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

332 GRAND ELECT, PERFECT AND SUBLIME MASON. INITIATION. 333King of Israel behaved worthy of himself and gaineduniversal favor; but in process of time, when he had advancedin years, his understanding became impaired andhe grew deaf to the voice of the Lord and was strangelyirregular in his conduct.Proud of having erected an edifice to his maker andmuch intoxicated with his great power, he plunged intoall manner of licentiousness and debauchery and profanedthe temple by offering incense to the Idol Molochinstead of offering it to the living God.The Grand Elect and Perfect Masons saw this andwere sorely grieved and fearful that his Apostasy’”would end in some dreadful consequence and perhapsbring upon them their enemies~ whom Solomon vainlyand wantonly defied. The people, copying the folhesand vices of their King, became, proud and idolatrous,neglecting the worship of the True and living God forthat of idols.Those masons who had instructed their children in thepaths of virtue, agreeable to the principles of their order,endeavored by their council and example to detertheir fellow citizens from in~-piety~and licentiousness butwithout success. A gre~t majority of good masons leftJerusalem that they might not behold the dreadfulpunishment which awaited the idolatry of the people.Note 154.—”The Temple was completed in the year of the world5000. Thus far the who King of Israel had behaved worthy of him.seif. and gsiue& unlverssj admiration - hut In process of time, whenhe had advanced in years, his understanding became impaired; be grewdeaf to Lie voice of the Lord and was strangely irregular In his conduct.Proud of having erected an edifice to his Maker, and Intoxicatedwith hia great power. he plunged into all manner of iiceuiiousneas anddebanchery. and profaned the Temple. by offering to the idol Moioch thatincense which should have been offered only to the living Qod.The Grand Elect and Perfect Masons saw this, and were sorelyguieved. afraid that his spostasy would end in some dreadfni consequences,and bring npon them those enemies whom Solomon had vaingloriouslyand wantonly defied. The people, copying the vices andfollies of their king, became proud and idolatrous, and a~leci~ theworship of the tine God for that of idrle.’~—Maeksys Enoyclopaedia ofVx..masanry, Article Perfection. Lodge of.As an adequate punishment for the licentiousness of thepeople, God permitted divers nation to make war onthem and to pillage their country. Ten of the tribesfell from the house of David and elected Jeroboantheir King, by the style of King of IsraeLRehoboam governed the tribes of Judah. In thismanner were the tribes of Israel divided and under twodistinct governments for 254 years, when the ten revoltedtribes, having become weak and degenerated byfollowing the wickedness and idolatry of the Kings whogoverned them, fell a prey to Shalmaneser, King ofAssyria, who in the reign of Hosea, King of Israel, besiegedthe city of Samaria, laid their country waste apdutterly extirpated their government; such was thewretched fate of a people who disdained subjection tothe laws of the house of David, and whose impietyended in their destruction.In the third month of the reign of Jehoiachin, Kingof Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, took thecity of Jerusalem and carried off the King captive andcut into pieces all the vessels of the temple. Zedekiahwas then made King of Judah and had reigned elevenyears.On the seventh day of the fifth month called Ab,Nebuzaradan, Captain of the’ Guards, entered Judahwith fire and sword, took and sacked the city of Jerusaleni,razed its walls and destroyed that superb model ofexcellence, the temple. The people were carried captivesto Babylon and the conquerors carried with them all thetreasures of the temple. This happened in the year ofthe world 3470, 470 years, 6 months and 10 days afterits dedication.The Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Masons whowere at Jerusalem at that time exerted themselves ‘withgreat bravery and fortitude in its defense, but withouteffect, for as soon as the temple had fallen into onegeneral heap of ruins they directed their whole attentioDto the preservation of the Sacred Vault from injury and