The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-15

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assured him Of immortal life beyond it, aud this
Is the great lesson OF the third degree.
The allegory OF Masonry thus covers In its philo-
sophy the three grand end0wments OF man at his
creation in Eden, contemplates his debasement by
transgresson, and opens to his comprehension,
through an inward monitor, the book Of Nature and
Divine revelation, mans greatest good on earth,
and immortal life and happiness beyond the grave.
The wisdom OF man has never yet found another
feature in his history here, or hope OF development
hereafter, on which to base an independent degree
lecttGl being, and man as an Immortal being, has
covered the whole ground and upon this the sub
lime allegory Of Masonry, with its three ancient de-
Rrees, stands as beautiful and secure architectu-
raj column, Morality its base, Science Its shaft, and
All the so-caiied higher degrees in Masonry in
cluded in capitular and cryptic organizations,
merely amplncaons or historic fluctuations OF the
cient degrees. They may be beautiful adornments
OF the ancient Masonic column. but they do not add
to Its real dimensions. 1t stands at the footstool
OF creation, is as broad the circle of nature and
as high as our hope Of heaven.
From period thus so ancient that the memory OF
man hath not kept its beginning, or the pen Of his
tory recorded the early incidents of its progress the
Masonic institution came down into the last century
as one of but three degrees 1t Is well known to
you and 1t Is OF interest to the history of Masonry
in Pennsylvania in all its branches OF the York Rite,
that the division OF English Masonry from which
our present primary organization sprang was the
to first dIssever from the three ancient degrees
historic and legendary parts, and rtualize from
them instructions to be separately given an ad-
ditional degree or degrees, under the same lodge
1t was thus that the Royal Arch had It's birth as
separate degree with ceremonial and rtuaistic am
plincatons OF a section or sections OF third ancient
degree. 1t was not founded upon any new and dis
tinct idea in Masonry 1t only increased the efful-
gence, OF ngat pey0hu the tomp, ana assured tne
gained In immortality.
When the middle Of the last century had passed,
Pennsylvania authorities state that evidences Of
the working Of the Royal Arch Degree in Philadel-
phia under an Ancient York Lodge warrant are
years before in the Ancient York body in London,
and as Philadelphia was the Masonic ground floor
in America, in that city the Royal Arch Degree as
the fourth In Masonry, was probably for the first
AS facts which l am now relating were prelude
| to the Introduction OF Templarism In America 1t
ss ee gapce 10 az Of the preyonS @
| footprints Of Masonry in the American Colonies
AS early as 1880 that grand body in England
establish its pelty in America by the appointment
OF Daniel Coke as Provincial Grand Master OF New
| York. New Jersey, and Pennsylvania In 1882 the
old newspapers OF Philadelphia mention Masonic
| Lodge In that city. In 1913 the Grand Lodge Of
vincial Grand Master in New England, and in the
following year all the american colonies, and
| the Mas0ns OF Philadelphia took a warrant under
him with DIR. Franklin as their Master. Under
| succession Of like appointments by the Modern
eifferent colonies by about the middle Of the last
century, working only three degrees.
| I'm London in 1855 from the Grand Lodge formed
there in 1717, and the establishment OF separate
Grand Lodge by them under the denomination Of
Ancient York Masons, was probably the primal
cause OF the division In the three ancient and uni
versal degrees in Masonry.
| who was at that time prominent Mason in the
| Ancient York Division, was the most active In con-
| other modern appendage degrees OF the York Rite.
He has been called restless and turbulent Mason.
the ruling spirit in the Ancient York Body in Lon
| don, 1t gained determination with the Grand
Lodges or both Scotland and Ireland, amidst its de-
nunciatlon by the Grand Lodge OF Moderns in
| =
Lodges Of Scotland and Ireland with that OF the An
cient York Of London, not only In promulgatng the
AcM ana oSe pases Pa
granting warrants in the American colonies, under
which these degrees were worked.
1t was during the period known In our colonial
history the old French war that these new sys-
TENS Of Masonry were introduced In our country
in Boston and in Virginia in 1885, and In South Caro-
lima in 176O. under warrants from the Grand Lodge
of Scotland, and in Philadelphia in l75s under one
from the Grand Lodge OF Ancient YORK Masons in
London Other warrants from both these grand
lodges, and also from the Grand Lodge OF Ireland,
were brought over about the same period for work
in the British army or in specified localities These
all became the parent stocks on which the super
numerary degrees in. in Masonrymarst, the Royal Y!
Arch and its kindred group, and afterwards Ma
sonic knghtboOd-g -p..t
/ am not saying that Teinplarism, as historic or
chyalrc organization, had It's birth akin to that OF
the Royal Arch Degree. Asa religious, military,
and cnivaric order 1t had a well known existence
distinct degree in Masonry. But neither its rell-
gions, military, chivaric features made Its orga
|
Where, then, is the feature in its philosophy and
the epoch in its history that have given it a
place in our system OF American Masonry? have
already spoken OF the third point in the alegory OF
ancient Masonry, as comprehending In Its sublime
design that new, unending life beyond the grave
which constitutes the Immortality OF the soul.
The wisest human philosophy can give no assur-
ance for this beyond hope It is Divine revelation
alone that removes every doubt and makes assur
ance all we desire. Every system OF ancient mystic
rites had the germ OF this truth, budding and deve
| Looping mere and more fully as 1t kept the remem.
bTance OF the Divine Providence to fallen man In
| Eden:-''The seed OF the woman shall bruise the
| serpents head" .e.a
Twas once told by learned Hebrew scholar thai
in the ancient lore of their nation they enumerated
| the scenes in the sad drama OF Eden AS hve-the
| temptation, the transgression the penitence, the
prayer, and the promise; that these Termed an
| eplIome OF ancient Hebraic theology, and were
often symboliZed by mystic star with five points
that this figure was also used by the ancient Greeks
| in their mysteries, to symbolze the five human
senses. We also know that the early teachers Of
Christianity used many OF the more ancient sym
bells and customs to impress the new doctrines o.
the Christian dispensatlon, and, among these, thai
of the hve-polnted star, to symbolize the physea
sufferings or the Saviour at the crucihXi0n repre-
senting by it the five wounds inflicted on His person
those in His hands, His feet and His side. 1t IL
also well known TO you that this figure s still OTTER
used as a Christian symbol in the Christmas decora
tions OF churches and also in ecclesiastc archtec
tnre, reminding the devout worshipper OF the birth
the life, the DEATH the resurrection, and the ascen-
sion Of our Divine kedeemer. rH ..
| 1t is in this confirmation by the resurrection anC
ascension TO His native skies of the Saviour OF the
world that the final triumph OF life over death and
good over evil is according TO the Divine promise II
cup OF the promise which is so dear to the Chris
In the sublime ceremonies OF the third degree tht
power OF the Lion OF the tribe OF judah is foreshad
owed to the Christian Mason In manner which, /
comprehended, is never forgotten IL Is the Rrea
so impressively eXemplifed In our Templar ritual
and ceremonies, that Inks in the philosophy OF Ma
sonic science, Christian knghthood with Ancen
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