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On The Ancient Lodges, Or Places Of Initiation Into The Cabiric Mysteries.
ON THE ANCIENT LODGES , OR PLACES OF INITIATION INTO THE CABIRIC MYSTERIES .
BY THE REV . G . OLIVER , PROV . D . G . M . TOR LINCOLNSHIRE . IN the most early ages of the world a secret institution was practised by the sons of Seth , which had love to God , and benevolence to man , for its foundation and superstructure ; and was the ori ginal and prototype of the Order that is now termed Freemasonry . This science of
LIGHT , by what name soever it might be known , conferred such a high distinction on the favoured race by whom it was preserved , as to excite in the impure posterity of Cain an ardent desire to participate in the privileges which it appeared to convey . They had , however , rejected the true light , and were therefore not allowed to associate themselves as the Companions of those distinguished few , who , led by Seth , Enoch ,
ancl Noah , were acquainted with the mysterious name of God , and practised the holy science . Cain , therefore , with the assistance of his descendants , Tubal and Tubal-Cain , incorporated his followers into a Society , built a city for their habitation , and invented a spurious system of Masonry , which resolved itself into the grossest species of idolatry , the worship of dead men , and the adoration of the host of heaven .
After the Flood , the posterity of Ham revived and perpetuated the unholy scheme , and Nimrod erected a stupendous pyramidal tower in honour of the solar worship , and for the convenience of initiation and celebration . From the plains of Shinar , it was conveyed by each migratory colony to distant parts of the world , and ultimately , under the direction of the Cabiric priests , assumed the form of MYSTERIES , which were solemnized with awful splendour by every people upon the face of the earth .
There existed a legend , from the earliest times subsequently to the flood , that Enoch had deposited certain invaluable secrets in a consecrated cavern , deep in the bowels of the earth ; and hence arose in the minds of the idolaters , a strange predilection for these subterraneous places , coupled , as it was , with a tradition of the deluge ; not only as representing the central cavity of the earthor in other words the
in-, fernal regions , and affording secrecy and seclusion to the practice of their solemnities ; but also as embracing the undoubted usage of the antediluvian patriarchs , and conveying an impression of awe and solemnity to their rites , approaching the sublime . And hence these celebrations in every country under heaven were held in caverns , constructed with sufficient capacity for the exhibition of their terrific
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Ancient Lodges, Or Places Of Initiation Into The Cabiric Mysteries.
ON THE ANCIENT LODGES , OR PLACES OF INITIATION INTO THE CABIRIC MYSTERIES .
BY THE REV . G . OLIVER , PROV . D . G . M . TOR LINCOLNSHIRE . IN the most early ages of the world a secret institution was practised by the sons of Seth , which had love to God , and benevolence to man , for its foundation and superstructure ; and was the ori ginal and prototype of the Order that is now termed Freemasonry . This science of
LIGHT , by what name soever it might be known , conferred such a high distinction on the favoured race by whom it was preserved , as to excite in the impure posterity of Cain an ardent desire to participate in the privileges which it appeared to convey . They had , however , rejected the true light , and were therefore not allowed to associate themselves as the Companions of those distinguished few , who , led by Seth , Enoch ,
ancl Noah , were acquainted with the mysterious name of God , and practised the holy science . Cain , therefore , with the assistance of his descendants , Tubal and Tubal-Cain , incorporated his followers into a Society , built a city for their habitation , and invented a spurious system of Masonry , which resolved itself into the grossest species of idolatry , the worship of dead men , and the adoration of the host of heaven .
After the Flood , the posterity of Ham revived and perpetuated the unholy scheme , and Nimrod erected a stupendous pyramidal tower in honour of the solar worship , and for the convenience of initiation and celebration . From the plains of Shinar , it was conveyed by each migratory colony to distant parts of the world , and ultimately , under the direction of the Cabiric priests , assumed the form of MYSTERIES , which were solemnized with awful splendour by every people upon the face of the earth .
There existed a legend , from the earliest times subsequently to the flood , that Enoch had deposited certain invaluable secrets in a consecrated cavern , deep in the bowels of the earth ; and hence arose in the minds of the idolaters , a strange predilection for these subterraneous places , coupled , as it was , with a tradition of the deluge ; not only as representing the central cavity of the earthor in other words the
in-, fernal regions , and affording secrecy and seclusion to the practice of their solemnities ; but also as embracing the undoubted usage of the antediluvian patriarchs , and conveying an impression of awe and solemnity to their rites , approaching the sublime . And hence these celebrations in every country under heaven were held in caverns , constructed with sufficient capacity for the exhibition of their terrific