Ancient Mystic Oriental Masonry

25.All Masonry deals largely with ethics and symbolism of the Ancient Mysteries. The writer believes that through the well-timed efforts of Masons to-day the grandest achievements in knowledge ever gained by man, which were originally concealed in the Greater Mysteries of Antiquity, and in time became lost to the world, may again be recovered. In the strictest sense this knowledge has never really been lost, as there have always existed those who were possessed of the great secret. It was originally veiled in order to conceal it from the profane, and written in a universal language of Symbolism that the wise among all nations and throughout all time might read it, as it were, in their own language. It was also written in parable and allegory, so that the unlettered and common people might not be deprived of its wise precepts, and of its force in shaping character, dissipating ignorance, and inspiring hope. This Ancient Wisdom is the ^[36] foundation from which (all) Masonry takes its rise. The true Science of Symbolism in time became lost; the Temples of Initiation fell into decay, or were destroyed by priests and potentates, jealous of their influence. For many weary centuries men have been trying to recover the lost key and to restore the ancient wisdom from the parables and allegories in which it had been concealed.* But progress in this inverse order is not only necessarily slow and uncertain, but all such attempts have, more or less, given rise to fantastic flights of the imagination, and resulted in confusion, rather than in enlightenment. The result has been to bring the whole subject under contempt, and to make the name "mysticism" mean something vague and uncertain, if not altogether foolish, to those ignorant of its true meaning.

26." It will be very naturally questioned Whether any Greater Mysteries of Antiquity existed inasmuch as they were always concealed, never revealed to the profane, never published to the world, and only recorded in glyphic, parable and allegory. It has already been shown that all attempts to discover the real secret by running backward from parable and allegory have resulted in confusion and discouragement. The interpretations resulting have been as fantastic and varied as the genius of each investigator; had any of these been possessed of a universal key to symbolism, or a ^[37] complete philosophy of the Secret Doctrine, the result might have been very different. The solution of this question is not only greatly simplified, when investigation is guided by such a philosophy, or a complete key, but the investigator has the positive assurance at every step that he is on firm ground. " * '

27.There has always been a tradition in the far East, and to be often traced more or less vaguely in the West, that the Great Lodge of the Magi, the Adepts, the Perfect Masters, known and designated also by many other names, has never ceased to exist; that this Lodge has often, though secret and unknown, shaped the course of Empires and controlled the fate of Nations.** That this is a fact beyond dispute has only lately been proven openly in the issueing of a Secret Mandate that the Secret Degrees of Mystic Oriental Masonry should be worked and by the appointment of a Deputy Grand Master in America by the Supreme Order of the Universe.

28." Such work has now become possible, because of a cycle of liberality and enlightenment, when the workers are not likely to be sacrificed to the Moloch of bigotry and superstition. Granting that such Masters exist (and they do exist), and that they are possessed of profound knowledge, that they are ready to help the world, the world must be ready and willing to receive such help, if it is to be benefited by it, instead of destroying its agents. Guided, then, by a complete ^[38] philosophy; armed with a key to symbolism, and aided by these Grand Masters,' the Lost Mysteries of Antiquity may be restored and made to tell their hoary secrets for the benefit of the coming ages.