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Article ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 8 of 9 →
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On Freemasonry.
terrors of his majesty , and scatter the idolaters before the holy walls . Nothing tends more strongly to prove the truth of the former manifestations of the Deity in their favour , as recorded by their prophets and sacred writers , than the confidence in which they awaited the visible succour of the
Most Hig h . Fear could not shake it , or suffering impair its power : in vain , as Joseph us informs us , did Titus Vespasian , after carrying the second wall , suspend the siege for four days to give them time for reflection ; in vain did that monster , mispraised by the world for the virtue to which his heart was a stranger , cause five hundred or more
prisoners to be crucified daily before the walls , till space was wanting for the crosses , and crosses for the captives with a resolution worthy the noblest cause , the Hebrews rejected all overtures of compromise , and many at the last hour , when the barbarian legions had reduced their battlements to ruinsforced their long defended gatesand fired the
, , city , withdrew to the Temple , confident of its inviolability ; but , alas ! no thunders pealed within the mystic sanctuary , no lightnings appalled the triumphant conquerors ; infinite justice triumphed over infinite mercy , and the last hold of Israel fell . A brand cast by a soldier fired the Temple ; vain
were the effoi-ts of Titus to preserve that gorgeous pile . Although the Eternal had in his wrath delivered his rebellious people to slavery , He willed not that the House once consecrated to Him , once hallowed by His presence , should become the boast and scorn of the heathen , the trophy of their power . Shrouded in its magnificent robe of flame ,
veiled by the impenetrable element from the curious eyes of the profane , the deserted tabernacle of the Eternal fell , mystic even in its ruins . With the overthrow of the Temple resistance ceased , and all that remained of the wretched city was given to the unrestrained fury of the licentious soldiery , who satiated at last with slaughter , restrained the sword but
to make captives for their triumph . History has informed us that the Hebrews were distributed in various parts of the vast empire of their conquerors ; and as many of them carried with them a knowledge of the true principles of Masonry , they , to obtain favour with their rulers , gradually imparted its secrets and advantagessowing in their captivity
, the seeds of its universality . The most authentic traces of the unhappy captives of Jerusalem are to be found in the Ghetto degl' Ebrei at Rome , where the descendants of those who followed the triumphant car of Titus may still be found ; having survived the oppression of ancient and modern
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry.
terrors of his majesty , and scatter the idolaters before the holy walls . Nothing tends more strongly to prove the truth of the former manifestations of the Deity in their favour , as recorded by their prophets and sacred writers , than the confidence in which they awaited the visible succour of the
Most Hig h . Fear could not shake it , or suffering impair its power : in vain , as Joseph us informs us , did Titus Vespasian , after carrying the second wall , suspend the siege for four days to give them time for reflection ; in vain did that monster , mispraised by the world for the virtue to which his heart was a stranger , cause five hundred or more
prisoners to be crucified daily before the walls , till space was wanting for the crosses , and crosses for the captives with a resolution worthy the noblest cause , the Hebrews rejected all overtures of compromise , and many at the last hour , when the barbarian legions had reduced their battlements to ruinsforced their long defended gatesand fired the
, , city , withdrew to the Temple , confident of its inviolability ; but , alas ! no thunders pealed within the mystic sanctuary , no lightnings appalled the triumphant conquerors ; infinite justice triumphed over infinite mercy , and the last hold of Israel fell . A brand cast by a soldier fired the Temple ; vain
were the effoi-ts of Titus to preserve that gorgeous pile . Although the Eternal had in his wrath delivered his rebellious people to slavery , He willed not that the House once consecrated to Him , once hallowed by His presence , should become the boast and scorn of the heathen , the trophy of their power . Shrouded in its magnificent robe of flame ,
veiled by the impenetrable element from the curious eyes of the profane , the deserted tabernacle of the Eternal fell , mystic even in its ruins . With the overthrow of the Temple resistance ceased , and all that remained of the wretched city was given to the unrestrained fury of the licentious soldiery , who satiated at last with slaughter , restrained the sword but
to make captives for their triumph . History has informed us that the Hebrews were distributed in various parts of the vast empire of their conquerors ; and as many of them carried with them a knowledge of the true principles of Masonry , they , to obtain favour with their rulers , gradually imparted its secrets and advantagessowing in their captivity
, the seeds of its universality . The most authentic traces of the unhappy captives of Jerusalem are to be found in the Ghetto degl' Ebrei at Rome , where the descendants of those who followed the triumphant car of Titus may still be found ; having survived the oppression of ancient and modern