscans, and wit h many a stone
oI t he superstructure taken Irom dwell ings and temples oI the age oI
Hadri an and Ant oninus.
Chri sti ani ty taught the doct ri ne oI FRATERNITY; but repudiated that oI
poli t ical EQUALITY, by cont inually inculcat ing obedience to Caesar, and
t o t hose lawIul ly in aut hori ty. Masonry was t he Iirst apost l e oI
EQUALITY. In the Monast ery there i s Irat ernity and equali ty, but no
l iberty. Masonry added that al so, and clai med Ior man the three-Iol d
herit age, LIBERTY, EQUALITY, and FRATERNITY.
It was but a devel opment oI the origi nal purpose oI t he Myst eries, which
was to teach men to know and pract ice thei r dut ies to themsel ves and t heir
Iell ows, the great practi cal end oI all phi l osophy and all knowledge.
Trut hs are t he spri ngs Irom which duti es Il ow; and i t is but a Iew hundred
years since a new Trut h began t o be di sti nct ly seen; that MAN IS
SUPREME OVER INSTITUTIONS, AND NOT THEY OVER HIM. Man
has nat ural empire over all i nsti t uti ons. They are Ior hi m, aecordi ng to hi s
development ; not he Ior t hem. Thi s seems to us a very si mpl e statement,
one t o which all men, everywhere, ought to assent . But once i t was a great
new Trut h, --not revealed unt i l governments had been i n exist ence Ior at
l east Iive t housand years. Once revealed, i t i mposed new duties on men.
Man owed it t o hi mselI t o be Iree. He owed it t o hi s country t o seek to
gi ve her Ireedom, or maint ai n her in that possessi on. It made Tyranny and
Usurpat ion the enemi es oI t he Human Race. It created a general out lawry
oI Despot s and Despoti sms, temporal and spirit ual . The sphere oI Duty
was i mmensely enlarged. Pat ri ot ism had, henceIort h, a new and wider
meani ng. Free Government , Free Thought , Free Consci ence, Free Speech!
Al l these came t o be i nal ienable right s, whi ch those who had part ed wit h
t hem or been robbed oI t hem, or whose ancestors had l ost them, had the
right summari ly to ret ake. UnIortunately, as Truths al ways become
perverted i nto Ialsehoods, and are Ialsehoods when mi sapplied, thi s Truth
became t he Gospel oI Anarchy, soon aIter i t was Ii rst preached.
Masonry early comprehended t hi s Trut h, and recognized i ts own enlarged
duti es. Its symbol s t hen came t o have a wider meani ng; but i t al so
assumed the mask oI Stone-masonry, and borrowed i ts working-t ool s, and
so was suppl ied wi t h new and apt symbols. It ai ded in bri nging about the
French Revoluti on, di sappeared wi t h t he Girondist s, was born agai n wit h
t he restorat i on oI order, and sust ained Napol eon, because, though
Emperor, he acknowledged t he right oI the people to select it s rulers, and
was at t he head oI a nat ion reIusi ng to recei ve back i ts old ki ngs. He
pleaded, wi th sabre, musket, and cannon, the great cause oI t he People
agai nst Royal ty, the ri ght oI t he French people even to make a Corsi can
General their Emperor, i I it pl eased t hem.
Masonry Iel t that t hi s Trut h had t he Omni pot ence oI God on it s si de; and
t hat nei ther Pope nor Potent ate coul d overcome it . It was a trut h dropped
i nt o t he worl d' s wide treasury, and Iorming a part oI t he heri tage which
each generat i on recei ves, enl arges, and holds in trust , and oI necessity
bequeat hs t o manki nd; the personal estat e oI man, entai led oI nat ure t o t he
end oI t i me. And Masonry early recogni zed it as t rue, t hat to set Iort h and
develop a truth, or any human excell ence oI giIt or growth, i s to make
greater the spi ri tual glory oI the race; that whosoever aids the march oI a
Trut h, and makes the thought a thing, writ es i n t he same li ne wit h
MOSES, and wi th Hi m who died upon the cross; and has an int ell ectual
sympat hy wit h t he Deity Hi msel I.
The best giIt we can bestow on man i s manhood. It i s t hat whi ch Masonry
i s ordai ned oI God to best ow on it s votaries: not sect ari ani sm and
reli gious dogma; not a rudi ment al moral ity, t hat may be Iound in the
writ ings oI ConIucius, Zoroaster, Seneca, and t he Rabbi s, i n t he Proverbs
and Ecclesi astes; not a li tt le and cheap common-school knowledge; but
manhood and science and phi l osophy.
Not that Phi losophy or Science i s in opposi ti on to Rel igi on. For
Phi l osophy i s but t hat knowl edge oI God and the Soul, which is deri ved
Irom observati on oI t he maniIested act ion oI God and t he Soul, and Irom a
wi se anal ogy. It i s the i ntel l ect ual gui de which the religious sent i ment
needs. The true reli gi ous phi losophy oI an i mperIect bei ng, is not a syst em
oI creed, but , as SOCRATES t hought , an inIi ni te search or approxi mati on.
Phi l osophy i s that int el l ect ual and moral progress, whi ch t he rel igi ous
sent i ment i nspi res and ennobles.
As t o Science, it coul d not wal k alone, whil e reli gion was stat ionary. It
consi st s oI t hose mat ured i nIerences Irom experience which all ot her
experience conIirms. It reali zes and uni tes all that was truly valuable i n
both t he old schemes oI mediat ion, --one heroi c, or the system oI act ion
and eIIort ; and the myst ical t heory oI spirit ual , ccntemplat ive commull ion.
"Listen t o me, " says GALEN, "as t o the voi ce oI t he El eusinian
Hi erophant, and bel ieve that t he st udy oI Nat ure is a mystery no l ess
i mport ant t han thei rs, nor less adapted to displ ay t he wisdom and power oI
t he Great Creat or. Thei r lessons and demonst rat i ons were obscure, but
ours are cl ear and unmi st akabl e."
We deem that t o be t he best knowledge we can obtain oI t he Soul oI
another man, whi ch is Iurni shed by his act ions and his l iIe-l ong conduct .
Evi dence to the contrary, suppl ied by what another man inIorms us t hat
t hi s Soul has said to hi s, woul d weigh li tt le agai nst t he Iormer. The Iirst
Scri pt ures Ior the human race were writ ten by God on the Eart h and
Heavens. The reading oI t hese Scri pt ures is Sci ence. Fami li ari ty wi th the
grass and trees, t he i nsect s and the inIusori a, teaches us deeper l essons oI
l ove and Iai th than we can gl ean Irom the wri ti ngs oI FENELON and
AUGUSTINE. The great Bi ble oI God is ever open beIore manki nd.
Knowl edge i s convert i ble int o power, and axi oms i nt o rul es oI ut i li ty and
duty. But knowledge it selI i s not Power. Wi sdom i s Power; and her Pri me
Mi ni ster is JUSTICE, whi ch i s t he perIected law oI TRUTH. The purpose,
t hereIore, oI Educat ion and Science is t o make a man wi se. II knowledge
does not make hi m so, i t is wasted, l ike water poured on t he sands. To
know the Iormulas oI Masonry, i s oI as li tt le value, by i tsel I, as t o know
so many words and sentences in some barbarous AIri can or Australasi an
dialect . To know even the meaning oI the symbol s, is but li tt le, unless t hat
adds t o our wisdom, and al so t o our chari ty, which is to justice li ke one
hemi sphere oI t he brai n t o t he other.
Do not lose si ght , then, oI the true object oI your st udi es i n Masonry. It i s
t o add t o your estate oI wisdom, and not merely t o your knowl edge. A man
may spend a li Iet i me i n st udying a single specialty oI knowledge, --
botany, conchol ogy, or ent omology, Ior inst ance, --in commit ti ng to
memory names deri ved Irom t he Greek, and classiIyi ng and reclassiIyi ng;
and yet be no wi ser t han when he began. It is the great truths as to al l t hat
most concerns a man, as t o his right s, i nt erests, and duti es, t hat Masonry
seeks to teach her Ini tiates.
The wiser a man becomes, the less wil l he be i ncl i ned to submi t tamely to
t he i mposit ion oI Iet ters or a yoke, on hi s conscience or hi s person. For,
by i ncrease oI wi sdom he not only bett er knows hi s right s, but t he more
highly values them, and i s more consci ous oI hi s wort h and dignity. Hi s
pri de t hen urges hi m t o assert hi s i ndependence. He becomes bett er able to
assert i t also; and bett er able to assist ot hers or hi s country, when they or
she stake all , even exi st ence, upon t he same asserti on. But mere
knowl edge makes no one i ndependent, nor Iit s hi m to be Iree. It oIten only
makes hi m a more useIul slave. Li berty i s a curse to the ignorant and
brut al .
Pol i t ical science has Ior i ts obj ect to ascert ai n in what manner and by
means oI what insti tut ions pol it ical and personal Ireedom may be secured
and perpet uated: not l i cense, or t he mere right oI every man t o vot e, but
entire and absolute Ireedom oI t hought and opi ni on, al ike Iree oI t he
despot ism oI monarch and mob and prelate; Ireedom oI act ion wi thi n the
l i mit s oI t he general law enacted Ior all ; the Court s oI Justi ce, wit h
i mpart ial Judges and j uri es, open to al l al ike; weakness and poverty
equally potent in those Court. s as power and weal th; the avenues to oIIice
and honor open ali ke t o al l the worthy; the mi li t ary powers, i n war oY
peaee, in stri ct subordi nat ion t o t he civi l power; arbit rary arrest s Ior act s
not known to the law as cri mes, i mpossibl e; Romish Inquisi ti ons, St ar-
Chambers, Mil itary Commissi ons, unknown; t he means oI inst ruct i on
wi thin reach oI t he chil dren oI al l; t he right oI Free Speech; and
account abi l ity oI all publi c omcers, ci vil and mil it ary.
II Masonry needed t o be j usti Iied Ior i mposi ng poli t ical as wel l as moral
duti es on i ts Init iates, i t woul d be enough to poi nt t o the sad hi story oI t he
worl d. It woul d not even need t hat she should turn back the pages oI
hist ory to t he chapters wri t ten by Tacit us: that she shoul d recit e the
i ncredibl e horrors oI despot ism under Cal igula and Domi ti an, Caracal la
and Commodus, Vi t el li us and Maxi min. She need only poi nt to t he
cent uries oI calami ty t hrough whi ch t he gay French nati on passed; t o t he
l ong oppressi on oI the Ieudal ages, oI t he sel Ii sh Bourbon ki ngs; to t hose
t i mes when t he peasants were robbed and sl aught ered by their own l ords
and pri nces, l ike sheep; when t he lord clai med the Ii rst Irui t s oI the
peasant' s marriage-bed; when the captured city was given up t o merci less
rape and massacre; when the St at e-pri sons groaned wi th innocent vict i ms,
and t he Church blessed the banners oI pi t il ess murderers, and sang Te
Deums Ior t he crowning mercy oI t he Eve oI St . Bart hol omew.
We might turn over t he pages, t o a lat er chapter, --that oI the rei gn oI the
FiIteent h Loui s, when young girls, hardly more than chi ldren, were
kidnapped to serve his l ust s; when let tres de cachet Ii l led t he Basti le wit h
persons accused oI no cri me, wit h husbands who were in the way oI the
pleasures oI l ascivi ous wi ves and oI vil lai ns wearing orders oI nobil ity;
when t he peopl e were ground bet ween the upper and the nether mi ll stone
oI t axes, cust oms, and excises; and when t he Pope' s Nuncio and the
Cardi nal de l a Roche-Ayman, devoutly kneeli ng, one on each si de oI
Madame du Barry, t he ki ng' s abandoned prost it ute, put the sli ppers on her
naked Ieet , as she rose Irom t he adul t erous bed. Then, indeed, suIIering
and t oi l were t he t wo Iorms oI man, and the people were but beasts oI
burden.
The true Mason i s he who labors st renuously to hel p his Order eIIect i ts
great purposes. Not t hat the Order can eIIect t hem by it selI; but t hat it ,
t oo, can help. It also i s one oI God' s i nstrument s. It is a Force and a
Power; and shame upon i t , i I it di d not exert it selI, and, iI need be,
sacrihce i t s chi l dren in the cause oI humani ty, as Abraham was ready t o
oIIer up Isaac on t he altar oI sacri Iice. It wil l not Iorget that nobl e
al legory oI Curti us l eapi ng, al l in armor, into t he great yawning gul I that
opened to swall ow Rome. It wi ll TRY. It shal l not be it s Iaul t i I the day
never comes when man wi ll no longer have to Iear a conquest, an
i nvasi on, a usurpat i on, a ri valry oI nati ons wi th the armed hand, an
i nterrupt ion oI ci vi li zat ion depending on a marri age-royal , or a bi rt h in
t he heredi tary tyranni es; a parti ti on oI the peoples by a Congress, a
dismemberment by t he downIal l oI a dynasty, a combat oI two reli gions,
meet i ng head t o head, li ke t wo goats oI darkness on t he bri dge oI the
InIinit e: when they wi ll no longer have to Iear Iami ne, spol iat i on,
prost it ut ion Irom di st ress, mi sery Irom l ack oI work, and al l the
brigandages oI chance i n t he Iorest oI event s: when nat ions wi ll gravit ate
about t he Trut h, li ke stars about the li ght , each in it s own orbit , wi t hout
cl ashi ng or coll isi on; and everywhere Freedom, cinct ured wit h st ars,
crowned wi th the celest i al spl endors, and wi th wi sdom and j usti ce on
ei ther hand, wi ll reign supreme.
In your st udi es as a Fell ow-CraIt you must be guided by REASON, LOVE
and FAITH.
We do not now discuss the di IIerences between Reason and Fai th, and
undertake to deIine the domai n oI each. But i t is necessary t o say, that
even i n t he ordinary aIIairs oI l i Ie we are governed Iar more by what we
believe t han by what we know; by FAITH and ANALOGY, t han by
REASON. The "Age oI Reason" oI the French Revol ut ion t aught , we know,
what a Iolly i t is t o ent hrone Reason by it sel I as supreme. Reason i s at
Iaul t when it deal s wi th the InIini te. There we must revere and beli eve.
Notwi thstanding the calami t ies oI the vi rtuous, the mi seri es oI t he
deservi ng, the prosperity oI tyrants and the murder oI martyrs, we must
believe t here is a wi se, just, merciIul , and l ovi ng God, an Intel li gence and
a Provi dence, supreme over al l, and cari ng Ior t he mi nut est t hi ngs and
events. A Fait h is a necessi ty t o man. Woe to hi m who bel ieves not hi ng!
We beli eve that t he soul oI another i s oI a certai n nature and possesses
certai n quali t ies, that he is generous and honest , or penurious and knavi sh,
t hat she i s vi rtuous and amiable, or vi cious and i l l -t empered, Irom t he
count enance al one, Irom l i tt le more t han a gli mpse oI i t, wit hout the
means oI knowing. We vent ure our Iortune on t he si gnat ure oI a man on
t he other si de oI the worl d, whom we never saw, upon the bel ieI that he i s
honest and trust worthy. We beli eve that occurrences have taken place,
upon the assert i on oI others. We beli eve t hat one wi ll acts upon anot her,
and i n t he reali ty oI a mul ti tude oI other phenomena that Reason cannot
expl ain.
But we ought not to bel ieve what Reason aut hori tat ively denies, t hat at
which the sense oI right revolt s, that which is absurd or sel I-contradict ory,
or at i ssue wi th experience or science, or t hat whi ch degrades the
character oI t he Deity, and would make Hi m revengeIul , mal ignant, cruel,
or unj ust.
A man' s Fait h is as much hi s own as his Reason is. His Freedom consi sts
as much in hi s Iait h being Iree as i n his wil l bei ng uncont roll ed by power.
Al l the Pri est s and Augurs oI Rome or Greece had not t he right to require
Ci cero or Socrates t o beli eve i n the absurd myt hol ogy oI the vulgar. All
t he Imaums oI Mohammedani sm have not the ri ght t o requi re a Pagan t o
believe t hat Gabriel di ctat ed t he Koran t o t he Prophet. All t he Brahmi ns
t hat ever li ved, i I assembl ed i n one conclave l ike the Cardinals, coul d not
gai n a right to compel a si ngle human bei ng to bel ieve in t he Hi ndu
Cosmogony. No man or body oI men can be inIall ible, and aut hori zed t o
deci de what ot her men shal l beli eve, as t o any tenet oI Iai th. Except to
t hose who Ii rst receive it , every rel igi on and the trut h oI al l inspired
writ ings depend on human t esti mony and i nt ernal evidences, t o be j udged
oI by Reason and t he wi se anal ogies oI Fai th. Each man must necessarily
have t he right t o judge oI t heir t ruth Ior hi mselI; because no one man can
have any higher or bet ter right t o judge than anot her oI equal i nIormati on
and i ntelli gence.
Domi t i an cl ai med to be t he Lord God; and st atues and i mages oI hi m, i n
si lver and gold, were Iound t hroughout t he known world. He clai med t o be
regarded as t he God oI al l men; and, according t o Suet oni us, began hi s
l ett ers thus: "Our Lord and God commands that it should be done so and
so;" and Iormal ly decreed t hat no one should address hi m ot herwi se, eit her
i n wri ti ng or by word oI mout h. PalIurius Sura, the phil osopher, who was
his chieI del ator, accusi ng t hose who reIused to recogni ze hi s divi ni ty,
however much he may have bel i eved i n t hat di vi ni ty, had not t he right t o
demand t hat a single Chri sti an in Rome or t he provi nces shoul d do t he
same.
Reason i s Iar Irom being t he only gui de, in moral s or i n poli ti cal science.
Love or l ovi ng-ki ndness must keep i t company, to excl ude Ianaticism,
i nt olerance, and persecut i on, t o al l oI whi ch a morali ty t oo ascet ic, and
extreme pol it ical pri nciples, invariably l ead. We must also have Iai th i n
oursel ves, and in our Iell ows and the people, or we shall be easi ly
discouraged by reverses, and our ardor cool ed by obstacl es. We must not
l ist en t o Reason alone. Force comes more Irom Fait ll and Love: and it is
by t he ai d oI these that man scales the loIt iest hei ght s oI morali ty, or
becomes the Saviour and Redeemer oI a People. Reason must hol d the
hel m; but these supply the moti ve power. They are the wi ngs oI t he soul.
Ent husi asm is general ly unreasoni ng; and wit hout it , and Love and Fait h,
t here would have been no RIENZI, or TELL, or SYDNEY, or any ot her oI
t he great patriots whose names are i mmortal . II t he Dei ty had been merely
and only All -wi se and All -mighty, He would never have created the
Universe.
* * * * * *
It is GENIUS that get s Power; and i ts pri me li eut enant s are FORCE and
WISDOM. The unruli est oI men bend beIore t he l eader that has t he sense
t o see and the wil l to do. It is Geni us t hat rules wit h God-li ke Power; that
unvei ls, wi th it s counsell ors, t he hidden human mysteries, cut s asunder
wi th i t s word t he huge knot s, and buil ds up wit h i ts word t he crumbled
rui ns. At i ts glance Iall down the senseless idols, whose alt ars have been
on al l the high pl aces and i n al l the sacred groves. Di shonesty and
i mbecil ity stand abashed beIore it . Its si ngle Yea or Nay revokes t he
wrongs oI ages, and i s heard among the Iuture generat ions. Its power is
i mmense, because i ts wisdom is i mmense. Geni us is t he Sun oI t he
poli t ical sphere. Force and Wi sdom, i ts minist ers, are the orbs t hat carry
i ts light into darkness, and answer it wi th t heir sol i d reIl ecti ng Truth.
Devel opment i s symboli zed by t he use oI t he Mal let and Chi sel; t he
development oI the energies and int ell ect, oI t he i ndi vi dual and t he
peopl e. Geni us may place i t selI at the head oI an uni nt el l ect ual ,
uneducat ed, unenerget ic nat i on; but i n a Iree country, t o cult ivate t he
i ntell ect oI those who elect , is t he only mode oI securing intel lect and
geni us Ior rul ers. The worl d is sel dom ruled by t he great spiri t s, except
aIter di ssol uti on and new birt h. In periods oI transit ion and convul sion,
t he Long Parl iament s, t he Robespi erres and Marats, and the semi-
respectabi l it ies oI intell ect , t oo oIten hol d the rei ns oI power. The
Cromwel l s and Napoleons come l ater. AIt er Mari us and Sul la and Ci cero
t he rhet orician, CAESAR. The great intel lect i s oIten too sharp Ior the
granit e oI thi s l iIe. Legi slat ors may be very ordinary men; Ior legi slat ion
i s very ordi nary work; it is but t he Iinal issue oI a mi ll i on mi nds.
The power oI t he purse or t he sword, compared t o that oI t he spirit , is
poor and contempti bl e. As to lands, you may have agrari an l aws, and equal
parti t ion. But a man' s intel lect i s all his own, hel d direct Irom God, an
i nal ienable IieI. It i s t he most pot ent oI weapons in the hands oI a paladin.
II the peopl e comprehend Force in t he physical sense, how much more do
t ll ey revelence the i ntel lect ual ! Ask Hi ldebrand, or Lut her, or Loyol a.
They Ial l prostrate beIore i t , as beIore an idol . The mast ery oI mi nd over
mind i s t he only conquest worth having. The ot her injures both, and
dissol ves at a breat h; rude as it is, t he great cable Iall s down and snaps at
l ast. But this di mly resembles the dominion oI the Creat or. It does not
need a subject l ike that oI Pet er the Hermit . II t he st ream be but bri ght and
st rong, it wi ll sweep li ke a spri ng-ti de t o the popular heart . Not in word
only, but i n int ell ectual act l i es the Iasci nat i on. It i s the homage t o t he
Invi si ble. Thi s power, knott ed wi t h Love, i s t he gol den chai n l et down i nto
t he wel l oI Trut h, or t he i nvi si ble chain that binds t he ranks oI manki nd
t oget her.
InIluence oI man over man i s a l aw oI nature, whether it be by a great
est at e i n land or i n i nt el l ect . It may mean sl avery, a deIerence t o t he
eminent human judgment . Society hangs spi ri t ual ly t ogether, l ike the
revoi vi ng spheres above. The Iree country, i n which i ntellect and geni us
govern, wi ll endure. Where t hey serve, and other inIl uences govern, t he
nati onal li Ie is short . All t he nat i ons that have tri ed t o govern t hemsel ves
by t heir smallest, by the incapabl es, or merely respectables, have come t o
nought. Const it ut ions and Laws, wit hout Geni us and Intel lect to govern,
wi ll not prevent decay. In t hat case they have the dry-rot and t he l iIe di es
out oI t hem by degrees.
To give a nat i on the Iranchi se oI t he Intell ect is t he only sure mode oI
perpet uat ing Ireedom. This wil l compel exerti on and generous care Ior the
peopl e Irom t hose on the higher seat s, and honorable and i nt ell igent
al legiance Irom t hose bel ow. Then poli ti cal publi c l iIe wil l prot ect al l men
Irom sel I-abasement in sensual pursuit s, Irom vul gar act s and l ow greed,
by gi ving t he nobl e ambit i on oI just i mperial rul e. To el evate the people
by teaching lovi ng-kindness and wi sdom, wit h power t o hi m who t eaches
best : and so t o devel op the Iree Stat e Irom t he rough ashl ar: -- t hi s i s the
great l abor i n which Masonry desires t o l end a hel pi ng hand.
Al l oI us should labor in bui l ding up t he great monument oI a nat ion, the
Holy House oI the Temple. The cardi nal vi rt ues must not be part it ioned
among men, becomi ng t he excl usive property oI some, li ke t he common
craIt s. ALL are apprenti ced t o the part ners, Duty and Honor.
Masonry i s a march and a struggle toward the Light. For t he i ndi vidual as
wel l as the nat i on, Light i s Virt ue, Manli ness, Intel li gence, Liberty.
Tyranny over t he soul or body, is darkness. The Ireest people, li ke t he
Ireest man, i s al ways i n danger oI rel apsi ng i nt o servit ude. Wars are
al most al ways Iatal t o Republ ics. They create tyrant s, and consol idate
t heir power. They spri ng, Ior the most part , Irom evi l counsel s. When the
small and t he base are i nt rusted wit h power, legi sl at ion and admini st rat ion
become but t wo paral lel seri es oI errors and blunders, ending i n war,
calami ty, and the necessity Ior a tyrant. When t he nati on Ieel s it s Ieet
sl iding backward, as iI i t walked on t he ice, the ti me has come Ior a
supreme eIIort . The magni Iicent tyrants oI the past are but t he types oI
t hose oI the Iuture. Men and nat i ons wil l always sel l themsel ves i nto
sl avery, to grati Iy thei r passions and obt ai n revenge. The tyrant ' s pl ea,
necessi ty, i s always avail able; and t he tyrant once in power, t he necessi ty
oI providing Ior hi s saIety makes hi m savage. Rel igion i s a power, and he
must cont rol that. Independent , it s sanct uari es mi ght rebel . Then i t
becomes unl awIul Ior t he peopl e t o worshi p God in t heir own way, and the
old spiri tual despot i sms revive. Men must beli eve as Power wil l s, or di e;
and even i I t hey may beli eve as they wi ll , al l they have, l ands, houses,
body, and soul , are stamped wi th the royal brand. "I am t he Stat e," sai d
Louis the Fourt eent h t o his peasants; "the very shi rt s on your backs are
mine, and I can take them iI I wi ll . "
And dynasti es so establi shed endure, li ke t hat oI t he Caesars oI Rome, oI
t he Caesars oI Constanti nople, oI t he Cal iphs, the St uarts, t he Spani ards,
t he Goths, t he Val oi s, unti l the race wears out , and ends wi th l unat ics and
i di ot s, who st il l rule. There i s no concord among men, t o end the horri bl e
bondage. The St ate Iall s i nwardly, as wel l as by the outward blows oI t he
i ncoherent el ements. The Iuri ous human passions, the sleeping human
i ndolence, t he st ol id human ignorance, t he rivalry oI human castes, are as
good Ior t he kirlgs as the swords oI the Pal adi ns. The worshi ppers have al l
bowed so l ong to the ol d idol, that t hey cannot go i nt o t he st reet s and
choose another Grand Llama. And so t he eIIet e Stat e Iloats on down the
puddled stream oI Ti me, unt il t he t empest or the ti dal sea di scovers t hat
t he worm has consumed i t s strengt h, and i t crumbles int o obl ivion.
* * * * * *
Ci vi l and reli gi ous Freedom must go hand i n hand; and Persecut i on
matures t hem bot h. A people cont ent wi th the thoughts made Ior t hem by
t he pri ests oI a church wil l be content wit h Royal ty by Di vi ne Ri ght , -- the
Church and t he Throne mutually sust aining each other. They wi ll smother
schi sm and reap inIi deli ty and indi IIerence; and whil e t he batt le Ior
Ireedom goes on around t hem, t hey wil l only si nk the more apat het ical ly
i nt o servit ude and a deep t rance, perhaps occasionally i nt errupt ed by
Iurious Iit s oI Irenzy, Iol lowed by hel pl ess exhaust ion.
Despoti sm is not di mcult i n any land that has only known one mast er Irom
i ts chil dhood; but there is no harder problem t han to perIect and
perpet uate Iree government by t he people themsel ves; Ior i t is not one
king that i s needed: all must be ki ngs. It is easy to set up Masaniel lo, t hat
i n a Iew days he may Ial l lower than beIore. But Iree govermnent grows
sl owly, l i ke the indi vidual human Iacul t ies; and l i ke t he Iorest-trees, Irom
t he i nner heart outward. Liberty i s not only t he common birth-right, but i t
i s l ost as wel l by non-user as by mi s-user. It depends Iar more on t he
universal eIIort than any ot her human property. It has no single shri ne or
holy wel l oI pi l gri mage Ior t he nati on; Ior i ts waters should burst out
Ireely Irom t he whol e soi l .
The Iree popul ar power i s one that is only known in it s strength in the
hour oI adversi ty: Ior all i ts trial s, sacriIices and expect ati ons are it s own.
It is trained t o t hi nk Ior i tsel I, and also t o act Ior it selI. When the
ensl aved people prostrat e themselves in t he dust beIore the hurri cane, li ke
t he al armed beasts oI the Ii eld, t he Iree peopl e st and erect beIore it , in all
t he st rength oI uni ty, i n sel I-rel iance, i n mut ual rel iance, wi th eIIront ery
agai nst al l but the vi sibl e hand oI God. It i s neit her cast down by calamity
nor elat ed by success.
Thi s vast power oI endurance, oI Iorbearance, oI pati ence, and oI
perIormance, is only acquired by conti nual exerci se oI al l the Iunct ions,
l ike the heal thIul physical human vigor, li ke the indivi dual moral vi gor.
And t he maxi m i s no less true t han ol d, that et ernal vigi lance i s t he pri ce
oI l i berty. It is curi ous to observe the universal pret ext by which the
tyrant s oI all t i mes take away t he nati onal l ibert i es. It i s stated in the
st atutes oI Edward II., t hat the j usti ces and the sheriII shoul d no l onger be
el ected by the peopl e, on account oI the ri ot s and di ssensions which had
arisen. The same reason was given l ong beIore Ior the suppression oI
popular elect ion oI the bishops; and t here is a wi tness to thi s untrut h in
t he yet older t i mes, when Rome lost her Ireedom, and her i ndignant
ci ti zens declared t hat t umult uous l iberty i s bet ter than disgraceIul
t ranqui ll ity.
* * * * * *
Wi t h the Compasses and Scale, we can trace all t he Iigures used i n the
mathemati cs oI planes, or i n what are cal led GEOMETRY and
TRIGONOMETRY, t wo words t hat are t hemselves deIicient in meaning.
GEOMETRY, whi ch the let t er G. in most Lodges i s sai d t o si gni Iy, means
measurement oI l and or the eart h--or Surveying; and TRIGONOMETRY,
t he measurement oI t ri angl es, or Iigures wit h t hree sides or angl es. The
l att er is by Iar the most appropriate name Ior the sci ence intended t o be
expressed by the word "Geometry." Neit her i s oI a meani ng suIIici ently
wi de: Ior al t hough t he vast surveys oI great spaces oI the earth' s surIace,
and oI coasts, by which shi pwreck and cal ami ty to mariners are avoided,
are eIIected by means oI t ri angul ati on; --t hough i t was by the same method
t hat the French astronomers measured a degree oI l ati t ude and so
est abl i shed a scale oI measures on an i mmutable basis; though i t is by
means oI t he i mmense triangl e t hat has Ior i ts base a l ine drawn in
i magi nat ion bet ween the place oI the eart h now and it s pl ace si x mont hs
hence i n space, and Ior it s apex a planet or st ar, that t he di st ance oI
Jupi ter or Siri us Irom the eart h i s ascert ained; and though there i s a
t ri angle sti ll more vast , i ts base extending ei ther way Irom us, wi th and
past t he hori zon int o i mmensi ty, and it s apex i nIini t ely dist ant above us;
t o which corresponds a si mi lar inIi ni t e triangl e bel ow--what i s above
equall ing what i s bel ow, i mmensi ty equal l ing i mmensi ty; yet t he Sci ence
oI Numbers, to which Pythagoras at tached so much i mport ance, and whose
mysteries are Iound everywhere in the ancient rel igi ons, and most oI all i n
t he Kabal ah and in t he Bib|e, i s not suIIi ci ent ly expressed by eit her the
word "Geomet ry" or t he word "Trigonometry." For t hat science includes
t heseJ wit h Arit hmet i c, and al so wi th Algebra, Logari thms, the Int egral
and Di IIerent i al Calculus; and by means oI i t are worked out the great
probl ems oI Astronomy or t he Laws oI the Stars.
* * * * * *
Virt ue i s but heroic bravery, t o do the thi ng thought t o be t rue, i n spit e oI
al l enemi es oI Ilesh or spi ri t, i n despit e oI al l temptati ons or menaces.
Man i s account abl e Ior the uprightness oI hi s doctri ne, but not Ior t he
rightness oI it . Devout enthusiasm i s Iar easier t han a good act ion. The
end oI t hought i s acti on; t he sole purpose oI Rel i gion i s an Et hi c. Theory,
i n pol i t ical science, i s worthless, except Ior t he purpose oI bei ng real i zed
i n pract i ce.
In every credo, rel igi ous or pol i t ical as i n t he soul oI man, there are t wo
regions, t he Dial ectic and the Ethi c; and it i s only when the two are
harmoni ously blended, that a perIect di scipl ine i s evol ved. There are men
who dial ectically are Christ ians, as t here are a mult it ude who di alect ical ly
are Masons, and yet who are ethical ly InIi dels, as t hese are et hical ly oI the
ProIane, i n t he st rictest sense: --i ntel lect ual bel ievers, but practi cal
at heist s:-- men who wi ll wri t e you "Evi dences, " in perIect Iai th i n t heir
l ogic, but cannot carry out t he Christi an or Masoni c doctrine, owi ng to t he
st rengt h, or weakness, oI the Il esh. On t he other hand, t here are many
dialect ical skept i cs, but ethi cal bel i evers, as there are many Masons who
have never undergone i nit iat ion; and as et hics are t he end and purpose oI
reli gion, so are ethi cal bel i evers t he most wort hy. He who does right is
better t han he who thi nks ri ght .
But you must not act upon the hypot hesis that al l men are hypocri tes,
whose conduct does not square wi th their sent i ment s. No vi ce i s more
rare, Ior no task is more di IIi cult , than syst emat ic hypocri sy. When t he
Demagogue becomes a Usurper i t does not Ioll ow that he was al l t he t i me
a hypocri te. Shall ow men only so j udge oI others.
The truth i s, t hat creed has, in general, very l it tl e i nIl uence on the
conduct ; in religion, on t hat oI t he i ndivi dual; in pol i ti cs, on that oI party.
As a general t hi ng, the Mahometan, i n the Ori ent , i s Iar more honest and
t rust wort hy t han the Chri stian. A Gospel oI Love in the mout h, is an
Avatar oI Persecuti on in t he heart . Men who bel ieve in eternal damnat i on
and a l it eral sea oI Iire and bri mst one, i ncur t he certai nty oI i t , accordi ng
t o t hei r creed, on the sli ght est temptat i on oI appet it e or passi on.
Predesti nati on i nsist s on t he necessi ty oI good works. In Masonry, at the
l east Ilow oI passion, one speaks i ll oI anot her behi nd hi s back; and so Iar
Irom the "Brotherhood" oI Bl ue Masonry being real , and t he sol emn
pledges contained i n t he use oI t he word "Brother" bei ng compl ied wi th,
extraordi nary pai ns are taken t o show that. Masonry is a sort oI
abst ract ion, whi ch scorns to interIere i n worl dly mat ters. The rule may be
regarded as universal , t hat , where there i s a choice to be made, a Mason
wi ll gi ve hi s vot e and inIl uence, in poli ti cs and business, t o t he l ess
quali Ii ed proIane in preIerence t o the bett er qual i Iied Mason. One wi l l
t ake an oat h t o oppose any unlawIul usurpat ion oI power, and then become
t he ready and even eager instrument oI a usurper. Another wil l cal l one
"Brot her, " and then play toward hi m t he part oI Judas Iscariot , or strike
hi m, as Joab di d Abner, under t he IiIth rib, wi th a l ie whose authorship i s
not to be traced. Masonry does not change human nat ure, and cannot make
honest men out oI born knaves.
Whi l e you are sti l l engaged i n preparati on, and i n accumul at i ng pri nci pl es
Ior Iuture use, do not Iorget t he words oI t he Apostle James: "For i I any be
a hearer oI t he word, and not a doer, he is li ke unt o a man beholdi ng hi s
natural Iace i n a glass, Ior he behol det h hi msel I, and goet h away, and
st raightway Iorgetteth what ma1l ner oI man he was; but whoso l ooket h
i nt o t he perIect law oI li berty, and cont inueth, he bei ng not a Iorget Iul
hearer, but a doer oI the work, t hi s man shal l be bl essed i n his work. II
any man among you seem t o be religious, and bri dleth not his t ongue, but
decei vet h his own heart , thi s man' s reli gion i s vain. . . . Fai t h, i I it hat h not
works, i s dead, bei ng an abst ract ion. A man is j ust iIied by works, and not
by Iait h only. . . . The devil s believe, --and t remble. . . . As t he body wit hout
t he heart is dead, so is Iait h wit hout works. "
* * * * * *
In pol it ical sci ence, al so, Iree government s are erected and Iree
const i tuti ons Iramed, upon some si mpl e and intel li gi ble theory. Upon
whatever t heory t hey are based, no sound conclusi on is to be reached
except by carryi ng the t heory out wit hout Il inchi ng, bot h i n argumcnt on
const i tuti onal qucsti ons and in practi ce. Shri nk Irom the true t heory
t hrough ti mi di ty, or wander Irom it t hrougl l want oI t he l ogical Iacul ty, or
t ransgress against it t hrougl l passi on or on t he plea oI necessity or
expediency, and you have deni al or invasion oI rights, laws that oIIend
agai nst Ii rst pri nciples, usurpat i on oI i ll egal powers, or abnegat ion and
abdicat ion oI legit i mat e aut hority.
Do not Iorget , ei ther, t hat as the showy, superIici al, i mpudent and sel I-
concei t ed wi l l al most al ways be preIerred, even i n ut most stress oI danger
and cal amity oI the State, t o t he man oI sol id learni ng, large i ntel lect , and
cat hol ic sympathi es, because he is nearer t he common popular and
l egislati ve l evel , so the hi ghest trut h i s not accept abl e t o the mass oI
manki nd.
When SOLON was asked i I he had given his count rymen the best laws, he
answered, "The best they are capabl e oI receivi ng." Thi s i s one oI t he
proIoundest ut t erances on record; and yet li ke al l great trut hs, so si mpl e as
t o be rarely comprehended. It contai ns t he whol e phil osophy oI Hist ory. It
utters a trut h which, had i t been recogni zed, would have saved men an
i mmensity oI vai n, idl e disputes, and have led them i nt o t he clearer paths
oI knowledge in the Past. It means t hi s, --t hat all trut hs are Truths oI
Peri od, and not trut hs Ior eterni ty; t hat what ever great Iact has had
st rengt h and vit ali ty enough to make it selI real , whet her oI rel igi on,
morals, government, or oI whatever else, and t o Ii nd place in this world,
has been a trut h Ior t he t i me, and as good as men were capable oI
receivi ng.
So, too, wit h great men. The intel lect and capacity oI a people has a si ngl e
measure, --that oI t he great men whom Provi dence gi ves i t, and whom i t
receives. There have al ways been men too great Ior t heir t i me or thei r
peopl e. Every peopl e makes such men only it s i dol s, as it is capabl e oI
comprehending.
To i mpose ideal t ruth or l aw upon an i ncapabl e and merely real man, must
ever be a vai n and empty speculat ion. The l aws oI sympat hy govern i n t hi s
as t hey do in regard t o men who are put at the head. We do not know, as
yet, what qual iIicat ions t he sheep i nsi st on i n a leader. Wi th men who are
t oo high i ntellectual ly, the mass have as li tt le sympat hy as they have wi t h
t he st ars. When BURKE, the wi sest st atesman Engl and ever had, rose t o
speak, t he House oI Commons was depopul at ed as upon an agreed signal.
There i s as l it tl e sympathy bet ween the mass and t he highest TRUTHS.
The highest t ruth, being incomprehensible t o the man oI real i ties, as t he
highest man i s, and l argely above his level , wil l be a great unreali ty and
Ialsehood to an uni ntellectual man. The proIoundest doctrines oI
Chri sti ani ty and Phi l osophy woul d be mere j argon and babbl e t o a
Pot awatomi e Indi an. The popular explanati ons oI t he symbol s oI Masonry
are Ii t ti ng Ior the mul t it ude t hat have swarmed i nt o t he Templ es, --bei ng
Iul ly up to the level oI their capaci ty. Catholi ci sm was a vi tal trut h in it s
earli est ages, but i t became obsolet e, and Protest ant ism arose, Ilouri shed,
and det eri orat ed. The doct ri nes oI ZOROASTER were t he best which the
anci ent Persi ans were Ii t ted to recei ve; t hose oI CONFUCIUS were Ii tt ed
Ior the Chi nese; t hose oI MOHAMMED Ior the idolatrous Arabs oI his
age. Each was Trut h Ior t he ti me. Each was a GOSPEL, preached by a
REFORMER; and i I any men are so li tt l e Iort unat e as t o remai n cont ent
t herewit h, when ot hers have at tained a hi gher t rut h, i t is t hei r misIortune
and not their Iault . They are to be pi tied Ior it , and not persecuted.
Do not expect easi ly to convince men oI t he t rut h, or t o lead them t o thi nk
aright . The subtl e human i ntel lect can weave i ts mi st s over even the
cl earest vi si on. Remember that i t is eccentric enough t o ask unani mi ty
Irom a jury; but to ask i t Irom any large number oI men on any poi nt oI
poli t ical Iai th is amazi ng. You can hardly get two men i n any Congress or
Convent i on to agree; --nay, you can rarely get one to agree wit h hi mselI.
The pol i t ical church whi ch chances t o be supreme anywhere has an
i ndeIini t e number oI tongues. How then can we expect men to agree as to
matt ers beyond t he cogni zance oI t he senses? How can we compass the
InIinit c and the Invisible wit h any chai n oI evi dence? Ask the small sea-
waves what t hey murmur among the pebbles ! How many oI those words
t hat come Irom t he i nvisi ble shore are lost, li ke the birds, i n t he l ong
passage ? How vainly do we strai n t he eyes across the long InIinite ! We
must be content, as t he chil dren are, wi th t he pebbl es that have been
st randed, si nce it i s Iorbidden us t o expl ore the hi dden depths.
The Fell ow-CraIt is especial ly taught by thi s not to become wi se i n his
own conceit . Pride in unsound t heori es is worse than i gnorancc. Humi l i ty
becomes a Mason. Take some qui et, sober moment oI l iIe, and add
t oget her t he t wo i deas oI Pride and Man; behold hi m, creat ure oI a span,
st alking through i nIini t e space i n al l the grandeur oI l it tl eness ! Perched
on a speck oI the Uni verse, every wi nd oI Heaven stri kes i nto hi s blood
t he coldness oI deat h; hi s soul Il oat s avvay Irom hi s body li ke t he mel ody
Irom the string. Day and night , li ke dust on t he wheel, he i s roll ed along
t he heavens, through a labyri nt h oI worl ds, and all t he creati ons oI God
are Il anl i ng on every si de, Iurt her than even hi s i magi nat i on can reach. Is
t hi s a creature t o make Ior hi msel I a crown oI glory, to deny hi s own Ilesh,
t o mock at hi s Iel low, sprung wi th hi m Irom that dust to which bot h wil l
soon ret urn? Does t he proud man not err? Does he not suIIer? Does he not
die? When he reasons, i s he never stopped short by diIIicul ti es ? When he
act s, does he never succumb to the tempt ati ons oI pl easure? When he
l ives, i s he Iree Irom pai n? Do t he diseases not clai m hi m as t hei r prey?
When he di es, can he escape the common grave ? Pride is not t he heri tage
oI man. Humi l ity shoul d dwel l wit h Irai lty, and at one Ior i gnorance, error
and i mperIect ion.
Nei ther shoul d the Mason be over-anxi ous Ior oIIice and honor, however
certai nly he rmay Ieel t hat he has t he capaci ty to serve t he Stat e. He
shoul d neit her seek nor spurn honors. It i s good to enj oy the bl essi ngs oI
Iortune; it i s bet ter t o submi t wit hout a pang to t heir l oss. The greatest
deeds are not done in the glare oI l ight, and beIore the eyes oI t he
populace. He whom God has gi It ed wit h a love oI reti rement possesses, as
i t were, an addi ti onal sense; and among t he vast and noble scenes oI
nature, w e Iind t he bal m Ior the wounds we have recei ved among t he
pit i Iul shi It s oI poli cy; Ior the att achment to sol it ude is t he surest
preservati ve Irom t he i l ls oI li Ie.
But Resignati on is the more noble i n proporti on as i t is t he less passi ve.
Ret irement is only a morbid sel Ii shness, iI i t prohi bit exert ions Ior others;
as i t is only digni Ii ed and noble, when it i s the shade whence the oracl es
i ssue t hat are t o instruct mankind; and ret irement oI this nat ure i s t he sole
secl usion which a good and wi se man wi l l covet or command. The very
phil osophy whi ch makes such a man covet t he qui et , wi l l make hi m
eschew the inut il ity oI t he hermit age. Very l it tl e prai sewort hy would
LORD BOLINGBROKE have seemed among hi s haymakers and
ploughmen, iI among haymakers and ploughmen he had looked wit h an
i ndi IIerent eye upon a proIli gate mini st er and a venal Parl iament . Very
l it tl e i nterest would have at tached t o hi s beans and vetches, i I beans and
vetches had caused hi m to Iorget t hat i I he vvas happier on a Iann he coul d
be more useIul i n a Senate, and made hi m Iorego, in t he sphere oI a
bail iII, al l care Ior re-enteri ng t hat oI a l egisl ator.
Remember, al so, that t herc is an educat i on whi ch quickens t he Intel lect ,
and l eaves t he heart holl ower or harder t han beIore. There are et hi cal
l essons in the laws oI the heavenly bodies, in t he propert ies oI eart hly
el ement s, in geography, chemi stry, geol ogy, and al l the mat eri al sciences.
Thi ngs are symbol s oI Truths. Propert ies are symbols oI Truths. Sci ence,
not teachi ng moral and spirit ual t ruths, i s dead and dry, oI l i t tl e more real
value than t o commi t t o t he menl ory a l ong row oI unconnected dat es, or
oI t he names oI bugs or but terIli es.
Chri sti ani ty, it is sai d, begi ns Irom the burni ng oI the Ial se gods by the
peopl e themsel ves. Educati on begi ns wi th t he burning oI our int ell ectual
and moral i dols: our prej udi ces, not ions, conceit s, our wort h|ess or
i gnoble purposes. Especial ly it i s necessary to shake oII the love oI
worl dly gai n. Wi t h Freedom comes t he longing Ior worldly advancement .
In t hat race men are ever Ial li ng, ri sing, runni ng, and Ial l ing again. The
l ust Ior wealt h and t he abject dread oI poverty del ve t he Iurrows on many
a noble brow. The gambl er grows ol d as he watches t he chances. LawIul
hazard drives Yout h away beIore it s t i me; and t hi s Yout h draws heavy bil ls
oI exchange on Age. Men li ve, l i ke t he engi nes, at high pressure, a
hundred years in a hundred months; t he l edger becomes t he Bi ble, and t he
day-book the Book oI t he Morning Prayer.
Hence Il ow overreachi ngs and sharp practi ce, heart less t raIIi c i n which t he
capi tal ist buys proIi t wi t h t he li ves oI t he l aborers, speculat i ons t hat coi n
a nati on' s agoni es i nt o weal th, and al l the ot her devi li sh cnginery oI
Mammon. This, and greed Ior oIIi ce, are the t wo columns at the entrance
t o t he Templ e oI Mol och. It i s doubt Iul whet her t he lat ter, bl ossoming in
Ialsehood, t ri ckery, and Iraud, i s not even more pernicious t han the
Iormer. At all event s t hey are t wins, and Iit ly mat ed; and as ei ther gai ns
control oI t he unIort unate subject , his soul wi thers away and decays, and
at last dies out . The soul s oI hal I t he human race leave them l ong beIore
t hey die. The t wo greeds are twi n plagues oI the leprosy, and make t he
man unclean; and whenever t hey break out they spread unti l "t hey cover
al l the skin oI hi m t hat hat h t he pl ague, Irom his head even t o his Ioot. "
Even the raw Il esh oI the heart becomes uncl ean wit h i t.
Al exander oI Macedon has leIt a saying behind hi m whi ch has survi ved hi s
conquest s: "Not hi ng is nobl er than work. " Work only can keep even ki ngs
respectable. And when a ki ng i s a king indeed, it i s an honorable oIIi ce to
gi ve t one to the manners and moral s oI a nati on; t o set t he example oI
virtuous conduct, and rest ore in spi ri t the ol d school s oI chi val ry, in whi ch
t he young manhood may be nurt ured to real greatness. Work and wages
wi ll go toget her i n men' s mi nds, i n t he most royal insti tut i ons. We must
ever come t o the idea oI real work. The rest t hat Ioll ows l abor shoul d be
sweet er than t he rest which Iol l ows rest .
Let no Fel low-CraIt i magi ne t hat t he work oI t he l owly and uninIl uent ial
i s not worth the doi ng. There i s no legal l i mit t o t he possible inIluences oI
a good deed or a wi se word or a generous eIIort. Not hi ng i s really small .
Whoever i s open t o the deep penet rat ion oI nature knows this. Al though,
i ndeed, no absolut e sat isIacti on may be vouchsaIed to phil osophy, any
more in circumscri bi ng t he cause than i n li mi ti ng t he eIIect , the man oI
t hought and cont emplat ion Iall s i nt o unIat homabl e ecstaci es i n view oI all
t he decomposit i ons oI Iorces resul ti ng i n uni ty. Al l works Ior al l.
Dest ructi on is not annihi lat i on, but regenerat ion.
Al gebra applies to the cl ouds; t he radi ance oI the st ar beneIi ts t he rose; no
t hi nker woul d dare t o say that t he perIume oI t he hawthorn i s useless to
t he const el lat ions. Who, then, can calcul at e the pat h oI the mol ecul e? How
do we know t hat the creat ions oI worl ds are not determined by the Iall oI
grains oI sand ? Who, then, understands t he reciprocal Ilow and ebb oI t he
i nrlnitely great and the inIi ni tely smal l; t he echoi ng oI causes in the
abysses oI begi nni ng, and the avalanches oI creat i on? A Ileshworm i s oI
account ; t he small i s great; the great i s smal l; al l is in equi li bri um in
necessi ty. There are marvell ous rel ati ons between bei ngs and t hi ngs; in
t hi s inexhaust ibl e Whol e, Irom sun to grub, there i s no scorn: al l need
each ot her. Light does not carry t errest rial perIumes i nt o t he azure dept hs,
wi thout knowi ng what it does wi th them; night distri but es the st el lar
essence to the sleeping plants. Every bi rd whi ch Il ies has the t hread oI t he
InIinit e i n i t s claw. Germi nat ion i ncl udes the hatching oI a meteor, and t he
t ap oI a swall ow' s bi ll , breaki ng the egg; and i t leads Iorward t he birth oI
an eart h-worm and t he advent oI a Socrat es. Where the t el escope ends the
microscope begi ns. Whi ch oI them t he grander view ? A bit oI moul d is a
Plei ad oI Il owers --a nebul a i s an ant-hi ll oI st ars.
There i s the same and a st i ll more wonderIul i nterpenetrati on bet ween t he
t hi ngs oI t he int el l ect and the things oI mat ter. Element s and principl es
are mi ngl ed, combined, espoused, mul t i pl ied one by anot her to such a
degree as t o bri ng the materi al worl d and t he moral world i nt o t he same
l ight . Phenomena are perpet ual ly Iolded back upon themsel ves. In the vast
cosmical changes the universal li Ie comes and goes i n unknown quanti ti es,
enveloping al l i n t he invisi bl e mystery oI t he emanat ions, losi ng no dream
Irom no si ngl e sleep, sowing an ani malcule here, crumbl ing a st ar there,
osci ll ati ng and winding i n curves; making a Iorce oI Light, and an el ement
oI Thought; di ssemi nated and i ndi vi sibl e, di ssolving all save that point
wi thout l engt h, breadth, or t hi ckness, The MYSEF; reduci ng everyt hi ng t o
t he Soul-atom ; maki ng everythi ng blossom i nt o God; ent angl ing all
act ivi ti es, Irom the hi gll est to the lowest, i n t he obscuri ty oI a di zzying
mechani sm; hanging the Il ight oI an i nsect upon t he movement oI the
earth; subordi nat ing, perhaps, i I only by the ident ity oI t he law, t he
eccent ri c evoluti ons oI the comet in the Ii rmament, to t he whirli ngs oI the
i nIusori a in the drop oI water. A mechanism made oI mind, the Iirst mot or
oI which i s the gnat , and i ts last wheel t he zodi ac.
A peasant-boy, gui ding Blucher by the ri ght one oI t wo roads, t he ot her
being i mpassable Ior art il lery, enables hi m t o reach Wat erloo i n t i me t o
save Wel l ington Irom a deIeat t hat would have been a rout ; and so enables
t he kings to i mpri son Napoleon on a barren rock i n mi d-ocean. An
unIai thIul smit h, by the slovenly shoeing oI a horse, causes hi s lameness,
and, he stumbli ng, the career oI his worl d-conqueri ng ri der ends, and the
dest inies oI empi res are changed. A generous oIIicer permi ts an
i mpri soned monarch t o end his game oI chess beIore leadi ng hi m t o t he
block; and meanwhil e t he usurper dies, and the pri soner reascends the
t hrone. An unski ll Iul workman repai rs t he compass, or mal i ce or stupi dity
disarranges i t, t he ship mi st akes her course, the waves swal low a Caesar,
and a new chapter i s writ ten in the hi story oI a worl d. What we cal l
acci dent i s but t he adamanti ne chai n oI indissoluble connecti on bet ween
al l created t hings. The locust, hat ched in the Arabian sands, the smal l
worm t hat destroys the cot ton-bol l, one maki ng Iamine in t he Orient, the
other cl osing t he mi l l s and starving the vvorkmen and t heir chi l dren i n t he
Occi dent , wi t h ri ot s and massacres, are as much t he minist ers oI God as
t he earthquake; and t he Iate oI nat ions depends more on t hem than on t he
i ntell ect oI it s ki ngs and l egislators. A ci vi l war i n Ameri ca wi ll end i n
shaki ng the worl d; and that war may be caused by t he vot e oI some
i gnorant prize-Iighter or crazed Ianat ic in a city or in a Congress, or oI
some st upi d boor in an obscure country pari sh. The el ectrici ty oI universal
sympat hy, oI act ion and reacti on, pervades everything, the pl anet s and the
motes in t he sunbeam. FAUST, wi th his types, or LUTHER, wit h his
sermons, worked greater resul t s t han Al exander or Hannibal. A si ngl e
t hought someti mes suIIices to overt urn a dynasty. A sil ly song did more to
unseat James the Second than t he acqui t tal oI t he Bi shops. Volt aire,
Condorcet , and Rousseau utt ered words that wi l l ring, i n change and
revol ut ions, throughout al l the ages.
Remember, t hat though li Ie is short, Thought and the i nIl uences oI what
we do or say are i mmort al; and t hat no calculus has yet pretended to
ascert ai n t he l aw oI proport i on bet ween cause and eIIect. The hammer oI
an Engli sh blacksmi t h, smi t ing down an insolent oIIi cial , l ed to a
rebel li on whi ch came near bei ng a revoluti on. The word wel l spoken, the
deed Iit ly done, even by the Ieeblest or humblest , cannot hel p but have
t heir eIIect. More or less, the eIIect i s inevit abl e and eternal . The echoes
oI t he greatest deeds may di e away li ke t he echoes oI a cry among the
cl iIIs, and what has been done seem to the human judgment to have been
wi thout result . The unconsi dered act oI t he poorest oI men may Iire the
t rai n t hat leads t o t he subterranean mine, and an empire be rent by t he
expl osion.
The power oI a Iree people is oIt en at t he disposal oI a single and
seemi ngly an uni mportant individual; --a t errible and t ruthIul power; Ior
such a peopl e Ieel wit h one heart, and t hereIore can li It up their myriad
arms Ior a si ngl e bl ow. And, again, t here is no graduat ed scal e Ior the
measurement oI t he i nIluences oI diIIerent intel lect s upon the popul ar
mind. Pet er t he Hermit hel d no oIIi ce, yet what a work he wrought !
* * * * * *
From t he pol it ical point oI view there i s but a si ngle pri nci ple, -- t he
soverei gnty oI man over hi msel I. Thi s sovereignty oI one' s selI over one' s
sel I is cal l ed LIBERTY. Where two or several oI these sovereignt i es
associ ate, the Stat e begi ns. But i n this associ at ion t here is no abdicat i on.
Each sovereignty part s wi th a cert ain port ion oI it selI to Iorm t he common
right. That port ion i s the same Ior al l. There i s equal contri but ion by al l t o
t he j oi nt sovereignty. This ident i ty oI concession which each makes t o al l ,
i s EQUALITY. The common right i s nothing more or less t han the
prot ecti on oI al l, pouri ng i ts rays on each. Thi s protect ion oI each by all ,
i s FRATERNITY.
Li berty is t he summi t , Equali ty the base. Equal ity i s not all vegetati on on
a level , a society oI big spears oI grass and st unted oaks, a nei ghborhood
oI j ealousies, emasculat i l lg each ot her. It is, civi lly, al l apt it udes havi ng
equal opportuni ty; pol it ical ly, all vot es havi ng equal weight; religiously,
al l consci ences havi ng equal right s.
Equali ty has an organ;--grat uit ous and obligat ory i nstruct ion. We must
begi n wit h the right to t he al phabet. The pri mary school obligat ory upon
al l; t he hi gher school oIIered to all . Such i s the law. From the same school
Ior al l spri ngs equal society. Inst ructi on ! Light ! all comes Irom Light ,
and al l ret urns t o i t.
We must l earn the t houghts oI the common peopl e, i I we would be wise
and do any good work. We must l ook at men, not so much Ior what
Fort une has given to t hem wit h her bl ind ol d eyes, as Ior t he gi It s Nat ure
has brought i n her lap, and Ior the use that has been made oI them. We
proIess t o be equal i n a Church and in the Lodge: we shall be equal i n the
sight oI God when He judges the earth. We may wel l si t on t he pavement
t oget her here, i n communi on and conIerence, Ior the Iew bri eI moments
t hat const it ut e l i Ie.
A Democrati c Government undoubt edly has it s deIects, because i t is made
and admi nist ered by men, and not by t he Wi se Gods. It cannot be conci se
and sharp, li ke the despoti c. When it s ire i s aroused it develops i ts lat ent
st rengt h, and the st urdiest rebel trembl es. But i ts habi tual domesti c rule is
t olerant , pat i ent , and i ndeci sive. Men are brought t oget her, Iirst to di IIer,
and t hen to agree. AIIirmat i on, negati on, discussi on, sol ut ion: these are
t he means oI attaini ng truth. OIt en t he enemy wil l be at t he gat es beIore
t he babbl e oI t he dist urbers is drowned in the chorus oI consent . In t he
Legi slat ive oIIi ce del iberat ion wi ll oIten deIeat decisi on. Liberty can pl ay
t he Iool l i ke t he Tyrant s
ReIined society requi res greater mi nuteness oI regulat i on; and the steps oI
al l advanci ng St ates are more and more t o be pi cked among t he old
rubbi sh and the new matcri als. The diIIi cul ty li es i n discoveri ng t he right
path through t he chaos oI conIusion. The adjust ment oI mutual rights and
wrongs is al so more diIIi cul t i n democraci es. We do not see and est i mat e
t he relat i ve i mport ance oI object s so easily and cl early Irom t he l evel or
t he waving iand as Irom the el evati on oI a l one peak, toweri ng above the
plai n; Ior each l ooks through his own mi st.
Abject dependence on const i t uent s, also, is too common. It is as miserabl e
a thi ng as abject dependence on a mini ster or the Iavori t e oI a Tyrant . It i s
rare to Ii nd a man who can speak out t he si mple t rut h t hat is in hi m,
honest ly and Irankly, wi thout Iear, Iavor, or aIIect ion, eit her to Emperor
or Peopl e.
Moreover, i n assembli es oI men, Iai th i n each ot her is al most al ways
wanti ng, unl ess a t errible pressure oI cal ami ty or danger Irom wit hout
produces cohesion. Hence t he construct ive power oI such assembl ies i s
generally deIi cient . The chi eI tri umphs oI modern days, in Europe, have
been i n pull ing down and obl it erat ing; not i n buil di ng up. But Repeal is
not ReIorm. Ti me must bring wit h hi m t he Rest orer and Rebui lder.
Speech, al so, is grossly abused i n Republ ics; and i I the use oI speech be
gl orious, i ts abuse is t he most vi ll ai nous oI vi ces. Rhetoric, Plat o says, i s
t he art oI ruli ng t he minds oI men. But i n democracies it is too common to
hide thought i n words, t o overlay i t, t o babbl e nonsense. The gl eams and
gl it ter oI i nt el l ect ual soap-and-water bubbl es are mistaken Ior the
rainbow-glori es oI geni us. The wort hl ess pyrit es i s cont i nual ly mi staken
Ior gol d. Even i nt ell ect condescends t o i nt ell ectual j ugglery, balanci ng
t hought s as a j uggl er balances pipes on hi s chi n. In al l Congresses we
have t he i nexhaust ibl e Il ow oI babble, and Facti on' s clamorous knavery in
discussi on, unti l the di vine power oI speech, that privi lege oI man and
great giIt oI God, is no bet ter than t he screech oI parrot s or t he mi micry oI
monkeys. The mere t al ker, however Il uent, is barren oI deeds in the day oI
t ri al.
There are men voluble as women, and as well skil led in Iencing wit h the
t ongue: prodigies oI speech, mi sers i n deeds. Too much cal king, l ike t oo
much thinking, dest roys t he power oI act ion. In human nature, the t hought
i s only made perIect by deed. Si lence i s the mother oI bot h. The trumpeter
i s not the bravest oI the brave. St eel and not brass wi ns t he day. The great
doer oI great deeds is most ly sl ow and sl ovenly oI speech. There are some
men born and brcd to betray. Pat ri ot ism i s their trade, and their capi tal i s
speech. But no nobl e spi ri t can plead li ke Paul and be Ial se t o i tsel I as
Judas.
Impost ure too commonly rul es in republ ics; t hey seem t o be ever i n t hei r
minori ty; thei r guardians are selI-appoi nted; and tl he unjust thri ve bet ter
t han the just. The Despot , l ike the ni ght -l ion roaring, drowns al l t he
cl amor oI tongues at once, and speech, t he birthright oI t he Iree man,
becomes the bauble oI the enslaved.
It is qui te true t hat republ ics only occasi onal ly, and as i t were
acci dent al ly, select t heir wisest, or even t he l ess incapabl e among the
i ncapables, to govern them and l egislate Ior t hem. II genius, armed wit h
l earning and knowledge, wi ll grasp t he reins, t he peopl e wi ll reverence it ;
i I i t only modestly oIIers it selI Ior oIIi ce, i t wi l l be smit ten on t he Iace,
even when, in the strai t s oI dist ress and t he agonies oI calamity, i t is
i ndi spensable to the salvati on oI the State. Put i t upon t he t rack wi th the
showy and superIici al, t he conceit ed, the ignorant , and i mpudent , t he
t ri ckster and charl at an, and the result shal l not be a moment doubt Iul . The
verdi cts oI Legislatures and t he People are l ike the verdi ct s oI juries, --
someti mes right by accident.
OIIices, it i s true, are showered, li ke t he rai ns oI Heaven, upon t he j ust
and t he unjust. The Roman Augurs t hat used to laugh i n each ot her' s Iaces
at t he si mpl icity oI t he vulgar, were also ti ckl ed wit h t heir own guil e; but
no Augur i s needed t o lead the people ast ray. They readi ly decei ve
t hemsel ves. Let a Republ i c begi n as it may, i t wil l not be out oI i ts
minori ty beIore i mbeci li ty wil l be promot ed to hi gh places; and shal low
pretence, get ti ng i t sel I puIIed i nt o noti ce, wil l invade al l the sanct uari es.
The most unscrupul ous parti sanshi p wi ll prevai l, even i n respect to
j udi cial t rusts; and the most unj ust appoint ment s const ant ly be made,
al though every i mproper promot ion not merely conIers one undeserved
Iavor, but may make a hundred honest cheeks smart wit h i nj ust ice.
The country i s stabbed in the Iront when those are brought i nt o t he st all ed
seat s who shoul d sli nk i nto t he di m gall ery. Every stamp oI Honor, i ll -
cl utched, is st ol en Irom the Treasury oI Merit .
Yet t he entrance i nto t he publ ic servi ce, and t he promot ion in it , aIIect
both t he rights oI individuals and those oI t he nat i on. Inj usti ce i n
best owi ng or wit hholdi ng oIIi ce ought t o be so int ol erabl e i n democrati c
communi ti es t hat the least trace oI i t shoul d be li ke t he scent oI Treason.
It is not universal ly true t hat all ci ti zens oI equal character have an equal
cl ai m t o knock at the door oI every publ ic oIIice and demand admi tt ance.
When any man present s hi msel I Ior servi ce he has a right to aspire t o the
highest body at once, iI he can show his Iit ness Ior such a begi nning, --that
he is Ii tt er than t he rest who oIIer themsel ves Ior the same post . The ent ry
i nt o i t can only just ly be made through the door oI merit . And whenever
any one aspires t o and attai ns such high post, especial ly iI by unIair and
disreput able and indecent means, and i s aIt erward Iound to be a signal
Iail ure, he should at once be beheaded. He i s t he worst among the public
enemi es.
When a man sumcient ly reveals hi mselI, al l ot hers shoul d be proud to give
hi m due precedence. When t he power oI promot ion i s abused i n t he grand
passages oI l i Ie whet her by People, Legislature, or Execut ive, t he unj ust
deci si on recoi ls on the judge at once. That i s not only a gross, but a
wi ll Iul shortness oI sight, that cannot discover the deserving. II one wil l
l ook hard, long, and honestly, he wil l not Iail t o discern meri t, geni us, and
quali Ii cati on; and t he eyes and voi ce oI t he Press and Publ i c shoul d
condemn and denounce i njusti ce wherever she rears her horrid head.
"The tool s to t he workmen!" no ot her pri nci pl e wil l save a Republi c Irom
dest ructi on, ei ther by ci vil war or t he dry-rot . They tend t o decay, do al l
we can t o prevent it , l ike human bodies. II they try t he experi ment oI
governing themselves by their smal lest , they sli de downward to t he
unavoidable abyss wi th tenIold vel ocity; and there never has been a
Republ ic that has not Iol lowed t hat Iatal course.
But however pal pabl e and gross t he i nherent deIects oI democrat ic
government s, and Iatal as the resul ts Ii nal ly and inevit ably are, we need
only glance at the rei gns oI Tiberi us, Nero, and Cal igula, oI Hel iogabalus
and Caracalla, oI Domi ti an and Commodus, to recognize t hat the
diIIerence between Ireedom and despot ism is as wi de as t hat bet ween
Heaven and Hel l. The cruel ty, baseness, and insanity oI tyrants are
i ncredibl e. Let hi m who compl ai ns oI t he Ii ckle humors and inconst ancy
oI a Iree people, read Pli ny' s charact er oI Domit i an. II t he great man in a
Republ ic cannot win omce wit hout descending to low arts and whini ng
beggary and t he j udici ous use oI sneaking li es, l et hi m remai n in
reti rement , and use the pen. Taci tus and Juvenal hel d no oIIice. Let
Hi story and Sat ire puni sh t he pret ender as t hey cruci Iy the despot. The
revenges oI the intel lect are terri ble and just.
Let Masonry use the pen and the print i ng-press in the Iree State agai nst
t he Demagogue; i n t he Despot ism against the Tyrant. Hi story oIIers
exampl es and encouragement . Al l hi story, Ior Iour t housand years, being
Iil led wi th vi olated rights and the suIIerings oI t he peopl e, each period oI
hist ory brings wi th it such prot est as is possible t o it . Under t he Caesars
t here was no i nsurrect ion, but t here was a Juvenal. The arousi ng oI
i ndi gnat i on replaces the Gracchi. Under t he Caesars t here is the exi l e oI
Syene; t here is also the aut hor oI t he Annals. As the Neros reign darkly
t hey shoul d be pict ured so. Work wit h the graver only would be pale; i nt o
t he grooves shoul d be poured a concentrated prose that bit es.
Despots are an ai d t o t hi nkers. Speech enchained is speech terri ble. The
writ er doubles and triples his style, when si lence is i mposed by a mast er
upon the people. There spri ngs Irom t hi s sil ence a certain myst eri ous
Iul l ness, whi ch Ii lters and Ireezes int o brass in t he t hought s. Compression
i n t he hist ory produces conciseness i n the hi st ori an. The granit ic sol idi ty
oI some cel ebrated prose i s only a condensat ion produced by t he Tyrant .
Tyranny const rai ns the wri ter t o short eni ngs oI diameter which are
i ncreases oI strengt h. The Ci ceronian period, hardly sumci ent upon Verres,
woul d l ose i ts edge upon Cali gul a.
The Demagogue is the predecessor oI t he Despot. One spri ngs Irom the
other' s l oi ns. He who wi l l basely Iawn on those who have oIIice t o bestow,
wi ll betray l ike Iscariot, and prove a mi serable and pi t iable Iail ure. Let
t he new Junius l ash such men as they deserve, and Hi story make them
i mmortal i n i nIamy; si nce t heir i nIluences cul mi nate in rui n. The Republ ic
t hat employs and honors t he shal low, t he superIi ci al , t he base,
"who crouch
Unto the oIIal oI an oIIice promi sed, "
at last weeps tears oI blood Ior i ts Iatal error. OI such supreme Iol ly, the
sure Irui t i s damnati on. Let t he nobi li ty oI every great heart , condensed
i nt o j ust ice and t ruth, st ri ke such creatures l i ke a t hunderbol t ! II you can
do no more, you can at least condemn by your vote, and ost raci se by
denunci ati on.
It is true t hat , as the Czars are absol ute, t hey have i t in their power to
sel ect t he best Ior t he publ ic service. It i s true that t he beginner oI a
dynasty general ly does so; and that when monarchies are i n t heir pri me,
pretence and shal lowness do not thri ve and prosper and get power, as they
do i n Republics. All do not gabbl e i n t he Parliament oI a Kingdom, as in
t he Congress oI a Democracy. The i ncapables do not go undetected t here,
al l thei r li ves.
But dynasti es speedily decay and run out. At last they dwindle down i nto
i mbecil ity; and the dul l or Il i ppant Members oI Congresses are at least t he
i ntell ectual peers oI t he vast maj ori ty oI kings. The great man, t he Juli us
Caesar, the Charlemagne, Cromwel l, Napoleon, reigns oI right. He i s the
wi sest and the strongest . The incapabl es and i mbeci les succeed and are
usurpers; and Iear makes t hem cruel. AIter Juli us came Caracall a and
Gal ba; aIt er Charlemagne, the l unat i c Charl es the Si xt h. So the Saraceni c
dynasty dwi ndled out ; the Capet s, t he St uarts, the Bourbc1ns; the last oI
t hese produci ng Bomba, the ape oI Domi t ian.
Man i s by nature cruel , l ike the t igers. The barbari an, and the tool oI t he
tyrant , and the civi l i zed Ianat ic, enj oy t he suIIeri ngs oI ot hers, as t he
chil dren enj oy t he cont orti ons oI mai med Ili es. Absolut e Power, once in
Iear Ior t he saIety oI it s t enure, cannot but be cruel .
As t o abi li ty, dynast ies invari ably cease t o possess any aIt er a Iew l i ves.
They become mere shams, governed by mi nist ers, Iavorit es, or courtesans,
l ike those old Et ruscan kings, sl umberi ng Ior l ong ages in their gol den
royal robes, di ssolving Iorever at t he Iirst breat h oI day. Let hi m who
compl ains oI t he short comi ngs oI democracy ask hi mselI i I he would
preIer a Du Barry or a Pompadour, governi ng i n t he name oI a Louis t he
FiIteent h, a Cal igula maki ng his horse a consul, a Domi ti an, "t hat most
savage monst er, " who someti mes drank the bl ood oI relat ives, someti mes
employi ng hi msel I wi th slaughtering the most dist ingui shed ci t izens
beIore whose gat es Iear and terror kept wat ch; a tyrant oI IrightIul aspect,
pri de on hi s Iorehead, Ii re in hi s eye, const ant ly seeki ng darkness and
secrecy, and only emerging Irom hi s sol it ude to make sol i t ude. AIt er all ,
i n a Iree government , t he Laws and the Const i tut i on are above the
Incapables, the Court s correct t heir l egisl ati on, and posterity i s t he Grand
Inquest that passes judgment on them. What i s the excl usi on oI wort h and
i ntell ect and knowl edge Irom civil oIIi ce compared wi t h t ri al s beIore
JeIIri es, t ortures i n the dark caverns oI the Inquisit ion, Alvabutcheri es i n
t he Net herlands, the Eve oI Saint Barthol omew, and the Si ci lian Vespers?
* * * * * *
The Abbe Barruel i n his Memoirs Ior t he Hist ory oI Jacobi nism, declares
t hat Masonry i n France gave, as it s secret, the words Equal i ty and Liberty,
l eaving i t Ior every honest and religious Mason to explain them as woul d
best sui t hi s pri nciples; but retai ned the privil ege oI unvei li ng i n t he
higher Degrees the meaning oI t hose words, as int erpret ed by t he French
Revol uti on. And he also except s Engl ish Masons Irom hi s anat hemas,
because in Engl and a Mason is a peaceable subj ect oI the ci vil authori ti es,
no matt er where he resides, engagi ng i n no plot s or conspiracies agai nst
even t he worst government . Engl and, he says, disgust ed wit h an Equal ity
and a Liberty, the consequences oI which she had Iel t i n the struggles oI
her Loll ards, Anabapti sts, and Presbyteri ans, had "purged her Masonry"
Irom all explanati ons tending to overt urn empires; but t here sti ll remai ned
adepts whom disorgani zi ng pri nci ples bound to the Ancient Mysteries.
Because t rue Masonry, unemasculat ed, bore t he banners oI Freedom and
Equal Ri ght s, and was in rebell ion agai nst temporal and spiri tual tyranny,
i ts Lodges were proscribed i n 1735, by an edict oI the St ates oI Hol land.
In 1737, Loui s XV. Iorbade t hem in France. In 1738, Pope Clement XII.
i ssued agai nst t hem hi s Iamous Bul l oI Excommunicat ion, whi ch was
renewed by Benedict XIV. ; and i n 1743 the Counci l oI Berne al so
proscribed t hem. The ti tl e oI t he Rull oI Clement is, "The Condemnati on
oI t he Society oI Conventicles de Li beri Murat ori , or oI the Freemasons,
under t he penalty oI i pso Iact o excommuni cati on, the absolut i on Irom
which is reserved t o the Pope al one, except at the point oI death. " And by
i t all bi shops, ordi naries, and inqui sit ors were empowered t o punish
Freemasons, "as vehemently suspect ed oI heresy, " and t o cal l in, i I
necessary, t he help oI the secul ar arm; t hat i s, t o cause the civi l aut hori ty
t o put t hem to deat h.
* * * * * *
Al so, Ial se and slavish pol i tical t heori es end in brut al i zing t he Stat e. For
exampl e, adopt t he theory that oIIi ces and empl oyment s i n i t are to be
gi ven as rewards Ior services rendered to party, and they soon become the
prey and spoi l oI Iact ion, t he booty oI the vi ctory oI Iact ion;--and l eprosy
i s i n t he Ilesh oI t he State. The body oI the commonweal th becomes a
mass oI corrupt ion, li ke a l ivi ng carcass rot ten wi th syphil is. All unsound
t heori es in the end devel op themsel ves i n one Ioul and l oat hsome di sease
or ot her oI the body poli t ic. The Stat e, li ke t he man, must use const ant
eIIort t o st ay i n t he paths oI virt ue and manl iness. The habi t oI
el ecti oneering and begging Ior oIIi ce cul mi nat es i n bri bery wit h oIIi ce,
and corrupt ion i n oIIice.
A chosen man has a visi ble trust Irom God, as pl ainly as iI t he commissi on
were engrossed by t he not ary. A nati on cannot renounce t he execut orshi p
oI t he Divine decrees. As li tt l e can Masonry. It must labor t o do i ts duty
knowi ngly and wi sely. We must remember t hat , i n Iree St at es, as wel l as i n
despot isms, Injust ice, the spouse oI Oppressi on, i s t he IruitIul parent oI
Decei t , Di st rust , Hatred, Conspi racy, Treason, and UnIai thIul ness. Even in
assai li ng Tyranny we must have Trut h and Reason as our chi eI weapons.
We must march into that Iight li ke the old Purit ans, or into the bat tl e wi t h
t he abuses t hat spring up in Iree government , wi t h t he Ilaming sword in
one hand, and the Oracl es oI God i n the ot her.
The citi zen who cannot accompli sh well t he small er purposes oI publ i c
l iIe, cannot compass t he larger. The vast power oI endurance, Iorbearance,
patience, and perIormance, oI a Iree peopl e, i s acquired only by conti nual
exerci se oI al l the Iuncti ons, l ike the heal thIul physical human vi gor. II
t he i ndivi dual ci ti zens have it not, t he Stat e must equal ly be wit hout it . It
i s oI t he essence oI a Iree government , that t he people shoul d not only be
concerned i n maki ng t he l aws, but al so i n t hei r executi on. No man ought
t o be more ready to obey and admi ni st er the law than he who has hel ped t o
make i t. The busi ness oI government i s carri ed on Ior t he beneIi t oI all ,
and every co-part ner shoul d give counsel and cooperat i on.
Remember al so, as another shoal on whi ch States are wrecked, that Iree
Stat es al ways tend toward the deposit ing oI t he ci t i zens in strata, the
creati on oI castes, the perpetuati on oI the j us divi nurn to oIIice i n
Iami l i es. The more democrat ic t he St ate, the more sure this resul t. For, as
Iree St at es advance in power, t here is a strong tendency t oward
cent ral i zati on, not Irom del iberate evi l int ent ion, but Irom t he course oI
events and the indol ence oI human nat ure. The executi ve powers swel l and
enlarge to i nordi nate di mensi ons; and t he Execut i ve i s always aggressive
wi th respect to the nat ion. OIIices oI all ki nds are mul ti pl ied t o reward
parti sans; t he brut e Iorce oI t he sewerage and lower st rat a oI t he mob
obtai ns large represent ati on, Iirst in the lower oIIi ces, and at last i n
Senat es; and Bureaucracy rai ses i t s bald head, brist li ng wi t h pens, girded
wi th spect acles, and bunched wit h ribbon. The art oI Government becomes
l ike a CraIt , and i ts gui lds tend t o become excl usi ve, as those oI t he
Mi ddl e Ages.
Pol i t ical science may be much i mproved as a subj ect oI specul ati on; but it
shoul d never be divorced Irom t he act ual nat ional necessity. The sci ence
oI governi ng men must always be pract ical , rather t han phi losophical .
There i s not t he same amount oI posi ti ve or uni versal t rut h here as i n the
abst ract sciences; what is true i n one count ry may be very Ial se in another;
what is untrue to-day may become true in another generati on, and t he t ruth
oI t o-day be reversed by the judgment oI to-morrow. To di st i ngui sh t he
casual Irom t he enduri ng, to separat e t he unsui t abl e Irom the sui tabl e, and
t o make progress even possibl e, are t he proper ends oI policy. But wi thout
act ual knowledge and experi ence, and communi on oI l abor, t he dreams oI
t he pol it ical doct ors may be no bet ter than t hose oI the doctors oI di vinity.
The reign oI such a cast e, wit h i ts myst eri es, i ts myrmi dons, and i t s
corrupt ing inIl uence, may be as Iat al as that oI the despots. Thirty tyrants
are thirty ti mes worse than one.
Moreover, t here is a strong temptati on Ior t he governi ng people to become
as much slothIul and sl uggards as t he weakest oI absol ute ki ngs. Only give
t hem the power to get ri d, when capri ce prompt s t hem, oI t he great and
wi se men, and elect the li tt le, and as t o al l the rest t hey wil l relapse into
i ndolence and indiIIerence. The central power, creat ion oI the peopl e,
organi zed and cunning iI not enl ightened, i s t he perpet ual tribunal set up
by t hem Ior t he redress oI wrong and the rule oI justice. It soon suppl ies
i tsel I wit h al l the requi site machinery, and i s ready and apt Ior al l kinds oI
i nterIerence. The peopl e may be a chi ld all i t s li Ie. The central power may
not be able t o suggest the best scient i Iic sol uti on oI a problem; but i t has
t he easi est means oI carrying an i dea int o eIIect. II t he purpose t o be
at tai ned is a large one, i t requires a l arge comprehension; it i s proper Ior
t he act ion oI the central power. II it be a smal l one, i t may be t hwarted by
disagreement . The central power must step i n as an arbi trat or and prevent
t hi s. The people may be t oo averse to change, too sl ot hIul in their own
business, unjust to a mi nori ty or a maj ori ty. The cent ral power must t ake
t he reins when t he peopl e drop them.
France became centrali zed in it s government more by the apat hy and
i gnorance oI it s people than by the tyranny oI it s ki ngs. When t he i nmost
pari sh-l iIe i s gi ven up t o the di rect guardianshi p oI t he St ate, and the
repair oI the bel Iry oI a count ry church requires a wri tt en order Irom the
cent ral power, a people is i n it s dotage. Men are thus nurtured in
i mbecil ity, Irom t he dawn oI soci al l iIe. When the cent ral government
Ieeds part oI t he peopl e it prepares al l to be sl aves. When i t directs pari sh
and county aIIai rs, they are slaves already. The next step is to regulate
l abor and i t s wages.
Nevert heless, what ever Ioll ies the Iree people may commi t , even to the
putt i ng oI t he powers oI l egisl at i on in the hands oI t he l it tl e compet ent
and l ess honest , despai r not oI the Ii nal result . The terri bl e teacher,
EXPERIENCE, writ ing hi s lessons on heart s desol ated wi t h cal ami ty and
wrung by agony, wil l make thell l wiser in t i me. Pret ence and gri mace and
sordi d beggary Ior votes wil l some day cease to avai l. Have FAITH, and
st ruggle on, agai nst al l evil i nIl uences and discouragement s! FAITH i s the
Savi our and Redeemer oI nat ions. When Chri stianity had grown weak,
proIit less, and powerl ess, t he Arab Rest orer and Iconoclast came, l ike a
cl eansing hurricane. When the batt le oI Damascus was about t o be Iought ,
t he Chri sti an bishop, at the early dawn, in hi s robes, at the head oI hi s
cl ergy, wit ll t rl e Cross once so triumphant raised in the air, came down t o
t he gat es oI t he ci ty, and lai d open beIore the army t he Test ament oI
Chri st. The Chri sti an general , THOMAS, laid hi s hand on t he book, and
sai d, "Oh God ! II our Iai th be true, ai d us, and del iver us not i nt o t he
hands oI it s enemies!" But KHALED, "the Sword oI God, " who had
marched Irom vict ory t o vict ory, excl ai med to hi s weari ed soldiers, "Let
no man sl eep! There wi ll be rest enough i n the bowers oI Paradise; sweet
wi ll be the repose never more t o be Iol lowed by labor. " The Iai th oI t he
Arab had become stronger t han t hat oI the Christ ian, and he conquered.
The Sword is also, i n t he Bi ble, an embl em oI SPEECH, or oI t he
utterance oI thought . Thus, in t hat vi sion or apocalypse oI t he subl i me
exil e oI Pat mos, a protest in t he name oI t he ideal , overwhel mi ng t he real
worl d, a tremendous sati re ut tered i n the name oI Rel igi on and Liberty,
and wi th i ts Iiery reverberat ions smi t ing t he t hrone oI the Gesars, a sharp
t wo-edged sword comes out oI the mout h oI t he Sembl ance oI the Son oI
Man, enci rcl ed by t he seven gol den candl esti cks, and hol di ng i n his ri ght
hand seven st ars. "The Lord, " says Isaiah, "hat h made my mouth l ike a
sharp sword. " "I have slain them, " says Hosea, "by t he words oI my
mout h. " "The word oI God, " says the writ er oI the apost ol ic let ter to t he
Hebrews, "i s quick and powerIul , and sharper than any t wo-edged sword,
piercing even to the di vi ding asunder oI soul and spiri t . " "The sword oI
t he Spi rit , which is the Word oI God, " says Paul, wri t ing to t he Chri sti ans
at Ephesus. "I wil l Ii ght against t hem wi th the sword oI my mout h," it i s
sai d i n the Apocalypse, t o the angel oI the church at Pergamos.
* * * * * *
The spoken di scourse may rol l on st rongly as t he great ti dal wave; but ,
l ike the wave, i t dies at l ast Ieebly on t he sands. It i s heard by Iew,
remembered by sti ll Iewer, and Iades away, l i ke an echo in t he mountai ns,
l eaving no t oken oI power. It i s not hing to tl le l i vi ng and comi ng
generati ons oI men. It was t he wri tt en hul ll an speech, t hat gave power and
permanence t o human t hought . It is this t hat makes t he whole human
hist ory but one i ndivi dual l iIe.
To write on the rock i s t o wri te on a soli d parchment; but it requires a
pilgri mage t o see it . There i s but one copy, and Ti me wears even that. To
writ e on skins or papyrus was t o gi ve, as it were, but one tardy edit i on,
and t he rich only coul d procure it . The Chi nese st ereotyped not only t he
unchangi ng wisdom oI oi d sages, but al so t he passi ng event s. The process
t ended to suIIocate thought, and to hi nder progress; Ior t here is cont inual
wanderi ng in the wi sest minds, and Trut h writes her last words, not on
cl ean t ablets, but on t he scrawl that Error has made and oIten mended.
Print ing made t he movable lett ers proli Ii c. ThenceIorth the orat or spoke
al most visi bly t o l ist eni ng nat ions; and the aut hor wrot e, li ke t he Pope, his
cecumeni c decreesJ urbi et orbi , and ordered them t o be posted up in al l
t he market-pl aces; remai ning, i I he chose, i mpervious t o human sight. The
doom oI tyranni es was t henceIort h sealed. Sati re and invecti ve became
potent as armies. The unseen hands oI the Juniuses could launch the
t hunderbol ts, and make the mi ni st ers t remble. One whi sper Irom t hi s giant
Iil ls t he eart h as easi ly as Demosthenes Iil led t he Agora. It wil l soon be
heard at t he anti podes as easi ly as in t he next street. It travels wit h the
l ight ni ng under t he oceans. It makes t he mass one man, speaks t o i t in the
same comtnon language, and el icit s a sure and si ngl e response. Speech
passes int o thought , and thence promptly int o act . A nati on becomes truly
one, wit h one l arge heart and a si ngl e t hrobbi ng pul se. Men are invisi bly
present t o each ot her, as iI already spiri t ual bei ngs; and t he t hi nker who
si ts in an Al pi ne sol it ude, unknown to or Iorgott en by al l the world, among
t he si lent herds and hi ll s, may Ilash hi s words to all t l l e ci ties and over al l
t he seas.
Select t he t hi nkers t o be Legi sl ators; and avoi d the gabbl ers. Wi sdom is
rarely l oquaci ous. Wei ght and dept h oI t hougbt are unIavorabl e t o
volubi l i ty. The shal l ow and superIici al are generally vol ubl e and oIten
pass Ior el oquent . More words, l ess t hought, --is the general rule. The man
who endeavors t o say somethi ng worth rememberi ng i n every sent ence,
becomes Iast i di ous, and condenses l ike Taci tus. The vul gar love a more
diIIuse stream. The ornament ati on t hat does not cover st rength is the
gewgaws oI babble.
Nei ther is dialectic subt lety valuable to publi c men. The Chri stian Iait h
has i t , had i t Iormerly more than now; a subtl ety that might have ent angled
Plat o, and whi ch has rival led i n a Iruit less Iashi on the myst i c lore oI
Jewish Rabbi s and Indian Sages. It is not this which converts t he heathen.
It is a vai n t ask t o balance the great t hought s oI t he earth, l ike hol l ow
st raws, on the Iingerti ps oI di sput ati on. It is not this kind oI warIare
whicl l makes the Cross tri umphant i n t he heart s oI t he unbel ievers; but t he
act ual power t hat l ives in the Fai th.
So there i s a poli t ical schol asti cism t hat is merely useless. The dext eri ti es
oI subt le l ogi c rarely st i r the hearts oI the people, or convince t hem. The
t rue apost le oI Li berty, Fraterni ty and Equal ity makes i t a mat ter oI l iIe
and deat h. Hi s combats are l i ke t hose oI Bossuet, -- combat s t o t he death.
The true apostoli c Iire is li ke t he l ight ning: i t Il ashes convi ct i on int o the
soul. The true word is verily a t wo-edged sword. Mat ters oI government
and poli ti cal science can be Iai rly deal t wi th only by sound reason, and t he
l ogic oI common sense: not the common sense oI the ignorant, but oI the
wi se. The acut est t hi nkers rarely succeed in becomi ng l eaders oI men. A
wat chword or a catchword is more potent wit h t he peopl e t han logi c,
especi ally i I this be the least metaphysical . When a poli ti cal prophet
arises, to sti r the dreami ng, stagnant nat i on, and hold back i t s Ieet Irom
t he i rretrievable descent , t o heave t he land as wi t h an eart hquake, and
shake t he si lly-shall ow i dols Irom their seats, hi s words vvi ll come
st raight Irom God' s own nlouth, and be t hundered int o t he conscience. He
wi ll reason, teach, warn, and rule. The real "Sword oI the Spirit " is keener
t han the brightest bl ade oI Damascus. Such men rul e a l and, i n t he
st rengt h oI justi ce, wi th wi sdom and wi th power. St il l , t he men oI
dialect ic subt lety oIt en rul e wel l , because in pract ice they Iorget t hei r
Iinely-spun t heories, and use t he t renchant l ogic oI common sense. But
when t he great heart and l arge int el l ect are l eIt t o the rust i n pri vat e li Ie,
and small att orneys, brawl ers i n poli ti cs, and those who i n t he ci ti es
woul d be only the clerks oI notari es, or pract it ioners in the di sreputable
court s, are made nati onal Legisl ators, the country i s i n her dot age. even i I
t he beard has not yet grown upon her chi n.
In a Iree country, human speech must needs be Iree; and the Stat e must
l ist en t o the maunderings oI Iolly, and t he screechings oI i ts geese, and the
brayi ngs oI i t s asses, as wel l as t o t he golden oracles oI it s wi se and great
men. Even t he despot i c ol d kings all owed their wi se Iool s to say what they
l iked. The t rue alchel ll ist will ext ract the lessons oI wisdom Irom the
babbl ings oI Iolly. He wi l l hear what a man has t o say on any gi ven
subject , even i I the speaker end only in provi ng hi mselI pri nce oI Iools.
Even a Iool wi l l someti mes hi t the mark. There is some truth i n al l men
who are not compel l ed t o suppress t heir souls and speak other men' s
t hought s. The Ii nger even oI the i diot may poi nt t o t he great highway.
A peopl e, as wel l as t he sages, must l earn to Iorget. II i t nei ther l earns the
new nor Iorget s the ol d, it i s Iat ed, even i I i t has been royal Ior thi rty
generati ons. To unlearn i s t o l earn; and al so i t is somet i mes needIul t o
l earn again the Iorgott en. The anti cs oI Iool s make t he current Iol l ies more
palpable, as Iashions are shown t o be absurd by caricat ures, which so lead
t o t hei r ext irpat i on. The buIIoon and t he zany are useIul i n t hei r places.
The ingenious arti Iicer and craIt sman, l ike Solomon, searches the eart h Ior
his material s, and t ransIorms the mi sshapen mat ter i nt o glori ous
workmanshi p. The world i s conquered by the head even more t han by the
hands. Nor wi ll any assembly tal k Iorever. AIter a t i me, when it has
l ist ened long enough, it quietly puts the sil ly, the shal l ow, and the
superIici al to one side, --it t hi nks, and sets to work.
The human t hought , especi ally i n popular assembli es, runs in t he most
si ngul arly crooked channel s, harder t o t race and Iol l ow t han the bl ind
current s oI the ocean. No noti on is so absurd that i t may not Iind a place
t here. The master-workman must trai n t hese noti ons and vagari es wi th hi s
t wo-handed hammer. They t wist out oI the way oI the sword-thrust s; and
are invul nerabl e all over, even i n the heel, against logi c. The martel or
mace, t he batt l e-axe, t he great double-edged t wo-handed sword must deal
wi th Iol lies; t he rapi er is no bett er agai nst them than a wand, unl ess i t be
t he rapi er oI ri di cul e.
The SWORD i s al so t he symbol oI war and oI the sol dier. Wars, li ke
t hunder-st orms, are oIt en necessary t o puriIy t he st agnant at mosphere. War
i s not a demon, wi t hout remorse or reward. It rest ores the brot herhood i n
l ett ers oI Ii re. When men are seated i n t hei r pleasant pl aces, sunken i n
ease and i ndolence, wi th Pret ence and Incapaci ty and Lit tl eness usurpi ng
al l the high pl aces oI State, war is t he bapt ism oI blood and Iire, by which
al one they can be renovat ed. It is t he hurri cane t hat brings the elemental
equil ibri um, t he concord oI Power and Wi sdom. So l ong as t hese conti nue
obsti nat ely divorced, it wi ll conti nue to chasten.
In t he mutual appeal oI nat ions t o God, there i s t he acknowl edgment oI
Hi s mi ght. It l ights t he beacons oI Fai th and Freedom, and heat s t he
Iurnace t hrough whi ch t he earnest and loyal pass t o i mmortal gl ory. There
i s i n war t he doom oI deIeat , t he quenchl ess sense oI Duty, t he st irri ng
sense oI Honor, the measureless solemn sacriIice oI devotedness, and t he
i ncense oI success. Even in t he Ilame and smoke oI batt le, t he Mason
discovers hi s brother, and Iul Iil ls the sacred obl igati ons oI Fraternity.
Two, or the Duad, i s the symbol oI Ant agoni sm; oI Good and Evil , Light
and Darkness. It is Cai n and Abel, Eve and Li li th, Jachin and Boaz,
Ormuzd and Ahri man, Osi ri s and Typhon.
THREE, or the Triad, i s most si gni Ii cant ly expressed by t he equil at eral
and t he right-angled tri angles. There are three pri ncipal colors or rays in
t he rainbow, whi ch by i ntermi xture make seven. The t hree are the bl ue, the
yelloW, and t he red. The Tri nity oI the Dei ty, i n one mode or ot her, has
been an art icl e in al l creeds. He creates, preserves, and destroys. He i s t he
generati ve power, the producti ve capacity, and the resul t . The i mmat erial
man, accordi ng to t he Kabalah, is composed oI vi tal ity, or li Ie, the breath
oI l i Ie; oI soul or mi nd, and spi ri t . Salt , sulphur, and mercury are the great
symbol s oI the alchemist s. To t hem man was body, soul , and spi rit .
FOUR i s expressed by the square, or Iour-si ded ri ght-angl ed Iigure. Out oI
t he symbol i c Garden oI Eden Ilowed a ri ver, di viding into Iour streams, --
PISON, which Il ows around the land oI gol d, or li ght ; GIHON, which
Ilows around t he l and oI Ethiopia or Darkness; HIDDEKEL, running
east ward to Assyri a; and the EUPHRATES. Zechari ah saw Iour chari ot s
coming out Irom bet ween t wo mount ains oI bronze, in the Ii rst oI which
were red horses; i n t he second, bl ack; in t he t hird, white; and i n the
Iourt h, gri zzled: "and t hese were the Iour wi nds oI the heavens, that go
Iorth Irom standi ng beIore t he Lord oI al l t he earth. " Ezekiel saw the Iour
l ivi ng creat ures, each wit h Iour Iaces and Iour wi ngs, the Iaces oI a man
and a l ion, an ox and an eagl e; and t he Iour wheels goi ng upon their Iour
si des; and Sai nt John behel d the Iour beasts, Iull oI eyes beIore and
behind, the LION, t he young Ox, the MAN, and t he Ilying EAGLE. Four
was the signat ure oI t he Earth. ThereIore, in t he 148t h Psal m, oI those
who must praise the Lord on t he l and, t here are Iour ti mes Iour, and Iour
i n part icular oI l i ving creat ures. Visi ble nat ure i s descri bed as t he Iour
quart ers oI the worl d, and t he Iour corners oI the eart h. "There are Iour,"
says the old Jewi sh saying, "which take t he Iirst pl ace in thi s worl d: man,
among the creat ures; t he eagl e among birds; the ox among catt le; and t he
l ion among wil d beast s. " Daniel saw Iour great beasts come up Irom the
sea.
FIVE is t he Duad added to the Triad. It is expressed by the Ii ve-poi nted or
blazi ng st ar, the myst eri ous Pental pha oI Pythagoras. It i s i ndi ssol ubly
connect ed wi t h t he number seven. Christ Ied Hi s di sciples and t he
mul ti t ude wi t h Iive loaves and two Iishes, and oI t he Iragment s there
remai ned twel ve, that i s, Ii ve and seven, baskets Iul l. Again He Ied t hem
wi th seven loaves and a Iew l i t tl e Iishes, and t here remained seven basket s
Iul l . The Iive apparent ly smal l planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and
Saturn, wi th t he t wo greater ones, the Sun and Moon, const it ut ed the
seven celest ial spheres.
SEVEN was t he pecul iarly sacred number. There were seven planets and
spheres presi ded over by seven archangels. There were seven colors i n the
rainbow; and t he Phoenici an Deity was cal led t he HEPTAKIS or God oI
seven rays; seven days oI t he week; and seven and Iive made the number
oI months, t ri bes, ancl apost l es. Zechariah saw a golden candlest ick, wi th
seven lamps and seven pipes to t he l amps, and an ol i ve-tree on each si de.
Since he says, "the seven eyes oI the Lord shall rejoice, and shall see t he
plummet i n the hand oI Zerubbabel ." John, i n the Apocalypse, wri tes seven
epistl es t o t he seven churches. In the seven epist les there are t welve
promises. What is sai d oI the churches i n prai se or bl ame, i s compl et ed in
t he number three. The reIrain, "who has ears to hear," et c. , has ten words,
divi ded by three and seven, and t he seven by t hree and Iour; and t he seven
epistl es are also so divided. In t he seal s, trumpet s, and vial s, al so, oI this
symbol ic vi si on, the seven are divi ded by Iour and t hree. He who sends hi s
message to Ephesus, "hol ds t he seven stars i n his ri ght hand, and walks
amid the seven gol den lamps. "
In si x days, or peri ods, God creat ed the Uni verse, and paused on t he
seventh day. OI cl ean beast s, Noah was directed to take by sevens i nt o the
ark; and oI Iowl s by sevens; because in seven days t he rain was t o
commence. On t he seventeenth day oI the month. the rai n began; on the
seventeent h day oI the sevent h mont h, t he ark rested on Ararat. When t he
dove ret urned, Noah wait ed seven days beIore he sent her Iort h agai n; and
agai n seven, aIter she ret urned wit h t he oli ve-leaI. Enoch was the sevent h
patri arch, Adam i ncl uded, and Lamech l i ved 777 years.
There were seven lamps i n the great candl est i ck oI the Tabernacle and
Temple, representi ng t he seven planet s. Seven ti mes Moses sprinkl ed t he
anointi ng oi l upon the alt ar. The days oI consecrati on oI Aaron and hi s
sons were seven in number. A woman was uncl ean seven days aIt er chi ld-
birth; one i nIected wit h leprosy was shut up seven days; seven t i mes t he
l eper was spri nkl ed wi th t he blood oI a slai n bird; and seven days
aIterwards he must remai n abroad out oI hi s tent. Seven ti mes, in
puri Iying the leper, t he pri est was to sprinkl e the consecrated oi l; and
seven ti mes to sprinkle wi th the bl ood oI t he sacri Iiced bi rd the house t o
be puriIied. Seven t i mes the bl ood oI the slai n bull ock was spri nkl ed on
t he mercy-seat ; and seven ti mes on the alt ar. The seventh year was a
Sabbath oI rest ; and at t he end oI seven ti mes seven years came the great
year oI j ubi lee. Seven days t he peopl e at e unleavened bread, in t he mont h
oI Abib. Seven weeks were count ed Irom t he ti me oI Iirst putt ing the
si ckle to the wheat . The Feast oI t he Tabernacles l asted seven days.
Israel was in the hand oI Mi di an seven years beIore Gideon del ivered
t hem. The bul l ock sacriIiced by hi m was seven years old. Samson t ol d
Del il ah to bi nd hi m wi t h seven green wi thes; and she wove the seven locks
oI his head, and aIt erwards shaved them oII. Bal aam t ol d Barak t o bui l d
Ior hi m seven altars. Jacob served seven years Ior Leah and seven Ior
Rachel. Job had seven sons and three daughters, maki ng the perIect
number ten. He had al so seven t housand sheep and t hree thousand camels.
Hi s Iri ends sat down wi th hi m seven days and seven nights. Hi s Iriends
were ordered t o sacriIice seven bul locks and seven rams; and agai n, at the
end, he had seven sons and three daughters, and t wi ce seven thousand
sheep, and l ived an hundred and Iorty, or twice seven t i mes ten years.
Pharaoh saw i n his dream seven Iat and seven lean ki ne, seven good ears
and seven bl asted ears oI wheat ; and t here were seven years oI plenty, and
seven oI Iami ne. Jericho Iel l, when seven priest s, wit h seven t rumpet s,
made t he ci rcuit oI t he ci ty on seven successive days; once each day Ior
si x days, and seven ti mes on t he seventh. "The seven eyes oI t he Lord,"
says Zechariah, "run to and Iro through t he whol e earth." Sol omon was
seven years in buil di ng t he Templ e. Seven angel s, i n the Apocalypse, pour
out seven pl agues, Irom seven vi al s oI wrat h. The scarlet-colored beast , on
which the woman sit s in t he wi lderness, has seven heads and ten horns. So
al so has the beast t hat ri ses Up out oI t he sea. Seven thunders ut tered thei r
voices. Seven angels sounded seven trumpet s. Seven lamps oI Ii re, t he
seven spi ri ts oI God, burned beIore t he throne; and t he Lamb that was
sl ain had seven horns and seven eyes.
EIGHT i s t he Iirst cube, that oI t wo. NINE i s t he square oI three, and
represented by the tri ple triangl e.
TEN i ncl udes al l the ot her numbers. It i s especial ly seven and three; and
i s call ed the number oI perIect ion. Pythagoras represented i t by t he
TETRACTYS, whi ch had many mysti c meanings. Thi s symbol i s
someti mes composed oI dots or poi nt s, somet i mes oI commas or yods, and
i n t he Kabalah, oI the let ters oI t he name oI Dei ty. It is thus arranged:
,
, ,
, , ,
, , , ,
The Pat ri archs Irom Adam to Noah, incl usi ve, are t en in number, and the
same number i s t hat oI the Commandments.
TWELVE is t he number oI t he l i nes oI equal l engt h t hat Iorm a cube. It i s
t he number oI the mont hs, the tri bes, and t he apostl es; oI the oxen under
t he Brazen Sea, oI t he st ones on t he breast -plate oI t he high priest.

1871.
3 - Mast er
To underst and li terally t he symbols and al legories oI Oriental books as to
ante-hist orical mat t ers, i s will Iully to close our eyes agai nst the Li ght. To
t ranslate the symbol s int o t he t ri vi al and commonplace, i s the blunderi ng
oI medi ocrity.
Al l rel igi ous expressi on is symboli sm; si nce we can descri be only what we
see, and the true obj ects oI rel igi on are THE SEEN. The earl iest
i nstrument s oI educat i on were symbols; and t hey and al l ot her rel igi ous
Iorms diIIered and st i ll di IIer according t o external circumstances and
i magery, and according t o di IIerences oI knowledge and ment al
cult ivat i on. All language i s symbol ic, so Iar as it i s appli ed t o ment al and
spirit ual phenomena and acti on. All words have, pri marily, a material
sense, however they may aIterward get , Ior the ignorant, a spi ri tual non-
sense. "To ret ract ," Ior example, i s to draw back, and when appl ied to a
st atement, i s symbol ic, as much so as a pict ure oI an arm drawn back, to
express the same thi ng, woul d be. The very word "spiri t" means "breath, "
Irom the Lati n verb spiro, breathe.
To present a vi sible symbol to the eye oI anot her is not necessarily t o
i nIorm hi m oI t he meani ng which that symbol has t o you. Hence the
phil osopher soon superadded to the symbol s expl anati ons addressed t o t he
ear, suscept i ble oI more precisi on, but less eIIecti ve and i mpressive than
t he painted or scul ptured Iorms which he endeavored to explai n. Out oI
t hese expl anat ions grew by degrees a vari ety oI narrati ons, whose true
object and meaning were gradually Iorgot ten, or l ost i n contradi ct i ons and
i ncongrui t ies. And when t hese were abandoned, and Phil osophy resorted t o
deIi nit ions and Iormulas, it s language was but a more compl icated
symbol i sm, att empt ing i n t he dark to grappl e wi th and pi cture i deas
i mpossibl e to be expressed. For as wi t h t he visi ble symbol , so wi th the
word: t o utt er it t o you does not i nIorm you oI t he exact meaning whi ch i t
has to me; and t hus rel igi on and phi losophy became t o a great ext ent
disputes as to the meani ng oI words. The most abst ract expression Ior
DEITY, which language can supply, i s but a sign or symbol Ior an obj ect
beyond our comprehensi on, and not more trut hIul and adequat e t han the
i mages oI OSIRIS and VISHNU, or t heir names, except as being less
sensuous and expl i ci t . We avoid sensuousness only by resorti ng t o si mple
negat ion. We come at l ast to deIine spirit by saying t hat it i s not mat ter.
Spi ri t is--spi rit .
A si ngl e exampl e oI t he symbol i sm oI words will i ndicate to you one
branch oI Masonic st udy. We Ii nd in the Engl ish Rit e t his phrase: "I wi ll
al ways hai l, ever conceal, and never reveal ; " and in the Catechi sm, t hese:
Q. ' . "I hai l. "
A. ' . "I conceal , "
and ignorance, mi sunderstandi ng t he word "hail , " has i nterpolat ed t he
phrase, "From whence do you hai l . "
But t he word is real ly "hel e, " Irom t he Angl o-Saxon verb el an, helan, to
cover, hi de, or conceal. And this word i s rendered by the Lati n verb
t egere, to cover or rooI over. "That ye Iro me no t hynge wol l hele, " says
Gower. "They hele Iro me no priuyte, " says the Romaunt oI t he Rose. "To
heal a house, " i s a common phrase i n Sussex; and in the west oI Engl and,
he that covers a house wi th slates i s cal led a Healer. WhereIore, t o "heal "
means t he same t hing as t o "t i le, "--i tsel I symbolic, as meani ng, pri mari ly,
t o cover a house wi t h t il es, --and means to cover, hide, or conceal . Thus
l anguage t oo is symbol ism, and words are as much misunderstood and
misused as more mat eri al symbol s are.
Symbol ism t ended cont i nual ly to become more compli cated; and all the
powers oI Heaven were reproduced on eart h, unt i l a web oI Iict ion and
al legory was woven, part ly by art and partly by t he ignorance oI error,
which the wi t oI man, wi th hi s l i mi t ed means oI explanat ion, wil l never
unravel. Even the Hebrew Thei sm became i nvolved i n symboli sm and
i mage-worship, borrowed probably Irom an ol der creed and remote regi ons
oI Asi a, --the worshi p oI the Great Semi t ic Nat ure-God AL or ELS and it s
symbol ical represent at ions oI JEHOVA Hi mselI were not even conIined t o
poeti cal or il lustrati ve l anguage. The pri ests were monotheist s: the people
i dol aters.
There are dangers i nseparable Irom symbol ism, which aIIord an
i mpressi ve l esson i n regard t o t he si mi lar risks att endant on the use oI
l anguage. The i magi nat ion, cal led in t o assi st the reason, usurps i ts place
or l eaves i ts al ly hel pl essly entangled in it sweb. Names whi ch st and Ior
t hi ngs are conIounded wi th them; t he means are mi staken Ior t he end; the
i nstrument oI i nt erpretat i on Ior t he object ; and thus symbol s come t o
usurp an independent charact er as trut hs and persons. Though perhaps a
necessary pat h, they were a dangerous one by which to approach the Deity;
i n which many, says PLUTARCH, "mist aki ng t he si gn Ior t he t hi ng
signiIied, Iell i nt o a ri di cul ous superst it ion; whi le ot hers, i n avoiding one
extreme, pl unged i nto t he no l ess hi deous gul I oI irrel igi on and i mpi ety."
It is t hrough t he Myst eri es, CICERO says, t hat we have l earned t he Iirst
pri nci ples oI li Ie; whereIore the term "i nit i at ion" is used wit h good
reason; and t hey not only teach us t o l ive more happi ly and agrceably, but
t hey soIt en t he pains oI deat h by t he hope oI a better l iIe hereaIt er.
The Mysteries were a Sacred Drama, exhi bit ing some l egend signi Ii cant oI
nature' s changes, oI t he visi bl e Universe i n which the Di vinity i s revealed,
and whose i mport was in many respects as open to t he Pagan as to the
Chri sti an. Nature i s t hc great Teacher oI man; Ior i t i s t he Revel at ion oI
God. It neit her dogmat i zes nor att empts to tyrannize by compell ing to a
parti cul ar creed or special i nt erpretati on. It presents i ts symbols to us, and
adds not hing by way oI expl anati on. It i s the text wi thout t he commentary;
and, as we wel l know, it i s chi eIly t he commentary and gloss that l ead t o
error and heresesy and persecut ion. The earliest i nst ructors oI manki nd not
only adopted the lessons oI Nature, but as Iar as possi bl e adhered to her
method oI i mparti ng t hem. In the Mysteries, beyond the current t radit ions
or sacred and eni gi mat ic recit als oI the Temples, Iew explanati ons were
gi ven to the spect at ors, who were leIt , as in t he school oI nature, to make
i nIerences Ior t hemsel ves. No other method could have suit ed every
degree oI cult ivati on and capacity. To employ nat ure' s universal
symbol i sm i nst ead oI t he technical it ies oI language, rewards the humbl est
i nquirer, and discl oses i ts secret s t o every one in proport i on t o his
preparatory traini ng and hi s power t o con1prel lend t hem. II their
phil osophi cal meani ng was above the comli rel lensi on oI some, their moral
and poli ti cal meanl ngs are wi thin the reach oI al l.
These myst ic shows and perIormances were not the reading oI a l ecture,
but the opening oI a problem. Requi ri ng research, t hey were cal culated to
arouse the dormant int ell ect. They i mpl ied no host il ity to Phi l osophy,
because Phil osophy is the great expounder oI symboli sm; al t hough it s
anci ent i nterpretat ions were oIten i ll Iounded and i ncorrect . The alt erat i on
Irom symbol to dogma i s Iatal to beauty oI expressi on, and leads to
i nt olerance and assumed inIall ibi l ity.
* * * * * *
II, i n t eachi ng t he great doct ri ne oI the di vine nat ure oI t he Soul, and in
st ri vi ng t o expl ain i ts l ongings aIter i mmort al ity, and i n provi ng i ts
superi ori ty over the soul s oI t he ani mals, whi ch have no aspirati ons
Heavenward, t he ancients st ruggled in vai n t o express t he nature oI the
soul, by compari ng it to FIRE and LIGHT, it wi ll be wel l Ior us to
consi der whet her, wi th all our boast ed knowledge, we have any bet ter or
cl earer idea oI i t s nature, and whet her we have not despairi ngly taken
reIuge in having none at all . And i I they erred as to it s original place oI
abode, and underst ood l iteral ly the mode and pat h oI it s descent , these
were but the accessori es oI t he great Trut h, and probably, to t he Initi ates,
mere allegori es, desi gned to make t he i dea more pal pabl e and i mpressive
t o t he mind.
They are at l east no more Iit t o be smi led at by the sel I-conceit oI a vain
i gnorance, the weal t h oI whose knowledge consi sts solely i n words, than
t he bosom oI Abraham, as a home Ior t he spi rit s oI t he j ust dead; t he gulI
oI act ual Ii re, Ior the eternal t orture oI spirit s; and the Ci ty oI the New
Jerusal em, wi th it s wal ls oI jasper and i ts edi Iices oI pure gol d li ke cl ear
glass, i t s Ioundat i ons oI preci ous stones, and i t s gates each oI a si ngle
pearl . "I knew a man, " says PAUL, "caught up to the t hird Heaven; . . . . t hat
he was caught up int o Paradi se, and heard i neIIable words, which i t is not
possible Ior a man to ut ter. " And nowhere is the ant agoni sm and conIl ict
between the spiri t and body more Irequently and Iorci bly i nsi sted on than
i n t he wri ti ngs oI thi s apostl e, nowhere t he Divi ne nature oI the soul more
st rongly asserted. "Wit h t he mind, " he says, "I serve the law oI God; but
wi th t he Il esh the law oI si n. . . . As many as are led by the Spi ri t oI God, are
t he sons oI GOD. . . . The earnest expect ati on oI t he created wait s Ior the
maniIestat ion oI the sons oI God. . . . The creat ed shall be deli vered Irom
t he bondage oI corrupt ion, oI the Il esh l iable to decay, i nt o t he gl orious
l iberty oI t he chil dren oI God. "
* * * * * *
Two Iorms oI government are Iavorable to t he preval ence oI Ialsehood and
decei t. Under a Despoti sm, men are Ial se, t reacherous, and decei tIul
t hrough Iear, li ke slaves dreadi ng the lash. Under a Democracy they are so
as a means oI att ai ning popul ari ty and oIIi ce, and because oI t he greed Ior
weal th. Experi ence wil l probably prove t hat these odious and det establ e
vices wi l l grow most rankly and spread most rapi dly in a Republ ic. When
oIIice and wealt h become the gods oI a people, and t he most unworthy and
unIi t most aspire t o t he Iormer, and Iraud becomes t he highway to t he
l att er, t he l and wi ll reek wi t h Ial sehood and sweat l i es and chicane. When
t he oIIices are open to all , merit and stern i nt egri ty and the digni ty oI
unsul li ed honor wil l attain them only rarely and by accident. To be abl e t o
serve t he count ry well , wil l cease to be a reason why t he great and wi se
and l earned shoul d be selected t o render service. Ot her quali Ii cati ons, less
honorabl e, wil l be more avai labl e. To adapt one' s opi ni ons to the popul ar
humor; t o deIend, apol ogi ze Ior, and j ust iIy t he popul ar Ioll ies; t o
advocat e the expedi ent and the pl ausi ble; t o caress, caj ole, and Ilat ter the
el ector; to beg li ke a spaniel Ior hi s vot e, even iI he be a negro t hree
removes Irom barbarism; to proIess Iriendshi p Ior a competi t or and st ab
hi m by innuendo; t o set on Ioot t hat whi ch at t hird hand shal l become a
l ie, bei ng cousin-german to it when utt ered, and yet capable oI being
expl ained away, --who i s t here that has not seen t hese l ow arts and base
appli ances put into practi ce, and becomi ng general , unti l success cannot
be surely had by any more honorable means ?--t he resul t bei ng a State
rul ed and rui ned by i gnorant and shal low mediocri ty, pert sel I-concei t, t he
greenness oI unripe intel lect , vain oI a school -boy' s smatt eri ng oI
knowl edge.
The Iait hl ess and t he Ialse i n publ ic and in poli ti cal li Ie, wi l l be Iait hl ess
and Ialse i n pri vat e. The jockey i n pol it ics, li ke the jockey on t he race-
course, is rotten Irom skin to core. Everywhere he wi ll see Ii rst to hi s own
i nterests, and whoso l eans on hi m wi l l be pi erced wi t h a broken reed. His
ambit ion is i gnoble, li ke hi mselI; and thereIore he wi l l seek to att ai n omce
by ignoble means, as he wil l seek to at tai n any ot her coveted obj ect, --land,
money, or reputati on.
At l engt h, oIIice and honor are di vorced. The pl ace t hat the smal l and
shal low, t he knave or the trickster, is deemed competent and Ii t to Ii ll ,
ceases t o be wort hy t he ambi ti on oI t he great and capable; or i I not , these
shri nk Irom a contest , t he weapons to be used wherei n are unIi t Ior a
gent leman to handle. Then the habi ts oI unpri nci pl ed advocates in law
court s are nat urali zed in Senates, and pet t iIoggers wrangle there, when the
Iate oI the nat ion and t he l i ves oI mi ll i ons are at stake. St ates are even
begott en by vil lai ny and brought Iort h by Iraud, and rascal it ies are
j ust iIied by legi sl ators clai ming t o be honorable. Then contest ed el ecti ons
are deci ded by perj ured votes or party consi derat i ons; and all t he pract ices
oI t he worst t i mes oI corrupt ion are revived and exaggerat ed i n Republi cs.
It is strange t hat reverence Ior t rut h, t hat manl i ness and genui ne loyalty,
and scorn oI li tt leness and unIair advant age, and genuine Iai th and
godli ness and l arge-heartedness should di mi ni sh, among statesmen and
peopl e, as civi l i zat ion advances, and Ireedom becomes more general, and
universal suIIrage i mpl i es universal worth and Ii tness ! In t he age oI
El izabeth, wi t hout universal suIIrage, or Societ ies Ior t he Di IIusi on oI
UseIul Knowledge, or popul ar lecturers, or Lycaea, t he st at esman, the
merchant, the burgher, t he sai lor, were al l al i ke heroi c, Ieari ng God only,
and man not at al l . Let but a hundred or two years elapse, and in a
Monarchy or Republ ic oI the same race, not hi ng i s less heroic than t he
merchant, the shrewd speculator, t he oIIice-seeker, Ieari ng man only, and
God not at all . Reverence Ior greatness dies out, and is succeeded by base
envy oI greatness. Every man i s i n t he way oI many, ei ther in the pat h t o
populari ty or weal th. There i s a general Ieel ing oI sat isIact ion when a
great st atesman i s displ aced, or a general, who has been Ior his bri eI hour
t he popular i dol , i s unIort unat e and si nks Irom hi s hi gh est ate. It becomes
a mi sIortune, iI not a cri me, t o be above t he popular level.
We should nat ural ly suppose t hat a nati on in di stress would take counsel
wi th t he wi sest oI it s sons. But , on the cont rary, great men seem never so
scarce as when t hey are most needed, and smal l men never so bold to
i nsi st on i nIesti ng place, as when mediocri ty and incapable pret ence and
sophomoric greenness, and showy and sprightly i ncompet ency are most
dangerous. When France was in the extremi ty oI revol ut i onary agony, she
was governed by an assembly oI provi nci al pet t iIoggers, and Robespierre,
Marat, and Cout hon rul ed i n the place oI Mirabeau, Vergni aud, and
Carnot. England was governed by t he Rump Parl iament , aIt er she had
beheaded her ki ng. Cromwel l ext i nguished one body, and Napol eon the
other.
Fraud, Ial sehood, t ri ckery, and decei t i n nati onal aIIai rs are the signs oI
decadence i n States and precede convulsi ons or paralysi s. To bul ly t he
weak and crouch to the strong, i s t he pol i cy oI nati ons governed by small
mediocri ty. The t ri cks oI the canvass Ior oIIice are re-enact ed in Senates.
The Execut i ve becomes t he dispenser oI patronage, chi eIly t o the most
unworthy; and men are bri bed wit h oIIi ces i nstead oI money, t o the great er
rui n oI the Commonweal t h. The Divi ne in human nature disappears, and
i nterest, grced, and sel Ii shness takes it pl ace. That i s a sad and true
al legory which represents t he companions oI Ulysses changed by t he
enchant ment s oI Ci rce into swine.
* * * * *
"Ye cannot, " sai d t he Great Teacher, "serve God and Mammon. " When t he
t hirst Ior wealt h becomes general , it wi ll be sought Ior as wel l di shonest ly
as honest ly; by Irauds and overreachings, by t he knaveries oI trade, t he
heart lessness oI greedy speculati on, by gambl ing i n st ocks and
commodi ti es t hat soon demorali zes a whol e community. Men wi ll
speculat e upon the needs oI their nei ghbors and t he dist resses oI thei r
count ry. Bubbl es t hat, burst i ng, i mpoverish mul t it udes, wi ll be bl own up
by cunning knavery, wit h stupi d credul ity as i ts assist ant s and inst rument.
Huge bankruptcies, that start le a country l ike the eart hquakes, and are
more Iat al, Iraudulent assignment s, engulIment oI the savi ngs oI t he poor,
expansi ons and col lapses oI the currency, the crash oI banks, the
depreci ati on oI Government securit ies, prey on t he savi ngs oI selI-denial ,
and t roubl e wi t h their depredat ions t he Iirst nourishment oI i nIancy and
t he l ast sands oI li Ie, and Ii ll wi th i nmat es t he churchyards and lunati c
asyl ums. But t he sharper and speculat or thri ves and Iat t ens. II his count ry
i s Iight i ng by a l evy en masse Ior her very exi stence, he aids her by
depreci ati ng her paper, so t hat he may accumul ate Iabulous amount s wit h
l it tl e outl ay. II hi s nei ghbor is dist ressed, he buys his property Ior a song.
II he admi nist ers upon an estat e, it turns out insolvent, and the orphans
are paupers. II his bank explodes, he i s Iound t o have t aken care oI
hi msel I in t i me. Soci ety worshi ps i ts paper-and-credi t kings, as the old
Hi ndus and Egypt ians worshi pped their wort hless idols, and oIten the most
obsequi ously when in actual soli d weal th t hey are t he veriest paupers. No
wonder men t hi nk there ought t o be another worl d, in whi ch the inj ust ices
oI t hi s may be at oned Ior, when they see t he Iriends oI ruined Iami li es
beggi ng the weal t hy sharpers t o give al ms to prevent t he orphaned vi ct i ms
Irom st arvi ng, unti l they may Iindways oI support ing themsel ves.
* * * * * *
Stat es are chi eIly avarici ous oI commerce and oI t errit ory. The lat ter leads
t o t he viol at ion oI treat ies, encroachment s upon Ieebl e nei ghbors, and
rapacity t oward thei r wards whose lands are coveted. Republ ics are, in
t hi s, as rapaci ous and unpri ncipl ed as Despots, never l earning Irom hi st ory
t hat inordinate expansion by rapi ne and Iraud has it s inevit abl e
consequences in di smen1berment or subj ugati on. When a Republ ic begins
t o plunder i ts neighbors, t he words oI doom are already wri tt en on i ts
wal ls. There is a j udgment already pronounced oI God upon whatever is
unri ght eous in the conduct oI nati onal aIIai rs. When ci vi l war t ears the
vitals oI a Republ i c, let it l ook back and see i I it has not been gui lty oI
i nj usti ces; and iI it has, l et it humbl e i t sel I i n the dust !
When a nat ion becomes possessed wi th a spirit oI commercial greed,
beyond those j ust and Iai r li mi ts set by a due regard t o a moderat e and
reasonabl e degree oI general and indi vidual prosperity, i t is a nat ion
possessed by the devil oI commercial avarice, a passion as i gnobl e and
demorali zi ng as avari ce i n t he i ndivi dual; and as t his sordid passi on is
baser and more unscrupulous t han ambit ion, so i t is more hat eIul, and at
l ast makes the inIected nat ion t o be regarded as t he enemy oI the human
race. To grasp at the l ion' s share oI commerce, has al ways at last proven
t he rui n oI St ates, because it invariably l eads t o inj ust ices that make a
Stat e detestable; t o a sel Ii shness and crooked pol i cy that Iorbi d ot her
nati ons to be t he Iri ends oI a State t hat cares only Ior i tsel I.
Commerci al avari ce in India was the parent oI more atrocit ies and greater
rapacity, and cost more human li ves, than t he nobl er ambi t ion Ior ext ended
empire oI Consul ar Rome. The nat i on t hat grasps at the commerce oI t he
worl d cannot but become selIi sh, cal culati ng, dead t o the noblest i mpulses
and sympat hies which ought t o act uate St ates. It wil l submi t t o i nsul t s that
wound i ts honor, rather t han endanger it s commerci al interests by war;
whil e, t o subserve t hose int erest s, i t wi ll wage unjust war, on Ial se or
Iri volous pretexts, i ts Iree people cheerIully allying themselves wi th
despot s to crush a commerci al ri val t hat has dared to exi le it s kings and
el ect i ts own ruler.
Thus the col d cal cul ati ons oI a sordi d sel I-interest, in nat i ons
commercial ly avarici ous, al ways at last di spl ace the sent i ment s and loIty
i mpulses oI Honor and Generosity by which they rose t o greatness; which
made El izabeth and Cromwel l ali ke t he protect ors oI Protestants beyond
t he Iour seas oI England, agai nst crowned Tyranny and mi tred Persecuti on;
and, iI they had lasted, woul d have Iorbidden al li ances wi th Czars and
Autocrats and Bourbons to re-ent hrone the Tyranni es oI Incapaci ty, and
arm the Inqui sit ion anew wi th i ts i nstrument s oI t orture. The soul oI the
avarici ous nat ion petri Iies, li ke t he soul oI t he i ndi vi dual who makes gold
his god. The Despot wi l l occasional ly act upon noble and generous
i mpulses, and hel p t he weak agai nst the strong, t he right agai nst the
wrong. But commercial avarice i s essentially egot ist ic, graspi ng, Iait hless,
overreachi ng, craIty, cold, ungenerous, selIi sh, and calculat ing, control led
by consi derati ons oI selI-int erest al one. Heart less and merci less, it has no
sent i ment s oI pi ty, sympat hy, or honor, t o make it pause in i ts remorsel ess
career; and it crushes down all t hat is oI i mpedi ment in i ts way, as it s
keel s oI commerce crush under them t he murmuri ng and unheeded waves.
A war Ior a great pri nci ple ennobles a nat ion. A war Ior commercial
supremacy, upon some shall ow pretext, i s despi cabl e, and more than aught
el se demonst rat es t o what i mmeasurable dept hs oI baseness men and
nati ons can descend. Commerci al greed val ues t he l i ves oI men no more
t han it val ues t he li ves oI ants. The sl ave-trade i s as accept able to a
peopl e ent hralled by t hat greed, as t he t rade in i vory or spices, iI t he
proIit s are as l arge. It wil l by-and-by endeavor to compound wi t h God and
quiet i t s own consci ence, by compel l i ng those t o whom it sol d the slaves
i t bought or stole, to set them Iree, and slaughteri ng t hem by hecatombs i I
t hey reIuse t o obey t he edict s oI i ts phi lanthropy.
Justi ce i n no wi se consist s in meti ng out to another t hat exact measure oI
reward or puni shment which we thi nk and decree hi s merit , or what we
cal l his cri me, whi ch i s more oIten merely hi s error, deserves. The justi ce
oI t he Iat her is not i ncompati bl e wi th Iorgiveness by hi m oI the errors and
oIIences oI his chi l d. The InIi nit e Just i ce oI God does not consi st in
meti ng out exact measures oI punishment Ior human Irail t ies and si ns. We
are too apt to erect our own li tt le and narrow not ions oI what is right and
j ust into t he l aw oI j usti ce, and to insist that God shal l adopt t hat as Hi s
l aw; to measure oII somethi ng wi th our own li t t le tape-li ne, and call it
God' s l ove oI j ust i ce. Cont inually we seek t o ennoble our own i gnoble
l ove oI revenge and retal iati onJ by misnami ng i t just ice.
Nor does j ust ice consi st i n strictly governing our conduct toward ot her
men by t he rigi d rul es oI l egal right. II there were a communi ty anywhere,
i n which al l st ood upon the strict ness oI thi s rul e, t here should be wri tt en
over it s gates, as a warni ng to the unIortunates desiri ng admissi on to t hat
i nhospi tabl e real m, t he words which DANTE says are writt en over t he
great gat e oI Hel l: LET THOSE WHO ENTER HERE LEAVE HOPE
BEHIND ! It is not just to pay the laborer i n Iiel d or Iact ory or workshop
his current wages and no more, the l owest market -val ue oI hi s labor, Ior
so long only as we need t hat labor and he is abl e to work; Ior when
si ckness or old age overt akes hi m, that i s t o l eave hi m and hi s Iamily to
st arve; and God wi l l curse wi t h cal ami ty the peopl e in whi ch t he chil dren
oI t he laborer out oI work eat t he boil ed grass oI t he Iield, and mothers
st rangl e t heir chi l dren, that t hey may buy Iood Ior t hemsel ves wit h t he
chari tabl e pi t tance given Ior burial expenses. The rul es oI what is
ordi narily t ermed "Just ice, " may be punct i li ously observed among the
Iall en spiri t s t hat are t he ari stocracy oI Hel l.
* * * * * *
Justi ce, divorced Irom sympat hy, i s sel Ii sh i ndi IIerence, not i n t he l east
more laudabl e t han mi santhropic isolat ion. There i s sympat hy even among
t he hair-l ike osci ll atori as, a tribe oI si mpl e pl ant s, armi es oI which may be
discovered wi t h the aid oI t he microscope, i n t he ti niest bit oI scum Irom
a st agnant pool . For t hese wi ll pl ace t hemsel ves, as iI i t were by
agreement , in separat e companies, on the side oI a vessel contai ni ng t hem,
and seem marchi ng upward i n rows; and when a swarm grows weary oI i ts
si tuati on, and has a mi nd to change it s quarters, each army hol ds on i t s
way wi t hout conIusi on or intermi xt ure, proceeding wi th great regularity
and order, as i I under t he directi ons oI wi se leaders. The ant s and bees
gi ve each ot her mutual assi stance, beyond what is required by t hat whi ch
human creat ures are apt to regard as the strict l aw oI j ust ice.
Surely we need but reIl ect a l i t tl e, t o be convi nced that t he i ndi vi dual man
i s but a Iracti on oI t he unit oI society, and that he i s i ndi ssol ubly
connect ed wi t h t he rest oI his race. Not only the acti ons, but t he wil l and
t hought s oI ot her men make or mar hi s Iort unes, control hi s dest inies, are
unto hi m li Ie or deat h, dishonor or honor. The epidemics, physical and
moral, cont agious and i nIect ious, publi c opinion, popular del usi ons,
enthusiasms, and t he ot her great el ectric phenomena and currents, moral
and i ntellect ual , prove t he uni versal sympat hy. The vot e oI a singl e and
obscure n1an, the ut terance oI sel I-wil l, ignorance, concei t, or spi te,
deci di ng an elect ion and placi ng Folly or Incapacity or Baseness in a
Senat e, i nvolves the country in war, sweeps away our Iort unes, slaughters
our sons, renders the labors oI a l iIe unavai li ng, and pushes on, hel pl ess,
wi th al l our intel lect t o resist , i nt o t he grave.
These considerat i ons ought t o t each us that just ice to ot hers and to
oursel ves i s t he same; that we cannot deIi ne our dut ies by mathemat ical
l ines ruled by the square, but must Ii ll wi t h them t he great circle traced by
t he compasses; t hat the circle oI humani ty is the li mi t, and we are but the
point i n it s cent re, t he drops in t he great At lantic, t he at om or part icle,
bound by a mys t eri ous law oI att ract ion which we t erm sympat hy t o every
other at om in t he mass; t hat t he physical and moral wel Iare oI ot hers
cannot be indiIIerent t o us; that we have a direct and i mmediate interest in
t he publ ic morali ty and popul ar intell igence, i n the well -being and
physical comIort oI the people at l arge. The i gnorance oI the people, their
pauperism and dest it ut ion, and consequent degradati on, their brut ali zat ion
and demorali zat ion, are al l diseases; and we cannot ri se high enough
above t he peopl e, nor shut oursel ves up Irom t hem enough, to escape t he
miasmatic contagi on and t he great magnet ic current s.
Justi ce i s pecul iarly i ndi spensabl e t o nati ons. The unj ust State is doomed
oI God to calamity and ruin. This is t he teachi ng oI the Et ernal Wi sdom
and oI hist ory. "Ri ght eousness exal t et h a nat i on; but wrong is a reproach
t o nati ons. " "The Throne is est abl ished by Righteousness. Let the li ps oI
t he Ruler pronounce the sent ence t hat is Divine; and his mouth do no
wrong in j udgment !" The nat i on that adds province t o province by Iraud
and viol ence, that encroaches on the weak and plunders i ts wards, and
viol ates it s treati es and t he obli gati on oI i ts contract s, and Ior the law oI
honor and Iair-deali ng subst it utes the exi genci es oI greed and t he base
precept s oI poli cy and craIt and t he ignoble t enet s oI expedi ency, is
predest ined t o destruct ion; Ior here, as wit h the indi vidual , t he
consequences oI wrong are i nevi table and et ernal.
A sentence is wri tten agai nst al l that is unj ust, writ ten by God in t he
nature oI man and i n the nat ure oI the Universe, because i t i s i n t he nature
oI t he InIi ni te God. No wrong i s real ly successIul. The gain oI injust ice i s
a loss; i ts pl easure, suIIeri ng. Ini qui ty oIten seems t o prosper, but i ts
success is i ts deIeat and shame. II it s consequences pass by t he doer, they
Iall upon and crush hi s chil dren. It is a phi l osophi cal , physi cal, and moral
t ruth, i n t he Iorm oI a t hreat, that God visi ts the iniquity oI the Iat hers
upon the chi ldren, t o t he thi rd and Iourth generati on oI those who violate
Hi s l aws. AIter a l ong whi le, the day oI reckoni ng al ways comes, to nat ion
as t o individual; and al ways t he knave decei ves hi msel I, and proves a
Iail ure.
Hypocrisy is t he homage that vice and wrong pay to vi rt ue and just ice. It
i s Satan att empti ng t o clot he hi mselI i n t he angelic vest ure oI li ght . It i s
equally detestabl e in moral s, pol i ti cs, and rel igi on; i n t he man and i n the
nati on. To do injust ice under t he pret ence oI equi ty and Iairness; t o
reprove vice in publ i c and commi t it i n pri vate; t o pret end to charit able
opinion and censori ously condemn; t o proIess t he pri nciples oI Masonic
beneIi cence, and close the ear t o the wail oI dist ress and t he cry oI
suIIeri ng; to eul ogi ze t he i nt ell igence oI the people, and pl ot t o deceive
and bet ray them by means oI thei r ignorance and si mpl ici ty; t o prat e oI
puri ty, and pecul ate; oI honor, and basely abandon a si nking cause; oI
disi nterestedness, and sel l one' s vot e Ior pl ace and power, are hypocri sies
as common as they are inIamous and di sgraceIul . To steal the li very oI the
Court oI God to serve the Devil wi thal ; to pretend t o beli eve i n a God oI
mercy and a Redeemer oI love, and persecut e t hose oI a di IIerent Iai th; t o
devour widows' houses, and Ior a pret ence make long prayers; t o preach
conti nence, and wal low in l ust; t o inculcate humi l i ty, and in pride surpass
LuciIer; to pay ti t he, and omi t the weighti er mat t ers oI the law, judgment,
mercy and Iai th; t o st rai n at a gnat, and swal low a camel; to make cl ean
t he out side oI the cup and pl att er, keeping them Iul l wi thi n oI ext orti on
and excess; t o appear outwardly right eous unto men, but wit hi n be Iull oI
hypocrisy and iniquity, i s i ndeed to be li ke unto whited sepul chres, which
appear beaut iIul outward, but are wi thi n Iull oI bones oI the dead and oI
al l uncl eanness.
The Republic cloaks i t s ambi ti on wi t h the pretence oI a desire and duty t o
"ext end the area oI Ireedom, " and clai ms it as i ts "maniIest desti ny" to
annex ot her Republ i cs or t he St ates or Provi nces oI ot hers to it selI, by
open violence, or under obsolet e, empty, and Iraudul ent ti tl es. The Empire
Iounded by a successIul soldier, clai ms i ts ancient or nat ural boundari es,
and makes necessi ty and it s saIety t l l e plea Ior open robbery. The great
Merchant Nat i on, gai ni ng Ioothold i n t he Orient, Ii nds a conti nual
necessi ty Ior ext endi ng i ts domi nion by arms, and subj ugates Indi a. The
great Royal ties and Despot isms, wit hout a pl ea, parti t ion among
t hemsel ves a Ki ngdom, di smember Pol and, and prepare t o wrangl e over
t he domi ni ons oI t he Crescent. To mai nt ain the bal ance oI power i s a plea
Ior the obli terati on oI Stat es. Cart hage, Genoa, and Venice, commercial
Ci ti es only, must acquire t errit ory by Iorce or Iraud, and become States.
Al exander marches t o the Indus; Tamerl ane seeks universal empi re; t he
Saracens conquer Spai n and t hreat en Vi enna.
The thi rst Ior power i s never sati sIi ed. It i s i nsati abl e. Nei ther men nor
nati ons ever have power enough. When Rome was the mi stress oI the
worl d, the Emperors caused themsel ves t o be worshi pped as gods. The
Church oI Rome clai med despoti sm over the soul, and over t he whol e li Ie
Irom the cradl e t o t he grave. It gave and sol d absoluti ons Ior past and
Iut ure sins. It cl ai med to be inIal li ble in mat ters oI Iait h. It deci mated
Europe to purge it oI hereti cs. It deci mat ed Ameri ca to convert t he
Mexi cans and Peruvians. It gave and t ook away t hrones; and by
excommunicat ion and i nt erdict closed t he gat es oI Paradise agai nst
Nat ions, Spain, haughty wi th it s domi ni on over t he Indies, endeavored t o
crush out Protestanti sm in t he Net herlands, whil e Phi li p t he Second
marri ed the Queen oI Engl and, and the pai r sought to wi n t hat ki ngdom
back t o i ts allegiance to the Papal throne. AIterward Spain att empted to
conquer i t wit h her "i nvi nci ble" Armada. Napol eon set his rel ati ves and
capt ains on t hrones, and parcel led among t hem hal I oI Europe. The Czar
rul es over an empire more gigant ic than Rome. The hist ory oI al l is or wil l
be the same, --acqui sit i on, dismemberment , rui n. There is a judgment oI
God agai nst all t hat is unj ust .
To seek t o subj ugate the wi l l oI ot hers and take the soul capti ve, because
i t i s t he exercise oI thc highest power, seems to be t he highest object oI
human ambit ion. It i s at the bott om oI al l proselyting and propagandism,
Irom that oI Mesmer to that oI the Church oI Rome and t he French
Republ ic. That was t he apost olat e al ike oI Joshua and oI Mahomet.
Masonry alone preaches Tolerat i on, t he right oI man to abi de by hi s own
Iait h, the right oI al l St ates to govern themselves. It rebukes al ike the
monarch who seeks t o ext end hi s domini ons by conquest, t he Church t hat
cl ai ms t he right t o repress heresy by Ii re and steel , and t he conIederat i on
oI St ates t hat i nsist on maint aining a union by Iorce and rest oring
brot herhood by sl aught er and subj ugati on.
It is natural , when we are wronged, to desi re revenge; and t o persuade
oursel ves t hat we desire it l ess Ior our own sat isIacti on than t o prevent a
repet it ion oI t he wrong, t o which t he doer would be encouraged by
i mmuni ty coupled wi th the proIit oI t he wrong. To submi t to be cheated is
t o encourage the cheat er to cont inue; and we are qui t e apt t o regard
oursel ves as God' s chosen instrument s to inIl ict Hi s vengeance, and Ior
Hi m and in Hi s stead to di scourage wrong by maki ng i t Irui tl ess and it s
puni shment sure. Revenge has been sai d t o be "a ki nd oI wi ld justice;" but
i t i s al ways t aken in anger, and thereIore is unwort hy oI a great soul,
which ought not t o suIIer it s equani mi ty to be dist urbed by i ngrat i tude or
vil lai ny. The injuri es done us by the base are as much unwort hy oI our
angry not ice as those done us by the insect s and t he beast s; and when we
crush the adder, or slay the wolI or hyena, we should do i t wit hout bei ng
moved t o anger, and wi th no more Ieeli ng oI revenge t han we have in
root ing up a noxious weed.
And i I it be not i n human nature not to take revenge by way oI
puni shment , let t he Mason t ruly consi der that in doi ng so he i s God' s
agent , and so let hi s revenge be measured by j usti ce and tempered by
mercy. The law oI God i s, that t he consequences oI wrong and cruel ty and
cri me shal l be t heir puni shment ; and t he inj ured and t he wronged and t he
i ndi gnant are as much His instruments to enIorce that l aw, as t he diseases
and publ ic detest at i on, and the verdi ct oI hi story and t he execrati on oI
posterity are. No one wi ll say that t he Inqui si t or who has racked and
burned t he innocent ; t he Spani ard who hewed Indi an i nIant s, l iving, i nto
pieces wi th hi s sword, and Ied t he mangl ed l i mbs t o hi s bl oodhounds; t he
mi l it ary tyrant who has shot men wit hout trial , t he knave who has robbed
or betrayed hi s St at e, the Iraudulent banker or bankrupt who has beggared
orphans, the publi c oIIicer who has violat ed his oath, t he judge who has
sold injust ice, the legislat or who has enabl ed Incapacity t o work t he rui n
oI t he St at e, ought not t o be puni shed. Let them be so; and let t he i nj ured
or t he sympat hi zi ng be the i nstrument s oI God' s j ust vengeance; but
al ways out oI a hi gher Ieeli ng t han mere personal revenge.
Remember t hat every moral characteri st i c oI man Ii nds i t s prototype
an1ong creat ures oI lower intell igence; that t he cruel Ioul ness oI t he
hyena, the savage rapaci ty oI t he wol I, the mercil ess rage oI the t iger, the
craIty t reachery oI the pant her, are Iound among mankind, and ought to
excit e no other emoti on, when Iound in the man, t han when Iound i n t he
beast . Why should t he t rue man be angry wit h the geese that hiss, the
peacocks t hat strut , t he asses that bray, and t he apes that i mit ate and
chat ter, al though they wear the human Iorm? Al ways, al so, i t remai ns true,
t hat it i s more nobl e to Iorgi ve t han to take revenge; and that, in general ,
we ought t oo much t o despi se those who wrong us, to Ieel t he emot ion oI
anger, or t o desi re revenge.
At t he sphere oI the Sun, you are in t he region oI LIGHT. * * * * The
Hebrew word Ior gol d, ZAHAB, also means Light, oI whi ch the Sun is t o
t he Earth the great source. So, in the great Ori ent al al l egory oI t he
Hebrews, the River PISON compasses the land oI Gold or Light ; and t he
Ri ver GIHON the land oI Et hi opi a or Darkness.
What li ght is, we no more know than t he anci ent s di d. Accordi ng to the
modern hypothesi s, it is not composed oI luminous particles shot out Irom
t he sun wi th i mmense veloci ty; but that body only i mpresses, on the et her
which Ii ll s al l space, a powerIul vibrat ory movement that ext ends, in t he
Iorm oI luminous waves, beyond the most dist ant pl anets, supplying them
wi th l ight and heat . To t he ancients, it was an outIl owi ng Irom t he Dei ty.
To us, as to t hem, i t is t he apt symbol oI trut h and knowledge. To us, also,
t he upward j ourney oI the soul through t he Spheres i s symbolical ; but we
are as l it tl e i nIormed as they whence the soul comes, where i t has it s
origin, and whi t her it goes aIter death. They endeavored t o have some
belieI and Iait h, some creed, upon those points. At the present day, men
are sat i sIi ed to think nothi ng in regard to all t hat, and only to bel ieve that
t he soul is a somethi ng separat e Irom t he body and out-li ving i t, but
whether exist ing beIore it , nei ther t o i nquire nor care. No one asks
whether i t emanat es Irom t he Deity, or i s creat ed out oI not hing, or i s
generated li ke the body, and t he i ssue oI t he soul s oI t he Iather and t he
mother. Let us not smil e, thereIore, at the ideas oI t he anci ent s, unt il we
have a bett er beli eI; but accept thei r symbol s as meani ng that the soul i s
oI a Divine nat ure, origi nat ing in a sphere nearer t he Dei ty, and ret urni ng
t o t hat when Ireed Irom t he ent hralhment oI the body; and that i t can only
return there when puriIi ed oI al l t he sordidness and si n whi ch have, as i t
were, become part oI it s subst ance, by i t s connecti on wi th the body.
It is not strange t hat , thousands oI years ago, men worshi pped t he Sun,
and t hat to-day t hat worshi p cont i nues among t he Parsees. Ori ginal ly t hey
l ooked beyond t he orb to t he i nvi si ble God, oI whom the Sun' s li ght ,
seemi ngly i dent ical wi th generati on and li Ie, was t he mani Iest ati on and
outIl owi ng. Long beIore t he Chaldcean shepherds watched it on their
plai ns, it came up regul arly, as i t now does, i n t he morni ng, li ke a god,
and agai n sank, l ike a king ret iring, i n the west, to return agai n in due
t i me i n t he same array oI maj esty. We worshi p Immutabil ity. It was that
st eadIast , i mmut abl e character oI t he Sun t hat the men oI Baalbec
worshipped. His light-giving and li Ie-giving powers were secondary
at tributes. The one grand idea that compell ed worship was t he
characterist ic oI God whi ch they saw reIl ected in hi s li ght , and Ianci ed
t hey saw in i ts ori ginality the changelessness oI Dei ty. He had seen
t hrones crwnble, eart hquakes shake t he worl d and hurl down mount ains.
Beyond Olympus, beyond the Pi l lars oI Hercules, he had gone daily t o his
abode, and had come dai ly agai n in the morning to behold t he t empl es t hey
buil t to hi s worsl 1ip. They personiIied hi m as BRAHMA, AMUN, OSRIS,
BEL, ADONIS, MALKARTH, MITHRAS, and APOLLO; and the nat ions
t hat di d so grew ol d and died. Moss grew on the capi t als oI the great
columns oI hi s temples, and he shone on the moss. Grai n by grain the dust
oI his temples crumbl ed and Iell , and was borne oII on the wind, and sti ll
he shone on crumbli ng col umn and archi trave. The rooI Iell crashing on
t he pavement, and he shone i n on the Holy oI Hol ies wit h unchangi ng
rays. It was not strange t hat men worshi pped t he Sun.
There i s a wat er-pl ant , on whose broad leaves t he drops oI wat er rol l
about wi thout uni t ing, l ike drops oI mercury. So argument s on points oI
Iait h, in poli ti cs or rel igion, rol l over t he surIace oI t he mind. An
argument that convi nces one mind has no eIIect on another. Few intel lect s,
or soul s that are t he negati ons oI intel lect , have any logical power or
capaci ty. There is a singular obl i quity i n t he human mi nd t hat makes t he
Ialse l ogi c more eIIecti ve t han the true wit h nine-t ent hs oI t hose who are
regarded as men oI int ell ect. Even among t he j udges, not one i n ten can
argue l ogi cally. Each mind sees the trut h, dist orted through it s own
medium. Trut h, to most men, i s li ke mat ter in t he spheroidal st ate. Li ke a
drop oI col d water on t he surIace oI a red-hot met al pl ate, it dances,
t rembles, and spi ns, and never comes i nt o contact wi th it ; and the mi nd
may be pl unged into trut h, as t he hand moi st ened wi th sul phurous aci d
may i nt o melt ed metal , and be not even warmed by the i mmersi on.
* * * * * *
The word Khairum or Khurum is a compound one. Geseni us renders
Khurum by the word nobl e or Iree-born: Khur meani ng whi te, noble. It
al so means t he openi ng oI a wi ndow, t he socket oI the eye. Khri al so
means whit e, or an openi ng; and Khri s, the orb oI the Sun, in Job vii i. 13
and x. 7. Kri shna is t he Hindu Sun-God. Khur, t he Parsi word, is t he
l it eral name oI t he Sun.
From Kur or Khur, t he Sun, comes Khora, a name oI Lower Egypt . The
Sun, Bryant says i n hi s Mythology, was cal led Kur; and Pl utarch says t hat
t he Persians cal led t he Sun Kuros. Kurios, Lord, i n Greek, li ke Adonai ,
Lord, i n Phcenician and Hebrew, was appl ied to t he Sun. Many pl aces
were sacred t o t he Sun, and cal led Kura, Kuri a, Kuropoli s, Kurene,
Kureschat a, Kurest a, and Corusia i n Scythi a.
The Egypti an Dei ty cal l ed by t he Greeks "Horus, " was Her-Ra, or Har-
oeri s, Hor or Har, t he Sun. Hari i s a Hi ndu name oI t he Sun. Ari-al, Ar-es,
Ar, Aryaman, Arei monios, t he AR meani ng Fire or Flame, are oI t he same
kindred. Hewnes or Har-mes, (Aram, Remus, Haram, Haramei as), was
Kadmos, t he Di vi ne Light or Wi sdom. Mar-kuri, says Movers, is Mar, t he
Sun.
In t he Hebrew, AOOR, is Light , Fire, or the Sun. Cyrus, said Ctesi as, was
so named Irom Kuros, t he Sun. Kuris, Hesychi us says, was Adonis.
Apol lo, t he Sun-god, was call ed Kurraios, Irom Kurra, a ci ty i n Phocis.
The people oI Kurene, ori ginally Et hiopians or Cut hi tes, worshi pped t he
Sun under the ti tl e oI Achoor and Achor.
We know, t hrough a precise t esti mony in the ancient annal s oI Tsur, t hat
t he pri nci pal Iest i vity oI Mal -kart h, the incarnat ion oI t he Sun at t he
Wi nter Sol st i ce, held at Tsur, was cal l ed his rebi rt h or hi s awakening, and
t hat it was cel ebrated by means oI a pyre, on whi ch t he god was supposed
t o regain, t hrough the ai d oI Iire, a new li Ie. Thi s Iest ival was celebrated
i n t he month Peri ti us (Bari th), the second day oI whi ch corresponded to
t he 25t h oI December. KHUR-UM, King oI Tyre, Movers says, Iirst
perIormed thi s ceremony. These Iacts we l earn Irom Josephus, Servius on
t he AEnei d, and the Dionysi acs oI Nonnus; and t hrough a coi nci dence that
cannot be Iortui t ous, t he same day was at Rome t he Di es Nat ali s Soli s
Invict i, the Iest al day oI the invincible Sun. Under t hi s ti tl e, HERCULES,
HAR-acles, was worshipped at Tsur. Thus, whi le the templ e was bei ng
erected, t he deat h and resurrect ion oI a Sun-God was annually represented
at Tsur, by Sol omon' s al ly, at the wi nter sol st i ce, by t he pyre oI MAL-
KARIH, t he Tsuri an Haracles.
AROERIS or HAR-oeri s, t he elder HORUS, i s Irom t he same ol d root that
i n t he Hebrew has t he Iorm Aur, or, wit h t he deIi ni te arti cle preIi xed,
Haur, Light , or t he Light , splendor, Il ame, the Sun and hi s rays. The
hieroglyphi c oI t he younger HORUS was t he poi nt in a circle; oI the El der,
a pair oI eyes; and t he Iesti val oI t he t hirt iet h day oI t he mont h Epi phi ,
when t he sun and moon were supposed to be in the same right li ne wit h
t he earth, was called "The bi rt h-day oI the eyes oI Horus."
In a papyrus publi shed by Champol li on, t his god is styl ed "Haroeri, Lord
oI t he Sol ar Spiri ts, the beneIicent eye oI t he Sun. " Pl ut arch call s hi m
"Har-pocrates, " but there is no t race oI the lat ter part oI t he name i n t he
hieroglyphi c legends. He is the son oI OSIRIS and Isrs; and i s represented
si tt ing on a t hrone support ed by l ions; the same word, in Egypti an,
meani ng Li on and Sun. So Solomon made a great throne oI ivory, plat ed
wi th gol d, wit h si x st eps, at each arm oI which was a li on, and one on
each side to each st ep, making seven on each side.
Agai n, the Hebrewword Khi , means "li vi ng;" and ram, "was, or shal l be,
raised or li Ited up. " The lat ter i s t he same as room, aroom, harum, whence
Aram, Ior Syri a, or Aramoea, Hi gh-land. Khairum, t hereIore, woul d mean
"was rai sed up t o li Ie, or l ivi ng. "
So, in Arabic, hrm, an unused root , meant , "was hi gh, " "made great, "
"exal ted;" and Hi rm means an ox, t he symbol oI the Sun i n Taurus, at t he
Vernal Equinox.
KHURUM, thereIore, i mproperly call ed Hi ram, is KHUR-OM, t he same as
Her-ra, Her-mes, and Her-acl es, t he "Heracl es Tyrius Invi ctus, " the
personiIicat ion oI Light and the Son, t he Medi ator, Redeemer, and
Savi our. From t he Egypti an word Ra came the Copti c Ouro, and t he
Hebrew Aur, Light . Har-oeri , is Hor or Har, the chi eI or master. Hor i s
al so heat; and hora, season or hour; and hence in several AIri can di al ect s,
as names oI the Sun, Ai ro, Ayero, eer, ui ro, ghurrah, and the li ke. The
royal name rendered Pharaoh, was PHRA, t hat is, Pai-ra, the Sun.
The legend oI t he contest bet ween Hor-ra and Set, or Set-nu-bi , the same
as Bar or Bal, i s ol der than t hat oI t he st ri Ie between Osiri s and Typhon;
as ol d, at least , as the ni neteent h dynasty. It i s call ed in the Book oI t he
Dead, "The day oI the bat tl e bet ween Horus and Set." The lat er myt h
connect s it selI wi t h Phoenici a and Syri a. The body oI OSIRIS went ashore
at Gebal or Byblos, si xty mil es above Tsur. You wi ll not Iai l to not ice that
i n t he name oI each murderer oI Khurum, t hat oI t he Evi l God Bal is
Iound.
* * * * *
Har-oeri was the god oI TIME, as wel l as oI Li Ie. The Egypt ian legend was
t hat the Ki ng oI Byblos cut down t he tamari sk-t ree cont aining the body oI
OSIRIS, and made oI i t a col umn Ior hi s pal ace. Isi s, employed in the
palace, obt ai ned possessi on oI t he column, took the body out oI i t, and
carri ed i t away. Apulei us describes her as "a beaut iIul Iemale, over whose
divi ne neck her long t hi ck hai r hung in graceIul ringlets ;" and in t he
processi on Iemale at tendant s, wi t h i vory combs, seemed t o dress and
ornament t he royal hai r oI the goddess. The pal m-tree, and t he l amp i n t he
shape oI a boat , appeared in t he processi on. II the symbol we are speaki ng
oI i s not a mere modern invent ion, it is to these things it al l udes.
The identi ty oI the legends i s al so conIi rmed by t hi s hi eroglyphic picture,
copied Irom an ancient Egypti an monument, which may also enli ght en you
as t o the Lion' s grip and the Master' s gavel .
i n t he ancient Phcenici an charact er, and in t he Samarit an, A B, (the two
l ett ers representi ng t he numbers 1, 2, or Unity and Duali ty, means Father,
and i s a pri mi ti ve noun, common to all t he Semi t ic l anguages.
It al so means an Ancest or, Origi nator, Invent or, Head, ChieI or Ruler,
Manager, Overseer, Master, Pri est, Prophet .
i s si mply Father, when i t is i n construct i on, that i s, when it precedes
another word, and i n Engli sh t he preposit ion "oI" i s i nterposed, as Abi-Al ,
t he Father oI Al .
Al so, the Ii nal Yod means "my"; so that by it selI means "My Iather. David
my Iather, 2 Chron. i i. 3.
(Vav) Ii nal is the possessi ve pronoun "his"; and Abi u (which we read
"AbiI") means "oI my Iat her' s. " Its Iul l meani ng, as connect ed wit h the
name oI Khurum, no doubt is, "Iormerly one oI my Iat her' s servants, " or
"slaves. "
The name oI the Phceni cian art iIi cer i s, i n Samuel and Kings, |2 Sam. v.
11; 1 Ki ngs v. 15; 1 Ki ngs vi i. 40|. In Chroni cles it i s wit h the addi ti on oI
|2 Chron. i i . 12|; and oI |2 Chron. i v. 16|.
It is merely absurd t o add t he word "Abi I, " or "Abi II, " as part oI the name
oI t he art iIicer. And it is al most as absurd to add the word "Abi," whi ch
was a ti t l e and not part oI the name. Joseph says |Gen. xl v. 8|, "God has
const i tuted me ' Ab l' Paraah, as Father t o Paraah, i. e. , Vi zi er or Pri me
Mi ni ster. " So Haman was call ed the Second Father oI Artaxerxes; and
when Ki ng Khurum used the phrase "Khurum Abi ," he meant t hat the
arti Ii cer he sent Schl omoh was the principal or chi eI workman in hi s l ine
at Tsur.
A medal copied by Mont Iaucon exhi bi ts a Iemale nursing a chi ld, wit h ears
oI wheat in her hand, and the legend (Iao). She i s seated on cl ouds, a star
at her head, and t hree ears oI wheat risi ng Irom an alt ar beIore her.
HORUS was t he mediator, who was buri ed three days, was regenerated,
and t ri umphed over t he evil pri nciple.
The word HERI, in Sanscri t, means Shepherd, as wel l as Savior. CRISHNA
i s call ed Heri , as Jesus cal led Hi mselI t he Good Shepherd.
Khur, means an apert ure oI a wi ndow, a cave, or t he eye. Also i t means
whit e.
It al so means an openi ng, and noble, Iree-born, high-born.
KHURM means consecrated, devot ed; in AEthi opi c. It i s t he name oI a
ci ty, |Josh. xi x. 38|; and oI a man, |Ezr. ii . 32, x. 31; Neh. i ii . 11|.
Khirah, means nobil ity, a noble race.
Buddha i s declared t o comprehend i n his own person t he essence oI t he
Hi ndu Tri murt i; and hence the tri-li t eral monosyllabl e Om or Aum is
appli ed to hi m as bei ng essent ial ly the same as Brahma-Vishnu-Siva. He is
t he same as Hermes, Thot h, Taut , and Teutat es. One oI his names is Heri-
maya or Hermaya, which are evidently t he same name as Hermes and
Khirm or Khurm. Heri , i n Sanscrit , means Lord.
A l earned Brother places over the t wo symbolic pi ll ars, Irom right t o leIt,
t he t wo words IHU and BAL: Iol lowed by t he hieroglyphi c equival ent , oI
t he Sun-God, Amun-ra. Is i t an acci dent al coincidence, t hat i n t he name oI
each murderer are t he two names oI t he Good and Evil Dei t i es oI t he
Hebrews; Ior Yu-bel i s but Yehu-Bal or Yeho-Bal ? and that t he t hree Ii nal
syllables oI the names, a, o, um, make A.' . U.' . M. ' . the sacred word oI the
Hi ndoos, meaning the Triune God, LiIe-gi ving, LiIe-preservi ng, Li Ie-
dest royi ng: represented by t he mysti c charact er ?
The genui ne acacia, al so, is t he t horny tamari sk, the same tree whi ch grew
up around t he body oI Osi ri s. It was a sacred tree among t he Arabs, who
made oI it the i dol Al-Uzza, which Mohammed dest royed. It i s abundant as
a bush in the Desert oI Thur: and oI it t he "crown oI t horns" was
composed, which was set on t he Iorehead oI Jesus oI Nazareth. It is a Ii t
type oI i mmort al i ty on account oI it s tenaci ty oI l iIe; Ior i t has been
known, when pl ant ed as a door-post, t o t ake root agai n and shoot out
budding boughs over the threshold.
* * * * *
Every commonweal th must have it s periods oI t ri al and transit ion,
especi ally i I it engages i n war. It i s cert ain at some ti me to be whol ly
governed by agit ators appeal ing to all t he baser el ement s oI the popul ar
nature; by moneyed corporat i ons; by t hose enriched by t he depreci ati on oI
government securi ties or paper; by smal l att orneys, schemers, money-
j obbers, specul ators and advent urers--an ignobl e ol igarchy, enri ched by
t he dist resses oI t he St ate, and Iat tened on t he miseries oI the people.
Then all t he deceit Iul visi ons oI equal ity and t he rights oI man end; and
t he wronged and plundered Stat e can regai n a real li berty only by passi ng
t hrough "great vari et i es oI untried bei ng, " puri Ii ed in it s t ransmigrati on by
Iire and bl ood.
In a Republi c, it soon comes t o pass that part ies gather round t he negat i ve
and posi t ive poles oI some opi ni on or noti on, and that the intol erant spirit
oI a triumphant maj ority will al low no deviat ion Irom the standard oI
ort hodoxy which i t has set up Ior i tsel I. Freedom oI opinion will be
proIessed and pret ended to, but every one wi l l exerci se it at t he peri l oI
being bani shed Irom poli ti cal communi on wi th those who hol d t he reins
and prescri be the pol icy to be pursued. Slavishness to party and
obsequi ousness t o t he popul ar whi ms go hand in hand. Pol i tical
i ndependence only occurs in a Iossi l st at e; and men' s opinions grow out oI
t he act s t hey have been constrai ned t o do or sancti on. Fl att ery, eit her oI
i ndi vi dual or peopl e, corrupt s bot h t he receiver and t he gi ver; and
adulat ion i s not oI more servi ce t o t he peopl e t han to ki ngs. A Ccesar,
securely seated in power, cares less Ior i t than a Iree democracy; nor wil l
his appet i te Ior it grow t o exorbi tance, as t hat oI a peopl e wi ll , unt il i t
becomes insat iat e. The eIIect oI l iberty to i ndi vi dual s i s, t hat they may do
what they please; t o a people, it i s to a great ext ent t he same. II accessi bl e
t o Ilat tery, as thi s i s al ways interested, and resort ed to on low and base
mot ives, and Ior evi l purposes, ei t her indi vi dual or people is sure, i n
doing what i t pl eases, to do what i n honor and consci ence shoul d have
been leIt undone. One ought not even t o risk congrat ulat ions, whi ch may
soon be t urned i nt o complai nts; and as bot h i ndivi duals and peopl es are
prone t o make a bad use oI power, to Il att er t hem, which i s a sure way to
misl ead t hem, wel l deserves to be call ed a cri me.
The Ii rst principl e i n a Republi c ought to be, "that no man or set oI men is
enti tl ed t o excl usive or separate emol uments or privil eges Irom t he
communi ty, but i n considerat i on oI public services; whi ch not bei ng
descendible, nei ther ought t he omces oI magi st rat e, legisl ature, nor j udge,
t o be heredi tary. " It is a volume oI Truth and Wisdom, a l esson Ior the
st udy oI nat ions, embodi ed i n a singl e sent ence, and expressed in language
which every man can understand. II a del uge oI despot ism were to
overt hrow the world, and dest roy al l inst it ut ions under whi ch Ireedom i s
prot ected, so that they should no longer be remembered among men, t hi s
sent ence, preserved, woul d be suIIi cient to reki ndle the Ii res oI li berty and
revi ve t he race oI Ireemen.
But , to preserve li berty, another must be added: "that a Iree Stat e does not
conIer oIIice as a reward, especially Ior quest ionabl e servi ces, unless she
seeks her own ruin; but al l oIIicers are employed by her, in considerat ion
solely oI t heir wi l l and abil ity t o render service in t he Iut ure; and
t hereIore t hat the best and most competent are al ways t o be preIerred."
For, iI there is t o be any ot her rule, that oI heredi t ary succession i s
perhaps as good as any. By no other rul e i s it possi ble to preserve the
l ibert ies oI the St ate. By no ot her t o i nt rust the power oI maki ng t he laws
t o t hose only who have that keen i nsti nct i ve sense oI i nj ust ice and wrong
which enabl es t hem to det ect baseness and corrupt ion i n t heir most secret
hidi ng-places, and that moral courage and generous manl iness and gall ant
i ndependence that make them Iearless in dragging out t he perpetrators t o
t he l ight oI day, and cal li ng down upon them t he scorn and indignat i on oI
t he worl d. The Ilat terers oI the people are never such men. On t he
contrary, a t i me always comes to a Republ ic, when i t is not cont ent , l ike
Li berius, wi th a single Sej anus, but must have a host; and when t hose
most prominent in the lead oI aIIai rs are men wit hout reputat ion,
st atesmanshi p, abi l ity, or inIormat ion, the mere hacks oI party, owi ng thei r
places t o t ri ckery and want oI qual iIi cat i on, wi t h none oI the quali ti es oI
head or heart that make great and wise men, and, at t he same ti me, Iil led
wi th al l t he narrow concepti ons and bit ter i nt olerance oI pol i t ical bi got ry.
These die; and t he worl d i s none t he wi ser Ior what they have sai d and
done. Their names si nk in t he bott omless pit oI obl ivi on; but t heir act s oI
Iol ly or knavery curse the body poli ti c and at last prove i ts rui n.
Pol i t ici ans, in a Iree St ate, are general ly hol low, heartl ess, and sel Ii sh.
Thei r own aggrandisement is the end oI their pat ri ot ism; and they always
l ook wi th secret sat isIact i on on t he disappoi nt ment or Ial l oI one whose
l oIt i er genius and superior talents overshadow t heir own sel I-i mportance,
or whose i nt egri ty and incorrupti ble honor are in the way oI their selIi sh
ends. The inIl uence oI the smal l aspirant s i s always against t he great man.
Hi s accession t o power may be al most Ior a li Iet i me. One oI t hemselves
wi ll be more easi ly di splaced, and each hopes to succeed hi m; and so i t at
l engt h comes t o pass that men i mpudently aspire t o and act ually win the
highest st at i ons, who are unIi t Ior t he l owest clerkshi ps; and i ncapaci ty
and medi ocri ty become t he surest passport s to once.
The consequence i s, t hat those who Ieel themsel ves compet ent and
quali Ii ed to serve the people, reIuse wit h digust t o enter i nto t he st ruggle
Ior oIIi ce, where the wicked and j esui ti cal doctri ne t hat all i s Iair i n
poli t ics i s an excuse Ior every species oI low vi ll ainy; and those who seek
even t he highest pl aces oI t he State do not rely upon t he power oI a
magnani mous spirit , on t he sympat hi zing i mpulses oI a great soul, t o st ir
and move t he people to generous, noble, and heroic resol ves, and to wi se
and manly acti on; but , l ike spaniel s erect on t hei r hind legs, wi th Iore-
paws obsequi ously suppl i ant , Iawn, Ilat ter, and actually beg Ior votes.
Rat her than descend to this, they stand contempt uously alooI, di sdai nIul ly
reIusing to court the people, and acti ng on the maxi m, that "mankind has
no t it le to demand that we shal l serve t hem in spi te oI themsel ves. "
* * * * * *
It is lamentable to see a country spli t into Iact ions, each Ioll owi ng thi s or
t hat great or brazen-Ironted leader wi t h a bl ind, unreasoni ng,
unquest ioni ng hero-worshi p; it i s contempt ibl e t o see i t di vi ded into
parti es, whose sole end is t he spoi ls oI victory, and t heir chi eIs the l ow,
t he base, t he venal and the snl al l . Such a count ry is i n the last stages oI
decay, and near it s end, no matt er how prosperous it may seem to be. It
wrangles over t he volcano and t he eart hquake. But i t i s certai n that no
government can be conducted by the men oI t he people, and Ior the
peopl e, wi thout a rigid adherence t o those pri nci ples which our reason
commends as Ii xed and sound. These must be the test s oI parti es, men, and
measures. Once determi ned, t hey must be inexorabl e i n t hei r appl icat ion,
and al l must ei ther come up t o the standard or decl are agai nst it . Men may
betray: pri nci ples never can. Oppressi on is one i nvariable consequence oI
mispl aced conIidence i n t reacherous man, i t is never the resul t oI t he
working or applicat ion oI a sound, just , well -tried princi pl e. Compromi ses
which bring Iundamental pri nci ples into doubt , i n order to uni te in one
party men oI antagonist ic creeds, are Irauds, and end in ruin, t he j ust and
natural consequence oI Iraud. Whenever you have sett led upon your t heory
and creed, sancti on no departure Irom it i n pract ice, on any ground oI
expediency. It i s t he Master' s word. Yiel d i t up neit her t o Ilat tery nor Iorce
! Let no deIeat or persecut i on rob you oI i t! Bel ieve that he who once
blundered i n st atesmanshi p wil l bl under agai n; that such bl unders are as
Iatal as cri mes; and t hat pol i ti cal near-sightedness does not i mprove by
age. There are al ways more i mpostors t han seers among publi c men, more
Ialse prophet s t han true ones, more prophets oI Baal t han oI Jehovah; and
Jerusal em is al ways i n danger Irom t he Assyrians.
Sall ust sai d t hat aIt er a St at e has been corrupt ed by l uxury and i dleness, i t
may by it s mere greatness bear up under the burden oI i t s vices. But even
whil e he wrote, Rome, oI which he spoke, had played out her masquerade
oI Ireedom Ot her causes t han luxury and sl ot h destroy Republics. II smal l,
t heir l arger neighbors ext i ngui sh t hel ll by absorpt ion. II oI great ext ent ,
t he cohesive Iorce i s t oo Ieeble t o hol d them t oget her, and t hey Ial l t o
pieces by their own wei ght . The pal try ambit i on oI smal l men di sint egrat es
t hem. The want oI wi sdom i n thei r council s creat es exasperat ing issues.
Usurpat ion oI power plays it s part, incapacity seconds corrupt ion, the
st orm ri ses, and the Iragment s oI the incoherent raIt strew t he sandy
shores, readi ng to manki nd anot her lesson Ior it t o disregard.
The Forty-sevent h Proposit i on i s ol der t han Pythagoras. It i s t hi s: "In
every right-angled t ri angle, t he sum oI the squares oI t he base and
perpendicular i s equal t o the square oI t he hypot henuse. "
The square oI a number is the product oI that number, mul ti pli ed by it sel I.
Thus, 4 is the square oI 2, and 9 oI 3.
The Ii rst ten numbers are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10;
t heir squares are . . . . . . . . . 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100;
and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19
are the di IIerences bet ween each square and t hat whi ch precedes i t ; giving
us the sacred numbers, 3, 5, 7, and 9
OI t hese numbers, the square oI 3 and 4, added t oget her, gives t he square
oI 5; and those oI 6 and 8, the square oI 10; and iI a right-angl ed t ri angl e
be Iormed, the base measuring 3 or 6 part s, and t he perpendicular 4 or 8
part s, t he hypot henuse wi l l be 5 or 10 part s; and iI a square is erected on
each side, t hese squares bei ng subdivi ded i nto squares each side oI which
i s one part in length, t here wi l l be as many oI t hese i n t he square erected
on t he hypothenuse as i n the ot her t wo squares t oget her.
Now t he Egyptians arranged their dei ti es i n Tri ads t he FATHER or the
Spi ri t or Acti ve Princi pl e or Generat ive Power; t he MOTHER, or Matt er,
or t he Passi ve Pri nci pl e, or the Concepti ve Power; and the SON, Issue or
Product , the Uni verse, proceedi ng Irom the two pri nci ples. These were
OSRIS, ISIS, and HORUS. In t he same way, PLATO gi ves us thought the
Father; Pri mit i ve Mat ter the Mot her; and Kosmos t he Worl d, the Son, t he
Universe ani mat ed by a soul . Tri ads oI the same kind are Iound i n t he
Kabal ah.
PLUTARCH says, i n his book De Isi de et Osi ri de, "But the bet ter and
divi ner nat ure consi sts oI t hree, --that which exist s wit hi n the Intel lect
only, and Matt er, and t hat whi ch proceeds Irom t hese, which t he Greeks
cal l Kosmos; oI whi ch t hree, Pl at o is wont t o cal l the Intel li gible, the
' Idea, Exempl ar, and Father' , Mat ter, ' t he Mother, t he Nurse, and the place
and receptacl e oI generat i on' ; and the issue oI these two, ' the OIIspring
and Genesi s, "' t he KOSMOS, "a word signiIying equally Beauty and Order,
or t he Uni verse it selI. " You wi ll not Iai l to not ice that Beauty i s
symbol i zed by t he Juni or Warden in t he Sout h. Plutarch conti nues to say
t hat the Egypt ians compared the universal nat ure to what t hey cal led t he
most beaut i Iul and perIect t ri angle, as Plato does, in t hat nupti al diagram,
as i t is termed, whi ch he has introduced i nt o hi s Commonwealt h. When he
adds t hat this t riangl e i s ri ght -angl ed, and it s si des respect i vely as 3, 4,
and 5; and he says, "We must suppose t hat t he perpendicular i s designed
by t hem to represent t he mascul ine nat ure, t he base the Iemi ni ne, and t hat
t he hypothenuse i s to be looked upon as the oIIspri ng oI bot h; and
accordi ngly t he Iirst oI them wil l aptly enough represent OSIRIS, or t he
pri me cause; t he second, ISIS, or the recepti ve capaci ty; t he last, HORUS,
or t he common eIIect oI t he other t wo. For 3 i s the Ii rst number whi ch i s
composed oI even and odd; and 4 is a square whose si de i s equal t o the
even number 2; but 5, bei ng generat ed, as it were, out oI t he precedi ng
numbers, 2 and 3, may be said t o have an equal relat ion t o both oI t hem,
as t o it s common parent s."
* * * * * *
The clasped hands i s anot her symbol which was used by PYTHAGORAS.
It represent ed t he number 10, t he sacred number in whi ch al l the preceding
numbers were contai ned; t he number expressed by t he myst eri ous
TERACTYS, a Iigure borrowed by hi m and t he Hebrew pri est s ali ke Irom
t he Egyptian sacred science, and which ought to be repl aced among the
symbol s oI the Mast er' s degree, where i t oI ri ght bel ongs. The Hebrews
Iormed it t hus, wi t h the let ters oI t he Divine name:
The Tetractys thus leads you, not only t o the study oI the Pythagorean
phil osophy as to numbers, but al so t o the Kabalah, and wil l ai d you in
discoveri ng t he True Word, and underst anding what was meant by "The
Musi c oI t he Spheres. " Modern science strikingly conIirms the ideas oI
Pyt hagoras in regard to the propert ies oI numbers, and that they govern in
t he Universe. Long beIore his ti me, nat ure had ext ract ed her cube-roots
and her squares.
* * * * * *
Al l the FORCES at man' s disposal or under man' s cont rol, or subject t o
man' s i nIluence, are his working tool s. The Iri endshi p and sympat hy that
knit heart to heart are a Iorce l ike the at tract i on oI cohesi on, by whi ch the
sandy part icles became the sol id rock. II t hi s law oI at tract i on or cohesi on
were taken away, the mat eri al worlds and suns woul d di ssolve in an
i nstant into thin invi sibl e vapor. II the ties oI Iri endship, aIIect ion, and
l ove were annulled, manki nd woul d become a ragi ng mul ti t ude oI wi l d and
savage beasts oI prey. The sand hardens int o rock under t he i mmense
superi ncumbent pressure oI t he ocean, aided someti mes by t he irresi sti ble
energy oI Ii re; and when t he pressure oI cal ami ty and danger is upon an
order or a country, t he members or the cit i zens ought to be the more
cl osely united by t he cohesion oI sympat hy and int er-dependence.
Moral ity i s a Iorce. It is t he magnet ic attract ion oI t he heart toward Trut h
and Vi rt ue. The needle, i mbued wi th t his myst ic property, and poi nt ing
unerringly to the nort h, carries t he mariner saIely over t he t rackl ess ocean,
t hrough storm and darkness, unti l his glad eyes behold t he beneIi cent
beacons t hat welcome hi m t o saIe and hospi tabl e harbor. Then t he heart s
oI t hose who love hi m are gladdened, and hi s home made happy; and thi s
gladness and happi ness are due to t he si lent, unost ent at ious, unerri ng
moni tor that was the sai l or' s gui de over the wel tering waters. But i I
dri Ited t oo Iar nort hward, he Iinds t he needl e no longer true, but poi nti ng
el sewhere than t o t he north, what a Ieel ing oI hel pl essness Iall s upon the
dismayed mari ner, what ut ter l oss oI energy and courage ! It i s as i I the
great axioms oI moral ity were t o Iai l and be no longer true, leaving the
human soul to driIt hel plessly, eyeless li ke Promet heus, at the mercy oI
t he uncert ain, Iait hl ess currents oI the deep.
Honor and Duty are t he pol e-stars oI a Mason, the Di oscuri, by never
l osi ng sight oI whi ch he may avoid di sastrous shi pwreck. These Pal i nurus
wat ched, unt i l, overcome by sleep, and t he vessel no l onger guided truly,
he Iel l int o and was swal lowed up by the i nsat i abl e sea. So the Mason who
l oses sight oI t hese, and i s no l onger governed by their beneIicent and
potenti al Iorce, is l ost , and si nki ng out oI sight , wi ll disappear unhonored
and unwept .
The Iorce oI el ectrici ty, analogous to that oI sympathy, and by means oI
which great t houghts or base suggest ions, the ut terances oI nobl e or
i gnoble natures, Il ash i nstantaneously over the nerves oI nati ons; t he Iorce
oI growt h, Ii t type oI i mmortal ity, Iying dormant t hree thousand years in
t he wheat-grai ns buri ed wit h thei r mummi es by t he old Egypt ians; t he
Iorces oI expansi on and cont ract i on, devel oped in t he eart hquake and the
t ornado, and gi vi ng bi rth to the wonderIul achievement s oI steam, have
t heir paral lel isms in t he moral world, i n i ndi vi dual s, and nati ons. Growt h
i s a necessi ty Ior nati ons as Ior men. Its cessat ion is t he begi nning oI
decay. In t he nati on as wel l as the plant i t i s myst eri ous, and i t i s
i rresi st i ble. The earthquakes t hat rend nat ions asunder, overturn t hrones,
and engulI monarchies and republ ics, have been long prepared Ior, li ke t he
volcanic erupti on. Revoluti ons have l ong root s in t he past . The Iorce
exert ed is i n direct proporti on t o t he previous rest rai nt and compressi on.
The true statesman ought to see i n progress t he causes that are i n due t i me
t o produce them; and he who does not is but a bli nd leader oI the bli nd.
The great changes i n nat i ons, l ike the geol ogical changes oI t he earth, are
sl owly and cont i nuously wrought. The wat ers, Ialli ng Irom Heaven as rain
and dews, sl owly di sintegrate t he grani te mountains; abrade the plains,
l eaving hi ll s and ridges oI denudat ion as t hei r monuments; scoop out t he
valleys, Iil l up the seas, narrow t he ri vers, and aIt er the lapse oI t housands
on t housands oI sil ent cent uries, prepare t he great al l uvi a Ior t he growt h
oI t hat pl ant , t he snowy envel ope oI whose seeds i s t o empl oy the looms
oI t he worl d, and t he abundance or penury oI whose crops shall determine
whether t he weavers and spinners oI ot her real ms shall have work to do or
st arve.
So Publ ic Opi nion i s an i mmense Iorce; and it s currents are as i nconstant
and i ncomprehensi bl e as t hose oI the at mosphere. Neverthel ess, i n Iree
government s, it is omnipotent; and t he busi ness oI t he st atesman i s t o Iind
t he means t o shape, cont rol, and di rect it . According as that is done, it i s
beneIi cial and conservat i ve, or destruct ive and ruinous. The Publ ic
Opinion oI t he ci vi li zed world is Internat ional Law; and i t is so great a
Iorce, t hough wi t h no certai n and Ii xed boundaries, that i t can even
const rain the vi ctori ous despot to be generous, and ai d an oppressed
peopl e in i ts st ruggle Ior i ndependence.
Habit i s a great Iorce; i t is second nat ure, even in t rees. It i s as st rong i n
nati ons as in men. So also are Prejudices, whi ch are gi ven to men and
nati ons as the passions are, --as Iorces, valuable, iI properly and ski ll Iully
avai led oI; destruct ive, i I unskil lIul ly handled.
Above al l , t he Love oI Country, Stat e Pri de, the Love oI Home, are Iorces
oI i mmense power. Encourage t hem al l. Insist upon them i n your publ ic
men. Permanency oI home i s necessary to pat ri ot ism. A mi gratory race wi ll
have l it tl e l ove oI country. Stat e pride i s a mere t heory and chi mera, where
men remove Irom St ate to St ate wit h indiIIerence, li ke the Arabs, who
camp here t o-day and t here t o-morrow.
II you have Eloquence, it i s a mighty Iorce. See that you use it Ior good
purposes--to t each, exhort , ennoble the people, and not t o misl ead and
corrupt t hem. Corrupt and venal orat ors are the assassi ns oI the publi c
l ibert ies and oI publ ic moral s.
The Wi l l i s a Iorce; it s li mi ts as yet unknown. It i s i n t he power oI t he wil l
t hat we chieIly see the spi ri tual and divi ne in man. There i s a seeming
i dent ity bet ween hi s wi ll t hat moves other men, and the Creat ive Wil l
whose act ion seems so i ncomprehensi bl e. It is the men oI wi ll and act ion,
not the men oI pure int el lect , t hat govern the world.
Final ly, the three greatest moral Iorces are FAITH, whi ch i s the only true
WISDOM, and the very Ioundati on oI al l government; HOPE, which i s
STRENGTH, and i nsures success; and CHARITY, which i s BEAUTY, and
al one makes ani mat ed, uni ted eIIort possi ble. These Iorces are wi thi n the
reach oI al l men; and an associ at i on oI men, act uated by them, ought to
exerci se an i mmense power i n the world. II Masonry does not, i t i s
because she has ceased t o possess t hem.
Wisdom i n t he man or st atesman, in ki ng or priest , l argely consi st s i n t he
due appreci ati on oI these Iorces; and upon the general non-appreciat ion oI
some oI them t he Iate oI nati ons oIt en depends. What hecatombs oI li ves
oIten hang upon the not weighi ng or not sumciently weighi ng t he Iorce oI
an idea, such as, Ior example, t he reverence Ior a Il ag, or the bl i nd
at tachment t o a Iorm or consti tut i on oI government!
What errors in poli ti cal economy and st atesmanshi p are commi tt ed in
consequence oI t he over-esti mat ion or under-esti mat ion oI part icular
values, or t he non-esti mat ion oI some among them ! Everyt hi ng, i t is
asserted, is the product oI human labor; but the gol d or t he diamond which
one acci dentally Iinds wi thout l abor i s not so. What i s the val ue oI t he
l abor best owed by the husbandman upon his crops, compared wit h t he
value oI the sunshine and rai n, wit hout whi ch his labor avai l s not hing?
Commerce carri ed on by t he l abor oI man, adds to t he value oI the
product s oI t he Ii el d, the mi ne, or t he workshop, by their transportat ion t o
diIIerent markct s; but how much oI this increase is due to the rivers down
which these product s Il oat , to t he wi nds that urge the keel s oI commerce
over the ocean !
Who can est i mat e t he value oI moral ity and manl iness in a Stat e, oI moral
wort h and i nt el l ect ual knowl edge ? These are the sunshine and rai n oI the
Stat e. The wi nds, wi th their changeable, Ii ckl e, Iluctuati ng current s, are
apt emblems oI the Ii ckl e humors oI t he popul ace, it s passi ons, i ts heroic
i mpulses, it s enthusiasms. Woe t o t he st atesman who does not esti mat e
t hese as values !
Even music and song are someti mes Iound to have an i ncal culabl e value.
Every nat i on has some song oI a proven value, more easily count ed i n
l ives than doll ars. The Marseil lai se was worth to revol uti onary France,
who shall say how many thousand men?
Peace also i s a great el ement oI prosperity and weal th; a value not to be
calculat ed. Social i ntercourse and associ ati on oI men i n beneIicent Orders
have a value not t o be est i mated in coi n. The i ll ustri ous exampl es oI the
Past oI a nat ion, the memories and i mmortal t hought s oI her great and
wi se t hinkers, statesmen, and heroes, are the inval uabl e legacy oI that Past
t o t he Present and Fut ure. And al l these have not only the val ues oI t he
l oIt i er and more excell ent and priceless ki nd, but al so an act ual money-
value, si nce it i s only when co-operat i ng wit h or aided or enabled by
t hese, that human labor creat es weal th. They are oI the chi eI elements oI
material weal th, as t hey are oI nat i onal manl iness, heroi sm. , gl ory,
prosperi ty, and i mmortal renown.
Provi dence has appoi nted the t hree great di scipli nes oI War, t he Monarchy
and t he Pri esthood, all that the CAMP, the PALACE, and the TEMPLE
may symbol i ze, t o train the mult it udes Iorward to intel ligent and
premedit ated combinati ons Ior all t he great purposes oI society. The resul t
wi ll at l ength be Iree government s among men, when vi rt ue and
i ntell igence become quali ties oI t he mul t i tudes; but Ior ignorance such
government s are i mpossi bl e. Man advances only by degrees. The removal
oI one pressi ng calamity gives courage to at tempt the removal oI the
remai ni ng evi ls, renderi ng men more sensit ive to t hem, or perhaps
sensi ti ve Ior t he Iirst ti me. SerIs t hat wri t he under the whi p are not
disquiet ed about t beir pol it ical ri ght s; manumi tt ed Irom personal slavery,
t hey be come sensi t i ve to pol it ical oppression. Liberated Irom arbit rary
power, and governed by t he l aw al one, t hey begin to scruti ni ze t he l aw
i tsel I, and desire t o be governed, not only by law, but by what t hey deem
t he best l aw. And when t he ci vi l or temporal despot i sm has been set asi de,
and t he muni cipal law has been moul ded on t he princi pl es oI an
enlightened j urisprudence, t hey may wake t o the di scovery that t hey are
l ivi ng under some pri estly or eccl esiast ical despoti sm, and become
desi rous oI working a reIormat i on there al so.
It is qui te true t hat the advance oI humanity i s sl ow, and t hat i t oIt en
pauses and ret rogrades. In t he ki ngdoms oI t he earth we do not see
despot isms ret iri ng and yielding the ground to selI-governing
communi ti es. We do not see the churches and pri esthoods oI Christ endom
reli nquishi ng their ol d t ask oI governi ng men by i magi nary terrors.
Nowhere do we see a populace that could be saIely manumi t ted Irom such
a government. We do not see t he great rel igi ous t eachers ai ming t o
discover t rut h Ior themsel ves and Ior ot hers; but st i ll rul ing the world, and
contented and compell ed t o rule t he worl d, by what ever dogma i s already
accredit ed; t hemsel ves as much bound down by t hi s necessity t o govern, as
t he populace by t heir need oI government. Poverty in all i ts most hideous
Iorms st il l exi sts in the great ci ti es; and the cancer oI pauperi sm has i ts
root s i n t he heart s oI ki ngdoms. Men there t ake no measure oI t heir wants
and t heir own power t o supply t hem, but li ve and mul ti ply l ike the beast s
oI t he Ii el d, --Providence havi ng apparent ly ceased t o care Ior them.
Int el l igence never vi sit s t hese, or it makes i ts appearance as some new
development oI vi ll ainy. War has not ceased; st il l t here are bat tles and
si eges. Homes are st il l unhappy, and t ears and anger aud spi t e make hel ls
where t here should be heavens. So much t he more necessity Ior Masonry !
So much wi der the Iiel d oI i ts labors ! So much t he more need Ior it t o
begi n to be t rue t o i tsel I, to revive Irom i ts asphyxia, t o repent oI it s
apost asy to it s t rue creed !
Undoubtedly, labor and death and t he sexual passi on are essent ial and
permanent condit ions oI human exi st ence, and render perIect ion and a
mi l lennium on eart h i mpossible. Al ways, --it i s the decree oI Fat e !--the
vast majori ty oI men must toil to l ive, and cannot Ii nd ti me to cul ti vate
t he i nt ell igence. Man, knowi ng he i s to di e, wi l l not sacri Ii ce the present
enjoyment Ior a greater one in the Iuture. The love oI woman cannot die
out; and i t has a t erri ble and uncontrol lable Iate, increased by the
reIi nements oI civil i zati on. Woman is the veri table syren or goddess oI t he
young. But society can be i mproved; and Iree government is possibl e Ior
Stat es; and Ireedom oI t hought and consci ence i s no l onger wholly
utopian. Already we see t hat Emperors preIer t o be elect ed by universal
suIIrage; t hat St ates are conveyed to Empires by vot e; and that Empires
are administered wit h somet hi ng oI the spirit oI a Republi c, being li t tle
el se than democracies wit h a singl e head, rul i ng through one man, one
representat ive, i nstead oI an assembly oI represent at i ves. And i I
Priesthoods st il l govern, they now come beIore the laity t o prove, by
st ress oI argument , that t hey ougl lt t o govern. They are obl iged to evoke
t he very reason whi ch they are bent on supplanti ng.
Accordi ngly, men become daily more Iree, because t he Ireedom oI t he man
l ies in hi s reason. He can reIl ect upon his own Iut ure conduct , and
summon up it s consequences; he can take wi de views oI human li Ie, and
l ay down rules Ior constant gui dance. Thus he is reli eved oI the tyranny oI
sense and passion, and enabled at any ti me to li ve accordi ng to the whol e
l ight oI the knowledge that is wit hin hi m, i nstead oI bei ng driven, l ike a
dry leaI on the wi ngs oI t he wind, by every present i mpulse. Herei n li es
t he Ireedom oI t he man as regarded i n connect ion wit h t he necessi ty
i mposed by t he omnipotence and Iore-knowl edge oI God. So much l ight ,
so much l i berty. When emperor and church appeal t o reason there i s
naturally uni versal suIIrage.
ThereIore no one need l ose courage, nor beli eve t hat labor in t he cause oI
Progress wil l be labor wasted. There i s no wast e i n nat ure, eit her oI
Mat ter, Force, Act , or Thought. A Thought is as much t he end oI l iIe as an
Act ion; and a si ngle Thought somet i mes works great er resul t s than a
Revol uti on, even Revoluti ons themsel ves. Sti l l there shoul d not be divorce
between Thought and Act ion. The t rue Thought i s that in whi ch l iIe
cul mi nat es. But al l wise and true Thought produces Acti on. It is
generati ve, li ke the light; and l ight and t he deep shadow oI the passi ng
cl oud are the giIt s oI the prophets oI the race. Knowledge, l aboriously
acquired, and induci ng habit s oI sound Thought , --t he reIl ect i ve
character, --must necessarily be rare. The mul t it ude oI l aborers cannot
acquire i t. Most men att ai n t o a very low st andard oI it . It is incompati ble
wi th t he ordi nary and i ndi spensable avocat i ons oI l iIe. A whole worl d oI
error as well as oI labor, go to make one reIlect ive man. In the most
advanced nati on oI Europe there are more ignorant than wi se, more poor
t han ri ch, more autornat ic laborers, t he mere creat ures oI habit , t han
reasoni ng and reIl ecti ve men. The proporti on is at l east a thousand t o one.
Unani mity oI opi ni on is so obtai ned. It only exi st s among the mul t it ude
who do not think, and the pol i t ical or spiri t ual priest hood who thi nk Ior
t hat mul t i t ude, who t hi nk how to gui de and govern t hem. When men begin
t o reIl ect , t hey begin to di IIer. The great problem i s t o Iind guides who
wi ll not seek t o be tyrants. This i s needed even more i n respect to t he
heart than t he head. Now, every man earns hi s special share oI the produce
oI human l abor, by an i ncessant scrambl e, by t ri ckery and decei t. UseIul
knowl edge, honorably acqui red, i s t oo oIten used aIter a Iashi on not
honest or reasonabl e, so t hat the studies oI youth are Iar more nobl e than
t he pract ices oI manhood. The labor oI t he Iarmer in hi s Ii elds, t he
generous ret urns oI the eart h, the beni gnant and Iavoring ski es, t end to
make hi m earnest, provi dent , and grateIul ; the educat ion oI the market-
place makes hi m querul ous, craIty, envious, and an i ntolerable niggard.
Masonry seeks t o be thi s beneIicent , unambit ious, di sinterest ed guide; and
i t i s t he very condit ion oI all great struct ures t hat the sound oI the hammer
and t he cl ink oI the trowel should be always heard i n some part oI t he
buil di ng. Wi t h Iait h i n man, hope Ior t he Iut ure oI humanity, l ovi ng-
kindness Ior our Iell ows, Masonry and the Mason must al ways work and
t each. Let each do that Ior which he i s best Ii t ted. The teacher al so i s a
workman. Prai seworthy as t he act i ve navi gator is, who comes and goes
and makes one cl i me partake oI the t reasures oI t he ot her, and one to share
t he t reasures oI all , he who keeps the beacon-l ight upon t he hil l i s al so at
his post .
Masonry has al ready hel ped cast down some idol s Irom t heir pedestal s,
and grind t o i mpal pable dust some oI t he li nks oI the chai ns t hat hel d
men' s soul s in bondage. That there has been progress needs no other
demonstrati on than t hat you may now reason wit h men, and urge upon
t hem, wi thout danger oI the rack or st ake, that no doctrines can be
apprehended as trut hs iI they contradi ct each ot her, or contradict other
t ruths given us by God. Long beIore the ReIormati on, a monk, who had
Iound his way t o heresy wit hout the help oI Marti n Luther, not vent urine
t o breat he al oud i nt o any li vi ng ear his anti -papal and treasonabl e
doctri nes, wrot e t hem on parchment, and seali ng up t heperi l ous record, hi d
i t i n the massi ve wall s oI hi s monast ery. There was no Iri end or brother to
whom he coul d i nt rust his secret or pour Iort h his soul . It was some
consol at i on to i magine that in a Iuture age some one might Ii nd the
parchment , and t he seed be Iound not t o have been sown i n vain. What iI
t he t ruth shoul d have to l ie dormant as long beIore germinati ng as the
wheat i n the Egypti an mummy ? Speak it , nevert hel ess, agai n and agai n,
and l et it take it s chance !
The rose oI Jericho grows i n the sandy desert s oI Arabia and on the Syri an
houset ops. Scarcely si x i nches high, it loses it s l eaves aIt er t he Iloweri ng
season, and dries up into the Iorm oI a ball . Then it i s uprooted by the
wi nds, and carried, blown, or t ossed across t he desert , i nt o t he sea. There,
Ieeli ng t he contact oI the water, it unIolds it selI, expands i ts branches,
and expel s it s seeds Irom their seed-vessel s. These, when saturated wi t h
wat er, are carried by the t ide and lai d on t he sea-shore. Many are lost, as
many individual li ves oI men are usel ess. But many are t hrown back again
Irom the sea-shore i nt o t he desert , where, by the vi rt ue oI the sea-wat er
t hat they have i mbi bed, t he roots and l eaves sprout and they grow i nt o
Iruit Iul pl ant s, whi ch wi ll , in their t urns, l i ke t heir ancest ors, be whi rled
i nt o t he sea. God wi l l not be l ess careIul to provide Ior the germi nat ion oI
t he t ruths you may boldly ut t er Iort h. "Cast, " He has sai d, "t hy bread upon
t he wat ers, and aIt er many days it shal l ret urn t o t hee agai n. "
Ini ti ati on does not change: we Ii nd i t agai n and agai n, and always the
same, t hrough al l t he ages. The l ast disci pl es oI Pascali s Mart inez are st il l
t he chil dren oI Orpheus; but t hey adore the reali zer oI the ant ique
phil osophy, t he Incarnate Word oI t he Christ ians.
Pyt hagoras, t he great divulger oI the phi losophy oI numbers, vi sit ed al l
t he sanctuaries oI the world. He went i nt o Judaea, where he procured
hi msel I to be circumci sed, that he mi ght be admit ted to t he secrets oI the
Kabal ah, which the prophet s Ezekiel and Dani el, not wit hout some
reservat ions, communicated t o hi m. Then, not wi thout some di IIi cul ty, he
succeeded i n being admi t ted to the Egypt ian init iat i on, upon t he
recommendati on oI Ki ng Amasi s. The power oI hi s geni us suppl ied the
deIicienci es oI t he i mperIect communi cati ons oI t he Hi erophants, and he
hi msel I became a Master and a Revealer.
Pyt hagoras deIined God: a Li ving and Absol ute Veri ty clothed wi th Light.
He said that t he Word was Number maniIested by Form.
He made all descend Irom t he Tetyactys, t hat i s to say, Irom the
Quaternary.
God, he sai d agai n, is the Supreme Musi c, the nat ure oI whi ch is Harmony.
Pyt hagoras gave t he magist rat es oI Crot ona thi s great rel igi ous, poli ti cal
and soci al precept:
"There i s no evi l that is not preIerabl e to Anarchy. "
Pyt hagoras sai d, "Even as there are three divine not i ons and Iree
i ntell igi ble regi ons, so there i s a t ri pl e word, Ior the Hierarehical Order
al ways maniIests it selI by threes. There are t he word si mpl e, the word
hieroglyphi cal , and the word symboli c: i n ot her terms, there are t he word
t hat expresses, the word that conceal s, and the word that signiIies; t he
whole hi erat ic i nt el l igence i s in the perIect knowl edge oI t hese t hree
degrees. "
Pyt hagoras envel oped doctrine wi th symbol s, but careIul ly eschewed
personiIicat ions and i mages, which, he t hought, sooner or lat er produced
i dol atry.
The Holy Kabal ah, or tradi ti on oI t he chil dren oI Seth, was carried Irom
Chal dcea by Abraham, t aught t o the Egypti an pri est hood by Joseph,
recovered and puriIied by Moses, concealed under symbols in the Bible,
revealed by the Saviour t o Saint John, and cont ained, enti re, under
hierati c Ii gures anal ogous to t hose oI all ant iqui ty, i n t he Apocalypse oI
t hat Apost le.
The Kabali sts consi der God as t he Intell igent, Ani mated, Livi ng InIi ni t e.
He is not , Ior t hem, ei ther t he aggregat e oI exist ences, or exi stence i n t he
abst ract , or a bei ng phi losophi cally deIi nabl e. He is in all , dist inct Irom
al l, and great er than all . Hi s name even is i neIIable; and yet this name
only expresses t he human i deal oI Hi s di vi ni ty. What God i s i n Hi mselI, i t
i s not given to man t o comprehend.
God i s t he absolute oI Fai th; but the absol ut e oI Reason i s BEING, "I am
t hat I am, " i s a wretched translat ion.
Being, Exist ence, i s by i t sel I, and because it Is. The reason oI Bei ng, i s
Being i tsel I. We may i nquire, "Why does somethi ng exi st ?" that i s, "Why
does such or such a t hi ng exist ?" But we cannot, wit hout bei ng absurd,
ask, "Why Is Bei ng?" That woul d be t o suppose Bei ng beIore Bei ng. II
Being had a cause, that cause would necessarily Be; that i s, t he cause and
eIIect would be identi cal.
Reason and science demonst rat e t o us that the modes oI Exist ence and
Being bal ance each ot her in equil ibri um according to harmonious and
hierarchi c l aws. But a hierarchy i s synt heti zed, i n ascendi ng, and becomes
ever more and more monarchial . Yet the reason cannot pause at a si ml e
chieI, wi thout being alarmed at the abysses whi ch it seems to leave above
t hi s Supreme Monarch. ThereIore it i s si lent , and gives place to the Fai th
i t adores.
What i s certai n, even Ior sci ence and t he reason, i s, t hat the i dea oI God i s
t he grandest , the most holy, and the most useIul oI all t he aspi rat ions oI
man; that upon t hi s bel ieI moral i ty reposes, wi th it s et ernal sanct ion. Thi s
belieI, then, is i n humanity, t he most real oI the phenomena oI being; and
i I i t were Ial se, nature woul d aIIirm the absurd; nothi ngness woul d give
Iorm to li Ie, and God woul d at the same ti me be and not be.
It is t o this phi losophic and i ncont estable real ity, which is termed The
Idea oI God, t hat the Kabal ist s gi ve a name. In t hi s name all others are
contai ned. Its cyphers cont ai n al l the numbers; and the hi eroglyphics oI it s
l ett ers express al l the laws and al l the things oI nat ure.
BEING IS BEING: t he reason oI Being is i n Bei ng: in t he Beginni ng i s t he
Word, and t he Word i n l ogi c Iormul ated Speech, the spoken Reason; the
Word is in God, and i s God Hi msel I, maniIested to t he Int el l igence. Here
i s what i s above al l the phi l osophies. Thi s we must bel i eve, under t he
penalty oI never truly knowi ng anyt hing, and relapsi ng int o t he absurd
skept i cism oI Pyrrho. The Pri esthood, custodian oI Fai th, whol ly rest s
upon this basi s oI knowledge, and i t is i n it s teachings we must recognize
t he Divi ne Principl e oI t he Et ernal Word.
Light is not Spiri t, as t he Indian Hierophant s bel ieved i t to be; but only
t he i nst rument oI t he Spirit . It i s not t he body oI t he Protoplastes, as the
Theurgi sts oI the school oI Alexandria taught, but t he Ii rst physical
maniIestat ion oI the Di vine aIIl at us. God et ernal ly creat es i t, and man, i n
t he i mage oI God, modi Ii es and seems to mult iply it .
The high magi c i s styled "The Sacerdot al Art , " and "The Royal Art." In
Egypt , Greece, and Rome, i t coul d not but share t he greatnesses and
decadences oI t he Priest hood and oI Royal ty. Every phi losophy host i le t o
t he nati onal worshi p and to it s mysteries, was oI necessi ty host il e t o the
great pol i t ical powers, whi chl ose t heir grandeur, i I they cease, i n the eyes
oI t he mul ti t udes, to be the i mages oI t he Di vi ne Power. Every Crown i s
shat tered, when i t cl ashes agai nst the Ti ara.
Plat o, writ ing to Di onysius the Younger, in regard t o the nat ure oI the
First Principl e, says: "I must writ e t o you in enigmas, so t hat iI my l ett er
be intercepted by land or sea, he who shall read i t may in no degree
comprehend i t. " And then he says, "Al l t hi ngs surround t hei r King; t hey
are, on account oI Hi m, and He al one is the cause oI good thi ngs, Second
Ior the Seconds and Thi rd Ior the Thirds. "
There i s in t hese Iew words a complet e summary oI the Theol ogy oI the
Sephiroth. "The Ki ng" is AINSOPH, Bei ng Supreme and Absol ute. From
t hi s cent re, whi ch i s everywhere, all things ray Iort h; but we especial ly
concei ve oI i t i n three manners and i n t hree di IIerent spheres. In the
Di vi ne worl d (AZILUTH), which i s that oI the Fi rst Cause, and wherein
t he whol e Eterni ty oI Thi ngs i n t he beginning existed as Unity, t o be
aIterward, during Et ernity utt ered Iort h, clot hed wit h Iorm, and t he
at tributes that consti t ute them mat t er, t he First Principle i s Si ngle and
First , and yet not t he VERY Ill i mit abl e Dei ty, incomprehensibl e,
undeIinable; but Hi mselI i n so Iar as mani Iest ed by t he Creati ve Thought .
To compare li tt leness wit h inIi nity,--Arkwright, as invent or oI t he
spinning-j enny, and not t he man Arkwright otherwi se and beyond t hat . Al l
we can know oI the Very God is, compared t o His Wholeness, only as an
i nIi nitesi mal Iract ion oI a uni t, compared wit h an inIi ni ty oI Uni ts.
In t he World oI Creati on, whi ch i s that oI Second Causes |t he Kabal ist ic
Worl d BRIAH|, the Aut ocracy oI the Fi rst Pri nci pl e i s complet e, but we
concei ve oI i t only as t he Cause oI t he Second Causes. Here i t i s
maniIested by the Binary, and i s t he Creati ve Principle passi ve. Fi nally: i n
t he t hi rd world, YEZIRAH, or oI Formati on, i t is reveal ed i n the perIect
Form, t he Form oI Forms, t he World, t he Supreme Beauty and Excel l ence,
t he Created PerIecti on. Thus the Pri nci ple is at once t he First, the Second,
and t he Thi rd, since i t i s All in Al l , the Centre and Cause oI al l . It is not
t he genius oI Plat o t hat we here admi re. We recognize only t he exact
knowl edge oI the Init iat e.
The great Apost le Sai nt John did not borrow Irom t he phi l osophy oI Plat o
t he openi ng oI his Gospel . Pl ato, on t he cont rary, drank at the same
spri ngs wi th Saint John and Phil o; and John in t he openi ng verses oI his
paraphrase, st ates the Ii rst pri nci ples oI a dogma common to many
school s, but in language especi ally bel onging to Bhi lo, whom it i s evi dent
he had read. The phi losophy oI Pl at o, t he greatest oI human Revealers,
could yearn t oward t he Word made man; t he Gospel al one could give hi m
t o t he worl d.
Doubt , in presence oI Being and it s harmoni es; skepti ci sm, in the Iace oI
t he et ernal mathemat ics and t he i mmut abl e laws oI Li Ie which make t he
Di vi ni ty present and visi ble everywhere, as the Human i s known and
visi ble by it s ut terances oI word and act, --i s thi s not the most Iooli sh oI
superst it ions, and the most i nexcusabl e as wel l as t he most dangerous oI
al l creduli ti es ? Thought , we know, i s not a result or consequence oI the
organi zat i on oI mat ter, oI the chemical or ot her act ion or reacti on oI it s
parti cl es, l ike eIIervescence and gaseous explosi ons. On t he contrary, the
Iact that Thought i s mani Iested and real ized i n act human or act di vi ne,
proves the exi st ence oI an Ent ity, or Unity, t hat thinks. And t he Universe
i s t he InIinite Ut terance oI one oI an i nIi ni te number oI InIini t e Thought s,
which cannot but emanate Irom an InIi nit e and Thi nking Source. The
cause is al ways equal, at least , t o the eIIect; and mat ter cannot t hi nk, nor
could i t cause it selI, or exi st wit hout cause, nor coul d nothi ng produce
ei ther Iorces or t hings; Ior i n voi d not hingness no Forces can i nhere.
Admi t a selI-exist ent Force, and it s Int ell igence, or an Intel li gent cause oI
i t i s admi t t ed, and at once GOD Is.
The Hebrew all egory oI t he Fall oI Man, which is but a special variat ion
oI a uni versal l egend, symbol i zes one oI t he grandest and most uni versal
al legories oI science.
Moral Evi l i s Fal sehood i n acti ons, as Fal sehood i s Cri me i n words.
Inj ust ice i s t he essence oI Fal sehood; and every Ial se word is an i njusti ce.
Inj ust ice i s t he death oI the Moral Bei ng, as Fal sehood i s t he poi son oI the
Int el l igence.
The percepti on oI the Light i s t he dawn oI the Eternal LiIe, i n Bei ng. The
Word oI God, whi ch creates t he Light , seems to be utt ered by every
Int el l igence that can take cognizance oI Forms and wi ll l ook. "Let t he
Light BE! The Light , i n Iact , exi st s, in it s condi ti on oI spl endor, Ior t hose
eyes alone that gaze at it ; and the Soul , amorous oI the spect acle oI the
beauti es oI t he Uni verse, and applying it s at tenti on to that luminous
writ ing oI t he InIi nit e Book, whi ch i s call ed "The Vi sibl e," seems to ut ter,
as God did on t he dawn oI the Ii rst day, that subli me and creat ive word,
"BE! LIGHT !"
It is not beyond the t omb, but in l iIe it selI, that we are to seek Ior the
mysteries oI deat h. Sal vat ion or reprobat ion begi ns here bel ow, and t he
t errestrial worl d t oo has i ts Heaven and it s Hell . Al ways, even here bel ow,
virtue is rewarded; al ways, even here below, vi ce i s pwl ished; and that
which makes us somet i mes bel ieve in t he i mpuni ty oI evi l-doers i s t hat
riches, t hose inst rument s oI good and oI evi l , seem somet i mes t o be given
t hem at hazard. But woe t o unj ust men, when they possess t he key oI
gold ! It opens, Ior t hem, only t he gat e oI t he t omb and oI Hell .
Al l the true Init i at es have recognized t he useIul ness oI t oil and sorrow.
"Sorrow, " says a German poet, "i s the dog oI t hat unknown shepherd who
guides the Il ock oI men. " To learn t o suIIer, t o learn t o die, is t he
disci pli ne oI Et ernity, t he i mmortal Novit i at e.
The allegori cal pict ure oI Cebes, i n which the Di vi ne Comedy oI Dante
was sketched i n Plato' s ti me, t he descript i on whereoI has been preserved
Ior us, and whi ch many pai nters oI t he mi ddle age have reproduced by thi s
descripti on, i s a monument at once phil osophical and magi cal . It is a most
compl ete moral synt hesis, and at the same ti me the most audacious
demonstrati on ever given oI t he Grand Arcanum, oI t hat secret whose
revelat ion woul d overturn Earth and Heaven. Let no one expect us t o give
t hem it s expl anat ion ! He who passes behi nd the vei l that hi des this
mystery, understands t hat it i s in i t s very nat ure inexpl icable, and that it is
deat h to those who win it by surprise, as well as to hi m who reveal s it .
Thi s secret i s t he Royalty oI t he Sages, the Crown oI the Ini tiate whom we
see redescend vi ct ori ous Irom the summi t oI Trial s, i n the Ii ne al legory oI
Cebes. The Grand Arcanun1 makes hi m mast er oI gol d and t he l ight, whi ch
are at bot tom the same thi ng, he has sol ved the probl em oI the quadrat ure
oI t he circl e, he direct s t he perpetual movement , and he possesses t he
phil osophi cal st one. Here t he Adepts wi l l understand us. There i s nei ther
i nterrupt ion i n the toil oI nat ure, nor gap in her work. The Harmonies oI
Heaven correspond t o t hose oI Eart h, and the Et ernal LiIe accompl i shes i ts
evoluti ons in accordance wit h t he same laws as t he l iIe oI a dog. "God has
arranged al l t hi ngs by weight, number, and measure, " says the Bibl e; and
t hi s lumi nous doctrine was al so t hat oI Plat o.
Humani ty has never real ly had but one reli gion and one worshi p. Thi s
universal li ght has had it s uncertain mi rages, it s decei tIul reIlect ions, and
i ts shadows; but always, aIter the ni ght s oI Error, we see it reappear, one
and pure li ke t he Sun.
The magni Ii cences oI worship are t he l i Ie oI rel igi on, and i I Christ wishes
poor mi ni sters, His Sovereign Divi ni ty does not wi sh palt ry al t ars. Some
Protest ant s have not comprehended t hat worshi p is a teachi ng, and that we
must not create in the i maginati on oI the mult i t ude a mean or miserabl e
God. Those orat ories t hat resembl e poorly-Iurni shed oIIices or i nns, and
t hose worthy mi ni sters clad l ike notaries or l awyer' s clerks, do they not
necessarily cause rel igi on to be regarded as a mere puri tanic Iormal ity,
and God as a Just ice oI the Peace?
We scoII at t he Augurs. It i s so easy t o scoII, and so di IIicult wel l to
comprehend. Di d the Deity leave the whol e worl d wit hout Light Ior two
score cent uries, to i ll umi nat e only a l it tl e corner oI Palest ine and a brut al,
i gnorant , and ungrat eIul people? Why al ways cal umniat e God and t he
Sanct uary ? Were t here never any ot hers than rogues among the priest s?
Could no honest and sincere men be Iound among the Hierophant s oI
Ceres or Di ana, oI Di onusos or Apoll o, oI Hermes or Mi t hras ? Were
t hese, then, al l deceived, li ke t he rest ? Who, t hen, constant ly decei ved
t hem, wi thout betraying themsel ves, during a seri es oI centuries?--Ior the
cheat s are not i mmortal ! Arago sai d, t hat outsi de oI t he pure mat hemati cs,
he who ut ters t he word "i mpossible, " i s want ing i n prudence and good
sense.
The true name oI Sat an, the Kabal ist s say, i s that oI Yahveh reversed; Ior
Satan i s not a black god, but the negat ion oI God. The Devil i s the
personiIicat ion oI At heism or Idolat ry.
For the Ini ti at es, thi s i s not a Person, but a Force, creat ed Ior good, but
which may serve Ior evi l . It i s the i nstrument oI Li berty or Free Wi l l. They
represent thi s Force, whi ch presi des over the physical generati on, under
t he myt hol ogic and horned Iorm oI t he God PAN; thence came the he-goat
oI t he Sabbat, brot her oI t he Anci ent Serpent, and the Light-bearer or
Phosphor, oI which the poet s have made t he Ial se Luci Ier oI t he l egend.
Gold, t o t he eyes oI t he Ini ti at es, is Light condensed. They style t he sacred
numbers oI the Kabal ah "golden numbers, " and t he moral teachi ngs oI
Pyt hagoras hi s "golden verses." For t he same reason, a mysterious book oI
Apuleius, in which an ass Iigures largely, was cal l ed "The Golden Ass. "
The Pagans accused t he Chri sti ans oI worshi ppi ng an ass, and t hey did not
i nvent thi s reproach, but i t came Irom the Samari tan Jews, who, Iiguri ng
t he data oI the Kabal ah i n regard to t he Di vi ni ty by Egypti an symbols, al so
represented the Int ell igence by t he Iigure oI the Magical Star adored under
t he name oI Remphan, Science under t he embl em oI Anubis, whose name
t hey changed to Ni bbas, and the vul gar Iai t h or credul ity under the Iigure
oI Thart ac, a god represent ed wi t h a book, a cl oak, and t he head oI an ass.
Accordi ng to the Samarit an Doctors, Christ iani ty was t he reign oI Thartac,
bli nd Fait h and vul gar creduli ty erected i nto a uni versal oracle, and
preIerred t o Intell igence and Science.
Synesi us, Bishop oI Pt ol emai s, a great Kabali st, but oI doubt Iul
ort hodoxy, wrote:
"The people wil l always mock at things easy t o be mi sunderst ood; it must
needs have i mpost ures. "
"A Spirit , " he sai d, "t hat loves wi sdom and contempl ates t he TruIh close at
hand, is Iorced to di sguise it , t o induce t he mul t i tudes t o accept i t. . . .
Ficti ons are necessary to the people, and t he Trut h becomes deadly t o
t hose who are not strong enough to cont empl at e it i n all it s bri ll iance. II
t he sacerdot al laws all owed the reservati on oI j udgment s and the al l egory
oI words, I woul d accept t he proposed di gni ty on conditi on t hat I mi ght be
a phi losopher at home, and abroad a narrat or oI apologues and parables. . . . .
In Iact , what can t here be i n common bet ween t he vil e mult it ude and
subli me wi sdom? The t ruth must be kept secret, and the masses need a
t eaching proport ioned to their i mperIect reason. "
Moral di sorders produce physi cal ugli ness, and in some sort real ize those
Iright Iul Iaces whi ch tradit ion assi gns t o the demons.
The Ii rst Druids were the t rue chi ldren oI the Magi, and their i nit iat i on
came Irom Egypt and Chal daea, that is t o say, Irom t he pure sources oI t he
pri mi ti ve Kabalah. They adored the Trini ty under the names oI Isis or
Hesus, t he Supreme Harmony; oI Belerl or Bel , which i n Assyrian means
Lord, a name corresponding t o t hat oI ADONAI; and oI Camul or Camael,
a name that i n t he Kabalah personi Ii es t he Divi ne Just ice. Bel ow this
t ri angle oI Light they supposed a di vi ne reIl ecti on, al so composed oI t hree
personiIied rays: Ii rst, Teut ates or Teut h, the same as the Thot h oI the
Egypt ians, t he Word, or the Int ell igence Iormulat ed; then Force and
Beauty, whose names varied li ke thei r emblems. Final ly, they compl eted
t he sacred Sept enary by a mysterious i mage t hat represented the progress
oI t he dogma and it s Iut ure real i zati ons. Thi s was a young girl veil ed,
holding a chi ld i n her arms; and t hey dedicated thi s i mage to "The Vi rgin
who wil l become a mother; --Virgini pari t urae. "
Hertha or Wertha, t he young Isis oI Gaul , Queen oI Heaven, the Virgi n
who was to bear a chil d, held t he spi ndle oI the Fates, Iil l ed wit h wool
halI whi te and halI black; because she presi des over all Iorms and al l
symbol s, and weaves t he garment oI the Ideas.
One oI t he most mysterious pantacles oI t he Kabal ah, contai ned i n the
Enchiridion oI Leo III. , represent s an equi lat eral t ri angle reversed,
i nscribed in a double circle. On t he triangl e are writ ten, i n such manner as
t o Iorm the propheti c Tau, t he t wo Hebrew words so oIten Iound appended
t o t he IneIIable Name, and ALOHAYIM, or t he Powers, and TSABAOTH,
or t he starry Armi es and their gui di ng spirit s; words al so which symbol ize
t he Equi l ibri um oI t he Forces oI Nature and the Harmony oI Numbers. To
t he t hree sides oI t he t ri angle bel ong the three great Names IAHAVEH,
ADONAI, and AGLA. Above the Ii rst i s writ ten i n Lat in, Formati o, above
t he second ReIormat io, and above the third, TransIormati o. So Creati on is
ascribed t o t he FATHER, Redempt ion or ReIormat ion to the SON, and
Sanct iIi cat i on or TransIormat i on t o the HOLY SPIRIT, answeri ng unt o t he
mathemati cal laws oI Act i on, Reacti on, and Equi l ibri um. IAHAVEH i s
al so, in eIIect, t he Genesis or Format ion oI dogma, by the el ement ary
signiIicat ion oI the Iour let t ers oI t he Sacred Tet ragram; ADONAI; is the
reali zati on oI t hi s dogma i n the Human Form, in the Visi bl e LORD, who i s
t he Son oI God or the perIect Man; and AGLA (Iormed oI t he i nit ials oI
t he Iour words Ath Gebur Laulai m Adonai ) expresses t he synthesi s oI the
whole dogma and t he t ot al i ty oI the Kabal i. sti c science, cl early i ndi cati ng
by t he hieroglyphics oI which thi s admirabl e name i s Iormed the Tripl e
Secret oI t he Great Work.
Masonry, li ke al l the Reli gions, all the Mysteries, Hermet ici sm and
Al chemy, conceal s i ts secrets Irom all except the Adept s and Sages, or the
Elect , and uses Ial se explanat i ons and mi sinterpretat ions oI i ts symbols to
misl ead t hose who deserve only to be misl ed; t o conceal the Trut h, whi ch
i t call s Light, Irom tl 1em, and todraw them away Irom i t. Truth i s not Ior
t hose who are unwort hy or unable t o recei ve i t, or would pervert it . So
God Hi msel I incapacit ates many men, by col or-bli ndness, t o di st i nguish
colors, and l eads t he masses away Irom the hi ghest Trut h, givi ng them t he
power to at tai n only so much oI i t as it i s proIitable to them to know.
Every age has had a religion sui ted t o i ts capacity.
The Teachers, even oI Christ ianity, are, i n general , t he most ignorant oI
t he t rue meaning oI t hat whi ch t hey teach. There i s no book oI which so
l it tl e i s known as the Bi ble. To most who read it , i t is as incomprehensibl e
as t he Sohar.
So Masonry jeal ously conceal s it s secret s, and int ent ionally l eads
concei t ed i nt erpret ers ast ray. There is no sight under the sun more pit iIul
and l udi crous at once, t han the spectacl e oI t he Prestons and t he Webbs,
not to ment i on the lat er incarnat ions oI Dull ness and Commonplace,
undertaking t o "explain" t he ol d symbol s oI Masonry, and addi ng t o and
"i mprovi ng" t hem, or invent ing new ones.
To the Circle inclosi ng the central point , and it sel I traced between two
paral lel li nes, a Iigure purely Kabal i st i c, t hese persons have added t he
superi mposed Bi bl e, and even reared on that t he l adder wit h t hree or ni ne
rounds, and then gi ven a vapi d int erpret at i on oI the whole, so proIoundly
absurd as act ually t o exci te admi rat i on.
1871.
4 - Secret Mast er, 5 - PerIect Master, 6 - Int i mate Secretary
7 - Provost and Judge, 8 - Intendant oI the Bui ldi ng, 9 - Elu oI t he Nine
IV. SECRET MASTER.
MASONRY is a succession oI allegori es, t he mere vehi cles oI great
l essons in moral ity and phi l osophy. You wi ll more Iully appreciate i ts
spirit , i ts obj ect , it s purposes, as you advance in t he diIIerent Degrees,
which you wi ll Ii nd t o consti tute a great , compl ete, and harmonious
syst em.
II you have been di sappoi nt ed i n the Ii rst t hree Degrees, as you have
received t hem, and i I i t has seemed t o you that t he perIormance has not
come up t o the promi se, t hat t he l essons oI moral ity are not new, and the
sci ent i Ii c i nst ruct i on is but rudi ment ary, and the symbol s are i mperIectly
expl ained, remember t hat the ceremoni es and lessons oI those Degrees
have been Ior ages more and more accommodati ng themselves, by
curtail ment and si nki ng i nt o commonplace, to t he oIten l i mit ed memory
and capaci ty oI the Master and Inst ructor, and to t he i nt el lect and needs oI
t he Pupil and Ini ti ate; t hat they have come to us Irom an age when
symbol s were used, not to reveal but t o conceal ; when t he commonest
l earning was conIi ned to a select Iew, and the si mpl est princi pl es oI
morali ty seemed newly di scovered t rut hs; and t hat t hese ant ique and
si mpl e Degrees now stand li ke t he broken col umns oI a rooIless Druidi c
t empl e, in their rude and mut il ated great ness; in many part s, al so,
corrupt ed by t i me, and di sIigured by modern addi ti ons and absurd
i nterpretat ions. They are but t he entrance to the great Masonic Templ e, t he
t ri pl e col umns oI t he porti co.
You have t aken the Ii rst st ep over it s t hreshold, the Iirst step t oward t he
i nner sanct uary and heart oI the templ e. You are in the pat h that l eads up
t he sl ope oI the mountai n oI Truth; and i t depends upon your secrecy,
obedi ence, and Ii del i ty, whet her you wi l l advance or remai n st ati onary.
Imagi ne not t hat you wil l become i ndeed a Mason by learni ng what is
commonly cal led the "work, " or even by becomi ng Iamil iar wi th our
t radi t ions. Masonry has a hi story, a li terat ure, a phil osophy. It s all egories
and t radit ions wi l l teach you much; but much i s t o be sought el sewhere.
The streams oI l earning that now Il ow Iul l and broad must be Iol l owed to
t heir heads i n t he spri ngs t hat wel l up in the remot e past , and you wi l l
t here Ii nd the origi n and meani ng oI Masonry.
A Iew rudi mentary l essons in archi tect ure, a Iew uni versal ly admi t ted
maxi ms oI moral ity, a Iew uni mport ant t radi ti ons, whose real meani ng i s
unknown or mi sunderst ood, wil l no longer sat isIy t he earnest inqui rer
aIter Masoni c t ruth. Let whoso i s content wit h t hese, seek t o cl i mb no
higher. He who desires t o understand t he harmoni ous and beaut i Iul
proporti ons oI Freemasonry must read, study, reIl ect, digest, and
discri mi nat e. The t rue Mason is an ardent seeker aIt er knowledge; and he
knows t hat both books and the ant ique symbol s oI Masonry are vessels
which come down t o us Iul l-Ireight ed wit h t he int ell ectual ri ches oI t he
Past; and t hat in t he l ading oI t hese argosi es is much t hat sheds light on
t he hist ory oI Masonry, and proves i ts clai m t o be acknowl edged the
beneIact or oI manki nd, born i n t he very cradl e oI t he race.
Knowl edge i s the most genui ne and real oI human treasures; Ior it i s
Light , as Ignorance i s Darkness. It is the devel opment oI t he human soul,
and i ts acqui si t ion t he growt h oI the soul , which at the bi rt h oI man knows
nothing, and t hereIore, i n one sense, may be sai d to be not hi ng. It i s t he
seed, which has i n i t the power to grow, to acquire, and by acqui ring to be
developed, as t he seed is devel oped into the shoot, t he plant , the tree. "We
need not pause at t he common argument t hat by learni ng man excell et h
man, in that wherei n man excel let h beasts; that by l earning man ascendet h
t o t he heavens and thei r mot i ons, where i n body he cannot come, and the
l ike. Let us rat her regard t he digni ty and excellency oI knowledge and
l earning i n that whereunt o man' s nature dot h most aspi re, whi ch i s
i mmortal i ty or cont inuance. For t o t hi s tendet h generat i on, and raisi ng oI
Houses and Fami l ies; t o t hi s buil di ngs, Ioundat ions, and monuments; t o
t hi s tendet h t he desi re oI memory, Iame, and celebrat ion, and i n eIIect t he
st rengt h oI all other human desi res. " That our inIl uences shal l survi ve us,
and be li vi ng Iorces when we are i n our graves; and no merely t hat our
names shal l be remembered; but rather that our works shall be read, our
act s spoken oI, our names recol lect ed an menti oned when we are dead, as
evidences that t hose inIl uences li ve and rule, sway and cont rol some
port ion oI mankind and oI the world, --this is t he aspirati on oI the human
soul. "We see then how Iar the monument s oI genius and learning are more
durable than monument s oI power or oI t he hands. For have not the verses
oI Homer conti nued t wenty-Iive hundred years or more, wit hout the loss oI
a syll able or let ter, duri ng whi ch ti me inIi nit e palaces, temples, castl es,
ci ti es, have decayed and been demoli shed? It i s no possibl e t o have t he
t rue pi ct ures or st at ues oI Cyrus, Alexander Caesar, no, nor oI the Ki ngs
or great personages oI much lat e years; Ior t he original s cannot last , and
t he copies cannot but l ose oI t he l i Ie and t ruth. But t he i mages oI men' s
geni us and knowledge remain in books, exempt ed Irom the wrong oI ti me,
and capable oI perpet ual renovati on. Nei ther are t hey Ii tly t o be call ed
i mages, because t hey generat e st il l, and cast t hei r seeds in t he mi nds oI
others, provoki ng and causing i nIi ni te acti ons and opi nions i n succeeding
ages; so t hat i I the invent ion oI t he ship was t hought so noble, whi ch
carri et h ri ches and commodi ti es Irom place t o place, and consociat et h the
most remot e regions in parti cipati on oI their Iruit s, how much more are
l ett ers to be magni Iied which, as ships, pass through t he vast seas oI ti me,
and make age so di stant t o part ici pat e oI t he wisdom, il lumi nat ion, and
i nventi ons, t he one oI t he other."
To learn, to att ain knowl edge, to be wise, is a necessi ty Ior ever truly
nobl e soul; t o t each, to communi cat e that knowledge, t o share t hat wi sdom
wi th ot hers, and not churl ishly t o lock up hi s exchequer, and pl ace a
sent inel at t he door t o drive away t he needy, i s equally an i mpul se oI a
nobl e nat ure, and t he wort hi es work oI man.
"There was a li tt le ci ty, " says the Preacher, the son oI David "and Iew men
wi thin i t; and there came a great King against i t and besieged it , and bui lt
great bul warks against i t. Now there was Iound i n i t a poor wise man, and
he by his wi sdom del ivered the city; yet no man remembered that same
poor man. Then sai d I, wi sdom i s bet ter than st rength nevertheless, the
poor man' s wi sdom i s despised, and hi s words are not heard. " II i t shoul d
chance to you, my brother, t o do manki nd good service, and be rewarded
wi th i ndi IIerence and Iorget Iulness only, st il l be not di scouraged, but
remember the Iurt her advice oI the wi se King. "In the morning sow the
seed, and in t he evening wi thhol d not thy hand; Ior thou knowest not
which shall prosper, t hi s or t hat , or whether bot h shall be ali ke good. "
Sow you the seed, whoever reaps. Learn, t hat you may be enabl ed t o do
good; and do so because i t is right, Iinding in t he act it selI ample reward
and recompense.
To at t ain the t rut h, and t o serve our Iel lows, our country, and manki nd--
t hi s is the noblest dest iny oI man. HereaIter and al l your l iIe it i s t o be
your obj ect . II you desi re t o ascend t o that dest iny, advance! II you have
other and l ess noble obj ects, and are contented wi th a l ower Il ight , hal t
here ! l et others scal e t he hei ght s, and Masonry IulIi l l her mi ssi on.
II you wi ll advance, gird up your loi ns Ior the st ruggle ! Ior t he way is
l ong and toi l some. Pleasure, al l smi les, wi ll beckon you on the one hand,
and Indolence wi ll invi te you to sl eep among t he Ilowers, upon the ot her.
Prepare, by secrecy, obedi ence, and Ii del i ty, to resi st the all urement s oI
both !
Secrecy is indispensable in a Mason oI whatever Degree. It is the Ii rst and
al most t he only l esson taught t o t he Entered Apprentice. The obl igat ions
which we have each assumed toward every Mason that l i ves, requiring oI
us the perIormance oI t he most serious and onerous duti es t oward t hose
personally unknown to us unt il they demand our aid, -- duti es that must be
perIormed, even at the ri sk oI li Ie, or our solemn oaths be broken and
viol ated, and we be branded as Ial se Masons and Iait hl ess men, t each us
how proIound a Iol ly i t would be t o betray our secret s to t hose who, bound
t o us by no ti e oI common obl igat ion, might , by obt ai ni ng t hem, call on us
i n t hei r ext remity, when t he urgency oI t he occasion shoul d al low us no
t i me Ior inqui ry, and the perempt ory mandat e oI our obligati on compel us
t o do a brot her' s duty t o a base i mpost or.
The secrets oI our brot her, when communicat ed to us, must be sacred, i I
t hey be such as t he l aw oI our country warrants us t o keep. We are
requi red t o keep none other, when t he l aw t hat we are call ed on to obey is
i ndeed a l aw, by having emanat ed Irom the only source oI power, t he
People. Edi ct s which emanat e Irom t he mere arbit rary wi ll oI a despot ic
power, cont rary t o t he law oI God or t he Great Law oI Nat ure, dest ruct i ve
oI t he inherent rights oI man, viol ati ve oI the right oI Iree thought , Iree
speech, Iree consci ence, i t i s lawIul to rebel against and stri ve t o
abrogat e.
For obedi ence to the Law does not mean submissi on to tyranny nor that,
by a proIl igate sacri Ii ce oI every nobl e Ieel i ng, we should oIIer t o
despot ism the homage oI adul ati on. As every new vi cti m Ial ls, we may l i It
our voi ce i n st il l louder Ilat tery. We may Iall at t he proud Ieet , we may
beg, as a boon, the honour oI kissi ng t hat bl oody hand which has been
l iIted against t he helpless. We may do more we may bri ng t he al tar and t he
sacriIice, and i mplore the God not to ascend t oo soon t o Heaven. This we
may do, Ior t hi s we have t he sad remembrance that beings oI a human
Iorm and soul have done. But t hi s is all we can do. We can constrai n our
t ongues to be Ial se, our Ieat ures to bend t hemsel ves to the sembl ance oI
t hat passionat e adorati on whi ch we wi sh t o express, our knees to Iall
prost rat e; but our heart we cannot constrai n. There virtue must sti ll have a
voice which i s not to be drowned by hymns and acclamati ons; t here the
cri mes whi ch we laud as virt ues, are cri mes sti ll , and he whom we have
made a God is the most contempt ibl e oI mankind; iI, indeed, we do not
Ieel, perhaps, that we are ourselves st i ll more cont empt i ble.
But t hat law whi ch i s t he Iai r expressi on oI t he wi l l and j udgment oI t he
peopl e, i s t he enact ment oI the whole and oI every indi vi dual . Consist ent
wi th t he l aw oI God and t he great law oI nat ure, consist ent wi th pure and
abst ract right as tempered by necessi ty and t he general interest, as contra-
dist inguished Irom t he pri vat e interest oI indivi dual s, i t is obl igatory upon
al l, because it i s the work oI al l , t he wil l oI all , the solemn judgment oI
al l, Irom which there i s no appeal.
In t his Degree, my brother, you are especial ly to learn the duty oI
obedi ence t o t hat law. There is one true and original l aw, conIormabl e to
reason and to nat ure, di IIused over al l, i nvariable, eternal, which call s to
t he Iul Ii ll ment oI duty and t o absti nence Irom injustice, and cal ls wi t h t hat
i rresi st i ble voice whi ch i s Ielt l in al l i ts aut hori ty wherever i t is heard.
Thi s law cannot be abrogat ed or di minished, or it s sanct ions aIIect ed, by
any law oI man. A whole senate, a whol e people, cannot di ssent Irom it s
paramount obl igati on. It requi res no commentat or t o render i t di sti nctly
i ntell igi ble nor i s i t one t hi ng at Rome, anot her at Athens; one thi ng now,
and another i n the ages to come; but i n al l ti mes and i n all nat ions, it is,
and has been, and wi ll be, one and everl asti ng; --one as that God, i ts great
Author and Promulgator, who i s the Common Soverei gn oI all manki nd, i s
Hi msel I One. No man can disobey i t wit hout Ilying, as i t were, Irom his
own bosom, and repudiat i ng hi s nat ure; and in this very act he wi ll i nIl ict
on hi msel I the severest oI ret ri but i ons, even though he escape what i s
regarded as puni shment.
It is our duty to obey t he l aws oI our country, and t o be careIul t hat
prej udi ce or passi on, Iancy or aIIecti on, error and i l l usi on, be not
mist aken Ior conscience. Nothi ng is more usual than t o pretend conscience
i n al l the acti ons oI man which are publ ic and cannot be conceal ed. The
disobedient reIuse t o submi t to t he l aws, and t hey also in many cases
pretend conscience; and so di sobedience and rebel li on become conscience,
i n which t here is neit her knowledge nor revel at i on, nor trut h nor charity,
nor reason nor rel igi on. Conscience is t ied t o l aws. Right or sure
conscience is right reason reduced to practi ce, and conduct ing moral
act ions, whi l e perverse conscience is seated i n t he Iancy or aIIect ions--a
heap oI i rregular pri nci ples and irregul ar deIect s-- and i s t he same in
conscience as deIormi ty is i n the body, or peevishness i n t he aIIecti ons. It
i s not enough t hat the consci ence be taught by nat ure; but it must be
t aught by God, conducted by reason, made operat ive by di scourse, assi sted
by choice, inst ructed by laws and sober principl es; and then i t i s right, and
i t may be sure. Al l the general measures oI just i ce, are t he l aws oI God,
and t hereIore t hey consti tute t he general rules oI government Ior the
conscience; but necessity al so hath a large voi ce in t he arrangement oI
human aIIai rs, and the di sposal oI human relati ons, and t he disposi t ions oI
human laws; and t hese general measures, li ke a great ri ver int o li tt l e
st reams, are deduced i nt o lit t le ri vul et s and part i cul arit ies, by t he laws
and cust oms, by t he sentences and agreement s oI men, and by the absol ut e
despot ism oI necessi ty, that wi ll not al l ow perIect and abstract just i ce and
equity t o be t he sole rul e oI ci vi l government in an i mperIect worl d; and
t hat must needs be law whi ch is Ior t he greatest good oI t he greatest
number.
When thou vowest a vow unt o God, deIer not to pay it . It i s bet ter thou
shoul dest not vow t han thou shouldest vow and not pay. Be not rash wi t h
t hy mouth, and l et not t hine heart be hasty to ut ter anythi ng beIore God
Ior God i s in Heaven, and t hou art upon earth; t hereIore l et thy words be
Iew. Wei gh well what i t is you promi se; but once t he promise and pledge
are given remember that he who i s Ial se t o his obl igat i on wi l l be Ialse t o
his Iami ly, hi s Iriends, hi s country, and his God.
Fides servai lda est Fait h pl ight ed is ever t o be kept, was a maxi m and an
axiom even among pagans. The virtuous Roman sai d, eit her let not that
which seems expedient be base, or iI i t be base, l et it not seem expedi ent .
What i s there which that so-cal led expediency can bring, so valuable as
t hat whi ch it takes away, i I it depri ves you oI t he name oI a good man and
robs you oI your integrity and honour? In all ages, he who vi ol at es his
plight ed word has been hel d unspeakably base. The word oI a Mason, li ke
t he word oI a knight in t he t i mes oI chi val ry, once given must be sacred;
and t he j udgment oI his brothers, upon hi m who vi ol ates his pledge,
shoul d be stern as the judgments oI the Roman Censors against hi m who
viol ated hi s oat h. Good Iait h is revered among Masons as it was among the
Romans, who placed it s stat ue i n the capit ol , next t o t hat oI Jupi ter
Maxi mus Opti mus; and we, l i ke t hem, hold that cal ami ty should al ways be
chosen rather than baseness; and wi th the knight s oI ol d, t hat one should
al ways die rather t han be dishonoured.
Be Iai t hIul, t hereIore, t o the promi ses you make, to the pl edges you gi ve,
and t o t he vows that you assume, since to break ei ther i s base and
dishonourable.
Be Iai t hIul to your Iamily, and perIorm al l the dut ies oI a good Iather, a
good son, a good husband, and a good brot her.
Be Iai t hIul to your Iri ends; Ior t rue Iri endshi p is oI a nat ure not only t o
survi ve through al l the vici ssit udes oI li Ie, but to conti nue through an
endless durati on; not only t o stand t he shock oI conIli cti ng opi ni ons, and
t he roar oI a revolut ion that shakes t he worl d, but t o l ast when the heavens
are no more, and to spring Iresh Irom the ruins oI t he uni verse.
Be Iai t hIul to your country, and preIer i ts dignity and honour to any degree
oI popularity and honour Ior yourselI; consult ing it s i nt erest rat her than
your own, and rather t han the pl easure and grat i Iicat ion oI t he people,
which are oIt en at vari ance wi th t heir wel Iare.
Be Iai t hIul to Masonry, which i s to be Iai thIul t o t he best i nterest s oI
manki nd. Labour, by precept and example, to elevate the standard oI
Masonic character, t o enlarge i ts sphere oI inIl uence, to popularize it s
t eachings, and t o make all men know i t Ior the Great Apost le oI Peace,
Harmony, and Good-wi ll on earth among men; oI Li berty, Equality, and
Frat erni ty.
Masonry i s useIul t o all men t o t he l earned, because i t aIIords t hem t he
opport uni ty oI exerci sing their tal ent s upon subj ects eminently worthy oI
t heir at tenti on; t o the i l li terat e, because it oIIers t hem i mportant
i nstruct i on; to t he young, because it present s them wit h sal utary precept s
and good examples, and accustoms them t o reIlect on the proper mode oI
l ivi ng; t o the man oI the worl d, whom i t Iurni shes wit h nobl e and useIul
recreat ion; to the travel ler, whom it enabl es t o Iind Iri ends and brot hers in
count ri es where el se he woul d be i solat ed and soli t ary; to the wort hy man
i n misIort une, t o whom it gives assist ance; to the aIIl ict ed, on whom i t
l avi shes consolat ion; to t he chari tabl e man, whom i t enabl es t o do more
good, by uni ti ng wi t h t hose who are chari t abl e li ke hi msel I; and t o al l who
have souls capable oI appreciat ing i ts i mportance, and oI enj oying the
charms oI a Iri endship Iounded on t he same pri ncipl es oI rel igi on,
morali ty, and phi lanthropy.
A Freemason, thereIore, should be a man oI honour and oI consci ence,
preIerring hi s duty to everythi ng beside, even t o his l iIe; independent i n
his opi nions, and oI good moral s, submissi ve t o t he laws, devoted to
humanity, t o his count ry, to hi s Iami ly; kind and i ndulgent t o his bret hren,
Iri end oI all virtuous men, and ready t o assi st his Iel lows by al l means in
his power.
Thus wi ll you be Iai t hIul t o yourselI, t o your Iell ows, and to God, and t hus
wi ll you do honour to t he name and rank oI SECRET MASTER; whi ch,
l ike ot her Masoni c honours, degrades i I it is not deserved.

