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Article THE HISTORICAL DEGREES; ← Page 15 of 15
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The Historical Degrees;
entirely chivalrie , and makes no pretence in its history to ancient Freemasonry . Its inventors asserted that it was organized by the Knights engaged in the crusades ; that in 1118—the same year that the Order of the Temple was instituted—eleven Knights took the
vows of secrecy , friendship , and discretion , between the hands of Birihus the patriarch of Jerusalem . The presiding officer is called Most Powerful ; the two Wardens and twenty-one Knights , are termed Worshipful Ancients ; the rest of the members are Worshipful Knights . The badge is white lined with red , having for its emblem
a two-edged sword . The jewel is a heptagon of silver , having at each angle a golden star , in the centre is a lamb on . a book with seven seals ; the reverse has a two-edged sword between the scales of a balance . The practice and legend of this degree is founded upon the revelation of the seven seals . Bro . Dr . Oliver in his " Historical
Landmarks , " gives the ceremonial of opening the seven seals as followed in this degree , which we consider so decidedly objectionable , that we do not think any apology for its omission needed . The idea of dramatizing so sublime a mystery ought to be condemned by every Mason . Bro . Oliver expresses his disapprobation of this irreverent travesty in the work above mentioned .
The Progressive Principle . —There is in the heart of every man a chord which vibrates in harmony with the better feelings of humanity and attracts him toward his fellow-man . From the highest to the lowest developed intellect , there is an attraction , a magnetic sympathy in man for those of his kind within the social sphere in which he moves . In every plane of life , from those whose spiritual natures , unfolded by the divine characteristics of love and wisdom , connect them in the link of immortal intelligences with the angel throng of the invisible worlddown to those in the scale who are scarce a remove above the animal—this
instinctive feeling of affinity is manifest . Man is a gregarious animal and will attract within the circuit of his sphere those who are developed upon the same plane with himself . This is and always has been the case in every ramification of society . Man , as a social being , will be attracted toward those of his kind whose habits , thoughts , and affections are congenial to his own . There is also a principle in man , which , if its impulses are listened to , impels him to advance continually out of the circle in which he moves to higher planes . This principle , however dormant
it may appear in the masses ,, nevertheless exists in every man ; it is inherent to created intelligences . To advance , to progress intellectually , socially , morally , is a law of his being , a fundamental principle of the life power in man . If man does not obey the impulses of his nature and advance onward , he retrogrades . He cannot remain stationary . Time passes on , which if not improved can never be made up . The deed done can never he recalled ; the incipient progress of forming
habits or aifections fixed may be overcome the time lost , never . Onward or backward man ever moves ; onward is his destiny , and onward he would ever go , but the surounding of circumstances beyond his control , for which he is not responsible , propel him to a different course ; as the germ of divinity is in him he will ultimately come to that plane from whence progression onward and upward commences , — -Ammcm Mirror awe ? jfceytfme .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Historical Degrees;
entirely chivalrie , and makes no pretence in its history to ancient Freemasonry . Its inventors asserted that it was organized by the Knights engaged in the crusades ; that in 1118—the same year that the Order of the Temple was instituted—eleven Knights took the
vows of secrecy , friendship , and discretion , between the hands of Birihus the patriarch of Jerusalem . The presiding officer is called Most Powerful ; the two Wardens and twenty-one Knights , are termed Worshipful Ancients ; the rest of the members are Worshipful Knights . The badge is white lined with red , having for its emblem
a two-edged sword . The jewel is a heptagon of silver , having at each angle a golden star , in the centre is a lamb on . a book with seven seals ; the reverse has a two-edged sword between the scales of a balance . The practice and legend of this degree is founded upon the revelation of the seven seals . Bro . Dr . Oliver in his " Historical
Landmarks , " gives the ceremonial of opening the seven seals as followed in this degree , which we consider so decidedly objectionable , that we do not think any apology for its omission needed . The idea of dramatizing so sublime a mystery ought to be condemned by every Mason . Bro . Oliver expresses his disapprobation of this irreverent travesty in the work above mentioned .
The Progressive Principle . —There is in the heart of every man a chord which vibrates in harmony with the better feelings of humanity and attracts him toward his fellow-man . From the highest to the lowest developed intellect , there is an attraction , a magnetic sympathy in man for those of his kind within the social sphere in which he moves . In every plane of life , from those whose spiritual natures , unfolded by the divine characteristics of love and wisdom , connect them in the link of immortal intelligences with the angel throng of the invisible worlddown to those in the scale who are scarce a remove above the animal—this
instinctive feeling of affinity is manifest . Man is a gregarious animal and will attract within the circuit of his sphere those who are developed upon the same plane with himself . This is and always has been the case in every ramification of society . Man , as a social being , will be attracted toward those of his kind whose habits , thoughts , and affections are congenial to his own . There is also a principle in man , which , if its impulses are listened to , impels him to advance continually out of the circle in which he moves to higher planes . This principle , however dormant
it may appear in the masses ,, nevertheless exists in every man ; it is inherent to created intelligences . To advance , to progress intellectually , socially , morally , is a law of his being , a fundamental principle of the life power in man . If man does not obey the impulses of his nature and advance onward , he retrogrades . He cannot remain stationary . Time passes on , which if not improved can never be made up . The deed done can never he recalled ; the incipient progress of forming
habits or aifections fixed may be overcome the time lost , never . Onward or backward man ever moves ; onward is his destiny , and onward he would ever go , but the surounding of circumstances beyond his control , for which he is not responsible , propel him to a different course ; as the germ of divinity is in him he will ultimately come to that plane from whence progression onward and upward commences , — -Ammcm Mirror awe ? jfceytfme .