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master mason degree
CHAPTER III
MASONIC TREATISE with
an ELUCIDATION
on
the RELIGIOUS
AND MORAL BEAUTIES
of
FREEMASONRY
W. Finch,
Canterbury
1. B.S.W.
are you a Mason,
So taken and accepted among
Brother Master Masons (Vancouver).
2.
Where
was you raised as such,
In a L. of Master
Masons.
3.
Consisting
of how many,
Three.
4.
Under
what denomination,
The M. and Ws.
5.
Why
was you s. s.d.
In allusion [to] that part of scripture when the
Lord spoke unto Moses in the burning bush, etc and likewise
to Joshua, etc.*
6.
What
enabled you to be raised a Master Mason,
By the usual O. on such
occasions.
7.
Which
I will thank you to repeat,
[Here follows the O.]
8.
After
having taken this great and solemn O. of a Master Mason, what was the next
thing the Master requested of you,
To confirm the same in that sacred manner the Master Masons
required.
9.
What
did he then proceed to do,
He friendly took me by both
hands, and said rise newly O. M.M.
10.
What
farther enabled you to be raised a Master Mason,
The help of God and
the square of my own industry.
11.
From
what to what was you raised,
From a superficial flat to a
perfect perpendicular.
12.
As
a Master Mason from whence came you,
From the E.
13.
What
induced you to leave the E. to go to the W.,
In search of that which was lost, which, with your instructions,
and my own industry, I hope to find.
14.
What
was that which was lost,
The s . . . s of a Master
Mason.
15.
How
came them to be lost,
By three knocks given by
three rude ruffians, which caused the d . . . of our Master H.
16.
Relate
the particulars thereof,
At the building of that grand
religious edifice there were but t . . . e G. M. that bore sway, SKI, HKT
HAB the widow’s son, at that time it was the peculiar province of that
curious and worthy artist to superintend the same, as well as likewise
this daily custom to go into the holy of holies and there offer up his
prayers and ejaculations to the throne of grace and crave a blessing on
the work,
at
this time there were fifteen F.Cs., who having more ambition, than
prudence, and knowing that the Temple was nearly finished, and that there
were some s . . . s, they were not in possession of, and being
apprehensive that they should not (when left to travel into foreign
countries) be so rapidly employed neither receive so good wages unless
they were in possession of those s .
. . s,
Vancouver
gives it more fully as follows: “In
allusion to that part of scripture when the Lord spake unto Moses in the
burning bush, saying Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place
whereon thou standest is hold ground, and sacred to the Honour and Glory
of God, and likewise to Joshua in the same manner.”
They
therefore agreed to way lay our Master H. at a certain time then named,
and at the usual time of the dby
[day] when he went into the holy of holies
and to extort from him by force or otherwise what their ambition then
aspired to, but previous to the arrival of the appointed time for their
putting this diabolical purpose into execution, twelve out of the fifteen
had recanted, the other three remained unmoved by the dictates of nature
way laid our Master H. as he went into the S. S. at the hour of H. T. when
the workmen were gone from labor to refreshment and took advantage of this
favourable opportunity, and posted themselves at the three different
entrances of the Temple, namely the E. W. and S. doors thereof,
when
our Master H. had finished the work he went there to do, he attempted to
go out at the E. door, but to his surprise was prevented by a rude ruffian
who demanded of him the s . . . s of a M.M.; he gave for answer that he
did not receive them in such a manner, neither could he give them as such,
and recommended time, patience, and industry as the proper way to obtain
them, but this answer not satisfying this ruffibn
[ruffian]
he gave him a violent blow on his r
. . . t T . . . e which caused him to reel and fall on his l . . .t k . . . e, but recovering from this
surprise he attempted to go out at the W. door, but there he was likewise
prevented by another villibn [villain] as dareing [sic] as the first who sternly demanded of
him the s . . . s of a M.M.,
he
gave a similar answer as the first, and from whom he experienced a similar
treatment, with this difference only, that instead of receiving the blow
on his r . . . t T . . . e it
was on the l . . . t,
astonished
at such proceedings he tried his last effort to make his escape out at the
S. door but to his still greater surprise was there accosted in a more
bold and perhemptory
[sic] manner, by a villabn [villain] more dareing [sic] than the former two who sternly
dembnded [demanded] of him the
s . . . s of a M.M., to which request he answered nearly as before, with
this addition, that there were only t . . . e in the world, who knew it,
and unless they were present, he could nor would not comply to so
unreasonable a demand;
this
answer proving ineffectual he received from this cruel mercenary wretch a
violent blow on this f. . .d, which brought him l . . . s to the ground.