V. PERFECT MASTER.
The Mast er Khurum was an i ndustrious and an honest man. What he was
employed to do he did di li gent ly, and he di d it wel l and Iait hIul ly. He
received no wages t hat were not his due. Indust ry and honesty are t he
virtues pecul iarly inculcat ed i n thi s Degree. They are common and homely
virtues; but not Ior t hat beneat h our notice. As t he bees do not l ove or
respect the drones, so Masonry nei t her l oves nor respects the idle and
t hose who l i ve by t heir wit s; and l east oI all t hose parasi t i c acari t hat li ve
upon themsel ves. For t hose who are i ndolent are l i kely to become
dissi pat ed and vi cious; and perIect honesty, which ought to be the common
quali Ii cati on oI al l, is more rare than di amonds. To do earnest ly and
st eadi ly, and t o do Iait hIul ly and honest ly t hat whi ch we have to do--
perhaps this wants but l i t tl e, when looked at Irom every point oI view, oI
i ncl udi ng t he whol e body oI the moral law; and even i n thei r commonest
and homel iest appli cati on, t hese vi rt ues belong t o t he charact er oI a
PerIect Mast er.
Idl eness i s t he buri al oI a l iving man. For an i dl e person i s so usel ess t o
any purposes oI God and man, that he is l i ke one who is dead,
unconcerned in t he changes and necessit ies oI the world; and he only li ves
t o spend his t i me, and eat the Irui ts oI the eart h. Like a vermi n or a wol I,
when his t i me comes, he dies and peri shes, and i n the meant i me i s nought .
He nei t her pl oughs nor carries burdens: all t hat he does i s ei ther
unproIitable or mi schi evous.
It is a vast work that any man may do, i I he never be i dl e: and it is a huge
way that a man may go i n virt ue, i I he never go out oI his way by a vi ci ous
habit or a great cri me: and he who perpet ually reads good books, iI hi s
part s be answerable, wil l have a huge stock oI knowl edge.
St. Ambrose, and Irom his example, St. August ine, divi ded every day into
t hese t ert ias oI empl oyment : eight hours t hey spent in the necessi t i es oI
nature and recreati on: ei ght hours in charity, i n doi ng assi stance to ot hers,
dispat chi ng t heir busi ness, reconci li ng thei r enmi t ies, reprovi ng their
vices, correcti ng t hei r errors, i nstruct ing their ignorance, and in
t ransact ing t he aIIai rs oI their di oceses; and the ot her eight hours t hey
spent in st udy and prayer.
We thi nk, at t he age oI twenty, that l iIe i s much t oo long Ior t hat whi ch we
have t o l earn and do; and t hat there is an al most Iabul ous di stance
between our age and t hat oI our grandIat her. But when, at the age oI si xty,
i I we are Iort unat e enough t o reach it , or unIortunate enough, as the case
may be, and accordi ng as we have proIi tably invest ed or wasted our t i me,
we hal t , and look back al ong the way we have come, and cast up and
endeavour to balance our account s wi th ti me and opport unity, we Ii nd that
we have made li Ie much too short, and thrown away a huge port ion oI our
t i me. Then we, i n our mi nd, deduct Irom t he sum t ot al oI our years t he
hours t hat we have needlessly passed in sleep; t he working-hours each day,
duri ng whi ch t he surIace oI the mi nd' s sl uggish pool has not been st i rred
or ruIIi ed by a single t hought ; the days t hat we have gl adly got rid oI, t o
at tai n some real or Iancied obj ect that l ay beyond, i n the way bet ween us
and which stood irksomely the interveni ng days; the hours worse than
wast ed i n Iol li es and di ssipati on, or mi sspent in usel ess and unproIi tabl e
st udi es; and we acknowledge, wi th a si gh, that we could have learned and
done, in hal I a score oI years wel l spent, more than we have done in al l
our Iorty years oI manhood.
To learn and t o do !--t hi s is the soul ' s work here bel ow. The soul grows as
t ruly as an oak grows. As the tree t akes t he carbon oI t he ai r, the dew, t he
rain, and t he l ight, and the Iood that t he eart h suppl ies t o it s root s, and by
i ts myst eri ous chemi stry t ransmut es t hem into sap and Ii bre, into wood
and l eaI, and Il ower and Irui t, and col our and perIume, so the soul i mbibes
knowl edge and by a divi ne alchemy changes what i t learns i nt o i t s own
substance, and grows Irom wit hi n outwardly wi t h an inherent Iorce and
power li ke those that lie hi dden i n t he grain oI wheat .
The soul hat h it s senses, li ke t he body, that may be cul ti vated, enlarged,
reIi ned, as i tsel I grows in stat ure and proport ion; and he who cannot
appreci ate a Ii ne painti ng or st atue, a noble poem, a sweet harmony, a
heroi c t hought , or a disi nt erest ed act i on, or to whom the wisdom oI
phil osophy is but Iool i shness and babble, and the l oIt iest t ruths oI less
i mport ance than the price oI stocks or cott on, or t he el evat i on oI baseness
t o once, merely li ves on t he l evel oI commonpl ace, and Iit ly prides
hi msel I upon that i nIeri ority oI t he soul' s senses, whi ch i s the i nIeri ori ty
and i mperIect development oI the soul it sel I.
To sleep li t t le, and t o st udy much; to say l it tl e, and to hear and think
much; t o l earn, t hat we may be abl e t o do, and then to do, earnest ly and
vigorously, whatever may be required oI us by duty, and by the good oI
our Iel lows, our country, and manki nd, -- t hese are t he duti es oI every
Mason who desi res to i mi t ate the Master Khurum.
The duty oI a Mason as an honest man i s pl ain and easy. It requires oI us
honesty i n contracts, sinceri ty in arming, si mpli city i n bargai ni ng, and
Iait hIulness in perIorming. Lie not at al l , nei ther in a l it tle thing nor in a
great, nei ther i n t he substance nor in the circumstance, nei t her in word nor
deed: that i s, pret end not what is Ialse; cover not what i s t rue; and l et the
measure oI your aIIirmat ion or deni al be t he understanding oI your
contractor; Ior he who decei ves the buyer or the seller by speaking what i s
t rue, i n a sense not i ntended or understood by the other, i s a l iar and a
t hieI. A PerIect Master must avoi d that which deceives, equally wit h t hat
which is Ial se.
Let your prices be according to t hat measure oI good and evil which is
est abl i shed in t he Iame and common accounts oI the wi sest and most
merci Iul men, ski ll ed i n that manuIacture or commodity; and t he gain
such, which, wit hout scandal, i s al l owed to persons in all t he same
ci rcumstances.
In i ntercourse wi th ot hers, do not do all whi ch t hou mayest lawIul ly do;
but keep somet hi ng wit hin t hy power; and, because there i s a l ati tude oI
gai n i n buying and sel li ng, take not t hou t he ut most penny t hat is lawIul ,
or which t hou thinkest so; Ior alt hough i t be l awIul, yet i t i s not saIe; and
he who gains all t hat he can gai n l awIully, t his year, will possibly be
t empt ed, next year, to gain somethi ng unl awIully.
Let no man, Ior his own poverty, become more oppressi ng and cruel in hi s
bargai n; but quietly, modest ly, dil igently, and pat iently recommend hi s
est at e t o God, and Iol l ow hi s interest , and leave the success t o Hi m.
Det ain not the wages oI t he hireli ng; Ior every degree oI detenti on oI i t
beyond the t i me, i s i njusti ce and unchari tableness, and grinds hi s Iace ti l l
t ears and blood come out ; but pay hi m exact ly according to covenant , or
accordi ng t o his needs.
Rel igi ously keep al l promi ses and covenant s, t hough made t o your
disadvant age, though aIt erward you perceive you mi ght have done bet ter;
and l et not any precedent act oI yours be al tered by any aIter-accident. Let
nothing make you break your promi se, unless i t be unlawIul or i mpossibl e;
t hat is, ei ther out oI your nature or out oI your ci vil power, yourselI bei ng
under t he power oI another; or that i t be int ol erably i nconvenient t o
yoursel I, and oI no advant age to another; or t hat you have leave expressed
or reasonably presumed.
Let no man take wages or Iees Ior a work that he cannot do, or cannot wi th
probabil i ty undertake; or in some sense proIi tably, and wit h ease, or wi th
advantage manage. Let no man appropri ate to hi s own use, what God, by a
speci al mercy, or t he Republ ic, hat h made common; Ior t hat i s against both
Justi ce and Chari ty.
That any man shoul d be the worse Ior us, and Ior our di rect act, and by our
i ntenti on, i s against the rul e oI equi ty, oI justi ce, and oI chari ty. We t hen
do not that t o others, whi ch we would have done t o oursel ves; Ior we grow
richer upon t he rui ns oI t hei r Iortune.
It is not honest to recei ve anyt hing Irom another wit hout ret urning hi m an
equivalent t hereIor. The gamester who wins the money oI anot her is
dishonest. There shoul d be no such thing as bet s and gami ng among
Masons: Ior no honest man should desi re that Ior nothing whi ch belongs t o
another. The merchant who sel ls an i nIeri or art icl e Ior a sound price, the
speculat or who makes t he distresses and needs oI ot hers Ii ll hi s exchequer
are nei ther Iair nor honest, but base, i gnoble, unIi t Ior i mmortal ity.
It should be the earnest desi re oI every PerIect Mast er so t o li ve and deal
and act , t hat when i t comes t o hi m t o die, he may be abl e t o say, and his
conscience to adj udge, that no man on eart h i s poorer, because he i s
richer; that what he hat h he has honestly earned, and no man can go beIore
God, and cl ai m t hat by the rules oI equi ty administered in Hi s great
chancery, thi s house i n whi ch we die, t his land we devi se to our heirs t hi s
money that enri ches t hose who survive t o bear our name, i s hi s and not
ours, and we i n that Iorum are only hi s t rust ees. For i t is most certai n t hat
God i s j ust , and wi l l st ernly enIorce every such t rust; and t hat to all whom
we despoil , t o al l whom we deIraud, t o all Irom whom we t ake or win
anything whatever, wit hout Iair considerat ion and equivalent , He wi ll
decree a Iul l and adequat e compensati on.
Be careIul , then, t hat t hou recei ve no wages, here or el sewhere, t hat are
not thy due ! For i I thou doest , t hou wrongst some one, by taki ng t hat
which in God' s chancery belongs t o hi m; and whet her that which t hou
t akest thus be wealt h, or rank, or i nIl uence, or reputat ion or aIIect ion,
t hou wi lt surely be held t o make Iul l sat isIacti on.

VI. INTIMATE SECRETARY. (ConIi dent ial Secretary.)
You are especi ally t aught i n t hi s Degree to be zealous and Iait hIul; t o be
disi nterested and benevolent; and t o act t he peacemaker, in case oI
dissensi ons, di sput es, and quarrel s among t he bret hren.
Duty is the moral magnet i sm which control s and gui des t he t rue Mason' s
course over t he t umult uous seas oI li Ie. Whet her t he st ars oI honour,
reput ati on, and reward do or do not shine, i n the li ght oI day or i n t he
darkness oI t he ni ght oI t roubl e and adversi ty, in cal m or st orm, that
unerring magnet stil l shows hi m the true course to steer, and indicates
wi th certai nty where-away li es the port which not t o reach invol ves
shipwreck and di shonour. He Ioll ows it s si lent bidding, as the mariner,
when l and is Ior many days not in sight, and the ocean wi t hout pat h or
l andmark spreads out all around hi m, Iol lows t he bidding oI t he needle,
never doubti ng t hat i t poi nt s truly t o the nort h. To perIorm t hat duty,
whether t he perIormance be rewarded or unrewarded, i s his sole care. And
i t dot h not mat ter, t hough oI t hi s perIormance t here may be no wit nesses,
and t hough what he does wi ll be Iorever unknown to all manki nd.
A l it tl e considerat ion wi l l t each us that Fame has ot her l i mit s than
mountai ns and oceans; and that he who pl aces happiness in the Irequent
repet it ion oI his name, may spend hi s l iIe i n propagati ng i t, wit hout any
danger oI weepi ng Ior new worlds, or necessi ty oI passi ng t he At lantic
sea.
II, t hereIore, he who i magi nes t he worl d to be Iil led wi th hi s acti ons and
prai ses, shal l subduct Irom the number oI hi s encomiast s al l t hose who are
placed bel ow t he Ili ght oI Iame, and who hear in t he valley oI l iIe no
voice but t hat oI necessi ty; al l t hose who i magine t hemsel ves t oo
i mport ant t o regard hi m, and consi der t he ment ion oI his name as a
usurpati on oI their t i me; all who are too much or too l it tl e pl eased wi t h
t hemsel ves to att end to anythi ng external ; all who are att ract ed by
pleasure, or chained down by pain t o unvaried ideas; al l who are wit hhel d
Irom attendi ng his t ri umph by diIIerent pursuit s; and all who sl umber in
universal negl igence; he wi l l Ii nd hi s renown strait ened by nearer bounds
t han the rocks oI Caucasus; and percei ve that no man can be venerable or
Iormi dabl e, but to a small part oI hi s Iell ow-creat ures. And thereIore, t hat
we may not l angui sh i n our endeavors aIt er excel lence, i t is necessary
t hat , as AIri canus counsel s his descendant s, we rai se our eyes to hi gher
prospects, and cont empl ate our Iut ure and eternal stat e, wit hout givi ng up
our heart s t o the prai se oI crowds, or Ii xi ng our hopes on such rewards as
human power can best ow.
We are not born Ior ourselves al one; and our country clai ms her share, and
our Iriends t heir share oI us. As all that the eart h produces i s creat ed Ior
t he use oI man, so men are creat ed Ior t he sake oI men, that t hey may
mutually do good to one anot her. In t hi s we ought t o take nature Ior our
guide, and throw i nt o t he publ ic st ock t he ounces oI general ut il i ty, by a
reciprocat i on oI dut ies; someti mes by recei ving, someti mes by gi vi ng, and
someti mes to cement human soci ety by art s, by i ndustry, and by our
resources.
SuIIer others t o be praised in t hy presence, and ent ert ai n their good and
gl ory wi th del ight; but at no hand di sparage t hem, or l essen t he report , or
make an object ion; and thi nk not t he advancement oI t hy brother i s a
l essening oI t hy worth. Upbrai d no man' s weakness to hi m t o discomIi t
hi m, neit her report i t to di sparage hi m, neit her del ight to remember i t to
l essen hi m, or t o set t hysel I above hi m; nor ever praise t hysel I or di sprai se
any man el se, unless some suIIi ci ent wort hy end do hall ow it .
Remember t hat we usually disparage others upon sli ght grounds and li t tle
i nstances; and i I a man be highly recommended, we think hi m suIIi cient ly
l essened, iI we can but charge one sin oI Iolly or i nIeriority i n his
account . We shoul d ei t her be more severe t o ourselves, or l ess so t o
others, and consider that what soever good any one can t hink or say oI us,
we can t ell hi m oI many unworthy and Iool ish and perhaps worse acti ons
oI ours, any one oI which, done by anot her, would be enough, wit h us, t o
dest roy his reputat ion.
II we t hi nk the peopl e wise and sagaci ous, and just and appreci ati ve, when
t hey prai se and make i dol s oI us, l et us not cal l them unl earned and
i gnorant , and i ll and st upi d judges, when our neighbour is cried up by
publ ic Iame and popular noi ses.
Every man hath in hi s own l iIe si ns enough, i n his own mind trouble
enough, i n his own Iortunes evil enough, and in perIormance oI his oIIi ces
Iail i ngs more than enough, to ent ert ai n hi s own i nqui ry; so t hat curiosity
aIter t he aIIai rs oI ot hers can not be wi t hout envy and an i ll mi nd. The
generous man wi ll be soli cit ous and inqui sit i ve i nto t he beauty and order
oI a well -governed Iami ly, and aIt er the virt ues oI an excellent person; but
anything Ior which men keep locks and bars, or that blushes t o see the
l ight , or that is ei ther shameIul in manner or pri vate in nat ure, t hi s thing
wi ll not be hi s care and busi ness.
It should be obj ecti on suIIi cient t o excl ude any man Irom the society oI
Masons, t hat he is not di si nterest ed and generous, bot h i n his acts, and in
his opi nions oI men, and hi s construct ions oI t heir conduct . He who i s
sel Ii sh and grasping, or censori ous and ungenerous, wi l l not l ong remain
wi thin t he strict l i mit s oI honesty and t ruth, but wi ll short ly commit
i nj usti ce. He who l oves hi msel I t oo much must needs love ot hers t oo
l it tl e; and he who habit ual ly gives harsh j udgment wi ll not long del ay t o
gi ve unjust judgment.
The generous man i s not careIul to ret urn no more t han he receives; but
preIers t hat t he bal ances upon t he l edgers oI beneIit s shal l be i n his
Iavour. He who hat h recei ved pay i n Iul l Ior al l the beneIit s and Iavours
t hat he has conIerred, i s li ke a spendthri It who has consumed hi s whole
est at e, and laments over an empty exchequer. He who requi tes my Iavours
wi th i ngrat it ude adds to, i nst ead oI di mi nishi ng, my wealt h; and he who
cannot ret urn a Iavour i s equal ly poor, whet her hi s inabil ity arises Irom
poverty oI spiri t, sordi dness oI soul , or pecuni ary indigence.
II he i s weal thy who hath large sums i nvest ed, and the mass oI whose
Iortune consist s in obli gati ons that bind ot her men t o pay hi m money, he i s
st il l more so to whom many owe large returns oI ki ndnesses and Iavours.
Beyond a moderat e sum each year, t he weal thy man merely i nvest s his
means: and that which he never uses i s st i l l li ke Iavours unret urned and
kindnesses unreci procated, an actual and real porti on oI hi s Iortune.
Generosi ty and a l iberal spiri t make men to be humane and geni al, open-
hearted, Irank, and sincere, earnest t o do good, easy and cont ent ed, and
wel l-wi shers oI mankind. They protect the Ieebl e agai nst t he st rong, and
t he deIencel ess against rapaci ty and craIt . They succour and comIort t he
poor, and are the guardians, under God, oI his innocent and helpl ess
wards. They value Iri ends more than riches or Iame, and grat it ude more
t han money or power. They are nobl e by God' s pat ent , and t hei r
escut cheons and quarteri ngs are to be Iound in heaven' s great book oI
heral dry. Nor can any man any more be a Mason than he can be a
gent leman, unless he is generous, li beral , and di si nt erested. To be li beral,
but only oI that which is our own; to be generous, but only when we have
Iirst been just ; to give, when t o give deprives us oI a luxury or a comIort,
t hi s is Masonry i ndeed.
He who i s worl dly, covetous, or sensual must change beIore he can be a
good Mason. II we are governed by i ncli nat ion and not by duty; iI we are
unki nd, severe, censori ous, or i nj urious, i n the rel at i ons or intercourse oI
l iIe; iI we are unIai thIul parent s or unduti Iul chil dren; iI we are harsh
masters or Iait hless servants; iI we are treacherous Iri ends or bad
neighbours or bi t ter compet it ors or corrupt unpri nci pled poli t icians or
overreachi ng deal ers in busi ness, we are wanderi ng at a great di st ance
Irom the true Masonic light.
Masons must be kind and aIIect ionate one to anot her. Frequent i ng t he
same templ es, kneeli ng at t he same alt ars, t hey shoul d Ieel that respect
and t hat ki ndness Ior each ot her, whi ch t hei r common rel ati on and
common approach to one God should inspi re. There needs to be much
more oI t he spiri t oI t he ancient Iell owshi p among us; more tenderness Ior
each ot her' s Iaul t s, more Iorgi veness, more soli cit ude Ior each other' s
i mprovement and good Iort une; somewhat oI brot herly Ieel ing, t hat it be
not shame to use the word "brother. "
Nothing should be al lowed to interIere wi th that kindness and aIIect ion:
neit her the spiri t oI busi ness, absorbi ng, eager, and overreaching,
ungenerous and hard in i ts deal i ngs, keen and bit ter i n i ts competi ti ons,
l ow and sordid in it s purposes; nor t hat oI ambit i on, selIish, mercenary,
restl ess, ci rcumventi ng, li ving only in t he opi nion oI others, envi ous oI
t he good Iort une oI ot hers, mi serably vai n oI i ts own success, unj ust,
unscrupul ous, and slanderous.
He that does me a Iavour, hath bound me to make hi m a ret urn oI
t hankIulness. The obl igat ion comes not by covenant, nor by hi s own
express int ent i on; but by the nature oI the thing; and i s a duty springing
up wi thin t he spi ri t oI t he obli ged person, to whom i t i s more natural to
l ove hi s Iri end, and to do good Ior good, t han to return evil Ior evi l;
because a man may Iorgive an inj ury, but he must never Iorget a good t urn.
He that reIuses to do good t o t hem whom he i s bound t o l ove, or t o love
t hat whi ch did hi m good, i s unnat ural and monst rous i n his aIIecti ons, and
t hi nks all the worl d born t o mi nister to hi m; wi th a greediness worse than
t hat oI t he sea, whi ch, alt hough i t recei ves all rivers int o it selI, yet i t
Iurnishes the cl ouds and springs wit h a ret urn oI all they need. Our duty t o
t hose who are our beneIact ors i s, to esteem and l ove thei r persons, to
make t hem proport ionabl e ret urns oI service, or duty, or proIi t, accordi ng
as we can, or as t hey need, or as opportuni ty present s i t sel I; and accordi ng
t o t he greatness oI t heir kindnesses.
The generous man cannot but regret t o see di ssensi ons and di sput es among
his bret hren. Only t he base and ungenerous del ight i n discord. It is t he
poorest occupat ion oI humani ty to labour t o make men thi nk worse oI each
other, as t he press, and too commonly t he pulpi t , changi ng pl aces wi th the
husti ngs and t he tribune, do. The duty oI t he Mason i s t o endeavour to
make man t hi nk bet ter oI his neighbour; to quiet , i nstead oI aggravat i ng
diIIi cul ti es; to bring toget her t hose who are severed or estranged; t o keep
Iri ends Irom becoming Ioes, and to persuade Ioes t o become Iriends. To do
t hi s, he must needs control his own passions, and be not rash and hasty,
nor swiIt to take oIIence, nor easy t o be angered.
For anger is a proIessed enemy t o counsel . It is a di rect st orm, in whi ch no
man can be heard to speak or cal l Irom wit hout ; Ior i I you counsel gent ly,
you are di sregarded; i I you urge i t and be vehement , you provoke i t more.
It is neit her manly nor i ngenuous. It makes marri age to be a necessary and
unavoidable t roubl e; Iriendshi ps and societ ies and Iami l i ari ti es, t o be
i nt olerabl e. It mult i pli es t he evi l s oI drunkenness, and makes the levi t ies
oI wine to run i nt o madness. It makes innocent j esti ng t o be t he beginning
oI t ragedies. It t urns Iri endship int o hat red; it makes a man l ose hi mselI,
and his reason and his argument , in di sput ati on. It turns the desi res oI
knowl edge i nt o an i tch oI wrangli ng. It adds i nsol ency to power. It turns
j ust ice i nt o cruel ty, and judgment i nt o oppression. It changes di scipl i ne
i nt o t edi ousness and hatred oI l i beral i nst it ut ion. It makes a prosperous
man t o be envi ed, and t he unIort unate t o be unpi tied.
See, thereIore, that Iirst cont roll ing your own temper, and governi ng your
own passions, you Iit yourselI t o keep peace and harmony among other
men, and especi al ly the brethren. Above all remember that Masonry i s the
real m oI peace, and that "among Masons t here must be no di ssensi on, but
only that nobl e emulati on. , which can best work and best agree. " Wherever
t here is striIe and hat red among t he bret hren, there i s no Masonry; Ior
Masonry i s Peace, and Brot herly Love, and Concord.
Masonry i s the great Peace Society oI t he worl d. Wherever i t exi st s, it
st ruggles t o prevent int ernati onal diIIi cul ti es and di sput es; and to bi nd
Republ ics, Ki ngdoms, and Empi res t oget her in one great band oI peace
and ami ty. It would not so oIten st ruggle in vai n, iI Masons knew t heir
power and val ued thei r oat hs.
Who can sum up t he horrors and woes accumulat ed i n a single war?
Masonry i s not dazzled wi th all i t s pomp and ci rcumst ance, all it s gl i t ter
and gl ory. War comes wi t h it s bloody hand into our very dwel l i ngs. It
t akes Irom ten thousand homes t hose who li ved there in peace and
comIort , held by the t ender ti es oI Iami ly and ki ndred. It drags them away,
t o die unt ended, oI Iever or exposure, i n i nIecti ous cl i mes; or to be
hacked, torn, and mangled in t he Iierce Ii ght ; to Ial l on the gory Iiel d, to
ri se no more, or to be borne away, in awIul agony, to noisome and horrid
hospi tal s. The groans oI t he batt le-Ii eld are echoed in sighs oI
bereavement Irom t housands oI desol ated hearths. There is a skel eton i n
every house, a vacant chai r at every t able. Ret urning, t he soldier brings
worse sorrow to hi s home, by the i nIect i on whi ch he has caught , oI camp-
vices. The country is demoral ized. The nat ional mi nd i s brought down,
Irom the noble i nt erchange oI kind oIIi ces wit h another peopl e, to wrat h
and revenge, and base pri de, and t he habi t oI measuri ng brut e strengt h
agai nst brute strength, i n batt le. Treasures are expended, t hat would
suIIice to bui l d ten t housand churches, hospi t al s, and uni versiti es, or rib
and t ie toget her a conti nent wi t h rail s oI i ron. II t hat treasure were sunk in
t he sea, it woul d be calamity enough; but it i s put to worse use; Ior it i s
expended i n cut t ing i nto t he veins and arteri es oI human li Ie, unti l the
earth is deluged wi th a sea oI bl ood.
Such are the lessons oI t hi s Degree. You have vowed to make t hem the
rul e, t he l aw, and t he guide oI your li Ie and conduct. II you do so, you wil l
be ent it led, because Ii t t ed, to advance i n Masonry. II you do not , you have
al ready gone too Iar.

VII. PROVOST AND JUDGE.
THE l esson which t his Degree inculcates is JUSTICE, in deci si on and
j udgment , and i n our i ntercourse and deal ing wi t h ot her men.
In a country where trial by jury is known, every intel ligent man is li able to
be call ed on t o act as a judge, eit her oI Iact al one, or oI Iact and l aw
mingled; and t o assume t he heavy responsibil i t ies which bel ong to t hat
character.
Those who are invested wi th the power oI judgment shoul d j udge t he
causes oI all persons uprightly and i mpart ial ly, wit hout any personal
consi derat ion oI t he power oI t he mighty, or the bribe oI t he rich, or the
needs oI t he poor. That i s t he cardinal rul e, whi ch no one wi ll dispute;
t hough many Iai l to observe i t. But t hey must do more. They must divest
t hemsel ves oI prejudi ce and preconcepti on. They must hear pat ient ly,
remember accurat ely, and weigh careIul ly the Iact s and t he argument s
oIIered beIore them. They must not leap hasti ly t o concl usi ons, nor Iorm
opinions beIore t hey have heard all . They must not presume cri me or
Iraud. They must nei t her be ruled by stubborn pride oI opini on, nor be too
Iacil e and yieldi ng to the vi ews and arguments oI ot hers. In deduci ng t he
mot ive Irom t he proven act , t hey must not assign to the act eit her the best
or t he worst mot i ves, but those which they woul d think i t just and Iair Ior
t he worl d to assign to it , i I t hey t hemselves had done it ; nor must they
endeavour to make many l it tl e circumst ances, t hat weigh nothi ng
separately, weigh much toget her, t o prove t heir own acuteness and
sagacity. These are sound rules Ior every juror, also, t o observe.
In our i ntercourse wit h others, there are t wo ki nds oI i nj ust i ce: the Ii rst ,
oI t hose who oIIer an inj ury; t he second, oI t hose who have i t in t heir
power to avert an i nj ury Irom t hose to whom it is oIIered, and yet do it
not. So act ive i nj usti ce may be done in two ways--by Iorce and by Iraud, --
oI which Iorce is l ion-li ke, and aud Iox-li ke, --bot h ut t erly repugnant to
soci al duty, but Iraud the more detest abl e.
Every wrong done by one man to another, whet her i t aIIect hi s person, hi s
property, his happi ness, or hi s reput at i on, is an oIIense agai nst the law oI
j ust ice. The Ii el d oI thi s Degree i s thereIore a wi de and vast one; and
Masonry seeks Ior the most i mpressi ve mode oI enIorcing the law oI
j ust ice, and the most eIIect ual means oI preventi ng wrong and injustice.
To this end i t teaches this great and moment ous trut h: that wrong and
i nj usti ce once done cannot be undone; but are et ernal i n thei r
consequences; once commi tt ed, are numbered wi t h t he i rrevocable Past ;
t hat the wrong t hat i s done contai ns it s own retri buti ve penal ty as surely
and as natural ly as the acorn contai ns t he oak. Its consequences are it s
puni shment ; i t needs no ot her, and can have no heavier; they are invol ved
i n i t s commi ssi on, and cannot be separat ed Irom i t . A wrong done to
another is an injury done to our own Nat ure, an oIIence agai nst our own
souls, a disIiguring oI t he i mage oI the Beauti Iul and Good. Punishment i s
not the executi on oI a sent ence, but t he occurrence oI an eIIect . It i s
ordai ned to Ioll ow gui lt , not by the decree oI God as a judge, but by a law
enact ed by Hi m as t he Creator and Legi slat or oI t he Universe. It i s not an
arbit rary and arti Iicial annexat i on, but an ordi nary and l ogical
consequence; and t hereIore must be borne by t he wrong-doer, and t hrough
hi m may Il ow on to ot hers. It is t he decisi on oI t he i nIinite justi ce oI God,
i n t he Iorm oI law.
There can be no i nterIerence wit h, or remit tance oI, or protect ion Irom,
t he natural eIIect s oI our wrongIul act s. God wi l l not i nt erpose bet ween
t he cause and it s consequence; and i n t hat sense t here can be no
Iorgiveness oI si ns. The act whi ch has debased our soul may be repent ed
oI, may be t urned Irom; but the i njury is done. The debasement may be
redeemed by aIt er-eIIort s, t he st ain obli terated by bi t terer struggles and
severer suIIerings; but the eIIort s and the endurance whi ch might have
raised the soul t o the loIt iest heights are now exhausted in merely
regaini ng what it has lost. There must al ways be a wi de diIIerence between
hi m who only ceases to do evi l, and hi m who has al ways done wel l .
He wi l l certainly be a Iar more scrupulous wat cher over his conduct , and
Iar more careIul oI his deeds, who bel ieves that t hose deeds wil l
i nevi tably bear thei r nat ural consequences, exempt Irom aIt er intervent ion,
t han he who bel i eves t hat penitence and pardon wi ll at any ti me unl ink t he
chai n oI sequences. Surely we shal l do less wrong and injustice, i I the
convi cti on is Ii xed and embedded in our soul s that everythi ng done is
done irrevocably, that even t he Omni pot ence oI God cannot uncommit a
deed, cannot make t hat undone whi ch has been done; that every act oI ours
must bear it s al lotted Iruit , accordi ng to the everlast ing laws, --must
remai n Iorever ineIIaceably inscri bed on the tablet s oI Uni versal Nature.
II you have wronged anot her, you may gri eve, repent, and resol ut ely
determine agai nst any such weakness i n Iut ure. You may, so Iar as it i s
possible, make reparat ion. It i s wel l . The i nj ured party may Iorgi ve you,
accordi ng t o the meani ng oI human language; but the deed is done; and al l
t he powers oI Nat ure, were t hey t o conspi re in your behal I, coul d not make
i t undone; t he consequences to the body, the consequences t o t he soul ,
t hough no man may percei ve t hem, are there, are wri tt en in the annal s oI
t he Past, and must reverberate throughout al l ti me.
Repentance Ior a wrong done, bears, l ike every other act , i t s own Irui t, the
Iruit oI puri Iying the heart and amending the Fut ure, but not oI eIIacing
t he Past. The commi ssi on oI t he wrong is an i rrevocable act ; but i t does
not incapacit ate the soul t o do right Ior t he Iut ure. Its consequences
cannot be expunged; but it s course need not be pursued. Wrong and evil
perpet rat ed, though ineIIaceabl e, cal l Ior no despair, but Ior eIIort s more
energet ic t han beIore. Repentance is sti ll as val id as ever; but it is val id to
secure t he Fut ure, not to obl it erat e t he Past.
Even the pulsat ions oI t he ai r, once set i n mot ion by t he human voice,
cease not to exist wi th the sounds to whi ch t hey gave ri se. Their quickly-
at tenuated Iorce soon becomes i naudi bl e t o human ears. But t he waves oI
ai r thus raised perambul ate the surIace oI eart h and ocean, and i n l ess t han
t wenty hours, every atom oI t he at mosphere t akes up t he al tered movement
due t o t hat i nIi ni tesi mal port ion oI pri mi ti ve mot i on whi ch has been
conveyed to i t t hrough count less channel s, and which must conti nue to
i nIl uence it s path throughout it s Iuture exi stence. The air is one vast
l ibrary, on whose pages i s Iorever wri tt en all that man has ever sai d or
even whi spered. There, i n t heir mut abl e, but unerring charact ers, mi xed
wi th t he earli est, as well as the lat est si gns oI mortali ty, st and Iorever
recorded, vows unredeemed, promi ses unIulIil l ed; perpet uat ing, i n t he
movement s oI each part icl e, all in uni son, the test i mony oI man' s
changeIul wil l. God reads that book, though we cannot.
So eart h, air, and ocean are t he et ernal wi tnesses oI t he act s that we have
done. No mot ion i mpressed by nat ural causes or by human agency is ever
obli terated. The track oI every keel whi ch has ever di sturbed t he surIace
oI t he ocean remai ns Iorever regi stered i n the Iut ure movement s oI al l
succeeding parti cl es which may occupy i ts place. Every cri mi nal is by the
l aws oI t he Al mighty irrevocably chained t o t he t esti mony oI hi s cri me;
Ior every at om oI hi s mortal Irame, t hrough whatever changes i t s part icles
may mi grate, wil l sti ll retai n, adhering to i t through every combi nat ion,
some movement derived Irom that very muscular eIIort by whi ch t he cri me
i tsel I was perpetrated.
What iI our Iacul ti es shoul d be so enhanced in a Iut ure li Ie as to enable us
t o percei ve and t race t he ineIIaceable consequences oI our idle words and
evil deeds, and render our remorse and grieI as et ernal as those
consequences themsel ves? No more IearIul puni shment t o a superior
i ntell igence can be concei ved, than t o see sti l l i n act ion, wit h the
consciousness t hat it must conti nue in acti on Iorever, a cause oI wrong put
i n mot ion by i tsel I ages beIore.
Masonry, by i ts teachi ngs, endeavours t o restrain men Irom t he
commi ssion oI inj ust i ce and act s oI wrong and outrage. Though it does not
endeavour to usurp the place oI rel igi on, st i l l it s code oI moral s proceeds
upon ot her principl es t han the muni ci pal law; and it condemns and
puni shes oIIences which nei ther t hat law punishes nor publ ic opi ni on
condemns. In t he Masoni c l aw, t o cheat and overreach in trade, at t he bar,
i n pol i t ics, are deemed no more veni al t han theIt ; nor a deli berate l ie than
perj ury; nor slander than robbery; nor seduct ion t han murder.
Especially i t condemns those wrongs oI which t he doer induces anot her to
partake. He may repent; he may, aIt er agoni zing struggl es, regain the pat h
oI virtue; his spirit may reachieve i ts purity t hrough much angui sh, aIter
many st riIes; but the weaker Iell ow-creat ure whom he led astray, whom he
made a sharer i n hi s guil t, but whom he cannot make a sharer i n his
repent ance and amendment , whose downward course (the Ii rst step oI
which he t aught) he cannot check, but i s compell ed t o wit ness,-- what
Iorgiveness oI si ns can avai l hi m t here? There is his perpet ual , his
i nevi table punishment , which no repentance can alleviat e, and no mercy
can remi t .
Let us be j ust, al so, in judging oI other men' s mot ives. We know but li tt le
oI t he real meri t s or demerit s oI any Iel low creature. We can rarely say
wi th certai nty that thi s man i s more guil ty t han that , or even that t hi s man
i s very good or very wi cked. OIten the basest men leave behind t hem
excel l ent reputati ons. There is scarcely one oI us who has not, at some
t i me i n his l iIe, been on the edge oI t he commissi on oI a cri me. Every one
oI us can look back, and shudderi ng see the ti me when our Ieet st ood upon
t he sl ippery crags that overhung the abyss oI guil t; and when, iI
t empt at ion had been a l it tl e more urgent , or a li t t le longer cont inued, iI
penury had pressed us a l it tl e harder, or a l it tl e more wi ne had Iurt her
dist urbed our intel lect , dethroned our judgment , and aroused our passi ons,
our Ieet would have sli pped, and we should have Ial len, never to ri se
agai n.
We may be abl e t o say--"Thi s man has l i ed, has pi lIered, has Iorged, has
embezzled moneys i nt rusted to hi m; and t hat man has gone t hrough li Ie
wi th clean hands. " But we cannot say t hat t he Iormer has not struggl ed
l ong, t hough unsuccessIully, against temptat ions under which the second
woul d have succumbed wi t hout an eIIort . We can say which has the
cl eanest hands beIore man; but not which has the cleanest soul beIore
God. We may be able to say, t hi s man has commit ted adult ery, and that
man has been ever chaste; but we cannot tel l but t hat t he i nnocence oI one
may have been due to t he col dness oI hi s heart, t o t he absence oI a mot ive,
t o t he presence oI a Iear, t o t he slight degree oI the tempt ati on; nor but
t hat the Iall oI t he other may have been preceded by t he most vehement
sel I-cont est, caused by t he most over-mast ering Irenzy, and atoned Ior by
t he most hal lowing repentance. Generosity as wel l as ni ggardl iness may be
a mere yieldi ng t o nati ve temperament ; and i n the eye oI Heaven, a long
l iIe oI beneIi cence i n one man may have cost l ess eIIort , and may i ndi cate
l ess vi rt ue and l ess sacri Ii ce oI i nt erest , t han a Iew rare hidden act s oI
kindness wrung by duty out oI t he reluct ant and unsympat hi zi ng nature oI
t he other. There may be more real meri t , more selI-sacri Iicing eIIort, more
oI t he noblest element s oI moral grandeur, i n a l i Ie oI Iai lure, sin, and
shame, than i n a career, t o our eyes, oI stai nl ess integrity.
When we condemn or pity t he Iall en, how do we know t hat , tempt ed l ike
hi m, we should not have Iall en l ike hi m, as soon, and perhaps wit h l ess
resistance ? How can we know what we shoul d do i I we were out oI
employment , Iami ne crouchi ng, gaunt , and hungry, on our Iireless heart h,
and our chi ldren wail ing Ior bread ? We Ial l not because we are not
enough tempted! He t hat hat h Iall en may be at heart as honest as we. How
do we know t hat our daught er, si ster, wiIe, coul d resist t he abandonment,
t he desol at ion, the di stress, t he t emptat ion, that sacriIiced the vi rt ue oI
t heir poor abandoned si ster oI shame? Perhaps t hey al so have not Ial len,
because they have not been sorely t empt ed! Wi sely are we directed t o pray
t hat we may not be exposed t o t emptat ion.
Human justi ce must be ever uncert ain. How many judici al murders have
been commi tt ed t hrough i gnorance oI the phenomena oI i nsani ty ! How
many men hung Ior murder who were no more murderers at heart t han the
j ury t hat tried and the j udge t hat sent enced t hem! It may wel l be doubted
whether t he admi nist rati on oI human laws, in every count ry, is not one
giganti c mass oI i nj usti ce and wrong. God seeth not as man seeth; and t he
most abandoned cri mi nal , bl ack as he i s beIore the world, may yet have
conti nued t o keep some l it tl e l ight burning i n a corner oI hi s soul , which
woul d l ong since have gone out in t hat oI t hose who walk proudly in the
sunshi ne oI i mmacul ate Iame, i I they had been tried and tempt ed l ike the
poor out cast .
We do not know even the out si de li Ie oI men. We are not compet ent t o
pronounce even on their deeds. We do not know hal I t he act s oI
wi ckedness or vi rtue, even oI our most i mmediate Iell ows. We cannot say,
wi th certai nty, even oI our nearest Iri end, that he has not commi tt ed a
parti cul ar si n, and broken a part icular commandment. Let each man ask hi s
own heart ! OI how many oI our best and oI our worst act s and qual i ti es
are our most i nti mat e associ ates utt erly unconscious ! How many virtues
does not the world give us credi t Ior, t hat we do not possess; or vices
condemn us Ior, oI which we are not the sl aves ! It i s but a smal l port ion
oI our evi l deeds and t hought s that ever comes to li ght ; and oI our Iew
redeemi ng goodnesses, t he l argest port ion i s known t o God al one.
We shal l , thereIore, be j ust i n j udgi ng oI ot her men, only when we are
chari tabl e; and we shoul d assume t he prerogati ve oI judging ot hers only
when t he duty i s Iorced upon us; si nce we are so al most certai n to err, and
t he consequences oI error are so seri ous. No man need covet t he oIIice oI
j udge; Ior in assuming it he assumes the gravest and most oppressi ve
responsi bi li ty. Yet you have assumed it ; we al l assume i t; Ior man is ever
ready t o judge, and ever ready to condemn hi s nei ghbour, whi le upon t he
same stat e oI case he acquit s hi msel I See, thereIore, t hat you exerci se
your once cauti ously and chari tably, lest, i n passi ng judgment upon t he
cri minal, you commi t a great er wrong t han that Ior which you condemn
hi m, and t he consequences oI which must be eternal .
The Iaul t s and cri mes and Iol li es oI other men are not uni mport ant t o us;
but Iorm a part oI our moral di scipl i ne. War and bloodshed at a di stance,
and Irauds which do not aIIect our pecuniary i nterest , yet touch us i n our
Ieeli ngs, and concern our moral wel Iare. They have much t o do wi th al l
t houghtIul heart s. The publi c eye may l ook unconcernedly on t he
miserable victi m oI vice, and t hat shatt ered wreck oI a man may move t he
mul ti t ude t o l aught er or t o scorn. But to t he Mason, i t is the Iorm oI
sacred humanity t hat is beIore hi m; it i s an erri ng Iel low-being; a
desol at e, Iorlorn, Iorsaken soul; and his t hought s, enIoldi ng the poor
wretch, wi ll be Iar deeper t han t hose oI indi IIerence, ridi cul e, or
contempt . Al l human oIIences, the whole syst em oI di shonesty, evasion,
ci rcumventi ng, Iorbi dden i ndulgence, and intrigui ng ambi t ion, in whi ch
men are struggl ing wi th each other, wi ll be looked upon by a thought Iul
Mason, not merely as a scene oI mean toil s and stri Ies, but as t he solemn
conIl ict s oI i mmortal mi nds, Ior ends vast and momentous as t hei r own
being. It is a sad and unworthy stri Ie, and may well be vi ewed wi th
i ndi gnat i on; but t hat indignat i on must mel t int o pity. For the stakes Ior
which these gamesters play are not those which they i magi ne, not t hose
which are in sight. For example, this man plays Ior a pet ty once, and gains
i t; but the real stake he gains is sycophancy, uncharitableness, slander, and
decei t.
Good men are too proud oI thei r goodness. They are respect abl e;
dishonour comes not near t hem; t hei r countenance has wei ght and
i nIl uence; thei r robes are unst ained; the poi sonous breath oI calumny as
never been breat hed upon t hei r Iair name. How easy i t i s Ior them to look
down wit h scorn upon the poor degraded oIIender; to pass hi m by wi th a
l oIty st ep; t o draw up the Iolds oI t heir garment around t hem, t hat t hey
may not be soi l ed by hi s t ouch ! Yet t he Great Master oI Virt ue did not so;
but descended t o Iami li ar intercourse wi th publi cans and si nners, wit h t he
Samarit an woman, wi t h t he out casts and t he Pariahs oI the Hebrew worl d.
Many men t hink t hemselves bet ter, in proport ion as t hey can detect sin in
others! When t hey go over the catal ogue oI thei r neighbour' s unhappy
derel icti ons oI t emper or conduct , they oIten, ami dst much apparent
concern, Ieel a secret exult ati on, t hat destroys all t hei r own pret ensi ons to
wi sdom and moderati on, and even t o virtue. Many even take actual
pleasure i n t he si ns oI ot hers; and t his i s the case wit h every one whose
t hought s are oIt en empl oyed in agreeable compari sons oI hi s own vi rt ues
wi th hi s neighbours' Iaul ts.
The power oI gentl eness i s too l it tl e seen in the worl d; the subdui ng
i nIl uences oI pi ty, the mi ght oI l ove, t he control oI mi l dness over passi on,
t he commandi ng majesty oI that perIect character which mi ngles grave
displ easure wit h gri eI and pity Ior t he oIIender. So it is that a Mason
shoul d t reat his bret hren who go astray. Not wi t h bit terness; nor yet wi th
good-nat ured easiness, nor wit h worldly i ndi IIerence, nor wi th t he
phil osophi c col dness, nor wit h a laxi ty oI conscience, t hat account s
everyt hi ng wel l, that passes under the seal oI publi c opinion; but wi th
chari ty, wit h pityi ng lovi ng-ki ndness.
The human heart wi ll not bow wil li ngly t o what is inIirm and wrong i n
human nat ure. II it yields t o us, i t must yield t o what is di vine in us. The
wi ckedness oI my nei ghbour cannot submit t o my wickedness; hi s
sensuali ty, Ior i nstance, to my anger against hi s vices. My Iault s are not
t he i nst rument s t hat are to arrest hi s Iaul t s. And thereIore i mpat ient
reIormers, and denounci ng preachers, and hasty reprovers, and angry
parent s, and i rri tabl e relat ives general ly Iai l, i n t heir several depart ment s,
t o reclai m the erring.
A moral oIIence is si ckness, pai n, loss, di shonour, i n t he i mmortal part oI
man. It i s gui lt , and misery added to gui lt . It i s it selI calamity; and bri ngs
upon it selI, in addi t i on, t he cal ami ty oI God' s disapproval, the abhorrence
oI al l vi rt uous men, and t he soul' s own abhorrence. Deal Iai thIully, but
patiently and t enderly, wi th thi s evil ! It is no mat t er Ior petty
provocat ion, nor Ior personal stri Ie, nor Ior selIi sh irri tat ion.
Speak ki ndly t o your erri ng brother ! God pit ies hi m: Christ has died Ior
hi m: Provi dence wait s Ior hi m: Heaven' s mercy yearns toward hi m; and
Heaven' s spi rit s are ready to welcome hi m back wi th j oy. Let your voice
be in unison wi th al l t hose powers t hat God i s usi ng Ior hi s recovery!
II one deIrauds you, and exul ts at it , he is the most t o be pi t ied oI human
beings. He has done hi msel I a Iar deeper inj ury t han he has done you. It i s
he, and not you, whom God regards wit h mingl ed di spleasure and
compassi on; and Hi s j udgment should be your l aw. Among al l the
benedicti ons oI the Holy Mount t here is not one Ior thi s man; but Ior t he
merci Iul, the peacemakers, and the persecuted they are poured out Ireely.
We are al l men oI l ike passions, propensi ti es, and exposures. There are
el ement s i n us al l, whi ch might have been perverted, t hrough t he
successi ve processes oI moral deteri orat ion, to t he worst oI cri mes. The
wretch whom the execrati on oI t he t hrongi ng crowd pursues to the
scaIIold, i s not worse than any one oI t hat mul t it ude might have become
under si mil ar circumstances. He i s t o be condemned i ndeed, but also
deeply to be pit ied.
It does not become the Irail and si nIul to be vindi ct ive t oward even t he
worst cri mi nal s. We owe much t o the good Providence oI God, ordai ning
Ior us a lot more Iavourable t o virt ue. We al l had t hat wi thi n us, that
might have been pushed to the same excess: Perhaps we shoul d have Iall en
as he di d, wit h less t emptat ion. Perhaps we have done act s, t hat , i n
proporti on to the t empt ati on or provocati on, were less excusabl e than hi s
great cri me. Si lent pity and sorrow Ior t he vict i m should mingle wi th our
detest at ion oI the gui lt . Even the pi rat e who murders in col d blood on the
high seas, i s such a man as you or I might have been. Orphanage in
chil dhood, or base and dissolut e and abandoned parent s; an unIriended
yout h; evil companions; ignorance and want oI moral cult ivati on; t he
t empt at ions oI si nIul pleasure or gri ndi ng poverty; Iami l iarity wi th vi ce; a
scorned and bl ighted name; seared and crushed aIIecti ons; desperat e
Iortunes; these are st eps t hat mi ght have led any one among us to unIurl
upon the hi gh seas the bl oody Il ag oI uni versal deIiance; to wage war wi th
our ki nd; t o l ive t he l i Ie and di e t he deat h oI the reckl ess and remorseless
Iree-booter. Many aIIecti ng relat ionshi ps oI humani ty plead wi th us to pi ty
hi m. Hi s head once rest ed on a mother' s bosom. He was once t he object oI
si sterly love and domest ic endearment . Perhaps his hand, si nce oIten red
wi th bl ood, once clasped anot her l it tle lovi ng hand at t he altar. Pity hi m
t hen; his bli ght ed hopes and his crushed heart! It is proper that Irail and
erri ng creatures l ike us should do so; should Ieel t he cri me, but Ieel i t as
weak, t empt ed, and rescued creatures shoul d. It may be that when God
weighs men' s cri mes, He wi ll take i nt o considerat ion t he t empt ati ons and
t he adverse circumst ances t hat led t o t hem, and t he opport uni ti es Ior
moral cult ure oI t he oIIender; and it may be that our own oIIences wi ll
weigh heavier t han we t hi nk, and the murderer' s l ight er than accordi ng t o
man' s j udgment .
On al l account s, t hereIore, let the true Mason never Iorget t he solemn
i nj unct i on, necessary to be observed at al most every moment oI a busy
l iIe: ' JUDGE NOT, LEST YOU YOURSELVES BE JUDGED FOR
WHATSOEVER JUDGMENT YOU MEASURE UNTO OTHERS, THE
SAME SHALL IN TURN BE MEASURED UNTO YOU. Such i s the lesson
t aught t he Provost and Judge.
oI man.

VIII. INTENDANT OF THE BUILDING.
IN t hi s Degree you have been taught the i mportant lesson, t hat none are
enti tl ed t o advance in the Ancient and Accept ed Scot ti sh Rit e, who have
not by study and appli cati on made themselves Iamil i ar wit h Masonic
l earning and jurisprudence. The Degrees oI t hi s Rit e are not Ior t hose who
are content wi th t he mere work and ceremonies, and do not seek t o expl ore
t he mines oI wi sdom t hat li e buried beneat h t he surIace. You sti l l advance
t oward t he Light , t oward that st ar, blazi ng in the di stance, whi ch is an
emblem oI the Di vine Trut h, given by God to t he Iirst men, and preserved
amid all t he vici ssi t udes oI ages in the t radi t ions and teachings oI
Masonry. How Iar you wi ll advance, depends upon yoursel I al one. Here, as
everywhere i n the world, Darkness struggles wit h Light , and cl ouds and
shadows int ervene between you and the Trut h.
When you shall have become i mbued wi t h the moral ity oI Masonry, wit h
which you yet are, and Ior some ti me wil l be exclusively occupi ed, --when
you shal l have learned to practi ce al l t he virt ues whi ch i t inculcat es; when
t hey become Iamil i ar t o you as your Household Gods; then wi ll you be
prepared t o recei ve i t s l oIty phil osophical i nstruct ion, and to scale t he
height s upon whose summit Light and Trut h si t ent hroned. St ep by step
men must advance t oward PerIecti on; and each Masoni c Degree is meant
t o be one oI t hose st eps. Each i s a development oI a parti cul ar duty; and in
t he present you are taught charity and benevol ence; to be to your bret hren
an exampl e oI virtue; t o correct your own Iaul ts; and t o endeavour to
correct t hose oI your bret hren.
Here, as in all t he degrees, you meet wi th the embl ems and the names oI
Dei ty, the true knowledge oI whose charact er and at t ri but es i t has ever
been a chieI object oI Masonry to perpetuate. To appreciate Hi s inIi nit e
greatness and goodness, t o rely i mpl ici tly upon Hi s Providence, to revere
and venerat e Hi m as the Supreme Archi tect , Creat or, and Legi sl ator oI the
universe, is the Ii rst oI Masoni c dut ies.
The Bat tery oI t hi s Degree, and t he Iive circui t s which you made around
t he Lodge, all ude t o t he Ii ve poi nts oI Iel lowshi p, and are i nt ended t o
recall them vividly to your mind. To go upon a brother' s errand or t o his
reli eI, even bareIoot and upon Ili nty ground; to remember hi m i n your
suppl icat ions t o t he Dei ty; to clasp hi m to your heart , and prot ect hi m
agai nst mal i ce and evil speaki ng; t o uphold hi m when about to stumbl e
and Iall ; and to give hi m prudent , honest , and Iriendly counsel, are dut ies
plai nly writ ten upon t he pages oI God' s great code oI law, and Iirst among
t he ordi nances oI Masonry.
The Ii rst sign oI t he Degree i s expressi ve oI the di IIi dence and humi li ty
wi th which we i nquire int o t he nat ure and at tribut es oI the Deity; t he
second, oI the proIound awe and reverence wit h which we cont empl ate His
gl ories; and the thi rd, oI t he sorrow wi t h which we reIl ect upon our
i nsuIIici ent observance oI our dut ies, and our i mperIect compl i ance wi th
Hi s statut es.
The dist ingui shing property oI man i s t o search Ior and Ioll ow aIter t ruth.
ThereIore, when rel axed Irom our necessary cares and concerns, we then
covet to see, t o hear, and t o l earn somewhat ; and we esteem knowl edge oI
t hi ngs, eit her obscure or wonderIul, t o be the i ndi spensable means oI
l ivi ng happi ly. Trut h, Si mpli ci ty, and Candor are most agreeabl e t o t he
nature oI manki nd. Whatever is virtuous consi sts eit her in Sagaci ty, and
t he percept ion oI Truth; or in the preservati on oI Human Soci ety, by
gi vi ng t o every man hi s due, and observi ng the Iai th oI contracts; or i n t he
greatness and Iirmness oI an elevated and unsubdued mind; or in
observing order and regul ari ty i n al l our words and in all our acti ons; i n
which consi st Moderati on and Temperance.
Masonry has i n al l ti mes rel igi ously preserved t hat enl ightened Iai th Irom
which Il ow subl i me Devotedness, the senti ment oI Frat ernity Iruit Iul oI
good works, t he spirit oI indulgence and peace, oI sweet hopes and
eIIect ual consolat ions; and inIlexi bi l i ty in t he accompl ishment oI t he most
painIul and arduous duti es. It has always propagated it wi t h ardor and
perseverance; and thereIore it labours at t he present day more zealously
t han ever. Scarcely a Masoni c discourse i s pronounced, that does not
demonstrate t he necessity and advantages oI this Iait h, and especial ly
recall the t wo consti tuti ve pri nci ples oI religion, t hat make al l reli gion, --
l ove oI God, and l ove oI nei ghbour. Masons carry these principles i nt o t he
bosoms oI t heir Iami li es and oI society. Whil e t he Sectarians oI Iormer
t i mes enIeebled t he rel igious spi rit , Masonry, Iormi ng one great Peopl e
over the whole globe, and marchi ng under t he great banner oI Charity and
Benevolence, preserves that rel igi ous Ieeli ng, strengt hens it , extends i t in
i ts puri ty and si mpl i ci ty, as i t has al ways exi st ed i n the dept hs oI the
human heart, as i t exi sted even under the dominion oI t he most anci ent
Iorms oI worship, but where gross and debasing superst i ti ons Iorbade i ts
recogni ti on.
A Masonic Lodge shoul d resemble a bee-hive, i n which al l t he members
work together wi th ardor Ior the common good. Masonry i s not made Ior
cold soul s and narrow mi nds, that do not comprehend it s loIty mi ssi on and
subli me apost olate. Here the anathema agai nst lukewarm soul s applies. To
comIort misIortunes t o popularize knowl edge, t o t each whatever i s t rue
and pure in rel igi on and phi losophy, t o accust om men t o respect order and
t he propri eti es oI l iIe, to poi nt out the way t o genui ne happi ness, to
prepare Ior that Iortunate period, when al l the Iact ions oI the Human
Family, uni ted by the bonds oI Tol erat ion and Fraterni ty, shall be but one
househol d, --t hese are labours t hat may well excit e zeal and even
enthusiasm.
We do not now enlarge upon or elaborat e t hese i deas. We but utt er them to
you bri eIly, as hints, upon which you may at your lei sure reIlect .
HereaIt er, i I you cont inue t o advance, t hey wi l l be unIol ded, expl ained,
and devel oped.
Masonry ut ters no i mpracti cable and ext ravagant precepts, cert ain,
because they are so, to be di sregarded. It asks oI it s i ni tiates not hing that
i t i s not possibl e and even easy Ior them to perIorm. Its teachi ngs are
eminently pract ical ; and i t s stat utes can be obeyed by every j ust , upri ght ,
and honest man, no matt er what hi s Iait h or creed. Its object i s t o at tai n
t he greatest practi cal good, wi thout seeki ng t o make men perIect . It does
not meddle wit h the domain oI reli gion, nor i nquire into t he mysteries oI
regenerat ion. It t eaches t hose truths t hat are wri tt en by t he Iinger oI God
upon the heart oI man, t hose views oI duty whi ch have been brought out
by t he medit ati ons oI t he st udi ous, conIi rmed by t he allegi ance oI the
good and wise, and stamped as st erli ng by t he response they Ii nd i n every
uncorrupted mi nd. It does not dogmat i ze, nor vai nly i magi ne dogmat ic
certai nty t o be att ai nable.
Masonry does not occupy i tsel I wit h crying down thi s worl d, wi th it s
splendid beauty, i ts thri ll ing interest s, it s glori ous works, it s nobl e and
holy aIIecti ons; nor exhort us t o detach our heart s Irom t hi s eart hly l iIe,
as empty, Ileet ing, and unworthy, and Ii x t hem upon Heaven, as the only
sphere deserving the love oI the loving or t he medi tat i on oI t he wise. It
t eaches t hat man has high dut ies to perIorm, and a high dest i ny t o Iul Ii ll ,
on t hi s eart h; t hat this worl d is not merely the port al to anot her; and t hat
t hi s li Ie, t hough not our only one, i s an int egral one, and t he part i cul ar
one wi th which we are here meant t o be concerned; that t he Present is our
scene oI acti on, and t he Future Ior specul at ion and Ior trust ; that man was
sent upon the earth to li ve in i t , to enj oy i t, t o st udy it , to love i t, t o
embel li sh i t, to make t he most oI i t. It is his count ry, on whi ch he should
l avi sh his aIIect ions and hi s eIIorts. It i s here hi s i nIl uences are to
operat e. It i s hi s house, and not a t ent ; his home, and not merely a school .
He is sent int o thi s worl d, not t o be constant ly hankeri ng aIter, dreami ng
oI, prepari ng Ior another; but to do hi s duty and Iul Ii ll his dest i ny on thi s
earth; t o do al l that lies in hi s power to i mprove it , to render it a scene oI
el evated happi ness to hi msel I, t o t hose around hi m, to t hose who are t o
come aIt er hi m. Hi s l iIe here i s part oI hi s i mmort ali ty; and t hi s world,
al so, is among the stars.
And t hus, Masonry teaches us, wi l l man best prepare Ior t hat Fut ure which
he hopes Ior. The Unseen cannot hold a hi gher pl ace in our aIIect i ons than
t he Seen and the Fami li ar. The l aw oI our bei ng i s Love oI Li Ie, and it s
i nterests and adornment s; l ove oI the worl d i n which our l ot i s cast ,
engrossment wi th the interest s and aIIect ions oI eart h. Not a l ow or
sensual love, not love oI wealt h, oI Iame, oI ease, oI power, oI splendour.
Not low worldl i ness; but t he love oI Eart h as the garden on whi ch the
Creator has lavished such mi racles oI beauty; as the habitati on oI
humanity, t he arena oI it s conIl ict s, t he scene oI it s i ll i mit abl e progress,
t he dwell ing-place oI t he wise, the good, t he act i ve, t he loving, and t he
dear; the pl ace oI opport uni ty Ior the devel opment by means oI si n and
suIIeri ng and sorrow, oI the noblest passi ons the loIt iest vi rt ues, and the
t enderest sympat hi es.
They take very unproIi table pains, who endeavour to persuade men that
t hey are obli ged whol ly to despise t hi s world, and al l that i s i n i t , even
whil st they themsel ves l ive here. God hath not t aken all t hat pai ns i n
Iormi ng and Iraming and Iurnishi ng and adorning t he worl d, that t hey who
were made by Hi m to li ve i n it should despise i t. It wil l be enough, i I they
do not love i t too i mmoderately. It is useless to att empt t o ext inguish al l
t hose aIIecti ons and passi ons which are and always wil l be i nseparable
Irom human nature. As long as he world last s, and honour and vi rt ue and
i ndustry have reput ati on in the worl d, there wi l l be ambit ion and
emulati on and appet ite in t he best and most accompli shed men in i t; and iI
t here were not , more barbarity and vice and wi ckedness would cover every
nati on oI the world, t han it now suIIers under.
Those only who Ieel a deep i nt erest i n, and aIIect ion Ior, this worl d, wi ll
work resolut ely Ior it s amel iorat ion. Those who underval ue thi s riIe,
naturally become querul ous and discontented, and l ose t heir i nt erest i n t he
wel Iare oI t heir Iel lows. To serve them, and so t o do our duty as Masons,
we must Ieel that t he obj ect i s wort h t he exerti on; and be cont ent wi th this
worl d i n whi ch God has pl aced us, unti l He permi ts us t o remove to a
better one. He i s here wi th us, and does not deem t hi s an unwort hy worl d.
It a serious thing t o deIame and beli e a whol e worl d; to speak oI i t as t he
abode oI a poor, toi li ng, drudgi ng, ignorant, contempti bl e race. You woul d
not so discredit your Iamily, your Iri endly ci rcl e, your vi ll age, your city,
your country. The world i s not a wret ched and a wort hless one; nor i s i t a
misIortune, but a t hi ng t o be t hankIul Ior, to be a man. II li Ie i s wort hl ess,
so al so is i mmortali ty.
In society i tsel I, in t hat li vi ng mechani sm oI human rel ati onships that
spreads it sel I over t he worl d, there is a Ii ner essence wi thin, t hat as truly
moves it , as any power, heavy or expansi ve, moves the soundi ng
manuIact ory or the swi It-Ilying car. The man-machine hurries t o and Iro
upon the eart h, stretches out i ts hands on every si de, to toil , t o bart er, t o
unnumbered labours and enterprises; and al most al ways t he moti ve, t hat
which moves i t, i s somet hi ng that t akes hol d oI t he comIorts, aIIecti ons,
and hopes oI social exist ence. True, t he mechanism oIten works wit h
diIIi cul ty, drags heavi ly, grates and screams wit h harsh col li sion. True, the
essence oI Ii ner mot i ve, becoming intermi xed wi th baser and coarser
i ngredient s, oIten clogs, obstruct s, j ars, and deranges the Iree and nobl e
act ion oI social li Ie. But he is nei t her grat eIul nor wi se, who l ooks
cynical ly on all thi s, and loses the Ii ne sense oI soci al good i n i t s
perversions. That I can be a Iri end, that I can have a Iri end, t hough i t were
but one in the worl d; that Iact, t hat wondrous good Iort une, we may set
agai nst al l t he suIIeri ngs oI our soci al nature. That there i s such a place on
earth as a home, t hat resort and sanct uary oI in-wal led and shi elded j oy,
we may set agai nst all t he surrounding desolat ions oI l iIe. That one can be
a true, social man, can speak hi s true t hought s, amidst all t he Tangli ngs oI
controversy and t he warri ng oI opini ons; that Iact Irom wi t hi n, out weighs
al l Iacts Irom wi thout .
In t he vi si bl e aspect and act ion oI soci ety, oIten repulsi ve and annoying,
we are apt to lose the due sense oI i t s invi si bl e bl essings. As i n Nat ure i t
i s not the coarse and palpable, not soil s and rains, nor even Iields and
Ilowers, that are so beaut iIul , as the invi sibl e spi rit oI wi sdom and beauty
t hat pervades it ; so i n soci ety, it i s t he i nvi sibl e, and thereIore
unobserved, t hat is most beauti Iul .
What nerves t he arm oI toi l ? II man mi nded hi mselI al one, he would Il ing
down the spade and axe, and rush t o t he desert ; or roam through t he worl d
as a wil derness, and make that worl d a desert . His home, which he sees
not, perhaps, but once or twi ce i n a day, i s t he i nvi sible bond oI t he worl d.
It is t he good, st rong, and nobl e Iai t h that men have i n each ot her, whi ch
gi ves t he l oIti est charact er to busi ness, trade, and commerce. Fraud occurs
i n t he rush oI business; but it i s t he except i on. Honesty i s the rule; and al l
t he Irauds i n the worl d cannot tear the great bond oI human conIidence. II
t hey coul d, commerce woul d Iurl it s sai ls on every sea, and all t he ci t ies
oI t he worl d woul d crumbl e i nt o rui ns. The bare character oI a man on the
other si de oI the worl d, whom you never saw, whom you never wil l see,
you hol d good Ior a bond oI t housands. The most st ri ki ng Ieat ure oI the
poli t ical stat e is not governments, nor consti tuti ons, nor laws, nor
enact ments, nor t he judici al power, nor t he pol ice; but the uni versal wil l
oI t he people t o be governed by the common weal . Take oII t hat rest rai nt ,
and no government on earth coul d stand Ior an hour.
OI t he many teachi ngs oI Masonry, one oI t he most val uabl e i s, t hat we
shoul d not depreciat e t hi s li Ie. It does not hol d, t hat when we reIl ect on
t he dest i ny t hat awai ts man on eart h, we ought to bedew hi s cradl e wit h
our tears; but , l ike t he Hebrews, it hai l s the bi rt h oI a chi ld wi th joy, and
holds t hat hi s bi rt hday should be a Iest ival.
It has no sympat hy wit h t hose who proIess to have proved t his li Ie, and
Iound i t li tt le worth; who have deli berately made up t heir mi nds t hat it i s
Iar more miserable than happy; because it s empl oyments are t edi ous, and
t heir schemes oIten baIIled, t hei r Iriendshi ps broken, or their Iriends dead,
i ts pleasures palled, and it s honours Iaded, and it s pat hs beaten, Iami li ar,
and dull .
Masonry deems it no mark oI great piety t oward God t o disparage, iI not
despi se, the stat e t hat He has ordained Ior us. It does not absurdly set up
t he cl ai ms oI anot her world, not i n compari son merely, but i n compet i ti on,
wi th t he cl ai ms oI t hi s. It looks upon both as part s oI one system. It hol ds
t hat a man may make t he best oI this worl d and oI anot her at the same
t i me. It does not t each i ts init i at es to t hi nk bet t er oI ot her works and
dispensati ons oI God, by thinki ng meanly oI t hese. It does not l ook upon
l iIe as so much t i me l ost ; nor regard it s employment s as t riIles unwort hy
oI i mmort al bei ngs; nor tel l it s Iol l owers t o Iol d t heir arms, as i I in
disdai n oI their stat e and speci es; but it l ooks soberly and cheerIully upon
t he worl d, as a t heat re oI worthy acti on, oI exalt ed useIulness, and oI
rati onal and i nnocent enj oyment.
It holds t hat , wi t h all it s evi ls, l iIe is a bl essing. To deny t hat is to destroy
t he basi s oI all rel igi on, natural and reveal ed. The very Ioundat ion oI al l
reli gion i s laid on the Ii rm beli eI t hat God i s good; and i I t hi s li Ie is an
evil and a curse, no such belieI can be rat ionally entert ai ned. To level our
sat ire at humani ty and human exi stence, as mean and contempt ibl e; to l ook
on t hi s world as t he habi tat ion oI a miserabl e race, Iit only Ior mockery
and scorn; t o consi der thi s earth as a dungeon or a pri son, which has no
blessing t o oIIer but escape Irom it , is t o ext ingui sh the pri mal li ght oI
Iait h and hope and happiness, to dest roy t he basi s oI reli gion, and Truth' s
Ioundat ion i n t he goodness oI God. II i t indeed be so, then i t mat ters not
what else i s true or not t rue; speculati on is vain and Iai th is vai n; and all
t hat bel ongs to man' s hi ghest bei ng i s buri ed i n the ruins oI mi sant hropy,
melancholy, and despai r.
Our love oI l iIe; the tenaci ty wi th whi ch, in sorrow and suIIeri ng, we cli ng
t o i t ; our att achment to our home, t o the spot t hat gave us bi rt h, to any
place, however rude, unsight ly, or barren, on which t he hist ory oI our
years has been wri tten, all show how dear are the t ies oI kindred and
soci ety. Misery makes a greater i mpression upon us than happi ness;
because the Iormer i s not t he habit oI our mi nds. It i s a strange, unusual
guest , and we are more conscious oI i t s presence. Happi ness li ves wit h us,
and we Iorget it . It does not exci te us, nor di st urb the order and course oI
our thoughts. A great agony is an epoch i n our li Ie. We remember our
aIIl ict ions, as we do t he st orm and eart hquake, because t hey are out oI the
common course oI t hi ngs. They are li ke disastrous events, recorded
because ext raordi nary; and wi th whole and unnoti ced peri ods oI prosperity
between. We mark and signali ze the ti mes oI calami ty; but many happy
days and unnot ed peri ods oI enj oyment pass, that are unrecorded ei t her in
t he book oI memory, or in the scanty annals oI our t hanksgivi ng. We are
l it tl e disposed and less able to call up Irom the di m remembrances oI our
past years, t he peaceIul moments, t he easy sensati ons, the bright thought s,
t he quiet reveries, the throngs oI kind aIIect ions i n which l iIe Il owed on,
beari ng us al most unconsci ously upon it s bosom, because it bore us cal mly
and gent ly.
Li Ie is not only good; but it has been glorious i n the experi ence oI
mi l li ons. The glory oI all human vi rt ue cl ot hes i t. The splendours oI
devot edness, beneIicence, and heroi sm are upon it ; the crown oI a
t housand martyrdoms i s upon i t s brow. The brightness oI t he soul shines
t hrough this visi bl e and someti mes darkened liIe; through all it s
surroundi ng cares and labours. The humbl est li Ie may Ieel it s connecti on
wi th i t s InIi nit e Source. There is somet hi ng mighty in the Irail i nner man;
somethi ng oI i mmortal ity i n t hi s momentary and t ransi ent bei ng. The mi nd
st ret ches away, on every side, i nt o i nIini ty. Its thought s Ilash abroad, Iar
i nt o t he boundl ess, t he i mmeasurable, the i nIi ni te; Iar int o the great , dark,
t eemi ng Iut ure; and become powers and i nIl uences in ot her ages. To know
i ts wonderIul Author, to bring down wi sdom Irom the Eternal St ars, t o
bear upward i ts homage, grati tude, and l ove, t o t he Ruler oI all worlds, t o
be i mmort al in our i nIluences proj ected Iar i nto t he sl ow-approachi ng
Future, makes li Ie most wort hy and most gl orious.
Li Ie is t he wonderIul creat ion oI God. It i s l ight, sprung Irom voi d
darkness; power, waked Irom inert ness and i mpotence; being creat ed Irom
nothing; and t he contrast may well enkindle wonder and del ight . It i s a ril l
Irom the i nIi nit e, overIl owi ng goodness; and Irom the moment when i t
Iirst gushes up i nt o t he light , t o t hat when i t mi ngles wi t h t he ocean oI
Eterni ty, that Goodness at tends it and mini sters t o it . It i s a great and
gl orious gi It . There i s gl adness i n i ts inIant voices; j oy in the buoyant step
oI i t s youth; deep sat isIact ion in it s strong mat uri ty; and peace i n i t s qui et
age. There is good Ior the good; virt ue Ior the Iai thIul; and vi ctory Ior t he
valiant. There i s, even i n t hi s humbl e l i Ie, an i nIi ni ty Ior those whose
desi res are boundl ess. There are bl essi ngs upon i t s birt h; there i s hope i n
i ts death; and et ernity i n i ts prospect . Thus earth, which bi nds many in
chai ns, i s to the Mason bot h the starti ng-place and goal oI i mmort ali ty,
Many it buries i n t he rubbi sh oI dul l cares and wearying vani ti es; but t o
t he Mason i t i s t he loIty mount oI medi tat ion, where Heaven, and InIinity
and Eterni ty are spread beIore hi m and around hi m. To t he loIty-mi nded,
t he pure, and t he virtuous, this l i Ie i s t he begi nning oI Heaven, and a part
oI i mmort al ity.
God hath appointed one remedy Ior al l the evil s i n t he worl d; and t hat is a
contented spiri t. We may be reconci led to poverty and a low Iort une, i I we
suIIer cont entedness and equani mi ty to make the proport ions. No man is
poor who doth not thi nk hi msel I so; but i I, i n a Iul l Iort une, wi t h
i mpatience he desires more, he proclai ms hi s want s and hi s beggarly
condi ti on. Thi s virt ue oI cont ent edness was the sum oI al l the ol d moral
phil osophy, and is oI most universal use in the whole course oI our li ves,
and t he only instrument to ease t he burdens oI the world and the enmit ies
oI sad chances. It is t he great reasonableness oI complyi ng wi th the Di vi ne
Provi dence, whi ch governs al l t he world, and hat h so ordered us in t he
administ rat ion oI Hi s great Iamily. It is Ii t that God shoul d dispense Hi s
gi It s as He pleases; and iI we murmur here, we may, at t he next
melancholy, be troubl ed that He di d not make us to be angels or stars.
We ourselves make our Iortunes good or bad; and when God l ets loose a
Tyrant upon us, or a sickness, or scorn, or a lessened Iortune, i I we Iear t o
die, or know not how t o be pat ient , or are proud, or covetous, then t he
calami ty si t s heavy on us. But i I we know how t o manage a noble
pri nci ple, and Iear not deat h so much as a dishonest act ion, and t hi nk
i mpatience a worse evil t han a Iever, and pri de t o be t he greatest di sgrace
as well as t he greatest Iolly, and poverty Iar preIerable to the t orment s oI
avarice, we may st il l bear an even mi nd and smi l e at the reverses oI
Iortune and t he i ll -nature oI Fate.
II thou hast lost t hy land, do not al so l ose t hy constancy; and i I t hou must
die sooner t han others, or t han thou di dst expect , yet do not di e
i mpatiently. For no chance is evil t o hi m who i s content , and to a man
nothing i s mi serabl e unless it be unreasonable. No man can make another
man t o be his sl ave, unl ess that other hat h Iirst enslaved hi msel I to l iIe
and deat h, to pl easure or pai n, to hope or Iear; command these passions,
and you are Ireer than t he Parthian Kings.
When an enemy reproaches us, l et us l ook on hi m as an i mpartial relat or
oI our Iault s; Ior he wi ll tell us truer than our Iondest Iriend wil l , and we
may Iorgive hi s anger, whi lst we make use oI t he plai nness oI hi s
decl amat i on. The ox, when he i s weary, t reads truest ; and iI there be
nothing else in abuse, but t hat i t makes us t o wal k wari ly, and tread sure
Ior Iear oI our enemies, that i s bett er t han to be Ilattered into pride and
carelessness.
II thou Ial lest Irom t hy empl oyment i n publ i c, take sanct uary in an honest
reti rement , bei ng indiIIerent t o t hy gain abroad, or t hy saIety at home.
When the north wi nd bl ows hard, and i t rains sadly, we do not sit down in
i t and cry; but deIend oursel ves agai nst it wi th a warm garment , or a good
Iire and a dry rooI. So when the storm oI a sad mi schance beats upon our
spirit s, we may turn it i nto something that is good, iI we resol ve to make
i t so; and wit h equani mi ty and pat ience may shelt er ourselves Irom i ts
i nclement pit il ess pel ti ng. II i t devel op our pat ience, and gi ve occasi on Ior
heroi c endurance, i t hat h done us good enough t o recompense us
suIIici ently Ior al l t he temporal aIIli cti on; Ior so a wi se man shal l
overrul e hi s stars; and have a great er inIluence upon hi s own content, than
al l the const ell ati ons and planet s oI the Ii rmament .
Compare not thy condi ti on wit h the Iew above thee, but to secure thy
content, look upon t hose thousands wi th whom thou woul dst not, Ior any
i nterest, change thy Iort une and condit i on. A soldier must not t hi nk
hi msel I unprosperous, iI he be not successIul as Al exander or Wel li ngt on;
nor any man deem hi mselI unIort unate t hat he hat h not the wealt h oI
Rothschil d; but rat her let t he Iormer rej oi ce that he i s not lessened l i ke
t he many general s who went down horse and man beIore Napoleon, and the
l att er that he is not t he beggar who, bareheaded in the bl eak wi nt er wind
holds out his tat tered hat Ior charity. There may be many who are richer
and more Iort unat e; but many thousands who are very mi serable, compared
t o t hee.
AIter t he worst assaul t s oI Fort une, there will be something leIt t o us, --a
merry count enance, a cheerIul spirit , and a good consci ence, the
Provi dence oI God, our hopes oI Heaven, our charity Ior those who have
i nj ured us; perhaps a l ovi ng wiIe, and many Iriends to pity, and some to
reli eve us; and l ight and air, and all the beauties oI Nat ure; we can read,
discourse, and medi tat e; and havi ng st il l these bl essings, we shoul d be
much in love wit h sorrow and peevishness t o l ose t hem al l, and preIer to
si t down on our li tt le handIul oI t horns.
Enj oy the blessi ngs oI this day, i I God sends t hem, and t he evil s oI i t bear
patiently and cal mly; Ior thi s day only is ours: we are dead t o yesterday,
and we are not yet born to the morrow. When our Iort unes are viol ent ly
changed, our spi rit s are unchanged, i I t hey al ways st ood i n t he suburbs
and expectati on oI sorrows and reverses. The bl essi ngs oI i mmuni ty,
saIeguard, l iberty, and i ntegrity deserve the thanksgi ving oI a whol e l iIe.
We are qui t Irom a thousand cal ami t i es, every one oI whi ch, i I i t were
upon us, woul d make us insensibl e oI our present sorrow, and glad to
receive it i n exchange Ior t hat ot her great er aIIli cti on.
Measure your desires by your Iort une and condi ti on, not your Iortunes by
your desi res: be governed by your needs, not by your Iancy; by nature, not
by evi l customs and ambi ti ous principl es. It i s no evi l to be poor, but t o be
vici ous and i mpat i ent . Is t hat beast bet t er, that hath t wo or three
mountai ns t o graze on, than t he li tt le bee that Ieeds on dew or manna, and
l ives upon what Ial ls every morni ng Irom the st ore-houses oI Heaven,
cl ouds and Providence ?
There are some instances oI Iort une and a Iai r condi t ion t hat cannot stand
wi th some ot hers; but i I you desire t hi s, you must l ose t hat, and unless you
be cont ent wi th one, you l ose t he comIort oI both. II you covet l earni ng,
you must have lei sure and a reti red li Ie; i I honours oI State and poli ti cal
dist inct ions, you must be ever abroad in publ ic, and get experience, and
do al l men' s busi ness, and keep al l company, and have no l eisure at al l. II
you wil l be rich, you must be Irugal ; i I you wil l be popular, you must be
bounti Iul; iI a phi l osopher, you must despi se riches. II you would be
Iamous as Epaminondas, accept al so hi s poverty, Ior it added l ustre t o his
person, and envy t o his Iort une, and hi s vi rt ue wit hout it could not have
been so excel lent. II you woul d have t he reputat ion oI a martyr, you must
needs accept hi s persecut ion; i I oI a beneIact or oI t he world, t he worl d' s
i nj usti ce; iI t ruly great , you must expect to see the mob preIer lesser men
t o yourselI.
God est eems i t one oI Hi s glori es, t hat He bri ngs good out oI evil ; and
t hereIore i t were but reason we should trust Hi m to govern Hi s own world
as He pl eases; and t hat we shoul d pati ent ly wai t unti l the change comet h,
or t he reason is di scovered.
A Mason' s contentedness must by no means be a mere contented
sel Ii shness, li ke his who, comIort able hi msel I, is indi IIerent t o t he
discomIort oI ot hers. There wil l always be i n t hi s worl d wrongs to Iorgive,
suIIeri ng t o alleviat e, sorrow aski ng Ior sympat hy, necessit ies and
dest it ut ion t o rel ieve, and ample occasion Ior the exerci se oI acti ve
chari ty and beneIicence. And he who si t s unconcerned ami dst i t all ,
perhaps enj oyi ng his own comIorts and luxuries the more, by cont rast i ng
t hem wi th the hungry and ragged desti tuti on and shi veri ng mi sery oI hi s
Iell ows, is not contented, but sel Iish and unIeeli ng.
It is t he saddest oI al l si ght s upon this eart h, t hat oI a man lazy and
l uxurious, or hard and penurious, t o whom want appeals in vai n, and
suIIeri ng cries in an unknown tongue. The man whose hasty anger hurries
hi m into vi ol ence and cri me is not halI so unwort hy to l i ve. He i s the
Iait hl ess steward, that embezzl es what God has given hi m in trust Ior the
i mpoverished and suIIeri ng among his brethren. The t rue Mason must be
and must have a right t o be cont ent wi th hi msel I; and he can be so only
when he li ves not Ior hi msel I al one, but Ior ot hers al so, who need hi s
assi stance and have a cl ai m upon hi s sympat hy.
"Charity i s the great channel ," it has been wel l sai d, "through which God
passes all Hi s mercy upon mankind. For we recei ve absolut i on oI our si ns
i n proporti on to our Iorgi vi ng our brother. This is t he rul e oI our hopes
and t he measure oI our desire i n t hi s world; and on the day oI death and
j udgment , t he great sentence upon mankind shal l be t ransacted according
t o our al ms, which i s the ot her part oI charity. God hi mselI is love; and
very degree oI chari ty that dwel ls i n us i s the parti ci pat i on oI the di vi ne
nature."
These pri nci ples Masonry reduces t o pract ice. By t hem it expect s you t o
be hereaIter guided and governed. It especially i ncul cates t hem upon hi m
who empl oys t he labour oI ot hers, Iorbi ddi ng hi m t o discharge t hem, when
t o want empl oyment i s t o starve; or t o cont ract Ior the labour oI man or
woman at so l ow a price t hat by over-exerti on t hey must sel l hi m their
blood and l iIe at t he same ti me wit h the labour oI t heir hands.
These Degrees are also intended to teach more t han moral s. The symbol s
and ceremoni es oI Masonry have more than one meani ng. They rat her
conceal than di sclose the Trut h. They hint i t only, at l east; and their varied
meani ngs are only t o be di scovered by reIl ecti on and study. Truth is not
only symbol ized by Light, but as the ray oI li ght i s separable int o rays oI
diIIerent col ours, so i s trut h separable i nt o kinds. It i s the province oI
Masonry to teach all t ruths--not moral t ruth alone, but poli ti cal and
phil osophi cal, and even rel igi ous trut h, so Iar as concerns t he great and
essent ial pri nciples oI each. The sphynx was a symbol . To whom has i t
discl osed i t s inmost meani ng? Who knows the symbol ic meani ng oI the
pyramids?
You wil l hereaIter learn who are t he chieI Ioes oI human l iberty
symbol i zed by t he assassi ns oI t he Mast er Khurum; and in their Iate you
may see Ioreshadowed t hat whi ch we earnest ly hope wi l l hereaIter
overt ake t hose enemi es oI humani ty, agai nst whom Masonry has struggled
so long.

IX. ELECT OF THE NINE.
|Elu oI t he Nine. |
ORIGINALLY creat ed to reward Ii deli ty, obedience, and devoti on, t hi s
Degree was consecrat ed t o bravery, devot edness, and pat ri ot i sm; and your
obli gati on has made known t o you t he dut ies whi ch you have assumed.
They are summed up i n the si mple mandat e, "Protect t he oppressed agai nst
t he oppressor; and devot e yoursel I to the honour and int erest s oI your
Count ry. "
Masonry i s not "speculat ive, " nor t heoreti cal, but experi ment al ; not
sent i ment al , but pract ical . It requi res sel I-renunci ati on and selI-control . It
wears a st ern Iace toward men' s vi ces, and i nterIeres wi th many oI our
pursuit s and our Ianci ed pleasures. It penet rates beyond t he region oI
vague sent i ment ; beyond t he regions where morali zers and phil osophers
have woven thei r Ii ne t heori es and elaborat ed t hei r beaut iIul maxi ms, to
t he very dept hs oI the heart , rebuki ng our li t t lenesses and meannesses,
arraigning our prej udices and passi ons, and warri ng agai nst the armies oI
our vi ces.
It wars against t he passi ons that spri ng out oI t he bosom oI a world oI Iine
sent i ment s, a world oI admirabl e sayi ngs and Ioul practi ces, oI good
maxi ms and bad deeds; whose darker passi ons are not only restrained by
cust om and ceremony, but hi dden even Irom it selI by a veil oI beaut i Iul
sent i ment s. This terri ble soleci sm has exist ed in all ages. Romi sh
sent i ment al i sm has oIten covered inIi del ity and vi ce; Prot estant
st raightness oIten lauds spiri t ual ity and Iait h, and neglect s homely t rut h,
candor, and generosity; and ult ra-li beral Rati onal ist ic reIinement
someti mes soars to heaven i n i ts dreams, and wall ows i n the mire oI eart h
i n i t s deeds.
There may be a world oI Masonic senti ment; and yet a worl d oI li tt le or no
Masonry. In many mi nds t here is a vague and general sent i ment oI
Masonic chari ty, generosi ty, and di sinterestedness, but no pract ical , act ive
virtue, nor habi tual kindness, selI sacri Ii ce, or li berali ty. Masonry pl ays
about t hem li ke t he cold though bri ll iant l ights t hat Ilush and eddy over
Nort hern ski es. There are occasi onal Ilashes oI generous and manly
Ieeli ng, transit ory splendours, and momentary gleams oI just and nobl e
t hought , and t ransi ent coruscat ions, t hat l ight t he Heaven oI thei r
i magi nat ion; but t here is no vit al warmth i n t he heart ; and i t remains as
cold and st erile as t he Arct ic or Ant arct ic regions. They do nothi ng; t hey
gai n no vict ories over themselves; they make no progress; t hey are st il l in
t he Nort heast corner oI t he Lodge, as when they Ii rst st ood t here as
Apprenti ces; and they do not cult ivat e Masonry, wit h a cul ti vati on,
determined, resolut e, and regul ar, l ike their cul ti vat ion oI thei r estat e,
proIession, or knowledge. Their Masonry t akes i ts chance i n general and
i neIIi cient senti ment , mournIully barren oI resul ts; in words and Iormulas
and Iine proIessi ons.
Most men have senti ment s, but not pri nci ples. The Iormer are t emporary
sensat ions, the lat ter permanent and cont rol l ing i mpressi ons oI goodness
and virt ue. The Iormer are general and i nvol unt ary, and do not rise t o the
character oI virtue. Every one Ieels t hem. They Ilash up spont aneously in
every heart . The lat ter are rules oI acti on, and shape and cont rol our
conduct ; and it i s these t hat Masonry i nsist s upon.
We approve the ri ght ; but pursue the wrong. It is t he old st ory oI human
deIiciency. No one abet s or prai ses i njusti ce, Iraud, oppression,
covetousness, revenge, envy or slander; and yet how many who condemn
t hese t hi ngs, are t hemsel ves guil ty oI t hem. It i s no rare thing Ior hi m
whose i ndi gnat ion i s ki ndled at a tal e oI wi cked injust ice, cruel
oppressi on base sl ander, or misery i nIli cted by unbri dl ed i ndulgence;
whose anger Il ames in behal I oI t he i nj ured and rui ned vict i ms oI wrong;
t o be i n some relat ion unjust, or oppressive, or envious, or selI-i ndulgent,
or a careless tal ker oI ot hers. How wonderIully i ndi gnant t he penuri ous
man oIt en i s, at t he avari ce or want oI public spi ri t oI anot her!
A great Preacher well sai d, "ThereIore t hou art i nexcusabl e. O Man,
whosoever t hou art, that judgest; Ior wherein thou judgest anot her, thou
condemnest thyselI: Ior t hou t hat judgest, doest t he same t hi ngs. " It i s
amazing t o see how men can t alk oI vi rtue and honour, whose li Ie deni es
both. It i s curious t o see wit h what a marvel lous Iaci l ity many bad men
quot e Scri pt ure. It seems t o comIort thei r evil consciences, t o use good
words; and t o gloze over bad deeds wi th holy text s, wrested to their
purpose. OIt en, the more a man tal ks about Chari ty and Tol erat ion, the
l ess he has oI ei ther; the more he t alks about Virtue, t he small er st ock he
has oI it . The mout h speaks out oI t he abundance oI t he heart ; but oIten
t he very reverse oI what the man practi ses. And the vi cious and sensual
oIten express, and i n a sense Ieel , strong disgust at vice and sensuali ty.
Hypocrisy is not so common as i s i magined.
Here, i n the Lodge, vi rt ue and vice are matters oI reIlect ion and Ieel ing
only. There is li t t le opport uni ty here, Ior t he pract ice oI ei t her; and
Masons yield to the argument here, wi th Iaci l i ty and readiness; because
nothing i s to Ioll ow. It i s easy, and saIe, here, too Ieel upon these mat ters.
But t o-morrow, when t hey breat he t he at mosphere oI worl dly gai ns and
compet it ions, and the passions are again st irred at the opportuni t ies oI
unlawIul pleasure, al l their Ii ne emot ions about vi rtue, al l t hei r generous
abhorrence oI selIishness and sensual ity, melt away li ke a morni ng cloud.
For the ti me, t heir emot ions and sent i ment s are si ncere and real . Men may
be real ly, in a certai n way, interest ed in Masonry, while Iat ally deIi cient i n
virtue. It is not always hypocrisy. Men pray most Iervently and sincerely,
and yet are const ant ly gui lty oI act s so bad and base, so ungenerous and
unri ght eous, that t he cri mes that crowd the dockets oI our court s are
scarcely worse.
A man may be a good sort oI man in general , and yet a very bad man in
parti cul ar: good in the Lodge and bad in the worl d; good in publ ic, and
bad i n his Iami ly; good at home, and bad on a journey or i n a strange ci ty.
Many a man earnestly desires to be a good Mason. He says so, and is
si ncere. But i I you require hi m to resi st a cert ain passi on, to sacri Iice a
certai n i ndulgence, t o control his appeti te at a particular Ieast, or to keep
his t emper in a di sput e, you wi l l Ii nd that he does not wish to be a good
Mason, i n that part icul ar case; or, wi shi ng, is not abl e t o resist hi s worst
i mpulses.
The dut i es oI li Ie are more than l iIe. The l aw i mposeth it upon every
ci ti zen, t hat he preIer t he urgent servi ce oI his count ry beIore the saIety oI
his l iIe. II a man be commanded, sai t h a great writ er, t o bri ng ordnance or
muni ti on t o reli eve any oI t he King' s towns t hat are di stressed, t hen he
cannot Ior any danger oI tempest j usti Iy the t hrowing oI t hem overboard;
Ior there it holdet h which was spoken by the Roman, when t he same
necessi ty oI weat her was all eged t o hol d hi m Irom embarki ng: "Necesse
est ut eam, non ut vi vam :" it needs t hat I go: it i s not necessary I shoul d
l ive.
How ungrat eIully he sli nks away, who di es, and does not hi ng t o reIl ect a
gl ory t o Heaven ! How barren a t ree he i s, who l ives, and spreads, and
cumbers t he ground, yet leaves not one seed, not one good work t o
generate anot her aIt er hi m ! Al l cannot l eave al ike; yet al l may leave
somethi ng, answeri ng t heir proporti ons and thei r ki nds. Those are dead
and wi thered grai ns oI corn, out oI which there wi ll not one ear spri ng. He
wi ll hardly Iind the way t o Heaven, who desires t o go t hit her al one.
Industry i s never whol ly unIruit Iul. II it bri ng not joy wi th the i ncoming
proIit , it wi l l yet banish mi schieI Irom thy busied gates. There is a ki nd oI
good angel wai t ing upon Dil igence that ever carri es a l aurel i n hi s hand to
crown her. How unworthy was t hat man oI t he worl d who never di d aught ,
but only l i ved and di ed! That we have li berty to do anyt hi ng, we should
account it a giIt Irom the Iavouring Heavens; t hat we have mi nds
someti mes incli ning us to use t hat l iberty well , is a great bounty oI the
Dei ty.
Masonry i s act ion, and not i nertness. It requires it s Initi ates to WORK,
act ively and earnestly, Ior t he beneIi t oI their bret hren, t heir count ry, and
manki nd. It is the patron oI t he oppressed, as it i s t he comIort er and
consol er oI the unIortunate and wret ched. It seems t o i t a wort hier honour
t o be t he i nstrument oI advancement and reIorm, than t o enjoy all t hat
rank and oIIi ce and loIty t it l es can best ow. It i s t he advocate oI t he
common people i n those things whi ch concern t he best i nt erest s oI
manki nd. It hates insolent power and i mpudent usurpat i on. It pi ties the
poor, the sorrowing, t he disconsol at e; it endeavours to rai se and i mprove
t he i gnorant , the sunken, and t he degraded.
It s Ii del ity t o i t s mi ssi on wi ll be accurat ely evi denced, by the extent oI the
eIIort s i t empl oys, and the means it set s on Ioot , t o i mprove the peopl e at
l arge and to bett er their condit i on; chi eIest oI which, wi thin i ts reach, is
t o ai d in the educat ion oI t he chil dren oI the poor. An i ntel li gent peopl e,
i nIormed oI it s rights, wil l soon come t o know it s power, and cannot l ong
be oppressed; but iI t here be not a sound and virt uous popul ace, t he
el aborate ornaments at t he t op oI the pyrami d oI soci ety wil l be a
wretched compensati on Ior t he want oI sol i dity at the base. It i s never saIe
Ior a nati on to repose on t he l ap oI ignorance: and i I there ever was a ti me
when publ ic tranquil li ty was i nsured by t he absence oI knowl edge, that
season is past. Unthi nki ng stupi dity cannot sl eep, wit hout bei ng appal led
by phantoms and shaken by terrors. The i mprovement oI t he mass oI t he
peopl e is the grand securi ty Ior popul ar li berty; i n the neglect oI which,
t he pol it eness, reIi nement , and knowl edge accumul ated in t he hi gher
orders and weal thi er classes wi ll some day perish l ike dry grass in the hot
Iire oI popular Iury.
It is not t he mi ssi on oI Masonry t o engage in pl ot s and conspiracies
agai nst the civil government . It i s not t he Ianat ical propagandi st oI any
creed or t heory; nor does it proclai m it selI t he enemy oI ki ngs. It i s the
apost l e oI l iberty, equali ty, and Iraternity; but it i s no more t he high-priest
oI republ i cani sm than oI consti tuti onal monarchy. It contract s no
entangl ing all i ances wi th any sect oI t heori st s, dreamers, or phil osophers.
It does not know those as i ts Init iat es who assail t he ci vi l order and all
l awIul authority, at the same t i me that t hey propose to deprive the dying oI
t he consol at i ons oI rel igi on. It sit s apart Irom all sect s and creeds, i n i ts
own cal m and si mple dignity, t he same under every government . It i s sti l l
t hat whi ch it was i n t he cradl e oI t he human race, when no human Ioot had
t rodden the soi l oI Assyria and Egypt , and no col onies had crossed the
Hi mal ayas i nt o Southern Indi a, Medi a, or Et ruri a.
It gives no countenance t o anarchy and li centi ousness; and no il lusi on oI
gl ory, or extravagant emulat ion oI the ancients inIl ames i t wit h an
unnat ural t hi rst Ior ideal and Utopi an li berty. It t eaches t hat in rect it ude oI
l iIe and sobri ety oI habi ts i s the only sure guarant ee Ior the cont i nuance oI
poli t ical Ireedom, and it is chieIly the sol di er oI the sanct ity oI t he l aws
and t he right s oI conscience.
It recognizes it as a trut h, that necessi ty, as wel l as abstract ri ght and ideal
j ust ice, must have i ts part i n t he maki ng oI laws, the administ rat ion oI
aIIai rs, and the regulat ion oI relati ons in society. It sees, i ndeed, t hat
necessi ty rules i n all the aIIai rs oI man. It knows t hat where any man, or
any number or race oI men, are so i mbeci le oI i ntel lect , so degraded, so
i ncapable oI sel I cont rol, so inIeri or i n t he scal e oI humanity, as to be
unIi t to be int rusted wi th the hi ghest prerogat ives oI ci t i zenship, t he great
l aw oI necessi ty, Ior the peace and saIety oI the community and country,
requi res them t o remai n under t he cont rol oI those oI l arger i ntellect and
superi or wi sdom. It t rust s and bel ieves that God wi l l, i n his own good
t i me, work out hi s own great and wi se purposes; and i t is wil li ng t o wai t ,
where i t does not see i ts own way cl ear to some cert ain good.
It hopes and longs Ior t he day when al l t he races oI men, even the lowest,
wi ll be elevated, and become Iit t ed Ior pol it ical Ireedom; when, li ke al l
other evil s that aIIli ct the eart h, pauperi sm, and bondage or abject
dependence, shal l cease and di sappear. But it does not preach revol uti on
t o t hose who are Iond oI ki ngs, nor rebell ion t hat can end only i n disaster
and deIeat , or i n subst it uti ng one tyrant Ior anot her, or a mult i t ude oI
despot s Ior one.
Wherever a people i s Iit t o be Iree and t o govern i tsel I, and generously
st ri ves t o be so, t here go al l it s sympathies. It detests the tyrant , the
l awless oppressor, the mi li tary usurper, and hi m who abuses a l awIul
power. It Irowns upon cruel ty, and a want on disregard oI t he rights oI
humanity. It abhors the selIish empl oyer, and exert s it s i nIluence t o
l ight en the burdens whi ch want and dependence i mpose upon the
workman, and to Ioster t hat humani ty and ki ndness whi ch man owes t o
even t he poorest and most unIort unat e brot her.
It can never be empl oyed, i n any country under Heaven, to teach a
t olerat ion Ior cruel ty, t o weaken moral hatred Ior gui lt , or to deprave and
brut al i ze the human mind. The dread oI puni shment wil l never make a
Mason an accomplice in so corrupt i ng his count rymen, and a t eacher oI
depravity and barbarity. II anywhere, as has heret oIore happened, a tyrant
shoul d send a sat irist on his tyranny to be convi cted and punished as a
l ibell er, i n a court oI justice, a Mason, i I a j uror in such a case, though in
sight oI t he scaIIold streami ng wi th t he blood oI the innocent , and wit hi n
heari ng oI t he cl ash oI the bayonets meant t o overawe the court , woul d
rescue t he i nt repid sati ri st Irom the tyrant ' s Iangs, and send his oIIicers
out Irom t he court wi th deIeat and disgrace.
Even iI al l law and li berty were t rampled under t he Ieet oI Jacobini cal
demagogues or a mil it ary bandit ti , and great cri mes were perpet rat ed wit h
a high hand agai nst all who were deservedly t he objects oI public
venerat ion; iI t he peopl e, overthrowi ng law, roared l ike a sea around the
court s oI j ust ice, and demanded the bl ood oI t hose who, duri ng t he
t emporary Iit oI insanity and drunken deli ri um, had chanced t o become
odious t o it , Ior true words manIully spoken, or unpopular acts bravely
done, the Masoni c j uror, unawed al i ke by t he si ngl e or t he many-headed
tyrant , woul d consult t he dict at es oI duty al one, and stand wi th a nobl e
Iirmness bet ween t he human t igers and their coveted prey.
The Mason woul d much rat her pass hi s li Ie hidden in the recesses oI the
deepest obscurity, Ieedi ng his mi nd even wi th t he vi si ons and i magi nat ions
oI good deeds and nobl e act ions, t han to be placed on t he most splendi d
t hrone oI the universe, t ant al i zed wit h a deni al oI the practi ce oI al l which
can make the great est si t uati on any other than t he greatest curse. And iI he
has been enabl ed t o lend the sl ight est st ep to any great and laudabl e
desi gns; i I he has had any share i n any measure givi ng qui et to privat e
property and t o pri vate consci ence, maki ng lighter t he yoke oI poverty and
dependence, or reli evi ng deservi ng men Irom oppressi on; i I he has aided
i n securi ng t o his countrymen that best possession, peace; iI he has j oi ned
i n reconci li ng the di IIerent sect ions oI his own country t o each ot her, and
t he peopl e t o t he government oI their own creat ing; and in teachi ng the
ci ti zen to look Ior his protect ion t o the laws oI hi s country, and Ior hi s
comIort t o the good-wi ll oI his count rymen; i I he has thus t aken hi s part
wi th t he best oI men in the best oI t heir act ions, he may wel l shut t he
book, even i I he mi ght wi sh to read a page or two more. It is enough Ior
his measure. He has not li ved i n vai n.
Masonry teaches that al l power i s del egated Ior t he good, and not Ior t he
i nj ury oI t he People; and that, when it i s pervert ed Irom t he origi nal
purpose, the compact is broken, and the ri ght ought to be resumed; t hat
resistance t o power usurped is not merely a duty which man owes to
hi msel I and to hi s nei ghbour, but a duty whi ch he owes t o his God, in
asserti ng and mai nt aini ng the rank which He gave hi m in the creat ion.
Thi s pri nciple neit her the rudeness oI ignorance can st iIl e nor t he
enervat ion oI reIinement ext i ngui sh. It makes i t base Ior a man t o suIIer
when he ought to act ; and, t ending to preserve to hi m the origi nal
dest inati ons oI Provi dence, spurns at t he arrogant assumpti ons oI tyrant s
and vindicates the i ndependent quali ty oI t he race oI which we are a part.
The wise and wel l-i nIormed Mason wi ll not Iai l to be the vot ary oI Li berty
and Just i ce. He wi l l be ready to exert hi msel I in their deIence, wherever
t hey exi st. It cannot be a mat ter oI indi IIerence to hi m when, hi s own
l iberty and t hat oI ot her men, wit h whose meri ts and capaci t ies he is
acquai nted, are invol ved in the event oI the struggle to be made; but hi s
at tachment wi ll be to the cause, as t he cause oI man; and not merely to t he
count ry. Wherever t here is a people t hat understands the val ue oI pol it i cal
j ust ice, and is prepared to assert it , that i s hi s count ry; wherever he can
most cont ribute to the di IIusi on oI t hese principles and t he real happiness
oI manki nd, t hat i s hi s country. Nor does he desi re Ior any count ry any
other beneIi t than j ust ice.
The true Mason i dent iIies the honour oI hi s count ry wi th hi s own. Nothi ng
more conduces t o the beauty and gl ory oI one' s country than t he
preservati on against al l enemi es oI i t s civi l and rel igi ous li berty. The
worl d wil l never wi ll ingly l et die the names oI t hose patriots who in her
diIIerent ages have recei ved upon t hei r own breast s t he bl ows ai med by
i nsol ent enemi es at t he bosom oI t hei r country.
But al so i t conduces, and i n no small measure, t o t he beauty and glory oI
one' s count ry, that j ust ice shoul d always be administered there t o all ali ke,
and nei ther deni ed, sold, nor del ayed to any one; that the interest oI the
poor shoul d be looked to, and none starve or be houseless, or clamor i n
vain Ior work; that t he chil d and t he Ieebl e woman should not be
overworked, or even the apprent i ce or slave be st inted oI Iood or
overt asked or mercil essly scourged; and that God' s great laws oI mercy,
humanity, and compassi on should be everywhere enIorced, not only by the
st atutes, but al so by the power oI publ i c opinion. And he who labours,
oIten agai nst reproach and obloquy, and oIt ener against i ndi IIerence and
apat hy, to bring about that Iortunate condit ion oI t hi ngs when t hat great
code oI divi ne law shall be everywhere and punctually obeyed, is no less a
patri ot t han he who bares his bosom t o t he host il e st eel i n the ranks oI his
count ry' s sol diery.
For Iort i t ude is not only seen resplendent on t he Iiel d oI batt le and ami d
t he cl ash oI arms, but he displ ays i ts energy under every di IIiculty and
agai nst every assai l ant. He who wars agai nst cruel ty, oppression, and
hoary abuses, Ii ght s Ior hi s country' s honour, whi ch t hese t hi ngs soi l ; and
her honour is as i mportant as her exist ence. OIt en, indeed, the warIare
agai nst those abuses whi ch disgrace one' s country i s quit e as hazardous
and more di scouraging than t hat against her enemi es in t he Iiel d; and
meri ts equal , i I not greater reward.
For those Greeks and Romans who are the obj ects oI our admi rat i on
employed hardly any other virtue i n t he exti rpat i on oI tyrant s, than t hat
l ove oI li berty, whi ch made t hem prompt in sei zi ng t he sword, and gave
t hem strengt h t o use i t. Wi t h Iacil ity t hey accompli sh t he undertaki ng,
amid the general shout oI prai se and j oy; nor did they engage in the
at tempt so much as an enterprise oI peril ous and doubtIul i ssue, as a
contest t he most glori ous in whi ch virtue could be si gnal i zed; which
i nIall ibly led to present recompense; which bound their brows wit h
wreaths oI laurel , and consigned t hei r memories t o i mmortal Iame.
But he who assail s hoary abuses, regarded perhaps wi th a superst it ious
reverence, and around which ol d laws st and as rampart s and bast i ons to
deIend them; who denounces acts oI cruelty and out rage on humani ty
which make every perpet rat or thereoI his personal enemy, and perhaps
make hi m l ooked upon wit h suspi cion by t he people among whom he li ves,
as t he assai lant oI an est abli shed order oI t hings oI which he assai l s only
t he abuses, and oI laws oI which he att acks only the vi ol ati ons, --he can
scarcely l ook Ior present recompense, nor that his l i vi ng brows wil l be
wreathed wi th laurel . And i I, contending against a dark array oI long-
received opinions, superst i t ions, obl oquy, and Iears, whi ch most men
dread more t han they do an army terrible wi th banners, t he Mason
overcomes, and emerges Irom t he contest vi ct ori ous; or iI he does not
conquer, but is borne down and swept away by t he mighty current oI
prej udi ce, passi on, and i nt erest; i n eit her case, t he l oIti ness oI spiri t
which he displ ays meri ts Ior hi m more than a medi ocri ty oI Iame.
e has already li ved too l ong who has survived the rui n oI his count ry; and
he who can enjoy l i Ie aIt er such an event deserves not t o have l ived at al l.
Nor does he any more deserve to li ve who looks cont ent edly upon abuses
t hat di sgrace, and cruel ti es t hat di shonour, and scenes oI misery and
dest it ut ion and brutal izat ion t hat di sIi gure hi s country; or sordi d meanness
and ignoble revenges t hat make her a by-word and a scoII among all
generous nat ions; and does not endeavour t o remedy or prevent eit her.
Not oIt en is a country at war; nor can every one be al lowed t he pri vi lege
oI oIIering his heart t o the enemy' s bul l ets. But in these pat ri ot ic l abours
oI peace, i n preventi ng, remedyi ng, and reIormi ng evi ls, oppressi ons,
wrongs, cruelt ies, and outrages, every Mason can uni te; and every one can
eIIect somet hing, and share t he honour and glory oI the result .
For the cardinal names i n the hist ory oI the human mi nd are Iew and easily
t o be counted up; but t housands and t ens oI thousands spend t heir days i n
t he preparati ons whi ch are t o speed t he predest ined change, i n gathering
and amassi ng the materi als which are to ki ndle and gi ve l ight and warmt h,
when t he Iire Irom heaven shal l have descended on them. Numberl ess are
t he sutlers and pioneers, the engi neers and art isans, who at tend t he march
oI i nt el l ect . Many move Iorward in det achments, and level t he way over
which the chariot i s t o pass, and cut down the obst acles that woul d i mpede
i ts progress; and these too have t heir reward. II t hey l abour di ligently and
Iait hIully in their cal l ing, not only wil l they enj oy t hat cal m content ment
which di li gence i n t he lowliest t ask never Iai ls to win; not only wil l the
sweat oI t heir brows be sweet, and the sweetener oI the rest that Iol l ows;
but, when t he vict ory i s at last achieved, they wi l l come i n Ior a share i n
t he glory; even as the meanest sol dier who Iought at Marat hon or at Ki ng' s
Mount ain became a sharer in the glory oI those saving days; and wit hi n his
own household circle, t he approbat ion oI which approaches the nearest t o
t hat oI an approvi ng conscience, was looked upon as the represent ati ve oI
al l his brot her-heroes; and coul d tel l such t ales as made the tear gl ist en on
t he cheek oI his wiIe, and |i t up his boy' . s eyes wit h an unwont ed
sparkl ing eagerness. Or, iI he Iel l in the Iight , and his place by t he Iiresi de
and at the table at home was t hereaIter vacant, t hat place was sacred; and
he was oIten t alked oI t here in t he l ong winter evenings; and hi s Iami ly
was deemed Iort unat e i n t he neighbourhood, because it had had a hero in
i t, who had Iallen i n deIence oI hi s country.
Remember t hat l i Ie' s length i s not measured by it s hours and days but by
t hat whi ch we have done t herei n Ior our country and kind. A usel ess li Ie is
short . iI it l ast a cent ury; but t hat oI Alexander was long as t he l iIe oI t he
oak, though he died at thi rty-Ii ve. We may do much in a Iew years, and we
may nothing in a l iIet i me. II we but eat and dri nk and sl eep, and
everyt hi ng go on around us as it pl eases; or i I we l i ve but amass weal th or
gai n oIIice or wear ti tl es, we might as wel l not have l ived at all ; nor have
we any right to expect i mmortal i ty.
Forget not , t hereIore, to what you have devoted yoursel I in this Degree:
deIend weakness against st rengt h, the Iri endl ess against t he great, t he
oppressed agai nst the oppressor ! Be ever vi gi lant and wat chIul oI the
i nterests and honour oI your country! and may the Grand Archi tect oI t he
Universe gi ve you t hat strengt h and wisdom which shal l enabl e you wel l
and Iait hIul ly t o perIorm these high duti es!
1871.
10 - El u oI the Fi It een, 11 - Elu oI t he Twel ve, 12 - Mast er Archi tect
13 - Royal Arch oI Sol omon, 14 - PerIect Elu
X. ILLUSTRIOUS ELECT OF THE FIFTEEN.
|Elu oI t he FiIteen |
THIS Degree i s devot ed to the same obj ects as those oI t he El u oI Nine;
and al so t o t he cause oI Tolerati on and Liberali ty against Fanati cism and
Persecuti on, poli t i cal and reli gious; and to t hat oI Educat ion, Instructi on,
and Enl ightenment against Error, Barbari sm, and Ignorance. To t hese
object s you have irrevocably and Iorever devoted your hand, your heart,
and your int el lect ; and whenever i n your presence a Chapt er oI this
Degree is opened, you wil l be most sol emnly remi nded oI your vows here
t aken at t he altar.
Tolerat ion, holdi ng that every other man has t he same right t o his opi nion
and Iait h t hat we have t o ours; and l iberal i ty, holdi ng that as no human
being can wi th cert ainty say, i n t he cl ash and conIl ict oI host ile Iai ths and
creeds, what is truth, or that he is surely in possessi on oI it , so every one
shoul d Ieel that i t i s qui t e possi ble that another equal ly honest and si ncere
wi th hi msel I, and yet holdi ng the cont rary opi nion, may hi mselI be i n
possessi on oI t he t ruth, and t hat what ever one Ii rmly and consci ent iously
believes, i s t ruth, t o hi m - these are the mortal enemi es oI t hat Ianaticism
which persecutes Ior opi nion' s sake, and i nit iates crusades agai nst
whatever i t, in i ts i magi nary holi ness, deems to be cont rary t o t he law oI
God or veri ty oI dogma. And educat ion, i nst ructi on, and enl ightenment are
t he most cert ain means by whi ch Ianat ici sm and int ol erance can be
rendered powerless.
No true Mason scoIIs at honest convict i ons and an ardent zeal in the
cause oI what one bel ieves to be trut h and j usti ce. But he
does absolut ely deny t he right oI any man t o assume the prerogat ive oI
Dei ty, and condemn anot her' s Iai t h and opinions as deservi ng to be
puni shed because heret ical . Nor does he approve t he course oI those who
endanger the peace and quiet oI great nati ons, and t he best i nt erest oI
t heir own race by i ndul gi ng i n a chi meri cal and visi onary phi lanthropy - a
l uxury which chieIly consist s in drawing t heir robes around them to avoi d
contact wi th their Iell ows, and proclai mi ng themselves hol ier t han they.
For he knows that such Iol li es are oIten more cal ami t ous t han the ambit ion
oI kings; and t hat int olerance and bi got ry have been inIinit ely greater
curses t o manki nd t han ignorance and error. Bet t er any error t han
persecut ion! Bet ter any opinion t han the thumb-screw, t he rack, and the
st ake! And he knows al so how unspeakably absurd it i s, Ior a creat ure t o
whom hi msel I and everythi ng around hi m are mysteries, to tort ure and
sl ay ot hers, because t hey cannot t hi nk as he does i n regard to t he
proIoundest oI t hose myst eri es, t o underst and which is ut terly beyond t he
comprehensi on oI ei ther t he persecut or or t he persecut ed.
Masonry i s not a rel igion. He who makes oI i t a religious bel ieI, Ial si Ii es
and denat ural izes i t . The Brahmin, the Jew, t he Mahomet an, the Cat hol ic,
t he Protest ant , each proIessi ng his pecul iar religion, sancti oned by the
l aws, by t i me, and by cl i mate, must needs retai n i t , and cannot have two
reli gions; Ior t he social and sacred laws adapt ed to the usages, manners,
and prej udi ces oI parti cul ar count ries, are t he work oI men.
But Masonry teaches, and has preserved i n t hei r puri ty, the cardi nal t enets
oI t he old pri mit ive Iait h, whi ch underli e and are the Ioundati on oI al l
reli gions. Al l t hat ever exi st ed have had a basis oI trut h; and al l have
overl aid t hat trut h wi t h errors. The pri mi ti ve t ruths taught by the
Redeemer
were sooner corrupted, and i ntermi ngl ed and all oyed wit h Iict ions t han
when t aught t o t he Iirst oI our race. Masonry i s the universal moral i ty
which is suit abl e t o t he i nhabit ant s oI every cl i me, to the man oI every
creed. It has taught no doct ri nes, except t hose trut hs t hat tend directly t o
t he wel l-bei ng oI man; and t hose who have attempt ed to direct it t oward
usel ess vengeance, pol it ical ends, and Jesui t ism, have merely pervert ed it
t o purposes Ioreign to i ts pure spiri t and real nat ure.
Manki nd outgrows the sacri Ii ces and the mythologies oI the chi ldhood oI
t he worl d. Yet i t is easy Ior human i ndolence to
l inger near t hese helps, and reIuse to pass Iurther on. So t he
unadventurous Nomad in the Tartarian wil d keeps his Il ock in the same
cl ose-cropped circl e where t hey Ii rst l earned t o browse, while the
progressive man roves ever Iorth "t o Iresh Iiel ds and past ures new."
The latt er is the true Mason; and the best and indeed the only good
Mason i s he who wit h t he power oI busi ness does the work oI li Ie; t he
upri ght mechanic, merchant, or Iarmer, t he man wi t h t he power oI t hought ,
oI j ust ice, or oI l ove, he whose whol e l iIe i s one great act oI perIormance
oI Masonic duty. The nat ural case oI the strength oI a strong man or the
wi sdom oI a wise one, is to do the work oI a st rong man or a wise one.
The natural work oI Masonry i s practi cal li Ie; t he use oI al l t he Iacul ti es
i n
t heir proper spheres, and Ior t heir natural Iuncti on. Love oI Truth, j usti ce,
and generosi ty as att ri butes oI God, must appear in a l iIe marked by t hese
quali ti es; that i s t he only eIIect ual ordinance oI Masonry. A proIessi on oI
one' s convi cti ons, joi ning the Order, assumi ng t he obl igat ions, assi sti ng at
t he ceremonies, are oI the same val ue i n sci ence as i n Masonry; the
natural Iorm oI Masonry i s goodness, morali ty, li ving a t rue, j ust ,
aIIect ionate, sel I-Iai thIul l i Ie, Irom the moti ve oI a good man. It i s loyal
obedi ence t o God' s law.
The good Mason does the good thing whi ch comes in hi s way, and
because it comes i n hi s way; Irom a l ove oI duty, and not merely because
a law, enact ed by man or God, commands his wil l to do it . He i s true t o his
mind, his consci ence, heart , and soul, and Ieels small t empt ati on t o do t o
others what he woul d not wish to recei ve Irom them. He wi ll deny hi mselI
Ior the sake oI hi s brot her near at hand. Hi s desi re att ract s in t he l ine oI
his duty, bot h bei ng i n conj unct ion. Not in vai n does t he poor or t he
oppressed l ook up t o hi m. You Ii nd such men in al l Chri sti an sect s,
Protest ant and Cathol ic, in all t he great rel igi ous part i es oI the civil ized
worl d, among Buddhi st s, Mahometans, and Jews. They are kind Iathers,
generous ci t izens, uni mpeachabl e in t heir business, beauti Iul in their dai ly
l ives. You see their Masonry in their work and in thei r pl ay. It appears i n
al l
t he Iorms oI their act i vi ty, individual, domest ic, social, ecclesiast ical , or
poli t ical . True Masonry wi t hin must be moral i ty wit hout. It must become
eminent moral ity, which is phi lant hropy. The t rue Mason loves not only
his
kindred and hi s country, but all manki nd; not only
t he good, but also the evi l, among hi s bret hren. He has more goodness
t han the channel s oI hi s dai ly li Ie wil l hol d. It runs over t he banks, to
wat er
and t o Ieed a thousand t hirsty pl ant s. Not cont ent wi th the duty that l i es
al ong his track, he goes out t o seek it ; not only wi ll ing, he has a salient
l ongi ng to do good, t o spread hi s trut h, hi s j usti ce, his generosity, hi s
Masonry over al l the world. Hi s dai ly li Ie i s a proIessi on oI hi s Masonry,
publ ished i n perpet ual good-wi l l to men. He can not be a persecutor.
Not more naturally does t he beaver bui ld or t he mocki ng-bi rd sing hi s own
wi ld, gushing mel ody, t han the true Mason l ives in t his beaut i Iul outward
l iIe. So Irom t he perennial spring swell s Iorth the stream, t o quicken t he
meadow wit h new access oI green, and perIect beauty burst i ng i nt o
bloom. Thus Masonry does t he work it was meant t o do. The Mason does
not sigh and weep, and make gri maces. He l ives right on. II hi s l iIe is, as
whose i s not, marked wi th errors, and wi th si ns, he pl oughs over the
barren spot wit h hi s remorse, sows wit h new seed, and t he old desert
blossoms l ike a rose. He i s not conIined t o set Iorms oI t hought , oI act i on,
or oI Ieel ing. He accepts what his mi nd regards as t rue, what hi s
conscience deci des is right , what hi s heart deems generous and noble;
and al l else he put s Iar Irom hi m. Though t he ancient and t he honorable oI
t he Earth bi d hi m bow down to them, hi s stubborn knees bend only at the
bidding oI hi s manly soul. His Masonry i s hi s Ireedom beIore God, not his
bondage unt o men. Hi s mi nd acts aIt er the uni versal l aw oI the int ell ect,
his conscience accordi ng to t he universal moral l aw, hi s aIIect ions and his
soul aIt er the uni versal l aw oI each, and so he i s strong wi th t he st rengt h
oI God, in t hi s Iour-Iol d way communicat ing wi th Hi m.
The old t heol ogies, t he phil osophi es oI religion oI ancient t i mes, wil l not
suIIice us now. The dut i es oI li Ie are t o be done; we are t o do t hem,
consciously obedient t o t he law oI God, not atheist ical ly, loving only our
sel Ii sh gai n. There are si ns oI trade t o be correct ed. Everywhere moral ity
and phil ant hropy are needed. There are errors to be made way wi th, and
t heir place suppl ied wi th new trut hs, radi ant wi th the glori es oI Heaven.
There are great wrongs and evil s, i n Church and State, in domest ic,
soci al , and publ ic l iIe, to be righted and out grown. Masonry cannot i n our
age Iorsake t he broad way oI li Ie. She must j ourney on in the open st reet ,
appear in the crowded square, and t each men by her deeds, her li Ie more
el oquent than any l ips.
Thi s Degree is chi eIly devoted to TOLERATION; and it inculcat es i n t he
st rongest manner that great l eadi ng i dea oI the Ancient Art, that a bel ieI in
t he one True God, and a moral and virtuous li Ie, consti tut e t he only
reli gious requi si t es needed t o enabl e a man t o be a Mason.
Masonry has ever t he most vi vi d remembrance oI the terri bl e and art iIici al
t orment s t hat were used t o put down new Iorms oI rel igi on or ext i nguish
t he old. It sees wi th the eye oI memory the ruthless extermi nat i on oI all
t he
peopl e oI al l sexes and ages, because i t was t heir misIortune not t o know
t he God oI the Hebrews, or to worshi p Hi m under the wrong name, by the
savage troops oI Moses and Joshua. It sees the t humb-screws and t he
racks, the whi p, the gall ows, and the stake, t he vi ct i ms oI Di ocl eti an and
Al va, the mi serabl e Covenanters, t he Non-ConIormist s, Servetus burned,
and t he unoIIendi ng Quaker hung. It sees Cranmer hol d his arm, now no
l onger erri ng, in the Ilame unt i l t he hand drops oII in the consumi ng heat .
It
sees t he persecut i ons oI Pet er and Paul, the martyrdom oI St ephen, the
t ri als oI Ignati us, Polycarp, Just in, and Irenus; and t hen i n turn the
suIIeri ngs oI the wret ched Pagans under the Christ ian Emperors, as oI the
Papi sts in Ireland and under Eli zabet h and the bl oated Henry. The Roman
Virgi n naked beIore the hungry li ons; young Margaret Graham t ied to a
st ake at l ow-water mark, and there leIt t o drown, singi ng hymns t o God
unti l the savage wat ers broke over her head; and al l that i n all ages have
suIIered by hunger and nakedness, peril and pri son, the rack, t he st ake,
and t he sword, - i t sees them al l, and shudders at t he long rol l oI human
at rocit ies. And i t sees also the oppressi on sti ll pract ised i n the name oI
reli gion - men shot in a Chri st i an j ail i n Chri sti an Italy Ior readi ng t he
Chri sti an Bi ble; i n al most every Christ ian Stat e, l aws Iorbiddi ng Ireedom
oI
speech on mat ters relat ing to Chri st ianity; and the gall ows reachi ng i ts
arm over t he pulpi t .
The Ii res oI Moloch i n Syria, t he harsh mut il ati ons in t he name oI Ast art e,
Cybele, Jehovah; t he barbarit ies oI i mperial Pagan Tort urers; t he st il l
grosser torments whi ch Roman-Gothi c Chri sti ans i n Italy and Spai n
heaped on t hei r brot her-men; the Ii endi sh cruel t i es to which Swit zerland,
France, the Net herl ands, Engl and, Scotl and, Ireland, Ameri ca, have been
wi tnesses, are none t oo powerIul to warn man oI t he unspeakable evi ls
which Ioll ow Irom mi stakes and errors in t he matt er oI rel igi on, and
especi ally Irom
i nvest ing the God oI Love wi th t he cruel and vi ndi cti ve passions oI erri ng
humanity, and making bl ood t o have a sweet savor in hi s nostril s, and
groans oI agony to be deli cious t o his ears.
Man never had t he right t o usurp t he unexerci sed prerogati ve oI God, and
condemn and puni sh another Ior his bel i eI. Born i n a Prot estant l and, we
are oI t hat Iai th. II we had opened our eyes to the li ght under the shadows
oI St . Peter' s at Rome, we shoul d have been devout Cat hol ics; born i n t he
Jewish quarter oI Al eppo, we should have cont emned Chri st as an
i mposter; in Constanti nople, we should have cried "Al lah il Al lah, God i s
great and Mahomet i s hi s prophet!" Birth, pl ace, and educati on give us our
Iait h. Few beli eve i n any reli gion because they have exami ned the
evidences oI it s authenti city, and made up a Iormal j udgment , upon
weighi ng t he t esti mony. Not one man in ten t housand knows anythi ng
about t he prooIs oI hi s Iai t h. We bel ieve what we are t aught ; and those are
most Ianat i cal who know least oI t he evidences on which their creed is
based. Facts and t esti mony are not , except in very rare inst ances, the
ground-work oI Iait h. It is an i mperati ve l aw oI God' s Economy,
unyi eldi ng
and i nIlexibl e as Hi mselI, t hat man shal l accept wit hout quest i on t he
belieI
oI t hose among whom he is born and reared; t he Iait h so made a part oI
his nature resist s all evi dence to t he contrary; and he wi ll di sbel ieve even
t he evidence oI his own senses, rather t han yiel d up the rel igi ous beli eI
which has grown up i n hi m, Ilesh oI hi s Ilesh and bone oI his bone.
What i s truth t o me i s not t rut h t o another. The same argument s and
evidences that convi nce one mi nd make no i mpressi on on anot her. Thi s
diIIerence i s i n men at t heir birth. No man i s ent it led posit ively to assert
t hat he is right , where ot her men, equal ly int ell igent and equal ly
wel li nIormed,
hold di rect ly the opposi te opi ni on. Each t hi nks it i mpossibl e Ior
t he other ' to be si ncere, and each, as t o t hat , i s equal ly i n error. "What i s
t ruth?" was a proIound quest i on, the most suggesti ve one ever put to man.
Many bel i eIs oI Iormer and present ti mes seem i ncomprehensi ble. They
st art le us wi th a new gli mpse i nto t he human soul, that myst eri ous thi ng
more myst erious the more we note it s worki ngs. Here is a man superior to
myselI i n i nt ell ect and l earning; and yet he sincerely bel ieves what seems
t o me t oo absurd to merit conIut at ion; and I cannot concei ve, and
si ncerely do not bel ieve, that he i s both sane and honest.
And yet he is bot h. Hi s reason i s as perIect as mi ne, and he is as honest as
I.
The Ianci es oI a lunati c are real it i es, to hi m. Our dreams are real it ies
whil e
t hey last; and, in the Past, no more unreal t han what we have act ed i n our
waking hours. No man can say that he hat h as sure possessi on oI the
t ruth as oI a chatt el. When men entert ai n opi nions diametrical ly opposed
t o each ot her, and each i s honest, who shal l decide whi ch hath t he Trut h;
and how can eit her say wi th certai nty that he hat h it ? We know not what is
t he t ruth. That we ourselves bel i eve and Ieel absol ut ely cert ain that our
own beli eI is t rue, i s i n reali ty not t he sl ightest prooI oI the Iact , seem it
never so certai n and i ncapable oI doubt to us. No man is responsible Ior
t he rightness oI hi s Iait h; but only Ior the uprightness oI i t.
ThereIore no man hath or ever had a right to persecute anot her Ior his
belieI; Ior there cannot be two ant agoni st i c right s; and iI one can
persecut e another, because he hi mselI i s sati sIied t hat the bel ieI oI t hat
other i s erroneous, the ot her has, Ior the same reason, equally as certai n
a right to persecute hi m.
The truth comes t o us ti nged and col ored wi th our prej udices and our
preconcepti ons, which are as ol d as ourselves, and strong wit h a di vi ne
Iorce. It comes to us as the i mage oI a rod comes t o us through the water,
bent and dist orted. An argument si nks into and convi nces the mi nd oI one
man, whi le Irom that oI anot her it rebounds li ke a ball oI ivory dropped on
marble. It i s no meri t in a man t o have a part i cul ar Iai th, excel lent and
sound and phi losophi c as it may be, when he i mbibed it wi t h hi s mother' s
mi l k. It i s no more a meri t than hi s prej udi ces and hi s passi ons.
The sincere Mosl em has as much right to persecute us, as we t o
persecut e hi m; and t hereIore Masonry wisely requi res no more t han a
belieI i n One Great Al l-PowerIul Deity, t he Fat her and Preserver oI the
Universe. ThereIore it i s she teaches her vot ari es t hat tolerati on i s one oI
t he chieI duties oI every good Mason, a component part oI that chari ty
wi thout which we are mere holl ow i mages oI t rue Masons, mere soundi ng
brass and t i nkli ng cymbal s.
No evi l hat h so aIIli cted t he worl d as int ol erance oI religious opini on. The
human bei ngs i t has sl ain in various ways, i I once and t oget her brought t o
l iIe, woul d make a nat ion oI peopl e; leIt t o li ve and i ncrease, would have
doubled the popul ati on oI the ci vil ized porti on oI the globe; among whi ch
ci vi li zed porti on it chieIly is t hat rel igi ous wars are waged.
The treasure and the human l abor
t hus lost woul d have made t he earth a garden, in which, but Ior his evil
passi ons, man might now be as happy as i n Eden.
No man t ruly obeys the Masoni c law who merely tolerates those whose
reli gious opi nions are opposed to hi s own. Every man' s opi ni ons are hi s
own pri vate property, and the right s oI al l men to mai ntain each his own
are perIect ly equal . Merely to tolerate, to bear wi th an opposi ng opinion,
i s
t o assume i t to be heret ical ; and assert the ri ght t o persecut e, i I we would;
and cl ai m our tol erat ion oI it as a meri t. The Mason' s creed goes Iurt her
t han that. No man, it hol ds, has any ri ght in any way t o, interIere wi t h the
reli gious bel ieI oI anot her. It hol ds t hat each mat | is absolutely sovereign
as t o his own bel ieI, and t hat bel i eI i s a matter absol utely Ioreign to al l
who
do not entert ai n the same bel i eI; and t hat, i I there were any right oI
persecut ion at al l, it would i n al l cases be a mut ual right ; because one
party has the same right as the ot her to sit as judge i n his own case; and
God i s t he only magi strate that can right Iul ly deci de between them. To
1hat great judge, Masonry reIers the mat ter; and opening wi de i ts portal s,
i t i nvit es t o ent er there and l ive i n peace and harmony, t he Protest ant, t he
Cat holic, t he Jew, t he Mosl em; every man who wil l lead a truly virt uous
and moral l iIe, love hi s bret hren, si ni st er to t he si ck and di stressed, and
believe i n t he ONE, All PowerIul , All -Wi se, everywhere - Present GOD,
Archi tect , Creator, and Preserver oI al l thi ngs, by whose uni versal l aw oI
Harmony ever rol l s on thi s uni verse, the great , vast, i nIi ni te ci rcle oI
successi ve Deat h and LiIe: - to whose INEFFABLE NAME let all t rue
Masons pay proIoundest homage! Ior whose t housand blessi ngs poured
upon us, let us Ieel t he si ncerest gratit ude, now, henceIort h, and Iorever!
We may well be t olerant oI each other' s creed; Ior in every Iai t h t here are
excel l ent moral precept s. Far i n the Sout h oI Asi a, Zoroaster taught t his
doctri ne: "On commenci ng a journey, t he Fai thIul should turn hi s thoughts
t oward Ormuzd, and conIess hi m, in the puri ty oI hi s heart, to be King oI
t he World; he should l ove hi m, do hi m homage, and serve hi m. He must
be upright and chari table, despi se t he pleasures oI t he body, and avoi d
pri de and haught iness, and vi ce in al l i t s Iorms, and especi ally ' Ialsehood,
one oI t he basest si ns oI whi ch man can be guil ty. He must Iorget i nj uries
and not avenge hi mselI. He must honor the memory oI
his parent s and relat ives. At night , beIore ret iri ng t o sl eep, he shoul d
rigorously examine hi s conscience, and repent oI the Iault s which
weakness or i ll -Iort une had caused hi m to commi t. " He was requi red to
pray Ior st rengt h to persevere in the Good, and to obtai n Iorgiveness Ior
his errors. It was hi s duty to conIess hi s Iault s t o a Magus, or to a l ayman
renowned Ior hi s virtues, or t o the Sun. Fasti ng and macerat ion were
prohi bited; and, on t he contrary, it was hi s duty suitably to nourish the
body and to mai ntain it s vigor, that his soul might be strong to resist the
Genius oI Darkness; that he might more at tent ively read the Di vi ne Word,
and have more courage to perIorm nobl e deeds.
And i n the North oI Europe the Drui ds taught devoti on to Iri ends,
i ndulgence Ior reci procal wrongs, l ove oI deserved prai se, prudence,
humanity, hospi tal i ty, respect Ior ol d age, disregard oI the Iuture,
t emperance, cont empt oI deat h, and a chi valrous deIerence to woman.
Li sten to t hese maxi ms Irom the Hava Maal , or Subl i me Book oI Odi n:
"II t hou hast a Iri end, visi t hi m oIten; the pat h wi ll grow over wi th grass,
and t he t rees soon cover i t , iI t hou dost not constantly wal k upon it . He i s
a
Iait hIul Iri end, who, having but t wo loaves, gives hi s Iriend one. Be never
Iirst to break wi th t hy Iriend; sorrow wri ngs t he heart oI hi m who has no
one save hi msel I wi th whom to take counsel. There i s no vi rt uous man
who has not some vice, no bad man who has not some vi rtue. Happy he
who obtains the praise and good-wi l l oI men; Ior al l that depends on the
wi ll oI anot her is hazardous and uncertai n. Riches Ili t away in t he
t winkl i ng
oI an eye; they are the most inconstant oI Iriends; Il ocks and herds peri sh,
parent s di e, Iriends are not i mmort al , t hou t hysel I diest ; I know but one
t hi ng t hat doth not die, the judgment that i s passed upon the dead. Be
humane t oward t hose whom t hou meet est on the road. II t he guest t hat
comet h t o t hy house i s a - col d, give hi m Iire; the man who has journeyed
over the mount ains needs Iood and dry garment s. Mock not at t he aged;
Ior words Iul l oI sense come oIt en Irom the wrinkl es oI age. Be
moderately
wi se, and not over-prudent . Let no one seek to know his desti ny, iI he
woul d sl eep t ranqui lly. There i s no mal ady more cruel t han to be
discontent ed wi t h our lot . The glut t on eat s hi s own death; and t he wise
man l aughs at the Iool' s greedi ness. Not hi ng i s more injurious t o the
young than excessive drinking;
t he more one drinks t he more he loses hi s reason; the
bird oI Iorget Iul ness si ngs beIore t hose who intoxi cate themsel ves, and
wi les away t heir souls. Man devoid oI sense beli eves he wi l l li ve al ways i I
he avoi ds war; but, iI t he l ances spare hi m, old age wi ll gi ve hi m no
quart er. Bet ter l ive well t han li ve l ong. When a man l ight s a Iire i n his
house, deat h comes beIore i t goes out. "
And t hus said the Indi an books: "Honor t hy Iather and mot her. Never
Iorget the beneIit s t hou hast recei ved. Learn whi l e thou art young. Be
submi ssive to t he l aws oI t hy country. . Seek t he company oI virtuous
men. Speak not oI God but wit h respect . Live on good terms wit h t hy
Iell ow-ci t izens. Remain i n t hy proper pl ace. Speak i ll oI no one. Mock at
t he bodi ly inIi rmit ies oI none. Pursue not unrel ent ingly a conquered
enemy. Stri ve t o acquire a good reputati on. Take counsel wi th wi se men.
The more one l earns, t he more he acquires t he Iacul ty oI learni ng,
Knowl edge i s the most permanent wealt h. As well be dumb as ignorant.
The true use oI knowledge i s to di sti nguish good Irom evil . Be not a
subject oI shame t o thy parents. What one learns i n yout h endures li ke the
engravi ng upon a rock. He is wi se who knows hi mselI. Let t hy books be
t hy best Iri ends. When thou at t ainest an hundred years, cease to learn.
Wisdom i s sol idly pl ant ed, even on the shi It ing ocean. Decei ve no one, not
even t hine enemy. Wi sdom i s a t reasure t hat everywhere commands i ts
value. Speak mi ldly, even t o the poor. It i s sweeter t o Iorgive than t o take
vengeance. Gami ng and quarrels lead t o mi sery. There i s no true meri t
wi thout t he pract ice oI virt ue. To honor our mother is t he most Iit ti ng
homage we can pay t he Divi ni ty. There is no tranquil sleep wi thout a cl ear
conscience. He badly underst ands hi s interest who breaks hi s word."
Twenty-Iour cent uri es ago these were the Chi nese Ethics:
"The Phil osopher |ConIucius| said, ' SAN! my doctrine is si mple, and easy
t o be underst ood. ' THSENG-TSEU replied, ' that i s certai n.' The
Phi l osopher havi ng gone out, the di sciples asked what t hei r master had
meant to say. THSENG--TSEU responded, ' The doct rine oI our Mast er
consi st s sol ely in bei ng upri ght oI heart , and l ovi ng our nei ghbor as we
l ove ourselI. "'
About a cent ury later, t he Hebrew law sai d, "II any man hate hi s neighbor
. . . then shal l ye do unto hi m, as he had thought t o
do unto hi s brot her . . . Bett er is a neighbor t hat is near, than a. brot her
aIar oII . . . Thou shal t love t hy neighbor as t hysel I. "
In t he same Ii It h cent ury beIore Chri st , SOCRATES t he Grecian sai d,
"Thou shalt l ove thy neighbor as thyselI. "
Three generati ons earli er, ZOROASTER had sai d t o t he Persians: "OIIer
up t hy grateIul prayers to t he Lord, the most just and pure Ormuzd, the
supreme and adorabl e God, who thus declared t o his Prophet Zerdusht :
' Hold i t not meet t o do unt o others what thou woul dst not desire done unto
t hysel I; do t hat unt o the people, whi ch, when done t o t hysel I, is not
disagreeabl e unt o t hee. "'
The same doctrine had been long t aught i n t he school s oI Babylon,
Al exandria, and Jerusalem. A Pagan declared t o t he Phari see HILLEL that
he was ready t o embrace t he Jewi sh rel igi on, i I he coul d make known to
hi m in a Iew words a summary oI the whole l aw oI Moses. "That which
t hou l i kest not done t o t hysel I, " sai d Hi l l el, "do i t not unt o t hy neighbor.
Therei n is all t he l aw: the rest i s not hi ng but t he commentary upon it ."
"Not hi ng i s more natural , " said CONFUCIUS, "not hing more si mpl e, t han
t he pri nci ples oI that morali ty whi ch I endeavor, by salutary maxi ms, t o
i ncul cate in you . . . It is humanity; whi ch i s t o say, that uni versal chari ty
among al l oI our species, wi thout di st i nct ion. It i s uprightness ; that i s,
t hat
recti t ude oI spirit and oI heart , which make; one seek Ior truth i n
everyt hi ng, and desire it , wit hout deceivi ng one' s sel I or others. It i s,
Iinally, si nceri ty or good Iait h; whi ch is t o say, that Irankness, t hat
openness oI heart, tempered by sel I-reli ance, whi ch excludes al l Iei nt s
and al l disguisi ng, as much i n speech as i n act i on. "
To di IIuse useIul i nIormat ion, to Iurt her intel lect ual reIi nement , sure
Iorerunner oI moral i mprovement, to hast en t he comi ng oI the great day,
when t he dawn oI general knowl edge shal t , chase away t he l azy, l i ngeri ng
mist s oI i gnorance and error, even Irom t he base oI t he great social
pyramid, i s i ndeed a hi gh cal li ng, in which the most splendid t al ent s and
consummate vi rt ue may wel l press onward, eager to bear a part . From t he
Masonic ranks ought to go Iorth t hose whose genius and not t hei r
ancest ry ennobl e them, to open t o all ranks t he t emple oI science, and by
t heir own example to make t he humblest men emulous t o cli mb steps no
l onger i naccessibl e, and enter t he unIol ded gat es burni ng in the sun.
The highest i nt ell ectual cult ivati on is perIectly compat ible wit h
t he daily cares and toil s oI worki ng-men. A keen rel ish Ior the most
subli me trut hs oI sci ence belongs ali ke to every class oI Manki nd. And, as
phil osophy was taught i n t he sacred groves oI Athens, and under the
Porti co, and in the ol d Templ es oI Egypt and India, so in our Lodges ought
Knowl edge t o be di spensed, t he Sci ences taught , and t he Lect ures
become li ke t he t eachi ngs oI Socrates and Plato, oI Agassiz and Cousin.
Real knowl edge never permit t ed ei t her t urbul ence or unbeli eI; but i ts
progress i s the Iorerunner oI li berali ty and enl i ght ened tol erat ion. Whoso
dreads these may well tremble; Ior he may be wel l assured that t hei r day
i s at length come, and must put t o speedy Il ight t he evil spi ri ts oI tyranny
and persecut i on, which haunted t he l ong night now gone down t he sky.
And i t is to be hoped that the ti me wil l soon arri ve, when, as men wi ll no
l onger suIIer themselves to be led bl indIolded i n i gnorance, so wil l t hey
no
more yield to the vi le princi pl e oI j udgi ng and t reat ing t heir
Iell owcreatures,
not according to t he i nt ri nsic merit oI t hei r act ions, but
accordi ng t o the accidental and invol untary coi nci dence oI their opini ons.
Whenever we come to treat wit h enti re respect t hose who consci enti ously
diIIer Irom ourselves, the only pract ical eIIect oI a di IIerence wil l be, to
make us enl ighten the ignorance on one side or t he other, Irom which it
spri ngs, by i nstruct ing t hem, iI i t be t hei rs; oursel ves, iI it be our own; t o
t he end t hat the only ki nd oI unani mi ty may be produced which is
desi rable among rat ional bei ngs, - the agreement proceedi ng Irom Iul l
convi cti on aIt er the Ireest discussi on.
The El u oI FiIteen ought thereIore to t ake t he l ead oI his Iel low-ci ti zen,
not
i n Irivolous amusement s, not i n the degrading pursui ts oI the ambit ious
vulgar; but i n t he truly noble task oI enl ighteni ng the mass oI his
count rymen, and oI leaving hi s own name enci rcl ed, not wit h barbaric
splendor, or att ached to courtly gewgaws, but il lust rat ed by t he honors
most worthy oI our rat ional nat ure; coupl ed wit h t he diIIusion oI
knowl edge, and grateIul ly pronounced by a Iew, at least , whom hi s wi se
beneIi cence has rescued Irom i gnorance and vice.
We say t o hi m, i n t he words oI t he great Roman: "Men in no respect so
nearly approach to t he Dei ty, as when t hey conIer beneIi ts on men. To
serve and do good t o as many as possibl e, - there i s nothing greater i n
your Iort une than t hat you should be able,
and nothing Ii ner i n your nat ure, t han that you shoul d be desi rous t o do
t hi s. " This is t he true mark Ior the ai m oI every man and Mason who eit her
pri zes t he enjoyment oI pure happiness, or set s a right value upon a high
and unsul lied renown. And i I the beneIactors oI mankind, when they rest
Irom thei r noble labors, shal l be permi tt ed to enj oy hereaIter, as an
appropriate reward oI their vi rt ue, the privil ege oI l ooking down upon the
blessings wi th whi ch t hei r exerti ons and chari t ies, and perhaps t heir t oi ls
and suIIeri ngs have cl othed t he scene oI t heir Iormer existence, it wi ll not,
i n a state oI exal t ed purity and wi sdom, be t he Iounders oI mi ghty
dynast i es, the conquerors oI new empi res, the Csars, Alexanders, and
Tamerl anes; nor t he mere Kings and Counsell ors, Presi dents and
Senat ors, who have l ived Ior their party chi eIly, and Ior their country only
i nci dent ally, oIten sacri Ii cing t o t hei r own aggrandizement or t hat oI t heir
Iacti on the good oI t hei r Iel low-creat ures; - i t wil l not be they who wi l l be
grati Ii ed by contempl at i ng t he monuments oI their inglori ous Iame; but
t hose wi l l enj oy t hat del ight and march in t hat triumph, who can t race the
remot e eIIect s oI t hei r enl i ght ened benevolence in t he i mproved condi ti on
oI t hei r species, and exult i n t he reIlecti on, t hat the change whi ch t hey at
l ast, perhaps aIter many years, survey, wi th eyes t hat age and sorrow can
make di m no more, - oI Knowledge become Power, - Virt ue sharing that
Empire, - Superst it ion dethroned, and Tyranny exil ed, i s, i I even only i n
some smal l and very sl ight degree, yet st i ll i n some degree, the Irui t,
preci ous i I cost ly, and t hough lat e repai d yet long enduring, oI t hei r own
sel I-deni al and strenuous exert ion, oI their own mi t e oI chari ty and ai d to
educat i on wisely bestowed, and oI the hardshi ps and hazards whi ch t hey
encount ered here bel ow.
Masonry requires oI i ts Init iat es and votari es nothing t hat is
i mpract icabl e.
It does not demand that they shoul d undertake to cli mb to t hose loIty and
subli me peaks oI a theoretical and i magi nary unpract ical vi rtue, hi gh and
cold and remote as the eternal snows t hat wrap t he shoul ders oI
Chi mborazo, and at least as i naccessible as they. It asks that alone t o be
done which i s easy t o be done. It overt asks no one' s st rength, and asks no
one t o go beyond hi s means and capacit ies. It does not expect one whose
business or proIession yields hi m li tt le more t han the want s oI hi msel I and
his Iami ly require, and whose ti me is necessarily occupi ed by hi s daily
vocati ons, t o abandon or neglect the busi ness
by which he and hi s chil dren l ive, and devote hi msel I and his means to the
diIIusi on oI knowledge among men. It does not expect hi m to publ ish
books Ior the people, or t o l ect ure, to the rui n oI his pri vate aIIairs, or to
Iound academies and col leges, bui ld up li brari es, and enti tle hi msel I to
st atues.
But i t does require and expect every man oI us to do somet hing, wi thi n
and accordi ng t o his means; and t here is no Mason who cannot do some
t hi ng, iI not alone, t hen by combi nat ion and associ at ion.
II a Lodge cannot aid in Iounding a school or an academy it can sti ll do
somethi ng. It can educate one boy or girl , at least , the chil d oI some poor
or depart ed brother. And i t should never be Iorgot ten, that i n t he poorest
unregarded chi ld that seems abandoned t o i gnorance and vice may
sl umber the vi rt ues oI a Socrat es, t he i nt ell ect oI a Bacon or a Bossuet ,
t he genius oI a Shakespeare, the capacity t o beneIi t manki nd oI a
Washi ngt on; and t hat i n rescuing hi m Irom t he mi re i n which he i s
plunged, and givi ng hi m t he means oI educat ion and development , the
Lodge t hat does it may be the direct and i mmedi at e means oI conIerri ng
upon the worl d as great a boon as that gi ven it by John Faust t he boy oI
Ment z; may perpet uate the li berti es oI a count ry and change the desti ni es
oI nati ons, and write a new chapter in t he history oI t he worl d.
For we never know t he i mport ance oI the act we do. The daughter oI
Pharaoh li tt le thought what she was doi ng Ior the human race, and the
vast uni magi nabl e consequences t hat depended on her chari t able act,
when she drew t he l it tl e chi ld oI a Hebrew woman Irom among t he rushes
t hat grew along t he bank oI the Ni le, and determi ned to rear i t as i I i t were
her own.
How oIten has an act oI chari ty, costi ng t he doer li tt le, gi ven to the world
a
great painter, a great musi ci an, a great i nvent or! How oIten has such an
act devel oped t he ragged boy int o the beneIactor oI his race! On what
small and apparent ly uni mportant ci rcumstances have turned and hinged,
t he Iates oI the world' s great conquerors. There is no l aw t hat l i mi ts the
returns that shall be reaped Irom a si ngl e good deed. The wi dow' s mi t e
may not only be as accept abl e to God, but may produce as great resul ts
as t he ri ch man' s cost ly oIIeri ng. The poorest boy, hel ped by benevol ence,
may come t o l ead armi es, to cont rol senates, to deci de an peace and war,
t o dict ate to cabinets; and hi s magniIicent thought s and nobl e words may
be law many years hereaIter t o mil l ions oI men yet unborn.
But t he opport uni ty to eIIect a great good does not oIten occur to any one.
It is worse than Iol ly Ior one t o li e idle and inert, and expect the accident
t o
beIal l hi m, by which hi s inIl uences shall l i ve Iorever. He can expect that
t o
happen, only in consequence oI one or many or al l oI a l ong series oI acts.
He can expect to beneIi t the worl d only as men att ain ot her result s; by
conti nuance, by persi st ence, by a steady and uniIorm habit oI labori ng Ior
t he enlightenment oI the worl d, t o the ext ent oI his means and capaci ty.
For it i s, i n all instances, by steady labor, by gi vi ng enough oI applicati on
t o our work, and havi ng enough oI t i me Ior the doing oI i t, by regul ar
pains-taking, and t he plyi ng oI constant assidui t ies, and not by any
process oI legerdemai n, that we secure the strengt h and t he st apl e oI real
excel l ence. It was thus t hat Demost henes, cl ause aIter clause, and
sent ence aIter sent ence, elaborat ed t o the ut termost his i mmortal orati ons.
It was t hus that Newton pi oneered hi s way, by the steps oI an ascendi ng
geometry, t o the mechanism oI t he Heavens, and Le Verrier added a
planet t o our Solar System.
It is a most erroneous opinion t hat those who have l eIt t he most
st upendous monument s oI i ntellect behind them, were not di IIerently
exerci sed Irom the rest oI t he species, but only di IIerently gi It ed; that they
signali zed themsel ves only by thei r tal ent , and hardly ever by t heir
i ndustry; Ior it is in trut h to the most st renuous applicati on oI those
commonpl ace Iacult ies whi ch are di IIused among all , t hat they are
i ndebted Ior the glories whi ch now encircl e thei r remembrance and t hei r
name.
We must not i magine it t o be a vulgari zing oI geni us, that it shoul d be
l ight ed up in any ot her way t han by a direct inspirat ion Irom Heaven nor
overl ook t he st eadIast ness oI purpose, t he devot ion t o some si ngl e but
great object, the unweariedness oI labor that i s given, not i n convulsi ve
and preternat ural t hroes, but by l it tle and li tt l e as t he st rengt h oI the mi nd
may bear i t; t he accumul at i on oI many small eIIort s, i nstead oI a Iew
grand
and giganti c, but perhaps irregular movements, on the part oI energies
t hat are marvell ous; by which Iormer al one t he great resul ts are brought
out that wri te t hei r enduri ng records on t he Iace oI t he earth and in the
hist ory oI nat ions and oI man.
We must not overl ook these element s, t o which geni us owes the best and
proudest oI her achi evement s; nor i magine that qual it ies so generally
possessed as pati ence and pai ns-taking, and resolut e i ndustry, have no
share i n upholding a di sti nct ion so il l ustrious as t hat oI t he beneIact or oI
his kind.
We must not Iorget t hat great result s are most ordinarily produced by an
aggregat e oI many cont ri but i ons and exerti ons; as i t is the invisi ble
parti cl es oI vapor, each separate and di st i nct Irom the ot her, t hat , ri si ng
Irom the oceans and t heir bays and gul Is, Irom l akes and rivers, and wide
morasses and overIl owed pl ains, Iloat away as cl ouds, and di sti ll upon the
earth in dews, and Ial l in showers and rain and snows upon the broad
plai ns and rude mountains, and make t he great navigable st reams t hat are
t he arteries along whi ch Il ows t he li Ie-blood oI a count ry.
And so Masonry can do much, iI each Mason be content t o do his share,
and i I thei r uni ted eIIort s are directed by wi se counsel s t o a common
purpose. "It is Ior God and Ior Omnipotency t o do mighty things in a
moment ; but by degrees to grow to greatness is t he course that He hat h
l eIt Ior man. "
II Masonry wi ll but be true t o her missi on, and Masons to t heir promises
and obli gati ons - i I, re-entering vigorously upon a career oI beneIi cence,
she and they wi ll but pursue i t earnest ly and unIalt eri ngly, rememberi ng
t hat our contri but i ons t o the cause oI chari ty and educati on then deserve
t he greatest credit when i t costs us somethi ng, t he curt ail ing oI a comIort
or t he rel inqui shment oI a l uxury, to make t hem - iI we wil l but gi ve ai d t o
what were once Masonry' s great schemes Ior human i mprovement, not
Iit Iully and spasmodi cally, but regularly and incessant ly, as t he vapors ri se
and t he spri ngs run, and as t he sun rises and t he st ars come up int o the
heavens, then we may be sure t hat great result s wi ll be att ained and a
great work done. And t hen it wi ll most surely be seen that Masonry is not
eIIet e or i mpotent, nor degenerated nor droopi ng t o a Iatal decay.

