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Article THE HISTORICAL DEGREES; ← Page 10 of 12 →
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The Historical Degrees;
tion ; for truth , like a substance or reality , is opposed to typical representations , which are but as shadoAvs ; the law was given by Moses , but the grace and truth—the reality of the promised blessings—came by Jesus Christ . Everyman should speak truth to his neighbour ; that is—honestly , sincerely , with integrity . Truth on the part of God
is united with mercy and goodness , because fidelity to promises being one great test of truth , and goodness and mercy being implied in the divine promises , when . God realized any special good , He did but sIioav Himself faithful and true , fulfilling the desires , or acting for the advantage of those who confidedin Him and in His word . The love of truth is one . of the noblest characteristics of the Christian , or truly pious man of any creed ; and as genuine piety , wherever it prevails , will banish
falsehood , so Ave find a real 1 oa o of truth and the conformity of a man ' s conduct with the regulations of truth to be always the most desirable —the most favourable—the most decisive proofs of genuine religion ; which being itself a system of truth , delights in nothing more than in truth , whether of heart , discourse or conduct .
Hie principal officers of this degree are styled Thrice Perfect Father Adam and Brother Truth ; there are seven subordinate officers , Avho are named after the seven chief angels . The historical legend describes the seven cherubim , whose names are written in the circle of the first heaven , to represent the corporeal pleasures of this life , Avhich the Eternal presented to man at the creation . Avhen He taught him to enjoy and to obey : these are—seeing ,
hearing , smelling , tasting , leelmg , tranquillity , and thought . In the Holy Scriptures we frequently read of missions and appearances of angels , sent to declare the Avill of God , to correct , teach , reprove , or comfort . Reference to these angelic missions is made in this degree , and we will describe those to which , the allusion applies . In the apocryphal book of Tob . it , Raphael tells Tobias that he is one of the seven angels Avho attend in the presence of God . The holy St . John saAv seven angels standing before the Lord ( Rev . Auii . 2 ) ;
and in that sublime and mysterious book , the Apocalypse , Ave find the number seven ever prominent . " The seven stars are the angels of the seven cli . urch . es ; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches . " The number seven , among all nations , has been considered as a sacred number , and in every system of antiquity avc find a frequent
reference to it . in one of the lectures of the high degrees , it is stated that the different Masonic grades originally were seven in number , from the example of the G . A . O . T . U . Avho created all things in six . days and rested on the seventh . Enoch , it is said , employed six days in constructing the arches , and on the seventh , having deposited the secret treasure in the lowest arch , was translated to the
abode oc the blessed . boJonion , who had been employed somewhat more than six years in building the temple , celebrated its dedication in the seventh Avith every solemnity that Avas due to the Di . Aune 'Being in whose honour it had been erected . The Pythagoreans called this a venerable number , because it referred to the creation ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Historical Degrees;
tion ; for truth , like a substance or reality , is opposed to typical representations , which are but as shadoAvs ; the law was given by Moses , but the grace and truth—the reality of the promised blessings—came by Jesus Christ . Everyman should speak truth to his neighbour ; that is—honestly , sincerely , with integrity . Truth on the part of God
is united with mercy and goodness , because fidelity to promises being one great test of truth , and goodness and mercy being implied in the divine promises , when . God realized any special good , He did but sIioav Himself faithful and true , fulfilling the desires , or acting for the advantage of those who confidedin Him and in His word . The love of truth is one . of the noblest characteristics of the Christian , or truly pious man of any creed ; and as genuine piety , wherever it prevails , will banish
falsehood , so Ave find a real 1 oa o of truth and the conformity of a man ' s conduct with the regulations of truth to be always the most desirable —the most favourable—the most decisive proofs of genuine religion ; which being itself a system of truth , delights in nothing more than in truth , whether of heart , discourse or conduct .
Hie principal officers of this degree are styled Thrice Perfect Father Adam and Brother Truth ; there are seven subordinate officers , Avho are named after the seven chief angels . The historical legend describes the seven cherubim , whose names are written in the circle of the first heaven , to represent the corporeal pleasures of this life , Avhich the Eternal presented to man at the creation . Avhen He taught him to enjoy and to obey : these are—seeing ,
hearing , smelling , tasting , leelmg , tranquillity , and thought . In the Holy Scriptures we frequently read of missions and appearances of angels , sent to declare the Avill of God , to correct , teach , reprove , or comfort . Reference to these angelic missions is made in this degree , and we will describe those to which , the allusion applies . In the apocryphal book of Tob . it , Raphael tells Tobias that he is one of the seven angels Avho attend in the presence of God . The holy St . John saAv seven angels standing before the Lord ( Rev . Auii . 2 ) ;
and in that sublime and mysterious book , the Apocalypse , Ave find the number seven ever prominent . " The seven stars are the angels of the seven cli . urch . es ; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches . " The number seven , among all nations , has been considered as a sacred number , and in every system of antiquity avc find a frequent
reference to it . in one of the lectures of the high degrees , it is stated that the different Masonic grades originally were seven in number , from the example of the G . A . O . T . U . Avho created all things in six . days and rested on the seventh . Enoch , it is said , employed six days in constructing the arches , and on the seventh , having deposited the secret treasure in the lowest arch , was translated to the
abode oc the blessed . boJonion , who had been employed somewhat more than six years in building the temple , celebrated its dedication in the seventh Avith every solemnity that Avas due to the Di . Aune 'Being in whose honour it had been erected . The Pythagoreans called this a venerable number , because it referred to the creation ,