17.
After
they had thus in[humanly] m .
. . - our Master H.,
what did they with his b .
. .,
They covered it under the
materials of the building till the hour of h . . . t . . ..
18. What did they then with it,
Took it to the brow of a
hill, and there very indecently intured [sic] it.
19.
When
was our Master H. first missing,
Past the hour of h . . . t . . . the same day.
20.
How
came he then to be missing,
By not carrying his reports
as usual to K.S.
21.
When
generally missing,
Past the hour of h . . . t . . . the next day.
22.
How
came he so to be,
The workmen returning from
refreshment to Labor found no designs drawn upon their
T
- - - - - B
[Trassel
Board – Vancouver], which
threw them into confusion they therefore went and reported the same to
K.S.
23.
How
did K.S. receive this report,
With great emotion [he]
smote his breast and exclaimed oh!
G - - - - G* I fear our Master
H. is s . . . And those [recanting] brethren having heard of this
circumstance at this particular juncture. Amd being struck with horror and
amazement at the same, came to K.S. and acknowledged all they knew
concerning it, and voluntarily offered their services to go in search of
those assassins, for such they were now with propriety supposed to
be.
24.
What
did K.S.. order those t .
. . e recanting
brethren first to do,
He first ordered those
twelve brethren to go in and about the Temple, and make dilligent
[sic] search for the body of
our Master H., they accordingly obeyed with alacrity those commands, for
several days without success, at length one of the Brothers being more
weary than the rest sit [sat] himself down at the brow of a hill,
and in order to facilitate his riseing [sic] he caught hold
*
[Vancouver also gives
initials only. Browne
has: “oh God,”
etc.]
of
a sprig growing in the ground, which by its coming so easily out he
perceived the ground had been newly broken, in consequence of which he
hailed his brethren who were then pursuing their search who with him
opened the g . . ., and there found the b . . .y of our Grand Master H. very
indecently buried, they then covered him up again with the e . . . and went and acquainted K.S. of
the same.
25.
When
K.S. had received intelligence of the discovery of our Master H. what did
he next order the
t
. . . e recanting brethren to do,
With great emotion he smote
his breast and said oh! G .- - - -
G - - - - what I feaed [feared]
is come to pass our B. has been most
cruelly m . . . . - -
He
ordered these t . . . e recanting brethren to go and raise
him to a more decent interment knowing him to be well worthy the same,
informing them at the same time that by his untimely d . . . h the s . . . s of a Master Mason was lost
till future ages should discover them, but as a reward to them for their
fidelity and exertion, the first casual Sn. T. and W. that should occur
among them at his raising should be adopted as a substitute till the right
was found;
when
those brethren came to the g .
. .e where G. M. laid
they formed themselves into a F.Cs. L., and immediately the g . . . was opened, either by sympathy
or sorrow, found themselves in this position (at the same time given
[giving?] the s . . . n) and looking around on each
other and remembering the words of K.S. they then adopted that as the
first casual S . . . . n;
two
of the brethren then descended the g . . . e and attempted to raise him by
supporting his back, but the flesh being putrid their fingers penetrated
to the bone, and on smelling to them said M B, which proves the initials
of the first casual W., they then attempted to raise him be the EAP G,
which proving a
s
. . ., they tried that of a F.C. which
likewise proved a s . . . . they then took a more firmer
hold and raised him by the F.P.
26.