XI. SUBLIME ELECT OF THE TWELVE
OR
PRINCE AMETH.
|Elu oI t he Twel ve. |
The dut i es oI a Pri nce Ameth are, to be earnest , t rue, reli abl e, and
si ncere; t o protect the people against i ll egal i mposi ti ons and exact i ons; to
contend Ior t heir poli t ical right s, and t o see, as Iar as he may or can, t hat
t hose bear the burdens who reap t he beneIi ts oI the Government .
You are t o be true unt o al l men.
You are t o be Irank and sincere i n all things.
You are t o be earnest i n doi ng what ever i t is your duty to do.
And no man must repent t hat he has rel ied upon your resol ve, your
proIession, or your word.
The great di st i ngui shi ng characterist ic oI a Mason is sympathy wi th hi s
kind. He recognizes in t he human race one great Iamily, al l connect ed
wi th hi msel I by those invi sibl e l inks, and that mighty net-work oI
ci rcumstance, Iorged and woven by God.
Feel ing t hat sympathy, it i s hi s Ii rst Masonic duty to serve hi s Iel low-man.
At his Iirst entrance int o the Order, he ceases to be isol at ed, and
becomes one oI a great brot herhood, assumi ng now dut ies toward every
Mason t hat li ves, as every Mason at t he same moment assumes them
t oward hi m.
Nor are t hose dut ies on his part conIined t o Masons al one. He assumes
many in regard t o hi s country, and especial ly toward t he great, suIIering
masses oI t he common peopl e; Ior t hey too are hi s brethren, and God
hears t hem, i narticulat e as t he moanings oI their mi sery are. By al l proper
means, oI persuasi on and i nIluence, and otherwi se, i I t he occasi on
and emergency require, he i s bound t o deIend t hem against oppressi on,
and tyrannical and i ll egal exact ions.
He labors equal ly to deIend and to i mprove the people. He does not
Ilat t er t hem to mi sl ead t hem, nor Iawn upon them t o rul e t hem, nor
conceal hi s opi ni ons to humor t hem, nor tel l them t hat they can never err,
and t hat their voice i s t he voice oI God. He knows t hat the saIety oI every
Iree government, and it s conti nuance and perpet uity depend upon the
virtue and intel ligence oI t he common people; and that, unless t heir
l iberty
i s oI such a kind as arms can neit her procure nor take away; unl ess it i s
t he Iruit oI manly courage, oI justi ce, t emperance, and generous virtue -
unless, bei ng such, it has t aken deep root in the mi nds and hearts oI the
peopl e at large, there wi l l not long be want ing those who wil l snatch Irom
t hem by treachery what t hey have acquired by arms or inst i tut ions.
He knows t hat iI, aIter being released Irom t he t oi ls oI war, the peopl e
negl ect the art s oI peace; i I thei r peace and l iberty be a stat e oI warIare; iI
war be their only virt ue, and t he summit oI thei r praise, they wi ll soon
Iind
peace the most adverse to their i nterests. It wil l be only a more
distressi ng war; and t hat which they i magi ned l iberty wi ll be the worst oI
sl avery. For, unless by t he means oI knowl edge and morali ty, not Irothy
and l oquacious, but genui ne, unadul t erated, and si ncere, they clear t he
hori zon oI the mi nd Irom those mi st s oI error and passion which ari se
Irom
i gnorance and vice, they wi ll always have those who will bend thei r necks
t o t he yoke as iI t hey were brutes; who, notwit hstandi ng al l thei r triumphs,
wi ll put them up to the highest bi dder, as iI t hey were mere booty made in
war; and Ii nd an exuberant source oI weal t h and power, in the people' s
i gnorance, prejudi ce, and passions.
The people t hat does not subj ugat e the propensi ty oI t he weal t hy t o
avarice, ambi t ion, and sensual ity, expel luxury Irom t hem and their
Iami l i es, keep down pauperi sm, di IIuse knowledge among the poor, and
l abor t o raise t he abject Irom the mi re oI vice and low i ndulgence, and to
keep t he i ndustrious Irom st arving in sight oI luxuri ous Iest ivals, wil l Ii nd
t hat it has cherished, i n that avarice, ambi t ion, sensual ity, selIi shness,
and l uxury oI t he one cl ass, and t hat degradati on, mi sery, drunkenness,
i gnorance, and brutal i zati on oI the ot her, more st ubborn and i nt ract able
despot s at home t han it ever encount ered in t he Ii el d; and even it s very
bowel s wil l be cont inually t eemi ng wi th t he i nt ol erabl e progeny oI tyrant s.
These are t he Iirst enemi es t o be subdued; t hi s const i tut es t he campaign
oI Peace; these are triumphs, di IIi cul t indeed, but bloodless; and Iar more
honorabl e t han those trophi es whi ch are purchased only by slaughter and
rapi ne; and iI not vict ors i n t hi s service, it i s in vai n to have been
vict ori ous over t he despot ic enemy in t he Iiel d.
For iI any people thi nks that it i s a grander; a more beneIicial , or a wi ser
poli cy, t o invent subt le expedi ent s by st amps and i mpost s, Ior i ncreasing
t he revenue and draining the li Ie-bl ood oI an i mpoveri shed people; t o
mul ti ply i ts naval and mi li tary Iorce; t o ri val in craIt the ambassadors oI
Iorei gn states; t o plot the swall owi ng up oI Ioreign territ ory; to make
craIty
t reat i es and al li ances; to rule prostrate states and abject provinces by Iear
and Iorce; t han to administer unpol l uted j ust ice t o the people, to rel ieve
t he condi ti on and rai se t he est at e oI the toi li ng masses, redress t he
i nj ured and succor t he dist ressed and conci li ate the di scontented, and
speedily rest ore t o every one his own; t hen that people i s i nvolved i n a
cl oud oI error, and wi l l t oo lat e perceive, when t he i ll usi on oI these
mighty
beneIi ts has vanished, that i n neglect ing these, whi ch it thought inIerior
consi derat ions, i t has only been precipi tat ing i ts own rui n and despair.
UnIort unat ely, every age presents it s own speci al probl em, most diIIicult
and oIten i mpossibl e t o solve; and that which thi s age oIIers, and Iorces
upon the consi derati on oI al l chinki ng men, is t hi s - how, in a populous
and weal t hy country, bl essed wit h Iree insti tut i ons and a const i t ut ional
government , are t he great masses oI t he manual-labor class t o be
enabled to have steady work at Iair wages, to be kept Irom st arvati on, and
t heir chi l dren Irom vice and debauchery, and t o be Iurni shed wit h t hat
degree, not oI mere readi ng and writ i ng, but oI knowl edge, that shal l Ii t
t hem intel li gent ly to do the duties and exerci se the pri vi leges oI Ireemen;
even t o be intrusted wi th t he dangerous right oI suIIrage?
For though we do not know why God, bei ng i nIi ni tely merci Iul as wel l as
wi se, has so ordered it , it seems to be unquesti onably his law, that even
i n ci vi l i zed and Christ ian countries, the large mass oI t he populat ion shal l
be Iort unat e, iI, duri ng thei r whole l iIe, Irom inIancy to ol d age, i n heal t h
and si ckness, they have enough oI the commonest and coarsest Iood to
keep t hemsel ves and t heir
chil dren Irom t he cont inual gnawing oI hunger - enough oI the commonest
and coarsest clot hi ng t o protect t hemsel ves and t heir l i tt le ones Irom
i ndecent exposure and the bi t t er cold; and iI t hey have over thei r heads
t he rudest shel ter.
And He seems t o have enacted thi s l aw - which no human communi ty has
yet Iound t he means to abrogat e - t hat when a count ry becomes
populous, capi tal shall concentrate i n the hands oI a li mi t ed number oI
persons, and l abor become more and more at it s mercy, unti l mere
manual l abor, that oI the weaver and ironworker, and ot her art isans,
eventually ceases t o be worth more than a bare subsi stence, and oIten, i n
great ci ti es and vast extents oI country not even that , and goes or crawls
about i n rags, beggi ng, and st arvi ng Ior want oI work.
Whi l e every ox and horse can Ii nd work, and is worth bei ng Ied, it is not
al ways so wit h man. To be empl oyed, t o have a chance t o work at
anything li ke Iai r wages, becomes the great engrossi ng object oI a man' s
l iIe. The capi tal ist can li ve wi thout employi ng t he l aborer, and discharges
hi m whenever that l abor ceases t o be proIit abl e. At the moment when the
weat her is most i ncl ement , provi sions dearest , and rents highest , he t urns
hi m oII to st arve. II the day-laborer i s taken si ck, hi s wages st op. When
old, he has no pension t o ret ire upon. His chi ldren cannot be sent to
school ; Ior beIore t heir bones are hardened t hey must get to work lest
t hey st arve. The man, st rong and able-bodied, works Ior a shil li ng or two
a day, and t he woman shi veri ng over her l it t l e pan oI coal s, when the
mercury drops Iar bel ow zero, aIt er her hungry chi l dren have wail ed
t hemsel ves to sleep, sews by t he di m li ght oI her lonely candl e, Ior a bare
pit tance, sel l ing her l i Ie t o hi m who bargai ned only Ior the work oI her
needle.
Fathers and mothers sl ay t hei r chil dren, to have the buri al -Iees, t hat wi th
t he pri ce oI one chi ld' s l iIe t hey may conti nue li Ie in those t hat survi ve.
Li tt le girls wit h bare Ieet sweep t he street -crossi ngs, when t he winter wi nd
pinches them, and beg pit eously Ior pennies oI those who wear warm
Iurs. Chil dren grow up in squal i d mi sery and brutal i gnorance; want
compel s vi rgin and wiIe t o prost i tut e t hemselves; women starve and
Ireeze, and lean up against the wall s oI workhouses, l ike bundles oI Ioul
rags, al l night long, and night aIter ni ght , when the cold rain Ial ls, and
t here chances to be no room Ior t hem wi t hi n; and hundreds oI Iami l ies are
crowded i nto a si ngl e buil ding, ri Ie wit h horrors and teemi ng
wi th Ioul ai r and pesti lence; where men, women and chil dren huddl e
t oget her
i n t hei r Ii lt h; all ages and al l colors sleepi ng i ndiscri mi nat ely together;
whil e, i n
a great, Iree, Republi can State, in the Iull vigor oI i t s youth and strength,
one
person in every seventeen is a pauper recei ving charity.
How t o deal wi t h t hi s apparent ly inevit abl e evi l and mort al disease i s by
Iar the
most i mportant oI all social probl ems. What is to be done wit h pauperi sm
and
over-supply oI l abor? How is the li Ie oI any country t o l ast, when brut al i ty
and
drunken semi -barbari sm vote, and hold oIIi ces in t heir giIt , and by Ii t
representat ives oI themsel ves control a government ? How, i I not wi sdom
and
authori ty, but t urbul ence and l ow vi ce are t o exal t to senatorships
miscreant s
reeking wi th t he odors and poll uti on oI t he hell , t he pri ze-ri ng, the
brot hel , and
t he st ock-exchange, where gambli ng i s legal i zed and rascali ty i s laudable?
Masonry wil l do all i n i t s power, by di rect exert ion and cooperat ion, to
i mprove
and i nIorm as wel l as t o protect the people; t o bett er thei r physical
condi ti on,
reli eve t heir mi series, supply their wants, and mi nist er to t heir necessi ti es.
Let
every Mason i n t hi s good work do all t hat may be in hi s power.
For it i s true now, as it al ways was and always wi l l be, t hat t o be Iree i s
t he
same thing as t o be pi ous, t o be wi se, t o be temperate and j ust , t o be
Irugal
and abst i nent , and t o be magnani mous and brave; and to be the opposit e oI
al l
t hese i s t he same as t o be a slave. And i t usual ly happens, by t he
appoi nt ment , and, as it were, ret ri but ive j ust i ce oI t he Deity, that that
peopl e
which cannot govern t hemselves, and moderat e t heir passions, but crouch
under t he slavery oI t heir l ust s and vices, are del ivered up to the sway oI
t hose
whom they abhor, and made to submit t o an i nvoluntary servi tude.
And i t is also sancti oned by the di ctat es oI j ust ice and by t he consti tut i on
oI
Nat ure, t hat he who, Irom t he i mbecil ity or derangement oI his i nt ell ect, is
i ncapable oI governing hi msel I, shoul d, li ke a minor, be commi t ted to t he
government oI anot her.
Above al l things let us never Iorget that manki nd const it ut es one great
brot herhood; all born t o encount er suIIering and sorrow, and thereIore
bound
t o sympat hi ze wi t h each other.
For no tower oI Pri de was ever yet high enough to li It i ts possessor above
t he
t ri als and Iears and Irail it ies oI humani ty. No human hand ever bui lt t he
wal l,
nor ever shal l, that wil l keep out
aIIl ict ion, pai n, and inIirmi ty. Sickness and sorrow, trouble and deat h, are
dispensati ons that l evel everythi ng. They know none, high nor low. The
chieI want s oI l iIe, t he great and grave necessit ies oI the human soul , give
exempt i on to none. They make al l poor, al l weak. They put suppl i cat i on in
t he mout h oI every human bei ng, as truly as in that oI the meanest
beggar.
But t he pri nci ple oI mi sery i s not an evi l pri nci ple. We err, and the
consequences teach us wisdom. Al l element s, al l the laws oI things
around us, mi nister to thi s end; and through t he pat hs oI pai nIul error and
mist ake, i t i s the design oI Provi dence to lead us to trut h and happi ness. II
erri ng only taught us to err; iI mi stakes conIirmed us in i mprudence; iI t he
miseries caused by vi ci ous i ndulgence had a nat ural t endency t o make us
more abj ect sl aves oI vice, then suIIeri ng woul d be wholly evil . But, on
t he
contrary, all tends and i s desi gned to produce amendment and
i mprovement. SuIIering is the disci pl ine oI vi rtue; oI t hat which is
i nIi nitely
better t han happiness, and yet embraces i n it selI al l essent ial happi ness.
It nouri shes, invigorat es, and perIect s i t. Virtue i s the prize oI t he
severely-contest ed race and hard-Iought bat tle; and i t is worth all t he
Iati gue and wounds oI t he conIl ict . Man shoul d go Iort h wit h a brave and
st rong heart, t o bat t le wit h cal ami ty. He i s to mast er i t , and not let i t
become his master. He is not t o Iorsake t he post oI trial and oI peri l; but
t o
st and Ii rmly in hi s l ot, unti l the great word oI Providence shal l bi d hi m
Ily,
or bi d hi m sink. Wi t h resoluti on and courage t he Mason is to do the work
which it i s appointed Ior hi m t o do, looki ng through t he dark cloud oI
human calamity, t o the end that ri ses high and bright beIore hi m. The lot
oI sorrow i s great and subl i me. None suIIer Iorever, nor Ior nought , nor
wi thout purpose. It i s t he ordi nance oI God' s wi sdom, and oI Hi s InIi ni te
Love, t o procure Ior us i nIi nite happiness and glory.
Virt ue i s the t ruest l iberty; nor i s he Iree who stoops to passi ons; nor he i n
bondage who serves a nobl e mast er. Examples are t he best and most
l asti ng l ectures; vi rt ue t he best example. He that hath done good deeds
and set good precedent s, in sinceri ty, i s happy. Ti me shal l not out li ve his
wort h. He l ives truly aIter deat h, whose good deeds are his pil l ars oI
remembrance; and no day but adds some grai ns t o his heap oI glory.
Good works are seeds, that aIter sowi ng ret urn us a conti nual harvest ;
and t he memory oI noble act i ons is more enduri ng than monument s oI
marble.
Li Ie is a school . The worl d i s nei t her prison nor peni tent iary, nor a pal ace
oI ease, nor an amphi theat re Ior games and spectacles; but a place oI
i nstruct i on, and di sci pl i ne. LiIe is given Ior moral and spiri tual t rai ni ng;
and t he enti re course oI the great school oI l iIe i s an educat ion Ior vi rt ue,
happi ness, and a Iuture exist ence. The peri ods oI LiIe are it s terms; al l
human condi ti ons, it s Iorms; all human employments, it s lessons. Fami li es
are the pri mary depart ment s oI t hi s moral educati on; t he vari ous circles oI
soci ety, it s advanced stages; Kingdoms and Republi cs, it s universit ies.
Ri ches and Poverty, Gayet ies and Sorrows, Marri ages and Funerals, the
t ies oI li Ie bound or broken, Iit and Iortunate, or unt oward and pai nIul, are
al l lessons. Events are not bli ndly and carel essly Ilung t oget her.
Provi dence does not school one man, and screen another Irom t he Iiery
t ri al oI it s l essons. It has nei ther rich Iavorit es nor poor vict i ms. One
event
happenet h to all . One end and one design concern and urge al l men.
The prosperous man has been at school. Perhaps he has t hought that i t
was a great t hi ng, and he a great personage; but he has been merely a
pupi l. He t hought , perhaps, t hat he was Master, and had not hi ng t o do,
but to di rect and command; but t here was ever a Mast er above hi m, t he
Master oI LiIe. He looks not at our splendid stat e, or our many
pretensions, nor at the ai ds and appli ances oI our learni ng; but at our
l earning i t selI. He put s t he poor and t he rich upon the same Iorm; and
knows no di IIerence between t hem, but their progress.
II Irom prosperity we have learned moderat ion, temperance, candor,
modesty, grati t ude t o God, and generosity t o man, then we are ent i tl ed to
be honored and rewarded. II we have l earned sel Ii shness, selIindul gence,
wrong-doing, and vi ce, to Iorget and overl ook our less
Iortunate brother, and t o scoII at the providence oI God, then we are
unworthy and dishonored, though we have been nursed in aIIl uence, or
t aken our degrees Irom t he l ineage oI an hundred nobl e descent s; as truly
so, i n t he eye oI Heaven, and oI al l ri ght -t hi nki ng men, as t hough we lay,
vict i ms oI beggary and di sease, i n the hospi tal, by the hedge, or on t he
dung-hi ll . The most ordi nary human equity l ooks not at the school, but at
t he schol ar; and the equi ty oI Heaven wi l l not look beneat h t hat mark.
The poor man also is at school . Let hi m take care that he
l earn, rat her t han compl ai n. Let hi m hol d t o hi s int egri ty, hi s candor, and
his kindness oI heart . Let hi m beware oI envy, and oI bondage, and keep
his sel I-respect . The body' s toil is not hi ng. Let hi m beware oI the mi nd' s
drudgery and degradati on. Whil e he bet ters hi s condit ion i I he can, l et
hi m be more anxi ous to bet ter hi s soul . Let hi m be wi ll ing, whil e poor,
and
even i I always poor, t o l earn poverty' s great lessons, Iorti t ude,
cheerIulness, content ment, and i mpl ici t conIi dence i n God' s Provi dence.
Wi t h these, and pat i ence, cal mness, selI-command, di sinterest edness,
and aIIect ionate ki ndness, t he humble dwell ing may be hal l owed, and
made more dear and noble than t he l oIti est palace. Let hi m, above all
t hi ngs, see that he lose not his independence. Let hi m not cast hi msel I, a
creature poorer than t he poor, an i ndolent, hel pless, despi sed beggar, oIt
t he kindness oI ot hers. Every man should choose t o have God Ior his
Master, rather t han man; and escape not Irom t hi s school, ei ther by
dishonesty or al ms-taki ng, lest he Ial l int o that st ate, worse t han disgrace,
where he can have no respect Ior hi msel I.
The ti es oI Society teach us t o l ove one anot her. That is a mi serabl e
soci ety, where t he absence oI aIIect ionate kindness is sought t o be
suppl ied by puncti li ous decorum, graceIul urbanity, and poli shed
i nsi nceri ty; where ambi ti on, j eal ousy, and di strust rule, i n place oI
si mpl icity, conIi dence, and ki ndness.
So, too, the soci al st ate teaches modesty and gentl eness; and Irom
negl ect, and notice unworthi ly best owed on ot hers, and i njust i ce, and t he
worl d' s Iai lure t o appreci ate us, we learn pati ence and quiet ness, to be
superi or t o soci ety' s opini on, not cyni cal and bit t er, but gentl e, candid,
and aIIect ionate sti ll .
Deat h i s t he great Teacher, st ern, cold, i nexorable, irresi sti bl e; whom t he
collect ed might oI the worl d cannot stay or ward oII. The breat h, t hat
parti ng Irom the l ips oI Ki ng or beggar, scarcely st irs t he hushed air,
cannot be bought, or brought back Ior a moment , wit h the wealt h oI
Empires. What a l esson is thi s, teachi ng our Irail ty and Ieebl eness, and
an InIi ni te Power beyond us! It i s a IearIul lesson, that never becomes
Iami l i ar. It wal ks t hrough t he earth in dread mystery, and l ays i t hands
upon all . It i s a uni versal lesson, that i s read everywhere and by all men.
It s message comes every year and every day. The past years are
crowded wi th it s sad and solemn mementoes; and death' s Ii nger t races i ts
handwrit i ng upon the wall s oI every human habi tat ion.
It teaches us Duty; t o act our part well ; t o Iul Ii l l the work assigned us.
When one i s dying, and aIter he is dead, there i s but one questi on: Has
he li ved well ? There i s no evi l in deat h but that which li Ie makes.
There are hard l essons in the school oI God' s Provi dence; and yet the
school oI l iIe i s careIul ly adjusted, i n al l i t s arrangements and tasks, to
man' s powers and passi ons. There is no ext ravagance in i ts teachi ngs;
nor i s anyt hing done Ior ' t he sake oI present eIIect. The whol e course oI
human l iIe is a conIl ict wi th di IIicult ies; and, i I right ly conducted, a
progress i n i mprovement. It i s never too late Ior man t o l earn. Not part
only, but t he whol e, oI li Ie is a school . There never comes a t i me, even
amidst t he decays oI age, when it i s Ii t to lay asi de t he eagerness oI
acquisi ti on, or t he cheerIul ness oI endeavor. Man wal ks, al l through t he
course oI li Ie, in pat ience and striIe, and somet i mes i n darkness; Ior, Irom
patience i s to come perIect ion; Irom st ri Ie, triumph i s t o i ssue; Irom t he
cl oud oI darkness the l ight ni ng i s t o Ilash that shall open t he way t o
et ernity.
Let t he Mason be Iait hIul i n t he school oI l iIe, and to all i ts l essons! Let
hi m not learn not hing, nor care not whet her he learns or not. Let not t he
years pass over hi m, wi tnesses oI only his sl ot h and indiIIerence; or see
hi m zeal ous to acqui re everythi ng but vi rtue. Nor l et hi m l abor only Ior
hi msel I; nor Iorget t hat t he humblest man t hat li ves i s hi s brot her, and
hath a clai m on hi s sympathies and kind oIIices; and that beneat h t he
rough garment s which labor wears may beat heart s as nobl e as t hrob
under t he stars oI pri nces.
God, who count s by souls, not st at ions,
Loves and pi ti es you and me;
For to Hi m al l vai n dist inct ions
Are as pebbl es on t he sea.
Nor are t he other dut ies i ncul cated i n t hi s Degree oI less i mportance.
Trut h, a Mason is early t old, i s a Divi ne att ri but e and t he Ioundat ion oI
every virtue; and Irankness, rel i abi l ity, si nceri ty, straight Iorwardness,
plai n-deali ng, are but di IIerent modes i n which Trut h devel ops i t sel I. The
dead, t he absent , t he i nnocent , and t hose t hat t rust hi m, no Mason wil l
decei ve wil li ngly. To all t hese he owes a nobler justi ce, i n that t hey are
t he most cert ain t ri al s oI human Equi ty. Only the most abandoned oI men,
sai d Ci cero, wil l deceive hi m, who would have remai ned uni njured iI he
had not
t rust ed. All t he nobl e deeds that have beat thei r marches t hrough
succeeding ages have proceeded Irom men oI t ruth and genui ne courage.
The man who is always true i s both vi rt uous and wi se; and t hus possesses
t he greatest guards oI saIety: Ior t he l aw has not power to stri ke t he
virtuous; nor can Iort une subvert t he wi se.
The bases oI Masonry bei ng moral ity and virtue, i t is by st udying one and
pract ising t he other, that the conduct oI a Mason becomes i rreproachabl e.
The good oI Humani ty bei ng i t s pri nci pal object , disinterestedness is one
oI
t he Iirst vi rt ues t hat it requi res oI it s members; Ior that i s t he source oI
j ust ice and beneIi cence.
To pi ty the mi sIort unes oI ot hers; t o be humble, but wi thout meanness; t o
be proud, but wit hout arrogance; t o abjure every senti ment oI hatred and
revenge; t o show hi mselI magnani mous and li beral, wi thout ost entati on
and
wi thout proIusi on; t o be t he enemy oI vice; t o pay homage to wisdom and
virtue; t o respect innocence; t o be constant and pat i ent in adversi ty, and
modest i n prosperi ty; t o avoi d every irregul ari ty that stai ns t he soul and
distempers t he body - it is by Iol l owi ng t hese precept s that a Mason wi l l
become a good ci ti zen, a Iait hIul husband, a t ender Iather, an obedi ent
son,
and a t rue brot her; wil l honor Iriendshi p, and IulIil l wit h ardor t he dut ies
which vi rt ue and t he social rel ati ons i mpose upon hi m.
It is because Masonry i mposes upon us these duties that it is properly and
signiIicantly styled work; and he who i magines that he becomes a Mason
by
merely t aking t he Ii rst two or t hree Degrees, and that he may, havi ng
l eisurely stepped upon t hat smal l elevat ion, thenceIorward worthi ly wear
t he honors oI Masonry, wi thout l abor or exerti on, or sel I-deni al or
sacriIice,
and t hat there i s nothing to be done in Masonry, is st rangely decei ved.
Is i t true t hat nothi ng remains to be done in Masonry?
Does one Brot her no l onger proceed by law agai nst another Brother oI his
Lodge, i n regard t o mat t ers that could be easi ly sett led wi thi n the Masoni c
Iami ly circl e?
Has the duel , that hi deous herit age oI barbari sm, interdict ed among
Bret hren by our Iundamental l aws, and denounced by t he munici pal code,
yet disappeared Irom the soi l we i nhabi t ? Do Masons oI high rank
reli giously reIrai n Irom it ; or do they not,
bowi ng t o a corrupt public opini on, submi t to i ts arbi trament , despi te the
scandal which i t occasi ons t o t he Order, and in vi ol at i on oI the Ieeble
restraint oI thei r oat h?
Do Masons no longer Iorm unchari t abl e opi ni ons oI their Bret hren, enter
harsh judgments agai nst them, and judge t hemsel ves by one rule and thei r
Bret hren by another?
Has Masonry any well -regul ated system oI charity? Has it done t hat whi ch
i t
shoul d have done Ior t he cause oI educat ion? Where are it s schools, it s
academies, it s col leges, it s hospi tal s, and i nIirmari es?
Are poli t i cal cont roversi es now conducted wit h no violence and
bit terness?
Do Masons reIrai n Irom deIaming and denouncing their Bret hren who
diIIer
wi th t hem in rel igi ous or poli t i cal opi ni ons?
What grand soci al probl ems or useIul project s engage our att ent ion at our
communi cati ons? Where in our Lodges are l ectures habit ual ly deli vered
Ior
t he real inst ruct i on oI t he Bret hren? Do not our sessions pass in the
discussi on oI mi nor matt ers oI busi ness, the sett lement oI point s oI order
and questi ons oI mere administ rat i on, and t he admi ssi on and advancement
oI Candi dates, whom aIt er thei r admi ssion we take no pai ns t o inst ruct ?
In what Lodge are our ceremoni es expl ained and el uci dated; corrupt ed as
t hey are by t i me, unti l their true Ieat ures can scarcely be di sti ngui shed;
and
where are t hose great pri mit i ve trut hs oI revel ati on taught , which Masonry
has preserved to t he worl d?
We have high di gni ti es and soundi ng t it les. Do their possessors quali Iy
t hemsel ves to enl ight en t he worl d in respect t o the ai ms and object s oI
Masonry? Descendant s oI t hose Init i at es who governed empires, does your
i nIl uence ent er int o pract ical l iIe and operate eIIi ci ent ly in behalI oI
wel lregulated
and consti tuti onal l i berty?
Your debat es shoul d be but Iriendly conversat i ons. You need concord,
union, and peace. Why then do you retai n among you men who excit e
rival ries and j ealousies; why permi t great and vi olent cont roversy and
ambit ious pret ensi ons' ? Now do your own words and act s agree? II your
Masonry i s a nul li ty, how can you exerci se any i nIluence on ot hers?
Conti nually you prai se each ot her, and ut ter el aborate and high
wrought eul ogies upon t he Order. Everywhere you assume that you are
what you shoul d be, and nowhere do you look upon yoursel ves as you
are. Is i t true t hat al l our acti ons are so many act s oI homage to vi rt ue?
Expl ore the recesses oI your hearts; l et us exami ne oursel ves wit h an
i mpart ial eye, and make answer to our own quest ioning! Can we bear to
oursel ves t he consol ing test i mony t hat we al ways rigi dly perIorm our
duti es; that we even halI perIorm t hem?
Let us away wi t h this odi ous selI-Ilat tery! Let us be men, i I we cannot be
sages! The l aws oI Masonry, above ot hers excel lent, cannot wholly
change men' s nat ures. They enl ighten them, they point out t he t rue way;
but they can lead them i n it , only by repressing the Iire oI t heir passi ons,
and subj ugat i ng t heir sel Ii shness. Alas, these conquer, and Masonry is
Iorgot ten!
AIter prai si ng each ot her all our li ves, there are al ways excell ent
Bret hren,
who, over our coIIi ns, shower unli mi ted eul ogi es. Every one oI us who
dies, however useless his li Ie, has been a model oI all the vi rt ues, a very
chil d oI t he cel esti al li ght . In Egypt, among our ol d Mast ers, where
Masonry was more cul ti vated than vani ty, no one coul d gai n admi ttance t o
t he sacred asylum oI t he t omb unt il he had passed under t he most sol emn
j udgment . A grave t ri bunal sat i n j udgment upon all , even t he kings. They
sai d t o the dead, "Whoever t hou art, give account to thy country oI thy
act ions! What hast t hou done wit h t hy ti me and li Ie? The law int errogat es
t hee, thy country hears t hee, Trut h si t s in judgment on thee!" Princes
came there to be j udged, escorted only by thei r vi rt ues and t heir vi ces. A
publ ic accuser recounted t he hi story oI the dead man' s l iIe, and t hrew t he
blaze oI the torch oI t ruth on all hi s act ions. II i t were adj udged t hat he
had l ed an evi l li Ie, hi s memory was condemned in t he presence oI the
nati on, and hi s body was deni ed the honors oI sepul t ure. What a lesson
t he old Masonry t aught t o the sons oI the people!
Is i t true t hat Masonry i s eIIet e; that t he acaci a, wit hered, aIIords no
shade; that Masonry no longer marches i n t he advance-guard oI Trut h?
No. Is Ireedom yet uni versal ? Have ignorance and prejudice di sappeared
Irom the eart h? Are there no l onger enmit ies among men? Do cupi di ty
and Ialsehood no longer exi st ? Do t olerat ion and harmony prevail among
reli gious and poli ti cal sect s? There are works yet l eIt Ior Masonry t o
accompl i sh, greater than t he twel ve l abors oI Hercul es: to advance ever
resolutely and st eadi ly; to enl ight en the mi nds oI t he peopl e, t o
reconst ruct society, t o reIorm the laws, and t o i mprove t he publ ic moral s.
The eterni ty i n Iront oI i t i s as inIi nit e as the one behi nd. And Masonry
cannot cease to l abor i n t he cause oI soci al progress, wit hout ceasi ng to
be true to it selI, Masonry.

XII. GRAND MASTER ARCHITECT.
|Master Archi t ect . |
THE great dut ies t hat are inculcat ed by t he l essons taught by t he
workingi nstrument s
oI a Grand Master Archit ect, demanding so much oI us, and
t aki ng Ior granted the capacity to perIorm them Iait hIul ly and Iul ly, bri ng
us
at once to reIlect upon t he digni ty oI human nat ure, and t he vast powers
and capaci ti es oI t he human soul ; and t o t hat theme we invi te your
at tenti on in this Degree. Let us begi n t o rise Irom eart h toward the St ars.
Evermore t he human soul struggles toward the l ight , toward God, and t he
InIinit e. It is especial ly so i n it s aIIl ict i ons. Words go but a li tt le way i nt o
t he
depths oI sorrow. The thoughts t hat writ he t here in si lence, that go i nt o
t he
st il lness oI InIini tude and Eterni ty, have no embl ems. Thought s enough
come t here, such as no t ongue ever ut tered. They do not so much want
human sympathy, as higher help. There i s a l onel iness in deep sorrow
which the Dei ty alone can rel ieve. Alone, t he mind wrest les wit h t he great
probl em oI cal ami ty, and seeks the sol ut ion Irom the InIi ni te Provi dence
oI
Heaven, and t hus is led di rect ly to God.
There are many t hings in us oI whi ch we are not dist inct ly consci ous. To
waken t hat slumberi ng consciousness i nt o l iIe, and so t o l ead t he soul up
t o t he Light , is one oIIice oI every great mini strat ion t o human nat ure,
whether i ts vehi cle be t he pen, the penci l, or t he t ongue. We are
unconsci ous oI t he i nt ensity and awIul ness oI t he li Ie wit hin us. Healt h
and
si ckness, joy and sorrow, success and disappoi nt ment , l iIe and deat h,
l ove and loss, are Iami l iar words upon our li ps; and we do not know to
what
depths they point wit hi n us.
We seem never to know what any t hi ng means or i s wort h unt il we have
l ost it . Many an organ, nerve, and Ii bre in our bodi ly Irame perIorms it s
si lent part Ior years, and we are quite unconsci ous oI i t s val ue. It i s not
unti l it i s i njured that we di scover t hat val ue, and Ii nd how essenti al it
was
t o our happi ness and comIort . We never know the Iull signiIicance oI t he
words 'property, " "ease, " and "healt h;" t he weal t h oI meaning i n t he Iond
epit hets, "parent , 'chil d, " "beloved, " and "Iriend, " unt il t he t hi ng or the
person is taken away; unti l , i n place oI the bright , vi si bl e bei ng, comes
t he
awIul and desol ate shadow, where nothing is: where we stret ch out our
hands i n vai n, and st rai n our eyes upon dark and dismal vacui ty. Yet , i n
t hat vacui ty, we do not lose the object that we l oved. It becomes only the
more real t o us. Our blessi ngs not only bri ght en when t hey depart, but are
Ii xed in enduri ng reali ty; and l ove and Iriendshi p receive their everlast ing
seal under the col d i mpress oI death.
A di m consciousness oI i nIini te mystery and grandeur l ies beneath al l t he
commonpl ace oI l i Ie. There is an awIulness and a majesty around us, i n
al l our l it tl e worl dli ness. The rude peasant Irom t he Apenni nes, asl eep at
t he Ioot oI a pi ll ar in a maj est ic Roman church, seems not t o hear or see,
but to, dream only oI the herd he Ieeds or t he ground he t il ls i n the
mountai ns. But t he choral symphonies Iall soIt ly upon his ear, and the
gi lded arches are di mly seen through his halI-sl umbering eyeli ds.
So the soul , however given up to t he occupat ions oI dai ly li Ie, cannot
quit e
l ose t he sense oI where i t is, and oI what i s above i t and around it . The
scene oI it s act ual engagements may be smal l; t he path oI it s st eps,
beat en and Iami l iar; t he obj ects i t handles, easily spanned, and quit e worn
out wit h daily uses. So it may be, and ami dst such things that we all l ive.
So we l ive our l it tl e l i Ie; but Heaven i s above us and all around and close
t o us; and Et ernity i s beIore us and behind us; and suns and st ars are
si lent wit nesses and watchers over us. We are enIol ded by InIi ni ty.
InIinit e
Powers and InIini te spaces l i e all around us. The dread arch oI Myst ery
spreads over us, and no voice ever pierced i t. Eternity is enthroned amid
Heaven' s myri ad starry height s; and no ut t erance or word ever came Irom
t hose Iar-oII and si lent spaces. Above, i s t hat awIul majesty; around us,
everywhere, it stretches oII int o inIi ni ty; and beneath it i s t his l i tt le
st ruggle
oI l i Ie, thi s poor day' s conIl ict , t hi s busy ant -hil l oI Ti me.
But Irom t hat ant -hil l, not only t he t alk oI t he st reet s, t he sounds oI
musi c
and revell ing, t he stir and t read oI a mul ti tude, the shout oI joy and t he
shriek oI agony go up into t he si lent and al l-surroundi ng InIi nit ude; but
al so, amidst the sti r and noi se oI visi ble li Ie, Irom t he i nmost bosom oI
t he
visi ble man, t here goes up an i mpl oring cal l , a beseechi ng cry, an aski ng,
unut tered, and unutt erabl e, Ior revelati on, wail i ngly and in al most
speechless agony praying t he dread arch oI mystery t o break, and t he
st ars t hat roll above the waves oI mortal t roubl e, t o speak; the ent hroned
majesty oI t hose awIul heights t o Ii nd a voi ce; the mysterious and
reserved heavens t o come near; and all t o t ell us what t hey al one know; to
gi ve us inIormati on oI the l oved and lost ; to make known t o us what we
are, and whit her we are goi ng.
Man i s encompassed wit h a dome oI i ncomprehensi ble wonders. In hi m
and about hi m is that which should Ii ll his liIe wit h majesty and
sacredness. Somet hi ng oI subl i mi ty and sanct ity has thus Ilashed down
Irom heaven int o the heart oI every one that l ives. There i s no bei ng so
base and abandoned but hat h some trait s oI t hat sacredness leIt upon
hi m; somet hi ng, so much perhaps i n discordance wi th hi s general reput e,
t hat he hides it Irom all around hi m; some sanct uary i n his soul , where no
one may ent er; some sacred i ncl osure, where the memory oI a chil d i s, or
t he i mage oI a venerat ed parent , or the remembrance oI a pure love, or
t he echo oI some word oI ki ndness once spoken to hi m; an echo that wi l l
never die away.
Li Ie is no negat ive, or superIi cial or worl dly exi st ence. Our steps are
evermore haunted wit h thought s, Iar beyond thei r own range, whi ch some
have regarded as t he remi ni scences oI a preexist ent stat e. So it i s wi th us
al l, in t he beat en and worn t rack oI t his worldly pil gri mage. There is
more
here, than t he worl d we li ve in. It is not all oI li Ie t o li ve. An unseen and
i nIi nite presence i s here; a sense oI something great er than we possess; a
seeki ng, through all the void wastes oI l i Ie, Ior a good beyond it ; a crying
out oI t he heart Ior i nt erpretati on; a memory oI t he dead, t ouching
conti nually some vi brati ng t hread i n thi s great t issue oI mystery.
We all not only have bet ter i nt i mati ons, but are capable oI bet t er things
t han we know. The pressure oI some great emergency would develop i n
us powers, beyond t he worldly bias oI our spi rit s; and Heaven so deal s
wi th us, Irom t i me t o t i me, as to call Iorth those bett er t hi ngs. There i s
hardly a Iamily i n t he world go sel Ii sh, but t hat , i I one in i t were doomed
t o
die - one, to be sel ect ed by the ot hers, - it would be ut terly i mpossi ble Ior
i ts members, parent s and chi ldren, to choose out that vict i m; but t hat each
woul d say, "I wi ll di e; but I cannot choose. " And in how many, i I t hat di re
extremi ty had come, woul d not one and anot her step Iort h, Ireed Irom the
vile meshes oI ordi nary selIishness, and say, li ke t he Roman Iat her and
son, "Let the bl ow Ial l on me!" There are greater and better t hi ngs i n us
al l,
t han the world t akes account oI, or t han we t ake not e oI; iI we woul d but
Iind t hem out. And it i s one part oI our Masonic cult ure to Iind t hese
t rai ts
oI power and subli me devot ion, to revive these Iaded i mpressi ons oI
generosi ty and selI-sacri Ii ce, the al most squandered bequests oI God' s
l ove and kindness to our souls; and t o i nduce us to yield ourselves to
t heir
guidance and cont rol.
Upon all condit ions oI men presses down one i mpart ial law. To all
si tuati ons, to al l Iortunes, high or l ow, t he mind gives thei r charact er.
They
are, i n eIIect, not what they are in themselves, but what t hey are t o t he
Ieeli ng oI thei r possessors. The Ki ng may be mean, degraded, miserable;
t he sl ave oI ambi t i on, Iear, vol upt uousness, and every low passion. The
Peasant may be t he real Monarch, the moral mast er oI hi s Iat e, a Iree and
l oIty bei ng, more t han a Pri nce i n happi ness, more t han a Ki ng i n honor.
Man i s no bubble upon t he sea oI hi s Iort unes, hel pl ess and irresponsi ble
upon the t ide oI event s. Out oI t he same circumstances, di IIerent men
bri ng t otally di IIerent result s. The same di IIi cul ty, di stress, poverty, or
misIortune, t hat breaks down one man, buil ds up anot her and makes hi m
st rong. It i s the very at tri bute and glory oI a man, that he can bend the
ci rcumstances oI hi s condi ti on to t he i ntel lect ual and moral purposes oI
his
nature, and i t is the power and mastery oI his wi l l that chieIly di st i nguish
hi m Irom t he brute.
The Iacul ty oI moral wi ll , devel oped in t he chil d, is a new el ement oI hi s
nature. It i s a new power brought upon the scene, and a ruli ng power,
delegated Irom Heaven. Never was a human bei ng sunk so l ow that he
had not, by God' s gi It , t he power to rise, Because God commands hi m to
ri se, it i s cert ain t hat he can ri se.
Every man has the power, and shoul d use it , to make all si tuati ons, trial s,
and t empt ati ons inst ruments to promote hi s vi rt ue and happi ness; and is
so Iar Irom being the creat ure oI ci rcumst ances, t hat he creates and
control s t hem, making them to be al l that t hey are, oI evi l or oI good, to
hi m as a moral being.
Li Ie is what we make it , and the world i s what we make it . The eyes oI
t he
cheerIul and oI the mel ancholy man are Ii xed upon the same creat i on; but
very diIIerent are the aspect s whi ch it bears to t hem. To the one, i t is al l
beauty and gladness; t he waves oI ocean rol l i n l ight, and t he mountai ns
are covered wit h day. LiIe, to hi m, Ilashes, rej oi cing, upon every Il ower
and every t ree that t rembl es in t he breeze. There i s more t o hi m,
everywhere, than t he eye sees; a presence oI proIound j oy on hi l l and
valley, and bright, danci ng wat er. The other i dly or mournIul ly gazes at
t he
same scene, and everythi ng wears a dul l, di m, and sickly aspect . The
murmuri ng oI t he brooks is a di scord t o hi m, t he great roar oI t he sea has
an angry and threat eni ng emphasi s, t he solemn music oI t he pines sings
t he requiem oI hi s depart ed happi ness; the cheerIul l ight shines gari shly
upon hi s eyes and oIIends hi m. The great train oI the seasons passes
beIore hi m li ke a Iuneral processi on; and he sighs, and t urns i mpat iently
away. The eye makes that which it l ooks upon; t he ear makes it s own
melodies and discords; t he worl d wit hout reIlect s the worl d wi thi n.
Let t he Mason never Iorget that l iIe and t he worl d are what we make them
by our social character; by our adapt ati on, or want oI adaptat ion t o t he
soci al condi t ions, relati onships, and pursui ts oI the worl d. To t he sel Ii sh,
t he cold, and t he i nsensi ble, t o t he haughty and presuming, t o the proud,
who demand more than t hey are l i kely to recei ve, to the jeal ous, ever
aIrai d t hey shall not recei ve enough, t o t hose who are unreasonably
sensi ti ve about t he good or il l opi ni ons oI ot hers, t o all vi olators oI t he
soci al laws, the rude, the vi ol ent , t he dishonest , and t he sensual, - to all
t hese, the social condi ti on, Irom i ts very nat ure, wi ll present annoyances,
disappoint ment s, and pains, appropri at e to their several charact ers. The
benevol ent aIIect ions wi ll not revolve around selIi shness; the col d-
hearted
must expect to meet col dness; t he proud, haught i ness; the passi onat e,
anger; and the vi olent, rudeness. Those who Iorget t he rights oI ot hers,
must not be surprised iI t heir own are Iorgot ten; and t hose who st oop to
t he l owest embraces oI sense must not wonder, iI others are not
concerned t o Iind t hei r prostrate honor, and l iIt it up t o the remembrance
and respect oI the world.
To the gent le, many wi ll be gentl e; to t he kind, many wi l l be kind. A good
man wi l l Iind that t here is goodness in t he worl d; an honest man wil l Ii nd
t hat there is honesty i n t he world; and a man oI pri nci pl e wi ll Iind
pri nci ple
and i ntegri ty in the mi nds oI ot hers.
There are no bl essi ngs which t he mind may not convert i nt o t he bit terest
oI evil s; and no trial s whi ch i t may not t ransIorm into the noblest and
divi nest bl essings. There are no tempt at i ons Irom whi ch assai led vi rt ue
may not gain strengt h, inst ead oI Ial li ng beIore t hem, vanqui shed and
subdued. It i s true that t empt ati ons have a great power, and virt ue oIten
Iall s; but t he might oI these temptat ions l ies not i n t hemsel ves, but in the
Ieebleness oI our own virt ue, and the weakness oI our own heart s. We
rely too much on the strengt h oI our ramparts and basti ons, and all ow the
enemy t o make hi s approaches, by trench and paral lel , at hi s lei sure. The
oIIer oI di shonest gai n and guil ty pleasure makes the honest man more
honest , and t he pure man more pure. They raise his vi rtue to t he height oI
t owering indignati on. The Iai r occasion, the saIe opport uni ty, the
t empt ing
chance become t he deIeat and di sgrace oI the tempter. The honest and
upri ght man does not wait unti l tempt at i on has made i ts approaches and
mounted it s batteries on the last parall el.
But t o t he i mpure, t he dishonest , t he Ial se-hearted, t he corrupt , and t he
sensual, occasions come every day, and i n every scene, and t hrough
every avenue oI thought and i magi nat ion. He is prepared to capi tulat e
beIore t he Iirst approach is commenced; and sends out t he whit e Ilag
when t he enemy' s advance comes in sight oI hi s wal ls. He makes
occasi ons; or, i I opportunit ies come not , evil t houghts come, and he
t hrows wide open the gates oI hi s heart and welcomes t hose bad visi tors,
and ent ert ains t hem wi t h a lavish hospit ali ty.
The busi ness oI t he worl d absorbs, corrupts, and degrades one mi nd,
whil e i n another it Ieeds and nurses t he nobl est independence, i nt egri ty,
and generosi ty. Pl easure is a poison t o some, and a heal thIul reIreshment
t o others. To one, the world i s a great harmony, l i ke a nobl e st rai n oI
musi c wit h inIi nit e modulat i ons; to anot her, it i s a huge Iactory, the clash
and cl ang oI whose machi nery jars upon hi s ears and Iret s hi m t o
madness. LiIe i s subst ant i al ly
t he same t hing t o al l who partake oI it s l ot. Yet some ri se to vi rt ue and
gl ory; whi le others, undergoing the same di sci pl i ne, and enj oying t he
same pri vileges, si nk to shame and perdit ion.
Thorough, Iai thIul , and honest endeavor t o i mprove, is always successIul ,
and t he highest happi ness. To sigh senti ment ally over human mi sIort une,
i s Iit only Ior t he mind' s chil dhood; and t he mind' s mi sery i s chieIly it s
own
Iaul t; appoi nted, under t he good Provi dence oI God, as the puni sher and
correct or oI i ts Iault . In the long run, t he mind wi l l be happy, j ust in
proporti on to it s Iideli ty and wisdom. When it is mi serabl e, it has planted
t he t horns in it s own path; i t grasps them, and cries out i n loud
compl aint; .
and t hat complai nt i s but the louder conIessi on t hat t he t horns which grew
t here, i t planted.
A certai n kind and degree oI spi rit uali ty ent er int o the largest part oI even
t he most ordi nary l iIe. You can carry on no busi ness, wit hout some Iai th
i n
man. You cannot even dig in t he ground, wit hout a reliance on t he unseen
result . You cannot t hink or reason or even st ep, wit hout conIidi ng in the
i nward, spiri tual pri ncipl es oI your nat ure. Al l the aIIect ions and bonds,
and
hopes and i nt erest s oI l i Ie cent re in the spi ri tual; and you know t hat i I
t hat
cent ral bond were broken, t he worl d woul d rush t o chaos.
Beli eve that t here is a God; that He is our Iat her; that He has a paternal
i nterest in our wel Iare and i mprovement ; t hat He has given us powers, by
means oI which we may escape Irom sin and rui n; that He has dest ined us
t o a Iuture l iIe oI endless progress t oward perIecti on and a knowledge oI
Hi msel I - beli eve t hi s, as every Mason should, and you can li ve cal mly,
endure pat iently, labor resolutely, deny yoursel ves cheerIully, hope
st eadIast ly, and be conquerors i n t he great struggle oI li Ie. Take away any
one oI t hese pri nci ples, and what remai ns Ior us? Say t hat t here i s no
God; or no way opened Ior hope and reIormat i on and t riumph, no heaven
t o come, no rest Ior the weary, no home i n the bosom oI God Ior the
aIIl ict ed and di sconsol ate soul; or that God i s but an ugly bli nd Chance
t hat stabs in t he dark; or a somewhat that i s, when attempt ed to be
deIi ned, a nowhat , emot i onless, passi onl ess, t he Supreme Apat hy t o
which all t hi ngs, good and evil , are al ike indi IIerent; or a jeal ous God
who
revengeIul ly vi si t s the sins oI t he Iathers on t he chil dren, and when the
Iathers have eaten
sour grapes, sets the chi ldren' s teet h on edge; an arbit rary supreme Wi l l ,
t hat has made it right t o be vi rt uous, and wrong to l ie and st eal, because
IT pleased to make it so rat her than ot herwi se, retai ni ng t he power to
reverse the law; or a Ii ckle, vaci ll ati ng, inconst ant Dei ty, or a cruel,
bloodt hirsty, savage Hebrew or Puri tanic one; and we are but the sport oI
chance and the vi cti ms oI despai r; hapless wanderers upon t he Iace oI a
desol at e, Iorsaken, or accursed and hat ed eart h; surrounded by darkness,
st ruggli ng wi th obst acles, t oil i ng Ior barren resul t s and empty purposes,
distracted wi th doubt s, and mi sl ed by Ial se gleams oI li ght ; wanderers
wi th
no way, no prospect , no home; doomed and deserted mari ners on a dark
and st ormy sea, wi thout compass or course, t o whom no stars appear;
t ossi ng hel ml ess upon the welt ering, angry waves, wi th no bl essed haven
i n t he dist ance whose guiding-star i nvi tes us t o i ts welcome rest .
The rel igi ous Iai th thus t aught by Masonry i s i ndi spensable t o the
at tai nment oI the great ends oI l iIe; and must t hereIore have been
desi gned to be a part oI it . We are made Ior t his Iai t h; and there must be
somethi ng, somewhere, Ior us to bel ieve in. We cannot grow heal thIul ly,
nor l i ve happi ly, wi thout it . It i s t hereIore true. II we coul d cut oII Irom
any
soul all t he pri nci ples t aught by Masonry, the Iai t h in a God, in
i mmortal i ty,
i n virtue, i n essential recti tude, that soul woul d sink i nt o si n, mi sery,
darkness, and rui n. II we coul d cut oII al l sense oI t hese t ruths, t he man
woul d si nk at once t o the grade oI the ani mal .
No man can suIIer and be pati ent , can struggl e and conquer, can i mprove
and be happy, ot herwise than as t he swi ne are, wit hout consci ence,
wi thout hope, wi thout a reli ance on a just , wise, and beneIicent God. We
must , oI necessi ty, embrace t he great trut hs t aught by Masonry, and l ive
by t hem, t o l ive happily. "I put my t rust i n God, " i s t he protest oI
Masonry
agai nst the bel ieI in a cruel , angry, and revengeIul God, to be Ieared and
not reverenced by His creat ures.
Soci ety, in it s great relat i ons, is as much t he creati on oI Heaven as is the
syst em oI the Uni verse. II that bond oI gravi tat i on t hat holds al l worlds
and
syst ems toget her, were suddenly severed, t he uni verse woul d Ily i nt o wi ld
and boundless chaos. And i I we were t o sever al l the moral bonds that
hold soci ety together; iI we coul d cut oII Irom i t every convi cti on oI
Trut h
and Int egri ty, oI an authori ty above i t, and oI a conscience wit hi n it , i t
woul d i mmediately rush to di sorder and Iright Iul anarchy and ruin.
The rel igi on we teach is thereIore as real ly a pri nciple oI thi ngs, and as
certai n and t rue, as gravi tat i on.
Fait h i n moral princi pl es, i n virtue, and i n God, is as necessary Ior the
guidance oI a man, as inst i nct is Ior the guidance oI an ani mal . And
t hereIore t hi s Iai th, as a principl e oI man' s nature, has a mi ssi on as t ruly
authentic in God' s Provi dence, as t he pri nci ple oI insti nct. The pleasures
oI t he soul , t oo, must depend on certai n pri nci ples. They must recogni ze a
soul, i ts propert ies and responsi bil it i es, a conscience, and t he sense oI an
authori ty above us; and t hese are the principl es oI Iait h. No man can
suIIer and be pat ient, can st ruggle and conquer, can i mprove and be
happy, wit hout conscience, wit hout hope, wi thout a reli ance on a just ,
wi se, and beneIi cent God. We must oI necessi ty embrace the great t ruths
t aught by Masonry, and l ive by them, to li ve happily. Everything in the
universe has Ii xed and certai n l aws and pri nciples Ior i ts act ion; - the star
i n
i ts orbi t , the ani mal in it s act ivity, t he physical man i n his Iuncti ons. And
he
has l i kewi se Ii xed and certai n l aws and pri nciples as a spi ri tual being.
Hi s
soul does not di e Ior want oI al i ment or guidance. For the rat ional soul
t here is ampl e provisi on. From t he l oIty pi ne, rocked i n t he darkening
t empest , t he cry oI the young raven is heard; and it would be most strange
i I t here were no answer Ior t he cry and call oI t he soul , t ortured by want
and sorrow and agony. The total rej ecti on oI all moral and rel igi ous beli eI
woul d st ri ke out a pri nciple Irom human nature, as essent ial to i t as
gravit at ion t o t he st ars, inst i nct to ani mal l iIe, t he circulat ion oI the bl ood
t o
t he human body.
God has ordai ned that l iIe shal l be a social stat e. We are members oI a
ci vi l communi ty. The l iIe oI that communi ty depends upon it s moral
condi ti on. Publ ic spi ri t, intel li gence, uprightness, temperance, kindness,
domest ic purity, wi ll make i t a happy communi ty, and give i t prosperi ty
and
conti nuance. Wi de-spread selIi shness, dishonesty, i ntemperance,
l ibert ini sm, corrupt i on, and cri me, wil l make it mi serable, and bri ng
about
dissol ut ion and speedy rui n. A whole people li ves one li Ie; one mighty
heart heaves in i t s bosom; i t is one great pul se oI exist ence that t hrobs
t here. One stream oI li Ie Il ows there, wit h t en t housand intermi ngl ed
branches and channels, through al l the homes oI human l ove. One sound
as oI many waters, a rapturous jubi l ee or a mournIul sighi ng, comes up
Irom
t he congregat ed dwel l ings oI a whol e nat i on.
The Publ i c i s no vague abst ract ion; nor shoul d t hat whi ch i s done agai nst
t hat Publ ic, against publ ic interest , law, or virt ue, press but l ightly on t he
conscience. It i s but a vast expansi on oI i ndi vi dual l iIe; an ocean oI t ears,
an at mosphere oI sighs, or a great whole oI joy and gladness. It suIIers
wi th t he suIIeri ng oI mi ll i ons; it rejoi ces wi th the j oy oI mi ll ions. What a
vast
cri me does he commit , - pri vate man or publ ic man, agent or contractor,
l egislator or magi st rat e, secretary or presi dent , -who dares, wi th i ndi gnity
and wrong, t o st ri ke t he bosom oI the Publi c WelIare, to encourage
venali ty and corrupti on, and shameIul sal e oI t he elect i ve Iranchi se, or oI
oIIice; t o sow di ssension, and to weaken the bonds oI ami ty that bi nd a
Nat ion t oget her! What a huge i niqui ty, he who, wit h vices li ke t he
daggers
oI a parricide, dares to pi erce that mighty heart , in whi ch t he ocean oI
exist ence i s Ilowing!
What an unequalled i nterest li es i n t he virtue oI every one whom we l ove!
In hi s virt ue, nowhere but i n his virt ue, i s garnered up the i ncomparable
t reasure. What care we Ior brot her or Iri end, compared wi th what we care
Ior hi s honor, hi s Iideli ty, his reputat i on, his ki ndness? How venerable is
t he recti t ude oI a parent! How sacred hi s reput ati on! No blight that can
Iall
upon a chi ld, is l ike a parent ' s dishonor. Heat hen or Chri st ian, every
parent would have hi s chi ld do wel l; and pours out upon hi m all t he
Iul l ness oI parental l ove, i n t he one desi re that he may do wel l; t hat he
may be worthy oI his cares, and his Ireely bestowed pai ns; t hat he may
wal k in the way oI honor and happiness. In t hat way he cannot wal k one
st ep wi thout virtue. Such is li Ie, in i ts relat i onshi ps. A thousand ti es
embrace it , l ike t he Iine nerves oI a del icate organi zati on; l ike t he stri ngs
oI an i nstrument capabl e oI sweet melodies, but easi ly put out oI t une or
broken, by rudeness, anger, and selIi sh i ndulgence.
II li Ie coul d, by any process, be made insensi ble t o pain and pl easure; i I
t he human heart were hard as adamant , then avarice, ambi ti on, and
sensuali ty might channel out t heir paths in it , and make i t t heir beat en
way; and none woul d wonder or protest . II we coul d be pat ient under t he
l oad oI a mere worl dly l iIe; iI we coul d bear t hat burden as t he beasts
bear
i t; t hen, li ke beasts, we might bend all our thought s t o t he eart h; and no
cal l Irom the great Heavens above us woul d startl e us Irom our ploddi ng
and earthly course.
But we art not i nsensi bl e brut es, who can reIuse the call oI reason and
conscience. The soul i s capabl e oI remorse. When t he great
dispensati ons oI li Ie press down upon us, we weep, and suIIer and
sorrow. And sorrow and agony desi re other compani onshi ps than
worl dl iness and irrel igi on. We are not wil l ing to bear those burdens oI the
heart , Iear, anxiety, disappoi nt ment , and troubl e, wit hout any obj ect or
use. We are not wi ll ing to suIIer, t o be sick and aIIl ict ed, to have our
days
and mont hs lost t o comIort and j oy, and overshadowed wi t h calamity and
grieI, wi t hout advant age or compensat ion; t o barter away the dearest
t reasures, the very suIIerings, oI the heart ; to sell t he l iIe-bl ood Irom
Iail i ng
Irame and Iading cheek, our tears oI bi tt erness and groans oI anguish, Ior
nothing. Human nat ure, Irai l, Ieel ing, sensi ti ve, and sorrowi ng, cannot
bear
t o suIIer Ior nought.
Everywhere, human l iIe i s a great and solemn di spensat i on. Man,
suIIeri ng, enj oyi ng, l oving, hat ing, hopi ng, and Iearing, chai ned to t he
earth and yet explori ng t he Iar recesses oI t he uni verse, has the power t o
commune wit h God and His angels. Around thi s great act ion oI exi stence
t he curt ains oI Ti me are drawn; but t here are openi ngs t hrough t hem
which give us gli mpses oI eternity. God looks down upon thi s scene oI
human probati on. The wi se and t he good in all ages have i nterposed Ior it
wi th t heir t eachi ngs and their blood. Everythi ng t hat exist s around us,
every movement i n nat ure every counsel oI Provi dence, every
i nterposit ion oI God, cent res upon one point - t he Iideli ty oI man. And
even
i I t he ghost s oI t he departed and remembered coul d come at mi dnight
t hrough the barred doors oI our dwell ings, and t he shrouded dead should
gl ide through the aisl es oI our churches and si t i n our Masoni c Templ es,
t heir t eachi ngs would be no more el oquent and i mpressive than t he Great
reali t i es oI l iIe; than t hose memori es oI misspent years, those ghosts oI
depart ed opport unit ies, that , poi nt ing to our conscience and et erni ty cry
conti nually i n our ears, "Work whi le the day l asts! Ior the ni ght oI deat h
comet h, in whi ch no man can work.
There are no tokens oI publi c mourni ng Ior t he calamity oI the soul . Men
weep when the body dies; and when i t is borne t o i ts last rest , they Ioll ow
i t wit h sad and mournIul procession. But
Ior the dying soul t here is no open lamentati on; Ior the l ost soul t here are
no obsequi es.
And yet t he mi nd and soul oI man have a val ue whi ch not hi ng el se has.
They are wort h a care which nothing else is wort h; and to t he si ngle,
soli tary i ndi vi dual , t hey ought to possess an i nterest whi ch not hing else
possesses. The stored treasures oI the heart, the unIat homable mi nes
t hat are in the soul t o be wrought , t he broad and boundless real ms oI
Thought , t he Ireight ed argosy oI man' s hopes and best aIIect i ons, are
brighter t han gol d and dearer than treasure.
And yet t he mi nd is i n reali ty l it tle known or consi dered. It i s all whi ch
man
permanent ly is, hi s inward bei ng, hi s di vi ne energy, hi s i mmort al t hought ,
his boundless capacity, his i nIini t e aspi rat ion; and nevertheless, Iew
value
i t Ior what it i s worth. Few see a brother-mi nd in ot hers, t hrough t he rags
wi th which poverty has clothed it , beneat h t he crushing burdens oI li Ie,
amidst t he cl ose pressure oI worldly t roubl es, wants and sorrows. Few
acknowl edge and cheer i t in that humbl e bl ot, and Ieel t hat t he nobi li ty oI
earth, and t he commencing glory oI Heaven are there.
Men do not Ieel the worth oI t heir own souls. They are proud oI their
mental powers; but the i ntri nsic, i nner, inIi nit e wort h oI their own mi nds
t hey do not perceive. The poor man, admit t ed t o a palace, Ieel s, l oIty and
i mmortal bei ng as he i s, l ike a mere ordinary thi ng amid t he splendors
t hat
surround hi m. He sees the carriage oI wealt h rol l by hi m, and Iorgets the
i ntri nsic and eternal dignity oI hi s own mi nd in a poor and degradi ng
envy,
and Ieels as an humbl er creat ure, because ot hers are above hi m, not in
mind, but i n mensurati on. Men respect t hemsel ves, according as t hey are
more weal t hy, higher in rank or oIIice, l oIti er i n the world' s opinion, able
t o
command more votes, more the Iavori t es oI the people or oI Power.
The diIIerence among men i s not so much in their nat ure and intrinsi c
power, as in the Iaculty oI communi cat ion. Some have t he capaci ty oI
utteri ng and embodying in words thei r thoughts. All men, more or l ess,
Ieel
t hose thought s. The gl ory oI geni us and t he rapt ure oI virtue, when
rightly
revealed, are di IIused and shared among unnumbered mi nds. When
el oquence and poetry speak; when those gl ori ous art s, st atuary, painti ng,
and music, take audible or vi si bl e shape; when patrioti sm, charity, and
virtue
speak wi th a t hril li ng potency, t he hearts oI thousands gl ow wit h a
kindred
j oy and ecst asy. II it were not so, t here would be no eloquence; Ior
el oquence i s that t o whi ch ot her heart s respond; it is the Iaculty and
power
oI maki ng other heart s respond. No one i s so l ow or degraded, as not
someti mes to be touched wi t h the beauty oI goodness. No heart is made
oI material s so common, or even base, as not someti mes to respond,
t hrough every chord oI i t, to t he call oI honor, patrioti sm, generosity, and
virtue. The poor AIri can Slave wi l l die Ior t he master. or mi stress, or in
deIence oI the chi ldren, whom he l oves. The poor, l ost, scorned,
abandoned, out cast woman wi l l , wit hout expectat ion oI reward nurse
t hose who are dyi ng on every hand, ut ter strangers t o her, wi th a
contagi ous and horri d pesti lence. The pickpocket wil l scal e burning wal ls
t o rescue chi l d or woman, unknown t o hi m, Irom the ravenous Ilames.
Most gl orious i s this capacity! A power to commune wit h God and His
Angels; a reIl ecti on oI the Uncreated Light ; a mi rror that can col lect and
concentrate upon it sel I all t he moral splendors oI t he Universe. It i s t he
soul alone t hat gives any value to t he t hi ngs oI t hi s worl d. and it is only
by
raisi ng t he soul to i t s j ust elevati on above al l other t hi ngs, t hat we can
l ook
rightly upon the purposes oI t his eart h. No sceptre nor throne, nor
st ructure oI ages, nor broad empire, can compare wi th the wonders and
grandeurs oI a single t hought . That al one, oI al l things that have been
made, comprehends t he Maker oI all . That alone is the key whi ch unl ocks
al l the treasures oI the Uni verse; the power t hat rei gns over Space, Ti me,
and Eterni ty. That, under God, i s t he Sovereign Di spenser t o man oI all
t he blessings and gl ori es t hat li e wi t hin the compass oI possession, or the
range oI possi bil ity. Vi rt ue, Heaven, and Immort al ity exist not, nor ever
wi ll
exist Ior us except as they exi st and wi l l exi st, i n t he percept ion, Ieel ing,
and t hought oI t he gl orious mi nd.
My Brot her, i n the hope t hat you have li stened t o and understood the
Inst ruct i on and Lecture oI t hi s Degree, and that you Ieel the di gni ty oI
your
own nature and t he vast capacit ies oI your own soul Ior good or evi l, I
proceed brieIly to communicat e t o you the remaini ng inst ructi on oI thi s
Degree.
The Hebrew word, in t he old Hebrew and Samarit an character, suspended
i n t he East , over the Iive col umns, i s ADONA, one oI the names oI God,
usual ly t ranslated Lord; and whi ch the
Hebrews, in readi ng, al ways substi t ute Ior t he True Name, whi ch is Ior
t hem
i neIIabl e.
The Ii ve columns, in t he Iive di IIerent orders oI archi tect ure, are
emblemati cal to
us oI t he Iive pri nci pal divi sions oI the Ancient and Accepted Scot ti sh
Ri te:
1. - The Tuscan, oI t he t hree bl ue Degrees, or the pri mi t ive Masonry.
2. - The Doric, oI the i neIIabl e Degrees, Irom the, Iourth to t he
Iourteent h,
i ncl usive.
3. - The Ionic, oI t he Ii Iteenth and si xteent h, or second temple Degrees.
4. - The Corint hi an, oI t he seventeent h and eight eenth Degrees, or t hose oI
t he
new law.
5. - The Composi te, oI t he phil osophi cal and chivalri c Degrees
i ntermi ngl ed, Irom
t he nineteent h t o the thirty-second, i ncl usive.
The Nort h St ar, al ways Ii xed and i mmutable Ior us, represents t he poi nt in
t he
cent re oI the circl e, or t he Dei ty i n t he centre oI t he Universe. It i s t he
especi al
symbol oI duty and oI Iait h. To it , and t he seven t hat conti nual ly revol ve
around i t ,
myst i cal meani ngs are at tached, which you wi ll learn hereaIter, iI you
shoul d be
permi tt ed to advance, when you are made acquaint ed wit h the
phil osophi cal
doctri nes oI t he Hebrews.
The Morning Star, ri sing in the East, Jupit er, cal l ed by the Hebrews
Tsadc or
Tsydyk, Just , is an emblem t o us oI t he ever approachi ng dawn oI
perIect ion and
Masonic light .
The three great l ights oI the Lodge are symbols t o us oI t he Power,
Wisdom, and
BeneIi cence oI the Dei ty. They are also symbol s oI t he Iirst three
Sephiroth, or
Emanati ons oI the Dei ty, according to the Kabal ah, Kether, t he omnipotent
divi ne
wi ll ; Chochmah, t he divine intel lect ual power t o generat e thought , and
Bi nah, the
divi ne int el l ect ual capacity t o produce i t - the two latt er, usually
t ranslated
Wisdom and Understandi ng, bei ng t he act ive and the passive, t he posi t i ve
and
t he negati ve, which we do not yet endeavor to explain to you. They are
t he
columns Jachi n and Boaz, t hat stand at t he ent rance t o t he Masonic
Temple.
In anot her aspect oI t his Degree, the Chi eI oI the Archi tect s | , Rab
Banai m, |
symbol i zes t he const i tuti onal execut ive head and chieI oI a Iree
government ; and
t he Degree teaches us that no Iree government can l ong endure, when the
peopl e cease
t o sel ect Ior t heir magi st rat es t he best and t he wi sest oI their statesmen;
when, passing these by, they permi t Iact ions or sordi d int erest s t o sel ect
Ior them t he smal l, the l ow, t he i gnoble, and t he obscure, and i nto such
hands commi t t he count ry' s dest ini es. There is, aIter al l , a "di vine right "
t o
govern; and i t is vested in t he ablest , wi sest, best , oI every nat i on.
"Counsel i s mine, and sound wi sdom: I am understanding: I am power: by
me ki ngs do reign, and pri nces decree j usti ce; by me pri nces rule, and
nobl es, even al l the magi strates oI t he eart h. "
For the present, my Brother, let t hi s suIIice. We wel come you among us,
t o t hi s peaceIul ret reat oI virtue, t o a part icipat ion i n our privil eges, t o a
share i n our joys and our sorrows.

XIII. ROYAL ARCH OF SOLOMON.
WHETHER the legend and hi story oI this Degree are hi st orically true, or
but an al legory, containi ng in it selI a deeper trut h and a proIounder
meani ng, we shal l not now debate. II i t be but a l egendary myth, you must
Iind out Ior yourselI what i t means. It is certai n that t he word whi ch the
Hebrews are not now permi t t ed t o pronounce was in common use by
Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Laban, Rebecca, and even among tri bes
Iorei gn to the Hebrews, beIore the ti me oI Moses; and that i t recurs a
hundred ti mes in the lyri cal eIIusions oI David and ot her Hebrew poets.
We know t hat Ior many centuri es t he Hebrews have been Iorbidden to
pronounce the Sacred Name; t hat wherever it occurs, they have Ior ages
read t he word Adona inst ead; and t hat under i t, when t he masoreti c
points, whi ch represent the vowel s, came to be used, they placed t hose
which bel onged to t he l att er word. The possessi on oI t he t rue
pronunci ati on was deemed to conIer on hi m who had it ext raordinary and
supernatural powers; and the Word it sel I, worn upon the person, was
regarded as an amulet , a prot ect i on agai nst personal danger, sickness,
and evi l spi ri t s. We know that all this was a vai n supersti t i on, nat ural to a
rude people, necessari ly di sappearing as the i ntel lect oI man became
enlightened; and wholly unwort hy oI a Mason.
It is not iceable t hat t his not ion oI the sancti ty oI t he Di vi ne Name or
Creati ve Word was common to al l the ancient nati ons. The Sacred Word
HOM was supposed by the ancient Persians (who were among the
earli est emigrant s Irom Nort hern India) to
be pregnant wi th a mysterious power; and t hey taught that by it s utterance
t he worl d was creat ed. In India i t was Iorbi dden to pronounce the word
AUM or OM, the Sacred Name oI t he One Deity, maniIested as Brahma,
Vi shna, and Seeva.
These superst it i ous not ions i n regard to t he eIIi cacy oI t he Word, and the
prohi bit ion agai nst pronounci ng i t , coul d, bei ng errors, have Iormed no
part oI t he pure pri mit ive rel igi on, or oI the esot eric doct ri ne taught by
Moses, and the Iull knowl edge oI which was conIined t o t he Init iates;
unless the whole was but an ingenious i nventi on Ior the conceal ment oI
some other Name or t ruth, t he i nt erpretati on and meani ng whereoI was
made known only to the select Iew. II so, t he common noti ons in regard to
t he Word grew up i n t he mi nds oI the people, li ke other errors and Iabl es
among al l the anci ent nat ions, out oI origi nal t ruths and symbol s and
al legories mi sunderst ood. So it has al ways been t hat al legories, intended
as vehicles oI t ruth, t o be understood by t he sages, have become or bred
errors, by bei ng li terally accepted.
It is true, that beIore t he masoretic point s were i nvented (which was aIter
t he beginning oI t he Chri sti an era), the pronunci ati on oI a word in t he
Hebrew language coul d not be known Irom the characters in whi ch it was
writ ten. It was, thereIore, possi bl e Ior that oI the name oI t he Dei ty to
have
been Iorgot ten and lost . It i s cert ain t hat it s true pronunciat ion i s not that
represented by the word Jehovah; and thereIore that t hat i s not t he true
name oI Deity, nor the IneIIabl e Word.
The ancient symbol s and al legori es always had more t han one
i nterpretat ion. They al ways had a doubl e meani ng, and someti mes more
t han two, one servi ng as t he envel ope oI the ot her. Thus t he pronunciat ion
oI t he word was a symbol ; and t hat pronunci at i on and the word it sel I
were
l ost , when t he knowl edge oI the true nature and at tri but es oI God Iaded
out oI t he mi nds oI t he Jewi sh people. That i s one int erpretat ion - true,
but
not the inner and proIoundest one.
Men were Iigurat ively said to Iorget t he name oI God, when t hey lost t hat
knowl edge, and worshipped the heat hen deit ies, and burned incense t o
t hem on the hi gh places, and passed t hei r chil dren t hrough t he Iire t o
Moloch.
Thus the at tempts oI the anci ent Israeli tes and oI the Ini ti at es t o ascertai n
t he True Name oI the Dei ty, and it s pronunciat i on, and the loss oI t he
True
Word, are an all egory, in whi ch are
represented the general i gnorance oI the true nature and at tributes oI
God, the proneness oI the people oI Judah and Israel to worship other
deit ies, and the low and erroneous and dishonori ng noti ons oI t he Grand
Archi tect oI t he Universe, which al l shared except a Iew Iavored persons;
Ior even Sol omon bui lt alt ars and sacri Iiced t o Astarat, t he goddess oI t he
Tsi dumm, and Malcm, the Aamnit e god, and buil t hi gh places Ior
Kams, the Moabi te dei ty, and Mal ec t he god oI t he Beni -Aamn. The
t rue
nature oI God was unknown t o them, li ke Hi s name; and t hey worshi pped
t he cal ves oI Jeroboam, as in the desert they di d t hat made Ior them by
Aarn.
The mass oI t he Hebrews di d not bel ieve in the exi st ence oI one only God
unti l a l at e peri od in their hi st ory. Their. early and popular i deas oI t he
Dei ty were si ngularly low and unworthy. Even whi le Moses was receivi ng
t he l aw upon Mount Si nai , they Iorced Aarn to make t hem an i mage oI
t he Egyptian god Api s, and Iell down and adored i t. They were ever ready
t o return to t he worship oI t he gods oI t he Mi tzrai m; and soon aIter t he
deat h oI Joshua t hey became devout worshippers oI t he Ialse gods oI all
t he surroundi ng nat ions. "Ye have borne," Amos, t he prophet , sai d t o
t hem, speaking oI t heir Iorty years' journeying in t he desert, under Moses,
"the tabernacl e oI your Malec and Kai n your idols, the star oI your god,
which ye made t o yourselves. "
Among them, as among ot her nati ons, t he concepti ons oI God Iormed by
i ndi vi dual s vari ed accordi ng t o thei r int el lect ual and spirit ual capaci t i es;
poor and i mperIect , and i nvesti ng God wi th t he commonest and coarest
at tributes oI humani ty, among t he i gnorant and coarse; pure and loIty
among the vi rt uous and ri chly gi It ed. These concepti ons gradually
i mproved and became puri Iied and ennobl ed, as the nat ion advanced i n
ci vi li zati on - bei ng l owest in t he hist orical books, amended i n the
propheti c
writ ings, and reaching t heir highest el evati on among t he poet s.
Among al l t he anci ent nat ions t here was one Iait h and one i dea oI Deity
Ior the enl ightened, i nt ell igent, and educat ed, and anot her Ior the
common
peopl e. To t his rule t he Hebrews were no except i on. Yehovah, t o the
mass oI t he peopl e, was li ke t he gods oI the nati ons around t hem, except
t hat he was the peculiar God, Ii rst oI t he Iami ly oI Abraham, oI that oI
Isaac, and oI that oI Jacob, and aIt erward the Nati onal God; and, as t hey
believed, more powerIul t han the ot her gods oI t he same nat ure
worshipped
by t heir nei ghbors - "Who among the Baal i m i s l ike unto thee, O
Yehovah?" - expressed their whole creed.
The Deity oI t he early Hebrews t alked t o Adam and Eve i n t he garden oI
delight, as he walked i n it in t he cool oI the day; he conversed wit h
Kayin;
he sat and ate wi th Abraham in hi s tent; t hat pat ri arch required a vi sible
t oken, beIore he would bel ieve in hi s posi t ive promise; he permit ted
Abraham t o expostul at e wit h hi m, and to induce hi m t o change his Iirst
determinati on in regard to Sodom; he wrest led wit h Jacob; he showed
Moses his person, though not his Iace; he dict ated the mi nutest police
regulat i ons and t he di mensi ons oI the tabernacl e and i ts Iurni ture, to the
Israel it es; he i nsi sted on and deli ght ed i n sacri Iices and burnt-oIIeri ngs;
he
was angry, jeal ous, and revengeIul, as wel l as wavering and irresol ut e; he
al lowed Moses to reason hi m out oI hi s Ii xed resol uti on ut terly to dest roy
his peopl e; he commanded the perIormance oI t he most shocking and
hideous act s oI cruelty and barbari ty. He hardened the heart oI Pharaoh;
he repented oI t he evil t hat he had sai d he would do unt o the people oI
Ni neveh; and he di d it not, to t he di sgust and anger oI Jonah.
Such were the popul ar not i ons oI t he Deity; and eit her the priest s had
none bett er, or took l i tt le t roubl e t o correct these not ions; or the popul ar
i ntell ect was not enough enl arged to enable t hem t o ent ert ain any higher
concept ions oI t he Al mighty.
But such were not t he ideas oI the intel lect ual and enl ight ened Iew among
t he Hebrews. It is certai n t hat t hey possessed a knowledge oI the true
nature and at tributes oI God; as the same cl ass oI men did among t he
other nati ons - Zoroaster, Menu, ConIucius, Socrates, and Pl ato. But t heir
doctri nes on this subj ect were esoteric; they di d not communi cate t hem t o
t he peopl e at large, but only to a Iavored Iew; and as t hey were
communi cated in Egypt and Indi a, i n Persi a and Phoeni cia, in Greece and
Samothrace, in the great er myst eri es, t o the Init iat es.
The communi cat ion oI t hi s knowledge and ot her secret s, some oI which
are perhaps lost , const it uted, under other names, what we now cal l
Masonry, or Free or Frank-Masonry. That knowledge was, i n one sense,
t he Lost Word, which was made known t o t he Grand Elect, PerIect , and
Subli me Masons. It would be Iol ly t o pret end that t he Iorms oI Masonry
were t he same in t hose ages as they are now. The present name oI the
Order, and it s t it les, and the names oI the Degrees now in use, were not
t hen known.
Even Blue Masonry cannot trace back i ts aut hent i c hi st ory, wit h it s
present
Degrees, Iurther t han the year 1700, iI so Iar. But , by whatever name i t
was known i n thi s or t he other country, Masonry exist ed as it now exist s,
t he same i n spiri t and at heart , not only when Solomon bui lded t he
t empl e,
but centuri es beIore - beIore even the Ii rst colonies emigrated into
Southern India, Persi a, and Egypt, Irom the cradle oI the human race.
The Supreme, Sel I-exi stent, Eternal , All -wise, Al l-powerIul , InIi nit ely
Good,
Pityi ng, BeneIicent, and Merci Iul Creat or and Preserver oI the Uni verse
was the same, by whatever name he was cal led, t o the intel lect ual and
enlightened men oI all nat ions. The name was not hing, i I not a symbol
and
representat ive hi eroglyph oI his nat ure and at tribut es. The name AL
represented hi s remot eness above men, hi s i naccessi bi li ty; BAL and
BALA, hi s mi ght ; ALOHIM, hi s vari ous potencies; IHUH, exi stence and
t he
generati on oI t hings. None oI his names, among the Ori entals, were the
symbol s oI a di vi nely inIi nit e l ove and tenderness, and al l-embraci ng
mercy. As MOLOCH or MALEK he was but an omnipotent monarch, a
t remendous and i rresponsi ble Wi l l ; as ADONA, only an arbit rary LORD
and Master; as AL Shada, pot ent and a DESTROYER.
To communicat e true and correct ideas in respect oI the Dei ty was one
chieI object oI the mysteries. In t hem, Khrm the Ki ng, and Khrm the
Master, obtai ned their knowledge oI hi m and hi s at tri butes; and in t hem
t hat knowledge was t aught t o Moses and Pythagoras.
WhereIore nothi ng Iorbi ds you to consi der t he whole legend oI t hi s
Degree, l ike that oI the Master' s, an al legory, representi ng t he
perpet uat ion oI t he knowledge oI the True God in the sanct uari es oI
i ni t i ati on. By t he subterranean vault s you may understand t he places oI
i ni t i ati on, which in the anci ent ceremoni es were generally under ground.
The Templ e oI Sol omon presented a symbolic i mage oI t he Universe; and
resembl ed, in i ts arrangement s and Iurnit ure, al l the temples oI t he
anci ent
nati ons that practi sed the myst eri es. The system oI numbers was
i nt i mately connected wi th their religions and worshi p, and has come down
t o us i n Masonry; t hough t he esoteric meani ng wit h which the numbers
used by us are pregnant i s unknown to the vast maj ority oI those who use
t hem. Those numbers were especi ally employed that had a reIerence t o
t he Dei ty, represent ed his attri but es, or Iigured i n t he
Irame-work oI t he worl d, in t i me and space, and Iormed more or less the
bases oI that Irame-work. These were uni versally regarded as sacred,
being the expressi on oI order and intel l igence, t he utt erances oI Di vi nity
Hi msel I.
The Holy oI Holi es oI t he Templ e Iormed a cube; i n whi ch, drawn on a
plane surIace, t here are 4 3 2 9 l i nes visi ble, and three sides or
Iaces. It corresponded wi th the number Iour, by whi ch t he ancients
present ed Nat ure, i t bei ng t he number oI subst ances or corporeal Iorms,
and oI t he element s, the cardinal poi nts and seasons, and the secondary
colors. The number t hree everywhere represented the Supreme Bei ng.
Hence the name oI t he Dei ty, engraven upon t he t ri angul ar plate, and that
sunken into the cube oI agate, taught the anci ent Mason, and teaches us,
t hat the true knowledge oI God, oI His nature and His at tribut es is wri tt en
by Hi m upon t he l eaves oI the great Book oI Universal Nature, and may
be
read t here by all who are endowed wi t h t he requisi te amount oI i ntel l ect
and i ntelli gence. Thi s knowledge oI God, so writ ten t here, and oI which
Masonry has i n al l ages been the interpreter, is t he Mast er Mason' s Word.
Wi t hi n the Temple, all t he arrangement s were myst ical ly and symbol ical ly
connect ed wi t h t he same system. The vault or cei l i ng, st arred li ke t he
Iirmament , was support ed by t wel ve col umns, represent ing the twelve
mont hs oI the year. The border that ran around the columns represent ed
t he zodi ac, and one oI the t wel ve cel est i al si gns was appropri ated to each
column. The brazen sea was support ed by t wel ve oxen, t hree looki ng t o
each cardi nal point oI the compass.
And so i n our day every Masonic Lodge represent s the Uni verse. Each
extends, we are told, Irom t he ri sing to the sett ing sun, Irom t he Sout h t o
t he Nort h, Irom t he surIace oI the Eart h to the Heavens, and Irom t he
same to t he cent re oI t he gl obe. In i t are represented the sun, moon, and
st ars; three great torches in the East, West, and Sout h, Iorming a t ri angl e,
gi ve i t li ght : and, li ke t he Delta or Triangle suspended i n t he East , and
i ncl osing the IneIIable Name, indicat e, by t he mat hemat ical equal ity oI
t he
angl es and si des, t he beaut iIul and harmonious proporti ons whi ch govern
i n t he aggregate and detai ls oI the Uni verse; whi l e t hose sides and angles
represent, by their number, three, the Trinity oI Power, Wisdom, and
Harmony, which presided at t he buil di ng oI thi s marvel l ous work These
t hree great l ight s al so represent the
great mystery oI the three pri nci ples, oI creati on, di ssol uti on or
dest ructi on,
and reproduct i on or regenerati on, consecrated by al l creeds i n t hei r
numerous
Trinit ies.
The luminous pedest al, li ght ed by t he perpet ual Ilame wi thi n, is a symbol
oI
t hat li ght oI Reason, given by God to man, by which he is enabl ed t o read
i n
t he Book oI Nat ure t he record oI t he thought, the revelat ion oI t he
at tributes oI
t he Dei ty.
The three Masters, Adoni ram, Joabert, and Stolki n, are types oI t he True
Mason, who seeks Ior knowledge Irom pure mot i ves, and t hat he may be
t he
better enabled t o serve and beneIi t his Iel low-men; whi le the di scont ented
and presumpt uous Masters who were buri ed i n the ruins oI the arches
represent those who stri ve t o acquire i t Ior unholy purposes, t o gai n
power
over their Iel lows, to grat iIy t heir pri de, their vanity, or t heir ambi ti on.
The Lion t hat guarded t he Ark and held in hi s mout h the key wherewi t h t o
open it , Iigurat ively represents Solomon, t he Lion oI t he Tri be oI Judah,
who
preserved and communi cated the key to the true knowledge oI God, oI His
l aws, and oI the proIound myst eries oI the moral and physical Uni verse.
ENOCH | Khanc|, we are told, wal ked wit h God three hundred years,
aIter reaching the age oI si xty-Ii ve - "walked wi th God, and he was no
more,
Ior God had taken hi m. " His name signiIied in the Hebrew, INITIATE or
INITIATOR. The l egend oI the col umns, oI granite and brass or bronze,
erected by hi m, is probably symbol ical . That oI bronze, which survi ved
t he
Ilood, i s supposed to symbol ize the myst eri es, oI whi ch Masonry is the
l egit i mate successor - Irom the earl iest t i mes the cust odi an and deposi tory
oI
t he great phi l osophi cal and rel igi ous trut hs, unknown t o t he worl d at
l arge,
and handed down Irom age to age by an unbroken current oI tradi t i on,
embodied in symbol s, embl ems, and all egories.
The legend oI t hi s Degree is t hus, parti ally, i nt erpret ed. It i s oI l it tl e
i mport ance whether it i s in anywise hist ori cal. For it s val ue consist s i n
t he
l essons which i t inculcates, and t he duti es which it prescri bes t o those
who
receive it . The parables and all egori es oI t he Scriptures are not l ess
valuable
t han hi story. Nay, they are more so, because anci ent hi story i s l i t tl e
i nstruct i ve, and t ruths are concealed i n and symboli zed by t he l egend and
t he
myth.
There are proIounder meani ngs concealed in t he symbols oI thi s Degree,
connect ed wi t h t he phil osophi cal system oI the Hebrew
Kabal i st s, whi ch you wil l learn hereaIt er, i I you shoul d be so Iortunate as
t o advance. They are unIolded i n t he higher Degrees. The li on |
Arai, Arai ah, whi ch al so means t he altar| st il l hol ds i n hi s mouth t he key
oI
t he enigma oI t he sphynx.
But t here is one appl icat ion oI t hi s Degree, t hat you are now ent it led to
know; and which, rememberi ng that Khrm, t he Master, i s the symbol oI
human Ireedom, you woul d probably di scover Ior yourselI.
It is not enough Ior a people t o gain it s l iberty. It must secure i t. It must
not
i ntrust i t to the keeping, or hol d i t at t he pleasure, oI any one man. The
keystone oI t he Royal Arch oI the great Temple oI Li berty i s a
Iundamental
l aw, charter, or consti tut i on; t he expression oI t he Ii xed habit s oI t hought
oI
t he peopl e, embodi ed i n a wri tt en i nst rument , or the resul t oI t he sl ow
accreti ons and t he consol idati on oI cent uries; the same in war as i n
peace; t hat cannot be hast ily changed, nor be vi olated wit h i mpunity, but
i s
sacred, li ke t he Ark oI t he Covenant oI God, which none could t ouch and
l ive.
A permanent consti tut i on, rooted i n t he aIIect i ons, expressi ng t he wil l
and
j udgment , and buil t upon the inst i nct s and set tl ed habi ts oI thought oI t he
peopl e, wi th an independent judiciary, an elect ive legi slat ure oI two
branches, an executi ve responsibl e t o the peopl e, and the right oI t ri al by
j ury, wi ll guarant ee the li berti es oI a peopl e, i I i t be vi rt uous and
t emperate,
wi thout l uxury, and wi thout t he l ust oI conquest and domi ni on, and the
Iol l i es oI vi sionary t heories oI i mpossi ble perIect i on.
Masonry teaches it s Ini tiates t hat the pursuit s and occupati ons oI this l i Ie,
i ts act ivity, care, and i ngenui ty, t he predest ined development s oI the
nature gi ven us by God, t end to promote Hi s great desi gn, in making the
worl d; and are not at war wi th the great purpose oI l iIe. It t eaches t hat
everyt hi ng i s beaut iIul i n i ts ti me, in i ts place, in i ts appoi nted oIIi ce;
t hat
everyt hi ng which man is put t o do, iI right ly and Iai t hIully done,
naturally
helps to work out hi s sal vat i on; t hat i I he obeys t he genuine principl es oI
his cal li ng, he wil l be a good man: and t hat it i s only by neglect and
nonperIormance
oI t he task set Ior hi m by Heaven, by wandering i nt o i dle
dissi pat i on, or by viol at i ng thei r beneIicent and l oIty spiri t, that he
becomes
a bad man. The appoi nt ed act i on oI li Ie i s t he great traini ng oI
Provi dence;
and i I man yiel ds hi mselI
t o i t , he wil l need neit her churches nor ordinances, except Ior the
expressi on oI his reli gious homage and grati t ude.
For there i s a reli gion oI t oil . It is not al l drudgery, a mere st ret chi ng oI
t he
l i mbs and st rai ni ng oI the sinews to tasks. It has a meani ng and an i ntent.
A l iving heart pours l iIe-blood int o the toil i ng arm; and warm aIIect ions
i nspi re and mi ngle wit h man' s labors. They are the home aIIect ions. Labor
t oi l s a-Ii eld, or pli es i ts task in cit ies, or urges t he keels oI commerce
over
wi de oceans; but home is it s centre; and thit her i t ever goes wi th i t s
earnings, wit h t he means oI support and comIort Ior ot hers; oIIerings
sacred t o t he thought oI every true man, as a sacriIi ce at a golden shrine.
Many Iaul t s t here are amidst the toi l s oI l iIe; many harsh and hasty words
are ut tered; but st il l the t oi l s go on, weary and hard and exasperati ng as
t hey oIt en are. For i n t hat home i s age or si ckness, or hel pl ess i nIancy, or
gent le chi ldhood, or Ieebl e woman, t hat must not want . II man had no
other t han mere selIish i mpulses, the scene oI labor which we behol d
around us would not exi st.
The advocat e who Iai rly and honest ly present s hi s case, wit h Ieeli ng oI
t rue selI-respect , honor, and conscience, to hel p the tri bunal on t owards
t he right concl usion, wit h a convict i on t hat God' s j ust ice reigns there, is
act ing a religious part , leadi ng that day reli gious l iIe; or else right and
j ust ice are no part oI rel igi on Whether, duri ng al l that day, he has once
appeal ed, i n Iorm or in terms, t o his conscience, or not ; whet her he has
once spoken oI rel igi on and God, or not ; iI there has been the i nward
purpose, the consci ous intent and desi re, t hat sacred j ust ice should
t ri umph, he has t hat day led a good and religious l iIe, and made most a
essent ial contribut ion t o t hat rel igi on oI l iIe and oI soci ety, the cause oI
equity between man and man, and oI truth and right act ion i n t he worl d.
Books, to be oI rel igi ous tendency i n the Masonic sense, need not be
books oI sermons, oI pious exerci ses, or oI prayers. What ever i ncul cates
pure, noble, and pat ri ot ic senti ments, or t ouches the heart wit h t he beauty
oI virtue, and t he excell ence oI an upri ght l iIe, accords wit h t he rel igi on
oI
Masonry, and is t he Gospel oI l it erat ure and art . That Gospel i s preached
Irom many a book and pai nti ng, Irom many a poem and Ii ct ion, and
review
and newspaper; and i t i s a pai nIul error and mi serable narrowness, not to
recogni ze t hese wide-spread agenci es oI Heaven' s provi ding; not
t o see and welcome t hese many-handed coadjutors, to the great and good
cause. The oracl es oI God do not speak Irom the pulpit alone.
There i s also a religion oI society. In business, t here is much more than
sal e, exchange, price, payment ; Ior t here is the sacred Iai th oI man i n
man. When we repose perIect conIi dence i n the integrity oI another; when
we Ieel that he wi ll not swerve Irom t he right, Irank, st raight Iorward,
conscienti ous course, Ior any temptat ion; hi s i ntegri ty and
conscienti ousness are t he i mage oI God t o us; and when we bel ieve in it ,
i t i s as great and generous an act, as when we beli eve in the rect it ude oI
t he Dei ty.
In gay assembl ies Ior amusement , t he good aIIecti ons oI li Ie gush and
mingle. II t hey did not, these gatheri ng-places woul d be as dreary and
repul sive as t he caves and dens oI out laws and robbers. When Iriends
meet , and hands are warmly pressed, and t he eye ki ndl es and t he
count enance i s suIIused wi t h gladness, t here is a rel igi on between t heir
hearts; and each loves and worshi ps t he True and Good t hat i s in t he
other. It is not poli cy, or sel I-interest, or selIi shness t hat spreads such a
charm around that meet ing, but the hal o oI bri ght and beaut iIul aIIect ion.
The same splendor oI ki ndly li king, and aIIect i onat e regard, shi nes l ike
t he
soIt overarching sky, over al l t he world; over al l pl aces where men meet,
and wal k or toi l together; not over lovers' bowers and marri age-al t ars
al one, not over the homes oI purity and t enderness al one; but over al l
t il led Ii elds, and busy workshops, and dusty highways, and paved streets.
There i s not a worn st one upon t he si dewal ks, but has been the alt ar oI
such oIIeri ngs oI mut ual ki ndness; nor a wooden pi ll ar or iron rail ing
agai nst whi ch heart s beat ing wit h aIIect i on have not leaned. How many
soever other element s there are in t he stream oI l iIe Ilowing through t hese
channel s, t hat is surely here and everywhere; honest , heartIelt ,
disi nterested, i nexpressi bl e aIIect ion.
Every Masonic Lodge i s a t emple oI rel igi on; and i t s teachi ngs are
i nstruct i on i n rel igi on. For here are i ncul cated di sinterestedness,
aIIect ion,
t olerat ion, devot edness, pat ri ot i sm, t ruth, a generous sympat hy wi t h t hose
who suIIer and mourn, pity Ior the Iall en, mercy Ior the erri ng, reli eI Ior
t hose in want , Fait h, Hope, and Charity. Here we meet as bret hren, t o
l earn to know and l ove each ot her. Here we greet each other gladly, are
l enient to each other' s Iaul ts, regardIul oI each other' s Ieel ings, ready t o
reli eve
each ot her' s want s. Thi s i s t he t rue rel igi on revealed to the anci ent
patri archs; which Masonry has t aught Ior many cent uries, and whi ch i t
wi ll
conti nue to teach as l ong as ti me endures. II unwort hy passi ons, or
sel Ii sh, bit ter, or revengeIul Ieel i ngs, contempt , disl ike, hatred, enter
here,
t hey are i ntruders and n t welcome, strangers uninvit ed, and not guest s.
Certai nly t here are many evi ls and bad passi ons, and much hate and
contempt and unkindness everywhere in the worl d. We cannot reIuse t o
see t he evil -that i s i n l iIe. But all is not evi l . We st i ll see God i n t he
worl d.
There i s good ami dst t he evil . The hand oI mercy leads wealt h to the
hovel s oI poverty and sorrow. Truth and si mpl ici ty li ve amid many wiles
and sophi st ries. There are good heart s underneath gay robes, and under
t att ered garment s also.
Love clasps t he hand oI love, amid al l t he envyings and dist ract ions oI
showy competi ti on; Iidelity, pity, and sympat hy hol d t he l ong ni ght-wat ch
by t he bedsi de oI t he suIIeri ng neighbor, amidst the surrounding poverty
and squali d mi sery. Devot ed men go Irom ci ty to city t o nurse those
smi t ten down by t he t erri ble pesti l ence that renews at i nt ervals i ts
mysterious marches. Women wel l-born and deli cately nurt ured nursed the
wounded sol di ers in hospit al s, beIore it became Iashi onabl e t o do so; and
even poor lost women, whom God al one loves and pi ti es, tend t he
plaguest ri cken
wi th a pati ent and generous heroism. Masonry and it s ki ndred
Orders teach men t o l ove each other, Ieed t he hungry, cl othe the naked,
comIort t he si ck, and bury t he Iriendless dead. Everywhere God Ii nds and
blesses t he kindly oIIi ce, t he pi tyi ng t hought , and t he l ovi ng heart .
There i s an el ement oI good in al l men' s lawIul pursuit s and a di vi ne
spirit
breat hing i n al l thei r lawIul aIIect ions. The ground on which they tread i s
holy ground. There i s a natural rel igi on oI l i Ie, answeri ng, wit h however
many a broken tone, to the religion oI nature. There is a beauty and gl ory
i n Humanity. , in man, answeri ng, wit h however many a mi ngli ng shade, to
t he l oveli ness oI soIt landscapes and swel l i ng hil ls, and the wondrous
Men may be virt uous, selI-i mproving, and reli gious i n t hei r empl oyment s.
Preci sely Ior that , those employments were made. Al l their social
relat i ons,
Iri endship, l ove , t he ties oI Iamily, were made t o be holy. They may be
reli gious, not by a ki nd oI prot est
and resist ance against thei r several vocat i ons; but by conIormi ty t o their
t rue spi ri t. Those vocat ions do not excl ude rel igi on; but demand it , Ior
t heir
own perIecti on. They may be religious l aborers, whet her in Iiel d or
Iactory;
reli gious physici ans, lawyers, sculptors, poet s, pai nters, and musici ans.
They may be reli gious i n al l the toil s and i n al l the amusement s oI l iIe.
Thei r li Ie may be a reli gion; the broad eart h i ts alt ar; i ts i ncense the very
breat h oI l iIe; it s Iires ever ki ndl ed by t he bri ght ness oI Heaven.
Bound up wi t h our poor, Irai l l iIe, i s t he mighty thought t hat spurns the
narrow span oI al l vi sibl e exist ence. Ever the soul reaches outward, and
asks Ior Ireedom. It looks Iort h Irom the narrow and grat ed wi ndows oI
sense, upon the wide i mmeasurable creati on; i t knows t hat around it and
beyond it l i e out stretched t he i nIinite and everlast ing pat hs.
Everyt hing wi thi n us and wi thout us ought to sti r our minds t o admi rat ion
and wonder. We are a myst ery encompassed wi t h mysteries. The
connect ion oI mi nd wit h matt er i s a myst ery; t he wonderIul tel egraphic
communi cati on bet ween t he brai n and every part oI t he body, the power
and act ion oI t he wil l. Every Iamil iar step i s more than a st ory i n a land
oI
enchant ment . The power oI movement i s as myst eri ous as the power oI
t hought . Memory, and dreams t hat are the indi sti nct echoes oI dead
memories are ali ke i nexpl icabl e. Universal harmony spri ngs Irom inIinit e
compl icat ion. The momentum oI every step we take in our dwell ing
contri butes in part to the order oI t he Universe. We are connected by ti es
oI t hought , and even oI matt er and it s Iorces, wi th the whole boundl ess
Universe and al l the past and comi ng generat ions oI men.
The humblest object beneath our eye as compl etely deIies our scrut i ny as
t he economy oI t he most distant star. Every leaI and every blade oI grass
holds wi thin it selI secret s which no human penet rat ion wi l l ever Iathom.
No
man can tel l what i s it s pri nciple oI li Ie. No man can know what hi s
power
oI secreti on is. Bot h are inscrutabl e mysteri es. Wherever we pl ace our
hand we lay it upon the l ocked bosom oI myst ery. St ep where we wi ll , we
t read upon wonders. The sea-sands, the clods oI t he Iield, t he wat er-worn
pebbl es on the hi ll s, the rude masses oI rock, are t raced over and over, in
every directi on, wi th a handwrit ing ol der and more signi Ii cant and
subli me
t han all t he anci ent rui ns, and al l the overt hrown and buried cit ies t hat
past
generati ons
have leIt upon the eart h; Ior it i s the handwrit ing oI the Al mighty.
A Mason' s great business wi th li Ie is to read the book oI it s teaching; t o
Iind t hat li Ie is not t he doing oI drudgeri es, but the hearing oI oracles.
The
old mythology i s but a leaI in t hat book; Ior it peopled t he worl d wit h
spirit ual nat ures; and science, many-leaved, st il l spreads beIore us t he
same tal e oI wonder.
We shal l be just as happy hereaIt er, as we are pure and upri ght , and no
more, j ust as happy as our character prepares us to be, and no more. Our
moral, li ke our ment al character, is nut Iormed in a moment; i t i s t he
habit
oI our mi nds; the resul t oI many t hought s and Ieel ings and eIIorts, bound
t oget her by many nat ural and strong t ies. The great l aw oI Retributi on i s,
t hat all coming experience is t o be aIIect ed by every present Ieeli ng;
every
Iut ure moment oI being must answer Ior every present moment ; one
moment , sacri Iiced to vice, or l ost t o i mprovement, is Iorever sacri Ii ced
and l ost; an hour' s del ay t o enter the right path, i s to put us back so Iar,
i n
t he everlasti ng pursuit oI happi ness; and every sin, even oI t he best men,
i s t o be thus answered Ior, i I not accordi ng t o t he Iul l measure oI it s
i ll desert,
yet accordi ng t o a rule oI unbendi ng recti tude and i mpart ial i ty.
The law oI ret ri but i on presses upon every m an, whet her he thinks oI i t or
not. It pursues hi m t hrough all t he courses oI li Ie, wi th a step t hat never
Ialt ers nor t ires, and wi th an eye that never sleeps. II it were not so,
God' s
government woul d not be i mpart ial ; ' there woul d be no di scri mi nat ion; no
moral domini on; no light shed upon t he mysteri es oI Providence.
Whatsoever a man sowet h, that, and not somet hi ng el se, shal l he reap.
That which we are doing, good or evil , grave or gay, that which we do
t oday
and shal l do to-morrow; each thought , each Ieeli ng, each act i on, each
event; every passing hour, every breat hi ng moment; al l are contri but ing to
Iorm the charact er according to whi ch we are to be j udged. Every part icl e
oI i nIluence t hat goes t o Iorm that aggregate, - our character, - wil l, i n
t hat
Iut ure scrut i ny, be siIted out Irom the mass; and, part icl e by parti cle, wit h
ages perhaps interveni ng, Ial l a di st i nct contribut i on to t he sum oI our
j oys
or woes. Thus every idl e word and idle hour wi ll give answer in the
j udgment .
Let us take care, thereIore, what we sow. An evil t emptat ion comes upon
us; t he opport uni ty oI unri ght eous gain, or oI unhal lowed
i ndulgence, ei ther i n t he sphere oI business or pl easure, oI soci ety or
soli tude. We yield; and pl ant a seed oI bit terness and sorrow. To-morrow
i t
wi ll t hreaten di scovery. Agi t ated and alarmed, we cover the si n, and bury
i t
deep i n Ialsehood and hypocri sy. In the bosom where it l ies concealed, i n
t he Iert il e soi l oI ki ndred vi ces, t hat sin di es not , but t hri ves and grows;
and
other and st il l other germs oI evi l gather around t he accursed root; unt i l,
Irom that si ngle seed oI corrupt ion, there spri ngs up i n t he soul al l t hat i s
horri ble in habi tual lying, knavery, or vice. Loathi ngly, oIten, we take
each
downward st ep; but a Iright Iul power urges us onward; and the hel l oI
debt, di sease, i gnominy, or remorse gat hers it s shadows around Our
st eps even on earth; and are yet but t he beginnings oI sorrows. The evi l
deed may be done in a si ngle moment ; but conscience never di es,
memory never sl eeps; guil t never can become innocence; and remorse
can never whi sper peace.
Beware, t hou who art t empt ed to evi l! Beware what t hou layest up Ior t he
Iut ure! Beware what t hou layest up i n the archi ves oI eternity! Wrong not
t hy neighbor! lest the t hought oI hi m thou inj urest, and who suIIers by
t hy
act , be to t hee a pang which years wi l l not depri ve oI it s bi tt erness! Break
not int o the house oI i nnocence, to ri Il e i t oI it s t reasure; lest when many
years have passed over t hee, the moan oI i ts dist ress may not have di ed
away Irom thine ear! Bui ld not the desol ate throne oI ambit ion i n thy
heart ;
nor be busy wit h devices, and circumvent ings, and selIi sh schemings; l est
desol at ion and l onel iness be on thy pat h, as it st ret ches i nt o t he l ong
Iut urity! Live not a useless, an i mpi ous, or an i nj urious li Ie! Ior bound up
wi th t hat l i Ie is t he i mmut abl e pri nciple oI an endless retri but ion, and
el ement s oI God' s creat ing, whi ch wil l never spend t heir Iorce, but
conti nue ever to unIol d wi th the ages oI eterni ty. Be not deceived! God
has Iormed t hy nature, thus t o answer to the Iuture. Hi s law can never be
abrogat ed, nor Hi s j usti ce el uded; and Iorever and ever it wi l l be true,
t hat
"What soever a man soweth, t hat also he shall reap.

XIV. GRAND ELECT, PERFECT, AND SUBLIME
MASON.
|PerIect El u. |
It is Ior each indi vidual Mason to di scover t he secret oI Ma-
sonry, by reIlect ion upon it s symbol s and a wi se considerat ion and
analysi s oI what i s sai d and done i n the work. Masonry does not
i ncul cate her trut hs. She stat es t hem, once and brieIly; or hint s
t hem, perhaps, darkly; or i nterposes a cl oud bet ween t hem and
eyes that would be dazzled by them. "Seek, and ye shal l Ii nd,"
knowl edge and t he t ruth.
The pract ical obj ect oI Masonry is the physi cal and moral
amel i orati on and the int el lect ual and spirit ual i mprovement oI
i ndi vi dual s and soci ety. Neit her can be eIIect ed, except by t he
dissemi nat ion oI truth. It i s Ial sehood i n doct ri nes and Ial l acy
i n pri nci ples, t o whi ch most oI the mi seri es oI men and t he mis-
Iortunes oI nati ons are owing. Publ ic opini on is rarely right on
any point ; and there are and al ways wi l l be i mportant trut hs t o
be subst it ut ed i n that opinion i n the place oI many errors and
absurd and injuri ous prej udices. There are Iew t ruths that public
opinion has not at some t i me hat ed and persecut ed as heresi es;
and Iew errors t hat have not at some t i me seemed to i t trut hs radi-
ant Irom t he i mmediate presence oI God. There are moral mala-
dies, al so, oI man and society, the treat ment oI which requires not
only boldness, but al so, and more, prudence and di scret ion; since
t hey are more the Irui t oI Ialse and perni cious doctrines, moral,
poli t ical , and religious, t han oI vi cious i ncl inat ions.
Much oI t he Masonic secret maniIests i tsel I, wi thout speech
reveali ng it to hi m who even part i ally comprehends al l t he De-
grees in proport ion as he receives them; and parti cularly t o t hose
who advance t o the highest Degrees oI the Ancient and Accepted
Scot ti sh Ri te. That Ri t e rai ses a corner oI t he veil , even i n the
Degree oI Apprent ice; Ior it t here declares t hat Masonry i s a
worship.
Masonry labors t o i mprove the social order by enl ightening
men' s mi nds, warming t heir heart s wit h t he love oI t he good, i n-
spiring them wit h t he great pri nci ple oI human Irat erni ty, and
requi ri ng oI it s di sciples t hat t heir l anguage and act ions shall con-
Iorm to that pri nci pl e, t hat they shal l enli ght en each ot her, con-
t rol thei r passi ons, abhor vi ce, and pi ty t he vi ci ous man as one
aIIl ict ed wi t h a depl orable mal ady.
It is t he uni versal, eternal , i mmut able rel igi on, such as God
plant ed it in t he heart oI universal humani ty. No creed has ever
been l ong-li ved that was not buil t on this Ioundat ion. It i s t he
base, and they are the superst ruct ure. "Pure rel igi on and unde-
Iil ed beIore God and t he Father is t hi s, t o visi t the Iat herless and
wi dows i n t heir aIIlicti on, and to keep hi msel I unspott ed Irom the
worl d." "Is not t his t he Iast t hat I have chosen ? to l oose t he
bands oI wi ckedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to l et the
oppressed go Iree, and t hat ye break every yoke ?" The mi ni sters
oI t hi s religion are all Masons who comprehend it and are devoted
t o i t ; i ts sacri Iices to God are good works, t he sacriIices oI t he
base and disorderly passi ons, t he oIIeri ng up oI sel I-i nterest on
t he al tar oI humanity, and perpet ual eIIort s to at tai n t o al l the
moral perIecti on oI whi ch man is capabl e.
To make honor and duty the steady beacon-l ights t hat shal l
guide your l iIe-vessel over the stormy seas oI ti me; to do t hat
which it i s right t o do, not because it wil l i nsure you success, or
bri ng wi th i t a reward, or gain t he applause oI men, or be "the
best poli cy," more prudent or more advisabl e; but because it i s
right, and thereIore ought t o be done; t o war i ncessant ly agai nst
error, i nt olerance, ignorance, and vi ce, and yet t o pity t hose who
err, t o be t olerant even oI i nt olerance, to teach the ignorant, and
t o l abor t o reclai m the vi cious, are some oI the dut ies oI a Mason.
A good Mason i s one t hat can l ook upon deat h, and see it s Iace
wi th t he same countenance wi t h whi ch he hears i ts st ory; that
can endure al l the labors oI hi s l iIe wi th hi s soul support ing hi s
body, t hat can equal ly despi se riches when he hath them and
when he hat h t hem not; that i s, not sadder i I they are in hi s nei gh-
bor' s exchequer, nor more l iIted up iI t hey shine around about hi s
own wal ls; one t hat is not moved wi th good Iortune coming to
hi m, nor goi ng Irom hi m; that can look upon anot her man' s lands
wi th equani mity and pleasure, as iI t hey were his own; and yet
l ook upon hi s own, and use them too, j ust as i I they were anot her
man' s; t hat nei t her spends his goods prodigally and Iool i shly, nor
yet keeps them avari ciously and li ke a mi ser; t hat weighs not
beneIi ts by wei ght and number, but by the mi nd and circumst ances
oI hi m who conIers t hem; t hat never t hi nks hi s charity expen-
si ve, iI a wort hy person be the recei ver; that does nothing Ior
opinion' s sake, but everythi ng Ior conscience, bei ng as careIul oI
his t hought s as oI hi s act ing i n markets and t heatres, and in as
much awe oI hi mselI as oI a whol e assembly; t hat i s, bount i Iul
and cheerIul to hi s Iriends, and chari table and apt to Iorgi ve his
enemi es; t hat loves his count ry, consult s i ts honor, and obeys i ts
l aws, and desires and endeavors not hi ng more t han that he may
do his duty and honor God. And such a Mason may reckon hi s
l iIe t o be the l iIe oI a man, and comput e hi s mont hs, not by
t he course oI the sun, but by the zodi ac and ci rcl e oI hi s vir-
t ues.
The whol e worl d i s but one republ ic, oI whi ch each nat ion i s a
Iami ly, and every indi vidual a chi ld. Masonry, not i n anywi se
derogat ing Irom t he diIIering duti es whi ch the di versi ty oI stat es
requi res, tends t o create a new people, whi ch, composed oI men oI
many nat i ons and tongues, shall al l be bound t oget her by t he
bonds oI science, morali ty, and virtue.
Essent ial ly phi lanthropic, phil osophical , and progressi ve, i t has
Ior the basi s oI i ts dogma a Iirm bel ieI in t he exist ence oI God
and his providence, and oI the i mmort ali ty oI the soul; Ior it s
object , the disseminati on oI moral , pol it i cal , phi losophi cal, and
reli gious t ruth, and t he practi ce oI al l the vi rt ues. In every age,
i ts devi ce has been, "Li berty, Equali ty, Frat erni ty," wi t h consti tu-
t ional government, l aw, order, di scipl ine, and subordi nat i on to
l egit i mate authority--government and not anarchy.
But i t is neit her a poli ti cal party nor a reli gious sect . It
braces al l part ies and all sects, to Iorm Irom among them all a vast
Irat ernal associ ati on. It recognizes the di gni ty oI human nat ure,
and man' s right to such Ireedom as he is Ii tt ed Ior; and it
knows not hi ng t hat should pl ace one man bel ow anot her, except
i gnorance, debasement, and cri me, and t he necessi ty oI subordina-
t ion t o lawIul wi ll and aut hori ty.
It is phi lanthropic; Ior it recogni zes t he great truth t hat all
men are oI t he same origi n, have common i nterests, and should
co-operate together t o the same end.
ThereIore i t teaches it s members t o l ove one anot her, to give to
each ot her mut ual assi stance and support i n al l the circumst ances
oI l i Ie, to share each other' s pains and sorrows, as wel l as their
j oys and pleasures; to guard t he reputat ions, respect the opini ons,
and be perIect ly tol erant oI the errors, oI each ot her, in mat ters
oI Iait h and beli eIs.
It is phi li sophical because i t t eaches t he great Truths concern-
i ng t he nature and exist ence oI one Supreme Dei ty, and the exi st-
ence and i mmort al i ty oI the soul. It revi ves t he Academy oI
Plat o and the wise teachi ngs oI Socrates. It rei terates t he max-
i ms oI Pythagoras, ConIuci us, and Zoroaster, and reverenti ally
enIorces t he subli me lessons oI Hi m who died upon the Cross.
The ancients t hought t hat uni versal humanity act ed under t he
i nIl uence oI t wo opposing Pri nci ples, the Good and t he Evi l : oI
which the Good urged men t oward Trut h, Independence, and De-
votedness and t he Evi l toward Fal sehood, Servi li ty, and Sel Ii sh-
ness. Masonry represents the Good Pri nci pl e and constant ly wars
agai nst the evi l one. It i s t he Hercul es, t he Osi ri s, the Apol lo, t he
Mi thras, and the Ormuzd, at everl asti ng and deadly Ieud wi th
t he demons oI i gnorance, brutal ity, baseness, Ialsehood, slavish-
ness oI soul, intol erance, superst it ion, tyranny, meanness, t he in-
solence oI wealt h, and bigotry.
When despot ism and superst it ion, t wi n-powers oI evil and dark-
ness, reigned everywhere and seemed invi ncible and i mmortal , it
i nvented, t o avoid persecut ion, the myst eri es, t hat is to say, t he
al legory, t he symbol, and the emblem, and t ransmi t t ed i ts doc-
t ri nes by t he secret mode oI i nit iati on. Now, ret aining it s anci ent
symbol s, and in part i ts ancient ceremonies, i t displays i n every
ci vi li zed country i ts banner, on whi ch i n let ters oI l iving light it s
great pri nci ples are wri tten; and it smiles at the puny eIIort s oI
kings and popes to crush i t out by excommunicat ion and i nter-
dict ion.
Man' s vi ews i n regard to God, wil l contain only so much posi -
t ive trut h as the human mi nd is capable oI recei vi ng; whet her
t hat trut h is at tai ned by the exercise oI reason, or communi cated
by revelat ion. It must necessari ly be bot h l i mit ed and all oyed, to
bri ng i t wit hi n t he competence oI Ii ni te human i ntell igence. Be-
i ng Ii nit e, we can Iorm no correct or adequate idea oI the InIini te;
being material, we can Iorm no clear concepti on oI t he Spi rit ual.
We do beli eve in and know t he i nIini ty oI Space and Ti me, and
t he spirit ual ity oI t he Soul ; but the idea oI t hat inIi ni ty and
spirit ual i ty eludes us. Even Omnipotence cannot inIuse inIi ni te
concept ions i nto Iini t e mi nds; nor can God, wi thout Iirst enti rely
changing the condit ions oI our bei ng, pour a complete and Iul l
knowl edge oI His own nature and attri but es into t he narrow
capaci ty oI a human soul. Human int ell igence coul d not grasp
i t, nor human l anguage express i t . The visi ble is, necessarily, t he
measure oI the i nvi si ble.
The consci ousness oI the i ndi vi dual reveals it sel I alone. Hi s
knowl edge cannot pass beyond t he l i mi t s oI his own bei ng. His
concept ions oI other t hi ngs and ot her bei ngs are only hi s concep-
t ions. They are not those thi ngs or bei ngs t hemsel ves. The li ving
pri nci ple oI a l ivi ng Uni verse must be INFINITE; whi le all our
i deas and concepti ons are Ii ni te, and appl icable only t o Ii nite bei ngs.
The Deity i s thus not an obj ect oI knowledge, but oI Iai th; not
t o be approached by t he understandi ng, but by the moral sense;
not to be concei ved, but t o be Ielt . Al l attempt s t o embrace the
InIinit e i n t he concept ion oI t he Finit e are, and must be only ac-
commodat i ons t o t he Irail ty oI man. Shrouded Irom human com-
prehension i n an obscuri ty Irom which a chastened i magi nat ion i s
awed back, and Thought retreats i n conscious weakness, the
Di vi ne Nat ure i s a t heme on whi ch man is l it tl e entit led t o dog-
mati ze. Here the phi losophi c Intel lect becomes most pai nIully
aware oI i ts own insuIIiciency.
And yet i t is here that man most dogmat i zes, classi Ii es and de-
scribes God' s att ri butes, makes out hi s map oI God' s nat ure, and
his i nventory oI God' s quali ti es, Ieeli ngs, i mpul ses, and passions;
and t hen hangs and burns his brother, who, as dogmatically as he,
makes out a di IIerent map and invent ory. The common under-
st andi ng has no humi li ty. Its God i s an incarnat e Di vi nity. Im-
perIect ion i mposes i ts own li mi tat ions on t he Illi mi table, and
cl ot hes t he Inconcei vabl e Spirit oI t he Uni verse in Iorms that
come wi t hin t he grasp oI t he senses and the intel l ect , and are
deri ved Irom that i nIini t e and i mperIect nat ure which is but God' s
creati on.
We are al l oI us, though not all equal ly, mi staken. The cher-
i shed dogmas oI each oI us are not, as we Iondly suppose, the pure
t ruth oI God; but si mply our own speci al Iorm oI error, our
guesses at t ruth, t he reIracted and Iragment ary rays oI l ight t hat
have Iallen upon our own minds. Our l it t l e syst ems have t hei r
day, and cease to be; t hey are but broken li ght s oI God; and He
i s more than t hey. PerIect trut h i s not att ai nable anywhere. We
style thi s Degree t hat oI PerIecti on; and yet what i t teaches is
i mperIect and deIect ive. Yet we are not to relax i n t he pursuit
oI t ruth, nor content edly acquiesce i n error. It i s our duty al ways
t o press Iorward i n t he search; Ior though absol ut e trut h is unat-
t ainable, yet the amount oI error in our views is capable oI pro-
gressi ve and perpetual di mi nuti on; and t hus Masonry i s a con-
t inual struggle toward the l ight .
Al l errors are not equally i nnocuous. That which is most i n-
j urious i s to ent ert ain unworthy concepti ons oI t he nat ure and
at tributes oI God; and it is this t hat Masonry symboli zes by igno-
rance oI t he True Word. The true word oI a Mason i s, not t he
entire, perIect , absolut e t ruth in regard to God; but t he highest
and nobl est concept ion oI Hi m t hat our minds are capabl e oI
Iormi ng; and this word i s IneIIabl e, because one man cannot
communi cate t o anot her hi s own concepti on oI Dei ty; si nce every
man' s concept ion oI God must be proport i oned t o hi s mental cul -
t ivati on and int ell ectual powers, and moral excel lence. God i s, as
man conceives Hi m, the reIlect ed i mage oI man hi msel I.
For every man' s concepti on oI God must vary wi t h his mental
cult ivat i on and mental powers. II any one cont ent s hi msel I wit h
any lower i mage than his int ell ect is capable oI grasping, t hen he
contents hi mselI wi t h that which i s Ial se t o hi m, as well as Ialse in
Iact. II l ower t han he can reach, he must needs Ieel it to be Ial se.
And i I we, oI the ni neteenth cent ury aIt er Christ , adopt t he con-
cept ions oI the ni neteenth cent ury beIore Hi m; iI our concept i ons
oI God are t hose oI the ignorant, narrow-minded, and vi ndict ive
Israel it e; then we thi nk worse oI God, and have a lower, meaner,
and more li mi ted vi ew oI His nature, than t he Iacul ties whi ch He
has bestowed are capable oI graspi ng. The highest view we can
Iorm is nearest to the truth. II we acquiesce i n any l ower one,
we acqui esce in an unt ruth. We Ieel t hat it i s an aIIront and an
i ndi gni ty to Hi m, to concei ve oI Hi m as cruel , short-sight ed, ca-
pri ci ous, and unjust; as a jeal ous, an angry, a vi ndi ct i ve Bei ng.
When we examine our concepti ons oI His charact er, i I we can
concei ve oI a l oIti er, nobl er, higher, more beneIicent, glori ous, and
magniIicent charact er, t hen this l at t er is to us t he true concept ion
oI Deity; Ior nothing can be i magi ned more excell ent than He.
Rel igi on, t o obtain currency and i nIl uence wit h t he great mass
oI manki nd, must needs be al l oyed wi t h such an amount oI error
as t o place it Iar below the st andard at tai nabl e by the hi gher
human capaci ties. A rel igi on as pure as the loIt iest and most cul-
t ivated human reason coul d di scern, would not be comprehended
by, or eIIect ive over, t he l ess educat ed porti on oI mankind. What
i s Trut h t o the phi losopher, woul d not be Truth, nor have the
eIIect oI Truth, t o t he peasant . The reli gi on oI the many must
necessarily be more incorrect t han that oI the reIi ned and reIl ect i ve
Iew, not so much in it s essence as in it s Iorms, not so much i n the
spirit ual idea whi ch l ies lat ent at the bot t om oI it , as in t he sym-
bols and dogmas in which that i dea is embodied. The truest
reli gion woul d, in many points, not be comprehended by the igno-
rant , nor consolat ory to t hem, nor gui di ng and support i ng Ior
t hem. The doct ri nes oI the Bibl e are oIten not cl ot hed in the
l anguage oI st rict trut h, but i n t hat whi ch was Iit test t o convey
t o a rude and ignorant people t he pract ical essent ial s oI t he doc-
t ri ne. A perIectly pure Iai th, Iree Irom al l extraneous admi xt ures,
a system oI noble theism and loIty morali ty, woul d Ii nd too l it tl e
preparati on Ior it in t he common mi nd and heart , to admi t oI
prompt recepti on by the masses oI mankind; and Trut h mi ght
not have reached us, iI i t had not borrowed the wi ngs oI Error.
The Mason regards God as a Moral Governor, as well as an
Origi nal Creator; as a God at hand, and not merely one aIar oII
i n t he dist ance oI inIini t e space, and in t he remot eness oI Past
or Fut ure Et ernity. He concei ves oI Hi m as t aking a wat chIul
and presiding interest in the aIIairs oI the world, and as i nIluenc-
i ng t he heart s and act i ons oI men.
To hi m, God i s the great Source oI the World oI Li Ie and Mat -
t er; and man, wit h his wonderIul corporeal and ment al Irame,
Hi s direct work. He bel ieves that God has made men wi th di IIer-
ent i nt ell ectual capaci ti es, and enabled some, by superi or i ntel lect -
ual power, to see and origi nate trut hs whi ch are hi dden Irom t he
mass oI men. He bel ieves that when it is Hi s wil l that manki nd
shoul d make some great step Iorward, or achi eve some pregnant
discovery, He cal l s i nto bei ng some int ell ect oI more than ordi -
nary magni tude and power, to give bi rt h t o new i deas, and
grander concepti ons oI t he Trut hs vi t al to Humani ty.
We hol d that God has so ordered mat t ers i n t hi s beaut i Iul and
harmoni ous, but myst eri ously-governed Universe, that one great
mind aIter another wi l l arise, Irom t i me t o t i me, as such are
needed, to reveal t o men the trut hs t hat are want ed, and t he
amount oI trut h t han can be borne. He so arranges, that nat ure
and t he course oI event s shal l send men into the worl d, endowed
wi th t hat higher ment al and moral organi zat ion, i n which grand
t ruths, and subli me gleams oI spi ri tual l ight wil l spont aneously
and i nevi tably ari se. These speak t o men by inspirati on.
Whatever Hiram real ly was, he is t he type, perhaps an i mag-
i nary type, t o us, oI humani ty i n i ts highest phase; an exemplar
oI what man may and should become, in the course oI ages, in hi s
progress t oward t he reali zat ion oI his desti ny; an indi vidual giIted
wi th a glorious i ntellect , a noble soul , a Ii ne organizati on, and a
perIect ly bal anced moral bei ng; an earnest oI what humanity may
be, and what we bel ieve it wi ll hereaIt er be i n God' s good ti me;
t he possibi l ity oI the race made real.
The Mason beli eves t hat God has arranged t hi s glori ous but per-
plexing worl d wi th a purpose, and on a pl an. He holds that every
man sent upon t hi s eart h, and especial ly every man oI superi or
capaci ty, has a duty t o perIorm, a mi ssion to IulIil l, a bapt i sm to
be bapt i zed wi t h; that every great and good man possesses some
port ion oI God' s trut h, whi ch he must proclai m to the worl d, and
which must bear Iruit i n his own bosom. In a true and si mpl e
sense, he bel i eves al l the pure, wise, and intel lect ual to be inspired,
and t o be so Ior t he i nst ructi on, advancement , and elevat ion oI
manki nd. That ki nd oI i nspirati on, li ke God' s omnipresence, i s
not li mi ted t o t he Iew writ ers clai med by Jews, Chri st ians, or
Mosl ems, but is co-extensi ve wit h the race. It i s t he consequence
oI a Iai thIul use oI our Iacul ti es. Each man is it s subject , God i s
i ts source, and Trut h it s only test. It di IIers i n degrees, as t he
i ntell ectual endowment s, t he moral wealt h oI t he soul , and t he de-
gree oI cul ti vat ion oI those endowments and Iacul t i es di IIer. It is
l i mit ed to no sect, age, or nati on. It is wi de as the worl d and
common as God. It was not given t o a Iew men, in t he i nIancy
oI manki nd, t o monopoli ze inspirati on, and bar God out oI the
soul. We are not born in the dotage and decay oI t he worl d. The
st ars are beauti Iul as in their pri me; the most ancient Heavens
are Iresh and st rong. God is sti ll everywhere i n nature. Wher-
ever a heart beat s wi t h l ove, wherever Fai th and Reason ut ter
t heir oracl es, t here is God, as Iormerly in the heart s oI seers and
prophet s. No soi l on eart h i s so holy as the good man' s heart;
nothing i s so Iul l oI God. Thi s i nspi rat ion is not given t o t he
l earned al one, not al one to the great and wi se, but to every Iait hIul
chil d oI God. Certai n as t he open eye dri nks i n t he l ight , do t he
pure in heart see God; and he who li ves truly, Ieel s Hi m as a pres-
ence wit hi n t he soul . The consci ence i s t he very voi ce oI Dei ty.
Masonry, around whose alt ars the Christ ian, t he Hebrew, the
Mosl em, t he Brahmi n, the Ioll owers oI ConIucius and Zoroast er,
can assembl e as bret hren and unit e i n prayer t o t he one God who
i s above al l the Baal i m, must needs leave i t t o each oI i ts Init i at es
t o l ook Ior t he Ioundat ion oI his Iai t h and hope to the writ ten
scriptures oI his own rel igi on. For i t sel I i t Iinds t hose truths
deIi nit e enough, which are wri t t en by t he Iinger oI God upon t he
heart oI man and on t he pages oI the book oI nat ure. Views oI
reli gion and duty, wrought out by the medi tati ons oI the st udious,
conIi rmed by t he allegi ance oI the good and wi se, stamped as
st erl ing by t he response t hey Ii nd in every uncorrupted mi nd, com-
mend themselves t o Masons oI every creed, and may well be ac-
cept ed by al l.
The Mason does not pretend t o dogmat ic certainty, nor vai nly
i magi ne such certai nty at t ainable. He consi ders that i I there
were no writ ten revel at ion, he coul d saIely rest the hopes that ani-
mate hi m and t he pri nci ples that guide hi m, on the deduct i ons oI
reason and the convicti ons oI i nsti nct and consciousness. He can
Iind a sure Ioundat ion Ior his reli gious belieI, in these deducti ons
oI t he int el l ect and convicti ons oI t he heart . For reason proves
t o hi m t he exist ence and at tributes oI God; and those spi ri tual
i nst inct s which he Ieels are t he voice oI God i n his soul , i nIuse
i nt o hi s mi nd a sense oI his relat ion to God, a convi cti on oI t he
beneIi cence oI hi s Creat or and Preserver, and a hope oI Iuture ex-
i stence; and hi s reason and conscience ali ke unerri ngly poi nt to
virtue as the hi ghest good, and the desti ned ai m and purpose oI
man' s l i Ie.
He st udi es the wonders oI the Heavens, t he Irame-work and
revol ut ions oI t he Earth, t he mysteri ous beaut ies and adaptat ions
oI ani mal exi stence, t he moral and material consti tut i on oI the
human creat ure, so IearIully and wonderIully made; and is sat i s-
Iied that God IS; and that a Wise and Good Bei ng is the aut hor
oI t he starry Heavens above hi m, and oI the moral worl d wi thin
hi m; and his mind Ii nds an adequate Ioundati on Ior i ts hopes, i ts
worship, i ts pri nci ples oI acti on, i n t he Iar-stretching Universe, i n
t he glorious Iirmament , i n t he deep, Iull soul, bursti ng wit h un-
utterabl e t houghts.
These are t ruths whi ch every reIlecti ng mind wil l unhesit at i ngly
receive, as not to be surpassed, nor capabl e oI i mprovement; and
Iit ted, i I obeyed, t o make eart h i ndeed a Paradise, and man only a
l it tl e l ower than t he angels. The wort hl essness oI ceremonial
observances, and t he necessi ty oI act ive virt ue; the enIorcement
oI purity oI heart as t he securi ty Ior puri ty oI l iIe, and oI the
government oI the thought s, as the origi nat ors and Iorerunners oI
act ion; uni versal phi lant hropy, requiri ng us to l ove all men, and
t o do unt o ot hers t hat and that only which we shoul d t hi nk it
right, just, and generous Ior t hem to do unto us; Iorgi veness oI
i nj uries; the necessity oI selI-sacri Ii ce i n t he discharge oI duty;
humi li ty; genui ne si nceri ty, and bei ng t hat whi ch we seem to be;
al l these subl i me precept s need no miracl e, no voice Irom the
cl ouds, t o recommend t hem to our al legiance, or t o assure us oI
t heir divine origi n. They command obedience by virtue oI t heir
i nherent rect i tude and beauty; and have been, and are, and wi ll
be the law in every age and every country oI t he worl d. God
revealed t hem to man i n t he beginning.
To the Mason, God i s our Father in Heaven, t o be Whose
especi al chil dren i s t he suIIici ent reward oI the peacemakers, t o see
Whose Iace t he hi ghest hope oI the pure i n heart ; Who i s ever at
hand to strengthen His t rue worshi ppers; to Whom our most Ier-
vent love i s due, our most humbl e and pat ient submi ssion; Whose
most acceptable worship i s a pure and pi tyi ng heart and a beneIi-
cent l iIe; in Whose constant presence we l ive and act, to Whose
merci Iul di sposal we are resigned by t hat deat h which, we hope
and bel ieve, i s but the ent rance t o a bet t er l iIe; and Whose wi se
decrees Iorbid a man t o lap hi s soul i n an elysium oI mere indol ent
content.
As t o our Ieeli ngs t oward Hi m and our conduct toward man,
Masonry teaches li tt le about which men can diIIer, and l it tl e Irom
which they can di ssent. He i s our Father; and we are al l bret h-
ren. This much l i es open to the most ignorant and busy, as Iully
as t o those who have most lei sure and are most learned. This
needs no Pri est to teach i t , and no aut hori ty t o i ndorse i t; and i I
every man did t hat only which i s consi stent wit h i t, i t woul d exi le
barbari ty, cruelty, int ol erance, unchari tabl eness, perIi dy, treach-
ery, revenge, selIishness, and al l thei r ki ndred vices and bad pas-
si ons beyond t he conIines oI the worl d.
The true Mason, si ncerely hol di ng t hat a Supreme God creat ed
and governs this world, bel ieves also that He governs it by laws,
which, t hough wi se, just , and beneIicent , are yet steady, unwaver-
i ng, inexorabl e. He bel ieves that his agonies and sorrows are or-
dained Ior hi s chasteni ng, his st rengtheni ng, his el aborat i on and
development ; because they are the necessary result s oI t he opera-
t ion oI laws, the best that coul d be devi sed Ior t he happi ness and
puri Ii cati on oI t he speci es, and t o give occasion and opport uni ty
Ior the practi ce oI al l the virt ues, Irom the homel iest and most
common, to t he nobl est and most subl i me; or perhaps not even
t hat , but the best adapted to work out t he vast , awIul, glori ous,
et ernal designs oI the Great Spi ri t oI t he Universe. He bel ieves
t hat the ordai ned operat i ons oI nat ure, which have brought mi sery
t o hi m, have, Irom the very unswerving tranqui li ty oI their
career, showered bl essings and sunshi ne upon many anot her pat h;
t hat the unrel ent ing chari ot oI Ti me, which has crushed or mai med
hi m in i t s all ot t ed course, i s pressi ng onward to the accompli sh-
ment oI t hose serene and mighty purposes, t o have contributed t o
which, even as a vict i m, is an honor and a recompense. He t akes
t hi s vi ew oI Ti me and Nat ure and God, and yet bears hi s l ot wi th-
out murmur or di strust ; because i t is a port ion oI a system, t he
best possible, because ordained by God. He does not bel ieve t hat
God l oses sight oI hi m, whil e superi ntendi ng t he march oI t he
great harmoni es oI t he Universe; nor that i t was not Ioreseen,
when t he Uni verse was created, it s laws enacted, and t he l ong suc-
cession oI it s operat i ons pre-ordained, t hat i n t he great march oI
t hose event s, he would suIIer pain and undergo calami ty. He be-
l ieves that his individual good ent ered int o God' s consi derati on, as
wel l as the great cardinal resul ts to whi ch the course oI al l thi ngs
i s tendi ng.
Thus bel ieving, he has att ai ned an emi nence in vi rtue, the hi gh-
est , amid passi ve excell ence, whi ch humanity can reach. He Ii nds
his reward and hi s support in t he reIl ecti on that he is an unrel uc-
t ant and sel I-sacriIici ng co-operat or wi th the Creat or oI t he Uni-
verse; and in the noble consci ousness oI bei ng worthy and capabl e
oI so subl i me a concepti on, yet so sad a dest i ny. He is then truly
enti tl ed t o be call ed a Grand El ect, PerIect , and Subli me Mason.
He is content to Ial l early i n t he batt le, iI his body may but Iorm
a st eppi ng-stone Ior t he Iut ure conquests oI humani ty.
It cannot be t hat God, Who, we are certai n, is perIect ly good,
can choose us to suIIer pai n, unless ei ther we are ourselves to re-
cei ve Irom it an anti dot e t o what i s evil i n oursel ves, or el se as
such pai n i s a necessary part i n t he scheme oI the Uni verse, which
as a whole i s good. In ei ther case, the Mason recei ves it wit h
submi ssion. He woul d not suIIer unless i t was ordered so. What -
ever his creed, iI he bel ieves that God i s, and t hat He cares Ior
Hi s creat ures, he cannot doubt that; nor that i t woul d not have
been so ordered, unless it was ei t her bett er Ior hi mselI, or Ior
some other persons, or Ior some t hi ngs. To compl ain and lament
i s t o murmur agai nst God' s wi l l , and worse than unbel ieI.
The Mason, whose mi nd i s cast i n a nobler moul d t han those oI
t he i gnorant and unreIlect ing, and i s inst i nct wi th a di vi ner li Ie, -
who l oves trut h more t han rest, and t he peace oI Heaven rat her
t han the peace oI Eden, --t o whom a l oIt i er being bri ngs severer
cares, --who knows t hat man does not li ve by pl easure or content
al one, but by t he presence oI the power oI God, --must cast be-
hind hi m the hope oI any other repose or tranquil li ty, than t hat
which is the last reward oI long agonies oI thought; he must re-
l inqui sh al l prospect oI any Heaven save t hat oI which trouble i s
t he avenue and portal ; he must gird up his loi ns, and tri m his
l amp, Ior a work that must be done, and must not be negl igently
done. II he does not l ike t o l i ve i n t he Iurni shed l odgings oI tra-
dit i on, he must bui ld hi s own house, hi s own syst em oI Iai t h and
t hought , Ior hi msel I.
The hope oI success, and not t he hope oI reward, should be our
st i mulati ng and sust aini ng power. Our obj ect , and not oursel ves,
shoul d be our inspiri ng thought. SelIi shness is a si n, when t em-
porary, and Ior t i me. Spun out to eterni ty, it does not become
celest i al prudence. We shoul d t oi l and die, not Ior Heaven or
Bl iss, but Ior Duty.
In t he more Irequent cases, where we have t o j oi n our eIIorts to
t hose oI thousands oI others, to cont ribute to the carryi ng Iorward
oI a great cause; merely to ti ll t he ground or sow the seed Ior a
very dist ant harvest, or t o prepare t he way Ior the Iuture advent
oI some great amendment; the amount which each one contri b-
utes t o the achievement oI ult i mate success, t he porti on oI the
pri ce whi ch j ust ice shoul d assi gn to each as his especial produc-
t ion, can never be accurat ely ascertai ned. Perhaps Iew oI those
who have ever l abored, in t he patience oI secrecy and sil ence, to
bri ng about some poli ti cal or social change, which t hey Ielt con-
vinced would ul ti mat ely prove oI vast service t o humani ty, li ved
t o see the change eIIected, or t he anticipat ed good Il ow Irom it .
Fewer st il l oI t hem were able to pronounce what appreciable
weight their several eIIorts cont ri but ed to the achievement oI the
change desi red. Many wi ll doubt , whether, i n t rut h, t hese exer-
t ions have any inIl uence whatever; and, discouraged, cease al l
act ive eIIort.
Not to be t hus di scouraged, the Mason must l abor t o el evate
and puri Iy hi s moti ves, as wel l as sedul ously cheri sh t he convi c-
t ion, assuredly a true one, that i n thi s worl d there i s no such thing
as eIIort t hrown away; that in all labor t here is proIi t; t hat all
si ncere exerti on, i n a ri ghteous and unsel Iish cause, is necessari ly
Iol l owed, in spi te oI all appearance t o the cont rary, by an appro-
pri at e and proporti onat e success; that no bread cast upon t he
wat ers can be wholly l ost; t hat no seed planted in the ground can
Iail t o quicken i n due ti me and measure; and t hat , however we
may, i n moments oI despondency, be apt to doubt , not only
whether our cause wi l l t ri umph, but whet her, i I it does, we shall
have contributed t o i ts triumph, --t here is One, Who has not
only seen every exert i on we have made, but Who can assign
t he exact degree in whi ch each sol dier has assi st ed t o gain t he
great vict ory over soci al evi l. No good work is done wholly i n
vain.
The Grand Elect , PerIect , and Subli me Mason wi ll i n nowi se
deserve that honorabl e t it l e, iI he has not that strength, t hat wi ll ,
t hat selI-sustai ning energy; that Fait h, that Ieeds upon no earthly
hope, nor ever t hi nks oI vi ct ory, but , cont ent in it s own consum-
mati on, combat s, because it ought t o combat , rej oici ng Iight s, and
st il l rej oici ng Ial ls.
The Augean Stables oI the World, t he accumul ated uncl eanness
and mi sery oI cent uries, requi re a mighty river t o cl eanse t hem
t horoughly away; every drop we contri but e ai ds t o swel l that
river and augment i t s Iorce, in a degree appreciable by God,
t hough not by man; and he whose zeal is deep and earnest , wil l
not be over-anxi ous that his individual drops shoul d be di st i n-
guishable amid t he mighty mass oI cl eansing and Ierti l i zi ng
wat ers; Iar l ess t hat , Ior the sake oI dist incti on, i t should Il ow in
i neIIect i ve singleness away.
The true Mason wi ll not be careIul t hat hi s name shoul d be
i nscribed upon the mi te which he casts i nt o the treasury oI God.
It suIIi ces hi m to know t hat i I he has labored, wi th puri ty oI pur-
pose, i n any good cause, he must have contri but ed to it s success;
t hat the degree in which he has contributed is a mat ter oI inIi-
nitely small concern; and st il l more, that the consci ousness oI
having so cont ri but ed, however obscurely and unnot iced, i s hi s
suIIici ent , even i I it be his sole, reward. Let every Grand El ect,
PerIect, and Subl i me Mason cheri sh thi s Iait h. It is a duty. It
i s t he bril l iant and never-dying light that shines wi thi n and
t hrough the symbol ic pedest al oI alabast er, on which reposes t he
perIect cube oI agat e, symbol oI duty, i nscribed wi th the di vi ne
name oI God. He who industri ously sows and reaps is a good
l aborer, and wort hy oI hi s hi re. But he who sows t hat which
shal l be reaped by ot hers, by t hose who wi ll know not oI and care
not Ior the sower, is a laborer oI a nobler order, and, wort hy oI a
more excel lent reward.
The Mason does not exhort others t o an asceti c underval uing
oI t hi s l i Ie, as an i nsigniIicant and unworthy porti on oI exi stence;
Ior that demands Ieeli ngs whi ch are unnatural, and whi ch, t here-
Iore, i I attained, must be morbi d, and iI merely proIessed, insi n-
cere; and t eaches us to l ook rat her t o a Iut ure l iIe Ior the com-
pensati on oI soci al evil s, t han to t his l i Ie Ior t hei r cure; and so
does i njury to t he cause oI vi rt ue and t o t hat oI social progress.
Li Ie is real , and is earnest , and i t is Iul l oI duti es t o be perIormed.
It is t he begi nni ng oI our i mmort al ity. Those only who Ieel a
deep i nterest and aIIecti on Ior thi s worl d wil l work resol utely Ior
i ts amel iorati on; t hose whose aIIect i ons are transIerred t o Heaven,
easily acquiesce in the mi seri es oI earth, deeming t hem hopeless,
beIi tt ing, and ordai ned; and console themsel ves wi th the i dea oI
t he ammends which are one day t o be t heirs. It i s a sad trut h, that
t hose most decidedly given t o spiri t ual cont empl at ion, and to
making religi on rule in t heir hearts, are oIten most apathetic to-
ward all i mprovement oI t hi s world' s systems, and in many cases
virtual conservati ves oI evil , and hosti le to pol i ti cal and social re-
Iorm, as di verti ng men' s energi es Irom et ernity.
The Mason does not war wit h his own inst i nct s, macerate the
body into weakness and disorder, and di sparage what he sees to be
beauti Iul, knows t o be wonderIul, and Ieel s to be unspeakably
dear and Iascinat i ng. He does not put asi de the nat ure whi ch
God has given hi m, t o struggle aIter one which He has not be-
st owed. He knows that man is sent int o the world, not a spi r-
i tual, but a composit e being, made up oI body and mi nd, t he body
having, as is Ii t and needIul i n a mat eri al world, i t s Iul l, right Iul,
and al lotted share. His l i Ie i s gui ded by a Iull recogni ti on oI this
Iact. He does not deny it i n bold words, and admit i t in weak-
nesses and inevit able Iai li ngs. He bel ieves that his spiri tual ity
wi ll come i n the next stage oI his being, when he puts on t he spir-
i tual body; t hat hi s body wi l l be dropped at death; and that , unt il
t hen, God meant i t t o be commanded and control led, but not neg-
l ected, despised, or i gnored by t he soul, under pai n oI heavy con-
sequences.
Yet t he Mason i s not i ndiIIerent as t o t he Iate oI t he soul , aIt er
i ts present l iIe, as to i ts conti nued and et ernal being, and the char-
acter oI the scenes i n which that being wi ll be Iul ly devel oped.
These are t o hi m t opi cs oI t he proroundest i nt erest, and t he most
ennobli ng and reIi ning contempl at i on. They occupy much oI his
l eisure; and as he becomes Iamil iar wi th t he sorrows and calami-
t ies oI this l iIe, as hi s hopes are di sappoint ed and his vi si ons oI
happi ness here Iade away; when l iIe has weari ed hi m i n i ts
race oI hours; when he i s harassed and t oi l -worn, and t he bur-
den oI his years wei ghs heavy on hi m, the balance oI at tracti on
gradual ly incl i nes i n Iavor oI anot her li Ie; and he cli ngs t o hi s
l oIty speculati ons wit h a tenaci ty oI i nterest whi ch needs no i n-
j unct ion, and wil l li sten to no prohibi t ion. They are the consol-
i ng pri vi lege oI the aspiring, t he wayworn, the weary, and the
bereaved.
To hi m the cont emplat i on oI t he Fut ure let s i n l ight upon t he
Present, and devel ops the hi gher port ions oI his nature. He en-
deavors ri ght ly to adj ust the respecti ve cl ai ms oI Heaven and
earth upon his ti me and t hought , so as t o gi ve the proper propor-
t ions t hereoI to perIorming the dut ies and enteri ng i nt o t he i nt er-
est s oI t his world, and t o preparat ion Ior a bet ter; to the cul ti va-
t ion and puri Ii cati on oI hi s own character, and t o t he publ ic servi ce
oI his Iel low-men.
The Mason does not dogmat i ze, but entertai ning and ut tering
his own convi ct i ons, he leaves every one else Iree to do t he same;
and only hopes t hat the ti me wi l l come, even i I aIt er t he l apse oI
ages, when all men shal l Iorm one great Iami ly oI bret hren, and
one l aw al one, the law oI l ove, shal l govern God' s whol e Uni -
verse.
Beli eve as you may, my brother; i I the Uni verse is not , t o you,
wi thout a God, and iI man is not li ke the beast t hat peri shes, but
hath an i mmortal soul, we wel come you among us, t o wear, as we
wear, wi th humil ity, and consci ous oI your demeri ts and short-
comings, t he ti tle oI Grand Elect , PerIect, and Subl i me Mason.
It is not wi thout a secret meani ng, that twel ve was the num-
ber oI the Apost les oI Christ , and seventy-two t hat oI hi s Di s-
ci ples: t hat John addressed his rebukes and menaces to the Seven
churches, t he number oI the Archangels and t he Pl anet s. At
Babylon were the Seven St ages oI Bersi ppa, a pyramid oI Seven
st ories, and at Ecbat ana Seven concentric incl osures, each oI a
diIIerent col or. Thebes also had Seven gat es, and t he same num-
ber i s repeated again and again in t he account oI t he Il ood. The
Sephiroth, or Emanat ions, ten in number, three in one class, and
seven i n t he ot her, repeat the myst ic numbers oI Pyt hagoras.
Seven Amschaspands or planetary spi ri t s were invoked wi th
Ormuzd: Seven inIeri or Rishi s oI Hindustan were saved wi th the
head oI t hei r Iami ly i n an ark: and Seven anci ent personages
al one ret urned wit h t he Brit ish just man, Hu, Irom t he dale oI
t he grievous waters. There were Seven Hel i adae, whose Iat her
Hel ias, or t he Sun, once crossed t he sea in a gol den cup; Seven
Ti tans, chil dren oI t he ol der Tit an, Kronos or Sat urn; Seven
Corybantes; and Seven Cabi ri , sons oI Sydyk; Seven pri meval
Cel esti al spirit s oI t he Japanese, and Seven Karlest ers who
escaped Irom t he deluge and began t o be t he parent s oI a new
race, on t he summit oI Mount Albordi. Seven Cyclopes, al so,
buil t the wall s oI Tiryus.
Cel us, as quoted by Origen, tel ls us t hat t he Persi ans repre-
sent ed by symbols t he two-Iold moti on oI t he st ars, Ii xed and
planet ary, and t he passage oI t he Soul through t heir successi ve
spheres. They erected i n t heir holy caves, in whi ch the myst ic
ri t es oI t he Mi thri ac Ini ti at i ons were pract i sed, what he denomi -
nates a high ladder, on the Seven st eps oI which were Seven
gat es or port als, according to t he number oI the Seven pri nci pal
heavenly bodies. Through t hese t he aspirant s passed, unt il t hey
reached the summi t oI the whole; and thi s passage was styled a
t ransmigrati on t hrough the spheres.
Jacob saw in hi s dream a ladder pl anted or set on t he earth,
and i ts top reaching to Heaven, and t he Mal aki Al ohi m ascending
and descending on i t, and above it st ood IHUH, decl ari ng Hi msel I
t o be Ihuh-Al hi Abraham. The word t ranslated l adder, is
Salam, Irom Salal , raised, elevated, reared up, exalted, pil ed
up i nt o a heap, Aggeravi t. Salalah, means a heap, rampart ,
or ot her accumul ati on oI earth or stone, art iIici ally made; and
Salaa or Salo, i s a rock or cl i II or boulder, and the name oI
t he ci ty oI Petra. There i s no anci ent Hebrew word t o desi gnat e
a pyramid.
The symboli c mountai n Meru was ascended by Seven steps or
st ages; and al l the pyrami ds and arti Ii cial t umuli and hill ocks
t hrown up in Il at countries were i mi tati ons oI thi s Iabulous and
myst i c mount ai n, Ior purposes oI worship. These were the "High
Places" so oIt en ment i oned i n the Hebrew books, on which the
i dol aters sacriIiced to Ioreign gods.
The pyramids were someti mes square, and someti mes round.
The sacred Babylonian tower |Magdol |, dedicat ed t o the
great Father Bal , was an art i Ii cial hi l l , oI pyrami dal shape, and
Seven st ages, bui lt oI bri ck, and each st age oI a diIIerent col or,
representi ng t he Seven pl anet ary spheres by the appropri ate color
oI each pl anet . Meru i tsel I was said t o be a si ngle mountain, ter-
minati ng i n t hree peaks, and t hus a symbol oI t he Tri murt i. The
great Pagoda at Tanj ore was oI si x stori es, surmounted by a tem-
ple as the sevent h, and on thi s t hree spi res or towers. An anci ent
pagoda at Deogur was surmount ed by a tower, sust aini ng the
myst i c egg and a trident. Herodotus tel ls us t hat the Temple oI
Bal at Babylon was a tower composed oI Seven t owers, resti ng on
an eighth that served as basi s, and successi vely di mi ni shing i n
si ze Irom the bot tom to the top; and Strabo tel ls us i t was a
pyramid.
Faber thi nks that t he Mit hriac l adder was real ly a pyrami d wit h
Seven st ages, each provided wi th a narrow door or apert ure,
t hrough each oI which doors the aspi rant passed, to reach the
summi t , and t hen descended t hrough si mi l ar doors on t he opposit e
si de oI the pyramid; the ascent and descent oI t he Soul bei ng
t hus represent ed.
Each Mi thri ac cave and all the most ancient temples were
t ended to symbol i ze t he Universe, which i tsel I was habi tually
cal led the Temple and habi tat ion oI Deity. Every templ e was
t he worl d in mi niature; and so t he whol e worl d was one grand
t empl e. The most anci ent templ es were rooIl ess; and thereIore
t he Persians, Celt s, and Scythi ans strongly di sli ked art i Iici al cov-
ered ediIices. Cicero says t hat Xerxes burned the Grecian tem-
ples, on the express ground that t he whol e worl d was the MagniIi-
cent Templ e and Habi tat ion oI t he Supreme Deity. Macrobi us
says that t he entire Uni verse was judici ously deemed by many t he
Temple oI God. Pl at o pronounced the real Templ e oI t he Dei ty
t o be t he worl d; and Heracl it us declared t hat the Universe, vari e-
gat ed wi th ani mal s and pl ant s and st ars was the only genuine
Temple oI t he Di vi nity.
How compl etely t he Templ e oI Sol omon was symbol ic, i s
maniIest , not only Irom t he cont i nual reproduct ion i n i t oI
t he sacred numbers and oI ast rological symbol s i n t he hist or-
i cal descri pt ions oI i t; but also, and yet more, Irom t he de-
t ail s oI t he i magi nary reconstruct ed ediIice, seen by Ezekiel
i n his visi on. The Apocalypse compl etes the demonst rat ion,
and shows t he kabal i st i c meanings oI t he whole. The Sym-
bola Archi tect oni ca are Iound on t he most ancient ediIices;
and t hese mathemat i cal Ii gures and inst ruments, adopted by
t he Templ ars, and identi cal wit h those on t he gnosti c seals and
abraxae, connect their dogma wit h t he Chaldaic, Syri ac, and
Egypt ian Oriental phil osophy. The secret Pythagorean doc-
t ri nes oI numbers were preserved by the monks oI Thi bet, by
t he Hierophants oI Egypt and El eusi s, at Jerusal em, and in
t he ci rcular Chapters oI t he Drui ds; and they are especial ly
consecrated i n t hat mysteri ous book, t he Apocalypse oI Saint
John.
Al l temples were surrounded by pi llars, recordi ng the number
oI t he constellati ons, the signs oI t he zodi ac, or t he cycles oI the
planet s; and each one was a microcosm or symbol oI t he Universe,
having Ior rooI or ceil ing t he st arred vault oI Heaven.
Al l temples were origi nally open at t he top, havi ng Ior rooI the
sky. Twel ve pi l lars descri bed t he bel t oI t he zodiac. Whatever
t he number oI the pi l l ars, t hey were mysti cal everywhere. At
Abury, the Drui dic temple reproduced all t he cycl es by i t s col -
umns. Around t he t empl es oI Chil mi nar i n Persi a, oI Baal bec,
and oI Tukhti Schl omoh in Tart ary, on the Ironti er oI China,
st ood Iorty pil lars. On each side oI the templ e at Paestum were
Iourteen, recording t he Egypt ian cycl e oI t he dark and light sides
oI t he moon, as described by Plut arch; the whole t hi rty-eight
t hat surrounded t hem recordi ng the two met eoric cycles so oIten
Iound i n t he Druidic t emples.
The theat re bui lt by Scaurus, i n Greece, was surrounded by
360 columns; t he Templ e at Mecca, and t hat at Iona i n Scotl and,
by 360 st ones.
1871.
15 - Kni ght oI t he East, 16 - Prince oI Jerusal em
17 - Kni ght oI t he East and West, 18 - Knight Rose Croi x .
XV. KNIGHT OF THE EAST OR OF THE SWORD
|Knight oI the East , oI the Sword, or oI the Eagle. |
Thi s Degree, l ike all others i n Masonry, is symbol i cal . Based
upon hi stori cal t ruth and aut hent ic tradi ti on, it i s st il l an all e-
gory. The leading lesson oI t hi s Degree is Fideli ty to obligati on,
and Constancy and Perseverance under diIIi cul ti es and di scour-
agement.
Masonry i s engaged i n her crusade, --against i gnorance, intol er-
ance, Ianati ci sm, superst it ion, unchari tableness, and error. She
does not sail wit h the trade-winds, upon a smooth sea, wit h a
st eady Iree breeze, Iair Ior a wel comi ng harbor; but meets and
must overcome many opposi ng current s, baIIli ng wi nds, and dead
cal ms.
The chieI obstacl es to her success are t he apat hy and Iai thless-
ness oI her own sel Ii sh chil dren, and t he supi ne i ndi IIerence oI
t he worl d. In t he roar and crush and hurry oI li Ie and busi ness,
and t he t umult and uproar oI poli ti cs, t he quiet voice oI Masonry
i s unheard and unheeded. The Ii rst lesson which one learns, who
engages in any great work oI reIorm or beneIi cence, is, that men
are essent ial ly careless, lukewarm, and indiIIerent as to every-
t hi ng t hat does not concern their own personal and i mmedi ate
wel Iare. It i s to single men, and not to the unit ed eIIort s oI
many, t hat al l t he great works oI man, struggl ing toward perIec-
t ion, are owing. The ent husi ast, who i magines t hat he can in-
spire wi th hi s own ent husi asm the mult it ude that eddies around
hi m, or even t he Iew who have associated t hemsel ves wit h hi m as
co-workers, i s grievously mi staken; and most oIt en t he convict i on
oI his own mi st ake is Iol l owed by discouragement and di sgust.
To do al l , to pay al l, and t o suIIer all , and t hen, when despi te al l
obstacl es and hi ndrances, success is accompl i shed, and a great
work done, to see those who opposed or l ooked col dly on it , cl ai m
and reap al l the praise and reward, i s t he common and al most uni -
versal lot oI the beneIactor oI hi s ki nd.
He who endeavors to serve, t o beneIit , and i mprove t he worl d,
i s l ike a swi mmer, who st ruggles agai nst a rapid current , in a river
l ashed int o angry waves by t he winds. OIten t hey roar over hi s
head, oIt en t hey beat hi m back and baIIle hi m. Most men yield
t o t he stress oI the current, and Il oat wi t h it t o t he shore, or are
swept over the rapids; and only here and t here the st out, st rong
heart and vigorous arms st ruggle on toward ul t i mat e success.
It is t he moti onl ess and stat i onary t hat most Iret s and i mpedes
t he current oI progress; t he sol i d rock or st upi d dead t ree, rest ed
Iirmly on t he bot tom, and around whi ch t he ri ver whi rl s and
eddies: t he Masons that doubt and hesit ate and are discouraged;
t hat di sbel ieve in the capabi li ty oI man t o i mprove; that are not
disposed t o t oi l and labor Ior t he int erest and wel l-bei ng oI gen-
eral humanity; t hat expect others t o do all , even oI t hat whi ch
t hey do not oppose or ri di cule; whil e t hey si t, applauding and
doing nothi ng, or perhaps prognosticati ng Iail ure.
There were many such at the rebui ldi ng oI the Temple. There
were prophets oI evi l and misIortune--t he l ukewarm and the in-
diIIerent and the apat het ic; those who st ood by and sneered; and
t hose who thought t hey di d God service enough i I they now and
t hen Iai ntly appl auded. There were ravens croaking i l l omen,
and murmurers who preached t he Iol ly and Iuti l i ty oI t he at tempt.
The worl d is made up oI such; and t hey were as abundant then
as t hey are now.
But gl oomy and discouragi ng as was the prospect , wit h l uke-
warmness wi thi n and bit t er opposi t ion wi thout , our anci ent breth-
ren persevered. Let us leave t hem engaged i n the good work,
and whenever t o us, as t o them, success is uncertai n, remote, and
conti ngent , let us sti ll remember that t he only questi on Ior us to
ask, as t rue men and Masons, i s, what does duty requi re; and not
what wil l be t he resul t and our reward iI we do our duty. Work
on, the Sword i n one hand, and the Trowel i n t he other!
Masonry teaches that God i s a Paternal Being, and has an i n-
t erest in his creatures, such as is expressed i n the ti tl e Fat her; an
i nterest unknown t o all the systems oI Pagani sm, untaught in all
t he t heori es oI phil osophy; an int erest not only i n the glori ous
beings oI ot her spheres, t he Sons oI Light , t he dwell ers in Heav-
enly worlds, but in us, poor, i gnorant , and unwort hy; that He
has pi ty Ior t he erring, pardon Ior the gui lty, l ove Ior t he pure,
knowl edge Ior t he humble, and promi ses oI i mmortal l iIe Ior
t hose who trust in and obey Hi m.
Wi t hout a bel ieI i n Hi m, l iIe i s mi serable, the worl d i s dark, the
Universe disrobed oI i ts splendors, t he i nt ell ectual t ie to nat ure
broken, the charm oI exi stence di ssolved, the great hope oI being
l ost ; and t he mind, li ke a star struck Irom i ts sphere, wanders
t hrough the i nIi ni te desert oI i ts concepti ons, wi thout att ract ion,
t endency, dest iny, or end.
Masonry teaches, that , oI al l t he event s and acti ons, t hat take
place i n t he uni verse oI worlds and t he et ernal successi on oI ages,
t here is not one, even t he mi nutest , whi ch God did not Iorever
Iorsee wit h all the di sti nct ness oI i mmedi ate visi on, combi ni ng
al l, so that man' s Iree wil l shoul d be His i nst rument , li ke al l the
other Iorces oI nat ure.
It teaches that t he soul oI man i s Iormed by Hi m Ior a pur-
pose; that , bui lt up i n i ts proport ions, and Iashi oned in every
part , by i nIi ni te skil l, an emanat ion Irom His spiri t, i t s nat ure,
necessi ty, and design are virt ue. It i s so Iormed, so moul ded, so
Iashioned, so exact ly balanced, so exquisi tely proporti oned in every
part , t hat sin i ntroduced int o it is mi sery; t hat vi cious t houghts
Iall upon i t l ike drops oI poison; and guil ty desires, breat hi ng on
i ts deli cate Ii bres, make pl ague-spot s t here, deadly as those oI pes-
t il ence upon the body. It i s made Ior virt ue, and not Ior vice;
Ior puri ty, as it s end, rest, and happiness. Not more vainly woul d
we at tempt t o make the mount ain sink t o the level oI the vall ey,
t he waves oI t he angry sea turn back Irom it s shores and cease t o
t hunder upon the beach, the st ars t o hal t i n t heir swi It courses,
t han to change any one l aw oI our own nat ure. And one oI t hose
l aws, ut t ered by God' s voice, and speaki ng t hrough every nerve
and Iibre, every Iorce and el ement, oI t he moral consti tut i on He
has given us, i s that we must be upri ght and vi rt uous; that i I
t empt ed we must resi st; t hat we must govern our unruly pas-
si ons, and hold in hand our sensual appet i tes. And t hi s i s not t he
dictate oI an arbit rary wil l , nor oI some stern and i mpracti cabl e
l aw; but i t is part oI t he great Ii rm law oI harmony that binds
t he Universe t oget her: not the mere enact ment oI arbitrary wi ll ;
but the di ctat e oI InIinit e Wi sdom.
We know t hat God is good, and t hat what He does i s right.
Thi s known, t he works oI creati on, the changes oI li Ie, t he dest i-
nies oI eternity, are all spread beIore us, as the di spensat ions and
counsel s oI i nIi ni te love. This known, we t hen know that the
l ove oI God i s worki ng t o issues, li ke i t sel I, beyond all t hought
and i magi nati on good and gl ori ous; and t hat t he only reason
why we do not underst and i t, is that i t is t oo glori ous Ior us t o un-
derstand. God' s love t akes care Ior all , and not hing i s neglected.
It watches over al l, provi des Ior al l, makes wi se adapt ati ons Ior
al l; Ior age, Ior i nIancy, Ior mat uri ty, Ior chi ldhood; in every
scene oI thi s or anot her world; Ior want, weakness, j oy, sorrow,
and even Ior sin. Al l i s good and wel l and right ; and shal l be so
Iorever. Through the eternal ages the l ight oI God' s beneIicence
shal l shi ne hereaIt er, discl osi ng al l, consummati ng al l, rewardi ng
al l that deserve reward. Then we shal l see, what now we can only
believe. The cloud wil l be l i Ited up, the gate oI myst ery be
passed, and t he Iul l light shi ne Iorever; t he l ight oI whi ch t hat
oI t he Lodge i s a symbol . Then that which caused us t ri al shal l
yield us tri umph; and that whi ch made our heart ache shall Iil l
us wi th gladness; and we shal l t hen Ieel t hat there, as here, t he
only true happi ness is t o learn, t o advance, and to i mprove; whi ch
could not happen unless we had commenced wi th error, ignorance,
and i mperIect ion. We must pass through t he darkness, t o reach
t he l ight .

