Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of FreemasonryPike, Albert
Religion
Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
Pike, Albert
Freemasons
The communication of this knowledge and other secrets, some of which are
perhaps lost, constituted, under other names, what we now call
_Masonry_, or _Free_ or _Frank-Masonry_. That knowledge was, in one
sense, _the Lost Word_, which was made known to the Grand Elect,
Perfect, and Sublime Masons. It would be folly to pretend that the
_forms_ of Masonry were the same in those ages as they are now. The
present name of the Order, and its titles, and the names of the Degrees
now in use, were not then known. Even Blue Masonry cannot trace back
its _authentic_ history, _with its present Degrees_, further than the
year 1700, _if so far_. But, by whatever _name_ it was known in this or
the other country, Masonry existed as it now exists, the same in spirit
and at heart, not only when Solomon builded the temple, but centuries
before--before even the first colonies emigrated into Southern India,
Persia, and Egypt, from the cradle of the human race.
The Supreme, Self-existent, Eternal, All-wise, All-powerful, Infinitely
Good, Pitying, Beneficent, and Merciful Creator and Preserver of the
Universe was the same, by whatever name he was called, to the
intellectual and enlightened men of all nations. The name was nothing,
if not a symbol and representative hieroglyph of his nature and
attributes. The name AL represented his remoteness _above_ men, his
_inaccessibility_; BAL and BALA, his _might_; ALOHIM, his various
_potencies_; IHUH, _existence_ and the _generation_ of things. None of
his names, among the Orientals, were the symbols of a divinely infinite
love and tenderness, and all-embracing mercy. As MOLOCH or MALEK he was
but an omnipotent _monarch_, a tremendous and irresponsible _Will_; as
ADONAÏ, only an arbitrary LORD and _Master_; as AL _Shadaï_, _potent_
and a DESTROYER.
To communicate true and correct ideas in respect of the Deity was one
chief object of the mysteries. In them, Khūrūm the King, and Khūrūm the
Master, obtained their knowledge of him and his attributes; and in them
that knowledge was taught to Moses and Pythagoras.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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