Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated - The Masonic Trowel

104 HUM DRUM PLATITUDES ON LABOR.
birds, and even men? And yet does anyone doubt their
reality or power? The man who enters a secret oi’ganization,
where the foot of Christ never trod, enters on
ground which devils inhabit, and which angels of light
shrink from, and from that instant his moral sight
grows dim, add his conscience grows weak, and~he wor-~
ships he knows not what.
TWENTY-SECOND DEGREE; KNIGHT OF THE ROYAL AXE
OR PRINCE OF LIBAN US.
The notes show that the Masonic writers are stumped
and puzzled by this degree. It has no iiiark of French
or European origin, and is probably one of the eight
which the Jew, Morin and his Inspectors adileil to the
twenty-five of the Uite of Perfection, ii liich .dorin
brought over to Charleston ; and, as Anierie.iin-i were
generally laborers at that day, this degree ~ias fashioned
to flatter them, and increase the sale of the 33~ Hilt.
Indeed, the bulk of the degree consists of aii ii~erage
piece of stump-oratory, made up of the limo druiii phiititudes
on labor, written by men who knew ouh~ the
theory of toil.
But the degree is steady to the one “mission and obje
t” (Mackey) of Manonry, “the u oi’shiip of the god tif
this ‘~orhd.” No iioitter what subject is handled, oi’
r(iiflanc’e invented, thii~ is ne~er forgotten or oniitted.
hence we are told (p. 8~,) that the Sidonians “worshiped
the Great Architect of the Uui~ ei’se “ And the
candidate, who at last is allowed a short oath, is made
to swear, “in the presence of the Great Architect of thu’
Universe,” that “lie ‘a ill never eoiiiinunicate the secrets
of this degree,” which consist maiiilv of an a~erage
stump-speech on labor, So lie/p him God
1 Tliii~ hiinding
tiinisel f by the oath of God to conceal tli is ‘a(ir~liih) (~l’
the devil. The onl~’ possible explanation, ‘aliv the eyes
of Americans are not opened b~’ such palteriug, i~, that
the go(l of thi is world blinds the ni iiid of I lio~e who
practo e his ~vomliip as the serpezit blinds the eyes of
charmed animals to all objects but itself. (2 Car. 3; 14
and 4, 4’)
CHAPTER XLI
TWENTY-THIRD DEGREE OR ChhIEF o~ TIlE TABIIR-
NACLE.’
JUI’rrER. 21
DECORATIONS —Lodges in this degree arc ~ led Ificrarchies.
The hangings are white, supported hy red and
black columns, by twos, placed here and there aeeordiug
to taste. In the eastern part of the room, a sanctuary lb
separated from the rest of the room by a balustrade and
a crimson curtain in front of the balustrade looped on
each side. In the East of the Sanctuary is a throne, to
which you ascend by seven steps. Before the throne is
a table covered with a crimson cloth; on it is a roll of
the book of the law, and by that a poniard. Above the
throne is a representation of the ark of the covenant,
crowned with a glory, in the center whereof is the
Tetragramniaton in Hebrew characters, and on either
side of the ark are the sun and the moon. To the right
of the first table, and more to the West, is the horned
altar of sacrifices. To the left, and more to the Webt,
the altar of perfumes. In the West are two chandeliers,
each with five branches, and in the East, one with two
Note 2SI,—”Chtef of the ThbernaCis. The twenty-third degree in the
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. it commemorates the institution of
the order of ibe priesthood in Aaron and his sons Eieazar and ithamar.
its principal officers are three, a Sovereign Sacridrer and two High
Priest,. now called by the supreme Counciia of America the Moat Eacciient
High Priest and Excellent priests, and the memhe,a of the ‘Hierarchy’
or ‘Court’ as the Lodge is now styied. are called Levites The
apron is svhite. iined with deep scariet and bordered with red, hine. and
purpie ribhon. A golden chandelier of seven branches is painted or
embroidered on the centre of the apron. The jewel. which is a thurihie.
is worn from a broad yeiiow. purple. hine. and scarlet sash from the
ieft shoulder to the ri
4~t hip.’ ‘—XSOkC7’5 Efloyciopaedia ot Freemasonry
Article Chiet of the barnacle.