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and sentiments of the mind-but this was obscured and debased in after ages by symbols and hieroglyphics: 15 yet by the immediate dispensation of Heaven, Moses attained a knowledge of those original characters; by which he was enabled to reveal to his people, and preserve to posterity, the commandments of God, delivered to him on the mount, by inscribing them on tables of stone.16

It is natural to conceive that the Israelites would be instructed in this art, by which the will of the Deity was communicated; they would be led to write the doctrines of their leader, and his expositions of the law, that they should be preserved to their children; and if we give credit to the observations and conjectures of the learned travellers, the written mountains remain monuments of the peregrinating Hebrews to this day.

But to return to the progressions of our profession. It is not to be presumed that we are a set of men, professing religious principles contrary to the revelations and doctrines of the Son of God, reverencing a Deity by the denomination of the God of Nature, and denying that mediation which is graciously offered to all true believers. The members of our society at this day, in the third stage of Masonry, confess themselves to be Christians, "The veil of the temple is rent, the builder is smitten, and we are raised from the tomb of transgression."

15 Until very recently there existed a lamentable ignorance on the subject of these symbols. Spineto asks, "What were they? Was it a language? Did it consist of words? Was it made out of an alphabet? Was it a language spoken? Was it a dead language? If a living language, what living language? Was it a language known only to the priests themselves, as the sanscrit of India was once supposed to be?-How endless were these fields of inquiry! Many writers offered their reasonings and conjectures on the subject, but, unfortunately, the study of Egyptian antiquities, and of hieroglyphics in particular, was carried on in a direction totally different from truth." -EDITOR.

16

"And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. And the Lord said unto Moses, hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And the Lord said unto Moses, write thou these words, for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." (Exod. xxxi., 18. xxxiv., 1, 27.)

I humbly presume, it is not to be understood, that the name of Mason in this society denotes that the origin or rise of such society was solely from builders, architects, or mechanics: at the times in which Moses ordained the setting up of the sanctuary," and when Solomon was about to build the temple at Jerusalem, they selected from out the people those men who were enlightened with the true faith, and being full of wisdom and religious fervor, were found proper to conduct these works of piety. It was on those occasions that our predecessors appeared to the world as architects, and were formed into a body, under salutary rules, for the government of those who were employed in these great works :18 since which period builders have adopted the name of masons, as an honorary distinction and title to their profession. 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 not its relation to architects.19

17 See, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass. And in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee. The tabernacle of the congregation. Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding, to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it." (Exod. xxxi., 2-7; xxxvi., 1, 2.)

18 This was the undoubted union of Speculative and Operative Masonry. (See the Theocratic Philosophy, lect. viii.)—EDITOR. 19 This observation is scarcely correct. In the Privy Seal Book of Scotland is an entry which distinctly proves that the office-bearers of the society were Speculative Masons, but that they were invested with authority to administer justice, and promote regularity amongst Operative Masons. It consists of a letter, dated from Holyrood House, 25th Sept., 1590, and granted by King James VI. “to Patrick Copland, of Udaught, for using and exercising the office of Wardanrie over the Art and Craft of Masonry, over all the boundis of Aberdeen, Banff, and Kincardine; to haud warden and justice courts within the same boundis, and there to minister justice,” &c.—EDITOR.

The French word maison signifies a family or particular race of people: it seems as if the name was compounded of Mao wav, quero salvum and the title of Masonry no more than a corruption of Mecovoarew, sum in medio cali, or Masovvood, signa cœlestia;20 which conjecture is strengthened by our symbols. I am inclined to determine that the appellation of Mason implies a member of a religious sect, and a professed devotee of the Deity, "who is seated in the centre of Heaven." To prove these several propositions in Masonry to be true, and to demonstrate to Masons the importance of their Order, shall be the subject of the following lectures. The principles of Morality are rigorously enjoined us; charity and brotherly love are our indispensable duty: how they are prescribed to us, and their practice enforced, will also be treated of in the following pages.

20 We still retain all the names by which the science has been distinguished in every age of the world, either in its speculative or operative form. Whether it were characterized by the appellation of Lux, as in the patriarchal age; or Geometry, as it was called by Euclid; or Philosophy, as Pythagoras named it; or Mesouraneo, or by any other title; a memorial of such designation has been embodied in the system. We say Freemasonry is a system of Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, and the definition was adopted from our ancient G. M. King Solomon, who called the science WISDOM: which by the cabalists was subsequently denominated Baphomet. And he defines it thus: "Wisdom is the worker of all things; she is the brightness of the everlasting Light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness. She is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it." (Wisd. vii., 26, 29.) "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. She hath builded her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars. I, Wisdom, dwell with Prudence; I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment." (Prov. ix., 10; 1. viii., 12, 20.) What is all this but a just description of Speculative Freemasonry ?-EDITOR. 21 The title of Masons and Masonry most probably were derived from the Greek language, as the Greek idiom is adopted by them; and is shewn in many instances in the course of this work. The Druids, when they committed anything to writing, used the Greek alphabet: and I am bold to assert, the most perfect remains of the Druids' 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 of Masons and Masonry may probably be derived from, or corrupted of, Musholov, res arcana, mysteries, and Musŋs, sacris initiatus mysta, those initiated to sacred mysteries.-ED.

My original design in these lectures was not only to explain to my brethren the nature of their profession, but also to testify to the world, that our mysteries are important; and to take away the reproach which hath fallen upon this society by the vices, ignorance, or irregularities of some profligate men, who have been found among Masons. Should the errors of a few stain and render ignominious a whole society, or bring infamy and contempt on a body of men, there is no association on earth, either civil or religious, which might not be affected.

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LECTURE II.

ON THE Rites, cereMONIES, AND INSTITUTIONS OF THE

ANCIENTS.

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. Our morality is deduced from the maxims of the Grecian philosophers, and perfected by the Christian

revelation.

The institutors of this society had their eyes on the progressive advancement of religion, and they symbolized it, as well in the first stage, as in the succeeding orders of Masons. The knowledge of the God of Nature forms the first estate of our profession; the worship of the Deity, under the Jewish law, is described in the second stage of Masonry; and the Christian dispensation is distinguished in the last and highest order.

It is extremely difficult, with any degree of certainty, to trace the exact origin of our symbols, or from whence our ceremonies or mysteries were particularly derived. I shall point out some ancient institutions from whence they may have been deduced.

The Assideans (a sect among the Jews, divided into two denominations, the merciful and the just,) were the fathers and predecessors of the Pharisees and Essenes : they preferred their traditions before the written word, and set up for a sanctity and purity that exceeded the law: they at last fell into the error of the Sadducees, in denying the resurrection, and the faith of rewards and punishments after this life.

The Essenes1 were of very remote antiquity; and it

1 "The etymologies of the names Essæi, or Esseni, i. e., Essenes, are divers; that which I prefer is from the Syriac Asa, signifying Jɛpañεvεw, to heal or cure diseases; for though they gave themselves

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