Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-01-06


now do" Now, in what manner Ma
sonry could have the same common orr
gin with Christianity, and yet be "derlv-
ed from some ancient system, PRIOR to
and unconnected with" it, cannot per
ceive. 1t was, perhaps, as plain to his
mind, however, as the proposition HI
maintained, that the Mosaic Cosmogo-
ny ''has been taken and mutiIated from
the Zendavesta of Zoroas.er, and was fix
ed as preface to the Bible, after the
Jews returned from captivity in Babylon.
and that the rabbins Of the Jews do mol
hold their account in Genesis to be a
TACT, but mere allegory."
But, bitter as was Mr.. Paine's opposi
ton to Masonry, he had candor enough
10 admit, (what the writer for the En-
cyclopedla Americana did not that Ma.
sunry existed as far back as the building
of Solomon'S Temple. For, said he, sit
is no wise improbable that some Masonic
ceremonies may have been derived from
the building of that temple, for the wor-
ship of the sun was in practice many
centuries before the temple existed, or
before the lsraeIites came out Of Egypt"
And he said, further, that, TAT what pc
riod Of antiquity, or in what nation, this
religion Masonry was first establ shed,
is lost in the labyrinth Of unrecorded
times. 1t is generally ascribed TO the
ancient Egyptians, the BabyIonians
and Chaldeans, and reduced afterwards
to a system, regulated by the apparent
progress Of the sun through the twelve
signs Of the Zodiac, by Zoroaster the
law-giver Of Persia, from whence Ply
thagoras brought it into Greece"
Voney, another eminent writer who
welded his mighty pen against Christi
anity, like his co-adjutor Paine, was I'M
willing TO let Masonry rest in peace and
usefulness. lie, too, derived Masonry
and Christianity from the same common
origin. But, unlike the writer for the
Ency clopedia, he agreed with Paine in
giving it an origin higher up the stream
of antiquity. He, if Irememb' r right
~. derived Masonry and the Christian
Religion both from the Eleusinean mys,
teries, which were introduced into
Greece by Eumolpus, 1856 years before
the Christian Era, and celebrated, every
fifth year, by the Athenians, al EIeusls
in Attica. These my steries were, of
course, in existence three and half cen.
turies before the building Of Solomon's
Temple. They were the most celebrat-
ed. sacred and solemn Of all the religious
ce re monies of Greece They were car
ried from Eleusis to Rome, in the reign
of Adrian, where they were celebrated
as before. :'They lasted 1900 years.
and we're at last abolished by Theodo
sius the Great" But am at loss to
perceive any just ground upon which
VoIney claimed these mysteries as the
origin Of Masonry-much less OF Chris
tianity; for persons OF both sexes we're
initiated at these soIemnities, which Ma
sonry forbids; nor is there, so far as |
have been able to discover, any resem,
bance. more than Que human institution
is likely to resemble another, between
this Grecian festival and the institution
Of Masonry.
A reverend and learned brother Of
the present age, in his enthusiasm, has
gone so far as TO assert, that Masonry
is as ancient as the beginning of time;
that it was practiced by the holy Patri'
archs. both before and after the flood;
that it exalted Enoch to a residence in
The skies without being subject to the
lot Of mortality; that it formed
the chief employment of the happy pair
in paradise, where they were admitted
to the society Of angels and favored
with the confidence of their Omnipo ent
Creator.
If the learned brothers. views were
advanced here, on this occasion, he would
moi, | should think, escape an interroga
Tory from the fair portion Of this audi
ence. They would b apt to enquire Of
him, if cur first mother was permitted
to participate in the ceremonies and