Question--What were the preparatory circumstances attending your
reception to this illustrious Order? Answer--A Council of Royal Arch
Masons being assembled in a room adjacent to the Council chamber, I
was conducted to the door, where a regular demand was made by two,
three, and two.
Q. What was said to you from within? A. Who comes there?
Q. Your answer? A. Companion A. B., who has regularly received the
several degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason,
Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch, and
now solicits the honor of being regularly constituted a Knight of the
Red Cross.
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was asked if it was of my own free
will and accord that I made this request; if I was worthy and well
qualified; if I had made suitable proficiency in the foregoing
degrees, and was properly vouched for; all of which being answered in
the affirmative, I was asked by what further right or benefit I
expected to gain admittance.
Q. Your answer? A. By the benefit of a pass-word.
Q. Did you give that pass-word? A. I did, with the assistance of my
companions. [Here the Royal Arch word is given as described in the
Royal Arch degree.]
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then directed to wait with
patience till the Most Excellent Prelate should be informed of my
request, and his answer returned.
Q. What was his answer? A. Let him be admitted.
Q. What was you then informed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate observed
that the Council there assembled represented the Grand Council
convened at Jerusalem, in the second year of the reign of Darius, King
of Persia, to deliberate on the unhappy state of the fraternity during
the reigns of Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus, and to devise some means to
obtain favor of the new Sovereign, and to gain his consent to proceed
in rebuilding their new city and temple.
Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then informed me if I
was desirous of attending the deliberations of the Council at this
time, it was necessary that I should assume the name and character of
Zerrubbabel, a prince of the house of Judah, whose hands laid the
foundation of the second temple, and whose hands the Lord has promised
should complete it.
Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then read a lesson
from the records of the Fathers, stating the impediments with which
they were troubled by their adversaries on the other side of the
river, and the grievous accusations which were brought against them
before the King.
Q. What followed? A. My conductor then addressed the Most Excellent
Prelate thus: Most Excellent Prelate, our Sovereign Lord, Darius the
King, having now ascended the throne of Persia, new hopes are inspired
of protection and support in the noble and glorious undertaking which
has been so long and so often interrupted by our adversaries on the
other side of the river; for while yet a private man, he made a vow to
God that should he ever ascend the throne of Persia, he would send all
the holy vessels remaining at Babylon back to Jerusalem. Our Most
Excellent and faithful companion, Zerrubbabel, who was formerly
honored with the favorable notice and friendship of the Sovereign, now
offers his services to encounter the hazardous enterprise of
traversing the Persian dominions, and seeking admission to the
presence of the Sovereign, where the first favorable moment will be
seized to remind the King of his vow, and impress on his mind the
almighty force and importance of truth; and from his known piety no
doubt can be entertained of gaining his consent, that our enemies be
removed far hence, and that we be no longer hindered or impeded in our
noble and glorious undertaking.
Q. What was the Most Excellent Prelate's reply? A. Excellent
Zerrubbabel, the Council accept with gratification and joy your noble
and generous offer, and will invest you with the necessary passports,
by means of which you will be enabled to make yourself known to the
favor of one Council wherever you may meet them; but in an undertaking
of so much importance, it is necessary that you enter into a solemn
obligation to be faithful to the trust reposed in you.
Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then invested me with
a sword, to enable me to defend myself against my enemies, and said he
was ready to administer the obligation.
Q. Did you consent to that obligation? A. I did, in due form.
Q. What was that due form? A. Kneeling on my left knee, my right foot
forming a square, my body erect, my right hand grasping the hilt of my
sword, my left hand covering the Holy Bible, Square, and Compass, with
two cross-swords thereon, in which due form I took upon me the solemn
oath and obligation of Knight of the Red Cross.
