CHAPTER V.

OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS OF LEARNED WRITERS ON

FREE

MASONRY, WHO ARE IN FULL COMMUNION WITH THE ORDER.

MOST of those writers on masonry who belong to the craft, either through ignorance or design, have mystified the subject in such a manner as to render it, not only unintelligible, but absolutely forbidding. The opinions, therefore, of those of the order who have written with candor, and with a view of eliciting the truth, so far as they deemed consistent with their obligations, are entitled to great consideration. Such are the writings from which the following extracts are made, or, at least, the passages selected generally bear that character.

From "The Spirit of Masonry," by William Hutchinson. Carlisle, (England,) 1802.

I am induced to believe the name of mason has its derivation from a language, in which it implies some strong indication, or distinction, of the nature of the society; and that it has no relation to architects.

The titles of masons and masonry most probably were derived from the Greek language, as the Greek idiom is adopted by the Druids, as is shown in many instances in the course of this work. When they committed any thing to writing, they used the Greek alphabetand I am bold to assert the most perfect remains of the Druidical rites and ceremonies are preserved in the ceremonials of masons, that are to be found existing among mankind. My brethren may be able to trace them with greater exactness than I am at liberty to explain to the public. The original names may probably be derived from or corrupted of Myster res arcana, mysteries, and Mystes, sacris initiatus mystis― those i ted to sacred mysteries."

There is no doubt that our ceremonies and mysteries were derived from the rites, ceremonies, and institutions of the ancients, and some of them from the remotest ages.

The English word mason has a very simple origin; it comes from maçon, French; "From mas, an old word which signifies house; thus a mason is a person who makes houses."-(French Enc.) The awkard connection which architecture is made to bear towards the mysteries involved in freemasonry, is easily accounted for on the supposition, which is undoubtedly a fact, that the Druids made use of the craft of masonry merely as a cover to their mystic worship.

The ancient masonic record, [the examination of a freemason by Henry VI.] says, that masons knew the way of gaining an understanding of Abrac. On this word all commentators (which I have yet read) on the subject of masonry, have confessed themselves at a loss.

Abrac, or Abracar, was a name which Basilides, a religious of the second century, gave to God, who he said was the author of three hundred and sixty-five.

The author of this superstition is said to have lived in the time of Adrian, and that it had its name after Abrasan, or Arbaxas, the denomination which Basilides gave to the Deity -He called him the Supreme God, and ascribed to him seven subordinate powers or angels, who presided over the heavens:—and also, according to the number of the days in the year, he held that three hundred and sixty-five virtues, powers, or intelligences, existed as the emanations of God: the value, or numerical distinctions of the letters in the word, according to the ancient Greek numerals, made 365-AB PAXA 2. Σ 1 2 100 1 60 1 200.

With antiquaries, Abraxas is an antique gem or stone, with the word abraxas engraven on it. There are a great many kinds of them, of various figures and sizes, mostly as old as the third century. Persons professing the religious principles of Basilides, wore this gem with great veneration, as an amulet; from whose virtues, and the pro. tection of the Deity, to whom it was consecrated, and with whose name it was inscribed, the wearer presumed he derived health, prosperity, and safety.

In the British museum is a beryl stone, the form of an egg. The head is in camio, and reversed in taglio. The head is supposed to represent the image of the Creator, under the denomination of Jupiter Ammon-the sun and moon on the reverse, the Osiris and Isis of the Egyptians; and were used hieroglyphically to represent the omnipotence, omnipresence, and eternity of God. The star seems to be used as a point only, but is an emblem of prudence, the third emanation of the Basilidian divine person.

In church history, Abrax is noted as a mystical term, expressing the Supreme God; under whom the Basilidians supposed three hundred and sixty-five dependent deities; it was the principle of the gnostic hierarchy; whence sprang their multitudes of Thæons. From Abraxas proceeded their primoganial mind; from the primoganial mind, the logos or word; from the logos, the Phronasis or prudence: from phronesis, Sophia and Dynamis, or wisdom and strength; from these

two proceeded principalities, powers, and angels; and from these other angels, of the number of three hundred and sixty-five, who were supposed to have the government of so many celestial orbs committed to their care. The Gnostics were a sect of Christians having particular tenets of faith; they assumed their name to express that new knowledge and extraordinary light to which they made pretensions; the word gnostic implying an enlightened person.

Jupiter Ammon, was worshipped under the symbol of the sun. He was painted with horns, because with the astronomers the sign Aries in the zodiac is the beginning of the year: when the sun enters into the house of Aries, he commences his annual course. Heat, in the Hebrew tongue is Hammah, and in the prophet Isaiah Hammamin is given as a name of such images. The error of depicting him with horns, grew from the doubtful signification of the Hebrew word, which at once expresses heat, splendor, or brightness, and also horns.