Please
to explain the F.P of F.,
H.
to H. is descriptive of that unity which ought ever to exist among
Masons, at all times ready to
assist the distressed of our fellow creatures when it can be done without
injury to ourselves or connections, -- F. to f. reminds us never to halt
when in the act of benevolence, till its final accomplishment,, without
just reason so to do, -- K. to k. reminds at all times to offer up our
prayers for each others welfare, as well as our own. –
B.
to b. reminds us of that sacred repository for Masonic s. . .s, each
Brother’s s . . . s delivered as such to keep as his own, for to betray
those s . . . s, which are entrusted by a friend, would probably do him
the villany
[sic]
of an assassin who stabs his
adversary when unarmed, and the least suspicious of a foe. – H. upon back
that we should support a brother’s character in his absence as in his
presence, and even more so, for if present, he would then be at liberty to
defend himself. Not revile him ourselves, or suffer it to be done by
others, if in our power to prevent it, thus by the F.P. of F. we are
linked together by one indissoluble chain of sincere affection, which
cannot fail to distinguish us (when properly adhered to) among those who
are unacquainted with our religious and social institution.
1.
Who
were the secret m . . . . s of our Master H.,
Three F.Cs.
2.
How
came them so to be,
From the information
obtained by K.S. from the t . . . e recanting brethren.
3.
There
is a second reason why they were secret,
At the building of the Temple, it
was the usual custom for EAPs to mass seven in a mass and F.Cs. five, at
that time there were t . . . e F.Cs. missing from their masses at noon
likewise their lodgings at night, which corroborated the first
information.
4.
How
were the [they] found out,
By an order from K.S. that an
embargo should be laid on all vessels and floats, and placed Guards in all
his frontier towns with a strict strong injunction that none should quit
his dominions without his prior knowledge.
5.
What
did K.S. next order,
He ordered those t . . . e
recanting brethren to divive [divide] themselves equally into four
divisions (namely three E, three W, three N, and three S. --
Vancouver), one
of which was to go down to Joppa where the materials were landed for the
building and acquire, if any such men had been there at the same time to
describe them they received for answer there had, but owing to the embargo
they could not obtain a passage, they therefore returned into the interior
part of the country, those three brethren then returned likewise, and on
passing by the mouth of a cave by the sea side they heard the following
exclamations (here follows the various exclamations) [oh! that etc. -
oh! that etc. - oh! that etc. – Vancouver], they knowing by their voices that
they were men of Tyre, and by their exclamations that they were the same,
they were in pursuit of they therefore rushed in and found the same, they
then bound them and brought them before K.S.
6.
What
were their names,
J - - - - a* J - - - - o and J - - - - m.
7.
How
did J [A] appear,
He as paying due homage to
the King fell down on his l . . . t
k . . . e and on being questioned as to the punishment of those who
had been the horrid m . . . s of our Master H. he not thinking there was
sufficient evedence [sic] boldly answered he ought to be etc.
K.S. questioned him whereby guilt flew in his face and he confessed the
fact, whereby he was ordered out to the ministers of justice there to
await his farther pleasure.
8.
How
did J [O] appear,
In nearly the same manner as
the first from whom the same confession mas [was] made and received the same judgment
from K.S.
9.
How
did J [M] appear,
In a more humiliating
posture, he paying due homage on b . . . h k . . . s and made a similar confession and
received the same judgment, and was ordered in the same manner as the two
former.
10.
After
the evidence and confession of those guilty assassins how did K.S. then
proceed,
He being in alliance with
H.K.T. sent an embassy to acquaint him that t . . . e of his subjects had
been the horrid perpetrators of the d . . . h of H.A.B. likewise s - - -
- d - - - - e [sending
him the particulars. – Vancouver] of their examination guilt and
confession and wished to know how they were to be disposed of.
11.
H.K.T.’s
answer,
That he might consult his own
pleasure but in his opinion the punishment they had prescribed for others
ought to be inflicted on them.
[Obviously
J - - - - a is meant. Vancouver gives the answer by the terminal
letters only: “A, O, and M.”]
12.
Was
that done and where,
It was done at Joppa as near
to the extremity of the two countres [countries] as possible, they being deemed
outcast of both and worthy of neither.
1.
What
were the t . . . s our Master H. was s . . . . with,
Setting T - - - -
[Tool?] Setting Rule and Heavy Rostle.*
2.
What
is the ornaments of a Master Mason’s L.,
Porch Dormer and S - - - - -
p - - - - - t [both Browne and Emulation have “Square
Pavement” ; Vancouver has “Sacred Pavement” but this may be an
error in transliteration].
3.
