Mystic masonry, or, The symbols of freemasonry and the greater ...

xxviii .
Introduction.
fiction," and almost invariably record merely the
opinions of those who were friendly or unfriendly
to such movements, with a corresponding dearth of
facts.
For these reasons, no specially historical character
is attempted to be given to this work. One of the
strong points urged by the writer is the logical inferences
drawn from such facts as are known to
exist, and the general spirit everywhere admitted
as pervading the Ancient Mysteries in their original
purity. That such organizations should exist
through all time and yet be without a history seems
at first a strange paradox. The enemies of Masonry
will urge this fact as a reason for rejecting
all that is herein contained, ignorant of the fact
that few histories of any people or any epoch are
better founded. Foremost among these detractors
or deniers will be found the bigoted sectarian and
the modern materialist. With each of these the
real genius of Masonry is in perpetual conflict. For
the first, the universal and unqualified Brotherhood
of Man, is a dead letter, for he believes that only
himself and his chosen associates can be saved. For
the second, the materialist, the recognition of the
Divine Architect of the Universe, in Masonry, as
the "Principle of Principles," and belief in the im-