Q. Repeat the obligation.
"I, A. B., of my own free will and accord, in the presence of the
Supreme Architect of the Universe, and these witnesses, do hereby
and hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I
will always hail, forever conceal, and never reveal, any of the
secret arts, parts, or points of the mysteries appertaining to
this Order of Knight of the Red Cross, unless it be to a true and
lawful companion Sir Knight of the Order, or within the body of a
just and lawful Council of such; and not unto him or them, until
by due trial, strict examination, or lawful information, I find
him or them lawfully entitled to receive the same. I furthermore
promise and swear, that I will answer and obey all due signs and
regular summons, which shall be sent to me from a regular Council
of Knights of the Red Cross, or given to me from the hands of a
companion Sir Knight of the Red Cross, if within the distance of
forty miles; natural infirmities and unavoidable accidents only
excusing me. I furthermore promise and swear, that I will not be
present at the conferring of this Order of Knighthood upon any
person, unless he shall have previously regularly received the
several degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason,
Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch
degree, to the best of my knowledge and belief. I furthermore
promise and swear, that I will not assist or be present at the
forming and opening of a Council of Knights of the Red Cross,
unless there be present at least five regular Knights of the
Order, or the representatives of three different Encampments,
acting under the sanction of a legal warrant. I furthermore
promise and swear, that I will vindicate the character of a
courteous Sir Knight of the Red Cross when wrongfully traduced;
that I will help him on a lawful occasion in preference to any
brother of an inferior degree, and so far as truth, honor, and
justice may warrant. I furthermore promise and swear, that I will
support and maintain the by-laws of the Council, of which I may
hereafter become a member, the laws and regulations of the Grand
Encampment, under which the same may be holden, together with the
constitution and ordinances of the General Grand Encampment of the
United States of America, so far as the same shall come to my
knowledge. To all which I do most solemnly promise and swear,
binding myself under no less penalty than of having my house torn
down, the timbers thereof set up, and I hanged thereon; and when
the last trump shall blow, that I be forever excluded from the
society of all true and courteous Knights, should I ever wilfully
or knowingly violate any part of this solemn obligation of Knight
of the Red Cross; so help me God, and keep me steadfast to keep
and perform the same."[16]
Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then directed me to
rise and be invested with a countersign, which he informed me would
enable me to make myself known to the friends of our cause wherever I
should meet them, and would insure me from them succor, aid, and
protection. [Here the Master of Infantry, who is the conductor, gives
the candidate the Jewish countersign; it is given under the arch of
steel; that is, their swords elevated above their heads, forming a
cross, each placing his left hand upon the other's right shoulder, and
whispering alternately in each other's ear the names of Judah and
Benjamin.]
Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then invested me with
a green sash, as a mark of our particular friendship and esteem; you
will wear it as a constant memorial to stimulate you to the faithful
performance of every duty, being assured that the memory of him, who
falls in a just and virtuous cause, shall forever flourish like the
green bay tree.
Q. What followed? A. I then commenced my journey, and was frequently
accosted by guards, all of which, by means of the countersign I had
received, I was enabled to pass in friendship, until I arrived at the
bridge, which was represented to be in the Persian dominions; on
attempting to pass this bridge, which I found strongly guarded, the
Persian countersign was demanded, and being unable to give it, I was
attacked, overpowered, and made prisoner.
Q. What followed? A. After remonstrating in vain against their
violations, I told them I was a prince of the house of Judah, and
demanded an audience with their sovereign.
Q. What was the answer? A. You are a prisoner, and can obtain an
audience with the sovereign only in the garb of a captive and slave.
Q. Did you consent to this? A. I did; being firmly persuaded that
could I by any means gain access to the presence of the sovereign, I
should be able to accomplish the object of my mission.
Q. What followed? A. They then deprived me of my outward apparel, sash
and sword, and having confined my hands and feet in chains, the links
thereof were of a triangular form, they put sackcloth and ashes on my
head.
Q. Why were the links of the captive's chain of a triangular form? A.
The Assyrians having learned that among the Jews the triangle was an
emblem of the Eternal, caused the links of their chain to be made of a
triangular form, thinking thereby to add to the miseries of their
captives.
Q. What followed? A. I was conducted to the door of the Council
chamber, where the alarm being given by 4 × 2, the Warder appeared and
demanded, "Who comes there?"
Q. What answer was returned? A. A detachment of his majesty's guards,
having made prisoner of one, who reports himself to be prince of the
house of Judah.
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was asked from whence I came.
Q. Your answer? A. From Jerusalem.
Q. What was then demanded of you? A. Who are you?
Q. Your answer? A. The first among my equals, a Mason, and free by
rank, but a captive and slave by misfortune.
Q. What was you then asked? A. My name.
Q. Your answer? A. Zerrubbabel.
Q. What were you then asked? A. What are your demands?
Q. Your answer? A. To see the sovereign, if possible.
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then directed to wait with
patience until the Sovereign Master should be informed of my request,
and his answer returned.