Their
uses,
The Porch is the entrance
into the Sanctum Sanctorum. – The Dormer is the window that gives light to
the same, and the [Square]
Pavement for the High Priest to walk on.
4.
Name
the office of the High Priest,
To burn incense to the honor
and glory of God, and pray fervently that the Almighty would be
pleased to bestow peace and tranquility to the Israelitish nation
troughout the ensuing year.
5.
What
is an excellent Master Mason’s name,
G - - - - [Giblem –
Browne].
6. Who confered [sic] that name upon
him,
K.S.
7.
For
why,
For his excellency in all
manner of workmanship.
8.
What
does the P.W. denote,
A curious artifice[r] in all manner of mettle
[sic].
9.
Name
the [seven] originals,
Three different ways of
forming a Lodge; three different ways [of] prepareing [sic] a Brother; three different
obligations; three different Signs; three different Words; three different
Tokens; and three ways to Advance.
[Browne
has “setting maul’ for the first, the other two being as given.
Vancouver has “Rule, and Setting Maul.” Emulation has “P.,
L., and M.M.”]
1.
Having
already been informed in the preceding degree of the materials for the
Temple, where they was prepared, the number of workmen employed, and their
different employs, we now come to speak more minutely of the Temple
itself, its dimensions and ornaments within and without, its sacred
furniture and dedication, therefore, B.S.W. inform me how High it
was,
Thirty Cubits.
2.
How
Long,
60.
3.
How
Wide,
20.
4.
How
High was the Porch,
120.
5.
How
Long,
10. [Vancouver
says “twenty.”]
6.
How
wide,
10.
7.
How
many rows of chambers,
3 Rows.
8.
How
High were those Chambers,
5 Cubits.
9.
Give
a further description of them,
There were thirty in number,
twelve on the South side, twelve on the North, and six on the West, which
were encompassed by galleries.
10.
How
was the inner part of the Temple ornamented,
With Cedar and Fir, covered
over with plates of gold, ornamented with cherubims and various kinds of flowers.
11.
In
what part of the Temple was the Ark of the Covenant placed,
In the innermost part called
the Oracle or partition, which separated the holy from the
most holy place.
12.
What
was that Ark a symbol of, and of what use was the Oracle,
The Divine presence, wherein
was contained the two table[s] of stone, whereon was engraved the law of GOD,
which Moses put there at Horab when the Lord made a
covenant with the Israelites, when they excaped [sic]* from their Egyptian
bondage.
13.
How
high was it, [‘the Oracle” – Vancouver],
20 Cubits.
14.
How
Long,
20.
15.
How
Wide,
20.
16.
Any
other ornament belonging to the Oracle or Holy of Holies,
It was farther adorned with gold chains, which supported a
beautiful purple veil, which hung over the partition which separated the
Sanctuary from the Holy of Holies.
17.
What
was the principal design in building the Holy of Holies
To receive the Ark of the
Covenant which God gave to Moses.
18.
How
many Cherubims were there in the Holy of Holies,
Two lesser made by
Moses of massy gold, and two larger made by Solomon,
overlaid with gold. Those made by Moses were part of the Mercy
Seat, and inseparable from its; those of Solomon spread their
wings over it, being added only for the greater ornament of God’s
house.
* [Vancouver also spells it
‘excaped.”]
King
Solomon
did not make a new ark, which was the only thing made by
Moses which Solomon did not imitate and make more glorious;
but this he dare not presume to open and take out the book of the
law, and put it into an ark, of his own making, it being
unlawful for him to touch it, therefore he let it remain with its
cover, the mercy seat, and the cherubims belonging to
it, and only placed the new cherubims over it as a covering to it
for the greater beauty of the house.
20.
What
was the entrance into the Holy of Holies,
The fifth door belonging to
the Temple, the first being that which led into the Court of
the Israelites, the second into the Court of the
Priests, the third was the door of Solomon’s Porch,
the fourth led into the Holy Place, and the fifth
door was that which led to the Holy of Holies.
21.
What
was delineated on those doors,
Cherubims in great
abundance, which were overlaid with gold. The host of Angels are
here represented attending upon the Divine Majesty as His ministers
to execute his pleasures [so also in Vancouver].
22.
