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
"And it came to pass," we read in the 19th chapter of the Acts, verses 1
to 4, "that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through
the upper parts of Asia Minor, came to Ephesus; and finding certain
_disciples_, he said to them, 'Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
became Believers?' And they said unto him, 'We have not so much as heard
that there _is_ any Holy Ghost.' And he said to them, 'In what, then,
were you baptized?' And they said 'In John's baptism.' Then said Paul,
'John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the
people that they should believe in Him who was to come after him, that
is, in Jesus Christ. When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus."
This faith, taught by John, and so nearly Christianity, could have been
nothing but the doctrine of the Essenes; and there can be no doubt that
John belonged to that sect. The place where he preached, his macerations
and frugal diet, the doctrines he taught, all prove it conclusively.
There was no other sect to which he _could_ have belonged; certainly
none so numerous as his, _except_ the Essenes.
We find, from the two letters written by Paul to the brethren at
Corinth, that City of Luxury and Corruption, that there were contentions
among them. Rival sects had already, about the 57th year of our era,
reared their banners there, as followers, some of Paul, some of Apollos,
and some of Cephas. Some of them denied the resurrection. Paul urged
them to adhere to the doctrines taught by himself, and had sent Timothy
to them to bring them afresh to their recollection.
According to Paul, Christ was to come again. He was to put an end to all
other Principalities and Powers, and finally to Death, and then be
Himself once more merged in God; _who should then be all in all_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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