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On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
The number of steps in this ascent were the conservators of many important doctrines , —the Deity and his attributes ; —the antiquities , discipline , and science of the Craft;—the functions of the human frame " fearfully and wonderfully made , " were all included in this significant and comprehensive symbol .
The ancient Jewish Masons made this staircase , like the theological ladder , to consist of five principal steps , each including ten lesser ones—in all fifty ; which were so many degrees of wisdom , and so many avenues to the attainment of sublime and mysterious truths . It was considered by this people incumbent on men that they study the mysteries
before they can receive the " influx of Divine Light . But the progress of the candidate for celestial wisdom through these gates is exceedingly slow , and obstructed by numerous difficulties . Moses is recorded to have passed through the forty-ninth , and Joshua , his successor , to have reached the forty-eighth ; but neither Moses himselfnor even Solomon
, , who in wisdom surpassed all mankind , could ever open the fiftieth gate , which leads immediatel y into the presence of the En Saph , the Infinite and Omnipotent God , whom no mortal ever yet beheld , nor could fully comprehend . " This information , which has been collected by Basnage from the Rabbleswhom he citesis remarkablebecause
, , very , it corresponds so exactly with a similar doctrine taught in the Spurious Freemasonry , as may be seen on reference to my volume of Signs and Symbols , lecture viii ., and more particularly in the History of Initiation into the Mithratic Mysteries .
The principal steps were five . The three former , says Maurice , " include the knowledge of the first principles of things ; and , in passing through them , the soul is busied in discussing the nature of the first matter , of the gloomy chaos , of the immense void , and of the elements ; the mineral ancl vegetable creation ; insects , reptiles , fishes , birds , and
quadrupeds ; and , finally , of the creation of man , of his faculties , senses , ancl various other particulars of a deep metaphysical kind . But it is the fourth step which in a singular manner claims our attention ; for , through that , we are immediately introduced into the planetary world , and all the wonders of astronomy , as far as then known , are exhibited to our view . There we find one of the names of the seven planets , and one of the seyen angels who direct their course , allotted to VOL . VII . 3 K
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
The number of steps in this ascent were the conservators of many important doctrines , —the Deity and his attributes ; —the antiquities , discipline , and science of the Craft;—the functions of the human frame " fearfully and wonderfully made , " were all included in this significant and comprehensive symbol .
The ancient Jewish Masons made this staircase , like the theological ladder , to consist of five principal steps , each including ten lesser ones—in all fifty ; which were so many degrees of wisdom , and so many avenues to the attainment of sublime and mysterious truths . It was considered by this people incumbent on men that they study the mysteries
before they can receive the " influx of Divine Light . But the progress of the candidate for celestial wisdom through these gates is exceedingly slow , and obstructed by numerous difficulties . Moses is recorded to have passed through the forty-ninth , and Joshua , his successor , to have reached the forty-eighth ; but neither Moses himselfnor even Solomon
, , who in wisdom surpassed all mankind , could ever open the fiftieth gate , which leads immediatel y into the presence of the En Saph , the Infinite and Omnipotent God , whom no mortal ever yet beheld , nor could fully comprehend . " This information , which has been collected by Basnage from the Rabbleswhom he citesis remarkablebecause
, , very , it corresponds so exactly with a similar doctrine taught in the Spurious Freemasonry , as may be seen on reference to my volume of Signs and Symbols , lecture viii ., and more particularly in the History of Initiation into the Mithratic Mysteries .
The principal steps were five . The three former , says Maurice , " include the knowledge of the first principles of things ; and , in passing through them , the soul is busied in discussing the nature of the first matter , of the gloomy chaos , of the immense void , and of the elements ; the mineral ancl vegetable creation ; insects , reptiles , fishes , birds , and
quadrupeds ; and , finally , of the creation of man , of his faculties , senses , ancl various other particulars of a deep metaphysical kind . But it is the fourth step which in a singular manner claims our attention ; for , through that , we are immediately introduced into the planetary world , and all the wonders of astronomy , as far as then known , are exhibited to our view . There we find one of the names of the seven planets , and one of the seyen angels who direct their course , allotted to VOL . VII . 3 K