ROYAL ARCH. Sometimes, and more properly, called the HOLY ROYAL Aacu. The fourth of the series of degrees conferred in a Royal Arch Chapter, and the seventh in grade known as the York rite, as practiced in the order wherever that rite is established. Dr. Oliver says that it is "a degree indescribably more august, sublime and important than any which precede it; and is, in fact, the summit and perfection of ancient Masonry. It impresses on our minds a belief in the being of God, without beginning of days or end of years, the great and incomprehensible Alpha and Omega, and reminds us of the reverence which is due to his Holy Name." The late distinguished brother, Salem Town, has left on record a brief summary of the symbolism inculcated in Capitular Masonry. "In advancing to the fourth degree," he says, "the good man is greatly encouraged to persevere in the ways of well-doing even to the end. He has a name which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. It there fore, he be rejected, and cast forth among the rubbish of the world, he knows full well the Great Master Builder of the universe, having chosen and prepared him as a lively stone in that spiritual building in the heavens, will bring him forth with triumph, while shouting grace, grace to his divine Redeemer. Hence opens the fifth degree, where he discovers his election to, and his glorified station in, the kingdom of his Father. Here he is taught how much the chosen ones are honored and esteemed by those on earth, who discover and appreciate the image of their common Lord. This image being engraven on his heart, he may look forward to those mansions above, where a higher and most exalted seat has been prepared for the faithful, from the foundation of the world. With these views the sixth degree is conferred, where the riches of divine grace are opened in boundless prospect. Every substantial good is clearly seen to be conferred through the great atoning sacrifice. In the seventh degree the good man is truly filled with heartfelt gratitude to his heavenly benefactor, for all those wonderful deliverances wrought out for him while journeying through the rugged paths of human life. Great has been his re demption from the Egypt and Babylon of this world. * * * Such is the moral and religious instruction derived from the order of the Masonic degrees." This degree brings to light many important matters of great interest to the Craft, which were, for the space of four hundred and seventy years, buried in darkness, and without a knowledge of which the Masonic character cannot be complete. The incidents on which the degree is founded, may, in part, be understood from the following brief statement: Soon after the close of Solomon's glorious reign, the kingdom of Jerusalem—the house of David, was divided. Ten of the tribes separated themselves, and took the name of the kingdom of Israel, leaving the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to constitute the kingdom of Judah. Each of these two kingdoms suffered a distinct captivity. That of Israel is called the Assyrian, and that of Judah the Babylonish captivity; only in the latter captivity is our subject interested. The Jews being thus divided, in the reigns of Jehoiachin and Zedekiab, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Chaldees, then reigning at Babylon, with a large army, laid seige to Jerusalem, and after a severe struggle reduced it. He caused the city to be leveled to the ground, the royal palace to be burned, the temple pillaged, and the inhabitants carried captive to Babylon.* They remained in captivity for seventy years, or until the time of Cyrus, king of Persia, who, in the first year of his reign, issued his proclamation, which liberated the Hebrew captives, and per mitted them to return to Jerusalem,10 "rebuild the city and house of the Lord." The circumstances connected with the captivity of the Jews, its termination, their liberation, and their return over the rough and rugged roads to the ancient city of their fathers, the holy cause in which they were engaged—that of rebuilding the temple—the labors per formed, and the valuable discoveries brought to light by the zealous workmen, with many other equally interesting incidents are rehearsed in the degrees of the Royal Arch, Knights of the Red Cross, and Knights of the East and West. The children of Judah, after their arrival at JeAisalem, erected a tabernacle, similar in form to that of Moses. Tradition, however, informs us that the tabernacle of Zerubbabel differed from that of Moses in many par ticulars. The most Holy Place of the original tabernacle contained the ark of the covenant, the table of shew-bread and the golden candlestick, and the whole structure was designed for the worship of God. That of Zerubbabel was used as a temporary place of worship, and the sanctuary was also used for the meetings of the Grand Council, consisting of Joshua, Zerubbabel and Haggai. This tabernacle, accord ing to the Masonic tradition, was divided into apartments by cross vails of blue, purple, scarlet and white, at which guards were stationed. The ostensible object of the degree is to recover the lost word—the Master Mason being in a secret vault, which for a period of nearly five centuries was unknown, it being beneath the first temple, and brought to light by the workmen who were sent to prepare the foundation for the second temple. The degrees conferred