Q. What was that answer? A. That the necessary caution should be taken
that I was not armed with any hostile weapons, and that I should then
be admitted.
Q. How were you then received? A. The guard being drawn up on the
right and left of the throne, swords drawn, two of them placed at the
door with swords crossed, under which I was permitted to enter, my
face covered with my hands.
Q. How were you then disposed of? A. I was conducted in front of the
Sovereign Master, who received me with kindness and attention, and
listened with patience to my request.
Q. What did the Sovereign Master then observe to the Council? A. That
this Zerrubbabel was the friend of his youth, that he could neither be
an enemy nor a spy.
Q. What followed? A. The Sovereign Master thus addressed me:
"Zerrubbabel, having now gained admittance into our presence, we
demand that you immediately declare the particular motives which
induced you, without our permission, and with force and arms, to pass
the lines of our dominions?"
Q. Your answer? A. Sovereign Master, the tears and complaints of my
companions at Jerusalem, who have been so long and so often impeded in
the noble and glorious undertaking in which they were permitted to
engage by our late sovereign, Lord Cyrus, the King; but our enemies
having made that great work to cease by force and power, I have now
come up to implore your majesty's clemency, that you would be pleased
to restore me to favor, and grant me employment among the servants of
your household.
Q. What was the Sovereign's reply? A. Zerrubbabel, I have often
reflected with much pleasure upon our early intimacy and friendship,
and I have frequently heard, with great satisfaction, of your fame as
a wise and accomplished Mason, and having myself a profound veneration
for that ancient and honorable institution, and having a sincere
desire to become a member of the same, I will this moment grant your
request, on condition that you will reveal to me the secrets of
Freemasonry.
Q. Did you consent to that? A. I did not.
Q. What was your reply? A. Sovereign Master, when our Grand Master
Solomon, King of Israel, first instituted the fraternity of Free and
Accepted Masons, he taught us that truth was a divine attribute, and
the foundation of every virtue; to be good and true is the first
lesson we are taught in Masonry. My engagements are sacred and
inviolable: I cannot reveal our secrets. If I can obtain your
majesty's favor only at the expense of my integrity, I humbly beg
leave to decline your royal protection, and will cheerfully submit to
any honorable exile.
Q. What was the Sovereign's reply? A. Zerrubbabel, your virtue and
integrity are truly commendable, and your fidelity to your engagements
is worthy of imitation; from this moment you are free--my guards will
divest you of those chains and that garb of slavery, and clothe you in
suitable habiliments to attend me at the banquet hall. Zerrubbabel,
you are free; guards, strike off those chains; and may those emblems
of slavery never again disgrace the hands of a Mason, more
particularly a prince of the house of Judah; Zerrubbabel, we assign
you a seat of rank and honor among the princes and rulers of our
assembly.
Q. What followed? A. The guards being drawn up in the court yard, the
Warder informed the Sovereign Master that the guards were in
readiness, waiting his pleasure.
Q. What followed? A. He then ordered the guards to attend him to the
banquet hall.
Q. What occurred there? A. After having participated in a liberal
entertainment, the Sovereign Master not being inclined to sleep, and
many of the guard having retired, he amused himself by entering into
conversation with some of his principal officers and friends,
proposing certain questions to them, and offering a princely reward to
such as should give the most reasonable and satisfactory answer.
Q. What questions were proposed? A. Among others, "Which was the
strongest, wine, the King, or woman?"[17]
Q. What answers were returned? A. The Chancellor said wine was the
strongest; the Master of the Palace said the King was the strongest;
but I, being firmly persuaded that the time had arrived in which I
could remind the King of his vow, and request the fulfilment of it,
replied that women were stronger than either of the former, but, above
all things, truth beareth the victory.
Q. What followed? A. The King being deeply struck with the addition I
made to the question, ordered us to be prepared with proper arguments
in support of our respective propositions on the day following.
Q. What followed? A. On the day following, the Council being convened
at the sound of the trumpet, the Chancellor was called upon for his
answer, and thus replied: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)
Q. What followed? A. The Master of the Palace thus replied: (See
Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)
Q. What followed? A. I then being called upon for my defence, answered
as follows: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)
Q. What followed? A. The King being deeply struck with the force of
the arguments I had used, involuntarily exclaimed, "Great is truth,
and mighty above all things; ask what thou wilt, Zerrubbabel, and it
shall be granted thee, for thou art found wisest among thy
companions."