The Mysteries of Free Masonry Part 19

Q. What followed? A. The Generalissimo thus addressed the Grand Commander: "Most Eminent, by the extinguished taper on the triangle, I perceive there is a vacancy in our Encampment, which I propose should be filled by a choice from among those valiant Knights who have sustained the trials and performed the ceremonies required by our Order."[18]

Q. What followed? A. The Grand Commander then ordered the lots to be given forth, which being done, I was elected, and the Grand Commander thus addressed me: "In testimony of your election as a companion among us, and of your acceptance of that honor, you will relight that extinguished taper; and may the Almighty lift upon you the light of His countenance, and preserve you from falling."

Q. What followed? A. The Grand Commander then directed me to kneel, and said by virtue of the high power in me vested, as the successor and representative of Hugh De Paganis, and Geoffrey, of St. Omers, I now dub and create you Knight Templar, Knight of Malta, of the Holy Order of St. John of Jerusalem. [This is repeated three times, at the same time laying the blade of the sword first upon the right shoulder, then upon the head, and then upon the left shoulder of the candidate.]

Q. What followed? A. The Grand Commander then presented me a sword, and thus addressed me: "This sword in your hand, as a true and courteous Knight, will be endowed with three most excellent qualities; its hilt be justice impartial, its blade be fort.i.tude undaunted, and its point be mercy; and let it teach us this important lesson, that we should ever be a.s.sured of the justice of the cause in which we draw our swords, and being thus a.s.sured, we should persevere with the most undaunted fort.i.tude, and finally, having subdued our enemies, we should consider them no longer such, but extend to them the most glorious attribute of G.o.d's mercy."

Q. What followed? A. The Grand Commander then communicated to me the due-guard, the penitent's pa.s.s, and the grand sign, grip and word of Knight Templars.

Q. Give the due-guard? [The sign is given by placing the end of the right thumb under the chin.]

Q. To what does it allude? A. To the penalty of my obligation; to have my head struck off and placed upon the highest spire in Christendom.

Q. Give the penitent's pa.s.s? A. It is given as before described; the word is Golgotha.

Q. Give the grand sign. [This sign is given by placing yourself in a situation representing the crucifixion of Christ.]

Q. To what does this sign allude? A. To the manner in which the Saviour expired upon the cross, and expiated the sins of the world.

Q. Give the grip and word. [This grip is given by interlacing the fingers of the right and left hands of the candidate, which forms a cross.]

Q. What is the word? A. Immanuel. [The word is given at the time of giving the grip, and is the name of the grip.]

Q. What does the grip teach us? A. That as our fingers are thus strongly interlaced, so should the hearts of Knight Templars be firmly interlaced in friends.h.i.+p and brotherly love.

Q. What is the motto of our Order? A. Rex regum, et Dominus dominorum.

Q. How do you translate it? A. King of kings, and Lord of Lords.

KNIGHTS OF THE CHRISTIAN MARK, AND GUARDS OF THE CONCLAVE.

This Conclave is governed by an Invincible Knight of the Order of St.

John of Jerusalem, a Senior and Junior Knight, six Grand Ministers, Recorder, Treasurer, Conductor, and Guard.

OPENING.--"Sir Junior Knight, are all convened in a secret place, and secured from the prying eye of the profane?"

"We are, Invincible."

"Sir Senior Knight, instruct the Sir Knights to a.s.semble in form for the purpose of opening this Invincible Order."

The members kneel on both knees in a circle, each with his right hand on his heart, his left on his forehead.

PRAYER.--"Eternal source of life, of light, and perfection, Supreme G.o.d and Governor of all things, liberal dispenser of every blessing! We adore and magnify Thy holy name for the many blessings we have received from Thy hands, and acknowledge our unworthiness to appear before Thee; but for the sake, and in the name of Thy atoning Son, we approach Thee as lost and undone children of wrath; but through the blood of sprinkling, and the sanctification of the Holy Ghost, we come imploring a continuation of Thy favors, for thou hast said, that he who cometh to Thee through faith in the Son of Thy love, Thou wilt in no wise cast out; therefore, at the foot of the cross we come, supplicating pardon for our past offences, that they may be blotted out from the book of Thy remembrance and be seen no more, and that the remainder of our days may be spent as becometh the followers of the Holy One of Israel; and graciously grant that love, harmony, peace, and unity may reign in this Council; that one spirit may animate us--one G.o.d reign over us--and one heaven receive us, there to dwell in Thine adorable presence forever and ever. Amen."

