Question--From whence came you? Answer--From the centre of the earth.
Q. How have you come from thence? A. By reflection, and the study of
nature.
Q. Who has taught you this? A. Men in general who are blind, and lead
others in their blindness.
Q. What do you understand by this blindness? A. I do not understand it
to be privy to their mysteries; but I understand under the name of
blindness, those who cease to be ardent, after they have been privy to
the light of the spirit of reason.
Q. Who are those? A. Those who, through the prejudices of superstition
and fanaticism, render their services to ignorance.
Q. What do you understand by fanaticism? A. The zeal of all particular
sects which are spread over the earth, who commit crimes by making
offerings to fraud and falsehood.
Q. And do you desire to rise from this darkness? A. My desire is to
come to the celestial truth, and to travel by the light of the sun.
Q. What represents that body? A. It is the figure of an only God, to
whom we ought to pay our adoration. The sun being the emblem of God,
we ought to regard it as the image of the Divinity; for that immense
body represents wonderfully the infinity of God. He invigorates and
produces the seasons, and replenishes nature, by taking the horrors
from winter, and produces the delights of spring.
Q. What does the triangle, with the sun in the centre, represent? A.
It represents the immensity of the Supreme.
Q. What signifies the three S. S. S.? A. Sanctitas, Scientia, and
Syrentia, which signify the science accompanied with wisdom, and make
men holy.
Q. What signifies the three candlesticks? A. It represents the course
of life, considered in youth, manhood, and old age.
Q. Has it any other meaning? A. Yes, the triple light that shines
among us, in order to take men out of darkness and ignorance into
which they are plunged, and to bring them to virtue, truth, and
happiness, a symbol of our perfection.
Q. What signifies the four triangles that are in the great circles? A.
They are the emblems of the four principal views of the life of
tranquility, etc. First. Fraternal love to all mankind in general,
more particularly for our brethren, who are more attached to us, and
who with honor have seen the wretchedness of the vulgar. Second. To be
cautious among us of things, and not to demonstrate them clearly to
any who are not proper to receive them; and to be likewise cautious
in giving credit to any matter, however artfully it may be disguised,
without a self-conviction in the heart. Third. To cast from us every
matter which we perceive we may ever repent of doing, taking care of
this moral precept, "To do to every one of your fellow creatures no
more than you would choose to be done to." Fourth. We ought always to
confide in our Creator's bounty, and to pray without ceasing, that all
our necessities might be relieved as it seems best to him for our
advantage; to wait for his blessings patiently in this life; to be
persuaded of his sublime decrees, that whatever might fall, contrary
to our wishes, will be attended with good consequences; to take his
chastisements patiently, and be assured that the end of everything has
been done by him for the best, and will certainly lead us to eternal
happiness hereafter.
Q. Explain the signification of the seven planets which are enclosed
in a triangle, that forms the rays of the exterior circles, and are
enclosed in the grand triangle. A. The seven planets, according to
philosophy, represent the seven principal passions of the life of man;
those passions are very useful when they are used in moderation, for
which the Almighty gave them to us, but grow fatal and destroy the
body when let loose: and, therefore, it is our particular duty to
subdue them.
Q. Explain the seven passions to us. A. 1st. The propagation of
species. 2d. Ambition of acquiring riches. 3d. Ambition to acquire
glory in the arts and sciences among men in general. 4th. Superiority
in civil life. 5th. Joys and pleasures of society. 6th. Amusements and
gaieties of life. 7th. Religion.
Q. Which is the greatest sin of all that man can commit, and render
him odious to God and man? A. Suicide and homicide.
Q. What signifies the seven cherubims whose names are written in the
circle called the "First Heaven?" A. They represent the corporeal
delights of this life, which the Eternal gave to man when he created
him, and are, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling,
tranquility, and thought.
Q. What signifies the figure in the moon, which we regard as the
figure or image of conception? A. The purity of nature, which procures
the holiness of the body; and that there is nothing imperfect in the
eyes of the Supreme.
Q. What signifies the figure of the columns? A. They are the emblems
of our souls, which is the breath of life proceeding from the All
Puissant, and ought not to be soiled by the works of the body, but to
be firm as columns.
Q. What does the figure in the porch, which carries a lamb in his arms
represent? Ans.--The porch ornamented with the columns of Jachin and
Boaz, and surmounted with the grand I, represents our body, over which
we ought to have a particular care, in watching our conversation, and
also to watch our needs, as the shepherd his flock.
Q. What signify the two letters, I and B, at the porch? A. They
signify our entrance in the order of Masonry; also the firmness of the
soul, which we ought to possess from hour of our initiation; these we
ought to merit, before we can come to the sublime degrees of knowing
holy truth, and we ought to preserve them, and be firm in whatever
situation we may be in, not knowing whether it may return to our good
or evil in the passage of this life.
Q. What signifies the large I in the triangle on the crown of the
portico? A. That large I, being the initial of the mysterious name of
the Great Architect of the Universe, whose greatness we should always
have in our minds, and that our labors ought to be employed to please
Him; which we should always have in our view as the sure and only
source of our actions.
Q. What signify the seven steps that lead to the entry of the porch?
A. They mark the seven degrees in Masonry, which are the principal
which we ought to arrive to, in order to come to the knowledge of holy
truth.
Q. What does the terrestrial globe represent? A. The world which we
inhabit, and wherein Masonry is its principal ornament.
Q. What is the explanation of the great word, Adonai? A. It is the
word which God gave to Adam, for him to pray by; a word which our
common father never pronounced without trembling.
Q. What signifies "Lux ex tenebris?" A. A man made clear by the light
of reason, penetrating this obscurity of ignorance and superstition.
Q. What signifies the river across the globe? A. It represents the
utility of our passions, which are necessary to man in the course of
his life, as water is necessary to render the earth fertile; as the
sun draws up the water, which being purified, falls on the earth and
gives verdure.
Q. What signifies the cross, surrounded by two serpents, on the top of
the globe? A. It represents to us not to repeat the vulgar prejudices;
to be prudent, and to know the bottom of the heart. In matters of
religion to be always prepared; not to be of the sentiments with sots,
idiots, and the lovers of the mysteries of religion; to avoid such,
and not in the least to hold any conversation with them.
Q. What signifies the book, with the word Bible written in it? A. As
the Bible is differently interpreted by the different sects who divide
the different parts of the earth: Thus the true sons of light, or
children of truth, ought to doubt of everything at present, as
mysterious or metaphysics: Thus all the decisions of theology and
philosophy, teach not to admit that which is not demonstrated as
clearly as that 2 and 2 are equal to 4; and on the whole to adore God,
and him only; to love him better than yourself; and always to have a
confidence on the bounties and promises of our Creator. Amen. Amen.
Amen.
TO CLOSE THE COUNCIL.--Question (by Father Adam): Brother Truth, what
progress have men made on earth to come to true happiness? Answer (by
Brother Truth): Men have always fallen on the vulgar prejudices, which
are nothing but falsehood; very few have struggled, and less have
knocked at the door of this holy place, to attain the full light of
real truth, which we all ought to acquire.
Then says Father Adam, "My dear children, depart and go among men,
endeavor to inspire them with the desire of knowing holy truth, the
pure source of all perfection." Father Adam then puts his right hand
on his left breast; when all the brethren raise the first finger of
the right hand, and then the Council of the Knights of the Sun is
closed by seven knocks.
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