FOUR TRIANGLES.--The four triangles represent the four elements.
SEVEN PLANETS.--The seven planets design the seven colors that appear in their original state, from whence we have so many different artificial ones.
SEVEN CHERUBIMS.--The seven cherubims represent the seven metals, viz., gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, tin and quicksilver.
CONCEPTION IN THE MOON.--The conception, or woman, rising in the moon, demonstrates the purity that matter subsists of, in order to remain in its pure state unmixed with any other body, from which must come a new king, and a revolution or fulness of time filled with glory whose name is Albra.
HOLY SPIRIT.--The Holy Spirit, under the symbol of a dove, is the image of the Universal Spirit, that gives light to all in the three states of nature; and on the animal, vegetable and mineral.
ENTRANCE OF THE TEMPLE.--The entrance of the temple is represented to you by a body, because the grand work of nature is complete as gold, potable and fixed.
GLOBE.--The globe represents the matter in the primeval state; that is to say, complete.
CADUCEUS.--The caduceus represents the double mercury that you must extract from the matter; that is to say, the mercury fixed, and from thence is extracted gold and silver.
STIBIUM.--The word stibium signifies the antimony, from whence, by the philosophical fire, is taken an alkali which we empty in our grand work. End of the philosophical explanation. Then Father Adam explains the
MORAL LODGE.
SUN.--The sun represents the divinity of the Eternal; for as there is but one Sun to light and invigorate the earth, so there is but one G.o.d, to whom we ought to pay our greatest adoration.
3 S. S. S.--The 3 S. S. S. are initials of the words Scienta, Sapientia, Sanct.i.tas, and teach you that science, adorned with wisdom, creates a holy man.
THREE CANDLESTICKS.--The three candlesticks are the image of the life of man, considered in youth, manhood, and old age, and happy are those that have been enlightened in these ages, by the light of truth.
FOUR TRIANGLES.--The four triangles show us the four princ.i.p.al duties that create our tranquil life, viz.: Fraternal love among men in general, and particularly among brethren, and in the same degree with us. Secondly. In not having anything but for the use and advantage of a brother. Thirdly. Doubting of every matter that cannot be demonstrated to you clearly, by which an attempt might be made to insinuate mysteries in matters of religion, and hereby lead you away from the holy truth. Fourthly. Never do anything to another that you would not have done unto you. The last precept, well understood and followed on all occasions, is the true happiness of philosophy.
SEVEN PLANETS.--The seven planets represent the seven princ.i.p.al pa.s.sions of man.
SEVEN CHERUBIMS.--The seven cherubims are the images of the delights of life: namely, by seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling, tranquility, and health.
CONCEPTION.--The conception in the moon shows the purity of matter, and that nothing can be impure to the eyes of the Supreme.
HOLY SPIRIT.--The Spirit is the figure of our soul, which is only the breath of the Eternal, and which cannot be soiled by the works of the body.
TEMPLE.--The temple represents our body, which we are obliged to preserve by our natural feelings.
FIGURE OF A MAN.--The figure is in the entrance of the temple, which bears a lamb in his arms, and teaches us to be attentive to our wants, as a shepherd takes care of his sheep; to be charitable, and never let slip the present opportunity of doing good, to labor honestly, and to live in this day as if it were our last.
COLUMNS OF JACHIN AND BOAZ.--The columns of J. and B. are the symbols of the strength of our souls in bearing equally misfortunes, as well as success in life.
SEVEN STEPS OF THE TEMPLE.--The seven steps of the temple are the figures of the seven degrees which we must pa.s.s before we arrive to the knowledge of the true G.o.d.
GLOBE.--The globe represents the world which we inhabit.
LUX EX TENEBRIS.--The device of "Lux ex tenebris" teacheth, that when man is enlightened by reason, he is able to penetrate the darkness and obscurity which ignorance and superst.i.tion spread abroad.
RIVER.--The river across the globe represents the utility of the pa.s.sions that are necessary to man in the course of his life, as water is requisite to the earth in order to replenish the plants thereof.
CROSS SURROUNDED.--The cross surrounded by two serpents signifies that we must watch the vulgar prejudices, to be very prudent in giving any of our knowledge and secrets in matters, especially in religion. End of the moral explanation.
LECTURE.--Question--Are you a Knight of the Sun? Answer--I have mounted the seven princ.i.p.al steps of Masonry; I have penetrated into the bowels of the earth, and among the ancient ruins of Enoch found the most grand and precious treasures of the Masons. I have seen, contemplated, and admired the great, mysterious, and formidable name engraved on the triangle; I have broken the pillar of beauty, and thrown down the two columns that supported it.
Q. Pray tell me what is that mysterious and formidable name? A. I cannot unfold the sacred characters in this manner, but subst.i.tute in its place the grand word of [represented by the Hebrew consonants Jod, He, Vau, He.]
Q. What do you understand by throwing down the columns that sustained the pillar of beauty. A. Two reasons.--First. When the temple was destroyed by Nebuzaradan, general of the army of Nebuchadnezzar, I was one that helped to defend the Delta on which was engraved the ineffable name; and I broke down the columns of beauty, in order that it should not be profaned by the infidels. Second. As I have deserved, by my travel and labor, the beauty of the great "Adonai" (Lord), the mysteries of Masonry, in pa.s.sing the seven princ.i.p.al degrees.
Q. What signifies the seven planets? A. The lights of the celestial globe and also their influence, by which every matter exists on the surface of the earth or globe.
Q. From what is the terrestrial globe formed? A. From the matter which is formed by the concord of the four elements, designed by the four triangles, that are in regard to them as the four greater planets.
Q. What are the names of the seven planets? A. Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn.
Q. Which are the four elements? A. Air, fire, earth, and water.
Q. What influence have the seven planets on the four elements? A.
Three general matters of which all bodies are composed--life, spirit, and body; otherwise, salt, sulphur and mercury.
Q. What is life or salt? A. The life given by the Eternal Supreme, or the planets, the agents of nature.
Q. What is the spirit or sulphur? A. A fixed matter, subject to several productions.
Q. What is the body or mercury? A. Matter conducted or refined to its form by the union of salt and sulphur, or the agreement of the three governors of nature.
Q. What are those three governors of nature? A. Animal, vegetable and mineral.
Q. What is animal? A. We understand in this, life--all that is divine and amiable.
Q. Which of the elements serve for his productions? A. All the four are necessary, among which, nevertheless, air and fire are predominant; and it is those that render the animal the perfection of the three governments, which man is elevated to by one-fourth of the breath of the Divine Spirit, when he receives his soul.
Q. What is the vegetable? A. All that seems attached to the earth reigns on the surface.
Q. Of what is it composed? A. Of a generative fire, formed into a body whilst it remains in the earth, and is purified by its moisture and becomes vegetable, and receives life by air and water; whereby the four elements, though different, co-operate jointly and separately.
Q. What is the mineral? A. All that is generated and secreted in the earth.
Q. What do we understand by this name? A. That which we call metals and demi-metals and minerals.
Q. What is it that composes the minerals? A. The air penetrating by the celestial influence into the earth, meets with a body, which, by its softness, fixes, congeals, and renders the mineral matter more or less perfect.
Q. Which are the perfect metals? A. Gold and silver.
Q. Which are the imperfect metals? A. Bra.s.s, lead, tin, iron and quicksilver.
Q. How come we by the knowledge of these things? A. By frequent observations and the experiments made in natural philosophy, which have decided to a certainty that nature gives a perfection to all things, if she has time to complete her operations.
Q. Can art bring metal to perfection so fully as nature? A. Yes; but in order to do this, you must have an exact knowledge of nature.