Freemasonry: Its Origin, History, And Design.

FREEMASONRY : ITS ORIGIN , HISTORY , AND DESIGN .

BY MASONIC STUDENT . C OME of my readers may remember that some time back our able and distinguished ^ Bro . Albert Mackey wrote a very striking paper on this same heading , Avhich I much admired then , and admire still . But thinking that our worthy and accomplished Brother has " missed his Ai'ay" on one or tAvo special pointsAvith all deference to him

, , I deem it well to point out to-day AA'herein I agree and wherein I differ from such a " bright Mason .- ' Nothing but the fact that , under my old pseudonym I hai'e long paid due . attention to the AA'hole subject of Masonic archieology , would justify me in thus assuming a " role" ahvays difficult to fill , and AA'hich to some might appear to denote arrogant pretensions or dogmatic impertinence . I quite , agree AA'ith Bro . Mackey in his able and lucid introduction : —

" There needs no occasional event , hoAveA'er interesting may be the . circumstances connected Avith it , to secure to the Masonic Order a valid claim to public consideration . To say nothing of its antiquity—for it is by far the oldest secret organisation in existence—nor of the humanitarian objects Avhieh it professedly seeks to accomplish , its universality alone clothes it AA'ith a peculiar interest that does not appertain to associations more circumscribed in their relations . Freemasonry boasts , as did the Einperor

Charles of the extent of his Empire , that there is not a civilised , country of the Avorld , Avhether Christian or hot , in AA'hich its Lodges are not to be found . The question of the origin of Freemasonry , as a mystical association , has for more than a century and a half attracted the attention of many scholars of England , Germany , France , and America ; also a body of treatises and essays on the subject have been published , the extent of Avhich Avoidd surpz-i . se anyone not familiar . Avith Masonic'literature . At the present

clay , the historians of Freemasonry Avho are engaged in the discussion of this question may be divided into two schools , Avhich may be appropriately distinguished as the Mystical and Authentic . The former of these is the older , for the latter , has become prominent only within , the last three or four decades . Masonic opinion is , hoAvever , very steadily , and indeed rapidly , moA'ing in the direction , of thought that has been adopted by this latter school The mystical school of Masonic history ivas inaugurated

about the beginning of the last century by James Anderson , D . D ., and Theophilus Desaguliers , LL . D ., AA'ho had been mainly instrumental in elaborating AA'hat has ... been called the reATval of Masonry by the establishment , in 1717 , of the Grand Lodge of England . Dr . Anderson AA'as a man of acknowledged learning , the minister of a Scottish congregation in London , and a Avriter of some reputation . Dr . Desaguliers AA'as recognised as a distinguished lecturer on experimental philosophy . But it is Anderson AA'ho is reall

y to be considered as the . founder of the school , since he first promulgated its theories in the 'Book of Constitutions , ' AA'hich he published in 1723 by . order of the Grand Lodge . " Unfortunately for the interests of truth , Anderson was of aA-ery imaginative turn of mind ; and , instead of Avriting an authentic history of Freemasonry ,-he accepted and incorporated into his narrative all the myths ancl legends which he found in the manuscript records of the operative Masons .

" The Masonic Avriters of England who immediately succeeded Anderson more fully developed his theory of the establishment of the Order at the Temple , of Jerusalem , the division of the Craft into Lodges , AA'ith degrees and officers , and in short an organisation precisely such as now exists . This scheme'AA'as accepted aud continued to be acknowledged as the orthodox historical creed by ; the Fraternity during the . AA'hole of the last and the greater part of the present century . It was-incorporated into-the ritual , much