Give
a further explanation of those Cherubims,
They are represented in the
shape of a Man, an Ox, a Lion, and an Eagle,
which are supposed to be emblematical of the angelical nature; --
that
of the Man to signify their benevolence and good will to the human
species; --
the
wings and parts of an Eagle denote their celerity in executing the
divine commands; --
the
part of a Lion denotes their being strong in executing the orders
of heaven; --
the
part of the Ox denotes their patience and assiduity in fulfilling
their Maker’s will.
The
reason why they were represented with their faces to each other, and their
eyes fixed upon the covering, was to denote they were the guardians of the
law inclosed
[sic]
in the ark. Their stretching
forth their wings on high denoted they were on the wing to fly
where they were ordered by the Divine Majesty, whether to execute
vengeance on the transgressors of the law, or to dispense his
favours to the observers of it. Their wings outspread and meeting
together formed as it were a seat over the ark, which seat was
called the Throne of God. Their faces looking towards each other
signified their mutual consent and concord.
23.
Give
a third explanation,
The figure of the
Cherubims represented the bearings of the four principal
Tribes which denotes the dominion of God over the
Israelitesl in particular. The Cherubims placed on the
Ark, having those four standards about them, the Ark
may truly be said to have
been a military chariot, in which God, assuming the
character of a King, fought against the enemies of His people the
Israelites, God being invisible what form could he assume
more consistent with his character of the Supreme civil magistrate of the
Jews, than that of a warrior, a character under which he is
frequently represented in many parts of Scripture?
The
Cherubims were the symbols of strength, address,
prudence, and irresistible wisdom which it excluded from no
place, and is superior to all difficulties. It was a custom among the
Egyptians of framing compounded figures for hieroglyphical
or symbolical purposes. No one can believe that Cherubims
were placed in the Temple to represent one animal compounded
of a Man, an Ox, a Lion, and an Eagle,
therefore we must necessarily admit that the parts of these animals, when
joined together, were intended to signify several characters,
powers, or persons united together in one.
As
hieroglyphics were the most antient form of writing, this will not
only appear true, but likewise necessary, and that the Egyptians
made use of those compositions, several of their monuments demonstrate,
some of them shew us two, sometimes three heads of different
animals upon one body. The Egyptian Sphinx, which was placed at the
entrance of their temples, seems to have given rise to two of the
Cherubical figures exhibiting the head of a Woman on the
resemblance of a Lion.
The
Egyptians were very much addicted to make the body of their image
human, though they sometimes bear the head of a Lion, a Hawk
[Falcon], an Eagle, a Bull, a
Ram, etc. The application was to signify a different
Deity;
we
may therefore conclude that the Unity from hence took occasion so
far to condescend to the prejudices of the Israelites, which they
had contracted in Egypt, as to make use of the Cherubims for
a symbolical representation of himself as the tutelary Deity
of the Jews and the supreme Lord of the Universe, by vindicating to
himself these symbols by which the most celebrated Dieties
[sic]
of the Heathen world were
represented. [see Ezekiel, Chapter 1 -- G.L.H.]
If
we attend to the origin and nature of the hieroglyphics, we shall
be able to clear this condescension from any objection with which it may
be charged by ignorance, or traduced by prejudice. Some from considering
that the Ox was the symbol fire
[Earth], that the piercing eyes of
the Lion occasioned that animal being used as the symbol of
light [Fire], and that
the soaring flight of the Eagle had occasioned that animal being
used as the symbol of air [Water, as its lower nature of the
Scorpion];
that
these elements were the objects of the earliest Pagan adoration,
and that the appearance of the true God is generally represented in
Scripture under the visible symbol of fire, light, and
air; therefore from some persons considering all these
circumstances conjointly have inferred that the figures composing the
Cherubims which were the symbols of fire, light, and
air; the ordinary similitude under which the Diety
[sic]
usually appeared, were intended to represent the characters or
persons in the Divine essence that fire,
light, and air, or spirit resembled.
1.