The Invincible Knight takes the Bible and waves it four times over his head, saying, "Rex regnantium, et Dominus dominantium;" [that is, King of kings, and Lord of Lords;] kisses it and pa.s.ses it on his right; it goes around until it comes again to the Invincible Knight, who opens and reads, Matthew v. 3-12, 16.

Always interlace the fingers of the left hand, draw your sword and present it to the heart, and say, "Tammuz Touliumeth, I p.r.o.nounce this Convention opened in ample form. Let us repair to our several stations, and strictly observe silence."

PREPARATION.--The candidate is shown into the anti-chamber by the conductor, who clothes him in a gown of brown stuff, and leads him to the door of the Council chamber, where he knocks twice, six, and two--2, 6, and 2.

Junior Knight--"Some one knocks for admission, Invincible Knight."

Invincible--"See who it is and make report." J. K. (goes to the door and reports)--"One that is faithful in good works wishes admission here." Inv.--"What good works hath he performed?" J. K.--"He hath given food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and clothed the naked with a garment." Inv.--"Thus far he hath done well; but there is still much for him to do. To be faithful in my house, saith the Lord, he should be filled with love for my people. If so, let him enter under the penalties of his symbolic obligation." He enters, makes signs until he arrives at the altar, there kneels.

VOW.--"I, A. B., do promise and vow, with this same volume clasped in my hands, that I will keep secret the words, signs, tokens, and grips of this Order of Knighthood from all but those Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who have shown a Christian disposition to their fellow-men, are professors of the Christian faith, and have pa.s.sed through the degrees of symbolic Masonry; and that I will protect and support, as far as in me lies, the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; feed them, if hungry; give them drink, if thirsty; if naked, clothe them with garments; teach them, if ignorant; and advise them for their good and their advantage. All this I promise in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and if I perform it not, LET ME BE ANATHEMA MARANATHA!

ANATHEMA MARANATHA!" [i.e., accursed at the coming of the Lord.]

The Invincible Knight interlaces the fingers of his left hand with those of the candidate, who lays his right hand on his heart. The Invincible Knight draws his sword; the Senior Knight does the same; they cross them on the back of the candidate's neck, and the Invincible Knight says, "By virtue of the high power in me vested, by a bull of HIS HOLINESS, POPE SYLVESTER, I dub you a Knight of the Christian Mark, member of the Grand Council, and Guard of the Grand Conclave." The Invincible Knight then whispers in his ear, "Tammuz Touliumeth." The Knights come to order; the Senior Knight takes his seat; the candidate continues standing; the conductor brings a white robe; the Senior Knight says:

"Thus saith the Lord, he that believeth and endureth to the end shall overcome, and I will cause his iniquities to pa.s.s from him, and he shall dwell in my presence forever and ever. Take away his filthy garments from him, and clothe him with a change of raiment.

For he that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and his name shall be written in the Book of Life, and I will confess his name before my Father and his holy angels. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the true believer. Set ye a fair mitre upon his head, place a palm in his hand, for he shall go in and out and minister before me, saith the Lord of hosts; and he shall be a disciple of that rod taken from a branch of the stem of Jesse. For a branch has grown out of his root, and the spirit of the Lord hath rested upon it; the spirit of his wisdom, and might, and righteousness is the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his vine, and he stands as an insignia to the people, and him shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious. Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, every one with the destroying weapon in his hand."

The six Grand Ministers came forward from the north with swords and s.h.i.+elds. The first is clothed in white, and has an ink-horn by his side, and stands before the Invincible Knight, who says:

"Go through the city: run in the midst thereof and smite: let not thine eye spare, neither have pity; for they have not executed my judgments with clean hands, saith the Lord or Hosts."

The candidate is instructed to exclaim:

"Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and my dwelling has been In the tents of Kedar, and among the children of Meshec."

Then he that has the ink-horn by his side, takes a live branch with the tongs from the altar, and touches the lips of the candidate, and says:

"If ye believe, thine iniquities shall be taken away, thy sins shall be purged. I will that these be clean with the branch that shall be given up before me. All thy sins are removed, and thine iniquities blotted out. For I have trodden the wine-press alone, and with me was none of my people. For behold, I come with dyed garments from Bozrah, mighty to save. Refuse not, therefore, to hearken; draw not away thy shoulders; shut not thine ear, that thou shouldest not hear."

