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

382 .‘,ATAN FILLS Tiik:lit hEARTS ~lfa1 LILS.WitI) one’s fingers on a table ;—he accomplishes a doublepurpo~e ;—ht=plucks men from God and chains them tohimself ;—he sets them, to “behold and wonder,” andtheui lie knows that they will “despise and perish” as theydo ;—he inserlsthimself into their worship ;—me~merizcsthem as conjureis mesmerize men ;—charms thcm asserpents charm rabbits and birds ;—fills their heai’ts withlies as hc did Ananias and Sapphira ;—“possesses” them,in short. And if he fails to convince their understandor“blind” their minds, he drags them, perhaps,into vices to disable them for doing good.~ueh is this Fourtecnth degree of The Ancient andAccepted Scottish Rite. Of course, all who receive itaiitl the degrees prceeding it, do not become its vietinis,but multitodes do. And when once he has set up hisstrong hold in the pulpit. lrnr, press, and above all, incolleges and schools;“Ten thousand rove the nooda and br,ikes among.~stw.,rdand some neatward and all wrengAll lose the way to God. None “find rest to their souls.”after Satan enters into them, as he entered Judas andAhithophel. But ~veare “complete in Christ,” bceauselie is our way to God, who is Infinite a~d Immovable.CHAPTER XXVFIFTEENTH DEGREE OR KNIGHTS OF THE EAST ORSWORD.’ 5’DECORATIONS —This assembly is styled a Council, twoapartments are necessary, the first is the apartment ofthe East representing a Palace, fitted up in the easternstyle with water green hangings, with throne, canopy.etc. Over the throne is a Sun, etc., behind the thronemay be a representation of the dream of Cyrus; in theWest are two arm-chairs.SECOND APARTMENI’ is the hail of the West andrepresents the ruins of the Grand Lodge of Perfectionat Jerusalem, with red hangings, and illuminated byseventy lights, in groups of seven each or usually twentyfive,viz: Three in the North, five in the South, sevenin the West, and nine in the East, and the Delta, makingtwenty-live. In the passage between these two roomsNote 1U.—”Knight of the East or Sword. The 15th degree of theAncient and Accepted rite it refers to those valiant Masons who, withtrowels in band and sworda by their aides, were every ready to constructand defend the Iloly City and 5nnctuary. It is founded on the eircumstanceof the assistance rendered hy Darins to the Jews. who, liberatedftom their captivity hy Cyrns had been prevented hy their enemies fromrebuilding the temple. This degree requires three aparments. styled Maliof the west end Hail of the East. between which must be an antechamberor passage, representing the road from Jerusalem to Perala.The first apartment represents the encampment of the Masons amongthe ruins of Jerusalem. The hangings are crimson. The mom islighted with 70 lights. disposed in groups of 7 each, in commemorationof the 70 yeara’ captivity. The second apartment represents thecouncil chamber of Cyrus, King of Persia. and should he decoratedaccording to the customa of the Orientais. In the ante-room. soparatingthe two apartments. must be a solid bridge, resembling stone.with a representation of running water under it. The jewel, of gold.is three trianglea. one within the other, diminishing in size, andinclosing two naked swords, crossed hilts downnard. resting on thebase of the inner triangle ‘—Maooya Enoyolopudia and DtatioaaqlPsemusonry. Article Knight of the Ealt or Swond.