Give
a proper and full difinition [sic] of the Ark of the Covenant placed in
the Holy of Holies, likewise the ring of Gold thereon placed, and the two
tables of stone therein deposited,
The Ark was a kind of
Chest or Coffer, wherein was deposited the two Fables
[Tables] of Testimony,
containing the Ten Commandments, written with the finger of
God, which was the most sacred monument of the Jewish
religion. This Ark was to be a symbol of the Divine presence
and protection over the Israelites, a sacred pledge of the
stability of the Jewish common wealth, so long as they adhered to
the articles of the covenant, which the Ark contained.
If
we enquire into the origin of the Sanctuary and its furniture,
particularly of the Ark and its appendages, it will be found
probable to have taken its rise, like the rest of the Jewish
ceremonies, from the hardness of the people’s hearts, and their gross
conceptions of the Divinity. As idolatrous nations were frequently
building Temples to their Gods, and place[d] images in them to represent the
objects of their worship, so the Israelites were commanded to build
a Temple to the Supreme God, and place in it an Ark, as the
symbol of the Divine presence, and of this the splendor and external
beauty of the Ark, the Ornaments of gold with which it was decked,
are thought to be strong presumptions;
since
these splendors and trappings were quite foreign to that simplicity of
divine worship, which the Deity in all ages requires, and which are
of no avail but to strike the populace. When God shewed
Moses upon the Mount the pattern of the Tabernacle,
Ark, and Altars, it was rather by way of Permission, and an
act of indulgence, than a precept, and designed as a moral and political
means to preserve a stiff necked and superstitious people from revolting
to Idolatry.
We
are well convinced from sacred history, that the earliest nations had
Temples, Oracles, sacred Arks or Coffers, and
other appendages of worship, prior both to the Jewish Tabernacle
and Temple. We find the Prophet Amos upbraiding the
Israelites with their superstitions in the wilderness, says, ye
have borne during your travels in the wilderness the Tabernacle of
your God Moloch, a custom which they had doubtless derived from the
Egyptians, and consequently had been in use long before the
Tabernacle of Moses;
therefore,
that the Israelites, who were exceedingly addicted to the Manners
of the Egyptians, might not any longer make a Tabernacle to
Moloch, and carry it about in triumph after the Gentile
fashion, they were permitted to make a Tabernacle to the true and
living God, and carry it about in honour of Him;
which
Tabernacle was furnished with an Ark, an Oracle, and
Altar, etc. like those of other nations. A Cornice or
Rim of gold was placed round the top, which was called a
Crown, because it compassed it round, for the antient Crowns were
only a plain circle of gold, or rather materials set upon the heads of
their Kings and great Men;
this
crown, or border of gold, rising to some height above the Ark,
served both for ornament and for supporting the Mercy Seat, which
was of the same length and breadth with the Ark, which shows it was
the Cover of the Ark. In relation to the Ark itself, it
served merely for a beautiful covering, yet in relation to the Divine
Glory, which rested upon it, and to the Cherubims which were
constituent parts of it, it seems, with great propriety, to be denominated
the propitiatory, or Mercy Seat, therefore it is considered
as a part of the furniture of the most holy place by itself.
2.
How
high was the great Molten Sea,
Five cubits, besides the
height of the oxen whereon it stood.
3.
How
many in diameter,
Thirty.
4.
How
many in circumference,
Ten.*
5.
What
was its use,
For the washing of the
sacrifices, and likewise for the Priests and Levites, who
washed their hands and feet not in it, but with water drawn
out of it by pipes or conduits, which were 600 in number, whereby great
quantities of water might flow out of it to wash great numbers at a
time.
6.
What
supported it,
Twelve oxen, with
their faces outermost, three looking to the East, three to the
West, three to the North, and three to the
South.
7.
Where
was it placed, and what quantity of water did it contain,
By constantly supplying
2000, each bath containing eight gallons, this Sea or Bason
constantly contained 500 barrels of water; had it been filled up to the
brim, it would have supplied 3000. It was placed on the South East side,
so that as soon as the Priests entered, (which they did at the East
Gate) they were immediately supplied. **
8.
What
was the use of the ten great Lavers,
For the Israelites to
wash in, the great Molten Sea being reserved for the Priests and
Levites only.
9.
What
quantity of water did each Laver contain,
Ten barrels each, which made
one hundred in the whole, being just one fifth the quantity contained in
the great Molten Sea.
10.
