Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

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Israel are said to be in bondage. The passport for a Royal Arch Mason
was, ‘I Am that I Am.’ After the above ceremonies, the witness, being
taken out of the room, had his coat taken off and tied on his shoulders in
a bundle, and was then brought in; a carpet with a rent in it was called
the veil of the temple. He was led through it, and round the room. A
sword was put into his hand, and he was ordered to use it against all who
opposed him as a Knight Templar. John Andrew read the fourth chapter
of Exodus; the witness was desired to throw down the sword, and was
told it was become a serpent; after which he was desired to take it up
again, and was told it was become a rod. Andrew poured ale and porter
on the floor, and called it blood. Witness was shown thirteen burning
candles. One in the middle he was told represented Jesus Christ; the
others the Twelve Apostles. Andrew blew out one of the candles, which
he called Judas, who betrayed his Master; one of them was dim, and was
called Peter, who denied his Master. Something on the table under a
white cloth being uncovered, was perceived to be a human skull, which
the witness was desired to take up, and view it, and was told it was a real
skull of a brother called Simon Magus. Porter was poured into the skull,
which the witness was desired to drink; he did so, and it was handed
round the whole Knights. Andrew put the point of the sword into it, and
then touched witness’s head, saying, ‘I dub thee in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.’ He took an oath ‘to keep the secrets of the
Knights Templars, murder and treason not excepted’: the penalty for
revealing was that ‘his body would be rooted up like a fir deal.’ John
Andrew was Master at his admission, and at two others at which he was
present. The witness’s impression was that the ceremonies used were a
scoffing at religion, and, though he cannot say positively, he thought
they had a tendency to overturn the Government. 134
The truthfulness of this account is clearly in question as it significantly
differs from Hamilton’s previous statements. Although Paine’s Rights of Man is
not mentioned, the grotesque and satirical interpretation of religion and the
integration of violence and aggression were each obviously designed to
compensate for its omission. Despite having told the Grand Lodge that
“anything Profane or Immoral, or any thing inimical to the Church or State” 135
were absent from the lodge meetings, Hamilton now amended his account to
134 Lyon, Mary’s Chapel, 327-329.
135 Grand Lodge of Scotland Minutes, 17 May 1800.