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

140 INTENDANT OF THE BUILDING. INITIATION. 141Solomon—Alas! my brother, the loss of that word isthe cause of the greatest disorder and is productive ofserious errors; and it is with the hope that by the scienceof numbers you will be able to recover tihe lost key tothe designs that we have sent for you.Hence it is, that in your present posture you ate madeto take the place of the deceased master; hence it is thatwe consider you as “dead to sin and vice,” and hope tosee you “alive to virtue and truth.”Brother Expert, you will now cause the candidate torise and place him in a fitting posture to contract hisobligation.Expert raises the candidate, uncovers him and causeshim to kneel on a square flat stone opposite the triangulartable, behind which brother Tito stands, and in thatposture he contracts his obligation.OBLIGATION INTENDANT OP THE BUILDING.I— promise and swear in the presence of th~ GreatArchitect of the Universe, and of the Thrice fliustriousBrethren here present, ever to keep inviolably secretthe mysteries which shall be revealed to me.And to observe all such rules as shall be prescribed tome by the Grand Council of Princes of Jerusaleir., underthe penalties of all my former obligations, besidesthat of having my body cut in two and my bowels tornout. So God help and maintain me in equity and justice.Amen, Amen, Amen.As soon as the candidate has taken the obligation,Expert covers him with, the veil, raises him and seatshim on a stool in the middle of the lodge facing theThrice Puissant.Thrici~ Puissant—My dear brother, Solomon beingwilling and desirous of carrying out to the highest do.gree of perfection possible the work commenced byHiram Abiff, thought proper for effecting this businessto employ the five chiefs of the five orders of architecture,assisted by three Princes: Tito, Abda, and Adoniram,his son. He was well convinced of their zeal andabilities, land hoped soon to see their work completed ina masterly manner. We flatter ourselves my brother thatyou will contribute with all your might to this greatend. Your having once represented a dead man mustnow be to you as an emblem, that in order to succeed inthis great work and execute it with the same spirit asour respectable Master Hiram Abiff would have done,you must also be possessed with the same spirit andresolution as he was; which is to prefer death ratherthan divulge the mysteries of the order. We sincerelyhope you will follow this praiseworthy example.In this degree your duty ;~ Io study the principles oforder, to find what are the laws of order as applied byman to himself, to moral conduct, to mental operations,to acquisition of knowledge and as a consequence tolearn the doctrines and uses of prudence and the differencebetween prudence and fear. In the previous degreesyou acquired the seven points of exactitude, viz:First—As an Apprentice you learned the use of themallet of strength.Second—As a Fellow Craft you handled the chiseland other implements of wisdom.Third—As a Master you used the trowel of bernity.Fourth—As a Secret Master you carried the urn ofself-examination.Fifth—As a Perfect Master you adjusted the keystonewhich joins a sound mind and a sound body.Sixth—As an Intimate Secretarg you opened thescroll of objective knowledge or education.Seventh—As a Provost and dudge you set up thescales of justice and equity.