How
many baths did each Laver contain, and how many in the whole,
Each Laver contained
40 baths, which made 400 in the whole, a fifth part the number only that
the great Molten Sea contained.
11.
What
supported these ten great Lavers of water,
Ten large brass
Bases, curiously ornamented with Lions, Oxen,
Cherubims, and many other devices of curious workmanship.
12.
Where
was they placed,
Five on the North,
and Five on the South side.
13.
How
high were those Bases,
Three [cubits].
14.
How
long,
Four.
15.
How
wide,
Four.
16.
Of
what use were the Shovels,
To cleanse the alter,
etc.
17.
Of
what use were the Basons,
For the Priests to
receive the blood of the sacrifices.
* Vancouver
reverses these figures, giving Ten in diameter, and Thirty in
circumference. The transcription in Finch is obviously incorrect.
** The answers, here in reverse order
to the questions, are given in their proper order in Vancouver. –
A.H.
18.
Of
what use were the Pots in the Temple,
To hold these sacrifices
which were divided between the Priests and the People.
19.
What
were these utensils made of,
All above-mentioned were
made of brass.
20.
What
was the Altar of Incense made of,
Pure gold.
21.
Where
was it placed,
In the Holy Place
adjoining the Most Holy.
22.
For
what purpose,
To burn incense to the
honour and glory of God.
23.
How
many tables were there, what made of, and where placed,
There were Ten in number,
five were placed on the right, and five on the left; on one
of which, more noble than the rest, was placed the Shew Bread.
[ . . the twelve loaves of Shew Bread. – Vancouver.]
24.
What
does the Shew Bread denote,
The Twelve Tribes of
Israel, and likewise the Twelve Stones in the River
Jordan. [. . Jordan, and the twelve months in the year. –
Vancouver.]
25.
How
many Candlesticks were there, and what made of,
Ten in number, and all made
of pure gold, as well as likewise all the remaining untensils.
26.
Where
placed,
Five on the right,
and five on the left, before the Oracle. King Solomon made
ten candlesticks, instead of one, which Moses made,
because the place was more capacious, and the vessels were not to be
removed from place to place as they had been before, therefore required a
greater number.
27.
What
were they ornamented with,
With beautiful flowers
wrought upon them.
28.
Were
they further adorned with anything, and why were they kept continually
burning,
Lamps, containing
Oil, which were perpetually burning, three by
night, the rest by day, otherwise the Priests must
have ministered in the dark, at the Altar of Incense, for there
were no windows in the Holy Place.
29.
What
do they represent,
The candlesticks giving
light, denotes the law of God, and the doctrines of
Revelation shining in His church: for the commandment is a
lamp, and the law is light.
30.
What
was the use of the Bowls,
For preserving the
oil for these lamps.
31.
Of
what use were the Spoons,
To take up the same.
32.
What
use the Snuffers,
To dress the same.
33.
How
many Basons were there,
There were 100 in number,
and were such for receiving the blood of the sacrifices, etc.
34.
What
use were the Censers,
For offering incense to
God.
35.
What
use were the Flesh Hook[s],
To prevent the sacrifices
falling off from the Altar of Burnt offerings.
36.
Were
the inner part of the Temple farther ornamented with any thing,
With gold, ivory, and precious stones, in
great abundance, all fetched from Ephir, in ships, for that purpose, which
shews the vast riches of Solomon, and his great piety, which
made him spare no cost to beautify the House of God, and the
meanest thing belonging to it, whereby the people, who were much taken
with outward spendour, were preserved from Idolatry, for they could
go no where, and see a place comparable to this of King Solomon,
there being at that time nothing in the whole world like it for riches and
glory.
1.
The
Temple being now fully compleat in all its parts, and nothing remaining
but its dedication, how did K.S. next proceed,
He assembled all the heads
of every tribe, the elders and chiefs of Israel, to bring up
the Ark, out of Zion, the city of David, it being
brought there by David, and deposited in a Tabernacle, until
the Temple was fininished, to receive it, which being now built, and
completely fininshed in all its parts, upon Mount Moriah, the
Ark was now brought up to the Temple by the Levites,
but they not being permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, they
delivered it into [the] hands
of the Priests, who carried it into the Holy of Holies;
for
before the glory of the Lord had filled the House, the
Priests were permitted to enter therein, but after the glory
of the Lord had filled the House, none but the High
Priest was permitted so to do, and not even him, but once a year, not
then, till after many washings and purifications against the great day of
expiation, for by the Israelitish law, all human flesh was deemed
unclean.
