Part 15 (1/2)
Q. His duty? A. To receive in charge the funds and property of the Council, pay all orders drawn upon the Treasurer, and render a just and regular account when called for.
Q. Station of the Master of Infantry? A. On the right of the second division when separately formed: on the left of the whole when formed in line.
Q. His duty? A. To command the second division or line of infantry, teach them their duty and exercise; also to prepare all candidates, attend them on their journey, answer all questions for them, and finally introduce them into the Council chamber.
Q. Station of the Master of Cavalry? A. On the right of the first division when separately formed, and on the right of the whole when formed in line.
Q. His duty? A. To command the first division or line of cavalry, teach them their duty and exercise; to form the avenue at the approach of the Sovereign Master, and prepare the lines for inspection and review.
Q. Prelate's station? A. On the right of the Chancellor.
Q. His duty? A. To preside in the Royal Arch Council; administer at the altar; to offer up prayers and adoration to Deity.
Q. Station of Master of the Palace? A. On the left of the Sovereign Master in the East.
Q. His duty? A. To see that the proper officers make all due preparations for the several meetings of the Council; to take special care that the Council chamber is in suitable array for the reception of candidates and the dispatch of business; to receive and communicate all orders issued by the Sovereign Master through the officers of the line.
Q. Chancellor's station? A. On the right of the Sovereign Master.
Q. His duty? A. To receive and communicate all orders and pet.i.tions; to a.s.sist the Sovereign Master in the discharge of his various duties, and in his absence to preside in the Council.
Q. Sovereign Master's station? A. In the East.
Q. His duty? A. To preside in the Council; confer this order of knighthood upon those whom his Council may approve; to preserve inviolable the laws and const.i.tution of our Order; to dispense justice, reward merit, encourage truth, and diffuse the sublime principles of universal benevolence.
S. M.--”Sir Knight Chancellor, it is my will and pleasure that a Council of Knights of the Red Cross be now opened, and to stand open for the dispatch of such business as may regularly come before it at this time, requiring all Sir Knights now a.s.sembled, or who may come at this time, to govern themselves according to the sublime principles of our Order. You will communicate this to the Sir Knight Master of the Palace, that the Sir Knights present may have due notice thereof, and govern themselves accordingly.” [The Sir Knight Chancellor communicates it to the Sir Knight Master of the Palace, and he to the Knights.] S.
M.--”Return arms--right about face--to your posts--march--center face--Sir Knights, this Council is now open for the dispatch of business.”
SECOND SECTION.
Question--What were the preparatory circ.u.mstances attending your reception to this ill.u.s.trious Order? Answer--A Council of Royal Arch Masons being a.s.sembled in a room adjacent to the Council chamber, I was conducted to the door, where a regular demand was made by two, three, and two.
Q. What was said to you from within? A. Who comes there?
Q. Your answer? A. Companion A. B., who has regularly received the several degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason, Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch, and now solicits the honor of being regularly const.i.tuted a Knight of the Red Cross.
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was asked if it was of my own free will and accord that I made this request; if I was worthy and well qualified; if I had made suitable proficiency in the foregoing degrees, and was properly vouched for; all of which being answered in the affirmative, I was asked by what further right or benefit I expected to gain admittance.
Q. Your answer? A. By the benefit of a pa.s.s-word.
Q. Did you give that pa.s.s-word? A. I did, with the a.s.sistance of my companions. [Here the Royal Arch word is given as described in the Royal Arch degree.]
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then directed to wait with patience till the Most Excellent Prelate should be informed of my request, and his answer returned.
Q. What was his answer? A. Let him be admitted.
Q. What was you then informed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate observed that the Council there a.s.sembled represented the Grand Council convened at Jerusalem, in the second year of the reign of Darius, King of Persia, to deliberate on the unhappy state of the fraternity during the reigns of Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus, and to devise some means to obtain favor of the new Sovereign, and to gain his consent to proceed in rebuilding their new city and temple.