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254 BOOK OF THE A. AND A. RITE.
RECEPTION.
The
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stars have disappeared, the light of the sun
and moon is obscured, and darkness has fallen upon
the face of the earth.
My brother, you are still engaged as a Mason in
search of light and truth ; of which search, the many
journeys you have made in the different degrees are
symbolical. But your search is not for the truth of
any particular creed or religion—that search would
be in vain, for what is truth to one is not truth to
another : often by argument and evidence, but almost
always by the accidents of birth, education, and cir-
cumstances, our religious belief is formed ; and argument
and testimony strike the mind of man, when
arrived at his religious creed and faith, only to glance
off and leave no impression.
Our symbols and ceremonies envelop the great
primitive truths, known to the first men that lived
with whatever particular meaning they may have
— :
peculiar, or believed to be peculiar, to particular
creeds, and differing, as the faith differs of those who
receive them—we have nothing to do.
We are about to conduct you through certain forma
and ceremonies, to display to you certain symbols and
emblems ; we do not give you in advance their inter-