The Mysteries of Free Masonry: Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's LodgeMorgan, William
Religion
The Mysteries of Free Masonry: Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge
Morgan, William
Freemasonry -- United States -- Rituals
God, hope in immortality, and charity to all mankind." The Master to
the Senior Deacon, "You will now conduct the candidate out of this
Lodge, and invest him with what he has been divested." After he is
clothed, and the necessary arrangements made for his reception, such
as placing the columns and floor carpet, if they have any, and the
candidate is reconducted back to the Lodge; as he enters the door, the
Senior Deacon observes, "We are now about to return to the middle
chamber of King Solomon's Temple." When within the door, the Senior
Deacon proceeds, "Brother, we have worked in speculative Masonry, but
our forefathers wrought both in speculative and operative Masonry.
They worked at the building of King Solomon's Temple, and many other
Masonic edifices; they wrought six days; they did not work on the
seventh, because in six days God created the heavens and the earth,
and rested on the seventh day. The seventh, therefore, our ancient
brethren consecrated as a day of rest; thereby enjoying more frequent
opportunities to contemplate the glorious works of creation, and to
adore their great Creator." Moving a step or two, the Senior Deacon
proceeds, "Brother, the first thing that attracts our attention are
two large columns, or pillars, one on the left hand, and the other on
the right; the name of the one on the left hand is BOAZ, and denotes
strength; the name of the one on the right hand is JACHIN, and denotes
establishment; they collectively allude to a passage in Scripture,
wherein God has declared in his word, 'In strength shall this house be
established.' These columns are eighteen cubits high, twelve in
circumference, and four in diameter; they are adorned with two large
chapiters, one on each, and these chapiters are ornamented with net
work, lily work, and pomegranates; they denote unity, peace, and
plenty. The net work, from its connection, denotes union; the lily
work, from its whiteness, purity and peace; and the pomegranate, from
the exuberance of its seed, denotes plenty. They also have two large
globes, or balls, one on each; these globes or balls contain, on their
convex surfaces, all the maps and charts of the celestial and
terrestrial bodies; they are said to be thus extensive to denote the
universality of Masonry, and that a Mason's charity ought to be
equally extensive. Their composition is molten, or cast brass; they
were cast on the banks of the river Jordan, in the clay-ground between
Succoth and Zaradatha, where King Solomon ordered these and all other
holy vessels to be cast; they were cast hollow; and were four inches,
or a hand's breadth thick; they were cast hollow, the better to
withstand inundations and conflagrations; they were the archives of
Masonry, and contained the constitution, rolls, and records." The
Senior Deacon having explained the columns, he passes between them,
advances a step or two, observing as he advances, "Brother, we will
pursue our travels; the next thing that we come to is a long, winding
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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