The six Ministers now proceed as if they were about to commence the slaughter, when the Senior Knight says to him with the ink-horn:

"Stay thine hand; proceed no further until thou hast set a mark on those that are faithful in the house of the Lord, and trust in the power of his might. Take ye the signet, and set a mark on the forehead of my people that have pa.s.sed through great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb, which was slain from the foundation of the world."

The Minister takes the signet and presses it on the candidate's forehead. He leaves the mark in red letters, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." The Minister opens the scroll and says, "Sir Invincible Knight, the number of the sealed are one hundred and forty and four thousand." The Invincible Knight strikes four, and all the Knights stand before him. He says, "Salvation belongeth to our G.o.d, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." All the members fall on their faces, and say "Amen. Blessing, honor, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, and power, might, majesty, and dominion, be unto our G.o.d forever and ever. Amen." They all cast down crowns and palm branches, and rise up and say, "Great and numberless are thy works, thou King of saints. Behold the star which I laid before Joshua, on which is engraved seven eyes, as the engraving of a signet, shall be set as a seal on thine arm--as a seal on thine heart; for love is stronger than death: many waters cannot quench it. If a man would give all the treasures of his house for love, he cannot obtain it; it is the gift of G.o.d through Jesus Christ, our Lord."

CHARGE.--"Invincible Knight, I congratulate you on your having been found worthy to be promoted to this honorable Order of Knighthood. It is highly honorable to all those worthy Knights, who with good faith and diligence, perform its many important duties. The honorable situation to which you are now advanced, and the ill.u.s.trious office which you now fill is one that was much desired by the first n.o.blemen of Italy, but ambition and jealousy caused his highness, Pope Alexander, to call on his ancient friend, the Grand Master of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, to guard his person and the Holy See, as those Knights were known to be well grounded in the faith, and zealous followers of the Lord. The members of the guard were chosen BY THEIR COUNTENANCES, for it is believed that a plain countenance is an indication of the heart; and that no stranger should gain admission and discover the secrets of this august a.s.sembly, this Order of the Christian Mark was conferred on those who went about doing good, and following the example of their ill.u.s.trious Master, Jesus Christ.

Go thou and do likewise.

MOTTO.--"Christus regnat, vincit, triumphat;" [i.e., Christ rules, conquers, triumphs.] Rex regnantium, et Dominus dominantium.

Israel on the left breast, a triangular plate of gold, seven eyes engraved on one side, on the other the letter G in the five points.

KNIGHTS OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.

HISTORY.--St. Helena, daughter of Caylus, King of Britain, consort of Constantine, and mother of Constantine the Great, in the year 296, made a journey to the Holy Land in search of the cross of Jesus Christ. After leveling the hillocks and destroying the temple of Venus, three crosses were discovered. It was now difficult to discover which of the three was the one sought for by her. By order of his Holiness, Pope Marcellinus, they were borne to the bed of a woman who had long been visited by sickness, and lay at the point of death; she placed her hands upon the second cross first, which rendered her no service; but when she laid her hand upon the third, she was restored to her former health. She instantly arose, giving glory to G.o.d, saying, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastis.e.m.e.nt of sin was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. On the spot where the crosses were found, St. Helena erected a stately church, one hundred paces long and sixty wide; the east end takes in the place where the crosses stood, and the west of the sepulchre. By leveling the hills, the sepulchre is above the floor of the church, like a grotto, which is twenty feet from the floor to the top of the rock. There is a superb cupola over the sepulchre, and in the aisles are the tombs of G.o.dfrey and Baldwin, kings of Jerusalem. In 302, St. Helena inst.i.tuted the Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This Order was confirmed in 304 by his Holiness, Pope Marcellinus; they were bound by a sacred vow to guard the Holy Sepulchre, protect pilgrims, and fight infidels and enemies of the cross of Christ. The city of Jerusalem was rebuilt and ornamented by aelius Adrian, Emperor of Rome, and given to the Christians in 120. The Persians took it from them in 637, and in 1008 it fell into the hands of the Turks, under whose oppressions it long groaned, until Peter the Holy steered the western princes to release the distressed church, and in 1096 G.o.dfrey and Baldwin unfurled the banner of the cross and expelled the Turks. He was invested with a crown of laurel, and suffered himself to be called the King of Palestine.

DESCRIPTION, ETC.--The Council must represent a Cathedral Church, the altar covered with black, upon which must be placed three large candles, a cross, and in the centre a skull and cross-bones. The Princ.i.p.al stands on the right side of the altar, with a Bible in one hand, and a staff in the other; soft music plays, and the veil is drawn up, and discovers the altar; the choir say: