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among a superstitious people, would be deemed a certain means of insuring their stability and usefulness.

Mr. Oliver has bestowed great labor in his researches into the original meaning and intention of the ancient pagan symbols, and shed much light upon the subject. But by endeavoring to place freemasonry, or something like it, before the pagan mysteries, he has thrown a veil of darkness over the investigation, tending to bewilder his readers who have any wish to arrive at truth in this inquiry. By this course he expects to clear freemasonry from the imputation of having descended from what he considers a vitiated source, and, on the contrary, to show it to be derived from a pure institution, of which in his opinion, the mysteries are a corruption.

In this way he thinks to connect Christianity with ancient masonry, and consequently show that he, as a minister of the gospel, may without impropriety ally himself to the order. There is no need of this fastidiousness. Ancient masonry is a pure moral institution, but has no connection or relation whatever with Christianity. Its original dogmas are totally different; but these at present are not regarded, nor even known to the craft, who perform the ceremonies for mere sociability and pastime.

The Secret Discipline,

Mentioned in ancient Ecclesiastical History explained.

A small, but learned work bearing this title has lately been issued from the press, in this city, under a fictitious signature, edited by Samuel L. Knapp, Esq.

This author adduces many authorities, in addition to those before cited in this volume, which go to prove that the fathers of the church adopted the terms and ceremonies used in the ancient mysteries.

The following are extracts from the work.

St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, in 412, in his VIIth book against Julian, declares, "These mysteries are so profound and so exalted, that they can be comprehended by those only who are enlightened. I shall not therefore attempt to speak of what is most admirable in them, lest by discovering them to the uninitiated, I should offend against the injunction not to give what is holy to the impure, no to cast pearls before such as cannot estimate their worth." And elsewhere, "I should say much more if I were not afraid of being heard by those who are uninitiated; because men are apt to deride what they do not understand; and the ignorant, not being aware of the weakness of their minds, condemn what they ought most to venerate."

Theodoret, Bishop of Cyzicus, in Syria, 420, in the first of his three dialogues, that entitled "The Immutable," introduces Orthodoxus, speaking thus "answer me if you please in mystical and obscure terms, for, perhaps, there are persons present who are not initiated in

the mysteries." And in his preface to Ezekiel, tracing up the secret discipline to the commencement of the Christian era, says, "these mysteries are so august, that we ought to keep them with the geatest caution."

To show that these mysteries were retained under ecclesiastial saction to a still later period, I refer to the Seal of the ancient Abbey of Arbroath, in Scotland, and to the explanation given of it by the Rev. Charles Cordinet, in his "Description of the Ruins of North Britain,"

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"The figures sculptured on the seal marked INITIATION, evi dently reprerent (says he) some formidable ceremony in a sacred place where a pontiff presides in state; one hand on his breast expressive of seriousness, the other stretched out at a right angle holding a rod and cross, the badge of high office, while he makes some awful appeal respecting a suppliant, who, in a loose robe, blindfolded with seeming terror kneels before the steps of an altar, while several attendants with drawn swords brandished them over his head." Mr. Cordinet inti mates the resemblance of these figures to an engraving which made the frontispiece to a book about freemasonry: and then adds, that both bring to remembrance a description which Plutarch, in his famoust essay "De Osiris," gives of the engraving of a seal which the priests of Isis used in their solemnities,-namely, that of a man kneeling with

his hands bound, a knife at his throat, etc. "And (says he) it is not a little remarkable, which is more to the present purpose, in how many particulars the mysterious fate of Osiris, as recorded by the above celebrated author, corresponds with the account of Hiram; a strong insinuation that the annals of the latter, however mutilated and defaced, have somehow or other been descended from the Eleusinian Mysteries, and that the Masonic rites of initiation into a lodge, are a faint sketch, an imperfect epitome of the august ceremonies which took place at initiation into the secrets which hallowed the primeval fanes: and this high origin, when discerned, may have been at the bottom of that general respect which men of learning have avowed for them.

This subject as an amusing research into antiquity, may be resumed; it only remains at present to specify that Hiram coming forth in hallowed dignity of character from within the veil of the sanctuary; violated in the open temple of the world by the ignorant and profane; concealed for a time in awful secrecy; the want of his presence pathetically deplored; the ardent solicitude with which he is sought for; the acclamation of joy at finding him again; and consequent discovery of the word, almost of itself developes the secret which the personification had involved."

It does indeed develope the secret, that the Hiram of masonry is substituted for Osiris, one of the pagan gods of the mysteries. Mr. Cordinet understands what is meant by the lost word, which is declared in the royal arch degree, to be recovered, and proves to be the Logos, the second person of the ancient trinity, the lost sun.

"The rod and cross, the badge of high office," held by the pontiff, is precisely a copy of the measure of the Nile, which was originally put into the hands of a figure of Anubis, to indicate the rise of the inundation, upon which mainly depended the subsistence, or temporal salvation of Egypt.

This pole or rod afterwards obtained, says Pluche, the name of Caduceus, or Mercury's wand, and was borne as a sceptre or staff of honor, indicating a sacred person. The figure (10), a cabalistic number, supposed, says Bailey, "to conjoin the virtue of all numbers," marked upon this copy, shows its original to have been a measure. Mr. Oliver observes, that "the amount of the points contained in a Pythagorean circle, is exactly ten, which is the consummation of all things."

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CHAPTER VI.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY. "The spirit of innovation had seized all the Brethren. No man can give a tolerable account of the origin, history, or object of the Order, and it appeared to all as a lost or forgotten mystery. The symbols seemed to be eqally susceptible of every interpretation, and none of these seemed entitled to any decided preference."-Professor Robison.

Proofs of the existence of the society of freemasons at certain remote periods, added to the occurrence of events that would naturally tend to create it, will point out its origin with sufficient accuracy for the present inquiry. No regular history of the order is attainable at this time, nor is it essential to our purpose.

It is highly probable, as asserted by Dr. Anderson, that many valuable documents relating to the society, were destroyed at the revolution of the order in 1717, by some scrupulous brethren, for fear that an improper use might be made of them.

I shall endeavor to show that the British Druids instituted this society, and the first consideration will be to point out the period when they were in a condition that required a resort to such secret means for the preservation and continuance of their religious rites.

We have seen that their open worship was entirely prohibited by the edict of Canute, who reigned from 1015 to 1035. Within those

periods, therefore, this edict was issued; by which the very existence of the Druids in England was put at hazard.* Cut off from their favorite devotional retreat, no means were left them but to devise some mode to evade the scrutinizing eye of the ministers of the law.

"About the beginning of the fifth century, (says Lawrie,) Theodosius the Great prohibited, and almost totally extinguished the pagan theology in the Roman empire, (Gibbon ;) and the mysteries of Eleusis, suffered in the general devastation. (Zosim. Hist.) It is probable, however, that these mysteries were secretly celebrated, in spite of the severe edicts of Theodosius; and that they were partly continued dur

*It appears that paganism existed at this time, not only in England, but in most of the other states of Europe. Dr. Lingard, speaking of Olave, king of Norway, savs, "That prince was a zealous Christian; but his religious innovations irritated the jealousy of the pagan priests; and he was murdered in an insurrection of his subjects," [în 1028.]

ing the dark ages, though stripped of their original purity and splendor: we are certain, at least, that many rites of the pagan religion were performed, under the dissembled names of convivial meetings, long after the publication of the emperor's edict. (Gibbon.) And Psellus, informs us, that the mysteries of Ceres subsisted in Athens till the eighth century of the Christian era, and were never totally suppressed." (p. 22.)

A similar course would naturally suggest itself to the Druids: that such a course was adopted, and that they fixed on the craft of masonry, as a cloak under which to screen their mystic ceremonies and dogmas will, it is believed, appear so evident in the sequel as to leave no room for doubt upon the subject.

During the reign of Canute, therefore, it may fairly be presumed, the famous freemason society was first established.

The conquest of England, by William, duke of Normandy, occurred in 1066, and it is highly probable that many of the artisans who were induced by him to emigrate from France into England, were initiated into the order of freemasons, and greatly contributed to raise its fame as an operative masonic institution. "King William, (says Dr. Anderson,) brought many expert masons from France. He died in Normandy, in 1087."

It is probable that many of these masons were attached to the Druidical religion, as the rites of Druidism are said to have been openly practiced in France, upwards of a hundred years after the edict of Canute prohibiting them in England.

The condition and character of the people of England, at the time of the conquest, is thus portrayed by Guthrie:

"With regard to the manners of the Anglo-Saxons, we can say little, but that they were in general, a rude, uncultivated people, ignorant of letters, unskilful in the mechanical arts, untamed to submission under law and government, addicted to intemperance, riot, and disorder. Even so late as the time of Canute, they sold their children and kindred into foreign parts.

Their best quality was their military courage, which yet was not supported by discipline or conduct. Even the Norman historians, notwithstanding the low state of the arts in their own country, speak of them as barbarous, when they mention the invasion of the duke of Normandy. Conquest placed the people in a situation to receive slowly from abroad the rudiments of science and cultivation, and to correct their rough and licentious manners.'

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