The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-06-26

Salnt JOnu the baptist anu C6leDTHteu
with some festivity the anniversary OF
his birth. The revival" us it ia called,
Of the Grand Lodge Of England, was
effected atameeting of the brethren, held
on St. Johns day, in 17l7, and we
have documentary proof Of the
continuous annual observance Of the
festival since that time. In fact, in an
ancient charter OF Cologne, Masonic
document written in Latin and sup
posed to have been issued in 1885, it is
stated that before the year 1440 the
society OF Fruemasons was known by no
other name than that of Johns Broth
ers;" that they then began to be called
ct Valenciennos "Free and Accepted
NIasons," and that at that time in some
parts OF Flanders. By tho assistance and
riches Of thebgotherhood, the first hos
pitals were erected for the relief OF the
invalid poor. In other part OF the same
document it is said that the authors OF
these associations were called brothers
consecrated to John"-fr1tre3 JOanni
sacros-because "they followed the ex-
ample and imitation of John the Bap-
fist"
But was
JOHN THE BAPTIsT a FREEM4soN?
Let us see. In the time of Christ and
of the new testament account generally
there were three principal sects or So
cieties OF the Jews differing from each
other in doctrine and in ceremonial OBJ
scrvance. They were called the Phar-
isees, Sadducees and Essenes. The
scribes spoken OF were simply the
| transcribers OF the ancient law and OF
the comments Of tho Rabbis, and were
not q peculiar sect as tho Pharlsees
were, and tho HcrodiRus were those
members Of all sects-chietly OF the
SadduCees-who submitted most will
ingly to the foreign yoke. that thrift
might follow fawning." They were the
politicians of the early day. OF course
they have no successors among tho
Gentiles of the present age. But is it
not somewhat peculiar-somewhat
worthy OF not;ce-that while Christ
often assails IN vigorous terms the prac-
tees and belief Of other Jewish
sects, he tutors no word in con-
domination OF tho Essenes2 While
the .Pharlsees and tho Sadducees
are denounced us teachers OF false
doctrine, there is no word of reproba-
ton OF the doctrine of the other chief
sect-to ono OF which every pious Is
raelite was expected to belone-the
Essences. The omissions OF scripture
arc us much inspired as the sacred text.
Well, then, who were tho Essences and
what did they teach? It must be con-
fessed that but little is actually known
concerning the mysterious fraternity.
Their very name denotes "the silent"
"the mysterious" and il is not to be
wondered, therefore, that their tenets,
their forms and ceremonies have not
been fully laid bare and open to the in
spectlon of the world. After the ldpse
Of two thousand years from the present
time the question
VINO WERE THE FREEMAsoNs
OF the 10Th century may DO puzzle to
the antiouarians. Not that Masonry
will cease TO exist, or that there will not
then be IN Organized secret fraternity
practicing the ceremonies and inculcat-
ing the truths now taught in our Mason
ic lodges of the present day, but names
will have changed, the language will
have been transformed and new inter-
prctations OF our symbols will have
been introduced, ust as in many i'm
porsant instances, the explanation of
symbols now in use in our lodges vary
very widely from the meaning attached
to them In ancient times, and it may DO
a matter Of some difficulty to trace very
clearly and conclusively the identity of
the Masonic fraternity, called by some
other name in the year 1000, with that
which we know and love to-day. So it
is with the history of the Es-
senes. They are commonly spoken
of as sect of the Jows,
but it appears upon Investigation that
neither in their tenets nor their local.
ity were thsy exclusively Jewish. Their
doctrines were contained in certain
mystical interpretations OF the Hebrew
Scriptures, received from ancient ira.
dition handed down from time imme-
mortal by oral transmission and pre-
served BY the most profound care and
secrecy, while in their discipline Of life
they were so nearly like the teachings
of Pythagoras, that Hippolytus, who
wrote about the year 250 OF the Chris
tian era, gays of them: "They were in
Egypt W tHo Llule VI IytudkoEdsI duu
most OF his ideas were derived from
them" So far were they from being
merely narrow Jewish sect that We
are told by Philo, the learned Jewish
historian, that although they were most
numerous in Egypt and Palestine,
''they were dispersed through many
parts OF the world, as they thought it
requisite that both Greeks and barbar-
ians should partake of so excellent
benefit"
THE ANCIENT EssENEs.
The substance Of nearly all that is
known concerning their rules and cere-
monies I find in an interesting essay
upon the history Of the lost world
which is appended to Forts recent ad-
mirable work on the early history and
antiquities OF Freemasonry.
It Is stated that in every city where
they had society there was pesident
by whom all their affairs werc rcgu-
lated. When any one desired initiation