XVI. PRINCE OF JERUSALEM.
We no longer expect t o rebui l d t he Templ e at Jerusal em. To
us it has become but a symbol . To us the whol e world is God' s
Temple, as i s every upright heart. To establi sh al l over t he worl d
t he New Law and Rei gn oI Love, Peace, Chari ty, and Tolerati on,
i s t o buil d t hat Templ e, most acceptable to God, i n erecti ng which
Masonry i s now engaged. No l onger needing t o repair t o Jerusa-
l em to worshi p, nor t o oIIer up sacri Ii ces and shed blood to propi-
t iat e t he Dei ty, man may make the woods and mountai ns his
Churches and Templ es, and worshi p God wi t h a devout grat it ude,
and wi th works oI charity and beneIicence t o his Iel l ow-men.
Wherever t he humbl e and cont rite heart si lently oIIers up it s
adorat ion, under the overarching trees, i n t he open, level meadows,
on t he hil l -side, i n t he glen, or i n t he city' s swarming st reet s; t here
i s God' s House and t he New Jerusalem.
The Princes oI Jerusalem no l onger si t as magi strates t o judge
between the people; nor is t hei r number li mi ted t o Iive. But
t heir dut ies st il l remain subst ant ial ly the same, and their i nsignia
and symbol s retai n t hei r old signiIi cance. Just i ce and Equi ty
are sti ll t hei r charact eri stics. To reconcil e di sputes and heal di s-
sensi ons, t o restore amity and peace, t o soothe di sli kes and soIten,
prej udi ces, are their peculi ar dut ies; and t hey know that t he
peacemakers are blessed.
Thei r embl ems have been al ready explained. They are part oI
l anguage oI Masonry; t he same now as it was when Moses
l earned i t Irom the Egypt ian Hierophant s. .
Sti l l we observe the spiri t oI the Divine law, as thus enunci ated
t o our anci ent brethren, when t he Temple was rebui lt , and the
book oI t he l aw agai n opened:
"Execut e t rue judgment; and show mercy and compassi on
every man to hi s brot her. Oppress not the wi dow nor t he Iather-
l ess, t he st ranger nor the poor; and l et none oI you i magi ne evil
agai nst hi s brot her in hi s heart. Speak ye every man t he t ruth
t o his neighbor; execute t he judgment oI Truth and Peace in
your gates; and love no Ialse oath; Ior al l these I hate, sai th the
Lord.
"Let t hose who have power rul e in righteousness, and Princes
i n j udgment . And l et hi m t hat i s a j udge be as an hi di ng-place
Irom the wind, and a covert Irom t he t empest ; as rivers oI wat er
i n a dry pl ace; as the shadow oI a great rock i n a weary land.
Then the vi l e person shall no more be cal led li beral; nor the
churl bount i Iul ; and the work oI just i ce shal l be peace; and the
eIIect oI j ust i ce, qui et and securi ty; and wisdom and knowledge
shal l be t he st abi l i ty oI t he t i mes. Walk ye righteously and speak
upri ght ly; despise the gains oI oppressi on, shake Irom your hands
t he contaminati on oI bribes; st op not your ears against t he cries
oI t he oppressed, nor shut your eyes that you may not see t he
cri mes oI t he great; and you shal l dwel l on high, and your pl ace
oI deIence be l ike muni ti ons oI rocks."
Forget not these precepts oI the ol d Law; and especi al ly do
not Iorget , as you advance, t hat every Mason, however humbl e, i s
your brot her, and t he labori ng man your peer! Remember always
t hat all Masonry is work, and t hat t he t rowel is an embl em oI t he
Degrees in t his Council . Labor, when right ly underst ood, i s both
nobl e and ennobl ing, and i ntended to develop man' s moral and
spirit ual nat ure, and not to be deemed a di sgrace or a mi sIort une.
Everyt hing around us is, in it s beari ngs and i nIl uences, moral .
The serene and bright morni ng, when we recover our conscious
exist ence Irom the embraces oI sl eep; when, Irom that i mage oI
Deat h God cal ls us t o a new li Ie, and again gives us exist ence, and
Hi s merci es vi sit us in every bright ray and glad thought , and
cal l Ior grati tude and content; the si lence oI that early dawn, t he
hushed sil ence, as it were, oI expect ati on; the holy event i de, it s
cooli ng breeze, i ts lengt heni ng shadows, i ts Iall ing shades, i t s st il l
and sober hour; the sul try noonti de and t he st ern and sol emn
midnight; and Spring-t i me, and chast eni ng Aut umn; and Sum-
mer, t hat unbars our gat es, and carri es us Iorth ami dst t he ever-
renewed wonders oI the world; and Wi nt er, t hat gat hers us
around t he eveni ng hearth :--all t hese, as they pass, touch by t urns
t he spri ngs oI t he spirit ual l iIe in us, and are conducti ng that l iIe
t o good or evi l. The i dl e wat ch-hand oIten poi nt s t o something
wi thin us; and t he shadow oI the gnomon on the di al oIten Ial ls
upon the conscience.
A l iIe oI l abor i s not a stat e oI i nIeri ori ty or degradat ion. The
Al mi ghty has not cast man' s l ot beneat h the qui et shades, and
amid glad groves and l ovely hil ls, wi th no task to perIorm; wi t h
nothing to do but to ri se up and eat, and t o l ie down and rest .
He has ordai ned that Work shall be done, i n al l the dwel li ngs oI
l iIe, i n every producti ve Iiel d, in every busy ci ty, and on every
wave oI every ocean. And t hi s He has done, because it has
plrased Hi m to give man a nature dest ined t o higher ends t han
i ndolent repose and irresponsi ble proIit less i ndulgence; and be-
cause, Ior devel opi ng the energies oI such a nature, work was the
necessary and proper el ement. We might as well ask why He
could not make two and t wo be si x, as why He could not devel op
t hese energi es wi thout the i nstrumentali ty oI work. They are
equally i mpossibi l it ies.
Thi s Masonry teaches, as a great Truth; a great moral land-
mark, t hat ought to gui de t he course oI all manki nd. It teaches
i ts toi l ing chil dren t hat t he scene oI their dai ly li Ie is al l spi ri tual,
t hat the very i mpl ements oI their t oi l, the Iabri cs they weave, t he
merchandi se they bart er, are designed Ior spi ri tual ends; t hat so
believing, t heir daily l ot may be to them a sphere Ior the noblest
i mprovement. That whi ch we do in our int ervals oI rel axat ion,
our church-goi ng, and our book-reading, are especial ly designed t o
prepare our mi nds Ior t he act ion oI LiIe. We are to hear and read
and medi t ate, t hat we may act wel l ; and the act i on oI Li Ie i s i tselI
t he great Ii el d Ior spiri t ual i mprovement . There i s no t ask oI in-
dustry or busi ness, in Ii eld or Iorest , on the wharI or the shi p' s
deck, i n the oIIi ce or t he exchange, but has spirit ual ends. There
i s no care or cross oI our daily l abor, but was especi al ly ordai ned
t o nurture i n us pat ience, cal mness, resoluti on, perseverance, gen-
t leness, di sinterestedness, magnani mi ty. Nor i s there any t ool or
i mplement oI toil , but i s a part oI t he great spiri t ual instrumen-
t ali ty.
Al l the rel at i ons oI l iIe, t hose oI parent, chi ld, brother, sist er,
Iri end, associ ate, lover and bel oved, husband, wi Ie, are moral ,
t hroughout every l iving ti e and t hrill i ng nerve that blnd t hem
t oget her. They cannot subsist a day nor an hour wi thout putt ing
t he mind t o a trial oI it s trut h, Ii del ity, Iorbearance, and di sinter-
est edness.
A great city is one ext ended scene oI moral acti on. There i s
blow struck in it but has a purpose, ult i mately good or bad,
and t hereIore moral . There is no act ion perIormed, but has a
mot ive; and mot ives are t he special j uri sdi ct i on oI moral ity.
Equi pages, houses, and Iurnit ure are symbol s oI what is moral,
and t hey i n a thousand ways mi ni st er to right or wrong Ieeli ng.
Everyt hing that belongs t o us, mi ni st eri ng t o our comIort or l ux-
ury, awakens i n us emoti ons oI pri de or grati tude, oI selIishness
or vanity; t houghts oI sel I-i ndulgence, or merci Iul remembrances
oI t he needy and the desti t ute.
Everyt hing acts upon and i nIluences us. God' s great l aw oI
sympat hy and harmony is pot ent and inIl exi bl e as His l aw oI
gravit at ion. A sent ence embodying a nobl e t hought sti rs our
blood; a noise made by a chi ld Irets and exasperat es us, and i nIlu-
ences our act ions.
A worl d oI spiri tual object s, i nIluences, and relat ions l ies around
us al l . We al l vaguely deem i t t o be so; but he only l ives a
charmed l iIe, l ike that oI geni us and poeti c i nspi rat i on, who com-
munes wit h the spiri tual scene around hi m, hears the voice oI the
spirit in every sound, sees i t s signs in every passi ng Iorm oI
t hi ngs, and Ieels i t s i mpul se i n all acti on, passi on, and bei ng.
Very near to us l i es t he mines oI wi sdom; unsuspected they l ie al l
around us. There i s a secret in the si mpl est t hi ngs, a wonder in
t he plai nest, a charm i n t he dull est .
We are al l nat ural ly seekers oI wonders. We travel Iar t o see
t he majesty oI old ruins, t he venerable Iorms oI the hoary moun-
t ains, great wat er-Iall s, and gal leries oI art . And yet the worl d-
wonder i s all around us; the wonder oI sett ing suns, and evening
st ars, oI the magi c spri ng-t i me, the bl ossoming oI t he t rees, the
st range transIormati ons oI t he moth; the wonder oI t he InIini t e
Di vi ni ty and oI Hi s boundl ess revel at ion. There i s no splendor
beyond that which set s it s morning t hrone i n the gol den East ; no,
dome subl i me as t hat oI Heaven; no beauty so Iai r as that oI the
verdant, bl ossomi ng eart h; no pl ace, however i nvest ed wit h t he
sanct i t ies oI ol d t i me, li ke t hat home which i s hushed and Iol ded
wi thin t he embrace oI the humbl est wall and rooI.
And al l these are but the symbol s oI t hi ngs Iar greater and
higher. All i s but the clothi ng oI the spi ri t. In t hi s vest ure oI
t i me i s wrapped the i mmort al nat ure: i n t hi s show oI ci rcum-
st ance and Iorm st ands reveal ed the stupendous reali ty. Let man
but be, as he is, a li vi ng soul , communi ng wit h hi msel I and wi th
God, and his vi si on becomes et erni ty; hi s abode, i nIinity; hi s
home, t he bosom oI al l-embraci ng l ove.
The great probl em oI Humani ty is wrought out i n the humbl est
abodes; no more than t his i s done in the hi ghest . A human heart
t hrobs beneat h t he beggar' s gabardi ne; and t hat and no more st irs
wi th i t s beati ng t he Prince' s mantle. The beauty oI Love, the
charm oI Friendshi p, the sacredness oI Sorrow, t he heroi sm oI
Pati ence, the noble Sel I-sacri Ii ce, t hese and t hei r li ke, alone, make
l iIe t o be li Ie indeed, and are it s grandeur and it s power. They
are the pricel ess t reasures and glory oI humani ty; and t hey are
not thi ngs oI condit ion. Al l pl aces and all scenes are al ike cl othed
wi th t he grandeur and charm oI vi rtues such as these.
The mi ll ion occasi ons wi l l come to us all , i n the ordinary pat hs
oI our li Ie, i n our homes, and by our Ii resi des, wherein we may
act as nobly, as i I, al l our li Ie long, we led armi es, sat in senat es,
or vi si t ed beds oI sickness and pai n. Varying every hour, t he
mi l li on occasi ons wil l come in whi ch we may restrai n our pas-
si ons, subdue our hearts to gent leness and pati ence, resign our
own i nt erst Ior anot her' s advantage, speak words oI kindness and
wi sdom, rai se the Iall en, cheer the Iai nt ing and si ck in spiri t, and
soIten and assuage t he weari ness and bi tt erness oI t heir mortal lot.
To every Mason there wil l be opport uni ty enough Ior t hese. They
cannot be wri tt en on his tomb; but t hey wil l be writ ten deep i n
t he heart s oI men, oI Iriends, oI chi ldren, oI ki ndred all around
hi m, i n the book oI the great account, and, i n t heir eternal inIl u-
ences, on the great pages oI the Uni verse.
To such a dest i ny, at least , my Brethren, let us all aspi re ! These
l aws oI Masonry let us all stri ve t o obey! And so may our hearts
become true t empl es oI the Livi ng God! And may He encourage
our zeal , sust ain our hopes, and assure us oI success!

XVII. KNIGHT OF THE EAST AND WEST.
Thi s i s the Iirst oI the Phil osophical Degrees oI t he Anci ent
and Accepted Scot ti sh Ri te; and t he beginning oI a course oI in-
st ructi on which wi ll Iul ly unveil t o you t he heart and inner mys-
t eri es oI Masonry. Do not despai r because you have oIt en seemed
on t he poi nt oI at t aining the i nmost light, and have as oIten been
disappointed. In all t i me, t ruth has been hidden under symbol s,
and oIten under a successi on oI al l egories: where vei l aIt er veil
had t o be penet rated beIore the true Light was reached, and the
essent ial t ruth stood reveal ed. The Human Light i s but an i m-
perIect reIl ect i on oI a ray oI t he InIi nit e and Di vi ne.
We are about t o approach t hose ancient Reli gions which once
rul ed t he minds oI men, and whose ruins encumber t he plai ns oI
t he great Past , as the broken col umns oI Pal myra and Tadmor l ie
bleachi ng on t he sands oI the desert . They rise beIore us, t hose
old, strange, myst erious creeds and Iai ths, shrouded in the mi st s
oI anti qui ty, and stal k di mly and undeIi ned along t he l ine whi ch
divi des Ti me Irom Et ernity; and Iorms oI strange, wil d, startl ing
beauty mi ngled i n t he vast throngs oI Iigures wi th shapes mon-
st rous, grot esque, and hi deous.
The rel igi on taught by Moses, which, li ke the laws oI Egypt ,
enuciat ed t he pri nci ple oI exclusi on, borrowed, at every peri od
oI i t s exi stence, Irom all the creeds wit h whi ch i t came i n cont act.
Whi l e, by t he st udies oI the learned and wise, it enriched i tsel I
wi th t he most admi rable principl es oI t he reli gions oI Egypt and
Asi a, i t was changed, in the wanderi ngs oI t he People, by every-
t hi ng t hat was most i mpure or seduct i ve in the pagan manners
and superst i t ions. It was one t hi ng i n the ti mes oI Moses and
Aaron, another i n t hose oI David and Solomon, and st il l another
i n t hose oI Dani el and Phi l o.
At t he t i me when John the Bapt ist made hi s appearance in the
desert, near t he shores oI the Dead Sea, al l t he old phil osophical
and religi ous syst ems were approxi mat ing t oward each ot her. A
general lassit ude i ncl i ned the mi nds oI al l toward the qui etude oI
t hat amal gamat i on oI doctri nes Ior whi ch the expedit ions oI Al ex-
ander and the more peaceIul occurrences t hat Ioll owed, wi th t he
est abl i shment in Asia and AIri ca oI many Grecian dynast i es and
a great number oI Grecian col oni es, had prepared the way. AIt er
t he i nt ermi ngli ng oI diIIerent nat ions, whi ch resul ted Irom t he
wars oI Al exander i n three-quart ers oI t he globe, t he doctrines oI
Greece, oI Egypt, oI Persi a, and oI India, met and i ntermingl ed
everywhere. Al l the barri ers that had Iormerly kept the nat ions
apart , were t hrown down; and whil e t he People oI the West
readily connect ed t hei r Iai th wi th those oI t he East , t hose oI the
Orient hastened t o l earn the tradi ti ons oI Rome and t he legends
oI At hens. Whi l e t he Phi losophers oI Greece, all (except t he dis-
ci ples oI Epicurus) more or l ess Pl at oni st s, seized eargerly upon
t he beli eIs and doctri nes oI t he East , --the Jews and Egypti ans, be-
Iore then t he most exclusi ve oI al l peopl es, yielded t o that eclect i-
ci sm which prevai l ed among t heir masters, t he Greeks and Romans.
Under the same inIl uences oI tol erat i on, even those who em-
braced Christ iani ty, mi ngl ed t oget her the ol d and t he new, Chri s-
t ianity and Phi losophy, the Apost ol ic teachi ngs and t he t radit ions
oI Mythology The man oI intel lect , devot ee oI one syst em,
rarely displ aces it wi th another i n al l it s purity. The peopl e t ake
such a creed as i s oIIered t hem. Accordingly, the di sti ncti on be-
t ween t he esoteri c and the exoteric doctri ne, i mmemorial in ot her
creeds, easi ly gained a Ioothold among many oI the Chri st ians;
and i t was hel d by a vast number, even during the preaching oI
Paul , t hat t he writ ings oI t he Apostl es were incomplet e; that t hey
contai ned only t he germs oI another doctri ne, which must recei ve
Irom the hands oI phil osophy, not only the systemati c arrange-
ment whi ch was want ing, but all t he development which l ay con-
ceal ed t herei n. The wri ti ngs oI the Apostl es, they said, i n address-
i ng t hemsel ves to mankind in general , enunci ated only the art i cl es
oI t he vul gar Iai th; but transmi t ted the mysteri es oI knowledge to
superi or mi nds, t o the El ect , --myst eri es handed down Irom gen-
erati on to generat i on in esoteric tradi t i ons; and t o t hi s science oI
t he mysteries they gave t he name oI Gnosis.
The Gnost ics deri ved their leading doctrines and ideas Irom
Plat o and Phi l o, the Zend-avest a and t he Kabalah, and t he Sacred
books oI Indi a and Egypt ; and thus i ntroduced int o the bosom
oI Chri sti ani ty the cosmological and theosophi cal speculat ions,
which had Iormed t he l arger porti on oI the anci ent rel igi ons oI
t he Orient, j oined t o those oI t he Egyptian, Greek, and Jewi sh
doctri nes, which the Neo-Plat oni sts had equal ly adopt ed in the
Occi dent .
Emanati on Irom t he Dei ty oI all spirit ual bei ngs, progressive
degenerat ion oI t hese bei ngs Irom emanati on to emanati on, re-
dempt ion and return oI al l t o the puri ty oI the Creat or; and,
aIter t he re-est abl i shment oI t he pri mi ti ve harmony oI all , a Ior-
t unat e and t ruly divine condit ion oI all , i n t he bosom oI God;
such were the Iundament al teachi ngs oI Gnost ici sm. The genius
oI t he Ori ent , wi th i ts contempl at i ons, i rradiati ons, and intui t ions,
dictated it s doctri nes. It s language corresponded to i ts ori gin.
Full oI i magery, i t had all the magniIicence, t he i nconsist encies,
and t he mobi li ty oI t he Iigurat i ve style.
Behol d, i t sai d, the l ight , which emanates Irom an i mmense
cent re oI Light, that spreads everywhere it s benevol ent rays; so
do t he spirit s oI Light emanat e Irom the Divine Light. Behol d,
al l the springs which nourish, embel l ish, Iert il i ze, and puriIy t he
Eart h; t hey emanate Irom one and t he same ocean; so Irom t he
bosom oI t he Di vi ni ty emanat e so many streams, which Iorm and
Iil l the universe oI i ntell igences. Behol d numbers, whi ch al l
emanate Irom one pri mit ive number, al l resemble i t , al l are com-
posed oI it s essence, and st il l vary i nIini tely; and ut terances, de-
composable into so many syll abl es and elements, al l contai ned in
t he pri mi ti ve Word, and sti l l i nIi ni tely vari ous; so the world oI
Int el l igences emanat ed Irom a Pri mary Intell igence, and t hey al l
resembl e i t, and yet di splay an inIinit e variety oI exi stences.
It revived and combi ned the ol d doctri nes oI t he Orient and the
Occi dent ; and it Iound i n many passages oI t he Gospel s and the
Pastoral lett ers, a warrant Ior doing so. Christ hi msel I spoke in
parabl es and all egories, John borrowed t he enigmatical l anguage
oI t he Pl at onist s, and Paul oIt en i ndulged in i ncomprehensi bl e
rhapsodies, t he meaning oI which coul d have been cl ear to the
Ini ti ates alone.
It is admi tt ed t hat t he cradl e oI Gnosti ci sm i s probably to be
l ooked Ior i n Syria, and even in Palesti ne. Most oI i ts expound-
ers wrote in that corrupted Iorm oI t he Greek used by t he Hel len-
i sti c Jews, and in t he Sept uagi nt and the New Test ament; and
t here is a striking anal ogy between their doctrines and those oI
t he Judaeo-Egypt ian Phi l o, oI Alexandri a; it selI the seat oI three
school s, at once phil osophic and rel igi ous--t he Greek, the Egyp-
t ian, and t he Jewish.
Pyt hagoras and Pl at o, the most mysti cal oI the Grecian Phil os-
ophers (the lat ter hei r to the doctrines oI the Iormer), and who
had t ravel led, t he latt er in Egypt , and t he Iormer i n Phoenicia,
India, and Persia, also taught the esot eri c doctrine and the di sti nc-
t ion between the init iat ed and t he proIane. The dominant doc-
t ri nes oI Pl atonism were Iound i n Gnost ici sm. Emanat ion oI
Int el l igences Irom t he bosom oI t he Dei ty; t he going astray i n
error and t he suIIerings oI spiri ts, so l ong as t hey are remot e Irom
God, and i mprisoned i n mat t er; vain and long-cont inued eIIort s
t o arri ve at t he knowledge oI the Trut h, and re-enter i nt o t hei r
pri mi ti ve uni on wit h t he Supreme Being; all iance oI a pure and
divi ne soul wi th an irrat ional soul , t he seat oI evi l desi res; angel s
or demons who dwell i n and govern the pl anet s, having but an
i mperIect knowledge oI the ideas that presi ded at the creati on;
regenerat ion oI al l bei ngs by t heir return to the kosmos
noetos, t he worl d oI Intel li gences, and it s Chi eI, t he
Supreme Being; sol e possible mode oI re-establi shi ng t hat pri mi -
t ive harmony oI the creati on, oI which t he music oI t he spheres
oI Pyt hagoras was t he i mage; t hese were t he analogi es oI t he t wo
syst ems; and we discover in them some oI the ideas that Iorm a
part oI Masonry; i n which, i n t he present mut il ated condit ion oI
t he symbol i c Degrees, they are di sgui sed and overl aid wit h Ii cti on
and absurdity, or present t hemsel ves as casual hints that are pass-
ed by whol ly unnot iced.
The dist incti on bet ween t he esot eric and exot eri c doctrines (a
dist inct ion purely Masonic), was always and Irom t he very earl iest
t i mes preserved among the Greeks. It remounted to t he Iabul ous
t i mes oI Orpheus; and the myst eri es oI Theosophy were Iound i n
al l thei r tradi t i ons and myt hs. And aIt er t he t i me oI Al exander,
t hey resorted Ior inst ructi on, dogmas, and myst eri es, t o all the
school s, t o t hose oI Egypt and Asia, as wel l as those oI Anci ent
Thrace, Si ci ly, Etruria, and At ti ca.
The Jewi sh-Greek School oI Alexandri a i s known only by t wo
oI i t s Chi eIs, Ari st obul us and Phi lo, both Jews oI Alexandria in
Egypt . Bel ongi ng to Asi a by it s origi n, t o Egypt by i ts residence,
t o Greece by it s l anguage and st udies, i t strove to show t hat al l
t ruths embedded in the phil osophies oI ot her countri es were trans-
plant ed thi t her Irom Palesti ne. Ari stobul us decl ared t hat all t he
Iacts and detai l s oI t he Jewi sh Script ures were so many all egori es,
conceali ng t he most proIound meani ngs, and that Plat o had bor-
rowed Irom t hem all hi s Ii nest i deas. Phi l o, who li ved a cent ury
aIter hi m, Ioll owi ng the same t heory, endeavored to show t hat the
Hebrew wri ti ngs, by thei r system oI al legories, were the true
source oI all religious and phil osophical doctrines. Accordi ng t o
hi m, t he l it eral meani ng i s Ior the vulgar alone. Whoever has
medit ated on phil osophy, puriIied hi msel I by virt ue, and rai sed
hi msel I by cont empl at ion, to God and the intel lect ual world, and
received t heir i nspi rat ion, pierces t he gross envelope oI the let ter,
discovers a whol ly di IIerent order oI thi ngs, and i s init iat ed i nt o
mysteries, oI whi ch the elementary or li teral inst ructi on oIIers but
an i mperIect i mage. A histori cal Iact , a Iigure, a word, a let ter, a
number, a ri te, a cust om, t he parable or vi si on oI a prophet , veil s
t he most proIound t ruths; and he who has the key oI science wi l l
i nterpret all accordi ng t o t he light he possesses.
Agai n we see the symbol ism oI Masonry, and the search oI t he
Candi dat e Ior l ight . "Let men oI narrow mi nds wit hdraw, " he
says, "wi t h cl osed ears. We transmi t t he divi ne myst eri es to
t hose who have recei ved t he sacred ini ti ati on, t o those who prac-
t ise true piety and who are not enslaved by the empty trappi ngs
oI words or t he preconceived opinions oI t he pagans. "
To Phil o, the Supreme Bei ng was the Pri mi ti ve Light , or the
Archetype oI Light , Source whence the rays emanat e t hat il lumi -
nate Souls. He was al so the Soul oI t he Universe, and as such
acted i n al l it s parts. He Hi mselI Ii ll s and l i mit s Hi s whole Bei ng.
Hi s Powers and Virt ues Iil l and penetrate al l . These Powers
(dunamei s) are Spi ri ts di sti nct Irom God, t he "Ideas"
oI Pl at o personi Ii ed. He i s wi thout begi nni ng, and li ves i n the
prot otype oI Ti me (aion).
Hi s i mage i s THE WORD, a Iorm more bril l iant t han
Iire; that not bei ng t he pure li ght . This LOGOS dwel ls in God;
Ior the Supreme Bei ng makes to Hi mselI wi thin Hi s Int el l igence
t he types or ideas oI everyt hing that is t o become real ity i n thi s
Worl d. The LOGOS is the vehi cle by which God acts on the Uni -
verse, and may be compared t o t he speech oI man.
The LOGOS bei ng t he World oI Ideas, by means
whereoI God has creat ed visi ble things, He is t he most anci ent
God, in comparison wi th the Worl d, whi ch i s t he youngest pro-
ducti on. The LOGOS, ChieI oI Intel ligence, oI which He is t he
general represent ati ve, is named Archangel, type and represent a-
t ive oI all spirit s, even t hose oI mort al s. He i s al so styled the
man-type and pri mit ive man, Adam Kadmon.
God only i s Wi se. The wisdom oI man is but t he reIl ecti on and
i mage oI that oI God. He i s t he Father, and Hi s WISDOM t he
mother oI creat i on: Ior He unit ed Hi msel I wi th WISDOM (Sophia),
and communicated to it t he germ oI creat ion, and it
brought Iort h the materi al worl d. He creat ed the i deal world
only, and caused the materi al worl d to be made real aIt er it s type,
by Hi s LOGOS, whi ch i s Hi s speech, and at the same ti me the Idea
oI Ideas, the Intell ectual Worl d. The Intell ect ual Ci ty was but
t he Thought oI the Archi tect , who medi tat ed the creat ion, accord-
i ng t o that plan oI the Material Ci ty.
The Word i s not only t he Creat or, but occupies the pl ace oI t he
Supreme Being. Through Hi m all the Powers and Att ri butes oI
God act . On t he ot her si de, as Ii rst representat i ve oI t he Human
Family, He is the Prot ect or oI men and their Shepherd.
God gives t o man the Soul or Int el l igence, which exi sts beIore
t he body, and whi ch he unites wi th the body. The reasoning
Princi pl e comes Irom God t hrough t he Word, and communes wit h
God and wi th t he Word; but t here is also in man an irrat ional
Princi pl e, t hat oI t he i ncl i nat ions and passi ons whi ch produce
disorder, emanat ing Irom i nIeri or spi ri t s who Ii l l t he ai r as
ministers oI God. The body, taken Irom the Eart h, and t he
i rrati onal Princi pl e t hat ani mates it concurrent ly wit h the rat ional
Princi pl e, are hat ed by God, whi l e the rat ional soul which He
has given i t, is, as i t were, capt ive in thi s pri son, t hi s coIIi n, that
encompasses it . The present condit ion oI man is not hi s pri mi-
t ive condit i on, when he was the i mage oI t he Logos. He has
Iall en Irom his Ii rst est at e. But he may raise hi mselI again, by
Iol l owi ng the di rect ions oI WISDOM and oI t he Angel s
which God has commi ssi oned t o ai d hi m i n Ireei ng hi mselI Irom
t he bonds oI t he body, and combat i ng Evi l , t he exi st ence whereoI
God has permi t t ed, to Iurni sh hi m the means oI exercisi ng his
l iberty. The soul s that are puriIied, not by t he Law but by l ight,
ri se to the Heavenly regions, to enj oy t here a perIect Ieli city.
Those that persevere i n evil go Irom body t o body, t he seats oI
passi ons and evi l desires. The Iami l iar l i neament s oI t hese doc-
t ri nes will be recogni zed by al l who read the Epi st les oI St. Paul,
who wrot e aIter Phil o, t he l att er li ving t i l l the reign oI Caligul a,
and bei ng the cont emporary oI Christ .
And t he Mason i s Iami liar wit h t hese doctri nes oI Phi l o: that
t he Supreme Being is a cent re oI Light whose rays or emanat ions
pervade the Universe; Ior t hat i s the Light Ior whi ch all Masonic
j ourneys are a search, and oI which the sun and moon in our
Lodges are only emblems: that Light and Darkness, chi eI enemi es
Irom the beginni ng oI Ti me, dispute wi t h each ot her the empire
oI t he worl d; which we symboli ze by t he candidate wandering in
darkness and bei ng brought to l ight : that t he world was creat ed,
not by the Supreme Bei ng, but by a secondary agent , who i s but
Hi s WORD, and by types whi ch are but his ideas,
ai ded by an INTELLIGENCE, or WISDOM, whi ch gi ves one
oI His At tribut es; i n which we see the occul t meani ng oI the ne-
cessity oI recoveri ng "the Word"; and oI our t wo columns oI
STRENGTH and WISDOM, whi ch are al so t he t wo paral lel l ines that
bound t he ci rcl e representi ng t he Universe: that the vi si bl e worl d
i s t he i mage oI the invisi bl e worl d; that t he essence oI t he Human
Soul is t he i mage oI God, and i t exi sted beIore the body; that the
object oI i t s terrest ri al li Ie i s t o disengage it sel I oI it s body or i ts
sepul chre; and that it wi ll ascend to the Heavenly regi ons when-
ever i t shall be puri Iied; in which we see t he meani ng, now al most
Iorgot ten in our Lodges, oI the mode oI preparat ion oI t he candi-
date Ior apprent iceship, and hi s t est s and puri Iicat ions i n t he Iirst
Degree, accordi ng t o the Ancient and Accept ed Scot t i sh Rit e.
Phi l o i ncorporated in hi s ecl ecticism nei t her Egypti an nor
Oriental element s. But t here were ot her Jewi sh Teachers i n Al ex-
andri a who did both. The Jews oI Egypt were sl ightly jeal ous oI,
and a l it tl e hosti l e to, t hose oI Palest ine, part i cul arly aIter the
erecti on oI the sanct uary at Leont opol i s by the High-Pri est Onias;
and t hereIore t hey admired and magniIied those sages, who, li ke
Jeremi ah, had resi ded in Egypt . "The wi sdom oI Sol omon" was
writ ten at Alexandria, and, i n the ti me oI St . Jerome, was at trib-
uted to Phi l o; but it cont ai ns pri nci ples at vari ance wi th hi s.
It personi Ii es Wi sdom, and draws between it s chil dren and the
ProIane, t he same l ine oI demarcati on t hat Egypt had long beIore
t aught t o t he Jews. That dist incti on exi sted at the begi nni ng oI
t he Mosaic creed. Moshah hi mselI was an Initi ate in the mysteri es
oI Egypt, as he was compell ed to be, as the adopted son oI t he
daughter oI Pharaoh, Thouori s, daught er oI Sesostris-Ramses;
who, as her t omb and monument s show, was, in t he right oI her
i nIant husband, Regent oI Lower Egypt or the Del t a at t he t i me
oI t he Hebrew Prophet' s bi rt h, rei gni ng at Hel iopol is. She was
al so, as the rel ieIs on her t omb show, a Priest ess oI HATHOR and
NEITH, t he two great pri meval goddesses. As her adopt ed son,
l ivi ng in her Palace and presence Iorty years, and duri ng t hat
t i me scarcely acquainted wit h his brethren the Jews, the law oI
Egypt compel led hi s i nit iati on: and we Iind in many oI his enact -
ment s the i ntenti on oI preservi ng, bet ween t he common people
and t he Initi ates, the l i ne oI separati on which he Iound i n Egypt.
Moshah and Aharun hi s brot her, the whol e series oI High-Pri ests,
t he Counci l oI t he 70 El ders, Sal omoh and the ent ire successi on
oI Prophets, were in possessi on oI a higher science; and oI t hat
sci ence Masonry i s, at least, t he l ineal descendant . It was Iami li -
arly known as THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD.
AMUN, at Iirst t he God oI Lower Egypt only, where Moshah
was reared (a word that i n Hebrew means Trut h), was t he Su-
preme God. He was styled "t he Cel esti al Lord, who sheds Light
on hidden t hi ngs. " He was the source oI t hat di vi ne l iIe, oI whi ch
t he crux ansat a i s the symbol ; and the source oI al l power. He
unit ed all the att ributes that t he Anci ent Orient al Theosophy
assigned t o the Supreme Bei ng. He was t he Pleroma,
or "Ful lness oI t hi ngs, " Ior He comprehended i n Hi msel I every-
t hi ng; and the LIGHT; Ior he was t he Sun-God. He was un-
changeable in the mi dst oI everythi ng phenomenal i n hi s worl ds.
He created not hing; but everything emanat ed Irom Hi m; and oI
Hi m all t he other Gods were but mani Iest ati ons.
The Ram was Hi s li vi ng symbol; whi ch you see reproduced in
t hi s Degree, lying on the book wit h seven seal s on the tracing-
board. He caused the creat ion oI t he worl d by t he Pri mit ive
Thought (Ennoi a), or Spi ri t (Pneuma), t hat
i ssued Irom hi m by means oI his Voi ce or t he WORD; and whi ch
Thought or Spi ri t was personiIied as the Goddess NEITH. She,
t oo, was a di vi nity oI Light , and mot her oI t he Sun; and t he Feast
oI Lamps was celebrated i n her honor at Sai s. The Creat ive
Power, anot her mani Iestat i on oI Dei ty, proceeding to the creat i on
concei ved oI i n her, t he Divi ne Intel li gence, produced wi th it s
Word the Uni verse, symboli zed by an egg i ssuing Irom t he mouth
oI KNEPH; Irom which egg came PHTHA, i mage oI the Supreme
Int el l igence as real ized i n the world, and t he type oI that mani-
Iested in man; the princi pal agent , al so, oI Nat ure, or t he creati ve
and product ive Fire. PHRE or RS, t he Sun, or Celest ial Light,
whose symbol was the point wi t hin a ci rcl e, was the son oI
PHTHA; and TIPHE, hi s wi Ie, or the celest ial Ii rmament , wi t h t he
seven celest ial bodi es, ani mated by spirit s oI genii that govern
t hem, was represented on many oI the monument s, cl ad i n blue
or yell ow, her garments spri nkl ed wit h st ars, and accompani ed by
t he sun, moon, and Ii ve pl anets; and she was the type oI Wisdom,
and t hey oI the Seven Planetary Spi ri ts oI the Gnosti cs, t hat wi th
her presi ded over and governed the sublunary world.
In t his Degree, unknown Ior a hundred years t o t hose who have
pract ised it , t hese emblems reproduced reIer t o t hese old doct ri nes.
The lamb, the yell ow hangi ngs strewed wi th stars, t he seven
columns, candl esti cks, and seal s al l recall t hem t o us.
The Lion was t he symbol oI ATHOM-RE, t he Great God oI
Upper Egypt ; t he Hawk, oI RA or PHRE; the Eagle, oI MENDES;
t he Bul l, oI APIS; and t hree oI these are seen under the pl atIorm
on which our al tar stands.
The Ii rst HERMES was t he INTELLIGENCE, or WORD oI God.
Moved wit h compassi on Ior a race l iving wi thout law, and wi shing
t o t each t hem t hat they sprang Irom His bosom, and to point out
t o t hem t he way that t hey shoul d go (t he books whi ch t he Iirst
Hermes, the same wit h Enoch, had writ ten on the myst eri es oI
divi ne sci ence, in t he sacred characters, being unknown t o t hose
who l ived aIter t he Ilood), God sent to man OSIRIS and ISIS, ac-
accompanied by THOTH, t he i ncarnat i on or terrest rial repeti ti on oI
t he Iirst Hermes; who taught men the art s, sci ence, and the cer-
emoni es oI reli gion; and then ascended t o Heaven or the Moon.
OSIRIS was t he Pri nci pl e oI Good. TYPHON, li ke AHRIMAN, was
t he pri nci ple and source oI al l that i s evi l in the moral and physi-
cal order. Li ke the Satan oI Gnosti ci sm, he was conIounded
wi th Mat ter.
From Egypt or Persia t he new Platoni st s borrowed the idea,
and t he Gnosti cs received i t Irom them, that man, in hi s t erres-
t ri al career, is successi vely under the inIl uence oI the Moon, oI
Mercury, oI Venus, oI t he Sun, oI Mars, oI Jupi t er, and oI
Saturn, unti l he Ii nally reaches t he Elysian Fi elds; an idea again
symbol i zed in the Seven Seal s.
The Jews oI Syria and Judea were the di rect precursors oI
Gnost ici sm; and in t hei r doctri nes were ampl e ori ental el ement s.
These Jews had had wi th the Orient , at t wo di IIerent peri ods, i nti -
mate relat ions, Iami l iari zi ng them wit h t he doct ri nes oI Asia, and
especi ally oI Chaldea and Persia;--t heir Iorced residence in Cen-
t ral Asia under t he Assyrians and Persians; and t hei r vol unt ary
dispersion over the whole East , when subject s oI t he Sel eucidae
and t he Romans. Li vi ng near t wo-thirds oI a century, and many
oI t hem l ong aIterward, in Mesopotamia, the cradle oI thei r race;
speaking the same language, and t heir chil dren reared wit h those
oI t he Chaldeans, Assyrians, Medes, and Persi ans, and receiving
Irom them t heir names (as t he case oI Danayal, who was cal led
Baelt asatsar, proves), t hey necessarily adopt ed many oI t he doc-
t ri nes oI thei r conquerors. Thei r descendants, as Azra and Na-
hamaiah show us, hardly desi red t o l eave Persi a, when they were
al lowed t o do so. They had a speci al juri sdict ion, and governors
and j udges taken Irom t heir own peopl e; many oI t hem hel d high
oIIice, and their chi ldren were educat ed wi t h t hose oI the hi ghest
nobl es. Danayal was the Iriend and mi ni st er oI the Ki ng, and
t he ChieI oI t he Coll ege oI t he Magi at Babyl on; i I we may be-
l ieve the book which bears hi s name, and trust to t he i nci dent s
relat ed i n it s highly Ii gurat i ve and i magi nat i ve style. Mordecai ,
t oo, occupied a high st at ion, no less t han that oI Pri me Mi ni st er,
and Esther or Ast ar, his cousi n, was the Monarch' s wiIe.
The Magi oI Babylon were expounders oI Iigurat ive wri t i ngs,
i nterpreters oI nature, and oI dreams, --ast ronomers and divines;
and Irom t hei r inIluences arose among the Jews, aIt er thei r rescue
Irom capti vi ty, a number oI sect s, and a new exposi ti on, t he mys-
t ical i nt erpretat ion, wit h al l it s wi ld Iancies and i nIinite caprices.
The Ai ons oI the Gnosti cs, t he Ideas oI Plat o, the Angels oI the
Jews, and t he Demons oI t he Greeks, all correspond to t he
Ferouers oI Zoroaster.
A great number oI Jewi sh Iami l ies remai ned permanently i n
t heir new country; and one oI t he most celebrat ed oI thei r schools
was at Babylon. They were soon Iami li ari zed wit h the doct ri ne
oI Zoroaster, whi ch it sel I was more ancient than Kuros. From
t he syst em oI the Zend-Avesta they borrowed, and subsequently
gave large development to, everyt hing that coul d be reconci led
wi th t heir own Iait h; and t hese addit ions t o t he old doctrine were
soon spread, by the constant i ntercourse oI commerce, i nto Syria
and Palest ine.
In t he Zend-Avesta, God i s Ill i mit able Ti me. No origi n can be
assigned t o Hi m: He i s so enti rely envel oped i n Hi s glory, His
nature and at tributes are so inaccessi bl e t o human Int ell igence,
t hat He can be only t he obj ect oI a silent Venerat ion. Creat ion
t ook pl ace by emanati on Irom Hi m. The Iirst emanat ion was the
pri mi ti ve Light , and Irom that t he Ki ng oI Light, ORMUZD. By
t he "WORD, " Ormuzd creat ed t he world pure. He is it s pre-
server and Judge; a Bei ng Holy and Heavenly; Int ell igence and
Knowl edge; the Fi rst -born oI Ti me wi thout l i mit s; and i nvest ed
wi th al l t he Powers oI the Supreme Bei ng.
Sti l l he i s, stri ctly speaki ng, t he Fourth Being. He had a
Ferouer, a pre-exi sti ng Soul (i n t he language oI Pl at o, a type or
i deal); and it i s said oI Hi m, t hat He exist ed Irom the begi nni ng,
i n t he pri mi ti ve Light . But , that Light bei ng but an element,
and Hi s Ferouer a type, he is, i n ordi nary l anguage, the Fi rst -born
oI ZEROUANE-AKHERENE. Behol d agai n "THE WORD"
oI Masonry; t he Man, on t he Traci ng-Board oI t his Degree; the
LIGHT t oward which al l Masons t ravel.
He created aIt er hi s own i mage, si x Geni i call ed Amshaspands,
who surround his Throne, are his organs oI communicati on wit h
i nIeri or spi ri ts and men, transmit t o Hi m their prayers, sol ici t Ior
t hem Hi s Iavors, and serve t hem as model s oI puri ty and perIec-
t ion. Thus we have the Demi ourgos oI Gnosti ci sm, and the si x
Genii t hat assist hi m. These are t he Hebrew Archangel s oI t he
Planets.
The names oI these Amshaspands are Bahman, Ardi behest ,
Schariver, Sapandomad, Khordad, and Amerdad.
The Iourt h, the Holy SAPANDOMAD, creat ed t he Iirst man and
woman.
Then ORMUZD creat ed 28 Iseds, oI whom MITHERAS is t he chieI.
They watch, wi th Ormuzd and the Amshaspands, over t he happi -
ness, puri ty, and preservat ion oI t he world, which is under t heir
government ; and they are also models Ior mankind and i nterpre-
t ers oI men' s prayers. Wi t h Mi t hras and Ormuzd, t hey make a
pleroma (or compl et e number) oI 30, corresponding to t he t hi rty
Ai ons oI t he Gnosti cs, and t o the ogdoade, dodecade, and decade
oI t he Egypti ans. Mit hras was t he Sun-God, invoked wi th, and
soon conIounded wit h hi m, becomi ng the object oI a speci al wor-
ship, and ecli psi ng Ormuzd hi msel I.
The thi rd order oI pure spi ri t s is more numerous. They are
t he Ferouers, the THOUGHTS oI Ormuzd, or the IDEAS which he
concei ved beIore proceedi ng to the creat ion oI thi ngs. They t oo
are superi or to men. They prot ect them duri ng thei r li Ie on eart h;
t hey wil l puriIy t hem Irom evil at their resurrect i on. They are
t heir t ut elary geni i, Irom t he Ial l t o t he complet e regenerat ion.
AHRIMAN, second-born oI the Pri mi ti ve Li ght , emanated Irom
i t, pure l ike ORMUZD; but , proud and ambi ti ous, yiel ded to jeal-
ousy oI the First-born. For hi s hat red and pride, t he Eternal
condemned hi m t o dwell , Ior 12, 000 years, in t hat part oI space
where no ray oI light reaches; t he black empi re oI darkness. In
t hat peri od t he st ruggle between Light and Darkness, Good and
Evi l wil l be t erminated.
AHRIMAN scorned to submit , and took t he Iield against OR-
MUZD. To t he good spiri ts created by hi s Brot her, he opposed an
i nnumerable army oI Evil Ones. To the seven Amshaspands he
opposed seven Archdevs, attached t o the seven Pl anet s; t o the
Izeds and Ferouers an equal number oI Devs, which brought
upon the worl d al l moral and physi cal evi ls. Hence Poverty,
Mal adi es, Impuri ty, Envy, Chagrin, Drunkenness, Fal sehood,
Cal umny, and t hei r horri bl e array.
The i mage oI Ahri man was the Dragon, conIounded by t he
Jews wi th Sat an and the Serpent -Tempt er. AIter a reign oI 3000
years, Ormuzd had creat ed t he Mat eri al World, i n si x periods,
cal li ng successi vely i nto exist ence t he Light , Wat er, Earth, plants,
ani mals, and Man. But Ahri man concurred i n creat mg t he earth
and wat er; Ior darkness was already an element , and Ormuzd
could not excl ude it s Master. So al so the two concurred in pro-
ducing Man. Ormuzd produced, by hi s Wi l l and Word, a Bei ng
t hat was t he type and source oI universal li Ie Ior everythi ng t hat
exist s under Heaven. He placed in man a pure principl e, or LiIe,
proceeding Irom t he Supreme Bei ng. But Ahri man dest royed
t hat pure pri nci ple, i n t he Iorm wherewit h i t was cl othed; and
when Ormuzd had made, oI i ts recovered and puriIi ed essence, the
Iirst man and woman, Ahri man seduced and tempt ed t hem wi th
wi ne and Iruit s; the woman yiel ding Ii rst.
OIten, duri ng the three l att er periods oI 3000 years each, Ahri -
man and Darkness are, and are t o be, triumphant. But t he pure
souls are assi sted by the Good Spiri ts; t he Tri umph oI Good i s
decreed by t he Supreme Being, and t he peri od oI that tri umph
wi ll i nIall ibly arrive. When the world shall be most aIIl i cted wi th
t he evil s poured out upon i t by the spirit s oI perdit ion, three
Prophet s wi ll come t o bri ng rel ieI to mort als. SOSIOSCH, t he
pri nci pal oI the Three, wi l l regenerat e t he earth, and restore t o i t
i ts pri mi ti ve beauty, st rengt h, and puri ty. He wi ll judge t he good
and t he wi cked. AIt er the universal resurrect ion oI the good, he
wi ll conduct t hem t o a home oI everlast ing happiness. Ahri man,
his evil demons, and al l wicked men, wil l al so be puri Ii ed in a tor-
rent oI mel t ed metal . The law oI Ormuzd wil l reign everywhere;
al l men wil l be happy; al l, enj oyi ng unalt erable bli ss, wil l si ng
wi th Sosi osch the prai ses oI t he Supreme Being.
These doctri nes, the det ai ls oI whi ch were spari ngly borrowed
by t he Phari saic Jews, were much more Iul ly adopt ed by t he
Gnost ics; who taught the rest orati on oI all t hi ngs, thei r ret urn t o
t heir ori ginal pure condi t ion, the happiness oI t hose t o be saved,
and t heir admi ssi on t o t he Ieast oI Heavenly Wi sdom.
The doct ri nes oI Zoroaster came origi nal ly Irom Bact ri a, an
Indian Province oI Persia. Nat urally, t hereIore, i t would include
Hi ndu or Buddhist element s, as i t di d. The Iundament al idea oI
Buddhi sm was, mat t er subj ugati ng the intel ligence, and i nt ell i-
gence Ireeing it selI Irom t hat slavery. Perhaps somet hi ng came
t o Gnost ici sm Irom Chi na. "BeIore t he chaos which preceded
t he birth oI Heaven and Eart h, " says Lao-Tseu, "a si ngl e Being
exist ed, i mmense and sil ent , i mmovable and ever act i ve--the
mother oI t he Universe. I know not it s name: but I desi gnate it
by t he word Reason. Man has his type and model in the Eart h;
Eart h in Heaven; Heaven i n Reason; and Reason in Itsel I. "
Here again are the Ferouers, the Ideas, t he Ai ons--t he REASON
or INTELLIGENCE, SILENCE, WORD, and
WISDOM oI the Gnostics.
The dominant system among the Jews aIter t heir capti vity was
t hat oI t he Pharoschi m or Phari sees. Whet her their name was
deri ved Irom that oI the Parsees, or Iol lowers oI Zoroast er, or
Irom some other source, i t is certai n that t hey had borrowed much
oI t hei r doct ri ne Irom the Persians. Like t hem t hey cl ai med t o
have t he exclusive and myst eri ous knowledge, unknown to the
mass. Like t hem they t aught t hat a constant war was waged be-
t ween t he Empi re oI Good and t hat oI Evi l. Like them they at-
t ri buted the si n and Ial l oI man t o t he demons and t heir chieI; and
l ike them they admit ted a speci al protect ion oI t he righteous by
i nIeri or bei ngs, agent s oI Jehovah. All their doctrines on these
subject s were at bot tom those oI t he Holy Books; but singularly
developed and the Ori ent was evidently t he source Irom whi ch
t hose devel opment s came.
They styled t hemselves Interpreters; a name indi cat i ng their
cl ai m t o t he exclusi ve possessi on oI the true meaning oI the Holy
Wri t ings, by vi rt ue oI the oral t radit i on whi ch Moses had re-
cei ved on Mount Si nai, and whi ch successive generat ions oI Ini-
t iat es had transmi t ted, as t hey clai med, unalt ered, unto t hem.
Thei r very cost ume, t heir belieI i n the inIl uences oI the stars, and
i n t he i mmort al i ty and transmi grat ion oI soul s, t heir system oI
angel s and t heir ast ronomy, were al l Ioreign.
Sadduceei sm arose merely Irom an opposi ti on essenti ally Jewi sh,
t o t hese Ioreign teachings, and that mi xt ure oI doctrines, adopt ed
by t he Phari sees, and which const i tuted the popul ar creed.
We come at last to t he Essenes and Therapeut s, wit h whom
t hi s Degree is part icularly concerned. That intermi ngl i ng oI
ori ent al and occi dental rites, oI Persi an and Pyt hagorean opi nions,
which we have pointed out i n the doct ri nes oI Phil o, i s unmistak-
able i n the creeds oI these two sects.
They were less dist ingui shed by met aphysical specul at i ons than
by si mpl e medit at ions and moral pract i ces. But t he l att er always
part ook oI t he Zoroastri an principl e, that i t was necessary to Iree
t he soul Irom t he t rammel s and inIl uences oI mat ter; whi ch l ed
t o a system oI abst inence and macerat ion ent irely opposed to the
anci ent Hebrai cideas, Iavorable as t hey were t o physical pleasures.
In general , t he li Ie and manners oI t hese myst ical associa-
t ions, as Phil o and Josephus descri be t hem, and parti cul arly t heir
prayers at sunrise, seem the i mage oI what t he Zend-Avest a pre-
scribes to the Iait hIul adorer or Ormuzd; and some oI t heir
observances cannot ot herwise be explai ned.
The Therapeuts resi ded in Egypt, i n t he neighborhood oI Al ex-
andri a; and the Essenes in Palest ine, i n t he vici ni ty oI the Dead
Sea. But t here was nevert hel ess a st ri ki ng coi nci dence in their
i deas, readi ly explai ned by at tri but ing it t o a Ioreign i nIluence.
The Jews oI Egypt, under the inIl uence oI the School oI Al exan-
dri a, endeavored in general t o make t hei r doct ri nes harmoni ze
wi th t he t radit ions oI Greece; and thence came, in t he doctrines
oI t he Therapeuts, as st at ed by Phil o, the many anal ogi es bet ween
t he Pyt hagorean and Orphic i deas, on one side, and t hose oI Ju-
daism on the ot her: whil e t he Jews oI Palest ine, having less com-
muni cati on wi th Greece, or contemning i ts t eachi ngs, rat her i m-
bibed t he Oriental doctrines, which they drank in at the source
and wi th which thei r rel ati ons wi t h Persia made them Iami li ar.
Thi s at tachment was part icul arly shown in t he Kabalah, whi ch
belonged rather t o Pal esti ne t han to Egypt , t hough extensively
known i n t he l att er; and Iurnished t he Gnost i cs wit h some oI
t heir most stri king t heories.
It is a signiIi cant Iact, that whi le Chri st spoke oIten oI t he
Phari sees and Sadducees, He never once menti oned t he Essenes,
between whose doct ri nes and His t here was so great a resem-
blance, and, i n many poi nt s, so perIect an identi ty. Indeed, they
are not named, nor even dist inctly al luded to, anywhere in the
New Testament.
John, t he son oI a Priest who mi ni st ered in t he Temple at
Jerusal em, and whose mother was oI the Iami ly oI Aharun, was
i n t he desert s unti l the day oI hi s showi ng unt o Israel. He drank
neit her wine nor st rong dri nk. Cl ad i n hair-cloth, and wi th a
girdle oI leat her, and Ieedi ng upon such Iood as the desert aIIord-
ed, he preached, in the country about Jordan, the bapt i sm oI re-
pentance, Ior the remissi on oI si ns; that i s, the necessity oI repent-
ance proven by reIormati on. He taught the people chari ty and
l iberal ity; the publi cans, just ice, equi ty, and Iair deal i ng; t he
soldi ery peace, truth, and content ment ; to do vi olence to none,
accuse none Ial sely, and be content wit h t hei r pay. He incul-
cated necessi ty oI a virtuous l iIe, and the Iol ly oI t rusti ng t o
t heir descent Irom Abraham.
He denounced bot h Phari sees and Sadducees as a generat i on oI
vipers t hreat ened wi th the anger oI God. He bapti zed those who
conIessed their sins. He preached i n the desert ; and thereIore in
t he count ry where t he Essenes l ived, proIessi ng t he same doctri nes.
He was i mprisoned beIore Christ began to preach. Mat thew men-
t ions hi m wi thout preIace or expl anat i on; as i I, apparent ly, hi s
hist ory was t oo wel l known t o need any. "In those days," he
says, "came John the Bapti st, preaching in t he wi lderness oI
Judea. " Hi s di sciples Irequent ly Iast ed; Ior we Ii nd t hem wit h
t he Phari sees comi ng t o Jesus t o inqui re why Hi s Disciples di d
not Iast as oIten as t hey; and He did not denounce t hem, as Hi s
habit was to denounce the Phari sees; but answered t hem ki ndly
and gent ly.
From hi s pri son, John sent two oI his disci pl es to i nqui re oI
Chri st: "Art thou he t hat i s to come, or do we l ook Ior anot her ?"
Chri st reIerred t hem to hi s mi racles as an answer; and declared
t o t he people t hat John was a prophet , and more than a prophet ,
and t hat no great er man had ever been born; but t hat t he hum-
blest Christ ian was his superior. He declared hi m t o be Eli as,
who was to come.
John had denounced to Herod hi s marri age wi th hi s brot her' s
wi Ie as unl awIul ; and Ior t hi s he was i mprisoned, and Ii nally exe-
cuted to grat i Iy her. His di sci ples buried hi m; and Herod and
others t hought he had ri sen Irom t he dead and appeared again in
t he person oI Chri st. The peopl e al l regarded John as a prophet ;
and Chri st si lenced t he Priest s and El ders by aski ng t hem whet her
he was i nspi red. They Ieared to exci te the anger oI the people by
sayi ng t hat he was not. Christ decl ared that he came "i n t he way
oI righteousness"; and t hat the lower classes bel ieved hi m, t hough
t he Priests and Phari sees di d not .
Thus John, who was oIt en consul t ed by Herod, and to whom
t hat monarch showed great deIerence and was oIten governed by
his advice; whose doctrine prevai led very ext ensi vely among the
peopl e and the publ icans, taught some creed ol der than Chri s-
t ianity. That i s pl ai n: and i t is equal ly plai n, that the very l arge
body oI the Jews that adopt ed his doct ri nes, were nei t her Phari -
sees nor Sadducees, but t he humble, common peopl e. They must,
t hereIore, have been Essenes. It i s pl ain, t oo, t hat Christ appl i ed
Ior bapt i sm as a sacred ri t e, wel l known and l ong pract iced. It
was becoming to hi m, he said, t o Iul Ii l l al l righteousness.
In t he 18t h chapt er oI the Acts oI the Apost les we read thus:
"And a cert ain Jew, named Apoll os, born at Alexandri a, an elo-
quent man, and mighty in the Scri pt ures, came to Ephesus. Thi s
man was instructed in t he way oI t he Lord, and, bei ng Iervent i n
spirit , he spake and taught dil igently t he t hi ngs oI the Lord, know-
i ng only t he bapti sm oI John; and he began t o speak bol dly in
t he synagogue; whom, when Aquil la and Prisci lla had heard, they
t ook hi m unto them, and expounded unt o hi m t he way oI God
more perIect ly."
Translati ng t hi s Irom t he symbolic and Ii gurati ve l anguage
i nt o t he t rue ordi nary sense oI the Greek t ext , i t reads thus: "And
a certai n Jew, named Apol los, an Al exandrian by birt h, an el oquent
man, and oI ext ensi ve l earning, came to Ephesus. He had learned
i n t he myst eri es the true doct ri ne in regard t o God; and, being a
zeal ous ent husi ast , he spoke and taught dil igently t he t ruths in
regard to the Dei ty, havi ng received no other bapti sm than t hat
oI John. " He knew not hing in regard t o Christ ianity; Ior he
had resided i n Alexandri a, and had j ust then come to Ephesus;
being, probably, a di scipl e oI Phil o, and a Therapeut .
"That, in all t i mes, " says St . August ine, "i s t he Christi an re-
l igi on, whi ch to know and Iol low i s the most sure and certain
heal th, cal led accordi ng t o t hat name, but not according to the
t hi ng i tsel I, oI which it i s the name; Ior t he thi ng it sel I, which
i s now call ed the Chri st ian rel igi on, really was known t o the An-
ci ents, nor was want ing at any ti me Irom the begi nni ng oI the
human race, unt i l the ti me when Christ came in the Ilesh; Irom
whence t he t rue rel igi on, which had previously exist ed, began to
be call ed Chri st i an; and this in our days i s the Chri st ian religion,
not as havi ng been wanti ng in Iormer ti mes, but as havi ng, in
l ater t i mes, received this name. " The di sciples were Iirst cal led
"Chri sti ans, " at Ant ioch, when Barnabas and Paul began t o
preach there.
The Wanderi ng or Itinerant Jews or Exorci sts, who assumed
t o empl oy the Sacred Name i n exorci si ng evil spi rit s, were no
doubt Therapeutae or Essenes.
"And it i t came t o pass, " we read i n t he 19th chapt er oI t he Act s,
verses 1 to 4, "that while Apol los was at Cori nth, Paul , havi ng
passed through t he upper part s oI Asia Minor, came t o Ephesus;
and Iinding cert ai n di scipl es, he sai d t o them, ' Have ye recei ved
t he Holy Ghost si nce ye became Bel ievers ?' And t hey said unt o
hi m, ' We have not so much as heard that there i s any Holy
Ghost . ' And he sai d to them, ' In what, t hen, were you bapt i zed ?'
And t hey said ' In John' s bapti sm. ' Then sai d Paul, ' John in-
deed bapt i zed wit h the bapt ism oI repent ance, saying to t he peopl e
t hat they shoul d believe i n Hi m who was t o come aIt er hi m, that
i s, i n Jesus Chri st . When they heard t hi s, t hey were bapti zed in
t he name oI the Lord Jesus. "
Thi s Iait h, taught by John, and so nearly Christ iani ty, could
have been nothi ng but t he doctrine oI t he Essenes; and there can
be no doubt t hat John belonged t o that sect . The place where he
preached, his macerat ions and Irugal diet , t he doctri nes he taught,
al l prove i t concl usi vely. There was no other sect to whi ch he
could have bel onged; certai nly none so numerous as hi s, except
t he Essenes.
We Ii nd, Irom t he t wo let ters writ ten by Paul to the brethren at
Cori nt h, t hat Ci ty oI Luxury and Corrupti on, t hat there were
contenti ons among t hem. Ri val sects had al ready, about the 57th
year oI our era, reared t hei r banners t here, as Iol lowers, some oI
Paul , some oI Apol l os, and some oI Cephas. Some oI them de-
nied the resurrecti on. Paul urged t hem t o adhere to the doctrines
t aught by hi msel I, and had sent Ti mot hy to t hem to bring t hem
aIresh to their recoll ecti on.
Accordi ng to Paul, Chri st was to come again. He was to put
an end to all other Princi pal it ies and Powers, and Ii nally to Death,
and t hen be Hi msel I once more merged in God; who shoul d t hen
be all i n al l.
The Iorms and ceremoni es oI t he Essenes were symbol ical .
They had, according t o Phi lo t he Jew, Iour Degrees; t he members
being divided i nt o t wo Orders, the Pract ici and Therapeut ici ;
t he l att er bei ng t he contemplati ve and medical Brethren; and the
Iormer the acti ve, pract i cal , busi ness men. They were Jews by
birth; and had a greater aIIect ion Ior each other than the mem-
bers oI any other sect . Thei r brot herly l ove was i ntense. They
Iul Ii ll ed t he Christi an law, "Love one anot her. " They despi sed
riches. No one was t o be Iound among them, havi ng more than
another. The possessi ons oI one were intermi ngled wi th those oI
t he others; so t hat t hey al l had but one pat ri mony, and were
bret hren. Their pi ety toward God was extraordi nary. BeIore
sunri se t hey never spake a word about proIane matt ers; but put
up certai n prayers whi ch they had recei ved Irom their IoreIathers.
At dawn oI day, and beIore i t was li ght , t heir prayers and hymns
ascended t o Heaven. They were eminently Iai t hIul and true, and
t he Mi ni sters oI Peace. They had myst eri ous ceremoni es, and
i ni t i ati ons int o their mysteri es; and the Candi dat e promi sed that
he would ever practi se Ii del ity t o al l men, and especi ally t o those
i n authori ty, "because no one obt ai ns t he government wi thout
God' s assi stance. "
Whatever t hey said, was Iirmer t han an oath; but they avoided
sweari ng, and esteemed it worse t han perj ury. They were si mple
i n t hei r diet and mode oI li vi ng, bore t orture wi t h Iorti tude, and
despi sed deat h. They culti vat ed the science oI medi cine and were
very skil lIul . They deemed i t a good omen to dress i n whit e robes.
They had thei r own court s, and passed ri ght eous judgments. They
kept the Sabbat h more ri gorously t han the Jews.
Thei r chieI t owns were Engaddi , near the Dead Sea, and
Hebron. Engaddi was about 30 mi les southeast Irom Jerusal em,
and Hebron about 20 mi les sout h oI that ci ty. Josephus and
Eusebius speak oI them as an anci ent sect; and t hey were no
doubt t he Ii rst among t he Jews t o embrace Christ ianity: wit h
whose Iait h and doctri ne t heir own tenet s had so many point s oI
resembl ance, and were indeed i n a great measure t he same. Pl iny
regarded t hem as a very ancient peopl e.
In t hei r devoti ons they t urned t oward the ri sing sun; as t he
Jews generally di d toward the Temple. But they were no i dol a-
t ers; Ior they observed t he l aw oI Moses wit h scrupulous Iideli ty.
They hel d al l thi ngs i n common, and despised ri ches, their want s
being supplied by t he admi nist rat ion oI Curators or Stewards.
The Tetractys, composed oI round dot s instead oI jods, was re-
vered among t hem. Thi s bei ng a Pythagorean symbol , evidently
shows t heir connect ion wi t h t he school oI Pyt hagoras; but their
peculi ar tenet s more resemble those oI ConIuci us and Zoroast er;
and probably were adopted whi le they were prisoners in Persia;
which explai ns t hei r turni ng toward the Sun in prayer.
Thei r demeanor was sober and chaste. They submi t ted to the
superi nt endence oI governors whom t hey appoi nt ed over them-
sel ves. The whole oI their t i me was spent in labor, medi tat ion,
and prayer; and t hey were most sedulously att ent ive to every cal l
oI j ust ice and humani ty, and every moral duty. They bel ieved
i n t he uni ty oI God. They supposed the souls oI men to have
Iall en, by a di sast rous Iat e, Irom t he regions oI puri ty and l ight,
i nt o t he bodi es which they occupy; duri ng t heir cont inuance i n
which they considered them conIi ned as i n a pri son. ThereIore
t hey did not beli eve i n t he resurrect ion oI the body; but i n that
oI t he soul only. They believed in a Iuture st ate oI rewards and
puni shment s; and t hey disregarded the ceremonies or ext ernal
Iorms enjoined i n t he l aw oI Moses to be observed in the worshi p
og God; hol di ng t hat the words oI that l awgi ver were to be un-
derstood in a myst erious and recondi t e sense, and not accordi ng t o
t heir l it eral meani ng. They oIIered no sacri Ii ces, except at home;
and by medi t ati on they endeavored, as Iar as possible, to i solat e
t he soul Irom t he body, and carry it back t o God.
Eusebius broadly admit s "that t he ancient Therapeut ae were
Chri sti ans; and that t hei r ancient wri ti ngs were our Gospel s and
Epi stl es. "
The ESSENES were oI the Ecl ecti c Sect oI Phi l osophers, and
held PLATo in the hi ghest esteem; they bel ieved t hat true phil os-
ophy, t he great est and most salutary gi It oI God t o mortal s, was
scatt ered, in various port i ons, through al l the diIIerent Sects; and
t hat it was, consequent ly, the duty oI every wi se man t o gat her i t
Irom the several quart ers where it l ay di spersed, and t o empl oy
i t, t hus reuni ted, in destroying the dominion oI i mpi ety and
vice.
The great Iest ivals oI the Sol st i ces were observed i n a di sti n-
guished manner by t he Essenes; as woul d natural ly be supposed,
Irom the Iact that they reverenced the Sun, not as a god, but as a
symbol oI light and Ii re; t he Iountai n oI whi ch, the Ori ent als
supposed God t o be. They li ved i n cont i nence and abst i nence,
and had establi sl ment s si mil ar to the monasteri es oI t he early
Chri sti ans.
The wri ti ngs oI the Essenes were Iull oI mysti cism, parabl es,
enigmas, and all egori es. They beli eved in the esot eri c and exote-
ric meani ngs oI the Script ures; and, as we have already sai d, they
had a warrant Ior t hat i n t he Scri ptures t hemsel ves. They Iound
i t i n the Ol d Test ament , as the Gnost i cs Iound i t in the New.
The Christ ian wri ters, and even Chri st hi msel I, recogni zed i t as a
t ruth, t hat all Scri pt ure had an i nner and an outer meaning. Thus
we Ii nd it sai d as Iol lows, i n one oI the Gospels:
"Unt o you i t is given to know the myst ery oI t he Ki ngdom oI
God; but unt o men t hat are wi thout , al l these thi ngs are done in
parabl es; that seei ng, they may see and not percei ve, and heari ng
t hey may hear and not underst and . . . . And t he disci ples came
and sai d unt o hi m, ' Why speakest Thou the t rut h in parabl es ?' --
He answered and said unto them, ' Because i t is gi ven unt o you to
know the myst eri es oI t he Kingdom oI Heaven, but to t hem it i s
not given.' "
Paul , i n t he 4t h chapter oI his Epist le t o the Galat ians, speak-
i ng oI the si mplest Iacts oI the Ol d Test ament , asserts that t hey
are an allegory. In t he 3d chapter oI t he second let ter to t he
Cori nt hians, he decl ares hi mselI a mi nister oI the New Test ament ,
appoi nted by God; "Not oI the let ter, but oI t he spirit ; Ior the
l ett er kil let h." Origen and St. Gregory hel d t hat the Gospels
were not to be t aken in t heir l it eral sense; and Athanasius ad-
moni shes us t hat "Shoul d we understand sacred writ accordi ng t o
t he l ett er, we should Ial l into the most enormous blasphemies. "
Eusebius said, "Those who preside over t he Holy Scri pt ures,
phil osophi ze over them, and expound t hei r li t eral sense by al l e-
gory. "
The sources oI our knowledge oI the Kabal i st i c doct ri nes, are
t he books oI Jezirah and Sohar, t he Iormer drawn up in the second
cent ury, and t he l at t er a li tt le lat er; but cont aini ng mat eri als
much ol der than t hemsel ves. In t heir most characteri st ic el e-
ment s, t hey go back to t he t i me oI t he exil e. In t hem, as i n the
t eachings oI Zoroaster, everythi ng that exist s emanated Irom a
source oI inIi ni te LiGHT. BeIore everyt hing, exist ed THE AN-
CIENT OF DAYS, t he KING OF LIGHT; a t i tle oIten given t o t he
Creator in the Zend-Avesta and the code oI the Sabaeans. Wi th
t he i dea so expressed i s connected the pant hei sm oI Indi a.
KING OF LIGHT, THE ANCIENT, i s ALL THAT IS. He i s not only
t he real cause oI al l Exist ences; he is InIi nit e (AINSOPH). He i s
HIMSELF: there i s nothi ng in Hi m t hat We can cal l Thou.
In t he Indi an doctrine, not only is t he Supreme Being t he real
cause oI all , but he i s t he only real Exist ence: al l t he rest is il lu-
si on. In t he Kabalah, as in the Persian and Gnost i c doct rines,
He is t he Supreme Being unknown to all , t he "Unknown Fat her."
The worl d is hi s revel ati on, and subsist s only in Hi m. His att ri -
butes are reproduced t here, wi th di IIerent modiIi cat i ons, and in
diIIerent degrees, so that t he Uni verse is Hi s Holy Splendor:i t
i s but His Mantl e; but i t must be revered in si l ence. Al l bei ngs
have emanated Irom t he Supreme Being: The nearer a being i s
t o Hi m, t he more perIect i t is; the more remote in t he scale, t he
l ess it s puri ty.
A ray oI Light , shot Irom t he Dei ty, i s the cause and pri nci ple
oI al l that exi st s. It i s at once Fat her and Mother oI All , i n t he
subli mest sense. It penetrates everything; and wi thout i t not hi ng
can exi st an i nst ant. From t hi s doubl e FORCE, desi gnated by t he
t wo part s oI t he word I. u. H. u. U. u. H. u. emanat ed t he FIRST-BORN
oI God, the Universal Form, in which are contained al l beings;
t he Persian and Pl atonic Archetype oI things, united wi th t he
InIinit e by the pri mi t ive ray oI Light .
Thi s Fi rst -Born is the Creat ive Agent, Conservator, and ani -
mati ng Princi pl e oI t he Universe. It i s THE LIGHT OF LIGHT. It
possesses the three Pri mi t ive Forces oI the Divinity, LIGHT,
SPIRIT and LIFE. As it has recei ved
what it gives, Light and LiIe, i t i s equal ly consi dered as t he gen-
erati ve and concept ive Principle, the Pri mi ti ve Man, ADAM
KADMON. As such, it has reveal ed i tsel I in ten emanat i ons or
Sephiroth, which are not t en diIIerent beings, nor even beings at
al l; but sources oI l iIe, vessel s oI Omni pot ence, and types oI Cre-
at ion. They are Sovereignty or Wi l l, Wi sdom, Intell igence,
Beni gni ty, Severi ty, Beauty, Vi ctory, Glory, Permanency, and
Empire. These are att ri but es oI God; and this idea, that God re-
veal s Hi msel I by His at tribut es, and t hat the human mi nd cannot
perceive or discern God Hi msel I, i n his works, but only his mode
oI mani Iest ing Hi mselI, is a proIound Trut h. We know oI t he
Invi si ble only what the Visi ble reveals.
Wisdom was cal l ed NOUS and LOGOS, lN-
TELLECT or the WORD. Intel li gence, source oI t he oil oI anoint-
i ng, responds to the Holy Ghost oI t he Chri st i an Fait h.
Beauty i s represent ed by green and yellow. Victory i s YA-
HOVAH-TSABAOTH, t he column on the right hand, the col umn
Jachin: Gl ory is t he column Boaz, on the leIt hand. And t hus
our symbol s appear agai n i n t he Kabalah. And again t he LIGHT,
t he object oI our labors, appears as the creat i ve power oI Deity.
The circl e, also, was t he special symbol oI t he Iirst Sephi rah,
Ket her, or the Crown.
We do not Iurther Iol low the Kabal ah in it s Iour Worl ds oI
Spi ri ts, Azil ut h, Bri ah, Yezirah, and Asiah, or oI emanati on, crea-
t ion, Iormati on, and Iabri cati on, one inIerior to and one emerging
Irom the ot her, t he superior al ways envel oping t he i nIeri or;it s
doctri ne t hat , i n al l that exist s, there i s nothi ng purely materi al ;
t hat all comes Irom God, and in al l He proceeds by i rradiati on;
t hat everythi ng subsi sts by t he Divi ne ray that penet rates crea-
t ion; and all i s uni ted by t he Spi ri t oI God, which is the li Ie oI
l iIe; so t hat all i s God; the Exi stences that i nhabit t he Iour
worl ds, inIerior t o each ot her in proporti on to their di stance Irom
t he Great King oI Light : t he contest between the good and evi l
Angels and Princi pl es, t o endure unti l the Eternal Hi msel I comes
t o end i t and re-establ i sh t he pri mi ti ve harmony; t he Iour dist inct
part s oI t he Soul oI Man; and the migrat ions oI i mpure soul s,
unti l they are suIIi ciently puri Ii ed to share wit h the Spirit s oI
Light the contempl at ion oI the Supreme Bei ng whose Spl endor
Iil ls t he Uni verse.
The WORD was al so Iound i n the Phoeni cian Creed. As in all
t hose oI Asi a, a WORD oI God, writ ten in starry charact ers, by the
planet ary Divini t ies, and communicat ed by t he Demi-Gods, as a
proIound myst ery, to the hi gher classes oI the human race, to be
communi cated by them t o manki nd, created the worl d. The Iait h
oI t he Phoeni cians was an emanat ion Irom that ancient worship oI
t he Stars, whi ch i n the creed oI Zoroast er alone, i s connected wi th
a Iai th in one God. Li ght and Fi re are t he most i mport ant agent s
i n t he Phoeni cian Iai t h. There i s a race oI chil dren oI t he Light .
They adored t he Heaven wit h i ts Light s, deemi ng i t the Supreme
God.
Everyt hing emanates Irom a Si ngl e Pri nci ple, and a Pri mi t ive
Love, which i s the Movi ng Power oI All and governs al l . Light ,
by i ts uni on wit h Spi rit , whereoI i t is but t he vehicl e or symbol,
i s t he Li Ie oI everythi ng, and penet rat es everyt hing. It should
t hereIore be respect ed and honored everywhere; Ior everywhere
i t governs and control s.
The Chaldaic and Jerusalem Paraphrast s endeavored t o render
t he phrase, DEBAR-YAHOVAH, t he Word oI God, a
personalty, wherever t hey met wit h it . The phrase, "And God
created man, " is, in the Jerusalem Targum, "And t he Word oI
IHUH created man. "
So, in xxvi i i. Gen. 20, 21, where Jacob says: "II God
(IHIH ALHIM) wi ll be wi th me. . . then shal l IHUH be my ALHIM;
UHIH IHUH LI LALHIM; and this st one
shal l be God' s House (IHIH BITH ALHIM):
Onkel os paraphrases i t, "II the word oI IHUH wi ll be my hel p
. . . . then t he word oI IHUH shal l be my God. "
So, in i ii . Gen. 8, Ior "The Voi ce oI t he Lord God"
(IHUH ALHIM), we have, "The Voice oI the Word oI IHUH."
In i x. Wi sdom, 1, "O God oI my Fat hers and Lord oI Mercy!
who has made al l t hi ngs wi th t hy word."
And i n xvii i . Wi sdom, 15, "Thine Al mighty Word leap-
ed down Irom Heaven."
Phi l o speaks oI the Word as bei ng the same wit h God. So i n
several places he cal l s i t the Second Di-
vini ty; the Image oI God: the Di vi ne Word t hat
made al l thi ngs: substi t ute, oI God; and the li ke.
Thus when John commenced to preach, had been Ior ages
agi tated, by t he Priest s and Phil osophers oI t he East and West,
t he great quest ions concerni ng the eternity or creat ion oI mat t er:
i mmediate or int ermedi ate creati on oI t he Uni verse by t he Su-
preme God; the origi n, obj ect , and Ii nal ext incti on oI evi l ; t he
relat i ons bet ween the intel lect ual and mat erial worl ds, and be-
t ween God and man; and t he creati on, Ial l, redempti on, and
restorati on t o his Iirst estate, oI man.
The Jewi sh doctrine, diIIering in t hi s Irom all t he other Ori ental
creeds, and even Irom the Al ohayist ic legend wi th whi ch t he book
oI Genesis commences, attri but ed t he creati on t o t he i mmediate
act ion oI t he Supreme Being. The Theosophi sts oI the ot her
Eastern Peoples int erposed more t han one intermedi ary bet ween
God and t he worl d. To place bet ween t hem but a singl e Being,
t o suppose Ior the producti on oI the world but a single int er-
mediary, was, i n t hei r eyes, t o l ower t he Supreme Maj esty. The
i nterval bet ween God, who i s perIect Purity, and mat ter, which is
base and Ioul, was t oo great Ior them to clear it at a si ngle step.
Even in t he Occi dent , neit her Plat o nor Phi lo coul d thus i m-
poverish the Int el lect ual Worl d.
Thus, Cerinthus oI Ephesus, wit h most oI t he Gnost ics, Phil o,
t he Kabal ah, t he Zend-Avest a, t he Puranas, and all t he Orient,
deemed the di stance and anti pat hy bet ween the Supreme Bei ng
and t he mat erial worl d t oo great , t o attri but e t o t he Iormer t he
creati on oI the lat ter. Below, and emanati ng Irom, or created
by, t he Ancient oI Days, the Cent ral Light, t he Beginni ng, or
First Principl e, one, two, or more Pri nci pl es, Exi st ences,
or Intel lectual Bei ngs were i magi ned, to some one or more oI
whom (wit hout any i mmediate creati ve act on t he part oI t he
Great Immovabl e, Si lent Deity), the i mmedi at e creati on oI the
material and mental universe was due.
We have al ready spoken oI many oI t he speculat i ons on t hi s
point. To some, t he worl d was creat ed by t he LOGOS or WORD,
Iirst mani Iest ati on oI, or emanat i on Irom, the Dei ty. To others,
t he beginning oI creat i on was by the emanat ion oI a ray oI
Light , creati ng t he pri nci ple oI Light and LiIe. The Pri mit i ve
THOUGHT, creati ng t he i nIeri or Dei ties, a successi on oI INTELL-
GENCES, the Iynges oI Zoroast er, his Amshaspands, Izeds, and
Ferouers, the Ideas oI Plato, t he Aions oI the Gnost ics, t he
Angels oI the Jews, the Nous, t he Demiourgos, the DIVINE REA-
SON, the Powers or Forces oI Phil o, and the Alohayi m, Forces or
Superi or Gods oI t he anci ent l egend wit h which Genesi s begi ns, -
t o t hese and ot her i nt ermediari es the creat ion was owi ng. No re-
st rai nt s were lai d on t he Fancy and t he Imaginati on. The veri est
Abstracti ons became Exist ences and Real it ies. The at tri but es oI
God, personi Iied, became Powers, Spirit s, Intel li gences.
God was the Light oI Light , Divine Fire, the Abstract Intel lec-
t ual ity, t he Root or Germ oI the Uni verse. Si mon Magus, Iounder
oI t he Gnost ic Iai th, and many oI the early Judai zi ng Chri st ians,
admit ted t hat the maniIestat ions oI t he Supreme Being, as
FATHER, or JEhOVAh, SON or CHRIST, and HOLY SPIRIT, were only
so many di IIerent modes oI Exist ence, or Forces oI t he
same God. To others t hey were, as were the mul t it ude oI Sub-
ordi nat e Int ell igences, real and di sti nct bei ngs.
The Ori ent al i magi nat ion revell ed in the creat ion oI these In-
Ieri or Int el l igences, Powers oI Good and Evi l, and Angel s. We
have spoken oI those i magi ned by t he Persians and the Kabal ist s.
In t he Tal mud, every st ar, every country, every t own, and al most
every t ongue has a Pri nce oI Heaven as i t s Protect or. JEHUEL, i s
t he guardi an oI Ii re, and MICHAEL oI water. Seven spiri t s assi st
each; t hose oI Ii re bei ng Seraphiel , Gabri el , Ni triel , Tammael,
Tchi mschiel , Hadarniel , and Sarniel . These seven are represented
by t he square col umns oI thi s Degree, whi le the columns JACHIN
and BOAZ represent t he angel s oI Iire and wat er. But the col-
umns are not represent at i ves oI these alone.
To Basi li des, God was wi t hout name, uncreated, at Iirst contain-
i ng and conceali ng i n Hi mselI t he Plenit ude oI Hi s PerIect ions;
and when t hese are by Hi m displ ayed and nianiIested, t here resul t
as many parti cular Existences, al l analogous to Hi m, and st i ll and
al ways Hi m. To the Essenes and t he Gnosti cs, t he East and t he
West both devised t his Iai t h; t hat the Ideas, Concept ions, or
Mani Iest ati ons oI t he Dei ty were so many Creat ions, so many Be-
i ngs, all God, not hing wi thout Hi m, but more t han what we now
understand by the word ideas. They emanat ed Irom and were
agai n merged in God. They had a kind oI middl e exist ence be-
t ween our modern i deas, and the int el ligences or i deas, elevat ed t o
t he rank oI geni i , oI t he Oriental mythology.
These personi Iied at tri butes oI Deity, i n t he theory oI Basil ides,
were t he First-born, Nous or Mi nd: Irom
i t emanat es Logos, or THE WORD Irom i t :
Phronesi s, Intell ect :Irom it Sophia, Wi sdom :Irom it
Dunami s, Power: and Irom i t Dikaiosune,
Ri ght eousness: t o which latter t he Jews gave the name oI
Eirene, Peace, or Cal m, t he essent ial characterist ics oI Divini ty,
and harmoni ous eIIect oI all Hi s perIect ions. The whole number
oI successi ve emanat ions was 365, expressed by the Gnosti cs, i n
Greek l ett ers, by the myst ic word Abraxas; desig-
nati ng God as mani Iest ed, or the aggregat e oI his mani Iest at i ons;
but not t he Supreme and Secret God Hi msel I. These t hree hun-
dred and si xty-Iive Intel li gences compose al t oget her the Full ness
or Plenit ude oI t he Di vi ne Emanati ons.
Wi t h the Ophites, a sect oI t he Gnost ics, there were seven i nIe-
rior spirit s (inIerior t o Ial dabaoth, t he Demiourgos or Act ual Cre-
at or : Michael , Suri el, Raphael , Gabriel , Thauthabaot h, Erataoth,
and At hani el , the geni i oI the stars call ed the Bull ; the Dog, the
Li on, t he Bear, t he Serpent , the Eagl e, and t he Ass t hat Iormerly
Iigured in the const ell at ion Cancer, and symbol ized respecti vely
by t hose ani mals; as Ialdabaot h, Iao, Adonai , El oi, Orai, and As-
t aphai were t he geni i oI Saturn, t he Moon, the Sun, Jupit er,
Venus, and Mercury.
The WORD appears i n al l these creeds. It is t he Ormuzd oI
Zoroaster, the Ainsoph oI the Kabal ah, the Nous oI Plat onism
and Phi loni sm, and the Sophi a or Demiourgos oI the Gnostics.
And al l these creeds, whi le admi t ti ng t hese diIIerent maniIesta-
t ions oI t he Supreme Being, held that His i denti ty was i mmutable
and permanent . That was Pl ato' s di sti nct ion between the Being
al ways t he same and the perpet ual Il ow oI things inces-
sant ly changi ng, the Genesi s.
The beli eI in dual i sm i n some shape, was universal . Those
who held that everythi ng emanated Irom God, aspired to God, and
re-ent ered i nto God, beli eved that, among t hose emanat i ons were
t wo adverse Pri nciples, oI Light and Darkness, Good and Evil .
Thi s prevai l ed in Cent ral Asia and in Syri a; whi le i n Egypt i t
assumed the Iorm oI Greek speculat i on. In t he Iormer, a second
Int el l ect ual Princi pl e was admi t t ed, acti ve i n it s Empi re oI Dark-
ness, audaci ous against t he Empire oI Light . So t he Persi ans and
Sabeans underst ood it . In Egypt , t hi s second Pri nci pl e was Mat -
t er, as the word was used by t he Platonic School , wi t h i ts sad at -
t ri butes, Vacuity, Darkness, and Death. In their theory, mat t er
could be ani mat ed only by the low communicat ion oI a principl e
oI divi ne l i Ie. It resist s t he i nIluences t hat woul d spiri tual ize i t.
That resisti ng Power is Sat an, the rebel li ous Matt er, Mat ter t hat
does not part ake oI God.
To many t here were two Pri nci ples; t he Unknown Father, or
Supreme and Eternal God, l iving in the cent re oI the Light,
happy in the perIect puri ty oI Hi s bei ng; the ot her, eternal Mat-
t er, t hat inert , shapeless, darksome mass, which they consi dered as
t he source oI all evil s, t he mot her and dwel li ng-pl ace oI Sat an.
To Phil o and the Pl atoni st s, there was a Soul oI t he world, cre-
at ing vi sibl e t hi ngs, and act ive i n t hem, as agent oI the Supreme
Int el l igence; reali zing t herein the ideas communicat ed t o Hi m by
t hat Intel li gence, and whi ch somet i mes excel Hi s concepti ons, but
which He executes wit hout comprehendi ng them.
The Apocalypse or Revelat ions, by whomever wri tt en, bel ongs
t o t he Ori ent and to extreme anti quity. It reproduces what i s Iar
older t han it selI. It pai nt s, wi th t he st rongest colors that t he Ori-
ental geni us ever employed, the cl osing scenes oI the great strug-
gle oI Light, and Trut h, and Good, agai nst Darkness, Error, and
Evi l; personiIied in t hat bet ween t he New Reli gion on one si de,
and Pagani sm and Judai sm on the ot her. It i s a part icul ar appl i-
cat ion oI t he ancient myt h oI Ormuzd and hi s Geni i against Ahri-
man and hi s Devs; and it celebrates the Ii nal t ri umph oI Trut h
agai nst the combined powers oI men and demons. The ideas and
i magery are borrowed Irom every quart er; and all usi ons are Iound
i n i t to t he doctrines oI al l ages. We are cont i nual ly reminded
oI t he Zend-Avesta, the Jewi sh Codes, Phil o, and the Gnosis.
The Seven Spiri ts surroundi ng t he Throne oI the Et ernal, at the
openi ng oI the Grand Drama, and acti ng so i mport ant a part
t hroughout , everywhere the Ii rst i nstruments oI t he Di vi ne Wil l
and Vengence, are the Seven Amshaspands oI Parsi sm; as the
Twenty-Iour Ancients, oIIeri ng to t he Supreme Being the Ii rst
suppl icat ions and t he Iirst homage, remi nd us oI the Mysterious
ChieIs oI Judai sm, Ioreshadow t he Eons oI Gnost ici sm, and re-
produce t he t wenty-Iour Good Spiri ts creat ed by Ormuzd and i n-
cl osed in an egg.
The Christ oI t he Apocalypse, Fi rst -born oI Creat ion and oI t he
Resurrect i on is i nvest ed wit h t he charact eri sti cs oI t he Ormuzd
and Sosi osch oI the Zend-Avesta, t he Ainsoph oI t he Kabalah
and t he Carpi st es oI the Gnostics. The idea that t he
t rue Ini tiates and Fai thIul become Ki ngs and Pri ests, is at once
Persi an, Jewi sh, Christ ian, and Gnosti c. And t he deIi nit i on oI
t he Supreme Being, t hat He i s at once Al pha and Omega, t he be-
gi nni ng and t he end--He t hat was, and is, and is to come,
i . e. , Ti me il l i mi table, is Zoroaster' s deIi ni ti on oI Zerouane-Ak-
herene.
The dept hs oI Sat an which no man can measure; hi s triumph
Ior a t i me by Iraud and vi olence; his bei ng chai ned by an angel ;
his reprobat i on and hi s preci pi tat ion i nto a sea oI met al; hi s
names oI t he Serpent and t he Dragon; t he whol e conIl ict oI t he
Good Spirit s or cel esti al armi es agai nst the bad; are so many
i deas and desi gnat ions Iound al ike in t he Zend-Avest a, t he Ka-
balah, and the Gnosis.
We even Ii nd in the Apocalypse t hat si ngular Persi an idea,
which regards some oI the lower ani mals as so many Devs or ve-
hicles oI Devs.
The guardianship oI t he eart h by a good angel , the renewing oI
t he earth and heavens, and t he Iinal triumph oI pure and holy
men, are t he same vict ory oI Good over Evi l, Ior which t he whol e
Orient looked.
The gold, and whit e rai ments oI the t wenty-Iour El ders are, as
i n t he Persian Iai t h, t he si gns oI a loIty perIecti on and divine
puri ty.
Thus the Human mi nd labored and struggl ed and t ortured it selI
Ior ages, t o expl ai n t o i t sel I what it Ielt , wit hout conIessi ng it , to
be inexpli cable. A vast crowd oI indist inct abstracti ons, hoveri ng
i n t he i maginat ion, a trai n oI words embodying no tangi bl e mean-
i ng, an i nextricable l abyrinth oI subtl eti es, was the result .
But one grand idea ever emerged and st ood prominent and un-
changeable over t he wel tering chaos oI conIusi on. God i s great,
and good, and wi se. Evi l and pai n and sorrow are temporary,
and Ior wi se and beneIi cent purposes. They must be consi stent
wi th God' s goodness, puri ty, and inIinit e perIect ion; and there
must be a mode oI expl aining them, iI we coul d but Ii nd i t out ;
as, in al l ways we wi ll endeavor t o do. Ult i mately, Good wil l pre-
vail , and Evi l be overt hrown. God, alone can do t his, and He wi ll
do i t, by an Emanati on Irom Hi msel I, assuming the Human Iorm
and redeemi ng the world.
Behol d the object , t he end, the resul t , oI t he great specul ati ons
and l ogomachi es oI ant iqui ty; t he ulti mat e annihil at i on oI evi l,
and restorati on oI Man to hi s Iirst est ate, by a Redeemer, a Ma-
sayah, a Chri stos, t he incarnate Word, Reason, or Power oI Deity.
Thi s Redeemer is the Word or Logos, the Ormuzd oI Zoroast er,
t he Ai nsoph oI t he Kabalah, t he Nous oI Pl atoni sm and Phi lon-
i sm; He that was in the Begi nning wit h God, and was God, and
by Whom everyt hing was made. That He was looked Ior by al l
t he People oI the East i s abundantly shown by t he Gospel oI John
and t he Let ters oI Paul ; wherei n scarcely anythi ng seemed neces-
sary t o be said i n prooI that such a Redeemer was t o come; but
al l the energies oI the wri ters are devot ed to showing that Jesus
was that Chri stos whom al l the nat ions were expect ing; t he
"Word, " the Masayah, the Anoi nt ed or Consecrated One.
In t his Degree t he great contest between good and evi l, in ant i ci -
pati on oI the appearance and advent oI t he Word or Redeemer i s
symbol i zed; and t he mysterious esot eri c t eachi ngs oI t he Essenes
and t he Cabali sts. OI the practi ces oI t he Iormer we gai n but
gl i mpses i n t he ancient wri ters; but we know that , as t heir doc-
t ri nes were t aught by John the Bapti st, t hey greatly resembl ed
t hose oI great er purity and more nearly perIect, taught by Jesus;
and t hat not only Pal est ine was Iull oI John' s di sci ples, so that t he
Priests and Phari sees di d not dare to deny John' s inspirat ion; but
his doctri ne had extended to Asi a Mi nor, and had made convert s
i n l uxurious Ephesus, as i t al so had i n Alexandri a i n Egypt; and
t hat they readily embraced t he Chri sti an Iai th, oI whi ch they had
beIore not even heard.
These old controversies have died away, and t he old Iai ths have
Iaded int o obl i vion. But Masonry st il l survi ves, vi gorous and
st rong, as when phi l osophy was taught in the schools oI Al exan-
dri a and under t he Port ico; teachi ng t he same old trut hs as t he
Essenes t aught by t he shores oI the Dead Sea, and as John the
Bapt ist preached in the Desert; trut hs i mperi shabl e as t he Dei ty,
and undeni abl e as Light . Those trut hs were gat hered by the
Essenes Irom the doct ri nes oI t he Ori ent and t he Occi dent , Irom
t he Zend-Avest a and t he Vedas, Irom Plat o and Pythagoras, Irom
India, Persi a, Phoeni ci a, and Syria, Irom Greece and Egypt, and
Irom the Holy Books oI t he Jews. Hence we are cal led Knights
oI t he East and West , because t heir doctrines came Irom both.
And t hese doctri nes, t he wheat si Ited Irom t he chaII, t he Truth
seperated Irom Error, Masonry has garnered up in her heart oI
hearts, and t hrough the Ii res oI persecuti on, and t he st orms oI
calami ty, has brought them and deli vered t hem unt o us. That
God i s One, i mmutable, unchangeabl e, inIinit ely just and good;
t hat Light wil l Ii nally overcome Darkness, --Good conquer Evil ,
and Trut h be vi ct or over Error ; --these, rejecti ng al l the wi ld and
usel ess speculat ions oI t he Zend-Avest a, the Kabalah, t he Gnost ics,
and t he Schools, are the rel igi on and Phi l osophy oI Masonry.
Those specul ati ons and Ianci es i t is useIul t o st udy; t hat know-
i ng i n what wort hless and unIrui t Iul i nvest igat ions t he mi nd may
engage, you may the more val ue and appreci at e t he plai n, si mple,
subli me, universal ly-acknowledged trut hs, whi ch have i n all ages
been t he Light by which Masons have been gui ded on t hei r way;
t he Wi sdom and Strengt h t hat l ike i mperishabl e columns have
sust ained and wi ll conti nue t o sust ain i ts glorious and magniIicent
Temple.

XVIII. KNIGHT ROSE CROIX.
|Pri nce Rose Croi x. |
Each oI us makes such appli cati ons to hi s own Iait h and creed,
oI t he symbols and ceremonies oI t his Degree, as seems to hi m
proper. Wi t h t hese speci al int erpret at i ons we have here nothing
t o do. Like the legend oI the Mast er Khurum, in whi ch some
see Iigured the condemnati on and suIIerings oI Christ ; ot hers
t hose oI the unIort unat e Grand Mast er oI the Templ ars; ot hers
t hose oI the Ii rst Charl es, King oI England; and ot hers sti l l t he
annual descent oI t he Sun at t he wi nt er Solst ice t o the regi ons oI
darkness, t he basis oI many an ancient l egend; so the ceremoni es
oI t hi s Degree recei ve diIIerent expl anati ons; each interpret ing
t hem Ior hi mselI, and being oIIended at the int erpret ati on oI no
other.
In no ot her way could Masonry possess i ts character oI Uni ver-
sal ity; that character which has ever been peculi ar to it Irom i t s
origin; and which enabl es t wo Kings, worshi ppers oI di IIerent
Dei ti es, t o si t together as Mast ers, whi le the wall s oI the Ii rst tem-
ple arose; and the men oI Gebal, bowing down t o t he Phoeni cian
Gods, t o work by t he si de oI the Hebrews t o whom those Gods
were abomi nat ion; and to sit wi th them in the same Lodge as
bret hren.
You have al ready learned that t hese ceremonies have one gen-
eral si gni Ii cance, to every one, oI every Iai th, who believes i n God,
and t he soul' s i mmort al i ty.
The pri mi ti ve men met i n no Templ es made wi th human hands.
"God, " sai d St he exist ence oI a single uncreat ed
God, in whose bosom everythi ng grows, i s devel oped and t rans-
Iormed. The worshi p oI t hi s God reposed upon t he obedience oI
al l the bei ngs He created. Hi s Ieasts were t hose oI the Solst ices.
The doct ri nes oI Buddha pervaded Indi a, China, and Japan. The
Priests oI Brahma, proIessi ng a dark and bl oody creed, brutal ized
by Supersti t i on, unit ed toget her against Buddhism, and wi th t he
ai d oI Despot ism, exterminat ed it s Iol l owers. But t heir blood
Iert il i zed t he new docIi rst Iall ing themsel ves, and plunged i n misery and
darkness,
t empt ed man to hi s Ial l , and brought sin i nto t he worl d. Al l be-
l ieved i n a Iut ure l iIe, t o be at tai ned by puri Iicat ion and tri al s; in
a st at e or successive stat es oI reward and puni shment; and in a
Medi at or or Redeemer, by whom t he Evil Princi pl e was t o be
overcome, and the Supreme Deity reconci led to Hi s creat ures.
The beli eI was general , that He was t o be born oI a Vi rgin, and
suIIer a pai nIul death. The Indi ans cal led hi m Chrishna; t he
Chinese, Ki oun-t se;t he Persi ans, Sosiosch; the Chal deans, Dhou-
vanai; t he Egypt ians, Har-Oeri ; Pl at o, Love; and the Scandi na-
vians, Balder.
Chri shna, the Hi ndoo Redeemer, was cradled and educat ed
among Shepherds. A Tyrant , at t he ti me oI his birt h, ordered
al l male chi ldren to be sl ain. He perIormed mi racles, say hi s
l egends, even rai sing the dead. He washed t he Ieet oI t he Brah-
mins, and was meek and lowly oI spiri t. He was born oI a Vir-
gi n; descended t o Hell , rose agai n, ascended to Heaven, charged
his disci ples to teach hi s doctrines, and gave them t he gi It oI mir-
acles.
The Ii rst Masoni c Legi slat or whose memory i s preserved to us
by hi story, was Buddha, who, about a t housand years beIore t he
Chri sti an era, reIormed t he rel igi on oI Manous. He called t o t he
Priesthood all men, wi thout di st i nct ion oI cast e, who Ielt t hem-
sel ves i nspi red by God to i nstruct men. Those who so associ ated
t hemsel ves Iormed a Soci ety oI Prophet s under the name oI Sa-
maneans. They recognized the exist ence oI a singl e uncreat ed
God, in whose bosom everythi ng grows, i s devel oped and t rans-
Iormed. The worshi p oI t hi s God reposed upon t he obedience oI
al l the bei ngs He created. Hi s Ieasts were t hose oI the Solst ices.
The doct ri nes oI Buddha pervaded Indi a, China, and Japan. The
Priests oI Brahma, proIessi ng a dark and bl oody creed, brutal ized
by Supersti t i on, unit ed toget her against Buddhism, and wi th t he
ai d oI Despot ism, exterminat ed it s Iol l owers. But t heir blood
Iert il i zed t he new doctrine, which produced a new Soci ety under
t he name oI Gymnosophi sts; and a large number, Ileei ng to
Ireland, plant ed thei r doct ri nes t here, and t here erect ed t he round
t owers, some oI which st il l stand, soli d and unshaken as at Iirst,
visi ble monument s oI t he remot est ages.
The Phoeni cian Cosmogony, l ike all ot hers i n Asi a, was t he
Word oI God, wri tt en i n astral characters, by t he planetary Di vi n-
i ti es, and communi cated by the Demi -gods, as a proIound mystery,
t o t he bri ght er int el l igences oI Humani ty, to be propagat ed by
t hem among men. Their doctri nes resembl ed t he Ancient Sabe-
i sm, and bei ng t he Iai t h oI Hiram the Ki ng and hi s namesake t he
Arti st, are oI i nterest to all Masons. Wi th them, the Fi rst Pri n-
ci ple was hal I mat eri al , hal I spirit ual , a dark ai r, ani mated and
i mpregnat ed by t he spirit ; and a di sordered chaos, covered wi t h
t hick darkness. From t hi s came the Word, and thence creati on
and generati on; and t hence a race oI men, chil dren oI l ight, who
adored Heaven and it s Stars as t he Supreme Being; and whose
diIIerent gods were but i ncarnati ons oI the Sun, t he Moon, the
Stars, and the Et her. Chrysor was the great igneous power oI
Nat ure, and Baal and Mal akarth represent ati ons oI t he Sun and
Moon, the lat ter word, i n Hebrew, meaning Queen.
Man had Ial l en, but not by t he t empt ing oI t he serpent. For,
wi th t he Phoenici ans, the serpent was deemed t o part ake oI the
Di vi ne Nat ure, and was sacred, as he was i n Egypt . He was
deemed to be i mmortal , unl ess sl ai n by viol ence, becoming young
agai n i n his old age, by entering into and consumi ng hi mselI.
Hence the Serpent in a circle, holding hi s tai l in hi s mout h, was
an embl em oI et erni ty. Wi t h the head oI a hawk he was oI a
Di vi ne Nat ure, and a symbol oI t he sun. Hence one Sect oI the
Gnost ics t ook hi m Ior thei r good geni us, and hence t he brazen ser-
pent reared by Moses i n the Desert , on whi ch t he Israel it es l ooked
and l ived.
"BeIore the chaos, t hat preceded t he birt h oI Heaven and
Eart h, " sai d t he Chi nese Lao-Tseu, "a single Bei ng exist ed, i m-
mense and si lent , i mmut abl e and al ways acti ng; the mother oI
t he Universe. I know not the name oI t hat Being, but I designat e
i t by t he word Reason. Man has his model in the eart h, the
earth in Heaven, Heaven i n Reason, and Reason in it sel I. "
"I am," says Isi s, "Nature;parent oI al l things, t he soverei gn
oI t he El ements, the pri mi t ive progeny oI Ti me, t he most exal ted
oI t he Deit ies, the Ii rst oI the Heavenly Gods and Goddesses, the
Queen oI t he Shades, t he uni Iorm countenance; who di spose
wi th my rod t he numerous l ight s oI Heaven, the salubrious breezes
oI t he sea, and the mournIul si l ence oI the dead; whose si ngle
Di vi ni ty the whol e worl d venerates i n many Iorms, wi th vari ous
ri t es and by many names. The Egypt ians, ski ll ed i n ancient lore,
worship me wi t h proper ceremoni es, and cal l me by my t rue name,
Isis the Queen."
The Hindu Vedas thus deIi ne t he Dei ty:
"He who surpasses speech, and t hrough whose power speech i s
expressed, know thou that He is Brahma; and not t hese perish-
able t hi ngs t hat man adores.
"He whom Intel li gence cannot comprehend, and He al one, say
t he sages, through whose Power t he nature oI Intel li gence can be
understood, know t hou t hat He i s Brahma; and not t hese peri sh-
able t hi ngs t hat man adores.
"He who cannot be seen by the organ oI sight , and through
whose power the organ oI seeing sees, know thou t hat He is
Brahma; and not these peri shabl e t hi ngs t hat man adores.
"He who cannot be heard by t he organ oI heari ng, and through
whose power the organ oI hearing hears, know t hou t hat He i s
Brahma; and not these peri shabl e t hi ngs t hat man adores.
"He who cannot be percei ved by t he organ oI smell i ng, and
t hrough whose power the organ oI smell ing smel ls, know thou t hat
He is Brahma; and not these perishable t hi ngs t hat man adores. "
"When God resolved t o create the human race, " sai d Ari us,
"He made a Bei ng t hat He call ed The WORD, The Son, Wi sdom,
t o t he end that t hi s Being might give exi stence t o men. " Thi s
WORD i s t he Ormuzd oI Zoroast er, t he Ai nsoph oI the Kabal ah,
t he Nous oI Pl ato and Phil o, t he Wi sdom or Demiourgos oI t he
Gnost ics.
That i s the True Word, the knowledge oI which our ancient
bret hren sought as the pricel ess reward oI their l abors on t he
Holy Templ e: the Word oI Li Ie, the Di vine Reason, "in whom
was LiIe, and t hat LiIe t he Light oI men";"whi ch long shone i n
darkness, and t he darkness comprehended it not ;" the InIini te
Reason t hat is the Soul oI Nat ure, i mmortal , oI which t he Word
oI t hi s Degree reminds us; and t o beli eve wherei n and revere it , is
t he peculi ar duty oI every Mason.
"In the begi nning, " says the ext ract Irom some older work,
wi th which John commences hi s Gospel, "was the Word, and t he
Word was near t o God, and the Word was God. Al l things were
made by Hi m, and wi thout Hi m was not anything made that was
made. In Hi m was LiIe, and t he li Ie was the Light oI man; and
t he l ight shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not cont ain it . "
It is an old tradi ti on that t hi s passage was Irom an older work.
And Phi lostorgi us and Nicephorus stat e, that when t he Emperor
Juli an undert ook to rebui ld the Templ e, a st one was t aken up,
t hat covered the mouth oI a deep square cave, int o which one oI
t he l aborers, bei ng let down by a rope, Iound i n the centre oI
t he Iloor a cubical pi ll ar, on whi ch l ay a rol l or book, wrapped in
a Ii ne l inen cl oth, in whi ch, i n capit al let ters, was the Ioregoi ng
passage.
However this may have been, it is plain that John' s Gospel is a
polemic against t he Gnost ics; and, stati ng at the outset t he current
doctri ne i n regard to the creat ion by t he Word, he t hen addresses
hi msel I to show and urge t hat t his Word was Jesus Chri st .
And t he Iirst sentence, Iul ly rendered i nt o our language, woul d
read t hus: "When the process oI emanati on, oI creati on or evolu-
t ion oI exi stences inIeri or t o t he Supreme God began, t he Word
came int o exi stence and was: and this word was
near t o God; i . e. the i mmediate or Iirst emanat ion Irom God: and
i t was God Hi msel I, devel oped or mani Iest ed i n that part icul ar
mode, and i n acti on. And by that Word everythi ng t hat i s was
created. "-And thus Tertul l ian says t hat God made the Worl d out
oI not hi ng, by means oI His Word, Wi sdom, or Power.
To Phil o the Jew, as to the Gnosti cs, t he Supreme Being was
t he Pri mit ive Light, or Archetype oI Light, -Source whence t he
rays emanate that i l l uminate Souls. He i s t he Soul oI the Worl d,
and as such act s everywhere. He hi mselI Ii l ls and bounds his
whole exi st ence, and his Iorces Ii ll and penetrate everythi ng. His
Image is t he WORD |LOGOS|, a Iorm more bri l liant than Ii re, which
i s not pure li ght . Thi s WORD dwel ls in God; Ior i t is wi t hin Hi s
Int el l igence that t he Supreme Being Irames Ior Hi mselI the
Types oI Ideas oI al l that i s t o assume reali ty in t he Universe.
The WORD is the Vehicl e by which God act s on t he Uni verse; t he
Worl d oI Ideas by means whereoI God has created vi si ble t hi ngs;
t he more Anci ent God, as compared wit h t he Mat eri al Worl d;
ChieI and General Represent at ive oI al l Intell igences; t he Arch-
angel and representat ive oI all spirit s, even t hose oI Mortal s;
t he type oI Man; the pri mit i ve man hi mselI. These ideas are
borrowed Irom Plato. And this Word i s not only t he Creat or |"by
Hi m was everyt hing made t hat was made"|, but act s in t he place
oI God and through hi m act all t he Powers and Att ri butes oI
God. And al so, as Iirst representat ive oI t he human race, he i s
t he prot ect or oI Men and t hei r Shepherd, the "Ben H' Adam, " or
Son oI Man.
The act ual condi ti on oI Man i s not hi s pri mit ive condi t ion, that
i n which he was the i mage oI the Word. Hi s unruly passi ons
have caused hi m to Ial l Irom hi s origi nal l oIty est ate. But he may
ri se agai n, by Iol lowing t he t eachings oI Heavenly Wi sdom, and
t he Angel s whom God commi ssi ons t o ai d hi m i n escapi ng Irom
t he entangl ement s oI t he body; and by Iighti ng bravely agai nst
Evi l, t he exist ence oI which God has all owed solely to Iurnish hi m
wi th t he means oI exercising hi s Iree wil l .
The Supreme Being oI t he Egyptians was Amun, a secret and
concealed God, t he Unknown Father oI the Gnostics, t he Source
oI Divi ne LiIe, and oI al l Iorce, the Pl eni tude oI al l, comprehend-
i ng al l things i n Hi mselI, the origi nal Light. He creat es nothing;
but everythi ng emanat es Irom Hi m: and al l other Gods are but
his mani Iestati ons. From Hi m, by t he ut terance oI a Word, ema-
nated Nei t h, the Di vine Mot her oI al l thi ngs, the Pri mi t i ve
THOUGHT, t he FORCE t hat puts everyt hi ng i n movement , the
SPIRIT everywhere ext ended, t he Dei ty oI Li ght and Mot her oI
t he Sun.
OI t hi s Supreme Bei ng, Osiris was the i mage, Source oI al l
Good in the moral and physical worl d, and constant Ioe oI
Typhon, t he Genius oI Evi l, the Satan oI Gnosti cism, brute mat -
t er, deemed to be al ways at Ieud wit h the spiri t t hat Il owed Irom
t he Dei ty; and over whom Har-Oeri , the Redeemer, Son oI Isis
and Osi ri s, i s Iinally t o prevai l .
In t he Zend-Avesta oI the Persi ans t he Supreme Being is
Ti me wit hout li mi t, ZERUANE AKHERENE. --No origin could be
assigned t o Hi m; Ior He was enveloped in His own Glory, and
Hi s Nat ure and Attri but es were so inaccessi ble to human Intel li -
gence, t hat He was but the object oI a si l ent venerat i on. The com-
mencement oI Creat ion was by emanat ion Irom Hi m. The Ii rst
emanati on was t he Pri mi t ive Light, and Irom t his Light emerged
Ormuzd, t he Ki ng o| Li ght, who, by t he WORD, creat ed the World
i n i t s puri ty, i s i t s Preserver and Judge, a Holy and Sacred Be-
i ng, Intel li gence and Knowledge, Hi mselI Ti me wit hout li mi t,
and wi elding all t he powers oI the Supreme Bei ng.
In t his Persi an Iai th, as t aught many centuries beIore our era,
and embodi ed in the Zend-Avest a, t here was i n man a pure Pri n-
ci ple, proceeding Irom the Supreme Bei ng, produced by t he Wi l l
and Word oI Ormuzd. To that was united an i mpure pri nci ple,
proceeding Irom a Ioreign inIl uence, that oI Ahri man, t he Dragon,
or pri nci ple oI Evi l. Tempt ed by Ahri man, t he Iirst man and
woman had Ial l en; and Ior t welve thousand years t here was t o be
war bet ween Ormuzd and t he Good Spirit s creat ed by hi m, and
Ahri rnan and t he Evi l ones whom he had call ed i nt o exist ence.
But pure soul s are assi sted by the Good Spirit s, t he Tri umph oI
t he Good Pri nci ple is determi ned upon i n the decrees oI the Su-
preme Being, and the peri od oI that t ri umph wi l l inIal l i bly arri ve.
At t he moment when the earth shall be most aIIli cted wi th the
evil s brought upon i t by t he Spi rit s oI perdi ti on, t hree Prophet s
wi ll appear to bring assistance t o mortal s. Sosi osch, Chi eI oI t he
Three, wil l regenerate t he worl d, and rest ore to i t it s pri mit ive
Beauty, Strengt h, and Puri ty. He wi l l j udge the good and the
wi cked. AIt er the universal resurrect ion oI the Good, t he pure
Spi ri ts wil l conduct them to an abode oI eternal happiness. Ahri-
man, hi s evi l Demons, and al l the world, wi ll be puri Ii ed i n a tor-
rent oI l iquid burning met al . The Law oI Ormuzd wil l rul e
everywhere: all men wi ll be happy: all , enjoying an unal terable
bli ss, wi ll unit e wi th Sosiosch in singi ng the praises oI t he Su-
preme Being.
These doctri nes, wi t h some modiIicat ions, were adopt ed by t he
Kabal i st s and aIterward by the Gnosti cs.
Apol lonius oI Tyana says:"We shal l render t he most appropri-
at e worshi p t o the Deity, when t o that God whom we cal l the
First , who i s One, and separat e Irom al l , and aIt er whom we recog-
nize the ot hers, we present no oIIeri ngs what ever, kindle to Hi m
no Iire, dedi cat e t o Hi m no sensi ble thing; Ior he needs not hing,
even oI al l that natures more exal ted t han ours could give. The
earth produces no pl ant, t he ai r nouri shes no ani mal , there i s i n
short nothi ng, whi ch would not be i mpure in hi s sight . In ad-
dressi ng oursel ves t o Hi m, we must use only the higher word, that ,
I mean, whi ch i s not expressed by t he mout h, --t he si lent i nner
word oI t he spirit . . . . . From t he most Gl ori ous oI all Bei ngs, we
must seek Ior bl essings, by t hat whi ch i s most glori ous in our-
sel ves; and that i s t he spirit , whi ch needs no organ. "
Strabo says: "Thi s one Supreme Essence is t hat which embraces
us al l , the wat er and the land, that which we cal l the Heavens,
t he World, t he Nat ure oI t hi ngs. This Highest Being shoul d be
worshipped, wit hout any visi ble i mage, i n sacred groves. In such
retreat s t he devout should lay themselves down to sleep, and
expect signs Irom God i n dreams. "
Arist ol t e says:"It has been handed down i n a mythi cal Iorm,
Irom the earl iest ti mes to post eri ty, that there are Gods, and t hat
The Divine compasses ent ire nat ure. Al l besides thi s has been
added, aIt er the mythi cal styl e, Ior t he purpose oI persuading the
mul ti t ude, and Ior t he i nterest oI t he l aws and t he advantage oI
t he State. Thus men have given to t he Gods human Iorms, and
have even represent ed them under t he Iigure oI other beings, i n
t he t rai n oI whi ch Iict ions Iol lowed many more oI the same sort .
But i I, Irom al l thi s, we separate t he ori ginal pri nci ple, and con-
si der it al one, namely, that t he Iirst Essences are Gods, we shall
Iind t hat this has been di vi nely sai d; and si nce it i s probabl e t hat
phil osophy and the art s have been several t i mes, so Iar as that i s
possible, Iound and lost, such doct ri nes may have been preserved
t o our ti mes as the remai ns oI ancient wi sdom. "
Porphyry says: "By i mages addressed t o sense, the ancients
represented God and hi s powers--by t he visi ble they typi Iied t he
i nvi sible Ior t hose who had learned to read, i n t hese types, as i n
a book, a treati se on the Gods. We need not wonder i I the igno-
rant consi der t he i mages t o be not hing more than wood or stone;
Ior just so, they who are ignorant oI wri ti ng see not hi ng i n monu-
ment s but st one, nothi ng in tablet s but wood, and i n books but a
t issue oI papyrus. "
Apol lonius oI Tyana hel d, that birt h and deat h are only in ap-
pearance; that which separates it sel I Irom t he one substance (t he
one Di vi ne essence), and i s caught up by mat t er, seems to be born;
t hat , agai n, which releases i tsel I Irom the bonds oI mat ter, and is
reuni t ed wi t h the one Di vi ne Essence, seems t o die. There is, at
most , an alt erat ion between becoming vi sible and becomi ng in-
visi ble. In al l there i s, properly speaking, but the one essence,
which alone act s and suIIers, by becomi ng al l things to all ;t he
Eternal God, whom men wrong, when t hey deprive Hi m oI what
properly can be at tributed t o Hi m only, and transIer i t to ot her
names and persons.
The New Plat oni sts subst it ut ed t he idea oI the Absol ute, Ior
t he Supreme Essence i tsel I;--as the Iirst, si mplest pri nci ple, ant e-
rior to all existence; oI whi ch not hi ng det erminate can be predi-
cated; to whi ch no consci ousness, no selI-contempl ati on can be
ascribed; inasmuch as t o do so, would i mmediat ely i mply a qual -
i ty, a di st i nct ion oI subject and object . This Supreme Ent ity can
be known only by an intel lect ual int ui ti on oI t he Spi ri t, t rans-
scending it selI, and emanci pati ng it selI Irom i ts own l i mi ts.
Thi s mere l ogi cal t endency, by means oI which men thought to
arri ve at t he concept ion oI such an absol ut e, t he ov, was uni ted
wi th a certai n myst ici sm, whi ch, by a transcendent st ate oI Ieel -
i ng, communicat ed, as it were, t o thi s abst ract ion what the mi nd
woul d receive as a reali ty. The absorpti on oI the Spiri t i nt o that
superexist ence, so as to be enti rely
i dent iIied wi th it , or such a revelat ion oI the lat ter to t he spiri t
raised above i tselI, was regarded as t he hi ghest end whi ch the
spirit ual li Ie coul d reach.
The New Plat oni sts' idea oI God, was that oI One Si mple Origi-
nal Essence, exal ted akes a di sti ncti on bet ween t hose who are in the
proper sense Sons oI God, having by means oI contemplat ion
raised themselves t o t he highest Being, or at tained to a knowl edge
oI Hi m, i n His i mmedi at e sel I-maniIestat ion, and those who know
God only i n his mediate revel ati on through his operat i on--such as
He declares Hi msel I in creat ion--in t he revelat ion st il l vei led in
t he l ett er oI Scri pt ure--t hose, i n short , who att ach t hemsel ves
si mply to the Logos, and consi der t hi s to be the Supreme God;
who aren; and aIt er it has ri d i tsel I
Irom all that pert ains to sense-Irom al l mani Iol dness. They are
t he mediators between man (amazed and stupeIi ed by mani Iol d-
ness) and t he Supreme Uni ty.
Phi l o says:"He who disbel ieves the mi raculous, si mply as t he
miracul ous, nei ther knows God, nor has he ever sought aIter Hi m;
Ior ot herwise he would have underst ood, by l ooking at that truly
great and awe-inspiri ng sight, t he miracl e oI the Uni verse, t hat
t hese miracl es (i n God' s provi dent ial gui dance oI Hi s people) are
but chi ld' s pl ay Ior the Di vine Power. But t he t ruly miracul ous
has become despised through Iami li ari ty. The uni versal , on the
contrary, alt hough i n it selI insigniIicant , yet, through our love oI
novel ty, transport s us wit h amazement. "
In opposit i on to the ant hropopathism oI t he Jewish Scri ptures,
t he Alexandri an Jews endeavored to puriIy t he idea oI God Irom
al l admi xt ure oI the Human. By the exclusi on oI every human
passi on, i t was subl i mat ed t o a somet hi ng devoi d oI all att ributes,
and wholly transcendent al ; and t he mere Bei ng, the Good,
i n and by i tsel I, the Absol ut e oI Plat onism, was subst i t uted Ior
t he personal Dei ty oI t he Old Testament . By soari ng up-
ward, beyond all creat ed exi st ence, the mi nd, disengagi ng i tsel I
Irom the Sensibl e, attains to the intel lect ual intuit i on oI t hi s Ab-
solut e Being; oI whom, however, i t can predi cate not hi ng but
exist ence, and set s asi de al l other determi nat i ons as not answering
t o t he exal ted nat ure oI t he Supreme Essence.
Thus Phil o makes a di sti nct ion bet ween those who are in t he
proper sense Sons oI God, having by means oI contemplat ion
raised themselves t o t he highest Being, or at tained to a knowl edge
oI Hi m, i n His i mmedi at e sel I-maniIestat ion, and those who know
God only i n his mediate revel ati on through his operat i on--such as
He declares Hi msel I in creat ion--in t he revelat ion st il l vei led in
t he l ett er oI Scri pt ure--t hose, i n short , who att ach t hemsel ves
si mply to the Logos, and consi der t hi s to be the Supreme God;
who are t he sons oI t he Logos, rat her than oI t he True Being.
"God, " says Pythagoras, "is nei ther t he object oI sense, nor
subject t o passi on, but invi si bl e, only i ntell igi ble, and supremely
i ntell igent . In Hi s body He i s li ke t he l ight, and in Hi s soul He re-
sembles trut h. He i s the universal spirit t hat pervades and diI-
Iuset h i tsel I over all nature. Al l bei ngs recei ve thei r li Ie Irom
Hi m. There i s but one only God, who is not , as some are apt t o
i magi ne, seat ed above the world, beyond t he orb oI t he Universe;
but bei ng Hi msel I all in al l, He sees al l the bei ngs t hat Ii ll Hi s
i mmensity; t he only Pri nci ple, the Light oI Heaven, t he Father
oI al l. He produces everythi ng; He orders and disposes every-
t hi ng; He i s the REASON, the LIFE, and t he MOTION oI all bei ng. "
"I am t he LIGHT oI the worl d;he t hat Iol l owet h Me shal l not
wal k in DARKNESS, but shall have t he LIGHT oI LIFE. " So said
t he Founder oI t he Chri st i an Rel igi on, as His words are report ed
by John the Apost le.
God, say t he sacred writ ings oI t he Jews, appeared to Moses i n
a FLAME OF FIRE, i n the mi dst oI a bush, whi ch was not consumed.
He descended upon Mount Si nai , as t he smoke oI a Iurnace; He
went beIore t he chil dren oI Israel, by day, i n a pi ll ar oI cloud,
and, by night , in a pi l lar oI Ii re, t o give them l ight. "Cal l you on
t he name oI your Gods, " said Eli jah t he Prophet t o t he Priest s
oI Baal , "and I wil l call upon the name oI ADONAI; and the God
t hat answeret h by Ii re, let hi m be God. "
Accordi ng to the Kabal ah, as according t o t he doctri nes oI
Zoroaster, everythi ng that exi st s has emanat ed Irom a source oI
i nIi nite li ght . BeIore all t hings, exist ed the Pri mit ive Being, THE
ANCIENT OF DAYS, the Ancient Ki ng oI Light; a t it le the more
remarkabl e, because i t is Irequent ly given t o t he Creat or in the
Zend-Avest a, and i n the Code oI the Sabeans, and occurs i n t he
Jewish Scri ptures.
The worl d was Hi s Revel ati on, God revealed; and subsi sted
only in Hi m. Hi s att ri butes were t here reproduced wit h vari ous
modi Ii cati ons and in di IIerent degrees; so that t he Uni verse was
Hi s Holy Splendor, Hi s Mantl e. He was t o be adored in si lence;
and perIect ion consist ed in a nearer approach to Hi m.
BeIore the creat ion oI worl ds, the PRIMITIVE LIGHT Iil led all
space, so that t here was no void. When the Supreme Bei ng, ex-
i sti ng i n thi s Light , resolved t o display His perIecti ons, or mani-
Iest them i n worl ds, He wi t hdrew wi thin Hi mselI, Iormed around
Hi m a void space, and shot Iort h His Iirst emanati on, a ray oI
l ight ; the cause and pri nci ple oI everyt hing that exi sts, uni ti ng
both t he generati ve and concept ive power, which penet rat es every-
t hi ng, and wit hout whi ch not hing coul d subsi st Ior an instant .
Man Iel l, seduced by the Evil Spi ri t s most remote Irom t he
Great King oI Light; t hose oI the Iourth world oI spirit s, Asiah,
whose chieI was Beli al. They wage incessant war agai nst t he
pure Intel li gences oI t he ot her worlds, who, l ike t he Amshaspands,
Izeds, and Ferouers oI the Persians are the tutelary guardians oI
man. In t he begi nning, al l was uni son and harmony; Iull oI t he
same di vi ne l ight and perIect purity. The Seven Ki ngs oI Evi l
Iell , and t he Universe was troubled. Then t he Creator took Irom
t he Seven Ki ngs t he pri nci ples oI Good and oI Light , and divi ded
t hem among t he Iour worlds oI Spirit s, givi ng to the Ii rst t hree
t he Pure Intell igences, uni t ed i n love and harmony, whil e t o t he
Iourt h were vouchsaIed only some Ieeble gli mmeri ngs oI l ight.
When the stri Ie bet ween t hese and t he good angels shall have
conti nued t he appoi nted t i me, and t hese Spi rit s envel oped i n dark-
ness shal l l ong and in vai n have endeavored to absorb t he Divine
l ight and l iIe, then wi ll t he Eternal Hi msel I come to correct them.
He wi l l del iver t hem Irom t he gross envelopes oI matt er that hol d
t hem capt ive, wi ll re-ani mat e and st rengt hen the ray oI l ight or
spirit ual nat ure whi ch t hey have preserved, and re-establi sh
t hroughout t he Universe t hat pri mit i ve Harmony which was i t s
bli ss.
Marcion, t he Gnost ic, said, "The Soul oI the True Chri st ian,
adopt ed as a chi ld by the Supreme Bei ng, to whom i t has l ong
been a st ranger, recei ves Irom Hi m t he Spi ri t and Di vine l iIe. It
i s led and conIi rmed, by thi s gi It , i n a pure and holy li Ie, l ike that
oI God; and i I i t so compl etes it s earthly career, i n chari ty,
chast i ty, and sanct i ty, i t wi ll one day be di sengaged Irom it s ma-
t eri al envel ope, as t he ripe grai n is detached Irom t he st raw, and
as t he young bi rd escapes Irom it s shel l . Like the angel s, i t wil l
share i n t he bli ss oI t he Good and PerIect Father, re-cl othed i n an
aerial body or organ, and made li ke unt o t he Angel s in Heaven."
You see, my brot her, what is the meani ng oI Masoni c "Light . "
You see why t he EAST oI the Lodge, where t he i ni t i al let ter oI t he
Name oI t he Deity overhangs the Master, is the pl ace oI Light.
Light , as contradi sti ngui shed Irom darkness, i s Good, as cont radis-
t ingui shed Irom Evil : and it is that Light , t he t rue knowl edge oI
Dei ty, the Eternal Good, Ior whi ch Masons in all ages have sought.
Sti l l Masonry marches st eadi ly onward toward that Light that
shines in the great di st ance, t he Light oI t hat day when Evil ,
overcome and vanquished, shall Iade away and disappear Iorever,
and Li Ie and Light be the one law oI the Uni verse, and i ts eternal
Harmony.
The Degree oI Rose Croi x teaches three t hi ngs;--t he uni ty, i m-
mutabil ity and goodness oI God; the i mmort ali ty oI t he Soul ;
and t he ult i mate deIeat and ext i ncti on oI evil and wrong and sor-
row, by a Redeemer or Messi ah, yet to come, i I he has not al ready
appeared.
It replaces t he t hree pi l l ars oI the ol d Templ e, wit h t hree t hat
have already been explai ned to you, --Fai th |in God, mankind, and
man' s sel I|, Hope |i n t he vict ory over evil , t he advancement oI
Humani ty, and a hereaIt er|, and Charity |reli evi ng t he wants,
and t olerant oI t he errors and Iaul ts oI ot hers|. To be trustIul ,
t o be hopeIul, t o be indul gent ; these, in an age oI sel Iishness, oI il l
opinion oI human nature, oI harsh and bi t ter judgment, are the
most i mportant Masoni c Virt ues, and t he true support s oI every
Masonic Templ e. And t hey are t he old pi l l ars oI the Temple
under di IIerent names. For he only is wi se who judges ot hers
chari tably; he only i s strong who i s hopeIul; and there is no
beauty li ke a Ii rm Iai t h i n God, our Iell ows and ourselI.
The second apart ment, clot hed i n mourning, the col umns oI
t he Templ e shat tered and prostrat e, and the bret hren bowed down
i n t he deepest dejecti on, represent s t he worl d under t he tyranny oI
t he Princi pl e oI Evi l; where virt ue i s persecuted and vi ce reward-
ed; where the ri ght eous st arve Ior bread, and t he wicked l ive
sumpt uously and dress in purple and Iine li nen; where i nsolent
i gnorance rul es, and l earning and genius serve; where King and
Priest trample on l iberty and t he rights oI consci ence; where Iree-
dom hi des i n caves and mount ains, and sycophancy and servi li ty
Iawn and t hrive; where the cry oI the wi dow and the orphan
st arving Ior want oI Iood, and shi vering wit h cold, ri ses ever to
Heaven, Irom a mi l li on mi serabl e hovel s; where men, wi ll ing t o
l abor, and starvi ng, they and their chi ldren and the wi ves oI t heir
bosoms, beg pl ainti vely Ior work, when the pampered capi tal i st
st ops hi s mi ll s; where the law punishes her who, starving, st eals a
l oaI, and l ets t he seducer go Iree; where t he success oI a party
j ust iIies murder, and violence and rapi ne go unpuni shed; and
where he who wi t h many years' cheat i ng and grinding the Iaces oI
t he poor grows rich, receives oIIi ce and honor i n li Ie, and aIter
deat h brave Iuneral and a splendi d mausol eum:--t hi s world,
where, si nce it s making, war has never ceased, nor man paused in
t he sad task oI t orturi ng and murderi ng his brother; and oI which
ambit ion, avarice, envy, hatred, l ust, and the rest oI Ahri man' s
and Typhon' s army make a Pandemoni um: thi s worl d, sunk i n
si n, reeki ng wit h baseness, cl amorous wi th sorrow and mi sery. II
any see i n i t al so a type oI the sorrow oI the CraIt Ior the deat h
oI Hiram, the grieI oI the Jews at the Ial l oI Jerusalem, t he misery
oI t he Templ ars at the ruin oI t hei r order and t he deat h oI De
Molay, or the world' s agony and pangs oI woe at t he death oI t he
Redeemer, it is the ri ght oI each to do so.
The thi rd apart ment represents t he consequences oI si n and
vice, and the hel l made oI t he human heart , by i t s Ii ery passions.
II any see in it al so a type oI t he Hades oI t he Greeks, t he
Gehenna oI the Hebrews, t he Tart arus oI the Romans, or t he Hel l
oI t he Christ ians, or only oI t he agoni es oI remorse and the tor-
t ures oI an upbrai di ng conscience, it i s t he right oI each t o do so.
The Iourt h apart ment represents the Uni verse, Ireed Irom t he
i nsol ent domi nion and tyranny oI t he Pri nci pl e oI Evi l, and bril -
l iant wit h t he t rue Li ght that Ilows Irom t he Supreme Dei ty;
when si n and wrong, and pain and sorrow, remorse and mi sery
shal l be no more Iorever; when t he great plans oI InIinite Eternal
Wisdom shal l be Iully devel oped; and al l God' s creat ures, seei ng
t hat all apparent evil and i ndi vi dual suIIeri ng and wrong were
but the drops that went to swell t he great ri ver oI inIi ni te good-
ness, shal l know t hat vast as i s the power oI Dei ty, Hi s goodness
and beneIi cence are inIi ni te as His power. II any see in it a type
oI t he pecul iar mysteries oI any Iait h or creed, or an al l usi on to
any past occurrences, i t is thei r right t o do so. Let each apply it s
symbol s as he pl eases. To al l oI us t hey typiIy t he universal rule
oI Masonry, -- oI i ts t hree chi eI virt ues, Fait h, Hope and Charity;
oI brotherly love and uni versal benevol ence. We l abor here t o
no other end. These symbol s need no ot her int erpretat ion.
The obl igat ions oI our Anci ent Brethren oI the Rose Croi x were t o
Iul Ii ll al l t he dut ies oI Iriendshi p, cheerIul ness, chari ty, peace, li b-
erali ty, temperance and chast ity: and scrupulously t o avoid i m-
puri ty, haughti ness, hatred, anger, and every ot her ki nd oI vi ce.
They took thei r phi losophy Irom the ol d Theology oI t he Egyp-
t ians, as Moses and Solomon had done, and borrowed i ts hiero-
glyphics and t he ci phers oI t he Hebrews. Thei r princi pal rules
were t o exerci se t he proIession oI medi cine charit ably and wi th-
out Iee, to advance t he cause oI vi rt ue, enlarge t he sci ences, and
i nduce men t o l ive as i n t he pri mi ti ve ti mes oI the world.
When thi s Degree had it s origin, i t i s not i mportant to inqui re;
nor wit h what di IIerent ri tes i t has been pract ised in di IIerent
count ri es and at various ti mes. It is oI very hi gh anti qui ty. Its
ceremonies diIIer wit h t he degrees oI lat it ude and l ongit ude, and
i t recei ves variant int erpret ati ons. II we were to exami ne al l the
diIIerent ceremoni als, t heir emblems, and thei r Iormulas, we should
see t hat all t hat bel ongs to the pri mit i ve and essent ial element s
oI t he order, i s respect ed in every sanct uary. All al ike practi se
virtue, t hat it may produce Irui t . Al l l abor, l ike us, Ior the ex-
t irpat ion oI vice, the puri Iicati on oI man, t he devel opment oI t he
arts and sci ences, and the rel ieI oI humanity.
None admit an adept to thei r loIty phil osophi cal knowl edge, and
mysterious sci ences, unt i l he has been puri Ii ed at t he al tar oI t he
symbol ic Degrees. OI what i mport ance are di IIerences oI opinion
as t o the age and geneal ogy oI t he Degree, or variance in the prac-
t ice, ceremoni al and li turgy, or the shade oI col or oI t he banner
under which each t ri be oI Israel marched, iI all revere ' t he Holy
Arch oI the symbol ic Degrees, Iirst and unal t erabl e source oI Free-
Masonry; i I all revere our conservat i ve principles, and are wi t h us
i n t he great purposes oI our organizati on ?
II, anywhere, bret hren oI a part icular rel igi ous bel ieI have been
excluded Irom this Degree, it merely shows how gravely the pur-
poses and pl an oI Masonry may be mi sunderst ood. For whenever
t he door oI any Degree is closed against hi m who bel i eves i n one
God and t he soul' s i mmort ali ty, on account oI the ot her tenets oI
his Iait h, that Degree i s Masonry no longer. No Mason has the
right t o int erpret t he symbol s oI thi s Degree Ior anot her, or to re-
Iuse hi m i ts mysteries, i I he wi ll not take them wit h t he expl ana-
t ion and commentary superadded.
Li sten, my brot her, to our expl anat ion oI t he symbol s oI the
Degree, and t hen give them such Iurther i nt erpret at i on as you
t hi nk Ii t.
The Cross has been a sacred symbol Irom the earl iest Ant i quity.
It is Iound upon al l the enduri ng monument s oI the worl d, in
Egypt , in Assyri a, i n Hindostan, i n Persia, and on the Buddhi st
t owers oI Ireland. Buddha was said to have di ed upon i t. The
Drui ds cut an oak i nto i ts shape and hel d it sacred, and buil t their
t empl es i n that Iorm. Poi nti ng t o the Iour quarters oI t he worl d,
i t was the symbol oI uni versal nat ure. It was on a cruci Iorm t ree,
t hat Chrishna was sai d to have expired, pierced wi t h arrows. It
was revered i n Mexi co.
But i ts pecul iar meani ng in this Degree, i s that gi ven to it by
t he Anci ent Egypt ians. Tl tot h or Phika i s represent ed on t he old-
est monument s carrying i n his hand the Crux Ansata, or Ankh,
|a Tau cross, wit h a ri ng or circl e over it |. He is so seen on the
double t abl et oI ShuIu and Nob ShuIu, buil ders oI t he greatest oI
t he Pyrami ds, at Wady Meghara, in the peninsula oI Si nai . It was
t he hieroglyphi c Ior li Ie, and wi t h a t ri angle preIi xed meant liIe-
gi vi ng. To us thereIore it i s t he symbol oI LiIe--oI that l i Ie
t hat emanat ed Irom the Dei ty, and oI that Et ernal LiIe Ior which
we al l hope; through our Iai th i n God' s inIini t e goodness.
The ROSE was anci ently sacred t o Aurora and t he Sun. It i s
a symbol oI Dawn, oI t he resurrect ion oI Li ght and the renewal
oI l i Ie, and thereIore oI the dawn oI t he Iirst day, and more par-
t icularly oI the resurrecti on: and t he Cross and Rose t ogether
are thereIore hi eroglyphical ly to be read, t he Dawn oI Et ernal
Li Ie which all Nati ons have hoped Ior by the advent oI a Re-
deemer.
The Pel i can Ieeding her young i s an embl em oI the large and
bounti Iul beneIi cence oI Nature, oI the Redeemer oI Ial len man,
and oI t hat humanity and charity t hat ought to di sti ngui sh a
Knight oI thi s Degree.
The Eagl e was t he l iving Symbol oI t he Egyptian God Mendes
or Menthra, whom Sesostri s-Ramses made one wi th Amun-Re,
t he God oI Thebes and Upper Egypt , and t he representat ive oI
t he Sun, t he word RE meani ng Sun or Ki ng.
The Compass surmount ed wit h a crown signiIies that not wi t h-
st andi ng t he high rank attai ned in Masonry by a Knight oI the
Rose Croi x, equi ty and i mpart i ali ty are invari ably t o govern hi s
conduct .
To the word INRI, i nscri bed on the Crux Ansata over t he
Master' s Seat , many meani ngs have been assigned. The Chri st i an
Ini ti ate reverent ial ly sees in it t he ini t i als oI the i nscri pt ion upon
t he cross on which Christ suIIered---Iesus Nazarenus Rex l udce-
orum. The sages oI Ant i qui ty connect ed i t wi th one oI t he great-
est secret s oI Nat ure, t hat oI uni versal regenerat ion. They i nt er-
preted i t thus, Igne Natura renovatur int egra; |ent ire nat ure i s
renovated by Iire|: The Al chemi cal or Hermeti c Masons Iramed
Ior it t hi s aphorism, Igne nit rum rori s inveni t ur. And t he Jes-
uit s are charged wi th having appl ied to i t thi s odious axi om,
Justum necare reges i mpi os. The Iour lett ers are the init ial s oI
t he Hebrew words t hat represent t he Iour elements--l ammi m,
t he seas or water; Nour, Ii re; Rouach, t he ai r, and Iebeschah, t he
dry eart h. How we read it , I need not repeat t o you.
The CROSS, X, was t he Sign oI t he Creat ive Wi sdom or Logos,
t he Son oI God. Pl at o says, "He expressed hi m upon the Uni -
verse i n t he Iigure oI the letter X. The next Power to the Su-
preme God was decussated or Ii gured i n the shape oI a Cross on
t he Universe. " Mi thras signed hi s soldiers on the Iorehead wi th a
Cross. X i s t he mark oI 600, the myst eri ous cycle oI the Incar-
nati ons.
We const ant ly see the Tau and t he Resh uni t ed thus P . These
-, -
,
t wo let ters, i n t he ol d Samarit an, as Iound i n Arius, stand, the
Iirst Ior 400, t he second Ior 200600. This is t he StaII oI Osi ris,
al so, and hi s monogram, and was adopted by the Chri stians as a
Sign. On a medal P oI Const ani us i s t hi s inscri pt ion, "In hoc
X
,
signo vict or eris." An inscri pti on in the Duomo at Mi l an
reads, "X. et P. Christ i. Nomi na. Sancta. Tenei. "
The Egypti ans used as a Si gn oI their God Canobus, a T or a
-l- i ndi IIerently. The Vaishnavas oI India have also the same
Sacred Tau, whi ch t hey also mark wit h crosses, and wit h triangl es.
The vest ment s oI t he pt iest s oI Horus were covered wi t h these crosses.
So was t he dress oI t he Lama oI Thibet . The Sectari an marks oI the Jains
are si mil ar. The di st i nct ive badge oI t he Sect oI Xac Jaoni cus i s t he
swast ica. It i s t he Sign oI Fo, identi cal wit h the Cross oI Chri st.
On t he rui ns oI Mandore, i n India, among other myst ic embl ems, are
t he myst ic t ri angle, and t he i nterl aced t ri angle. Thi s i s also Iound
on anci ent coi ns and medal s, excavated Irom the rui ns oI Ooj ein and
other anci ent ci ti es oI Indi a.
You entered here ami d gloom and into shadow, and are clad in
t he apparel oI sorrow. Lament , wit h us, t he sad condit ion oI the
Human race, in t his vale oI tears! the calamit i es oI men and the
agonies oI nat ions! the darkness oI t he bewil dered soul , oppressed
by doubt and apprehensi on!
There i s no human soul t hat is not sad at t i mes. There i s no
t houghtIul soul that does not at t i mes despair. There i s perhaps
none, oI al l t hat t hink at al l oI anyt hi ng beyond the needs and in-
t erest s oI t he body, that i s not at t i mes st art led and terri Ii ed by t he
awIul quest i ons which, Ieeli ng as though it were a guil ty thing Ior
doing so, it whispers t o it selI in i t s i nmost depths. Some Demon
seems to t ort ure i t wit h doubt s, and to crush i t wit h despair, ask-
i ng whether, aIter all , it i s cert ai n that it s convict ions are true,
and i ts Iai th well rounded: whether i t is i ndeed sure t hat a God oI
InIinit e Love and BeneIi cence rules the Uni verse, or only some
great remorsel ess Fate and iron Necessity, hid in i mpenetrable
gl oom, and to whi ch men and t hei r suIIerings and sorrows. their
hopes and j oys, their ambit i ons and deeds, are oI no more i nterest
or i mportance than t he motes that dance i n the sunshine; or a
Being t hat amuses Hi mselI wi th the i ncredi ble vani ty and Iol ly,
t he writ i ngs and contort ions oI t he i nsi gni Iicant insect s t hat
compose Humani ty, and idly i magi ne that t hey resemble t he Om-
nipotent. "What are we, " t he Tempt er asks, "but puppet s in a
show-box ? O Omnipot ent desti ny, pul l our stri ngs gent ly ! Dance
us merci Iul ly oII our miserable li tt le st age !"
"Is it not, " t he Demon whi spers, "merely the inordinate vanity
oI man that causes hi m now t o pret end to hi msel I that he i s li ke
unto God i n i nt el l ect , sympathies and passi ons, as i t was t hat
which, at the begi nning, made hi m beli eve that he was, in hi s bodi ly
shape and organs, the very i mage oI the Deity ? Is not hi s God
merely his own shadow, project ed i n gigant ic out li nes upon t he
cl ouds? Does he not create Ior hi mselI a God out oI hi msel I, by
merely adding indeIini te ext ensi on to hi s own Iacult ies, powers,
and passi ons?"
"Who, " the Voi ce that wil l not be always sil ent whi spers, "has
ever t horoughly sati sIi ed hi mselI wi th hi s own argument s in re-
spect t o his own nat ure ? Who ever demonstrated to hi msel I, wi th
a concl usiveness t hat elevat ed the bel ieI to cert ai nty, that he was
an i mmort al spiri t, dwel li ng only temporarily i n t he house and
envelope oI t he body, and to l i ve on Iorever aIter t hat shall have
decayed? Who ever has demonst rat ed or ever can demonstrat e
t hat the i nt el lect oI Man di IIers Irom t hat oI the wi ser ani mals,
otherwi se than i n degree ? Who has ever done more than to utter
nonsense and incoherenci es i n regard t o t he diIIerence between
t he i nst incts oI the dog and the reason oI Man ? The horse, t he
dog, the elephant, are as consci ous oI t heir i denti ty as we are.
They thi nk, dream, remember, argue wi th themselves, devise,
plan, and reason. What i s t he i ntellect and i ntell igence oI the man
but the int el lect oI t he ani mal in a hi gher degree or larger quan-
t ity ?" In t he real expl anat i on oI a singl e t hought oI a dog, all
metaphysics wil l be condensed.
And wit h st il l more t erribl e si gni Ii cance, the Voi ce asks, in what
respect the masses oI men, t he vast swarms oI the human race,
have proven t hemsel ves ei t her wiser or better t han the ani mal s i n
whose eyes a higher intel ligence shi nes t han in t heir dull , uni nt el-
l ectural orbs; in what respect they have proven t hemsel ves wort hy
oI or suit ed Ior an i mmort al li Ie. Would t hat be a pri ze oI any
value to the vast maj ority? Do they show, here upon eart h, any
capaci ty to i mprove, any Ii tness Ior a stat e oI exi st ence in whi ch
t hey coul d not crouch to power, l ike hounds dreading the lash, or
tyranni ze over deIenceless weakness; i n which t hey coul d not hate,
and persecute, and t orture, and exterminate; in which they could
not trade, and specul at e, and over-reach, and entrap the-unwary
and cheat t he conIi di ng and gamble and thri ve, and sniII wi th sel I-
righteousness at the short -comi ngs oI ot hers, and thank God t hat
t hey were not li ke other men? What , t o i mmense numbers oI
men, woul d be t he value oI a Heaven where t hey coul d not l ie and
l ibel, and ply base avocat ions Ior proIi tabl e ret urns ?
Sadly we look around us, and read the gloomy and dreary rec-
ords oI the ol d dead and rot t en ages. More t han eight een centuri es
have staggered away into the spect ral real m oI t he Past, si nce
Chri st, teaching the Reli gion oI Love, was cruci Iied, t hat i t might
become a Rel i gion oI Hate; and Hi s Doct ri nes are not yet even
nomi nal ly accepted as t rue by a Iourth oI manki nd. Since Hi s
deat h, what i ncalcul abl e swarms oI human bei ngs have li ved and
died in tot al unbel ieI oI al l t hat we deem essenti al to Sal vat ion!
What mul t it udi nous myri ads oI soul s, si nce t he darkness oI i dol a-
t rous superst it ion set tl ed down, t hick and i mpenetrable, upon the
earth, have Ilocked up t oward t he eternal Throne oI God, t o
receive His j udgment ?
The Religion oI Love proved t o be, Ior seventeen long cen-
t uries, as much t he Religion oI Hat e, and i nIini t ely more t he Re-
l igi on oI Persecut ion, than Mahomet anism, i t s unconquerable ri val.
Heresi es grew up beIore t he Apost l es di ed; and God hat ed t he
Ni col ait ans, whi le John, at Pat mos, proclai med Hi s coming wrath.
Sects wrangled, and each, as it gai ned t he power, persecuted
t he other, unti l the soi l oI the whole Chri sti an world was wat ered
wi th t he blood, and Iat t ened on t he Il esh, and whitened wi t h t he
bones, oI martyrs, and human ingenuity was taxed to it s ut most
t o i nvent new modes by whi ch t ortures and agonies coul d be pro-
l onged and made more exquisi te.
"By what right ," whi spers the Voi ce, "does this savage, merci-
l ess, persecut ing ani mal , t o which t he suIIeri ngs and writ hi ngs oI
others oI i t s wret ched ki nd Iurni sh t he most pleasurable sensa-
t ions, and the mass oI which care only t o eat , sleep, be clot hed, and
wal low i n sensual pleasures, and the best oI which wrangle, hat e,
envy, and, wit h Iew except ions, regard t heir own i nt erest s alone, -
wi th what right does i t endeavor to del ude i t selI i nto t he convi c-
t ion t hat it i s not an ani mal , as the wolI, t he hyena, and the ti ger
are but a somewhat nobler, a spi ri t dest ined t o be i mmort al, a
spark oI the essent ial Light, Fi re and Reason, whi ch are God?
What ot her i mmortali ty than one oI sel Ii shness coul d t hi s creat ure
enjoy? OI what ot her is it capable? Must not i mmortali ty com-
mence here and i s not li Ie a part oI it ? How shall deat h change
t he base nat ure oI the base soul ? Why have not those other ani-
mal s that only Iai nt ly i mi t ate the want on, savage, human cruel ty
and t hirst Ior blood, t he same right as man has, t o expect a resur-
recti on and an Eterni ty oI existence, or a Heaven oI Love?
The worl d i mproves. Man ceases t o persecute, --when t he per-
secut ed become too numerous and strong, l onger t o submi t to i t.
That source oI pleasure cl osed, men exerci se t he i ngenuit ies oI
t heir cruel ty on the ani mal s and ot her li vi ng t hi ngs below them.
To depri ve ot her creat ures oI t he l i Ie whi ch God gave t hem, and
t hi s not only t hat we may eat their Il esh Ior Iood, but out oI mere
savage wantonness, is the agreeabl e employment and amusement
oI man, who prides hi msel I on being t he Lord oI Creat ion, and a
l it tl e l ower than t he Angel s. II he can no l onger use the rack, t he
gi bbet , the pincers, and the stake, he can hate, and slander,
and del ight in the t hought that he wi ll , hereaIter, luxuri ously
enjoying the sensual beat it udes oI Heaven, see wi t h pleasure the
writ hi ng agonies oI those j ust ly damned Ior dari ng t o hold opin-
i ons cont rary t o his own, upon subj ects tot ally beyond t he compre-
hensi on both oI t hem and hi m.
Where t he armi es oI the despots cease to slay and ravage, the
armi es oI "Freedom" take t heir place, and, t he bl ack and whit e
commi ngl ed, slaughter and burn and ravish. Each age re-enacts
t he cri mes as wel l as t he Ioll ies oI it s predecessors, and st il l war
l icenses out rage and t urns Iruit Iul lands i nt o deserts, and God is
t hanked i n the Churches Ior bloody hut cheri es, and t he remorse-
l ess devast at ors, even when swol l en by pl under, are crowned wit h
l aurels and receive ovat ions.
OI t he whol e oI manki nd, not one in ten thousand has any aspi-
rati ons beyond t he daily needs oI t he gross ani mal li Ie. In t hi s
age and i n al l ot hers, al l men except a Iew, i n most count ri es, are
born t o be mere beast s oI burden, co-laborers wi th the horse and
t he ox. ProIoundly ignorant , even in "ci vil i zed" lands, they think
and reason li ke t he ani mal s by t he si de oI which t hey t oi l. For
t hem, God, Soul, Spi ri t, Immortal ity, are mere words, wi thout any
real meani ng. The God oI nineteen-t wenti et hs oI t he Chri sti an
worl d i s only Bel, Mol och, Zeus, or at best Osi ri s, Mi thras, or
Adonai , under another name, worshi pped wi t h the ol d Pagan cere-
moni es and rit ual isti c Iormul as. It i s t he Stat ue oI Olympi an Jove,
worshipped as the Father, i n the Christ ian Church that was a
Pagan Templ e;i t is the St atue oI Venus, become the Virgi n Mary.
For the most part , men do not i n t hei r heart s bel ieve t hat God is
ei ther j ust or merci Iul. They Iear and shri nk Irom Hi s l ightni ngs
and dread His wrat h. For t he most part, they only think t hey
believe t hat there i s another l i Ie, a judgment, and a puni shment
Ior sin. Yet they wi ll none t he less persecute as InIidels and At he-
i sts those who do not beli eve what they themsel ves i magi ne t hey
believe, and which yet they do not bel ieve, because it is incompre-
hensi ble t o them i n thei r ignorance and want oI i nt el lect . To the
vast majori ty oI mankind, God i s but t he reIl ected i mage, in inIi -
nite space, oI the eart hly Tyrant on his Throne, only more power-
Iul , more i nscrut abl e, and more i mpl acabl e. To curse Humani ty,
t he Despot need only be, what the popular mi nd has, i n every age,
i magi ned God.
In t he great ci t ies, t he l ower strata oI the popul ace are equal ly
wi thout Iai t h and wi t hout hope. The others have, Ior the most
part , a mere bl ind Iai t h, i mposed by educat ion and ci rcumst ances,
and not as producti ve oI moral excel lence or even common honesty
as Mohammedanism. "Your property wi ll be saIe here, " sai d t he
Mosl em; "There are no Chri stians here." The phi losophi cal
and scienti Ii c worl d becomes dai ly more and more unbeli evi ng.
Fait h and Reason are not opposites, i n equi li brium; but antago-
nist ic and host i le to each ot her; the result being the darkness and
despair oI scept ici sm, avowed, or hal I-vei led as rat ional i sm.
Over more t han three-Iourt hs oI the habi table globe, humanity
st il l kneel s, l ike the camel s, to take upon it sel I the burt hens to be
t amely borne Ior it s tyrants. II a Republic occasional ly ri ses li ke a
Star, i t hastens wit h al l speed to set in bl ood. The ki ngs need not
make war upon it , to crush i t out oI t hei r way. It is only neces-
sary t o l et it al one, and it soon l ays viol ent hands upon it sel I. And
when a people l ong enslaved shake oII i ts Iet t ers, i t may wel l be
i ncredul ously asked,
Shal l t he braggart shout
For some bl ind gl i mpse oI Freedom, l ink i tsel I,
Through madness, hated by the wi se, t o l aw,
System and Empire?
Everywhere i n t he worl d labor i s, in some shape, t he sl ave oI
capi tal ; general ly, a slave t o be Ied only so l ong as he can work;
or, rather, only so l ong as hi s work is proIi table t o the owner oI
t he human chat t el . There are Iami nes i n Ireland, strikes and
st arvat ion in England, pauperism and t enement-dens in New
York, misery, squalor, ignorance, desti tuti on, t he brut ali ty oI vi ce
and t he i nsensi bi l i ty to shame, oI despairi ng beggary, i n al l the
human cesspool s and sewers everywhere. Here, a sewi ng-woman
Iami shes and Ireezes; t here, mot hers murder t heir chil dren, t hat
t hose spared may li ve upon t he bread purchased wit h the burial
al lowances oI t he dead st arveli ng; and at t he next door young
girl s prost it ute themsel ves Ior Iood.
Moreover, t he Voice says, t his besot ted race i s not sati sIi ed wit h
seei ng i ts mul t i tudes swept away by the great epi demics whose
causes are unknown, and oI t he j ust i ce or wi sdom oI whi ch the
human mi nd cannot concei ve. It must also be ever at war. There
has not been a moment since men di vi ded into Tribes, when al l
t he worl d was at peace. Al ways men have been engaged in mur-
deri ng each other somewhere. Always the armies have l ived by
t he t oi l oI the husbandman, and war has exhaust ed the resources,
wast ed t he energi es, and ended the prosperity oI Nat ions. Now it
l oads unborn posterity wi t h crushi ng debt , mortgages al l est ates,
and bri ngs upon St ates the shame and inIamy oI dishonest re-
pudi ati on.
At t i mes, t he bal eIul Ii res oI war li ght up hal I a Cont i nent at
once; as when all t he Thrones uni t e t o compel a peopl e t o receive
agai n a hat ed and detestabl e dynasty, or States deny States the
right t o dissol ve an i rksome union and creat e Ior themsel ves a
seperate government. Then again the Ilames Il icker and di e away,
and t he Iire smoul ders in i ts ashes, t o break out agai n, aIter a
t i me, wit h renewed and a more concent rat ed Iury. At ti mes, t he
st orm, revolvi ng, howl s over small areas only; at ti mes it s li ght s
are seen, li ke t he ol d beacon-Iires on t he hil ls, bel ti ng t he whol e
gl obe. No sea, but hears the roar oI cannon; no river, but runs
red wit h bl ood; no pl ain, but shakes, trampled by the hooIs oI
chargi ng squadrons; no Iiel d, but i s Iert ili zed by the bl ood oI t he
dead; and everywhere man slays, the vult ure gorges, and t he wol I
howl s in t he ear oI t he dying sol dier. No ci ty is not tort ured
by shot and shell ; and no peopl e Iail t o enact t he horri d bl as-
phemy oI t hanking a God oI Love Ior vi ctories and carnage. Te
Deums are st il l sung Ior t he Eve oI St . Bart hol omew and the
Sici l ian Vespers. Man' s i ngenui ty i s racked, and all hi s i nventi ve
powers are tasked, t o Iabricat e the i nIernal engi nery oI dest ruc-
t ion, by which human bodies may be t he more expedi ti ously and
eIIect ual ly crushed, shat t ered, t orn, and mangl ed; and yet hypo-
crit ical Humani ty, drunk wi th bl ood and drenched wi th gore,
shrieks t o Heaven at a si ngle murder, perpet rat ed t o grati Iy a re-
venge not more unchrist ian, or t o sat isIy a cupi di ty not more
i gnoble, than t hose whi ch are t he prompt ings oI t he Devil in t he
souls oI Nati ons.
When we have Iondly dreamed oI Ut opia and t he Mill enni um,
when we have begun al most to bel i eve that man is not , aIter al l , a
t iger hal I tamed, and that t he smell oI blood wil l not wake the sav-
age wi t hin hi m, we are oI a sudden st art led Irom t he del usi ve
dream, t o Iind t he thi n mask oI civil izat i on rent i n t wai n and
t hrown cont emptuously away. We l ie down to sleep, li ke t he peas-
ant on t he lava-slopes oI Vesuvius. The mount ain has been so
l ong inert , t hat we bel ieve i ts Iires ext i nguished. Round us hang
t he cl usteri ng grapes, and t he green leaves oI the ol ive trembl e in
t he soIt ni ght -ai r over us. Above us shine the peaceIul , patient
st ars. The crash oI a new erupt i on wakes us, t he roar oI t he sub-
t erranean thunders, the stabs oI the volcani c l ightni ng int o the
shrouded bosom oI t he sky; and we see, aghast, t he t ortured Ti tan
hurl ing up i ts Iires among the pal e stars, i ts great tree oI smoke
and cl oud, t he red torrents pouri ng down it s si des. The roar and
t he shri ekings oI Ci vi l War are all around us: t he l and is a pande-
moni um: man is agai n a Savage. The great armies roll al ong thei r
hideous waves, and l eave behind t hem smoking and depopulat ed
deserts. The pil lager i s in every house, pl ucki ng even t he morsel
oI bread Irom t he l ips oI t he st arving chil d. Gray hai rs are
dabbl ed i n blood, and innocent girlhood shrieks i n vai n t o Lust Ior
mercy. Laws, Courts, Const it ut ions, Chri st iani ty, Mercy, Pi ty,
disappear. God seems t o have abdi cated, and Moloch t o reign i n
Hi s stead; whi le Press and Pulpi t al i ke exult at universal murder,
and urge t he ext erminati on oI the Conquered, by t he sword and
t he Ilaming t orch; and to pl under and murder ent i t les t he human
beast s oI prey t o the thanks oI Chri st i an Senates.
Commerci al greed deadens the nerves oI sympat hy oI Nat i ons,
and makes t hem deaI to t he demands oI honor, t he i mpul ses oI
generosi ty, t he appeal s oI t hose who suIIer under injustice. Else-
where, the universal pursui t oI wealt h dethrones God and pays
divi ne honors to Mammon and Baal zebub. SelIishness rules su-
preme: t o win wealt h becomes the whole busi ness oI l iIe. The
vil lani es oI l egali zed gami ng and speculat ion become epidemic;
t reacery i s but evidence oI shrewdness; oIIice becomes the prey
oI successIul Iacti on; t he Count ry, li ke Act aeon, is torn by it s own
hounds, and t he vi l lai ns it has careIul ly educated to t heir t rade,
most greedily pl under i t , when it is in extremi s.
By what right , t he Voice demands, does a creat ure always
engaged in t he work oI mutual robbery and slaughter, and who
makes his own int erest hi s God, clai m to be oI a nat ure superior
t o t he savage beast s oI which he i s t he prot otype?
Then the shadows oI a horribl e doubt Iall upon the soul that
woul d Iain love, trust and bel ieve; a darkness, oI whi ch t hi s that
surrounded you was a symbol. It doubt s t he truth oI Revel at ion,
i ts own spiri tual i ty, t he very exi stence oI a beneIi cent God. It
asks it selI iI i t is not i dle to hope Ior any great progress oI
Humani ty t oward perIect ion, and whet her, when it advances i n
one respect, i t does not ret rogress i n some other, by way oI com-
pensati on: whet her advance i n civi l izat ion i s not increase oI sel I-
i shness: whet her Ireedom does not necessari ly lead t o l icense and
anarchy: whether t he dest i tuti on and debasement oI the masses
does not inevit ably Ioll ow increase oI populat ion and commercial
and manuIacturi ng prosperi ty. It asks it sel I whet her man i s not
t he sport oI bl i nd, merci less Fate: whet her al l phi losophi es are
not del usions, and all rel igi ons the Iantast ic creati ons oI human
vanity and sel I-concei t; and above al l, whet her, when Reason is
abandoned as a gui de, the Iai th oI Buddhi st and Brahmi n has not
t he same clai ms to sovereignty and i mpl ici t, unreasoning credence,
as any other.
He asks hi msel I whet her it i s not, aIt er all , t he evident and pal-
pable inj ust ices oI this l iIe, the success and prosperity oI the Bad,
t he cal ami t i es, oppressions, and miseries oI the Good, that are t he
bases oI all bel ieIs i n a Iuture state oI exi stence? Doubt i ng man' s
capaci ty Ior indeIi ni te progress here, he doubt s t he possi bil ity oI it
anywher; and i I he does not doubt whet her God exi st s, and i s
j ust and beneIicent , he at l east cannot si lence the const ant ly recur-
ring whi sper, that t he miseries and calami ti es oI men, t hei r l ives
and deat hs, their pai ns and sorrows, their ext ermi nati on by war
and epi demi cs, are phenomena oI no hi gher di gni ty, si gni Ii cance,
and i mport ance, in the eye oI God, t han what things oI the same
nature occur to ot her organi sms oI matt er; and t hat the Iish oI
t he ancient seas, destroyed by myriads t o make room Ior ot her
speci es, t he cont orted shapes i n which t hey are Iound as Iossi ls
t esti Iying to their agoni es; the coral i nsect s, t he ani mals and
birds and vermi n slai n by man, have as much right as he t o cl amor
at t he i nj usti ce oI t he dispensati ons oI God, and t o demand an
i mmortal i ty oI l iIe i n a new uni verse, as compensati on Ior t heir
pains and suIIerings and unt i mely deat h i n t hi s worl d.
Thi s i s not a picture pai nt ed by t he i magi nat i on. Many a
t houghtIul mi nd has so doubted and despai red. How many oI us
can say t hat our own Iai t h is so wel l grounded and complet e t hat
we never hear t hose painIul whi speri ngs wi thi n the soul ? Thri ce
blessed are t hey who never doubt , who ruminate in pat ient con-
t ent ment l ike the ki ne, or doze under t he opi at e oI a bl ind Iait h;
on whose souls never rest s t hat AwIul Shadow which is t he ab-
sence oI the Di vine Light.
To explai n to themselves the exi st ence oI Evi l and SuIIering,
t he Anci ent Persi ans i magi ned that t here were two Pri nci ples or
Dei ti es i n t he Universe, the one oI Good and t he other oI Evil ,
const ant ly i n conIl ict wi t h each other i n struggle Ior the mastery,
and al ternately overcomi ng and overcome. Over both, Ior t he
SAGES, was the One Supreme; and Ior t hem Light was i n t he end
t o prevail over Darkness, t he Good over t he Evi l , and even Ahri-
man and hi s Demons to part wi th their wi cked and vici ous natures
and share t he uni versal Sal vat i on. It di d not occur to t hem that
t he exist ence oI the Evil Princi pl e, by t he consent oI t he Omni po-
t ent Supreme, presented t he same di IIiculty, and l eIt t he exi st ence
oI Evil as unexplai ned as beIore. The human mind is al ways
content, iI i t can remove a diIIi cul ty a step Iurther oII. It cannot
believe t hat the world rests on nothing, but is devoutly cont ent
when t aught t hat it i s borne on the back oI an i mmense elephant ,
who hi mselI stands on t he back oI a tort oi se. Gi ven the tort oi se,
Fait h i s always sati sIi ed; and it has been a great source oI happi-
ness to mul t i t udes that t hey coul d beli eve i n a Devi l who coul d
reli eve God oI the odi um oI being the Author oI Sin.
But not to all i s Fai t h suIIicient to overcome t his great di IIi -
culty. They say, wi th the Suppli ant , "Lord! I bel i eve!"--but li ke
hi m they are const rained to add, "Help Thou my unbel i eI!"--Rea-
son must, Ior these, co-operat e and coi ncide wi th Fai t h, or t hey
remai n st il l in the darkness oI doubt , --most mi serable oI all con-
dit i ons oI t he human mind.
Those only, who care Ior nothi ng beyond t he int erest s and pur-
suit s oI t his li Ie, are uni nt erested i n t hese great Problems. The
ani mals, also, do not consi der them. It i s t he characterist ic oI an
i mmortal Soul , that i t should seek t o sat isIy i t sel I oI it s i mmor-
t ali ty, and to underst and this great enigma, t he Uni verse. II the
Hott ent ot and the Papuan are not troubled and t ortured by t hese
doubts and speculat ions, they are not , Ior t hat , t o be regarded as
ei ther wise or Iortunate. The swine, al so, are i ndi IIerent to t he
great ri ddl es oI t he Uni verse, and are happy in bei ng whol ly un-
aware t hat it i s the vast Revel ati on and Mani Iestati on, in Ti me
and Space, oI a Single Thought oI the InIini te God.
Exalt and magniIy Fait h as we wi ll , and say that i t begins
where Reason ends, it must, aIt er all , have a Ioundat ion, eit her in
Reason, Analogy, the Consciousness, or human t esti mony. The
worshipper oI Brahma al so has i mpli ci t Fait h i n what seems to
us pal pably Ialse and absurd. His Iai t h rest s neit her i n Reason,
Analogy, or t he Consciousness, but on t he t esti mony oI hi s Spirit -
ual t eachers, and oI t he Holy Books. The Moslem al so bel ieves,
on t he posit ive t esti mony oI the Prophet ; and t he Mormon also
can say, "I beli eve t hi s, because it i s i mpossibl e." No Iai th, how-
ever absurd or degradi ng, has ever want ed these Ioundati ons,
t esti mony, and t he books. Miracl es, proven by uni mpeachable
t esti mony have been used as a Ioundat ion Ior Fai th, i n every age;
and t he modern miracles are bett er aut hent icated, a hundred
t i mes, t han the anci ent ones.
So that , aIt er al l, Fai th must Il ow out Irom some source wi thi n
us, when t he evidence oI t hat whi ch we are to bel ieve i s not pre-
sent ed to our senses, or i t wil l in no case be the assurance oI the
t ruth oI what i s bel ieved.
The Consci ousness, or i nheri ng and i nnat e convict ion, or t he
i nst inct divi nely i mplant ed, oI t he veri ty oI things, i s the hi ghest
possible evidence, i I not t he only real prooI, oI t he veri ty oI cer-
t ain thi ngs, but only oI trut hs oI a li mi ted class.
What we cal l t he Reason, that i s, our i mperIect human reason,
not only may, but assuredly wil l, l ead us away Irom the Truth i n
regard to things invi sibl e and especi ally t hose oI the InIini te, i I
we det ermi ne to bel ieve not hi ng but that which i t can demonst rat e
or not to bel ieve t hat whi ch i t can by i ts processes oI logic prove
t o be contradict ory, unreasonabl e, or absurd. Its tape-l i ne cannot
measure the arcs oI InIi ni ty. For example, to the Human reason,
an InIi ni te Just ice and an InIini te Mercy or Love, i n t he same
Being, are i nconsi stent and i mpossi bl e. One, i t can demonst rate,
necessarily excludes t he ot her. So it can demonstrat e that as the
Creati on had a begi nni ng, it necessarily Iol lows t hat an Eterni ty
had el apsed beIore t he Deity began to creat e, during whi ch He
was inact ive.
When we gaze, oI a moonless cl ear night , on the Heavens gli t-
t eri ng wi t h st ars, and know t hat each Ii xed star oI al l the myriads
i s a Sun, and each probably possessing i ts reti nue oI worl ds, all
peopl ed wi th l ivi ng bei ngs, we sensibly Ieel our own uni mportance
i n t he scal e oI Creati on, and at once reIl ect t hat much oI what has
i n diIIerent ages been religious Iai t h, coul d never have been be-
l ieved, iI the nat ure, si ze, and dist ance oI t hose Suns, and oI our
own Sun, Moon, and Planet s, had been known t o t he Ancient s as
t hey are t o us.
To them, all t he l ights oI the Ii rmament were created only to
gi ve l ight to the eart h, as i ts l amps or candles hung above it . The
earth was supposed t o be the only inhabi ted porti on oI t he Uni-
verse. The worl d and t he Universe were synonymous terms. OI
t he i mmense si ze and dist ance oI t he heavenly bodi es, men had
no concept ion. The Sages had, i n Chaldaea, Egypt , India, Chi na,
and i n Persia, and thereIore the sages always had, an esoteric
creed, taught only i n t he mysteries and unknown t o t he vul gar.
No Sage, i n ei ther country, or i n Greece or Rome, bel ieved t he
popular creed. To t hem the Gods and the Idol s oI t he Gods were
symbol s, and symbol s oI great and mysterious trut hs.
The Vulgar i magi ned the attenti on oI t he Gods t o be conti nu-
al ly centred upon t he earth and man. The Greci an Divini t ies i n-
habit ed Olympus, an insigni Ii cant mount ai n oI t he Eart h. There
was the Court oI Zeus, t o which Neptune came Irom the Sea, and
Plut o and Persephone Irom the gl ooms oI Tartarus i n the un-
Iathomable dept hs oI t he Earth' s bosom. God came down Irom
Heaven and on Sinai dict at ed laws Ior the Hebrews to Hi s servant
Moses. The St ars were t he guardians oI mort als whose Iates and
Iortunes were to be read in their movement s, conjunct ions, and
opposit ions. The Moon was the Bride and Sister oI the Sun, at
t he same di stance above t he Eart h, and, l ike the Sun, made Ior
t he service oI manki nd al one.
II, wi th t he great t elescope oI Lord Rosse, we exami ne t he vast
nebul ae oI Hercules, Ori on, and Andromeda, and Iind t hem re-
solvable i nt o St ars more numerous than t he sands on t he sea-
shore; i I we reIlect t hat each oI these St ars is a Sun, li ke and
even many t i mes l arger t han ours, --each, beyond a doubt , wi t h i ts
reti nue oI worlds swarming wi th l iIe; --iI we go Iurt her i n i magi -
nati on and endeavor to concei ve oI al l the inIi ni ti es oI space,
Iil led wi th si mi l ar suns and worlds, we seem at once to shri nk i nt o
an incredi bl e i nsigniIicance.
The Uni verse, whi ch is t he ut t ered Word oI God, i s i nIini te in
extent. There is no empty space beyond creat ion on any side.
The Uni verse, whi ch is t he Thought oI God pronounced, never
was not , si nce God never was i nert; nor WAS, wi thout t hi nki ng
and creati ng. The Iorms oI creat i on change, the suns and worl ds
l ive and di e li ke the leaves and the insect s, but t he Uni verse i t sel I
i s i nIi ni te and eternal , because God Is, Was, and Wi l l Iorever Be,
and never did not thi nk and creat e.
Reason i s Iai n to admit t hat a Supreme Intel li gence, inIinit ely
powerIul and wi se, must have creat ed t hi s boundless Universe;
but it al so t ell s us that we are as uni mport ant i n i t as t he zoophyt es
and ent ozoa, or as the i nvi sible part icl es oI ani mat ed li Ie t hat
Iloat upon t he ai r or swarm i n t he wat er-drop.
The Ioundat i ons oI our Iait h, rest ing upon t he i magi ned int er-
est oI God i n our race, an int erest easily supposable when man
believed hi mselI t he only intel li gent creat ed being, and t hereIore
eminently wort hy the especi al care and watchIul anxi ety oI a God
who had only this eart h t o l ook aIt er, and it s house-keepi ng al one
t o superint end, and who was cont ent to creat e, in all t he i nIini te
Universe, only one si ngle bei ng, possessing a soul, and not a mere
ani mal, are rudely shaken as the Universe broadens and expands
Ior us; and t he darkness oI doubt and di strust sett les heavy upon
Soul.
The modes i n which i t i s ordi nari ly endeavored t o sat isIy our
doubts, only i ncrease them. To demonstrate the necessity Ior a
cause oI the creat ion, i s equal ly to demonst rat e the necessi ty oI a
cause Ior t hat cause. The argument Irom plan and design only
removes t he di IIi cul ty a step Iurt her oII. We rest t he worl d on
t he el ephant, and the el ephant on t he t ortoise, and the tort oi se on
---nothi ng.
To tel l us t hat the ani mal s possess insti nct only and t hat Rea-
son bel ongs to us alone, i n no way tends to sati sIy us oI t he radi -
cal di IIerence bet ween us and t hem. For iI the ment al phenomena
exhi bi ted by ani mals that t hi nk, dream, remember, argue Irom
cause to eIIect, pl an, devise, combi ne, and communicat e t hei r
t hought s to each other, so as t o act rat ional ly in concert, --iI t heir
l ove, hat e, and revenge, can be conceived oI as resul ts oI the
organi zat i on oI mat ter, l i ke col or and perIume, t he resort t o the
hypot hesi s oI an i mmat eri al Soul to explain phenomena oI t he
same ki nd, only more perIect , maniIested by the human bei ng, i s
supremely absurd. That organi zed mat ter can thi nk or even Ieel ,
at al l, is the great insoluble mystery. "Inst inct" is but a word
wi thout a meani ng, or else it means i nspi rat i on. It i s eit her t he
ani mal i tsel I, or God i n the ani mal, t hat thinks, remembers, and
reasons; and insti nct , accordi ng t o the common accept ati on oI the
t erm, woul d be t he greatest and most wonderIul oI mysteries,-
no l ess a t hi ng t han t he di rect , i mmedi at e, and cont inual prompt-
i ngs oI the Deity, --Ior the ani mal s are not machines, or automat a
moved by springs, and the ape is but a dumb Aust ral ian.
Must we always remain in t his darkness oI uncertai nty, oI
doubt ? Is t here no mode oI escaping Irom the labyrint h except
by means oI a bli nd Iai th, which expl ai ns not hi ng, and in many
creeds, ancient and modern, set s Reason at deIi ance, and l eads t o
t he beli eI eit her in a God wi t hout a Uni verse, a Universe wi thout
a God, or a Universe which i s it selI a God ?
We read in the Hebrew Chronicles t hat Schlomoh t he wi se
Ki ng caused t o be pl aced i n Iront oI t he entrance t o the Templ e
t wo huge columns oI bronze, one oI which was cal led YAKAYIN
and t he other BAHAZ; and these words are rendered i n our ver-
si on St rength and Est abl ishment . The Masonry oI the Blue
Lodges gives no explanati on oI these symbol ic col umns; nor do
t he Hebrew Books advi se us that t hey were symboli c. II not so
i ntended as symbol s, t hey were subsequently underst ood to be
such.
But as we are certai n that everyt hi ng wi thin the Templ e was
symbol ic, and t hat the whol e st ruct ure was intended t o represent
t he Universe, we may reasonably conclude t hat the col umns oI the
port ico al so had a symboli c signiIicat ion. It would be tedious t o
repeat all t he i nt erpretat ions which Iancy or dul lness has Iound
Ior them.
The key t o thei r true meani ng i s not undiscoverabl e. The per-
Iect and et ernal dist incti on oI the t wo pri mi ti ve terms oI the cre-
at ive syl logi sm, in order t o at tai n t o the demonstrat ion oI t hei r
harmony by the analogy oI contrari es, is t he second grand prin-
ci ple oI t hat occul t phi losophy vei l ed under the name "Kabalah, "
and i ndi cated by all t he sacred hi eroglyphs oI the Ancient Sanct u-
aries, and oI the rit es, so li tt l e underst ood by the mass oI the
Ini ti ates, oI t he Anci ent and Modern Free-Masonry.
The Sohar declares t hat everything in the Universe proceeds by
t he mystery oI "t he Balance, " t hat i s, oI Equi l ibri um. OI t he
Sephiroth, or Divine Emanat ions, Wi sdom and Understanding,
Severity and Benignity, or Just ice and Mercy, and Victory and
Gl ory, consti tute pairs.
Wisdom, or the Intel l ect ual Generati ve Energy, and Under-
st andi ng, or the Capaci ty to be i mpregnated by the Acti ve Energy
and produce i ntellecti on or thought, are represented symbol ical ly
i n t he Kabalah as male and Iemal e. So also are Just ice and
Mercy. Strengt h i s the i ntel lect ual Energy or Act ivi ty; Est ab-
l ishment or St abi li ty is t he int ell ectual Capaci ty t o produce, a
Tpassi vity. They are the POWER oI generat i on and t he CAPACITY
oI product ion. By WISDOM, it i s sai d, God creates, and by UN-
DERSTANDING establi shes. These are the t wo Columns oI t he
Temple, contrari es l ike the Man and Woman, l ike Reason and
Fait h, Omni potence and Liberty, InIini te Just ice and InIi nit e
Mercy, Absol ut e Power or Strengt h t o do even what i s most un-
j ust and unwise, and Absolute Wi sdom that makes i t i mpossi ble to
do i t; Ri ght and Duty. They were the col umns oI t he int ell ectual
and moral worl d, the monument al hieroglyph oI t he anti nomy
necessary t o t he grand law oI creat ion.
There must be Ior every Force a Resi st ance t o support i t , to
every l ight a shadow, Ior every Royalty a Real m to govern, Ior
every aIIirmat ive a negat i ve.
For the Kabal ist s, Light represent s t he Act ive Pri nci ple, and
Darkness or Shadow is anal ogous to the Passive Pri nci ple. There-
Iore it was that t hey made oI the Sun and Moon emblems oI t he
t wo Divine Sexes and t he t wo creat ive Iorces; thereIore, t hat they
ascribed t o woman the Temptat ion and t he Iirst sin, and t hen the
Iirst labor, t he maternal l abor oI t he redempti on, because i t is
Irom the bosom oI the darkness i t sel I that we see the Light born
agai n. The Void att ract s the Ful l ; and so i t is t hat t he abyss oI
poverty and misery, the Seeming Evil , the seemi ng empty noth-
i ngness oI li Ie, the temporary rebell ion oI the creat ures, eternal ly
at tracts t he overIl owi ng ocean oI being, oI riches, oI pi ty, and oI
l ove. Chri st compl eted t he At onement on the Cross by descend-
i ng i nt o Hell .
Justi ce and Mercy are cont raries. II each be i nIinit e, t hei r co-
exist ence seems i mpossi bl e, and being equal , one cannot even
annihil ate the other and reign al one. The myst eries oI the Di vi ne
Nat ure are beyond our Ii ni te comprehension; but so i ndeed are
t he mysteries oI our own Ii nit e nature; and it i s cert ain that in
al l nature harmony and movement are t he resul t oI the equil ibri um
oI opposing or contrary Iorces.
The analogy oI contrari es gi ves t he solut ion oI t he most i nt er-
est ing and most diIIi cul t probl em oI modern phil osophy,--t he
deIi nit e and permanent accord oI Reason and Fait h, oI Author-
i ty and Liberty oI exami nat ion, oI Sci ence and Beli eI, oI PerIec-
t ion i n God and ImperIect ion i n Man. II science or knowledge
i s t he Sun, Beli eI is the Man; it i s a reIl ect i on oI the day in the
night . Fait h is t he vei l ed Isi s, t he Supplement oI Reason, in the
shadows which precede or Iol low Reason. It emanates Irom the
Reason, but can never conIound it nor be conIounded wit h i t . The
encroachment s oI Reason upon Fai th, or oI Fait h on Reason, are
ecl ipses oI the Sun or Moon; when they occur, t hey make usel ess
both t he Source oI Light and i t s reIl ect i on, at once.
Science perishes by systems that are nothing but beli eIs; and
Fait h succumbs to reasoni ng. For t he t wo Columns oI t he Tem-
ple t o uphold t he ediIice, t hey must remain separat ed and be
paral lel to each other. As soon as it i s at tempt ed by vi olence t o
bri ng t hem toget her, as Samson did, t hey are overt urned, and the
whole edi Iice Ial ls upon t he head oI the rash bl ind man or the
revol ut ionist whom personal or nat i onal resent ment s have in ad-
vance devoted t o death.
Harmony is t he resul t oI an al ternat ing preponderance oI
Iorces. Whenever t hi s is want ing in government , government is
a Iai lure, because i t is ei t her Despot ism or Anarchy. Al l theoret -
i cal governments, however pl ausible t he theory, end in one or the
other. Governments t hat are to endure are not made i n t he cl oset
oI Locke or ShaItesbury, or i n a Congress or a Conventi on. In a
Republ ic, Iorces that seem cont raries, t hat indeed are contrari es,
al one give movement and l iIe. The Spheres are Ii eld i n t hei r
orbi ts and made to revol ve harmoni ously and unerri ngly, by the
concurrence, whi ch seems t o be the opposi ti on, oI two cont rary
Iorces. II the centri petal Iorce should overcome t he centriIugal,
t he equil ibri um oI Iorces cease, t he rush oI t he Spheres t o t he
cent ral Sun would annihi late t he system. Instead oI consol ida-
t ion, t he whole woul d be shat tered i nt o Iragment s.
Man i s a Iree agent , t hough Omni potence is above and all
around hi m. To be Iree t o do good, he must be Iree t o do evil .
The Light necessi tat es the Shadow. A St ate is Iree li ke an i ndi -
vidual in any government wort hy oI t he name. The Stat e i s less
potent than t he Dei ty, and t hereIore the Ireedom oI t he indi vidual
ci ti zen is consist ent wi th i ts Sovereignty. These are opposi tes,
but not antagonist ic. So, in a uni on oI States, the Ireedom oI t he
st ates i s consi stent wit h the Supremacy oI the Nati on. When
ei ther obt ai ns the permanent mastery over the ot her, and t hey
cease t o be i n equil ibri o, the encroachment conti nues wit h a ve-
l oci ty that i s accelerated li ke that oI a Ial l i ng body, unt i l t he
Ieebler i s annihilated, and then, there being no resi stance t o sup-
port t he st ronger, it rushes i nt o rui n.
So, when t he equipoise oI Reason and Fait h, i n t he i ndivi dual
or t he Nati on, and the al ternat i ng preponderance cease, the result
i s, accordi ng as one or the ot her is permanent vict or, Athei sm or
Superst it ion, disbel ieI or bli nd credul ity; and the Priest s ei ther
oI UnIai th or oI Fait h become despoti c.
"Whomsoever God loveth, hi m he chastenet h," i s an expressi on
t hat Iormulates a whol e dogma. The tri al s oI l iIe are the bless-
i ngs oI liIe, to the i ndi vi dual or t he Nati on, iI ei ther has a Soul
t hat is truly wort hy oI salvat ion. "Light and darkness, " said
ZOROASTER, "are t he worl d' s eternal ways." The Light and the
Shadow are everywhere and al ways i n proporti on; t he Light bei ng
t he reason oI bei ng oI the Shadow. It i s by trial s only, by the
agonies oI sorrow and the sharp di sci pli ne oI adversit ies, that men
and Nat ions at t ai n i ni ti ati on. The agoni es oI t he garden oI Get h-
semane and t hose oI the Cross on Cal vary preceded the Resurrec-
t ion and were t he means oI Redempti on. It is wit h prosperi ty
t hat God aIIl ict s Humani ty.
The Degree oI Rose i s devoted t o and symbol i zes t ne Iinal
t ri umph oI trut h over Ial sehood, oI l iberty over sl avery, oI l ight
over darkness, oI li Ie over deat h, and oI good over evi l. The
great t ruth i t i ncul cates is, that not wit hst andi ng t he exi stence oI
Evi l, God i s i nIi ni tely wi se, j ust , and good: t hat though the aIIai rs
oI t he worl d proceed by no rule oI right and wrong known to us
i n t he narrowness oI our views, yet al l i s right, Ior i t is the work oI
God; and all evi ls, al l miseries, all mi sIortunes, are but as drops in
t he vast current that i s sweeping onward, gui ded by Hi m, t o a
great and magni Iicent result : t hat , at t he appoi nt ed t i me, He wi ll
redeem and regenerate the world, and t he Pri nci pl e, t he Power,
and t he exist ence oI Evil wi ll t hen cease; t hat this wi l l be brought
about by such means and inst ruments as He chooses t o employ;
whether by t he meri ts oI a Redeemer that has already appeared,
or a Messi ah that i s yet wai ted Ior, by an incarnat ion oI Hi msel I,
or by an inspired prophet , it does not belong t o us as Masons to
deci de. Let each j udge and beli eve Ior hi msel I.
In t he mean ti me, we l abor t o hasten t he coming oI t hat day.
The morals oI ant iqui ty, oI the law oI Moses and oI Chri sti ani ty,
are ours. We recogni ze every teacher oI Moral ity, every ReIorm-
er, as a brot her i n t hi s great work. The Eagl e i s to us the symbol
oI Liberty, the Compasses oI Equali ty, the Pel ican oI Humani ty. ,
and our order oI Frat erni ty. Laboring Ior t hese, wit h Fait h,
Hope, and Charity as our armor, we wi ll wai t wit h pati ence Ior
t he Iinal triumph oI Good and the compl et e maniIestat ion oI t he
Word oI God.
No one Mason has t he right to measure Ior another, wi t hin the
wal ls oI a Masonic Templ e, t he degree oI venerati on whi ch he
shal l Ieel Ior any ReIormer, or t he Founder oI any Reli gion. We
t each a beli eI in no parti cular creed, as we t each unbel ieI i n none.
Whatever higher at tri butes the Founder oI the Christ ian Fai th
may, i n our bel ieI, have had or not have had, none can deny that
He taught and pract ised a pure and elevat ed morali ty, even at t he
ri sk and to t he ult i mat e l oss oI His li Ie. He was not only the
beneIact or oI a disi nherit ed peopl e, but a model Ior manki nd. De-
votedly He l oved the chi ldren oI Israel . To t hem He came, and
t o t hem al one He preached that Gospel whi ch Hi s disci ples aIt er-
ward carri ed among Iorei gners. He woul d Iai n have Ireed the
chosen People Irom their spi ri tual bondage oI ignorance and deg-
radat ion. As a l over oI all manki nd, l aying down His l iIe Ior the
emancipati on oI Hi s Bret hren, He should be to all , t o Chri st ian, t o
Jew, and to Mahometan, an obj ect oI grati tude and venerat ion.
The Roman worl d Ielt t he pangs oI approachi ng dissol ut ion.
Pagani sm, i t s Temples shat tered by Socrat es and Ci cero, had
spoken i t s l ast word. The God oI t he Hebrews was unknown be-
yond the li mi t s oI Palest ine. The old religions had Iai led t o gi ve
happi ness and peace to the worl d. The babbli ng and wrangl ing
phil osophers had conIounded all men' s ideas, unti l t hey doubted oI
everyt hi ng and had Iai th i n not hing: neit her i n God nor in hi s
goodness and mercy, nor i n the vi rt ue oI man, nor in themselves.
Manki nd was divided i nt o t wo great classes, -- the mast er and the
sl ave; the powerIul and the abj ect , the hi gh and t he low, the
tyrant s and t he mob; and even t he Iormer were sati at ed wi t h t he
servil ity oI the lat ter, sunken by l assi t ude and despair t o t he low-
est dept hs oI degradati on.
When, lo, a voi ce, i n the inconsi derable Roman Provi nce oI
Judea procl ai ms a new Gospel--a new "God' s Word, " to crushed,
suIIeri ng, bleedi ng humani ty. Liberty oI Thought, Equali ty oI al l
men i n the eye oI God, uni versal Frat ernity! a new doct ri ne, a
new rel igi on; the old Pri mi ti ve Trut h ut tered once agai n!
Man i s once more taught t o l ook upward t o his God. No longer
t o a God hi d i n i mpenet rable mystery, and i nIini tely remote Irom
human sympathy, emergi ng only at intervals Irom t he darkness to
smi t e and crush humanity: but a God, good, ki nd, beneIicent, and
merci Iul; a Father, lovi ng t he creat ures He has made, wit h a love
i mmeasurable and exhaustl ess; Who Ieel s Ior us, and sympa-
t hi zes wi th us, and sends us pain and want and di sast er only that
t hey may serve t o devel op in us the virt ues and excel lences t hat
beIi t us t o l i ve wit h Hi m hereaIt er.
Jesus oI Nazaret h, the "Son oI man, " is the expounder oI t he
new Law oI Love. He call s t o Hi m t he humble, the poor, the
Parai hs oI the worl d. The Ii rst sentence that He pronounces
blesses t he worl d, and announces t he new gospel: "Blessed are
t hey that mourn Ior t hey shal l be comIorted. " He pours the oi l
oI consol ati on and peace upon every crushed and bleeding heart.
Every suIIerer i s His proselyte. He shares t hei r sorrows, and
sypathi zes wit h al l thei r aIIl ict ions.
He rai ses up the sinner and the Samaritan woman, and teaches
t hem to hope Ior Iorgiveness. He pardons the woman t aken in
adult ery. He select s hi s disci ples not among t he Phari sees or t he
Phi l osophers, but among the low and humbl e, even oI the Ii sher-
men oI Gal i lee. He heal s t he si ck and Ieeds t he poor. He li ves
among the desti t ute and t he Iriendless. "SuIIer l it tl e chil dren,"
He said, "to come unt o me; Ior oI such i s t he kingdom oI Heaven !
Blessed are the humbl e-mi nded, Ior theirs is the ki ngdom oI
Heaven; the meek, Ior t hey shal l inherit the Eart h; the merci Iul ,
Ior they shal l obt ai n mercy; t he pure in heart, Ior they shall see
God; the peace-makers, Ior t hey shall be called t he chil dren oI
God! Fi rst be reconci l ed t o they brot her, and t hen come and oIIer
t hy giIt at t he al tar. Gi ve t o hi m t hat asket h t hee, and Irom hi m
t hat would borrow oI thee turn not away! Love your enemi es;
bless t hem that curse you; do good to them t hat hat e you; and
pray Ior t hem whi ch despi teIully use you and persecute you! Al l
t hi ngs whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye also
unto t hem; Ior t his is the law and the Prophets! He that t aket h
not hi s cross, and Iol lowet h aIt er Me, i s not wort hy oI Me. A
new commandment I give unt o you, t hat ye l ove one anot her: as
I have l oved you, t hat ye also love one another: by thi s shal l al l
know that ye are My di scipl es. Greater l ove hat h no man than
t hi s, t hat a man l ay down hi s li Ie Ior his Iriend. "
The Gospel oI Love He seal ed wit h His l iIe. The cruel ty oI
t he Jewish Pri esthood, t he i gnorant Ieroci ty oI t he mob, and t he
Roman indi IIerence to barbari an bl ood, nai led Hi m to the cross,
and He expi red utteri ng bl essings upon humani ty.
Dying thus, He bequeathed Hi s t eachings to man as an ines-
t i mable inheri tance. Pervert ed and corrupted, they have served as
a basis Ior many creeds, and been even made the warrant Ior in-
t olerance and persecut i on. We here teach them i n t hei r puri ty.
They are our Masonry; Ior to them good men oI al l creeds can
subscri be.
That God i s good and merci Iul, and loves and sympathizes wi th
t he creatures He has made; that Hi s Ii nger is visi ble in al l t he
movement s oI t he moral, intel lect ual, and mat erial universe; that
we are Hi s chil dren, t he obj ect s oI His paternal care and regard;
t hat all men are our brothers, whose want s we are t o supply, t heir
errors t o pardon, t heir opinions t o t ol erat e, t hei r inj uries to Ior-
gi ve; that man has an i mmort al soul , a Iree wil l , a right to Iree-
dom oI thought and act ion; t hat al l men are equal i n God' s sight ;
t hat we best serve God by humi li ty, meekness, gentl eness, kind-
ness, and the ot her vi rtues which t he l owly can practi se as wel l as
t he l oIty; t hi s is "t he new Law, " the "WORD, " Ior which t he
worl d had wai ted and pi ned so l ong; and every true Knight oI
t he Rose wi ll revere the memory oI Hi m who taught it , and
l ook i ndulgent ly even on those who assign t o Hi m a character Iar
above his own concepti ons or bel ieI, even t o t he extent oI deem-
i ng Hi m Di vine.
Hear Phi lo, t he Greek Jew. "The contemplat ive soul, un-
equally guided, somet i mes toward abundance and somet i mes t o-
ward barrenness, though ever advancing, i s i ll umi nat ed by t he
pri mi ti ve i deas, the rays that emanat e Irom t he Di vi ne Intell i-
gence, whenever it ascends toward the Subl i me Treasures. When,
on t he contrary, it descends, and is barren, it Ial l s wit hi n the do-
main oI t hose Intel ligences that are t ermed Angel s. . . Ior, when
t he soul is deprived oI t he light oI God, whi ch l eads i t t o t he
knowl edge oI thi ngs, it no l onger enj oys more t han a Ieeble and
secondary l ight , which gi ves i t, not t he understandi ng oI t hi ngs,
but that oI words only, as i n t hi s baser worl d. "
". . Let the narrow-souled wi thdraw, havi ng t hei r ears sealed
up! We communi cate the di vine mysteries t o those only who
have recei ved the sacred init i at ion, to those who pract ise true
piety, and who are not enslaved by the empty pomp oI words, or
t he doctri nes oI t he pagans. . "
". . . O, ye Ini ti ates, ye whose ears are puri Iied, receive this i n
your souls, as a myst ery never to be l ost ! Reveal it t o no ProIane !
Keep and cont ain i t wi t hi n yoursel ves, as an incorrupt i ble treas-
ure, not l ike gol d or sil ver, but more preci ous than everythi ng
besi des; Ior it i s the knowl edge oI t he Great Cause, oI Nat ure, and
oI t hat which is born oI bot h. And iI you meet an Ini tiate, be-
si ege hi m wit h your prayers, t hat he conceal Irom you no new
mysteries that he may know, and rest not unti l you have obt ai ned
t hem! For me, alt hough I was i ni tiated in the Great Myst eri es
by Moses, the Friend oI God, yet , having seen Jeremiah, I recog-
nized hi m not only as an Init iat e, but as a Hierophant; and I Iol -
l ow his school."
We, li ke hi m, recognize all Ini ti ates as our Brot hers. We be-
l ong to no one creed or school. In all rel igi ons there i s a basis oI
Trut h; in al l there i s pure Moral i ty. All t hat teach the cardinal
t enets oI Masonry we respect ; al l t eachers and reIormers oI man-
kind we admi re and revere.
Masonry also has her mi ssi on to perIorm. Wi t h her t radit ions
reaching back to t he earli est t i mes, and her symbols dat ing Iurt her
back t han even t he monumental hist ory oI Egypt extends, she i n-
vites all men oI all rel igi ons to enl ist under her banners and t o
war agai nst evi l , ignorance and wrong. You are now her knight ,
and t o her servi ce your sword i s consecrated. May you prove a
wort hy soldier i n a worthy cause!
1871.
19 - Pont i II
20 - Master oI t he Symbol ic Lodge
21 - Noachi te or Prussi an Knight
22 - Kni ght oI t he Royal Axe or Pri nce oI Libanus
23 - Chi eI oI the Tabernacl e
XIX. GRAND PONTIFF.
The true Mason labors Ior the beneIit oI those who are to come
aIter hi m, and Ior the advancement and i mprovement oI his race.
That i s a poor ambit i on whi ch content s i tsel I wit hi n t he l i mit s oI
a si ngl e l iIe. Al l men who deserve to l ive, desi re to survive t heir
Iunerals, and to l ive aIt erward in the good t hat they have done
manki nd, rather t han in t he Iading charact ers writ ten in men' s
memories. Most men desire to l eave some work behi nd t hem that
may outl ast thei r own day and brieI generat ion. That is an i n-
st incti ve i mpulse, given by God, and oIt en Iound in the rudest
human heart; t he surest prooI oI t he soul ' s i mmortal ity, and oI
t he Iundamental di IIerence bet ween man and the wisest brut es.
To pl ant the trees t hat , aIter we are dead, shall shel ter our chi l -
dren, i s as nat ural as to love t he shade oI those our Iathers planted.
The rudest unl ett ered husbandman, pai nIully consci ous oI hi s own
i nIeri ority, the poorest widowed mot her, givi ng her li Ie-bl ood t o
t hose who pay only Ior the work oI her needle, wil l toil and sti nt
t hemsel ves to educat e t hei r chi ld, that he may take a hi gher st a-
t ion i n the world than t hey;--and oI such are the world' s great est
beneIact ors.
In hi s inIl uences t hat survi ve hi m, man becomes i mmort al, be-
Iore the general resurrect ion. The Spartan mother, who, givi ng
her son his shiel d, said, "WITH IT, OR UPON IT!" aIt erward shared
t he government oI Lacedaemon wi t h the legislat ion oI Lycurgus;
Ior she too made a l aw, t hat li ved aIt er her; and she inspired the
Spart an sol diery that aIterward demoli shed the wal l s oI At hens,
and ai ded Al exander to conquer t he Orient. The widow who gave
Marion t he Iiery arrows t o burn her own house, that it mi ght no
l onger shel ter t he enemies oI her i nIant country, t he house where
she had lai n upon her husband' s bosom, and where her chil dren
had been born, l egislated more eIIect ual ly Ior her St ate than Locke
or ShaItesbury, or t han many a Legi sl ature has done, since that
Stat e won i ts Ireedom.
It was oI sl ight i mportance to t he Ki ngs oI Egypt and t he
Monarchs oI Assyri a and Phceni cia, that the son oI a Jewi sh
woman, a Ioundl ing, adopt ed by t he daught er oI Sesost ris Ramses,
sl ew an Egypti an that oppressed a Hebrew slave, and Il ed int o the
desert, t o remai n t here Iorty years. But Moses, who might other-
wi se have become Regent oI Lower Egypt , known to us only by a
t ablet on a tomb or monument , became t he deli verer oI the Jews,
and l ed t hem Iort h Irom Egypt to t he Ironti ers oI Palesti ne, and
made Ior t hem a law, out oI which grew t he Chri stian Iait h; and
so has shaped the desti ni es oI t he worl d. He and t he old Roman
l awyers, wi th Al Ired oI England, the Saxon Thanes and Norman
Barons, the ol d j udges and chancell ors, and the makers oI t he
canons, lost i n the mi sts and shadows oI the Past, --these are our
l egislators; and we obey t he l aws t hat they enact ed.
Napoleon died upon the barren rock oI hi s exi le. His bones,
borne t o France by t he son oI a Ki ng, rest in the Hopit al des In-
vali des, i n the great city on t he Sei ne. His Thought s sti ll govern
France. He, and not t he People, det hroned the Bourbon, and
drove t he l ast King oI the House oI Orleans int o exi le. He, i n
his coIIin, and not the Peopl e, vot ed t he crown t o t he Third Napo-
l eon; and he, and not the General s oI France and England, led
t heir uni ted Iorces agai nst the grim Northern Despot ism.
Mahomet announced t o t he Arabian i dol aters t he new creed,
"There i s but one God, and Mahomet, l ike Moses and Chri st, is
Hi s Apostle. " For many years unaided, then wi th the hel p oI hi s
Iami ly and a Iew Iriends, then wi th many disci pl es, and last oI al l
wi th an army, he taught and preached t he Koran. The rel igi on
oI t he wil d Arabian ent husiast convert ing the Ii ery Tribes oI t he
Great Desert , spread over Asia, buil t up the Saracenic dynast ies,
conquered Persia and India, the Greek Empire, Northern AIri ca,
and Spai n, and dashed the surges oI i ts Iierce soldi ery against t he
batt lements oI Northern Chri st endom. The law oI Mahomet st i ll
governs a Iourth oI t he human race; and Turk and Arab, Moor
and Persi an and Hi ndu, sti ll obey t he Prophet, and pray wit h their
Iaces turned t oward Mecca; and he, and not t he l iving, rul es and
reigns in the Iairest porti ons oI the Orient .
ConIucius sti l l enacts t he l aw Ior Chi na; and t he t hought s and
i deas oI Peter t he Great govern Russia. Plat o and the other great
Sages oI Ant i qui ty sti ll rei gn as the Ki ngs oI Phi l osophy, and
have domi ni on over t he human i ntel lect . The great Statesmen
oI t he past st i ll preside in t he Counci ls oI Nat i ons. Burke st il l
l ingers i n the House oI Commons; and Berryer' s sonorous tones
wi ll l ong ri ng i n t he Legisl at i ve Chambers oI France. The in-
Iluences oI Webst er and Cal houn, conIli ct i ng, rent asunder t he
Ameri can States, and the doct ri ne oI each i s t he l aw and t he
oracle speaki ng Irom the Holy oI Holi es Ior hi s own Stat e and al l
consociated wit h it : a Iai th preached and proclai med by each at
t he cannon' s mout h and consecrat ed by rivers oI blood.
It has been wel l said, t hat when Tamerlane had buil ded hi s pyr-
amid oI IiIty thousand human skull s, and wheel ed away wi th hi s
vast armi es Irom t he gat es oI Damascus, to Ii nd new conquests,
and buil d other pyramids, a li tt le boy was playi ng i n t he st reet s
oI Ment z, son oI a poor arti san, whose apparent i mport ance i n the
scale oI bei ngs was, compared Wi th that oI Tamerlane, as t hat oI
a grain oI sand t o t he giant bulk oI t he earth; but Tamerlane
and al l his shaggy l egions, t hat swept over the East l ike a hurri-
cane, have passed away, and become shadows; whi le printi ng, the
wonderIul invent ion oI John Faust , the boy oI Ment z, has exert ed
a greater i nIluence on man' s dest inies and overturned more thrones
and dynasti es t han all the vi ctori es oI al l the blood-stai ned con-
querors Irom Ni mrod to Napol eon.
Long ages ago, t he Temple buil t by Sol omon and our Anci ent
Bret hren sank i nt o rui n, when the Assyri an Armies sacked Jeru-
sal em. The Holy City i s a mass oI hovel s coweri ng under the
domi ni on oI t he Crescent ; and t he Holy Land is a desert . The
Ki ngs oI Egypt and Assyria, who were contemporari es oI Sol o-
mon, are Iorgott en, and thei r hi stories mere Iables. The Anci ent
Orient i s a shat t ered wreck, bleaching on t he shores oI Ti me. The
WolI and t he Jackal howl among the ruins oI Thebes and oI
Tyre, and t he sculptured i mages oI the Templ es and Pal aces oI
Babylon and Ni neveh are dug Irom t hei r rui ns and carri ed into
st range lands. But t he qui et and peaceIul Order, oI whi ch the
Son oI a poor Phceni ci an Wi dow was one oI t he Grand Masters,
wi th t he Ki ngs oI Israel and Tyre, has conti nued t o increase in
st ature and i nIluence, deIyi ng t he angry waves oI ti me and t he
st orms oI persecuti on. Age has not weakened i ts wi de Iounda-
t ions, nor shat tered i t s col umns, nor marred t he beauty oI it s har-
moni ous proport ions. Where rude barbari ans, in the t i me oI Sol o-
mon, peopled i nhospi tabl e howl i ng wil dernesses, i n France and
Britain, and in t hat New World, not known t o Jew or Gent ile,
unti l the glori es oI t he Orient had Iaded, t hat Order has bui lded
new Temples, and teaches to it s mi l li ons oI Ini ti ates t hose lessons
oI peace, good-wil l, and tolerat i on, oI reli ance on God and conIi-
dence i n man, whi ch i t learned when Hebrew and Gi bl emit e
worked si de by side on t he sl opes oI Lebanon, and the Servant oI
Jehovah and t he Phoenici an Worshi pper oI Bel sat wit h t he hum-
ble arti san i n Council at Jerusalem.
It is t he Dead t hat govern. The Living only obey. And i I
t he Soul sees, aIter deat h, what passes on t hi s eart h, and watches
over the welIare oI those i t loves, t hen must it s great est happi -
ness consi st in seeing the current oI it s beneIicent inIluences
wi dening out Irom age to age, as ri vul ets widen i nto ri vers, and
ai di ng t o shape t he desti ni es oI indi vidual s, Iami l i es, St at es, the
Worl d; and it s bit terest puni shment, i n seei ng i ts evil i nIluences
causi ng mischieI and mi sery, and cursing and aIIli cti ng men, long
aIter t he Irame i t dwel t i n has become dust, and when both name
and memory are Iorgot ten.
We know not who among t he Dead control our desti nies. The
universal human race i s l i nked and bound toget her by those i nIlu-
ences and sympat hi es, which in t he t ruest sense do make men' s
Iates. Humanity i s t he uni t , oI which the man is but a Iracti on.
What ot her men in t he Past have done, said, thought , makes the
great i ron network oI ci rcumstance that envi rons and control s us
al l. We take our Iait h on t rust. We t hi nk and bel ieve as the Ol d
Lords oI Thought command us; and Reason i s powerl ess beIore
Authori ty.
We woul d make or annul a parti cular contract ; but the
Thought s oI t he dead Judges oI England, l iving when their ashes
have been col d Ior cent uries, stand between us and t hat whi ch we
woul d do, and utt erly Iorbi d i t. We woul d set t le our estat e i n a
parti cul ar way; but t he prohibi t ion oI the Engli sh Parliament ,
i ts utt ered Thought when t he Iirst or second Edward reigned,
comes echoing down t he long avenues oI t i me, and t ell s us we
shal l not exerci se t he power oI di sposi ti on as we wi sh. We would
gai n a part icular advantage oI anot her; and the t hought oI the
old Roman l awyer who di ed beIore Justi ni an, or t hat oI Rome' s
great orat or Cicero, annihi lates t he act , or makes the intent ion in-
eIIect ual . This act , Moses Iorbids; that, Al Ired. We would sell
our land; but certai n marks on a peri shable paper t ell us that our
Iather or remote ancestor ordered ot herwise; and the arm oI t he
dead, emerging Irom the grave, wit h peremptory gesture prohibit s
t he al ienati on. About to sin or err, t he t hought or wi sh oI our
dead mot her, t ol d us when we were chil dren, by words that died
upon the air i n the ut terance, and many a long year were Iorgot-
t en, Il ashes on our memory, and holds us back wi th a power that
i s resi st l ess.
Thus we obey t he dead; and thus shall the l ivi ng, when we are
dead, Ior weal or woe, obey us. The Thought s oI t he Past are t he
Laws oI the Present and t he Future. That whi ch we say and do,
i I i t s eIIect s last not beyond our li ves, is uni mport ant . That
which shall l ive when we are dead, as part oI the great body oI
l aw enact ed by t he dead, is t he only act worth doing, t he only
Thought wort h speaking. The desire t o do somet hi ng t hat shal l
beneIi t the worl d, when neit her praise nor obloquy wil l reach us
where we sleep soundly i n t he grave, is the noblest ambi t i on en-
t ert ai ned by man.
It is t he ambi ti on oI a true and genuine Mason. Knowing t he
sl ow processes by which t he Dei ty bri ngs about great resul t s, he
does not expect t o reap as wel l as sow, i n a singl e l iIeti me. It is
t he i nIl exi ble Iate and noblest dest iny, wi t h rare except ions, oI the
great and good, to work, and let ot hers reap t he harvest oI t hei r
l abors. He who does good, only t o be repaid in ki nd, or in thanks
and grati t ude, or in reputat i on and t he world' s praise, is li ke hi m
who l oans hi s money, t hat he may, aIter certai n months, recei ve it
back wi th interest. To be repai d Ior emi nent servi ces wit h slan-
der, obloquy, or ri di cule, or at best wi th st upi d indiIIerence or cold
i ngrat i tude, as it is common, so i t i s no mi sIortune, except t o t hose
who l ack t he wi t t o see or sense t o appreci at e the servi ce, or t he
nobi li ty oI soul to thank and reward wi th eul ogy, the beneIactor
oI his kind. His inIl uences l ive, and t he great Fut ure wi ll obey;
whether i t recogni ze or di sown the lawgiver.
Mi lt iades was Iort unate t hat he was exi l ed; and Ari st i des t hat
he was ost raci zed, because men wearied oI hearing hi m cal led
"The Just . " Not t he Redeemer was unIortunate; but those only
who repai d Hi m Ior the inest i mabl e gi It He oIIered t hem, and Ior
a li Ie passed i n t oi li ng Ior t heir good, by nai li ng Hi m upon t he
cross, as though He had been a sl ave or maleIactor. The perse-
cutor di es and rot s, and Posteri ty ut ters hi s name wi th execrati on:
but hi s vi cti m' s memory he has unintenti onal ly made glori ous and
i mmortal .
II not Ior slander and persecut i on, t he Mason who woul d bene-
beneIi t hi s race must l ook Ior apat hy and cold indiIIerence i n those
whose good he seeks, in t hose who ought t o seek t he good oI
others. Except when t he sl uggish depths oI the Human Mind
are broken up and t ossed as wi t h a storm, when at t he appoi nted
t i me a great ReIormer comes, and a new Fait h spri ngs up and
grows wit h supernatural energy, t he progress oI Trut h is sl ower
t han the growth oI oaks; and he who plant s need not expect t o
gat her. The Redeemer, at His death, had twelve di sci pl es, and
one bet rayed and one deserted and deni ed Hi m. It is enough Ior
us to know that t he Irui t wi ll come i n i ts due season. When, or
who shall gather it , i t does not i n t he l east concern us to know.
It is our busi ness to pl ant the seed. It is God' s right to give the
Iruit t o whom He pleases; and iI not to us, then i s our act ion by
so much t he more noble.
To sow, that others may reap; t o work and plant Ior t hose who
are to occupy the eart h when we are dead; to proj ect our i nIl u-
ences Iar i nto t he Iut ure, and li ve beyond our ti me; t o rul e as t he
Ki ngs oI Thought , over men who are yet unborn; to bless wit h
t he glorious gi It s oI Trut h and Light and Li berty t hose who wil l
neit her know t he name oI the giver, nor care i n what grave hi s
unregarded ashes repose, is the true oIIice oI a Mason and the
proudest dest iny oI a man.
Al l the great and beneIicent operati ons oI Nat ure are produced
by sl ow and oIten i mpercept ible degrees. The work oI dest ructi on
and devastat ion only is vi olent and rapi d. The Volcano and t he
Eart hquake, the Tornado and t he Avalanche, l eap suddenly i nt o
Iul l li Ie and IearIul energy, and smit e wi t h an unexpected bl ow.
Vesuvius buried Pompeii and Herculaneum i n a night; and Lis-
bon Iel l prost rate beIore God i n a breath, when t he earth rocked
and shuddered; t he Alpi ne vi ll age vani shes and is erased at one
bound oI t he avalanche; and t he ancient Iorests Iall l ike grass be-
Iore the mower, when the tornado l eaps upon t hem. Pest i lence
sl ays it s t housands in a day; and t he st orm in a night strews the
sand wi t h shat tered navies.
The Gourd oI the Prophet Jonah grew up, and was wi thered, in
a night. But many years ago, beIore the Norman Conqueror
st amped hi s mail ed Ioot on t he neck oI prostrat e Saxon England,
some wandering barbari an, oI the conti nent t hen unknown t o t he
worl d, in mere i dleness, wi t h hand or Ioot, covered an acorn wit h
a li tt le earth, and passed on regardl ess, on his j ourney to t he di m
Past. He di ed and was Iorgott en; but the acorn l ay t here sti ll ,
t he mighty Iorce wi t hin i t act ing in t he darkness. A tender shoot
st ole gent ly up; and Ied by the l ight and ai r and Irequent dews,
put Iort h i ts li t t le leaves, and li ved, because the elk or buIIal o
chanced not to pl ace hi s Ioot upon and crush i t. The years
marched onward, and t he shoot became a sapl i ng, and it s green
l eaves went and came wi th Spring and Aut umn. And sti ll t he
years came and passed away agai n, and Wi l l iam, t he Norman Bas-
t ard, parcell ed England out among hi s Barons, and st i ll the sapl ing
grew, and the dews Ied it s l eaves, and t he birds bui lded t heir nests
among it s smal l li mbs Ior many generati ons. And st i ll t he years
came and went , and t he Indian hunter sl ept in t he shade oI t he
sapl ing, and Ri chard Lion-Heart Iought at Acre and Ascalon, and
John' s bold Barons wrest ed Irom hi m the Great Charter; and
t he sapl i ng had become a tree; and st il l it grew, and t hrust it s
great arms wider abroad, and li It ed i ts head st il l higher toward
t he Heavens; strong-rooted, and deIi ant oI t he st orms t hat roared
and eddied through it s branches; and when Col umbus pl oughed
wi th hi s keel s t he unknown Western At lanti c, and Cort ez and
Pi zarro bathed t he cross i n blood; and t he Purit an, the Huguenot ,
t he Cavali er, and t he Iol l ower oI Penn sought a reIuge and a rest-
i ng-place beyond t he ocean, the Great Oak sti ll st ood, Iirm-root ed,
vigorous, stately, haughti ly domineeri ng over all t he Iorest , heed-
l ess oI all t he centuri es that had hurri ed past si nce t he wil d Indian
plant ed the li t t le acorn in t he Iorest ; --a st out and hale old tree,
wi th wi de ci rcumIerence shadi ng many a rood oI ground; and Ii t
t o Iurni sh t i mbers Ior a shi p, to carry t he thunders oI t he Great
Republ ic' s guns around the world. And yet, i I one had sat and
wat ched it every i nstant, Irom t he moment when t he Ieeble shoot
Iirst pushed i ts way t o t he l ight unt il t he eagl es buil t among it s
branches, he would never have seen the tree or sapl ing grow.
Many long centuries ago, beIore the Chal daean Shepherds
wat ched the Stars, or ShuIu bui l t the Pyrami ds, one could have
sai led in a seventy-Iour where now a thousand isl ands gem the sur-
Iace oI t he Indian Ocean; and the deep-sea l ead woul d nowhere
have Iound any bott om. But bel ow these waves were myriads
upon myriads, beyond t he power oI Ari thmet ic to number, oI
minute exi stences, each a perIect li vi ng creature, made by the Al-
mighty Creat or, and Iashi oned by Hi m Ior t he work it had t o do
There t hey t oi led beneat h the waters, each doi ng it s al l ot ted work,
and wholly ignorant oI the resul t whi ch God int ended. They
l ived and died, incalculabl e i n numbers and al most inIi nit e i n t he
successi on oI their generati ons, each addi ng hi s mit e t o t he gigan-
t ic work t hat went on t here under God' s direct ion. Thus hath He
chosen t o create great Conti nent s and Islands; and sti l l t he coral-
i nsect s li ve and work, as when they made the rocks t hat underlie
t he vall ey oI t he Ohio.
Thus God hat h chosen to creat e. Where now i s Ii rm l and, once
chaIed and thundered t he great pri meval ocean. For ages upon
ages t he mi nute shi elds oI i nIi ni te myriads oI i nIusoria, and the
st ony st ems oI encri nit es sunk i nt o i ts dept hs, and there, under
t he vast pressure oI i t s waters, hardened i nt o li mestone. Raised
sl owly Irom t he ProIound by Hi s hand, it s quarries underli e t he
soil oI al l t he cont i nent s, hundreds oI Ieet in t hickness; and we,
oI t hese remai ns oI the countl ess dead, buil d tombs and palaces,
as t he Egypti ans, whom we call anci ent , buil t their pyrami ds.
On al l t he broad l akes and oceans t he Great Sun l ooks earnestly
and l ovi ngly, and t he i nvi sible vapors rise ever up to meet hi m.
No eye but God' s behol ds t hem as t hey rise. There, i n t he upper
at mospere, they are condensed t o mi st, and gather int o clouds,
and Iloat and swi m around in t he ambi ent air. They sail wi th it s
current s, and hover over t he ocean, and rol l i n huge masses round
t he st ony shoul ders oI great mount ains. Condensed st il l more by
change oI t emperat ure, they drop upon the thirsty eart h i n gentl e
showers, or pour upon it i n heavy rains, or st orm against i t s bosom
at t he angry Equinocti al. The shower, the rain, and the storm
pass away, t he cl ouds vanish, and the bright st ars again shi ne
cl early upon the glad eart h. The rain-drops sink int o the ground,
and gat her in subterranean reservoi rs, and run in subt erranean
channel s, and bubbl e up i n spri ngs and Iountai ns; and Irom t he
mountai n-sides and heads oI vall eys t he si lver threads oI water
begi n thei r long j ourney to t he ocean. Unit ing, t hey widen i nto
brooks and rivul et s, then i nt o streams and ri vers; and, at last, a
Ni le, Ganges, a Danube, an Amazon, or a Missi ssippi rol ls be-
t ween i ts banks, mighty, majest ic, and resi st l ess, creati ng vast al l u-
vial val leys to be t he granaries oI the world, pl oughed by the
t housand keels oI commerce and serving as great hi ghways, and
as t he i mpassable boundaries oI rival nat ions; ever ret urni ng t o
t he ocean t he drops t hat rose Irom i t in vapor, and descended in
rain and snow and hai l upon t he l evel pl ains and loIty moun-
t ains; and causi ng hi m t o recoi l Ior many a mi le beIore the
l ong rush oI t hei r great ti de.
So it i s wit h the aggregate oI Human endeavor. As the invis-
i ble part i cles oI vapor combi ne and coalesce t o Iorm the mi sts and
cl ouds that Ial l in rai n on t hi rsty conti nent s, and bless the great
green Iorests and wi de grassy prairies, t he waving meadows and
t he Iiel ds by which men l ive; as t he inIinit e myri ads oI drops t hat
t he glad earth drinks are gat hered into springs and ri vulets and
rivers, to ai d i n l evel li ng t he mountai ns and el evati ng the pl ains,
and t o Ieed t he large lakes and rest less oceans; so al l Human
Thought , and Speech and Acti on, al l t hat is done and said and
t hought and suIIered upon t he Eart h combine together, and Ilow
onward i n one broad resistl ess current toward those great resul ts
t o which t hey are det ermined by t he wi ll oI God.
We bui ld sl owly and dest roy swi It ly. Our Ancient Brethren
who bui lt t he Temples at Jerusalem, wi t h many myriad bl ows
Iell ed, hewed, and squared the cedars, and quarried the st ones, and
carved the intricat e ornaments, whi ch were t o be t he Templ es.
Stone aIter st one, by the combined eIIort and l ong toil oI Appren-
t ice, Fel low-CraIt , and Mast er, t he wall s arose; sl owly t he rooI
was Iramed and Iashi oned; and many years elapsed beIore, at
l engt h, the Houses stood Iinished, all Ii t and ready Ior the Worshi p
oI God, gorgeous in the sunny spl endors oI t he at mosphere oI
Palest ine. So they were buil t. A si ngl e mot i on oI t he arm oI a
rude, barbarous Assyrian Spearman, or drunken Roman or Gothi c
Legi onary oI Tit us, moved by a senseless i mpul se oI the brut al
wi ll , Il ung in the bl azing brand; and, wi th no Iurt her human
agency, a Iew short hours suIIi ced t o consume and mel t each Tem-
ple t o a smoki ng mass oI bl ack unsightly rui n.
Be pati ent , t hereIore, my Brother, and wai t!
The issues are wi th God: To do,
OI right belongs t o us.
ThereIore Iaint not , nor be weary in well -doi ng! Be not dis-
couraged at men' s apat hy, nor di sgusted wi th their Ioll ies, nor
t ired oI thei r indi IIerence! Care not Ior returns and result s;but
see only what t here i s to do, and do i t , leavi ng the resul t s t o God!
Sol di er oI the Cross! Sworn Kni ght oI Justi ce, Truth, and Tol-
erati on! Good Knight and True!be pat ient and work!
The Apocalypse, t hat subli me Kabali sti c and prophet i c Sum-
mary oI all t he occult Iigures, di vides i ts i mages i nt o three Sep-
t enaries, aIter each oI which there i s sil ence in Heaven. There
are Seven Seal s t o be opened, that i s t o say, Seven mysteries to
know, and Seven diIIi cul ties to overcome, Seven t rumpet s t o
sound, and Seven cups to empty.
The Apocalypse i s, t o t hose who recei ve t he nineteent h Degree,
t he Apothesi s oI that Subli me Fait h which aspi res to God alone,
and despises al l the pomps and works oI LuciIer. LUCIFER, t he
Light-bearer! Strange and myst erious name t o give to the Spi ri t
oI Darknesss! LuciIer, t he Son oI t he Morni ng! Is i t he who
bears t he Light , and wi th i ts splendors intol erable bl inds Ieeble,
sensual or selIish Soul s ? Doubt i t not ! Ior t radit i ons are Iul l oI
Di vi ne Revelat i ons and Inspi rat ions: and Inspi rat ion i s not oI
one Age nor oI one Creed. Pl at o and Phil o, also, were i nspired.
The Apocalypse, i ndeed, i s a book as obscure as t he Sohar.
It is wri tt en hieroglyphi cal ly wit h numbers and i mages; and
t he Apostl e oIten appeals t o the int ell igence oI t he Initi ated.
"Let hi m who hat h knowl edge, understand! let hi m who under-
st ands, calculate !" he oIten says, aIter an allegory or t he menti on
oI a number. Saint John, t he Iavori t e Apostl e, and t he Deposi tary
oI al l the Secret s oI t he Savi our, thereIore di d not write to be
undertood by t he mul t i tude.
The Sephar Yezi rah, the Sohar, and the Apocalypse are the
compl etest embodi ments oI Occul t i sm. They cont ai n more mean-
i ngs t han words; their expressi ons are Iigurat ive as poetry and
exact as numbers. The Apocalypse sums up, compl et es, and sur-
passes all the Science oI Abraham and oI Solomon. The vi sions
oI Ezekiel , by t he river Chebar, and oI the new Symboli c Templ e,
are equally mysterious expressi ons, vei led by Ii gures oI t he enig-
mati c dogmas oI the Kabalah, and t hei r symbol s are as li tt l e un-
derstood by the Comment at ors, as t hose oI Free Masonry.
The Septenary i s t he Crown oI t he Numbers, because i t unites
t he Tri angle oI the Idea t o the Square oI t he Form.
The more t he great Hierophant s were at pains to conceal t heir
absol ute Science, t he more t hey sought t o add grandeur to and
mul ti ply i ts symbols. The huge pyramids, wi th their t ri angul ar
si des oI el evat ion and square bases, represented thei r Metaphysics,
Iounded upon t he knowledge oI Nat ure. That knowledge oI Na-
t ure had Ior it s symbol i c key t he giganti c Iorm oI that huge
Sphinx, whi ch has holl owed it s deep bed in t he sand, whi le keep-
i ng wat ch at t he Ieet oI the Pyramids. The Seven grand monu-
ment s call ed t he Wonders oI the Worl d, were the magni Ii cent
Commentari es on the Seven li nes t hat composed the Pyramids,
and on t he Seven mystic gates oI Thebes.
The Septenary phi losophy oI Ini ti at i on among t he Anci ents
may be summed up thus:
Three Absol ut e Pri nci ples whi ch are but One Pri nci pl e: Iour
el ement ary Iorms which are but one; al l Iormi ng a Single Whol e,
compounded oI the Idea and the Form.
The three Pri nci ples were these:
1o. BEING IS BEING.
In Phil osophy, i denti ty oI the Idea and oI Bei ng or Verity; in
Rel igi on, t he Iirst Principle, THE FATHER.
2o. BEING IS REAL.
In Phil osophy, i denti ty oI Knowi ng and oI Being or Real ity;
i n Religion, t he LOGOS oI Plat o, the Demi ourgos, t he WORD.
3o. BEING IS LOGIC.
In Phil osophy, i denti ty oI the Reason and Reali ty; i n Religi on,
Provi dence, the Di vine Acti on that makes real the Good, that
which in Chri stianity we call THE HoLY SPIRIT.
The uni on oI al l t he Seven col ors is the Whi t e, t he analogous
symbol oI the GOOD: t he absence oI al l i s t he Bl ack, the analogous
symbol oI the EVIL. There are t hree pri mary col ors, Red, Yell ow,
and Blue; and Iour secondary, Orange, Green, Indigo, and Vi o-
l et; and al l t hese God displays to man in t he rainbow; and t hey
have t heir analogi es al so i n t he moral and int ell ectual world. The
same number, Seven, conti nual ly reappears i n t he Apocalypse,
compounded oI three and Iour; and these numbers rel at e to the
l ast Seven oI t he Sephirot h, three answeri ng t o BENIGNITY or
MERCY, SEVERITY or JUSTICE, and BEAUTY or HARMONY; and
Iour t o Net zach, Hod, Yesod, and Mal akot h, VICTORY, GLORY,
STABILITY, and DOMINATION. The same numbers also represent
t he Iirst three Sephirot h, KETNER, KHOKMAH, and BAINAH, or
Wi l l, Wi sdom, and Understandi ng, whi ch, wi t h DAATH or Intel-
l ecti on or Thought , are also Iour, DAATH not being regarded as a
Sephirah, not as t he Deity acti ng, or as a pot ency, energy, or at-
t ri bute, but as t he Divi ne Act ion.
The Sephirot h are commonly Iigured in the Kabal ah as const i-
t ut i ng a human Iorm, t he ADAM, KADMON Or MACROCOSM. Thus
arranged, t he uni versal l aw oI Equipoise i s three t i mes exernpli -
Iied. From t hat oI t he Di vi ne Intel lect ual , Acti ve, Masculi ne
ENERGY, and t he Passi ve CAPACITY t o produce Thought, t he
act ion oI THINKING resul t s. From t hat oI BENIGNITY and SE-
VERITY, HARMONY Il ows; and Irom t hat oI VICTORY or an InIi-
nite overcoming, and GLORY, whi ch, bei ng InIinite, woul d seem to
Iorbid t he exist ence oI obst acles or opposit ion, result s STABILITY
or PERMANENCE, which i s t he perIect DOMINION OI the InIi ni te
WILL.
The last ni ne Sephirot h are included in, at the same ti me that
t hey have Ilowed Iorth Irom, the Ii rst oI al l, KETHER, or the
CROWN. Each also, i n succession Ilowed Irom, and yet sti ll re-
mains incl uded i n, the one precedi ng i t. The Wi l l oI God incl udes
Hi s Wi sdom, and His Wi sdom i s Hi s Wi l l special ly devel oped and
act ing. Thi s Wi sdom i s the LOGOS t hat creat es, mist aken and
personiIied by Si mon Magus and the succeedi ng Gnost ics. By
means oI i t s ut terance, t he lett er YOD, i t creates the worlds, Iirst
i n t he Divine Intel lect as an Idea, which i nvest ed wi t h Iorm be-
came the Iabri cat ed World, t he Uni verse oI mat eri al real ity. YOD
and HE, two letters oI the IneIIabl e Name oI t he Mani Iest ed
Dei ty, represent t he Male and the Female, the Acti ve and t he
Passive in Equil ibri um, and the VAV complet es t he Tri ni ty and
t he Tri li teral Name, the Di vine Triangle, whi ch wit h t he
repet ion oI t he He becomes t he Tet ragrammaton.
Thus the ten Sephiroth contai n al l the Sacred Numbers, t hree,
Iive, seven, and nine, and t he perIect Number Ten, and correspond
wi th t he Tet ractys oI Pyt hagoras.
BEING IS BEING, Ahayah Asar Ahayah. Thi s
i s t he pri ncipl e, the "BEGINNING."
In t he Begi nning was, t hat i s to say, IS, WAS, and WILL BE,
t he WORD, that is t o say, the REASON t hat Speaks.
The Word i s t he reason oI bel ieI, and i n it also is the expressi on
oI t he Fait h whi ch makes Science a l ivi ng t hing. The Word,
i s t he Source oI Logic. Jesus is t he Word Incarnat e. The
accord oI the Reason wi th Fai th, oI Knowledge wi th Beli eI, oI
Authori ty wi th Liberty, has become in modern t i mes t he veri table
enigma oI the Sphi nx.
It is WISDOM t hat , i n t he Kabali sti c Books oI t he Proverbs and
Ecclesi asti cus, is t he Creat ive Agent oI God. Elsewhere in the
Hebrew wri ti ngs i t i s Debar Iahavah, the Word oI God.
It is by His utt ered Word that God reveal s Hi msel I t o us;
al one in the vi sible and i nvisi ble but i nt el lect ual creat i on, but
i n our convi ct ions, consci ousness, and i nsti nct s. Hence it i s t hat!
certai n belieIs are universal . The convict i on oI al l men that God
i s good l ed t o a bel ieI i n a Devil , the Ial len Luci Ier or Light-
bearer, Shaitan t he Adversary, Ahri man and Tuphon, as an at-
t empt t o explai n t he exist ence oI Evil , and make it consi stent wit h
t he InIi nit e Power, Wi sdom, and Benevolence oI God.
Nothing surpasses and not hi ng equal s, as a Summary oI al l t he
doctri nes oI t he Ol d World, t hose brieI words engraven by
HERMES on a Stone, and known under t he name oI "The Tablet
oI Emeral d:" t he Unity oI Bei ng and t he Unity oI the Harmoni es,
ascending and descendi ng, the progressive and proport ional
scale oI t he Word; the i mmutabl e l aw oI t he Equil ibri um, and
t he proporti oned progress oI t he universal anal ogies; t he relat ion
oI t he Idea to t he Word, givi ng t he measure oI t he relat i on be-
t ween t he Creat or and the Creat ed, the necessary mat hemati cs oI
t he InIi nit e, proved by t he measures oI a si ngl e corner oI t he
Fini te ;--al l this i s expressed by this si ngl e proposi t ion oI the
Great Egypt i an Hi erophant:
"What i s Superior i s as t hat which is InIerior, and what i s
Below i s as t hat whi ch is Above, to Iorm t he Marvels oI the
Unity. "