and composing the system of Royal Arch Masonry are: 1. Mark Master; 2. Past Master; 3. Most Excellent Master; 4. Royal Arch. The officers are: 1. The High-Priest, whose title is Most Excellent, who represents Joshua, the first High Priest of the Jews, after their return from the Babylonian captivity; 2. The King, whose title is Excellent, represents Zerubbabel, a Prince of Judah, who was the leader of the first colony of Jews that returned from the captivity to rebuild the temple; 3. The Scribe, whose title is, also, Excellent, repre sents Haggai, tue prophet; 4. The Captain of the Host, who represents the general of the troops; 5. The Principal Sojourner, represents the leader of a party of Jews, who sojourned in Babylon for a time after the departure of Zerub babel with the main body, and who subsequently came up to Jerusalem to assist in rebuilding the temple; 6. The Royal Arch Captain, represents the captain of the king's guards ; 7. Grand Master of the Third Vail; 8. Grand Master of the Second Vail ; 9. Grand Master of the First Vail ; 10. Treasurer ; 11. Secretary ; 12. Sentinel ; and a Chaplain may be appointed. The jewels of a Chapter are of gold or yellow metal, within a triangle, and suspended from a collar. The symbolic color of the Royal Arch degree is scarlet. Candidates receiving the degree are said to be "exalted to the most sublime degree of the Royal Arch." A Royal Arch Chapter represents the Tabernacle erected by our ancient brethren near the ruins of King Solomon's Temple. Chapters are dedicated to Zerubbabel. The appropriate badge and clothing of a Royal Arch Mason, are a jewel, an apron and a sash. The jewel, worn on the left breast, suspended from a scarlet ribbon, is a double triangle within a circle; in the center of the two triangles a sun with diverging rays, within a triangle, and underneath, or suspended to this, the triple tau. On ..the intersecting triangles- and outer circle the following words are engraved—on the obverse—on the circle, "Si talia jungere possis sit tibi scire satis"—If you are able to unite these things your knowledge is sufficient. On the tri angles — "Ei5pipcaptev," " Invenimus "—We have found it; " Cultor Dei"— Worship of God; " Civis Mundi"— Citizen of the world. On the ribbon under the circle, "Nil nisi clavis deest" —Nothing is wanting except the key. Reverse—on the circle: "Deo, Civitati, Fratribus, Honor, Fidelitas, Benevolentia"- For God.for the State, _for the Brethren, Honor, Fidelity, Benet,• olence. On the triangles—Wisdom, Peace, Strength, Concord, Truth, Beauty. On the ribbon under the circle—Exalted, (with date). The intersecting triangles denote the elements of fire and water, the circle, infinity and eternity, and the sun within the triangle is an emblem of Deity important is the triple tau considered, that it is call' "the emblem of all emblems, and the grand emblem of Royal Arch Ma sonry." The apron is of white lambskin (13x15 inches, or nearly square,) lined and bound with scarlet, or lined with scarlet and bound with blue and scarlet tesselated; on the flap the triple tau within a triangle, and all within a circle, as delineated in the engraving. The sash, worn from right to left, is the tesselated blue and scarlet ribbon, four inches wide, with no ornament except a metal or embroidered triple tau, triangle and circle, at the crossing. "The true origin of the Royal Arch is an important question that has lately engaged the attention of Masonic writers. Some have asserted that it was brought by the Templars from the Holy Land; others say that it was established as a part of Templar Masonry in the sixteenth century; and others again assert that it was unknown before the year 1780. Dr. Oliver, in a work of profound research on this subject, says that 'there exists sufficient evidence to disprove all their conjectures, and to fix the era of its introduction to a period which is coeval with the memorable schism among the English Masons about the middle of the last century.'* It seems to me as the result of a careful examination of the evidence adduced, that, before the year 1740, the essential element of the Royal Arch constituted a part of the third degree, and that about that year it was severed from that degree and transferred to another, by the schismatic body calling itself `the Grand Lodge of England according to the old Consti tutions.'" t It may now be said that never before since the existence of the order was there so general a demand among intelligent for veritable and substantial information on the history of Freemasonry, particularly in regard to this branch of the order. For more reliable information the reader is referred to the most valuable work on the subject of Royal Arch Masonry that has ever been published in this country./