The Origin And References Of The Hermesian Spurious Freemasonry.

orbs in the same manner as the soul animates the body of man , and were causes of their motion , ancl that these Intelligences were of a middle sort between God and them , and therefore , the planets being the nearest of all the heavenly bodies , and generally looked on to have the greatest influence in the natural world , they made choice of them in the first place as their God's mediators , who were to mediate with the Supreme God for them , and to preserve for them the mercies and favours which they prayed for . " These opinions make a near approach to the hypothesis that the study of astronomy

originated in a tradition of a Mediator or Deliverer , whose advent should be announced to the world by the appearance of a remarkable Star ; and the Sabian worship arose from mistaking the sun , which was the most magnificent planet in the sphere , for this predicted Star , whence Zeratusht , the Persian mystagogue , denominated the Sun Mesouraneo , the Mediator , and adopted the circle—a perfect figure without either beginning or end—as its symbol . And the Egyptians arriving at the same result , used the same hieroglyphic or emblem , which is accordingly found in the anaglyph under our consideration , to which they appended the serpent as a symbol of the Redeemer who should save mankind from the effects of sin .

It was for this reason that Moses , who was learned in all the mysteries of E gypt , made the serpent " a type of Jesus , to show that he was to die , and then that He , whom they thought to be dead , was to give life to others , in the type of those that fell in Israel . For God caused all sorts of serpents to bite them , and they died ; forasmuch as by a serpent transgression began in Eve , that so he might convince them that for their transgressions they shall be delivered into the pain of death . Moses then , who had commanded themsaying , why ye shall not make to yourselves any graven or molten

, image to be your God , now did so himself , that he might represent to theiu the figure of the Lord Jesus . For he made a Brazen Serpent , ancl set it up on high , ancl called the people together by a proclamation . Where being come they intreated Moses that he would make an atonement for them , and pray that they might be healed . Then Moses spake unto them , saying ; When any one among you shall be bitten , let him come unto the Serpent that is set upon the pole , ancl let him assuredly trust in him , that though

he be dead , yet he is able to give life , and presently he shall be saved ; and so they did . See therefore how here also you have in this the glory of Jesus , and that in him , and to him , are all things . " * Thus it appears that while they enjoyed some knowledge of the fact they erred in its interpretation , by ascribing power and influence to the heavenly bodies , a belief which eventually absorbed all ideas of a superior Intelligence , and enfeebled the

knowledge which they professed to entertain . This idea survived the empire of idolatry , and has had its believers in every age of Christianity , even amongst the chief expounders of religion . As witness Grostete , Bishop of Lincoln ; Tostatus , Bishop of Avila ; Albertus Magnus , who made an entire man of brass , under several aspects and constellations , each member of the body being formed under some particular planet , and marked with its sign . This figure communicated to its master everything he wanted to know , whether past , present , or to come .

It should appear that some such belief was prevalent even amongst the holy patriarchs , and those pastoral tribes which adhered to the true faith , for many of them thought that a peculiar configuration of the stars was capable of pointing out , if not of influencing , future events . Thus in the case of Joseph . He told his brethren , and said : " Behold , I have dreamed a dream more ; and behold , the sun , and the moon , and eleven starsmade obeisance to me . And he told it to his fatherand to his brethren ;

, , and his father rebuked him , and said unto him , What is this dream that thou hast dreamed ? Shall I , and thy mother , ancl thy brethren , indeed come to bow down ourselves to the earth ? And his brethren envied him , but his father observed the saying . " | ( To be Continued . )