Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated - The Masonic Trowel

136 PRINCE OF THE TABERNACLE. INITIATION. 13’?
Senior Deacon—To the East, the place of light and
cradle of the mysteries.”~
Thrice Puissant—Thou art already there, what is
thy desire?
Senior Deacon—That this candidate may go the way
that we have gone before him.
Thrice Puissant—The soul is immortal, but for the
body, life comes only out of death”’ If he would see
the light, conduct him to the holy altar and let him
there assume the obligation. Senior Deacon conducts
him to the ~Vestand causes him to advance by six (6)
equal and one (1) long step, when he kneels and with
his hantis upon the book of the law, contracts the following
obligation.
OBLIGATION PRINCE OF THE TABERNACLE,
1. ..... solemnly promise and swear, never to reveal
the secrets of this degree to any person or persons, except
he has received all the preceding degrees, and not
unto him or them unless lawfully entitled to receive the
same.
I furthermore promise and swear that I will stand to
and abide by the laws, statutes and regulations of this
Note 254.—’ ‘Mysteries, Ancient. Each of the Pagan gods, says war.
burton (Dv. Leg., I., n. 4). had, besides the public and open, a secret
worship paid to him, to which none were admitted but those who had been
selected by preparatory ceremonies called Intatsn. This secret worship
was termed the Mysteries. And this is supported by Ittrabu (lib. a..
cap 3). who says that It was common, both to the Greeks and the
Barbarians, to perform their religious ceremonies with the observance of
a festival, and that they are sometlmcs celebrated publicly and sometimes
in mysterious privacy. Noel (Dict. de Ia fable) thus defines them:
Secret ceremonies which were prscttced in honor of certain gods, end
whose secret was known to the initiates alone, who were admitted only
after long and painful trials which It was more than their life was
worth to reveal. —Mackey’s Encyciopwdsa of freemasonry, Artiele My.tories,
Anolent.
Note 3SS.—”The ceremonies of Initiation were all funereal in their
character. They celebrated the death and the reaurretion of some cherished
being, either the object of esteem as a hero, or of devotion as a
god. Subordination of degrees was Instituted, and the candidate was
subjected to probations. varying In their character and severity; the
rita were practiced in the darkness of night, and often amid the gloom
of impenetrable forests or subterranean caverns; and the full fruition
of knowledge, for which so much labor was endured. and so mneh danger
incurred. was not attained until the aspirant, well tried and thoroughly
purified. had reached the place of wisdom and of light, “—Mackey’s En.
easiopadla of Fresmasoary, Artiste Mb’aterles, Anotent,
Hicrarclly of Princes of the Tabernacle, also the statutes
and regulations of the Supreme Council and Sovereign
Grand Consistory of the United States of Aineric;I,
their terrltories and dependencies and of the Grand
Consistory of the State of so long as I remain
within its jurisdiction.
To all of which I do most solemnly swear, binding
m~self under no less a penalty that to be consumed witll
fire from heaven, like Kadab and Abihu and that my
ashes should be flung into the air and blown to the four
corners of the earth by the wind, So help me God.
(After the obligation he is brought to light and the
Thrlee Puissant takes in his left hand a small vesse] of
perfumed oil and says:)
Thrice Puissant—i will sanctify the Tabernacle of
the congregation and the altar, I will sanctIfy also both
Aaron and hls sons to minister to me in the Priest’s
office. In the Tabernacle of the congregation, without
the i-eu, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his
sons shall order it from evening to morning before the
Lord. It shall be a statute forever unto their generations
on behalf of the children of Israel, and thou
shalt anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them
that they may minister unto me in the Priest’s office.
(He then pours oil on his head, saying:)
Thrice Puissant—Eleazar, son of Aaron, I do anoint
thee and consecrate thee to the service of truth and virtIle,
which is the service of the Lord, to minister unto
him and unto thy fellow men in thus world, which is
his truest tabernacle and temple. (He then takes a
small vessel filled with red liquid, and with a small
brush saying:)
Thrice Puissant—With the blood of a ram slain for
a burnt offering, I touch the tip of thy right ear,
(totiching it) the thumh of thy right hand, (touching
it) and the great toe of thy right foot, (touching it)