XX. GRAND MASTER OF ALL SYMBOLIC LODGES.
The true Mason i s a practi cal Phil osopher, who, under rel igi ous
emblems, in all ages adopt ed by wi sdom, bui lds upon plans traced
by nat ure and reason t he moral ediIice oI knowledge. He ought
t o Ii nd, in t he symmet ri cal relati on oI all t he part s oI t his rat ional
ediIice, the pri nci pl e and rule oI all his dut ies, the source oI al l
his pleasures. He i mproves hi s moral nat ure, becomes a bet ter man,
and Iinds i n t he reunion oI virtuous men, assembled wit h pure
views, the means oI mul t iplying hi s acts oI beneIicence. Masonry
and Phi losophy, wi t hout bei ng one and t he same t hing, have t he
same object , and propose t o t hemselves the same end, the worshi p
oI t he Grand Archit ect oI the Uni verse, acquai ntance and Iami li ar-
i ty wit h the wonders oI nat ure, and t he happi ness oI humanity
at tai ned by t he const ant practice oI all t he virtues.
As Grand Mast er oI all Symboli c Lodges, i t is your especi al duty
t o ai d in rest oring Masonry t o i ts pri mit i ve puri ty. You have be-
come an instruct or. Masonry l ong wandered i n error. Instead
oI i mprovi ng, it degenerated Irom i t s pri mi ti ve si mpli city, and re-
t rograded toward a syst em, di st ort ed by st upi di ty and ignorance,
which, unable to construct a beauti Iul machi ne, made a compli -
cated one. Less than t wo hundred years ago, it s organi zati on was
si mpl e, and alt oget her moral, i ts emblems, all egori es, and ceremo-
nies easy to be understood, and their purpose and object readily t o
be seen. It was then conIi ned to a very small number oI Degrees.
It s const it ut i ons were l ike those oI a Society oI Essenes, wri t t en
i n t he Ii rst cent ury oI our era. There coul d be seen the pri mi t ive
Chri sti ani ty, organized i nt o Masonry, the school oI Pythagoras
wi thout i ncongruit ies or absurdit i es; a Masonry si mpl e and signiIi-
cant , in whi ch i t was not necessary t o tort ure the mi nd t o discover
reasonabl e i nt erpretat i ons; a Masonry at once reli gious and phi l o-
sophi cal , worthy oI a good cit izen and an enl ight ened philanthro-
pist .
Innovat ors and invent ors overt urned t hat pri mit ive si mpl icity.
Ignorance engaged i n t he work oI maki ng Degrees, and t ri Il es and
gewgaws and pret ended mysteri es, absurd or hideous, usurped t he
place oI Masonic Trut h. The pi cture oI a horrid vengeance, t he
poni ard and the bl oody head, appeared i n t he peaceIul Temple oI
Masonry, wit hout suIIi ci ent expl anat i on oI t hei r symboli c meani ng.
Oat hs out oI al l proporti on wi th their object , shocked the candi -
date, and then became ridi cul ous, and were whol ly di sregarded.
Acolytes were exposed to test s, and compell ed t o perIorm act s,
which, i I real , would have been abominabl e; but bei ng mere chi-
meras, were preposterous, and exci t ed cont empt and l aught er only.
Eight hundred Degrees oI one ki nd and anot her were invent ed:
InIideli ty and even Jesuit ry were taught under the mask oI
Masonry. The rit ual s even oI the respectabl e Degrees, copied and
mut ilated by ignorant men, became nonsensi cal and tri vial; and
t he words so corrupted that i t has hit herto been Iound i mpossi bl e
t o recover many oI them at al l. Candidat es were made t o degrade
t hemsel ves, and to submit to insult s not tolerable to a man oI
spirit and honor.
Hence it was that , pract ical ly, the largest port i on oI t he Degrees
cl ai med by t he Anci ent and Accepted Scott i sh Ri te, and beIore
i t by t he Rit e oI PerIecti on, Iell i nto disuse, were merely com-
muni cated, and t heir ri tual s became j ej une and insigniIicant .
These Ri t es resembl ed t hose old pal aces and baroni al castles, t he
diIIerent parts oI whi ch, bui lt at di IIerent periods remot e Irom
one another, upon pl ans and accordi ng t o tastes that great ly
varied, Iormed a discordant and i ncongruous whol e. Judai sm and
chival ry, supersti ti on and phil osophy, phil ant hropy and insane
hatred and l ongi ng Ior vengeance, a pure moral ity and unj ust and
i ll egal revenge, were Iound st rangely mated and standing hand i n
hand wit hi n t he Templ es oI Peace and Concord; and the whole
syst em was one grotesque commi ngl ing oI incongruous t hi ngs, oI
contrasts and contradi cti ons, oI shocki ng and Iant astic ext rava-
gances, oI part s repugnant t o good taste, and Iine concepti ons
overl aid and di sIi gured by absurdi ti es engendered by ignorance,
Ianat icism, and a senseless myst ici sm.
An empty and steri l e pomp, i mpossible indeed t o be carried out,
and t o which no meaning what ever was at tached, wi th Iar-Iet ched
expl anat ions that were ei t her so many st upid pl ati tudes or t hem-
sel ves needed an int erpreter; l oIty ti tl es, arbi trari ly assumed, and
t o which t he i nventors had not condescended to att ach any expl a-
nati on that shoul d acquit t hem oI t he Iol ly oI assumi ng temporal
rank, power, and t it les oI nobil ity, made t he world laugh, and t he
Ini ti ate Ieel ashamed.
Some oI t hese t it les we retai n;but they have wi th us meani ngs
entirely consistent wit h that Spi ri t oI Equal ity which i s the Ioun-
dati on and peremptory law oI i ts being oI al l Masonry. The
Knight, wit h us, is he who devotes hi s hand, hi s heart , hi s brai n,
t o t he Sci ence oI Masonry, and proIesses hi mselI t he Sworn
Sol di er oI Truth: the Pri nce i s he who ai ms to be ChieI |Prin-
ceps|, Iirst, leader, among his equal s, i n virtue and good deeds:
t he Sovereign i s he who, one oI an order whose members are al l
Sovereigns, i s Supreme only because t he l aw and consti tut i ons are
so, which he admi nist ers, and by whi ch he, l i ke every ot her
brot her, is governed. The ti tles, Pui ssant, Pot ent , Wi se, and Ven-
erable, i ndi cate that power oI Virt ue, Intel ligence, and Wisdom,
which those ought t o st ri ve t o attain who are placed in hi gh oIIice
by t he suIIrages oI thei r brethren: and all our ot her ti tl es and
desi gnat ions have an esoteric meani ng, consi stent wi t h modesty
and equal i ty, and which t hose who recei ve t hem should Iully un-
derstand. As Master oI a Lodge i t is your duty to instruct your
Bret hren t hat t hey are all so many constant lessons, teaching the
l oIty qual iIicat ions which are required oI those who clai m them,
and not merely idl e gewgaws worn i n ri diculous i mi tat ion oI t he
t i mes when t he Nobles and Priest s were mast ers and the people
sl aves: and that , in all t rue Masonry, t he Knight, the Pont i II, t he
Prince, and the Sovereign are but t he Iirst among t heir equals: and
t he cordon, the clothi ng, and t he j ewel but symbol s and emblems
oI t he virt ues requi red oI al l good Masons.
The Mason kneels, no l onger to present hi s pet it ion Ior ad-
mi t tance or t o receive the answer, no longer t o a man as hi s su-
peri or, who is but hi s brot her, but t o hi s God; to whom he appeals
Ior the recti tude oI his i nt enti ons, and whose ai d he asks to enabl e
hi m to keep hi s vows. No one i s degraded by bendi ng his knee to
God at t he al tar, or t o receive the honor oI Knighthood as Bayard
and Du Guescl in knelt . To kneel Ior ot her purposes, Masonry
does not require. God gave t o man a head to be borne erect , a port
upri ght and maj esti c. We assemble in our Templ es t o cherish and
i ncul cate senti ments t hat conIorm t o t hat loIt i ness oI bearing
which the just and upright man is enti tl ed t o maintai n, and we do
not require t hose who desire t o be admit ted among us, i gnomini -
ously to bow t he head. We respect man, because we respect our-
sel ves t hat he may conceive a l oIty i dea oI hi s di gni ty as a human
being Iree and independent . II modesty i s a vi rtue, humi li ty and
obsequi ousness t o man are base: Ior there i s a noble pri de which
i s t he most real and sol id basi s oI virt ue. Man shoul d humbl e hi m-
sel I beIore t he InIi ni te God; but not beIore hi s erri ng and i mper-
Iect brot her.
As Mast er oI a Lodge, you wil l thereIore be exceedingly careIul
t hat no Candidat e, in any Degree, be requi red to submi t to any
degradat ion whatever; as has been t oo much t he custom i n some
oI t he Degrees: and t ake i t as a certai n and i nIlexibl e rul e, to
which there i s no except i on, that real Masonry requires oI no man
anything to whi ch a Knight and Gent leman cannot honorably, and
wi thout Ieeli ng outraged or humil i at ed submi t .
The Supreme Counci l Ior t he Southern Juri sdict ion oI the
Unit ed States at length undertook t he indispensable and long-de-
l ayed t ask oI revising and reIormi ng the work and rit ual s oI t he
Thi rty Degrees under it s j urisdi cti on. Ret aining the essenti als oI
t he Degrees and all t he means by which the members recogni ze one
another, i t has sought out and developed the leading idea oI each
Degree, reject ed t he pueril it ies and absurdit ies wit h which many
oI t hem were di sIi gured, and made oI them a connected system oI
moral, rel igi ous, and phi l osophical i nstruct ion. Sect ari an oI no
creed, it has yet t hought i t not i mproper t o use t he old all egori es,
based on occurrences det ai l ed i n the Hebrew and Chri stian books,
and drawn Irom t he Anci ent Mysteries oI Egypt, Persi a, Greece,
India, the Druids and the Essenes, as vehi cles to communi cate the
Great Masonic Trut hs; as it has used the legends oI t he Crusades,
and t he ceremonies oI the orders oI Kni ght hood.
It no longer inculcat es a cri mi nal and wicked vengeance. It
has not al lowed Masonry to pl ay t he assassi n: to avenge the deat h
ei ther oI Hiram, oI Charles the 1st , or oI Jaques De Molay and
t he Templ ars. The Anci ent and Accepted Scott i sh Ri te oI Ma-
sonry has now become, what Masonry at Ii rst was meant t o be, a
Teacher oI Great Truths, i nspired by an upright and enlightened
reason, a Iirm and constant wisdom, and an aIIect i onate and l ib-
eral phi l ant hropy.
It is no l onger a system, over the composi ti on and arrangement
oI t he diIIerent part s oI which, want oI reIlect i on, chance, i gno-
rance, and perhaps moti ves st i ll more ignobl e presided; a system
unsui ted to our habi t s, our manners, our i deas, or the worl d-wi de
phil ant hropy and uni versal t ol erat ion oI Masonry; or to bodies
small i n number, whose revenues shoul d be devoted to the relieI
oI t he unIortunate, and not t o empty show; no l onger a het ero-
geneous aggregat e oI Degrees, shocki ng by i ts anachroni sms and
contradi cti ons, powerl ess to di ssemi nate li ght , i nIormat ion, and
moral and phi losophi cal ideas.
As Mast er, you wil l teach those who are under you, and t o whom
you wil l owe your oIIi ce, that t he decorat ions oI many oI the De-
grees are to be dispensed wi th, whenever t he expense would inter-
Iere wit h t he dut ies oI chari ty, rel ieI, and benevolence; and t o be
i ndulged in only by wealt hy bodi es t hat wil l thereby do no wrong
t o t hose ent it led to t heir assi stance. The essent ial s oI al l the De-
grees may be procured at sli ght expense; and it i s at the opti on
oI every Brot her to procure or not t o procure, as he pleases, the
dress, decorati ons, and jewel s oI any Degree ot her than t he 14t h,
18th, 30t h, and 32d.
We teach the trut h oI none oI t he l egends we reci te. They are
t o us but parables and al l egories, i nvolvi ng and envel opi ng
Masonic inst ructi on; and vehi cl es oI useIul and i nteresti ng i n-
Iormat i on. They represent the diIIerent phases oI t he human
mind, it s eIIort s and struggles to comprehend nat ure, God, the
government oI the Uni verse, the permi tt ed exi stence oI sorrow
and evi l. To teach us wisdom, and the Iol ly oI endeavori ng to ex-
plai n t o ourselves that which we are not capable oI underst anding,
we reproduce t he speculat ions oI t he Phi l osophers, t he Kabali sts,
t he Myst agogues and the Gnost ics. Every one bei ng at l iberty to
apply our symbols and emblems as he t hi nks most consist ent wi th
t ruth and reason and wi th hi s own Iait h, we gi ve t hem such an i n-
t erpretati on only as may be accepted by all . Our Degrees may be
conIerred i n France or Turkey, at Peki n, Ispahan, Rome, or Ge-
neva, i n the city oI Penn or i n Cathol i c Louisi ana, upon t he subject
oI an absol ut e government or the cit i zen oI a Free St ate, upon Sec-
t ari an or Theist . To honor t he Deity, t o regard all men as our
Bret hren, as chi ldren, equally dear t o Hi m, oI the Supreme Creator
oI t he Uni verse, and to make hi msel I useIul to soci ety and hi mselI
by hi s l abor, are it s teachings to it s Initi ates in all t he Degrees.
Preacher oI Liberty, Fraternity, and Equal i ty, it desi res them t o
be att ained by maki ng men Ii t t o receive them, and by t he moral
power oI an int ell igent and enl i ght ened People. It lays no plots
and conspiracies. It hat ches no premat ure revolut i ons; i t encour-
ages no peopl e t o revol t against t he consti tuted aut hori ties; but
recogni zing t he great truth t hat Ireedom Iol lows Iit ness Ior Iree-
dom as the corol lary Iol l ows the axiom, it st ri ves t o prepare men
t o govern t hemsel ves.
Where domesti c slavery exi sts, it t eaches t he master humanity
and t he al leviat ion oI t he condi t i on oI his sl ave, and moderat e cor-
recti on and gentl e discipli ne; as i t teaches t hem t o t he master oI
t he apprenti ce: and as it teaches to t he employers oI ot her men,
i n mi nes, manuIactori es, and workshops, considerat ion and hu-
manity Ior t hose who depend upon t heir l abor Ior their bread, and
t o whom want oI empl oyment i s starvat ion, and overwork i s Iever,
consumpti on, and death.
As Mast er oI a Lodge, you are t o i nculcate these dut ies on your
bret hren. Teach the empl oyed to be honest , punct ual , and Iait hIul
as well as respectIul and obedient to all proper orders: but al so
t each t he empl oyer that every man or woman who desi res t o work,
has a right t o have work to do; and that t hey, and t hose who Irom
si ckness or Ieebl eness, loss oI li mb or oI bodily vi gor, ol d age or
i nIancy, are not abl e to work, have a right t o be Ied, cl ot hed, and
shel tered Irom the inclement element s: t hat he commit s an awIul
si n agai nst Masonry and i n t he si ght oI God, iI he closes hi s work-
shops or Iact ori es, or ceases t o work his mi nes, when they do not
yield hi m what he regards as suIIici ent proIit , and so di smi sses hi s
workmen and workwomen to starve; or when he reduces the wages
oI man or woman t o so l ow a standard that they and their Iami l ies
cannot be cl ot hed and Ied and comIort ably housed; or by overwork
must give hi m their bl ood and li Ie in exchange Ior t he pit tance
oI t hei r wages: and t hat hi s duty as a Mason and Brother per-
emptori ly requi res hi m t o conti nue to employ t hose who else wil l
be pi nched wi th hunger and cold, or resort to theIt and vi ce: and
t o pay t hem Iai r wages, t hough i t may reduce or annul hi s proIit s
or even eat i nto hi s capi tal ; Ior God hat h but loaned hi m his
weal th, and made hi m Hi s al moner and agent t o invest it .
Except as mere symbols oI the moral vi rt ues and i ntell ectual
quali ti es, the tools and i mplement s oI Masonry bel ong excl usively
t o t he Ii rst three Degrees. They al so, however, serve t o remi nd
t he Mason who has advanced Iurther, t hat hi s new rank i s based
upon the humbl e l abors oI the symbol i c Degrees, as t hey are i m-
properly t ermed, inasmuch as all t he Degrees are symbol i c.
Thus the Ini ti ates are i nspired wi th a j ust idea oI Masonry, t o-
wi t, t hat i t i s essent ial ly WORK; bot h t eaching and practi sing
LABOR; and t hat i t i s al t oget her emblemat i c. Three kinds oI work
are necessary to t he preservati on and prot ect i on oI man and soci-
ety: manual labor, special ly belonging t o t he t hree bl ue Degrees;
l abor i n arms, symbol i zed by t he Knightly or chival ri c Degrees;
and i ntellect ual labor, bel ongi ng part icularly to the Phil osophi cal
Degrees.
We have preserved and mul ti pl ied such emblems as have a t rue
and proIound meani ng. We reject many oI the ol d and sensel ess
expl anat ions. We have not reduced Masonry t o a col d metaphy-
si cs that exi l es everythi ng belonging to t he domai n oI the i magina-
t ion. The ignorant , and t hose halI-wise i n real ity, but over-wise
i n t hei r own concei t, may assail our symbols wit h sarcasms; but
t hey are nevert heless ingenious veil s that cover the Trut h, respect -
ed by all who know the means by which t he heart oI man i s reach-
ed and hi s Ieel i ngs enl ist ed. The Great Moral i st s oIten had re-
course to all egories, in order to instruct men wi thout repell ing
t hem. But we have been careIul not to al low our embl ems to be
t oo obscure, so as to require Iar-Iet ched and Iorced interpret a-
t ions. In our days, and i n the enl ight ened land i n which we l ive,
we do not need t o wrap oursel ves in vei ls so strange and i mpene-
t rabl e, as to prevent or hinder instructi on i nst ead oI Iurtheri ng i t;
or t o induce t he suspicion t hat we have conceal ed meani ngs whi ch
we communicate only to the most rel iabl e adepts, because t hey are
contrary to good order or the wel l -being oI society.
The Dut ies oI the Class oI Instruct ors, that is, the Masons oI
t he Degrees Irom t he 4th to t he 8th, i ncl usive, are, part icul arly, t o
perIect t he younger Masons i n t he words, si gns and t okens and
other work oI t he Degrees they have recei ved; t o expl ai n t o t hem
t he meani ng oI t he diIIerent embl ems, and to expound the moral
i nstruct i on whi ch t hey convey. And upon their report oI pro-
Iici ency al one can t hei r pupil s be all owed to advance and recei ve
an increase oI wages.
The Directors oI the Work, or t hose oI the 9t h, l0t h, and 11t h
Degrees are to report t o the Chapt ers upon t he regul ari ty, acti vity
and proper directi on oI t he work oI bodies in t he l ower Degrees,
and what i s needed t o be enact ed Ior t heir prosperi ty and useIul-
ness. In t he Symbol i c Lodges, t hey are parti cul arly charged t o
st i mulate t he zeal oI the workmen, to induce t hem t o engage in
new labors and enterprises Ior t he good oI Masonry, t hei r country
and manki nd, and t o gi ve t hem Iraternal advice when they Ial l
short oI t hei r duty; or, in cases that requi re i t, to i nvoke agai nst
t hem the rigor oI Masonic law.
The Archi tect s, or t hose oI the 12th, 13th, and 14t h, should be
sel ected Irom none but Brot hers well i nst ructed in the preceding
Degrees; zealous, and capable oI di scoursing upon that Masonry;
i ll ustrat ing it , and discussi ng the si mple quest i ons oI moral phi l-
osophy. And one oI them, at every communicat ion, should be pre-
pared wit h a lect ure, communicat i ng useIul knowl edge or givi ng
good advice to t he Bret hren.
The Knights, oI t he 15th and 16th Degrees, wear the sword.
They are bound t o prevent and repai r, as Iar as may be in t heir
power, all injustice, both i n t he worl d and in Masonry; to protect
t he weak and to bri ng oppressors t o just i ce. Thei r works and l ec-
t ures must be i n t hi s spiri t. They should inqui re whet her Masonry
Iul Ii ll s, as Iar as i t ought and can, i ts pri nci pal purpose, which is
t o succor the unIort unat e. That i t may do so, they should pre-
pare proposi ti ons to be oIIered i n t he Bl ue Lodges calculat ed t o
at tai n t hat end, t o put an end to abuses, and to prevent or correct
negl igence. Those i n t he Lodges who have at tai ned the rank oI
Knights, are most Iit to be appointed Al moners, and charged to
ascert ai n and make known who need and are enti tl ed to the chari ty
oI t he Order.
In t he higher Degrees t hose only shoul d be received who have
suIIici ent readi ng and inIormat ion to di scuss the great questi ons
oI phi l osophy. From them the Orat ors oI t he Lodges should be
sel ected, as wel l as those oI t he Council s and Chapters. They are
charged to suggest such measures as are necessary to make Ma-
sonry ent irely Iai thIul t o t he spirit oI it s insti tuti on, both as t o i ts
chari tabl e purposes, and t he di IIusion oI light and knowl edge;
such as are needed t o correct abuses t hat have crept i n, and oI-
Iences agai nst the rules and general spiri t oI the Order; and such
as wil l tend to make i t, as i t was meant to be, t he great Teacher oI
Manki nd.
As Mast er oI a Lodge, Counci l, or Chapter, i t wil l be your duty
t o i mpress upon t he mi nds oI your Bret hren t hese vi ews oI the
general plan and separate part s oI t he Anci ent and Accepted Scot-
t ish Rit e; oI i t s spiri t and desi gn; i ts harmony and regul ari ty; oI
t he dut ies oI the oIIi cers and members; and oI the parti cular l es-
sons i ntended to be taught by each Degree.
Especially you are not to all ow any assembly oI t he body over
which you may preside, t o cl ose, wit hout recal li ng t o t he minds oI
t he Brethren the Masoni c vi rt ues and duti es which are represented
upon the Tracing Board oI t hi s Degree. That i s an i mperat i ve
duty. Forget not that , more t han three t housand years ago, ZORO-
ASTER said:"Be good, be ki nd, be humane, and chari table; l ove
your Iel lows; console t he aIIli ct ed; pardon those who have done
you wrong." Nor that more t han two t housand three hundred
years ago CONFUCIUS repeat ed, also quoti ng t he language oI those
who had l ived beIore hi msel I: "Love thy nei ghbor as thyselI: Do
not to ot hers what t hou wouldst not wi sh shoul d be done t o thy-
sel I: Forgi ve inj uries. Forgi ve your enemy, be reconcil ed t o hi m,
gi ve hi m assist ance, i nvoke God in hi s behalI!"
Let not the moral ity oI your Lodge be i nIeri or to t hat oI the
Persi an or the Chi nese Phi losopher.
Urge upon your Bret hren the teachi ng and the unostentat ious
pract ice oI t he morali ty oI t he Lodge, wit hout regard t o t i mes,
places, rel igi ons, or peoples.
Urge t hem to l ove one anot her, to be devot ed t o one anot her, to
be Iai thIul t o the country, t he government , and t he laws: Ior to
serve t he count ry is to pay a dear and sacred debt :
To respect al l Iorms oI worshi p, to t olerate all pol i ti cal and
reli gious opi nions; not t o blame, and st il l less t o condemn the
reli gion oI others: not t o seek t o make convert s; but to be cont ent
i I t hey have the rel igi on oI Socrates; a venerat ion Ior the Creator,
t he reli gion oI good works, and grateIul acknowl edgment oI God' s
blessings:
To Iraterni ze wi th al l men; t o assi st al l who are unIortunate;
and t o cheerIully post pone their own i nterest s to that oI the Order:
To make it t he constant rul e oI thei r li ves, to thi nk wel l , t o
speak wel l, and to act well :
To pl ace the sage above t he soldi er, the noble, or t he pri nce:
and t ake t he wi se and good as thei r model s:
To see that thei r proIessi ons and practice, t heir t eachings and
conduct , do always agree:
To make this also thei r mott o: Do that whi ch t hou oughtest
t o do; let t he resul t be what i t wi ll .
Such, my Brother, are some oI t he dut ies oI that oIIice which
you have sought t o be qual i Iied t o exerci se. May you perIorm
t hem wel l; and in so doi ng gai n honor Ior yourselI, and advance
t he great cause oI Masonry, Humanity, and Progress.

XXI. NOACHITE, OR PRUSSIAN KNIGHT.
You are especi ally charged in this Degree t o be modest and
humble, and not vain-gl ori ous nor Iil led wi th selI-concei t . Be not
wi ser in your own opi ni on than t he Dei ty, nor Iind Iaul t wit h His
works, nor endeavor to i mprove upon what He has done. Be
modest al so i n your i ntercourse wi th your Iel lows, and sl ow to
entertai n evi l thoughts oI them, and rel uctant to ascri be t o t hem
evil int ent i ons. A thousand presses, Il oodi ng t he count ry wi th
t heir evanescent leaves, are busi ly and i ncessantly engaged i n
maligni ng t he mot ives and conduct oI men and parti es, and i n
making one man t hi nk worse oI another; whi le, alas, scarcely one
i s Iound t hat ever, even acci dental ly, l abors t o make man think
better oI his Iel low.
Slander and calumny were never so insolently l icent i ous in any
count ry as they are this day i n ours. The most ret iring di sposi ti on,
t he most unobt rusive demeanor, is no shiel d agai nst their poison-
ed arrows. The most emi nent pul bl ic servi ce only makes thei r
vit uperat i on and invect i ve more eager and more unscrupul ous,
when he who has done such servi ce present s hi msel I as a candi-
date Ior t he people' s suIIrages.
The evil i s wi de-spread and uni versal. No man, no woman, no
househol d, i s sacred or saIe Irom t hi s new Inqui sit ion. No act i s
so pure or so praisewort hy, that t he unscrupul ous vender oI li es
who l ives by panderi ng t o a corrupt and morbi d public appet it e
wi ll not proclai m it as a cri me. No mot ive i s so innocent or so
l audable, that he wi ll not hol d it up as vi ll ainy. Journali sm pri es
i nt o t he i nt eri or oI pri vate houses, gl oats over t he detai ls oI do-
mesti c tragedi es oI si n and shame, and deli berately invent s and
i ndustri ously circul ates t he most unmi ti gated and baseless Ial se-
hoods, t o coin money Ior t hose who pursue i t as a t rade, or t o
eIIect a t emporary resul t in the wars oI Iact i on.
We need not enl arge upon t hese evil s. They are apparent to al l
and l ament ed over by al l , and i t is the duty oI a Mason to do all
i n his power t o l essen, iI not to remove them. Wi t h t he errors
and even si ns oI other men, that do not personal ly aIIect us or
ours, and need not our condemnati on to be odi ous, we have noth-
i ng t o do; and t he j ournal ist has no patent that makes hi m the
Censor oI Moral s. There is no obl igat ion resti ng on us to t rumpet
Iorth our disapproval oI every wrongIul or i nj udi cious or i m-
proper act t hat every other man commi t s. One woul d be ashamed
t o st and on the street corners and retai l them oral ly Ior pennies.
One ought, i n t ruth, t o wri te, or speak against no other one i n
t hi s world. Each man in it has enough to do, t o wat ch and keep
guard over hi msel I. Each oI us i s si ck enough in this great
Lazarett o: and j ournal ism and pol emi cal wri ti ng const ant ly re-
mind us oI a scene once wit nessed in a li t tle hospit al; where it
was horri bl e to hear how t he pati ent s mocki ngly reproached each
other wi t h t heir disorders and inIi rmit ies: how one, who was
wast ed by consumpt i on, j eered at anot her who was bloated by
dropsy: how one laughed at anot her' s cancer oI the Iace; and
t hi s one agai n at his neighbor' s l ock-jaw or squint; unti l at last
t he deli ri ous Iever-pat ient sprang out oI his bed, and tore away
t he coveri ngs Irom the wounded bodies oI hi s compani ons, and
nothing was t o be seen but hi deous mi sery and muti l at ion. Such
i s t he revol ti ng work i n which journali sm and pol it i cal part isan-
ship, and hal I the world outsi de oI Masonry, are engaged.
Very general ly, the censure bestowed upon men' s acts, by those
who have appoi nt ed and commi ssioned themselves Keepers oI t he
Publi c Morals, is undeserved. OIten it i s not only undeserved,
but prai se i s deserved instead oI censure, and, when the lat ter
i s not undeserved, i t is al ways extravagant , and thereIore un-
j ust .
A Mason wi ll wonder what spirit t hey are endowed wit hal , t hat
can basely li bel at a man, even, that is Ial l en. II t hey had any
nobi li ty oI soul, they would wi th hi m condole hi s di sasters, and
drop some t ears i n pity oI his Iolly and wret chedness: and iI t hey
were merely human and not brutal , Nat ure di d grievous wrong t o
human bodies, t o curse t hem wi th soul s so cruel as to st rive to add
t o a wret chedness already int ol erabl e. When a Mason hears oI
any man t hat hat h Iall en i nt o publ ic di sgrace, he shoul d have a
mind t o commiserat e hi s mishap, and not t o make hi m more di s-
consol at e. To envenom a name by li bel s, t hat already is openly
t ainted, i s to add stripes wi th an iron rod t o one t hat is Il ayed wit h
whipping; and to every wel l-tempered mi nd wi ll seem most i n-
human and unmanly.
Even the man who does wrong and commi t s errors oIt en has a
quiet home, a Iireside oI hi s own, a gent l e, lovi ng wi Ie and inno-
cent chil dren, who perhaps do not know oI his past errors and
l apses--past and long repent ed oI; or iI they do, they love hi m
t he bett er, because, bei ng mortal, he hath erred, and being i n t he
i mage oI God, he hat h repent ed. That every bl ow at t hi s husband
and Iather l acerates the pure and t ender bosoms oI t hat wi Ie and
t hose daught ers, i s a consi derat ion t hat dot h not stay the hand oI
t he brut al journali st and parti san: but he stri kes home at t hese
shri nki ng, qui vering, i nnocent, tender bosoms; and t hen goes out
upon the great arteries oI ci t ies, where the current oI li Ie pul sates,
and holds hi s head erect , and cal ls on hi s Iel l ows t o l aud hi m and
admire hi m, Ior t he chi val ri c act he hat h done, i n striking
his dagger t hrough one heart int o anot her tender and trusti ng
one.
II you seek Ior hi gh and strai ned carriages, you shal l, Ior the
most part, meet wi th t hem in low men. Arrogance i s a weed that
ever grows on a dunghi ll . It is Irom the rankness oI that soil t hat
she hat h her height and spreadi ngs. To be modest and unaIIected
wi th our superi ors i s duty; wit h our equal s, courtesy; wi th our i n-
Ieri ors, nobl eness. There is no arrogance so great as t he pro-
cl ai ming oI ot her men' s errors and Iaul t s, by those who under-
st and not hi ng but the dregs oI act ions, and who make it their
business to besmear deserving Iames. Publ ic reprooI i s li ke st ri k-
i ng a deer in the herd: i t not only wounds hi m, t o the loss oI
blood, but betrays hi m to the hound, hi s enemy.
The occupat ion oI the spy hath ever been hel d di shonorabl e,
and i t is none the less so, now that wi th rare except ions edi tors
and part isans have become perpetual spies upon t he act i ons oI
ocher men. Thei r mal i ce makes t hem ni mble-eyed, apt to note a
Iaul t and publ i sh it , and, wi t h a strai ned const ruct i on, to deprave
even t hose thi ngs i n which t he doer' s intents were honest . Like
t he crocodil e, t hey sli me the way oI others, to make them Ial l;
and when t hat has happened, they Ieed their i nsul ti ng envy on the
l iIe-blood oI the prostrate. They set the vices oI ot her men on
high, Ior the gaze oI the world, and place t heir virt ues under-
ground, that none may not e t hem. II t hey cannot wound upon
prooIs, they wi ll do i t upon l ikeli hoods: and iI not upon t hem, t hey
manuIact ure l ies, as God created the world, out oI not hing; and
so corrupt the Iai r tempter oI men' s reputat ions; knowi ng t hat
t he mul t i t ude wi l l beli eve t hem, because aIIi rmati ons are apter to
wi n beli eI, t han negati ves t o uncredit t hem; and t hat a l ie travel s
Iaster than an eagle Il ies, whi l e the cont radict ion l i mps aIter i t at
a snail ' s pace, and, halt ing, never overtakes it . Nay, it i s con-
t rary t o t he morali ty oI j ournal i sm, t o all ow a lie to be cont ra-
dicted i n t he place that spawned i t. And even iI t hat great Iavor
i s conceded, a slander once rai sed wi ll scarce ever di e, or Iai l oI
Iindi ng many t hat wi l l al low it both a harbor and trust .
Thi s i s, beyond any ot her, t he age oI Ial sehood. Once, to be
suspected oI equivocati on was enough to soi l a gentl eman' s escut -
cheon; but now it has become a strange meri t i n a part isan or
st atesman, always and scrupulously to tell the truth. Li es are part
oI t he regul ar ammuni t i on oI al l campaigns and controversies,
valued according as t hey are proIi tabl e and eIIect ive; and are
st ored up and have a market pri ce, l ike salt pet re and sulphur;
being even more deadly than t hey.
II men weighed t he i mperIecti ons oI humanity, t hey woul d
breat he less condemnat ion. Ignorance gi ves disparagement a
l ouder tongue t han knowledge does. Wi se men had rat her know,
t han tel l. Frequent disprai ses are but t he Iault s oI unchari t abl e
wi t: and i t is Irom where there is no j udgment , t hat t he heavi est
j udgment comes; Ior sel I-exami nat i on would make all j udgment s
chari tabl e. II we even do know vices in men, we can scarce
show oursel ves i n a nobler virtue than i n t he chari ty oI conceal ing
t hem: i I that be not a Il att ery persuadi ng t o cont inuance. And i t
i s t he basest oIIi ce man can Ial l into, t o make his tongue the de-
Iamer oI t he wort hy man.
There i s but one rul e Ior the Mason in this matt er. II t here be
virtues, and he is cal l ed upon to speak oI hi m who owns them, let
hi m tel l them Iorth i mparti al ly. And i I there be vices mi xed wi t h
t hem, l et hi m be content t he worl d shall know them by some ot her
t ongue than his. For i I the evi l-doer deserve no pity, his wi Ie, his
parent s, or his chi ldren, or ot her i nnocent persons who love hi m
may; and the bravo' s trade, pract ised by hi m who stabs the de-
Ienceless Ior a pri ce pai d by i ndivi dual or party, i s really no more
respectable now than it was a hundred years ago, i n Venice.
Where we want experience, Charity bids us thi nk t he best , and
l eave what we know not to t he Searcher oI Heart s; Ior mist akes,
suspici ons, and envy oIten i njure a clear Iame; and there i s l east
danger in a charit able const ructi on.
And, Ii nal ly, the Mason shoul d be humble and modest t oward
t he Grand Architect oI the Uni verse, and not i mpugn His Wi s-
dom, nor set up his own i mperIect sense oI Ri ght agai nst His
Provi dence and dispensati ons, nor att empt t oo rashly to explore
t he Myst eri es oI God' s InIi nit e Essence and i nscrutable plans, and
oI t hat Great Nature which we are not made capable to under-
st and.
Let hi m steer Iar away Irom all t hose vai n phil osophies, which
endeavor t o account Ior all t hat is, wi t hout admi t ti ng that t here is
a God, separate and apart Irom t he Universe which is hi s work:
which erect Universal Nature i nt o a God, and worshi p it alone:
which anni hi lat e Spiri t, and bel ieve no test i mony except that oI
t he bodi ly senses:which, by l ogical Iormul as and dext rous col loca-
t ion oI words, make the act ual , li ving, guidi ng, and protecti ng God
Iade i nt o t he di m mist iness oI a mere abstracti on and unreali ty,
i tsel I a mere l ogical Iormul a.
Nor let hi m have any al li ance wi th t hose theori sts who chide the
delays oI Provi dence and busy themsel ves t o hasten the slow
march whi ch i t has i mposed upon event s: who neglect the practi -
cal , t o st ruggle aIter i mpossibi l i t ies: who are wi ser t han Heaven;
know the ai ms and purposes oI t he Dei ty, and can see a short and
more di rect means oI at tai ni ng t hem, t han it pl eases Hi m t o em-
ploy: who woul d have no discords i n the great harmony oI the
Universe oI t hi ngs; but equal di stri buti on oI property, no subjec-
t ion oI one man to the wi ll oI another, no compulsory l abor, and
st il l no starvati on, nor dest it uti on, nor pauperi sm.
Let hi m not spend his li Ie, as they do, in bui lding a new Tower
oI Babel ; in att empt i ng t o change t hat which is Ii xed by an i n-
Ilexible law oI God' s enact ment : but l et hi m, yieldi ng t o the
Superi or Wi sdom oI Provi dence, cont ent to bel ieve that the march
oI events is rightly ordered by an InIini te Wi sdom, and leads,
t hough we cannot see it , t o a great and perIect result , --l et hi m
be sati sIi ed t o Iol low t he path point ed out by that Provi dence, and
t o l abor Ior t he good oI the human race i n that mode in whi ch
God has chosen t o enact t hat that good shal l be eIIected: and
above al l, let hi m buil d no Tower oI Babel , under t he belieI t hat
by ascendi ng he wi ll mount so high that God wil l disappear or be
superseded by a great monst rous aggregate oI material Iorces, or
mere gli tt eri ng, logi cal Iormula; but, evermore, standing humbly
and reverently upon the eart h and looki ng wi th awe and conIi -
dence t oward Heaven, l et hi m be sati sIi ed t hat t here is a real God;
a person, and not a Iormul a; a Fat her and a protector, who loves,
and sympat hizes, and compassi onat es; and that t he et ernal ways
by which He rules t he world are inIi ni tely wi se, no matter how
Iar they may be above the Ieebl e comprehensi on and li mi ted vi sion
oI man.

XXII. KNIGHT OF THE ROYAL AXE
OR
PRINCE OF LIBANUS.
SYMPATHY wit h the great laboring classes, respect Ior labor it selI, and
resoluti on to do some good work i n our day and generat ion, these are t he
l essons oI this Degree, and t hey are purely Masonic. Masonry has made a
working-man and hi s associ ates t he Heroes oI her principal l egend, and
hi msel I
t he compani on oI Kings. The idea is as si mpl e and true as it i s subl i me.
From
Iirst to last , Masonry is work. It venerat es t he Grand Arcki trct oI the
Universe. It commemorat es the bui ldi ng oI a Templ e. It s principal
emblems are
t he working Iool s oI Masons and Arti sans. It preserves t he name oI the
Iirst
worker i n brass and iron as one oI it s pass-words. When t he Brethren meet
t oget her, t hey are at l abor. The Mast er is the overseer who sets t he craIt t o
work and gives them proper instructi on. Masonry is the apot heosi s oI
Work.
It is t he hands oI brave, Iorgott en men that have made t hi s great ,
populous,
cult ivat ed worl d a worl d Ior us. It i s al l work, and Iorgot ten work. The
real
conquerors, creators, and eternal propriet ors oI every great and civi l i zed
l and
are all t he heroi c souls that ever were i n it , each in hi s degree: all the men
t hat ever Iel led a Iorest-tree or drai ned a marsh, or cont rived a wi se
scheme,
or di d or sai d a true or vali ant thing therei n. Genui ne work al one, done
Iait hIully, i s et ernal , even as the Al mighty Founder and Worl d-bui lder
Hi msel I.
Al l work i s nobl e: a li Ie oI ease is not Ior any man, nor Ior any God. The
Al mi ghty Maker i s not li ke one who, in ol d i mmemori al ages, having made
his
machi ne oI a Uni verse, sit s ever si nce, and sees it go. Out oI t hat bel i eI
comes At heism. The Iai th i n an Invi sibl e, unnamable, Directi ng Deity,
present
everywhere i n all that we see, and work, and suIIer, i s t he essence oI all
Iait h whatsoever.
The li Ie oI all Gods Iigures i tsel I t o us as a Subl i me Earnest
ness, -oI InIi ni t e bat t le agai nst InIi ni te labor Our hi ghest rel igi on is named
t he Worshi p oI Sorrow. For the Son oI Man t here is no noble crown, wel l-
worn,
or even i ll -worn, but i s a crown oI thorns. Man' s hi ghest dest iny i s not t o
be
happy, to love pl easant t hings and Ii nd them. Hi s only true unhappiness
shoul d
be that he cannot work, and get his desti ny as a man Iul Ii ll ed. The day
passes
swi It ly over, our li Ie passes swi Itly over, and the night comet h, wherei n
no
man can work. That ni ght s once come, our happiness and unhappi ness are
vanished, and become as t hings that never were. But our work i s not
aboli shed,
and has not vanished. It remai ns, or the want oI i t remains, Ior endless
Ti mes
and Eterni ti es.
Whatsoever oI moral i ty and i ntell igence ; what oI pat ience, perseverance,
Iait hIulness, oI method, i nsight, ingenui ty, energy; in a word, whatsoever
oI
STRENGTH a man has in hi m, wi l l l ie wri t t en in the WORK he does. To
work is to
t ry hi msel I agai nst Nat ure and her unerri ng, everlast ing laws : and t hey
wi ll
return true verdi ct as t o hi m. The noblest Epi c i s a mi ghty Empire sl owly
buil t
t oget her, a mighty seri es oI heroi c deeds, a mighty conquest over chaos.
Deeds
are great er t han words. They have a li Ie, mute, but undeniably ; and grow.
They
peopl e the vacui ty oI Ti me, and make i t green and worthy.
Labor is t he truest embl em oI God, the Archi tect and Eternal Maker; nobl e
Labor, which is yet to be the Ki ng oI t his Eart h, and si t on the hi ghest
Throne. Men wit hout dut ies to do, are li ke trees pl ant ed on precipices ;
Irom
t he root s oI which al l the eart h has crumbl ed. Nat ure owns no man who is
not
al so a Martyr. She scorns t he man who si ts screened Irom al l work, Irom
want,
danger, hardship, t he vi ct ory over which i s work ; and has all his work and
batt li ng done by ot her men; and yet there are men who pri de t hemselves
t hat
t hey and t hei rs have done no work t i me out oI mi nd. So nei ther have t he
swi ne.
The chieI oI men is he who stands i n the van oI men, Iront ing the peril
which
Irightens back al l others, and iI not vanqui shed would devour t hem.
Hercules
was worshipped Ior t wel ve l abors. The Czar oI Russi a became a toi l ing
shipwright, and worked wi th hi s axe in t he docks oI Saardam ; and
somethi ng
came oI t hat . Cromwell worked, and Napoleon; and eIIected somewhat .
There i s a perennial nobleness and even sacredness in work. Be he never
so
benighted and Iorget Iul oI his high cal li ng, t here i s always hope i n a
man who act ual ly and earnest ly works : i n Idleness al one is there
perpet ual
Despair. Man perIects hi mselI by worki ng. Jungl es are cleared away. Fai r
seed-Ii elds rise i nst ead, and st ately ci ti es ; and wi thal , the man hi msel I
Iirst ceases to be a Ioul unwhol esome jungle and desert t hereby. Even in
t he
meanest sort oI labor, t he whol e soul oI man is composed i nto a ki nd oI
real
harmony, t he moment he begi ns t o work. Doubt, Desire, Sorrow, Remorse,
Indignat ion, and even Despair shri nk murmuri ng Iar oII into their caves,
whenever t he man bends hi mselI resolut ely agai nst hi s task. Labor is l iIe.
From
t he i nmost heart oI the worker rises his God-given Force, the Sacred
Cel esti al
l iIe essence, breat hed into hi m by Al mi ghty God ; and awakens hi m to all
nobl eness, as soon as work Ii tly begins. By i t man learns Pat ience,
Courage,
Perseverance, Openness t o l ight, readiness to own hi msel I mi st aken,
resoluti on
t o do bett er and i mprove. Only by labor wi ll man conti nual ly learn the
virtues.
There i s no Reli gion i n stagnat ion and i nact ion; but only in acti vi ty and
exert ion. There was t he deepest truth i n t hat sayi ng oI t he ol d monks,
"laborare est orare. " "He prayeth best who li vet h best all things both great
and small ;" and can man l ove except by working earnest ly t o beneIi t that
being
whom he loves?
"Work; and therei n have wel l-bei ng," is the ol dest oI Gospels; unpreached,
i nart iculat e, but i neradicabl e, and enduring Iorever. To make Di sorder,
wherever Iound, an et ernal enemy; t o at tack and subdue hi m, and make
order oI
hi m, t he subject not oI Chaos, but oI Intell igence and Di vini ty, and oI
oursel ves ; t o at tack ignorance, st upi di ty and brute-mi ndedness, wherever
Iound, to smi te it wi sely and unweariedly, to rest not whi le we li ve and i t
l ives in t he name oI God, this i s our duty as Masons; commanded us by the
Hi ghest God. Even He, wit h hi s unspoken voice, more awIul t han t he
t hunders oI
Sinai, or t he syllabled speech oI the Hurri cane, speaks to us. The Unborn
Ages
; t he old Graves, wi th t heir l ong-molderi ng dust speak to us. The deep
Deat h-Kingdoms, t he St ars in their never-rest ing course, al l Space and all
Ti me, si lent ly and cont inual ly admonish us that we too must work whore i t
i s
cal led to-day. Labor, wi de as t he Eart h, has it s summi t in Heaven. To t oi l,
whether wi th t he sweat oI t he brow, or oI t he brai n or heart, is worshi p, -
t he
nobl est thi ng yet discovered beneat h the St ars. Let the weary cease to
t hi nk
t hat labor is a curse and doom pronounced by Deity. Wi t hout i t t here could
be
no t rue excel lence in human nat ure. Wi thout i t , and pai n, and sorrow,
where woul d be t he human vi rt ues? Where Pat ience, Perseverance,
Submi ssi on,
Energy, Endurance, Forti t ude, Bravery, Di si nt erest edness, Sel I-Sacri Ii ce,
t he
nobl est excell enci es oI t he Soul ?
Let hi m who toi l s complain not, nor Ieel humil iat ed ! Let hi m. l ook up,
and
see his Iel low-workmen there, i n God' s Eternity, t hey alone survi vi ng
t here.
Even in t he weak human memory t hey l ong survi ve, as Sai nt s, as Heroes,
and as
Gods : t hey al one survi ve, and peopl e t he unmeasured soli tudes oI Ti me.
To the pri meval man, whatsoever good came, descended on hi m (as in
mere Iact,
i t ever does) di rect Irom God; whatsoever duty lay vi si ble Ior hi m, t hi s a
Supreme God had prescri bed. For the pri meval man, i n whom dwel t
Thought , t hi s
Universe was all a Temple, l i Ie everywhere a Worship.
Duty is wit h us ever; and evermore Iorbids us t o be i dle. To work wit h the
hands or brai n, according t o our requirements and our capaci t i es, t o do
t hat
which li es beIore us t o do, i s more honorable than rank and t it le.
Ploughers,
spinners and bui lders, inventors, and men oI science, poet s, advocates,
and
writ ers, all st and upon one common level , and Iorm on grand, innumerabl e
host,
marching ever onward since t he begi nni ng oI the world : each ent it led t o
our
sympat hy and respect , each a man and our brother.
It was wel l to give the eart h to man as a dark mass, whereon to labor. It
was
wel l to provi de rude and uprightly material s i n t he ore-bed and the Iorest ,
Ior
hi m to Iashion i nt o splendor and beauty. It was well , not because oI t hat
splendor and beauty ; but because t he act creat i ng t hem is bett er than t he
t hi ngs t hemsel ves; because exerti on is nobler t han enjoyment; because the
l aborer is greater and more worthy oI honor than the i dler. Masonry stands
up
Ior the nobi li ty oI labor. It i s Heaven' s great ordinance Ior human
i mprovement. . It has been broken down Ior ages ; and Masonry desires t o
buil d
i t up agai n. It has bean broken down, because men toi l only because i hey
must ,
submi tt ing t o i t as, i n some sort , a degrading necessi ty; and desiri ng
nothing
so much on earth as t o escape Irom it . They Iul Ii ll t he great law oI labor
i n
t he l ett er, but break i t in the spi ri t: t hey Iul Ii l l it wi th the muscles, but
break it wi t h the mi nd.
Masonry teaches that every i dl er ought t o hasten to some Iiel d oI labor,
manual or mental, as a chosen and coveted t heat re oI i mprovement ; but he
i s
not i mpel led to do so, under the teachings oI an i mperIect civi li zat ion.
On t he contrary, he si t s down, Iol ds his hands, and bl esses and glori Ii es
hi msel I in hi s i dleness. It is t i me t hat t hi s opprobri um oI toi l were done
away. To be ashamed oI toi l; oI the di ngy workshop and dusty l abor-Ii eld;
oI
t he hard hand, st ained wi th service more honorabl e t han that oI war; oI t he
soiled and weat her-stained garment s, on which Mot her Nat ure has
st amped, mi dst
sun and rain, mi dst Iire and steam, her own heraldi c honors; to be ashamed
oI
t hese t okens and ti tl es, and envi ous oI the Il aunti ng robes oI i mbeci le
i dleness and vanity, i s treason to Nat ure, i mpi ety to Heaven, a breach oI
Heaven' s great Ordi nance. Toil , ) oI brain, heart , or hand, i s the only true
manhood and genui ne nobi l i ty.
Labor is a more beneIi cent mi ni strati on than man' s ignorance
comprehends, or
his compl ai ning wi ll admit . Even when i ts end is hidden Irom hi m, it i s
not
mere bli nd drudgery, It is al l a t rai ni ng, a di scipl ine, a devel opment oI
energies, a nurse oI vi rt ues, a school bI i mprovement . From the poor boy
who
gat hers a Iew sti cks Ior hi s mot her' s hearth, t o t he st rong man who Iel ls
t he
oak or guides the shi p or the steam-car, every human toi ler, wi th every
weary
st ep and every urgent task, is obeying a wi sdom Iar above his own
wi sdom, and
Iul Ii ll ing a desi gn Iar beyond his own design.
The great law oI human indust ry i s thi s : t hat indust ry, working ei ther wi th
t he hand or the mi nd, t he appl icat ion oI our powers t o some task, t o t he
achi evement oI some resul t , lies at the Ioundati on oI all human
i mprovement. We
are not sent int o the worl d li ke ani mal s, t o crop the spontaneous herbage
oI
t he Iiel d, and then t o lie down i n indolent repose: but we are sent t o dig
t he
soil and pl ough the sea; to do the business oI ci t ies and the worl d oI
manuIact ori es. The world i s the great and appointed school oI indust ry. In
an
arti Ii cial state oI society, manki nd is di vided i nt o t he i dl e and t he l abori ng
cl asses; but such was not the design oI Provi dence.
Labor is man' s great Iunct ion, his pecul iar di sti ncti on and hi s pri vil ege.
From being an ani mal, that eat s and drinks and sl eeps only, to become a
worker,
and wi th t he hand oI ingenui ty to pour his own thoughts int o the moulds
oI
Nat ure, Iashi oni ng t torn into Iorms oI grace and Iabri cs oI conveni ence,
and
converti ng t hem to purposes oI i mprovement and happi ness, is the greatest
possible st ep in privi lege.
The Earth and the At mosphere are man' s l aborat ory. Wi t h spade and
plough, wit h mini ng-shaIt s and Iurnaces and Iorges, wit h Iire and st eam ;
midst
t he noi se and whi rl oI swi It and bright machinery, and abroad in t he si lent
Iiel ds, man was made t o be ever worki ng, ever experi ment i ng. And whil e
he and
al l his dwel li ngs oI care and t oil are borne onward wit h the circli ng skies,
and t he spl endour oI Heaven are around hi m, and t heir i nIini t e dept hs
i mage and
i nvi te hi s thought , sti ll i n all the worl ds oI phil osophy, in the universe oI
i ntell ect, man must be a worker. He is not hi ng, he can be not hing, can
achi eve
nothing, Iul Ii ll nothing, wi thout working. Wi t hout it , he can gain nei ther
l oIty i mprovement nor t ol erabl e happi ness. The i dle must hunt down the
hours as
t heir prey. To t hem Ti me is an enemy, cl ot hed wit h armor; and t hey must
kil l
hi m, or :t hemsel ves die. It never yet di d answer, and i t never wi ll answer
Ior
any man t o do nothing, t o be exempt Irom all care and eIIort to lounge, to
wal k, to ride, and to Ieast al one. No man can li ve i n t hat way. God made a
l aw
agai nst it : whi ch no human power can annul , no human i ngenuity evade.
The idea that a property is t o be acquired i n the course oI t en or twenty
years, which shal l suIIi ce Ior the rest oI l iIe; that by some prosperous
t raIIi c or grand specul ati on, al l the labor oI a whole li Ie is t o be
accompl i shed i n a bri eI port ion oI i t; t hat by dexterous management , a
l arge
part oI t he t erm oI human exi st ence i s t o be exonerat ed Irom the cares oI
i ndustry and sel I- denial , i s Iounded upon a grave mist ake, upon a
misconcept ion oI t he t rue nat ure and design oI busi ness, and oI the
condi ti ons
oI human wel l bei ng. The desi re oI accumul at ion Ior t he sake oI securi ng a
l iIe
oI ease and grati Ii cati on, oI escaping Irom exert ion and sel I-denial, is
whol ly
wrong, t hough very common.
It is bett er Ior the Mason t o li ve whil e he li ves, and enjoy l i Ie as i t passes
t o l i ve richer and die poorer. It i s best oI al l Ior hi m t o banish Irom t he
mind t hat empty dream oI Iut ure i ndolence and indulgent ; to address
hi msel I to
t he business oI l iIe, as the school oI his eart hly educati on; t o set tl e i t wit h
hi msel I now t hat independence, iI he gains it , i s not to give hi m
exempt i on
Irom empl oyment It is best Ior hi m to know, that , in order to be a happy
man,
he must always be a l aborer, wit h t he mind or the body, or wi t h bot h: and
t hat
t he reasonable exert i on oI hi s powers, bodi ly and mental, i s not t o be
regarded
as mere drudgery, but as a good disci pl i ne, a wi se ordi nati on, a training in
t hi s pri mary school oI our being, Ior nobl er endeavors, and spheres oI
higher
act ivi ty hereaIt er
There are reasons why a Mason may lawIul ly and even earnest ly desi re a
Iortune. II he can Iil l some Ii ne palace, it selI a work oI art, wit h the
producti ons oI l oIty genius; iI he can be t he Iriend and helper oI humble
wort h; iI he can seek it out , where Iail i ng heal t h or adverse Iortune
presses
i t hard, and soIten or st ay t he bit ter hours t hat are hasteni ng it to madness
or t o the grave; i I he can stand between the oppressor and his prey, and
bid
t he Iett er and t he dungeon give up their vi cti m ; iI he can buil d up great
i nst it ut ions oI l earni ng, and academi es oI art ; iI he can open Iountai ns oI
knowl edge Ior t he peopl e, and conduct i ts st reams i n the right channels; iI
he
can do bet ter Ior the poor thzn to bestow al ms upon t hem-even to t hink oI
t hem,
and devise plans Ior t hei r elevati on in knowledge and vi rt ue, instead oI
Iorever openi ng the , old reservoirs and resources Ior t hei r i mprovi dence;
i I
he has suIIi ci ent heart and soul t o do al l thi s, or part oI it ; iI wealt h woul d
be ta hi m t he handmaid oI exert ion; Iaci li tati ng eIIort , and givi ng success
t o
endeavor; then may he lawIul ly, and yet wari ly and modest ly, desi re it . But
i I
i t i s t o do not hi ng Ior hi m, but (o mi ni ster ease and i ndulgence, and to
place
his chil dren i n t he same bad school, t hen there i s no reason why he should
desi re it .
What i s there gl ori ous in t he worl d, that i s not the product oI labor, eit her
oI t he body or oI t he mind? What i s hi story, but it s record? What are t he
t reasures oI genius and art , but it s work? What are cul ti vated Iiel ds, but
i ts
t oi l ? The busy marts, t he risi ng ci ti es, t he enri ched empi res oI the worl d
are
but the great t reasure-houses oI labor. The pyrami ds oI Egypt , t he' cast les
and
t owers and templ es oI Europe, t he buri ed citi es oI Italy and Mexico, the
canal s
and rail roads oI Chri stendom, are but tracks, all round t he worl d, oI the
mighty Ioot st eps oI labor. Wi t hout i t ant iqui ty woul d not have been.
Wi t hout
i t, t here woul d be no memory oI the past , and no hope Ior t he Iut ure.
Even ut t er i ndolence reposes on treasures that labor at some t i me gai ned
and
gat hered. He that does nothi ng, and yet does not starve, has sti ll his
signiIicance ; Ior he i s a st andi ng prooI that somebody has at some t i me
worked. But not to such does Masonry do honor. It honors t he Worker, t he
Toiler; hi m who produces and not al one consumes; hi m who put s Iorth hi s
hand to
add t o t he treasury oI human comIorts, and not alone to take away. " It
honors
hi m who goes Iort h amid the struggl ing element s to Iight hi s batt l e, and
who
shri nks not , wit h cowardly eIIeminacy, behind pi l lows oI ease. It honors
t he st rong muscl e, and t he manly nerve, and the resolut e and brave heart ,
t he
sweat ing brow, and t he toi li ng brai n. It honors the great and beaut i Iul
oIIices
oI humanity, manhood' s toil and woman' s task; paternal indust ry and
maternal
wat chi ng and weari ness ; wisdom teachi ng and pati ence l earning; t he brow
oI
care that presi des over the Stat e, and many handed labor t hat toil s in
workshop, Iiel d, and study, beneath it s mil d and beneIi cent sway.
God has not made a world oI rich men; but rather a worl d
oI poor men; or oI men, at least, who must toil Ior a subsist ence. That is,
t hen, t he best condi ti on Ior man, and the grand sphere oI human
i mprovement. ,
II the whol e world coul d acqui re weal t h (and one man is as much ent it l ed
t o i t
as anot her, when he i s born) ; i I the present generat i on coul d lay up a
compl ete provi sion Ior the next , as some men desire t o do Ior t heir
chil dren;
t he worl d woul d be dest royed at a si ngl e bl ow. Al l indust ry would cease
wi th
t he necessi ty Ior it ; all i mprovement would st op wit h t he demand Ior
exert ion;
t he dissi pat i on oI Iortunes, t he mischieI oI which are now countervail ed
by t he
heal thIul tone oI soci ety, woul d breed universal di sease, and wreak out
i nt o
universal li cense ; and t he. world would si nk, rotten as Herod, i nt o t he
grave
oI i t s own loathsome vices.
Al most al l the noblest t hi ngs t hat have been achieved i n
t he worl d, have been achieved by poor men ; poor schol ars, poor
proIessional
men, poor arti sans and art ists, poor phil osophers, poet s, and men oI
geni us. A
certai n soli dness and sobriety, a certai n moderat i on and rest rai nt , a certai n
pressure oI ci rcumst ances, are good Ior man. l ii s body was not made Ior
l uxuries. It si ckens, si nks, and dies under them. Hi s mi nd was not made
Ior
i ndulgerice. It grows weak, eIIemi nate, and dwarIish, under that condi t ion.
And
he who pampers hi s body wit h l uxuries and his mind wit h indulgence,
bequeat hs
t he consequences to t he minds and bodi es oI hi s descendant s, wit hout t he
weal th
which was t heir cause. For wealt h, wit hout a law oI ent ail t o hel p it , has
al ways l acked the energy even to keep it s own t reasures. They drop Irom
i ts
i mbecile hand. The third generat ion al most i nevitably goes down the
rol li ng
wheel oI Iort une, and there l earns the energy necessary t o ri se again, i I it
ri ses at al l ; heir, as it i s, to the bodily diseases, and ment al weaknesses,
and t he soul' s vi ces oI i ts andestors, and not heir to t heir weal th. And yet
we
are, al most al l oI us, anxi ous t o put our chil dren, or to i nsure t hat
our grandchi ldren shal l be put, on this road to i ndul gence, luxury, vice,
degradat ion, and rui n ; t hi s headship oI heredi tary disease, soul mal ady,
and
mental l eprosy.
II wealt h were empl oyed in promoti ng ment al cul t ure at home and works
oI
phil ant hropy abroad ; i I i t were mul t iplying studies oI art , and buil di ng up
i nst it ut ions oI l earni ng around us; iI i t were in every way raisi ng the
i ntell ectual character oI t he worl d, there coul d scarcely be t oo much oI i t.
But i I the ut most ai m, eIIort , and ambit ion oI weal t h be, t o procure rich
Iurnit ure, and provi de cost ly entert ai nment s, and buil d luxuri ous houses,
and
minister t o vani ty, ext ravagance, and ostent ati on, t here coul d scarcely be
t oo
l it tl e oI i t. To a certai n extent it may laudably be the mi ni ster oI
el eganci es
and l uxuries, and the servit or oI hospit al i ty and physical enj oyment: but
j ust
i n proporti on as i ts t endenci es, di vested oI al l higher ai ms and tastes, are
runni ng that way, t hey are running to peril and evi l.
Nor does t hat peril at t ach to i ndi vi dual s and Iamil ies alone. It stands, a
IearIul beacon, i n the experi ence oI Ci ti es, Republi cs, and Empires. The
l essons oI past ti mes, on thi s subj ect, are emphati c and solemn. The
hist ory oI
weal th has always been a hist ory oI corrupt ion and downIal l. the people
never
exist ed that could st and t he trial . Boundl ess proIusion is t oo li tt le li kely
t o
spread Ior any people the theatre oI manly energy, rigi d sel I-deni al , and
l oIty
virtue. You do not l ook Ior the bone and sinew and st rengt h oI a country,
i ts
l oIt i est t al ent s and virtues, i t s martyrs t o pat riot i sm or rel igi on, it s men t o
meet the days oI peri l and disast er, among the chi ldren oI ease,
i ndulgence,
and l uxury.
In t he great march oI the races oI men over t he earth, we have always seen
opul ence and l uxury si nki ng beIore poverty and toil and hardy nurt ure.
That i s
t he l aw which has presi ded over t he great proIessions oI empi re. Sidon
and
Tyre, whose merchants possessed the wealt h oI princes ; Babylon and
Pal myra,
t he seat s oI Asiat ic luxury ; Rome, laden wit h t he spoil s oI a worl d,
overwhel med by her own vices more t han by t he host s oI her enemies ; all
t hese,
and many more, are examples oI the destroyti ve tendenci es oI i mmense
and
unnat ural accumul ati on : and men must become more generous and
benevol ent , not
more sel Iish and eIIemi nat e, as they become more ri ch, or t he hist ory oI
modern
weal th wi ll Iol l ow in the sad train oI al l past examples. Al l men
desi re di sti ncti on, and Ieel the need oI some ennobl ing obj ect in li Ie.
Those
persons are usual ly most happy and sati sIied i n t hei r pursui ts, who have
t he
l oIt i est ends i n view. Arti sts, mechanics, and i nventors, all who seek to
Iind
pri nci ples or devel op beauty i n thei r work, seem most t o enjoy it . The
Iarmer
who l abors Ior t he beauti Iying and sci ent iIic cul t ivati on oI hi s estat e, is
more happy i n his labors than one who t il ls his own land Ior a mere
subsist ence. This is one oI the signal t esti moni es which al l human
employment s
gi ve t o the high demands oI our nature. To gather weal th never gi ves such
sat isIacti on as to bring the humblest pi ece oI machinery to perIecti on : at
l east , when wealt h is sought Ior di splay and ost ent at ion, or mere l uxury,
and
ease, and pleasure ; and not Ior ends oI phi lanthropy, the reli eI oI kindred,
or t he payment oI just debt s, or as a means to at tai n some other great and
nobl e object .
Wi t h the pursui t s oI mult it udes i s connect ed a pai nIul convict ion t hat they
neit her supply a suIIi cient obj ect, nor conIer any sati sIact ory honor. Why
work, i I the world is soon not to know t hat such a bei ng ever exi sted ; and
when one can perpetuate his name neit her on canvas nor on marble, nor i n
books,
nor by loIty eloquence, nor st at esmanship ?
The answer is, that every man has a work t o do in hi msel I, greater and
subli med t han any work oI geni us ; and works upon a nobler mat eri al than
wood
or marbl e-upon his own soul and i ntel lect , and may so att ai n t he highest
nobl eness and grandeur known on earth or in Heaven; may so be the
greatest oI
arti sts, and oI aut hors, and his li Ie, whi ch i s Iar more t han speech, may be
el oquent.
The great aut hor or art i st only portrays what every man shoul d be. He
concei ves, what we should do. He concei ves, and represent s moral beauty,
magnani mi ty, Iort it ude, l ove, devoti on, Iorgiveness, t he soul' s great ness.
He
port rays vi rt ues, commended t o our admirati on and i mi t ati ons. To embody
t hese
port rai tures in our l ives i s Ihe practi cal real i zat ion oI t hose great ideals oI
art. The magnani mi ty oI Heroes, celebrated on the hi stori c or poeti c page;
t he
const ancy and Iai th oI Truth' s martyrs ; t he beauty oI l ove and piety
gl owi ng
on t he canvas; the del ineat ions oI Truth and Right, that Ilash Irom the li ps
oI
t he El oquent , are, i n t hei r essence only that which every man may Ieel and
pract ice i n t he daily wal ks oI li Ie. The work oI virtue is nobler t han any
work
oI genius ; Ior i t is a nobler t hi ng t o be a hero than t o descri be one
t o endure martyrdom than t o paint it , t o do right than t o plead Ior it .
Act ion
i s great er than wri t ing. A good man i s a nobler object oI contemplat ion
t han a
great author. There are but two t hi ngs wort h l iving Ior: t o do what is
wort hy
oI being wri t ten; and t o writ e what is wort hy oI bei ng read; and the
greater oI
t hese i s t he doing.
Every man has to do t he nobl est thi ng that any man can do or descri be.
There i s
a wide Ii eld Ior the courage, cheerIul ness, energy, and dignity oI human
exist ence. Let t hereIore no Mason deem his l iIe doomed t o medi ocrity or
meanness, to vani ty or unproIit able toil , or to any ends l ess t han i mmortal.
No
one can truly say t hat t he grand pri zes oI li Ie are Ior ot hers, and he can do
nothing. No mat ter how magni Ii cent and noble an act the aut hor can
describe or
t he arti st pai nt , ' i t wil l be st il l nobler Ior you to go and do that which one
describes, or be t he model which the ot her draws.
The loIti est acti on that ever was descri bed is not more magnatemous than
t hat
which we may Iind occasi on to do, i n the dai ly walks oI li Ie; i n
t empt at ion, i n
distress, in bereavement, in the sol emn approach t o deat h. In t he great
Provi dence oI God, i n t he great ordinances oI our bei ng, there i s opened to
every man a sphere Ior the noblest act ion. It i s not even i n ext raordi nary
si tuati ons, where al l eyes are upon us, where al l our energy i s aroused, and
al l our vi gil ance i s awake that the highest eIIort s oI virtue are usual ly
demanded oI us ; but rather in sil ence and secl usi on, amidst our
occupat ions
and our homes; in weari ng si ckness, t hat makes no complai nt ; in sorely-
t ri ed
honesty, t hat asks no prai se ; in si mple di sinterest edness, hi di ng t he hand
t hat resigns i ts advant age t o anot her.
Masonry seeks t o ennoble common li Ie. Its work i s to go down i nt o t he
obscure
and researched records oI dai ly conduct and Ieel ing; and t o portray, not
t he
ordi nary virt ue oI an extraordi nary l iIe; but t he more extraordinary virt ue
oI
ordi nary l iIe. What i s done and borne in t he shades oI pri vacy, i n t he hard
and
beat en paIh oI daily care and toi l, Iul l oI recelebrat ed sacriIices; i n t he
suIIeri ng, and somet i mes i nsul ted suIIeri ng, t hat wears to t he worl d a
cheerIul
brow ; in the Iong striIe oI t he spirit , resist ing pai n, penury, and neglect ,
carri ed on i n the inmost depths oI t he heart; -what is done, and borne, and
wrought, and won t here, i s a hi gher gl ory, and shal l i nherit a bright er
crown.
On t he volume oI Masoni c li Ie one bright word is wri tt en Irom whi ch on
every si de blazes an i neIIable splendor. That word is DUTY. To ai d i n
securing
t o al l labor permanent empl oyment and it s j ust reward: t o hel p to hast en
t he
coming oI t hat ti me when no one shal l suIIer Irom hunger or dest i t ut ion,
because, t hough wil li ng and abl e t o work, he can Ii nd no empl oyment , or
because
he has been overt aken by si ckness in the mi dst oI his labor, are part oI
your
duti es as a Knight oI t he Royal Axe. And i I we can succeed i n maki ng
some smal l
nook oI God' s creat i on a li tt l e more Iruit Iul and cheerIul , a li tt le bett er
and
more worthy oI Hi m, -or in making some one or t wo human hearts a li tt le
wi ser,
and more manIul and hopeIul and happy, we shall have done work, wort hy
oI
Masons, and accept able to our Father in Heaven.

