Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated - The Masonic Trowel

230 SETS ASIDE THE BIBLE AS OBSOLETE. LODGES HAVE SUPERNATURAL POWER. 231
He has long been the head of the “Ancient and lo.
cepted Rite.” And though his Supreme Council remains
in Charleston, whose records and papers for
fifty-nine years before the war, were all burnt up,
doubtless to conceal treason arid crimes committed
against the country, and the laws of war, he himself
has bought, and resides in the old Blair and Rives
building, near the Capitol. If such a man has invented
“the most important of the high degrees,” what must
the others have been I
Of this degree, whose present ritual emanated from
such a mind, Macoy says: “It is strictly philosophical,
and scientific;” whose object is “to inspire men with
the knowledge of heavenly truth, which is the pure
source of all perfection.” (See Note 316.) The Right
Rev. Episcopal Bishop Fallows, and a Universalist
Minister, named Rounseville, during Mr. Moody’s first
meetings, in Farwell Block in Chicago, spoke at a
meeting, called to form a “Lodge of Intelligence,” in
Oriental Hall in that city. The Bishop delivered an
address, and Rounseville a~ poem on the “Mission of
MasonFry.” The speec’h and poem were published in
the Voice of Mas~,nr-y; and their doctrine is identical
with that of this degree, as stated by Macoy, above,
viz., that Masonry is the only perfect revelation of
“heavenly truth,” and “source of all perfection!” i. e.,
the only rule of faith and life; thus completely setting
aside the Bible as obsolete. To see that this is not
misstated, or exaggerated, glance through the degree.
Thus we find on page 207: “The only law, by which
we cannot fail to come to the knowledge of pure truth.”
Page 208: “To know the true light in all its purity.”
Note 319: “The higher idea of truth, which per.
is properly expressed by a knowlsdge of God ;“ that is to
say, salvation truth. And on page 212: “The true
Mason, who raises himself by degrees, till he reaches
heaven I I” Again on page 213: The candidate seeks,
and this degree is bringing him to “the true light.”
Now, Christ is “that true light.” (John, 1, 9.) He
appeared in ineffable brightness in the transfiguration;
in “light above the sun’s brightness” to Paul at his conversion;
so to John throughout the Apocalypse; and in
multitudes of instances, at the death-beds of saints, this
same supernatural light appears.
Now, this degree recapitulates the substsnce, and object
of Masonry, up from the Apprentice degree, which
is seeking and gaining light in the lodge. But CRUST
is not in a secret lodge. He entered no lodge. He
joined none; but abjures, prohibits, denounces them.
(Isaiah 48, 16.) And we know that the devil hatcd Him;
tempted Him; shrank from Him; fled from Him. We
know, too, by simple inspection, that the lodge-god is
not Christ. Looking at a lodge-procession is enough.
And yet we know that Masons profess to get, and
lodges to give: “light I” “light I I” “light I I U’ And,
whatever Masons are, they are not fools. Where do
they get their light, and what is it? We know that
“the spirits of devils work miracles” (Rev. 16, 14.)
We see, too, that lodges have supernatural power.
Nothing else perpetuates them through centuries. We
see, too, that believing Masons have light in their
countenances. Not that light with which Moses’ face
beamed, from intercourse with God; or Stephen’s, from
a vision of Chrisf; but the baleful beaming light seen