Blanchard J (anti-masonic) - Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated Part I

274 TitiiiTi~NTll on ROYAL ARCh DEGREE. INITIATIOK. ,T6known to the two Kings and the deceased. TheseThis Solomon called by inspiration the pillar of beauty,brethren went to the two Kings and entreated tllem tofor reason of the beautiful arch which t supported, andintroduce them into that secret place. When the twothe sacred treasure which pros idciice had debigned to beKings were renewing their alliance, Solomon answereaencrusted thereon.them with arms extended and head inclining, in thisTo arrive at the Sacred Vault, )ou were obliged topass through atlong narrow piesage of nine arches followingone another by a eomiiimiieation under groundday to the knowledge of wllat yOU now desire.”way: “You cannot expect it, God will admit you onefrom the palace of Solomon.Some days after Solomon sent for three MastersTo this place Solomon used to go in company ofnamed Joabert, Stolkin and Guiblim arid gave themHiram King of Tyre snd Hiraiti Abiff privately, toorders to search once more in the ancient ruins whereenter on holy matters.they had already found many treasures, in hopcs of findingmore.The loss of Hiram Abiff deprived the two Kings ofthis satisfaction as the number of tx~o ~tas insulficieiit toThey departed to fulfill the King’s orders and afterenter there and as three were absolutely necessary. theyarriving at the designatgd spot, Guiblim in working withwere at a lobs who they should choose to supply the placea pick-axe, met with a large iron ring. He at once hailedof Hiram Abiff. Some Master Intendants, SublimeElected Knights and Grand Niaster Architects wcreinformed of the presence of the King of Tyre at Jerusalem,and they were not ignorant of the fact thatwhen Hiram Abiff was alive that Solomon had a particularplace under ground called the Secret Vault’” onlyNets 126.—vault, Secret, As a symbol, the Secret vault does notpresent itaeif in the primary degrees or hissour) It is found oni, inthe high degreca, sach sa the Royal Arch of all the Rites, where it playaan important pan. Dr Oliver, in his Nistonoal Landmarks. (vol ii..p. 434.1 gives. whiie referring to the building or the second Tempte. thefollowing general detail of the Masonic legend of this vault‘The foundations of the ‘i’emiile were opened, and cleared from theacLumulation or rubbish, that a level might he procured fur the rummeacementor the hoiidinh While engaged iu eacavatiout for this par.poae. three fortunate sojourners are said to have discovered our ancientstone of fonudation. nhicb had been deposited in the secret cr1 p1 byWisdom, strength and Besot?, to prevent the communication or ineffablesecrets to profane or unworthy persons. The discovery having bee,, mmniunicatedto the i,rince. prophet and priest or the Jews the stone vii.adopted as the chief corner-stone of the reeditied building, and thusbecame. In a new slid more expressive sense, the type of a more excellentdispensation. An avenue was also accidentally discovered. supportedby seven pair of ililara. perfect and eutire. vihich. from theirsituation, had esesped the fury of the finmea that bad consumed the TI-nt.pie. sad the desolation of war that had destroyed the elty. The Se, retvault ~bich bid been built by Solomon as a seenre depository for rertamsecrets thot would inevitably have been lost without some an, hexpedient for their preservation, communicated by a subterranean avenuewith the kings palace; but at the destruction of Jerusalem theentrance having been closed by the rubbish of falling buildings, it badbeen discovered by the appearance of a keystone amongst the foundationsof the sanctum sauctorum. A careful Inspection was then made.and the invaluable secrets were placcd in safe custody. ‘—MaeksyaEacyolopsadla of rre.maao~r7, Articl, vault. Secret.his companions and they concluded something of extraordinaryvalue must have been deposited there. Thethree brethren then labored with great ardour and zealwith shovel and crow and cleared away the earth thatcovered the ring, when they found it was fixed to a perfeetsquare stone, which ‘vith great labor and pains theyraised and found it covered a most dismal great cell.Guiblim proposed to descend, and for that purposethey fixed a rope around his body and let him down, withthe understanding that if he wished to be raised, heshould make it manifest by shaking the rope. Guiblimaccordingly descended and found himself in an archedvault, in the pavement of which lie found another opening.He descended into that, and there also he foundanother opening through which he went, which broughthim into a third vault and made the like observation ofa fourth opening but was afraid to pursue his search; hetherefore shook the rope and ascended,He acquaInted his companions with the observationshe had made and proposed they should descend in turns