XXIII CHIEF OF THE TABERNACLE.
AMONG most oI the Ancient Nati ons there was, i n addit ion t o thei r
publ ic worship, a pri vat e one styled the Mysteries ; to whi ch t hose only
were admi t ted who had been prepared by cert ain ceremonies cal l ed
i ni t i ati ons.
The most wi dely dissemi nat ed oI the ancient worships were those oI
Isis, Orpheus, Di onysus, Ceres and Mat hias. Many barbarous nati ons
received t he knowl edge oI the Mysteries i n honor oI these di vi ni ties
Irom the Egypti ans, beIore they arrived i n Greece; and even in the
Briti sh Isles t he Drui ds cel ebrated those oI Di onysus, learned by t hem
Irom the Egypti ans.
The Mysteries oI El eusis, celebrat ed at Athens i n honor oI Ceres,
swal l owed up as it were, al l the others. All t he nei ghbori ng nat i ons
negl ected their own, to celebrate those oI Eleusis; and i n a li tt l e
whil e al l Greece and Asia Mi nor were Iil led wi th t he Ini ti ates. They
spread int o the Roman Empi re, and even beyond i ts li mit s, "t hose holy
and august El eusi nian Mysteries, " sai d Ci cero, "in which the people oI
t he remotest lands are i nit iated. " Zosi mus says that they embraced the
whole human race ; and Ari sti des t ermed them t he common temple oI t he
whole world.
There were, i n t he El eusi nian Ieast s, two sorts oI Mysteries, the
great, and the li t t le. The lat ter were a ki nd oI preparati on Ior the
Iormer ; and everybody was admi t t ed t o them. Ordinari ly there was a
novi ti at e oI three, and somet i mes oI Iour years. Cl ement oI Alexandria
says that what was taught in the great Myst eri es concerned the Uni verse,
and was the complet ion and perIect ion oI all i nstruct ion; wherein things
were seen as they were, and nat ure and her works were made known.
The ancients sai d t hat t he Initi ates woul d be more happy aIt er deat h
t han ot her mortals ; and t hat , whi l e the souls oI the ProIane on leavi ng
t heir bodi es, woul d be pl unged i n t he mire, and remain buried i n
darkness, t hose oI the Ini tiates woul d Ily to the Fort unat e Isles, the
abode oI the Gods.
Plat o said that t he obj ect oI t he Mysteries was to re-establi sh t he
soul in it s pri mi ti ve purity, and in t hat stat e oI perIect ion which i t
had l ost. Epi ctet us sai d, "what ever i s met wi t h t herei n has been
i nst it uted by our Mast ers, Ior the inst ructi on oI man and t he correcti on
oI morals. "
Process hel d t hat i nit iat i on el evat ed t he soul , Irom a mat eri al,
sensual, and purely human li Ie, to a communi on and celest ial intercourse
wi th t he Gods ; and t hat a variety oI thi ngs, Iorms, and speci es were
shown Init iat es, representi ng t he Iirst generat i on oI the Gods.
Purity oI morals and elevat ion oI soul were required oI the, Init iates.
' Candi dat es were required t o be oI spotl ess reput ati on and
i rreproachabl e virtue. Nero, aIt er murdering hi s mother, did not dare t o
be present at the celebrat i on oI t he Myst eri es: and Ant ony presented
hi msel I to be init iat ed, as the most inIall ible mode oI provi ng hi s
i nnocence oI t he death oI Avi di us Cassi us.
The Init iat es were regarded as the only Iort unate men. "It i s upon us
al one, " says Arist ophanes, "shi net h t he beneIi cent daystar. We al one
receive pleasure Irom the inIl uence oI hi s rays; we, who are ini t iat ed,
and who pract ice t oward ci ti zen and stranger every possibl e act oI
j ust ice and piety. " And it i s t hereIore not surpri si ng that, in t i me,
i ni t i ati on came t o be considered as necessary as bapti sm aIterward was
t o t he Christ ians ; and t hat not to have been admi t t ed to the Mysteri es
was held a dishonor.
"It seems to me, " says the great orator, phil osopher, and moral ist ,
Ci cero, "that At hens, among many excell ent i nventi ons, di vi ne and very
useIul t o t he human Iami ly, has produced none comparable to the
Myst eri es, which Ior a wil d and Ieroci ous l i Ie have substi tuted humani ty
and urbanity oI manners. It is wit h good reason they use the term
i ni t i ati on; Ior it i s t hrough them that we in real ity have learned the
Iirst princi pl es oI l iIe; and t hey not only teach us to li ve i n a manner
more consol i ng and agreeable, but they soIten the pai ns oI death by the
hope oI a bet ter l i Ie hereaIt er. "
Where t he Mysteries ori ginated is not known. It . i s supposed that t hey
came Irom India, by the way oI Chaldaea, i nto Egypt , and t hence were
carri ed i nt o Greece. Wherever they arose, t hey were pract iced among al l
t he ancient nati ons; and, as was usual , the Thraci ans, Cret ins, and
At henians each clai med t he honor oI invent ion, and each i nsi st ed
t hat they had borrowed not hi ng Irom any other people.
In Egypt and the East , all rel igi ons even in it s most poet ical Iorms,
was more or l ess a mystery; and the chi eI reason why, in Greece, a
dist inct name and oIIice were assi gned to the Mysteries, was because t he
superIici al popular t heol ogy leIt a want unsati sIi ed, which reli gion i n
a wider sense alone coul d supply. They were pract ical acknowledgment s oI
t he i nsuIIi ci ency oI t he popul ar reli gion t o sati sIy the deeper thought s
and aspi rat ions oI the mi nd. The vagueness oI symbol ism mi ght perhaps
reach what a more palpable and conventi onal creed could not. The Iormer,
be it s i ndeIinit eness, acknowledged the abst ruseness oI i t s subject ; it
t reat ed a myst eri ous subj ect myopical ly ; i t endeavored t o il lust rat e
what it could not expl ain; t o exci te an appropriate Ieel ing, i I it could
not devel op an adequat e i dea; and shade t he i mage a mere subordi nate
conveyance Ior t he concept ion, whi ch i t sel I never became t oo obvious or
Iami l i ar.
The inst ruct i on now conveyed by books and let ters was oI old conveyed
by symbol s; and the priest had to i nvent or to perpetuate a display oI
ri t es and exhibit i ons, whi ch were not only more at tract i ve t o t he eye
t han words, but oIten t o t he mind more suggest ive and ~pregnant wi th
meani ng.
AIterward, the i nst i tut ion became rather moral and pol it i cal , than
reli gious. The ci vil magist rates shaped the ceremoni es t o pol i t ical ends
i n Egypt; the sages who carri ed t hem Irom t hat country t o Asi a, Greece;
and t he Nort h oI Europe, were al l ki ngs or l egisl ators. , The chieI
magist rate presided at those oI El eusi s, represented by an oIIi cer
styled Ki ng: and the Pri est played but a subordinat e part.
The Powers revered i n the Mysteries were al l in real ity Nat ured Gods;
none oI whom coul d be consi stently addressed as mere heroes, because
t heir nat ure was conIessedly super-heroic. The Mysteries, only i n Iact a
more sol emn expressi on oI the religion oI t he ancient poetry, t aught
t hat doctrine oI the Theocracia or Di vi ne Oneness, which even poet ry
does not ent i rely conceal . They were not i n any open host i li ty wi t h the
popular rel igi on, but only a more solemn exhi bi ti on oI it s symbols; or
rather a part oI it sel I in a more i mpressive Iorm. The essence oI al l
Myst eri es, as oI all polythei sm, consi sts in this, that the concept ion
oI an i napproachable Bei ng, single, eternal, and unchangi ng, and that
oI a God oI Nat ure, whose mani Iold power i s i mmediately revealed to
t he senses in the i ncessant round oI movement , l iIe, and. deat h, Iel l
asunder in t he t reat ment, and were separately symboli zed. They oIIered a
perpet ual problem to excit e curiosi ty, aqd contri buted to sati sIy t he
al l-pervadi ng reli gious sent i ment , which i I it obt ai n no nourishment
among the scruple and int el l igi bl e, Ii nds compensati ng excit ement in a
reverenti al cont empl ati on oI t he obscure.
Nat ure is as Iree Irom dogmat i sm as Irom tyranny; and
t he earli est inst ructors oI mankind not only adopt ed her
l essons, but as Iar as possi ble adhered t o her met hod oI i mparti ng
t hem. They att empted to reach t he understanding through the eye ; and
t he greater part oI all reli gious t eaching was conveyed through thi s
anci ent and most i mpressi ve mode oI "exhibi ti on" or demonst rat ion. The
Myst eri es were a sacred drama, exhibit i ng some legend si gni Ii cant oI
Nat ure' s change, oI t he visi ble Uni verse in
i which the di vi ni ty i s reveal ed, and whose i mport was in many respect s
as open to the Pagan, as to the Chri stian. Beyond the current t radit ions
or sacred recit als oI the templ e, Iew expl anati ons were given t o the
spect ators, who were leIt, as i n t he school oI nature, to make
i nIerences Ior t hemsel ves.
The method oI i ndi rect suggest ion, by al legory or symbol , i s a more
eIIi cacious i nstrument oI i nstruct ion than pl ain di dact ic "language ;
si nce we are habit ual ly indi IIerent t o that which is acqui red wi thout
eIIort : "The init iat ed are Iew, though many bear t he t hyrsus. " And it
woul d have been i mpossi bl e t o provide a l esson suit ed to every degree oI
cult ivat i on and capaci ty, unl ess i t were one Iramed aIter Nat ure' s
exampl e, or rather a representat ion oI Nature herselI, empl oying her
universal symbol ism i nstead oI t echni cali ti es oI l anguage, invit ing
endless research, yet rewarding the humbl est inqui rer, and di scl osi ng
i ts secret s to every one in proporti on to hi s preparatory t rai ni ng and
power to comprehend them.
Even iI destit ut e oI any Iormal or oIIici al enunci ati on oI t hose
i mport ant t ruths, which even in a cul t i vated age i t was oIten Iound
i nexpedi ent t o assert except under a vei l oI al legory, and which
moreover l ose t heir digni ty and val ue i n proporti on as t hey are l earned
mechani cally as dogmas, t he shows oI t he Mysteries certai nly contai ned
suggest ions i I not l essons, whi ch i n the opi ni on not oI one compet ent
wi tness only, but i I many, were adapted t o el evate the character oI t he
spect ators, enabl ing t hem to augur somet hi ng oI the purposes oI
exist ence, as well as oI the means oI employing i t, to li ve bett er and
t o die happier.
Unli ke t he reli gi on oI books or creeds, these myst i c shows perIormances
were not the reading oI a lecture, but t he openi ng oI a probl em,
i mplying neit her exempt i on Irom research, nor hosti li ty to phil osophy :
Ior, on the cont rary, phi losophy is the great Mystagogue or
Arch-Expounder oI symbol ism : though the i nterpretat ions by t he Greci an
Phi l osophy oI t he ol d myths and symbol s were in many i nstances as
i ll -Iounded, as i n others they are correct.
No bet ter means could be devi sed t o rouse a dormant i ntel lect t han
t hose i mpressi ve exhi bi ti ons, which addressed i t through t he
i magi nat ion: which, inst ead oI condemni ng i t to a prescribed rout ine oI
creed, invit ed i t to seek, compare, and j udge. The al terati on Irom
symbol t o dogma i s as Iat al to beauty oI expression, as t hat Irom Iai t h
t o dogma is to trut h and whol esomeness oI t hought
The Ii rst phil osophy oIt en revert ed to t he nat ural mode oI t eachi ng;
and Socrates, in parti cular, i s said t o have eschewed dogmas,
endeavoring, l ike t he Myst eri es, rather t o awaken and devel op in the
minds oI his hearers t he i deas wi th which they were already endowed or
pregnant, than t o Ii ll them wit h ready-made adventi ti ous opini ons.
So Masonry sti l l Iol l ows t he ancient manner oI t eachi ng. Her symbols
are the i nstruct i on she gives ; and the lect ures are but oIten parti al
and i nsuIIi cient one-sided endeavors t o i nt erpret those symbols. He who
woul d become an accompl i shed Mason must not be cont ent merely to hear
or
even t o understand t he l ect ures, but must, ai ded by t hem, and t hey
having as i t were marked out the way Ior hi m, st udy, interpret, and
develop t he symbols Ior hi mselI.
The earli est specul at i on endeavored t o express Iar more than i t coul d
dist inct ly comprehend ; and the vague i mpressi ons iI t he mind Iound in
t he mysteri ous analogi es oI phenomena thei r most apt and energet ic
representat ions. The Myst eries, l ike the symbol s oI Masonry, were but an
i mage oI the eloquent anal ogi es oI Nat ure; bot h t hose and these
reveali ng no new secret t o such as were or are unprepared, or incapabl e
oI i nt erpret ing thei r signiIicance.
Everywhere i n t he old Mysteries, and in al l the symboli sms and
ceremonial oI t he Hierophant was Iound t he same mythical personage,
who,
l ike Hermes, or Zoroast er, unit es Human Attri but es wit h Di vi ne,
and i s hi msel I t he God whose worshi p he introduced, teachi ng rude men
t he commencement s oI civi li zat ion t hrough t he i nIluence oI song, and
connect ing wit h the symbol oI hi s deat h, emblematic oI t hat oI Nat ure,
t he most essent ial consolat i ons oI rel igi on.
The Mysteries embraced t he t hree great doctrines oI Ancient Theosophy.
They treated oI God, Man, and Nat ure. Di onysus, whose Mysteries
Orpheus
i s said t o have Iounded, was t he God oI Nature, or oI t he moi sture which
i s t he l iIe oI Nat ure, who prepares i n darkness t he return oI li Ie and
veget ati on, or who is hi m- selI the Light and Change evol ving t heir
varieti es. He was theological ly one wit h Hermes, Promet heus, and
Posei don. In the Aegean Islands he is Butes, Dardanus, Hi meros, or
Imbros. In Cret e he appears as Iasius or Zeus, whose worship remaining
unvei led by the usual Iorms oI myst ery, betrayed to proIane curiosi ty
t he symbol s, whi ch, iI i rreverently contemplated, were sure t o be
misunderst ood. In Asia he i s t he l ong-stoled Bassareus coalesci ng wi th
t he Sabazius oI the Phrygian Corybantes : t he same wi th the myst i c
Iacchus, nursl ing or son oI Ceres, and wi th t he dismembered Zagreus, son
oI Persephone.
In symboli cal Iorms the Mysteries exhibit ed THE ONE, oI which THE
MANIFOLD Is an inIinit e i ll ust rat ion, containi ng a moral lesson,
calculat ed to gui de t he soul through l i Ie, and to cheer it i n death. The
st ory oI Di onysus was proIoundly si gni Ii cant . He was not only creator oI
t he worl d, but guardian, li berator, and Savi or oI t he soul . God oI t he
many-col ored mant l e, he was t he resul ti ng mani Iest ati on personi Ii ed, t he
al l in the many, t he varied year, li Ie passi ng into innumerable Iorms.
The spiri t ual regenerat ion oI man was typiIied i n t he Myst eri es by the
second birth oI Di onysus as oIIspri ng oI t he Hi ghest ; and the agents
and symbol s oI t hat regenerat ion were t he el ement s t hat aIIected
Nat ure' s periodical puri Iicat ion-t he ai r, i ndicated by the mysti c Ian or
wi nnow ; t he Iire, si gni Ii ed by t he t orch ; and t he bapti smal wat er, Ior
wat er is not only cleanser oI al l thi ngs, but t he genesi s or source oI
al l.
Those noti ons, clothed i n ri t ual , suggest ed the soul ' s, reIormati on and
t rai ni ng, the moral puri ty Iormally procl ai med at Eleusi s. He only was
i nvi ted t o approach, who was "oI clean hands and ingenuous speech, Iree
Irom all poll uti on, and wi th a cl ear
conscience. " -"Happy t he man, " say the init iat ed i n Euri pi des and
Arist ophanes, "who puri Ii es his l iIe, and who reverent ly consecrates his
soul in the t hirst s oI the God. Let hi m take heed to hi s l ips that he
utter no proIane word; let hi m be just and kind t o t he st ranger, and t o
his neighbor; let hi m give way t o no vi ci ous excess, lest he make dul l
and heavy t he organs oI t he spi rit . Far Irom the myst ic dance oI the
t hirst s be the i mpure, the evil speaker, t he sedit ious ci ti zen, the
sel Ii sh hunt er aIter gai n, the trai tor ; al l t hose, i n short, whose
pract ices are more aki n t o t he riot oI Ti tans than t o t he regul ated li Ie
oI t he Orphi ci , or the Curetan order oI t he Pri ests oI Idaean Zeus."
The vot ary, elevat ed beyond t he sphere oI hi s ordi nary Iacult ies, and
unabl e to account Ior the agitati on whi ch overpowered hi m, seemed t o
become divi ne. i n proport i on as he ceased t o be human; t o be a demon or
god. Al ready, in i magi nati on, t he i ni ti ated were numbered among the
beat iIied. They al one enjoyed t he true l iIe, t he Sun' s t rue l ustre,
whil e t hey hymned t heir God beneat h t he myst ic groves oI a mi mic
Elysium, and were really renovated or regenerat ed under t he geni al
i nIl uence oI t heir dances.
"They whom Proserpi ne gui des in her myst eri es, " it was sai d, "who
i mbibed her i nstruct ion and spirit ual nouri shment, rest Irom their
l abors and know st riIe no more. Happy t hey who wit ness and comprehend
t hese sacred ceremoni es ! They are made to know t he meani ng oI the
riddle oI exist ence by observi ng i ts ai m and termi nat ion as appoi nt ed by
Zeus ; they partake a beneIi t more valuable and enduri ng t han the grai n
best owed by wares ; Ior t hey are exalt ed in the scale oI int ell ectual
exist ence, and obt ain sweet hopes to consol e them at t heir deat h. "
No doubt t he ceremonies oI init iat ion were original ly Iew and si mpl e.
As t he great trut hs oI the pri mi t ive revelat ion Iaded out oI t he
memories oI t he masses oI the Peopl e, and wickedness became riIe upon
t he earth, i t became necessary to di scri minate, t o requi re longer
probati on and sati sIact ory test s oI t he candi dat es, and by spreadi ng
around what at Iirst were rat her school s oI inst ructi on than mysteries,
t he veil oI secrecy, and the pomp oI ceremony, to hei ght en t he opi nion
oI t hei r value and i mport ance.
Whatever pi ct ures lat er and especial ly Christ ian wri ters may draw oI
t he Myst eri es, t hey must , not only origi nal ly, but Ior many ages, have
conti nued pure; and t he doctrines oI nat ural rel igi on and moral s there
t aught , have been oI t he highest i mportance; because bot h t he
most vi rt uous as wel l as the most learned and phi l osophi c oI the
anci ent s speak oI t hem in the l oIt iest t erms. That t hey ul ti mately
became degraded Irom t heir high est at e, and corrupted, we know.
The ri tes oI ini ti ati on became progressi vely more compli cated. Signs
and t okens were invent ed by which the Chi ldren oI Light coul d wit h
Iacil ity make t hemselves known t o each ot her. Di IIer. ant Degrees were
i nvented, as t he number oI Ini ti ates enlarged, in order that there might
be in t he i nner apart ment oI t he Templ e a Iavored Iew, to whom al one the
more val uabl e secret s were ent rusted, and who could wield eIIect ual ly
t he i nIl uence and power oI the Order. Ori ginally t he Myst eri es were
meant to be the begi nni ng oI a new li Ie oI reason and vi rt ue. The
i ni t i ated or esot eri c compani ons were taught the doct ri ne oI the One
Supreme God, t he theory oI deat h and et erni ty, the hi dden mysteries oI
Nat ure, t he prospect oI the ul ti mat e restorat i on oI t he soul to that
st ate oI perIecti on Irom which i t had Iallen, it s i mmort ali ty, and the
st ates oI reward and puni shment aIt er death. The uni ni ti ated were deemed
ProIane, unworthy oI publ ic empl oyment or pri vate conIi dence, somet i mes
prescri bed as Atheist s, and certai n oI everl ast i ng puni shment beyond t he
grave.
Al l persons were i ni ti ated into the l esser Myst eri es; but Iew att ained
t he greater, in whi ch the true spiri t oI t hem, and most oI t heir secret
doctri nes were hi dden. The vei l oI secrecy was i mpenet rable, sealed by
oaths and penal ti es the most tremendous and appal li ng. It was by
i ni t i ati on only, t hat a knowl edge oI the Hieroglyphi cs could be
obtai ned, wi th which the wall s, col umns, and ceil ings oI t he Templ es
were decorated, and which, beli eved to have been communi cated t o t he
Priests by revel ati on Irom t he cel est ial deit ies, the youth oI al l ranks
were laudably ambi ti ous oI deci phering.
The ceremonies were perIormed at dead oI ni ght , generally i n apart ments
under-ground, but somet i mes in t he centre oI a vast pyramid, wit h every
appli ance t hat could alarm and exci t e the candi date. Innumerable
ceremonies, wi ld and romant ic, dreadIul and appal l i ng, had by degrees
been added t o the Iew expressi ve symbol s oI pri mi t i ve observances, under
which there were i nstances i n which the terriIied aspirant act ually
expi red wi th Iear. The pyramids were probably used Ior t he purposes oI
i ni t i ati on,
as were caverns, pagodas, and l abyrinths; Ior the ceremoni es required
many apart ment s and cel ls, long passages and wel l s. In Egypt a principal
place Ior the Myst eries was t he i sl and oI Phi lae on the Ni le, where a
magniIicent Templ e oI Osiris st ood, and his rel ics were sai d t o be
preserved.
Wi t h their nat ural procl i vit ies, t he Pri esthood, t hat select and
exclusi ve class, in Egypt , India, Phoeni cia, Judea and Greece, as well
as i n Brit ain and Rome, and wherever else t he Myst eri es were known,
made
use oI them t o buil d wi der and hi gher the Iabri c oI t hei r own power. The
puri ty oI no religion conti nues long. Rank and dignit i es succeed t o t he
pri mi ti ve si mpl i city. Unprinci pl ed, vain, i nsolent , corrupt , and venal
men put on God' s l i very t o serve the Devi l wi t hal ; and luxury, vice,
i nt olerance, and pri de depose Irugal ity, vi rtue, gent leness, and
humi li ty, and change the alt ar where they should be servants, to a
t hrone on which t hey reign.
But t he Ki ngs, Phil osophers, and St at esmen, t he wi se and great and good
who were admit ted t o t he Mysteri es, long postponed their ul ti mat e
sel I-destruct ion, and restrai ned t he natural tendenci es oI t he
Priesthood. And accordi ngly Zosi mus t hought that the neglect oI t he
Myst eri es aIt er Di ocl et ian abdi cated, was t he chieI cause oI the decl i ne
oI t he Roman Empire ; and in t he year 364, the Proconsul oI Greece would
not close the Mysteries, notwi thstanding a l aw oI t he Emperor
Valenti nian, lest the people should be dri ven to desperati on, i I
prevented Irom perIorming them; upon whi ch, as they bel ieved, the
wel Iare oI manki nd wholly depended. They were practi ced i n At hens unt i l
t he 8th cent ury i n Greece and Rome Ior several centuri es aIter Chri st;
and i n Wales and Scot land down to the 12th cent ury.
The inhabit ant s oI India ori ginal ly pract iced the Pat ri archal rel igi on.
Even the later worshi p oI Vi shnu was cheerIul and social ; accompanied
wi th. t he Iesti ve song, the sprightly dance, and t he resoundi ng cymbal ,
wi th l i bat ions oI mi lk and honey, garlands, and perIumes Irom aromat i c
woods and gums. There perhaps the Mysteries commenced; and i n t hem,
under al legories, were taught the pri mit ive trut hs. We cannot , wit hin
t he l i mit s oI thi s l ecture, detai l the ceremoni es oI i ni ti ati on; and
shal l use general language, except where somet hing Irom t hose ol d
Myst eri es sti ll remai ns i n Masonry.
The Init iat e was i nvest ed wit h a cord oI t hree threads, so twi ned
as to make t hree ti mes t hree, and cal led zennar. Hence comes our
cabl e-t ow. It was an emblem oI thei r tri-une Deity, t he remembrance oI
whom we al so preserve i n t he three chi eI oIIi cers oI our Lodges,
presiding in t he t hree quarters oI that Universe which our Lodges
represent; i n our three greater and t hree lesser li ght s, our three
movable and t hree i mmovable j ewels, and t he t hree pi llars t hat support
our Lodges.
The Indian Myst eries were celebrated i n subterranean cavern' s and
grot tos hewn in the sol id rock; and t he Ini ti ates adored t he Dei ty,
symbol i zed by t he solar Iire. The candi date, l ong wandering i n darkness,
t ruly want ed Light, and t he worshi p taught hi m was t he worshi p oI God,
t he Source oI Light . The vast Temple oI Elephant s, perhaps t he ol dest i n
t he worl d, hewn out oI the rock, and 135 Ieet square, was used Ior
i ni t i ati ons ; as were the sti ll vast er caverns oI Salset te, wi th their
300 apart ments.
The peri ods oI i nit iat ion were regul at ed by the i ncrease and decrease
oI t he moon. The Myst eri es were di vi ded int o Iour steps or Degrees. The
candidate might receive t he Iirst at eight years oI age, when he was
i nvest ed wi t h t he zennar. Each Degree di spensed somethi ng oI perIect ion.
"Let t he wretched man, " says the Hi t opadesa, "pract ice virt ue, whenever
he enj oys one oI the t hree or Iour rel igi ous Degrees ; let hi m be
even-mi nded wit h all creat ed t hi ngs, and that disposi t ion wi ll be the
source oI vi rt ue. "
AIter vari ous ceremonies, chi eIly relat ing t o t he unity and t ri ni ty oI
t he Godhead, t he candi date was clothed i n a li nen garment wit hout a
seam, and remai ned under t he care oI a Brahmin unt i l he was t wenty years
oI age, const ant ly studyi ng and pract i si ng the most rigid vi rt ue. Then
he underwent the severest probati on Ior t he second Degree, in whi ch he
was sanct i Ii ed by t he sign oI the cross, which, point i ng t o t he Iour
quart ers oI the compass, was honored as a striking symbol oI t he
Universe by many nati ons oI ant iqui ty, and was i mi t at ed by the Indians
i n t he shape oI thei r temples. Then he was admi t ted to t he Holy Cavern,
blazi ng wit h l ight, where, i n costly robes, sat , i n t he East , West , and
South, t he t hree chi eI Hierophants, representi ng t he Indian tri-une
Dei ty. The ceremonies there commenced wi th an ant hem to the Great God
oI
Nat ure; and t hen Ioll owed thi s apost rophe : "O mi ghty pri mal
Creator! Eternal God oI Gods! The Worl d' s Mansion! Thou art the
Incorrupt ibl e Bei ng, dist inct Irom al l t hi ngs t ransi ent ! Thou art beIore
al l Gods, the Ancient Absol ute Exi stence, and the Supreme Support er oI
t he Universe! Thou art the Supreme Mansi on; and by Thee, O InIi nit e
Form, t he Uni verse was spread abroad. "
The candi date, t hus taught t he Iirst great pri mi ti ve t ruth, was cal led
upon to make a Iormal decl arat ion, that he would be tractabl e and
obedi ent to hi s superi ors; t hat he would keep his body pure ;. govern
his t ongue, and observe a passi ve obedience in recei ving t he doctrines
and t radit ions oI t he Order ; and the Iirmest secrecy i n mai nt ai ning
i nvi ol abl e it s hi dden and abstruse mysteri es. Then he was spri nkled wi t h
wat er (whence our bapt ism) ;' certain words, now unknown, were
whispered
i n his ear; and he was di vested oI hi s shoes, and made t o go t hree ti mes
around t he cavern. Hence our t hree circui ts ; hence we were neit her
bareIoot nor shod: and t he words were the Pass-words oI that Indian
Degree.
The Gymnosophi st Priests came Irom the banks oI t he Euphrates i nt o
Et hiopia, and brought wit h t hem t heir sci ences and t heir doctri nes.
Thei r princi pal Col lege was at Meroe, and t heir Myst eri es were
celebrat ed in the Templ e oI Amun, renowned Ior hi s oracl e. Et hiopia was
t hen a powerIul St at e, which preceded Egypt in ci vil izat ion, and had a
t heocrati c government . Above the Ki ng was t he Priest , who could put hi m
t o death in t he name oI t he Dei ty. Egypt was t hen composed oI t he
Thebaid only. Mi ddl e Egypt and t he Del ta were a gul I oI the
Medi terranean. The Ni le by degrees Iormed an i mmense marsh, which,
aIterward drained by t he l abor oI man, Iormed Lower Egypt; and was Ior
many centuries governed by t he Ethi opian Sacerdot al Cast e, oI Arabic
origin ; aIterward di spl aced by a dynasty oI warriors. The magniIi cent
rui ns oI Axiom, wi th it s obeli sks and hieroglyphi cs, t empl es, vast tombs
and pyramids, around anci ent Meroe, are Iar older than the pyrami ds near
Memphi s.
The Priest s, t aught by Hermosa embodi ed i n books t he occult and
hermetic sci ences, wi th their own discoveries and the revel at ions oI t he
Sibyl s. They studi ed parti cul arly t he most abst ract sciences, di scovered
t he Iamous geometri cal t heorems whi ch Pyt hagoras aIt erward learned Irom
t hem, cal cul at ed ecl ipses, and regul at ed, ni neteen cent uries beIore
Caesar, the Jul ian year. They descended t o pract ical
i nvest igat ions as t o t he necessit ies oI li Ie, and made known their
discoveries to t he peopl e ; they cul ti vat ed t he Iine arts, and inspired
t he peopl e wi th that enthusiasm which produced t he avenues oI Thebes,
t he Labyri nt h, the Templ es oI Karnac, Denderah, EdIou, and Phi lae, the
monol i thi c obel i sks, and the great Lake Morri s, t he Iert il i zer oI the
count ry.
The wisdom oI the Egypt ian Init iat es, the high sciences and loIty
morali ty whi ch t hey taught , and thei r i mmense knowledge, excit ed the
emulati on oI the most emi nent men, whatever thei r rank and Iortune ; and
l ed t hem, despit e t he compl icat ed and terri ble tri al s t o be undergone,
t o seek admissi on int o the Mysteries oI Osiri s and Isis.
From Egypt, the Mysteries went to Phoenicia, and were celebrat ed at
Tyre. Osi ris changed his name, and become Adoni or Di onysos, st i l l the
representat ive oI t he Sun ; and aIt erward t hese Myst eri es were
i ntroduced successively i nt o Assyria, Babyl on, Persia, Greece, Sici ly,
and Italy. In Greece and Sicily, Osi ri s took the name oI Bacchus, and
Isis that oI Ceres, Cybel e, Rhea and Venus.
Bar Hebraeus says : "Enoch was the Iirst who i nvent ed books and
diIIerent sorts oI wri t ing. The ancient Greeks declare that Enoch is t he
same as Mercury Trismegi stus |Hermes|, and that he taught the sons oI
men t he art oI buil di ng ci ti es, and enact ed some admi rable laws. . . He
discovered the knowledge oI t he Zodi ac, and t he course oI the Pl anets ;
and he poi nt ed out to t he sons oI men, that they should worshi p God,
t hat they shoul d Iast, that they should pray, t hat they should gi ve
ai ms, vot i ve oIIeri ngs, and tent hs. He reprobat ed abomi nabl e Ioods and
drunkenness, and appoi nted Iest ivals Ior sacriIices t o the Sun, at each
oI t he ' Zodiacal Signs. "
Manet ho ext ract ed hi s hi story Irom certain pi l l ars whi ch he discovered
i n Egypt, whereon inscripti ons had been made by Thoth, or the Ii rst
Mercury |or Hermes|, in the sacred let ters and di alect : but which were
aIter t he Ilood translat ed Irom that di al ect i nt o the Greek tongue, and
l aid up in t he pri vate recesses oI t he Egyptian Templ es. These pil lars
were Iound i n subterranean caverns, near Thebes and beyond the Nil e, not
Iar Irom the soundi ng st atue oI Memnon, i t a pl ace call ed Syringes ;
which are descri bed to be certai n wi nding apart ment s underground ; made,
i t i s sai d, by those who were ski ll ed in ancient ri tes; who Ioreseei ng
t he comi ng oI the deluge, and Ieari ng l est memory oI t heir cere-
moni es shoul d be obli terated, buil t and cont ri ved vaul t s, dug wi th vast
l abor, in several places.
From t he bosom oI Egypt sprang a man oI consummat e wi sdom, ini ti ated
i n
t he secret knowledge oI Indi a, oI Persia, and oI Et hiopia, named Thoth
or Pht ha by his compatri ots, Taaut by the Phoenicians, Hermes
Tri smegist us by t he Greeks, and Adri s by the Rabbins. Nat ure seemed to
have chosen hi m Ior her Iavorite, and t o have l avished on hi m all t he
quali ti es necessary t o enable hi m t o st udy her and t o know her
t horoughly. The Dei ty had, so to say, i nIused int o hi m t he sci ences and
t he arts, in order t hat' he might instruct the whole worl d.
He invented many thi ngs necessary Ior t he uses oI li Ie, and gave them
suitable names ; he taught men how t o wri te down their t houghts and
arrange their speech; he insti tut ed the ceremoni es t o be observed in t he
worship oI each oI the Gods; he observed the course oI the stars; he
i nvented musi c, the di IIerent bodi ly exerci ses, arit hmetic, medicine,
t he art oI worki ng i n metals, the lyre wi th t hree strings ; he regulat ed
t he t hree tones oI the voi ce, t he sharp, t aken Irom aut umn, the grave
Irom wint er, and the , mi ddle Irom spri ng, t here being t hen but t hree
seasons. It was he who taught the Greeks t he mode oI int erpreti ng t erms
and t hi ngs, whence t hey gave hi m the name oI Èe??? |Hermes|, which
signiIies Interpreter.
In Egypt he i nst it uted hi eroglyphics: he select ed a certai n number oI
persons whom he j udged Ii tt ed t o be t he deposi taries oI hi s secret s, oI
such only as were capabl e oI at t ai ni ng t he t hrone and the Ii rst oIIices
i n t he Mysteries; he uni ted them i n a body, created them Priest s oI t he
Li vi ng God, inst ructed them in the sciences and art s, and explained t o
t hem the symbol s by whi ch they were vei l ed. Egypt , 1500 years beIore the
t i me oI Moses, revered in t he Myst eri es One SUPREME GOD, cal led the
ONLY
UNCREATED. Under Hi m it pai d homage to seven principal dei ti es, it is
t o
Hermes, who l ived at that peri od, t hat we must di stribute the
conceal ment or vei li ng |velat ion| oI t he Indian worshi p, whi ch Moses
unvei led or revealed, changing not hi ng oI tbe laws oI Hermes, except t he
plural i ty oI his myst i c Gods.
The Egypti an Priest s rel ated that Hermes, dying, sai d : "Hit hert o I
have l ived an exi le Irom my true country: now I ret urn t hi ther. Do not
weep Ior me : I return to t hat celest ial country whit her each goes in
his t urn, There is God. Thi s l iIe i s but a deat h." Thi s i s
precisely t he creed oI the ol d Buddhi st s oI Samaneans, who believed that
Irom ti me t o ti me God sent Buddha`s on eart h, t o reIorm men, t o wean
t hem Irom t heir vices, and lead them back i nt o t he pat hs oI vi rt ue.
Among the sciences taught by Hermes, t here were secrets whi ch he
communi cated to t he Ini ti ates only upon condit ion t hat they shoul d bi nd
t hemsel ves, by a terri bl e oat h, never t o divulge them, except to those
who, aIt er long trial, should be Iound worthy t o succeed them. The Ki ngs
even prohibi t ed t he revel at i on oI them on pain oI deat h. Thi s secret was
styled the Sacerdotal Art , and incl uded al chemy, astrol ogy, magnum
|magic|, the science oI spi ri ts, etc. He gave them t he key t o the
Hi eroglyphics oI all t hese secret sci ences, which were regarded as
sacred, and kept conceal ed i n the roost secret pl aces oI t he Temple.
The great secrecy observed by t he i ni ti ated Pri ests, Ior many years,
and t he l oIty sciences which t hey proIessed, caused them t o be honored
and respected throughout all Egypt , which was regarded by ot her nat i ons
as t he coll ege, t he sanct uary, oI the sciences and arts. The myst ery
which surrounded t hem strongly excit ed curi osi ty. Orpheus
metamorphosed
hi msel I, so to say, i nt o an Egypt ian. He was init iat ed i nt o. Theol ogy
and Physi cs. And he so compl etely made t he ideas and seasoni ngs oI hi s
t eachers hi s own, t hat hi s Hymns rather bespeak an Egyptian Pri est than
a Grecian Poet : and he was the Ii rst who carri ed int o Greece t he
Egypt ian Iables.
Pyt hagoras, ever t hirsty Ior learni ng, consent ed even t o be
ci rcumcised, i n order to become one oI t he Initi ates: and t he occult
sci ences were revealed to hi m i n the innermost part oI t he sanct uary.
The Init iat es in a part icular science, having been inst ructed by Iables,
enigmas, al legories, and hieroglyphics, wrot e myst eri ously whenever i n
t heir works t hey t ouched t he subject oI the Mysteries, and cont inued to
conceal sci ence under a veil oI Iict ions. When t he dest ructi on by
Cambyses oI many cit ies, and the ruin oI nearly al l Egypt, in the year
528 beIore our era, di spersed most oI t he Pri ests into Greece and
el sewhere, t hey bore wit h them t hei r sci ences, whi ch t hey cont i nued to
t each eni gmat ical ly, that is t o) say, ever enveloped in the obscuri ti es
oI Iabl es and hi eroglyphics ; t o the end that' the vul gar herd, seei ng,
might see not hi ng and hearing, might comprehend not hing. Al l the
writ ers drew Irom thi s source: but these Mysteries, concealed
under so many unexpl ai ned envel opes, ended in gi vi ng bi rth to a swarm oI
absurdit ies, whi ch, Irom Greece, spread over the whole eart h. In the
Grecian Mysteri es, as establi shed by Pythagoras, there
were t hree Degrees. A preparati on oI Iive years' absti nence and sil ence
was required. II t he candidate was Iound t o be passi onat e or
i ntemperate, content ious, or ambit ious oI worl dly honors and
dist inct ions, he was rejected.
In hi s lect ures, Pyt hagoras taught the mat hemat ics, as a medi um whereby
t o prove t he exist ence oI God Irom observat ion and by means oI reason ;
grammar, rhet ori c, and logi c, t o cult ivate and i mprove t hat reason,
arit hmet i c, because he concei ved t hat t he ult i mate beneIit oI man
consi st ed i n the science oI numbers, and geometry, musi c, and ast ronomy,
because he concei ved t hat man i s i ndebted to them Ior a knowledge oI
what is really good and useIul .
He taught the true method oI obtai ni ng a knowl edge oI the Divine laws
oI puriIying the soul Irom it s i mperIect ions, oI searching Ior t rut h,
and oI pract ici ng vi rtue; t hus i mit ati ng the perIecti ons oI God. He
t hought hi s syst em vain, i I it di d not contribute to expel vice and
i ntroduce virtue into t he mi nd. He taught that the t wo most excel lent
t hi ngs were, t o speak t he truth, and t o render beneIit s to one another.
parti cul arly he inculcated Si lence, Temperance, Forti tude, Prudence, and
Justi ce. He taught' the i mmort ali ty oI t he soul, t he Omni pot ence oI God,
and t he necessi ty oI personal holi ness t o qual i Iy a man Ior admi ssion
i nt o t he Soci ety oI t he Gods.
Thus we owe t he part icul ar mode oI i nst ruct ion in the Degree oI
Fell ow-CraIt to Pythagoras ; and t hat Degree is but an i mperIect
reproduct i on oI hi s lect ures. From hi m, t oo, we have many oI our
expl anat ions oI t he symbols. He arranged hi s assembli es due East and
West , because he hel d t hat Mot i on began in t he East and proceeded to the
West . Our Lodges are sai d t o be due East and West, because the Mast er
represents the ri sing Sun, and oI course must be in the East. The
pyramids, t oo, were buil t preci sely by t he Iour cardi nal points. And our
expressi on. t hat our Lodges extend upward t o the Heavens, comes Irom t he
Persi an and Drui di c cust om oI having to t heir Templ es no rooIs but the
sky.
Plat o devel oped and spi ri tuali zed. the phil osophy oI Pythagoras
Even Eusebi us t he Chri sti an admi t s, t hat he reached to the vest ibule oI
Trut h, and stood upon i t s threshol d. The Druidi cal ceremonies
undoubt edly came Irom Indi a; and the Drui ds were origi nally Buddhist s.
The word Drui d, li ke t he word Magi , signiIies wi se or learned men ; and
t hey were at once phi l osophers, magistrates, and , di vines.
There was a surpri sing uniIormi ty in the Temples, Pri ests, doct ri nes,
and worshi p oI the Persian Magi and Bri ti sh Drui ds. The Gods oI Brit ain
were t he same as t he Cabiri oI Samot hrace. Osi ri s and Isis appeared i n
t heir Mysteri es, under t he names oI Hu and Ceri dwen; and l ike those oI
t he pri mi ti ve Persians, t heir Templ es were encl osures oI huge unhewn
st ones, some oI which sti l l remai n, and are regarded by the common
peopl e wi th Iear and venerat ion. They were generally ei ther ci rcular or
oval. Some were in the shape oI a ci rcl e t o which a vast serpent was
at tached. The circle was an East ern symbol oI t he Universe, governed by
an Omni potent Dei ty whose center is everywhere, and hi s circumIerence
nowhere : and the egg was an universal symbol oI t he worl d. Some oI the
Temples were wi nged, and some i n the shape oI a cross; the winged ones
reIerri ng t o Kneph, t he winged Serpent-Deity oI Egypt ; whence t he name
oI Navestock, where one oI them st ood. Templ es i n the shape oI a cross
were al so Iound i n Ireland and Scot l and. The length oI one oI t hese vast
st ructures, i n the shape oI a serpent , was nearly t hree mi les. .
The grand periods Ior init iat ion i nt o the Druidi cal Mysteries, were
quart erly; at the equi noxes and solst ices. In t he remote t i mes when t hey
originat ed, these were the ti mes correspondi ng wi th t he 13th oI
February, 1st oI May, 19th oI August , and 1st oI November. The ti me oI
annual celebrat ion was May-Eve, and the ceremoni al preparat ions
commences at mi dni ght , on the 29t h oI Apri l . When the ini t iat ions were
over, on May-Eve, Ii res were kindled on all t he cai rns and croml echs i n
t he i sland, which burned al l night to introduce t he sport s oI May-day.
The Iesti val was in honor oI t he Sun. The init i at ions were perIormed at
midnight ; and t here were three Degrees.
The Got hic Mysteries were carri ed Nort hward Irom the East, by Odin ;
who, bei ng a great warrior, model ed and vari ed t hem to sui t hi s purposes
and t he genius oI hi s people. He placed over t heir cel ebrati on t wel ve
Hi erophants, who were ali ke Priest s, Counsel ors oI Stat e, and Judges
Irom whose decisi on there was no appeal . He hel d t he numbers three
and nine in pecul iar venerat ion, and was probably hi mselI t he Indian
Buddha. Every thri ce-t hree months, thrice-three vict i ms were sacri Ii ced
t o t he try-une God. The Goths had three great Iesti val s; the most
magniIicent oI whi ch commenced at t he winter sol stice, and was
celebrat ed in honor oI Thor, t he Prince oI the Power oI t he Ai r. That
being the longest night in the year, and throne aIt er which t he Sun
comes Nort hward, it was commemorati ve oI the Creati on ; and t hey termed
i t mot her-night , as t he one i n which the creat ion oI the worl d and l ight
Irom the pri mi t ive darkness t ook place. This was the Yule, Ji t ul , or
YeoI Ieast, which aIterward became Chri st mas. At this Ieast the
i ni t i ati ons were cel ebrated. Thor was the Sun, t he Egyptian Osi ri s and
Kneph, the Physi ci an Bel or Baal . The ini t iat ions were had i n
huge-i nt ri cate caverns, termi nat ing, as all the Mi thriac caverns di d, in
a spacious vault , where the candi dat e was brought to l ight .
Joseph was undoubtedly init iat ed. AIter he had interpreted Pharaoh' s
dream, t hat Monarch made hi m his Pri me Mi nist er, l et hi m ri de i n hi s
second chari ot , whi l e they procl ai med beIore hi m, ABRSCHI (*An Egyti an
word, meaning, "Bow down. ") and set hi m over the land oI Egypt . In
addit ion t o thi s, the Ki ng gave hid a new name, Tsapanat-Paanakh, and
marri ed hi m t o Asanat , daught er oI Pot ai Paring, a Pri est oI An or
Hi eropol i s, where was the Temple oI At hom-Re, t he Great God oI Egypt;
t hus complet ely nat ural izing hi m. He could not have cont racted t hi s
marri age, nor have exerci sed t hat hi gh dignity, wi thout bei ng Iirst
i ni t i ated in the Myst eri es. When hi s Bret hren came to Egypt the second
t i me, t he Egypti ans oI hi s court coul d not eat wi t h them, as that woul d
have been abominati on, t hough t hey ate wit h Joseph; who was thereIore
regarded not as a Iorei gner, but as one oI themselves: and when he sent
and brought hi s bret hren back, and charged t hem wi th taking hi s cup, he
sai d, "Know ye not t hat a man l i ke me pract ices divinati on?" thus
assuming t he Egypt ian oI high rank i ni tiated int o the Mysteries, sad as
such conversant wit h t he occul t sci ences.
So also must Moses have been ini ti ated Ior he was not only brought up
i n t he court oI the Ki ng, as the adopted son oI t he Ki ngly daughter,
unti l he was Iorty years oI age ; but he was inst ruct ed in al l t he
l earning oI the Egypt ians, and married aIter ward the daughter oI
Yet hru, a Pri est oI An l i kewise. St robo and Diodorus bot h assert that he
was hi mselI a Pri est oI Hel iopol is. BeIore he went i nt o t he Desert,
t here were inti mate rel at i ons bet ween hi m and the Pri esthood ; and he
had successIully commanded, Josephus i nIorms us, an army sent by t he
Ki ng agai nst the Ethiopi ans. Si mpl i ci us assert s that Moses recei ved Irom
t he Egyptians, i n t he Mysteries, the doct rines whi ch he taught to t he
Hebrews: and Clement oI Al exandria and Phi lo say t hat he was a
Theologi an and Prophet, and interpret er oI the Sacred Laws. Manetho,
ci ted by Josephus, says he was a Priest oI Hel iopol is, and that his true
and original (Egypti an) name was Asersaph or Osarsi ph.
And i n the insti tut ion oI the Hebrew Pri esthood, i n the powers and
pri vil eges, as well as t he i mmunit ies and sancti ty which he conIerred
upon them, he cl osely i mi t at ed t he Egypti an i nst it ut ions ; making publ i c
t he worship oI t hat Deity whom the Egypt ian Ini ti at es worshipped i n
pri vat e ; and st renuously endeavori ng to keep the people Irom rel apsing
i nt o t hei r old mi xture oI Chal daic and Egypt i an superst it i on and
i dol -worship, as they were ever ready and incli ned to do ; even Aharun,
upon their Iirst clamorous discontent , rest ori ng the worship oI Api s; as
an i mage oI whi ch Egypt ian God he made t he golden cal I.
The Egypti an Priest s taught in their great Myst eri es, t hat t here was
one God, Supreme and i napproachable, who had conceived t he Universe iy
Hi s Int ell igence, beIore He created it by Hi s Power and Wi l l. They were
no Mat eriali sts nor Pantheist s ; but t aught t hat Matt er was not eternal
or co-exi st ent wi t h the great First Cause, but creat ed by Hi m.
The early Chri st ians, t aught by t he Iounder oI t heir Rel igi on, but in
greater perIect ion, those pri mit ive trut hs that Irom the Egypti ans had
passed to t he Jews, and been preserved among the lat ter by the Essenes,
received al so t he i nsti t uti on oI t he Mysteri es ; adopti ng as thei r
object t he buil di ng oI the symbol ic Templ e, preservi ng t he old
Scri pt ures oI t he Jews as t heir sacred book, and as t he Iundamental law,
which Iurni shed the new vei l oI init iat ion wi th t he Hebraic words and
Iormul as, that , corrupted and disIigured by ti me and ignorance, appear
i n many oI our Degrees.
Such, my Brother, i s t he doctrine oI t he Iirst Degree oI t he Mysteries,
or t hat oI chieI oI t he Tabernacl e, t o whi ch you have now been
admit ted, and the moral lesson oI which is, devot ion t o t he servi ce oI
God, and disi nt erest ed zeal and constant endeavor Ior t he wel Iare oI
men. You have here recei ved only hints oI the true obj ects and purposes
oI t he Mysteries. HereaIter, iI you are permi tt ed to advance, you wi ll
arri ve at a more compl ete understandi ng oI t hem and oI t he subli me
doctri nes whi ch they teach. Be content, thereIore, wi t h that which you
have seen and heard, and awai t pati ent ly the advent oI the great er
l ight .
1871.
24 - Pri nce oI t he Tabernacle
XXIV. PRINCE OF THE TABERNACLE.
SYMBOLS were the al most universal language oI anci ent t heol ogy. They
were t he
most obvious method oI instruct ion ; Ior, l i ke nat ure herselI, t hey
addressed
t he understanding t hrough the eye ; and the most ancient expressions
denot ing
communi cati on oI rel igi ous knowledge, si gni Iy ocul ar exhi bi t i on. The Ii rst
t eachers oI mankind borrowed t hi s met hod oI inst ructi on ; and it
comprised an
endless st ore oI pregnant hieroglyphi cs. These lessons oI t he ol den t i me
were
t he riddles oI t he Sphynx, t empt i ng t he curi ous by thei r quai nt ness, but
i nvolvi ng the personal risk oI the advent urous i nterpreter. "The Gods
t hemsel ves, " i t was said, "discl ose t hei r int ent ions t o the wise, but t o
Iool s
t heir t eachi ng i s unint el ligibl e ;" and t he Ki ng oI the Del phi c Oracl e was
sai d
not to decl are, nor onthe ot her hand t o conceal; but emphati cally t o
"int i mate
or si gni Iy. "
The Ancient Sages, bot h barbarian and Greek, i nvolved t hei r meani ng in
si mi lar
i ndi rect ions and enigmas ; thei r lessons were conveyed eit her in vi sible
symbol s, or in t hose "parables and dark sayi ngs oI old, " which t he
Israel it es
consi dered it a sacred duty t o hand down unchanged to successive
generati ons.
The expl anat ory t okens employed by man, whet her embl emat ical object s
or
act ions, symbols or myst ic ceremoni es, were l ike the myst ic signs and
port ends
ei ther i n dreams or by t he wayside, supposed to he si gni Ii cant oI t he
i ntenti ons oI t he Gods ; both requi red the aid oI anxi ous thought and
skil lIul
i nterpretat ion. It was only by a conect appreciat ion oI analogous problems
oI
nature, that t he wi l l oI Heaven coul d be underst ood iy t he Di vi ner, or the
l essons oI Wi sdom become mani Iest to the Sage.
The Mysteries were a series oI symbol s ; and what was spoken there
consi st ed
whol ly oI accessory explanat ions oI the act or i mage ; sacred
commentaries,
expl anat ory oI establi shed symbols; wi th l i t tl e oI t hose independent
t radi t ions
embodying physical or moral speculat i on, in whi ch the el ements or pl anets
were
t he Sage. act ors, and t he creati on and revoluti ons oI t he worl d were
i ntermi ngl ed wi t h recol lect ions oI ancient event s: and yet wi th so much oI
t hat
al so, that nature became her own exposi t or through the medi um oI an
arbit rary
symbol ical i nst ruct ion; and the anci ent vi ews oI t he relat ion between the
human
and divi ne received dramatic Iorms.
There has ever been an i nt i mat e al l i ance between the two syst ems, the
symbol ic
and t he phil osophi cal, in t he al legories oI the monument s oI al l ages, i n
t he
symbol ic writ ings oI the priest s oI al l nati ons, i n t he ri tual s oI al l secret
and mysterious soci eti es; there has been a const ant series, an i nvariable
uniIormi ty oI pri nciples, whi ch come Irom an aggregat e, vast i mposi ng,
and
t rue, composed oI part s t hat Ii t harmoni ously only t here.
Symbol ical i nstruct ion i s recommended by the const ant and' uniIorm usage
oI
anti qui ty, - and it has retai ned it s i nIluence throughout all ages, as a
syst em
oI mysteri ous communi cati on. The Dei ty, i n hi s revel ati ons to man,
adopt ed t he
use oI mat eri al i mages Ior the purpose oI enIorcing subl i me t ruths; and
Chri st
t aught by symbol s and parables. The myst eri ous knowledge oI t he Drui ds
was
embodied in signs and symbol s. Tal iesi n, descri bi ng his init iat i on, says :
"The
secret s were i mparted t o me by the ol d Giantess (Ceri dwen, or Isi s),
wi thout
t he use oI audi ble l anguage." And again he says, "I am a silent proIicient"
Ini ti ati on was , a school, in which were taught the trut hs oI pri mi ti ve
revelat ion, the existence and att ributes oI one God, t he i mmortal ity oI t he
Soul, rewards and puni shment s in a Iut ure li Ie, t he phenomena oI Nature,
t he
arts, the sciences, moral ity, regul ati on, phil osophy, and phi lant hropy, and
what we now style psychol ogy and metaphysi cs, wit h ani mal magnet ism,
and t he
other occult sciences.
Al l the ideas oI t he Pri ests oI Hi ndustan, Persia, Syria, Arabi a, Chal daea,
Phoenici a, were known t o t he Egypti an Priests. The rat ional Indian
phil osophy,
aIter penetrat i ng Persi a and Chaldaea, gave birth to t he Egyptian
Myst eri es. We
Iind t hat the use oI Hieroglyphics was preceded i n Egypt by t hat oI t he
easily
understood symbol s and Iigures, Irom t he mi neral , ani mal , and vegetable
kingdoms, used by the Indi ans, Persians, and Chaldans t o express their
t hought s; and t hi s pri mi t ive phil osophy was the basi s oI t he modern
phil osophy
oI Pyt hagoras and Plat o. - Al l the phil osophers and legi sl ators that made
Anti qui ty il lustri ous, were pupil s oI t he i ni tiati on; and al l the beneIicent
modi Ii cati ons in t he reli gions oI t he diIIerent peopl e inst ructed by t hem
were
owing to t heir i nst it uti on and extensi on oI t he Myst eri es In t he chaos oI
popular supersti ti ons, t hose Mysteri es al one kept man Irom lapsi ng int o
absol ute bruti shness. Zoroaster and ConIuci us drew t hei r doct ri nes Irom
t he
Myst eri es. Cl ement oI Al exandria, speaki ng oI the Great Myst eri es, says :
"Here
ends all i nst ructi on. Nat ure and all thi ngs are seen and known
moral t ruths al one been t aught t he Initi ate, t he Myst eri es could never have
deserved nor received t he magniIicent eul ogiums oI t he most enli ghtened
al ien
oI Anti qui ty, -oI Pindar, Pl utarch, Isocrates, Diodorus, Pl ato, Euri pides,
Socrates, Ari stophanes, Cicero, Epict etus, Marcus Aureli us, and ot hers
; -phil osophers hosti l e to the Sacerdotal Spiri t, or hi stori ans devot ed t o the
i nvest igat ion oI Truth. No : all t he sci ences were taught there ; and t hose
oral on writ ten tradi ti ons brieIly communi cated, which reached back t o t he
Iirst age oI t he worl d.
Socrates sai d, in t he Phaedo oI Plato: "It wel l appears that those who
est abl i shed the Mysteries, or secret assembli es oI t he ini t iated, were no
contempt ibl e personages, but men oI great geni us, who i n t he early ages
st rove
t o t each us, under eni gmas, that he who shall go to the invi sibl e regions
wi thout being punIi ed, wi l l be preci pit ated i nt o t he abyss ; whi le he who
arri ves t here, purged oI t he st ains oI t hi s world, and accompl ished i n
virtue,
wi ll be admit ted to t he dwell i ng-pl ace oI t he Dei ty . The j ni tiated are
certai n
t o at tai n the company oI the Gods."
Pret ext at us, Proconsul oI Achaia, a man endowed wi th al l t he virt ues,
sai d, in
t he 4th cent ury, that to depri ve t he Greeks oI those Sacred Mysteries
which
bound t oget her t he whole human race, woul d make l iIe i nsupportable.
Ini ti ati on was considered to be a myst i cal deat h ; a descent i nto t he
i nIernal
regions, where every poll uti on, and t he st ains and i mperIect ion' s oI a
corrupt
and evi l li Ie were purged away by Ii re and water ; and the perIect Epopt
was
t hen sai d to be regenerated, new-born, restored to a renovated exi stence oI
l iIe, l ight, and puri ty; and pl aced under t he Divi ne Protecti on.
A new language was adapted t o t hese cel ebrati ons, and also a l anguage oI
hieroglyphi cs, unknown to any but t hose who had recei ved t he highest
Degree.
And t o them ult i mately were conIi ned the learning, t he moral i ty, and the
poli t ical power, oI every peopl e among whi ch t he Mysteri es were
pract iced. So
eIIect ual ly was the knowl edge oI t he hi eroglyphics oI t he highest Degree
hidden
Irom all but a Iavored Iew, that i n process oI t i me their meaning was
entirely
l ost , and none coul d i nterpret them. II t he same hieroglyphics were
employed in
t he higher as in the lower Degrees, t hey had a di IIerent and more abstruse
and
Iigurat ive meani ng. It was pretended, in lat er ti mes, that the sacred
hieroglyphi cs and language were the same that were used by the Celestial
Dei ti es. Everyt hi ng t hat coul d heighten the mystery oI i ni ti at i on was
added, unt il t he very name oI t he ceremony possessed a st range charm, and
yet
conjured up the wi ldest Iears. ache greatest rapture came to be expressed
by
t he word t hat signi Iied to pass t hrough t he Myst eries.
The Priest hood possessed one t hi rd oI Egypt . They gai ned much oI t heir
i nIl uence by means oI the Myst eries, and spared no means t o i mpress the
peopl e
wi th a Iul l sense oI t heir i mportance. They represent ed t hem as t he
begi nning
oI a new l iIe oI reason and vi rt ue : t he i ni ti ated, or esoteric companions
were
sai d t o entertai n t he most agreeabl e anti ci pat i ons respect ing deat h and
et ernity, to comprehend al l t he hidden myst eri es oI Nat ure, t o have t hei r
souls
restored to the origi nal perIect i on Irom which man had Iall en ; and at their
deat h to be borne t o t he cel est i al mansi ons oI t he Gods. The doctrines oI a
Iut ure stat e oI rewards and punishment s Iormed a promi nent Ieat ure in the
Myst eri es; and t hey were also bel i eved to assure much t emporal happi ness
and
good Iortune, and aIIord absolute securi ty against t he most i mmi nent
dangers by
l and and sea. Publ i c odi um was cast oI t hose who reIused to be i nit iated.
They
were considered proIane, unworthy oI publ i c empl oyment or pri vate
conIi dence;
and hel d to be doomed to et ernal punishment as i mpious. To betray t he
secret s
oI t he Mysteries, t o wear on the stage t he dress oI an Init iate, or t o hol d
t he
Myst eri es up do deri si on, was t o incur death at the hands oI publ ic
vengeance.
It is cert ai n that up t o the ti me oI Cicero, the Mysteries sti ll retai ned much
oI t hei r origi nal charact er oI sancti ty and puri ty. And at a l ater day, as we
know, Nero, aIter commi tt ing a horri ble cri me, di d not dare, even i n
Greece, t o
ai d i n the celebrati on oI t he Myst eri es ; nor at a st il l lat er day was
Constanti ne, the Chri st i an Emperor, al lowed t o do so, aIter hi s murder oI
his
relat i ves.
Everywhere, and i n all their Iorms, the Mysteries were Iunereal ;
and cel ebrat ed t he myst ical deat h and restorat ion t o l iIe oI some di vine or
heroi c personage : and the det ai ls oI the legend and t he mode oI t he deat h
varied i n t he di IIerent Count ri es where t he Mysteries were practi ced.
heir explanati on bel ongs bot h t o ast ronomy and myt hol ogy, and t he
Legend oI
t he Mast er' s Degree i s but anot her Iorm oI t hat oI t he Myst eri es, reachi ng
back, i n one shape or other, t o the remotest anti qui ty.
Whether Egypt ori ginated the legend, or borrowed it Irom India or
Chal dea, it
i s now i mpossible t o know. But the Hebrews received t he Myst eri es Irom
t he
Egypt ians; and oI course were Iamil iar wi t h t heir l egend, -known as i t was
t o
t hose Egypti an Init iates, Joseph and Moses. It was t he Iabl e (or rat her the
t ruth clothed i n al legory and Iigures) oI Osi ri s, the Sun, Source oI Light
and
Princi pl e oI good, and Typhon, the Pri nci pl e oI Darkness, and Evil . In al l
t he
hist ori es oI t he Gods and Heroes lay couched and hi dden astronomi cal
detai ls
and t he hist ory oI t he operat ions oI visi bl e Nat ure; and t hose in their t urn
were al so symbol s oI higher and proIounder t rut hs. None but rude
uncul ti vated
i ntell ects could l ong consi der the Sun and St ars and the Powers oI Nature
as
Di vi ne, or as Iit obj ect s oI Human Worshi p; and they wi ll consider t hem
so
whil e t he worl d l asts ; and ever. remai n ignorant oI the great Spiri tual
Trut hs
oI which t hese are the hi eroglyphics and expressions.
A bri eI summary oI the Egypt ian legend wi ll serve t o show the leadi ng
i dea on
which the Mysteries among t he Hebrews were based. Osiris, said to have
been an
anci ent Ki ng oI Egypt, was t he Sun; and Isi s, his wi Ie, t he Moon: and his
hist ory recount s, i n poet i cal and Ii gurati ve styl e, t he annual j ourney oI the
Great Lumi nary oI Heaven t hrough t he diIIerent Signs oI the Zodiac. In
t he
absence oI Osi ri s, Typhon, his brother, Iil led wi th envy and mal ice, sought
t o
usurp hi s t hrone ; but hi s pl ans were Irustrated by Isi s. Then he resolved
t o
kil l Osiris. This he did, . by persuadi ng hi m to enter a coIIi n or
sarcophagus,
which he t hen Il ung into t he Ni l e. Alt er a Long search, Isis Iound the
body,
and concealed it i n t he dept hs oI a Iorest ; but Typhon, Iindi ng i t there, cut
i t i nto Iourt een pieces, and scat tered them hit her and thit her. AIt er t edi ous
search, Isi s Iound t hirteen pieces, t he Ii shes havi ng oat en t he ot her (the
pri vat es), which she repl aced oI wood, and buried the body at Phi lae;
where a
t empl e oI surpassing magni Ii cence was erected i n honor oI Osiri s.
Isis, ai ded by her son Orus, Horus or Har-oeri, warred against Typhon,
sl ew
hi m, reigned gl oriously, and at her death was reuni ted to her husband, in
t he
same tomb. Typhon was represented as born oI t he eart h ; t he upper part oI
his
body covered wit h Ieathers, in stat ure reaching the clouds, hi s arms and
l egs
covered wi th scales, serpent s dart ing Irom hi m on every si de, and Iire
Ilashing
Irom hi s mouth. Horus, who ai ded in slaying hi m, became the God oI t he
Sun,
answeri ng t o t he Grecian Apoll o; and Typhon i s but t he anagram oI
Pyt hon, t he
great serpent sl ain by Apol lo.
The word Typhon, li ke Eve, signi Iies a serpent, and li Ie. By i ts Iorm the
serpent symbol i zes li Ie, which circulates t hrough all nat ure. When, t oward
t he
end oI autumn, t he Woman (Vi rgo), in t he constel lat ions seems (upon t he
Chal dean sphere) to crush wit h her heel the head oI the serpent, t his Ii gure
Ioret el ls t he comi ng oI winter, during which li Ie seems t o reti re Irom all
beings, and no longer to circul ate through nat ure. This is why Typhon
signiIies
al so a serpent, the symbol oI wi nt er, which, i n t he Cathol i c Temples, i s
represented surrounding t he Terrestrial Gl obe, which surmount s the
heavenly
cross, embl em oI redempt ion. II the word Typhon i s derived Irom Tupoul )
i t
signiIies a tree which produces apples (mal a) evil s), t he Jewi sh origi n oI
t he
Iall oI man: Typhon means also one who supplants, and signi Iies t he
human
passi ons, which expel Irom our heart s the lessons oI wisdom. In t he
Egypt ian
Fable, Isis wrot e t he sacred word Ior the instruct ion oI men, and Typhon
eIIaced it as Iast as she wrot e i t. In morals, hi s name signiIi es Pride,
Ignorance and Falsehood.
When Isi s Ii rst Iound the body, where i t had Il oated ashore near Byblos, a
shrub oI Erica or t amarisk near i t had, by the virt ue oI t he body, shot up
i nt o
a tree around it , and protect ed i t; and hence our sprig oI acaci a. Isi s was
al so ai ded in her search by Anubis, in the shape oI a dog. He was Siri us or
t he
Dog-St ar, the Iri end and counsel or oI Osi ri s, and the invent or sI language,
grammar, ast ronomy, surveying, ari thmet ic, musi c, and medi cal science;
t he
Iirst maker oI l aws; and who taught the worshi p oI the Gods, and t he
buil di ng
oI Templ es.
In t he Mysteries, the nai li ng up oI the body oI Osiri s i n the chest or ark
was
t ermed t he aphani sm) or disappearance |oI the Sun at the Wi nt er Sol st ice,
below
t he Tropic oI Capricorn|, and t he recovery oI t he di IIerent part s oI hi s
body
by Isis, the Euresi s, or Ii nding. The candi date went through a ceremony
representi ng t hi s, i n all the Mysteries everywhere. The mai n Iacts in the
Iable
were t he same in al l count ri es; and the promi nent Deit ies were everywhere
a
male and a Iemale.
In Egypt they were Osiris and Isi s: i n Indi a, Mahadeva and Bhavani : in
Phoenici a, Thammuz (or Adoni s) and Ast art e: in Phrygia, Atys and Cybele:
i n
Persi a, Mi thras and Asi s: in Samot hrace and Greece, Dionysus or Sabazeus
and
Rhea: i n Brit ain, Hu and Ceri dwen : and i n Scandinavia, Woden and Frea:
and i n
every i nst ance t hese Di vi ni ti es represent ed the Sun and t he Moon.
The myst eri es oI Osiri s, Isi s, and Horus, seem to have been t he model oI
al l
other ceremonies oI init iat ion subsequently establ i shed among t he
diIIerent
peopl es oI t he worl d. Those oI Atys and Cybele, celebrat ed i n Phrygi a;
t hose oI
Ceres and Proserpi ne, at El eusi s and many ot her pl aces in Greece, were
but
copies oI them. This we l earn Irom Plut arch, Di odorus Siculus, Lact ant ius,
and
other writ ers; and i n t he absence oI direct testi mony should necessari ly
i nIer
i t Irom the si mi l arity oI t he advent ures oI t hese Dei ti es ; Ior the ancients
held that t he Ceres oI he Greeks was the same as the Isis oI t he Egypti ans;
and
Di onusos or Bacchus as Osi ri s.
In t he legend oI Osi ri s and Isis, as gi ven by Pl utarch, are many det ail s and
ci rcumstances ot her than t hose that we have brieIly ment ioned; and al l oI
which
we need not repeat here. Osiri s marri ed his sister Isi s ; and labored
publ icly
wi th her t o ameli orate he l ot oI men. He taught them agricul t ure, whil e
Isis
i nvented laws. He bui lt templ es t o t he Gods, and establ ished t hei r
worship.
Bot h were t he pat rons oI art ist s and t heir useIul i nventi ons: and .
i ntroduced
t he use oI i ron Ior deIensive weapons and i mplements oI agri cul ture, and
oI
gold to adorn the templ es oI t he Gods. He went Iorth wi th an army to
conquer
men t o civi li zat ion, teachi ng he people whom he overcame to pl ant t he
vine and
sow grai n Ior Iood.
Typhon, his brother, slew hi m when the sun was i n t he si gn oI e Scorpion,
t hat
i s t o say, at t he Aut umnal Equi nox. They had been ri val clai mant s, says
Synesi us, Ior the throne oI Egypt , as Light and Darkness cont end ever Ior
t he
empire oI the worl d. Plutarch adds, that at t he t i me when Osi ri s was sl ain,
t he
moon was at i ts Iul l ; and t hereIore i t was in t he si gn opposi t e the
Scorpi on,
t hat is, t he Bul l, the sign oI t he Vernal Equi nox.
Plutarch assures us that it was t o represent these event s and det ai l s t hat
Isis establ i shed t he Myst eri es, in whi ch t hey were reproduced by i mages,
symbol s, and a rel igi ous ceremoni al, whereby they were i mit ated : and in
which
l essons oI piety were given, and consolat i ons under t he misIortunes t hat
aIIl ict us here bel ow. Those who i nst i t uted t hese Myst eri es meant to
st rengt hen
reli gion and console men in t heir sorrows by t he l oIty hopes Iound i n a
reli gious Iai t h, whose pri nci pl es were represent ed t o them covered by a
pompous
ceremonial , and under t he sacred veil oI al legory.
Di odorus speaks oI the Iamous col umns erected near Nysa, in Arabi a,
where, it
was sai d, were two oI t he tombs oI Osiris and Isi s. On one was t hi s
i nscript i on: "I am Isis, Queen oI t hi s count ry. I was inst ructed by Mercury.
No
one can destroy the laws whi ch I have est abli shed. I am t he el dest
daughter oI
Saturn, most anci ent oI t he Gods. I am t he wi Ie and sist er oI Osiri s the
Ki ng.
I Iirst made known tomortal s t he use oI wheat . I am t he mot her oI Orus the
Ki ng. In my honor was the city oI Bubaste bui l t . Rejoi ce, O Egypt , rejoice,
l and that gave me birt h!" . . . And on t he other was thi s: "I am Osiri s the
Ki ng,
who l ed my armi es i nt o al l part s oI t he world, t o t he most t hickly
i nhabit ed
count ri es oI India, the North, t he Danube, and t he Ocean. I am t he el dest
son
oI Sat urn : I was born oI the bril liant and magni Ii cent egg, and my
substance
i s oI t he same nat ure as t hat whi ch composes li ght . There i s no place i n
t he
Universe where I have not appeared, to best ow my beneIi t s and make
known my
discoveries. " The rest was i l legi ble.
To aid her i n t he search Ior t he body oI Osiri s, and t o nurse her inIant
chil d
Horus, Isis sought out and took wi t h her Anubi s, son oI Osiris, and hi s
si ster
Nephte. He, as we have sai d, was Siri us, t he brightest st ar in the Heavens.
AIter Iinding hi m, she went to Byblos, and seated hersel I near a Iountai n;
where she had learned that t he sacred chest had st opped which contai ned
t he
body oI Osiri s. There she sat , sad and si lent, shedding a torrent oI t ears.
Thi ther came t he women oI t he C6urt oI Queen Ast art e, and she spoke t o
t hem,
and dressed t hei r hei r, pouring upon i t deli ci ously perIumed ambrosia.
Thi s
known t o t he Queen, Isis was engaged as nurse Ior her chil d, in t he palace,
one
oI t he columns oI which was made oI t he Erica or tamari sk, that had
grown up
over the chest cont ai ning Osiri s, cut down by the King, and unknown to
hi m,
st il l enclosing the chest: whi ch col umn Isi s aIt erward demanded, and Irom
i t
extracted the chest and t he body, whi ch, the lat ter wrapped in t hin drapery
and
perIumed, she carried away wit h her.
Bl ue Masonry, ignorant oI it s i mport , st il l ret ai ns among i ts embl ems one
oI a
woman weepi ng over a broken col umn, holdi ng in her hand a branch oI
acacia,
myrt le, or t amarisk, whi l e Ti me, we are t ol d, st ands behind her combi ng
out the
ringlet s oI her hai r. We need not repeat t he vapi d and t ri vial expl anat ion
t here given, oI this representat i on oI Isis, weeping at Byblos, over the
column
t orn Irom the palace oI the li vi ng, that contained t he body oI Osiri s, while
Horus, t he God oI Ti me, pours ambrosi a on her hai r.
Nothing oI this reci tal was histori cal; but the whole was an al legory or
sacred Iable, contai ni ng a meani ng known only to those who were i ni ti ated
i nt o
t he Myst eri es. Al l the incidents were ast ronomical , wi t h a meani ng st il l
deeper
lying behind t hat explanati on, and so hidden by a double vei l. The
Myst eri es in
which these incidents were represented and explai ned, were l ike those oI
Eleusis in their object , oI which Pausani as, who was init iated, says that
t he
Greeks, Irom the remot est ant iquity, regarded them as the best calculat ed
oI
al l thi ngs to lead ment al pi ety : and Arist ot le says they were the most
valuable oI all rel igi ous inst i ll ati ons, and t hus were cal led mysteries par
excel l ence; and the Temple oI Eleusi s was regarded as, in some sort, t he
common
sanct uary oI t he whol e earth, where reli gion had brought together al l that
was
most i mposi ng and most august.
The obj ect oI all t he Myst eri es was t o i nspire men wi th pi ety, and to
consol e
t hem in t he miseries oI li Ie. That consolat ion, so aIIorded, was the hope oI
a
happi er Iut ure, and oI pasti ng, aIt er death, t o a stat e oI et ernal Ieli city.
Ci cero says t hat the Ini ti ates not only received l essons which made l iIe
more
agreeable, but drew Irom the ceremonies happy hopes Ior the moment oI
deat h.
Socrates says that t hose who were so Iort unat e as to be admi tt ed to the
Myst eri es, possessed, when dyi ng, the most glorious hopes Ior eterni ty.
Arist ides says t hat they not only procure the Init iat es consolat ions i n the
present l iIe, and means oI deli verance Irom t he great weight oI thei r evil s,
but also the precious advantage oI passing aIter deat h t o a happi er st at e.
Isis was t he Goddess oI Sai s; and the Iamous Feast oI Lights was
celebrat ed
t here in her honor. There were celebrat ed t he Mysteries, in whi ch were
represented the deat h and subsequent restorat ion t o li Ie oI the God Osiri s,
i n
a secret ceremony and scenic representat ion oI hi s suIIerings, cal led the
Myst eri es oI Night .
The Kings oI Egypt oIten exerci sed t he Iunct i ons oI the Priest hood; and
t hey
were i nit i at ed i nto the sacred science as soon as t hey at tained the t hrone.
So
at Athens, the First Magistrat e, or Archon-Ki ng, superintended t he
Myst eri es. '
Thi s was an i mage oI t he uni on that exist ed between t he Priesthood and
Royal ty,
i n t hose early t i mes when legislat ors and ki ngs sought i n reli gion a pot ent
poli t ical inst rument.
Herodotus says, speaki ng oI t he reasons why ani mals were dei Iied i n
Egypt : "II
I were t o expl ain t hese reasons, I should be l ed to the di sclosure oI those
holy mat ters which I part i cularly wi sh t o avoi d, and which, but Irom
necessi ty,
I shoul d not leave di scussed at al l. " So he says, "The Egypti ans have at
Sais
t he t omb oI a cert ain personage, whom I do not t hink mysel I permi t ted to
speci Iy. It i s behind t he Templ e oI Mi nerva." |The l att er, so call ed by t he
Greeks, was real ly Isis, whose was t he oIt en-ci ted enigmat ical i nscri pt ion,
"I
am what was and i s and i s t o come. No mort al hat h yet unvei led me. "| So
agai n
he says: "Upon t hi s lake are represent ed by night t he acci dent s which
happened
t o hi m whom I dare not name. The Egyptians cal l t hem t heir Myst eri es.
Concerning these, at t he same ti me that I conIess mysel I suIIi cient ly
i nIormed,
I Ieel mysel I compel led t o be sil ent . OI the ceremonies also i n honor oI
Ceres
I may not vent ure t o speak, Iurt her t han the obli gati ons oI rel igi on wi ll
al low
me. "
It is easy to see what was the great object oI i ni ti ati on and the Mysteries ;
whose Ii rst and greatest Iruit was, as all t he ancient s test i Iy, to civi l ize
savage hordes, to soIten their Ieroci ous manners, to i ntroduce among them
soci al intercourse, and l ead t hem int o a way oI li Ie more worthy oI men.
Ci cero
consi ders t he est abl ishment oI t he EIeusi ii ian Mysteries to be t he greatest
oI
al l the beneIit s conIerred by At hens on ot her commonwealt hs ; t heir
eIIect s
381 havi ng been, he says, to ci vil ize men, soIten t heir savage and
Ierocious
manners, ànd teach them t he t rue principles oI morals, whi ch ini ti ate man
i nt o
t he only ki nd oI l iIe worthy oI hi m. The same phi losophic orat or, in a
passage
where he apostrophi zes Ceres and Proserpi ne, says that manki nd owes
t hese
Goddesses t he Iirst element s oI moral l iIe, as well as t he Iirst means oI
sust enance oI physical li Ie ; knowledge oI the laws, regul at i on oI moral s,
and
t hose examples oI ci vil izati on whi ch have i mproved t he manners oI men
and
ci ti es.
Bacchus in Euripi des says to Pentheus, that hi s new i nsti tuti on (the
Di onysian
Myst eri es) deserved t o be known, and that one oI it s great advant ages was,
t hat
i t prescri bed al l i mpurity : t hat these were the Mysteries oI Wi sdom, oI
which
i t woul d be i mprudent to speak to persons not i ni ti at ed : that t hey were
est abl i shed among t he Barbari ans, who in t hat showed great er wisdom
t han the
Greeks, who had not yet received t hem.
Thi s doubl e object , pol i t ical and rel igi ous, -one t eachi ng our duty t o men,
and
t he other what we owe to the Gods; or rat her, respect Ior the Gods
calculat ed
t o maintai n t hat which we owe the laws, i s Iound i n t hat wel l-known verse
oI
Virgi l , borrowed by hi m Irom the ceremonies oI i nit i at i on : "Teach me to
respect Just ice and the Gods. " This great lesson, which the Hi erophant
i mpressed on the Init iat es, aIter t hey had wit nessed a represent at i on oI the
InIernal regions, the Poet places aIter his descri pti on oI t he diIIerent
puni shment s suIIered by t he wi cked in Tartarus, and i mmedi ately aIter the
descripti on oI t hat oI Sisyphus.
Pausani as, li kewise, at the cl ose oI t he representat ion oI the punishment s
oI
Sisyphus and the daughters oI Danaus, in the Temple at Del phi, makes this
reIl ecti on ; that t he cri me or i mpi ety whi ch in t hem had chieIly meri t ed
t hi s
puni shment , was t he contempt whi ch they had shown Ior t he Myst eri es oI
Eleusis.
From t hi s reIlect ion oI Pausanias, who was an Ini tiate, it i s easy t o see
t hat
t he Priests oI Eleusi s, who taught the dogma oI puni shment in Tartarus,
i ncl uded among t he great cri mes deservi ng t hese puni shments, contempt
Ior and
disregard oI the Holy Mysteri es; whose obj ect was to l ead men t o piety,
and
t hereby t o respect Ior just ice and the laws, chi eI obj ect oI their i nsti tuti on,
i I not t he only one, and t o Ivhich the needs and int erest oI reli gion i tsel I
were subordinate; si nce t he l at t er was but a means to lead more surely t o
t he
Ioyer ; Ior the whole Iorce oI religious opinions bei ng in the hands oI t he
l egislators t o be wi elded, t hey were sure oI bei ng bet ter obeyed.
The Mysteries were not merely si mple il l ustrati ons and the observat ion oI
some
arbit rary Iormulas and ceremonies ; nor a means oI reminding men oI t he
anci ent
condi ti on oI the race prior t o ci vi li zat ion: but t hey led men to pi ety by
i nstruct i on i n morals and as to a Iut ure li Ie; which at a very early day, i I
not origi nally, Iormed the chi eI porti on oI t he ceremoni al .
Symbol s were used in t he ceremonies, whi ch reIerred to agricul ture, as
Masonry
has preserved the ear oI wheat i n a symbol and in one oI her words; but
t heir
pri nci pal reIerence was to astronomi cal phenomena. Much was no doubt
sai d as to
t he condi ti on oI brut ali ty and degradati on in whi ch man was sunk beIore
t he
i nst it ut ion oI t he Myst eri es ; but the al l usi on was rat her met aphysical , t o
t he
i gnorance oI the uni ni ti ated, t han to the wi ld li Ie oI the earliest men.
The great obj ect oI the Mysteries oI Isis, and in general oI all the
Myst eri es, was a great and truly pol it ic one. It was to amel iorat e our race,
t o
perIect , it s manners and moral s, and t o restrai n soci ety by st ronger bonds
t han
t hose that human l aws i mpose. They were the invent ion oI that ancient
sci ence
and wi sdom which exhausted al l it s resources to make legi slat i on perIect ;
and
oI t hat phi l osophy which has ever sought to secure the happiness oI man,
by
puri Iying hi s soul Irom the passions which can trouble i t, and asi a
necessary
consequence introduce soci al disorder. And t hat they were the work oI
geni us is
evident Irom thei r employment oI all the sciences, a proIound knowledge
oI t he
human heart, and the means oI subdui ng it .
It is a sti ll greater mi stake t o i magi ne t hat they were t he i nvent i ons oI
charlat ani sm, and means oI decepti on. They may in the lapse oI ti me have
degenerated i nt o i mposture and school s oI Ialse ideas; but they were not
so at
t he beginning; or else t he wisest and best men oI ant iqui ty have utt ered
t oe
most wi ll Iul Ial sehoods. In process 0I t i me the very al legories oI the
Myst eri es themsel ves, Tantal us and it s punishment s, Minos and the ot her
j udges
oI t he dead. came t o be misunderst ood, and to be Ial se because t hey were
so;
whil e at Ii rst t hey were t rue, because t hey were recogni zed as merely the
arbit rary Iorms in whi ch truths were enveloped.
The obj ect oI the Mysteries was to procure Ior man a real Iel ici ty on eart h
by
t he means oI virt ue; and to that end he was t aught t hat hi s soul was
i mmortal ;
and t hat error, sin, and vice must needs, by an i nIlexible law, produce
t heir
consequences. The rude representat ions oI physical t orture i n Tantal us was
but
an i mage oI , the cert ain, unavoidable, et ernal consequences that Il ow by
t he
l aw oI God' s enact ment Irom t he si n commi t ted and the vi ce i ndulged in.
The
poets and myst agogues l abored t o propagat e these doctri nes oI the soul' s
i mmortal i ty and t he certai n puni shment oI sin and vi ce, and t o accredi t
t hem
wi th t he peopl e, by teaching them the Iormer i n t hei r poems, and the lat ter
i n
t he sanctuaries; and t hey cl ot hed them wi th t he charms, t he one oI poetry,
and
t he other oI spectacles and magi c il lusions.
They pai nted, ai ded by all the resources oI art , the virt uous man' s happy
l iI.e aIt er deat h, and the horrors oI t he Iright Iul pri sons desti ned to puni sh
t he vici ous. In t he shades oI t he sanct uaries, t hese del ights and horrors
were
exhi bi ted as spectacles, and the Init iat es wi t nessed rel igi ous dramas,
under
t he name oI ini ti ati on and mysteries. Curiosity was excit ed by secrecy, by
t ie
diIIi cul ty experi enced in obt aining admissi on, and by t he test s to be
undergone. The candi date was amused by t he vari ety oI the scenery, the
pomp oI
t he decorat ions, the appl iances oI machinery. Respect was i nspired by the
gravity and dignity oI t he act ors and the maj esty oI t he ceremonial ; and
Iear
and hope, sadness and delight, were i n t urns excit ed.
The Hierophants, men oI i nt ell ect, and well understanding the di sposi t ion
oI
t he peopl e and t he art oI cont roll ing them, used every appli ance t o at tai n
t hat
object , and give i mportance and i mpressi veness to their ceremoni es. As
t hey
covered those ceremonies wi t h t he veil oI Secrecy, so t hey preIerred that
Ni ght
, should cover t hem wi th it s wi ngs. Obscuri ty adds t o i mpressi veness, and
assi sts i ll usi on; and t hey used i t to produce an eIIect upon t he ast oni shed
Ini ti ate. The ceremonies were conducted in caverns di mly li ght ed : t hi ck
groves
were pl ant ed around the Templ es, to produce that gloom that i mpresses t he
mind
wi th a reli gious awe.
The very word mystery, according to Demet ri us Phalereus, was a
metaphorical
expressi on t hat denot ed the secret awe which darkness and gloom inspired.
The
night was al most always t he t i me Ii xed Ior their celebrat ion ; and they
were
ordi narily t ermed noct urnal ceremonies. Ini t i ati ons into the Mysteries oI
Samothrace t ookplace at night ; as di d t hose oI Isis, oI whi ch Apulei us
speaks.
Euripides makes Bacchus say, that his Myst eri es were celebrated at ni ght ,
because there is i n night somet hi ng august and i mposi ng. Not hing excit es
men' s
curi osity so much as Mystery, conceal i ng t hings whi ch t hey desi re t o know
: and
nothing so much increases curi osity as obst acles t hat i nterpose to prevent
t hem
Irown i ndulgi ng in the grat iIicat ion oI thei r desires. OI thi s t he
Legi slat ors
and Hi erophants t ook advant age, t o at t ract the people t o thei r sanct uari es,
and
t o i nduce t hem to seek to obt ai n lessons Irom which t hey woul d perhaps
have
t urned away wi th indi IIerence, i I they had been pressed upon them. In this
spirit oI mystery t hey proIessed to i mit at e the Deity who hides Hi msel I
Irom
our senses, and conceals Irom us t he spri ngs by which He moves the
Universe.
They admi tt ed that t hey concealed t he highest t ruths under the veil oI
al legory, t he more t o excit e t he curi osi ty oI men, and t o urge t hem t o
i nvest igat ion. The secrecy in which they buried t heir Mysteri es, had t hat
end.
Those to whom they were conIi ded, bound themselves, by t he most IearIul
oaths,
never to reveal `them. They were not all owed even to speak oI these
i mport ant
secret s wi th any ot hers than t he i ni ti ated ; and the penal ty oI deat h was
pronounced agai nst any one i ndi screet enough to reveal them, or Iound in
t he
Temple wit hout bei ng an Init iat e; and any one who had betrayed t hose
secret s,
was avoi ded by al l, as excommunicat ed.
Arist ot l e was accused oI i mpiety, by t he Hierophant Eurymendon, Ior
having
sacriIiced to the manes oI his wiIe, accordi ng t o the ri te used i n the
worship
oI Ceres. He was compel led t o Ilee to Chalcis ; and t o purge hi s memory
Irom
t hi s stai n, he directed, by hi s wi ll , the erect ion oI a St at ue to t hat
Goddess.
Socrates, dyi ng, sacri Iiced t o Escul api us, to excul pat e hi mselI Irom t he
suspici on oI Atheism. A price was set on the head oI Diagoras because he
had
divulged the Secret oI t he Myst eri es. Andocides was accused oI t he same
cri me,
as was Alci biades, and both were ci t ed t o answer the charge beIore t he
i nquisi ti on at At hens, where t he People were t he Judges: Aeschyl us t he
Tragedian was accused oI having represented the Mysteries on the. stage ;
and
was acqui tted only on proving that he had never been i nit iated.
Seneca, compari ng Phi losophy t o ini ti at i on, says that t he most sacred
ceremonies coul d be known to the adapts al one : but t hat man oI t heir
precept s
were known even to t he ProIane. Such 385 was t he case wit h the doct ri ne
oI a
Iut ure li Ie, and a state oI rewards and puni shment s beyond t he grave. The
anci ent legislat ors cl othed t hi s doctrine in t he pomp oI a mysteri ous
ceremony,
i n myst ic words and magi cal representati ons, to i mpress upon the mi nd t he
t ruths they t aught , by t he strong i nIluence oI such scenic di spl ays upon the
senses and i magi nat ion.
In t he same way they t aught t he origin oI t he soul, it s Iall t o t he earth past
t he spheres and through t he el ements, and it s Ii nal return to the pl ace oI
i ts
origin, when, during the conti nuance oI it s union wit h earthly matt er, the
sacred Iire, which Iormed it s essence, had contracted no stai ns, and it s
brightness had not been marred by Ioreign part icl es, which, denat ural izing
i t,
weighed it down and del ayed it s return. These met aphysi cal ideas, wit h
diIIi cul ty comprehended by the mass oI the Init i at es, were represented by
Iigures, by symbols, and by allegori cal analogies; no idea bei ng so
abst ract
t hat men do not seek t o gi ve i t expressi on by, and t ransl ate i t i nt o,
sensi bl e
i mages.
The attract ion oI Secrecy was enhanced by t he diIIi cul ty oI obtai ni ng
admi ssi on. Obstacl es and suspense redoubl ed curiosi ty. Those who aspired
t o t he
i ni t i ati on oI the Sun and in the Myst eries oI Mathi as i n Persia, underwent
many
t ri als. `rhey commenced by easy tests and arrived by degrees at those that
were
most cruel, in which the li Ie oI the candidat e was oIt en endangered.
Gregory
Nazi anzen t erms t hem tort ures and myst ic punishment s. No one cal l be
i ni t i ated,
says Sui das, unti l aIt er he has proven, by the most terri ble trial s, t hat he
possesses a vi rt uous soul , exempt Irom the sway oI every passion, and at i t
were i mpassi ble. There were t welve principal t est s; and some make t he
number
l arger.
The trial s oI t he Eleusinian init iat ions were not so terrible ; but they were
severe ; and t he suspense, above all in which the aspirant was kept Ior
several
years |t he memory oI which i s retai ned i n Masonry by the ages oI t hose oI
t he
diIIerent Degrees |, or t he int erval between admi ssi on to the i nIeri or and
i ni t i ati on in the great Myst eri es, was a species oI tort ure t o t he curi osity
which it was desired t o exci te. Thus the Egypt ian Priest s t ri ed Pyt hagoras
beIore admit ti ng hi m t o know t he secrets oI the sacred sci ence. He
succeeded,
by hi s i ncredible pati ence and t he courage wit h whi ch he surmounted al l
obstacl es, i n obt aini ng admi ssion t o thei r society and receiving their
l essons.
Among the Jews, t he Essenes admit ted none among them, unt i l t hey had
passed the
t ests or several Degrees.
By i ni ti ati on, t hose who beIore were Iel low-ci ti zens only, became
brot hers,
connect ed by a cl oser bond t han beIore, by means. oI a rel igi ous Iraterni ty,
which, bri nging men nearer t oget her, uni ted t hem more st rongly : and the
weak
and t he poor could more readi ly appeal Ior assist ance t o t he powerIul and
t he
weal thy, wi th whom reli gi ous associati on gave them a closer Iell owshi p.
The Init iat e was regarded as t he Iavori te oI the Gods. For hi m al one
Heaven
opened it s t reasures. Fortunate during li Ie, he coul d, by virtue and t he
Iavor
oI Heaven, promi se hi msel I aIt er death an eternal Iel i ci ty.
The Priest s oI t he Isl and oI Samot hrace promi sed Iavorabl e wi nds and
prosperous voyages to t hose who wer ini ti ated. It was promi sed t hem that
t he
CABIRI, and Cast or and Pol lux, the Di oscuri, should appear to them when
t he
st orm raged, and give them cal ms and smooth seas: and t he Scholi ast oI
Arist ophanes says t hat t hose ini t iated i n t he Mysteries t here were just
men,
who were pri vil eged to escape Irom great evil s and t empest s.
The Init iat e in t he Myst eri es oI Orpheus, aIter he was puri Ii ed, was
consi dered as rel eased Irom the empi re oI evi l, and transIerred t o a
condi ti on
oI l i Ie whi ch gave hi m t he happi est hopes. "I have emerged Irom evi ls' ? he
was
made t o say, 'and have at tai ned good." Those ini t iated i n t he Mysteri es oI
Eleusis beli eved that t he Sun blazed wi th a pure splendor Ior them alone.
And,
as we see in t he case oI Pericl es, t hey Ilattered themsel ves that Ceres and
Proserpi ne inspired them and gave them wi sdom and counsel .
Ini ti ati on di ssipat ed errors and bani shed misIort une and aIt er having Ii ll ed
t he heart oI man wi th j oy during li Ie, i t gave hi m t he most bli ssIul hopes
at
t he moment oI da We owe i t t o the Goddesses oI Eleusi s, says Socrat es,
t hat we
do not lead the wi ld li Ie oI the earl iest men : and t o t hem are due the
Ilat t ering hopes which ini t iat ion gi ves us Ior the moment oI deat h and Ior
al l
et ernity. The beneIit whi ch we reap Irom t hese august ceremonies, says
Arist ides, i s not only present j oy, a del iverance and enIranchi sement Irom
t he
old il ls ; but al so t he sweet hope which we have i n` death oI passi ng t o a
more
Iortunate st ate. And Theon says t hat parti cipati on oI the Mysteries is the
Iinest oI all things, and t he source oI the great est blessi ngs. The happi ness
promised t here was not li mi ted to this mortal l iIe ; but it ext ended beyond
t he
grave. There a new li Ie was to commence, duri ng which t he Ini ti ate was to
enjoy
a bli ss wi t hout al loy and wi thout li mi t. The Corybantes promised eternal
l iIe
t o t he Init iat es oI t he Myst eri es oI Cybele and Atys.
Apuleius represent s Luci us, whi le st il l in the Iorm oI an ass, as addressing
his prayers t o Isis, whom be speaks oI as t he same as Ceres, Venus, Diana,
and
Proserpi ne, and as i ll uminat ing t he wal ls oI many ci ties si mul t aneously
wi th
her Iemi ni ne l ust re, and subst it ut ing her quiveri ng l ight Ior t he bright rays
oI t he Sun. She appears t o hi m i n his visi on as a beauti Iul Iemal e, "over
whose
divi ne neck her long t hi ck hai r hung in graceIul ringlets" Addressing hi m,
she
says, "The parent oI Uni versal nat ure at tends thy cal l. The mist ress oI the
Element s, i ni ti at i ve germ oI generati ons, Supreme oI Dei t ies, Queen oI
depart ed
spirit s, Ii rst inhabi tant oI Heaven, and uni Iorm type oI all t he Gods and
Goddesses, propi ti ated by thy prayers, i s wi th thee. She governs wi th her
nod
t he l uminous heights oI the Ii rmament, the sal ubrious breezes oI the
ocean; the
si lent deplorable dept hs oI t he shades below ; one Sole Divint iy under
mazy
Iorms, worshi pped by the di IIerent nati ons oI the Eart h under many ti tles,
and
wi th vari ous a rel igi ous ri tes. "
Di rect ing hi m how to proceed, at her Iest ival, to re-obtai n hi s human
shape,
she says : "Throughout t he enti re course oI t he remai nder oI t hy li Ie, unti l
t he very last breath has vani shed Irom t hy li ps, thou art devoted t o my
service
Under my protect ion wil l thy li Ie be happy and glori ous: and when, t hy.
days
being spent , t hou shal l descend to t he shades bel ow, and i nhabit
t he Elysian Ii el ds, t here also, even i n t he subt erranean hemi sphere, shal l
t hou
pay Irequent worshi p Io me, thy propi ti ous pat ron : and yet Iurt her : i I
t hrough sedul ous obedience, rel igious devot ion t o my mi nist ry, and
i nvi ol abl e
chast i ty, t hou shal l prove t hyselI a wort hy obj ect oI divine Iavor, then
shal l
t hou Iell the i nIl uence oI t he power that I alone possess. The number oI
t hy
days shal l be prol onged beyond the ordi nary decrees oI Iat e." In t he
processi on
oI t he Iesti val , Lucius saw t he i mage oI the Goddess, on ei ther side oI
which
were Iemal e att endants, that, "wi th i vory combs in their hands, made
believe,
by t he moti on oI t hei r arms and the di vesti ng oI their Ii ngers, t o comb and
ornament t he Goddess' royal hair. " AIterward, cl ad i n l inen robes, came
t he
i ni t i ated, "The hair oI the women was moi stened by perIume, and
enveloped in a transparent coveri ng; but the men, terrestrial stars, as it
were, oI the great rel igi on, were t horoughly shaven, and t heir bald heads
shone
exceedi ngly." AIt erward came t he Pri est s, i n robes oI white li nen. The
Iirst
bore a lamp in the Iorm oI a boat , emit t ing Il ame Irom an ori Ii ce i n t he
middle
: t he second, a smal l alt ar : t he thi rd, a gol den pal mtree : and the Iourth
displ ayed the Ii gure oI a l eIt hand, the pal m open and expanded,
"representi ng
t hereby a symbol oI equity and Iai r-deal ing, oI which t he l eIt hand, as
sl ower
t han the ri ght hand, and more voi d oI ski l l and craIt , is t hereIore an
appropriate emblem. "
AIter Lucius had, by the grace oI Isi s, recovered his human Iorm, t he
Priest
sai d t o hi m, "Calami ty hath no hold on those whom our Goddess hat h
chosen Ior
her service, and whom her maj esty hat h vindicat ed. " And the people
decl ared
t hat he was Iort unat e t o be "t hus aIt er a manner born agai n, and at once
betrot hed t o the servi ce oI t he Holy Minist ry."
When he urged the Chi eI Priest t o i ni ti at e hi m, he was answered that there
was
not "a si ngle one among t he i ni ti ated, oI a mi nd so degraded, or so bent on
his
own destructi on, as, wit hout recei vi ng a special command Irom Isi s, t o
dare t o
undertake her mi ni stry rashly and sacri legi ously, and t hereby commi t an
act
certai n t o bri ng upon hi msel I a dreadIul injury." "For" conti nued t he ChieI
Priest, . t he gates oI t he shades bel ow, and the care oI our l iIe bei ng i n the
hands oI the Goddess, -the ceremony oI init iat i on i nt o t he Mysteries i s, as
i t
were, t o suIIer deat h, wit h the precarious chance oI resuscit ati on.
WhereIore
t he Goddess, in t he wi sdom oI her di vinity, hath been accustomed to select
as
persons to whom the secret s oI her reli gion can wi th propriety be
entrusted,
t hose who, standi ng as it were on the ut most l i mit oI t he course oI l i Ie
t hey
have compl eted, may t hrough her Providence be in a manner born again,
and
commence t he career oI a new exi stence. " When he was Ii nal ly to be
i ni t i ated,
he was conduct ed to the nearest baths, and aIt er havi ng bathed, the Priest
Iirst soli ci t ed Iorgi veness oI the Gods, and t hen spri nkled hi m al l over
wi th
t he cl earest and purest water, and conducted hi m back to t he Templ e;
"where, "
says Apulei us, "aIter givi ng me some inst ructi on, t hat mort al tongue i s not
permi tt ed t0 reveal , he bade me Ior the succeedi ng t en days restrain my
appeti te, eat no ani mal Iood, and drink no wine. "
These t en days el apsed, the Pri est led hi m i nt o t he inmost recesses oI the
Sanct uary. "And here, st udious reader, " he cont inues "peradvent ure thou
wi lt be
suIIciently anxious to know al l that was sai d and done, which, were it
l awIul
t o divulge, I would' t ell t hee; and, wert t hou permi t ted to hear, thou
shoul dst
know. Neverthel ess, al though the di sclosure would aIIi x the penal ty oI
rash
curi osity t o my tongue as wel l as t hy ears, yet wil l I, Ior Iear thou shoul dst
be too l ong torment ed wi t h religious longi ng, and suIIer the pai n oI
prot ract ed
suspense, tel l t he trut h notwit hstanding. Listen then t o what I shal l rel at e.
I approached the abode oI deat h; wi th my Ioot I pressed t he t hreshol d oI
Proserpi ne' s Pal ace. I was transport ed t hrough t he el ement s, and
conduct ed back
agai n. At mi dnight I saw the bright l ight oI t he sun shi ni ng. I stood in the
presence oI t he Gods, t he Gods oI Heaven and oI the Shades below; ay,
st ood
cl ear and worskipped. And now have I tol d t hee such thi ngs that , heari ng,
t hou
necessarily canst not underst and ; and bei ng beyond the comprehension oI
t he
ProIane, I can enunciat e wi thout commi tt i ng a cri me. " AIter night had
passed,
and t he morning had dawned, the usual ceremonies were at an end. Then
he was
consecrated by t welve stoles being put upon hi m, cl othed, crowned wit h
pal ml eaves, and exhibited t o the people. The remai nder oI t hat day was
celebrat ed as hi s bi rt hday and passed in Iest ivi t ies; and on the third day
aIterward, t he same religious ceremoni es were repeated, i ncl udi ng a
reli gious
breakIast, "Iol lowed by a Ii nal consummat ion oI ceremonies. "
A year aIterward, he was warned to prepare. Ior init i at ion i nt o t he
Myst eri es
oI "the Great God, Supreme Parent oI all t he other Gods, the invi ncible
Osi ri s. " "For, " says Apul eius, "alt hough t here is a strict connect ion
between
t he reli gions oI bot h Dei ti es, AND EVEN THE ESSENCE OF BOTH
DIVINITIES IS
IDENTICAL, t he ceremonies oI the respecti ve i ni t i ati ons are considerably
diIIerent . "
Compare wi t h t hi s hi nt the Ioll owi ng language oI t he prayer oI Luci us,
addressed to Isis ; and we may judge what doctri nes were taught in the
Myst eri es, i n regard t o t he Dei ty: "O Holy and Perpet ual Preserver oI the
Human
Race ! ever ready t o cherish mortals by Thy muni Iicence, and t o aIIord
Thy
sweet mat ernal aIIecti on to the wretched under mi sIort une ; Whose bounty
i s
never at rest, nei ther by day nor by night, nor t hroughout t he very minut est
parti cl e oI durat ion; Thou who st retchest Iort h Thy heal th-bearing right
hand
over the land and over the sea Ior the prot ect i on oI manki nd, to di sperse
t he
st orms oI li Ie, to unravel t he i nextricable entanglement oI the web oI Iat e,
t o
mi t igat e t he t empest s oI Iortune, and restrain t he malignant i nIilences oI
t he
st ars, -the Gods i n Heaven adore Thee, the Gods in the shades bel ow do
Thee
homage, tke stars obey Thee, t he Di vi ni t i es rej oi ce i n Thee, the element s
and
t he revolvi ng seasons serve Thee! At Thy nod the Wi nds breat he, clouds
gat her,
seeds grow, buds germinate; i n obedi ence t o Thee the Eart h revolves AND
THE SUN
GIVES US LIGHT. IT IS THOU WHO GOVERNEST THE UNIVERSE
AND TREADEST TARTARUS
UNDER THY FEET. "
Then he was ini t iat ed i nt o t he noct urnal Mysteries oI Osiris and Serapis:
and
aIterward i nto t hose oI Ceres at Rome: but oI the ceremoni es i n t hese
i ni t i ati ons, Apul eius says nothing. Under the Archonshi p oI Eucl i d,
bast ards
and sl aves were excluded Irom ini ti ati on ; and the same excl usi on
obtai ned
agai nst the Materi al ist s or Epi cureans who denied Providence and
consequently
t he uti l i ty oI i ni t iat ion. By a nat ural progress, it came at length to be
consi dered that t he gates oI Elysium woul d open only Ior t he Ini ti ates,
whose
souls had been puriIied and regenerated i n t he sanct uaries. But it was
never
held, on t he other hand, that i ni ti ati on alone suIIiced. We learn Irom
Plat o,
t hat it was also necessary Ior t he soul to be puriIi ed Irom every st ai n: and
t hat the puri Ii cati on necessary was such as gave virtue, t ruth, wisdom,
st rengt h, justi ce, and t emperance.
Ent rance to t he Temples was Iorbi dden to al l who had commi t ted
homi cide, even
i I i t were invol untary. So i t is stated by both Isocrat es and Theon.
Magi ci ans
and Charlatans who made trickery a trade, and i mpost ors pretendi ng t o be
possessed by evi l spiri ts, were excl uded Irom t he sanct uaries. Every
i mpious
person and cri mi nal was reject ed ; and Lampridi us st ates that beIore t he
celebrat ion oI t he Mysteries, publi c noti ce was given, t hat none need
apply to
enter but t hose against whom their consciences utt ered no reproach, and
who
were certai n oI t hei r own innocence.
It was requi red oI t he Initi at e that his heart and hands shoul d be Iree Irom
any st ai n. Porphyry says that man' s soul , at deat h, should be enIranchi sed
Irom
al l the passions, Irom hat e, envy, and t he others; and, i n a word, be as
pure
as i t is required t o be i n t he Mysteries. OI course it i s not surpri sing that
parrici des and perk jurors, and others who had commi t ted cri mes agai nst
God or
man, coul d not be admi t t ed.
In t he Mysteries oI Mi t hras, a l ecture was repeat ed to the Ini tiate on t he
subject oI Justi ce. And t he great moral. Lesson oI t he Myst eri es, t o which
al l
t heir myst ic ceremonial t ended, expressed i n a si ngl e l ine by Virgil , was to
pract ice Justi ce and revere the Deity, -thus recall ing men to j usti ce, by
connect ing it wi th t he j usti ce oI t he Gods, who requi re it and puni sh it s
i nIract ion. The Ini tiate could aspi re to the Iavors oI t he Gods, only
because
and while he respect ed t he rights oI society and t hose oI humani ty. "The
sun,"
says the chorus oI Init iat es in Ari st ophanes, "burns wi th a pure li ght Ior us
al one, who, admi t t ed t o the' Mysteri es, observe the laws oI pi ety i n our
i ntercourse wit h st rangers and our Iel low-ci ti zens. " The rewards oI
i ni t i ati on
were at tached to t he pract ice oI t he, social vi rtues. It was not enough t o be
i ni t i ated merely. It was necessary to be Iait hIul to t he l aws oI i ni ti ati on,
which i mposed on men duti es i n regard to t heir kind. Bacchus all owed
none to
parti ci pate i n hi s Mysteries, but men who perIormed t o t he rul es oI piety
and
j ust ice. Sensi bi li ty, above al l , and compassion Ior the mi sIortunes oI
others,
were precious virtues, which init iat i on strove t o encourage. "Nature," says
Juvenal "has created us compassi onat e, si nce i t has endowed us wit h tears.
Sensi bi li ty is t he most admirabl e oI our senses. What man i s t ruly worthy
oI
t he t orch oI the Mysteries; who such as t he Pri est oI Ceres requires hi m to
be,
i I he regards the mi sIort unes oI ot hers as whol ly Ioreign to hi msel I?"
Al l who had not used t heir endeavors t o deIeat a conspi racy,
and t hose who had on the cont rary Ioment ed one; t hose ci ti zens who had
betrayed
t heir count ry, who had surrendered an advant ageous post or place, or the
vessel s oI t he State, to the enemy; all who had suppl i ed the enemy wi th
money;
and i n general , al l who had come short oI their duti es as honest men and
good
ci ti zens. , were excluded Irom the Mysteries oI Eleusi s. To be admit ted
t here,
one must have li ved equi tably, and wi t h suIIcient good Iort une not t o be
regarded as hat ed by t he Gods.
Thus the Society oI the Init iat es was, in it s pri nci ple, and accordi ng t o t he
t rue purpose oI i ts inst i t ut ion, a soci ety oI vi rt uous men, who labored to
Iree
t heir souls Irom t he tyranny oI the passions, and to devel op the germ oI all
t he soci al vi rt ues, And t hi s was t he meani ng oI t he idea, aIterward
misunderst ood, that entry i nt o Elysium was only al lowed to the Init iat es :
because ent rance to the sanct uari es was all owed to the vi rt uous only, and
Elysium was created Ior vi rt uous souls al one.
The preci se nat ure and det ail s oI t he doctrines as t o a Iut ure l iIe, and
rewards and punishment s t here, developed in the Mysteries, is in a
measure
uncert ain. Litt le direct inIormati on in regard t o it has corme down to us.
No
doubt, in t he ceremonies, there was a scenic represent ati on oI Tant alus and
t he
j udgment oI t he dead, resembli ng t hat which we Ii nd i n Vi rgil : but t here
i s as
l it tl e doubt i hat t hese represent at ions were explai ned to be allegori cal. It
i s
not our purpose here t o repeat t he descri pt i ons given We are only
concerned
wi th t he great Iact that t he Mysteries t aught t he doctri ne oI t he soul' s
i mmortal i ty, and t hat, i n some shape, suIIering, pai n, remorse, and agony,
ever
Iol l ow sin as i ts consequences.
Human ceremoni es are indeed but i mperIect symbols; and the alt ernate
bapti sms
i n Iire and i water i ntended to puri Iy us i nt o i mmortal ity, are ever i n, thi s
worl d i nt errupt ed at t he moment oI t heir anti cipated complet ion. LiIe i ts a
mirror which reIl ects only t o decei ve, a t issue perpetually. Int errupt ed and
broken, an urn Iorever Ied, yet never Iul1.
Al l ini t iat ion i s but int roduct ory t o the great change oI deat h. Bapti sm,
anointi ng, embal mi ng, obsequi es by buri al or Iire, are preparatory
symbol s,
l ike the i ni t iat ion oI Hercules beIore descending t o t he Shades, pointi ng
out
t he mental change which ought to prece4e t he renewal oI exist ence. Death
i s t he
t rue init iat ion, to whi ch sl eep is t he i nt roduct ory or minor mystery. It i s
t he
Iinal ri te which united t he Egyptian wi th hi s God, and which opens t he
same
promise to all who are duly prepared Ior it .
The body was deemed a prison Ior t he soul; but the lat ter was not
condemned to
et ernal banishment and i mpri sonment . The Fat her oI t he Worl ds permit s i ts
chai ns to be broken, and has provided i n the course oI Nat ure the means oI
i ts
escape. It was a doctrine oI i mmemorial anti qui ty, shared al ike by
Egypt ians,
Pyt hagoreans, the Orphici , and by t hat characterist ic Bacchus Sage, "the
Preceptor oI the Soul, " Si lence, t hat deat h i s Iar bett er than li Ie; t hat t he
real death bel ongs to those who on earth are i mmersed i n t he Lethe oI i t s
passi ons and Iasci nati ons, and t hat the true l i Ie commences only when the
soul
i s emancipated Ior i ts ret urn.
And i n thi s sense, as presiding over l iIe and deat h, Di onysus is in the
highest sense the LIBERATOR : Since, l ike Osiris, he Irees the soul, and
guides
i t i n it s mi grati ons beyond t he grave, preservi ng it Irom t he risk oI agai n
Iall i ng under the sl avery oI mat ter or oI some inIeri or ani mal Iorm, the
purgat ory oI Met empsychosi s ; and exalt ing and perIecti ng it s nat ure
t hrough
t he puri Iying di scipli ne oI his Mysteries. "The great consummat ion oI all
phil osophy, " said Socrates, proIessedly quot ing Irom t radit i onal and
myst i c
sources, "i s Deat h: He who pursues phil osophy aright , is studying how t o
die. "
Al l soul i s part oI the Universal Soul , whose t otality is Dionysus; and it i s
t hereIore he who, as Spi ri t oI Spiri ts, leads back the vagrant spi ri t to it s
home, and accompani es it t hrough t he puri Iying processes, both real and
symbol ical , oI it s earthly t hansit . He is t hereIore emphat ical ly the Mysti c
or
Hi erophant, the great Spi ri t ual Mediat or oI Greek reli gion.
The human soul is i t selI demoni os a God wi thers t he mi nd, capabl e
t hrough it s
own power oI rival i ng t he canoni zati on oI t he Hero, oI making i tsel I
i mmortal
by t he practi ce oI t he good, and t he contemplati on oI the beauti Iul and
t rue.
The removal t o t he Happy Isl ands coul d only be underst ood mythical ly;
everyt hi ng eart hly must di e; Man, li ke OEdi pus, i s wounded Irom his
birth, his
real m elysium can exi st only beyond t he grave. Dionysus died and
descended to
t he shades. His passi on was t he great Secret oI the Mysteries ; as Death is
t he
Grand Mystery oI exi st ence. Hi s deat h, typical oI Nat ure' s Death, or oI her
peri odi cal decay and rest orati on, eras one oI the many symbols oI the
pali ngenesia or second bi rth oI man.
Man descended Irom t he el emental Forces or Tit ans |El ohi m|, who Ied on
t he
body oI the Pant heist ic Deity creati ng t he Universe by sel I-sacri Iice,
commemorates in sacramental observance t his myst eri ous passion ; and
whil e
partaking oI t he raw Ilesh oI t he vict i m, seems to be i nvigorated by a Iresh
draught Irom the Iount ain oI unversal li Ie, to recei ve a new pledge oI
regenerat ed exist ence. Death i s the i nseparable antecedent oI li Ie; t he seed
l ies in order to produce the pl ant , and earth ishelI i s rent asunder and dies
at t he birth oI Di onusos. Hence t he signiIicancy oI t he phal l us, or oI it s
i noIIensive subst i tut e, the obel isk, risi ng as an emblem oI resurrect i on by
t he
t omb oI buried Deity at Lerna or i t Sais.
Di onysus-Orpheus descended to the Shades to recover the lost Vi rgin oI
t he
Zodi ac, t o bri ng back his mot her t o t he sky as Thyone; or what has t he
same
meani ng, t o consummat e his eventIul marriage wit h Persephone, t hereby
securing,
l ike the nupti al s oI hi s Iather wi th Semel e or Danae, t he perpet ui ty oI
Nat ure.
Hi s under-earth oIIi ce i s t he depressi on oI the year, the wintry aspect i n
t he
al ternati ons oI bul l and serpent , whose uni ted` seri es makes up the
conti nuity
oI Ti me, and i n whirl s, physical ly speaki ng, the stash and dark are ever
t he
parent s oI t he beauti Iul and bright .
t he Myst eri es : t he human suIIerer was consoled by wi tnessi ng t he severer
t ri als oI the Gods; and t he vici ssi t udes oI li Ie and death, expressed by
apposi te symbols, such as the sacri Ii ce or submi ssion oI the Bull , the
exti nct ion and re-i ll uminati on oI the torch, excit ed correspondi ng
emoti ons oI
al ternate gri eI and joy, that pl ay oI passi on which was present at t he origin
oI Nature, and which accompani es all her changes.
The greater Eleusiniae were celebrat ed i n t he month Boedromion, when
t he seed
was buried in t he ground, and when the year, vergi ng to it s decl ine,
disposes
t he mind t o seri ous reIlecti on. The Ii rst days oI t he ceremonial were
passed in
sorrow and anxi ous sil ence, in Iast ing and expiat ory or l ust ral oIIices. On
a
sudden, t he scene was changed : sorrow and lament ati on were discarded,
t he glad
name oI Bacchus passed Irom mout h t o mout h, t he i mage oI the God,
crowned wi th
myrt le and beari ng a li ght ed t orch, was borne in , j oyIul processi on Irom
t he
Cerami cus t o El eusis, where, during t hee ensuing night, t he i ni tiati on was
compl eted by an i mposing revelat i on. The Iirst scene was i n the paonaos,
or
outer court oI t he sacred enclosure, where ami dst ut t er darkness, or whi le
t he
medit at ing God, t he st ar il l umi nat i ng the Noct urnal Mystery, alone carri ed
an
unext ingui shed torch, the candidat es were overawed wi th terri Ii c sounds
and
noises, whi le they pai nIul ly groped t heir way, as i n t he gloomy cavern oI
t he
soul' s sub lunar migrat ion ; a scene justly compared t o the passage oI t he
Vall ey oI the Shadow oI Deat h. For by the i mmutable law exempli Ii ed in
t he
t ri als oI Psyche, man must pass through t he terrors oI t he under-world,
beIore
he can reach t he height oI Heaven. At lengt h t he gates oI t he adyt um were
t hrown open, a supernat ural l ight st reamed Irom the il lumi nated statue 395
oI t he Goddess, and enchanti ng si ght s and sounds, mi ngl ed wit h songs and
dances, exalt ed the communicant t o a rapt ure oI supreme Iel i city,
reali zing, as
Iar as sensuous i magery could depi ct, t he anti ci pat ed reunion wi th the
Gods.
In t he deart h oI di rect evi dence as to t he det ail oI the ceremonies enacted,
or oI the meanings connect ed wit h t hem, t hei r tendency must be inIerred
Irom
t he characterist ics oI the contempl at ed deit ies wit h thei r accessory
symbol s
and mythi, or Irom direct testi mony as to t he val ue oI the
Myst eri es generally. The ordinary phenomena oI veget ati on, t he deat h oI
t he
seed in
gi vi ng bi rth to t he pl ant , connect ing the subli mest hopes wi th t he pl ai nest
occurrences, was the si mpl e yet beauti Iul Iormula assumed by the great
mystery
i n al most all rel igi ons, Irom t he Zend-Avesta t o the Gospel . As Proserpine,
t he
divi ne power i s as t he seed decayi ng and dest royed; as Art emi s, she i s the
pri nci ple oI it s dest ructi on ; but Art emi s Proserpi ne i s al so Core Soteria,
t he
Savi our, who l eads t he Spi ri ts oI Hercules and Hyacinthus to Heaven.
Many ot her
emblems were empl oyed in the Mysteries, -as t he dove, t he myrtle-wreath,
and
others, all signiIicant oI l iIe ri si ng. out oI deat h, and oI t he equi vocal
condi ti on oI dying yet i mmortal man.
The horrors and puni shments oI Tant alus, as descri bed in the Phaedo and
t he
AEnei d, wi th a11 t he ceremoni es oI the judgments oI Minos, Eacus, and
Rhadamanthus, were represented, somet i mes more and somet i mes less
Iul ly, in the
Myst eri es; in order to i mpress upon the mi nds oI the Ini ti at es t hi s great
l esson, -t hat we shoul d be ever prepared t o appear beIore t he Supreme
Judge,
wi th a heart pure and spotl ess ; as Socrates t eaches i n the Gorgias. For t he
soul stai ned wit h cri mes, he says, to descend to t he Shades, i s the bi tt erest
i ll . To adhere to Just ice and Wi sdom, Plat o hol ds, i s our duty, t hat we may
some day take t hat loIty road that l eads t oward t he heavens, and avoid
most oI
. the evi ls to whi ch t he soul i s exposed in it s subterranean j ourney oI a
t housand years. And so i n t he Phaedo, Socrat es teaches that we should
seek here
below to Iree our soul oI it s passions, in order to be ready to ent er our
appearance, whenever Desti ny summons us to the Shades.
Thus the Mysteries inculcat ed a great moral truth, vei led wi th a Iable oI
huge
proporti ons and the appl iances oI an i mpressi ve spect acle, t o , which,
exhi bi ted
i n t he sanct uaries art and nat ural magic lent al l they had that was
i mposing.
They sought t o strengthen men agai nst the horrors oI deat h and t he IearIul
i dea
oI utt er anni hi lat ion. Death, says t he author oI the di alogue, ent i tl ed
Axiochus, i ncl uded in the works oI Plat o, is but a passage to a happier
st ate;
but one must have l i ved wel l, t o at tai n t hat most Iort unat e result . So that
t he
doctri ne oI t he i mmortal ity oI the soul was consol ing t o t he virtuous and
reli gious man al one; whil e t o al l ot hers it came wit h menaces and despair,
surroundi ng t hem wit h" terrors and al arms t hat di sturbed t heir repose
duri ng
al l thei r li Ie.
For the mat eri al horrors oI Tant al us, al legorical t o t he Init iate, were real
t o t he mass oI t he ProIane ; nor in lat ter t i mes, did, perhaps many
Ii ii tiates
read rightly t he al lebaory. The t ri pl e-wal led pri son, which t he condemned
soul
Iirst met, round which swel led and surged t he Iiery waves oI Phl egethon,
wherei n rol led roari ng, huge, bl azing rocks ; t he great gate wit h columns
oI
adamant , which none save the Gods coul d crush; Ti siphone, their warder,
wi th
her bloody robes ; t he l ash resounding on t he mangled bodies oI t he
miserable
unIort unat es, thei r plaint ive groans, mi ngled i n horri d ' harmony wi th the
cl ashi ng oI t heir chains; t he Furies, lashi ng the gui lty wi th their snakes;
t he
awIul abyss where Hydra howl s wit h it s hundred heads, greedy to devour;
Ti tyus,
prost rat e, and his entrail s Ied upon by the cruel vul ture; Si syphus, ever
rol li ng his rock; Ixion on his wheel; Tantal us t ort ured by eternal thi rst and
hunger, in the mi dst oI wat er and wi t h deli cious Iruit s t ouching hi s head ;
t he
daughters, oI Danaus at thei r eternal , Irui t less t ask ; beast s bit ing and
venomous rept il es st inging ; and devouri ng Ilame et ernal ly consumi ng
bodi es
ever renewed in endless agony; all t hese sternly i mpressed upon t he peopl e
t he
t errible consequences oI si n and vice, and urged t hem to pursue the pat hs
oI
honesty and vi rt ue.
And i I , i n t he ceremoni es oI t he Myst eri es, t hese materi al horrors were
expl ained t o t he Init iates as mere symbols oI the uni magi nabl e t ort ure,
remorse, and agony that woul d rend the i mmat eri al soul and rack t he
i mmortal
spirit , t hey were Ieebl e and insuIIi ci ent i n the same mode and measure
only, as
al l material i mages and symbols Ial l short oI that whi ch is beyond t he
cognizance oI our senses : and the grave Hi erophant, the i magery, the
paint ings, t he dramati c horrors, t he Iuneral sacri Ii ces, t he august
rnyst eri es,
t he solemn si lence oI the sanct uaries, were none the less i mpressi ve,
because
t hey were known t o be but symbols, that` wi t h mat erial shows and i mages
made
t he i magi nat ion t o be the teacher oI the int el lect .
expi ati on; and t he t ests oI water, air, and Il re were represented ; by means
oI which, duri ng the march oI many years, t he soul coul d be puri Ii ed, and
ri se
t oward t he ethereal regions ; t hat ascent bei ng more or less tedi ous and
l abori ous, according as each soul was more or l ess clogged by the gross
i mpedi ment s , oI it s sins and vi ces. Herein was shadowed Iort h, (how
dist inct ly
t aught t he Initi ates we know not ), the doctrine that pain and sorrow,
misIortune and remorse, are t he i nevi table consequences t hat Il ow Irom
si n and
vice, as eIIect Il ows Irom cause; that by each sin and every act oI vi ce the
soul drops back and l oses ground i n it s advance t oward perIect ion : and
t hat
t he ground so, l ost i s and wi ll be in real ity never so recovered as that t he
si n shall be as iI i t never had been commi tted; but t hat t hroughout all t he
et ernity oI i ts exi st ence' , each soul shal l be conscious t hat every act oI
vice
or baseness i t did on eart h has made t he distance great er bet ween i tsel I
and
ult i mate perIecti on.
We see thi s t ruth gl i mmering in the doctrine, t aught i n t he Mysteri es, that
t hough sl ight and ordinary oIIences coul d be expiat ed by penances,
repent ance,
act s oI beneIi cence, and prayers, grave cri mes were mort al sins, beyond
t he
reach oI al l such remedi es. El eusi s cl osed her gates agai nst Nero: and the
Pagan Pri est s told Const ant i ne t hat among al l thei r modes oI expi at i on
t here
was none so potent as could wash Irom hi s soul t he dark spot s l eIt by t he
murder oI hi s wi Ie, and hi s mult ipl i ed perj uries and assassinati ons.
The obj ect oI the ancient ini t iat ions bei ng to amel iorate mankind and t o
perIect t he i nt el l ect ual part oI man, the nat ure oI the human soul , it s
origin,
i ts dest i nat ion, it s rel ati ons to t he body and to uni versal nature, al l Iormed
part oI t he mysti c science; and to them i n part t he l essons given t o t he
Ini ti ate were directed. For i t was beli eved that i ni t i ati on tended to hi s
perIect ion, and to prevent ing , t he divine part wit hi n hi m, overl oaded wi th,
matt er gross and earthy, Irom bei ng pl unged into gloom, and i mpeded in
i ts
return to the Dei ty. The soul , wi th them, was not a mere concept ion or
abst ract ion ; but a reali ty incl uding in it selI l iIe and t hought; or, rat her,
oI whose essence it was t o li ve and t hi nk. It was mat eri al ; but not brute,
i nert , inact i ve, li Ieless, moti onl ess, Iorml ess, lightl ess mat ter. -It was hel d
t o be acti ve, reasoni ng, t hi nki ng; i ts natural home i n the highest regi ons oI
t he Universe, whence it descended t o il luminate, give Iorm and movement
t o,
vivi Iy, ani mat e, and carry wit h it sel I the baser mat ter; and whi ther i t
unceasingly t ends to reascend, when and as soon as i t can Iree i t sel I Irom
i ts
connect ion wi th that mat ter. From that substance, divine, i nIini tely .
delicat e
and act ive, essent ial ly luminous, t he soul s oI men were Iormed, and by it
al one, unit ing wit h and organizing their bodies, men l ived.
Thi s was t he doct ri ne oI Pythagoras, who learned it when he recei ved t he
Egypt ian Mysteries : and it was t he doctri ne oI al l who, by means oI t he
ceremonial oI i ni t i ati on, t hought to puri Iy the soul . Virgil makes t he spirit
oI Archives teach it t o AEneas: and al l t he expi ati ons and lustrati ons vi sed
i n
t he 113`steries were but symbol s oI t hose int ell ectual oli es by whi ch the
soul
was to be purged oI it s vi ce-spots and st ains, and Ireed oI t he
encumbrance oI
i ts eart hly prison, so t hat i t might ri se uni mpeded to the source Irom
which it
came.
Hence sprung the doct ri ne oI the transmigrati on oI soul s; whi ch
Pyt hagoras
t aught as an all egory, and t hose who came aIter hi m recei ved li teral ly.
Plat o,
l ike hi m, drew, his doctri nes Irom t he East and the Mysteries, and
undertook to
t ranslate the language oI t he symbols used t here, i nt o t hat oI Phi losophy ;
and
t o prove by argument and phi losophi cal deducti on, what, Iel t by t he
consciousness, the Mysteries taught by Symbol s as an indi sput abl e Iact , -
t he
i mmortal i ty oI t he soul . Ci cero di d the same ; and Iol lowed t he Myst eri es
i n
t eaching t hat the Gods were but mortal men, who Ior t hei r great vi rt ues
and
signal services had deserved that t hei r soul s should, aIter deat h, be rai sed
t o
t hat loIty rank.
It bei ng t aught i n t he Mysteries, eit her by way oI al l egory, t he meani ng oI
which was not made known except t o a select Iew, or, perhaps only at a
l ater
day, as an actual reali ty, that t he soul s oI t he vici ous dead passed i nt o t he
bodi es oI t hose ani mals to whose nat ure thei r vi ces had most aIIini ty, i t
was
al so t aught t hat the soul coul d avoid t hese transmigrat i ons, oIten
successi ve
and numerous, by the pract i ce oI virtue, which would acqui t it oI t hrum,
Iree
i t Irom the circle oI successi ve generati ons, and rest ore it at once t o i ts
source. Hence not hi ng was so ardent ly prayed Iar by t he Init iates, says
Procl us, as t hi s happy Iortune, whi ch, deli vering them Irom the empire oI
Evi l,
woul d restore t hem to t heir t rue li Ie, and conduct t hem to t he place oI
Iinal
rest. To thi s doctrine probably reIerred those Ii gures oI ani mal s and
monst ers
which were exhi bited t o t he Init iat e, beIore al lowing hi m to see the sacred
l ight Ior which he si ghed. , Plato says, t hat souls wil l not reach t he t erm oI
t heir i ll s, unt il t he revolut ions oI the world have rest ored t hem to t heir
pri mi ti ve condi ti on, and puri Ii ed them Irom the stai ns which they have
contracted by the cont agion oI Ii re, eart h, and air. And he held that t hey
could not be al lowed t o enter Heaven, unt il they had di sti nguished
t hemsel ves
by t he practi ce oI virtue in some one oI t hree several bodi es. The
Mani cheans
al lowed Iive: Pi ndar, the same. number as Pl ato; as di d t he Jews. And
Ci cero
says, that the ancient soot hsayers, and the i nterpolat ors oI the wi ll oI t he
Gods, i n their religious ceremoni es and i ni tiati ons, taught that we expiat e
here below the cri mes commi tted i n a prior l i Ie ; and Ior that are born. It
was
t aught i n t hese Myst eri es, t hat t he soul passes' t hrough several st ates, and
t hat the pai ns and sorrows oI thi s l iIe are an expi ati on oI pri or Iault s.
Thi s doctrine oI t ransmigrati on oI souls obt ained, as Porphyry i nIorms us,
among the Persians and Magi. It was hel d i n the East and t he West , and
t hat
Irom the remot est anti qui ty. Herodot us Iound, it among the Egypt ians, who
made
t he t erm oI t he circle oI migrat ions Irom one human body, t hrough
ani mals,
Iishes, and bi rds, t o anot her human body, ' t hree thousand years.
Empedocl es
even hel d that soul s went into pl ant s OI these, t he l aurel was the noblest ,
as
oI ani mals the li on; both bei ng consecrat ed to the Sun, to which, i t was
held
i n t he Ori ent , virtuous soul s were to ret urn. The Curds, t he Chinese, t he
Cabbali sts, al l held the same doct ri ne. So Origi n held, and t he Bi shop
Synesi us, the lat ter oI whom had been ini t iat ed, and who thus prayed to
God :
"O Fat her, grant t hat my soul, reuni t ed to the li ght , may not be plunged
agai n
i nt o t he deIi lements oI eart h, " So the Gnost ics hel d; and even the
Di sci ples oI
Chri st inquired iI t he man who was born bl ind, was not so puni shed Ior
some si n
t hat he had commit ted beIore hi s bi rt h.
Virgi l , in t he cel ebrat ed al legory in whi ch he devel ops t he doctrines taught
i n t he Mysteries, enunciated t he doctri ne, held by" most oI the anci ent
phil osophers, oI the pre-exi stence oI `soul s, i n t he eternal Ii re Irom whi ch
t hey emanat e; that Iire which ani mates the stars, and ci rculates in every
part
oI Nature: and the puri Iicat ions oI the soul , by Iire, water, and ai r, oI
which
he speaks, and whi ch t hree modes were employed in the Myst eries oI
Bacchus,
were symbol s oI t he passage oI the soul int o diIIerent bodi es.
The rel at i ons oI the human soul wi th the rest oI nature were a chieI object
oI
t he sci ence oI t he Mysteries. The man was there brought Iace to Iace wit h
entire nature, The worl d, and the spherical envelope t hat surrounds it ,
were
represented by a mystic egg, by t he si de oI the i mage oI t he Sun-God
whose
Myst eri es were celebrated. The Iamous Orphi c egg was consecrat ed to
Bacchus in
his Myst eri es. It was, says Plut arch, an. i mage oI the Uni verse, whi ch,
engenders everything, and cont ai ns everyt hi ng in i ts bosom. "`Consult ,"
says
Macrobi us, "t he Ini t i ates oI the? Mysteries oI Bacchus, who honor wi t h
speci al
venerat ion t he sacred egg." The rounded and al most spheri cal Iorm oI it s
shel l,
he says, which encl oses i t on every si de, and conIi nes wit hin i t sel I t he
pri nci ples oI li Ie, is a symbol ic i mage oI the worl d ; and t he worl d i s t he
universal pri nci ple oI all things.
Thi s symbol was borrowed Irom the Egypti ans, who also consecrated t he
egg t o
Osi ri s, germ oI Light, hi msel I born, sans Di odorus, Irom t hat Iamous egg.
In
Thebes, i n Upper Egypt , he was represented as emi t t ing i t Irom hi s mout h,
and
causi ng to issue Irom it t he Iirst principl e oI heat and l ight, or t he
Fire-God, Vulcan, or Pht ha. We Ii nd t his egg even i n Japan, bet ween the
horns
oI t he Iamous Mi t hri ac Bul l, - whose at tributes Osiri s, Api s, and Bacchus
al l
borrowed.
Orpheus, aut hor oI the Grecian Mysteries, whi ch he carried Irom Egypt `to
Greece, consecrat ed t hi s symbol : and taught that matt er, unt reat ed and
i nIormers, exist ed Irom all et erni ty, unorgani zed, as chaos ; cont ai ni ng i n
i tsel I the Principles oI all Exi stences conIused and intermingled, l ight
wi th
darkness, t he dry wi t h the humid, heat wi t h cold; Irom which, it aIt er long
ages : eki ng t he shape oI an i mmense egg, issued the purest mat t er, or First
substance, and t he resi due was divided i nto t he Iour el ement s, From whi ch
proceeded heaven and earth and all t hings else. Thi s Grand Cosmogonic
i dea he
t aught i n t he Mysteries; and thus t he Hi erophant expl ai ned the meani ng oI
t he
myst i c egg, seen by the i nit iat es i n t he Sanct uary.
Thus ent ire Nat ure, i n her pri mi t i ve organizati on, was present ed 401 to
hi m
whom it was wished t o i nst ruct i n her secrets and init iate in her
mysteries ;
and Cl ement oI Al exandria might well say that i nit iati on was a real
physi ology.
So Phanes, the Light -God, in t he Myst eri es oI t he New Orphi cs, emerged
Irom
t he egg oI chaos: and the Persi ans had t he great egg oI Ormuzd. And
Sanchoni athon tel ls us that in the Phoenician t heol ogy, the matt er oI chaos
t ook t he Iorm oI an egg; and he adds: "Such ,are the lessons which the Son
oI
Thabion~ Iirst Hi erophant oI the Phoenici ans, . turned i nt o al l egories, i n
which
physics and ast ronomy int ermingled, and which he t aught t o the other
Hi erophants, whose duty i t was t o presi de at orgi es and init iat ions ; and
who,
seeki ng to exci te t he astonishment and admirat ion oI mortal s, Iait hIul ly
t ransmit ted t hese t hi ngs t o t hei r successors and the Init iat es. "
In t he Mysteries was also taught the di vi sion oI t he Universal Cause int o
an
Act ive and a Passive cause; oI whi ch two, Osi ri s and Isis, -t he heavens and
t he
earth were symbol s. These two .First Causes, i nt o which it was held t hat
t he
great Universal Fi rst Cause at the beginni ng oI t hi ngs divided i tsel I, were
t he
t wo great Divini t ies, whose worshi p was, according t o Varro, i ncul cated
upon
t he Init iates at Samothrace. "As is t aught, " he says, "in the init iat ion i nt o
t he Myst eri es at Samot hrace, Heaven and Eart h are regarded as t he t wo
Iirst
Di vi ni t i es. They are the pot ent Gods worshi pped i n t hat Island, and whose
narr4es are consecrated in t he books oI our Augurs. One oI them is male
and t he
other Iemal e; and t hey bear the same relati on to each other as t he soul
does t o
t he body, humidi ty t o dryness. " The Curat es, i n Crete, had bui l t an al tar t o
Heaven and t o Earth; whose Myst eri es they celebrat ed at Gnossus, in a
cypress
grove.
These t wo Di vinit ies, the Acti ve and Passi ve Pri nciples oI the
Universe, were commonly symbol i zed by the generat i ve past s oI man and
woman ;
t o which, i n remote ayes, no i dea oI indecency was attached ; t he Phal lus
and
Ct eis, emblems oI generat i on and producti on, and whi ch, as such,
appeared in
t he Myst eri es. The Indi an Lingam was t he uni on oI both, as were t he boat
and
mast and t he poi nt wi thi n a circle: al l oI whi ch expressed t he same
phil osophi cal idea as to t he Union oI t he t wo great Causes oI Nature,
which
concur, one acti vely and the ot her passi vely, in the generati on oI al l
beings :
which were symboli zed by what we now term Gemini, t he Twos, at t hat
remot e
peri od when the Sun was in t hat Si gn at t he Vernal Equi nox, and when
t hey were
Mal e and Female; and oI which the Phall us was perhaps t aken Irom t he
generati ve
organ oI t he Bul l , when about twenty-Ii ve hundred years beIore our era he
opened that equi nox, and became to the Ancient World the symbol oI t he
creati ve
and generati ve Power.
The Init iat es at El eusi s, commenced, Process says, by invoking the two
great
causes oI nat ure, t he Heavens and the Eart h, on whi ch i n succession t hey
Ii xed
t heir eyes, addressing t o each a prayer. And t hey deemed i t t hei r duty t o do
so, he adds, because they saw i n t hem t he Father and Mot her oI al l
generati ons.
The concourse oI these two agent s oI t he Universe was termed in
t heol ogi cal
l anguage a marri age. Tertull ian, accusi ng t he Val ent inians oI having
borrowed
t hese symbols Irom the Mysteries oI El eusi s, yet admit s t hat in t hose
Myst eri es
t hey were expl ained i n a manner consi stent wit h decency, as representi ng
t he
powers oI nat ure. He was too lit t le oI a phil osopher to comprehend the
subli me
esot eri c meaning oI t hese embal ms, whi ch wi ll , iI you advance, in ot her
Degrees
be unIol ded to you.
` The Chri sti an Fathers contented themselves wi t h revil ing and ridi cul ing
t he
use oI these emblems. But as they in t he earl ier' ti mes created no indecent
i deas, and were worn al ike by t he most i nnocent youths and virt uous
women, i t
wi ll be Iar wi ser Ior us to seek to penet rat e t heir meani ng. Not only the
Egypt ians, says Diodorus Si nuous, but every ot her peopl e t hat consecrate
t hi s
symbol (the Phal lus), deem that t hey thereby do honor to t he Acti ve , Force
oI
t he uni versal generati on oI all l iving thi ngs. For the same reason, as we
l earn
Irom the geographer Pt ol emy, it was revered among the Assyri ans and
Persi ans.
Procl us remarks that , i n the di st ributi on oI the Zodiac among she twel ve
great
Di vi ni t i es, by anci ent ast rol ogy, si x signs were assigned to t he mal e and
si x
t o t he Iemale pri nci ple.
There i s anot her di vi si on oI nature, whi ch has in all ages st ruck al l men,
and
which was not Iorgotten i n t he Mysteries; that oI Light and Darkness, Day
and
Ni ght , Good and Evil ; which mi ngle wi th, and cl ash against , and pursue
or are
pursued by eaeh other throughout t he Uni verse. The Great Symbol i c Egg
dist inct ly remi nded the Init iat es oI t hi s great divi sion oI the world.
plut arch, t reat ing oI t he dogma oI a Provi dence, and oI that oI the t wo
pri nci ples oI Light and Darkness, whi ch he regarded as t he basis oI the
Ancient
Theology, oI the Orgies and the Mysteri es, as wel l among the Greeks as
t he
Barbari ans, -a doctrine whose origi n, according to hi m, i s lost in the ni ght
oI
t i me, -cit es, i n support oI his opi nion, the Iamous Mysti c Egg oI t he
disci ples
oI Zoroaster and t he Initi ates in the Mysteries oI Mit hras.
To the Ini ti at es i n the Mysteries oI El eusi s was exhi bi ted the spectacl e oI
t hese t wo pri nci ples, i n t he successi ve scenes oI Darkness and Light which
passed beIore their eyes. To the proIoundest darkness, accompanied wit h
i ll usi ons and horri d phant oms, succeeded t he most bri lli ant l ight, whose
splendor bl azed round the stat ue oI the Goddess. The candi dat e, says Di on
Chrysostomus, passed int o a ' mysterious t empl e, oI astonishing magnit ude
and
beauty, where were exhibited t o hi m many myst ic scenes; where his ears
were
st unned wi th many voi ces ; and where Darkness and Light successi vely
passed
beIore hi m. And Themist ius in l ike manner descri bes t he Init iate, when
about t o
enter int o that part oI t he sanctuary tenanted by the Goddess, as Iil led
wi th
Iear and reli gious awe, wavering, uncert ain i n what directi on to advance
t hrough the proIound darkness t hat envel opes hi m. But when the
Hi erophant has
opened the ent rance to the i nmost sanctuary, and removed the robe t hat
hides
t he Goddess, he exhi bi ts her to t he Ini ti ate, resplendent wi th di vi ne l ight .
The thi ck `shadow and gloomy at mosphere whi ch had enthroned t he
candidate
vanish ; he i s Iil led wi th a vi vi d and glowi ng enthusiasm, that l iIts his
soul
out oI t he proIound deject ion i n which i t was , plunged ; ant the purest
l ight
succeeds to t he t hickest darkness.
In a Iragment oI the same wri ter, preserved by St obaeus, we learn t hat t he
Ini ti ate, up to t he moment when hi s i nit iat ion is t o be consummated, i s
al armed
by every kind oI si ght: t hat astoni shment and terror t ake his soul capt ive;
he
t rembles; cold sweat Il ows Irom hi s body; unt i l t he moment when t he
Light is
shown hi m, -a most astoundihg Light , -th? bril li ant scene oI Elysium, where
he
sees charmi ng meadows overarched by a clear sky, and Iesti val s celebrat ed
by
dances ; where he hears harmoni ous voices, and the maj esti c chant s oI the
Hi erophants; and vi ews t he sacred spect acles. Then, absolut ely Iree, and
enIranchi sed Irom t he dominion oI al l il ls, he mi ngles wit h t he crowd oI
Ini ti ates, and, crowned wi th Il owers, cel ebrates wi t h t hem the holy orgies, '
i n
t he bri ll iant real ms oI et her, and the dwel li ng-place oI Ormuzd.
In t he Mysteries oI Isis, the candi date Ii rst passed through the dark val ley
oI t he shadow oI deat h; t hen int o a pl ace represent i ng the el ement s or
sublunary world, where the two pri nciples cl ash and contend ; and was
Iinally
admit ted t o a luminous regi on, where t he sun, wi t h his most bri ll iant light,
put to rout t he shades oI ni ght . Then he hi msel I put on t he cost ume oI t he
Sun-God, or the Vi si bl e Source o' I Et hereal Light , i n whose Mysteri es he
was
i ni t i ated ; and passed Irom the empi re oI darkness to that oI li ght . AIter
having set hi s Ieet on t he t hreshol d oI the palace oI Plut o, he ascended to
t he
Empyrean, t o the bosom oI the Et ernal Pri nci ple oI Light oI t he Uni verse,
Irom
which all souls and int el l igences emanat e.
Plutarch admi t s that t hi s theory oI t wo Principles was the basis oI all t he
Myst eri es, and consecrated i n t he rel igi ous ceremoni es and Mysteri es oI
Greece.
Osi ri s and Typhon, Ormuzd and Ahri man, Bacchus and the Ti tans and
Gi ant s, al l
represented these principl es. Phanes, t he l uminous God that i ssued Irom
t he
Sacred Egg, and Night , bore the scepters i n the Mysteries oI the New
Bacchus.
Ni ght and Day were t wo oI the eight Gods adored i n t he Mysteries oI
Osi ri s. The
sojourn oI Proserpi ne and al so oI Adonis, during si x months oI each year
i n t he
upper worl d, abode oI l ight , and si x mont hs i n the l ower or abode oI
darkness,
al legorical ly represent ed the same di visi on oI the Uni verse.
The connect ion oI the-di IIerent init iat i ons wi th t he Equinoxes which
separate
t he Empire oI the Nights Irom that oI the Days, and Ii x the moment when
one oI
t hese pri nciples begins to prevai l over the ot her, shows that the Mysteries
reIerred to t he conti nual contest bet ween the two pri nciples oI light and
darkness, each al ternat ely vi ctor and vanquished. The very obj ect
proposed by
t hem shows that thei r basis was t he t heory oI the two principles and t heir
relat i ons wi th t he soul. "We celebrate t he august Mysteries oI Ceres and
Proserpi ne, " says the Emperor Juli an, "at the Aut umnal Equinox, to obt ain
oI
t he Gods t hat t he soul may not experience the mal ignant acti on oI the
Power, oI
Darkness that i s t hen about t o have sway and rule in Nature." Sall ust the
Phi l osopher makes al most the same remark as to the relat ions oI t he soul
wi th
t he peri odi cal march oI l ight and darkness, duri ng an annual revol ut ion ;
and
assures us that t he mysteri ous Iesti val s oI Greece related t o t he same. And
i n
al l the explanat ions given by Macrobi us oI t he Sacred Fabl es i n regard to
t he
sun, adored under t he names oI Osi ris, Horus, Adoni s, Atys, Bacchus, et c. .
we
i nvari ably see that they reIer to the theory oI t he t wo Principles, Light and
Darkness, and the tri umphs gai ned by one over the ot her. In Apri l was
celebrat ed the Iirst t ri umph obt ained by the l ight oI day over the length oI
t he nights ; and t he ceremonies oI mourning and rej oi cing had, Macrobi us
says,
as t hei r obj ect the vicissi t udes oI t he annual admini strati on oI t he worl d.
Thi s bri ngs us natural ly to the t ragic port ion oI t hese reli gious' scenes,
and
t o t he allegori cal hist ory oI t he diIIerent advent ures oI the Pri nci ple,
Light ,
vict or and vanquished by t urns, in the combats waged wi th Darkness
duri ng each
annual period. Here we reach the most myst eri ous part oI the ancient
i ni t i ati ons, and that most i nt eresti ng to the Mason who lament s the deat h
oI
his Grand Master Khir-Om. Over it Herodotus t hrows t he august vei l oI
mystery
and si lence. Speaki ng oI the Temple oI Minerva, or oI t hat Isis who was
styled
t he Mother oI the Sun-God, and whose Mysteries were termed Isiac, at
Sais, he
specks oI a Tomb i n t he Templ e, in the rear oI t he Chapel and against t he
wel l
; and says, "It is t he tomb oI a man, whose name respect requi res me t o
conceal. Wi t hi n t he Templ e were great obeli sks oI stone |phall i |, and a
ci rcular lake paved wi th stones and revett ed wit h a parapet. It seemed to
me as
l arge as that at Del os" |there t he Mysteries oI Apoll o were cel ebrated|. "In
t hi s lake the Egypt ians celebrate, duri ng t he night, what t hey styl e the
Myst eri es, i n which are represent ed t he suIIeri ngs oI the God oI whom I
have
spoken above. " . This God was Osiris, put to deat h by Typhon, and who
descended
t o t he Shades and was rest ored to li Ie; oI which he had spoken beIore.
We are remi nded, by t hi s passage, oI the Tomb oI Khi r-Om, his death, and
his
ri si ng Irom the grave, symbol i cal oI rest orat ion oI l iIe ; and al so oI t he
brazen Sea in t he Temple at Jerusal em. Herodot us adds : "I i mpose upon
myselI a
proIound, sil ence i n regard t o t hese Myst eri es, wit h most oI which I am
acquai nted. As l it t l e wi ll I speak oI t he i ni ti at i ons oI Ceres, known among
t he
Greeks as Thesmophoria. What I shal l say wi ll not violat e the respect
which I
owe to religi on. "
At henagoras quot es t hi s passage t o show t hat not only t he Statue but t he
Tomb
oI Osiris was exhibi t ed i n Egypt, and a tragic represent ati on oI hi s
suIIeri ngs; and remarks that the Egypti ans had mourni ng ceremonies in
honor oI
t heir Gods, whose deat hs t hey, Lamented ; and to whom they aIterward
sacriIiced
as havi ng It is, however, not di IIicult , combining the di IIerent rays oI
l ight
t hat emanat e Irom the di IIerent Sanct uaries, to learn the geni us and t he
object
oI t hese secret ceremonies. We have hint s, and not detai ls.
We know t hat the Egypt ians worshipped the Sun, under the name oI Osi ri s.
The
misIortunes and tragical deat h oI this God . were an all egory rel ati ng to
t he
Sun. Typhon, li ke Ahri man, represent ed Darkness. The suIIerings and
deat h oI
Osi ri s i n t he Mysteries oI t he Night were a myst ic i mage oI the phenomena
oI
Nat ure, and t he conIl ict oI the t wo great Pri nci pl e whi ch share the empi re
oI
Nat ure, and most inIi lenced our soul s. t he sun is neit her born, di es, nor is
raised to li Ie: and t he reci t al oI these event s was but an all egory, vei li ng a.
higher t ruth Horus, son oI Isis, and the same as Apol lo or the Sun, al so
died
and was restored again to, l i Ie~ and t o his mot her; and the priests , oI Isis
celebrat ed these great event s by mourning and joyous Iest ival succeeding
each
other.
In t he Mysteries oI Phoeni cia, establi shed in honor oI Thammuz or
Adoni s, al so
t he Sun, t he spect acle oI hi s deat h and resurrect ion was exhi bi ted t o t he
Ini ti ates. As we l earn Irom Meursius and Plut arch, a Ii gure was exhi bit ed
representi ng t he corpse oI a young man. Flowers were strewed upon his
body, t he
women mourned Ior hi m ; a t omb was erected to hi m. And these Ieast s, as
we
l earn Irom Plutarch and Ovid, passed into Greece.
God was lamented, and hi s resurrect ion was cel ebrated wi th the most
enthusiasti c expressions oI j oy. A corpse, we. learn Irom Jul ian , was
shown
t he Init iates, representi ng Mi t hras dead; and aIterward hi s resurrect ion
was
announced; and they were then i nvi t ed t o rej oice that t he dead God was
restored
t o l i Ie, and had by means oI hi s suIIerings secured their sal vati on. Three
mont hs beIore, hi s bi rt h had been cel ebrated, under the embl em oI an
i nIant,
born on t he. 25t h oI December, or the eighth day beIore the Cal ends oI
January.
In Greece, in the mysteries oI the same God, honored under t he name oI
Bacchus, a representat i on was given oI his deat h, slain by the Ti tans ; oI
his
descent int o hel l , his , subsequent resurrect ion, and his return toward hi s
Princi pl e or t he pure abode whence he had descended to unite hi msel I wit h
matt er. In the i slands oI Chi os and Tenedos, his death was represented by
t he
sacriIice oI a man, ` act ual ly i mmol ated.
The mut il at ion and suIIerings oI t he same Sun-God, honored in Phrygia
under
t he name oI Atys, caused t he tragi c scenes that were, as we learn Irom
Di odorus
Siculus, represented annual ly i n t he Mysteries oI Cybele, mother oI the
Gods.
An i mage was borne t here, representi ng t he corpse oI a young man, over
whose
t omb t ears were shed, and to whom Iuneral honors were pai d.
At Samothrace, in the Mysteries oI the Cabi ri or great Gods, a
representat ion
was given oI t he death oI one iI t hem. Thi s name was given t o t he Sun,
because
t he Anci ent Astronomers gave the name oI Gods Cabi ri , and oI Samot hrace
t o t he
t wo Gods i n the Constel lat ion Gemini; whom ot hers term Apoll o and
Hercules, t wo
names oI t he Sun. . Athenion says that t he young Cabi rus so sl ain was t he
same
as t he Dionysus or Bacchus oI t he Greeks. The Pel asgi, ancient inhabi tant s
oI
Greece, and who set tl ed Samothrace, celebrated t hese Myst eri es, whose
origin is
unknown : and they worshi pped Castor and Pol l ux as patrons oI
navigat ion.
The tomb oI Apol lo was at Del phi , where hi s body was lai d, aIt er Python,
t he
Pol ar Serpent t hat annually heral ds t he comi ng oI autumn, col d, darkness,
and
wi nt er, had slain hi m, and over whom. t he God tri umphs, on t he 25t h oI
March,
on his return to t he l amb oI t he Vernal Equi nox.
In Cret e, Jupi ter Ammon, on t he Sun i n Aries, pai nted wi th the at tri butes
oI
t hat equinocti al si gn, the Ram or Lamb ; -t hat Ammon who, Mart i anus
Copel la
says, is the same as Osiris, Adoni, Adoni s, Atys, and t he ot her Sun-Gods, -
had
al so a tomb, and a religious i nit iati on ; one oI the princi pal ceremoni es oI
whi`ch consisted i n cl ot hing t he Ini ti ate wit h the skin oI a whi te l amb.
And i n
t hi s we see t he ori gin oI t he apron oI whit e sheep-ski n, used in Masonry.
Al l these deat hs and resurrecti ons, t hese Iuneral embl ems, these
anniversaries
oI mourni ng and joy, these cenot aphs rai sed i n diIIerent places t o t he Sun-
God,
honored under di IIerent names, had but a si ngle object, t he al legorical
narrat i on oI the event s which happened here bel ow-to the Light oI Nature,
t hat
sacred Iire Irom which our souls were deemed t o emanat e, warri ng wi th
matt er
and t he dark Pri nciple resident therei n, ever at vari ance wit h t he Princi pl e
oI
Good and Light poured upon i tsel I by t he Supreme Di vinity. Al l t hese
Myst eri es,
says Clement oI Alexandri a, di spl aying t o us murders and t ombs al one, all
t hese
reli gious t ragedi es, had a common basi s, vari ously ornament ed : and t hat
basi s
was the Ii ct i ti ous deat h and resurrecti on oI t he Sun, Soul oI the Worl d,
pri nci ple oI li Ie and movement i n the Sublunary Worl d, and source oI our
i ntell igences, whi ch are but a port ion oI t he Et ernal Light bl azi ng i n that
Star, t heir chi eI center.
It was i n t he Sun t hat Soul s, i t was sai d, were puriIied: and t o it they
repaired. It was one oI t he gat es oI the soul , through which t he
t heol ogi ans,
says Porphyry, say t hat it re-ascends toward t he home oI Light and t he
Good.
WhereIore, i n the Mysteries oI El eusi s, t he Dadoukos (the Ii rst oIIicer
aIter
t he Hierophant, who represented the Grand Demiourgos or Maker oI the
Universe),
who was casted in the i nterior oI the Temple, and there received t he
candidates, represented t he Sun.
It was al so held that t he vici ssit udes experienced by t he Fat her oI Light
had
an inIl uence on the desti ny oI soul s; whi ch, oI t he same subst ance as he,
shared his Iort unes. Thi s we l earn Irom t he Emperor Jul ian and Sall ust the
Phi l osopher. They are aIIli cted when he suIIers : they rejoice when he
t ri umphs
over the Power oI Darkness whi ch opposes hi s sway and hi nders t he
happi ness oI
Souls, to whom not hi ng i s so terri ble as darkness. The Iruit oI the
suIIeri ngs
oI t he God, Iather oI l ight and $ouls, sl ai n. by t he ChieI oI t he Powers oI
Darkness, and again rest ored t o liIe, was recei ved in t he Myst eri es. "His
deat h
works your Sal vati on ;" sai d t he High Priest oI Mi thras. That was t he great
secret oI thi s reli gious t ragedy, and it s expected Irui t ;-the resurrecti on oI
a God, who, repossessi ng Hi msel I oI Hi s domi ni on over Darkness, shoul d
associ ate wit h Hi m in Hi s t ri umph those vi rt uous Soul s t hat by their puri ty
were wort hy t o share His glory; and that st rove not against t he divi ne
Iorce
t hat drew t hem to Hi m, when, He had thus conquered.
To the Ini ti at e were al so displ ayed t he spectacl es oI t he chieI agent s oI t he
Universal Cause, and oI the di st ributi on oI t he worl d, in t he detail oI it s
part s arranged in most regul ar order. The Universe i tsel I suppl ied man
wi th t he
model oI t he Iirst Temple reared t o t he Divi ni ty. The arrangement oI t he
Temple
oI Sol omon, t he symbolic ornaments whi ch Iormed it s chi eI decorat i ons,
and t he
dress oI t he High Priest, -all , as Clement oI Alexandri a, Josephus and Phi lo
st ate, had reIerence t o , t he order oI the world. Cl ement i nIorms us t hat the
Temple cont ained many embl ems oI the Seasons, the Sun, the Moon, the
planet s,
t he const el lat ions Ursa Maj or and Minor, the zodi ac, the element s, and t he
other part s oI t he worl d. '
Josephus, i n his descri pt ion oI the High Pri est' s Vest ments, protest ing
agai nst the charge oI i mpi ety brought against t he He brews by ot her
nati ~ons,
Ior condemning the Heat hen Di vi ni ti es, declares it Ialse, because, in the
const ruct ion oI t he Tabernacle, in the vest ment s oI the Sacri Iicers, and i n
t he
Sacred vessel s, t he whol e World was in some sort represented. OI the
t hree
part s, he says, i nt o which t he Templ e was divi ded, t wo represent Eart h and
Sea,
open to all men, and t he thi rd, Heaven, God' s dwel li ng-place, reserved Ior
Hi m
al one. The twel ve l oaves oI Shew-bread signiIy t he t welve mont hs oI the
year.
The Candl esti ck represented the t welve signs through which t he Seven
Planets
run thei r courses; and the seven l ights, t hose planets; the vei ls, oI Iour
colors, the Iour elements; t he t unic oI the High Pri est, the eart h; t he
Hyaci nt h, nearly blue, t he Heavens ; t he. aphi d, oI Iour col ors, t he whol e
oI
nature; the gol d, Light ; the breast-plat e, in the mi ddle, this earth i n t he
cent er oI the worl d ; t he t wo Sardonyxes, used as cl asps, the Sun and
Moon ;
and t he t welve precious st ones oI the breast -plat e arranged by threes, li ke
t he
Seasons, t he t welve months, and the twel ve signs oI the zodi ac. Even t he
l oaves
were arranged in t wo groups oI si x, l i ke the zodiacal signs above and
below the
Equator. Cl ement, the learned Bishop oI Al exandria, and Phi l o, adopt all
t hese
expl anat ions.
Hermes cal ls the Zodiac, the Grent Tent , -Tabernaculum. In t he Royal Arch
Degree oI t he Ameri can Ri te, the Tabernacl e has Iour veil s, oI di IIerent
colors, to each oI which. Bel ongs a banner. t he colors oI the Iour are
Whi t e,
Bl ue, Cri mson, and Purpl e, and t he banners bear t he i mages oI the Bull ,
t he
Li on, t he Man, ant t he Eagle, t he Const el lat ions answeri ng 2500 years
beIore
our era to the Equi noct ial and Sol sti ti al poi nt s : to which belong Iour
st ars,
al debaran, Regul us, Fomalhaut, and Antares. At each oI these vei ls t here
are
t hree words : and t o each di vi sion oI t he Zodi ac, belonging t o each oI
t hese
Stars, are t hree Signs. The Iour signs,
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquari us, were t ermed t he Ii xed signs, and are
appropriately assi gned to the Iour vei ls.
`SO the Cherubi m, accordi ng t o Cl ement and Phil o, - represent ed the t wo
hemi spheres ; their wi ngs, t he rapi d course oI t he Iirmament , and oI t i me
which
revol ves i n the Zodi ac. "For the Heavens Ily;" says Phi l o, speaking oI t he
wi ngs oI the Cherubi m : which were wi nged representati ons oI the Li on,
t he
Bul l, t he Eagle, and the Man; oI t wo oI whi ch, the human-headed, wi nged
bull s
and l ions, so many have been Iound at Ni mrod ; adopted as beneIicent
symbol s,
when t he Sun ent ered Taurus at t he Vernal Equi nox and Leo at the Summer
Sol sti ce : and when, al so, he entered Scorpi o, Iar whi ch, on account oI it s
malignant i nIl uences, Aquil a, t he eagl e was subst i tuted, at t he aut umnal
equinox; and Aquari us (t he wat er-bearer) at the Wi nter Sol sti ce.
So, Clement says, the candlesti ck wit h seven branches represent ed t he
seven
planet s, l ike which the seven branches were arranged and regulated,
preserving
t hat musical proport ion and syst em oI harmony oI which t he sun was the
cent re
and connecti on. They were arranged, says Phi l o, by t hrees, l ike the pl anet s
above and t hose bel ow t he sun; bet ween which t wo groups was t he branch
t hat
represented hi m, the mediat or or moderator oI the celest i al harmony. He
i s, i n
Iact, the Iourth in t he musi cal scale, as Phi l o remarks, and Mart ianus
Capell a
i n his hymn t o t he Sun.
Near t he candl est ick were ot her embl ems represent i ng the heavens, earth,
and
t he vegetat ive mat ter out oI whose bosom the vapors arise. The whol e
t empl e was
an abridged i mage oI t he world. There were candlesti cks wi t h Iour
branches,
symbol s oI the elements and the seasons ; wi th t welve, symbol s oI t he
signs;
and even wi t h three hundred and si xty, t he number oI days i n the year,
wi thout
t he suppl ement ary days. Imi tat ing the Iamous Temple oI Tyre, where were
t he
great columns consecrated to the wi nds and Ii re, the Tyrian art ist placed
t wo
columns oI bronze at the entrance oI the porch oI the templ e. The
hemi spherical
brazen sea, support ed by Iour groups oI bull s, oI three each, l ooking to the
Iour cardi nal poi nt s oI t he compass, represent ed the bul l oI the Vernal
Equi nox, and at Tyre were consecrated to Astarte; t o whom Hiram,
Josephus says,
had buil t a templ e, and who wore on her head a hel met beari ng t he i mage
oI a
bull . And t he throne oI Solomon, wi th bul ls adopti ng i t s arms, and
supported on
l ions, li ke t hose oI Horus i n Egypt and oI the Sun at Tyre; l ikewise
reIerred
t o t he Vernal Equi nox and Summer Sol st ice. Those who in Thri ce adored
t he sun,
under t he name oI Saba Zeus, the Grecian Bacchus, bli nded t o hi m, says
Macrobi us, a templ e on Mount Zel mi sso, i t s round Iorm representi ng the
worl d
and t he sun. A ci rcular aperture i n t he rooI admi t t ed the li ght , and
i ntroduced
t he i mage oI the sun into the body oI the sanct uary, where he seemed t o
blaze
as i n the heights oI Heaven, and t o dissipate the darkness wi t hin t hat
t empl e
which was a representat ion symbol oI the world. There t he passion, death,
and
resurrecti on oI Bacchus were represented.
So the Temple oI El eusi s was l ighted by a wi ndow in t he rooI. The
sanct uary so
l ight ed, Di on compares to the Uni verse, Irom which he says it diIIered in
si ze
al one; and i n i t the great l ight s oI nature played a great part and were
myopical ly represented. The i mages oI t he Sun, Moon, and Mercury were
represented there, (t he l at t er the same as Anubis who accompanied Isis) ;
and
t hey are st il l t he three l ights oI a Masoni c Lodge ; except that Ior
Mercury,
t he Mast er oI the Lodge has been absurdly substi t uted.
Eusebius names as the pri nci pal Mi ni st ers in t he Mysteri es oI Eleusis,
Iirst ,
t he Hierophant, clothed wi th t he at tributes oI the Grand Archi tect
(Demi ourgos)
oI t he Uni verse. AIt er hi m came the Dadoukos, or torch-bearer,
representat ive
oI t he Sun : t hen the al t ar-bearer, representi ng t he Moon : and last, t he
Hi eroceryx, beari ng the caduceus, and represent ing Mercury. It was not
permi ssi ble to reveal t he diIIerent embl ems and t he mysteri ous pageantry
oI
i ni t i ati on to the ProIane; and t hereIore we do not . know the att ri butes,
emblems, and ornaments oI these and other oIIicers ; oI which Apul ei us
and
Pausani as dared not speak.
We know only that everythi ng recounted there was marvel ous; everyt hing
done
t here tended to astonish the Ini ti at e: and t hat eyes and ears were equally
ast ounded. The Hierophant, oI l oIty height, and noble Ieat ures, wi th long
hair,
oI a great age, grave and digni Ii ed, wi th a voice sweet and sonorous, sat
upon
a throne, cl ad i n a long t rai li ng robe; as the Moti ve-God oI Nat ure was
held to
be envel oped i n Hi s work and hi dden under a vei l whi ch no mort al can
raise.
even hi s name was concealed, li ke t hat oI t he Demiourgos, whose name
was
i neIIabl e.
The Dadoukos also wore a l ong robe, his hair l ong, and a bandeau on hi s
Iorehead. Cal l ias, when holding that oIIice, Iight ing on t he great day oI
Marathon, clothed wi th the i nsignia oI his oIIi ce, was taken by t he
Barbari ans
t o be a Ki ng. The Dadoukos l ed the procession oI t he Init iates, and was
charged
wi th t he puri Ii cati on.
WE do set know the Iunct i ons oI t he Epibomos or assist ant at the alt ar,
who
represented the moon. That planet was one oI t he t wo homes oI soul s, and
one oI
t he t wo great gates by whi ch they descended and reascended. Mercury was
charged
wi th t he conduct ing oI souls through t he t wo great gates; and i n going
Irom the
sun t o t he moon t hey passed i mmedi ately by hi m. He admi t t ed or rej ected
t hem as
t hey were more or l ess pure, and t hereIore the Hieroceryx or Sacred
Herald, who
represented Mercury, was charged wi t h t he duty oI excluding t he ProIane
Irom
t he Myst eri es.
The same oIIsets are Iound i n t he procession oI Init iates oI Isis, descri bed
by Apul eius. Al l clad in robes oI whit e l inen, drawn t ight across t he
breast,
and cl ose-Iit ti ng down t o t he very Ieet , came, Iirst , one beari ng a l amp in
t he
shape oI a boat ; second, one carryi ng an alt ar; and third, one carryi ng a
golden pal m-tree and t he caduceus. These are ihe same as the three
oIIicers at
Eleusis, aIt er the Hierophant . Then one carrying an open hand, and
pouri ng mi lk
on t he ground Irom a gol den vessel in the shape oI a woman' s breast. The
hand
was that oI j ust ice: and t he mi l k al luded to the Gal axy or Mi l ky Way,
al ong
which soul s descended and remount ed. Two ot hers Ioll owed, one beari ng a
wi nnowi ng Ian, and the ot her a water-vase; symbol s oI t he puri Ii cati on oI
souls
by air and wat er; and t he t hi rd puri Iicati on, by eart h, was represented by
an
i mage oI the ani mal that cult ivates i t, t he cow or ox, borne by anot her
oIIicer.
Then Iol l owed a chest or ark, magniIicent ly ornamented, contai ni ng an
i mage oI
t he organs oI generati on oI Osiri s, or perhaps oI both sexes ; embl ems oI
t he
original generati ng and produci ng Powers. When Typhon, sai d t he
Egypt ian Iable,
cut up t he body oI Osi ri s i nto pi eces, he Ilung hi s geni tal s i nt o t he Nile,
where a Ii sh devoured them. Atys mut il ated hi msel I, as his Priests
aIterward
did in i mi t at ion oI hi m; and Adoni s was i n that part oI hi s body wounded
by t he
boar: al l oI whi ch represented t he l oss by the Sun oI hi s vivi Iying and
generati ve power, when he reached the Autumnal Equi nox (the Scorpi on
t hat on
old monument s bi tes those parts oI the Vernal Bul l), and descended toward
t he
region oI darkness and Wi nter.
Then, says Apulei us, came "one who carried in hi s bosom an obj ect t hat
rejoi ced the heart oI the bearer, a venerable eIIigy oI the Supreme Deity,
neit her beari ng resemblance to man, cat tl e, bird, beast , or any l iving
creature
: an exquisi te invent ion, venerable Irom t he novel origi nal ity oI t he
Iashioni ng; a wonderIul, ineIIable symbol oI reli gious mysteries, to' be
l ooked
upon in proIound si lence. Such as i t was, i t s Iigure was t hat oI a smal l urn
oI
burni shed gol d, holl owed very , arti sti cally, rounded at the bot tom, and
covered
al l over t he out si de wit h t he wonderIul hieroglyphi cs oI the Egypti ans.
The
spout was not elevated, but ext ended lat eral ly, project ing l i ke a l ong
rivulet ;
whil e on t he opposi te si de was t he handl e, which, wi th si mi lar lateral
extensi on, bore on it s summi t an asp, curl ing it s body int o Iolds, and
st ret ching upward, i t s wri nkled, scaly, swol len throat . "
The sal ient basi l isk, , or royal ensign oI t he Pharaohs, oIten occurs on t he
monument s-a serpent in Iolds, wi t h hi s head raised erect above t he Iol ds.
The
basi li sk was the Phoeni x oI the serpent-tribe; and t he vase or urn was
probably
t he vessel , shaped li ke a cucumber, wit h a project ing spout , out oI whi ch,
on
t he monument s oI Egypt, t he pri est s are represent ed pouri ng st reams oI t he
Cruz
ansast a or Tau Cross, and oI scepters, over the ki ngs.
In t he Mysteries oI Mi t hras, a sacred cave, representi ng t he whol e
arrangement
oI t he worl d, was used Ior t he recepti on oI t he Initi ates. Zoroast er, says
Eubul us, Iirst introduced t hi s cust om oI consecrat ing caves. They were
al so
consecrated, in Cret e, to Jupit er; i n Arcadia, to, t he Moon and Pan; and in
t he
Island oI Naxos, t o Bacchus. The Persians, i n the cave where t he
Myst eri es oI
Mi thras were celebrat ed, Ii xed t he seat oI . that God, Fat her oI
Generat ion, or
Demi ourgos, near the equi noctial poi nt oI Spring, wi t h the Nort hern
port ion oI
t he worl d on hi s right , and t he Southern on hi s leIt .
Mi thras, says Porphyry, presided over the Equi noxes, seat ed on a Bul l the
symbol ical ani mal oI the Demi ourgos, and bearing a sword. The equi noxes
were
t he gat es t hrough which soul s passed t o and Iro, bet ween t he hemisphere
oI
l ight and t hat oI darkness. The mi l ky way was also represented, passi ng
near
each oI these gates: and i t was, i n t he old theol ogy, t ermed t he pathway oI
souls. It is, according to Pythagoras, vast t roops oI soul s t hat Iorm that
l uminous belt . The rout e Ioll owed by soul s, according t o Porphyry, or
rather
t heir progressi ve march in the worl d, lyi ng t hrough the Ii xed st ars and
planet s, t he Mi t hri ac cave not only di splayed t he zodi acal and other
const el lat ions, and marked gat es at the Iour equinocti al and Sol sti t ial
points
oI t he zodi ac, whereat souls enter i nt o and escape Irom the worl d oI
generati onal and t hrough whi ch they pass t o and Iro bet ween t he real ms oI
l ight
and darkness; but it represented the seven planetary spheres which t hey
needs
must traverse, i n descendi ng Irom the heaven oI t he Ii xed stars to the
el ement s
t hat envel op the earth ; and seven gat es were marked, one Ior each. planet,
t hrough whi ch they pass, in descending or ret urni ng.
We learn t hi s Irom Cel sus, i n Origen; who says that t he symbol ical i mage
oI
t hi s passage among the stars, used i n t he Mi thri ac Mysteries, was a ladder,
reaching Irom earth to Heaven, divided i nt o seven steps or stages, t o each
oI
which was a gat e, and at t he summi t an eight h, that oI the Ii xed st ars. The
Iirst gate, says Celsus, was that oI Sat urn, and oI lead, by the heavy nat ure
whereoI his dul l sl ow progress was symbol i zed. The second, oI ti n, was
t hat oI
Venus, symbol i zi ng her soIt spl endor and easy Ilexi bi l i ty. The t hird, oI
brass,
was that oI Jupi t er, emblem oI his soli di ty and dry nat ure. The Iourt h, oI
i ron, was that oI Mercury, expressing hi s i ndeIatigable acti vity and
sagacity.
The , Ii It h, oI copper, was t hat oI Mars, expressi ve oI his inequal it ies and
variable nature. The si xth, oI si lver, was that oI t he Moon: and t he
seventh,
oI gold, t hat oI t he Sun. This order i s not the real order , oI these Pl anet' s
but a mysterious one, l ike t hat oI the days oI the Week consecrated to
t hem,
commencing wi th Sat urday, and retrogradi ng t o Sunday. It was dict ated,
Cel sus
says, by certain harmonic relat ions, those oI t he Iourt h.
Thus there was an i nt i mate connect ion between the Sacred Science oI the
Myst eri es, and anci ent astronomy and physics ; and t he grand spectacl e oI
t he
Sanct uaries was that oI t he order oI the renown Uni verse, or t he spectacle
oI
Nat ure it selI, surroundi ng t he soul oI t he Init iate, as i t surrounded it when
i t Ii rst descended t hrough t he pl anet ary gates, and by t he equi noct ial and
Sol sti t i al doors, along t he Mi lky Way, to be Ior t he Iirst ti me i mmured in
i ts
pri son-house oI matter. But t he Mysteries al so represented to t he
candidate, by
sensi bl e symbol s, t he invisi ble Iorces which move thi s visible Uni verse,
and
t he virtues, quali t i es, and powers at t ached to mat ter, and whi ch maintai n
t he
marvell ous order observed therein. OI t hi s Porphyry i nIorms us.
The worl d, accordi ng t o t he phi losophers oI anti qui ty, was not a purely
material and mechanical machine. A great Soul , di IIused everywhere,
vivi Iied
al l the members oI the i mmense body oI the Uni verse ; and an
Int el l igence,
equally great, di rect ed al l it s movements, and mai nt ained t he et ernal
harmony
t hat resulted t hereIrom. Thus t he Unity oI t he Universe, represent ed bv t he
symbol ic egg, contai ned in i tselI t wo uni ts the Soul and t he Int ell igence,
which pervaded al l i ts part s : and they were t o t he Universe, ' consi dered as
an
ani mated and int ell igent being, what int ell igence and the soul oI li Ie are
t o
t he i ndivi dual i ty oI man.
The doct ri ne oI the Uni ty oI God, i n thi s sense, was t aught by Orpheus. OI
t hi s hi s hymn or pal inode is a prooI ; Iragment s oI which are quoted by
many oI
t he Fathers, as Just in, Tatian, Cl emens oI Al exandri a, Cyril, and
Theodoret ,
and t he whole by Eusebi us, quot i ng Irom Arist obulus. The doct ri ne oI the
Locos
(word) or t he Noos (int el lect ), hi s i ncarnati on, deat h, resurrect i on or
t ransIigurat ion ; oI hi s uni on wit h matt er, hi s di vi sion i n t he vi si bl e
worl d,
which he pervades, his ret urn t o t he ori ginal Uni ty, and t he whol e theory
relat i ve to t he origin oI the soul and i t s desti ny, were taught in the
Myst eri es, i I whi ch t hey were t he , great obj ect.
The Emperor Jul ian explains the Mysteries oI Atys and Cybele by the same
metaphysical pri nciples, respect ing t he demiurgical Intel li gence, it s
descent
i nt o mat t er, and i ts ret urn t o i ts origi n: and ext ends this expl anat ion t o
t hose oI Ceres. And so l i kewise does Sall ust t he Phi losopher, who admi ts
i n God
a secondary i nt el l igent Force, whi ch descends int o the generat ive mat ter t o
organi ze it . These myst ical i deas nat urally Iormed a part oI the sacred
doctri ne and oI t he ceremonies oI init i at ions t he object oI whi ch, Sal lust
remarks, was to unit e man wi th t he Worl d and the Deity, and t he Ii nal term
oI
perIect ion whereoI was, accordi ng t o Cl emens, the cont emplat i on oI
nature, oI
real beings, and oI causes. The deIi ni ti on oI Sall ust is correct. The
Myst eri es
were practi ced as a means oI perIect i ng the souls oI maki ng it t o know it s
own
digni ty, oI remindi ng. It oI it s noble origi n and i mmortali ty, and
consequently
oI i t s rel at i ons wit h the Uni verse and the Deity.
What was meant by real bei ngs, was invi si bl e bei ngs, genii , the Iaculti es
or
powers oI nat ure ; everythi ng not a part oI t he visi ble worl d, whi ch was
cal led, by way oI opposit ion, apparent exi st ence. The t heory oI Genii , or
Powers oI Nat ure, and i ts Forces, personi Iied, made part oI t he Sacred
Science
oI i ni ti ati on, and oI t hat religious spectacle oI diIIerent beings exhi bi ted
i n
t he Sanct uary. It resul ted Irom t hat bel ieI i n t he providence and
superi nt endence oI the Gods, which was one oI the pri mary bases oI
i ni t i ati on.
The admi ni strati on oI the Universe by Subal tern Genii , to vi hom i t is
conIi ded,
and by whom good and evi l are di spensed i n t he world, was a consequence
oI t hi s
dogma, taught in t he Myst eri es oI Mi thi as, where was shown that Iamous
egg,
shared bet ween Ormuzd and Ahri man, each , oI whom commissi oned
t wenty-Iour Genii
t o dispense t he good and evil Iound t herein; t hey being under twel ve
Superi or
Gods, si x on t he si de oI Light and Good, and si x on t hat oI Darkness and
Evi l.
Thi s doctrine oI t he Geni i , deposi t aries oI the Uni versal Provedence, was
i nt i mately connected wi th the Anci ent Mysteries, and adopted in the
sacriIices
and i ni ti at i ons ' bot h oI Greeks and Barbarians. Plutarch says that t he
Gods, by
means oI Genii , who are i nt ermediates between them and men, draw near
t o
mortal s in t he , ceremoni es oI i ni ti ati on, at whi ch the Gods charge them to
assi st, and to di stri bute punishment and bl essing. Thus not the Dei ty, but
Hi s
ministers, or a Pri nci ple and Power oI Evi l, were deemed t he aut hors oI
vice
and si n and suIIeri ng: and thus t he Geni i or angels diIIered in charact er
l ike
men, some bei ng good and some evil ; some Celest ial Gods, Archangel s,
Angels,
and some InIernal Gods, Demons and Iall en Angel s.
At t he head oI t he lat ter was t heir ChieI, Typhon, Ahri man, or Shaitan, the
Evi l Pri nci ple ; who, havi ng wrought di sorder in nat ure, brought troubles
on
men by l and and sea, and caused the great est i l ls, i s at l ast punished Ior
his
cri mes. It was t hese event s and inci dent s, says Pl ut arch, which Isis desired
t o
represent in the ceremoni al , oI t he Myst eri es, est abl ished by her i n
memory oI
her sorrows and wanderings, whereoI she exhi bi ted an i mage and
representat ion
i n her Sanctuaries, where al so were aIIorded encouragement s to pi ety and
consol at i on in mi sIort une. The dogma oI a Provi dence, he says,
administ eri ng
t he Universe by means oI i nt ermediary Powers, who mai nt ain the
connect ion oI
man wi t h t he Divi ni ty, was eonsecrated i n t he hlyst eri es oI t he Egyptians,
Phrygians, and Thracians, oI the Magi and t he Discipl es oI Zoroast er; as i s
plai n by t heir i ni ti at i ons, i n which mournIul and Iunereal ceremoni es
mingled.
It was an essent i al part oI the lessons given t he Init iates, t o t each t hem t he
relat i ons oI t hei r own soul s wi th Uni versal Nature, the greatest l essons oI
al l, meant to digniIy man in hi s own eyes, and teach hi m his pl ace i n the
Universe oI t hi ngs.
Thus the whole system oI t he Universe was displayed i n al l it s parts t o
t he eyes oI the Ini tiate ; and t he symbolic cave which reps resent ed it was
adorned and cl ot hed wit h al l the att ri butes oI that Universe. To t hi s worl d
so
organi zed, endowed wi th a doubl e Iorce, act ive and passi ve, di vi ded
between
l ight and darkness, moved by a l ivi ng and i ntel ligent Force, governed by
Genii
or Angel s who presi de over i t s di IIerent parts, and whose nature and
character
are more loIty or l ow i# proport ion as t hey possess a greater or less
port ion
oI dark mat ter, -t o t hi s worl d descends t he soul, emanati on oI t he et hereal
Iire, and exil ed Irom the l umi nous region above t he world. It enters i nt o
t hi s
dark mat ter, wherein the host i le pri nci ples, each seconded by hi s troops oI
Genii , are ever i n convi ct, there to submit t o one or more organizat ions i n
t he
body whi ch i s i ts pri son, unti l it shal l at last ret urn t o it s pl ace oI origi n,
i ts true nati ve country, Irom whi ch dari ng t hi s l iIe it i s an exi le.
But one t hing remai ned, -t o represent it s ret urn, through t he constell at i ons
and planet ary spheres, t o it s origi nal home. The celest ial Iire, the
phil osophers said, soul oI t he worl d and oI Iire, an universal principle,
ci rculati ng above the Heavens, i n a regi on inIinit ely pure and wholly
l uminous,
i tsel I pure, si mple, and unmi xed, i s above t he worl d by i ts speciIic
l ight ness.
II any part oI i t (say a human soul ) descends, i t act s agai nst it s nat ure in
doing so, urged by an inconsi derate desire oI t he i ntell igence, a perIidi ous
l ove Ior matt er whi ch causes it t o descend, to know what passes here
below,
where good and evi l are i n conIl ict . The Soul , a si mpl e substance, when
unconnect ed wit h mat t er, a ray or partscl e oI t he Di vine Fire, whose home
i s i n
Heaven, ever turns toward that home, whil e uni t ed wi th t he body, and
st ruggles t o return thit her.
Teachi ng t hi s, t he Mysteries st rove t o recal l man t o his di vine origi n, and
point out t o hi m t he means oI returning thit her. The gri st science acquired
i n
t he Myst eri es was knowledge oI man' s selI, oI the nobl eness oI hi s origin,
t he
grandeur oI his desti ny, and hi s superiori ty over t he ani mals, whi ch can
never
acquire t his knowledge, and whom he resembles so l ong as he does not
reject
upon hi s exi st ence and sound the dept hs oI hi s own nat ure.
By doi ng and suIIeri ng, by virtue and pi ety and good deeds, t he soul was
enabled at lengt h to Iree i t sel I Irom the body, and ascend along t he path oI
t he Mi lky Way, by the gate oI Capri corn and by t he seven spheres. to t he
place
whence by many graduat ions and successi ve l apses and ent hrall ments i t
had
descended. And t hus t he t heory oI the spheres, and oI t he signs and
i ntell igences which presi de t here, and the whole system oI astronomy,
were
connect ed wi t h t hat oI the soul and i ts desti ny; and so were taught in the
Myst eri es, i n which were developed t he great princi pl es oI physics and
metaphysics as to t he origin oI the soul, it s condi ti on here bel ow, i ts
dest inati on, and i ts Iut ure Iat e.
The Greeks Ii x the dat e oI t he est abl ishment oI t he Mysteri es oI Eleusis at
t he year 1423 B. C. , during the rei gn oI Erecht heus at At hens. According
t o
some authors, they were i nsti tut ed by Ceres hersel I; and accordi ng t o
others,
by t hat Monarch, who brought them Irom Egypt, where, accordi ng t o
Di odorus oI
Sici ly, he was born. Anot her t radi ti on was, that Orpheus i nt roduced them
i nt o
Greece, t oget her wit h the Dionysi an ceremonies, copying the lat ter Irom
t he
Myst eri es oI Osi ri s, and t he Iormer Irom those oI Isis.
Nor was it at At hens only, that the worship and Mysteries oI Isis,
metamorphosed i nt o Ceres, were establi shed. The Boeoti ans worshipped
t he Great
or Cabiri c Ceres, in t he recesses oI a sacred grove, into whi ch none but
Ini ti ates coul d enter; and t he ceremonies there observed, and the sacred
t radi t ions oI t hei r Mysteries, were connect ed wit h t hose oI the Cabi ri i n
Samothrace.
So in Argos, Phocis, Arcadia, Achai a, Messeni a, Cori nt h, and many ot her
part s
oI Greece, the Mysteries were pract iced, reveal i ng everywhere t hei r
Egypt ian
origin and everywhere havi ng the same general Ieat ures; but those oI
Eleusis,
i n At ti ca, Pausani as i nIorms us, had been regarded by t he Greeks, Irom the
earli est t i mes, as bei ng as Iar superior to all t he others, as the Gods are to
mere Heroes.
Si mil ar to t hese were the Myst eries oI Bona Dea, t he Good Goddess,
whose name,
say Cicero and Plutarch, it was not permi tt ed to any man t o know,
celebrat ed at
Rome Irorm t he earli est ti mes oI that ci ty. It was t hese Mysteries,
pract iced
by women alone, t he secrecy oI which was i mpiously vi olated by Cl audi us.
They
were hel d at t he Kal ends oI May; and, accordi ng t o Pl ut arch, much oI the
ceremonial great ly resembled t hat oI t he Myst eri es oI Bacchus.
The Mysteries oI Venus and Adonis bel onged princi pal ly to Syri a and
Phoenici a,
whence t hey passed i nt o Greece and Sici ly. Venus or Ast art e was t he Great
Female Deity oI the Phoeni cians, as Hercul es, Mel karth or Adoni was their
ChieI
God. Adoni , call ed by t he Greeks Adoni s, was t he lover oI Venus. Slai n by
a
wound i n t he t hi gh i nIli cted by a wi ld boar i n the chase, t he Il ower call ed
anemone sprang Irom hi s blood. Venus recei ved the corpse and obtai ned
Irom
Jupi ter t he boon that her lover should thereaIter pass si x months oI each
year
wi th her, and the ot her si x in the Shades wit h Proserpine; an all egorical
descripti on oI t he al ternate resi dence oI the Sun in the two hemispheres.
In
t hese Myst eri es hi s deat h was represent ed and mounted, and aIter t his
macerat ion and mourni ng were concl uded, hi s resurrect i on and ascent to
Heaven
were announced.
Ezekiel speaks oI the Iest ivals oI Adoni s under t he name oI t hose oI
Thammuz,
an Assyri an Dei ty, whom every year the women mourned, seated at the
doors oI
t heir dwell ings. These Mysteries, l i ke t he others, were celebrated in t he
Spring, at t he Vernal Equi nox, when he was rest ored t o l i Ie; at which t i me,
when t hey-were inst it ut ed, the Sun (Adoni , Lord, or Mast er) was in the
Sign
Taurus, the domi cil e oI Venus. He was represented wit h horns, and the
hymn oI
Orpheus i n his honor styl es hi m "t he t wo-horned God ;" as i n Argos
Bacchus was
represented wi th the Ieet oI a bul l.
Plutarch says that Adoni s and Bacchus were regarded as one' and t he same
Dei ty; and t hat thi s opi ni on was Iounded on the great si mil ari ty in very
many
respect s between t he Myst eri es oI
t hese t wo Gods.
The Mysteries oI Bacchus were known as the Sabazi an, Orphic and
Di onysian
Fest ivals. They went back to the remot est anti quity among the Greeks, and
were
at tributed by some to Bacchus hi mselI, and by ot hers t o Orpheus. The
resembl ance i n ceremonial between t he observances establi shed in honor
oI
Osi ri s i n Egypt, and t hose i n honor oI Bacchus i n Greece, t he
mythol ogical
t radi t ions oI t he t wo Gods, and t he symbol s used i n t he Iest i val s oI each,
amply prove their i dent ity. Nei t her t he name oI Bacchus, nor t he word
orgi es
appli ed to hi s Ieast s, nor the sacred words used i n hi s Mysteries, are
Greek,
but oI Ioreign ori gin. Bacchus was an Ori ent al Dei ty, worshi pped i n t he
East,
and his orgi es celebrat ed t here, l ong beIore the Greeks adopted t hem. In
t he
earli est t i mes he was worshi pped i n India, Arabia, and Bavaria.
He was honored i n Greece wi t h publ ic Iesti val s, and i n si mple or
compl icat ed
Myst eri es, varyi ng i n ceremoni al i n vari ous pl aces, as was nat ural ,
because hi s
worship had come thi t her Irom di IIerent countries and at diIIerent peri ods,
The
peopl e who celebrat ed t he complicated Mysteries were i gnorant oI t he
meani ng
oI. many words whi ch t hey used, and oI many embal ms which they
revered. In the
Sabazi an Feasts, Ior example |Irom Saba-Zeus, an ori ental name oI t his
Dei ty|,
t he words EVOI, SABOI, Were used, whi ch are i n nowi se Greek; and a
serpent oI
gold was t hrown int o the bosom oI the Ini tiate, in all usi on to the Iable that
Jupi ter had, i n the Iorm oI a serpent , had connect ion wit h Proserpine, and
begott en Bakchos, the bul l ; whence the enigmati cal saying, repeated t o
t he
Ini ti ates, that a bul l engendered a dragon or serpent , and t he serpent i n
t urn
engendered t he bull , who became Bakchos : t he meani ng i I whi ch was, t hat
t he
bull |Taurus, whi ch then opened the Vernal Equinox, and t he Sun in which
Sign,
Iigurat ively represented by the Sign it selI, was Bakchos, Di onysus, Saba-
Zeus,
Osi ri s, etc. |, and the Serpent, another constel lat ion, occupi ed such relat ive
posit ions i n the Heavens, that when one rose the ot her set, and vice versa.
The serpent was a Iamil iar symbol in the Mysteries oI Bakchos. The
Ini ti ates
grasped them wi t h t heir hands, as Orphi ucus does on the celest ial globe,
and
t he Orpheo-telest es, or puri Iier oI candidates did t he same, crying, as
Demost henes t aunt ed. AEschines wit h doi ng i n public at the head oI the
women
whom hi s mother was to i mi tat e, EVOI, SAB0I, HYES ATTE, ANTE,
HYES!
The Init iat es in t hese Myst eries had preserved the rit ual and ceremoni es
t hat
accorded wi th the si mpl ici ty oI the earl iest ages, and the manners oI the
Iirst
men. The rul es oI Pyt hagoras were Iol l owed there. Like the Egypti ans,
who held
wool unclean, they buri ed no Init iate in woolen garment s. They abst ained
Irom
bloody sacriIices; and l ived on Irui t s or veget ables or inani mate thi ngs.
They
i mi tat ed t he li Ie oI the cont empl at ive Sect s oI t he Ori ent ; t hus
approxi mat ing
t o t he tranquil ity oI t he Iirst men, who li ved exempt Irom t roubl e and
cri mes
i n t he bosom oI a proIound peace. One oI the most preci ous advantages
promised
by t heir i ni tiati on was, t o put a man in communion wi t h t he Gods, by
puri Iying
his soul oI al l t he passions t hat interIere wi th that enjoyment, and di m t he
rays oI divi ne light that are communi cated to every soul capable oI
receivi ng
t hem, and t hat i mit ate their puri ty. One oI the degrees oI ini t iat ion was the
st ate oI inspirati on to whi ch t he adapt s were cl ai med t o at t ai n. The
Ini ti ates
i n t he Mysteries oI the Lamb, at Pepuza, i n Phrygia, proIessed t o be
i nspi red,
and prophesied and i t was clai med that t he soul , by means oI t hese
reli gious
ceremonies, puri Iied oI any stain, could see t he Gods i n t hi s l iIe, and
certai nly, in al l cases, aIt er death. The sacred gates oI the Temple, where
t he
ceremonies oI init iat ion were perIormed, were opened but once in each
year, and
no st ranger was ever all owed to ent er. It. night t hrew her veil over t hese
august Mysteries, which coul d be reveal ed t o no, one. There t he suIIeri ngs
oI
Bakchos were represent ed, who, l i ke Osi ri s, died, descended t o hell and
rose t o
l iIe again; and raw Il esh was dist ri buted to the Ini tiates, which each ate,
i n
memory oI the deat h dI the Deity, t orn i n pieces by t he Tit ans.
These Mysteri es al so were celebrat ed at t he Vernal Equi nox; and t he
emblem oI
generati on, t o express t he act i ve energy and generati ve power oI t he
Di vi ni ty,
was a pri nci pal symbol . The Ini ti at es wore garl ands and crowns oI myrtle
and
l aurel.
In t hese Mysteries, the aspirant was kept i n t error and darkness to perIorm
t he t hree days and nights; and was t hen made AIa?i smos , OI Ceremony
representi ng t he death oI Bakchos, t he same mythological personage wi t h
Osi ri s.
Thi s was eIIect ed by coIIining hi m in a cl ose cell , that he mi ght seriously
reIl ect, in sol i t ude and darkness, on the busi ness he was engaged i n : and
his
mind be prepared Ior the recept i on oI the subli me and mysteri ous truths oI
pri mi ti ve revelati on and phi losophy. Thi s was a symboli c deat h ; the
deli verance Irom i t , regenerati on ; aIt er whi ch he was cal led diIn?s or
t win-born. Whi le conIined i n the cell , t he pursuit oI Typhon aIter t he
mangled
body oI Osiri s, and t he search oI Rhea or Isis Ior t he same, were enacted
i n
his heari ng; the ini t iat ed cryi ng al oud the names, oI t hat Dei ty derived
Irom
t he Sanskri t. Then it was announced that t he body was Iound ; and t he
aspi rant
was li berat ed amid shoot s oI j oy and exul tat ion.
Then he passed t hrough a representat ion oI Hel l and Elysi um. "Then, " said
an
anci ent writ er, "they are entertai ned wi th hymns and dances, wit h t he
subli me
doctri nes oI sacred knowl edge, and wit h wonderIul and holy visi ons. And
now
become perIect and ini ti ated, t hey are FREE, and no longer under rest rai nt
;
but, crowned, and t ri umphant, they wal k up and down the regi ons oI the
blessed,
converse wit h pure and holy men, and celebrat e t he sacred Mysteri es at
pleasure. " They were t aught t he nature and object s oI t he Myst eri es, and
t he
means oI maki ng t hemselves known, and recei ved the name oI Epopts;
were Iully
i nstruct ed ie t he nature and at tributes oI the Di vi nity, and t he doct ri ne oI a
Iut ure stat e; and made acquai nted wi th the uni ty and at tributes oI the
Grand
Archi tect oI t he Universe, and the true meani ng oI t he Iabl es i n regard to
t he
Gods oI Pagani sm: t he great Truth bei ng oIt en proclai med, t hat "Zeus is
t he
pri mi ti ve Source oI all t hings; there i s one God; one power, and one rule
over
al l. " And aIt er Iull explanati on oI t he many symbol s and embl ems that
surrounded them, they were dismi ssed wi th the barbarous words Kog?
Ompa?,
corrupt ions oI t he Sanskri t words, Kanska Aom Pakscha; meani ng, obj ect
oI our
wi shes, God, Sil ence, or Worshi p the Dei ty i n Si lence.
. Among t he emblems used was the rod oI Bakchos; whi ch once, it was
sai d, he
cast on the ground, and i t became a serpent ; and at anot her t i me he struck
t he
rivers Orontes and Hydaspes wi t h i t, . and t he wat ers receded and he
passed over
dry-shod. Water was obtai ned, duri ng the ceremoni es, by stri ki ng a rock
wi th
i t. The Bakchae crowned their heads wi th serpents, carried them in vases
and
baskets, and at the Evehoi s, or Ii ndi ng, oI t he body oI Osiri s, cast one,
al ive, i nt o t he aspirant' s bosom.
The Mysteries oI Atys i n Phrygi a, and t hose oI Cybel e hi s mi stress, li ke
t heir
worship, much resembled those oI Adoni s and Bakchos, Osiri s and Isis.
Thei r
Asi at i c origi n i s uni versal ly admit t ed, and was wit h great plausi bi li ty
cl ai med
by Phrygia, whi ch contest ed the pal m oI anti quity wi t h Egypt . They, more
t han
any ot her people, mi ngl ed allegory wit h thei r. rel igi ous worship, and were
great i nventors oI Iables ; and t heir sacred t radit ions as t o Cybele and
Atys,
whom al l admi t t o be Phrygian Gods, were very vari ous. In all , as we learn
i rom
Juli us Firmi cus, they represented by al legory the phenomena , oI nat ure,
and t he
successi on oI physical Iact s, under t he veil oI a marvelous hist ory.
Thei r Ieasts occurred at the equinoxes, commencing wit h lamentat ion,
mourni ng,
groans, and pi ti Iul cries Ior t he heath oI Atys; and ending wi t h rej oi cings
at
his restorat ion t o l iIe.
We shal l not reci te the diIIerent versi ons oI the legend oI Atys and Cybele,
gi ven by Jul ius Fi rmicus, Di odorus, Arnobius, Lactanti us, Servi us, Sai nt
August i ne, and Pausanias. It is enough t o say that i t is i n substance t hi s:
t hat Cybel e, a Phrygian Princess, who i nvent ed musical instruments and
dances,
was enamored oI Atys, a yout h; that ei ther he i n a Ii t oI Irenzy mut i lat ed
hi msel I or was mut i l ated by her in a paroxysm oI j eal ousy ; t hat he died,
and
aIterward, l ike Adonis, was restored to li Ie. ' It is the Phoeni ci an Ii cti on as
t o t he Sun-God, expressed in ot her terms, under ot her ' Iorms, and wit h
other
names. ' Cybel e was worshi pped i n Syria, under t he name oI Rhea.
Lucian says that the Lydian Atys t here establi shed her worshi p and bui l t
her
t empl e. The name oI Rhea i s also Iound i n t he anci ent cosmogony oI the
Phoenici ans by Sanchoni at hon. It was' Atys the Lydian, says Lucian, who,
having
been mut i lated, Ii rst est abl ished the Myst eries oI Rhea, and taught the
Phrygians, t he Lydians, and the people oI Samot hrace to celebrat e t hem.
Rhea,
l ike Cybel e, was represent ed drawn by li ons, beari ng a drum, and crowned
wi th
Ilowers. - According to Varro, Cybel e represented the eart h. She partook
oI t he
characterist ics oI Mi nerva, Venus, t he Moon, Diana, Nemesis, and the
Furi es ;
was clad in precious st ones ; and her Hi gh Priest wore a robe oI purple
and a
t iara oI gold.
`The Grand Feast oI the Syri an Goddess, li ke t hat oI t he Mother oI the
Gods at
Rome, was celebrat ed at t he Vernal Equi nox. Preci sely at t hat equinox the
Myst eri es oI Atys were celebrated, ' i n whi ch t hi Ini tiates were t aught t o
expect the rewards oI a Iut ure li Ie, and the Il ight oI Atys Irom the jeal ous
Iury oI Cybele was described, his conceal ment i n t he mountains and in a
cave,
and. His sel I-mut i lat ion i n a Ii t oI del irium ; i n which act hi s priest s
i mi tat ed hi m. The Ieast oI t he passi on oI Atys conti nued t hree days; the
Iirst
oI which was passed i n mourni ng and t ears; t o which aIt erward clamorous
rejoi ci ngs succeeded ; by whi ch, Macrobi us says, t he Sun was adored
under t he
name oI Atys. The ceremoni es were al l al legori cal, some oI which,
accordi ng t o
t he Emperor Jul ian, coul d be explai ned, but more remai ned covered wi th
t he veil
oI mystery. Thus i t is that symbol s outl ast their explanat i ons, as many
have
done in Masonry, and ignorance and rashness subst i tute new ones.
In anot her legend, given by Pausanias, Atys dies, wounded l ike Adonis by
a
wi ld boar in the òrgans oI generat ion ; a mut i l ati on wi th whi ch all the
l egends ended. The pi ne t ree under which he was said to have died, was
sacred
t o hi m; and, was Iound upon many monuments, wit h a bul l and a ram near
i t; one
t he sign oI exal tat ion oI the Sun, and t he ot her oI that oI the Moon.
The worship oI t he Sun under the name oI Mi thras belonged t o Persia,
whence
t hat name came, as did the erudit e symbols oI that worship. The Persians,
adorers oI Fire, regarded t he Sun as; the most bri ll iant abode oI t he
Iecundati ng energy oI that el ement, whi ch gives l iIe t o the eart h, and
ci rculates in every part oI the Uni verse, oI which i t is, as it were, the soul .
Thi s worshi p passed Irom Persi a int o Armenia, Cappadoci a, and Ci l i cia,
l ong
beIore i t was known at Rome. The Mysteries oI Mi t hras Il urished more
t han any
others i n t he i mperi al ci ty. The worshi p oI Mi thras commenced to prevail
t here
under Troj an. Hadrian prohi bi ted these Mysteries, on account oI the cruel
scenes represent ed i n t hei r ceremonial : Ior human vi ct i ms were
i mmolated
t herein, and the events oI Iut urity l ooked Ior i n thei r pal pi t ati ri g ent rail s.
They reappeared in great er splendor t han ever under Commodus, who wit h
his own
hand sacri Iiced a vi ct i m to Mi thras : and t hey were st il l more pract iced
under
Constanti ne and his successors, when the Pri ests oI Mit hras were Iound
everywhere i n the Roman Empire, and t he monuments oI hi s worshi p
appeared even
i n Brit ai n.
Caves were consecrated to Mit hras, i n which were col lect ed a mul ti t ude oI
ast ronomical embl ems ; and cruel t ests were required oI the Init iat es. The
Persi ans bui lt no templ es ; but worshipped upon t he summit s oI hil ls, in
encl osures oI unhewn st ones. They abominated i mages, and made t he Sun
and Fire
emblems oI the Deity. The Jews borrowed t hi s Irom t hem, and represented
God as
appeari ng t o Abraham i n a Il ame oI Ii re, and to Moses as a Ii re at Horeb
and on
Sinai.
Wi t h the Persians, Mi thras, typiIied in t he Sun, was the invi sibl e Dei ty,
t he
Parent oI the Uni verse, t he Mediat or. In Zoroaster' s cave oI ini ti ati on, t he'
Sun and Planet s were represent ed overhead, in gems and gol d, as also was
t he
Zodi ac. The Sun appeared emergi ng Irom the back oI Taurus. Three great
pil lars,
Eterni ty, Fecundi ty, and Aut hori ty, support ed the rooI; and t he whol e was
at
emblem oI the Uni verse.
Zoroaster, li ke Moses, clai med t o have conversed Iace to Iace, as man wit h
man, wi t h the Dei ty; and to have recei ved Irom Hi m a system oI pure
worship, t o
be communicat ed only t o t he virtue ous, and t hose who woul d devote
t hemsel ves
t o t he study oI Phi losophy. - His Iame spread over the worl d, and pupi ls
came to
hi~n Irom every country. Even Pyt hagoras was hi s scholar.
AIter hi s novi t i ate, t he candidate entered t he cavern oI ini t iat ion, and was
received on t he point oI a sword presented to hi s 425 naked leIt breast , by
which he was sl i ght ly wounded. Being crowned wit h ol i ve, anoi nt ed wi t h
balsam
oI benzoin, and other wi se prepared, he was puriIied wi th Ii re and. Wat er,
and
went through seven stages oI init iat ion, The symbol oI t hese st ages was a
high
l adder wi th seven rounds or steps. In them, he went through many IearIul
t ri al' s in whi ch darkness di spl ayed a pri nci pal part. He saw a
representat ion
oI t he wicked i n Hi des ; and Iinally emerged Irom darkness into li ght .
Recei ved
i t a pl ace represent ing Elysi um, i n t he bril li ant assembly oI the init iat ed,
where t he Arch magus presi ded, robed in bl ue, he assumed t he obl igat ions
oI
secrecy, and was ent rusted wi th the Sacred Words, oI whi ch the IneIIabl e
Name
oI God was the chi eI.
Then all t he i nci dent s oI hi s i ni ti ati on were explai ned to hi m: he was
t aught
t hat these ceremoni es brought hi m nearer t he Dei ty; and t hat he shoul d
adore
t he consecrat ed Fire, t he giIt oI that Dei ty and Hi s vi sibl e residence. He
was
t aught t he sacred characters known only to the init iat ed; and instructed i n
regard to the creat i on oI . t he world, and the true phi losophical meaning oI
t he vulgar myt hol ogy ; and especi ally oI the legend oI Ormuzd and
Ahri man, and
t he symbol i c meaning oI t he si x Amshaspands created by the Iormer :
Bahman, the
Lord oI Light; Ardibehest , the Geni us oI Fi re ; Shari ver, t he Lord oI
Spl endor
and Metals; St apandomad, the Source oI Frui tIul ness; Kkordad, the Geni us
oI
Wat er. and Ti me ; and Amerdad, t he prot ector oI t he Vegetabl e Worl d, and
t he
pri me cause oI growt h. And Iinally he was taught the true nat ure oI the
Supreme
Being, Creator oI Ormuzd and Ahri man, the' Absolut e First ' Cause, styl ed
Zeruane
Akherene.
In t he Mit hriac i ni ti ati on were several Degrees. The Ii rst , Tert ul l ian says,
was that oI Sol di er oI Mit hras. The ceremony oi recept i on consi sted in
present ing the candidat e a crown, support ed by a sword. It was placed near
his
head, and he repell ed i t, sayi ng, "Mit hras is my , crown." Then he was
decl ared
t he soldi er oI Mi thras, and had t he right to call t he other Initi ates Iel low
soldi ers or compani ons in arms. Hence t he t it le Compani ons in the Royal
Arch
Degree oI t he Ameri can Ri te.
Then he passed, Porphyry says, through. the Degree oI the Lion, the
const el lat ion Leo, domi cil e oI t he Sun and symbol oI Mi thras, . Iound on
his
monument s. These ceremonies were t ermed at Rome Leont ic and Hel ium ;
and
Coracia or Hi ero-Coracia, oI 426 Heavens below t he Li on, wi th the Hydra,
and al so appeari ng on t he Mi thras monument s.
Thence he passed t o a higher Degree, where the Ini tiates were ' cal led
Perses
and chi ldren oI t he - Sun. Above t hem were the Fat hers, whose chi eI or
Patriarch was styled Father oI Fat hers, or Pater Patratus. The Init iat es al so
bore the ti tl e oI Eagles and Hawks, bi rds consecrated to t he Sun in Egypt ,
t he
Iormer sacred to t he God Mendes, and t he lat ter the emblem oI t he Sun
and
Royal ty.
The li tt le island oI Samot hrace was l ong the depositary oI cert ai n august
Myst eri es, and many went thit her Irom al l part s oI Greece t o be init iat ed.
It
was sai d to have been set tl ed by t he ancient Pelasgi , early Asiat ic
colonist s
i n Greece. The Gods adored in t he Myst eri es oI t his isl and were termed
CABIRI,
an oriental word, Irom Caber, great . Varro cal ls t he Gods oI Samot hrace,
Pot ent
(Gods. In Arabic, Venus i s call ed Caber. Varro says t hai t he Great Deit i es
whose Myst eri es were practi ced t here, were Heaven and Eart h. These were
but
symbol s oI the Act ive and Passi ve Powers or Principles oI uni versal
generati on.
The two Twi n, Castor and Pol lux, or t he Dioscuri , were al so cal led the
Gods oI
Samothrace; and the Schol iast oI Apoll oni us, cit ing Mnaseas, gives the
names oI
Ceres, Proserpine, Pluto, and Mercury, as t he Iour Cabiri c Divi ni ti es
worshipped at Samothrace, as Axieros, Axi ocersa, Axi ocersus, and
Casmi l lus.
Mercury was, there as everywhere, the mi ni st er and messenger oI the Gods
; and
t he young servit ors oI the alt ars and the chi ldren empl oyed i n t he Templ es
were
cal led Mercuries or Casmi ll us, as t hey were i n Tuscany, by the Et rusci and
Pelasgi , who worshi pped t he Great Gods.
Tarqui n the Et ruscan was an Ini ti ate oI the mysteries oI Samothrace; and
Etruri a had it s Cabi ri as Samothrace had. For t he worship oI t he Cabiri
spread
Irom that i sland i nto Etruria, Phrygia, and Asi a Mi nor : and it probably
came
Irom Phoeni cia i nt o Samothrace : Ior t he Cabiri are ment i oned by
Sanchoni athon;
and t he word Caber bel ongs to t he Hebrew, Phoeni ci an, and Arabic
l anguages.
The Dioscuri , tut elary Dei ti es oI Navigat i on, wi t h Venus, were i nvoked in
t he
Myst eri es oI Samothrace. The constel lat i on Auriga, or Phaet on, was al so
honored
t here wi th i mposi ng ceremonies. Upon the Aeronauti c expedi ti on,
Orpheus, an
Ini ti ate oI these 427 Mysteri es, a st orm ari si ng, counseled hi s companions
t o put i nto Samot hrace. They di d so, the st orm ceased, and they
were i nit i at ed i nto the Mysteries there, and sai led again wi t h the
assurance oI a Iort unat e voyage, under t he auspices oI the Di oscuri,
patrons
oI sai lors and navigat ion.
But much more t han that was promi sed the Init iat es. The
Hi erophants oI Samot hrace made somet hi ng inIini t ely greater t o be t he
object oI
t heir i ni ti ati ons ; to wi t, the consecrati on oI men t o t he Deity, by
pledgi ng t hem t o virtue ; and the assurance oI t hose rewards which
t he j ust ice oI the Gods reserves Ior Ini tiates aIter deat h. Thi s,
above al l else, made these ceremoni es august, and inspired
everywhere so great a respect Ior them, and so great a desire t o
be admi t ted to t hem. `t hat origi nal ly caused t he i sland t o be
styled Sacred. It was respected by all nat ions. The Romans, when
masters oI t he worl d, leIt it i ts l iberty and l aws. It was an
asyl um Ior the unIortunates and a sanct uary invi olable.
There men were absolved oI t he cri me oI homi ci de, iI not
commi t ted in a t empl e. Chi l dren oI tender age were init iat ed t here, and
i nvest ed wi t h t he sacred robe, t he purple ti ncture, and the crown oI ol ive,
and
seated upon a t hrone, l i ke other Init iates. In the ceremoni es was
represented the deat h i I the youngest oI the Cabi ri, slai n by hi s
brot hers, who Il ed i nt o Etruria, carryi ng wi th t hem the chest or
ark t hat contai ned, hi s geni tal s: and there t he Phal lus and the
sacred ark were adored. . Herodot us says that t he Samothraci an
Ini ti ates understood the object and origi n oI thi s reverence pai d
t he Phal lus, and why i t was exhibit ed in the Mysteries. Cl ement
oI Al exandria says that t he Cabiri taught the Tuscany t o revere
i t. It was consecrated at Heli opol i s i n Syria, where t he mysteries oI a
Di vi ni ty havi ng many poi nt s oI resembl ance wit h. Atys and Cybele were
represented. The Pel asgi connect ed it wi th Mercury ; and it appears
on t he monument s oI Mathi as ; always and every-where a symbol oI
t he l iIe-givi ng power oI t he Sun at the Vernal Equinox.
