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
Q. What are the second class of emblems? A. The spade, coffin,
death-head, marrow bones, and sprig of cassia, which are thus
explained: The SPADE opens the vault to receive our bodies, where our
active limbs will soon moulder to dust. The COFFIN, DEATH-HEAD, and
MARROW BONES are emblematical of the death and burial of our Grand
Master, Hiram Abiff, and are worthy our serious attention. The SPRIG
OF CASSIA is emblematical of that immortal part of man which never
dies; and when the cold winter of death shall have passed, and the
bright summer's morn of the resurrection appears, the Son of
Righteousness shall descend, and send forth his angels to collect our
ransomed dust; then, if we are found worthy, by his pass-word we shall
enter into the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of
the Universe presides, where we shall see the King in the beauty of
holiness, and with him enter into an endless fraternity.
Here ends the first three degrees of Masonry, which constitutes a
Master Mason's Lodge. A Master Mason's Lodge and a Chapter of Royal
Arch Masons are two distinct bodies, wholly independent of each other.
The members of a Chapter are privileged to visit all Master Mason's
Lodges when they please; and may be, and often are, members of both at
the same time; and all the members of a Master Mason's Lodge who are
Royal Arch Masons, though not members of any Chapter, may visit any
Chapter. I wish the reader to understand that neither all Royal Arch
Masons nor Master Masons are members of either Lodge or Chapter; there
are tens of thousands who are not members, and scarcely ever attend,
although privileged to do so.
A very small proportion of Masons, comparatively speaking, ever
advance any further than the third degree, and consequently never get
the great word which was lost by Hiram's untimely death. Solomon, King
of Israel, Hiram, King of Tyre, and Hiram Abiff, the widow's son,
having sworn that they, nor either of them, would ever give the word,
except they three were present (and it is generally believed that
there was not another person in the world, at that time, that had it),
consequently the word was lost, and supposed to be forever; but the
sequel will show it was found, after a lapse of four hundred and
seventy years; notwithstanding, the word MAH-HAH-BONE, which was
substituted by Solomon, still continues to be used by Master Masons,
and no doubt will, as long as Masonry attracts the attention of men;
and the word which was lost is used in the Royal Arch Degree. What was
the word of the Royal Arch Degree before they found the Master's word,
which was lost at the death of Hiram Abiff, and was not found for four
hundred and seventy years? Were there any Royal Arch Masons before the
Master's word was found? I wish some masonic gentleman would solve
these two questions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account