2.
After
the Priests had taken the Ark into the Holy of Holies, what was the result
thereof,
The fire from Heaven, which
filled the whole House; this cloud was the glory of the Lord, or
the symbol of the Divine Presence, which now filled the Temple, as it had
antiently done [in] the
Tabernacle. When that was first erected, whereby the Temple
was consecrated, (God by this testifying His acceptance of it), as
the Mosaic Tabernacle had been before, only there the
Cloud covered the Tabernacle without, and the glory of the
Lord shined within;
but
here the House itself was filled with the Cloud, out of
which the glory of the Lord broke, and after it had filled the
whole House, settled in the Most Holy Place.
3.
After
the glory of the Lord had filled the house, what succeeded,
The solemn prayers of
King Solomon, at the consecration and dedication,
wherein he acknowledges the goodness of God, and His gracious
promise, and His faithfulness in fulfilling it;
he
there professes before the people that they might be instructed by it,
that he had no such gross imaginations as were among the Heathens,
who fancied their Gods were confined to their Temples. No, saith
Solomon, the Heaven itself, which is far above the Heavens
which we see, cannot comprehend His infinite Majesty, for He fills the
whole universe;
and
certainly this one profession is of more true value, and was more highly
regarded by God, than all the riches and fine ornaments that
were in the Temple, and highly to be valued by every true Mason, it
being the greatest ornament, the brightest gem, that adorns
the Masonic Order.
4.
What
number of Oxen were offered, and what number of Sheep,
22,000 of the former, and
120,000 of the latter.
5.
Describe
the farther particulars of the inner part[s] of the Temple and their
uses,
Its inner walls,
posts, beams, doors, floors, and
ceilings, were made of Cedar wood, Olive tree, and
planks of Fir, covered all over with plates of gold, and
ornamented with works of different sorts, and adorned with most precious
jewels, of various colours, disposed in excellent Order.
The
nails which fastened those plates, were likewise of gold,
with heads of various workmanship, the most was Olive wood, covered with
plates of gold, which made a most glorious sight, and when the Sun
shone thereon, it reflected such a brightness, as dazzled the eyes of all
who looked towards it.
6.
Describe
the Court in which the Temple stood and those without it,
They were ornamented with
fine buildings, and cloysters [sic], and the gates entering thereunto
were very beautiful and sumptuous.
7. Name the number of Vessels
consecrated for the use of the Temple, what made of, and their value, and
likewise the other ornaments and their uses,
The number of vessels
consecrated for the use of the Temple, were 10,480,000. 140,000 of them were gold,
the remaining 10,340,000 were silver, the value of those vessels,
including brass, amounted to 6,904,822, 5001. sterling
[nearly seven thousand millions sterling – Vancouver], besides the other
materials for the Temple, and workmen’s wages, diet,
etc. for upwards of 7 years. The number of his own people
only amounted to 183,300 which [who] were employed erecting this grand
magnificent structure.
8.
What
was the amount of the treasure King David left towards defraying the
expences [sic] of this magnificent building,
It amounted to 911, 419,
207l, [i.e., pound] to
which, if we add King Solomon’s annual revenue, his trading to
Ephir for gold, and the presentations to him from the many parts of
the world, we need not wonder at his being able to carry on so expensive a
work, nor can we, without impiety, question its surpassing all other
structures, since we find by the sacred historian, it was built by the
direction of Heaven.
9.
Any
thing else worthy of remark belonging to this superb edifice,
There were 10,000 vestments
of silk for the Priests, ornamented with purple girdles, and
20,000,000 purple vestments for singers; 200,000 trumpets, and
42,000 other musical instruments made use of in praising God, the Grand
Geomitrician [sic] of the
Universe.
10.
Every
thing belonging to this grand and solemn Temple of God being now explained
and fully illustrated, what is there now remaining,
To close the . . . . . D - - - -
[Third
Degree?] in due form, etc.
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