In t he Indi an Myst eri es, as the candi date made hi s t hree circuit s, he
paused
each ti me he reached t he South, and sai d, "I copy t he example oI the
Sun, and Iol l ow hi s beneIi cent course. " Blue Masonry has renamed
t he Ci rcuit s, but has utt erly l ost t he expl anat ion; whi ch i s, t hat i n
t he Myst eri es t he candidate i nvariably represent ed t he Sun, descendi ng
Southward' toward t he reign oI. 428 the Evil Princi pl e, Ahri man,
Sit a, or Typhon (darkness and wi nter) ; there Iigurat ively t o be slain, and
aIter a Iew days to rise agai n Irom the dead, and commence to ascend to
t he
Nort hward. Then the deat h oI Sit a was bewai led ; or that oI Cama, slai n by
Iswara, ai d commi t ted to the waves on a chest , l ike Osiri s and Bacchus;
duri ng
which the candi dat e was t erri Iied by phantoms and horri d noi ses.
Then he was made to personiIy Vi shnu, and perIorm hi s avat ars, or l abors.
In
t he Iirst two he was taught in al legori es the legend oI t he Deluge: i n t he
Iirst he t ook t hree steps at right angles, represent ing t he t hree huge steps
t aken by Vi shnu i n t hat avat ar; and hence the three steps in the Master' s
Degree endi ng at right angles.
The nine avat ars Ii nished, he was taught the necessity oI Iait h, as superi or
t o sacriIices, acts oI chari ty, or morti Iicati ons oI the Il esh. Then he was
admoni shed against Ii ve cri mes, and t ook a solemn obli gati on never t o
commi t
t hem. He was then i nt roduced into a representat ion oI Paradise; t he
Company oI
t he Members oI t he Order, magni Ii cent ly arrayed, and the Altar wit h a Ii re
blazi ng upon i t, as an embl em oI t he Dei ty.
Then a new name was gi ven hi m, and he was invested in a whi t e robe and
t iara,
and received the signs, t okens, and l ectures. A cross was marked on hi s
Iorehead, and an i nverted level, or t he Tau Cross, on his breast . He
received
t he sacred cord, and di vers amulet s or t ali smans; and was then i nvested
wi th
t he sacred Word or Subl i me Name, known only t o the ini t iated, the
Tril ateral A.
U. M.
Then the mult i t ude oI embl ems was expl ai ned to the candi dat e ; the arcana
oI
sci ence hi dden under t hem, and the di IIerent vi rt ues oI which t he
mythol ogical
Iigures were more personi Ii cati ons. And he t hus learne4 the meaning oI
t hose
symbol s, which, to the unini ti ated, were but a maze oI uni ntel l i gible
Iigures. 429 Godhead, the happi ness oI t he patriarchs, the destruct ion by
t he Del uge, the depravi ty oI t he heart , and t he necessi ty oI a mediator, the
i nstabil ity oI li Ie, the Ii nal dest ruct i on oI all created things, and the
restorati on oI t he worl d in a more perIect Iorm. They i ncul cated the
Eterni ty
oI t he Soul , expl ai ned t he meaning oI t he doctri ne oI t he Met empsychosi s,
and
held the-doctrine oI a st at e oI Iuture rewards and punishment s: and they
al so
earnest ly urged that sins coul d only be atoned Ior by repentance,
reIormat i on,
and voluntary penance; and not by mere ceremonies and sacri Ii ces.
The Mysteries among the Chi nese and Japanese came Irown India, and
were
Iounded on the same pri nci ples and wit h si mi lar ri tes. The word given t o
t he
new Ini ti at e was O-Mi -To Fo, i n which we recogni ze the origi nal name A.
U. M. ,
coupl ed at a much lat er ti me wi t h t hat oI Fo, the Indian Buddha, to show
t hat
he was t he Great Deity Hi msel I.
The equi lat eral triangle was one oI t heir symbol s; and so was the myst ical
Y;
both al ludi ng to t he Tri une God, and the latter bei ng the ineIIabl e name oI
t he
Dei ty. A ri ng support ed by t wo serpent s was emblemati cal oI t he worl d,
prot ected by the power and wisdom oI the Creat or; and that i s t he origin
oI t he
t wo paral lel l ines (i nt o which ti me has changed t he two serpents), that
support
t he ci rcl e i n our Lodges.
Among the Japanese, t he t erm oI probat ion Ior the hi ghest Degree was
t wenty
years.
The main Ieatures oI t he Druidi cal Mysteries resembled those oI t he
Orient.
The ceremonies commenced wi th a hymn to the sun. The candi dat es were
arranged
i n ranks oI t hrees, Ii ves, and sevens, according t o t heir qual iIicat ions; and
conduct ed nine t i mes around t he Sanct uary, Irom East to West . The
candidate
underwent many t ri als, one oI which had direct reIerence to the legend oI
Osi ri s. He was placed in a boat, and sent out t o sea alone, havi ng t o rely
on
his own skil l and presence oI mi nd t o reach t he opposit e shore i n saIety.
The
deat h oI Hu was represent ed in hi s hearing, wi th every external mark oI
sorrow,
whil e he was in utt er darkness. He met wi t h many obstacl es, had t o prove
his
courage, and expose his l iIe agai nst armed enemies; represented various
ani mals, and at l ast, att aining the permanent li ght , he was i nstruct ed by
t he
Arch-Druid in regard t o the Mysteries, and in t he morali ty oI the t hird
Degree
was a li Ie oI seclusion, aIter t he Initi ate' s chi ldren were capable oI
provi ding Ior themselves ; passed i n the Iorest , i n t he pract ice oI prayers
and
ablut ions, and li ving only on vegetables. He was then said t o be born
agai n.
The Iourt h was absol ut e renunci ati on oI t he worl d, selI-contempl ati on add
sel I-tort ure ; by which PerIect i on was t hought to be attai ned, and t he soul
merged in t he Dei ty.
In t he second Degree, the Ini ti ate was taught the Uni ty oI t he 430 Order,
i nci ted to act bravely in war, taught the great trut hs oI the i mmortali ty oI
t he soul and a Iuture state, sol emnly enj oined not to negl ect the worship
oI
t he Dei ty, nor t he pract ice oI ri gid moral ity; and to avoi d' slot h,
contenti on,
and Iol ly.
The aspirant att ained only t he exoteri c knowl edge i n t he Iirst two Degrees.
The thi rd was attai ned only by a Iew, and t hey persons oI rank and
consequence,
and aIter long puriIicat ion, and st udy oI al l the art s and sciences known to
t he Drui ds, in sol it ude, Ior ni ne mont hs. Thi s was t he symbol i cal death
and
buri al oI these` Myst eries.
The dangerous voyage upon t he act ual open sea, in a smal l boat covered
wi th a
skin, on t he eveni ng oI t he 29th oI April , was the last t ri al, and closing
scene, oI i ni tiati on. II he decl i ned t hi s t rial, he was di smissed wi th
contempt . II he made it and succeeded, he was t ermed t hrice-born, was
el igi bl e
t o al l the di gni ties oI t he Stat e, and received compl ete inst ruct i on in t he
phil osophy cal and religious doctrines oI the Drui ds.
The Greeks al so styled the , Epopi hz T?ig??o?, thrice-born; and i n India
perIect ion was assigned t o t he Yogi who had accompli shed many births.
The general Ieat ures oI t he i ni ti ati ons among t he Goths were the same as
i n
al l the Mysteries. A l ong probat i on, oI Iast ing and mort iIicat i on, circular
processi ons, represent ing t he march oI t he celest ial bodi es, many IearIul
t ests
and t ri al s, a descent i nt o t he inIernal regi ons, the ki l l ing oI t he God
Balder
by t he Evi l Pri nci ple, Lok, the pl acing oI his body in a boat and sendi ng i t
abroad upon the waters ; and, i n short, the Eastern Legend, under di IIerent
names, and wit h some vari at i ons.
The Egypti an Anubi s appeared there, as t he dog guarding the gates oI
deat h.
The candi date was i mmured i n t he representat ion oI a tomb; and when
released,
goes in search oI t he body oI Balder, and Ii nds hi m, at lengt h, rest ored t o
l iIe, and seat ed upon a t hrone. He was obl igat ed upon a naked sword (as is
st il l t he custom in the Ri t Moderne), and sealed hi s obli gati on by dri nking
mead out oI a human skull .
Then all t he ancient pri mi ti ve t ruths were made known t o hi m, so Iar as
t hey
had survi ved the assault s oI ti me: and he was inIormed as t o the
generati on oI
t he Gods, the creat i on oI the world, t he deluge, and the resurrecti on, oI
which
t hat oI Balder was a type. He was marked wi th t he si gn oI the cross and a
ring
was given 431 t o hi m as a symbol oI t he Di vi ne Protect ion; and also as an
emblem oI PerIect ion; Irom which comes the custom oI givi ng a ring to
t he
Aspirant in t he 14th Degree.
The poi nt wi thi n Circle, and the Cube, embl em oI Odi n, were expl ai ned to
hi m;
and l ast ly, t he nat ure oI t he Supreme God, "the aut hor oI everythi ng t hat
exist eth, t he Et ernal , the Ancient, the Li ving and AwIul Being, the
Searcher
i nt o concealed things' , t he Bei ng t hat never changeth ;" wi th whom Odi n
t he
Conqueror was by the vul gar conIounded : and t he Tri une God oI t he
Indians was
reproduced, as Odi n, the Al mi ghty FATHER, FREA, (Rhea or Phre), his
wi Ie
(embl em oI universal mat ter), and Thor hi s son (t he Medi ator). Here we
recogni ze Osi ris, Isis, and Hor or Horus. Around the head oI Thor, as i I to
show hi s east ern origi n, twel ve st ars were arranged i n a circle.
He was also t aught the ul ti mat e dest ructi on oI t he worl d, and the rising oI
a
new one, i n whi ch t he brave and virtuous shall enjoy everlast ing happiness
and
delight: as t he means oI securi ng which happy Iortune, he was taught t o
pract ise t he st ri ctest moral ity and virtue. The Init iat e was prepared to
receive the great lessons oI all the Mysteries, by long t ri als, or by
abst inence and chast i ty. For many days he was required to Iast and be
conti nent, and to drink l iquids calculat ed t o di minish hi s passi ons and
keep
hi m chaste. Abl ut ions were al so requi red, symbol ical oI the purity
necessary t o
enable the soul t o escape Irom it s bondage in mat t er. Sacred butt s and
preparatory bapt isms were used, l ustrat i ons, i mmersi ons, l ustral
spri nkl i ngs,
and puri Ii cat i ons oI every kind. At Athens t hey bathed i n t he Ilissus,
which
t hence became a sacred ri ver; and beIore enteringt he Templ e oI Eleusis,
al l
were requi red to wash their hands i n a vase oI l ustral water placed near
t he
entrance. Cl ean hands and a pure heart were required oI the candidat es.
Apuleius bat hed seven t i mes in t he sea, symbol ical oI t he Seven Spheres
t hrough
which the Soul must reascend ; add the Hi ndus must bathe i n t he sacred
river
Ganges.
Cl ement oI Al exandri a cit es a passage oI Meander, who speaks oI a
puri Ii cati on
by sprinkli ng three t i mes wi t h salt and wat er Sul phur, resi n, and the laurel
al so served Ior puriIicat ion as did air, eart h, water, and Ii re. The Init i at es
at Hel iopol is, in Syria, says Lucian, sacriIiced the sacred lamb, symbol oI
Aries, then t he si gn oI the Vernal Equinox ; ate hi s Il esh, as t he Israel i t es.
did at the Passover; and t hen touched hi s head and Ieet to t heirs, and knel t
upon the Ileece. Then t hey bathed i n warm wat er, drank oI t he same, and
sl ept
upon the ground.
There was a di st i nct i on bet ween t he l esser and greater Myst eri es. One
must
have been Ior some years admi t t ed to the Iormer, ' beIore he could recei ve
t he
l att er, which were but a preparat ion Ior them, the Vesti bule oI the temple,
oI
which those oI Eleusis were the Sanctuary. There, in the lesser Myst eri es,
t hey
were prepared t o receive the holy trut hs t aught i n t he greater. The Init iat es
i n t he lesser were cal led si mply Myst ic, or Initi ates ; but t hose i n t he
greater, Epopt s) or Seers. An anci ent poet says that t he Iormer were an
i mperIect shadow oI the latter, as sl eep i s oI Deat h. AIter admi ssion t o t he
Iormer, the Ini tiat e was taught lessons oI moral i ty, and t he rudi ments oI
t he
sacred science, t he most subli me and secret part oI whi ch was reserved Ior
t he
Epopt , who saw the Truth i n i ts nakedness, whil e t he Myst ic only viewed
i t
t hrough a vei l and under embl ems Ii tt er to exci te than t o sat i sIy hi s
curi osity.
BeIore communi cat ing t he Ii rst secret s and pri mary dogmas oI ini t iat ion,
t he
pri ests requi red t he candidate t o take a IearIul oath never t o divulge the
secret s. Then he made his vows, prayers, and sacri Iices to the Gods. The
skins
oI t he vict i ms consecrated t o Jupi ter were spread on the ground, and he
was
made t o set his Ieet upon t hem. He was t hen taught some enigmati c
Iormul as, as
answers t o quest ions, by which to make hi msel I known. He was then
enthroned,
i nvest ed wi t h a purple ti nct ure, and crowned wi th Il owers, or branches oI
pal m
or ol i ve.
We do not certai nly know t he ti me t hat was required t o el apse between the
admi ssi on to t he Lesser and Great er Mysteries oI El eusi s. Most writ ers Ii x
i t
at Iive years. It was a si ngular mark oI Iavor when Demetri us was made
Myst i c
and Epopt in one and the same ceremony. When at length admi t ted to the
Degree
oI perIecti on, t he Ini ti at e was brought Iace t o Iace wi th ent ire nat ure, and
l earned t hat the soul was the whole oI man; t hat eart h was but his place oI
exil e; that Heaven was hi s nat ive country; that Ior t he soul to be born i s
really t o die; and that deat h was Ior i t the ret urn t o a new l i Ie. Then he
entered t he sanct uary; but he di d not recei ve t he whol e i nstruct ion at once.
It
conti nued t hrough several years. There were, as it were, many apart ments,
t hrough whi ch be advanced by degrees, and bet ween whi ch thi ck veil s
i ntervened.
There were St at ues and Painti ngs, says Procl us, in t he i nmost sanct uary,
showi ng t he Iorms assumed by the Gods. Fi nal ly the last vei l Iel l , the
sacred
coveri ng dropped Irom t he i mage oI the Goddess, and she stood reveal ed
i n al l
her splendor, -surrounded by a divine li ght , which, Iil li ng the whol e
sanct uary, dazzl ed t he eyes and penetrat ed t he soul oI t he Ini ti ate. Thus i s
symbol i zed the Ii nal revelat ion oI t he t rue doctrine as t o t he nature oI
Dei ty
and oI t he soul , and oI t he relati ons oI each t o mat t er. Thi s was preceded
by
Iright Iul scenes, al ternati ons oI Iear and j oy, oI light and darkness; by
gl it tering li ght ni ng and t he crashed thunder, and appari ti ons oI specters,
or
magical il lusions, i mpressi ng at once t he eyes and ears. This Cl audi an
describes, i n hi s poem on t he rape oI Proserpi ne, where he al ludes to what
passed in her Myst eri es. "The templ e i s shaken, " he cries; 'Iiercely gleams
t he
l ight ni ng, by whi ch t he Deity announces hi s presence. Earth trembles ; and
a
t errible noi se is heard i n t he mi dst oI these terrors. The Templ e oI t he Son
oI
Cecrops resounds wi t h long-conti nued roars; Eleusis upl iIts her sacred
t orches
; t he serpent s oI Tri ptolemus are heard to hi ss ; and IearIul Hecat e appears
aIar. "
The cel ebrati on oI the Greek Myst eri es cont i nued, accordi ng t o the bet ter
opinion, Ior nine days. On the Ii rst t he Initi ates met. It was t he day oI t he
Iul l moon, oI the mont h Boedromi on ; when the moon was Iul l at t he end
oI t he
sign Aries, near the Pleiades and the pl ace oI her exal tat ion i n Taurus.
The second day t here was a procession t o t he sea, Ior puriIicat ion by
bathi ng.
The thi rd was occupi ed wit h oIIeri ngs, expiat ory sacriIices, and other
reli gious rit es, such as Iasti ng, mourning, conti nence, etc. A mul l et was
i mmolated, and oIIeri ngs oI grain and li vi ng ani mals made. On the Iourt h
t hey
carri ed i n processi on the myst i c wreat h oI Il owers, represent ing that which
Proserpi ne dropped when sei zed by Pl uto, and t he Crown oI Ariadne i n t he
Heavens. It was borne on a t riumphal car drawn by oxen; and women
Iol l owed
beari ng mysti c chest s or boxes, wrapped wi t h purpl e cl othe, captai ning
grains
oI sesame, pyramidal biscui t s, sal t, pomegranates and t he mysteri ous
serpent ,
and perhaps the mystic phall us. On t he IiIth was the superb processi on oI
t orches, commemorat ive oI the search Ior Proserpi ne by Ceres ; the
Ini ti ates
marching by t rios, and each beari ng a torch; while at the head oI the
processi on marched the Dadoukos.
The si xth was consecrat ed t o Iakchos, the young Light-God, son oI Ceres,
reared in t he sanct uaries and beari ng t he t orch oI t he Sun-God. The chorus
i n
Arist ophanes t erms hi m the l umi nous st ar that l ights t he noct urnal
i ni t i ati on.
He was brought Irom the sanct uary, hi s head crowned wit h myrtl e, and
borne Irom
t he gat e oI t he Cerami cus to El eusi s, al ong the sacred way, amid dances,
sacred
songs, every mark oI j oy, and myst i c cries oI Iakchos.
On t he seventh there were gymnast ic exerci ses and combat s, t he vict ors in
which were crowned and rewarded.
On t he eighth was t he Ieast oI AEsculapi us.
On t he nint h the Iamous li bati on was made Ior t he souls oI the departed.
The
Priests, accordi ng t o At henaus, Ii l led two vases, pl aced one i n t he East
and
one i n t he West, toward t he gat es oI day and night, and overt urned t hem,
pronouncing a Iormul a oI mysteri ous prayers. Thus t hey invoked Light and
Darkness, the t wo great' princi pl es oI nat ure.
Duri ng al l these days no one could be arrested, nor any suit brought, on
pain
oI death, or at l east a heavy Ii ne: and no one was al lowed, by t he di spl ay
oI
unusual weal th or magni Iicence, t o
endeavor t o ri val thi s sacred pomp. Everyt hi ng was Ior religion. Such were
t he
Myst eri es ; and such the Ol d Thought , as in scatt ered and widely separat ed
Iragments it has come down t o us.
The human mind st il l specul at es upon t he great mysteries oI nat ure, and
st il l
Iinds i ts ideas anti ci pated by the ancients, whose proIoundest thought s are
t o
be looked Ior, not in `thei r phi l osophi es, but i n t heir symbols, by whi ch
t hey
endeavored to express t he great ideas that vainly st ruggled Ior utt erance in
words, as t hey viewed Ihe great circl e oI phenomena, -Birt h, LiIe, Deat h,
or
Decomposit ion, and New Li Ie out oI Deat h and Rott enness, - t o them t he
greatest
oI mysteries. Remember, while you study thei r symbol s, t hat they had a
proIounder sense oI these wonders than we have. To t hem t he
t ransIormat i ons oI
t he worm were a greater wonder than t he stars; and hence t he poor dumb
scarabaeus or beetl e was sacred t o them. Thus t hei r Iait hs are condensed
i nt o
symbol s or expanded into all egories, which t hey understood, but were not
al ways
able t o expl ain i n l anguage; Ior there are t houghts and ideas whi ch no
l anguage
ever spoken by man has words to express
1871.
25 - Kni ght oI t he Brazen Serpent ( Part 1 )
XXV NIGHT OF THE BRAZEN SERPENT.
Thi s Degree is bot h phi losophical and moral . Whi le i t teaches the
necessi ty oI reIormat ion as well as repent ance, as a means oI
obtai ni ng mercy and Iorgi veness, it i s also devot ed t o an explanati on oI
t he symbol s oI Masonry; and especial ly to those which are connect ed
wi th t hat ancient and uni versal l egend, oI which that oI Khir-Om Abi is
but a variat i on; that legend whi ch, represent ing a murder or a deat h,
and a rest orat ion t o l i Ie, by a drama i n which Iigure Osi ri s, Isi s and
Horus, Atys and Cybel e, Adoni s and Venus, t he Cabiri, Di onusos, and
many anot her represent ati ve oI the acti ve and passi ve Powers oI
Nat ure, t aught t he Init iates in the Mysteri es that t he rul e oI Evi l and
Darkness is but temporary, and that that oI Light and Good wi l l be
et ernal .
Mai moni des says: "In t he days oI Enos, t he son oI Set h, men Iell into
grievous errors, and even Enos hi msel I partook oI their i nIat uat i on.
Thei r language was, that si nce God has pl aced on high the heavenly
bodi es, and used t hem as Hi s mi ni st ers, i t was evi dently Hi s wi ll t hat
t hey shoul d recei ve Irom man the same
venerat ion as the servants oI a great pri nce j ustly cl ai m Irom t he
subject mul t it ude. Impressed wit h this not ion, they began to bui ld
t empl es t o the St ars, to sacriIice t o them, and t o worship t hem, i n t he
vain expect at ion t hat they should t hus please the Creat or oI al l thi ngs.
At Iirst , indeed. t hey di d not suppose the Stars to be the only Deit ies,
but adored in conj unct i on wi t h t hem t he Lord God Omnipotent. In
process oI ti me, however, that great and venerable Name was tot ally
Iorgot ten, and t he whole human race retai ned no other rel igi on t han t he
i dol atrous worshi p oI the Host oI Heaven. "
The Ii rst learni ng i n the world consi sted chi eIly i n symbols. The wisdom
oI t he Chaldans, Phoni cians, Egyptians, Jews; oI Zoroaster,
Sanchoni athon, Pherecydes, Syrus, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plat o, oI al l
t he ancient s, that i s come t o our hand, i s symbol ic. It was t he mode,
says Serranus on Pl at o' s Symposium, oI the Ancient Phil osophers, t o
represent truth by cert ain symbol s and hi dden i mages.
"All t hat can be said concerni ng t he Gods," says St rabo, "must be by
t he exposi t ion oI old opi nions and Iables; it being the cust om oI t he
anci ent s t o wrap up in enigma and al legory t hei r thought s and
discourses concerning Nature; which are t hereIore not easily
expl ained. "
As you learned i n the 24th Degree, my Brother, the anci ent
Phi l osophers regarded t he soul oI man as having had it s origin in
Heaven. That was, Macrobi us says, a set tled opinion among them al l;
and t hey held it t o be t he only true wisdom, Ior the soul , whi le uni ted
wi th t he body, to look ever toward it s source, and strive to return to the
place whence i t came. Among the Ii xed st ars it dwel t, unti l , seduced by
t he desi re oI ani mat ing a body, it descended t o be i mpri soned in
matt er. ThenceIorward it has no ot her resource t han recollect ion, and
i s ever at tracted to toward i ts birth-pl ace and home. The means oI
return are to be sought Ior in i tselI. To re-ascend t o i t s source, i t must
do and suIIer in the body.
Thus the Mysteries taught the great doctrine oI t he divi ne nature and
l ongi ngs aIter i mmortal ity oI t he soul , oI the nobi l ity oI it s origi n, the
grandeur oI it s dest iny, it s superi ority over the ani mal s who have no
aspi rat ions heavenward. II t hey struggled i n vain to express it s nat ure,
by comparing it t o Fire and Light, - iI t hey erred as t o i ts origi nal pl ace
oI abode, and the mode oI it
descent, and the pat h which, descendi ng and ascending, it pursued
among the stars and spheres, these were t he accessories oI the Great
Trut h, and mere all egories designed t o make t he i dea more i mpressi ve,
and, as it were, t angi ble, t o t he human mind.
Let us, in order t o understand t hi s ol d Thought, Ii rst Iol low the soul in
i ts descent. The sphere or Heaven oI t he Ii xed stars was t hat Holy
Regi on, and t hose Elysian Fi el ds, t hat were the nat ive domici le oI
souls, and the pl ace t o which they re-ascended, when they had
recovered t hei r pri mi ti ve purity and si mpli city. From t hat lumi nous
region t he soul set Iort h, when it journeyed toward the body; a
dest inati on whi ch i t di d not reach unt i l it had undergone t hree
degradat ions, designat ed by t he name oI Deaths; and unt il it had
passed through t he several spheres and t he element s. All souls
remai ned in possessi on oI Heaven and oI happiness, so long as they
were wi se enough to avoi d the cont agion oI t he body, and to keep
t hemsel ves Irom any contact wit h matt er. But t hose who, Irom that l oIty
abode, where t hey were lapped in eternal l ight , have looked longingly
t oward t he body, and toward that which we here bel ow cal l li Ie, but
which is to the soul a real deat h; and who have concei ved Ior it a
secret desire, - those souls, vi cti ms oI their concupi scence, are
at tracted by degrees t oward the inIeri or regions oI t he worl d, by the
mere wei ght oI t hought and oI t hat terrest ri al desire. The soul , perIect ly
i ncorporeal , does not at once i nvest i tsel I wit h t he gross envel ope oI
t he body, but l it tl e by l it tle, by successi ve and i nsensi ble al t erat ions,
and i n proporti on as i t removes Iurther and Iurther Irom the si mple and
perIect substance in which it dwel t at Ii rst . It Ii rst surrounds i t sel I wit h a
body composed oI the subst ance oI the stars; and aIterward, as it
descends t hrough the several spheres, wi th ethereal mat ter more and
more gross, t hus by degrees descendi ng t o an eart hly body; and i ts
number oI degradati ons or deat hs being the same as that oI the
spheres which i t traverses.
The Galaxy, Macrobi us says, crosses the Zodiac in two opposi te
points, Cancer and Capricorn, ' t he tropi cal poi nt s in t he sun' s course,
ordi narily cal led the Gates oI t he Sun. These t wo tropics, beIore his
t i me, corresponded wit h t hose const ell ati ons, but in hi s day wit h
Gemi ni and Sagi ttari us, in consequence oI the precessi on oI t he
equinoxes; but t he signs oI t he Zodiac remai ned unchanged; and the
Mi lky Way crossed at the signs Cancer and Capricorn, t hough not at
t hose const ell ati ons.
Through t hese gates soul s were supposed to descend t o earth and reascend
t o Heaven. One, Macrobius says, in hi s dream oI Sci pi o, was
styled the Gat e oI Men; and t he other, t he Gat e oI t he Gods. Cancer
was the Iormer, because soul s descended by i t to the earth; and
Capri corn t he l att er, because by it t hey reascended t o t heir seat s oI
i mmortal i ty, and became Gods. From the Mi l ky Way, accordi ng t o
Pyt hagoras, diverged t he route to the domi ni ons oI Pl ut o. Unt il t hey leIt
t he Gal axy, t hey were not deemed t o have commenced t o descend
t oward t he terrestrial bodi es. From t hat t hey depart ed, and to t hat they
returned. Unt i l they reached t he si gn Cancer, t hey had not leIt it , and
were st il l Gods. When t hey reached Leo, they commenced t heir
apprenticeship Ior thei r Iuture condi ti on; and when they were at
Aquarius, the sign opposi te Leo, they were Iurt hest removed Irom
human l iIe.
The soul , descendi ng Irom the celesti al li mi t s, where t he Zodi ac and
Gal axy unite, l oses i ts spherical shape, t he shape oI al l Di vine Nature,
and i s lengthened i nt o a cone, as a poi nt is lengt hened i nto a l ine; and
t hen, an indivisi ble monad beIore, it di vides it selI and becomes a duad
- t hat is, uni ty becomes divisi on, di sturbance, and conIl ict . Then i t
begi ns to experi ence t he di sorder which rei gns i n mat t er, to whi ch i t
unit es i tsel I, becomi ng, as it were, i nt oxicat ed by draught s oI grosser
matt er: oI whi ch inebriat ion t he cup oI Bakchos, between Cancer and
Leo, i s a symbol . It i s Ior them t he cup oI Iorget Iulness. They assembl e,
says Pl ato, i n t he Iields oI obli vion, to drink t here t he wat er oI the ri ver
Ameles, whi ch causes men to Iorget everythi ng. This Ii cti on is also
Iound i n Virgil . "II soul s, " says Macrobius, "carried wit h them i nt o t he
bodi es they occupy all the knowl edge which they had acquired oI
divi ne thi ngs, duri ng t heir sojourn i n t he Heavens, men would not di IIer
i n opi ni on as to the Dei ty; but some oI them Iorget more, and some
l ess, oI t hat whi ch they had learned. "
We smi le at t hese noti ons oI t he anci ent s; but we must l earn to look
t hrough these mat eri al i mages and all egories, to the ideas, st ruggli ng
Ior ut terance, the great speechl ess t houghts which t hey envel op: and i t
i s wel l Ior us to consider whether we oursel ves have yet Iound out any
better way oI representi ng t o oursel ves the soul ' s origin and it s advent
i nt o t hi s body, so ent i rely Ioreign t o i t; i I, i ndeed, we have ever thought
about i t at al l ; or have not ceased t o t hi nk, i n despair.
The highest and purest porti on oI mat ter, whi ch nouri shes and
const i tutes divine exi st ences, i s what t he poets term nectar, the
beverage oI the Gods. The lower, more di sturbed and grosser port i on, i s
what int oxicat es souls. The ancient s symbol i zed i t as t he Ri ver Lethe,
dark stream oI obl ivi on. How de we expl ai n t he soul' s Iorget Iulness oI it s
antecedent s, or reconcil e t hat ut ter absence oI remembrance oI it s
Iormer condi t ion, wi th it s essent ial i mmort ali ty? In t ruth, we Ior t he most
part dread and shri nk Irom any at tempt at expl anati on oI i t t o ourselves.
Dragged down by the heavi ness produced by t hi s i nebriat ing draught ,
t he soul Ial ls along t he zodiac and the mi lky way to t he l ower spheres,
and i n i ts descent not only t akes, in each sphere, a new envel ope oI t he
material composi ng the luminous bodi es oI the pl anet s, but recei ves
t here the di IIerent Iacul ti es which it i s t o exerci se whi le it i nhabit s t he
body.
In Sat urn, it acquires the power oI reasoning and intel li gence, or what i s
t ermed t he logi cal and contempl ati ve Iacul ty. From Jupi t er it recei ves the
power oI acti on. Mars gives it val or, ent erpri se, and i mpetuosity. From
t he Sun i t recei ves the senses and i magi nat ion, which produce
sensat ion, percepti on, and t hought . Venus inspires i t wit h desires.
Mercury gives it t he Iacul ty oI expressi ng and enunci ati ng what it thinks
and Ieels. And, on enteri ng t he sphere oI the Moon, it acquires the Iorce
oI generat ion and growt h. This lunary sphere, l owest and basest t o
divi ne bodies, is Iirst and highest to terrest ri al bodies. And t he lunary
body there assumed by t he soul , whi l e, as it were, t he sedi ment oI
celest i al matt er, i s al so t he Iirst subst ance oI ani mal mat ter.
The cel est i al bodies, Heaven, t he Stars, and t he other Divine element s,
ever aspi re to ri se. The soul reachi ng t he regi on which mortal ity i nhabit s,
t ends toward terrest ri al bodies, and is deemed to di e. Let no one, says
Macrobi us, be surpri sed t hat we so Irequently speak oI t he death oI this
soul, which yet we call i mmort al . It is nei ther annul l ed nor destroyed by
such deat h: but merely enIeebled Ior a ti me; and does not t hereby IorIei t
i ts prerogat ive oI i mmort ali ty; Ior aIt erward, Ireed Irom t he body, when i t
has been puri Iied Irom t he vice-stai ns contracted duri ng t hat connecti on,
i t i s re-est abl i shed i n al l it s privileges, and returns to the lumi nous abode
oI i t s i mmort al i ty.
On i ts return, i t rest ores to each sphere through whi ch it ascends, t he
passi ons and eart hly Iacult ies received Irom them: to
t he Moon, the Iacul ty oI increase and di mi nut i on oI the body; to
Mercury, Iraud, t he archi tect oI evi ls; t o Venus, the seduct ive love oI
pleasure; to the Sun, the passi on Ior greatness and empi re; t o Mars,
audaci ty and t emerity; to Jupit er, avari ce; and t o Sat urn, Ial sehood and
decei t: and at last , rel ieved oI al l, it ent ers naked and pure i nt o the
eighth sphere or highest Heaven.
Al l thi s agrees wi th the doctrine oI Plat o, that t he soul cannot re-enter
i nt o Heaven, unt il t he revol ut ions oI the Uni verse shall have restored it
t o i t s pri mit ive condit ion, and puriIied i t Irom the eIIects oI it s contact
wi th t he Iour el ement s.
Thi s opini on oI t he pre-exi stence oI soul s, as pure and cel esti al
substances, beIore their union wit h our bodies, to put on and ani mat e
which they descend Irom Heaven, i s one oI great ant i quity. A modern
Rabbi , Manasseh Ben Israel , says i t was al ways t he beli eI oI the
Hebrews. It was that oI most phil osophers who admit ted t he i mmortal ity
oI t he soul : and thereIore i t was t aught i n t he Mysteri es; Ior, as
Lact anti us says, t hey could not see how it was possi ble that the soul
shoul d exi st aIter t he body, iI i t had and not exi sted beIore i t, and iI i ts
nature was not i ndependent oI t hat oI t he body. The same doctrine was
adopt ed by t he most learned oI the Greek Fathers, and by many oI the
Lat i ns: and i t woul d probably prevail largely at the present day, i I men
t roubl ed t hemselves to think upon this subj ect at al l, and to i nquire
whether t he soul' s i mmort ali ty invol ved i ts pri or exi stence.
Some phil osophers hel d t hat the soul was incarcerated in the body, by
way oI punishment Ior si ns commi t ted by it in a pri or stat e. How they
reconci led this wit h t he same soul' s unconsciousness oI any such pri or
st ate, or oI si n commi t ted there, does not appear. Others hel d that
God, oI hi s mere wi ll , sent the soul t o inhabi t t he body. The Kabali sts
unit ed the two opini ons. They hel d that t here are Iour worlds, Azi lut h,
Briart h, Jezirath, and Aziath; t he world oI emanati on, that oI creat ion,
t hat oI Iorms, and the materi al world; one above and more perIect t han
t he other, i n t hat order, bot h as regards t heir own nature and t hat oI t he
beings who inhabi t them. Al l soul s are origi nal ly in the worl d Azi lut h,
t he Supreme Heaven, abode oI God, and oI pure and i mmortal spiri t s.
Those who descend Irom i t wit hout Iault oI t heir own, by God' s order,
are giIted wi t h a di vi ne Ii re, whi ch preserves t hem Irom t he cont agi on oI
matt er, and restores t hem to Heaven so soon as t heir mi ssi on is ended.
Those who descend t hrough
t heir own Iaul t, go Irom worl d t o worl d, insensi bly losing their love oI
Di vi ne t hi ngs, and thei r selI-contemplati on; unti l they reach t he worl d
Aziat h, Ial li ng by t heir own wei ght . Thi s is a pure Plat oni sm, cl ot hed
wi th t he i mages and words pecul iar t o the Kabal ists. It was t he doctrine
oI t he Essenes, who, says Porphyry, "bel i eve t hat soul s descend Irom
t he most subti le et her, att ract ed t o bodies by t he seduct i ons oI mat t er. "
It was i n substance the doctrine oI Origen; and i t came Irom the
Chal dans, who largely studied the t heory oI t he Heavens, the
spheres, and the inIl uences oI the signs and const el l ati ons.
The Gnost ics made soul s ascend and descend through ei ght Heavens,
i n each oI which were certai n Powers that opposed t heir return, and
oIten drove t hem back to eart h, when not suIIici ent ly puriIi ed. The last
oI t hese Powers, nearest t he l uminous abode oI soul s, was a serpent
or dragon.
In t he ancient doct ri ne, cert ain Geni i were charged wi th the duty oI
conduct ing souls to the bodies desti ned to recei ve t hem, and oI
wi thdrawing them Irom those bodi es. Accordi ng t o Plutarch, these were
t he Iuncti ons oI Proserpi ne and Mercury. In Pl at o, a Iamil iar Genius
accompanies man at his birth, Iol lows and watches hi m al l hi s l iIe, and at
deat h conduct s hi m t o the tribunal oI t he Great judge. These Geni i are
t he media oI communicati on between man and t he Gods; and the soul i s
ever i n thei r presence. This doctri ne i s taught in t he oracles oI Zoroast er:
and t hese Genii were the Int el l igences t hat resided in t he planet s.
Thus the secret science and mysterious emblems oI i ni ti ati on were
connect ed wi t h t he Heavens, t he Spheres, and the Constel l at ions: and
t hi s connect i on must be st udi ed by whomsoever would underst and the
anci ent mi nd, and be enabled to int erpret t he allegori es, and expl ore the
meani ng oI t he symbols, in which the ol d sages endeavored to del ineat e
t he i deas t hat struggl ed wit hin t hem Ior utt erance, and could be but
i nsuIIici ent ly and i nadequately expressed by l anguage, whose words are
i mages oI those things alone t hat can be grasped by and are wi thi n the
empire oI the senses.
It is not possible Ior us thoroughly t o appreciate the, Ieeli ngs wi th which
t he ancient s regarded the Heavenly bodies, and the ideas to which thei r
observati on oI the Heavens gave rise, because we cannot put oursel ves
i n t hei r places, look at the stars wi th their eyes i n t he world' s youth, and
divest oursel ves oI the knowledge
which even the commonest oI us have, that makes us regard t he St ars and
Planets and al l the Uni verse oI Suns and Worlds, as a mere i nani mat e
machi ne and aggregat e oI sensel ess orbs, no more ast oni shi ng, except i n
degree, than a cl ock or an orrery. We wonder and are amazed at t he Power
and Wi sdom (to most men it seems only a kind oI InIi ni te Ingenui ty) oI
t he
MAKER: t hey wondered at t he Work, and endowed i t wi t h LiIe and Force
and mysterious Powers and mi ghty InIl uences.
Memphi s, i n Egypt, was i n Latit ude 29 5" North, and i n Longit ude 30
18'
East. Theb, i n Upper Egypt , in Lati tude 25 45' Nort h, and Longi tude
32
43' East. Babylon was i n Lat i t ude 32 30' Nort h, and Longit ude 44 23'
East: whil e Saba, the ancient wit h Saban capi tal oI Et hi opi a, was about
i n
Lat i t ude 15 Nort h.
Through Egypt ran t he great Ri ver Nile, comi ng Irom beyond Ethi opia, i ts
source in regi ons whol ly unknown, in the abodes oI heat and Iire, and it s
course Irom Sout h t o North. It s inundati ons had Iormed the al luvi al lands
oI
Upper and Lower Egypt , which they cont i nued t o raise higher and higher,
and t o Iert il i ze by their deposit s. At Iirst, as i n al l newly-set tl ed
count ri es,
t hose inundat ions, occurri ng annual ly and always at the same peri od oI
t he
year, were calami t ies: unti l, by means oI levees and drains and art iIicial
l akes Ior irrigat ion, t hey became bl essi ngs, and were l ooked Ior wi th
j oyIul
anticipat ion, as they had beIore been await ed wit h t error. Upon the
deposi t
l eIt by the Sacred River, as it wi thdrew into it s banks, the husbandman
sowed his seed; and t he rich soi l and the genial sun i nsured hi m an
abundant harvest .
Babylon lay on the Euphrat es, which ran Irom Sout heast t o Nort hwest ,
blessing, as all ri vers i n t he Orient do, t he arid country t hrough whi ch it
Ilowed; but i t s rapid and uncertai n overIl ows bri ngi ng t error and di saster.
To the anci ents, as yet i nvent ors oI no ast ronomical i nst rument s, and
l ooking at the Heavens wit h the eyes oI chi ldren, t hi s eart h was a l evel
plai n oI unknown ext ent . About i ts boundaries t here was specul at ion, but
no
knowl edge. The i nequali ti es oI i t s surIace were the irregul arit ies oI a
plane.
That i t was a gl obe, or t hat anyt hi ng l ived on i ts under surIace, or on what
i t
rested they had no idea. Every t wenty-Iour hours t he sun came up Irom
beyond the Eastern ri m oI the world, and t ravel led across t he sky, over
t he
earth, al ways Sout h oI, but somet i mes nearer and somet i mes Iurt her Irom
t he poi nt over-head; and sunk below the
worl d' s Western ri m. Wi th hi m went l ight, and aIt er hi m Iol lowed
darkness.
And every twenty-Iour hours appeared i n t he Heavens another body,
visi ble chieIly at night , but somet i mes even when t he sun shone, whi ch
l ikewise, as iI Iol lowing the sun at a great er or less di st ance, travel led
across t he sky; somet i mes as a thi n crescent , and t hence increasing to a
Iul l orb resplendent wi th sil ver li ght ; and somet i mes more and someti mes
l ess to t he Southward oI the point overhead, wi thi n the same l i mit s as the
Sun.
Man, enveloped by t he t hi ck darkness oI proIoundest ni ght , when
everyt hi ng around hi m has disappeared, and he seems al one wit h
hi msel I and the bl ack shades t hat surround hi m, Ieel s hi s exist ence a
blank and nothi ngness, except so Iar as memory recall s hi m the glori es
and spl endors oI li ght . Everyt hi ng i s dead to hi m, and he, as i t were, to
Nat ure. How crushi ng and overwhel ming t he t hought , t he Iear, t he dread,
t hat perhaps that darkness may be et ernal, and that day may possi bly
never ret urn; iI i t ever occurs to hi s mind, whi le t he soli d gloom closes
up
agai nst hi m l ike a wal l! What t hen can rest ore hi m to l ike, t o energy, to
act ivi ty, to Iell owshi p and communi on wi t h the great worl d which God
has
spread around hi m, and whi ch perhaps in t he darkness may be passing
away? LIGHT rest ores hi m t o hi mselI and t o nature which seemed lost to
hi m. Nat urally, t hereIore, t he pri mi ti ve men regarded light as t he
pri nci ple
oI t hei r real exi stence, wit hout whi ch l iIe would be but one cont i nued
weariness and despai r. This necessi ty Ior li ght , and i ts act ual creat i ve
energy, were Iel t by al l men: and nothi ng was more alarming t o t hem
t han it s absence. It became thei r Ii rst Di vi ni ty, a single ray oI whi ch,
Ilashing int o the dark t umult uous bosom oI chaos, caused man and al l
t he Universe t o emerge Irom i t. So al l the poet s sung who i magi ned
Cosmogonies; such was the Ii rst dogma oI Orpheus, Moses, and the
Theologi ans. Light was Ormuzd, adored by t he Persi ans, and Darkness
Ahri man, origin oI all evil s. Light was t he l iIe oI t he Uni verse, the Iriend
oI
man, the subst ance oI the Gods and oI the Soul .
The sky was to them a great , soli d, concave arch; a hemi sphere oI
unknown mat eri al, at an unknown di st ance above the Il at level earth; and
al ong it j ourneyed in their courses t he Sun, the Moon, t he Pl anet s, and
t he Stars.
The Sun was to them a great globe oI Iire, oI unknown di men
si ons, at an unknown di stance. The Moon was a mass oI soIter l ight; t he
st ars and pl anet s l ucent bodi es, armed wit h unknown and supernat ural
i nIl uences.
It coul d not Iail t o be soon observed, t hat at regular interval s the days and
night s were equal ; and that two oI t hese i nterval s measured the same
space oI ti me as elapsed bet ween the successi ve inundat i ons, and
between the ret urns oI spri ng-ti me and harvest . Nor could i t Iail t o be
perceived t hat t he changes oI t he moon occurred regularly; the same
number oI days al ways el apsing bet ween the Ii rst appearance oI her
si lver crescent in the West at eveni ng and that oI her Iul l orb ri si ng in the
East at the same hour; and t he same agai n, bet ween t hat and the new
appearance oI the crescent i n the West.
It was al so soon observed that t he Sun crossed t he Heavens i n a di IIerent
l ine each day, t he days bei ng l ongest and t he night s short est when the
l ine oI hi s passage was Iurt hest North, and t he days short est and nights
l ongest when t hat li ne was Iurt hest Sout h: that his progress North and
South was perIect ly regular, marki ng Iour peri ods that were always the
same, - t hose when the days and night s were equal, or t he Vernal and
Autumnal Equinoxes; t hat when t he days were longest, or t he Summer
Sol sti ce; and that when t hey were shortest, or t he Wi nt er Solst ice.
Wi t h the Vernal Equi nox, or about t he 25t h oI March oI our Cal endar,
t hey
Iound t hat t here unerri ngly came soIt winds, t he ret urn oI warmt h, caused
by t he Sun turning back to the Northward Irom t he mi ddl e ground oI his
course, the veget ati on oI the new year, and t he i mpul se to amatory act ion
on t he part oI t he ani mal creati on. Then t he Bul l and the Ram, ani mal s
most val uabl e t o t he agricult urist , and symbol s t hemsel ves oI vigorous
generati ve power, recovered t hei r vigor, the bi rds mat ed and bui lded t heir
nest s, the seeds germinated, t he grass grew, and the trees put Iort h
l eaves. Wi t h t he Summer Sol sti ce, when t he Sun reached the ext reme
nort hern l i mit oI his course, came great heat, and burni ng wi nds, and
l assi t ude and exhaust i on; t hen vegetat ion wit hered, man longed Ior t he
cool breezes oI Spring and Autumn, and t he cool water oI t he wi ntry Ni le
or Euphrates, and t he Lion sought Ior that el ement Iar Irom hi s home i n
t he desert .
Wi t h the Autumnal Equinox came ri pe harvest s, and Iruit s oI t he tree and
vine, and Ial li ng leaves, and col d evenings presaging wi ntry Irost s; and
t he Princi pl e and Powers oI Darkness, pre
vail ing over t hose oI Light, drove the Sun Iurther t o the Sout h, so t hat
t he nights grew l onger t han the days. And at t he Wi nter Sol sti ce t he
earth was wrinkled wi th Irost , the trees were leaIless, and the Sun,
reaching t he most Sout hern point in hi s career, seemed to hesi tat e
whether t o cont inue descending, t o leave the worl d to darkness and
despair, or t o t urn upon hi s steps and retrace hi s course t o t he
Nort hward, bringi ng back seed-t i me and Spri ng, and green leaves and
Ilowers, and all t he delights oI love.
Thus, naturally and necessarily, t i me was divi ded, Iirst into days, and
t hen into moons or months, and years; and wit h these divisi ons and the
movement s oI t he Heavenly bodies that marked t hem, were associ ated
and connected al l men' s physi cal enjoyments and pri vat ions. Whol ly
agricul t ural , and i n thei r Irail habit at i ons great ly at the mercy oI t he
el ement s and t he changing seasons, the pri mit ive people oI t he Orient
were most deeply i nt erested i n t he recurrence oI the periodical
phenomena presented by the two great l umi nari es oI Heaven, on
whose regulari ty all their prosperity depended.
And t he attenti ve observer soon noticed t hat the smal ler l ights oI
Heaven were, apparently, even more regul ar than t he Sun and Moon,
and Ioretol d wi t h unerri ng certai nty, by thei r ri sings and sett ings, t he
peri ods oI recurrence oI t he diIIerent phenomena and seasons on
which the physical wel l-being oI al l men depended. They soon Iel t the
necessi ty oI di sti ngui shi ng t he individual stars, or groups oI st ars, and
gi vi ng t hem names, t hat they mi ght underst and each other, when
reIerri ng t o and designat ing t hem. Necessity produced designati ons at
once nat ural and art iIicial. Observi ng t hat, i n t he ci rcl e oI t he year, t he
renewal and periodical appearance oI the producti ons oI the eart h
were constant ly associ at ed, not only wi th t he courses oI t he Sun, but
al so wi th t he risi ng and set ti ng oI certain St ars, and wi t h their posit ion
relat i vely to the Sun, the cent re to whi ch t hey reIerred t he whol e starry
host, t he mind naturally connect ed t he cel esti al and terrestrial object s
t hat were in Iact connected: and they commenced by giving to
parti cul ar St ars or groups oI St ars the names oI t hose terrestri al
object s whi ch seemed connect ed wi t h t hem and Ior those which sti l l
remai ned unnamed by thi s nomenclat ure, t hey, t o compl ete a system,
assumed arbi trary and Ianci Iul names.
Thus the Et hiopian oI Thebes or Saba styled t hose St ars under
which the Ni le commenced to overIl ow, St ars oI Inundati on, or that
poured out water
(AQUARIUS).
Those St ars among whi ch the Sun was, when he had reached t he Nort hern
Tropi c
and began t o retreat Sout hward, were t ermed, Irom hi s retrograde moti on,
t he Crab
(CANCER).
As he approached, in Aut umn, the mi ddl e point between t he Nort hern and
Southern
extremes oI hi s j ourneyi ng, the days and night s became equal; and t he
Stars among
which he was then Iound were cal led St ars oI t he Balance (LIBRA).
Those st ars among which t he Sun was, when the Lion, dri ven Irom t he
Desert by
t hirst , came to slake i t at t he Nil e, were call ed St ars oI the Li on (LEO).
Those among which the Sun was at harvest, were call ed t hose oI t he
Gl eani ng Vi rgi n,
holding a SheaI oI Wheat (VIRGO).
Those among which he was Iound i n February, when the Ewes brought
Iorth their
young, were call ed Stars oI the Lamb (ARIES).
Those in March, when i t was t i me t o plough, were cal led Stars oI t he Ox
(TAURUS).
Those under which hot and burni ng winds came Irom the desert, venomous
l ike
poisonous repti les, were call ed St ars oI the Scorpion (SCORPIO).
Observi ng that t he annual return oI the rising oI t he Nil e was al ways
accompanied by
t he appearance oI a beauti Iul St ar, whi ch at that peri od showed i t sel I in
t he directi on
oI t he sources oI t hat ri ver, and seemed to warn the husbandman to be
careIul not to
be surprised by t he inundat ion, the Ethi opian compared this act oI that
Star t o that oI
t he Ani mal whi ch by barking gives warni ng oI danger, and styled it t he
Dog (SIRIUS).
Thus commenci ng, and as astronomy came t o be more st udi ed, i maginary
Iigures
were t raced all over t he Heavens, to whi ch the diIIerent Stars were
assigned. Chi eI
among them were t hose that l ay al ong the pat h which the Sun travell ed as
he cli mbed
t oward t he Nort h and descended to t he South: lyi ng wi t hin cert ain l i mit s
and
extendi ng t o an equal dist ance on each si de oI the l ine oI equal night s and
days. Thi s
belt , curvi ng li ke a Serpent , was termed the Zodiac, and di vi ded into
t welve Signs.
At t he Vernal Equi nox, 2455 years beIore our Era, the Sun was ent eri ng
t he sign and
const el lat ion Taurus, or t he Bull ; havi ng passed through, since he
commenced, at the
Wi nter Sol st i ce, t o ascend Nort hward. the Si gns Aquarius, Pisces and
Aries; on
entering t he Ii rst oI which he reached the l owest li mi t oI hi s j ourney
Southward.
From TAURUS, he passed t hrough Gemi ni and Cancer, and reached LEO
when he arrived at t he t erminus oI his journey Nort hward. Thence,
t hrough
Leo, Virgo, and Libra, he entered SCORPIO at t he Autumnal Equinox, and
j ourneyed Sout hward through Scorpia, Sagit tari us, and Capri cornus t o
AQUARIUS, t he t ermi nus oI hi s journey Sout h.
The path by whi ch he j ourneyed through t hese si gns became t he Ecl iptic;
and
t hat whi ch passes through the two equinoxes, t he Equator.
They knew not hi ng oI t he i mmutable l aws oI nature; and whenever the
Sun
commenced t o tend Sout hward, they Ieared lest he might cont inue t o do
so,
and by degrees di sappear Iorever, l eaving t he earth to be rul ed Iorever by
darkness, st orm, and cold.
Hence they rejoi ced when he commenced t o re-ascend aIt er t he Wi nter
Sol sti ce, st ruggli ng agai nst the mal ign inIl uences oI Aquarius and Pi sces,
and
amicably received by t he Lamb. And when at t he Vernal Equi nox he
entered
Taurus, they st il l more rejoiced at t he assurance that t he days would agai n
be
l onger t han t he nights, t hat the season oI seed-t i me had come, and the
Summer and harvest woul d Ioll ow.
And t hey lament ed when, aIter t he Aut umnal Equi nox, the mal ign
i nIl uence oI
t he venomous Scorpion, and vindict ive Archer, and t he Ii l thy and i ll-
omened
He-Goat dragged hi m down toward the Wi nter Sol st ice.
Arri vi ng t here, t hey said he had been slain, and had gone to t he real m oI
darkness. Remaini ng there t hree days, he rose agai n, and again ascended
Nort hward i n the heavens, t o redeem the eart h Irom the gloom and
darkness oI
Wi nter, whi ch soon became embl emat ical oI si n, and evi l , and suIIering;
as t he
Spring, Summer, and Autumn became emblems oI happi ness and
i mmortal i ty.
Soon t hey personiIi ed t he Sun, and worshipped hi m under the name oI
OSIRIS, and t ransmuted t he l egend oI hi s descent among the Wi nter
Signs,
i nt o a Iabl e oI hi s death, his descent int o the inIernal regi ons, and hi s
resurrecti on.
The Moon became Isis, the wi Ie oI Osi ris; and Wi nt er, as well as the
desert or
t he ocean i nt o which the Sun descended, became TYPHON, t he Spi ri t or
Princi pl e oI Evi l, warri ng agai nst and destroying Osi ris.
From t he j ourney oI t he Sun through the twel ve si gns came t he l egend oI
t he
t welve labors oI Hercules, and the i ncarnati ons oI Vishnu and Buddha.
Hence came the legend oI t he murder oI Khrm, represent ati ve oI the
Sun,
by t he t hree Fell ow-craIt s, symbol s oI t he three Wi nter si gns,
Capri cornus,
Aquarius, and Pisces, who assai led hi m at the three gat es oI Heaven and
sl ew hi m at t he Wi nt er Solst ice. Hence the search Ior hi m by the ni ne
Fell owcraIt s,
t he other ni ne signs, his Iinding, burial , and resurrect ion.
The cel est i al Taurus, opening t he new year, was t he Creat i ve oI Bull oI
t he
Hi ndus and Japanese, breaking wit h his horn the egg out oI which t he
worl d
i s born. Hence the bul l APIS was worshipped by the Egypti ans, and
reproduced as a golden cal I by Aaron in the desert. Hence t he cow was
sacred t o t he Hi ndus. Hence, Irom the sacred and beneIicent si gns oI
Taurus
and Leo, t he human-headed wi nged li ons and bul ls in the pal aces at
Kouyounj ik and Ni mroud, l i ke whi ch were t he Cherubi m set by Sol omen
i n his
Temple: and hence t he t wel ve brazen or bronze oxen, on whi ch the layer
oI
brass was support ed.
The Celesti al Vul t ure or Eagl e, risi ng and set ti ng wi t h t he Scorpi on, was
substi tuted in i ts place, in many cases, on account oI t he mal i gn
i nIl uences oI
t he l att er: and t hus t he Iour great peri ods t he oI t he year were mail ed by
t he
Bul l, t he Li on, the Man (Aquari us) and t he Eagle; which were upon t he
respect i ve st andards oI Ephrai m, Judah, Reuben, and Dan; and st il l
appear
on t he shiel d oI Ameri can Royal Arch Masonry.
AIterward t he Ram or Lamb became an object oI adorat ion, when, i n his
t urn,
he opened t he equi nox, to del iver t he world Irom the wi nt ry reign oI
darkness
and evi l.
Around the central and si mple idea oI t he annual deat h and resurrect ion
oI
t he Sun a mul t i t ude oI ci rcumst anti al det ai l s soon cl ustered. Some were
deri ved Irom ot her astronomi cal phenomena; whil e many were merely
poeti cal ornaments and i nvent i ons.
Besides the Sun and Moon, t hose anci ent s also saw a beaut i Iul St ar,
shini ng
wi th a soIt , si lvery light, al ways Ioll owi ng the Sun at no great dist ance
when
he set, or precedi ng hi m when he rose. Anot her oI a red and angry col or,
and
st il l anot her more kingly and bril liant than al l, early at t racted their
at tenti on,
by t heir Iree movement s among t he Ii xed hosts oI Heaven: and t he l at t er
by
his unusual bri ll i ancy, and t he regularity wit h whi ch he rose and set ,
These
were Venus, Mars, and Jupi ter. Mercury and Sat urn
could scarcely have been noticed i n t he world' s inIancy, or unti l
ast ronomy began t o assume t he proporti ons oI a science.
In t he project ion oI the celest ial sphere by t he astronomical priest s, t he
zodi ac and const ell ati ons, arranged i n a circl e, presented their hal ves
i n diametri cal opposi ti on; and t he hemi sphere oI Wi nt er was sai d to be
adverse, opposed, contrary, to that oI slew hi m Summer. Over t he
angel s oI t he lat ter ruled a ki ng (OSIRIS or ORMUZD), enl ight ened,
i ntell igent , creati ve, and beneIi cent. Over t he Ial l en angels or evil geni i
oI t he Iormer, t he demons or Devs oI the subterranean empire oI
darkness and sorrow, and i t s stars, rul ed also a chi eI. In Egypt t he
Scorpi on Ii rst ruled, t he si gn next t he Bal ance, and long t he chi eI oI the
Wi nter signs; and then t he Pol ar Bear or Ass, cal led Typhon, t hat i s,
deluge, on account oI the rai ns which i nundat ed t he earth whi le that
const el lat ion domi neered. In Persi a, at a l ater day, it was the serpent,
which, personiIied as Ahri man, was the Evi l Principl e oI t he rel igi on oI
Zoroaster.
The Sun does not arrive at the same moment in each year at t he
equinoct ial point on t he equator. The explanati on oI hi s anticipat ing
t hat point bel ongs to t he sci ence oI ast ronomy; and to that we reIer you
Ior it . The consequence is, what i s t ermed t he precessi on oI the
equinoxes, by means oI whi ch the Sun is constantly changing hi s place
i n t he zodi ac, at each vernal equi nox; so that now, the signs ret aini ng
t he names which they had 300 years beIore Chri st, they and t he
const el lat ions do not correspond; t he Sun bei ng, now in t he
const el lat ion Pisces, when he is i n the sign Ari es.
The annual amount oI precessi on is 50 seconds and a l it tle over |50"
1. |. The period oI a complet e Revoluti on oI t he Equinoxes, 25, 856
years. The precessi on amount s t o 30 or a si gn, i n 2155. 6 years. So
t hat , as t he sun now enters Pisces at t he Vernal Equi nox, he entered
Aries at t hat period, 300 years B. C. , and Taurus 2455 B. C. And the
divi sion oI t he Ecl ipti c, now called Taurus, l ies i n the Const ell ati on
Aries; while the sign Gemini is i n the Const ell ati on Taurus. Four
t housand si x hundred and ten years beIore Chri st, t he sun ent ered
Gemi ni at t he Vernal Equi nox.
At t he t wo periods, 2455 and 300 years beIore Christ and now, t he
entrances oI t he sun at t he Equinoxes and Solst ices i nt o t he signs,
were and are as Ioll ows: -
B. C. 2455.
Leo
Scorpi o
Aquarius
Vern. Equinox, he ent ered Taurus
Summer Sol sti ce
Autumnal Equinox
Wi nter Sol st i ce
B. C. 300.
Aries
Cancer
Li bra
Capri cornus
Vern. Eq
Summer Sol s
Autumn Eq
Wi nter Sol s
1872.
Pisces
Gemi ni
Virgo
Sagit t arius
Vern. Eq
Sum. Sol s
Aut. Eq
Wi nter Sol s
From conIoundi ng signs wi th causes came the worshi p oI the sun and
st ars. "II,"
says job, "I behel d the sun when it shi ned, or t he moon progressive in
brightness;
and my heart hat h been secret ly ent iced, or my mout h hat h kissed my
hand, this
were an iniquity t o be puni shed by t he j udge; Ior I shoul d have deni ed the
God
t hat is above. "
Perhaps we are not , on t he whol e, much wiser t han those si mpl e men oI
t he old
t i me. For what do we know oI eIIect and cause, except that one t hi ng
regularly or
habit ual ly Ioll ows another?
So, because the hel iacal ri sing oI Sirius preceded the ri sing oI t he Ni le, it
was
deemed to cause i t; and ot her stars were i n l ike manner hel d t o cause
extreme
heat , bit ter col d, and wat ery storm.
A reli gious reverence Ior the zodiacal Bul l |TAURUS| appears, Irom a
very early
peri od, to have been pretty general, - perhaps it was universal , t hroughout
Asi a;
Irom that chai n or regi on oI Caucasus to whi ch it gave name; and whi ch is
st il l
known under the appellati on oI Mount Taurus, t o the Sout hern extremi ti es
oI t he
Indian Peni nsula; extendi ng i tsel I al so int o Europe, and t hrough t he
Eastern part s
oI AIri ca.
Thi s evi dently origi nat ed duri ng those remot e ages oI t he world, when t he
colure oI t he vernal equi nox passed across the stars i n the head oI the
sign
Irom Ari es.
Irom Cancer.
Irom Libra.
Irom Capri cornus.
Irom Pi sces.
Irom Gemini.
Irom Vi rgo.
Irom Sagi tt ari us.
Irom Aquari us.
Irom Taurus.
Irom Leo.
Irom Scorpi o.
Taurus |among whi ch was Aldebaran|; a peri od when, as t he most anci ent
monument s oI all the oriental nat ions at test , t he light oI art s and l et ters
Iirst
shone Iorth.
The Arabian word AL-DE-BARAN, means t he Ioremost, or leading star:
and i t
could only have been so named, when it di d precede, or lead, all others.
The
year t hen opened wi th the sun i n Taurus; and t he mul ti tude oI anci ent
scul pt ures, both i n Assyria and Egypt , wherei n the bull appears wi t h
l unet te or
crescent horns, and the di sk oI the sun between t hem, are direct all usi ons
t o
t he i mportant Iesti val oI t he Iirst new moon oI t he year: and there was
everywhere an annual celebrati on oI t he Iest i val oI the Iirst new moon,
when
t he year opened wi t h Sol and Luna i n Taurus.
David si ngs: "Bl ow the trumpet in t he New Moon; in the t i me appointed;
on our
solemn Ieast-day: Ior thi s i s a st atut e unt o Israel , and a law oI the God oI
Jacob. Thi s he ordained t o Joseph, Ior a testi mony, when he came out oI
t he
l and oI Egypt . "
The reverence paid to Taurus cont inued l ong aIt er, by t he precession oI
t he
Equi noxes, t he colure oI t he vernal equi nox had come t o pass through
Aries.
The Chinese st ill have a temple, call ed "The Palace oI the horned Bul l"
and t he
same symbol i s worshi pped in Japan and al l over Hi ndostan. The
Ci mbri ans
carri ed a brazen bull wit h t hem, as t he i mage oI their God, when they
overran
Spai n and Gaul; and t he representat ion oI t he Creat ion, by t he Deity i n
t he
shape oI a bul l , breaking t he shel l oI an egg wit h his horns, meant Taurus,
openi ng t he year, and burst i ng the symbol ical shel l oI the annually-
recurri ng
orb oI the new year.
Theophi l us says t hat the Osiri s oI Egypt was supposed t o be dead or
absent
IiIty days in each year. Landseer t hi nks that t hi s was because the Saban
pri ests were accust omed t o see, in t he l ower lati tudes oI Egypt and
Et hiopia,
t he Iirst or chi eI stars oI the Husbandman |BOTES| sink achronical ly
beneat h
t he West ern hori zon; and then t o begin their l ament ati ons, or hol d Iorth
t he
signal Ior ot hers t o weep: and when hi s prol iIi c virtues were supposed to
be
t ransIerred to the vernal sun, bacchanali an revel ry became devoti on.
BeIore the col ure oI the Vernal Equi nox had passed int o Ari es, and aIter i t
had
l eIt Aldebaran and the Hyades, t he Pleiades were, Ior seven or ei ght
cent uries,
t he l eadi ng st ars oI the Saban year. And t hus we see, on t he monuments,
t he
disk and crescent , symbol s oI t he sun and moon in conj unct ion, appear
successi vely, - Ii rst on t he head, and t hen on the neck and back oI the
Zodi acal Bull , and more recently on t he Iorehead oI the Ram.
The diagrammati cal charact er or symbol, st il l in use t o denot e Taurus, , is
t hi s very crescent and di sk: a symbol that has come down to us Irom those
remot e ages when thi s memorabl e conjuncti on in Taurus, by marki ng t he
commencement , at once oI the Saban year and oI t he cycle oI the
Chal dean Saros, so pre-emi nently di sti nguished t hat sign as t o become it s
characterist ic symbol . On a bronze bull Irom China, the crescent i s
at tached
t o t he back oI the Bull , by means oI a cloud, and a curved groove is
provi ded
Ior the occasi onal i ntroduct ion oI t he disk oI t he sun, when solar and
l unar
t i me were coi nci dent and conj unct i ve, at the commencement oI t he year,
and
oI t he lunar cycle. When t hat was made, the year di d not open wi th the
st ars
i n t he head oI the Bull , but when t he colure oI t he vernal equi nox passed
across t he mi ddle or later degrees oI the asteri sm Taurus, and t he Plei ades
were, i n China, as in Canaan, t he l eadi ng st ars oI the year.
The crescent and di sk combi ned always represent t he conjunct ive Sun and
Moon; and when pl aced on t he head oI the Zodiacal Bul l, the
commencement
oI t he cycle t ermed SAROS by the Chal deans, and Met onic by t he Greeks;
and supposed to be all uded t o i n j ob, by t he phrase, "Mazzaroth in hi s
season"; that is t o say, when the Ii rst new Moon and new Sun oI the year
were coi nci dent , which happened once in eighteen years and a Iracti on.
On t he sarcophagus oI Alexander, t he same symbol appears on t he head oI
a Ram, whi ch, in the t i me oI t hat monarch, was the leading sign. So too i n
t he
scul pt ured t emples oI the Upper Ni le, t he crescent and disk appear, not on
t he head oI Taurus, but on the Iorehead oI t he Ram or t he Ram-headed
God,
whom the Greci an Mythologi st s call ed Jupi ter Ammon, really the Sun i n
Aries.
II we now l ook Ior a moment at the indi vidual st ars whi ch composed and
were
near t o the respect ive const ell at i ons, we may Ii nd somet hi ng t hat wi ll
connect
i tsel I wit h t he symbols oI the Ancient Mysteries and oI Masonry.
It is t o be not iced that when t he Sun i s i n a part icular const el lat ion, no
part oI
t hat const ell ati on wi ll be seen, except j ust beIore sunri se and just aIter
sunset; and t hen only t he edge oI it : but t he const el lati ons opposit e t o i t
wi ll
be vi sibl e. When t he Sun i s in Taurus, Ior example, t hat is, when Taurus
set s
wi th t he Sun,
Scorpi o rises as he set s, and conti nues vi sibl e t hroughout t he night . And
i I
Taurus ri ses and sets wit h t he Sun t o-day, he wil l, si x months hence, rise
at
sunset and set at sunri se; Ior t he st ars thus gain on t he Sun two hours a
mont h.
Going back to the t i me when, wat ched by the Chal dean shepherds, and the
husbandmen oI Ethiopia and Egypt,
"The mi lk-whit e Pul l wit h golden horns
"Led on t he new-born year,"
we see in the neck oI TAURUS, the Plei ades, and i n his Iace t he Hyades,
"which
Grecia Irom their showeri ng names, " and oI whom the bril l i ant Al debaran
i s t he
chieI ; whi le to the sout hwest ward i s that most splendid oI al l t he
const el lat ions,
Orion, wit h Bet elgueux in hi s right shoul der, Bel lat ri x i n his l eIt shoul der,
Ri gel
on t he l eIt Ioot , and in hi s bel t the three st ars known as the Three Kings,
and
now as the Yard and Ell . Ori on, ran t he legend, persecut ed t he Pl eiades;
and t o
save them Irom hi s Iury, Jupi ter pl aced them i n the Heavens, where he
st il l
pursues them, but i n vai n. They, wi t h Arct urus and t he Bands oI Orion,
are
menti oned i n the Book oI Job. They are usually call ed t he Seven St ars, and
i t i s
sai d t here were seven, beIore the Ial l oI Troy; t hough now only si x are
visi ble.
The Pl ei ades were so named Irom a Greek word signiIyi ng t o sai l. In al l
ages
t hey have been observed Ior signs and seasons. Virgi l says that t he sai lors
gave
names t o "the Pleiades, Hyades, and t he Northern Car: Plei adas, Hyadas,
Cl aramque Lycaonis Arct on. " And Pali nurus, he says,
Arcturum, pl uvi asque Hyadas, Gemi nosque Tri ones,
Armat umque auro ci rcumspi ci t Oriona -
st udi ed Arcturus and the rai ny Hyades and t he Twi n Triones, and Ori on
ci nct ured wi th gol d.
Taurus was the prince and leader oI the celest ial host Ior more than t wo
t housand years; and when hi s head set wit h the Sun about t he l ast oI May,
t he
Scorpi on was seen t o ri se in t he Southeast .
The Pl ei ades were somet i mes cal led Vergi l i o, or the Virgi ns oI Spri ng;
because
t he Sun ent ered thi s clust er oI stars i n t he season oI blossoms. Thei r
Syrian
name was Succot h, or Succothbenet h, derived Irom a Chal dean word
signiIyi ng
t o specul at e or observe.
The Hyades are Ii ve stars in t he Iorm oI a V, 11 sout heast oI
t he Pleiades. The Greeks counted them as seven. When t he Vernal
Equi nox
was in Taurus, Al debaran led up the starry host ; and as he rose in the East,
Aries was about 27 high.
When he was cl ose upon t he meri dian, the Heavens presented their most
magniIicent appearance. Capel l a was a li tt le Iurt her Irom the meri dian, t o
t he
nort h; and Orion st il l Iurt her Irom i t t o t he sout hward. Procyon, Si ri us,
Cast or
and Pol lux had cli mbed about hal I-way Irom the horizon to the meri dian.
Regul us had just ri sen upon the ecli pti c. The Virgi n st il l li ngered below
t he
hori zon. Fomalhaut was hal I-way to the meridian in t he Southwest ; and to
t he
Nort hwest were the bril l i ant constel lat ions, Perseus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia,
and
Andromeda; whil e t he Pleiades had just passed the meri dian.
ORION is visi bl e t o al l the habi table world. The equi noct ial l ine passes
t hrough
t he centre oI i t . When Al debaran rose i n the East , t he Three Kings in
Orion
Iol l owed hi m; and as Taurus set , t he Scorpi on, by whose sti ng it was sai d
Orion di ed, rose i n the East .
Orion rises at noon about the 9t h oI March. Hi s risi ng was accompanied
wi th
great rains and storms, and i t became very terribl e t o mari ners.
In Botes, call ed by t he ancient Greeks Lycaon, Irom lukos, a wolI, and by
t he
Hebrews, Caleb Anubach, the Barki ng Dog, is t he Great Star ARCTURUS,
which, when Taurus opened t he year, corresponded wi th a season
remarkabl e
Ior it s great heat .
Next comes GEMINI, the Twi ns, two human Ii gures, i n the heads oI whi ch
are
t he bri ght Stars CASTOR and POLLUX, t he Di oscuri, and t he Cabiri oI
Samothrace, patrons oI navigat ion; whi l e South oI Pol l ux are the bril l i ant
Stars
SIRIUS and PROCYON, the great er and lesser Dog: and sti l l Iurt her
South,
Canopus, i n t he Shi p Argo.
Siri us i s apparent ly the largest and bright est St ar in the Heavens. When
t he
Vernal Equinox was in Taurus, he rose heliacal ly, that i s, just beIore t he
Sun,
when, at t he Summer Sol sti ce, the Sun entered Leo, about t he 21st oI
June,
IiIteen days previous t o t he swell ing oI the Ni le. The heli acal ri si ng oI
Canopus
was also a precursor oI the risi ng oI t he Nile. Procyon was t he Iorerunner
oI
Siri us, and rose beIore hi m.
There are no i mportant St ars in CANCER. In t he Zodiacs oI Esne and
Dendera, and i n most oI t he astrol ogi cal remai ns oI
Egypt , the sign oI this const ell ati on was a beetl e (Scarabous), which
t hence became sacred, as an embl em oI the gate through which souls
descended Irom Heaven. In the crest oI Cancer i s a cl uster oI St ars
Iormerly cal led Prosepe, t he Manger, on each si de oI whi ch is a small
Star, t he t wo oI whi ch were cal led Asel li l i t tl e asses.
In Leo are the spl endi d St ars, REGULUS, directly on t he ecl ipti c, and
DENEBOLA in t he Li on' s tai l . Sout heast oI Regul us is t he Iine Star COR
HYDR.
The combat oI Hercules wi t h t he Neman l i on was hi s Iirst labor. It was
t he Iirst sign into whi ch the Sun passed, aIter Iall i ng bel ow the Summer
Sol sti ce; Irom whi ch t i me he struggl ed t o re-ascend.
The Nil e overIlowed i n thi s sign. It stands Iirst in t he Zodi ac oI Dendera,
and i s in al l the Indi an and Egypt ian Zodiacs.
In t he leIt hand oI VIRGO (Isi s or Ceres) i s t he beauti Iul St ar SPICA
Virgi ni s, a l it t le South oI t he ecl ipt ic. VINDEMIATRIX, oI l ess
magnit ude,
i s i n t he right arm; and Nort hwest oI Spi ca, i n Botes (t he husbandman,
Osi ri s), i s the spl endi d st ar ARCTURUS.
The divi si on oI the Iirst Decan oI t he Vi rgin, Aben Ezra says, represents a
beauti Iul Vi rgin wi th Il owi ng hai r, sit t i ng in a chai r, wi t h t wo ears oI corn
i n
her hand, and suckl i ng an inIant . In an Arabian MS. in the Royal Library
at Pari s, i s a pict ure oI t he Twel ve Si gns. That oI Virgo is a young gi rl
wi th
an inIant by her si de. Virgo was Isis; and her represent at i on carryi ng a
chil d (Horus) in her arms, exhibit ed i n her temple, was accompani ed by
t hi s inscri pti on: "I AM ALL THAT IS, THAT WAS, AND THAT SHALL
BE;
and t he Irui t which I brought Iorth i s the Sun. "
Ni ne months aIt er the Sun enters Virgo, he reaches the Twi ns. When
Scorpi o begins to rise, Ori on sets: when Scorpio comes t o t he meri dian,
Leo begi ns t o set , Typhon reigns, Osi ri s i s slai n, and Isis (the Virgi n) hi s
si ster and wi Ie, Ioll ows hi m t o t he t omb, weepi ng.
The Virgin and Bot es, set t i ng heli acal ly at the Aut umnal Equinox,
deli vered the worl d t o the wintry constel lat ions, and i nt roduced int o it t he
geni us oI Evil , represent ed by Ophiucus, the Serpent .
At t he moment oI t he Wi nter Sol st i ce, the Virgin rose hel iacal ly (wi th t he
Sun), havi ng the Sun (Horus) i n her bosom.
In LIBRA are Iour Stars oI t he second and t hi rd magni t ude, whi ch we
shal l
menti on hereaIt er. They are Zuben-es-Chamal i, Zuben-el-Gemabi , Zuben-
hak-rabi , and Zuben-el-Gubi. Near the last oI these is t he bri ll iant and
malign Star, ANTARES in Scorpio.
In SCORPIO, ANTARES, oI t he 1st magnit ude, and remarkably red, was
one oI t he Iour great St ars, FOMALHAUT, in Cetus, ALDEBARAN i n
Taurus, REGULUS i n Leo, and ANTARES, that Iormerly answered t o the
Sol sti t i al and Equinoct ial poi nts, and were much noticed by astronomers.
Thi s sign was somet i mes represented by a Snake, and somet i mes by a
Crocodil e, but generally by a Scorpi on, whi ch last is Iound on the
Mi thri ac
Monuments, and on t he Zodi ac oI Dendera. It was consi dered a sign
accursed, and the ent rance oI the Sun int o it commenced t he reign oI
Typhon.
In Sagi tt ari us, Capricornus, and Aquari us t here are no St ars oI
i mport ance.
Near Pisces i s t he bri l l iant St ar FOMALHAUT. No sign in t he Zodi ac is
consi dered oI more mal ignant inIluence t han this. It was deemed
i ndi cati ve
oI Vi ol ence and Deat h. Both the Syrians and Egypti ans abst ai ned Irom
eat ing Ii sh, out oI dread and abhorrence; and when the lat ter woul d
represent anyt hing as odious, or express hatred by Hi eroglyphics, t hey
paint ed a Ii sh.
In Auri ga i s the bright Star CAPELLA, whi ch to the Egypt ians never set.
And, circli ng ever round the North Pol e are Seven St ars, known as Ursa
Maj or, or the Great Bear, which have been an object oI uni versal
observati on in all ages oI t he world. They were venerated ali ke by t he
Priests oI Bel, the Magi oI Persia, t he Shepherds oI Chaldea, and the
Phonici an navigat ors, as well as by t he astronomers oI Egypt. Two oI
t hem, MERAK and DUBHE, al ways poi nt t o the North Pole.
The Phonician and Egypt i ans, says Eusebi us, were the Ii rst who ascribed
divi ni ty to t he Sun, Moon, and St ars, and regarded them as the sole
causes
oI t he product ion and destruct i on oI al l beings. From t hem went abroad
over all t he worl d al l known opi ni ons as to the generati on and descent oI
t he Gods. Only t he Hebrews looked beyond the vi si bl e worl d t o an
i nvi sible
Creator. Al l the rest oI t he worl d regarded as Gods those lumi nous bodi es
t hat bl aze i n the Iirmament , oIIered t hem sacri Ii ces, bowed down
beIore t hem, and raised nei t her t heir souls nor t heir worship above t he
visi ble heavens.
The Chaldeans, Canaani tes, and Syri ans, among whom Abraham l ived,
did the same. The Canaani tes consecrat ed horses and chari ot s to t he
Sun. The inhabi tants oI Emesa i n Phoni ci an adored hi m under the name
oI El agabalus; and t he Sun, as Hercules, was t he great Dei ty oI t he
Tyrians. The Syrians worshipped, wit h Iear and dread, t he St ars oI the
Constel lat ion Pi sces, and consecrated i mages oI t hem i n t hei r temples.
The Sun as Adoni s was worshipped i n Byblos and about Mount Libanus.
There was a magni Ii cent Temple oI the Sun at Pal myra, which was
pil laged by t he soldiers oI Aureli an, who rebuil t it and dedicat ed i t anew.
The Pl ei ades, under the name oI Succot h-Beneth, were worshipped by
t he Babylonian col oni st s who set t led in the country oI the Samaritans.
Saturn, under t he name oI Remphan, was worshi pped among the Copt s.
The planet Jupi ter was worshi pped as Bel or Baal ; Mars as Mal ec,
Mel ech, or Moloch; Venus as Ashtarot h or Ast art e, and Mercury as Nebo,
among the Syri ans, Assyrians, Phonici ans, and Canaani tes. '
Sanchoni athon says that t he earli est Phoeni cians adored the Sun, whom
t hey deemed sole Lord oI the Heavens; and honored hi m under t he name
oI BEEL-SAMIN, si gni Iying Ki ng oI Heaven. They rai sed columns to the
el ement s, Ii re, and air or wi nd, and worshi pped t hem; and Sabi sm, or
t he worship oI t he St ars, Il ourished everywhere i n Babyloni a. The Arabs,
under a sky al ways clear and serene, adored t he Sun, Moon, and St ars.
Abul Iaragi us so i nIorms us, and t hat each oI t he twel ve Arab Tri bes
i nvoked a parti cular Star as it s Patron. The Tribe Hamyar was
consecrated t o t he Sun, the Tribe Cennah t o t he Moon; t he Tri be Mi sa
was under t he protect ion oI t he beaut iIul St ar in Taurus, Aldebaran; t he
Tribe Tai under that oI Canopus; the Tribe Kai s, oI Si ri us; the Tribes
Lachamus and Idamus, oI Jupi ter; t he Tri be Asad, oI Mercury; and so on.
The Saracens, in the ti me oI Heracl ius, worshi pped Venus, whom t hey
cal led CABAR, or The Great ; and t hey swore by the Sun, Moon, and
Stars. Shahri st an, an Arabic author, says that t he Arabs and Indians
beIore his t i me had templ es dedicat ed t o the seven Pl anets. Abul Iaragius
says that t he seven great pri mi ti ve nati ons, Irom whom all ot hers
descended, the Persi ans, Chaldans, Greeks, Egyptians, Turks, Indians,
and Chi nese, all original ly were Sabi st s, and worshipped the St ars.
They all , he says, li ke t he Chaldans, prayed t urning t oward t he Nort h
Pol e
t hree ti mes a day, at Sunri se, Noon, and Sunset , bowi ng themselves
t hree ti mes beIore the Sun. They i nvoked the Stars and the Intell igences
which inhabi ted them, oIIered t hem sacriIices, and called t he Ii xed stars
and planet s gods. Phi l o says t hat the Chaldans regarded the stars as
soverei gn arbi ters oI t he order oI the worl d, and di d not l ook beyond the
visi ble causes t o any invi sibl e and i ntellectual bei ng. They regarded
NATURE as t he great di vini ty, t hat exercised i ts powers through the
act ion oI i t s part s, the Sun, Moon, Planets, and Fi xed Stars, the
successi ve revol ut ions oI the seasons, and the combined act i on oI
Heaven and Eart h. The great Ieast oI the Sabans was when t he Sun
reached the Vernal Equinox: and t hey had Ii ve other Ieasts, at t he ti mes
when t he Iive mi nor planets entered t he si gns in whi ch t hey had thei r
exalt ati on.
Di odorus Siculus inIorms us t hat t he Egypt ians recognized t wo great
Di vi ni t i es, pri mary and eternal , t he Sun and Moon, whi ch t hey thought
governed t he worl d, and Irom whi ch everythi ng receives it s nourishment
and growt h: that on them depended all and t he great work oI generati on,
and t he perIecti on oI all eIIect s produced i n nat ure. We know that the
t wo great Divini t ies oI Egypt were Osi ris and Isi s, t he greatest agent s oI
nature; according to some, t he Sun and Moon, and according to ot hers,
Heaven and Eart h, or t he act ive and passive principl es oI generat ion,
And we learn Irom Porphyry t hat Chremon, a learned priest oI Egypt ,
and many ot her l earned men oI that nati on, sai d t hat the Egypti ans
recogni zed as gods the stars composi ng the zodiac, and all t hose that by
t heir risi ng or sett ing marked it s di vi sions; the subdivisi ons oI the signs
i nt o decans, t he horoscope and the stars t hat presi ded t herei n, and
which were call ed Pot ent Chi eIs Heaven: t hat consi dering the Sun as the
Great God, Architect, and Ruler oI the Worl d, they explai ned not only the
Iable oI Osi ri s and Isis, but generally al l their sacred legends, by t he
st ars, by thei r appearance and disappearance, by thei r ascensi on, by t he
phases oI t he moon, and t he increase and di mi nut ion oI her, light; by t he
march oI t he sun, t he divisi on oI ti me and the heavens into t wo part s, one
assigned t o darkness and t he other t o light; by t he Ni le and, in Iine, by
t he whol e round oI physi cal causes.
Lucian tell s us that the bul l Apis, sacred to t he Egyptians, was the i mage
oI t he cel est i al Bul l , or Taurus; and that Jupi ter Ammon, horned li ke a
ram, was an i mage oI t he constel l at ion Aries. And Clemens oI Alexandri a
assures us that t he Iour pri nci pal
sacred ani mal s, carried in their processions, were embl ems oI the
Iour signs or cardi nal point s whi ch Ii xed t he seasons at the equinoxes
and sol sti ces, and divided i nto Iour parts the yearly march oI t he sun.
They worshipped Ii re al so, and water, and t he Ni le, whi ch ri ver they
styled Fat her, Preserver oI Egypt, sacred emanat i on Irom the Great God
Osi ri s; and in their hymns in whi ch t hey called i t the god crowned wit h
mi l let (whi ch grain, represented by the pschent, was part oI the headdress
oI t hei r kings), bri nging wit h hi m abundance. The ot her element s
were al so revered by them: and t he Great Gods, whose names are
Iound i nscribed on an ancient column, are t he Air, Heaven, t he Earth,
t he Sun, t he Moon, Night , and Day. And, in Ii ne, as Eusebi us says, t hey
regarded t he Universe as a great Deity, composed oI a great number oI
gods, t he diIIerent part s oI i tsel I.
The same worship oI the Heavenly Host ext ended i nt o every part oI
Europe, i nto Asia Minor, and among the Turks, Scythians, and Tartars.
The ancient Persians adored t he Sun as Mi thras, and also the Moon,
Venus, Fire, Eart h, Air, and Water; and, having no stat ues or altars,
t hey sacriIiced on hi gh places t o the Heavens and to the Sun. On seven
anci ent pyrea t hey burned incense to t he Seven Pl anet s, and
consi dered the element s to be divinit ies. In t he Zend-Avest a we Ii nd
i nvocati ons addressed t o Mi thras, the stars, t he elements, trees,
mountai ns, and every part oI nat ure. The Celesti al Bull i s i nvoked there,
t o which t he Moon uni tes hersel I; and the Iour great st ars, Taschter,
Satevis, HaIt orang, and Venant , t he great St ar Rapi tan, and t he ot her
const el lat ions whi ch watch over the diIIerent porti ons oI the eart h.
The Magi , li ke a mul ti tude oI ancient nati ons, worshi pped Iire, above all
t he other el ements and powers oI nat ure. In India, t he Ganges and the
Indus were worshi pped, and t he Sun was the Great Di vi ni ty. They
worshipped t he Moon also, and kept up the sacred Ii re. In Ceylon, t he
Sun, Moon, and ot her pl anets were worshipped: i n Sumatra, the Sun,
cal led Iri , and t he Moon, call ed Handa. And the Chinese buil t Temples
t o Heaven, the Eart h, and genii oI t he ai r, oI the water, oI t he mountai ns,
and oI t he st ars, t o t he sea-dragon, and to the pl anet Mars.
The cel ebrated Labyrinth was buil t in honor oI t he Sun; and it s twelve
palaces, l ike t he t welve superb col umns oI t he Templ e i s, at Hi eropol is,
covered wi th symbol s rel at i ng t o the twel ve si gns and t he occul t
quali ti es oI t he elements, were consecrat ed to the t wel ve gods or
t utelary geni i oI the signs oI t he Zodi ac. The
Iigure oI the pyrami d and t hat oI t he obeli sk, resembl ing the shape oI a
Ilame, caused t hese monument s t o be consecrated t o t he Sun and t o
Fire. And Ti mus oI Locri a says: "The equil ateral triangle enters into
t he composit ion oI the pyrami d, whi ch has Iour equal Iaces and equal
angl es, and which i n t hi s is li ke Iire, the most subtl e and mobi le oI the
el ement s. " They and the obel isks were erected i n honor oI the Sun,
t ermed i n an i nscri pt i on upon one oI t he l att er, t ranslated by t he
Egypt ian Hermapi on, and t o be Iound i n Ammi anus Marcell inus, "Apoll o
t he st rong, Son oI God, he who made the worl d, true Lord oI the
diadems, who possesses Egypt and Iil ls i t wi th His glory."
The two most Iamous divi si ons oI the Heavens, by seven, which is that
oI t he planets, and by twel ve, which i s that oI the signs, are Iound on
t he reli gious monuments oI all the people oI t he anci ent worl d. The
t welve Great Gods oI Egypt are met wit h everywhere. They were
adopt ed by t he Greeks and Romans; and t he l att er assi gned one oI
t hem to each sign oI the Zodiac. Thei r i mages were seen at At hens,
where an al tar was erected to each; and they were pai nt ed on t he
port icos. The Peopl e oI t he Nort h had thei r twel ve Azes, or Senat e oI
t welve great gods, oI whom Odin was chi eI. The Japanese had the
same number, and li ke the Egypti ans divided t hem into classes, seven,
who were t he most anci ent , and Iive, aIterward added: bot h oI whi ch
numbers are wel l known and consecrat ed i n Masonry.
There i s no more st ri ki ng prooI oI t he universal adorat ion pai d the stars
and constel l at ions, than t he arrangement oI t he Hebrew camp in the
Desert , and the all egory i n regard to t he t wel ve Tribes oI Israel ,
ascribed i n t he Hebrew legends to Jacob. The Hebrew camp was a
quadril at eral, in si xt een divi sions, oI whi ch the central Iour were
occupied by i mages oI t he Iour el ements. The Iour divisi ons at t he Iour
angl es oI t he quadri lateral exhibi ted t he Iour si gns that t he ast rologers
cal led Ii xed, and which t hey regard as subject to t he i nIluence oI t he
Iour great Royal Stars, Regulus in Leo, Aldebaran in Taurus, Antares
i n Scorpi o, and Fomal haut in t he mout h oI Pi sces, on which Iall s the
wat er poured out by Aquari us; oI whi ch constel lat ions t he Scorpi on was
represented in t he Hebrew blazonry by t he Cel esti al Vult ure or Eagle,
t hat rises at the same ti me wit h i t and is it s paranatel lon. The other
signs were arranged on the Iour Iaces oI the quadil ateral, and i n t he
paral lel and interior di visi ons.
There i s an ast onishi ng coi nci dence bet ween t he characteri st i cs assigned
by
Jacob t o hi s sons, and those oI the signs oI the Zodiac, or t he planet s t hat
have
t heir domi ci le i n those signs.
Reuben is compared to runni ng water, unst able, and t hat cannot excel ; and
he
answers t o Aquari us, hi s ensign being a man. The water poured out by
Aquarius
Ilows t oward t he South Pole, and i t i s t he Iirst oI t he Iour Royal Si gns,
ascending
Irom the Wi nt er Solst ice.
The Lion (Leo) is t he devi ce oI Judah; and Jacob compares hi m to t hat
ani mal,
whose constel lat ion i n the Heavens is t he domici le oI the Sun; t he Li on oI
t he
Tribe oI Judah; by whose grip, when t hat oI apprentice and that oI Iell ow-
craIt , -
oI Aquari us at t he Wi nter Solst ice and oI Cancer at t he Vernal Equi nox, -
had not
succeeded i n raisi ng hi m, Khrm was l i Ited out oI the grave.
Ephrai m, on whose ensign appears t he Celest ial Bul l, Jacob compares to
t he ox.
Dan, beari ng as his device a Scorpion, he compares t o t he Cerast es or
horned
Serpent , synonymous in astrol ogi cal l anguage wit h the vul ture or
pouncing
eagle; and whi ch bi rd was oIt en substi tuted on the Il ag oI Dan, in pl ace oI
t he
venomous scorpion, on account oI t he terror which that rept il e i nspi red, as
t he
symbol oI Typhon and hi s mali gn inIl uences; whereIore t he Eagl e, as it s
paranat ell on, t hat i s, risi ng and sett ing at the same t i me wit h i t, was
naturally
used i n i ts st ead. Hence the Iour Iamous Ii gures in the sacred pi ctures oI
t he
Jews and Christ ians, and i n Royal Arch Masonry, oI t he Lion, t he Ox, the
Man,
and t he Eagle, t he Iour creat ures oI t he Apocalypse, copied t here Irom
Ezekiel ,
i n whose reveries and rhapsodies they are seen revol vi ng around blazi ng
ci rcl es.
The Ram, domicil e oI Mars, chi eI oI the Celest ial Sol di ery and oI the
t welve
Signs, i s t he device oI Gad, whom Jacob charact eri zes as a warri or, chieI
oI his
army.
Cancer, i n which are the st ars termed Asel l i, or l it tl e asses, i s t he device
oI t he
Ilag oI Issachar, whom Jacob compares to an ass.
Capri corn, oI ol d represent ed wit h the tai l oI a Iish, and cal led by
ast ronomers
t he Son oI Neptune, is t he device oI Zebulon, oI whom Jacob says t hat he
dwell s
on t he shore oI the sea.
Sagit t arius, chasing the Celest ial Wol I, is t he embl em oI Benjamin, whom
Jacob
compares t o a hunter: and i n that const el lat ion t he Romans pl aced t he
domi cil e
oI Diana the huntress. Vi rgo,
t he domi ci le oI Mercury, i s borne on the Il ag oI Naphtali , whose
el oquence
and agi li ty Jacob magniIies, bot h oI whi ch are att ributes oI the Couri er oI
t he Gods. And oI Si meon and Levi he speaks as uni t ed, as are the two
Iishes that make the Const ell at i on Pisces, which i s their armorial
emblem.
Plat o, i n his Republ ic, Ioll owed t he divi sions oI the Zodiac and t he
planet s. So also di d Lycurgus at Sparta, and Cecrops in the Athenian
Commonweal th. Chun, t he Chinese legi sl at or, di vided China int o t wel ve
Tcheou, and special ly designated twel ve mountains. The Et ruscans
divi ded themsel ves i nt o t welve Cant ons. Romul us appoi nt ed twel ve
Li ct ors. There were twel ve t ri bes oI Ishmael and twel ve di sci ples oI t he
Hebrew ReIormer. The New Jerusal em oI the Apocalypse has t wel ve
gat es.
The Souciet , a Chi nese book, speaks oI a palace composed oI Iour
buil di ngs, whose gates l ooked t oward the Iour corners oI the world. That
on t he East was dedicat ed t o the new moons oI t he months oI Spring; t hat
on t he West t o those oI Aut umn; that on the South t o those oI Summer;
and t hat on the North t o t hose oI Wi nter: and in thi s, palace the Emperor
and his grandees sacriIiced a l amb, t he ani mal that represented the Sun
at t he Vernal Equi nox.
Among the Greeks, t he march oI t he Choruses i n thei r theat res
represented the movements oI the Heavens and the pl anet s, and t he
Strophe and Ant i-Strophe i mi t ated, Arist oxenes says, the movements oI
t he Stars. The number Ii ve was sacred among the Chi nese, as t hat oI the
planet s ot her t han the Sun and Moon. Astrol ogy consecrat ed t he numbers
t welve, seven, t hi rty, and t hree hundred and si xty; and everywhere seven,
t he number oI the pl anet s, was as sacred as twelve, that oI the signs, t he
mont hs, the oriental cycl es, and t he sect ions oI t he horizon. We shall
speak more at large hereaIter, i n anot her Degree, as to t hese and ot her
numbers, to which the ancients ascribed mysteri ous powers.
The Si gns oI the Zodiac and t he St ars appeared on many oI the ancient
coins and medal s. On t he publ ic seal oI the Locri ans, Ozoles was
Hesperus, or t he planet Venus. On t he medal s oI Ant i och on t he Orontes
was the ram and crescent; and the Ram was t he special Deity oI Syri a,
assigned t o it i n t he divisi on oI the eart h among the t welve signs. On the
Cretan coi ns was the Equi noct ial Bul l; and he also appeared on t hose oI
t he Mamert ins and oI Athens. Sagi ttari us appeared on those oI the
Persi ans. In
India t he t wel ve si gns appeared upon the ancient coins. The Scorpi on
was engraved on t he medal s oI t he Ki ngs oI Comagena, and Capri corn
on t hose oI Zeugnia, Anazorba, and ot her ci t ies. On the medals oI
Antoninus are Iound nearly al l t he si gns oI the Zodiac.
Ast rology was pract ised among al l t he ancient nati ons. In Egypt, the
book oI Ast rol ogy was borne reverent ial ly i n the rel igi ous processions;
i n which t he Iew sacred ani mal s were also carried, as embl ems oI the
equinoxes and sol stices. The same sci ence Ilouri shed among t he
Chal deans, and over the whole oI Asi a and AIrica. When Alexander
i nvaded India, the astrol ogers oI t he Oxydraces came to hi m to
discl ose t he secret s oI t hei r science oI Heaven and the St ars. The
Brahi mins whom Apol lonius consul t ed, taught hi m t he secrets oI
Ast ronomy, wi th t he ceremonies and prayers whereby to appease the
gods and l earn the Iuture Irom the stars. In China, ast rology t aught t he
mode oI governi ng t he St at e and Iami li es. In Arabia i t was deemed t he
mother oI t he sciences; and old li brari es are Iull oI Arabi c books on t hi s
pretended science. It Il ouri shed at Rome. Const ant ine had hi s
horoscope drawn by the astrol oger Valens. It was a sci ence i n the
middle ages, and even to t hi s day is neit her Iorgott en nor unpract i sed.
Cat herine de Medici was Iond oI i t. Louis XIV. consult ed his horoscope,
and t he l earned Casi ni commenced hi s career as an astrol oger.
The ancient Sabans establ i shed Ieast s in honor oI each pl anet , on
t he day, Ior each, when it ent ered it s place oI exal tat ion, or reached the
parti cul ar degree in the parti cular si gn oI the zodiac in whi ch ast rology
had Ii xed the place oI it s exal t ati on; t hat i s, t he place i n the Heavens
where i ts inIl uence was supposed to be greatest , and where it acted on
Nat ure wi th the great est energy. The place oI exal tat ion oI t he Sun was
i n Aries, because, reachi ng that point, he awakens al l Nature, and
warms i nto li Ie all the germs oI vegetat ion; and thereIore his most
solemn Ieast among al l nat ions, Ior many years beIore our Era, was
Ii xed at t he ti me oI hi s entrance int o t hat sign. In Egypt , i t was cal led
t he Feast oI Fire and Light. It was t he Passover, when the Paschal
Lamb was slai n and eat en, among the Jews, and Neurouz among the
Persi ans. The Romans preIerred the pl ace oI domi cil e t o t hat oI
exalt ati on; and cel ebrated the Ieast s oI t he pl anet s under the signs t hat
were t heir houses. The Chaldeans, whom and not the Egypti ans, the
Sabans Ioll owed in t his, preIerred t he places oI exalt at i on.
Saturn, Irom the lengt h oI ti me required Ior his apparent revoluti on, was
consi dered the most remote, and the Moon t he nearest pl anet . AIt er
t he Moon came Mercury and Venus, t hen the Sun, and then Mars,
Jupi ter, and Sat urn.
So the ri si ngs and set t ings oI the Fi xed Stars, and thei r conj unct i ons
wi th t he Sun, and t heir Iirst appearance as they emerged Irom hi s rays,
Ii xed the epochs Ior the Ieast s insti t uted in their honor; and the Sacred
Cal endars oI t he ancients were regulat ed accordingly.
In t he Roman games oI t he ci rcus, celebrat ed i n honor oI t he Sun and
oI enti re Nature, the Sun, Moon, Planet s, Zodiac, Element s, and t he
most apparent parts and pot ent agent s oI Nat ure were personi Iied and
represented, and t he courses oI the Sun in the Heavens were i mit ated
i n t he Hippodrome; hi s chariot bei ng drawn by Iour horses oI di IIerent
colors, representi ng the Iour element s and seasons. The courses were
Irom East t o West , li ke t he ci rcuit s round t he Lodge, and seven i n
number, t o correspond wi t h t he number oI pl anets. The movement s oI
t he Seven Stars that revol ve around t he pole were also represented, as
were t hose oI Capel la, whi ch by i ts heli acal risi ng at t he moment when
t he Sun reached t he Pl eiades, i n Taurus, announced t he
commencement oI the annual revolut ion oI the Sun.
The int ersect ion oI the Zodiac by t he colures at the Equi noctial and
Sol sti t i al poi nt s, Ii xed Iour periods, each oI which has, by one or more
nati ons, and in some cases by the same nat i on at di IIerent peri ods,
been taken Ior t he commencement oI the year. Some adopt ed the
Vernal Equinox, because t hen day began t o prevail over night , and
l ight gai ned a vi ctory over darkness. Someti mes t he Summer Sol sti ce
was preIerred; because then day att ained i ts maxi mum oI durat ion, and
t he acme oI i ts glory and perIecti on. In Egypt, anot her reason was, that
t hen the Ni le began t o overIlow, at t he hel iacal risi ng oI Siri us. Some
preIerred t he Aut umnal Equi nox, because then t he harvest s were
gat hered, and t he hopes oI a new crop were deposit ed in the bosom oI
t he earth. And some preIerred t he Wi nter Sol st i ce, because t hen, the
short est day havi ng arri ved, their length commenced t o i ncrease, and
Light began t he career dest ined t o end i n vict ory at the Vernal Equinox.
The Sun was Iigurat i vely said to di e and be born agai n at t he Wi nt er
Sol sti ce; the games oI the Circus, in honor oI t he i nvinci bl e God-Sun,
were t hen cel ebrated, and t he Roman year estab
l ished or reIormed by Numa, commenced. Many peoples oI Italy
commenced t hei r year, Macrobi us says, at that t i me; and represent ed by
t he Iour ages oI man the gradual succession oI peri odical increase and
di minuti on oI day, and the li ght oI t he Sun; li keni ng hi m t o an i nIant born
at t he Wi nter Sol sti ce, a young man at t he Vernal Equi nox, a robust man
at t he Summer Sol stice, and an ol d man at t he Aut umnal Equi nox.
Thi s i dea was borrowed Irom the Egypti ans, who adored the Sun at t he
Wi nter Sol st i ce, under t he Iigure oI an i nIant .
The i mage oI the Sign i n which each oI t he Iour seasons commenced,
became t he Iorm under which was Iigured the Sun oI that part icular
season. The Lion' s skin was worn by Hercul es; the horns oI the Bul l
adorned t he Iorehead oI Bacchus; and the aut umnal serpent wound i t s
l ong Iol ds round the Stat ue oI Serapi s, 2500 years beIore our era; when
t hose Si gns corresponded wit h t he commencement oI the Seasons.
When other constellati ons repl aced t hem at those poi nts, by means oI
t he precession oI t he Equi noxes, t hose at tributes were changed. Then
t he Ram Iurni shed t he horns Ior t he head oI t he Sun, under t he name oI
Jupi ter Ammon. He was no longer born exposed to the waters oI
Aquarius, li ke Bacchus, nor encl osed in an urn li ke the God Canopus;
but in t he Stables oI Augeas or the Celestial Goat. He t hen complet ed
his t ri umph, mounted on an ass, in t he constel lat ion Cancer, which then
occupied t he Sol sti ti al poi nt oI Summer.
Ot her at tributes the i mages oI the Sun borrowed Irom the const el lat ions
which, by their risi ng and set ti ng, Ii xed t he points oI departure oI the
year, and the commencement s oI i ts Iour pri nci pal di vi sions.
First t he Bull and aIt erward the Ram (cal led by the Persians the Lamb),
was regarded as the regenerator oI Nature, through his uni on wit h t he
Sun. Each, in hi s t urn, was an embl em oI the Sun overcomi ng the wi nter
darkness, and repairing t he disorders oI Nat ure, which every year was
regenerat ed under t hese Signs, aIter t he Scorpi on and Serpent oI
Autumn had brought upon it barrenness, di sast er, and darkness.
Mi thras was represented si tt ing on a Bul l; and t hat ani mal was an i mage
oI Osiris: whi le the Greek Bacchus armed hi s Iront wi th it s horns, and
was pict ured wi t h i ts tai l and Ieet.
The Const el l ati ons al so became not ewort hy t o t he husbandman, which
by t heir risi ng or set ti ng, at morning or eveni ng, indicat ed
t he comi ng oI thi s peri od oI renewed Iruit Iul ness and new l iIe. Capell a,
or
t he kid Amal thea, whose horn is called t hat oI abundance, awl whose
place i s over the equi noct ial point, or Taurus; and t he Pl ei ades, that long
i ndi cated the Seasons, and gave rise to a mult it ude oI poeti c Iables, were
t he most observed and most celebrat ed in ant iqui ty.
The ori ginal Roman year commenced at the Vernal Equinox. July was
Iormerly cal led Qui nti li s, t he 5th month, and August Sext il is, the 6t h, as
Sept ember i s st il l the 7t h mont h, Oct ober t he 8t h, and so on. The
Persi ans commenced thei r year at t he same t i me, and cel ebrated thei r
great Ieast oI Neurouz when t he Sun ent ered Ari es and the Constel l at ion
Perseus rose, - Perseus, who Iirst brought down to eart h the heavenly Iire
consecrated i n t hei r temples: and al l the ceremonies then pract ised
remi nded men oI t he renovati on oI Nat ure and the tri umph oI Ormuzd, the
Light-God, over the powers oI Darkness and Ahri man t hei r ChieI.
The Legi slat or oI t he Jews Ii xed t he commencement oI their year i n t he
mont h Nisan, at t he Vernal Equi nox, at which season the Israel ites
marched out oI Egypt and were rel ieved oI t heir l ong bondage; in
commemorati on oI which Exodus, they ate the Paschal Lamb at t hat
Equi nox. And when Bacchus and his army had long marched i n burni ng
deserts, t hey were l ed by a Lamb or Ram int o beaut iIul meadows, and to
t he Springs t hat watered t he Templ e oI Jupi ter Ammon. For, to the Arabs
and Ethi opians, whose great Di vini ty Bacchus was, nothing was so
perIect a type oI Elysi um as a Country abounding in springs and rivulet s.
Orion, on the same meri di an wi t h t he St ars oI Taurus, died oI t he st ing oI
t he cel esti al Scorpi on, t hat rises when he sets; as dies t he Bul l oI Mi thras
i n Autumn: and i n t he Stars t hat correspond wit h the Autumnal Equinox
we Ii nd those mal evolent genii that ever war agai nst t he Princi pl e oI
good,
and t hat take Irom t he Sun and the Heavens the Iruit-producing power
t hat they communicat e t o the eart h.
Wi t h the Vernal Equi nox, dear t o the sail or as t o t he husbandman, came
t he Stars t hat , wit h t he Sun, open navi gat i on, and rule the stormy Seas.
Then the Twi ns plunge i nt o t he solar Ii res, or disappear at set ti ng, going
down wit h the Sun i nt o the bosom oI the waters. And t hese t utelary
Di vi ni t i es oI mari ners, t he Di oscuri or Chi eI Cahiri oI Samothrace, sail ed
wi th Jason t o possess t hemsel ves oI the gol den-Il eeced ram, or Ari es,
whose risi ng i n the
morning announced t he Sun' s ent ry into Taurus, when the Serpentbearer
Jason rose in the eveni ng, and, i n aspect wi th t he Di oscuri, was
deemed thei r brother. And Orion, son oI Nept une, and most pot ent
control ler oI t he t empest-tort ured ocean, announcing somet i mes cal m
and someti mes tempest, rose aIter Taurus, rej oi cing in the Iorehead oI
t he new year.
The Summer Sol sti ce was not l ess an i mportant poi nt in the Sun' s
march than t he Vernal Equi nox, especially t o t he Egypti ans, t o whom i t
not only marked t he end and t erm oI t he increasing length oI t he days
and oI t he dominati on oI l ight , and t he maxi mum oI t he Sun' s elevati on;
but also the annual recurrence oI t hat phenomenon pecul iar t o Egypt,
t he ri si ng oI the Ni le, whi ch, ever accompanyi ng t he Sun i n his course,
seemed t o ri se and Ial l as the days grew l onger and short er, being
l owest at the Wi nter Sol st i ce, and hi ghest at that oI Summer. Thus t he
Sun seemed to regulat e i ts swel li ng; and t he t i me oI hi s arri val at the
solst it ial point bei ng that oI the Ii rst risi ng oI t he Nil e, was selected by
t he Egyptians as t he begi nning oI a year which they call ed the Year oI
God, and oI the Sothiac Peri od, or the period oI Sothi s, the Dog-St ar,
who, ri sing in t he morning, Ii xed that epoch, so i mportant to the people
oI Egypt. Thi s year was also cal led the Hel i ac, t hat i s the Solar year,
and t he Canicular year; and i t consi st ed oI three hundred and si xty-Iive
days, wi t hout i ntercalati on; so that at t he end oI Iour years, or oI Iour
t i mes t hree hundred and si xty-Ii ve days, maki ng 1460 days, it needed
t o add a day, t o make Iour complet e revol uti ons oI t he Sun. To correct
t hi s, some Nat ions made every Iourt h year consi st , as we do now, oI
366 days: but t he Egypti ans preIerred t o add nothing to t he year oI 365
days, which, at the end oI 120 years, or oI 30 t i mes 4 years, was short
30 days or a mont h; t hat is to say, i t requi red a mont h more to compl et e
t he 120 revolut i ons oI the Sun, t hough so many were counted, t hat i s,
so many years. OI course the commencement oI t he 121st year would
not correspond wit h the Summer Solst ice, but woul d precede it by a
mont h: so that, when the Sun arrived at t he Sol st i ti al poi nt whence he
at Iirst set out, and whereto he must needs return, to make i n real i ty
120 years, or 120 compl ete revoluti ons, the Iirst mont h oI t he 121st
year would have ended.
Thus, i I t he commencement oI t he year went back 30 days every 120
years, t hi s commencement oI t he year, conti nui ng to
recede, woul d, at the end oI 12 ti mes 120 years, or oI 1460 years, get
back t o t he Sol sti ti al point , or pri mi t ive point oI departure oI the peri od.
The Sun woul d t hen have made but 1459 revol uti ons, t hough 1460
were counted; to make up whi ch, a year more would need to be added.
So that t he Sun woul d not have made his 1460 revolut ions unt il t he end
oI 1461 years oI 365 days each, - each revol ut ion being in real ity not
365 days exactly, but 365 /.
Thi s peri od oI 1461 years, each oI 365 days, bri ngi ng back t he
commencement oI the Solar year t o t he Sol sti ti al poi nt , at t he risi ng oI
Siri us, aIter 1460 complete Sol ar revol uti ons, was cal led in Egypt t he
Sot hi ac peri od, the poi nt oI depart ure whereoI was t he Summer
Sol sti ce, Iirst occupied by the Lion and aIterward by Cancer, under
which sign is Si rius, whi ch opened t he peri od. It was, says Porphyry, at
t hi s Solst it ial New Moon, accompanied by the ri sing oI Set h or t he Dog-
Star, t hat the begi nni ng oI the year was Ii xed, and that oI t he
generati on oI all t hi ngs, or, as it were, t he natal hour oI t he worl d.
Not Si ri us al one det ermi ned t he peri od oI the ri sing oI t he Ni le,
Aquarius, hi s urn, and the stream Il owi ng Irom it , i n opposi t ion to the
sign oI the Summer Solst ice t hen occupied by the Sun, opened i n the
evening the march oI Night, and recei ved the Iull Moon i n his cup.
Above hi m and wi t h hi m rose t he Ieet oI Pegasus, struck wherewit h the
wat ers Il ow Iort h t hat the Muses dri nk. The Lion and, t he Dog,
i ndi cati ng, were supposed to cause t he i nundat ion, and so were
worshipped. Whi le the Sun passed t hrough Leo, t he wat ers doubled
t heir dept h; and the sacred Iount ains poured t heir st reams through the
heads oI l ions. Hydra, risi ng between Si rius and Leo, ext ended under
t hree signs. Its ' head rose wit h Cancer, and i ts tai l wit h the Ieet oI t he
Virgi n and t he beginning oI Li bra; and t he i nundat ion conti nued while
t he Sun passed along i ts whol e extent.
The successi ve cont est oI li ght and darkness Ior t he possession oI t he
l unar di sk, each bei ng by turns victor and vanqui shed, exactly
resembl ed what passed upon t he earth by he act ion oI the Sun and his
j ourneys Irom one Sol st i ce to the ot her. The l unary revoluti on
present ed t he same peri ods oI light and darkness as the year, and was
t he object oI the same rel igious Iict ions. Above the Moon, Pli ny said,
everyt hi ng i s pure, and Ii ll ed wit h et ernal l ight. There ends the cone oI
shadow which t he earth project s, and which produces ni ght ; there ends
t he sojourn oI ni ght and
darkness; t o it the air extends; but there we enter t he pure subst ance.
The Egypti ans assigned to the Moon t he demiurgic or creati ve Iorce oI
Osi ri s, who uni ted hi msel I to her in t he spri ng, when the Sun
communi cated to her t he pri nciples oI generat ion which she aIterward
dissemi nat ed i n the air and all t he el ements. The Persi ans considered
t he Moon to have been i mpregnated by the Cel est ial Bul l, Ii rst oI t he
signs oI spri ng. In al l ages, the Moon has been supposed t o have great
i nIl uence upon vegetat ion, and the birt h and growt h oI ani mals; and t he
belieI i s as widely entertai ned now as ever, and that i nIluence regarded
as a myst eri ous and inexpl icable one. Not t he ast rol ogers al one, but
Nat urali sts l ike Pli ny, Phil osophers li ke Pl utarch and Cicero,
Theologi ans l ike t he Egyptian Pri ests, and Metaphysici ans l i ke Proclus,
believed Iirmly in these lunar inIl uences.
"The Egypt ians, " says Diodorus Si cul us, "acknowledged t wo great
gods, t he Sun and Moon, or Osiri s and Isis, who govern the world and
regulat e i t s admi ni strati on by the di spensat ion oI t he seasons . . . .
Such is the nat ure oI these two great Divini ti es, that t hey i mpress an
act ive and Iecundati ng Iorce, by which t he generat i on oI bei ngs i n
eIIect ed; the Sun, by heat and that spiri tual pri ncipl e that Iorms t he
breat h oI t he winds; the Moon by humidity and dryness; and bot h by
t he Iorces oI t he ai r which t hey share i n common. By thi s beneIi cial
i nIl uence everything is born, grows, and veget ates. WhereIore this
whole huge body, i n which nat ure resi des, is maintai ned by the
combi ned acti on oI the Sun and Moon, and t heir Ii ve quali ti es, - t he
pri nci ples spiri t ual , Iiery, dry, humi d, and ai ry."
So Ii ve pri mi t i ve powers, el ement s, or elementary qual it ies, are uni t ed
wi th t he Sun and Moon i n t he Indian t heol ogy, - ai r, spiri t , Iire, water,
and earth: and t he same Iive elements are recogni zed by the Chi nese.
The Phonicians, li ke the Egypti ans, regarded t he Sun and Moon and
Stars as sole causes oI generati on and destruct ion here below.
The Moon, l ike the Sun, changed cont i nual ly the track in whi ch she
crossed the Heavens, moving ever t o and Iro bet ween the upper and
l ower li mi t s oI t he Zodi ac; and her diIIerent places, phases, and
aspect s t here, and her relati ons wi th the Sun and the const ell ati ons,
have been a Iruit Iul source oI mythological Iabl es.
Al l the pl anets had what astrol ogy termed thei r houses, i n the
Zodi ac. The House oI t he Sun was i n Leo, and t hat oI t he Moon in
Cancer. Each other planet had t wo, signs; Mercury had Gemini and
Virgo; Venus, Taurus and Li bra; Mars, Ari es and Scorpio; Jupiter,
Pisces and Sagi tt ari us; and Sat urn, Aquarius and Capri cornus. From
t hi s di stri buti on oI t he signs al so came many myt hol ogical emblems
and Iables; as al so many came Irom the pl aces oI exaltati on oI the
planet s. Di ana oI Ephesus, t he Moon, wore t he i mage oI a crab on her
bosom, because i n t hat sign was t he Moon' s domici le; and l ions bore
up t he t hrone oI Horus, the Egypt ian Apol lo, t he Sun personiIi ed, Ior a
l ike reason: whi le the Egypti ans consecrat ed t he tauriIorn scarabs to
t he Moon, because she had her place oI exalt at ion i n Taurus; and Ior
t he same reason Mercury i s said to have presented Isis wit h a hel met
l ike a bull ' s head.
A Iurther divisi on oI the Zodi ac was oI each sign into three part s oI 10
each, call ed Decans, or, i n the whole Zodi ac, 36 part s, among whi ch
t he seven planet s were apport ioned anew, each planet havi ng an
equal number oI Decans, except the Ii rst , which, opening and cl osi ng
t he series oI planet s Ii ve t i mes repeated, necessarily had one Decan
more than t he others. Thi s subdivisi on was not invented unti l aIt er
Aries opened t he Vernal Equi nox; and accordingly Mars, havi ng hi s
house i n Aries, opens t he seri es oI decans and cl oses i t; t he planet s
Iol l owi ng each other, Ii ve ti mes i n succession, i n t he Ioll owi ng order,
Mars, t he Sun, Venus, Mercury, t he Moon, Saturn, Jupit er, Mars, etc. ;
so that to each sign are assigned t hree pl anets, each occupying 10
degrees. To each Decan a God or Geni us was assi gned, making t hi rtysi x
i n al l, one oI whom, t he Chal deans said, came down upon earth
every t en days, remained so many days, and re-ascended to Heaven.
Thi s di vi sion i s Iound on t he Indian sphere, t he Persi an, and t hat
Barbari c one whi ch Aben Ezra describes. Each geni us oI t he Decans
had a name and special characteristi cs. They concur and aid i n t he
eIIect s produced by t he Sun, Moon, and ot her pl anet s charged wit h t he
administ rat ion oI the world: and t he doct ri ne i n regard t o t hem, secret
and august as it was held, was consi dered oI t he gravest i mportance;
and i ts pri nci pl es, Fi rmicus says, were not ent rusted by the ancients,
i nspi red as t hey were by t he Dei ty, to any but t he Init iates, and t o t hem
only wi th great reserve, and a ki nd oI Iear, and when caut iously
enveloped wi t h an obscure vei l, that t hey might not come t o be known
by t he proIane.
Wi t h these Decans were connected t he paranat el l ons or those st ars
outsi de oI the Zodiac, that ri se and set at t he same moment wit h the
several di visi ons oI 10 oI each si gn. As there were anci ent ly only
Iortyeight
celest i al Iigures or const ell ati ons, oI which twel ve were i n the
Zodi ac, i t Ioll ows t hat t here were, outside oI t he Zodi ac, thi rty-si x other
ast eri sms, paranatel lons oI t he several thirty-si x Decans. For exampl e,
as when Capri corn set , Siri us and Procyon, or Cani s Major and Cani s
Mi nor, rose, t hey were the Paranatell ons oI Capricorn, though at a
great dist ance Irom it in t he heavens. The ri si ng oI Cancer was known
Irom the sett ing oI Corona Boreal is and the ri sing oI t he Great and
Li tt le Dog, it s three paranatel lons.
The ri si ngs and set ti ngs oI the Stars are always spoken oI as
connect ed wi t h t he Sun. In that connect ion t here are three ki nds oI
t hem, cosmical , achronical , and heli acal , i mportant to be dist ingui shed
by al l who woul d understand t hi s anci ent learni ng.
When any Star rises or sets wit h t he same degree oI t he same sign oI
t he Zodi ac t hat the Sun occupies at t he t i me, i t ri ses and sets
si mul taneously wit h t he Sun, and t hi s i s termed risi ng or set ti ng
cosmical ly; but a star that so ri ses and sets can never be seen, on
account oI t he l ight t hat precedes, and is l eIt behind by t he Sun. It is
t hereIore necessary, i n order t o know hi s pl ace i n t he Zodi ac, t o
observe stars t hat ri se j ust beIore or set just aIter hi m.
A Star t hat i s in t he Fast when night commences, and i n the West when
i t ends, is said to rise and set achroni cally. A St ar so ri si ng or sett ing
was in opposi ti on to the Sun, ri si ng at t he end oI evening twil ight , and
set ti ng at t he begi nning oI morning twil ight , and thi s happened to each
Star but once a year, because t he Sun moves Irom West to Fast , wit h
reIerence t o t he St ars, one degree a day.
When a St ar ri ses as night ends i n t he morni ng, or sets as night
commences i n t he evening, i t is sai d to ri se or set hel i acal ly, because
t he Sun (Heli os) seems to touch it wi th hi s lumi nous at mosphere. A
Star t hus re-appears aIt er a di sappearance, oIten, oI several mont hs,
and t henceIorward it rises an hour earl ier each day, gradual ly
emergi ng Irom the Sun' s rays, unti l at t he end oI three mont hs i t
precedes t he Sun si x hours, and ri ses at mi dnight . A Star set s
heliacal ly, when no longer remaini ng vi si bl e above t he west ern hori zon
aIter sunset , the day arrives when they cease to
be seen set ti ng i n the West. They so remai n invi si bl e, unt i l the Sun
passes so Iar to the East ward as not to ecl ipse them wi th his l ight; and
t hen they re-appear, but in the East, about an hour and a hal I beIore
sunri se: and thi s i s t heir heliacal risi ng. In t his interval, t he cosmi cal
ri si ng and set ti ng t ake place.
Besides the relat ions oI t he constel lat ions and t heir paranat elIons wi th
t he houses and places oI exal tat ion oI t he Pl anet s, and wi th t hei r places
i n t he respect ive Si gns and Decans, t he St ars were supposed t o
produce diIIerent eIIect s according as t hey rose or set, and according
as t hey di d so eit her cosmical ly, achronicany, or heliacal ly; and al so
accordi ng t o the diIIerent seasons oI t he year i n which t hese
phenomena occurred; and t hese diIIerences were careIul ly marked on
t he old Calendars; and many thi ngs in the ancient all egori es are
reIerable to them.
Anot her and most i mportant divi sion oI the St ars was i nto good and bad,
beneIi cent and mal evol ent . Wi th t he Persi ans, the Iormer, oI the
Zodi acal Const el l ati ons, were Irom Ari es t o Vi rgo, i ncl usi ve; and the
l att er Irom Libra t o Pi sces, i ncl usive. Hence the good Angel s and Geni i,
and t he bad Angel s, Devs, Evi l Geni i, Devi ls, Fal len Angels, Ti tans, and
Gi ant s oI t he Mythology. The other t hirty-si x Const el lat ions were equally
divi ded, eighteen on each si de, or, wi th those oI t he Zodi ac, twenty-Iour.
Thus the symbol ic Egg, that issued Irom t he mout h oI the i nvi sible
Egypt ian God KNEPH; known in the Greci an Mysteries as the Orphic
Egg; Irom whi ch issued the God CHUMONG oI t he Coresi ans, and the
Egypt ian OSIRISS, and PHANES, God and Pri nci ple oI Light; Irom
which, broken by t he Sacred Bul l oI the Japanese, t he worl d emerged;
and which the Greeks pl aced at t he Ieet oI BACCHUS TAURI-CORNUS;
t he Magi an Egg oI ORMUZD, Irom which came t he Amshaspands and
Devs; was di vided i nt o two hal ves, and equal ly apport ioned between the
Good and Evil Constel lat ions and Angel s. Those oI Spring, as Ior
exampl e Ari es and Taurus, Auriga and Capel l a, were t he beneIicent
st ars; and those oI Autumn, as t he Balance, Scorpi o, the Serpent oI
Ophi ucus, and the Dragon oI the Hesperides, were types and subj ects
oI t he Evil Pri nci ple, and regarded as mal evolent causes oI the il l eIIect s
experienced i n Aut umn and Wi nt er. Thus are explai ned the mysteries oI
t he j ourneyings oI the human soul t hrough the spheres, when it
descends t o t he eart h by the Sign oI t he Serpent , and returns to the
Empire oI l ight by t hat oI t he Lamb or Bull .
The creati ve act ion oI Heaven was mani Iested, and al l i t s demi urgic
energy devel oped, most oI al l at t he Vernal Equi nox, to which reIer all
t he Iabl es that typiIy t he vi ct ory oI Light over Darkness, by the triumphs
oI Jupi ter, Osiri s, Ormuzd, and Apoll o. Al ways t he t riumphant god
t akes t he Iorm oI the Bul l, the Ram, or t he Lamb. Then Jupi t er wrest s
Irom Typhon his thunderbol t s, oI whi ch t hat mal ignant Deity had
possessed hi msel I duri ng t he Wi nter. Then t he God oI Light
overwhel ms hi s Ioe, pictured as a huge Serpent. Then Wi nt er ends; t he
Sun, seat ed on t he Bul l and accompanied by Ori on, blazes in t he
Heavens. Al l nature rej oices at t he vict ory; and Order and Harmony are
everywhere re-est abli shed, i n place oI the di re conIusion t hat reigned
whil e gl oomy Typhon domi neered, and Ahri man prevail ed agai nst
Ormuzd.
The uni versal Soul oI the Worl d, mot ive power oI Heaven and oI t he
Spheres, it was held, exerci ses it s creati ve energy chieIly through the
medium oI the Sun, duri ng his revoluti on along t he signs oI t he Zodiac,
wi th which signs uni te the paranatel lons t hat modi Iy their inIl uence, and
concur in Iurnishing the symbol i c attri but es oI t he Great Luminary t hat
regulat es Nat ure and is t he deposit ory oI her greatest powers. The
act ion oI t hi s Universal Soul oI t he Worl d is di spl ayed in the
movement s oI t he Spheres, and above all i n t hat oI t he Sun, i n the
successi ons oI the risi ngs and set t ings oI t he Stars, and in their
peri odi cal ret urns. By these are expl ainable al l the met amorphoses oI
t hat Soul , personi Iied as Jupi ter, as Bacchus, as Vi shnu, or as Buddha,
and al l the vari ous att ri butes ascribed t o i t ; and al so t he worship oI
t hose ani mals that were consecrated i n t he ancient Templ es,
representat ives on eart h oI the Cel est ial Signs, and supposed to
receive by transmi ssion Irom them t he rays and emanati ons whi ch i n
t hem Il ow Irom t he Universal Soul .
Al l the ol d Adorers oI Nat ure, t he Theol ogians, Astrol ogers, and Poet s,
as well as t he most di sti ngui shed Phi l osophers, supposed t hat the
Stars were so many ani mat ed and i ntell igent beings, or et ernal bodi es,
act ive causes oI eIIect here below, ani mated by a l iving pri nci pl e, and
directed by an i ntel l i gence t hat was i tsel I but an emanati on Irom and a
part oI t he l iIe and universal intel ligence oI t he worl d: and we Ii nd in the
hierarchi cal order and dist ri but i on oI their eternal and di vi ne
Int el l igences, known by the names oI Gods, Angel s, and Genii , the
same di stri buti ons and
t he same di vi sions as t hose by which t he ancient s di vi ded the vi sible
Universe and di stri but ed i ts parts. And t he Iamous divisi ons by seven
and by twelve, appertaini ng to the pl anets and the signs oI t he zodiac,
i s everywhere Iound i n the hierarchi cal order oI t he Gods, and Angels,
and t he other Mi ni sters that are t he deposi taries oI that Divi ne Force
which moves and rules the world.
These, and the ot her Intel l i gences assigned to the ot her Stars, have
absol ute domi ni on over all part s oI Nature; over t he elements, the
ani mal and veget abl e ki ngdoms, over man and all hi s acti ons, over his
virtues and vices, and over good and evil , which divi de between them
his l iIe. The passi ons oI hi s soul and t he maladies oI hi s body, - t hese
and t he enti re man are dependent on t he heavens and the geni i that
t here inhabi t , who preside at hi s bi rt h, control hi s Iort unes during l iIe,
and receive his soul or act i ve and int el li gent part when it i s to be reuni t ed
t o t he pure l iIe oI t he l oIty St ars. And all t hrough the great body
oI t he worl d are disseminated porti ons oI t he universal Soul ,
i mpressi ng movement on everything that seems t o move oI it selI, givi ng
l iIe t o t he plants and t rees, di rect i ng by a regular and sett led pl an t he
organi zat i on and development oI their germs, i mparti ng const ant
mobi li ty t o t he running waters and mai ntai ning t heir et ernal mot ion,
i mpell ing the wi nds and changing t heir direct i on or sti ll ing them,
cal mi ng and arousi ng t he ocean, unchaini ng the storm pouri ng out t he
Iires oI vol canoes, or wit h eart hquakes shaking the roots oI huge
mountai ns and t he Ioundat ions oI vast cont inents; by means oI a Iorce
t hat , belonging to Nat ure, i s a mystery t o man.
And t hese i nvi sibl e Intel li gences, li ke t he st ars, are marshall ed i n two
great divi si ons, under the banners oI the two Pri nci ples oI Good and
Evi l, Light and Darkness; under Ormuzd and Ahri man, Osi ris and
Typhon. The Evi l Pri nci pl e was t he mot ive power oI brut e mat ter; and
i t, personi Ii ed as Ahri man and Typhon, had i t s host s and armies oI
Devs and Geni i, Fal len Angels and Mal evolent Spi ri ts, who waged
conti nual wage wi t h the Good Pri nci pl e, t he Princi pl e oI Empyreal Light
and Spl endor, Osi ri s, Ormuzd, Jupi ter or Dionusos, wi th hi s bright
hosts oI Amshaspands, Izeds, Angel s, and Archangel s; a warIare that
goes on Irom bi rt h unt il deat h, in t he soul oI every man t hat li ves.
We have heret oIore, i n t he 24t h Degree reci ted t he pri ncipal inci dents
i n t he legend oI Osi ri s and Isis, and it remai ns but to point
out the astronomi cal phenomena whi ch it has converted i nto mythological
Iacts.
The Sun, at t he Vernal Equinox, was t he Iruit -compell ing star t hat by his
warmt h provoked generat ion and poured upon the sublunary world all t he
blessings oI Heaven; the beneIicent god, tutelary genius oI universal
veget ati on, t hat communicat es t o t he dull earth new acti vi ty, and st irs her
great heart , l ong chi lled by Wi nter and his Irosts, unt il Irom her bosom
burst
al l the greenness and perIume oI spri ng, maki ng her rej oice in leaIy
Iorests
and grassy lawns and Ilower-enamel led meadows, and the promi se oI
abundant crops oI grain and Irui ts and purple grapes in their due season.
He was then cal led Osiri s, Husband oI Isis, God oI Cult ivati on and
BeneIactor oI Men, pouring on t hem and on t he eart h t he choi cest
blessings wi thi n the giIt oI the Di vi ni ty. Opposed t o hi m was Typhon, his
antagonist in t he Egypt ian mythology, as Ahri man was the Ioe oI Ormuzd,
t he Good Pri nci ple, in t he t heol ogy oI the Persians.
The Ii rst inhabi tants oI Egypt and Et hi opi a, as Di odorus Si cul us i nIorms
us,
saw in the Heavens two Iirst eternal causes oI t hings, or great Divi nit ies,
one t he Sun, whom t hey cal l ed Osiri s, and t he other t he Moon, whom they
cal led Isis; and these they consi dered t he causes oI all t he generat ions oI
earth. Thi s i dea, we learn Irom Eusebi us, was t he same as that oI the
Phonici ans. On t hese t wo great Di vinit ies the admi ni strati on oI t he worl d
depended. Al l subl unary bodi es recei ved Irom t hem their nouri shment and
i ncrease, duri ng t he annual revol ut i on whi ch they control led, and t he
diIIerent seasons i nto whi ch i t was di vi ded.
To Osiri s and Isis, it was hel d, were owi ng civi li zat ion, the di scovery oI
agricul t ure, laws, art s oI all ki nds, religious worshi p, temples, t he
i nventi on
oI l ett ers, astronomy, the gymnasti c arts, and musi c; and thus t hey were
t he
universal beneIact ors. Osiri s travel led to civil i ze the countries whi ch he
passed through, and communicat e t o t hem hi s val uable discoveri es. He
buil t ci t ies, and taught men to cul ti vat e t he earth. Wheat and wine were
his
Iirst presents t o men. Europe, Asia, and AIrica part ook oI t he blessings
which he communi cated, and t he most remot e regions oI India
remembered
hi m, and cl ai med hi m as one oI t hei r great gods.
You have l earned how Typhon, his brother, sl ew hi m. Hi s body was cut
i nt o
pieces, all oI whi ch were coll ected by Isis, except hi s
organs oI generati on, whi ch had been t hrown into and devoured i n the
wat ers oI the ri ver t hat every year Ierti li zed Egypt . The ot her port ions
were
buri ed by Isi s, and over them she erected a tomb. ThereaIter she remained
si ngle, l oadi ng her subjects wi t h blessings. She cured the sick, restored
sight to t he bli nd, made the paralyti c whole, and even rai sed t he dead.
From her Horus or Apol l o l earned divi nat ion and t he sci ence oI medi cine.
Thus the Egypt ians pictured the beneIi cent act ion oI the two lumi naries
t hat , Irom the bosom oI the elements, produced all ani mal s and men, and
al l bodies t hat are born, grow, and di e i n t he eternal circl e oI generat ion
and dest ructi on here bel ow.
When the Celest ial Bull opened the new year at the Vernal Equinox,
Osi ri s,
unit ed wit h t he Moon, communi cated to her t he seeds oI Irui t Iul ness
which
she poured upon the air, and therewi t h i mpregnated t he generat i ve
pri nci ples which gave act i vity t o uni versal veget ati on. Api s, represented
by
a bul l, was t he l iving and sensible i mage oI t he Sun or Osi ri s, when i n
union
wi th Isis or the Moon at the Vernal Equinox, concurring wit h her in
provoki ng everythi ng t hat l i ves to generati on. Thi s conjuncti on oI the Sun
wi th t he Moon at t he Vernal Equi nox, in t he constel lat ion Taurus,
requi red
t he Bul l Apis to have on hi s shoulder a mark resembli ng t he Crescent
Moon. And the Iecundat ing inIl uence oI t hese two lumi naries was
expressed by i mages t hat would now be deemed gross and indecent , but
which then were not mi sunderst ood.
Everyt hing good i n Nat ure comes Irom Osi ris, - order, harmony, and the
Iavorabl e temperature oI the seasons and cel estial peri ods. From Typhon
come t he st ormy passi ons and i rregular i mpul ses that agi tat e t he brute and
material part oI man; maladies oI the body, and viol ent shocks t hat injure
t he healt h and derange the system; incl ement weat her, derangement oI the
seasons, and ecl ipses. Osiri s and Typhon were the Ormuzd and Ahri man
oI
t he Persians; principles oI good and evi l, oI l ight and darkness, ever at
war
i n t he admi ni strati on oI the Universe.
Osi ri s was the i mage oI generati ve power. Thi s was expressed by hi s
symbol ic stat ues, and by t he si gn int o which he entered at the Vernal
Equi nox. He especial ly di spensed the humi d pri nciple oI Nature,
generati ve
el ement oI all things; and t he Nile and all moist ure were regarded as
emanati ons Irom hi m, wi thout which there coul d be no veget at i on.
That Osi ri s and Isis were t he Sun and Moon, is attest ed by
many ancient wri ters; by Di ogenes Laerti us, Plut arch, Lucian, Sui das,
Macrobi us, Mart ianus Capel l a, and ot hers. Hi s power was symbol ized
by an Eye over a Scept re. The Sun was termed by the Greeks the Eye
oI Jupi ter, and the Eye oI t he World; and his is t he Al l -Seei ng Eye in
our Lodges. The oracle oI Cl aros styled hi m Ki ng oI the Stars and oI
t he Et ernal Fire, t hat engenders t he year and t he seasons, dispenses
rain and wi nds, and brings about daybreak and ni ght . And Osi ri s was
i nvoked as the God t hat resi des i n the Sun and i s envel oped by hi s
rays, t he invisi ble and eternal Iorce that modi Ii es t he sublunary worl d
by means oI t he Sun.
Osi ri s was the same God known as Bacchus, Di onusos, and Serapi s.
Serapis is t he author oI t he regularity and harmony oI t he worl d.
Bacchus, j ointly wi t h Ceres (identi Ii ed by Herodotus wi th Isis) presides
over the di stributi on oI al l our bl essings; and Irom the t wo emanates
everyt hi ng beauti Iul and good in Nat ure. One Iurni shes t he germ and
pri nci ple oI every good; the ot her recei ves and preserves it as a
deposi t; and the latter i s t he Iuncti on oI the Moon i n t he theology oI t he
Persi ans. In each t heol ogy, Persian and Egypt ian, t he Moon acts
directly on t he earth; but she i s Iecundated, in one by the Cel estial Bul l
and i n t he other by Osi ri s, wit h whom she i s uni ted at the Vernal
Equi nox, i n t he si gn Taurus, the place oI her exaltati on or great est
i nIl uence on the earth. The Iorce oI Osi ris, says Plut arch, i s exerci sed
t hrough the Moon. She is the passi ve cause relati vely to hi m, and t he
act ive cause relat ively t o the eart h, to whi ch she transmit s t he germs oI
Iruit Iul ness received Irom hi m.
In Egypt the earl iest movement in the wat ers oI t he Nil e began t o
appear at t he Vernal Equi nox, when t he new Moon occurred at t he
entrance oI t he Sun i nt o t he constel lat i on Taurus; and t hus the Ni le
was held t o receive it s Iert il i zi ng power Irom the combi ned act ion oI t he
equinoct ial Sun and the new Moon, meet ing i n Taurus. Osi ri s was oIt en
conIounded wi th t he Ni le, and Isis wi t h t he earth; and Osiris was
deemed to act on the eart h, and to transmi t to i t his emanat i ons,
t hrough both the Moon and t he Ni le; whence t he Iable that his
generati ve organs were thrown i nt o that river. Typhon, on the ot her
hand, was t he pri nci ple oI ari di ty and barrenness; and by hi s mut i lati on
oI Osiris was meant t hat . drought whi ch caused t he Nil e to retire wit hin
his bed and shri nk up in Aut umn.
El sewhere than i n Egypt , Osiris was the symbol oI t he reIreshi ng rains
t hat descend to Iert il i ze the eart h; and Typhon t he burning wi nds oI
Autumn; t he st ormy rai ns t hat rot the Il owers, the plants, and leaves;
t he short, col d days; and everythi ng i nj uri ous in Nat ure, and t hat
produces corrupt i on and dest ructi on.
In short , Typhon i s the principl e oI corrupt ion, oI darkness, oI t he l ower
worl d Irom whi ch come earthquakes, t umul t uous commoti ons oI t he ai r,
burni ng heat , l ightni ng, and Ii ery met eors, and plague and pesti l ence.
Such too was the Ahri man oI t he Persians; and t hi s revolt oI the Evil
Princi pl e against t he Principle oI Good and Light, has been
represented in every cosmogony, under many varying Iorms. Osiri s, on
t he contrary, by the intermediati on oI Isis, Iil ls t he material worl d wi t h
happi ness, puri ty, and order, by which t he harmony oI Nat ure is
maint ai ned. t was said t hat he died at the Aut umnal Equinox, when
Taurus or the Pleiades rose i n t he eveni ng, and t hat he rose to li Ie
agai n i n "l i e Spring, when veget ati on was i nspi red wi t h new acti vity.
OI course the two signs oI Taurus and Scorpio wil l Ii gure most largely
i n t he myt hol ogi cal hi st ory oI Osi ris, Ior t hey marked the two equinoxes,
2500 years beIore our Era; and next t o t hem the ot her constel lat ions,
near t he equi noxes, that Ii xed the li mi ts oI the durat ion oI t he Iert i li zing
act ion oI t he Sun; and it i s al so to be remarked t hat Venus, t he
Goddess oI Generati on, has her domi ci le in Taurus, as the Moon has
t here her pl ace oI exalt ati on.
When the Sun was in Scorpio, Osi ri s l ost hi s l iIe, and t hat Irui tIul ness
which, under the Iorm oI the Bull , he had communicat ed, through the
Moon, to t he Eart h. Typhon, hi s hands and Ieet horri d wit h serpents,
and whose habit at in the Egypt ian planisphere was under Scorpio,
conIi ned hi m in a chest and Il ung hi m into the Ni le, under the 17t h
degree oI Scorpi o. Under t hat sign he lost hi s li Ie and viril i ty; and he
recovered t hem i n t he Spring, when he had connect i on wi th the Moon.
When he ent ered Scorpi o, his light di minished, Night reassumed her
domi ni on, t he Ni le shrunk wi thi n it s banks, and t he eart h l ost her
verdure and t he trees their leaves. ThereIore it is that on t he Mit hri ac
Monuments, t he Scorpi on bit es t he t esti cles oI the Equi noct ial Bul l, on
which si t s Mi thras, the Sun oI Spri ng and God oI Generat ion; and that,
on t he same monument s, we see t wo t rees, one covered wit h young
l eaves, and at i ts Ioot a li tt le bull and a t orch burning; and t he
other l oaded wi th Irui t, and at it s Ioot a Scorpi on, and a t orch reversed
and exti nguished.
Ormuzd or Osiri s, t he beneIi cent Pri nci ple that gives t he world li ght ,
was personiIi ed by t he Sun, apparent source oI li ght . Darkness,
personiIied by Typhon or Ahri man, was hi s nat ural enemy. The Sages
oI Egypt descri bed the necessary and eternal ri valry or opposit i on oI
t hese pri nciples, ever pursui ng one t he other, and one det hroni ng the
other i n every annual revolut ion, and at a particular peri od, one in t he
Spring under the Bul l, and the ot her in Aut umn under the Scorpion, by
t he l egendary hist ory oI Osi ri s and Typhon, detai led to us by Di odorus
and Synesi us; in whi ch hi st ory were al so personiIi ed the Stars and
const el lat ions Orion, Capel la, the Twi ns, the Wol I, Siri us, and
Hercules, whose risi ngs and set ti ngs noted the advent oI one or t he
other equinox.
Plutarch gives us t he posi t ions i n the Heavens oI the Sun and Moon, at
t he moment when Osiri s was murdered by Typhon. The Sun, he says,
was in the Sign oI the Scorpi on, whi ch he t hen entered at t he Aut umnal
Equi nox. The Moon was Iul l, he adds; and consequent ly, as it rose at
sunset, it occupi ed Taurus, which, opposi t e to Scorpio, rose as it and
t he Sun sank together, so that she was t hen Iound alone i n the sign
Taurus, where, si x mont hs beIore, she had been in union or
conjunct ion wi th Osiri s, t he Sun, receivi ng Irom hi m those germs oI
universal Iert il izat ion which he communicated t o her. It was t he si gn
t hrough whi ch Osiri s Iirst ascended into hi s empire oI l ight and good. It
rose wi th t he Sun on t he day oI t he Vernal Equi nox; it remai ned si x
mont hs in the lumi nous hemisphere, ever precedi ng t he Sun and above
t he hori zon during the day; unti l in Aut umn, t he Sun arri vi ng at Scorpio,
Taurus was in compl et e opposit i on wi t h hi m, rose when he set , and
compl eted it s ent i re course above the hori zon duri ng the night ;
presiding, by risi ng i n t he eveni ng, over t he commencement oI the long
night s. Hence i n t he sad ceremoni es commemorati ng the death oI
Osi ri s, there was borne i n processi on a gol den bull covered wit h black
crape, i mage oI the darkness into whi ch t he Iami li ar sign oI Osi ri s was
entering, and whi ch was to spread over the Nort hern regi ons, while the
Sun, prolonging the ni ght s, was to be absent , and each t o remain
under t he domi ni on oI Typhon, Princi pl e oI Evi l and Darkness.
Sett i ng out Irom the sign Taurus, Isis, as the Moon, went seeki ng Ior
Osi ri s t hrough all t he superi or signs, i n each oI which she
became Iull i n the successive months Irom t he Autumnal t o t he Vernal
Equi nox, wi thout Iindi ng hi m in ei ther. Let us Iol l ow her i n her all egori cal
wanderi ngs.
Osi ri s was sl ain by Typhon hi s rival , wit h whom conspired a Queen oI
Et hiopia, by whom, says Plutarch, were designated the wi nds. The
paranat ell ons oI Scorpi o, t he si gn occupi ed by t he Sun when Osi ri s was
sl ain, were t he Serpents, repti les whi ch suppl i ed the att ributes oI the Evi l
Genii and oI Typhon, who hi mselI bore the Iorm oI a serpent i n the
Egypt ian pl ani sphere. And i n t he divi si on oI Scorpio is also Iound
Cassi opei a, Queen oI Et hi opi a, whose set ti ng brings stormy wi nds.
Osi ri s descended to the shades or inIernal regi ons. There he took t he
name oI Serapis, i dent ical wi th Plut o, and assumed his nature. He was
t hen in conjuncti on wit h Serpent ari us, identi cal wit h sculapi us, whose
Iorm he t ook i n his passage to the lower signs, where he takes the names
oI Pl uto and Ades.
Then Isis wept Ior t he death oI Osi ri s, and t he golden bull covered wi th
crape was carri ed i n procession. Nature mourned t he i mpendi ng l oss oI
her Summer gl ories, and the advent oI the empire oI ni ght , the
wi thdrawing
oI t he waters, made Iruit Iul by t he Bull in Spri ng, t he cessati on oI t he
wi nds
t hat brought rai ns t o swel l the Ni le, the shortening oI t he days, and t he
despoi li ng oI the eart h. Then Taurus, directly opposi te the Sun, ent ered
i nt o t he cone oI shadow whi ch t he eart h proj ects, by whi ch t he Moon is
ecl ipsed at Iull , and wit h which, maki ng ni ght , t he Bull ri ses and
descends
as i I covered wi t h a vei l , whi le he remai ns above our hori zon.
The body oI Osi ri s, enclosed i n a chest or coIIi n, was cast into the Ni le.
Pan and the Satyrs, near Chemmi s, Ii rst di scovered his deat h, announced
i t by t hei r cries, and everywhere created sorrow and alarm. Taurus, wit h
t he Iul l Moon, t hen entered int o the cone oI shadow, and under hi m was
t he Cel esti al River, most properly call ed t he Nil e, and below, Perseus, the
God oI Chemmis, and Auriga, leadi ng a she-goat, hi msel I identi cal wit h
Pan, whose wi Ie Aiga the she-goat was styled.
Then Isis went in search oI the body. She Ii rst met certai n chi l dren who
had seen it , received Irom t hem t heir i nIormat ion, and gave them in
return
t he giIt oI divinat ion. The second Iul l Moon occurred i n Gemini, t he
Twi ns,
who presi ded over t he oracles oI Di dymus, and one oI whom was Apoll o,
t he God oI Divinati on.
She learned t hat Osi ri s had, t hrough mi stake, had connect ion wi t h her
si ster Nepht e, whi ch she di scovered by a crown oI l eaves oI t he meli l ot,
which he had l eIt behind hi m. OI t hi s connecti on a chil d was born, whom
Isis, ai ded by her dogs, sought Ior, Iound, reared, and att ached to
herselI, by t he name oI Anubis, her Iai t hIul guardian. The thi rd Iull Moon
occurs in Cancer, domi ci le oI the Moon. The paranatell ons oI that si gn
are, t he crown oI Ariadne or Proserpi ne, made oI l eaves oI t he mel i lot,
Procyon and Cani s Major, one st ar oI whi ch was called t he Star oI Isi s,
whil e Sirius hi msel I was honored i n Egypt under t he name oI Anubis.
Isis repai red t o Byblos, and seated hersel I near a Iountai n, where she
was Iound by the women oI the Court oI a Ki ng. She was induced to vi sit
his Court, and became the nurse oI his son. The Iourt h Iul l Moon was i n
Leo, domi cil e oI t he Sun, or oI Adonis, Ki ng oI Bybl os. The
paranat ell ons oI this sign are t he Il owi ng wat er oI Aquarius, and
Cephens, Ki ng oI Et hiopia, cal led Regul us, or si mply The King. Behi nd
hi m ri se Cassi opei a hi s wi Ie, Queen oI Et hiopia, Andromeda his
daughter, and Perseus hi s son-i n-l aw, al l paranatel lons i n part oI t hi s
sign, and in part oI Virgo.
Isis suckl ed t he chil d, not at her breast , but wit h the end oI her Ii nger, at
night . She burned al l t he mortal part s oI i ts body, and then, taki ng t he
shape oI a swal l ow, she Il ew t o the great col umn oI t he palace, made oI
t he t amarisk-t ree t hat grew up round t he coIIi n contai ning t he body oI
Osi ri s, and wi t hin which it was st il l encl osed. The IiIth Iul l Moon
occurred i n Virgo, the true i mage oI Isis, and whi ch Eratost henes call s
by t hat name. It pictured a woman suckli ng an i nIant, t he son oI Isi s,
born near t he Wi nter Sol sti ce. This sign has Ior paranatel lons t he mast
oI t he Celesti al Ship, and t he swall ow-tai led Ii sh or swal l ow above it ,
and a porti on oI Perseus, son-i n-l aw oI the Ki ng oI Ethi opia.
Isis, having recovered the sacred coIIer, sail ed Irom Bybl os i n a vessel
wi th t he el dest son oI the Ki ng, toward Bout os, where Anubis was,
having charge oI her son Horus; and i n the morni ng dried up a ri ver,
whence arose a st rong wind. Landing, she hi d t he coIIer in a Iorest .
Typhon, hunt ing a wi ld boar by moonli ght , discovered it , recogni zed t he
body oI hi s rival , and cut i t i nto Iourteen pi eces, t he number oI days
between the Iull and new Moon, and i n every one oI whi ch days t he
Moon loses a porti on oI t he l ight that at t he commencement Iil led her
whole di sk. The si xt h Iul l Moon occurred i n Libra over the di visi ons
separat i ng which
Irom Vi rgo are t he Cel estial Shi p, Perseus, son oI t he King oI Et hi opia
and Bot es, sai d to have nursed Horus. The river oI Ori on that set s in
t he morni ng i s also a paranat el l on oI Li bra, as are Ursa Major, t he
Great Bear or Wi ld Boar oI Erymant hus, and t he Dragon oI the North
Pol e or t he cel ebrat ed Python Irom whi ch t he at tri but es oI Typhon were
borrowed. Al l these surround the Iul l Moon oI Libra, l ast oI the Superior
Signs, and t he one t hat precedes t he new Moon oI Spri ng, about t o be
reproduced i n Taurus, and t here be once more in conj unct i on wi th the
Sun.
Isis col lects the scatt ered Iragments oI the body oI Osi ri s, buri es them,
and consecrates the phal l us, carri ed in pomp at t he Pamyli a, or Ieast s
oI t he Vernal Equi nox, at whi ch ti me t he congress oI Osiri s and the
Moon was celebrated. Then Osi ri s had returned Irom t he shades, t o ai d
Horus hi s son and Isis his wi Ie against t he Iorces oI Typhon. He thus
reappeared, say some, under t he Iorm oI a wolI, or, others say, under
t hat oI a horse. The Moon, Iourteen days aIt er she i s Iull i n Libra,
arri ves at Taurus and uni tes hersel I to the Sun, whose Ii res she
t hereaIter Ior Iourteen days cont inues t o accumul ate on her disk Irom
new Moon t o Iul l. Then she uni tes wi t h hersel I al l the months i n t hat
superi or port ion oI the world where l ight al ways reigns, wi t h harmony
and order, and she borrows Irom hi m the Iorce which i s t o dest roy t he
germs oI evil t hat Typhon had, duri ng the winter, planted everywhere i n
nature. This passage oI t he Sun into Taurus, whose att ri butes he
assumes on hi s return Irom t he l ower hemisphere or the shades, i s
marked by the risi ng i n t he eveni ng oI t he Wol I and the Cent aur, and
by t he hel iacal sett i ng oI Ori on, call ed the St ar oI Horus, and whi ch
t henceIorward is in conjuncti on wit h the Sun oI Spri ng, in hi s tri umph
over the darkness or Typhon.
Isis, duri ng t he absence oI Osi ri s, and aIter she had hi dden the coIIer
i n t he place where Typhon Iound it , had rej oined t hat mal ignant enemy;
i ndi gnant at which, Horus her son deprived her oI her ancient di adem
when she rej oi ned Osiri s as li e was about t o at tack Typhon: but
Mercury gave her in it s pl ace a hel met shaped li ke t he head oI a bul l .
Then Horus, as a mighty warrior, such as Orion was described, Iought
wi th and deIeated Typhon; who, in the shape oI t he Serpent or Dragon
oI t he Pol e, had assai led hi s Iather. So, i n Ovi d, Apoll o destroys t he
same Python, when Io, Iasci nated by Jupi t er, i s metamorphosed i nto a
cow, and pl aced i n t he si gn oI the Celest ial Bul l, where she becomes
Isis. The equi
nocti al year ends at t he moment when the Sun and Moon, at t he Vernal
Equi nox, are united wi th Orion, the Star oI Horns, pl aced oI in the
Heavens under Taurus. The new Moon becomes young again in
Taurus, and shows herselI as a crescent, Ior the Iirst t i me, in the next
sign, Gemi ni , t he domi ci le oI Mercury. Then Orion, in conj uncti on wit h
t he Sun, wit h whom he ri ses, preci pit ates t he Scorpi on, his ri val, i nto
t he shades oI night , causing hi m to set he whenever he hi mselI reappears
on t he east ern hori zon, wi th t he Sun. Day lengthens and the
germs oI evil are by degrees eradi cated: and Horus (Irom Aur, Light )
reigns triumphant , symboli zing, by hi s successi on to t he characterist ics
oI Osiris, the eternal renewal oI the Sun' s youth and creat ive vigor at
t he Vernal oI Equi nox.
1871.
25 - Kni ght oI t he Brazen Serpent ( Part 2 )
Such are the coi ncidences oI ast ronomical phenomena wit h t he l egend
oI Osiris and Isi s; suIIici ng t o show the origi n oI the he l egend,
overl oaded as i t became at l engt h wit h al l the ornamentat i on nat ural to
t he poet ical and Ii gurat i ve geni us oI the Orient .
Not only i nt o t hi s legend, but i nt o t hose oI all t he ancient nat ions, ent er
t he Bul l, t he Lamb, the Lion, and the Scorpion or t he Serpent ; and
t races oI the worship oI t he Sun yet l i nger i n all rel igi ons. Everywhere,
even i n our Order, survive the equi noctial and solst it ial Ieast s. Our
cei li ngs st il l gli tt er wit h t he greater and lesser l uminaries oI the
Heavens, and our li ght s, i n thei r number and arrangement, have
ast ronomical reIerences. In all churches and chapels, as i n al l Pagan
t empl es and pagodas, t he alt ar is i n the East ; and the ivy over the east
wi ndows oI old churches is t he Hedera Heli x oI Bacchus. Even the
cross had an astronomi cal ori gin; and our Lodges are Iul l oI the anci ent
symbol s.
The learned author oI the Saban Researches, Landseer, advances
another theory in regard t o the legend oI Osi ri s; in whi ch he makes t he
const el lat ion Botes play a leading part. He observes that, as none oI
t he st ars were vi si bl e at the same ti me wit h t he Sun, his act ual pl ace i n
t he Zodi ac, at any given could only be ascert ai ned by t he Saban
ast ronomers by t heir observati ons oI the stars, and oI their hel iacal and
achronical ri sings and is sett i ngs. There were many sol ar Iest ivals
among the Sabans, and part oI them agricul tural ones; and the
concomi tant signs oI t hose Iesti val s were the risings and sett ings oI t he
st ars oI the Husbandman, Bear-dri ver, or Hunter, BOTES. His st ars
were, among the Hierophant s, the establ ished nocturnal i ndices or si gns
oI t he Sun' s place i n the ecli pti c at di IIerent seasons oI the year, and t he
Iesti vals were named, one, that oI the Aphani sm or di sappearance;
another, t hat oI t he Zetesis, or search, etc. , oI Osi ri s or Adonis, t hat is,
oI Botes.
The ret urns oI certai n st ars, as connected wi t h their concomi tant
seasons oI spring (or seed-t i me) and harvest, seemed to t he anci ent s,
who had not yet di scovered t hat gradual change, result i ng Irom t he
apparent movement oI t he st ars in l ongi tude, which bas been t ermed the
precession oI the equi noxes, to be eternal and i mmut abl e; and those
peri odi cal ret urns were to t he i ni ti at ed, even more than t o t he vulgar,
celest i al oracles, announcing the approach oI t hose i mportant changes,
upon whi ch the prosperity, and even the very exist ence oI man must
ever depend; and t he oldest oI the Saban constel lat ions seem t o have
been, an astronomi cal Priest , a Ki ng, a Queen, a Husbandman, and a
Warri or; and these more Irequent ly recur on t he Saban cylinders than
any ot her constel lat ions what ever. The King was Cepheus or Chepheus
oI Et hi opi a: the Husbandman, Osi ris, Bacchus, Sabazeus, Noah or
Botes. To the lat ter sign, t he Egypti ans were nat i onal ly, tradit ional ly
and habit ual ly grat eIul ; Ior they concei ved that Irom Osiris all the
greatest oI terrest rial enj oyments were deri ved. The stars oI t he
Husbandman were the signal Ior those successi ve agricult ural l abors on
which the annual produce oI the soi l depended; and t hey came i n
consequence to be consi dered and hai led, i n Egypt and Et hiopi a, as the
geni al stars oI t errestrial producti veness; t o whi ch the obl at ions,
prayers, and vows oI t he pi ous Saban were regularly oIIered up.
Landseer says that t he st ars in Bot es, reckoning down t o those oI t he
5th magnit ude incl usi ve, are t wenty-si x, which, seemi ng achronically t o
disappear i n succession, produced the Iable oI the cut t i ng oI Osi ris i nt o
t wenty-si x pi eces by Typhon. There are more st ars than t his i n the
const el lat ion; but no more t hat the ancient vot ari es oI Osi ri s, even i n the
cl ear at mosphere oI t he Saban cl i mates, coul d observe wi thout
t elescopes.
Plutarch says Osiris was cut i nto Iourteen pi eces: Diodorus, int o
t wentysi x;
i n regard to which, and t o t he whol e legend, Landseer' s ideas,
varyi ng Irom those commonly ent ert ained, are as Iol lows:
Typhon, Landseer thi nks, was the ocean, whi ch t he anci ent s
Iabled or beli eved surrounded the Eart h, and int o whi ch al l t he stars in
t heir t urn appear successively to sink; |perhaps i t was DARKNESS
personiIied, which the ancients called TYPHON. He was hunti ng by
moonl i ght , says the ol d l egend, when he met wi th Osiris|.
The ancient Saba must have been near l ati tude 15' nort h. Axoum is
nearly in 14, and t he West ern Saba or Meroe is t o the north oI t hat .
Forty-eight cent uries ago, Al debaran t he leadi ng st ar oI the year, had,
at t he Vernal Equi nox, att ai ned at daylight in the morning, an elevat ion
oI about 14 degrees, suIIici ent Ior hi m to have ceased to be combust ,
t hat is, t o have emerged Irom t he Sun' s rays, so as to be vi si bl e. The
anci ent s all owed t welve days Ior a st ar oI the Iirst magni t ude t o emerge
Irom the solar rays and t here is l ess t wil ight, the Iurt her Sout h we go.
At t he same period, too, Cynosura was not t he pol e-st ar, but Alpha
Draconi s was; and t he st ars rose and set wi th very diIIerent degrees oI
obli qui ty Irom t hose oI t heir present risi ngs and set ti ngs. By havi ng a
gl obe const ructed wit h circumvolving poles, capabl e oI any adj ust ment
wi th regard to the col ures, Mr. Landseer ascert ained t hat , at t hat
remot e peri od, i n l at. 15 north, t he 26 st ars in Bot es, or 27, incl uding
Arcturus, did not set anchronical ly i n succession; but several set
si mul taneously i n coupl es, and si x by threes si mul t aneously; so that, in
al l, there were but Iourteen separat e set ti ngs or disappearances,
corresponding wi th the Iourteen pieces int o whi ch Osi ri s was cut,
accordi ng t o Pl utarch. Kappa, Iota, and Theta, in t he upli Ited western
hand, di sappeared t oget her, and l ast oI all . They real ly ski rt ed the
hori zon; but were i nvi sible in that l ow lat i t ude, Ior the three or Iour days
menti oned i n some oI the versions; whi le the Zetesi s or search was
proceeding, and the women oI Phoni ci a and Jerusalem sat weepi ng
Ior the Wonder, Thammuz; aIt er which t hey i mmedi at ely reappeared,
below and to the eastward oI a Draconi s.
And, on the very morning aIt er the achroni cal departure oI the last star
oI t he Husbandman, Al debaran rose heli acally, and became vi si ble i n
t he East in t he morni ng beIore day.
And preci sely at t he moment oI t he heli acal risi ng oI Arcturus, al so rose
Spi ca Virgi ni s. One is near the mi ddle oI the Husbandman, and the
other near t hat oI t he Vi rgi n; and Arct urus may have been the part oI
Osi ri s which Isis di d not recover wi th t he other pieces oI t he body.
At Dedan and Saba i t was t hirty-si x days, Irom t he begi nning oI the
aphani sm, i. e. , the di sappearances oI t hese stars, to the hel iacal ri sing
oI Al debaran. During these days, or Iorty at Medi na, or a Iew more at
Babylon and Bybl os, the st ars oI t he Husbandman successively sank
out oI sight, duri ng t he crepuscul um or short-l i ved morni ng twi li ght oI
t hose Southern cl i mes. They di sappear duri ng t he glanci ngs oI t he
dawn, the special season oI anci ent si dereal observat i on.
Thus the Iorty days oI mourni ng Ior Osi ri s were measured out by t he
peri od oI the depart ure oI hi s Stars. When the last had sunken out oI
sight, t he vernal season was ushered in; and the Sun arose wit h t he
splendid Al debaran, t he Tauri c leader oI the whole Hosts oI Heaven;
and t he whole East rejoiced and kept holi day.
Wi t h the excepti on oI the St ars and , Botes di d not begi n t o
reappear i n t he Eastern quarter oI t he Heavens t il l aIt er the lapse oI
about Iour mont hs. Then the St ars oI Taurus had decli ned Westward,
and Vi rgo was risi ng heli acal ly. In t hat lati tude, al so, the Stars oI Ursa
Maj or |termed anciently t he Ark oI Osiri s| set ; and Benetnasch, t he last
oI t hem, returned t o t he East ern hori zon, wi t h t hose in the head oI Leo,
a li tt le beIore t he Summer Sol sti ce. In about a mont h, Ioll owed the
Stars oI t he Husbandman; the chieI oI them, Ras, Mirach, and Arct urus
being very nearly si mult aneous i n t hei r heli acal ri si ng.
Thus the Stars oI Botes rose i n the East i mmediately aIt er
Vi ndemiatri x, and as i I under t he genial i nIl uence oI i ts rays; he had his
annual career oI prosperi ty; he revell ed ori ental ly Ior a quarter oI a
year, and att ained his meri dian al ti tude wi th Vi rgo; and t hen, as t he
Stars oI t he Water-Urn rose, and Aquari us began t o pour Iorth hi s
annual del uge, he decl ined Westward, preceded by t he Ark oI Osi ris.
In t he East , he was the sign oI that happi ness in whi ch Nat ure, t he
great Goddess oI passive product ion, rejoiced. Now, in t he West , as he
decl ines t oward t he Nort hwestern hori zon, his generat ive vigor
gradual ly abates; t he Sol ar year grows ol d; and as hi s Stars descend
beneat h the West ern Wave, Osiri s di es, and t he world mourns.
The Ancient Astronomers saw all the great Symbol s oI Masonry in t he
Stars. Si ri us st il l gli tt ers in our Lodges as t he Bl azing St ar, (I' Et oil e
Flamboyante). The Sun is st i l l symbol ized by the poi nt wit hin a Ci rcle;
and, wit h t he Moon and Mercury or Anubi s, i n t he three Great Lights oI
t he Lodge. Not only to these, but
t o t he Iigures and numbers exhibit ed by t he Stars, were ascribed
peculi ar and divine powers. The venerat ion paid to numbers had i ts
source there. The t hree Kings in Ori on are in a st rai ght l ine, and
equidist ant Irom each other, t he t wo ext reme Stars bei ng 3 apart, and
each oI the t hree dist ant Irom t he one nearest it 1 30' . And as t he
number three i s peculiar t o apprent ices, so t he straight li ne is t he Iirst
pri nci ple oI Geometry, having length but no breadt h, and bei ng but the
extensi on oI a poi nt , and an emblem oI Unity, and t hus oI Good, as the
divi ded or broken l ine is oI Dual ity or Evil . Near t hese Stars are the
Hyades, Iive in number, appropri at e to t he Fel low-CraIt; and close to
t hem the Plei ades, oI the mast er' s number, seven; and t hus these three
sacred numbers, consecrated in Masonry as they were in the
Pyt hagorean phil osophy, al ways appear together i n the Heavens, when
t he Bul l, emblem oI Iertil i ty and product ion, gli tt ers among the Stars,
and Al debaran l eads t he Hosts oI Heaven (Tsbauth).
Al geni b i n Perseus and Al maach and Algol in Andromeda Iorm a
rightangl ed
t ri angle, i ll ustrate the 47th probl em, and di splay t he Grand
Master' s square upon t he skies. Denebola in Leo, Arct urus in Bot es,
and Spi ca in Vi rgo Iorm an equi lat eral t ri angle, universal emblem oI
PerIecti on, and t he Dei ty wit h Hi s Trini ty oI InIini t e Att ri but es, Wi sdom,
Power, and Harmony; and that ot her, t he generati ve, preservi ng, and
dest royi ng Powers. The Three Ki ngs Iorm, wit h Rigel in Ori on, two
t ri angles included i n one: and Capel la and Menkal ina in Auriga, wit h
Bell atri x and Bet elgueux in Orion, Iorm two i sosceles t riangl es wi t h
Tauri , t hat is equi di stant Irom each pai r; whil e t he Iirst Iour make a
right-angled parall elogram, - t he oblong square so oIt en menti oned i n
our Degrees.
Juli us Firmi cus, in hi s descri pti on oI t he Myst eri es, says, "But i n t hose
Iunerals and lamentat ions which are annually celebrat ed i n honor oI
Osi ri s, thei r deIenders pretend a physi cal reason. They call the seeds
oI Iruit , Osiris; t he Eart h, Isis; the nat ural heat, Typhon: and because
t he Iruit s are ri pened by the nat ural heat, and col lected Ior the li Ie oI
man, and are separated Irom t hei r marriage to the earth, and are sown
agai n when Wi nter approaches, thi s t hey woul d have t o be t he deat h oI
Osi ri s: but when t he Irui t s, by t he genial Iostering oI t he earth, begi n
agai n t o be generated by a new procreat i on, thi s i s t he Iinding oI
Osi ri s. "
No doubt t he decay oI veget ati on and the Ial li ng oI the leaves.
emblems oI dissolut ion and evidences oI t he act ion oI t hat Power t hat
changes Li Ie i nt o Deat h, in order t o bri ng LiIe agai n out oI Deat h, were
regarded as signs oI t hat Deat h t hat seemed coming upon all Nature; as
t he spri ngi ng oI l eaves and buds and Ilowers in the spring was a si gn oI
restorati on t o l iIe: but t hese were al l secondary, and reIerred to the Sun
as
Iirst cause. It was hi s Iigurat ive deat h t hat was mourned, and not theirs;
and
t hat wi th that death, as wit h his return to l iIe, many oI the stars were
connect ed.
We have al ready al luded t o the rel ati ons whi ch t he t wel ve signs oI t he
Zodi ac bear t o t he l egend oI the Master' s Degree. Some other
coinci dences
may have suIIi ci ent interest t o warrant ment ion.
Khir-Om was assailed at t he East, West , and South Gates oI the Temple.
The two equinoxes were cal led, we have seen, by al l the Ancients, the
Gat es oI Heaven, and t he Syrians and Egypt ians consi dered t he Fi sh (t he
Constel lat ion near Aquari us, and one oI the St ars whereoI i s Fomal haut )
t o
be indicat ive oI viol ence and deat h.
Khir-Om lay several days in the grave; and, at the Wi nt er Solst ice, Ior
Iive
or si x days, the length oI t he days di d not percept ibly increase. Then, t he
Sun commencing agai n to cli mb Nort hward, as Osiris was said t o arise
Irom
t he dead, so Khir-Om was rai sed, by t he powerIul attract ion oI t he Lion
(Leo), who wai ted Ior hi m at t he Summer Sol sti ce, and drew hi m t o
hi msel I.
The names oI the three assassi ns may have been adopted Irom t hree St ars
t hat we have al ready named. We search i n vai n in the Hebrew or Arabi c
Ior
t he names Jubel o, Jubela, and Jubelum. They embody an ut ter absurdi ty,
and are capabl e oI no expl anat ion i n t hose languages. Nor are t he names
Gi bs, Gravel ot, Hobhen, and the li ke, in t he Anci ent and Accepted Rit e,
any
more pl ausible, or bet ter reIerable to any ancient language. But when, by
t he precession oI t he Equi noxes, t he Sun was in Li bra at t he Aut umnal
Equi nox, he met i n t hat sign, where the rei gn oI Typhon commenced,
t hree
Stars Iormi ng a triangl e, - Zuben-es Chamal i in the West , Zuben-Hak-
Rabi
i n t he East , and Zuben-EI-Gubi in the Sout h, t he l at t er i mmedi ately below
t he Tropic oI Capricorn, and so wit hi n t he real m oI Darkness. From t hese
names, those oI t he murderers have perhaps been corrupted. In Zuben-
Hak-Rabi we may see the origi nal oI Jubel um Akirop; and in Zuben-
WGubi ,
t hat oI Jubel o Gi bs: and ti me and ignorance may even have
t ransmut ed the words Es Chamal i int o one as li tt le l i ke t hem as Gravel ot.
Isis, t he Moon personiIied, sorrowi ng sought Ior her husband. Ni ne or
t welve Fel low-CraIt s (the Rit es vary as to the number), i n whit e aprons,
were sent t o search Ior Khi r-Om, in the Legend oI the Master' s Degree;
or, i n t hi s Ri te, the Ni ne Knights El u. Al ong the pat h t hat t he Moon
t ravels are ni ne conspi cuous Stars, by which naut ical men determi ne
t heir l ongit ude at Sea; - Ariet is, Aldebaran, Pol l ux, Regulus, Spica
Virgi ni s, Ant ares, Alt ai r, Fomalhaut, and Markab. These mi ght wel l be
sai d t o accompany Isis in her search.
In t he York Rit e, twel ve Fell ow-CraIt s were sent to search Ior t he body
oI Khir-Om and the murderers. Thei r number corresponds wit h that oI
t he Pleiades and Hyades i n Taurus, among whi ch Stars t he Sun was
Iound when Light began to prevai l over Darkness, and the Mysteries
were hel d. These Stars, we have shown, recei ved early and part icular
at tenti on Irom the astronomers and poets. The Pl ei ades were t he St ars
oI t he ocean t o the beni ghted mari ner; t he Vi rgins oI Spri ng, heralding
t he season oI blossoms.
As si x Pl ei ades only are now vi sible, the number t welve may have been
obtai ned by them, wit h Al debaran, and Ii ve Iar more bri ll iant St ars than
any ot her oI t he Hyades, i n the same region oI the Heavens, and whi ch
were al ways spoken oI in connecti on wi th the Pl eiades; - t he Three
Ki ngs i n the bel t oI Ori on. and Bell atri x and Betelgueux on his
shoul ders; brightest oI t he Ilashing starry host s.
"Canst thou, " asks job, "bi nd the sweet inIl uences oI the Pl eiades or
l oose the bands oI Ori on?" And i n t he book oI Amos we Ii nd these
Stars connected wi th t he vict ory oI Light over Darkness: "Seek Hi m, "
says that Seer, "that maket h t he Seven Stars (the Iamil iar name oI t he
Plei ades), and Orion, AND TURNETH THE SHADOW OF DEATH
INTO MORNING. "
An ol d legend in Masonry says that a dog led the Ni ne El us t o t he
cavern where Abiram was hi d. Bot es was ancient ly call ed Cal eb
Anubach, a Barki ng Dog; and was personi Ii ed i n Anubi s, who bore the
head oI a dog, and aided Isis in her search. Arct urus, one oI hi s Stars,
Iiery red, as iI Iervent and zealous, is also connect ed by j ob wi th the
Plei ades and Ori on. When Taurus opened t he year, Arct urus rose aIter
t he Sun, at t he t i me oI t he Wi nt er Solst ice, and seemed searchi ng hi m
t hrough the darkness, unti l. si xty days aIt erward, he rose at t he same
hour. Ori on t hen
al so, at t he Wi nt er Sol st i ce, rose at noon, and at night seemed t o be i n
search oI t he Sun.
So, reIerri ng again t o t he t i me when t he Sun entered t he Aut umnal
Equi nox, t here are nine remarkable Stars that come to the meridian
nearly at the same ti me, ri si ng as Li bra sets, and so seemi ng to chase
t hat Const el lat ion. They are Capel la and Menkal ina in the Charioteer,
Al debaran in Taurus, Bel lat ri x, Betel gueux, the Three Ki ngs, and Rigel
i n Ori on. Aldebaran passes t he meri di an Iirst, i ndi cat i ng his right to hi s
peculi ar ti tl e oI Leader. Nowhere in the heavens are there, near the
same meridian, so many spl endid St ars. And close behi nd them, but
Iurther South, Iol lows Sirius, t he Dog-St ar, who showed the nine Elus
t he way to t he murderer' s cave.
Besides the di vi sion oI t he signs int o the ascendi ng and descending
series (reIerring t o t he upward and downward progress oI the soul ), t he
l att er Irom Cancer t o Capri corn, and t he Iormer Irom Capri corn t o
Cancer, t here was another di visi on oI them not less i mportant ; t hat oI
t he si x superi or and si x i nIeri or signs; t he Iormer, 2455 years beIore
our era, Irom Taurus t o Scorpio, and 300 years beIore our era, Irom
Aries to Libra; and the latter, 2455 years B. C. Irom Scorpi o to Taurus,
and 300 years B. C. Irom Libra t o Aries; oI whi ch we have already
spoken, as t he t wo Hemi spheres, or Kingdoms oI Good and Evil , Light
and Darkness; oI Ormuzd and Ahri man among t he Persians, and Osiri s
and Typhon among the Egypti ans.
Wi t h the Persians, t he Iirst si x Genii , created by Ormuzd, presi ded over
t he Iirst si x si gns, Aries, Taurus, Gemi ni , Cancer, Leo, and Virgo: and
t he si x evi l Genii , or Devs, creat ed by Ahri man, over t he si x ot hers,
Li bra, Scorpi o, Sagi tt ari us, Capricornus, Aquari us, and Pi sces. The
soul was Iort unate and happy under the Empi re oI the Ii rst si x; and
began t o be sensible oI evi l, when it passed under the Balance or
Li bra, t he seventh sign. Thus t he soul entered the real m oI Evil and
Darkness when it passed into the Const el lat ions t hat bel ong to and
succeed the Aut umnal Equi nox; and it re-ent ered t he real m oI Good
and Light, when i t arrived, returning, at those oI t he Vernal Equi nox. It
l ost it s Ieli city by means oI t he Balance, and regained i t by means oI
t he Lamb. Thi s is a necessary consequence oI the premi ses; and i t is
conIi rmed by t he authorit ies and by emblems st il l extant.
Sall ust t he Phi losopher, speaking oI the Feast s oI Rej oi cing
celebrat ed at t he Vernal Equi nox, and those oI Mourning, i n memory oI
t he rape oI Proserpine, at t he Aut umnal Equi nox, says t hat the Iormer
were celebrat ed, because t hen is eIIected, as i t were, the return oI the
soul toward the Gods; that t he t i me when t he pri nci ple oI Light
recovered i ts superiori ty over t hat oI Darkness, or day over night , was
t he most Iavorable one Ior soul s that tend to re-ascend to t heir
Princi pl e; and t hat when Darkness and the Night agai n become victors,
was most Iavorabl e to t he descent oI soul s t oward t he i nIernal regions.
For that reason, t he ol d astrol ogers, as Fi rmicus states, Ii xed the
l ocal ity oI t he river Styx i n t he 8th degree oI t he Balance. And he thi nks
t hat by Styx was allegori cally meant the eart h.
The Emperor Jul ian gi ves t he same explanati on, but more Iul ly
developed. He st ates, as a reason why the august Mysteries oI Ceres
and Proserpine were cel ebrated at the Aut umnal Equinox, t hat at that
peri od oI the year men Ieared l est the i mpi ous and dark power oI the
Evi l Pri nci ple, then commencing to conquer, should do harm to their
souls. They were a precauti on and means oI saIety, t hought to be
necessary at the moment when the God oI Light was passi ng i nt o t he
opposite or adverse region oI t he worl d; whil e at the Vernal Equinox
t here was l ess to be Ieared, because t hen t hat God, present in one
port ion oI the world, recall ed souls to Hi m, he says, and showed
Hi msel I to be thei r Saviour. He had a l it t l e beIore devel oped that
t heol ogi cal i dea, oI t he at tract i ve Iorce whi ch t he Sun exerci ses over
souls, drawi ng t hem to hi m and rai si ng them t o his l umi nous sphere.
He at t ri but es t his eIIect to hi m at t he Ieasts oI Atys, dead and rest ored
t o l i Ie, or the Ieast s oI Rej oi cing, which at the end oI three days
succeeded t he mourni ng Ior t hat deat h; and he i nquires why t hose
Myst eri es were celebrated at the Vernal Equinox. The reason, he says,
i s evi dent . As the sun, arri vi ng at the equi noct i al poi nt oI Spring,
drawi ng nearer to us, increases t he l engt h oI the days, that peri od
seems most appropriat e Ior those ceremonies. For, besi des t hat t here
i s a great aIIini ty bet ween the subst ance oI Light and the nat ure oI t he
Gods, t he Sun has t hat occul t Iorce oI at tracti on, by which he draws
matt er toward hi mselI, by means oI hi s warmth, maki ng plants t o shoot
and grow, et c. ; and why can he not , by the same divine and pure act ion
oI his rays, att ract and draw t o hi m Iortunate soul s? Then, as l ight i s
anal ogous t o t he Di vine Nature, and Iavorable t o soul s struggl ing to
return to
t heir First Principle, and as that light so i ncreases at t he Vernal
Equi nox, t hat the days prevail i n durati on over t he night s, and as the
Sun has an att racti ve Iorce, besi des t he visi ble energy oI hi s rays, it
Iol l ows that soul s are at t racted t oward t he solar l ight . He does not
Iurther pursue t he explanat i on; because, he says, it bel ongs to a
mysterious doctrine, beyond t he reach oI the vul gar and known only to
t hose who underst and the mode oI act ion oI Deity, l ike the Chal dean
author whom he cit es, who had t reat ed oI the Mysteries oI Light, or the
God wit h seven rays.
Souls, the Anci ent s held, having emanat ed Irom t he Pri nci pl e oI Light,
partaking oI i ts desti ny here below, cannot be indi IIerent t o nor
unaIIected by these revol uti ons oI t he Great Lumi nary, al ternately
vict or and overcome duri ng every Sol ar revol uti on.
Thi s wi ll be Iound to be conIirmed by an examinat ion oI some oI the
Symbol s used in t he Myst eri es. One oI t he most Iamous oI t hese was
THE SERPENT, the peculi ar Symbol al so oI this Degree. The
Cosmogony oI the Hebrews and t hat oI the Gnosti cs desi gnated t hi s
repti le as t he author oI the Iat e oI Souls. It was consecrated in t he
Myst eri es oI Bacchus and in those oI Eleusis. Plut o overcame the
virtue oI Proserpi ne under t he Iorm oI a serpent ; and, li ke t he Egypti an
God Serapis, was al ways pict ured seated on a serpent , or wit h that
repti le ent wi ned about hi m. It is Iound on the Mit hri ac Monument s, and
suppl ied wi th att ri but es oI Typhon t o the Egypti ans. The sacred
basi li sc, in coi l, wit h head and neck erect, was t he royal ensi gn oI t he
Pharaohs. Two oI t hem were entwined around and hung suspended
Irom the winged Gl obe on the Egypt ian Monument s. On a tabl et in one
oI t he Tombs at Thebes, a God wit h a spear pi erces a serpent ' s head.
On a t ablet Irom the Temple oI Osiris at Phi l i s a t ree, wi t h a man on
one si de, and a woman on t he ot her, and i n Iront oI t he woman an
erect basi l isc, wit h horns on i ts head and a di sk bet ween the horns.
The head oI Medusa was encircled by wi nged snakes, whi ch, t he head
removed, leIt the Hierogram or Sacred Cypher oI t he Ophi tes or
Serpent-worshi ppers. And t he Serpent , in connecti on wi t h t he Globe or
ci rcl e, i s Iound upon the monument s oI al l the Ancient Nati ons.
Over Libra, t he si gn through which souls were sai d t o descend or Ial l,
i s Iound, on the Cel est ial Gl obe, the Serpent , grasped by Serpentari us,
t he Serpent -bearer. The head oI t he rept i l e i s ti nder Corona Boreal i s,
t he Nort hern Crown, cal led by Ovi d, Libera, or
Proserpi ne; and t he t wo Const ell ati ons ri se, wit h t he Bal ance, aIter t he
Virgi n (or Isis), whose Ieet rest on the eastern horizon at Sunri se on
t he day oI t he equi nox. As the Serpent ext ends over both signs, Li bra
and Scorpi o, it has been t he gate t hrough whi ch soul s descend, duri ng
t he whol e ti me that those two signs i n successi on marked the Aut umnal
Equi nox. To t his all uded t he Serpent, which, i n t he Myst eri es oI
Bacchus Saba-Zeus was Ilung i nt o t he bosom oI the Init iat e.
And hence came the eni gmat ical expressi on, t he Serpent engenders
t he Bul l, and t he Bul l the Serpent; all uding to t he t wo adverse
const el lat ions, answeri ng to the t wo equinoxes, one oI which rose as
t he other set , and which were at t he t wo poi nts oI the heavens through
which soul s passed, ascending and descending. By t he Serpent oI
Autumn, soul s Iell ; and they were regenerat ed agai n by the Bul l on
which Mi t hras sate, and whose att ri butes Bacchus-Zagreus and t he
Egypt ian Osiri s assumed, in their Mysteries, wherein were represent ed
t he Iall and regenerat i on oI soul s, by t he Bul l slai n and restored to li Ie.
AIterward t he regenerat ing Sun assumed t he at tribut es oI Aries or t he
Lamb; and in the Myst eries oI Ammon, soul s were regenerated by
passi ng through t hat sign, aIter having Ial l en through the Serpent.
The Serpent -bearer, or Ophicus, was scul api us, God oI Heal ing. In
t he Myst eri es oI Eleusi s, that Const ell ati on was pl aced in the eighth
Heaven: and on the eighth day oI t hose Mysteries, t he Ieast oI
scul apius was cel ebrated. It was al so termed Epi daurus, or t he Ieast
oI t he Serpent oI Epi daurus. The Serpent was sacred to sculapius;
and was connect ed i n vari ous ways wit h t he myt hol ogical advent ures oI
Ceres.
So the li bat ions t o Souls, by pouri ng wi ne on the ground, and l ooki ng
t oward t he two gates oI Heaven, those oI day and ni ght , reIerred t o t he
ascent and descent oI Souls.
Ceres and the Serpent, Jupi ter Ammon and the Bull , al l Ii gured i n the
Myst eri es oI Bacchus. Suppose Aries, or Jupit er Ammon occupi ed by
t he Sun set ti ng i n t he West; - Virgo (Ceres) wil l be on t he East ern
hori zon, and in her train t he Crown, or Proserpine. Suppose Taurus
set ti ng; - then t he Serpent is in the East; and reci procally; so that
Jupi ter Ammon, or t he Sun oI Aries, causes t he Crown t o rise aIt er t he
Virgi n, in the trai n oI which comes t he Serpent . Place reci procally t he
Sun at the ot her equi nox, wi th the bal ance i n the West, i n conj unct ion
wi th t he Serpent under the Crown; and we shall see t he Bul l and the
Plei ades rise in the East. Thus are expl ained al l the Iables as to the
generati on oI t he Bul l by the Serpent and oI t he Serpent by t he Bul l,
t he bit i ng oI t he t est i cles oI the Bull by t he Scorpion, on the Mit hriac
Monuments; and t hat Jupit er made Ceres wit h chil d by t ossi ng i nt o her
bosom t he t esticles oI a Ram.
In t he Mysteries oI the bull-horned Bacchus, t he oIIicers hel d serpent s
i n t hei r hands, rai sed them above thei r heads, and cri ed al oud "Eva!"
t he generic ori ent al name oI t he serpent , and t he part icular name oI t he
const el lat ion i n which t he Persi ans placed Eve and t he serpent . The
Arabi ans cal l it Hevan, Ophi ucus hi mselI, Hawa, and t he bri ll iant st ar in
his head, Ras-al-Hawa. The use oI t hi s word Eva or Evoe caused
Cl emens oI Alexandri a to say that t he pri ests i n the Mysteries i nvoked
Eve, by whom evil was brought i nto t he worl d.
The myst ic winnowi ng-Ian, enci rcl ed by serpent s, was used in the
Ieast s oI Bacchus. In the Isiac Myst eri es a basil isc t wined round the
handl e oI t he myst i c vase. The Ophi tes Ied a serpent in a mysteri ous
ark, Irom whi ch they took hi m when they celebrated t he Myst eri es, and
al lowed hi m t o gl ide among t he sacred bread. The Romans kept
serpent s i n t he Templ es oI Bona Dea and scul api us. In the Mysteries
oI Apoll o, the pursuit oI Lat ona by t he serpent Pyt hon was represented.
In t he Egypti an Mysteries, the dragon Typhon pursued Isi s.
Accordi ng to Sanchoniat hon, TAAUT, t he i nterpreter oI Heaven t o men,
at tributed something di vi ne t o t he nature oI the dragon and serpent s, in
which the Phoenicians and Egypt ians Ioll owed hi m. They have more
vitali ty, more spiri t ual Iorce, than any ot her creat ure; oI a Ii ery nat ure,
shown by t he rapi di ty oI t hei r moti ons, wit hout t he li mbs oI ot her
ani mals. They assume many shapes and at ti tudes, and dart wi th
extraordi nary quickness and Iorce. When t hey have reached old age,
t hey throw oII that age and are young agai n, and increase i n si ze and
st rengt h, Ior a cert ain period oI years.
The Egypti an Priest s Ied the sacred serpent s in t he t empl e at Thebes.
Taaut hi mselI had in hi s writ ings di scussed these mysteries in regard
t o t he serpent. Sanchoniat hon sai d i n another work, that t he serpent
was i mmort al , and re-entered int o hi mselI; whi ch, according to some
anci ent t heosophi sts, parti cul arly those
oI India, was an at t ri bute oI the Deity. And he also sai d that t he e serpent
never
died, unless by a violent death.
The Phoeni cians cal l ed t he serpent Agathodemon |t he good spi rit |; and
Kneph
was the Serpent -God oI the Egypt ians.
The Egypti ans, Sanchoniat hon said, represented the serpent wi th the head
oI a
hawk, on account oI the swiIt Il ight oI that bird: and the chi eI Hierophant,
t he
sacred i nterpreter, gave very myst eri ous explanat ions oI that symbol;
sayi ng t hat
such a serpent was a very di vi ne creature, and that , openi ng hi s eyes, he
l ight ed
wi th t heir rays t he whol e oI Iirst-born space: when he cl oses t hem, i t is
darkness
agai n. In real i ty, t he hawk-headed serpent, geni us oI light, or good genius,
was
t he symbol oI the Sun.
In t he hi eroglyphic characters, a snake was t he l ett er T or DJ. It occurs
many
t i mes on t he Rosetta st one. The horned serpent was t he hieroglyphic Ior a
God.
Accordi ng to Eusebi us, the Egypti ans represented the worl d by a blue
ci rcl e,
spri nkl ed wit h Ilames, wi thin which was extended a serpent wit h t he head
oI a
hawk. Procl us says they represent ed t he Iour quart ers oI t he worl d by a
cross,
and t he soul oI the worl d, or Kneph, by a serpent surroundi ng i t in the
Iorm oI a
ci rcl e.
We read in Anaxagoras, that Orpheus sai d, that the wat er, and the vessel
t hat
produced it , were t he pri mi ti ve pri nci ples oI t hings, and t ogether gave
exist ence
t o an ani mat ed bei ng, which was a serpent , wit h t wo heads, one oI a l ion
and t he
other oI a bul l, bet ween a whi ch was the Ii gure oI a God whose name was
Hercules or Kronos: that Irom Hercul es came the egg oI t he worl d, whi ch
produced Heaven and earth, by divi di ng i tsel I into t wo hemispheres: and
t hat the
God Phanes, which issued Irom t hat egg, was in t he shape oI a serpent.
The Egypti an Goddess Ken, represent ed st andi ng naked on a li on, hel d
t wo
serpent s i n her hand. She i s t he same as t he Astart e or Ashtarot h oI the
Assyrians. Hera, worshipped in the Great Templ e at Babyl on, hel d i n her
right
hand a serpent by t he head; and near Khea, also worshi pped t here, were
t wo
l arge sil ver serpents.
In a scul pture Irom Kouyunj i k, two serpent s att ached to pol es are near a
Iireal t ar,
at which two eunuchs are standi ng. Upon i t is t he sacred Iire, and a
bearded Ii gure l eads a wi ld goat t o t he sacriIice.
The serpent oI the Temple oI Epidaurus was sacred t o scul api us, the God
oI
Medi ci ne, and 462 years aIter t he buil di ng oI the city, was taken t o Rome
aIter
a pesti lence.
The Phoeni cians represent ed t he God Nomu (Kneph or Amun-Kneph) by a
serpent . In Egypt , a Sun supported by two asps was t he emblem oI Horhat
t he
good genius; and t he serpent wi t h t he wi nged globe was placed over t he
doors
and wi ndows oI t he Templ es as a tutelary God. Ant ipat er oI Sidon cal ls
Amun
"the renowned Serpent , " and t he Cerastes is oIt en Iound embal med in t he
Thebaid.
On anci ent Tyrian coi ns and Indian medal s, a serpent was represent ed,
coiled
round t he trunk oI a t ree. Pyt hon, t he Serpent Dei ty, was esteemed
oracul ar;
and t he t ri pod at Del phi was a tripl e-headed serpent oI gol d.
The portal s oI al l the Egypti an Templ es are decorated wi th the hi erogram
oI
t he Ci rcle and t he Serpent . It is al so Iound upon the Temple oI Naki -
Rustan in
Persi a; on the triumphal arch at Pechin, i n China; over the gates oI the
great
Temple oI Chaundi Teeva, i n Java; upon t he wal l s oI Athens; and in the
Temple oI Minerva at Tegea. The Mexi can hierogram was Iormed by the
i ntersecti ng oI t wo great Serpent s, whi ch described the circle wi th thei r
bodi es,
and had each a human head in it s mout h.
Al l the Buddhist s crosses i n Ireland had serpent s carved upon them.
Wreat hs
oI snakes are on the col umns oI the ancient Hindu Templ e at Burwah-
Sangor.
Among the Egypt ians, i t was a symbol oI Divi ne Wi sdom, when ext ended
at
l engt h; and, wi th it s t ai l i n i ts mouth, oI Et ernity.
In t he ri tual oI Zoroaster, t he Serpent was a symbol oI the Uni verse. In
China,
t he ring bet ween two Serpents was the symbol oI t he worl d governed by
t he
power and wisdom oI t he Creator. The Bacchanal s carried serpents in
t heir
hands or round their heads.
The Serpent ent wi ned round an Egg, was a symbol common to the Indians,
t he
Egypt ians, and t he Drui ds. It reIerred t o t he creat i on oI the Universe. A
Serpent
wi th an egg in hi s mout h was a symbol oI the Uni verse cont aining wit hi n
i tsel I
t he germ oI all t hi ngs t hat the Sun devel ops.
The property possessed by t he Serpent , oI cast ing i t s skin, and apparently
renewi ng i ts yout h, made it an embl em oI et ernity and i mmort ali ty. The
Syrian
women sti l l empl oy i t as a charm against
barrenness, as di d t he devot ees oI Mi thras and Saba-Zeus. The Earthborn
ci vi li zers oI the early worl d, Fohi, Cecrops, and Erecht heus, were
halI-man, halI-serpent . The snake was t he guardian oI the At henian
Acropoli s. NAKHUSTAN, t he brazen serpent oI t he wil derness, became
naturali zed among t he Hebrews as a t oken oI heal ing power. "Be ye,"
sai d Chri st , "wi se as serpent s, and harmless as doves. "
The Serpent was as oIten a symbol oI malevolence and enmity. It
appears among the emblems oI Si va-Roudra, the power oI desolati on
and deat h: i t is t he bane oI Aepytus, Idom, Archemorus, and
Phi l octet es: i t gnaws t he roots oI the tree oI l iIe i n t he Eddas, and bit es
t he heel oI unIortunate Eurydice. In Hebrew wri ters it i s generally a
type oI evi l; and is part icularly so i n the Indi an and Persi an
Mythologi es. When the Sea is churned by Mount Mandar rot at ing
wi thin t he coi l s oI the Cosmi cal Serpent Vasouki, to produce t he Amri ta
or water oI i mmortal ity, the serpent vomi t s a hi deous poison, whi ch
spreads through and i nIect s t he Universe, but which Vishnu renders
harml ess by swal lowing it . Ahri man in serpent-Iorm i nvades the real m
oI Ormuzd; and t he Bull , emblem oI li Ie, is wounded by hi m and dies. It
was thereIore a rel igi ous obl igat i on wi t h every devout Iol lower oI
Zoroaster to extermi nat e repti les, and ot her i mpure ani mals, especial ly
serpent s. The moral and astronomi cal signi Iicance oI the Serpent were
connect ed. It became a maxi m oI t he Zend-Avest a, t hat Ahri man, t he
Princi pl e oI Evi l, made t he Great Serpent oI Wi nt er, who assaul ted t he
creati on oI Ormuzd.
A serpent -ring was a well -known symbol oI t i me: and to express
dramatical ly how t i me preys upon it selI, the Egypt i an pri ests Ied vi pers
i n a subt erranean chamber, as i t were in the sun' s Wi nter abode on t he
Iat oI bul ls, or t he year' s pl ent eousness. The dragon oI Wi nter pursues
Ammon, the gol den ram, t o Mount Casi us. The Vi rgi n oI the zodiac is
bit ten in the heel by Serpens, who, wi th Scorpio, rises i mmediately
behind her; and as honey, the embl em oI puri ty and sal vat ion, was
t hought to be an anti dot e t o t he serpent ' s bit e, so the bees oI Ari stus,
t he emblems oI nature' s abundance, are destroyed through t he agency
oI t he serpent, and regenerated wi thi n the entrai ls oI the Vernal Bul l.
The Sun-God is Ii nally vict orious. Chri shna crushes the head oI t he
serpent Calyia; Apoll o destroys Pyt hon, and Hercul es that Lernan
monst er whose poi son Iest ered in t he Ioot oI Phi loctet es,
oI Mopsus, oI Chi ron, or oI Sagi tt ari us. The i nIant Hercul es dest roys
t he pernici ous snakes det ested oI t he gods, and ever, l i ke St. George
oI Engl and and Michael t he Archangel , wars agai nst hydras and
dragons.
The ecl ipses oI t he sun and moon were bel i eved by the Ori ent al s to be
caused by the assault s oI a dmon in dragon-Iorm; and t hey
endeavored to scare away the intruder by shouts and menaces. Thi s
was the origi nal Leviat han or Crooked Serpent oI old, transIi xed in the
olden t i me by the power oI Jehovah, and suspended as a gli t tering
t rophy in the sky; yet al so t he Power oI Darkness supposed to be ever
i n pursuit oI the Sun and Moon. When i t Ii nal ly overtakes them, it wi ll
entwi ne t hem in i ts Iol ds, and prevent t heir shini ng. In t he l ast Indian
Avatara, as in the Eddas, a serpent vomi t i ng Ilames i s expected to
dest roy t he worl d. The serpent presi des over the close oI the year,
where i t guards t he approach t o the golden Ileece oI Aries, and the
t hree appl es or seasons oI t he Hesperi des; present i ng a Iormidable
obstacl e t o t he career oI the Sun-God. The Great Dest royer oI snakes
i s occasi onal ly marri ed t o them; Hercules wit h t he northern dragon
beget s t he t hree ancest ors oI Scythia; Ior the Sun seems at one ti me to
ri se vict orious Irom t he cont est wit h darkness, and at anot her t o si nk
i nt o i ts embraces. The nort hern constel lat i on Draco, whose sinuosi ti es
wi nd li ke a ri ver t hrough the wi ntry bear, was made the ast ronomical
ci nct ure oI the Uni verse, as the serpent encircles t he mundane egg in
Egypt ian hi eroglyphics.
The Persian Ahri man was cal led "The old serpent , t he liar Irom the
begi nning, t he Prince oI Darkness, and t he rover up and down. " The
Dragon was a wel l-known symbol oI t he wat ers and oI great rivers; and
i t was nat ural t hat by the past oral Asi at ic Tribes, t he powerIul nati ons
oI t he all uvi al plai ns in their neighborhood who adored the dragon or
Fish, should t hemsel ves be symbol i zed under t he Iorm oI dragons; and
overcome by t he superi or might oI the Hebrew God, as monstrous
Levi athans mai med and dest royed by hi m. Ophi oneus, i n t he ol d Greek
Theology, warred agai nst Kronos, and was overcome and cast i nt o his
proper el ement, the sea. There he i s inst al led as t he Sea-God Oannes
or Dragon, t he Leviat han oI the watery halI oI creati on, t he dragon who
vomi ted a Ilood oI water aIter t he persecut ed woman oI t he
Apocalypse, t he monst er who t hreat ened to devour Hesi one and
Andromeda, and who Ior a t i me became t he grave oI Hercul es and
Jonah; and he corresponds wit h the obscure name oI Rahab, whom
Jehovah i s sai d in Job to have transIi xed and overcome.
In t he Spri ng, the year or Sun-God appears as Mi t hras or Europa
mounted on the Bul l; but in the opposi te halI oI t he Zodiac he ri des t he
emblem oI the waters, t he winged horse oI Nestor or Poseidon: and the
Serpent , risi ng heli acal ly at the Aut umnal Equinox, besett ing wi th
poisonous i nIl uence the col d constel lat ion Sagi ttari us, is expl ained as
t he rept i l e i n t he path who "bit es the horse' s heels, so t hat hi s rider Iall s
backward. " The same serpent, t he Oannes Aphrenos or Musaros oI
Syncel lus, was the Midgard Serpent which Odi n sunk beneat h the sea,
but whi ch grew t o such a size as to enci rcl e t he whole eart h.
For these Asi ati c symbols oI the cont est oI the Sun-God wi th the
Dragon oI darkness and Wi nt er were i mported not only i nto t he Zodi ac,
but int o the more homely circle oI European legend; and both Thor and
Odin Ii ght wi th dragons, as Apoll o did wi th Python, the great scaly
snake, Achi ll es wi th t he Scamander, and Bel lerophon wi t h t he
Chi mra. In t he apocryphal book oI Esther, dragons herald "a day oI
darkness and obscuri ty"; and St . George oI England, a problemat ic
Cappadocian Prince, was origi nally only a varying Iorm oI Mit hras.
Jehovah i s sai d to have "cut Rahab and wounded the dragon. " The
l att er is not only the type oI earthly desolat ion, the dragon oI the deep
wat ers, but al so the leader oI t he banded conspirators oI the sky, oI the
rebel li ous st ars, which, accordi ng t o Enoch, "came not at the right
t i me"; and hi s tail drew a t hi rd part oI the Host oI Heaven, and cast
t hem to t he earth. Jehovah "divided t he sea by hi s st rengt h, and broke
t he heads oI t he Dragons in t he wat ers. " And accordi ng t o t he Jewish
and Persi an beli eI, the Dragon woul d, in t he l att er days, the Wi nt er oI
t i me, enjoy a short peri od oI li censed i mpunity, which woul d be a
season oI t he greatest suIIering t o t he peopl e oI t he earth; but he
woul d Iinally be bound or destroyed i n t he great bat tle oI Messiah; or,
as i t seems i nt i mated by the Rabbini cal Ii gure oI bei ng eat en by t he
Iait hIul, be, l ike Ahri man or Vasouki , ult i mat ely absorbed by and united
wi th t he Princi pl e oI good.
Near t he i mage oI Rhea, in the Templ e oI Bel at Babylon, were t wo
l arge serpents oI sil ver, says Di odorus, each wei ghi ng t hi rty t alents;
and i n t he same t empl e was an i mage oI Juno, hol di ng i n her right
hand the head oI a serpent. The Greeks call ed Bel
Beli ar; and Hesychius interpret s t hat word to mean a dragon or great
serpent . We learn Irom the book oI Bel and t he Dragon, t hat i n Babylon
was kept a great, li ve serpent, whi ch t he peopl e worshi pped.
The Assyrians, t he Emperors oI Const ant inopl e, the Parthians,
Scyt hians, Saxons, Chi nese, and Danes al l bore t he serpent as a
st andard, and among t he spoil s t aken by Aurel i an Irom Zenobia were
such standards, Persici Dracones. The Persi ans represented Ormuzd
and Ahri man by t wo serpents, cont endi ng Ior t he mundane egg.
Mi thras i s represent ed wit h a li on' s head and human body, enci rcl ed by
a serpent . In t he Sadder i s t hi s precept: "When you ki ll serpent s, you
wi ll repeat the Zend-Avesta, and t hence you wi l l obt ain great meri t; Ior
i t i s t he same as i I you had ki ll ed so many devil s. "
Serpent s encircl ing ri ngs and gl obes, and issui ng Irom globes, are
common in the Persian, Egypti an, Chinese, and Indian monument s.
Vi shnu is represented. reposing on a coi led serpent, whose Iolds Iorm
a canopy over hi m. Mahadeva i s represented wit h a snake around hi s
neck, one around his hair, and armlet s oI serpent s on bot h arms.
Bhai rava sit s on t he coil s oI a serpent , whose head rises above hi s
own. Parvat i has snakes about her neck and waist . Vi shnu i s the
Preservi ng Spi ri t , Mahadeva i s Si va, t he Evi l Pri nciple, Bhairava i s hi s
son, and Parvati his consort. The King oI Evi l Demons was cal led in
Hi ndi! Myt hol ogy, Naga, t he Ki ng oI Serpent s, in whi ch name we trace
t he Hebrew Nachash, serpent.
In Cashmere were seven hundred pl aces where carved i mages oI
serpent s were worshi pped; and i n Thibet the great Chi nese Dragon
ornament ed t he Templ es oI t he Grand Lama. In China, t he dragon was
t he st amp and symbol oI royal ty, scul ptured in all t he Templ es,
blazoned on the Iurnit ure oI the houses, and i nt erwoven wit h the
vest ments oI the chi eI nobil ity. The Emperor bears it as his armori al
device; i t is engraved on hi s scept re and diadem, and on all the vases
oI t he i mperi al pal ace. The Chinese bel ieve that there i s a dragon oI
extraordi nary strengt h and soverei gn power, in Heaven, i n t he air, on
t he wat ers, and on t he mountai ns. The God Fohi i s said to have had
t he Iorm oI a man, terminati ng in the tai l oI a snake, a combinati on to
be more Iul ly explai ned to you i n a subsequent Degree.
The dragon and serpent are the 5t h and 6th signs oI t he Chi nese
Zodi ac; and t he Hindus and Chinese bel ieve that , at every ecli pse, the
sun or moon i s seized by a huge serpent or dragon, t he serpent Asootee
oI t he Hindus, whi ch enIolds the globe and t he constel lat ion Draco; t o
which also reIers "t he War i n Heaven, when Michael and his Angel s
Iought agai nst t he dragon. "
Sanchoni athon says that Taaut was the aut hor oI the worshi p oI serpent s
among the Phoeni cians. He "consecrat ed, " he says, "t he species oI
dragons and serpents; and t he Phonici ans and Egyptians Ioll owed hi m in
t hi s superst i ti on. " He was "the Ii rst who made an i mage oI Colus"; that
i s,
who represented the Heavenly Host s oI Stars by vi si ble symbols; and was
probably t he same as t he Egypt ian Thoth. On the Tyrian coi ns oI the age
oI Al exander, serpents are represent ed i n many posit ions and at ti tudes,
coiled around t rees, erect i n Iront oI al tars, and crushed by the Syrian
Hercules.
The sevent h l ett er oI the Egypt ian alphabet , cal led Zeut a or LiIe, was
sacred t o Thoth, and was expressed by a serpent standing on hi s tai l; and
t hat Dei ty, t he God oI heal i ng, l ike sculapius, to whom the serpent was
consecrated, leans on a knot t ed st ick around whi ch coi l s a snake. The
Isiac tabl et, describing the Mysteries oI Isis, is charged wi th serpents in
every part , as her embl ems. The Asp was special ly dedicated to her, and
i s seen on the heads oI her stat ues, on the bonnet s oI her priest s, and on
t he t iaras oI t he Kings oI Egypt . Serapis was somet i mes represent ed wit h
a human head and serpent ine tai l: and i n one engravi ng t wo mi nor Gods
are represent ed wit h hi m, one by a serpent wit h a bul l' s head, and the
other by a serpent wi th t he radiat ed head oI a li on.
On an ancient sacriIi ci al vessel Iound in Denmark, havi ng several
compart ment s, a serpent i s represented at t acki ng a kneel ing boy,
pursuing hi m, ret reat ing beIore hi m, appeal ed to beseechi ngly by hi m,
and conversi ng wi t h hi m. We are at once remi nded oI the Sun at t he new
year represented by a chi ld si t ti ng on a lotus, and oI t he relat i ons oI t he
Sun oI Spring wi th the Autumnal Serpent , pursued by and pursuing hi m,
and i n conjunct ion wi th hi m. Ot her Ii gures on this vessel belong t o the
Zodi ac.
The base oI t he t ri pod oI the Pythi an Priestess was a t ripl e headed
serpent oI brass, whose body, Iolded i n circles growi ng wi der and wi der
t oward t he ground, Iormed a coni cal column, whil e t he t hree heads,
disposed t ri angul arly, uphel d t he tri pod
oI gold. A si mi l ar col umn was placed on a pi ll ar in t he Hi ppodroine at
Constanti nople, by the Iounder oI that ci ty; one oI the heads oI whi ch i s
sai d t o have been broken oII by Mahomet the Second, by a blow wi th hi s
i ron mace.
The Brit ish God Hu was cal led "The Dragon-Ruler oI t he Worl d, " and hi s
car was drawn by serpents. Hi s mi ni sters were styled adders. A Druid i n a
poem oI Tal iessin says, "I am a Drui d, I am an Archit ect, I am a Prophet , I
am a Serpent (Gnadi ). " The Car oI the Goddess Ceri dwen al so was drawn
by serpent s.
In t he elegy oI Uther Pendragon, thi s passage occurs in a descri pti on oI
t he
reli gious rit es oI t he Drui ds: "Whil e t he Sanct uary i s earnest ly i nvoking
The
Gl iding Ki ng, beIore whom t he Fair One ret reat s, upon the evi l that
covers
t he huge st ones; whil st t he Dragon moves round over t he places which
contai n vessels oI dri nk-oIIeri ng, whi lst t he dri nk-oIIering is in the
Golden
Horns; i n which we readi ly di scover the mysti c and obscure al l usi on t o
t he
Autumnal Serpent pursui ng the Sun al ong the circle oI the Zodiac, t o t he
celest i al cup or crater, and the Golden horns oI Virgi l' s mi lk-whit e bul l ;
and,
a li ne or t wo Iurt her on, we Ii nd the Priest i mplori ng t he vict orious Bel i ,
t he
Sun-God oI the Babylonians.
Wi t h the serpent, i n t he Anci ent Monuments, is very oIten Iound
associ ated
t he Cross. The Serpent upon a Cross was an Egypt ian Standard. It occurs
repeatedly upon t he Grand Stai rcase oI the Templ e oI Osiris at Phi l ; and
on t he pyramid oI Ghizeh are represent ed two kneel ing Iigures erect ing a
Cross, on the top oI whi ch i s a serpent erect. The Crux Ansat a was a
Cross
wi th a coil ed Serpent above i t; and i t i s perhaps the most common oI al l
emblems on t he Egyptian Monuments, carried i n t he hand oI al most every
Iigure oI a Deity or a Pri est. It was, as we learn by t he monument s, t he
Iorm
oI t he iron tet her-pins, used Ior maki ng Iast to t he ground t he cords by
which young ani mal s were conIi ned: and as used by shepherds, became a
symbol oI Royal ty to the Shepherd Kings.
A Cross li ke a Teut onic or Mal t ese one, Iormed by Iour curved li nes
wi thin a
ci rcl e, i s al so common on the Monument s, and represented t he Tropics
and
t he Colures.
The Caduceus, borne by Hermes or Mercury, and also by Cybel e, Mi nerva,
Anubi s, Hercul es Ogi ni us t he God oI the Celt s, and t he personiIied
Constel lat ion Vi rgo, was a wi nged wand, ent wi ned by
t wo serpents. It was origi nally a si mple Cross, symboli zi ng t he equator
and
equinoct ial Col ure, and t he Iour el ements proceeding Irom a common
cent re.
Thi s Cross, surmounted by a ci rcle, and t hat by a crescent , became an
emblem oI the Supreme Dei ty - or oI t he act i ve power oI generat ion and
t he
passi ve power oI product ion conjoined, - and was appropriat ed to Thot h
or
Mercury. It t hen assumed an i mproved Iorm, the arms oI t he Cross being
changed i nt o wings, and the circl e and crescent bei ng Iormed by two
snakes,
spri nging Irom t he wand, Iorming a circle by crossi ng each ot her, and
t heir
heads making the horns oI t he crescent ; i n which Iorm i t is seen in t he
hands
oI Anubi s.
The triple Tau, i n the centre oI a circle and a triangl e, typiIies t he Sacred
Name; and represent s the Sacred Triad, t he Creati ng, Preserving, and
Dest roying Powers; as well as t he t hree great l ights oI Masonry. II to the
Masonic poi nt wit hi n a Circle, and t he t wo paral lel l ines, we add t he
si ngle
Tau Cross, we have the Ancient Egyptian Tri ple Tau.
A col umn i n the Iorm oI a cross, wi t h a ci rcle over i t, was used by t he
Egypt ians to measure the increase oI t he inundat i ons oI the Nil e. The Tau
and Tri ple Tau are Iound i n many Ancient Al phabets.
Wi t h the Tau or the Triple Tau may be connect ed, wi t hin two circles, t he
double cube, or perIect ion; or the perIect ashl ar.
The Crux Ansata i s Iound on t he sculptures oI Khorsabad; on t he i vories
Irom
Ni mroud, oI the same age, carri ed by an Assyrian Monarch; and on
cylinders
oI t he later Assyrian period.
As t he single Tau represents t he one God, so, no doubt , t he Tri pl e Tau,
t he
origin oI whi ch cannot be traced, was meant to represent t he Tri ni ty oI
his
at tributes, t he t hree Masoni c pi ll ars, WISDOM, STRENGTH, and
HARMONY.
The Prophet Ezekiel , in the 4t h verse oI the 9t h chapter, says: "And t he
Lord
sai d unto hi m, ' Go t hrough the mi dst oI t he city, through the mi dst oI
Jerusal em, and mark the let ter TAU upon t he Ioreheads oI t hose that si gh
and mourn Ior al l the abomi nat i ons that be done i n t he midst thereoI." So
t he
Lat i n Vulgate, and the probably most anci ent copies oI the Sept uagi nt
