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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • Aug. 1, 1856
  • Page 4
  • ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH EWLIGION.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Aug. 1, 1856: Page 4

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On The Mysteries Of The Early Ages As Connected With Ewligion.

ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH RELIGION .

THIRD SERIES . / j "We have now to examine , as far as we can , the principles of Druidism , which comprised , as an institution , the only mysterious

brotherhood known to have existed in our own country . We have but little to guide us in this investigation , as , from its precepts being oral , we are left to conjecture much from tradition and from the monuments of former days , now existing in England , and in those parts of Europe where the Celtic race was known to have extended . *

In Hume's " History of England" ( vol . i . p . 4 ) , the following observations occur : — " The religion of the Britons was one of the most considerable parts of their government , and the Druids , who were their priests , possessed great authority among them . Besides ministering at the altar , and directing all religious duties , they presided over the education of youth ; they were endowed with an immunity

from wars and taxes ; they decided all controversies among states as well as private persons , and whoever refused to submit to their decisions was exposed to the most severe penalties . The sentence of excommunication was denounced against him ; he was forbid access to the sacrifices or public worship ; he was debarred all intercourse with his fellow-citizens even in the common affairs of life , and refused the protection of the law . Death itself became to him an acceptable relief from the misery and infamy to which he was exposed .

" No species of superstition was ever more terrible than that of the Druids . Besides the severest penalties , which it was in the power of the ecclesiastics to inflict in this world , they inculcated the eternal transmigration of souls , and thereby extended their authority as far as the fears of their timorous votaries . They practised their rites in dark groves or other secret recesses ; and in order to throw a greater mystery on their religion , they communicated their doctrines only to the initiated , and strictly forbad the committing them to writing , lest they should at

any time he exposed to the examination of the profane vulgar . Human sacrifices were practised among them . The spoils of war were often devoted to their divinities , and they punished with the severest tortures whoever dared to secrete any part of the consecrated offering . These treasures they preserved in woods and forests , secured by no other guard than the terrors of their religion , and this continued conquest over human avidity may be regarded more signal than their

prompting men to the most extraordinary and violent efforts . No idolatrous worship ever attained such an ascendant over mankind as that of the ancient Cauls and Britons ; and the [ Romans were at last obliged to abolish it by penal statutes , —a violence which had never in any other instance been practised by these tolerating conquerors . "

The origin of the Druids is stated as follows : —About six hundred years before the Christian era , the Cimhri , a numerous people , * the inhabitants of Phrygia , in Asia Minor , and occupiers , according to Ezekiel ( xxxviii . G ) , of the country to the north of Judaea , are said to have invaded the north-western parts of Europe , and to have * They were descended from Comer , the eldest son of Japhot ( Gen . x . 2 ) , and named originally Gomeri , Gomenri , and Gomeritaj , which tonus were contracted into Cimbri . The Welch to this day call themselves Kumero , Cymro , and KumerL 'Hence Cambri and Cambria . —See Introduction to Camnden \ s " Britannia , " p , 10 .

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1856-08-01, Page 4” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 12 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/frm_01081856/page/4/.
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Title Category Page
MASONEY IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT Article 1
WOMAN. Article 3
ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH EWLIGION. Article 4
THE PRACTICAL OF MASONRY. Article 9
SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE. * Article 10
THE TRUE PLEASURES OF A MASON. Article 16
BEVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS. Article 17
SURREY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Article 18
music. Article 20
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 22
SYMPATHY. Article 24
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 25
METROPOLITAN. Article 30
PROVINCIAL. Article 34
ROYAL ARCH. Article 52
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 53
MARK MASONRY; Article 53
SCOTLAND. Article 53
IRELAND. Article 54
COLONIAL. Article 55
INDIA, Article 57
SUMMARY OF NEWS FOR JULY. Article 58
Obituary. Article 62
NOTICE. Article 62
TO CO-RESPONDENTS. Article 62
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

On The Mysteries Of The Early Ages As Connected With Ewligion.

ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH RELIGION .

THIRD SERIES . / j "We have now to examine , as far as we can , the principles of Druidism , which comprised , as an institution , the only mysterious

brotherhood known to have existed in our own country . We have but little to guide us in this investigation , as , from its precepts being oral , we are left to conjecture much from tradition and from the monuments of former days , now existing in England , and in those parts of Europe where the Celtic race was known to have extended . *

In Hume's " History of England" ( vol . i . p . 4 ) , the following observations occur : — " The religion of the Britons was one of the most considerable parts of their government , and the Druids , who were their priests , possessed great authority among them . Besides ministering at the altar , and directing all religious duties , they presided over the education of youth ; they were endowed with an immunity

from wars and taxes ; they decided all controversies among states as well as private persons , and whoever refused to submit to their decisions was exposed to the most severe penalties . The sentence of excommunication was denounced against him ; he was forbid access to the sacrifices or public worship ; he was debarred all intercourse with his fellow-citizens even in the common affairs of life , and refused the protection of the law . Death itself became to him an acceptable relief from the misery and infamy to which he was exposed .

" No species of superstition was ever more terrible than that of the Druids . Besides the severest penalties , which it was in the power of the ecclesiastics to inflict in this world , they inculcated the eternal transmigration of souls , and thereby extended their authority as far as the fears of their timorous votaries . They practised their rites in dark groves or other secret recesses ; and in order to throw a greater mystery on their religion , they communicated their doctrines only to the initiated , and strictly forbad the committing them to writing , lest they should at

any time he exposed to the examination of the profane vulgar . Human sacrifices were practised among them . The spoils of war were often devoted to their divinities , and they punished with the severest tortures whoever dared to secrete any part of the consecrated offering . These treasures they preserved in woods and forests , secured by no other guard than the terrors of their religion , and this continued conquest over human avidity may be regarded more signal than their

prompting men to the most extraordinary and violent efforts . No idolatrous worship ever attained such an ascendant over mankind as that of the ancient Cauls and Britons ; and the [ Romans were at last obliged to abolish it by penal statutes , —a violence which had never in any other instance been practised by these tolerating conquerors . "

The origin of the Druids is stated as follows : —About six hundred years before the Christian era , the Cimhri , a numerous people , * the inhabitants of Phrygia , in Asia Minor , and occupiers , according to Ezekiel ( xxxviii . G ) , of the country to the north of Judaea , are said to have invaded the north-western parts of Europe , and to have * They were descended from Comer , the eldest son of Japhot ( Gen . x . 2 ) , and named originally Gomeri , Gomenri , and Gomeritaj , which tonus were contracted into Cimbri . The Welch to this day call themselves Kumero , Cymro , and KumerL 'Hence Cambri and Cambria . —See Introduction to Camnden \ s " Britannia , " p , 10 .

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