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 assemble 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 God 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 God 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 passes 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 pronounce 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
passed 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 pass 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
shields. 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 passed 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 God, 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 God
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 God 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 illustrious office which you now fill is one that was much
desired by the first noblemen 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 assembly, this Order of the Christian
Mark was conferred on those who went about doing good, and
following the example of their illustrious 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.
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