"The sun was also worshipped by the house of Judah, under the name of Tamuz, for Tamuz, saith Hierom, was Adonis, and Adonis is generally interpreted the sun, from the Hebrew word Adan signifying dominus, the same as Baal or Moloch, formerly did the lord or prince of the planets. The month which we call June, was by the Hebrews called Tamuz; and the entrance of the sun into the sign cancer,was in Jews' astronomy termed Tekupha Tamuz, the revolution of Tamuz.— About the time of our Saviour, the Jews held it unlawful to pronounce that essential name of God, Jehovah; and instead thereof, read Adonai, to prevent the heathen blaspheming that holy name, by the adoption of the name of Jove, etc. to the idols. Concerning Adonis, whom some ancient authors call Osiris, there are two things remarkable: the death or loss of Adonis, and the finding of him again: as there was great lamentation at his loss, so was there great joy at his finding. By the death or loss of Adonis, we are to understand the departure of the sun by his finding again, the return of that luminary. Now he seemeth to depart twice in the year; first,,when he is in the tropic of cancer, in the farthest degree northward; and, secondly, when he is in the tropic of capricorn, in the farthest degree southward. Hence we may note, that the Egyptians celebrated their Adonia in the month of November, when the sun began to be farthest southward, and the house of Judah theirs in the month of June, when the sun was farthest northward; yet both were for the same reasons. Some authors say, that this lamentation was performed over an image in the night season; and when they had sufficiently lamented, a candle was brought into the room, which ceremony

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might mystically denote the return of the sun, then the priest with a soft voice, muttered this form of words, "Trust ye in God, for out of pains salvation is come unto us."—Godwyn's Moses and Aaron.

Our ancient record, which I have mentioned, brings us positive evidence of the Pythagorean doctrine, and Basilidian principles, making the foundation of our religious and moral rules.

As the servants of one God, our predecessors professed the temple, wherein the deity approved to be served, was not the work of men's hands. In this the Druids copied after them: the universe, they confessed, was filled with his presence, and he was not hidden from the most distant quarters of creation: they looked upwards to the heavens as his throne, and wheresoever under the sun, they worshipped, they regarded themselves as being in the dwelling place of the divinity, from whose eye nothing was concealed. The ancients not only refrained from building temples, but even held it utterly unlawful; because they thought no temple spacious enough for the sun, the great symbol of the deity. "Mundus universus est templum solist" was their maxim; they thought it profane to set limits to the infinity of the deity; when, in later ages, they built temples, they left them open to the heavens, and unroofed.

As we derived many of our mysteries and moral principles from the doctrines of Pythagoras, who had acquired his learning in Egypt, and others from the Phoenicians, who had received the Egyptian theology in an early age, it is not to be wondered that we should adopt Egyptian symbols, to represent or express the attributes of the Divinity.

The third emanation of Abrax, in the Gnostic hierarchy, was Phronæsis, the emblem of Prudence, which is the first and most exalted object that demands our attention in the Lodge. It is placed in the centre, ever to be present to the eye of the mason, that his heart may be attentive to her dictates, and steadfast in her laws;-for prudence is the rule of all virtues ;-prudence is the path which leads to every degree of propriety;-prudence is the channel whence self-approbation flows for ever-she leads us forth to worthy actions, and as a Blazing Star, enlighteneth us through the dreary and darksome paths of this life.†

The maxim of the ancients, that "The whole world was the temple of the sun," does not indicate that they looked upon the sun as the symbol of the Deity, but as the Deity itself.

It is a difficult task for masons to make out any thing respecting this blazing star, that has the least semblance of reason. They find it among the symbols, but are not aware how it came there, and endeavor to make the best of it they possibly can. The reader will recollect that it is Anubis the dog-star, who warned the Egyptians to retire from the plain with their produce, to avoid the destructive effects of the inundation.

That innocence should be the professed principle of a mason, occasions no astonishment, when we consider that the discovery of the Deity leads us to the knowledge of those maxims wherewith he may be well pleased. The very idea of a God, is succeeded with the belief, that he can approve of nothing that is evil; and when first our predecessors professed themselves servants of the Architect of the world, as an indispensable duty, they professed innocence, and put on white raiment, as a type and characteristic of their conviction, and of their being devoted to his will. The Druids were apparelled in white, at the time of their sacrifices and solemn offices. The Egyptian priests of Osiris wore snow-white cotton in the service of Ceres, [Isis] under whom was symbolized the gift of Providence in the fruits of the earth-and the Grecian priests also put on white.

Every degree of sin strikes the rational mind of man with some feelings of self-condemnation. Under such conviction, who could call upon, or claim the presence of a Divinity, whose demonstration is good works?-Hence are men naturally led to conceive, that such Divinity will accept only of works of righteousness. Standing forth for the approbation of heaven, the servants of the first revealed God, bound themselves to maxims of purity and virtue; and as masons, we regard the principles of those who were the first worshippers of the true God, we imitate their apparel, and assume the badge of innocence.

In this pretension of the author, that the predecessors of the freemasons were the first to discover the true God, an allusion is evidently made to the Egyptians, who seem to have been great boasters in this respect.

"The most ancient of the profane historians, and he who speaks in the most learned manner of the religion of, the Egyptians, is Herodotus. The Egyptians, according to him, are the first people in the world who knew the names of the twelve great gods, and from them the Greeks had learnt them. They too are the first who erected altars to the gods, made representations of them, raised temples to them, and had priests for their service, excluding wholly the other sex from the priesthood. Never was any peo, ple, continues he, more religious. They even had two sorts of writing, the one common, and the other sacred; and this last is set apart solely for the mysteries of religion. Their priests shave their whole body every third day. Clothed in linen, with sandals made of the plant papirus, they are not allowed to wear other apparel, nor other covering for their feet. They are obliged to bathe themselves in cold water twice a day, and as often by night. So scrupulously exact must the priests be in the choice of the victims which they are to offer to their gods, that they are punished with death if they offer up any which have not the qualities requisite." Mayo's Myth. v. 11. p. 27.

The color of white's being made a symbol of purity and innocence probably owes its origin to the following absurd notions of the ancients;