Godfrey Higgins On Freemasonry.

transmitted verbally ; it being too sacred to be written . CThis is very like Freemasonry . ) ( p . 817 , vol . 1 . ) .... If a person reflect deeply upon the circumstances in which the first priests must have been placed when the earliest attempt at

building a temple was made , he will perceive that it was quite natural for them to become Masons The Christian religion was divided b y the early fathers , in its secret and mysterious character , into three degreesthe same as that of Eleusis

, , viz ., Purification , Initiation , and Perfection" ( p . 822 . ) We cannot see that similar customs in early religious systems and in modern masonic societies should be taken as proof of the latter having been the creation of

the former , or indeed , that Masonry ever had intimate or partial connection with them . The simple fact of the introduction of grades into Freemasonry , ought surely not to be taken as indicative of the masonic character of the ancient religions

mentioned , because they also had grades , and so of course they were Masons ! The , operative origin of Freemasonry , is a much more sensible foundation for our society to rest

upon , than the strange and most extraordinary beginning and early career sketched by Brother Higgins , and which , when judged in the light of OUT- late discoveries , certainly " vanishes into thin air !' We should much like for our able brother ,

DE . MACKEY , to carefully examine the assertions of the author of " anacalypsis , " for he is the facile princeps of the masonic world , on all that refers to our history , so far as it may be involved in the study of the ancient mysteries . Let us consider

the lollowing statement by Bro . Higgins : "The Monks of Tibet , at Eleusis , in Egypt , at Jerusalem or Carmel , in our circular chapters , were the preservers of the secret Pythagorean doctrines of numbers , of the Ras , or Mystery , or Masonry ,

or perhaps , more properly , the doctrines of the I E , the Jah , —the mesos or meson-iy , or the Saviour , or cross-bome-renewed m every cycle , as described in Virgil . I need scarcely remind my masonic reader that all the secrets of Masonry are

concealed in the Hebrew or Chaldee language ; that is , in the language of the Brahmin of Ur and Colida , where Mr . Ellis was poisoned for being known to possess them . " ( p . 790 , vol . 1 . )

In our masonic investigations we have always been most anxious to separate fact from fiction , actual occurrences from simple traditions , and whilst not at all desirous to undervalue the importance of our traditions , yet we have always maintained they

should not be invested with the character of being actual realities , when they are not but that they should be just regarded simply as traditions and nothing more . The author before noted , apparentl y seizes hold of every tradition—no matter

how absurd or unlikely—as if he had unequivocal evidence before him , and so we are bound to hesitate to accept many of his statements , unless supported b y positive proof . With this decision to guide uswe are not likely to accept such

, as the foregoing as the narration of facts , but only as curious fancies put into words . The author next proceeds , as follows , in chapter VIII . ( p . 767 , vol . 1 . ) to describe a curious incident not without food for consideration :

" After I had , from various sources and by various means , added to reasoning , nearly arrived at a conviction , that the ancient Order of Freemasons arose in India , and was established there , as a mystery , in the earliest periods , my conviction acquired wonderful strength from a

knowledge of the fact which I shall now mention . I shall be censured for stating facts in this way ; but I write trul y and for the truth , and for this purpose alone . The style or order in such a work as this is not worth naming . At the time that I learned

from Captain , the gentleman who was named in my last chapter , the particulars respecting the tomb of St . Thomas , I was also told b y him that he was on the strictest intimacy with- the late — Ellis , Esq ., of the Madras establishment ; that

Mr . Ellis told him , that the pass-word and forms used by the Master Masons in their lodge , would pass a person into the sanctum sanctorum of an Indian Temple ; that lie , Mr . Ellis , had , by means of his knowledge as a Master Mason , actually jjassed

himself into the sacred part or adytum of one of them . Soon after Mr . Ellis told this to my informant , he was taken suddenly ill , and died , and my informant stated , that he had no doubt , notwithstanding the mistake which his friends called it . . in giving some medicine , that he was poisoned by his servants for having done