t ranslate the passage. This Tau was in the Iorm oI t he cross oI thi s
Degree,
and i t was the emblem oI l iIe and sal vati on. The Samari tan Tau and the
Et hiopic Tavvi are t he evi dent prototype oI t he Greek t ; and we l earn
Irom
Tertulli an, Origen, and St. Jerome
t hat the Hebrew Tau was ancient ly writ ten in t he Iorm oI a Cross.
In ancient ti mes t he mark Tau was set on those who had been acquit ted by
t heir
j udges, as a symbol oI innocence. The mil i tary commanders placed i t on
soldi ers
who escaped unhurt Irom t he Iiel d oI batt l e, as a si gn oI their saIety under
t he
Di vi ne Protect ion.
It was a sacred symbol among the Drui ds. Divest ing a t ree oI part oI it s
branches,
t hey leIt i t in the shape oI a Tau Cross, preserved it careIul ly, and
consecrated i t
wi th sol emn ceremoni es. On t he tree they cut deeply the word THAU, by
which
t hey meant God. On t he right arm oI t he Cross, they i nscri bed the word
HESULS,
on t he l eIt BELEN or BELENUS, and on the mi ddle oI the trunk
THARAMIS. This
represented the sacred Triad.
It is cert ai n that t he Indians, Egyptians, and Arabians pai d venerat ion t o
t he sign
oI t he Cross, t housands oI years beIore t he comi ng oI Christ . Everywhere
i t was a
sacred symbol . The Hi ndus and t he Cel t i c Drui ds buil t many oI t heir
Temples in
t he Iorm oI a Cross, as the rui ns sti ll remai ni ng cl early show, and
parti cul arly t he
anci ent Drui dical Temple at Classerni ss in the Island oI Lewi s i n Scot land.
The
Ci rcl e i s oI 12 Stones. On each oI t he si des, east , west, and sout h, are
t hree. In
t he centre was t he i mage oI the Dei ty; and on the nort h an avenue oI
t wice
ninet een st ones, and one at the ent rance. The Supernal Pagoda at Benares
i s i n
t he Iorm oI a Cross; and the Druidical subterranean grott o at New Grange
i n
Ireland.
The St at ue oI Osiri s at Rome had t he same emblem. Isi s and Ceres al so
bore it ;
and t he caverns oI init iat ion were constructed i n t hat shape wi t h a pyrami d
over
t he Sacell um.
Crosses were cut i n the st ones oI t he Templ e oI Serapis in Al exandria; and
many
Tau Crosses are to be seen in t he scul pt ures oI Alabast i on and Esne, i n
Egypt .
On coi ns, the symbol oI t he Egyptian God Kneph was a Cross wit hi n a
Ci rcl e.
The Crux Ansata was the parti cular emblem oI Osiris, and hi s scept re
ended wi t h
t hat Ii gure. It was al so t he embl em oI Hermes, and was consi dered a
Subli me
Hi eroglyphic, possessi ng myst eri ous powers and vi rt ues, as a wonder-
working
amulet.
The Sacred Tau occurs i n the hands oI t he mummy-shaped Ii gures bet ween
t he
Iorel egs oI t he row oI Sphynxes, i n t he great avenue leading Irom Luxor t o
Karnac.
By t he Tau Cross the
Cabali st s expressed t he number 10, a perIect number, denot i ng heaven,
and t he
Pyt hagorean Tet ractys, or incommuni cabl e name oI God. The Tau Cross i s
al so
Iound on t he stones in Iront oI the door, oI the Temple oI Amunot h III, at
Thebes,
who reigned about t he t i me when t he Israel it es t ook possessi on oI Canaan:
and t he
Egypt ian Pri ests carri ed it i n al l the sacred processi ons.
Tertulli an, who had been init iat ed, inIorms us that t he Tau was i nscribed
on t he
Iorehead oI every person who had been admi tt ed int o the Mysteries oI
Mi thras.
As t he si mple Tau represent ed LiIe, so, when the Circle, symbol oI
Eterni ty, was
added, it represented Et ernal LiIe.
At t he Init iat ion oI a King, t he Tau, as the embl em oI li Ie and key oI the
Myst eri es,
was i mpressed upon hi s li ps.
In t he Indi an Myst eri es, t he Tau Cross, under the name oI Ti luk, was
marked upon
t he body oI t he candidate, as a sign t hat he was set apart Ior the Sacred
Myst eri es.
On t he upri ght tablet oI t he King, di scovered at Ni mroud, are the names oI
t hirt een
Great Gods (among which are YAV and BEL); and t he leIt-hand charact er
oI every
one i s a cross composed oI t wo cunei Iorm characters.
The Cross appears upon an Anci ent Phoni cian medal Iound in t he rui ns oI
Ci ti um;
on t he very ancient Buddhist Obel i sk near Ferns i n Ross-shire; on the
Buddhi st
Round Towers i n Ireland, and upon t he spl endid obeli sk oI t he same era at
Forres
i n Scot land.
Upon the Iaade oI a t empl e at Kal abche in Nubia are t hree regal Ii gures,
each
holding a Crux Ansat a.
Li ke t he Subterranean Mi thriati c Temple at New Grange i n Scot l and, the
Pagodas oI
Benares and Mathura were in the Iorm oI a Cross. Magni Ii cent Buddhi st
Crosses
were erect ed, and are stil l st andi ng, at Cl onmacnoise, Fi nglas, and
Ki lcull en i n
Ireland. Wherever t he monument s oI Buddhi sm are Iound, in Indi a,
CeyIon, or
Ireland, we Ii nd the Cross: Ior Buddha or Boudh was represented t o have
been
cruci Ii ed.
Al l the pl anets known to the Ancients were dist inguished by t he Myst ic
Cross, in
conjunct ion wi th the sol ar or lunar symbol s; Sat urn by a cross over a
crescent,
Jupi ter by a cross under a crescent, Mars by a cross rest i ng obl iquely on a
ci rcl e,
Venus by a cross under a circle, and Mercury by a cross surmounted by a
ci rcl e and
t hat by a crescent.
The Sol sti ces, Cancer and Capricorn, the t wo Gates oI Heaven, are t he
t wo pil lars oI Hercul es, beyond which he, t he Sun, never j ourneyed: and
t hey st il l appear i n our Lodges, as t he t wo great col umns, Jachi n and
Boaz, and al so as t he two parall el li nes t hat bound the circle, wi th a point
i n t he centre, embl em oI the Sun, bet ween t he t wo tropics oI Cancer and
Capri corn.
The blazing St ar in our Lodges, we have already said, represents Siri us,
Anubi s, or Mercury, Guardi an and Gui de oI Soul s. Our Anci ent Engl ish
bret hren al so considered it an embl em oI the Sun. In the old Lect ures
t hey sai d: "The Blazi ng Star or Glory in the cent re reIers us to t hat Grand
Lumi nary the Sun, which enl i ght ens t he Earth, and by it s geni al inIl uence
dispenses blessi ngs to manki nd. " It is al so sai d in those l ectures t o be an
emblem oI Prudence. The word Prudenti a means, i n it s origi nal and
Iul lest
signiIicat ion, Foresight: and accordi ngly the Blazi ng St ar has been
regarded as an emblem oI Omni science, or t he Al l-Seei ng Eye, whi ch t o
t he Anci ent s was t he Sun.
Even the Dagger oI the Elu oI Ni ne is t hat used in t he Mysteri es oI
Mi thras; Which, wi th i ts blade black and hi l t whit e, was an embl em oI the
t wo pri nci ples oI Light and Darkness.
Isis, t he same as Ceres, was, as we l earn Irom Eratost henes, the
Constel lat ion Vi rgo, represented by a woman holdi ng an ear oI wheat .
The diIIerent emblems which accompany her in t he descripti on given by
Apuleius, a serpent on ei ther si de, a gol den vase, wit h a serpent t wi ned
round t he handle, and the ani mals that marched i n processi on, t he bear,
t he ape, and Pegasus, represented t he Const el lati ons that , ri sing wit h the
Virgi n, when on the day oI the Vernal Equinox she st ood in the Orient al
gat e oI Heaven, bri ll iant wit h t he rays oI the Iull moon, seemed t o march
i n her train.
The cup, consecrated in t he Mysteri es both oI Isis and Eleusis, was t he
Constel lat ion Crater or t he Cup. The sacred vessel oI the Isiac ceremony
Iinds i ts counterpart i n t he Heavens. The Olympic robe present ed t o the
Ini ti ate, a magniIicent mant l e, covered wit h Iigures oI serpent s and
ani mals, and under which were twel ve other sacred robes, wherewi th he
was clot hed in t he sanct uary, all uded t o the st arry Heaven and t he twel ve
signs: whi le the seven preparat ory i mmersions i n the sea all uded t o t he
seven spheres, t hrough which the soul plunged, to arri ve here below and
t ake up i ts abode in a body.
The Celesti al Virgi n, during the last t hree cent uries t hat preceded the
Chri sti an era, occupi ed t he horoscope or Oriental point , and that gat e
oI Heaven t hrough which the Sun and Moon ascended above the
hori zon at t he t wo equi noxes. Agai n i t occupi ed it at mi dnight, at the
Wi nter Sol st i ce, t he preci se moment when the year commenced. Thus
i t was essent ial ly connect ed wit h t he march oI t i mes and seasons, oI
t he Sun, t he Moon, and day and night , at the principal epochs oI the
year. At the equi noxes were cel ebrated the greater and l esser
Myst eri es oI Ceres. When soul s descended past the Bal ance, at the
moment when the Sun occupied that poi nt , t he Virgi n rose beIore hi m;
she stood at t he gates oI day and opened them t o hi m. Her bri ll iant
Star, Spica Virgi nis, and Arct urus, i n Botes, nort hwest oI i t, heralded
his comi ng. When he had ret urned t o t he Vernal Equinox, at t he
moment when soul s were generated, agai n i t was the Celestial Vi rgin
t hat led t he march oI the signs oI night ; and in her stars came t he
beauti Iul Iul l moon oI that month. Ni ght and day were in succession
i ntroduced by her, when t hey began to di mi nish i n l engt h; and soul s,
beIore arri vi ng at the gates oI Hel l, were al so led by her. In goi ng
t hrough these signs, t hey passed t he Styx in t he 8th Degree oI Libra.
She was the Iamous Sibyl who init iated Eneas, and opened t o hi m t he
way to the i nIernal regions.
Thi s peculiar si tuati on oI t he Constel lat i on Vi rgo, has caused it t o enter
i nt o al l the sacred Iables i n regard to nat ure, under diIIerent names and
t he most varied Iorms. It oIten takes t he name oI Isi s or t he Moon,
which, when at i ts Iul l at t he Vernal Equi nox, was i n uni on wi th it or
beneat h it s Ieet . Mercury (or Anubis) having hi s domi cil e and exal t ati on
i n t he sign Virgo, was, i n all the sacred Iables and Sanct uaries, the
i nseparable compani on oI Isis, wit hout whose counsels she di d
nothing.
Thi s relat ion bet ween the embl ems and myst eri ous reci tal s oI t he
i ni t i ati ons, and the Heavenly bodies and order oI the world, was st i ll
more clear i n t he Myst eri es oI Mi t hras, adored as the Sun in Asi a
Mi nor, Cappadoci a, Armeni a, and Persia, and whose Mysteries went to
Rome in the ti me oI Syll a. This is amply proved by t he descripti ons we
have oI t he Mi thri ac cave, in whi ch were Iigured the t wo movement s oI
t he Heavens, that oI t he Ii xed Stars and that oI the Planet s, the
Constel lat ions, the eight myst ic gat es oI t he spheres, and the symbol s
oI t he elements. So on a cel ebrated monument oI t hat rel igi on, Iound at
Rome, were Ii gured, the Serpent or Hydra ti nder Leo,
as i n the Heavens, t he Cel est ial Dog,
t he Bul l, t he Scorpi on, t he Seven Pl anet s, represented by seven
al tars, t he Sun, Moon, and emblems relat ing to Light, to Darkness, and
t o t hei r succession duri ng t he year, where each in t urn tri umphs Ior si x
mont hs.
The Mysteries oI Atys were celebrat ed when t he Sun entered Ari es;
and among the embl ems was a ram at the Ioot oI a t ree which was
being cut down.
Thus, i I not t he whol e trut h, it i s yet a l arge part oI it , t hat the Heat hen
Pant heon, i n it s inIi ni te diversi ty oI names and personi Ii cat i ons, was
but a mult it udinous, though in i ts ori gin unconsci ous al legory, oI whi ch
physical phenomena, and principal ly the Heavenly Bodies, were the
Iundamental types. The glori ous i mages oI Di vi nity which Iormed
Jehovah' s Host , were the Divine Dynasty or real theocracy whi ch
governed t he early worl d; and t he men oI the gol den age, whose l ooks
held commerce wit h the skies, and who wat ched the radiant rul ers
bri nging Wi nter and Summer t o mortal s, might be said wi th poetic trut h
t o l i ve i n i mmediate communi cat i on wi th Heaven, and, l ike the Hebrew
Patriarchs, to see God Iace to Iace. Then t he Gods i ntroduced their
own worship among manki nd: t hen Oannes, Oe or Aquarius rose Irom
t he Red Sea t o i mpart science to t he Babylonians; t hen the bright Bul l
l egislated Ior India and Cret e; and t he Light s oI Heaven, personiIi ed as
Li ber and Ceres, hung t he Booti an hi l ls wi t h vineyards, and gave t he
golden sheaI t o Eleusis. The chil dren oI men were, in a sense, al l ied or
marri ed to t hose sons oI God who sang t he j ubilee oI creat ion; and the
enci rcl ing vault wi th it s count less Stars, whi ch t o the exci ted
i magi nat ion oI t he soli t ary Chaldean wanderer appeared as ani mated
i ntell igences, mi ght nat urally be compared to a gigant ic l adder, on
which, i n t hei r ri sing and sett ing, t he Angel l umi naries appeared t o be
ascending and descendi ng between eart h and Heaven. The ori ginal
revelat ion died out oI men' s memories; t hey worshi pped t he Creat ure
i nstead oI t he Creat or; and holding all earthly t hi ngs as connect ed by
et ernal l i nks oI harmony and sympat hy wi th the heavenly bodi es, they
unit ed in one view astronomy, astrol ogy, and reli gion. Long wandering
t hus in error, they at lengt h ceased t o l ook upon the Stars and external
nature as Gods; and by directi ng thei r att ent i on t o t he microcosm or
narrower world oI sel I, they again became acquaint ed wit h t he True
Ruler and Gui de oI the Uni verse,
and used t he old Iabl es and superst i t ions as symbol s and al legori es,
by which to convey and under whi ch to hi de t he great trut hs which had
Iaded out oI most men' s remembrance.
In t he Hebrew writ ings, t he t erm "Heavenly Hosts" includes not only t he
counsell ors and emissaries oI Jehovah, but al so t he cel estial
l uminaries; and t he st ars, i magined i n t he East t o be ani mated
i ntell igences, presidi ng over human weal and woe, are i denti Ii ed wi t h
t he more di sti nct ly i mpersonated messengers or angel s, who execute
t he Divi ne decrees, and whose predominance in Heaven i s in
mysterious correspondence and relat ion wi t h t he powers and
domi ni ons oI the earth. In j ob, t he Morning St ars and the Sons oI God
are ident iIied; t hey joi n in the same chorus oI prai se t o t he Al mi ghty;
t hey are both suscepti bl e oI joy; they wal k i n bri ght ness, and are l iable
t o i mpurity and i mperIect ion in the sight oI God. The El ohi m origi nal ly
i ncl uded hot only Iorei gn superst i ti ous Iorms, but also al l t hat host oI
Heaven which was revealed in poetry t o t he shepherds oI the desert,
now as an encampment oI warri ors, now as careeri ng i n chari ot s oI Iire,
and now as winged messengers, ascendi ng and descending t he vault
oI Heaven, to communicat e t he wi ll oI God to mankind.
"The Eternal," says the Bereshi th Rabba to Genesi s, "call ed Iort h
Abraham and hi s posterity out oI t he domi ni on oI t he st ars; by nat ure,
t he Israel it e was a servant to t he stars, and born under t heir i nIl uence,
as are t he heathen; but by vi rt ue oI the law given on Mount Si nai , he
became l iberated Irom t hi s degradi ng servit ude. " The Arabs had a
si mi lar legend. The Prophet Amos expl ici tly asserts t hat t he Israel it es,
i n t he desert , worshipped, not Jehovah, but Mol och, or a St ar-God,
equivalent t o Sat urn. The Gods El or Jehovah were not merely
planet ary or sol ar. Their symbol ism, li ke t hat oI every other Dei ty, was
coextensive wi th nat ure, and wi t h the mi nd oI man. Yet t he ast rologi cal
character i s assigned even t o Jehovah. He is descri bed as seat ed on
t he pinnacle oI the Uni verse, l eadi ng Iorth the Host s oI Heaven, and
t ell i ng them unerri ngly by name and number. Hi s stars are Hi s sons
and Hi s eyes, whi ch run through the whol e worl d, keepi ng watch over
men`s deeds. The stars and pl anet s were properly the angel s. In
Phari sai c tradi ti on, as i n the phraseol ogy oI the New Test ament, the
Heavenly Host appears as an Angel ic Army, di vided i nt o regi ment s and
brigades, under t he command
oI i magi nary chi eIs, such as Massalot h, Legi on, Kart or Gi stra, et c. , - each
Gi stra bei ng captai n oI 365, 000 myriads oI stars. The Seven Spi rit s whi ch
st and beIore the throne, spoken oI by several Jewish writers, and
generally presumed to have been i mmedi ately deri ved Irom the. Persi an
Amshaspands, were ult i mately t he seven pl anet ary intel ligences, t he
original model oI t he seven-branched golden candlest ick exhi bit ed t o
Moses on God' s mount ain. The stars were i magined t o have Iought in
t heir courses against Sisera. The heavens were spoken oI as holdi ng a
predomi nance over eart h, as governing it by signs and ordi nances, and
as containi ng the el ements oI that ast rological wisdom, more especially
cult ivat ed by t he Babylonians and Egypti ans.
Each nati on was supposed by the Hebrews t o have i ts own guardi an
angel , and it s own provinci al star. One oI the chi eIs oI t he Celest ial
Powers, at Iirst Jehovah Hi mselI i n t he character oI the Sun, standi ng in
t he height oI Heaven, overlooki ng and governing all t hi ngs, aIterward one
oI t he angels or subordinat e pl anet ary genii oI Babylonian or Persi an
mythol ogy, was the patron and prot ector oI thei r own nat i on, "the Pri nce
t hat standeth Ior the chi l dren oI thy peopl e. " The discords oI eart h were
accompanied by a warIare in the sky; and no people underwent the
visi tat ion oI t he Al mighty, wi thout a corresponding chast isement bei ng
i nIl i cted on it s t utel ary angel .
The Iall en Angels were al so Iall en St ars; and t he Iirst all usion t o a Ieud
among the spiri tual powers in early Hebrew Myt hol ogy, where Rahab and
his conIederat es are deIeat ed, li ke t he Tit ans in a bat tl e against the
Gods, seems t o i denti Iy the rebell ious Spiri ts as part oI the vi sibl e
Heavens, where the "hi gh ones on high" are punished or chained, as a
signal prooI oI God' s power and j usti ce. God, i t i s sai d
"St irs t he sea wit h Hi s might - by Hi s underst anding He smote Rahab -
Hi s
breat h cl ears t he Iace oI Heaven - Hi s hand pierced t he crooked Serpent
. . . . God wi thdraws not Hi s anger; beneat h Hi m bow t he conIederates oI
Rahab."
Rahab al ways means a sea-monster: probably some such legendary
monst rous dragon, as in al most all myt hol ogies is the adversary oI
Heaven and demon oI ecl ipse, in whose bel ly, signiIicant ly call ed t he
belly oI Hel l, Hercules, li ke Jonah, passed t hree days, ul ti mat ely escaping
wi th t he l oss oI his hair or rays. Chesil , the rebell ious gi ant Ori on,
represented in Job as ri vet ed t o t he sky,
was compared to Ni nus or Ni mrod, the mythical Iounder oI Nineveh
(City oI Fish) the mighty hunter, who sl ew l i ons and panthers beIore t he
Lord. Rahab' s conIederat es are probably t he "High ones on High, " the
Chesil i m or constel l at ions i n Isai ah, the Heavenly Host or Heavenly
Powers, among whose number were Iound Iol ly and disobedi ence.
"I behel d, " says Pseudo-Enoch, "seven stars l ike great bl azing
mountai ns, and l i ke Spi ri ts, ent reat ing me. And the angel said, This
place, unt il t he consummat ion oI Heaven and Earth, wi l l be the prison
oI t he St ars and oI the Host oI Heaven. These are the St ars whi ch
overst epped God' s command beIore t hei r ti me arrived; and came not at
t heir proper season; t hereIore was he oIIended wit h them, and bound
t hem, unti l the t i me oI t he consummat ion oI t heir cri mes i n t he secret
year. " And again: "These Seven St ars are those whi ch have
t ransgressed t he commandment oI t he Most High God, and which are
here bound unti l the number oI the days oI thei r cri mes be compl eted. "
The Jewi sh and early Chri sti an wri ters l ooked on t he worshi p oI the
sun and t he el ement s wi th comparat i ve i ndulgence. Justi n Martyr and
Cl emens oI Alexandri a admi t t hat God had appoi nted the stars as
l egit i mate obj ects oI heathen worshi p, i n order t o preserve t hroughout
t he worl d some tol erable not ions oI natural rel igi on. It seemed a mi ddle
point between Heat heni sm and Christ iani ty; and t o it cert ain embl ems
and ordi nances oI that Iai th seemed to rel at e. The advent oI Chri st was
announced by a St ar Irom the East; and His nat ivi ty was cel ebrat ed on
t he shortest day oI the Jul ian Cal endar, the day when, i n t he physi cal
commemorati ons oI Persi a and Egypt , Mi thras or Osi ris was newly
Iound. It was then t hat the acclamati ons oI the Host oI Heaven, the
unIai li ng at tendant s oI t he Sun, surrounded, as at t he spri ng-dawn oI
creati on, the cradle oI His birt h-place, and that, in t he words oI
Ignat i us, "a star, wit h light inexpressi ble, shone Iorth in t he Heavens, t o
dest roy t he power oI magic and t he bonds oI wi ckedness; Ior God
Hi msel I had appeared, in the Iorm oI man, Ior the renewal oI eternal
l iIe. "
But however i nIi ni te t he variety oI object s whi ch hel ped t o devel op the
noti on oI Dei ty, and event ual ly assumed i t s pl ace, substi t uti ng the
worship oI the creat ure Ior that oI t he creat or; oI part s oI t he body, Ior
t hat oI t he soul, oI t he Universe, sti ll t he not i on it selI was essenti ally
one oI uni ty. The i dea oI one
God, oI a creati ve, product ive, governi ng unity, resi ded in t he earliest
exert ion oI thought : and this monotheism oI t he pri mi ti ve ages, makes
every succeeding epoch, unless it be the present, appear only as a
st age in t he progress oI degeneracy and aberrati on. Everywhere in t he
old Iai t hs we Iind t he idea oI a supreme or presiding Deity. Amun or
Osi ri s presides among t he many gods oI Egypt ; Pan, wi th the music oI
his pipe, direct s t he chorus oI t he constel lat ions, as Zeus leads the
solemn processi on oI the celest i al t roops i n the astronomi cal theology
oI t he Pythagoreans. "Amidst an i nIi ni te di versi ty oI opini ons on al l
other subject s, " says Maxi mus Tyri us, "the whole worl d is unani mous in
t he beli eI oI one only al mi ghty Ki ng and Father oI al l."
There i s always a Sovereign Power, a Zeus or Deus, Mahadeva or
Adideva, t o whom belongs the mai nt enance oI the order oI t he
Universe. Among the thousand gods oI India, the doctrine oI Di vi ne
Unity i s never l ost sight oI; and t he ethereal Jove, worshi pped by t he
Persi an in an age l ong beIore Xenophanes or Anaxagoras, appears as
supremely comprehensive and independent oI planet ary or element al
subdi vi sions, as the "Vast One" or "Great Soul" oI t he Vedas.
But t he si mpl icity oI beli eI oI the pat ri archs di d not excl ude the
employment oI symbol i cal represent ati ons. The mi nd never rest s
sat isIied wi t h a mere Ieeli ng. That Ieel ing ever strives to assume
precisi on and durabi li ty as an idea, by some outward deli neat ion oI i ts
t hought . Even the i deas t hat are above and beyond t he senses, as al l
i deas oI God are, require t he ai d oI the senses Ior their expressi on and
communi cati on. Hence come the represent ati ve Iorms and symbol s
which const i t ut e t he external i nvest it ure oI every reli gion; at t empt s t o
express a religious sent i ment t hat is essentially one, and t hat vai nly
st ruggles Ior adequate external utterance, strivi ng to t ell t o one man, to
paint t o hi m, an i dea exist ing in t he mi nd oI anot her, and essentially
i ncapable oI utt erance or descripti on, i n a language all t he words oI
which have a sensuous meani ng. Thus, the idea bei ng perhaps t he
same in al l, i t s expressi ons and ut t erances are inIi ni tely various, and
branch into an inIi nit e diversity oI creeds and sect s.
Al l rel igi ous expressi on is symboli sm; si nce we can descri be only what
we see; and t he t rue object s oI religion are unseen. The earl iest
i nstrument s oI educat i on were symbols; and t hey and al l ot her rel igi ous
Iorms diIIered and st i ll di IIer according t o
external circumstances and i magery, and accordi ng to diIIerences oI
knowl edge and mental cult i vat i on. To present a vi sible symbol to the
eye oI anot her i s not t o inIorm hi m oI the meani ng whi ch t hat symbol
has to you. Hence t he phil osopher soon super-added t o t hese symbols,
expl anat ions addressed to the ear, suscepti bl e oI more precisi on, but
l ess eIIecti ve, obvi ous, and i mpressi ve than t he pai nt ed or sculpt ured
Iorms which he despi sed. Out oI t hese explanati ons grew by degrees a
variety oI narrat ives, whose true obj ect and meani ng were gradual ly
Iorgot ten. And when these were abandoned, and phil osophy resorted
t o deIi ni ti ons and Iormulas, it s l anguage was but a more reIi ned
symbol i sm, grappl i ng wit h and at tempti ng to pi cture i deas i mpossible t o
be expressed. For t he most abstract expression Ior Dei ty which
l anguage can supply, is but a si gn or symbol Ior an object unknown,
and no more trut hIul and adequate t han the terms Osiris and Vishnu,
except as bei ng less sensuous and expl icit . To say t hat He is a Spiri t ,
i s but to say t hat He i s not matt er. What spirit i s, we can only deIine as
t he Anci ent s di d, by resorti ng, as i I in despai r, t o some subl i mi zed
speci es oI mat t er, as Light , Fire, or Et her.
No symbol oI Dei ty can be appropri ate or durabl e except in a relat ive
or moral sense. We cannot exal t words t hat have only a sensuous
meani ng, above sense. To cal l Hi m a Power or a Force, or an
Int el l igence, i s merely to decei ve oursel ves i nt o the bel i eI that we use
words that have a meani ng to us, when they have none, or at l east no
more than t he ancient visi ble symbol s had. To call Hi m Sovereign,
Father, Grand Archi tect oI t he Universe, Extension, Ti me, Begi nni ng,
Mi ddl e, and End, whose Iace i s turned on al l sides, t he Source oI l iIe
and deat h, is but t o present other men wi t h symbols by which we vai nly
endeavor t o communi cate to them the same vague i deas which men in
al l ages have i mpot ent ly struggled to express. And it may be doubt ed
whether we have succeeded eit her in communicat ing, or i n Iormi ng in
our own mi nds, any more dist inct and deIi ni te and true and adequat e
i dea oI the Deity, wi t h al l our met aphysical concei ts and logi cal
subtl eti es, t han the rude anci ent s did, who endeavored to symbol ize
and so to express His attri but es, by t he Fire, t he Light , t he Sun and
Stars, the Lot us and t he Scarabus; al l oI t hem types oI what, except
by types, more or l ess suIIici ent , coul d not be expressed at al l .
The Pri mit ive man recogni zed the Di vine Presence under a
variety oI appearances, wit hout losi ng his Iai th in thi s uni ty and
Supremacy. The i nvisi ble God, maniIested and on one oI Hi s many
si des visi ble, di d not cease t o be God t o hi m. He recognized Hi m in the
evening breeze oI Eden, i n the whi rl wi nd oI Si nai , i n he St one oI Bet h-
El . : and identi Ii ed Hi m wi th the Ii re or t hunder or the i mmovable rock
adored in Anci ent Arabi a. To hi m t he i mage oI the Deity was reIlected
i n al l that was pre-emi nent in excel lence. He saw Jehovah, l ike Osiris
and Bel, i n t he Sun as wel l as in t he Stars, which were Hi s chi ldren, Hi s
eyes, "which run t hrough t he whole worl d, and wat ch over the Sacred
Soi l oI Palest ine, Irom t he year' s commencement t o i t s close. " He was
t he sacred Iire oI Mount Sinai, oI t he burning bush, oI the Persians,
t hose Puri t ans oI Paganism.
Nat urally i t Iol lowed that Symbol i sm soon became more compl i cated,
and al l the powers oI Heaven were reproduced on eart h, unti l a web oI
Iict i on and al l egory was woven, which t he wi t oI man, wit h his l i mit ed
means oI expl anat ion, wil l never unravel . Hebrew Thei sm it sel I became
i nvolved i n symboli sm and i mage-worshi p, to whi ch all rel igi ons ever
t end. We have already seen what was t he symbol i sm oI the
Tabernacle, t he Templ e, and t he Ark. The Hebrew establ ishment
t olerat ed not only t he use oI emblemati c vessel s, vest ment s, and
cherubs, oI Sacred Pil l ars and Seraphi m, but symbolical
representat ions oI Jehovah Hi msel I, not even conIined t o poeti cal or
i ll ustrat ive language.
"Among t he Adi tyas, " says Chrishna, i n the Bagvat Ghit a, "I am Vishnu,
t he radi ant Sun among the St ars; among t he wat ers, am ocean; among
t he mountai ns, the Hi malaya; and among the mount ai n-t ops, Meru. "
The Psal ins and Isai ah are Iul l oI si mil ar att empt s t o convey to the mi nd
i deas oI God, by ascri bing t o Hi m sensual proport i ons. He rides on the
cl ouds, and si ts on the wings oI t he wi nd. Heaven i s Hi s pavi l ion, and
out oI Hi s mouth i ssue l ightni ngs. Men cannot worshi p a mere
abst ract ion. They require some outward Iorm in whi ch to clothe thei r
concept ions, and i nvest t heir sympat hi es. II they do not shape and
carve or paint vi si bl e i mages, t hey have invi si bl e ones, perhaps qui te
as i nadequate and unIai thIul , wi t hin t heir own minds.
The incongruous and monstrous in t he Oriental i mages came Irom t he
desi re to embody the InIini te, and t o convey by mul ti pl ied, because
i ndi vi dual ly inadequate symbols, a not i on oI t he Di vi ne At tri butes to the
understanding. Perhaps we should Ii nd
t hat we ment al ly do t he same thing, and make wi t hin oursel ves i mages
quit e as i ncongruous, iI j udged oI by our own l i mi ted concepti ons, i I we
were t o undertake to analyze and gai n a clear idea oI t he mass oI
i nIi nite att ri butes which we assign t o t he Deity; and even oI His i nIi nit e
j ust ice and i nIini t e Mercy and Love.
We may well say, i n the language oI Maxi mus Tyri us: "II, i n t he desire
t o obtain some Iai nt concept i on oI t he Universal Fat her, t he Nameless
Lawgi ver, men had recourse t o words or names, to sil ver or gold, t o
ani mals or plants, to mount ain-t ops or Ilowing ri vers, every one
i nscribi ng the most valued and most beaut iIul things wi th the name oI
Dei ty, and wit h the Iondness oI a l over cl ingi ng wit h rapt ure to each
t ri vi al remi ni scence oI t he Bel oved, why shoul d we seek t o reduce thi s
universal practi ce oI symbol ism, necessary, indeed, since the mi nd
oIten needs t he excit ement oI the i maginati on to rouse i t int o acti vity, t o
one monotonous standard oI Iormal propriety? Only let t he i mage duly
perIorm i ts task, and bri ng the di vi ne i dea wi t h vividness and trut h
beIore t he mental eye; i I thi s be eIIected, whether by t he art oI Phidias,
t he poetry oI Homer, t he Egypti an Hi eroglyph, or the Persian el ement ,
we need not cavi l at external diIIerences, or lament the seemi ng Iert i li ty
oI unIami li ar creeds, so l ong as t he great essent ial i s at tai ned, THAT
MEN ARE MADE TO REMEMBER, TO UNDERSTAND, AND TO
LOVE.
Certai nly, when men regarded Li ght and Fire as somet hi ng spiri t ual,
and above al l the corrupti ons and exempt Irom al l the decay oI mat ter;
when t hey looked upon t he Sun and Stars and Planets as composed oI
t hi s Ii ner el ement , and as t hemselves great and mysterious
Int el l igences, i nIi ni tely superi or t o man, li vi ng Exist ences, giIted wi t h
mighty powers and wi el ding vast inIl uences, those el ement s and
bodi es conveyed to them, when used as symbol s oI Dei ty, a Iar more
adequat e idea than t hey can now do t o us, or than we can
comprehend, now that Fire and Light are Iami li ar to us as ai r and
wat er, and t he Heavenly Luminari es are li Iel ess worlds l ike our own.
Perhaps t hey gave t hem ideas as adequat e as we obt ai n Irom the mere
words by which we endeavor to symbol i ze and shadow Iort h t he
i neIIabl e mysteries and inIinit e at tributes oI God.
There are, i t is t rue, dangers inseparabl e Irom symboli sm, whi ch
count ervai l it s advantages, and aIIord an i mpressive lesson i n regard
t o t he si mi lar risks at tendant on the use oI language. The
i magi nat ion, i nvi ted t o assi st the reason, usurps i ts place, or leaves it s
al ly hel plessly ent angl ed i n it s web. Names whi ch st and Ior t hi ngs are
conIounded wi th t hem; t he means are mist aken Ior t he end: the
i nstrument oI i nt erpretat i on Ior t he object ; and thus symbol s come t o
usurp an independent charact er as trut hs and persons. Though
perhaps a necessary pat h, they were a dangerous one by whi ch to
approach t he Dei ty; in whi ch "many," says Pl utarch, "mist aki ng t he si gn
Ior the t hing signiIied, Iell i nt o a ri dicul ous superst it ion; whi le ot hers, in
avoiding one ext reme, plunged int o the no less hi deous gulI oI
i rreli gion and i mpiety. "
Al l great ReIormers have warred agai nst this evil , deeply Ieel i ng t he
i ntell ectual mischi eI ari sing out oI a degraded i dea oI the Supreme
Being; and have cl ai med Ior t heir own God an exist ence or personali ty
dist inct Irom the obj ect s oI ancient supersti ti on; disowning i n Hi s name
t he symbol s and i mages that had proIaned His Templ e. But they have
not seen t hat the ut most which can be eIIect ed by human eIIort , i s t o
substi tute i mpressi ons rel ati vely correct , Ior ot hers whose Ialsehood
has been detect ed, and to replace a gross symboli sm by a purer one.
Every man, wit hout bei ng aware oI i t, worshi ps a concept ion oI his own
mind; Ior all symbol ism, as well as al l language, shares t he subject ive
character oI t he ideas it represent s. The epi thets we apply t o God only
recall eit her vi si ble or intel lect ual symbols to the eye or mi nd. The
modes or Iorms oI mani Iestat i on oI the reverent ial Ieeli ng t hat
const i tutes t he rel igi ous sent i ment , are incompl ete and progressi ve;
each term and symbol predicat es a part ial trut h, remaining always
amenabl e t o i mprovement or modiIicat ion, and, in i t s turn, to be
superseded by ot hers more accurate and comprehensive.
Idolat ry consi sts i n conIoundi ng t he symbol wit h t he thi ng si gni Ii ed, the
substi tuti on oI a material Ior a mental object oI worship, aIter a higher
spirit ual i sm has become possi ble; an il l-j udged preIerence oI t he
i nIeri or to t he superi or symbol , an i nadequate and sensual concepti on
oI t he Deity: and every rel igi on and every concepti on oI God i s
i dol atrous, i n so Iar as it i s i mperIect , and as i t subst i t ut es a Ieeble and
t emporary i dea i n t he shri ne oI that Undi scoverabl e Being who can be
known only in part , and who can thereIore be honored, even by the
most enl ightened among Hi s worshippers, only i n proport ion t o t hei r
l i mit ed powers oI understanding and i magining to t hemsel ves Hi s
perIect ions.
Li ke t he beli eI in a Dei ty, the bel ieI in t he soul' s i mmortali ty is rat her a
natural Ieel i ng, an adj unct oI sel I-consci ousness, t han a dogma
belonging to any part icular age or count ry. It gives eternity t o man' s
nature, and reconci les it s seemi ng anomal i es and cont radict ions; it
makes hi m strong in weakness and perIectable in i mperIect ion; and it
al one gives an adequate object Ior his hopes and energies, and value
and digni ty to hi s pursui t s. It is concurrent wit h t he beli eI in an inIi nit e,
et ernal Spi ri t, si nce i t is chieIly through consciousness oI the dignity oI
t he mind wit hin us, t hat we l earn to appreciat e i ts evidences i n t he
Universe.
To Iort i Iy, and as Iar as possi bl e t o i mpart t hi s hope, was the great ai m
oI ancient wi sdom, whet her expressed in Iorms oI poetry or phi losophy;
as i t was oI t he Mysteries, and as it i s oI Masonry. LiIe ri sing out oI
deat h was the great mystery, which symbol ism del ighted to represent
under a t housand ingenious Iorms. Nature was ransacked Ior
at testati ons to the grand t ruth whi ch seems t o t ranscend al l ot her giIts
oI i magi nat ion, or rat her to be thei r essence and consummati on. Such
evidences were easi ly di scovered. They were Iound in the ol ive and
t he l ot us, in the evergreen myrt le oI the Mysto, and oI t he grave oI
Polydorus, i n t he deadly but sel I-renewing serpent , t he wonderIul mot h
emergi ng Irom the coIIi n oI the worm, t he phenomena oI germinati on,
t he set ti ngs and risi ngs oI the sun and stars, t he darkening and growth
oI t he moon, and in sleep, "the mi nor mystery oI death. "
The stori es oI the bi rt h oI Apol lo Irom Lat ona, and oI dead heroes, li ke
Gl aucus, resusci t ated in caves, were al legori es oI t he natural
al ternati ons oI l iIe and deat h i n nat ure, changes that are but
expedient s t o preserve her virginity and puri ty invi olable in the general
sum oI her operati ons, whose aggregat e present s only a maj est i c cal m,
rebuking ali ke man' s presumpt i on and hi s despai r. The typi cal death oI
t he Nat ure-God, Osiris, Atys, Adonis, Hiram, was a proIound but
consol at ory myst ery: t he heal ing charms oI Orpheus were connect ed
wi th hi s dest ructi on; and his bones, t hose valued pl edges oI Ierti li ty
and vict ory, were, by a beauti Iul contri vance, oIten buri ed wi t hin the
sacred preci nct s oI hi s i mmort al equi val ent .
In t hei r doct ri nes as to the i mmortal ity oI t he soul, t he Greek
Phi l osophers merely st ated wi th more preci sion i deas l ong beIore
extant independently among themsel ves, i n the Iorm oI symbolical
suggest ion. Egypt and Et hi opi a i n t hese matt ers learned Irom
India, where, as everywhere else, the origi n oI t he doct ri ne was as
remot e and untraceable as t he origin oI man hi msel I. Its nat ural
expressi on i s Iound i n t he l anguage oI Chri shna, in the Bagvat Ghi ta: "I
myselI never was non-exist ent , nor t hou, nor these princes oI the Eart h;
nor shal l we ever hereaIter cease t o be. The soul is not a t hing oI
which a man may say, i t hat h been, or is about t o be, or is t o be
hereaIt er; Ior it i s a thi ng wi t hout birt h; it i s pre-exi st ent , changeless,
et ernal , and is not to be destroyed wi th this mortal Irame."
Accordi ng to the dogma oI anti qui ty, the t hrongi ng Iorms oI li Ie are a
series oI puriIyi ng mi grati ons, through which t he divi ne princi pl e
reascends
t o t he uni ty oI it s source. Inebriat ed i n the bowl oI Dionusos,
and dazzled i n t he mirror oI exi st ence, the soul s, t hose Iragments or
sparks oI the Uni versal Intel ligence, Iorgot t heir nati ve di gni ty, and
passed into t he t errest rial Irames they covet ed. The most usual type oI
t he spirit ' s descent was suggested by the sinki ng oI t he Sun and Stars
Irom the upper t o the lower hemi sphere. When i t arri ved wi thi n the
port al s oI the proper empi re oI Dionusos, t he God oI this Worl d, t he
scene oI del usion and change, i t s indi vidual ity became clothed i n a
material Iorm; and as indi vi dual bodies were compared to a garment ,
t he worl d was the i nvest i t ure oI t he Universal Spirit . Agai n, the body
was compared to a vase or urn, the soul ' s recipi ent ; the worl d being the
mighty bowl which recei ved the descending Deity. In anot her i mage,
anci ent as t he Grot toes oI t he Magi and the denunci at i ons oI Ezeki el,
t he worl d was as a di mly il l umi nat ed cavern, where shadows seem
reali t i es, and where t he soul becomes IorgetIul oI i ts cel esti al origi n i n
proporti on to it s proneness t o material Iasci nat ions. By anot her, the
peri od oI the Soul ' s embodi ment is as when exhalat ions are
condensed, and t he aerial element assumes t he grosser Iorm oI wat er.
But i I vapor Ial l s i n wat er, it was hel d, water i s agai n t he birth oI vapors,
which ascend and adorn t he Heavens. II our mortal exi stence be t he
deat h oI the spi ri t , our death may be the renewal oI it s li Ie; as physi cal
bodi es are exal ted Irom earth to water, Irom water to air, Irom ai r to Ii re,
so the man may rise i nt o t he Hero, t he Hero int o the God. In the course
oI Nature, the soul , t o recover it s lost est ate, must pass t hrough a
series oI trial s and mi grat ions. The scene oI those t ri als is t he Grand
Sanct uary oI Ini ti ati ons, t he worl d: their pri mary agent s are the
el ement s; and Dionusos, as Soverei gn oI Nature, or the sensuous
worl d personiIied,
i s oIIici al Arbi ter oI t he Myst eri es, and guide oI the soul , whi ch he
i ntroduces i nt o t he body and di smi sses Irom i t. He i s t he Sun, t hat
l iberat or oI the element s, and his spirit ual mediat i on was suggested by
t he same i magery whi ch made the Zodiac t he supposed path oI t he
spirit s in t heir descent and thei r ret urn, and Cancer and Capricorn the
gat es through which t hey passed.
He was not only Creator oI the Worl d, but guardian, li berat or, and
Savi our oI the Soul. Ushered into the world ami dst l ight ni ng and
t hunder he became t he Liberator cel ebrated in t he Myst eries oI
Thebes, del iveri ng earth Irom Wi nter' s chain, conduct ing t he night ly
chorus oI t he Stars and t he cel esti al revolut ion oI the year. His
symbol i sm was the inexhausti bl e i magery employed t o Ii l l up t he st el lar
devices oI the Zodiac: he was t he Vernal Bull , the Lion, t he Ram, the
Autumnal Goat , the Serpent: i n short , the varied Dei ty, t he resul ti ng
maniIestat ion personiIied, t he all in t he many, t he vari ed year, l iIe
passi ng int o innumerabl e Iorms; essenti ally inIeri or t o none, yet
changing wi th the seasons, and undergoing their periodical decay.
He medi ates and int ercedes Ior man, and reconci les t he Universal
Unseen Mi nd wit h the indivi dual i zed spiri t oI whi ch he is emphati cally
t he PerIecter; a consummat i on which he eIIect s, Iirst through the
vici ssi tudes oI the elemental ordeal , the alternat e Iire oI Summer and
t he showers oI Wi nter, "t he t ri al s or test oI an i mmort al Nat ure"; and
secondari ly and symbol ical ly through t he Mysteries. He holds not only
t he cup oI generat ion, but also t hat oI wi sdom or i ni ti ati on, whose
i nIl uence is cont rary t o that oI t he Iormer, causi ng t he soul to abhor it s
material bonds, and to l ong Ior i ts ret urn. The Iirst was the Cup oI
ForgetIulness; whil e t he second is t he Urn oI Aquarius, quaIIed by the
returni ng spirit , as by the ret urning Sun at the Wi nt er Solst ice, and
emblemati c oI the exchange oI wordly i mpressi ons Ior the recovered
recoll ecti ons oI t he gl orious sight s and enjoyments oI it s preexi stence.
Wat er nouri shes and puri Ii es; and the urn Irom which i t Il ows was
t hought worthy t o be a symbol oI Deity, as oI the Osiri s-Canobus who
wi th l i ving wat er irrigated t he soi l oI Egypt ; and al so an emblem oI
Hope t hat shoul d cheer t he dwell i ngs oI t he dead.
The second birt h oI Dionusos, l ike the ri sing oI Osi ri s and Atys Irom the
dead, and t he rai si ng oI Khrm, is a type oI t he spi rit ual regenerati on
oI man. Psyche (the Soul ), l ike Ariadne, had
t wo lovers, an earthly and an i mmortal one. The i mmort al sui t or i s
Di onusos, the Eros-Phanes oI the Orphi ci, gradually exalt ed by t he
progress oI t hought , out oI the symbol oI Sensuali ty into the torchbearer
oI t he Nupt ial s oI t he Gods; t he Di vi ne InIl uence which
physical ly cal l ed t he world into bei ng, and which, awakeni ng t he soul
Irom it s Stygian t rance, restores i t Irom eart h t o Heaven.
Thus the sci ent i Ii c t heori es oI the ancients, expounded in t he
Myst eri es, as to the origi n oI the soul , it s descent , i ts soj ourn here
below, and it s return, were not a mere barren cont empl at ion oI t he
nature oI t he world, and oI t he i ntell igent bei ngs exi sti ng t here. They
were not an i dle specul ati on as t o t he order oI the world, and about t he
soul, but a st udy oI the means Ior arrivi ng at t he great obj ect proposed,
- t he perIect ing oI t he soul ; and, as a necessary consequence, t hat oI
morals and society. Thi s Eart h, to them, was not the Soul ' s home, but
i ts place oI exi le. Heaven was i t s home, and t here was i ts birt h-place.
To it , it ought incessant ly t o t urn i ts eyes. Man was not a t errest rial
plant . His roots were i n Heaven. The soul had lost i t s wings, cl ogged
by t he viscosi ty oI mat ter. It would recover them when i t ext ricated i tsel I
Irom matt er and commenced it s upward Il i ght .
Mat ter bei ng, in their vi ew, as it was i n t hat oI St. Paul , t he pri nci ple oI
al l the passions t hat trouble reason, misl ead the intel ligence, and st ai n
t he puri ty oI t he soul , t he Myst eri es taught man how t o enIeebl e t he
act ion oI matt er on the soul , and to rest ore to t he l att er it s nat ural
domi ni on. And lest t he st ains so contracted should conti nue aIt er
deat h, lustrati ons were used, Iast ings, expiati ons, macerati ons,
conti nence, and above al l, ini t iat ions. Many oI t hese pract ices were at
Iirst merely symboli cal, - mat eri al si gns indicat i ng the moral puri ty
requi red oI t he Init iates; but they aIterward came t o be regarded as
act ual producti ve causes oI that purity.
The eIIect oI init iat i on was meant t o be the same as that oI phi l osophy,
t o puriIy t he soul oI it s passi ons, t o weaken t he empi re oI the body over
t he divine porti on oI man, and to give hi m here below a happi ness
anticipat ory oI t he Iel ici ty to be one day enj oyed by hi m, and oI the
Iut ure vi si on by hi m oI the Di vine Beings. And thereIore Procl us and
t he other Platonist s t aught "t hat the Myst eries and ini t iat ions wi thdrew
souls Irom this mortal and material li Ie, t o re-uni te t hem t o t he gods;
and dissipated
Ior the adepts t he shades oI ignorance ' by the splendors oI t he Dei ty."
Such were the precious Iruit s oI t he l ast Degree oI t he Mysti c Sci ence,
- t o see Nat ure i n her spri ngs and sources, and to become Iami li ar wit h
t he causes oI things and wi t h real exi stences.
Ci cero says t hat the soul must exerci se it selI i n the pract i ce oI the
virtues, iI i t would speedi ly ret urn t o it s pl ace oI origi n. It shoul d, whi le
i mpri soned in t he body, Iree it selI t hereIrom by the cont emplat i on oI
superi or bei ngs, and in some sort be divorced Irom t he body and the
senses. Those who remain ensl aved, subjugat ed by t heir passions and
viol ati ng the sacred laws oI rel igi on and society, wi ll re-ascend t o
Heaven, only aIter they shal l have been puriIied through a long
successi on oI ages.
The Init iat e was requi red t o emancipate hi mselI Irom hi s passions, and
t o Iree hi mselI Irom the hi ndrances oI t he senses and oI mat ter, i n
order t hat he might ri se to t he contempl ati on oI the Dei ty, or oI t hat
i ncorporeal and unchanging li ght i n which l ive and subsi st the causes
oI created nat ures. "We must, " says Porphyry, "Ilee Irom everythi ng
sensual, that the soul may wi th ease re-uni t e it sel I wi th God, and li ve
happi ly wit h Hi m. " "Thi s is the great work oI init iat i on, " says Hierocles,
-
't o recall t he soul to what i s truly good and beaut i Iul , and make i t
Iami l i ar therewi th, and t hey i ts own; t o deli ver i t Irom the pai ns and i ll s
i t endures here below, enchai ned in mat ter as in a dark pri son; t o
Iacil it at e it s ret urn t o the celesti al splendors, and t o establi sh i t in the
Fort unate Isl es, by rest oring it t o i t s Ii rst est at e. Thereby, when t he
hour oI death arrives, t he soul, Ireed oI it s mortal garment ing, which it
l eaves behind i t as a l egacy to earth, wi ll rise buoyantly t o it s home
among the St ars, t here to re-take it s ancient condi t i on, and approach
t oward t he Divine nature as Iar as man may do. "
Plutarch compares Isis to knowledge, and Typhon t o i gnorance,
obscuring the li ght oI t he sacred doctri ne whose blaze lights the soul oI
t he Init iate. No giIt oI t he gods, he holds, i s so preci ous as the
knowl edge oI the Trut h, and t hat oI t he Nat ure oI t he gods, so Iar as
our l i mi ted capaci ti es all ow us t o ri se toward them. The Val ent ini ans
t ermed i ni t i ati on LIGHT. The Ini tiate, says Psell us, becomes an Epopt ,
when admit ted t o see THE DIVINE LIGHTS. Clemens oI Al exandria,
i mi tat i ng the language oI an Ini ti ate in the Mysteries oI Bacchus, and
i nvi t ing thi s Initi ate, whom he t erms bl ind li ke Tiresi as, to come to see
Chri st, Who wi l l
blaze upon his eyes wi t h greater gl ory t han the Sun, excl ai ms: "Oh
Myst eri es most truly holy! Oh pure Light ! When t he t orch oI t he
Dadoukos gleams, Heaven and the Deity are di splayed t o my eyes! I
am i nit iat ed, and become holy!" This was t he t rue object oI i nit iat ion; t o
be sanct iIied, and TO SEE, t hat i s, t o have j ust and Iai thIul concept ions
oI t he Deity, t he knowl edge oI Whom was THE LIGHT oI the Mysteries.
It was promised the Ini ti at e at Samothrace, that he should become pure
and j ust. Cl emens says t hat by bapt ism, souls are il luminated, and l ed
t o t he pure l ight wi th which mi ngles no darkness, nor anything materi al .
The Init iat e, become an Epopt , was cal led A SEER. "HAIL, NEWBORN
LIGHT!" t he Initi ates cried i n t he Mysteries oI Bacchus.
Such was held to be the eIIect oI complet e i ni tiati on. It lighted up t he
soul wit h rays Irom the Di vini ty, and became Ior it , as it were, t he eye
wi th which, accordi ng t o t he Pythagoreans, it contemplates t he Iiel d oI
Trut h; in i ts myst ical abstracti ons, wherei n i t ri ses superi or to t he body,
whose act ion on i t , it annul s Ior the ti me, t o re-enter int o it sel I, so as
entirely t o occupy it selI wi th the vi ew oI t he Divini ty, and the means oI
coming t o resembl e Hi m.
Thus enIeebli ng the dominion oI the senses and the passi ons over t he
soul, and as i t were Ireei ng the lat ter Irom a sordi d slavery, and by t he
st eady pract ice oI al l the vi rt ues, acti ve and cont empl ati ve, our anci ent
bret hren strove to Iit t hemsel ves t o ret urn t o t he bosom oI t he Deity. Let
not our object s as Masons Iall bel ow thei rs. We use t he symbols which
t hey used; and teach the same great cardinal doctrines t hat they
t aught , oI the exi stence oI an intel lect ual God, and t he i mmortal ity oI
t he soul oI man. II t he detai ls oI thei r doct ri nes as to the soul seem t o
us to verge on absurdity, let us compare them wit h t he common not i ons
oI our own day, and be si lent. II i t seems t o us t hat they regarded the
symbol i n some cases as the thing symbol ized, and worshi pped the
sign as iI it were i tsel I Deity, l et us reIlect how i nsuIIici ent are our own
i deas oI Deity, and how we worship those i deas and i mages Iormed
and Iashi oned in our own minds, and not t he Deity Hi msel I: and i I we
are incli ned to smi le at the i mportance they at tached t o l ustrat ions and
Iasts, let us pause and i nquire whet her t he same weakness oI human
nature does not exi st to-day, causing ri tes and ceremoni es to be
regarded as act i vely eIIicient Ior the salvat i on oI soul s.
And l et us ever remember t he words oI an old writ er, wi th which we
conclude t hi s lect ure: "It i s a pleasure t o st and on the shore, and to see
ships t ossed upon the sea: a pleasure to stand i n t he window oI a
castl e, and see a bat tl e and t he advent ures thereoI: but no pleasure i s
comparable to t he st andi ng on t he vant age-ground oI TRUTH (a hil l not
t o be commanded, and where t he ai r is al ways cl ear and serene), and
t o see the errors and wanderi ngs, and mist s and t empest s, i n the vale
below; so al ways that thi s prospect be wi th pi ty, and not wi th swel li ng or
pri de. Cert ainly it is Heaven upon Earth to have a man' s mi nd move in
chari ty, rest in Providence, AND TURN UPON THE POLES OF
TRUTH. " MORALS and DOGMA by ALBERT PIKE
1871.
26 - Pri nce oI Mercy
XXVI. PRINCE OF MERCY, OR SCOTTISH TRINITARIAN.
WHILE you were veil ed i n darkness, you heard repeat ed by t he Voi ce oI
t he Great Past i ts most anci ent doctrines. None has the right t o object , iI
t he Chri sti an Mason sees Ioreshadowed i n Chri shna and Sosiosch, in
Mi thras and Osi ri s, the Divi ne WORD t hat, as he bel ieves, became Man,
and died upon t he cross t o redeem a Iall en race. Nor can he obj ect i I
others see reproduced, in the WORD oI t he bel oved Disci ple, t hat was i n
t he beginning wi th God, and t hat was God, and by Whom everythi ng was
made, only t he LOGOS oI Plat o, and the WORD or Ut tered THOUGHT or
Iirst Emanat ion oI LIGHT, or t he PerIect REASON oI t he Great, Sil ent ,
Supreme, Uncreated Dei ty, bel ieved in and adored by all .
We do not undervalue t he i mport ance oI any Truth. We utt er no word that
can be deemed irreverent by any one oI any Iait h. We do not t ell t he
Mosl em that i t is only i mportant Ior hi m to bel ieve that t here i s but one
God, and whol ly unessenti al whet her Mahomet was His prophet. We do
not tel l the Hebrew t hat the Messiah whom he expects was born in
Bethlehem nearly t wo t housand years ago; and t hat he i s a hereti c
because he wi l l not so bel ieve. And as li tt le do we t ell t he si ncere
Chri sti an t hat Jesus oI Nazaret h was but a man l ike us, or Hi s hi story but
t he unreal revi val oI an older legend. To do ei ther i s beyond our
j urisdi ct i on. Masonry, oI no one age, belongs to al l ti me; oI no one
reli gion, it Ii nds it s great truths i n al l.
To every Mason, t here is a GOD; ONE, Supreme, InIi ni te in Goodness,
Wisdom, Foresi ght , j ust ice, and Benevol ence; Creat or, Disposer, and
Preserver oI al l thi ngs. How, or by what intermediates He creates and
act s, and i n what way He unIol ds and maniIests Hi mselI, Masonry leaves
t o creeds and Rel igi ons to i nqui re.
To every Mason, t he soul oI man i s i mmort al. Whether it
emanates Irom and wi ll ret urn t o God, and what i ts cont inued mode oI
exist ence hereaIter, each j udges Ior hi msel I. Masonry was not made to
set tle that.
To every Mason, WISDOM or INTELLIGENCE, FORCE or STRENGTH,
and HARMONY, or FITNESS and BEAUTY, are the Trinity oI t he
at tributes oI God. Wi th t he subt l eti es oI Phi losophy concerni ng them
Masonry does not meddl e, nor deci de as t o the real i ty oI t he supposed
Exi stences which are t hei r Personi Ii cati ons: nor whet her t he Chri st i an
Trinity be such a personi Ii cati on, or a Reali ty oI t he gravest i mport and
signiIicance.
To every Mason, t he InIini t e j ust i ce and Benevol ence oI God gi ve ample
assurance t hat Evi l wil l ult i mat ely be det hroned, and t he Good, t he True,
and t he Beaut iIul reign triumphant and eternal . It teaches, as i t Ieel s and
knows, t hat Evil , and Pai n, and Sorrow exist as part oI a wi se and
beneIi cent pl an, all t he parts oI whi ch work t oget her under God' s eye to a
result which shal l be perIect ion. Whet her t he exi st ence oI evi l i s rightly
expl ained i n t hi s creed or i n t hat , by Typhon t he Great Serpent, by
Ahri man and hi s Armi es oI Wi cked Spiri ts, by the Giants and Ti t ans t hat
war agai nst Heaven, by the two co-existent Pri nci ples oI Good and Evi l,
by Satan' s tempt at i on and the Ial l oI Man, by Lok and t he Serpent Fenri s,
i t i s beyond t he domai n oI Masonry t o decide, nor does it need to i nqui re.
Nor is i t wit hi n it s Provi nce to det ermi ne how t he ult i mat e t riumph oI
Light
and Trut h and Good, over Darkness and Error and Evi l, is to be achieved;
nor whet her the Redeemer, l ooked and l onged Ior by all nat i ons, hath
appeared in Judea, or i s yet to come.
It reverences all the great reIormers. It sees i n Moses, t he Lawgi ver oI t he
Jews, i n ConIuci us and Zoroast er, in Jesus oI Nazareth, and i n t he
Arabi an Iconoclast , Great Teachers oI Morali ty, and Eminent ReIormers,
i I
no more: and al lows every brother oI t he Order t o assi gn t o each such
higher and even Di vine Character as his Creed and Truth requi re.
Thus Masonry di sbel ieves no trut h, and teaches unbeli eI in no creed,
except so Iar as such creed may lower it s l oIty est i mate oI the Dei ty,
degrade Hi m t o t he l evel oI t he passi ons oI humanity, deny t he high
dest iny oI man, i mpugn t he goodness and benevolence oI t he Supreme
God, strike at those great columns oI Masonry, Fai t h, Hope, and Charity,
or i ncul cate i mmoral i ty, and di sregard oI t he acti ve duti es oI t he Order.
Masonry i s a worshi p; but one i n which al l ci vi li zed men can uni te; Ior it
does not undertake t o expl ain or dogmat ical ly to sett le those great
mysteries, that are above the Ieebl e comprehensi on oI our human
i ntell ect. It t rusts i n God, and HOPES; i t BELIEVES, li ke a chi l d, and i s
humble. It draws no sword t o compel others t o adopt i ts bel ieI, or t o be
happy wit h it s hopes. Ari d it WAITS wi th pat ience to underst and the
mysteries oI Nature and Nature' s God hereaIter.
The greatest mysteries in the Uni verse are those whi ch are ever going on
around us; so t ri t e and common to us that we never note them nor reIlect
upon them. Wise men tel l us oI t he laws t hat regulat e t he moti ons oI t he
spheres, whi ch, Il ashi ng i n huge ci rcl es and spi nni ng on t hei r axes, are
al so ever dart ing wi th inconcei vabl e rapidi ty t hrough the i nIi ni ti es oI
Space; whi le we at oms si t here, and dream t hat al l was made Ior us. They
t ell us learnedly oI centripetal and centri Iugal Iorces, gravity and
at tracti on, and all t he other sounding terms invented t o hide a want oI
meani ng. There are other Iorces in the Uni verse t han those that are
mechani cal.
Here are two minute seeds, not much unl ike in appearance, and two oI
l arger si ze. Hand them t o the learned Pundi t, Chemi st ry, who tel l s us how
combusti on goes on i n t he lungs, and plant s are Ied wi th phosphorus and
carbon, and t he al kal ies and si lex. Let her decompose t hem, analyze
t hem, t ort ure t hem in al l the ways she knows. The net result oI each is a
l it tl e sugar, a l it t l e Iibri n, a li tt le water - carbon, potassi um, sodi um, and
t he l ike - one cares not to know what .
We hide t hem in the ground: and the sli ght rai ns moi sten t hem, and the
Sun shi nes upon t hem, and li t tle sl ender shoots spri ng up and grow; - and
what a mi racl e i s the mere growt h! - the Iorce, the power, t he capacity by
which the li tt le Ieeble shoot , that a smal l worm can ni p oII wi th a si ngle
snap oI i ts mandibl es, ext ract s Irom t he earth and air and wat er the
diIIerent element s, so learnedly cat alogued, wi th whi ch i t increases i n
st ature, and ri ses i mpercepti bly t oward t he sky.
One grows t o be a sl ender, Iragil e, Ieebl e st al k, soIt oI texture, li ke an
ordi nary weed; anot her a strong bush, oI woody Ii bre, armed wi t h t horns,
and st urdy enough to bi d deIi ance t o the winds : t he t hird a t ender t ree,
subject t o be bl ighted by the Irost, and l ooked down upon by al l the
Iorest;
whil e another spreads it s
rugged arms abroad, and cares Ior nei ther Irost nor i ce, nor the snows t hat
Ior mont hs l ie around it s root s.
But l o! out oI the brown Ioul eart h, and col orl ess i nvi sible ai r, and l i mpi d
rain-wat er, t he chemi st ry oI t he seeds has extracted col ors - Iour di IIerent
shades oI green, that pai nt t he l eaves whi ch put Iorth i n t he spri ng upon
our
plant s, our shrubs, and our trees. Later st il l come the Il owers - t he vivi d
colors oI t he rose, the beauti Iul bri ll iance oI t he carnati on, t he modest
blush
oI t he appl e, and t he splendi d whi te oI the orange. Whence come t he
colors
oI t he leaves and Il owers? By what process oI chemi st ry are they
extracted
Irom the carbon, the phosphorus, and t he l i me? Is it any great er miracl e
t o
make somet hing out oI not hi ng?
Pluck t he Il owers. Inhal e t he deli ci ous perIumes; each perIect , and all
delicious. Whence have they come? By what combi nati on oI aci ds and
al kal ies coul d t he chemist ' s l aboratory produce them?
And now on two comes the Irui t - the ruddy appl e and t he golden orange.
Pluck t hem - open t hem! The text ure and Iabri c how t ot al ly di IIerent! The
t aste how enti rely dissi mi lar - the perIume oI each disti nct Irom i ts
Ilower
and Irom t he other. Whence the tast e and t his new perIume? The same
earth and air and water have been made t o Iurni sh a diIIerent t aste to each
Iruit , a diIIerent perIume not only t o each Irui t, but t o each Irui t and i t s
own
Ilower.
Is i t any more a problem whence come t hought and wil l and percepti on
and
al l the phenomena oI t he mi nd, than t hi s, whence come t he colors, the
perIumes, the tast e, oI the Irui t and Il ower?
And l o! i n each Irui t new seeds, each giIted wit h the same wondrous
power
oI reproducti on - each wi th the same wondrous Iorces wrapped up in it t o
be agai n in t urn evolved. Forces that had l ived t hree t housand years i n t he
grain oI wheat Iound i n the wrappi ngs oI an Egypt ian mummy; Iorces oI
which learni ng and sci ence and wi sdom know no more t han they do oI t he
nature and laws oI acti on oI God. What can we know oI t he nat ure, and
how can we understand t he powers and mode oI operati on oI the human
soul, when t he gl ossy l eaves, the pearl-whi te Ilower, and t he golden Iruit
oI
t he orange are miracles whol ly beyond our comprehensi on?
We but hide our ignorance i n a cl oud oI words; - and the words t oo oIten
are
mere combi nat ions oI sounds wi thout any meani ng.
What i s the centri Iugal Iorce? A t endency to go in a part i cul ar directi on!
What
external "Iorce, " then, produces t hat tendency?
What Iorce draws the needl e round t o t he north? What Iorce moves t he
muscle
t hat rai ses t he arm, when the wi ll det ermines it shall rise? Whence comes
t he
wi ll i tsel I? Is i t spontaneous - a Iirst cause, or an eIIect ? These too are
miracles;
i nexpl icabl e as t he creati on, or t he exi stence and sel I-exist ence oI God.
Who wil l explai n t o us t he passi on, t he peevi shness, the anger, t he
memory, and
aIIect ions oI the smal l canary-wren? the consci ousness oI i dent i ty and t he
dreams oI the dog? the reasoning powers oI the elephant ? the wondrous
i nst inct s, passions, government , and civi l policy, and modes oI
communi cati on oI
i deas oI t he ant and bee?
Who has yet made us to underst and, wi th all his l earned words, how heat
comes
t o us Irom t he Sun, and l ight Irom the remot e St ars, set ti ng out upon it s
j ourney
earth-ward Irom some, at the ti me the Chal deans commenced to buil d t he
Tower
oI Babel ? Or how t he i mage oI an external obj ect comes t o and Ii xes i t sel I
upon
t he reti na oI the eye; and when there, how that mere empty, unsubstant ial
i mage
becomes transmuted into the wondrous thi ng that we call SIGHT? Or how
t he
waves oI t he at mosphere striking upon the tympanum oI the ear - those
t hi n,
i nvi sible waves - produce t he equally wondrous phenomenon oI
HEARING, and
become the roar oI the tornado, the crash oI t he t hunder, the mighty voice
oI t he
ocean, t he chirpi ng oI the cri cket, t he del icat e sweet notes and exquisi te
t ri ll s
and variat ions oI the wren and mocki ng-bird, or t he magic mel ody oI the
i nstrument oI Pagani ni ?
Our senses are myst eri es to us, and we are mysteries to ourselves.
Phi l osophy
has taught us nothi ng as t o t he nature oI our sensat ions, our percept ions,
our
cognizances, t he ori gin oI our thought s and i deas, but words. By no eIIort
or
degree oI reIl ecti on, never so l ong cont i nued, can man become consci ous
oI a
personal i denti ty i n hi msel I, separat e and dist inct Irom his body and hi s
brai n.
We tort ure ourselves in t he eIIort t o gai n an idea oI oursel ves, and weary
wi th
t he exerti on. Who has yet made us understand how, Irom the contact wi t h
a
Iorei gn body, t he i mage i n the eye, t he wave oI ai r i mpi ngi ng on t he ear,
parti cul ar particles entering the nost ri ls, and coming in contact wi th the
palate,
come sensat i ons i n the nerves, and Irom that , percepti on in the mi nd, oI
t he
ani mal or the man?
What do we know oI Substance? Men even doubt yet whether i t exi sts.
Phi l osophers t ell us that our senses make known t o us only the att ri butes
oI
substance, extensi on, hardness, col or, and the l i ke; but not t he thi ng it sel I
t hat is
extended, sol i d, black or whi te; as we know t he at tri but es oI t he Soul, it s
t hought s and it s percept ions, and not the Soul i tsel I which perceives and
t hi nks.
What a wondrous myst ery is t here i n heat and l ight, exi sti ng, we know not
how,
wi thin cert ai n l i mit s, narrow i n compari son wit h inIinity, beyond which on
every
si de stret ch out inIi ni te space and the bl ackness oI uni magi nabl e darkness,
and
t he i nt ensity oI inconcei vabl e col d! Thi nk only oI the mighty Power
requi red t o
maint ai n warmt h and light in the cent ral point oI such an i nIini ty, to
whose
darkness that oI Midnight, to whose col d that oI t he last Arcti c Isl and i s
nothing.
And yet GOD i s everywhere.
And what a mystery are the eIIects oI heat and col d upon t he wondrous
Ilui d that
we call water! What a myst ery li es hi dden i n every Il ake oI snow and i n
every
crystal oI i ce, and i n thei r Ii nal transIormati on i nto t he i nvi sible vapor
t hat rises
Irom the ocean or the land, and Il oats above the summi ts oI the
mountai ns!
What a mult i t ude oI wonders, i ndeed, has chemist ry unveil ed t o our eyes!
Thi nk
only that iI some si ngle law enacted by God were at once repealed, t hat oI
at tracti on or aIIi nity or cohesi on, Ior exampl e, t he whol e mat erial world,
wi th i t s
soli d granit e and adamant , i ts vei ns oI gol d and sil ver, it s trap and
porphyry, i t s
huge beds oI coal , our own Irames and the very ri bs and bones oI t hi s
apparently i ndest ructi ble eart h, woul d inst ant aneously dissolve, wi th all
Suns
and Stars and Worl ds t hroughout al l t he Uni verse oI God, i nt o a thi n
i nvi sible
vapor oI i nIini tely minut e parti cles or atoms, diIIused throughout inIinit e
space;
and wi th t hem li ght and heat would di sappear; unl ess the Dei ty Hi mselI
be, as
t he Anci ent Persi ans t hought , t he Eternal Light and the Immort al Fi re.
The myst eri es oI t he Great Uni verse oI God! How can we wi t h our li mi ted
mental
visi on expect t o grasp and comprehend t hem! InIi nit e SPACE, st retching
out
Irom us every way, wit hout li mi t: i nIinite TIME, wi thout begi nni ng or
end; and
WE, HERE, and NOW, in t he centre oI each! An i nIi nity oI suns, t he
nearest oI
which only di minish in si ze, viewed wi th the most powerIul tel escope:
each wit h
i ts reti nue oI worl ds; inIi ni te numbers oI such suns, so remote Irom us
t hat their
l ight woul d not reach us, journeyi ng duri ng an i nIini ty oI t i me, whil e t he
l ight t hat
has
reached us, Irom some that we seem to see, has been upon i ts journey Ior
IiIty cent uri es: our worl d spinni ng upon it s axi s, and rushing ever i n i ts
ci rcuit round t he sun; and it , t he sun, and all our system revol vi ng round
some great central poi nt ; and t hat , and suns, stars, and worl ds evermore
Ilashing onward wit h i ncredi ble rapidi ty through il l i mi table space: and
t hen, i n every drop oI wat er that we drink, in every morsel oI much oI our
Iood, i n t he air, in t he earth, i n t he sea, incredibl e mult i tudes oI l iving
creatures, invisi ble to t he naked eye, oI a minut eness beyond bel ieI, yet
organi zed, l i ving, Ieeding, perhaps wi t h consci ousness oI i dent ity, and
memory and inst inct.
Such are some oI the mysteries oI the great Uni verse oI God. And yet we,
whose l i Ie and t hat oI the worl d on which we l ive Iorm but a point i n the
cent re oI inIi ni te Ti me: we, who nouri sh ani mal cul wit hi n, and on whom
veget abl es grow wi t hout , woul d Iai n l earn how God creat ed thi s Uni verse,
woul d understand Hi s Powers, Hi s At tribut es, His Emanat ions, His Mode
oI Exi st ence and oI Act ion; would Iai n know the pl an according to whi ch
al l event s proceed, that plan proIound as God Hi mselI; would know t he
l aws by whi ch He controls His Uni verse; would Iai n see and tal k to Hi m
Iace to Iace, as man t al ks t o man: and we t ry not t o bel i eve, because we
do not underst and.
He commands us t o love one another, t o l ove our neighbor as oursel I;
and we di spute and wrangle, and hate and slay each ot her, because we
cannot be oI one opi ni on as t o t he Essence oI His Nature, as to Hi s
At tri but es; whether He became man born oI a woman, and was cruci Ii ed;
whether t he Holy Ghost is oI the same substance wit h the Fat her, or only
oI a si mil ar subst ance; whet her a Ieeble old man i s God' s Vi cegerent ;
whether some are elect ed Irom all et erni ty to be saved, and ot hers to be
condemned and punished; whet her punishment oI t he wi cked aIt er death
i s t o be eternal ; whether thi s doctrine or t he other be heresy or t ruth; -
drenching the worl d wi th bl ood, depopulati ng real ms, and t urning Iert ile
l ands int o desert s; unt il , Ior reli gious war, persecuti on, and bloodshed,
t he
Eart h Ior many a cent ury has rol led round t he Sun, a charnel-house,
st eaming and reeking wi t h human gore, t he bl ood oI brother sl ain by
brot her Ior opi ni on' s sake, that has soaked i nto and poll uted al l her vei ns,
and made her a horror to her si st ers oI the Uni verse.
And i I men were al l Masons, and obeyed wit h al l thei r heart
her mil d and gentl e, t eachi ngs, that worl d woul d be a paradi se; whi le
i nt olerance and persecut ion make oI i t a hel l . For this is t he Masonic
Creed: BELIEVE, i n God' s InIi ni te Benevol ence, Wi sdom, and Just ice:
HOPE, Ior t he Ii nal triumph oI Good over Evi l, and Ior PerIect Harmony
as
t he Iinal resul t oI all t he concords and di scords oI the Uni verse: and be
CHARITABLE as God i s, t oward the unIait h, the errors, t he Iol li es, and
t he Iaul ts oI men: Ior al l make one great brotherhood.
INSTRUCTION.
Sen. . W. . Brot her Juni or Warden, are you a Pri nce oI Mercy?
Jun. . W. . I have seen t he Del ta and the Holy NAMES upon it , and am an
AMETH l ike yoursel I, in t he TRIPLE COVENANT, OI whi ch we bear the
mark.
Qu. . What is the Ii rst Word upon the Del t a?
Ans. . The IneIIable Name oI Dei ty, t he true mystery oI which i s known to
t he Amet h alone.
Qu. . What do the three si des oI the Delt a denote to us?
Ans. . To us, and to all Masons, t he t hree Great At tri butes or
Devel opment s oI the Essence oI t he Dei ty; WISDOM, or t he ReIlect ive
and Designing Power, in which, when t here was naught but God, the Pl an
and Idea oI the Uni verse was shaped and Formed: FORCE, or t he
Executi ng and Creat ing Power, which i nstantaneously acti ng, real ized t he
Type and Idea Iramed by Wisdom; and t he Uni verse, and all Stars and
Worl ds, and Light and Li Ie, and Men and Angel s and all l iving creat ures
WERE; and HARMONY, or t he Preservi ng Power, Order, and Beauty,
maint ai ning t he Universe i n i ts St ate, and const i tut ing t he l aw oI
Harmony,
Moti on, Proporti on, and Progression: - WISDOM, which thought the plan;
STRENGTH, which creat ed: HARMONY, which uphol ds and preserves:-
t he Masonic Trini ty, three Powers and one Essence: the t hree col umns
which support the Uni verse, Physi cal, Intel lect ual , and Spiri tual, oI
which
every Masonic Lodge is a type and symbol :- whi le to the Chri stian
Mason,
t hey represent the Three that bear record in Heaven, t he FATHER
WORD, and the HOLY SPIRIT, which t hree are ONE.
Qu. . What do the three Greek let ters upon the Del t a, I. .H. . . . |Iota, Eta,
and Sigma| represent ?
Ans. . Three oI t he Names oI t he Supreme Dei ty among t he Syrians.
Phonici ans and Hebrews.. IHUH | | SelI-Ex
i stence . . . AL | | t he Nat ure-God, or Soul oI t he Uni verse. . . SHADAI
| | Supreme Power. Al so t hree oI t he Si x ChieI At tributes oI God,
among the Kabbal ist s:- WISDOM |IEH|, the Intell ect, ( ) oI the
Egypt ians, t he Word ( ) oI t he Platoni st s, and t he Wi sdom ( ) oI t he
Gnost ics: MAGNIFICENCE |AL|, the Symbol oI whi ch was the Li on' s
Head: and VICTORY and GLORY |Tsabaot h|, whi ch are t he t wo columns
JACHIN and BOAZ, t hat stand i n t he Port ico oI t he Temple oI Masonry.
To the Christ ian Mason they are the Iirst t hree l et ters oI the name oI the
Son oI God, Who died upon t he cross t o redeem manki nd.
Qu. . What is the Ii rst oI t he THREE COVENANTS, oI which we bear t he
mark?
Ans. . That which God made wi th Noah; when He said, "I wil l not agai n
curse t he earth any more Ior man' s sake, nei ther wil l I smi t e any more
everyt hi ng l iving as I have done. Whi le the Earth remai neth, seed-t i me
and harvest , and cold and heat, and Wi nter and Summer, and day and
night shal l not cease. I wi l l est abl i sh My covenant wi t h you, and wi th
your
seed aIt er you, and wit h every li vi ng creature. All mankind shall no more
be cut oII by the waters oI a Il ood, nor shal l there any more be a Il ood to
dest roy t he earth. This i s t he t oken oI My covenant: I do set My bow i n
t he
cl oud, and i t shall be Ior a token oI a covenant bet ween Me and the eart h:
an everlast ing covenant between Me and every l ivi ng creat ure on the
earth."
Qu. . What is the second oI the Three Covenant s?
Ans. . That which God made wi th Abraham; when He sai d, "I am the
Absol ute Uncreat ed God. I wi l l make My covenant between Me and t hee,
and t hou shal t be t he Father oI Many Nat i ons, and Kings shall come Irom
t hy loi ns. I wi ll est abl i sh My covenant bet ween Me and t hee, and thy
descendant s aIter thee, t o t he remotest generati ons, Ior an everl asti ng
covenant ; and I wil l be t hy God and their God, and wil l give thee t he land
oI Canaan Ior an everl asti ng possession. "
Qu. . What is the t hird Covenant ?
Ans. . That which God made wi th all men by Hi s prophets; when He sai d:
"I wil l gather al l nat i ons and tongues, and they shal l come and see My
Gl ory. I wi ll create new Heavens and a new eart h; and t he Iormer shal l
not
be remembered, nor come int o mi nd. The Sun shall no more shine by
day, nor t he Moon by night ; but the Lord shall be an everlast ing li ght and
splendor,
Hi s Spi ri t and Hi s Word shal l remain wi th men Iorever. The heavens shal l
vanish away l ike vapor, and the eart h shall wax ol d li ke a garment, and
t hey that dwell therei n shall di e; but my sal vati on shal l be Iorever, and
my
righteousness shal l not end; and there shal l be Light among t he Genti les,
and sal vati on unto the ends oI t he eart h. The redeemed oI the Lord shal l
return, and everlast i ng joy be on their heads, and sorrow and mourni ng
shal l Il ee away. "
Qu. . What is the symbol oI the Tri ple Covenant ?
Ans. . The Tri pl e Triangle.
Qu. . OI what el se is it t he symbol t o us?
Ans. . OI the Tri ni ty oI At tri butes oI t he Dei ty; and oI t he tripl e essence
oI
Man, t he Princi pl e oI LiIe, the Int el lect ual Power, and the Soul or
Immort al
Emanati on Irom t he Dei ty.
Qu. . What is the Ii rst great Trut h oI the Sacred Mysteries?
Ans. . No man hat h seen God at any ti me. He i s One, Eternal , All -
PowerIul , All -Wi se, InIinit ely just , MerciIul , Benevolent, and
Compassi onat e, Creat or and Preserver oI all t hi ngs, t he Source oI Light
and Li Ie, coextensi ve wi t h Ti me and Space; Who t hought , and wi th t he
Thought creat ed the Uni verse and all li vi ng thi ngs, and the soul s oI men:
THAT IS: - t he PERMANENT; whi le everythi ng besi de i s a perpetual
genesi s.
Qu. . ' "That i s t he second great Truth oI t he Sacred Mysteries?
Ans. . The Soul oI Man is Immortal ; not t he resul t oI organi zat i on, nor an
aggregat e oI modes oI acti on oI mat t er, nor a succession oI phenomena
and percept ions; but an EXISTENCE, one and i dent ical , a li vi ng spirit , a
spark oI the Great Cent ral Light , that hath entered inIo and dwel ls i n the
body; t o be separated thereIrom at deat h, and ret urn t o God who gave i t:
t hat doth not disperse nor vani sh at deat h, li ke breat h or a smoke, nor can
be anni hi lat ed; but st il l exi st s and possesses act i vity and i ntel li gence,
even as i t exi sted in God, beIore it was envel oped i n the body.
Qu. . What is the t hird great Truth in Masonry?
Ans. . The i mpul se whi ch directs t o ri ght conduct , and deters Irom cri me,
i s not only older t han the ages oI nat ions and ci ti es, but coeval wi th t hat
Di vi ne Bei ng Who sees and rules both Heaven and eart h. Nor di d Tarqui n
l ess vi ol at e t hat Eternal Law, t hough i n his reign t here mi ght have been
no writ ten law at Rome against such violence; Ior the principle t hat
i mpels
us to right conduct , and warns us agai nst gui lt , spri ngs out oI the nat ure
oI t hi ngs. It did not begin to be law when it was Iirst wri tt en, nor
was it origi nated; but i t is coeval wit h the Di vine Int elli gence it sel I. The
consequence oI vi rt ue i s not to be made the end thereoI ; and laudable
perIormances must have deeper root s, mot ives, and i nst igati ons, t o give
t hem the stamp oI vi rt ues.
Qu. . What is the Iourt h great Truth i n Masonry?
Ans. . The moral trut hs are as absol ute as the metaphysi cal trut hs. Even
t he Dei ty cannot make it t hat there shoul d be eIIect s wi t hout a cause, or
phenomena wit hout substance. As li tt le coul d he make it t o be si nIul and
evil to respect our pl edged word, to love t ruth, t o moderat e our passions.
The pri nci ples oI Moral i ty are axi oms, l ike the principles oI Geomet ry.
The
moral l aws are t he necessary relat ions t hat Il ow Irom the nat ure oI t hings,
and t hey are not created by, but have exist ed et ernally i n God. Thei r
conti nued exist ence does not depend upon the exerci se oI Hi s WILL.
Trut h and Justi ce are oI Hi s ESSENCE. Not because we are Ieeble and
God omni potent, is it our duty t o obey His l aw. We may be Iorced, but are
not under obl igat ion, to obey the stronger. God i s t he pri nci pl e oI
Moral ity,
but not by Hi s mere wi ll , whi ch, abstracted Irom al l other oI His
at tributes,
woul d be nei ther j ust nor unj ust . Good i s t he expressi on oI His wil l, in so
Iar as that wil l is i t sel I t he expressi on oI eternal , absolute, uncreated
j ust ice, which i s i n God, whi ch Hi s wi ll did not creat e; but which i t
execut es and promulgat es, as our wi l l procl ai ms and promulgat es and
execut es the idea oI t he good which i s i n us. He has gi ven us t he l aw oI
Trut h and j ust i ce; but He has not arbit rarily i nst i t uted t hat law. justice is
i nherent i n Hi s wi ll , because i t is cont ai ned i n Hi s i ntel li gence and
wi sdom, in Hi s very nat ure and most int i mate essence.
Qu. . What is the Ii It h great Truth i n Masonry?
Ans. . There is an essent ial dist inct ion between Good and Evi l, what i s
j ust and what i s unj ust ; and to this dist incti on is attached, Ior every
i ntell igent and Iree creature, the absol ut e obli gati on oI conIormi ng to
what
i s good and j ust . Man is an i ntell igent and Iree being, - Iree, because he
i s
conscious t hat it i s hi s duty, and because i t is made his duty, t o obey t he
dictates oI t rut h and j usti ce, and t hereIore he must necessari ly have t he
power oI doing so, whi ch i nvolves the power oI not doi ng so; - capable oI
comprehending the di sti nct ion between good and evi l , just i ce and
i nj usti ce, and t he obl igat ion which accompanies it , and oI nat ural ly
adheri ng t o t hat obli gati on, i ndependently oI any con-
t ract or posi t ive law; capable also oI resi sti ng the temptati ons which urge
hi m toward evi l and inj ust i ce, and oI complying wi th the sacred law oI
et ernal j ust ice.
That man i s not governed by a resi st less Fate or inexorable Dest iny; but
i s Iree t o choose between t he evil and the good: that j ust ice and Ri ght ,
t he Good and Beauti Iul , are oI the essence oI t he Divi ni ty, li ke Hi s
InIinit ude; and t hereIore t hey are laws to man: that we are consci ous oI
our Ireedom t o act , as we are consci ous oI our identi ty, and the
conti nuance and connectedness oI our exi stence; and have t he same
evidence oI one as oI t he other; and i I we can put one in doubt , we have
no certai nty oI ei ther, and everythi ng is unreal : t hat we can deny our Iree
wi ll and Iree agency, only upon t he ground that t hey are i n t he nature oI
t hi ngs i mpossibl e; whi ch woul d be t o deny t he Omni potence oI God.
Qu. . What is the si xth great Trut h oI Masonry?
Ans. . The necessity oI practi sing t he moral t ruths, i s obli gati on. The
moral t ruths, necessary i n t he eye oI reason, are obl igat ory on the wi ll .
The moral obl igat ion, li ke t he moral trut h t hat i s it s Ioundati on, i s
absol ute.
As t he necessary trut hs are not more or l ess necessary, so the obl igat ion
i s not more or l ess obli gatory. There are degrees oI i mport ance among
diIIerent obligati ons; but none in t he obli gati on it selI. We are not nearly
obli ged, al most obliged. We are wholly so, or not at al l . II t here be any
place oI reIuge to which we can escape Irom t he obl igat ion, i t ceases to
exist . II t he obl igati on is absol ut e, i t is i mmut abl e and universal. For iI
t hat
oI t o-day may not be that oI to-morrow, iI what i s obli gatory on me may
not
be obligat ory on you, the obligati on woul d diIIer Irom it sel I, and be
variable and cont ingent. Thi s Iact i s t he pri nciple oI all moral ity. That
every act contrary to right and j usti ce, deserves to be repressed by Iorce,
and puni shed when commi t ted, equal ly in the absence oI any law or
contract: t hat man nat ural ly recogni zes t he dist inct i on bet ween the meri t
and demeri t oI acti ons, as he does that bet ween j usti ce and i njusti ce,
honesty and di shonesty; and Ieels, wit hout bei ng t aught , and i n the
absence oI law or contract, t hat it i s wrong Ior vice t o be rewarded or go
unpunished, and Ior virtue to be punished or l eIt unrewarded: and t hat ,
t he Dei ty bei ng i nIi nitely just and good, it must Ioll ow as a necessary and
i nIlexi ble law t hat puni shment shall be the result oI Si n, it s inevit abl e
and
natural eIIect and coroll ary, and not a mere arbi trary vengeance.
Qu. . What is the sevent h great Truth in Masonry?
Ans. . The i mmut abl e law oI God requi res, t hat besi des respect i ng t he
absol ute rights oI ot hers, and bei ng merely j ust , we should do good, be
chari tabl e, and obey t he dict ates oI the generous and nobl e sent i ment s oI
t he soul. Chari ty is a law, because our consci ence i s not sat i sIied nor at
ease i I we have not rel ieved the suIIeri ng, the dist ressed, and t he
dest it ut e. It i s to gi ve t hat whi ch he t o whom you gi ve has no right to take
or demand. To be chari t able is obl igat ory on us. We are t he Al moners oI
God' s bount i es. But t he obl igati on i s not so precise and i nIlexible as the
obli gati on to be just . Chari ty knows neit her rule nor l i mit . It goes beyond
al l obl igat ion. Its beauty consi sts i n it s li berty. "He that l ovet h not ,
knowet h
not God; FOR GOD IS LOVE. II we love one another, God dwel let h in us,
and Hi s l ove i s perIected in us. God is love; and he t hat dwel l et h in love,
dwell eth in God, and God in hi m. " To be kindly aIIect i oned one t o
another
wi th brot herly love; t o rel ieve the necessi ties oI t he needy, and be
generous, l iberal , and hospi tabl e; to ret urn t o no man evi l Ior evi l ; to
rejoi ce at t he good Iortune oI others, and sympathize wit h them i n t hei r
sorrows and reverses; t o l ive peaceably wit h al l men, and repay i nj uri es
wi th beneIi ts and kindness; these are the subl i me dictates oI the Moral
Law, taught Irom the inIancy oI t he worl d, by Masonry.
Qu. . What is the eight h great Trut h i n Masonry?
Ans. . That t he l aw which cont rol and regul at e the Uni verse oI God, are
t hose oI moti on and harmony. We see only the isol ated, i nci dent s oI
t hi ngs, and wit h our Ieeble and l i mit ed capacity and, visi on cannot
discern
t heir connect ion, nor t he mighty chords, that make t he apparent di scord
perIect harmony. Evil i s merely apparent , and al l is in real i ty good and
perIect . For pai n and sorrow, persecuti on and hardships, aIIlicti on and
dest it ut ion, sickness and deat h are but the means, by whi ch al one the
nobl est, vi rt ues could be devel oped. Wi thout t hem, and wi thout si n and
error, and wrong and out rage, as t here can be no eIIect wi t hout an
adequat e cause, there coul d be neit her pat ience under suIIering and
distress; nor prudence i n diIIicul ty; nor temperance t o avoi d excess; nor
courage to meet danger; nor t ruth, when t o speak t he truth i s hazardous;
nor love, when it i s met wi th i ngrat it ude; nor charity Ior the needy and
dest it ut e; nor Iorbearance and Iorgi veness oI injuries; nor tolerati on oI
erroneous opi ni ons; nor charitable judgment and construct ion oI men' s
mot ives and
act ions; nor pat riot ism, nor heroi sm, nor honor, nor selI-denial , nor
generosi ty. These and most other virt ues and excel lencies woul d have no
exist ence, and even thei r names be unknown; and t he poor virtues that
st il l exi sted, woul d scarce deserve t he name; Ior li Ie woul d be one Il at,
dead, l ow level , above whi ch none oI the l oIty el ements oI human nat ure
woul d emerge; and man would l ie lapped i n cont ented i ndolence and
i dleness, a mere worthless negati ve, inst ead oI the brave, st rong soldier
agai nst the gri m legi ons oI Evi l and rude DiIIi cul ty.
Qu. . What is the ni nth great Trut h in Masonry?
Ans. . The great leadi ng doct ri ne oI thi s Degree;- t hat the JUSTICE, t he
WISDOM, and the MERCY oI God are al i ke i nIinit e, al i ke perIect , and
yet
do not in t he l east j ar nor conIl ict one wi th the ot her; but Iorm a Great
PerIect Trini ty oI At t ribut es, three and yet one: that, the principl e oI
meri t
and demeri t bei ng absol ute, and every good act ion deservi ng t o be
rewarded, and every bad one to be puni shed, and God bei ng as just as
He is good; and yet t he cases const ant ly recurring i n t hi s world, i n whi ch
cri me and cruelty, oppression, tyranny, and inj ust ice are prosperous,
happy, Iort unate, and sel I-cont ented, and rul e and reign, and enj oy all the
blessings oI God' s beneIi cence, whi le the virt uous and good are
unIort unat e, mi serabl e, desti tut e, pi ni ng away in dungeons, perishi ng wit h
cold, and Iamishi ng wi th hunger, sl aves oI oppression, and inst ruments
and vict i ms oI t he mi screants that govern; so t hat this world, i I t here
were
no exist ence beyond i t, would be one great theat re oI wrong and i nj ust ice,
provi ng God wholly disregardIul oI Hi s own necessary l aw oI meri t and
demerit ; - i t Iol l ows t hat t here must be another l i Ie i n which these
apparent
wrongs shall be repaired: That al l t he powers oI man' s soul tend t o
i nIi nity; and his indomit able insti nct oI i mmortal ity, and the uni versal
hope
oI anot her li Ie, test iIied by all creeds, al l poet ry, al l t radit ions, est abl ish
i ts
certai nty; Ior man i s not an orphan; but hath a Father near at hand: and
t he day must come when Light and Truth, and t he j ust and Good shall be
vict ori ous, and Darkness, Error, Wrong, and Evi l be annihil ated, and
known no more Iorever: That the Uni verse is one great Harmony, i n
which, accordi ng t o the Iai th oI al l nati ons, deep-root ed i n all heart s i n
t he
pri mi ti ve ages, Light wil l ult i mately prevai l over Darkness, and the Good
Princi pl e over t he Evi l : and the myriad souls t hat have emanat ed Irom the
Di vi ni ty, puri Iied and ennobl ed by t he st ruggle
here below, wi ll again ret urn t o perIect bl iss i n the bosom oI God, t o
oIIend
agai nst Whose laws wi ll t hen be no l onger possibl e.
Qu. . What , t hen, is t he one great lesson t aught t o us, as Masons, in this
Degree?
Ans. . That t o t hat stat e and real m oI Light and Trut h and PerIecti on,
which
i s absolut ely cert ain, al l the good men on earth are tending; and i I t here i s
a
l aw Irom whose operat i on none are exempt, which inevit ably conveys
t heir
bodi es to darkness and to dust, there i s another not less certai n nor l ess
powerIul , which conduct s t heir spiri t s t o t hat stat e oI Happi ness and
Spl endor and PerIect ion, the bosom oI their Fat her and thei r God. The
wheel s oI Nature are not made to roll backward. Everythi ng presses on to
Eterni ty. From the bi rt h oI Ti me an i mpet uous current has set in, which
bears al l the sons oI men toward t hat int erminabl e ocean. Meanwhil e,
Heaven i s att ract i ng t o i tsel I whatever is cogenial t o i ts nat ure, is
enriching
i tsel I by t he spoi ls oI the Eart h, and col l ect i ng wi thin it s capaci ous
bosom
whatever i s pure, permanent , and di vi ne, leavi ng not hing Ior the last Iire
t o
consume but t he gross mat ter that creates concupiscence; whil e
everyt hi ng
Iit Ior that good Iort une shal l be gathered and selected Irom t he rui ns oI
t he
worl d, to adorn that Et ernal Ci ty.
Let every Mason t hen obey the voi ce t hat call s hi m thi ther. Let us seek
t he
t hi ngs t hat are above, and be not cont ent wi t h a world that must short ly
peri sh, and which we must speedily qui t , whil e we neglect t o prepare Ior
t hat in which we are invi ted to dwel l Iorever. Whi l e everythi ng wi thin us
and
around us reminds us oI t he approach oI death, and concurs to teach us
t hat thi s is. , not our rest , let us hasten our preparat ions Ior anot her worl d,
and earnestly i mplore t hat hel p and st rength Irom our Father, which al one
can put an end to t hat Iat al war which our desires have too l ong waged
wi th
our desti ny. When t hese move in the same, di rect ion, and that which
God' s
wi ll renders unavoi dable shall become our choi ce, all things wil l be ours;
l iIe wi l l be di vested oI i ts vani ty, and deat h di sarmed oI it s terrors.
Qu. . What are t he symbols oI the puri Ii cati on necessary to make us
perIect
Masons?
Ans. . Lavat ion wi th pure water, or bapt ism; because to cleanse the body
i s
emblemati cal oI puri Iying the soul ; and because i t conduces t o t he bodi ly
heal th, and virt ue i s the heal th oI t he soul, as si n and vice are i ts malady
and si ckness:- unct ion, or anoi nt -
i ng wit h oi l ; because t hereby we are set apart and dedi cated to the
service and priest hood oI t he Beaut iIul , the True, and t he Good:- and
robes oI whi te, emblems oI candor, purity, and t ruth.
Qu. . What is to us t he chieI symbol oI man' s ult i mat e redempt i on and
regenerat ion?
Ans. . The Irat ernal supper, oI bread whi ch nouri shes, and oI wi ne which
reIreshes and exhil arates, symboli cal oI the t i me whi ch is t o come, when
al l mankind shal l be one great harmoni ous brot herhood; and teachi ng us
t hese great l essons: t hat as mat ter changes ever, but no si ngl e atom is
annihil ated, i t is not rat ional to suppose that t he Iar nobler soul does not
conti nue to exist beyond the grave: t hat many t housands who have di ed
beIore us might clai m to be joi nt owners wit h ourselves oI the parti cles
t hat compose our mort al bodies; Ior mat ter ever Iorms new combi nat ions;
and t he bodi es oI t he ancient dead, t he patri archs beIore and si nce t he
Ilood, t he ki ngs and common people oI all ages, resol ved int o their
const i tuent element s, are carried upon the wi nd over all conti nents, and
conti nually ent er int o and Iorm part oI the habitati ons oI new souls,
creati ng new bonds oI sympathy and brot herhood bet ween each man t hat
l ives and al l hi s race. And thus, in the bread we eat, and in t he wi ne we
dri nk to-ni ght may ent er int o and Iorm part oI us t he i denti cal part icl es oI
matt er that once Iormed part s oI t he materi al bodi es cal led Moses,
ConIucius, Plato, Socrates, or Jesus oI Nazareth. In the truest sense, we
eat and drink t he bodi es oI t he dead; and cannot say that there i s a si ngle
at om oI our bl ood or body, t he ownershi p oI which some ot her soul might
not di sput e wi th us. It t eaches us also the i nIi ni t e beneIicence oI God who
sends us seedti me and harvest each in i ts season, and makes Hi s
showers to Ial l and Hi s sun to shi ne al ike upon t he evi l and t he good:
best owi ng upon us unsoli cit ed His i nnumerabl e bl essings, and aski ng no
return. For t here are no angel s stat ioned upon t he wat cht owers oI
creati on to call t he worl d t o prayer and sacriIice; but He best ows His
beneIi ts in sil ence, l i ke a ki nd Iriend who comes at ni ght , and, leavi ng his
gi It s at the door, to be Iound by us in t he morning, goes quiet ly away and
asks no thanks, nor ceases hi s kind oIIices Ior our ingrat it ude. And thus
t he bread and wine teach us that our Mort al Body is no more WE than t he
house i n whi ch we li ve, or the garment s that we wear; but the Soul i s I,
t he ONE, i dent ical , unchangeable, i mmort al emanat ion Irom the Diety, t o
return to God and be Iorever happy, i n His good ti me; as our mort al
bodi es, dissol vi ng, ret urn t o t he elements Irom whi ch t hey came, their
parti cl es coi ning and goi ng ever i n perpet ual genesi s. To our Jewi sh
Bret hren, thi s supper i s symbol i cal oI t he Passover: to t he Chri sti an
Mason, oI that eaten by Chri st and Hi s Di sciples, when, celebrat ing the
Passover, He broke bread and gave it t o them, saying, "Take! eat ! thi s i s
My body:" and giving them the cup, He sai d, "Drink ye all oI i t! Ior this
i s
My blood oI t he New Testament, which is shed Ior many Ior t he remi ssion
oI si ns; " t hus symbol i zi ng the perIect harmony and union between
Hi msel I
and t he Iait hIul ; and Hi s death upon t he cross Ior t he sal vat ion oI man.
The hist ory oI Masonry is the hi story oI Phi l osophy. Masons do not
pretend to set t hemselves up Ior i nstructors oI t he human race: but ,
t hough Asi a produced and preserved t he Myst eri es, Masonry has, in
Europe and Ameri ca, given regulari ty t o t hei r doct ri nes, spirit , and
act ion,
and devel oped the moral advantages whi ch mankind may reap Irom them.
More consist ent , and more si mpl e i n i ts mode oI procedure, i t has put an
end t o t he vast al legori cal pant heon oI anci ent mythologies, and it selI
become a sci ence.
None can deny that Christ taught a l oIty morali ty. "Love one another:
Iorgive those t hat despiteIul ly use you and persecut e you: be pure oI
heart , meek, humbl e, contented: l ay not up ri ches on earth, but in
Heaven: submit t o t he powers lawIully over you: become li ke t hese l it tl e
chil dren, or ye cannot be saved, Ior oI such i s t he Ki ngdom oI Heaven:
Iorgive the repentant; and cast no stone at t he si nner, iI you t oo have
si nned: do unt o others as ye would have ot hers do unt o you:" such, and
not abstruse quest ions oI t heol ogy, were Hi s si mple and subl i me
t eachings.
The early Chri st ians Ioll owed i n Hi s Ioot steps. The Ii rst preachers oI t he
Iait h had no t hought oI domi nat ion. Ent i rely ani mated by His saying, that
he among t hem should be Iirst , who shoul d serve wi t h the greatest
devot ion, they were humbl e, modest , and chari table, and they knew how
t o communi cate t his spirit oI t he i nner man to the churches under t heir
directi on. These churches were at Ii rst but spont aneous meeti ngs oI al l
Chri sti ans i nhabit ing the same locality. A pure and severe morali ty,
mingled wit h rel igi ous ent husiasm, was the charact erist ic oI each, and
excit ed the admi rat ion even oI thei r persecutors. Everythi ng was
i n common among t hem; t hei r property, thei r joys, and t heir sorrows. In
t he si lence oI ni ght t hey met Ior i nstructi on and to pray together. Their
l ove-Ieast s, or Irat ernal repast s, ended these reuni ons, in whi ch al l
diIIerences i n social posi t ion and rank were eIIaced i n t he presence oI a
paternal Divini ty. Thei r sole obj ect was to make men better, by bri nging
t hem back to a si mpl e worship, oI which universal moral ity was t he basis;
and t o end t hose numerous and cruel sacri Ii ces whi ch everywhere
i nundated wi th bl ood t he al tars oI t he gods. Thus di d Chri st ianity reIorm
t he worl d, and obey the teachings oI it s Iounder. It gave to woman her
proper rank and inIl uence; i t regul ated domest ic l iIe; and by admi tt i ng t he
sl aves t o t he love-Ieasts, it by degrees rai sed t hem above t hat oppressi on
under which halI oI mankind had groaned Ior ages.
Thi s, i n i t s puri ty, as taught by Christ Hi msel I, was t he t rue pri mi t ive
reli gion, as communicat ed by God t o t he Pat ri archs. It was no new
reli gion, but t he reproduct i on oI the ol dest oI al l; and it s t rue and perIect
morali ty is t he moral i ty oI Masonry, as i s the morali ty oI every creed oI
anti qui ty.
In t he early days oI Chri stianity, t here was an ini t iat ion l i ke t hose oI the
pagans. Persons were admit ted on speci al condit ions only. To arrive at a
compl ete knowl edge oI t he doctrine, t hey had t o pass t hree degrees oI
i nstruct i on. The i ni t i ates were consequently di vi ded into three classes;
t he
Iirst , Audi t ors, the second, Catechumens, and the t hird, t he Fai thIul . The
Audi tors were a sort oI novi ces, who were prepared by certai n
ceremonies and certai n inst ruct i on to recei ve t he dogmas oI Chri stianity.
A porti on oI these dogmas was made known t o the Catechumens; who,
aIter parti cul ar puriIicat ions, received bapt i sm, or t he i ni ti ati on oI t he
t heogenesi s (di vine generat i on); but i n the grand myst eries oI that
reli gion, the incarnat ion, nati vi ty, passion, and resurrect ion oI Christ ,
none
were i nit i at ed but t he Fait hIul. These doctri nes, and t he cel ebrati on oI t he
Holy Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist , were kept wi t h proIound
secrecy. These Myst eri es were di vi ded int o two parts; t he Iirst styled t he
Mass oI the Catechumens; t he second, the Mass oI t he Fai t hIul . The
celebrat ion oI t he Mysteries oI Mi t hras was al so styled a mass; and t he
ceremonies used were t he same. There were Iound al l the sacraments oI
t he Cat holic Church, even t he breat h oI conIirmat ion. The Pri est oI
Mi thras promised t he Initi ates deli verance Irom si n, by means
oI conIessi on and bapt ism, and a Iuture l iIe oI happi ness or misery. He
celebrat ed the obl ati on oI bread, i mage oI t he resurrect ion. The bapti sm
oI newly-born chi ldren, extreme unct ion, conIessi on oI si ns, - al l
belonged
t o t he Mit hri ac rit es. The candi dat e was puriIied by a species oI bapt i sm,
a mark was i mpressed upon his Iorehead, he oIIered bread and water,
pronouncing cert ai n mysteri ous words.
Duri ng t he persecut ions i n the early ages oI Chri st i ani ty, the Chri st ians
t ook reIuge i n the vast catacombs whi ch st ret ched Ior mi l es i n every
directi on under t he city oI Rome, and are supposed t o have been oI
Etruscan origi n. There, ami d labyri nt hine wi ndi ngs, deep caverns, hidden
chambers, chapels, and tombs, t he persecut ed Iugi ti ves Iound reIuge,
and t here they perIormed t he ceremonies oI the Myst eri es.
The Basi l i deans, a sect oI Chri st i ans t hat arose soon aIt er the ti me oI t he
Apost les, pract i sed the Mysteries, wi th t he ol d Egypti an l egend. They
symbol i zed Osiri s by t he Sun, Isi s by the Moon, and Typhon by Scorpio;
and wore crystal s beari ng t hese emblems, as amul ets or tal i smans to
prot ect them Irom danger; upon which were also a bril li ant star and t he
serpent . They were copied Irom the tali smans oI Persia and Arabi a, and
gi ven to every candidat e, at his i ni ti ati on.
Irenaus t ell s us that the Si monians, one oI the earl i est sect s oI the
Gnost ics, had a Pri est hood oI the Mysteries.
Tertulli an tel ls us t hat the Valenti nians, t he most celebrat ed oI all t he
Gnost ic school s, i mi tat ed, or rather pervert ed, t he Mysteri es oI Eleusis.
Irenaus i nIorms us, i n several curi ous chapters, oI the Mysteries
pract ised by t he Marcosians; and Ori gen gives, much i nIormat i on as t o
t he Myst eri es oI t he Ophi t es; and there is no doubt that al l the Gnost ic
sect s had Mysteries and an i nit iat i on. They all clai med to possess a
secret doctri ne, comi ng t o them directly Irom Jesus Chri st, di IIerent Irom
t hat oI t he Gospels and Epist les, and superior to those communicat i ons,
which in t heir eyes, were merely exot eric. Thi s secret doctrine they di d
not
communi cate t o every one; and among the ext ensi ve sect oI t he
Basil i deans hardly one i n a thousand knew i t , as we learn Irom Irenaus.
We know t he name oI only t he highest cl ass oI their Ini ti ates. They were
|, and St rangers to the Worl d | styl ed Elect or El us | |.
They had at l est three Degrees - the Material , the Intel lect ual, and t he
Spi ri tual
and t he l esser and greater Myst eries; and t he number oI those who at tai ned
t he
highest Degree was quit e small .
Bapt ism was one oI thei r most i mportant ceremonies; and t he Basi l ideans
celebrat ed
t he 10t h oI January, as t he anni versary oI the day on which Chri st was
bapti zed in
Jordan.
They had the ceremony oI laying on oI hands, by way oI puri Ii cati on; and
t hat oI t he
myst i c banquet , embl em oI that to whi ch t hey beli eved the Heavenly
Wisdom would
|. one day admi t them, in the Iull ness oI thi ngs |
Thei r ceremoni es were much more li ke those oI t he Chri sti ans t han those
oI Greece;
but they mi ngl ed wit h t hem much that was borrowed Irom the Ori ent and
Egypt : and
t aught t he pri mi t i ve t ruths, mi xed wit h a mult i t ude oI Iantast ic errors and
Iict i ons.
The disci pl ine oI t he secret was the conceal ment (occul tat io) oI cert ain
t enets and
ceremonies. So says Clemens oI Alexandri a.
To avoi d persecuti on, t he early Christ ians were compel led t o use great
precaut ion,
and t o hol d meeti ngs oI t he Fait hIul |oI t he Household oI Fai th| in pri vate
places,
under conceal ment by darkness, They assembled in the ni ght , and t hey
guarded
agai nst the intrusi on oI Ial se brethren and proIane persons, spi es who
might cause
t heir arrest . They conversed t ogether Iigurat ively, and by t he use oI
symbol s, lest
cowans and eavesdroppers might overhear: and t here exi st ed among them a
Iavored
cl ass, or Order, who were init iat ed i nt o certai n Mysteries which they were
bound by
solemn promi se not t o discl ose, or even converse about , except wi th such
as had
received t hem under the same sanct ion. They were cal l ed Bret hren, t he
Fait hIul,
Stewards oI the Mysteries, Superintendent s, Devotees oI the Secret , and
ARCHITECTS.
In t he Hierarchio, at t ribut ed to St. Di onysi us the Areopagi te, t he Iirst
Bi shop oI
At hens, t he t radit ion oI t he sacrament i s sai d t o have been divi ded into
t hree
Degrees, or grades, puriIicat ion, ini t iat ion, and accompl i shment or
perIect ion; and i t
menti ons al so, as part oI the ceremony, the bringi ng to sight .
The Apost oli c Consti t uti ons, at tributed t o Cl emens, Bishop oI Rome,
describe t he
early church, and say: "These regulat ions must on no account be
communi cated to all
sort s oI persons, because oI the Myst eries cont ai ned i n them. " They speak
oI t he
Deacon' s duty to keep the doors, t hat none uninit i at ed shoul d enter at the
oblat ion.
Ost iarii , or doorkeepers, kept guard, and gave not i ce oI t he t i me oI prayer
and churchassembl ies;
and al so by private
signal, i n t i mes oI persecut i on, gave noti ce t o t hose wit hi n, toe able them
t o avoi d
danger. The Myst eries were open to t he Fidel es or Fait hIul only; and no
spect ators
were al lowed at the communion.
Tertulli an, who died about A. D. 216, says in hi s Apol ogy: "None are
admit ted t o
t he reli gious Myst eri es wi thout an oat h oI secrecy. We appeal to your
Thraci an
and Eleusini an Mysteries; and we are especially bound t o t hi s caut ion,
because iI
we prove Iait hl ess, we should not only provoke Heaven, but draw upon our
heads
t he ut most ri gor oI human di spl easure. And should strangers betray us?
They
know not hi ng but by report and hearsay. Far hence, ye ProIane! i s the
prohi bit ion
Irom all holy Mysteri es. "
Cl emens, Bi shop oI Alexandria, born about A. D. 191, says, in his
Stromata, t hat
he cannot expl ai n t he Myst eri es, because he should thereby, according to
t he old
proverb, put a sword i nto the hands oI a chil d. He Irequent ly compares
t he
Di sci pli ne oI the Secret wit h t he heathen Myst eri es, as to their internal
and
recondite wi sdom.
Whenever t he early Chri st i ans happened t o be i n company wit h st rangers,
more
properly t ermed t he ProIane, they never spoke oI thei r sacrament s, but
i ndi cated
t o one another what they meant by means oI symbol s and secret
wat chwords,
disgui sedly, and as by di rect communicat ion oI mi nd wit h mi nd, and by
enigmas.
Origen, born A. D. 134 or 135, answeri ng Cel sus, who had obj ected that
t he
Chri sti ans had a conceal ed doctrine said: "Inasmuch as t he essential and
i mport ant doct rines and principl es oI Chri sti ani ty are openly t aught , it is
Iool i sh t o
object t hat there are ot her t hi ngs t hat are recondit e; Ior thi s i s common t o
Chri sti an
disci pli ne wit h t hat oI t hose phi l osophers i n whose teachi ng some t hi ngs
were
exot eri c and some esot eri c: and it i s enough t o say that i t was so wit h
some oI the
disci ples oI Pythagoras. "
The Iormula whi ch t he pri mi ti ve church pronounced at t he moment oI
celebrat ing
i ts Mysteries, was t his: "Depart , ye ProIane! Let the Cat echumens, and
t hose who
have not been admi tt ed or init iat ed, go Iorth. "
Archelaus, Bi shop oI Cascara in Mesopotamia, who, in the year 278,
conduct ed a
controversy wit h t he Manichaeans, sai d: "These Myst eri es t he church now
communi cates t o hi m who has passed through t he int roduct ory Degree.
They are
not explai ned to the Gent il es at al l; nor are t hey t aught openly i n the
heari ng oI
Cat echumens: but much t hat is spoken is in di sgui sed terms that the
Fait hIul | |, who possess t he knowledge, may be st il l more inIormed,
and t hose who are not acquai nt ed wit h i t , may suIIer no disadvantage. "
Cyri l, Bishop oI Jerusalem, was born i n the year 315, and died in 386. In
his Cat echesi s he says: "The Lord spake i n parabl es t o His hearers in
general; but to Hi s di sciples He explai ned in privat e t he parabl es and
al legories whi ch He spoke in publ ic. The spl endor oI gl ory i s Ior t hose
who are early enli ghtened: obscuri ty and darkness are t he porti on oI the
unbel ievers and ignorant . Just so t he church discovers i ts Mysteries t o
t hose who have advanced beyond the class oI Catechumens: we employ
obscure terms wit h others. "
St. Basi l , the Great Bi shop oI Csarea, born in t he year 326, and dyi ng i n
t he year 376, says: "We receive the dogmas t ransmi tt ed t o us by writ ing,
and t hose which have descended t o us Irom t he Apostl es, beneat h t he
mystery oI oral t radit ion: Ior several things have been handed t o us
wi thout wri ti ng, lest the vulgar, too Iami liar wi t h our dogmas, should lose
a
due respect Ior t hem. . . . Thi s i s what the uni ni ti at ed are not permi tt ed to
contemplate; and how should i t ever be proper to wri te and circulat e
among the peopl e an account oI them?"
St. Gregory Nazi anzen, Bi shop oI Constanti nople, A. D. 379, says: "You
have heard as much oI t he Mystery as we are al l owed t o speak openly i n
t he ears oI al l; t he rest wil l be communicated to you i n pri vat e; and t hat
you must retai n wi thin yoursel I. .. Our Myst eri es are not t o be made
known t o st rangers. "
St. Ambrose, Archbi shop oI Mi lan, who was born i n 340, and di ed in 393,
says in hi s work De Mysteri i s: "Al l the Mystery shoul d be kept concealed,
guarded by Iai thIul si lence, lest i t should be inconsiderat ely divulged t o
t he ears oI t he ProIane . . . . . It is not gi ven to all t o contempl ate the
depths oI our Mysteries .. t hat t hey may not be seen by those who ought
not to behold t hem; nor recei ved by t hose who cannot preserve them. "
And i n anot her work: "He sins against God, who di vul ges t o t he unwort hy
t he Myst eri es conIi ded to hi m. The danger is not merely i n viol ati ng
t ruth,
but in tel li ng trut h, iI he all ow hi msel I t o gi ve hint s oI them t o t hose
Irom
whom they ought to be conceal ed Beware oI casti ng pearl s beIore swi ne!
. . . . Every Mystery ought t o be kept secret; and, as it were, t o be covered
over by si lence, l est it shoul d rashly
be di vul ged t o the ears oI the ProIane. Take heed t hat you do not
i ncaut iously reveal the Mysteries!"
St. August ine, Bi shop oI Hi ppo, who was born in 347, and died i n 430,
says
i n one oI his di scourses: "Havi ng di smi ssed the Catechumens, we have
retai ned you only t o be our hearers; because, besides t hose t hi ngs which
belong to al l Chri sti ans in common, we are now to di scourse t o you oI
subli me Mysteries, whi ch none are quali Iied to hear, but t hose who, by
t he
Master' s Iavor, are made part akers oI them.. To have taught them openly,
woul d have been to bet ray them. " And he reIers t o the Ark oI the
Covenant,
and says t hat i t si gni Ii ed a Mystery, or secret oI God, shadowed over by
t he
cherubi m oI gl ory, and honored by bei ng veil ed.
St. Chrysostom and St. August ine speak oI i nit iat i on more t han Ii Ity t i mes.
St.
Ambrose wri tes t o t hose who are init iated; and init iat i on was not merely
bapti sm, or admi ssi on int o t he church, but it reIerred to ini t iat ion i nt o the
Myst eri es. To t he bapti zed and init iat ed t he Myst eri es oI reli gion were
unvei led; t hey were kept secret Irom t he Cat echumens; who were
permi tt ed
t o hear the Scriptures read and t he ordinary di scourses deli vered, in
which
t he Myst eri es, reserved Ior the Fai thIul, were never treat ed oI. When t he
services and prayers were ended, t he Catechumens and spectators al l
wi thdrew. Chrysost om, Bi shop oI Constant i nopl e, was born in 354, and
died in 417. He
says: "I wish to speak openly: but I dare not, on account oI those who are
not
i ni t i ated. I shal l thereIore avail myselI oI disguised terms, di scoursing in
a
shadowy manner . . . . . Where t he holy Mysteri es are cel ebrated, we dri ve
away all uninit iated persons, and t hen close the doors. " He ment ions t he
accl amati ons oI t he i ni ti ated; "whi ch," he says, "I here pass over in
si lence;
Ior it i s Iorbi dden to di sclose such thi ngs to the ProIane. " Pall adi us, in hi s
l iIe
oI Chrysost om, records, as a great out rage, that, a t umult having been
excit ed agai nst hi m by hi s enemi es, t hey Iorced t hei r way i nt o t he
penetrali a,
where t he uni ni ti ated behel d what was not proper Ior them t o see; and
Chrysostom ment ions t he same circumst ance in hi s epi stl e t o Pope
Innocent .
St. Cyri l oI Al exandria, who was made Bi shop in 412, and died i n 444,
says in
his 7th Book against Jul ian: "These Mysteries are so proIound and so
exalt ed,
t hat they can be comprehended by t hose only who are enl ightened. I shal l
not, t hereIore, at tempt t o speak oI what is so admirable in t hem, lest by
discoveri ng t hem to
t he uni nit iat ed, I should oIIend agai nst t he i nj unct ion not to gi ve what i s
holy to t he i mpure, nor cast pearl s beIore such as cannot est i mat e thei r
wort h.. . I shoul d say much more, i I I were not aIrai d oI being heard by
t hose who are uni ni tiated: because men are apt to deride what t hey do
not underst and. And the ignorant, not being aware oI the weakness oI
t heir mi nds, condemn what t hey ought most to venerate."
Theodoret , Bishop oI Cyropol i s in Syria, was born in 393, and made
Bi shop in 420. In one oI his t hree Dialogues, cal led the Immutable, he
i ntroduces Orthodoxus, speaking t hus: "Answer me, iI you please, in
myst i cal or obscure terms: Ior perhaps t here are some persons present
who are not ini t iated i nt o t he Myst eri es. " And in hi s preIace t o Ezekiel ,
t raci ng up t he secret disci pl ine to t he commencement oI the Christ ian era,
he says: "These Myst eri es are so august, that we ought to keep them wit h
t he greatest caut ion. "
Mi nuci us Feli x, an emi nent l awyer oI Rome, who li ved in 212, and wrote
a
deIence oI Christ ianity, says: "Many oI them |t he Christ ians| know each
other by t okens and signs (noti s et i nsignibus), and they Iorm a Iri endshi p
Ior each other, al most beIore t hey become acquai nt ed."
The Lati n Word, t essera, origi nal ly meant a square piece oI wood or
st one, used in making tessel ated pavement s; aIterward a tabl et on whi ch
anything was writ ten, and t hen a cube or di e. Its most general use was to
desi gnat e a piece oI metal or wood, square in shape, on whi ch the
wat chword oI an Army was i nscri bed; whence t essera came t o mean t he
wat chword it selI. There was also a tessera hospi tal i s, whi ch was a pi ece
oI wood cut i nto t wo part s, as a pl edge oI Iri endship. Each party kept one
oI t he part s; and they swore mutual Ii deli ty by Jupit er. To break the
t essera was consi dered a dissol ut ion oI the Iriendshi p. The early
Chri sti ans used i t as a Mark, t he watchword oI Iri endship. Wi th them it
was general ly in the shape oI a Iish, and made oI bone. On it s Iace was
i nscribed the word , a Ii sh, the init ial s oI whi ch represent ed t he Greek
words, ; Jesus Christ , the Son oI God, t he Savi our.
St. August ine (de Fide et Svmboli s) says: "This i s t he Iait h whi ch i n a
Iew
words is given t o t he Novi ces to be kept by a symbol ; these Iew words are
known t o al l the Fait hIul ; that by bel i evi ng they may be submi ssi ve t o
God; by bei ng t hus submissi ve, they
may l ive ri ght ly; by l ivi ng rightly, t hey may puriIy t hei r heart s and wi th a
pure heart
may underst and what t hey beli eve. "
Maxi mus Tauri nus says: "The t essera i s a symbol and si gn by whi ch t o
dist inguish
between the Fai thIul and t he ProIane. "
There are three Degrees i n Bl ue Masonry; and i n addit i on t o the two words
oI t wo
syllables each, embodying the bi nary, t hree, oI t hree syl labl es each. There
were
t hree Grand Mast ers, the two Ki ngs, and Khi r-Om t he Art i Iicer. The
candidate gai ns
admi ssi on by three raps, and three raps cal l up the Bret hren. There are
t hree
pri nci pal oIIicers oI the Lodge, three l ights at t he Al tar, three gat es -oI the
Temple,
al l in the East, West, and Sout h. The three l ight s represent the Sun, the
Moon, and
Mercury; Osiris, Isis, and Horus; the Fat her, t he Mother, and t he Chil d;
Wisdom,
Strengt h, and Beauty; Hakamah, Binah, and Daat h; Gedulah, Geburah, nd
Teparet h. The candi dat e makes t hree circuit s oI t he Lodge: there were
t hree
assassins oI Khir-Om, and he was slai n by t hree bl ows whil e seeki ng t o
escape by
t he t hree gates oI the Temple. The ej acul ati on at his grave was repeated
t hree
t i mes. There are t hree* di vi si ons oI t he Templ e, and three, Iive, and seven
Steps. A
Master works wi th Chal k, Charcoal , and a vessel oI Cl ay; t here are -. hree
movable
and t hree i mmovabl e jewels. The Tri angle appears among t he Symbols: the
t wo
paral lel li nes enclosi ng the circle are connected at top, as are the Col umns
Jachin
and Boaz, symbol i zing the equil ibri um whi ch expl ains t he great Myst eri es
oI Nature.
Thi s conti nual reproducti on oI the number t hree is not acci dental, nor
wi thout a
proIound meani ng: and we shall Ii nd t he same repeated in all t he Anci ent
phil osophi es.
The Egypti an Gods Iormed Triads, t he t hi rd member i n each proceedi ng
Irom the
other t wo. Thus we have t he Tri ad oI Thebes, Amun, Maut , and Kharso;
t hat oI
Phi lae, Osiri s, Isis, and Horus; t hat oI Elephanti ne and the Cataracts,
Neph, Sat e,
and Anouke.
Osi ri s, Isi s, and Horus were the Fat her, Mot her, and Son; t he lat ter bei ng
Light , t he
Soul oI the Worl d, the Son, the Prot ogonos or Fi rst-Begot ten.
Someti mes thi s Triad was regarded as SPIRIT, or t he act ive Pri nci ple or
Generat ive
Power; MATTER, or the PASSIVE Principl e or Producti ve Capacity; and
t he
Universe, whi ch proceeds Irom t he t wo Principl es.
We also Ii nd in Egypt this Triad or Trinity; Ammon-Ra, t he Creat or:
Osi ri s-Ra. t he
Gi ver oI Frui tIul ness: Horus-Ra t he
Quell er oI Light ; symbol i zed by the Summer, Autumn, and Spring Sun. For
t he
Egypt ians had but t hree Seasons, the t hree gat es oI t he Templ e; and on
account oI
t he diIIerent eIIect s oI t he Sun on t hose t hree Seasons, the Dei ty appears
i n t hese
t hree Iorms.
The Phoeni cian Trinity was Ul omos, Chusoros, and t he Egg out oI which
t he Universe
proceeded.
The Chaldean Tri ad consi st ed oI Bel , |t he Persian Zervana Akherana|,
Oromasdes,
and Ahri man; the Good and Evil Pri nci ple ali ke outIl owi ng Irom t he
Father, by their
equil ibri um and al t ernati ng preponderance t o produce harmony. Each was
t o rul e, i n
t urn, Ior equal periods, unt il Ii nal ly the Evi l Principl e shoul d i tsel I
become good.
The Chaldean and Persi an oracl es oI Zoroaster give us the Triad, Fi re,
Light , and
Et her.
Orpheus celebrat es the Triad oI Phanes, Ouranos, and Kronos. Corry says
t he Orphic
Trinity consi st ed oI Meti s, Phanes, and Eri capaeus; Wi l l , Light or Love,
and Li Ie.
Acusi l aus makes i t consi st oI Met i s, Eros, and ther: Wi ll , Love, and
Et her.
Phereycides oI Syros, oI Fire, Water, and Air or Spi ri t. In t he two Iormer
we readi ly
recogni ze Osi ris and Isi s, t he Sun and the Ni le.
The Ii rst three oI the Persian Amshaspands were BAHMAN, the Lord oI
LIGHT;
Ardi behest , t he Lord OI FIRE; and Shari ver, the Lord oI SPLENDOR.
These at once
l ead us back to the Kabal a.
Plutarch says: "The bet t er and di vi ner nat ure consi sts oI three; the
Int el l igi bl e (i. e. that
and which exi sts wit hi n t he Intel lect only as yet), and Mat t er; , and t hat
which proceeds Irom these, which the Greeks call Kosmos: oI which Pl at o
cal ls t he
Int el l igi bl e, t he Idea, t he Exempl ar, the Father: Matt er, the Mother, t he
Nurse, and the
receptacl e and pl ace oI generati on: and t he issue oI these two, t he
OIIspri ng and
Genesis. "
The Pythagorean Iragment s say: "ThereIore, beIore the Heaven was made,
t here
exist ed Idea and Matter, and God t he Demiourgos |workman or acti ve
i nstrument |, oI
t he Iormer. He made the world out oI matt er, perIect, only-begot ten, wi t h
a soul and
i ntell ect, and const it uted i t a di vi nity."
Plat o gives us Thought , t he Fat her; Pri mi t ive Mat t er, t he Mother; and
Kosmos, t he
Son, t he i ssue oI the two Pri nci pl es. Kosmos is t he ensoul ed Uni verse.
Wi t h the lat er Pl atoni sts, the Triad was Potence, Intel lect , and Spi ri t,
Phi l o represent s
Sanchoni athon' s as Fire, Light, and
Flame, t he t hree Sons oI Genos; but this is t he Al exandrian, not the
Phonici an i dea.
Aurel ius says t he Demi ourgos or Creat or i s triple, and the three Int el l ect s
are the t hree Kings: He who exist s; He who possesses; He who behol ds.
The Ii rst is that which exi st s by it s essence; the second exist s i n t he Iirst,
and contai ns or possesses i n i tsel I the Uni versal oI thi ngs; all t hat
aIterward becomes: the third behol ds thi s Universal , Iormed and
Iashioned intel lect ually, and so havi ng a separat e exist ence. The Thi rd
exist s i n t he Second, and the Second in the Fi rst .
The most anci ent Tri ni t ari an doct ri ne on record i s t hat oI the Brahmins.
The Et ernal Supreme Essence, cal led PARABRAHMA, BRAHM,
PARATMA, produced t he Universe by selI-reIlecti on, and Iirst reveal ed
hi msel I as BRAHMA, t he Creati ng Power, t hen as VISHNU, the
Preservi ng Power, and last ly as SIVA, t he Dest royi ng and Renovati ng
Power; the three Modes i n which t he Supreme Essence reveal s hi mselI i n
t he material Universe; but which soon t o be regarded as three di st i nct
Dei ti es. These three Deit ies came t hey styled the TRIMURTI, or TRIAD.
The Persians recei ved Irom the Indi ans t he doct ri ne oI the three
pri nci ples, and changed it t o t hat oI a pri nci ple oI Li Ie, whi ch was
i ndi vi dual i zed by t he Sun, and a princi pl e oI Deat h, whi ch was
symbol i zed
by col d and darkness; paral lel oI t he moral world; and i n whi ch t he
conti nual and al ternati ng struggle between l ight and darkness, l iIe and
deat h, seemed but a phase oI the great struggl e bet ween the good and
evil principl es, embodied i n t he l egend oI ORMUZD and AHRIMAN.
MITHRAS, a Median reIormer, was deiIied aIt er his deat h, and i nvest ed
wi th t he at tributes oI the Sun; t he diIIerent astronomical phenomena
being
Iigurat ively detai led as actual inci dent s oI his li Ie; in t he same manner as
t he hist ory oI BUDDHA was invent ed among the Hi nds.
The Tri ni ty oI t he Hi nds became among t he Et hi opi ans and Abyssi ni ans
NEPH-AMON, PHTHA, and NEITH - the God CREATOR, whose embl em
was a ram - MATTER, or the pri mit i ve mud, symbol i zed by a gl obe or an
egg, and THOUGHT, or t he LIGHT which contai ns t he germ oI
everyt hi ng;
t ri pl e mani Iestat i on oI one and t he same God (ATHOM), consi dered i n
t hree aspects, as t he creati ve power, goodness, and wi sdom. Ot her
Dei ti es were speedi ly invent ed; and among t hem OSTRIS, represent ed by
t he Sun, ISIS, hi s wi Ie, by the Moon or Earth, TYPHON, hi s Brother, t he
Princi pl e oI Evi l and Darkness, who was the son oI Osi ri s and Isis. And
t he Tri ni ty oI OSIRIS, ISIS, and HORUS became subsequent ly the Chi eI
Gods and object s oI worship oI the Egypt ians.
The ancient Et ruscans (a race t hat emi grated Irom the Rhtian Al ps i nt o
It aly, al ong whose route evi dences oI thei r migrat ion have been
discovered, and whose language none have yet succeeded i n readi ng)
acknowl edged only one Supreme God; but t hey had i mages Ior Hi s
diIIerent att ributes, and temples to these i mages. Each town had one
Nat ional Templ e, dedicated t o t he t hree great at tribut es oI God,
STRENGTH, RICHES, and WISDOM, or Ti na, Talna, and Minerva. The
Nat ional Deity was always a Triad under one rooI; and i t was the same in
Egypt , where one Supreme God alone was acknowl edged, but was
worshipped as a Triad, wi th di IIerent names in each di IIerent home. Each
ci ty in Etruria might have as many gods and gates and t empl es as it
pleased; but three sacred gates, and one Temple to three Divi ne
At tri but es were obl igat ory, wherever t he l aws oI Tages (or Taunt or
Thot h)
were recei ved. The only gat e t hat remains in Italy, oI t he olden t i me,
undest royed, is t he Porta del Ci rco at Vol terra; and it has upon it the t hree
heads oI t he t hree Nati onal Di vini ti es, one upon t he keystone oI i t s
magniIicent arch, and one above each si de-pi ll ar.
The Buddhist s hol d that t he God SAKYA oI the Hi nds, cal led in Ceyl on,
GAUTAMA, i n India beyond t he Ganges, SOMONAKODOM, and i n
China, CHY-KIA, or Fo, const it ut ed a Trinity |TRIRATNA|, oI BUDDHA,
DHARMA, and SANGA, - Int el l igence, Law, and Uni on or Harmony.
The Chinese Sabans represent ed t he Supreme Dei ty as composed oI
CHANG-TI, the Supreme Sovereign; TIEN, t he Heavens; and TAO, t he
Universal Supreme Reason and Princi pl e oI Fait h; and that Irom Chaos,
an i mmense si l ence, an i mmeasurable voi d. wit hout percepti bl e Iorms,
al one, inIi ni te, i mmut able, moving i n a circle i n il li mi table space,
wi thout
change or al terati on, when vi vi Ii ed by t he Princi pl e oI Truth, i ssued al l
Beings, under t he i nIluence oI TAO, Pri ncipl e oI Fai th, who produced
one,
one produced two, t wo produced three, and three produced all t hat is.
The Scl avono-Vendes typi Ii ed t he Tri ni ty by the three heads oI t he God
TRIGLAV; and the Pruczi or Prussi ans by t he Tri -une God, PERKOUN,
PIKOLLOS, and POTRIMPOS, the Dei ti es oI Light
and Thunder, oI Hel l and the Earth, i ts Irui ts and ani mals: and the
Scandinavians by ODIN, FREA, and THOR.
In t he KABALAH, or the Hebrew t radit ional phi l osophy, t he InIi nit e
Dei ty,
beyond the reach oI t he Human Int ellect, and wi t hout Name, Form, or
Li mi tat ion, was represent ed as devel oping Hi mselI, i n order to creat e, and
by sel I-li mi tat ion, in ten emanat i ons or out -Il owings, cal led SEPHIROTH,
or rays, The Iirst oI these, i n t he worl d AZILUTH, t hat i s, wi thi n the
Dei ty,
was KETHER, or t he Crown, by which we understand the Di vi ne Wi ll or
Pot ency. Next came, as a pair, HAI", MAH and BAINAH, ordi nari ly
t ranslated "Wi sdom" and "Intel li gence," the Iormer termed the FATHER,
and t he l att er t he MOTHER. HAKEMAH is the acti ve Power or Energy oI
Dei ty, by which He produces wit hi n Hi msel I Intel lect ion or Thinki ng: and
BAINAH, the passi ve Capacity, Irom which, acted on by t he Power, the
Int el l ect i on Il ows. Thi s Int el lect ion is cal l ed DAATH: and it is the
"WORD, "
oI Pl at o and the Gnostics; t he unuttered word, wit hi n t he Dei ty. Here is
t he ori gin oI t he Tri nity oI the Fat her, the Mother or Holy Spi ri t, and t he
Son or Word.
Anot her Trini ty was composed oI the Iourt h Sephirah, GEDULAH or
KHASW, Benignity or Mercy, al so t ermed FATHER (Aba); the IiIt h,
GEBURAH, Severity or Strict Justi ce, also termed the MOTHER (Imma);
and t he si xt h, t he SON or Issue oI t hese, TIPHARETH, Beauty or
Harmony. "Everythi ng, " says t he SOHAR, 'proceeds according t o t he
Myst ery oI the Balance" - that is, by the equi li bri um oI Opposit es: and
t hus Irom the InIinite Mercy and the InIi ni te just ice, i n equi l ibri um,
Ilows
t he perIect Harmony oI the Universe. InIi nit e POWER, whi ch is Lawl ess,
and InIinite WISDOM, in Equi li brium, also produce BEAUTY or
HARMONY, as Son, Issue, or Resul t - t he Word, or ut t erance oI t he
Thought oI God. Power and Just ice or Severi ty are the same: Wi sdom
and Mercy or Benigni ty are t he same; - i n the InIi ni te Di vine Nature.
Accordi ng to Phi l o oI Alexandria, the Supreme Bei ng, Pri mi ti ve Light or
Archetype oI Light , uni ti ng wit h WISDOM | |, t he mother oI Creat ion,
Iorms i n Hi msel I t he types oI al l things, and act s upon the Uni verse
t hrough
t he WORD | . . Logos|, who dwell s i n God, and in whom all Hi s powers
and at tri butes devel op themselves; a doct ri ne borrowed by hi m Irom
Plat o.
Si mon Magus and his disci ples taught that t he Supreme Being or Centre
oI
Light produced Iirst oI al l , three couples oI united
Exi stences, oI bot h sexes, | . . . Suzugias|, whi ch were t he ori gins oI al l
t hi ngs: REASON and INVENTIVENESS; SPEECH and THOUGHT;
and and , CALCULATION and REFLECTION: |
and
,
. Nus and Epinoia, Phne and Ennoia, Logi smos and
Ent humesis|; oI which Ennoi a or WISDOM was the Ii rst produced, and
Mother
oI al l that exi st s.
Ot her Di scipl es oI Si mon, and wi t h t hem most oI the Gnosti cs, adopt ing
and
. Pl erma, or PLENITUDE oI modiIyi ng t he doct ri ne, t aught t hat t he
Superi or Int el li gences, havi ng t he Supreme Being at their head, was
composed oI ei ght Eons | . . Ai nes| oI diIIerent sexes; . . PROFUNDITY
and SILENCE; SPIRIT and TRUTH; t he WORD and LIFE; MAN and the
; and ; and and : and CHURCH: |
.. But hos and Si ge; Pneuma and Alet heia; Logos and
and Ze; Anthrpos and Ekklesia|.
Bardesanes, whose doctri nes t he Syrian Christ ians long embraced, taught
t hat the unknown Father, happy in the Pleni tude oI His LiIe and
PerIecti ons,
Iirst produced a Companion Ior Hi msel I | . . . Suzugos|, whom He pl aced
i n t he Celesti al Paradi se and who became, by Hi m, t he Mot her oI
CHRISTOS,
Son oI t he Livi ng God: i. e. (laying aside the all egory), that the Et ernal
concei ved, in the sil ence oI His decrees, the Thought oI reveali ng Hi msel I
by
a Bei ng who shoul d be Hi s i mage or His Son: that t o the Son succeeded
his
Sist er and Spouse, the Holy Spirit , and t hey produced Iour Spi ri t s oI the
el ement s, male and Iemale, Maio and Jabseho, Nouro and Rucho; then
Seven
Myst i c Couples oI Spirit s, and Heaven and Eart h, and all t hat i s; t hen
seven
spirit s governi ng t he planet s, twel ve governing t he Constel lat ions oI the
Zodi ac, and t hirty-si x St arry Intel li gences whom he cal l ed Deacons: whil e
t he
Holy Spirit |Sophia Achamot h|, bei ng bot h t he Holy Intel li gence and t he
Soul
oI t he physi cal world, went Irom t he Pl erma int o that material worl d and
t here
mourned her degradat ion, unt il CHRISTOS, her Iormer spouse, comi ng to
her
wi th hi s Di vi ne Light and Love, gui ded her in t he way to puri Ii cati on, and
she
agai n unit ed hersel I wit h hi m as his pri mi ti ve Compani on.
Basil i des, t he Chri sti an Gnost ic, taught that there were seven emanat i ons
Irom the Supreme Bei ng: The First-born, Thought, t he Word, ReIlecti on,
, , , , , Wi sdom, Power, and Right eousness | ,
and Prot ogonos, Nous, Logos, Phronesis, Sophia, Dunamis, and
Di karosune|; Irom whom emanated ot her Intell igences in succession, to
t he
number, i n al l , oI t hree hundred and si xty-Ii ve; whi ch were God
maniIested, and
composed t he Plenit ude oI t he Di vi ne Emanat i ons, or t he God Abraxas; oI
which
t he Thought |or Intel lect , . . Nous| uni ted it selI, by bapti sm in t he river
Jordan, wit h the man Jesus, servant | . Diakonos| oI t he human race; but
did not suIIer wit h Hi m; and the disci pl es oI Basi l ides taught that the , put
on
t he appearance only oI humani ty, and that Si mon oI Cyrene was cruciIied
i n His
st ead and ascended i nt o Heaven.
Basil i des hel d t hat out oI the unreveal ed God, who i s at the head, oI t he
worl d oI
emanati ons, and exalt ed above all concepti on or desi gnati on
| |, were evolved seven li vi ng, selI-subsistent, ever-act i ve
hyposat ized powers:
1st. NOUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2d. LOGOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3d. Phronesis . . . . . . . . . . . .
4th. Sophia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECOND: THE ACTIVE OR OPERATIVE POWER.
5th. Dunami s. . . . . . . . . . . . .
6th. Di kai osune . . . . . . . . .
7th. Eirene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
These Seven Powers ( . . Dunamei s), wit h the Pri mal Ground out oI
which they were evol ved, consti tuted i n his scheme t he |Prote
Ogdoas|, or First Octave, t he root oI al l Exi stence. From t hi s point, the
spirit ual
l iIe proceeded t o evolve out oI it selI cont i nual ly many gradati ons oI
exist ence,
each lower one being sti l l t he i mpressi on, t he ant etype, oI t he i mmediate
higher
one. He supposed there were 365 oI these regi ons or gradat ions, expressed
by
t he myst ical word
FIRST: THE INTELLECTUAL POWERS.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Mi nd.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Reason.
. . . . . . . . . . . The Thinki ng Power.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wisdom.
. . . . . . . . . . . . Might , accompl i shing t he purposes oI
Wisdom.
THIRD: THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES.
. . . . . . Hol iness or Moral PerIect ion.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inward Tranqui li ty.
|Abraxas|.
The is t hus interpreted, by the usual method oI reckoni ng Greek lett ers
numerical ly.. . a,1 . . b, 1 .. j, 100 .. a, 1 .. x, 60. . a, 1 . . x, 200 365:
which is
t he whol e Emanat ion-World, as t he devel opment oI t he Supreme Being.
In t he system oI Basil ides, Light , LiIe, Soul , and Good were opposed to
Darkness, Deat h, Mat ter, and Evil , throughout the whole course oI the
Universe.
Accordi ng to the Gnostic vi ew, God was represented as t he i mmanent,
i ncomprehensi ble and origi nal source oI al l perIecti on; the unIathomable
ABYSS
( . . but hos), accordi ng to Valent i nus, exal ted above al l possi bil i ty oI
desi gnat ion; oI whom, properly speaki ng, nothi ng can be predicat ed; the
oI Basil i des, the oI Phil o. From t his incomprehensible Essence oI
God, an i mmediate t ransit ion t o Ii ni t e t hi ngs i s i nconcei vabl e. Sel I-
l i mit at i on is
t he Iirst begi nni ng oI a communicat ion oI l iIe on t he part oI God - t he
Iirst
passi ng oI the hi dden Dei ty int o mani Iest ati on; and Irom thi s proceeds all
Iurther
sel I-devel opi ng mani Iest ati on oI t he Di vi ne Essence. From this pri mal l ink
i n t he
chai n oI li Ie there are evol ved, i n the Ii rst place, the mani Iold powers or
at tributes inherent in the di vi ne Essence, which, unt il t hat Ii rst
sel Icomprehensi on,
were al l hidden in the Abyss oI His Essence. Each oI t hese
at tributes presents the whol e divi ne Essence under one part icular aspect;
and t o
each, t hereIore, i n thi s respect, the t it l e oI God may appropriately be
appli ed.
These Di vi ne Powers evol vi ng t hemsel ves t o sel I-subsistence, become
t hereupon t he germs and pri nci ples oI all Iurther developments oI li Ie. The
l iIe
contai ned in them unIol ds and i ndi vi dual i zes i tsel I more and more, but in
such a
way that t he successive grades oI this evol uti on oI l iIe conti nual ly sink
l ower and
l ower; the spiri ts become Ieebl er, the Iurt her they are removed Irom t he
Iirst li nk
i n t he series.
The Ii rst mani Iestat i on t hey termed
heautou| or
was hypostat ical ly represented i n a or
|prot e kat al epsis
|prot on kat alept on tou Theou|; which
|Nous or Logos|.
In t he Alexandrian Gnosis, the Plat oni c noti on oI t he |Hul e|
predomi nates.
Thi s i s the dead, t he unsubstant ial - t he boundary that li mit s Irom wi t hout
t he
evoluti on oI li Ie in it s gradual ly advancing progressi on, whereby the
PerIect i s
ever evolving it selI i nt o t he l ess PerIect. Thi s again, i s represented under
vari ous i mages; - at one ti me as the darkness that exist s al ongsi de oI the
l ight ;
at another, as t he voi d | ,
. . . . Kenoma, Kenon|, i n opposit ion to the Full ness, | . . . . Pleroma| oI
t he Divi ne LiIe; or as the shadow t hat accompanies the li ght ; or as t he
chaos, or the sluggi sh, stagnant, dark water. Thi s mat ter, dead in it sel I,
possesses by it s own nat ure no inherent tendency; as l i Ie oI every sort i s
Iorei gn to it , it selI makes no encroachment on the Di vi ne. As, however,
t he evoluti ons oI t he Di vi ne LiIe (t he essences devel opi ng t hemsel ves out
oI t he progressi ve emanati on) become Ieebler, the Iurt her they are
removed Irom the Ii rst l ink i n the series; and as thei r connecti on wi t h t he
Iirst becomes looser at each successi ve step, there arises at t he l ast st ep
oI t he evol uti on, an i mperIect , deIect i ve product, whi ch, unabl e to ret ain
i ts connect ion wit h t he chain oI Di vi ne Li Ie, sinks Irom t he World oI
Eons
i nt o t he materi al chaos: or, according to the same not ion, somewhat
diIIerent ly expressed |according t o the Ophi t es and to Bardesanes|, a
drop Irom t he Iul lness oI t he Di vi ne l iIe bubbles over into the borderi ng
void. Hereupon the dead matt er, by commi xture wit h t he l i vi ng pri nci ple,
which it wanted, Iirst oI al l recei ves ani mati on. But , at t he same ti me,
al so,
t he divine, t he l i ving, becomes corrupt ed by mingli ng wi th t he chaot i c
mass. Existence now mul t i pl ies i tsel I. There arises a subordi nate,
deIecti ve li Ie; t here is ground Ior a new worl d; a creati on start s i nt o
being,
beyond the conIi nes oI the world oI emanat i on. But , on t he other hand,
si nce t he chaoti c pri nciple oI mat ter has acqui red vi tal ity, t here now
arises
a more disti nct and more act i ve opposi t ion t o t he God-li ke - a barely
negat ive, bli nd, ungodly nature-power, whi ch obst inat ely resi sts al l
i nIl uence oI t he Di vi ne; hence, as product s oI t he spirit oI t he (oI t he
. . Pneuma Hul i kon), are Satan, mal ignant spi ri ts, wicked men,
i n none oI whom is t here any reasonable or moral pri nciple, or any
pri nci ple oI a rati onal wi ll ; but bli nd passi ons al one have t he ascendency.
In t hem t here i s the same conIli ct , as t he scheme oI Platoni sm supposes,
between the soul under t he guidance oI Di vi ne reason |t he . . Nous|,
and t he soul bl indly resi sti ng reason - between t he |pronoia| and
t he |anage|, the Di vi ne Pri nci pl e and the nat ural.
The Syrian Gnosis assumed the exi stence oI an act i ve, turbulent ki ngdom
oI evil , or oI darkness, whi ch, by it s encroachments on the ki ngdom oI
l ight , brought about a commi xture oI the l ight wi th t he darkness, oI t he
God-li ke wi t h t he ungodli ke.
Even among t he Platonist s, some thought t hat along wi th an
organi zed, i nert mat t er, the subst rat um oI t he corporeal worl d, there
exist ed Irom the begi nni ng a bl ind, l awless mot i ve power, an ungodl ike
soul, as i t s ori ginal mot ive and acti ve pri nci ple. As t he i norganic mat t er
was organized i nt o a corporeal worl d, by the pl astic power oI the Deity,
so, by the same power, law and reason were communi cated to that
t urbul ent , i rrati onal soul. Thus t he chaos oI t he was transIormed i nt o
an organi zed world, and t hat bl ind soul int o a rat ional principl e, a
mundane soul, ani mat ing t he Universe. As Irom the lat ter proceeds all
rati onal , spirit ual l i Ie in humani ty, so Irom the Iormer proceeds al l that i s
i rrati onal , all t hat is under t he bli nd sway oI passi on and appeti te; and all
malignant spi rit s are it s progeny.
In one respect al l t he Gnost ics agreed: they al l held, t hat t here was a
worl d purely emanat ing out oI the vi tal development oI God, a creat i on
evolved directly out oI the Di vine Essence, Iar exal ted above any out ward
creati on produced by God' s pl asti c power, and condi ti oned by pre-exist ing
matt er. They agreed i n hol ding that the Iramer oI t hi s lower world was not
t he Father oI that higher worl d oI emanat ion; but t he Demiurge | -
|, a bei ng oI a ki ndred nature wi t h t he Uni verse Iramed and governed
by hi m, and Iar i nIeri or t o t hat higher system and t he Fat her oI i t.
But some, set ti ng out Irom i deas which had long prevailed among certai n
Jews oI Alexandri a, supposed t hat the Supreme God created and
governed t he worl d by His mi nisteri ng spirit s, by t he angel s. At t he head
oI t hese angels st ood one who had t he direct i on and cont rol oI all ;
t hereIore call ed the Art iIicer and Governor oI the Worl d. This Demi urge
t hey compared wi t h the plast ic, ani mat i ng, mundane spirit oI Plato and
.. Deut eros Theos; t he Platonist s |t he .. Theos
Genet os|, who, moreover, according t o t he Ti mus oI Pl ato, st rives to
represent the IDEA oI the Divi ne Reason, i n t hat whi ch i s becomi ng (as
contradi sti ngui shed Irom t hat whi ch i s) and temporal . Thi s angel is a
representat ive oI t he Supreme God, on t he l ower st age oI exi st ence: he
does not act i ndependently, but merely according to the i deas i nspi red in
hi m by the Supreme God; j ust as t he pl asti c, mundane soul oI t he
Plat oni st s creat es all t hi ngs aIter t he pat tern oI the ideas communi cat ed
. . . . Nous - the by the Supreme . Reason | . . . ho est i zon - t he
paradei gma, oI t he Di vi ne Reason hypost ati zed|.
But t hese i deas t ranscend his l i mit ed essence; he cannot underst and
t hem; he i s merely their unconsci ous organ; and thereIore is unabl e
hi msel I to comprehend the whol e scope and meani ng oI the work which
l ie perIorms. As an organ under the gui dance oI a hi gher i nspi rat i on, he
reveals higher trut hs t han he hi mselI can comprehend. The mass oI t he
Jews, t hey held, recogni zed not t he angel , by whom, in all t he
Theophanies oI t he Old Testament , God reveal ed Hi msel I ; they knew not
t he Demi urge in hi s true rel ati on to the hi dden Supreme God, who never
reveals Hi mselI i n t he sensi ble worl d. They conIounded the type and the
archetype, the symbol and the idea. They rose no hi gher than t he
Demi urge; t hey t ook hi m t o be the Supreme God Hi msel I. But the
spirit ual
men among them, on the contrary, cl early percei ved, or at least di vi ned,
t he i deas veil ed under Judai sm; they rose beyond t he Demiurge, to a
knowl edge oI the Supreme God; and are thereIore properly His
. . Therapeutai |. worshippers |
Ot her Gnosti cs, who had not been Ioll owers oI t he Mosai c reli gion, but
who had, at an earl ier peri od, Iramed t o t hemselves an oriental Gnosis,
regarded t he Demiurge as a bei ng absolutely hosti le to t he Supreme God.
He and hi s angels, notwi thstanding their Iinite nat ure, wi sh t o est abl ish
t heir i ndependence: they wil l tolerate no Ioreign rule wit hi n t heir real m.
Whatever oI a hi gher nat ure descends into their ki ngdom, t hey seek to
hold i mpri soned there, lest it shoul d rai se it selI above t heir narrow
preci ncts. Probably, i n t hi s system, the ki ngdom oI the Demi urgic Angels
corresponded, Ior t he most part , wi t h t hat oI the decei tIul St ar-Spirit s,
who
seek to rob man oI hi s Ireedom, to begui le hi m by vari ous art s oI
decept i on, and who exerci se a tyrannical sway over t he t hi ngs oI thi s
worl d. Accordingly, i n the system oI t hese Sabans, t he seven Planet-
Spi ri ts, and the t wel ve Star-Spi ri ts oI the zodi ac, who sprang Irom an
i rregular connect ion between the cheated Fet ahi l and the Spirit oI
Darkness, pl ay an i mportant part i n everythi ng that i s bad. The Demi urge
i s a l i mit ed and li mi ti ng bei ng, proud, jeal ous, and revengeIul ; and this
his
character bet rays it selI i n t he Old Testament , which, t he Gnost ics held,
came Irom hi m. They transIerred t o the Demi urge hi msel I, what ever i n
t he
i dea oI God, as present ed by t he Ol d Testament, appeared t o them
deIecti ve. Against his wi ll and rul e the was cont inually rebell i ng,
revol t i ng wit hout cont rol agai nst t he domi ni on whi ch he, t he Iashi oner,
woul d exerci se over it ,
casti ng oII the yoke i mposed on i t, and destroying the work he had begun.
The same j ealous bei ng, li mi ted i n hi s power, ruli ng wi t h despot ic sway,
t hey i magi ned they saw in nat ure. He st ri ves t o check t he germi nat ion oI
t he divine seeds oI l i Ie which the Supreme God oI Hol i ness and Love,
who has no connecti on what ever wit h the sensible worl d, has scat tered
among men. That perIect God was at most known and worshi pped in
Myst eri es by a Iew spi ri tual men.
The Gospel oI St. John is in great measure a polemi c agai nst the
Gnost ics, whose di IIerent sect s, t o solve the great problems, t he creati on
oI a materi al worl d by an i mmaterial Being, t he Iall oI man, the
i ncarnati on, t he redempti on and rest orati on oI the spi ri ts called men,
admit ted a long seri es oI i ntell igences, interveni ng in a seri es oI spi rit ual
operat ions; and whi ch t hey designated by the names, The Begi nni ng, the
Word, t he Only-Begot ten, Li Ie, Light , and Spi rit |Ghost |: in Greek, ,
, Mo- and |Arche, Logos, Monogenes, Ze, ,
Phs, and Pneuma|. St . John, at t he beginni ng oI his Gospel, avers t hat it
was Jesus Chri st who exi sted i n t he Begi nni ng; that He was t he WORD oI
God by which everything was made; that He was the Only-Begott en, the
Li Ie and t he Light , and t hat He diIIuses among men the Holy Spi ri t |or
Ghost |, t he Di vi ne LiIe and Light .
So the Pl eroma | |, Pl eni tude or Full ness, was a Iavori te t erm wi th
t he Gnost ics, and Truth and Grace were the Gnost ic Eons; and the
Si monians, Doketes, and ot her Gnostics hel d t hat the Eon Christ Jesus
was never real ly, but only apparent ly cl othed wi th a human body: but St .
John repli es that the Word did really become Flesh, and dwelt among us;
and t hat in Hi m were t he Pl eroma and Trut h and Grace.
In t he doct ri ne oI Valent inus, reared a Chri sti an at Al exandria, God was a
perIect Bei ng, an Abyss | . . But hos|, whi ch no i nt ell igence coul d
sound, because no eye could reach the i nvi sible and i neIIable heights on
which He dwelt , and no mi nd could comprehend t he durat ion oI Hi s
exist ence; He has always been; He is t he Pri mi t ive Fat her and Beginning
and |the . . Propat r and Proarche|: He wil l BE al ways, and
does not grow ol d. The development oI Hi s PerIect ions produced the
i ntell ectual worl d. AIter having passed inIi ni te ages i n repose and
si lence,
He mani Iest ed Hi mselI by Hi s Thought, source oI all Hi s maniIestat ions,
and which recei ved Irom Hi m t he germ oI Hi s
. . Ennoia| is also creati ons. Being oI Hi s Being, Hi s Thought |
t ermed |Chari s|, Grace or Joy, and , or |Sige or Arreton|,
Sil ence or the IneIIabl e. Its Ii rst mani Iestati on was |Nous|, t he
Int el l igence, Iirst oI the Eons, commencement oI al l thi ngs, Ii rst
revelat ion
oI t he Divini ty, the |Monogenes|, or Only-Begot ten: next , Truth
| - . Alet heia|, hi s companion. Their mani Iestat i ons were t he Word
.. Zoe| and theirs, Man and the Church and . . Logos| and LiIe | |
| and .. Anthrpos and Ekkl esia|: and Irom t hese, ot her
t welve, si x oI whom were Hope, Fai th, Chari ty, Intel l i gence, Happi ness,
and Wi sdom; or, in the Hebrew, Kest en, Kina, Amphe, Ouanani m,
Thaedes, and Oubina. The harmony oI t he Eons, st ruggli ng t o know and
be united t o t he Pri mit ive God, was di sturbed, and t o redeem and rest ore
t hem, t he Intell igence | | produced Christ and t he Holy Spirit Hi s
compani on; who rest ored t hem to t heir Iirst est at e oI happi ness and
harmony; and t hereupon t hey Iormed the Eon Jesus, born oI a Vi rgi n, to
whom the Chri st os uni ted hi msel I in bapt i sm and who, wi t h his
Companion Sophia-Achamot h, saved and redeemed t he world.
The Marcosi ans t aught t hat the Supreme Deity produced by His words the
|Logos| or Plenit ude oI Eons: Hi s Ii rst utt erance was a syllable oI
Iour l ett ers, each oI which became a being; Hi s second oI Iour, His t hird
oI
t en, and His Iourt h oI t wel ve: t hirty in al l, whi ch consti t uted the I
|Pl eroma|.
The Val ent inians, and ot hers oI t he Gnosti cs, dist ingui shed t hree orders
oI exist ences: - 1st . The di vi ne germs oI li Ie, exal ted by their nat ure
above
matt er, and akin to the (Sophi a|, t o the mundane soul and t o t he
Pleroma:- t he spi rit ual nat ures, |Phusei s Pneumat i kai |: 2d.
The natures ori ginati ng i n t he li Ie, di vided Irom the Iormer by t he
mi xture
, - the psychical nat ures, oI t he |Phuseis Psuchikai |; wi t h
which begi ns a perIectly new order oI exist ence, an i mage oI that higher
mind and syst em, in a subordi nate grade; and Iinally, 3d. The Ungodli ke
or Hyli c Nat ure, which resi sts al l amel i orat ion, and whose t endency i s
only to dest roy - t he nat ure oI bli nd lust and passi on.
The nature oI the
relat i onshi p wit h God (the
|pneumati kon|, t he spiri t ual , i s essent ial
.. Homo-ousion t The): hence
t he l iIe oI Uni ty, t he undivi ded, t he
, absol ut ely si mpl e ( .. Ousia henike, monoeides).
|psuchi koi ) i s disrupt ion int o mul ti pl ici ty, The essence oI the
maniIol dness; which, however, is subordi nat e t o a higher uni ty, by which
i t
al lows it sel I t o be gui ded, Iirst unconsciously, then consciously.
The essence oI t he |Hul ikoi | (oI whom Sat an i s t he head), is the
direct opposite to al l uni ty; disrupt ion and disuni on i n i tsel I, wi thout t he
l east sympat hy, wit hout any poi nt oI coal escence what ever Ior uni ty;
t oget her wit h an eIIort t o dest roy al l uni ty, to extend i ts own inherent
disunion t o everythi ng, and to rend everyt hi ng asunder. This pri nci pl e has
no power to posit anythi ng; but only t o negati ve: it i s unable to creat e, t o
produce, to Iorm, but only to destroy, to decompose.
By Marcus, the di sci pl e oI Val ent i nus, t he idea oI a |Logos
Tou Ont os|, oI a WORD, maniIesti ng the hidden Divine Essence, i n the
Creati on, was spun out i nt o t he most subtl e det ail s - t he ent ire creati on
being, in his view, a cont inuous ut terance oI the IneIIabl e. The way i n
which the germs oI divine li Ie |t he .. spermata
pneumat i ka|, which l ie shut up in t he Eons, conti nually unIol d and
i ndi vi dual i ze t hem selves more and more, i s represented as a
spont aneous analysi s oI t he several names oI t he IneIIable, i nt o t heir
several sounds. An echo oI t he Pl eroma Ial l s down i nt o t he |HuIe|, and
becomes the Iormi ng oI a new but l ower creati on.
One Iormul a oI t he pneumati cal bapt ism among t he Gnost ics ran thus: "In
t he NAME whi ch i s hi dden Irom al l the Di vinit ies and Powers" |oI the
Demi urge|, "The Name oI Truth" |t he |Al etheial , sel I-maniIestat ion oI
t he But hos|, which Jesus oI Nazareth has put on in t he l ight-zones oI
Chri st, the l ivi ng Christ , t hrough the Holy Ghost , Ior t he redempti on oI
t he
angel s, - t he Name by which all t hings at tai n t o PerIect ion. " The
candidate
t hen sai d: "I am est abl ished and redeemed; I am redeemed i n my soul
Irom thi s worl d, and Irom all t hat bel ongs to it , by t he name oI , who
has redeemed the Soul oI Jesus by the li vi ng Chri st . " The assembly then
sai d: "Peace (or Sal vat ion) to all on whom thi s name rest s!"
The boy Dionusos, t orn i n pieces, according to t he Bacchic Mysteries, by
t he Tit ans, was considered by t he Manicheans as si mply represent i ng the
Soul, swall owed up by the powers oI dark-
ness, - the di vi ne l iIe rent into Iragments by matt er: - t hat part oI the
l uminous essence oI the pri mit ive man |t he |Protos
Anthropos| oI Mani, the |Pran Ant hrpos| oI t he
Valenti nians, the Adam Kadmon oI the Kabal ah; and the Kalomort s oI t he
Zendavest a|, swal lowed up by t he powers oI darkness; t he Mundane
Soul, mi xed wi th mat ter - t he seed oI di vi ne l iIe, which had Iall en i nt o
matt er, and had t hence to undergo a process oI puriIicat i on and
development .
The |Gnosi s| oI Carpocrates and his son Epiphanes consist ed i n
t he knowledge oI one Supreme Origi nal bei ng, the hi ghest unity, Irom
whom al l exi st ence has emanated, and t o whom it stri ves t o ret urn. The
Iini t e spiri ts that rul e over t he several port ions oI t he Eart h, seek to
count eract this uni versal t endency t o unity; and Irom t heir i nIluence,
t heir
l aws, and arrangement s, proceeds al l t hat checks, di st urbs, or l i mit s t he
original communi on, which is the basi s oI nat ure, as t he out ward
maniIestat ion oI that highest Unity. These spirit s, moreover, seek to
retai n
under t heir domi ni on the souls which, emanat ing Irom the hi ghest Uni ty,
and st il l part aki ng oI it s nat ure, have lapsed i nt o t he corporeal worl d, and
have t here been i mprisoned i n bodi es, in order, under t heir domini on, t o
be kept wi thin t he cycle oI migrati on. From t hese Iinite spi ri t s, the
popular
reli gions oI diIIerent nat ions deri ve t hei r ori gin. But t he soul s whi ch,
Irom
a remi ni scence oI t hei r Iormer condi t i on, soar upward t o t he
contemplati on oI that higher Unity, reach t o such perIect Ireedom and
repose, as nothing aIt erward can di sturb or l i mi t , and rise superi or t o the
popular dei t i es and rel igi ons. As examples oI thi s sort , t hey named
Pyt hagoras, Plat o, Ari stot le, and Chri st. They made no dist incti on
between the lat ter and t he wi se and good men oI every nat ion. They
t aught t hat any other soul which coul d soar to the same height oI
contemplati on, mi ght be regarded as equal wi t h Hi m.
The Ophi tes commenced their system wi th a Supreme Being, l ong
unknown to the Human race, and sti ll so the greater number oI men; the
|But hos|, or ProIundi ty, Source oI Light, and oI Adam-Kadmon, the
Pri mi t ive Man, made by the Demi ourgos, but perIected by the Supreme
God by t he communi cati on to hi m oI the Spiri t | . . Pneuma|. The Iirst
emanati on was t he Thought oI the Supreme Dei ty |t he . . Ennoi a|,
t he concept ion oI t he Uni verse in the Thought oI God.
Thi s Thought , cal led al so Sil ence ( . . Si ge), produced t he Spi rit |
. . Pneuma|, Mot her oI the Li ving, and Wi sdom oI God. Toget her wit h thi s
Pri mi t ive Exi stence, Matt er exi st ed also (t he Waters, Darkness, Abyss,
and Chaos), eternal l ike the Spiri tual Pri nci pl e. But hos and His Thought,
unit i ng wi th Wi sdom, made her Iruit Iul by t he Divi ne Light , and she
produced a perIect and an i mperIect being, Chri stos, and a Second and
i nIeri or wisdom, Sophia-Achamot h, who Ial li ng int o chaos remai ned
entangl ed t here, became enIeebl ed, and l ost al l knowl edge oI t he
Superi or Wi sdom that gave her bi rt h. Communicat i ng movement t o
Chaos, she produced Ialdabaot h, t he Demiourgos, Agent oI Material
Creati on, and t hen ascended toward her Ii rst place i n t he scal e oI
creati on. lal dabaoth produced an angel t hat was hi s i mage, and t his a
second, and so on i n successi on to t he si xt h aIt er t he Demi ourgos: t he
seven bei ng reIl ect i ons one oI t he ot her, yet di IIerent and i nhabit i ng
seven di sti nct regions. The names oI the si x thus produced were IAO,
SABAOTH, ADONAI, ELOI, ORAI, and ASTAPHAL Ialdabaot h, to
become
i ndependent oI his mother, and to pass Ior t he Supreme Being, made t he
worl d, and man, i n his own i mage; and his mot her caused the Spirit ual
pri nci ple to pass Irom hi m i nt o man so made; and henceIorward the
contest bet ween the Demi ourgos and hi s mother, bet ween light and
darkness, good and evil , was concentrated in man; and t he i mage oI
Ialdabaot h, reIlect ed upon mat ter, became t he Serpent-Spiri t, Satan, t he
Evi l Intel l i gence. Eve, created by Ial dabaoth, had by Us Sons chi l dren
t hat were angels li ke t hemselves. The Spi rit ual li ght was wit hdrawn Irom
man by Sophia, and the worl d surrendered t o the i nIl uence oI evi l ; unt il
t he Spi rit , urged by the entreat ies oI Wi sdom, induced the Supreme Bei ng
t o send Chri st os to redeem it . Compelled, despi t e hi mselI, by his Mother,
Ialdabaot h caused t he man Jesus t o be born oI a Vi rgin, and t he Cel esti al
Savi our, unit i ng wi th hi s Sister, Wi sdom, descended through t he regi ons
oI t he seven angels, appeared i n each under the Iorm oI i ts chieI,
concealed hi s own, and ent ered wi th hi s si ster into the man Jesus at the
bapti sm in Jordan. Ial dabaot h, Ii nding that Jesus was destroying his
empire and aboli shi ng his worshi p, caused t he Jews to hat e and cruciIy
Hi m; beIore which happened, Chri st os and Wi sdom had ascended t o the
celest i al regions. They restored Jesus t o li Ie and gave Hi m an et hereal
body, i n whi ch He remained eighteen mont hs on earth, and receivi ng Irom
Wisdom t he per-
Iect knowledge | .. . Gnosis|, communicat ed i t to a smal l number oI
Hi s apostl es, and t hen arose to the i ntermediat e regi on inhabi ted by
l aldabaot h, where, unknown to hi m, He si ts at his right hand, t aki ng Irom
hi m the Soul s oI Light puri Ii ed by Chri stos. When not hi ng oI the
Spi ri tual
worl d shall remain subject t o l aldabaot h, the redempt ion wil l be
accompl i shed, and t he end oI the world, t he complet ion oI t he ret urn oI
Light into the Pl eni t ude, wi ll occur.
Tat ian adopt ed the t heory oI Emanati on, oI Eons, oI the exi stence oI a
God t oo subli me t o all ow Hi msel I to be known, but di spl ayi ng Hi msel I by
Int el l igences emanat i ng Irom Hi s bosom. The Ii rst oI these was Hi s spiri t
| .. . Pneuma|, God Hi msel I, God t hi nki ng, God concei vi ng t he
Universe. The second was the Word | . Logos|, no longer merely t he
Thought or Concept i on, but t he Creat i ve Ut t erance, maniIestat ion oI the
Di vi ni ty, but emanat i ng Irom the Thought or Spi ri t ; t he First-Begott en,
author oI the vi si ble creat i on. Thi s was the Trini ty, composed oI t he
Father, Spiri t, and Word.
The El xates adopted the Seven Spirit s oI t he Gnost ics; but named them
Heaven, Wat er, Spirit , The Holy Angels oI Prayer, Oil , Sal t, and the
Eart h.
The opi ni on oI the Doket es as t o the human nat ure oI Jesus Christ , was
t hat most general ly recei ved among the Gnosti cs. They deemed t he
i ntell igences oI the Superi or World too pure and too much the ant agoni sts
oI matt er, to be wi ll ing t o uni te wit h i t: and hel d that Chri st , an
Int el l igence
oI t he Ii rst rank, in appeari ng upon the eart h, di d not become conIounded
wi th mat ter, but took upon Hi msel I only t he appearance oI a body, or at
t he most used it only as an envel ope.
Noetus termed the Son the Ii rst Ut terance oI the Fat her; t he Word, not by
Hi msel I, as an Intel l i gence, and unconnect ed wi t h t he Ilesh, a real Son;
but a Word, and a perIect Only-Begot ten; l ight emanat ed Irom the Light ;
wat er Il owi ng Irom it s spring; a ray emanat ed Irom the Sun.
Paul oI Samosata taught t hat Jesus Christ was the Son oI Joseph and
Mary; but t hat the Word, Wi sdom, or Intel li gence oI God, the |Nous|
oI t he Gnost ics, had unit ed i tsel I wi t h Hi m, so that He mi ght be sai d to be
at once the Son oI God, and God Hi mselI.
Arius call ed the Saviour the Ii rst oI creatures, non-emanated Irom God,
but real ly creat ed, by t he di rect wil l oI God, beIore t i me
and t he ages. According to the Church, Chri st was oI t he same nat ure as
God; according t o some di ssent ers, oI t he same nat ure as man. Arius
adopt ed t he t heory oI a nat ure anal ogous to both. When God resolved t o
create t he Human race, He made a Being which He cal led THE WORD,
THE SON, WISDOM | , , .. Logos, Ui os, Sophi a|, to the end
t hat He might give exi stence to men. This WORD is the Ormuzd oI
Zoroaster, the Ensoph oI t he Kabalah, t he ; oI Pl atoni sm and
Phi l oni sm, and the or |Sophia or Demi ourgos| oI the
Gnost ics. He di sti ngui shed the InIeri or Wi sdom, or t he daught er, Irom the
Superi or Wi sdom; t he l att er bei ng i n God, inherent in His nat ure, and
i ncapable oI communi cat ion t o any creat ure: the second, by whi ch the
Son was made, communicated i tsel I to Hi m, and thereIore He Hi msel I
was
enti tl ed t o be call ed the Word and the Son.
Manes, Iounder oI the Sect oI the Manicheans, who had li ved and been
dist inguished among the Persi an Magi, proIited by t he doctrines oI
Scyt hianus, a Kabal ist or Judai zing Gnosti c oI the ti mes oI the Apost les;
and knowi ng t hose oI Bardesanes and Harmonius, derived his doctri nes
Irom Zoroasterism, Christ iani ty, and Gnosticism. He clai med to be t he
|Paraklt os| or ComIorter, in t he Sense oI a Teacher, organ oI
t he Dei ty, but not in t hat oI t he Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost : and
commenced
his Epi stola Fundamenti i n t hese words: "Manes, Apostl e oI Jesus Chri st,
el ect oI God the Fat her; Behold the Words oI Salvati on, emanati ng Irom
t he l ivi ng and eternal Iount ain. " The domi nant idea oI hi s doct rine was
Pant hei sm, derived by hi m Irom it s source i n the regi ons oI Indi a and on
t he conIi nes oI Chi na: that the cause oI al l that exist s i s i n God; and at
l ast, God is all i n al l. All souls are equal - God i s i n all , i n men, ani mal s,
and plant s. There are t wo Gods, one oI Good and t he other oI Evil , each
i ndependent, eternal , chi eI oI a dist inct Empire; necessari ly, and oI their
very natures, host il e t o one another. The Evi l God, Satan, i s the Geni us oI
matt er alone. The God oI Good is i nIi nit ely hi s Superior, t he True God;
whil e t he other i s but the chieI oI al l that i s t he Enemy oI God, and must
i n
t he end succumb to Hi s Power. The Empire oI Light al one i s eternal and
t rue; and t hi s Empire is a great chai n oI Emanat ions, al l connected wi th
t he Supreme Being whi ch t hey make mani Iest ; al l Hi m, under di IIerent
Iorms, chosen Ior one end, the tri umph oI the Good. In each
oI His members l ie hi dden thousands oI i neIIable treasures. Excel lent i n
Hi s Gl ory, i ncomprehensi ble in Hi s Great ness, the Fat her has j oi ned to
Hi msel I those Iortunate, and glori ous Eons | . . Aions|, whose
Power and Number i t is i mpossibl e to det ermine. Thi s i s Spi noza' s
InIinity
oI InIi nit e At tributes oI God. Twel ve Chi eI Eons, at t he head oI al l , were
t he Genii oI t he twel ve Constel lat ions oI the Zodiac, and call ed by
Manes,
Ol ami n. Satan, al so, Lord oI t he Empire oI Darkness, had an Army oI
Eons or Demons, emanati ng Irom hi s Essence, and reIl ect i ng more or
l ess hi s i mage, but di vi ded and inharmoni ous among t hemselves. A war
among them brought them to the conIi nes oI t he Real m oI Light.
Del ighted, t hey sought t o conquer i t. But t he ChieI oI t he Cel esti al
Empire
created a Power whi ch he pl aced on the Iront iers oI Heaven t o protect hi s
Eons, and dest roy t he Empire oI Evil . This was the Mot her oI Li Ie, the
Soul oI the Worl d, an Emanati on Irom the Supreme Bei ng, too pure to
come i n i mmedi ate cont act wit h matt er. It remai ned in the hi ghest regi on;
but produced a Son, the Ii rst Man |t he Kaiomort s, Adam-Kadmon,
|Protos Anthropos, | and Hi vi l -Zivah; oI the Zend-Avesta, t he
Kabal ah, t he Gnosis, and Sabeism|; who commenced the contest wi t h the
Powers oI Evi l, but, l osing part oI hi s panoply, oI his Light , his Son and
many soul s born oI the Light, who were devoured by t he darkness, God
sent t o his assi st ance the l ivi ng Spiri t , or the Son oI the Fi rst Man |
. . . Ui os Anthropou|, or Jesus Christ . The Mot her oI LiIe, general
Princi pl e oI Di vi ne Li Ie, and the Iirst Man, Pri mi ti ve bei ng t hat reveal s
t he
Di vi ne LiIe, are too subl i me to be connect ed wit h t he Empire oI
Darkness.
The Son oI Man or Soul oI the Worl d, enters i nto t he Darkness, becomes
i ts capti ve, to end by tempering and soIt eni ng i ts savage nat ure. The
Di vi ne Spi rit , aIter havi ng brought back t he Pri mi t ive Man to the Empi re
oI
Light , raises above the world that part oI t he Cel esti al Soul t hat remained
unaIIected by bei ng mi ngled wit h the Empi re oI Darkness. Pl aced i n the
region oI t he Sun and Moon, thi s pure soul, the Son oI Man, the
Redeemer or Chri st , labors t o del iver and at tract to Hi mselI t hat part oI
t he Light or oI t he Soul oI the Fi rst Man di IIused through mat t er; which
done, the world wi ll cease t o exi st . To ret ai n the rays oI Light st il l
remai ni ng among his Eons, and ever tendi ng to escape and return, by
concentrat ing them, the Pri nce oI Darkness, wi th their consent, made
Adam, whose soul was oI the Di vine Light, contributed by the Eons, and
his body oI mat ter, so that he bel onged to both Empires, t hat oI Li ght and
t hat oI Darkness. To prevent the l ight Irom escapi ng at once, the Demons
Iorbade Adam t o eat t he Iruit oI "knowledge oI good and evi l , " by which
he
woul d have known the Empire oI Light and that oI Darkness. He obeyed;
an Angel oI Light i nduced hi m t o t ransgress, and gave hi m the means oI
vict ory; but the Demons created Eve, who seduced hi m into an act oI
Sensual ism, that enIeebl ed hi m, and bound hi m anew in t he bonds oI
matt er. This i s repeated i n t he case oI every man t hat li ves.
To del iver t he soul , capt ive i n darkness, t he Princi pl e oI Li ght , or Genius
oI t he Sun, charged t o redeem the Int ellect ual Worl d, oI which he i s t he
type, came to mani Iest Hi msel I among men. Light appeared in t he
darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not ; accordi ng t o t he words
oI St . John. The Light coul d not unite wi th the darkness. It but put on t he
appearance oI a human body, and t ook t he name oI Christ in t he
Messiah, only t o accommodate it selI t o t he language oI the Jews. The
Light di d i ts work, turni ng the Jews Irom the adorati on oI t he Evi l
Princi pl e, and t he Pagans Irom the worshi p oI Demons. But t he ChieI oI
t he Empire oI Darkness caused Hi m t o be cruciIied by the Jews. St il l He
suIIered in appearance only, and Hi s deat h gave to al l souls the symbol
oI t hei r enIranchisement. The person oI Jesus having di sappeared, there
was seen i n Hi s place a cross oI Light , over which a celest ial voi ce
pronounced t hese words: "The cross oI Light i s called The Word, Christ ,
The Gate, Joy, The Bread, The Sun, The Resurrecti on, Jesus, The
Father, The Spi rit , LiIe, Trut h, and Grace."
Wi t h the Pri sci l lianist s t here were two principles, one the Di vini ty, the
other, Pri mi ti ve Mat t er and Darkness; each eternal. Satan i s the son and
l ord oI mat t er; and t he secondary angel s and demons, chi ldren oI mat ter.
Satan creat ed and governs t he vi sibl e world. But t he soul oI man
emanated Irom God, and is oI the same subst ance wi th God. Seduced by
t he evil spi ri ts, i t passes through vari ous bodies, unt il , puri Iied and
reIormed, it rises t o God and i s st rengt hened by Hi s li ght . These powers
oI evil hol d mankind i n ledge; and t o redeem t hi s pledge, t he Saviour,
Chri st the Redeemer, came and died upon the cross oI expiati on, thus
discharging t he wri t ten obli gati on. He, li ke al l soul s, was oI t he
same subst ance wit h God, a maniIestat ion oI the Di vini ty, no Iorming a
second person; unborn, li ke t he Di vi ni ty, and not hi ng el se than t he
Di vi ni ty under anot her Iorm.
It is useless to trace these vagaries Iurther; and we st op at the Iront i ers oI
t he real m oI t he three hundred and si xty-Ii ve thousand emanati ons oI the
Mandat es Irom t he Pri mit i ve Light, Fi ra or Ferho and Yavar; and ret urn
contentedly t o the si mple and subl i me creed oI Masonry.
Such were some oI t he anci ent noti ons concerni ng t he Dei ty and taken i n
connect ion wi th what has been detai led i n t he precedi ng Degrees, thi s
Lect ure aIIords you a true pict ure oI t he anci ent speculat ions. From t he
begi nning unt i l now, t hose who have undert aken to sol ve t he great
mystery oI the creat ion oI a material uni verse by an Immaterial Dei ty,
have i nterposed bet ween the two, and between God and man, di vers
maniIestat ions oI, or emanati ons Irom, or personi Iied at tributes or agent s
oI, the Great Supreme God, who is coexi stent wit h Ti me and coextensi ve
wi th Space.
The uni versal belieI oI the Ori ent was, that t he Supreme Being di d not
Hi msel I creat e eit her the earth or man. The Iragment which commences
t he Book oI Genesis, consist ing oI the Iirst chapter and t he t hree Ii rst
verses oI t he second, assigns the creat i on or rat her the Iormati on or
model li ng oI the world Irom matt er already exist ing i n conIusion, not t o
l HUH, but t o the ALHIM, wel l known as Subordinate Deit ies, Forces, or
Mani Iest ati ons, among the Phoni cians. The second Iragment i mputes it
t o IHUH-ALHIM, * and St . John assi gns t he creati on to t he or WORD;
and assert s t hat CHRIST was t hat WORD, as wel l as LIGHT and LIFE,
other emanati ons Irom t he Great Pri meval Dei ty, to whi ch other Iait hs had
assigned t he work oI creati on.
An absolut e exist ence, whol ly i mmat erial , i n no way wi thi n the reach oI
our senses; a cause, but not an eIIect t hat never was not , but existed
duri ng an i nIini ty oI et erni ti es, beIore there was anythi ng el se except
Ti me
and Space, i s whol ly beyond the reach oI our concept ions. The mi nd oI
man has weari ed it selI in specul at ions as t o His nat ure, His essence, Hi s
at tributes; and ended i n being no wi ser t han it began. In the i mpossi bi li ty
oI conceiving oI i mmaterial i ty, we Ieel at sea and lost whenever we go
beyond the domai n oI mat ter. And yet we know t hat t here are Power
* The Substance, or Very SelI, oI whi ch t he Al ohayim are the
maniIestat ions.
Forces, Causes, that are t hemsel ves not mat ter. We give them names,
but what t hey really are, and what thei r essence, we are whol ly ignorant.
But , Iort unat ely, i t does not Iol l ow t hat we may not beli eve, or even
know,
t hat whi ch we cannot explai n t o oursel ves, or t hat whi ch i s beyond the
reach oI our comprehensi on. II we bel ieved only that which our i ntel lect
can grasp, measure, comprehend, and have di st i nct and clear i deas oI,
we shoul d beli eve scarce anythi ng. The senses are not t he wi tnesses that
bear t esti mony t o us oI t he loIti est trut hs.
Our greatest diIIi cul ty is, that l anguage is not adequate to express our
i deas; because our words reIer t o thi ngs, and are i mages oI what i s
substanti al and material . II we use t he word 'emanat ion, " our mi nd
i nvoluntari ly recurs t o something mat eri al, Il owi ng out oI some other
t hi ng
t hat is materi al; and iI we rej ect thi s i dea oI materi al ity, not hing i s leIt oI
t he emanati on but an unreal ity. The word "thing" i tsel I suggests t o us t hat
which is material and wi t hin t he cognizance and j uri sdi ct i on oI the
senses.
II we cut away Irom i t the i dea oI mat eri al i ty, it present s it selI t o us as no
t hi ng, but an intangi bl e unreal ity, which the mi nd vai nly endeavors to
grasp. Exist ence and Bei ng are terms that have t he same col or oI
material ity; and when we speak oI a Power or Force, t he mind
i mmediately i mages t o i t sel I one physi cal and material t hi ng act ing upon
another. El i minate t hat i dea; and the Power or Force, devoid oI physical
characterist ics, seems as unreal as the shadow t hat dances on a wal l,
i tsel I a mere absence oI li ght ; as spi ri t is t o us merely t hat whi ch i s not
matt er.
InIinit e space and i nIini t e ti me are the two pri mary ideas. We Iormuli ze
t hem thus: add body t o body and sphere t o sphere, unti l the i maginat i on
wearies; and sti l l t here wi ll remain beyond, avoid, empty, unoccupied
SPACE, li mi tl ess, because i t is voi d. Add event to event i n cont inuous
successi on, Iorever and Iorever, and there wi ll st il l remai n, beIore and
aIter, a TIME in whi ch there was and wil l be no event, and al so endl ess
because it t oo is voi d.
Thus these t wo i deas oI t he boundl essness oI space and the endl essness
oI t i me seem to i nvolve the ideas that mat ter and event s are li mi ted and
Iini t e. We cannot concei ve oI an i nIi ni ty oI worl ds or oI event s; but only
oI
an indeIini t e number oI each; Ior. as we st ruggle to concei ve oI thei r
i nIi nity, t he t hought ever occurs i n despit e oI al l our eIIort s - t here must
be
space in whi ch
t here are no worl ds; t here must have been t i me when t here were no
events.
We cannot conceive how, i I t hi s earth moves mi l l i ons oI mi ll ions oI mi les
a
mi l li on ti mes repeat ed, it i s st ill i n the centre oI space; nor how, i I we
l ived
mi l li ons oI mi l li ons oI ages and cent uri es, we should st il l be i n t he centre
oI
et ernity - wi th sti ll as much space on one si de as on t he ot her; wi th sti ll
as
much ti me beIore us as behind; Ior that seems t o say that t he worl d has
not
moved nor we li ved at all .
Nor can we comprehend how an i nIi ni t e series oI worl ds, added toget her,
i s
no l arger t han an i nIini t e seri es oI at oms; or an i nIi ni te seri es oI cent uries
no l onger t han an i nIini te seri es oI seconds; bot h being al ike inIini t e, and
t hereIore one series contai ni ng no more nor Iewer uni t s than t he ot her.
Nor have we the capaci ty to Iorm i n oursel ves any i dea oI t hat which is
i mmaterial . We use the word, but i t conveys to us on1v t he idea oI the
absence and negati on oI mat erial ity; whi ch vanishing, Space and Ti me
al one, inIi ni te and boundl ess, seem to us t o be l eIt .
We cannot Iorm any concept ion oI an eIIect wi thout a cause. We cannot
but bel ieve, indeed we know, that , how Iar soever we may have to run
back
al ong the chai n oI eIIect s and causes, it cannot be inIinit e; but we must
come at l ast t o somet hi ng which is not an eIIect, but the Ii rst cause: and
vet
t he Iact is l it eral tv beyond our comprehensi on. The mi nd reIuses to grasp
t he i dea oI sel I-exist ence, oI exi stence wi thout a begi nning. As wel l
expect
t he hair t hat grows upon our head t o underst and t he nat ure and
i mmortal i ty
oI t he soul .
It does not need t o go so Iar in search oI mysteries; nor have we any right
t o disbelieve or doubt the exi stence oI a Great First Cause, it selI no
eIIect ,
because we cannot comprehend it ; because the words we use do not even
express it t o us adequately.
We rub a needle Ior a li tt le whi le, on a dark, inert mass oI iron ore, that
had
l ain idl e in the eart h Ior many centuries. Somethi ng is thereby
communi cated to t he steel - we term i t a vi rtue, a power, or a quali ty -
and
t hen we bal ance i t upon a pi vot ; and, lo! drawn by some i nvi si ble,
mysterious Power, one pole oI the needl e t urns t o t he Nort h, and there the
same Power keeps the same pol e Ior days and years; wil l keep it t here,
perhaps, as l ong as t he worl d l asts, carry t he needl e where you wi ll , and
no
matt er what seas or
mountai ns i nt ervene bet ween it and the Nort h Pol e oI t he worl d. And thi s
Power, thus act ing, and i ndi cati ng to the mariner his course over t he
t rackless ocean, when t he st ars shine not Ior many days, saves vessel s
Irom shipwreck, Iami li es Irom distress, and those Irom sudden deat h on
whose l i ves the Iat e oI nati ons and the peace oI t he worl d depend. But Ior
i t, Napoleon might never have reached the port s oI France on his ret urn
Irom Egypt, nor Nel son li ved to Iight and wi n at TraIalgar. Men cal l thi s
Power Magnet ism, and t hen complacently t hi nk that t hey have expl ained
i t all ; and yet t hey have but gi ven a new name to an unknown thing, t o
hide their ignorance. What i s this wonderIul Power? It i s a real, actual,
act ive Power: t hat we know and see. But what i t s essence i s, or how it
act s, we do not know, any more than we know t he essence or the mode oI
act ion oI t he Creat ive Thought and Word oI God.
And agai n, what i s that which we t erm gal vani sm and electrici ty, - whi ch,
evolved by t he act ion oI a li tt le aci d on t wo met als, ai ded by a magnet ,
ci rcl es the eart h in a second, sendi ng Irom land to l and t he Thoughts that
govern the transact ions oI i ndivi dual s and nati ons? The mi nd has Iormed
no noti on oI matt er, t hat wil l include i t; and no name t hat we can give it ,
helps us t o understand i t s essence and it s bei ng. It is a Power, l i ke
Thought and t he Wi l l . We know no more.
What i s thi s power oI gravit ati on that makes everythi ng upon the earth
t end to the cent re? How does i t reach out i ts i nvisi ble hands toward t he
errat ic meteor-st ones, arrest t hem i n t hei r swiIt course, and draw t hem
down to the eart h' s bosom? It is a power. We know no more.
What i s that heat which pl ays so wonderIul a part in t he worl d' s
economy?
- t hat caloric, l atent everywhere, wit hi n us and wi thout us, produced by
combusti on, by intense pressure, and by swiIt mot ion? Is i t subst ance,
matt er, spi rit , or i mmaterial, a mere Force or State oI Mat ter?
And what is l ight ? A substance, say t he books, - matt er, t hat travel s t o us
Irom the sun and st ars, each ray separabl e i nt o seven, by t he pri sm, oI
dist inct colors, and wit h dist inct peculi ar qual it ies and act ions. And iI a
substance, what i s i ts essence, and what power i s inherent in it , by which
i t j ourneys i ncalculabl e myri ads oI mi les, and reaches us t en t housand
years or more aIt er it leaves t he stars?
Al l power i s equally a mystery. Apply intense col d t o a drop oI water i n
t he
cent re oI a gl obe oI iron, and t he gl obe is shatt ered as t he wat er Ireezes.
ConIi ne a li tt l e oI t he same li mpid element i n a cyli nder which Enceladus
or
Typhon coul d not have risen asunder, and apply to it i ntense heat , and the
vast power that couched latent i n t he water shi vers the cyl inder to atoms.
A
l it tl e shoot Irom a minut e seed, a shoot so soIt and tender t hat the least
brui se would kill i t, Iorces it s way downward int o t he hard, eart h, to t he
depth oI many Ieet, wi th an energy wholly i ncomprehensi ble. What are
t hese mighty Iorces, l ocked up i n t he small seed and the drop oI water?
Nay, what is LIFE it selI, wit h al l it s wondrous, mi ghty energi es, - t hat
power
which mai ntains the heat wi thi n us, and prevents our bodi es, t hat decay
so
soon wi t hout it , Irom resol ut ion i nt o t hei r ori ginal element s - LiIe, that
const ant mi racle, t he nat ure and essence whereoI have el uded all t he
phil osophers; and al l their learned di ssertati ons on it are a mere j argon oI
words?
No wonder the anci ent Persians t hought that Light and Li Ie were one, -
both
emanati ons Irom t he Supreme Deity, the archetype oI li ght . No wonder
t hat
i n t hei r ignorance they worshi pped t he Sun. God breat hed int o man the
spirit oI l iIe, - not mat ter, but an emanati on Irom Hi msel I; not a creat ure
made by Hi m, nor a di st i nct exi stence, but a Power, l i ke Hi s own
Thought :
and l ight, to those great-soul ed ancient s, also seemed no creature, and no
gross material substance, but a pure emanati on Irom t he Dei ty, i mmort al
and i ndest ructi ble li ke Hi mselI.
What, i ndeed, i s REALITY? Our dreams are as real, whi le they last , as
t he
occurrences oI t he dayt ime. We see, hear, Ieel , act, experi ence pleasure
and suIIer pain, as vividly and act ual ly in a dream as when awake. The
occurrences and t ransact ions oI a year are crowded i nt o t he l i mit s oI a
second: and the dream remembered i s as real as the past occurrences oI
l iIe.
The phi l osophers t ell us that we have no cogni zance oI subst ance i tsel I,
but
only oI i ts at tributes: t hat when we see that which we cal l a bl ock oI
marble,
our percepti ons give us i nIormat i on only oI somethi ng ext ended, soli d,
colored, heavy, and the li ke; but not oI t he very thi ng it sel I, t o which
t hese
at tributes bel ong. And yet t he attri but es do not exi st wit hout the
substance.
They are not substances, but adject ives. There is no such thi ng or
exist ence as hardness, wei ght or color, by it selI, detached Irom any
subject , movi ng Ii rst here, then t here, and att achi ng i t sel I to this and t o
t he
other subject . And yet , t hey say, t he att ributes are not the subject .
So Thought, Voli ti on, and Percept ion are not the soul , but i ts at tri but es;
and we have no cogni zance oI the soul i t sel I, but only oI t hem, i ts
maniIestat ions. Nor oI God; but only oI His Wi sdom, Power,
Magni Ii cence, Truth, and other at tributes.
And yet we know t hat there i s matt er, a soul wi thin our body, a God t hat
l ives in t he Universe.
Take, t hen, the att ributes oI the soul . I am conscious t hat I exist and am
t he same i dent ical person that I was twenty years ago. I am consci ous
t hat my body i s not I, - that iI my arms were l opped away, this person t hat
I cal l ME, would sti l l remai n, compl et e, enti re, ident ical as beIore. But I
cannot ascert ain, by t he most intense and l ong-conti nued reIl ecti on, what
I am, nor where wi thi n my body I reside, nor whet her I am a point, or an
expanded substance. I have no power to exami ne and i nspect . I exi st,
wi ll ,
t hi nk, perceive. That I know, and not hi ng more. I t hi nk a noble and
subli me Thought. What is that Thought ? It i s not Matt er, nor Spiri t. It i s
not a Thi ng; but a Power and Force. I make upon a paper cert ain
convent ional marks, that represent that Thought. There i s no Power or
Virt ue i n t he marks I wri t e, but only in the Thought which they tel l to
others. I di e, but the Thought sti l l l ives. It is a Power. It act s on men,
excit es t hem to ent husi asm, i nspires patrioti sm, governs t hei r conduct,
control s t heir dest i nies, di sposes oI li Ie and death. The words I speak are
but a cert ain successi on oI particular sounds, t hat by conventi onal
arrangement communi cat e t o ot hers t he Immat eri al, Intangibl e, Et ernal
Thought . The Iact t hat Thought conti nues to exi st an i nstant, aIt er it
makes i ts appearance i n t he soul, proves it i mmortal : Ior t here is not hi ng
concei vable t hat can destroy it . The spoken words, being mere sounds,
may vani sh int o thin air, and t he writ ten ones, mere marks, be burned,
erased, destroyed: but the THOUGHT it selI l ives st i ll , and must l ive on
Iorever.
A Human Thought , t hen, i s an act ual EXISTENCE, and a FORCE and
POWER, capabl e oI act ing upon and cont roll ing mat ter as wel l as mi nd.
Is
not the exi stence oI a God, who i s the i mmat erial soul oI the Uni verse,
and whose THOUGHT, embodied or not embodied i n His WORD, i s an
InIinit e Power, oI Creat i on and pro-
ducti on, dest ructi on and preservat ion, qui te as comprehensible as the
exist ence oI a Soul , oI a Thought separated Irom the Soul , oI the Power
oI t hat Thought t o moul d the Iat e and i nIluence the Dest ini es oI
Humani ty?
And yet we know not when that Thought comes, nor what it i s. It is not
WE. We do not moul d it , shape i t, Iashion i t. It i s nei ther our mechani sm
nor our i nventi on. It appears spontaneously, Ilashing, as i t were, into the
soul, maki ng that soul t he i nvoluntary i nstrument oI it s ut terance t o t he
worl d. It comes t o us, and seems a st ranger t o us, seeking a home.
As l i tt le can we expl ain t he mighty power oI t he human WILL, Voli t i on,
l ike
Thought , seems spontaneous, an eIIect wit hout a cause. Circumst ances
provoke it , and serve as it s occasi on, but do not produce it . It spri ngs up
i n t he soul , l ike Thought , as t he waters gush upward in a spri ng. Is it t he
maniIestat ion oI the soul , merely maki ng apparent what passes wi thin t he
soul, or an emanati on Irom it , going abroad and acti ng out wardly, i t sel I a
real Exist ence, as i t i s an admi tt ed Power? We can but own our
i gnorance. It i s cert ai n t hat it act s on ot her souls, cont rols, di rect s them,
shapes their act ion, l egisl ates Ior men and nati ons: and yet it i s not
material nor visi bl e; and the laws it writes merely n one soul oI what has
passed wi thi n anot her.
God, thereIore, i s a mystery, only as everything that surrounds us, and as
we oursel ves, are myst eri es. We know that t here is and must be a FIRST
CAUSE. His att ri but es, severed Irom Hi msel I, are unreali ti es. As col or
and
extensi on, weight and hardness, do not exi st apart Irom matt er as
separate exi stences and substanti ves, spi ri t ual or i mmateri al; so the
Goodness, Wi sdom, j ust i ce, Mercy, and Benevolence oI God are not
i ndependent exi st ences, personi Iy them as men may, but at tri butes oI the
Dei ty, the adj ecti ves oI One Great Substant i ve. But we know t hat He must
be Good, True, Wi se, Just, Benevolent, Merci Iul : and in al l t hese, and all
Hi s other at tributes, PerIect and InIi ni t e; because we are consci ous t hat
t hese are laws i mposed on us by the very nat ure oI t hings, necessary,
and wi thout which the Uni verse woul d be conIusion and t he exi stence oI
a
God i ncredible. They are oI His essence, and necessary, as Hi s exi st ence
i s.
. . Est os|, oI Si mon Magus, t he
He is t he Livi ng, Thi nki ng, Intel li gent SOUL oI the Uni verse, t he
PERMANENT, the STATIONARY|
ONE that al ways i s |To To ON| oI Plat o, as
contradi sti ngui shed Irom t he perpet ual Il ux and reIl ux, or Genesis, oI
t hi ngs.
And, as the Thought oI t he Soul , emanati ng Irom the Soul , becomes
audible and
visi ble in Words, so did THE THOUGHT OF GOD, springing up wit hi n
Hi msel I,
i mmortal as Hi msel I, when once concei ved, - i mmortal beIore, because in
Hi msel I, ut ter Itsel I in THE WORD, it s maniIestat ion and mode oI
communi cati on, and t hus create the Mat erial , Ment al , Spi ri tual Universe,
which,
l ike Hi m, never began to exist .
Thi s i s the real i dea oI the Ancient Nat ions: GOD, t he Al mighty Fat her,
and
Source oI Al l; Hi s THOUGHT, conceiving the whole Uni verse, and wi ll ing
i ts
creati on: Hi s WORD, ut teri ng that THOUGHT, and thus becoming t he
Creator or
Demi ourgos, in the whom was LiIe and Light, and t hat Light t he LiIe oI
t he
Universe.
Nor did t hat Word cease at t he singl e act oI Creati on; and having set going
t he
great machi ne, and enacted the laws oI i ts mot i on and progression, oI bi rt h
and
l iIe, and change and deat h, cease to exist , or remai n t hereaIt er in inert
i dleness.
FOR THE THOUGHT OF GOD LIVES AND IS IMMORTAL. Embodi ed in
t he
WORD, is not only created, but it preserves. It conduct s and controls the
Universe, al l spheres, all worl ds, al l acti ons oI mankind, and oI every
ani mate
and i nani mat e creat ure. It speaks in t he soul oI every man who l ives. The
Stars,
t he Earth, t he Trees, the Wi nds, t he uni versal voice oI Nat ure, tempest ,
and
aval anche, t he Sea' s roar and the grave voice oI the waterIal l, t he hoarse
t hunder and the low whisper oI the brook, t he song oI bi rds, the voice oI
l ove,
t he speech oI men, all are the alphabet i n which it communi cat es it sel I to
men,
and i nIorms t hem oI t he wi ll and l aw oI God, the Soul oI t he Uni verse.
And t hus
most truly di d "THE WORD BECOME PLESH AND DWELL AMONG
MEN. "
God, the unknown FATHER | .Pater Agnst os|, known to us only
by Hi s Att ri but es; the ABSOLUTE I AM:. . The THOUGHT oI God | .
Ennoia|, and t he WORD | . . . . Logos|, ManiIestat ion and expressi on oI t he
Thought ; . . . . Behold THE TRUE MASONIC TRINITY; the UNIVERSAL
SOUL,
t he THOUGHT i n t he Soul, t he WORD, or Thought expressed; the THREE
TN
ONE, oI a Tri ni tarian Ecossais.
Here Masonry pauses, and leaves it s Ini tiat es t o carry out and develop
t hese
great Truths in such manner as t o each may seem
most accordant wi t h reason, phi l osophy, trut h, and hi s rel igi ous Iai th. It
decl ines t o act as Arbit er between t hem. It looks cal mly on, whi le each
mul ti pl ies t he i nt ermedi at es between the Dei ty and Mat ter, and the
personiIicat ions oI God' s mani Iest ati ons and att ri but es, t o whatever
extent
his reason, hi s convicti on, or his Iancy dict at es.
Whi l e t he Indian tel ls us t hat PARABRAHMA, BRAHM, and PARATMA
were t he Iirst Triune God, reveal ing Hi mselI as BRAHMA, VISHNU, and
SIVA, Creat or, Preserver, and Destroyer; . . . .
The Egypti an, oI AMUN-RE, NEITH, and PHTHA, Creat or, Mat ter,
Thought
or Light ; the Persian oI his Tri nity oI Three Powers in ORMUZD, Sources
oI
Light , Fire, and Wat er; t he Buddhi st s oI the God SAKYA, a Trinity
composed oI BUDDHA, DHARM and SANGA, - Int ell igence, Law, and
Union or Harmony; t he Chinese Sabeans oI thei r Trini ty oI Chang-t i, t he
Supreme Sovereign; Tien, t he Heavens; and Tao, the Uni versal Supreme
Reason and Pri nci pl e oI al l t hi ngs; who produced t he Unit ; that, t wo; two,
t hree; and t hree, al l that i s; . . . .
Whi l e t he Sclavono-Vend typi Iies hi s Trinity by t he t hree heads oI the
God
Trigl av; t he Anci ent Prussi an poi nt s to hi s Tri une God, Perkoun, Pikol los,
and Potri mpos, Deit ies oI Light and Thunder, oI Hel l and oI the Eart h; the
Ancient Scandinavian to Odin, Frea, and Thor; and t he old Etruscans to
TINA, TALNA, and MINIMVA, St rength, Abundance, and Wi sdom; . . . .
Whi l e Plat o tel ls us oI t he Supreme Good, the Reason or Intell ect, and the
|, and the Soul or Spi rit ; and Phi l o oI t he Archetype oI Light , Wi sdom |
os the Kabal ist s, oI the Triads oI the Sephi roth; . Word |
Whi l e t he disci ples oI Si mon Magus, and t he many sects oI the Gnost ics,
conIuse us wit h t hei r Eons, Emanat ions, Powers, Wi sdom Superi or and
InIeri or, Ialdabaoth, Adam-Kadmon, even to the three hundred and
si xtyIive
t housand emanat ions oI the Mal dai tes; . . . .
And whil e t he pious Chri st ian bel ieves t hat the WORD dwelt in t he
Mortal
Body oI Jesus oI Nazaret h, and suIIered upon the Cross; and t hat t he
HOLY GHOST was poured out upon t he Apost l es, and now inspires every
t ruly Christ ian Soul : . . . .
Whi l e al l these Iait hs assert their clai ms to the excl usi ve possessi on oI
t he
Trut h, Masonry i ncul cates it s ol d doctri ne, and no more: . . . . That God is
ONE; t hat His THOUGHT utt ered i n Hi s
WORD, created t he Universe, and preserves i t by t hose Eternal Laws
which are the expressi on oI that Thought: t hat the Soul oI Man, breathed
i nt o hi m by God, i s i mmortal as Hi s Thought s are; t hat he is Iree to do
evil
or t o choose good, responsibl e Ior hi s act s and punishable Ior his sins:
t hat all evil and wrong and suIIeri ng are but temporary, the di scords oI
one great Harmony, and that i n His good ti me t hey wil l lead by inIi nit e
modulat ions t o t he great, harmonic Ii nal chord and cadence oI Trut h,
Love, Peace, and Happi ness, that wi l l ring Iorever and ever under t he
Arches oI Heaven, among al l the St ars and Worl ds, and i n al l soul s oI
men and Angel s. MORALS and DOGMA by ALBERT PIKE
1871.
27 - Kni ght Commander oI t he Temple
XXVII. KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE EMPIRE
THIS is the Ii rst oI t he real ly Chi val ric Degrees oI the Ancient and
Accepted Scott ish Rit e. It occupi es this place in the Calendar oI t he
Degrees bet ween t he 26t h and t he l ast oI the Phi losophi cal Degrees, in
order, by breaking the conti nui ty oI t hese, to rel ieve what mi ght otherwi se
become weari some; and al so t o remi nd t hat , whi le engaged wit h t he
speculat i ons and abst ract ions oI phi losophy and creeds, t he Mason i s also
t o cont inue engaged in act i ve dut ies oI thi s great warIare oI li Ie. He i s not
only a Morali st and Phi l osopher, but a Sol di er, t he Successor oI those
Knights oI the Middle Age, who, whil e t hey wore the Cross, al so wiel ded
t he Sword, and were the Soldi ers oI Honor, Loyalty, and Duty.
Ti mes change, and ci rcumst ances; but Vi rt ue and Duty remain t he same.
The Evil s to be warred agai nst but take anot her shape and are developed in
a diIIerent Iorm.
There i s the same need now oI trut h and l oyal ty as i n t he days oI Frederic
Barbarossa.
The charact ers, rel igi ous and mi li t ary, at tent i on to the si ck and wounded
i n t he Hospi tal , and war agai nst the InIidel i n t he Iield are no longer
blended; but t he same duti es, t o be perIormed in anot her shape, conti nue
t o exist and t o envi ron us all .
The innocent virgin is no longer at t he mercy oI t he brutal Baron or
l icenti ous man-at-arms; but puri ty and innocence sti l l need prot ectors.
War i s no longer the apparent ly nat ural St at e oI Society; and Ior most men
i t i s an empty obligat ion to assume, that t hey wil l not recede beIore t he
enemy; but the same high duty and obl igati on sti l l rest upon al l men.
Trut h, in act , proIessi on, and opi ni on, is rarer now than in days oI
chival ry. Fal sehood has become a current coi n, and ci rcul at es wi th a
certai n degree oI respectabil ity; because i t has an act ual val ue. It i s indeed
t he great Vice oI t he Age--i t, and it s t win-si ster, Dishonesty. Men, Ior
poli t ical preIerment , proIess whatever pri nci ples are expedient and
proIit abl e. At t he bar, i n t he pul pit , and in the hal ls oI legi slat ion, men
argue agai nst their own convi cti ons, and, wi th what t hey term logi c, prove
t o t he sat isIact i on oI ot hers t hat whi ch t hey do not t hemsel ves beli eve.
Insi ncerity and dupl ici ty are valuable t o thei r possessors, li ke est ates i n
st ocks, that yi el d a cert ai n revenue: and it i s no l onger the truth oI an
opinion or a princi pl e, but t he net proIit t hat may be real ized Irom i t,
which is the measure oI i ts val ue.
The Press is the great sower oI Ial sehood. To slander a poli ti cal
antagonist , t o misrepresent al l t hat he says, and, i I that be i mpossi bl e, to
i nvent Ior hi m what he does not say; t o put in circul at i on what ever
basel ess calumnies agai nst hi m are necessary t o deIeat hi m, --these are
habit s so common as t o have ceased to notice or comment, much l ess
surpri se or di sgust.
There was a t i me when a Kni ght would di e rather t han ut ter a l ie or break
his Knightly word. The Knight Commander oI t he Temple revives the ol d
Knightly spi ri t; and devot es hi msel I to the Kni ght ly worship oI Truth. No
proIession oI an opinion not hi s own, Ior expedi ency' s sake or proIit , or
t hrough Iear oI t he world' s di sIavor; no slander oI even an enemy; no
colori ng or perversion oI the sayings or acts oI ot her men; no i nsi ncere
speech and argument Ior any purpose, or under any pretext, must soi l his
Iair escut cheon. Out oI the Chapter, as wel l as in it , he must speak the
Trut h, and all t he Trut h, no more and no less; or else speak not at all .
To puri ty and innocence everywhere, the Kni ght Commander owes
prot ecti on, as oI old; against bold vi ol ence, or those, more gui l ty than
murderers, who by art and treachery seek t o sl ay t he soul ; and agai nst that
want and desti t uti on that dri ve t oo many t o sel l thei r honor and innocence
Ior Iood.
In no age oI the worl d has man had bet t er opportuni ty than now t o display
t hose loIty vi rt ues and t hat nobl e heroi sm t hat so dist ingui shed the three
great mi l i tary and rel igi ous Orders, in t heir yout h, beIore t hey became
corrupt and vi ti ated by prosperity and power.
When a IearIul epi demic ravages a city, and deat h is inhaled wit h the air
men breat he; when the l ivi ng scarcely suIIi ce t o bury the dead--most men
Ilee in abject t error, to ret urn and l ive, respectable and inIluenti al , when
t he danger has passed away. But t he old Kni ght ly spiri t oI devoti on and
disi nterestedness and cont empt oI deat h st il l li ves, and i s not exti nct in
t he human heart. Everywhere a Iew are Iound t o st and Ii rmly and
unIl i nchi ngly at their posts, to Iront and deIy the danger, not Ior money, or
t o be honored Ior i t, or t o protect their own household; but Irom mere
humanity, and t o obey t he unerri ng dictates oI duty. They nurse t he si ck,
breat hing t he pest il ent i al at mosphere oI the hospit al. They expl ore the
abodes oI want and mi sery. Wi t h t he gent l enes oI woman, t hey soIt en the
pains oI the dying, and Ieed the lamp oI li Ie in the convalescent. They
perIorm t he l ast sad oIIices the dead; and t hey seek no ot her reward t han
t he approval their own consciences.
These are t he t rue Kni ght s oI t he present age: these, and capt ai n who
remai ns at hi s post on board hi s shatt ered shi p un t he last boat , loaded t o
t he wat er' s edge wi th passengers and crew, has part ed Irom her side; and
t hen goes cal mly down wit h her int o the myst eri ous dept hs oI the ocean: --
t he pil ot who stands at t he wheel whi le t he swiIt Il ames eddy round hi m
and scorch away hi s l iIe:--t he Iireman who ascends the bl azi ng wal l s, and
plunges ami d the Il ames t o save t he property or l i ves oI t hose who have
upon hi m no clai m by t ie oI bl ood, or Iri endship, or even oI ordinary
acquai ntance: --these, and ot hers l ike these: --all men, who, set at the post
oI duty, stand t here manIul ly; to di e, i I need be, but not to desert t hei r
post: Ior these, t oo, are sworn not t o recede beIore t he enemy.
To the perIormance oI dut ies and oI act s oI heroi sm li ke t hese, you have
devot ed yourselI, my Brother, by becoming a Knight Commander oI the
Temple. Sol dier oI the Truth and oI Loyalty! Prot ect or oI Puri ty and
Innocence ! DeIier oI Plague and Pesti lence ! Nurser oI the Si ck and
Burier oI t he Dead ! Knight , preIerring Deat h t o abandonment oI the Post
oI Duty! Welcome t he bosom oI t hi s Order !

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MORALS and DOGMA by ALBERT PIKE

Morals and Dogma oI t he Anci ent and Accept ed Scot t ish Ri t e oI

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