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Article THE HISTORICAL DEGREES; ← Page 6 of 15 →
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The Historical Degrees;
The eighth degree is called IM Israel . " The chief officers are a Thrice Puissant who represents King Solomon , the Senior Warden representing Tito the chief of the Harodim , and the Junior Warden who represents Adoniram . This
arrangement of the wardens would seem anomalous , as " Adoniram was set over the levy" of thirty thousand men sent by Solomon to Lebanon , while the Harodim were the three hundred overseers ^ The historical legend of this degree also affirms that the object of its institution was to supply the loss of Hiram Abif . The badge and collar are red . An Intendant of Buildings , we are told , must have made " the five steps of exactness , penetrated the inmost part of the
Temple , and beheld the Great Light containing the three mysterious characters . " The Intendant of Buildings , according to the modern acceptation of terms , is , doubtless , a most important office ; but that post was filled most ably by Adoniram , and as there was but one building , the Harodim were under his control . Thus viewed , without better foundation than we are at present possessed ofj the degree seems unsatisfactory . JEleet of Nine is the ninth degree . At this point we observe , for
the first time , that the body is termed a " chapter . " The chief officer is called Most Powerful , he represents King Solomon ; there is but one warden . The object of this degree is to exhibit the mode in which certain overseers , who , in order prematurely and improperly to obtain the knowledge of a superior degree , engaged in an execrable deed of villainy , received their punishment . It exemplifies
the truth 01 the maxim that the punishment of crime , though sometimes slow , is ever sure ; and it admonishes us , by the historical circumstances on which it is founded , of the binding nature of our Masonic obligation . The symbolic colours in the regalia are white , reel , and black ; the white being emblematic of the purity of the knights , the red of the atrocious crime committed , and . the black of grief for its results . In the French rite which , as we before observed , consists of seven degree , this is the fourth , the Rose Croix being the
seventh . Meet of Fifteen ' ^ sometimes termed the " Illustrious Elected of Fifteen . " The tenth degree also holds its meetings under the designation of " chapters , " and in this the historical traditions , comprising the continuation and conclusion of the punishment inflicted on the traitors who , just before the completion of the Temple , had committed a crime of the most atrocious character , is more
completely developed . The three principal officers are a Most Illustrious , a Grand Inspector , and a Junior "Warden . The symbolic colour of the badge and collar is black strewed with tears . The eleventh degree is that of Sublime JSlect , sometimes called " Twelve Illustrious Knights . " This would appear to designate a
new era in Masonry ; as after vengeance had been taken upon the traitors mentioned in the preceding degrees , Solomon , to reward those who had remained faithful to their trust as well as to make room for the exaltation of others to the degree of Elect of Fifteen ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Historical Degrees;
The eighth degree is called IM Israel . " The chief officers are a Thrice Puissant who represents King Solomon , the Senior Warden representing Tito the chief of the Harodim , and the Junior Warden who represents Adoniram . This
arrangement of the wardens would seem anomalous , as " Adoniram was set over the levy" of thirty thousand men sent by Solomon to Lebanon , while the Harodim were the three hundred overseers ^ The historical legend of this degree also affirms that the object of its institution was to supply the loss of Hiram Abif . The badge and collar are red . An Intendant of Buildings , we are told , must have made " the five steps of exactness , penetrated the inmost part of the
Temple , and beheld the Great Light containing the three mysterious characters . " The Intendant of Buildings , according to the modern acceptation of terms , is , doubtless , a most important office ; but that post was filled most ably by Adoniram , and as there was but one building , the Harodim were under his control . Thus viewed , without better foundation than we are at present possessed ofj the degree seems unsatisfactory . JEleet of Nine is the ninth degree . At this point we observe , for
the first time , that the body is termed a " chapter . " The chief officer is called Most Powerful , he represents King Solomon ; there is but one warden . The object of this degree is to exhibit the mode in which certain overseers , who , in order prematurely and improperly to obtain the knowledge of a superior degree , engaged in an execrable deed of villainy , received their punishment . It exemplifies
the truth 01 the maxim that the punishment of crime , though sometimes slow , is ever sure ; and it admonishes us , by the historical circumstances on which it is founded , of the binding nature of our Masonic obligation . The symbolic colours in the regalia are white , reel , and black ; the white being emblematic of the purity of the knights , the red of the atrocious crime committed , and . the black of grief for its results . In the French rite which , as we before observed , consists of seven degree , this is the fourth , the Rose Croix being the
seventh . Meet of Fifteen ' ^ sometimes termed the " Illustrious Elected of Fifteen . " The tenth degree also holds its meetings under the designation of " chapters , " and in this the historical traditions , comprising the continuation and conclusion of the punishment inflicted on the traitors who , just before the completion of the Temple , had committed a crime of the most atrocious character , is more
completely developed . The three principal officers are a Most Illustrious , a Grand Inspector , and a Junior "Warden . The symbolic colour of the badge and collar is black strewed with tears . The eleventh degree is that of Sublime JSlect , sometimes called " Twelve Illustrious Knights . " This would appear to designate a
new era in Masonry ; as after vengeance had been taken upon the traitors mentioned in the preceding degrees , Solomon , to reward those who had remained faithful to their trust as well as to make room for the exaltation of others to the degree of Elect of Fifteen ,