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knights of the red cross
CHAPTER XIII
the masonic manual
robert macoy
The Orders of Knighthood are conferred under the sanction of, or in
connection with, Masonic assemblies. This degree is intimately associated
with the Royal Arch, and cannot be conferred upon any brother who has not
been exalted to that sublime degree. *
*) Knights of the East and West, or Knights of the Sword, is a more
correct title for this grade. - ED.
It is founded upon incidents which occurred during the reign of DARIUS,
king of Persia, and illustrates the difficulties and interruptions
encountered by the Jews in rebuilding the house of the Lord at
Jerusalem.
* * * * * * * *
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done as in heaven so also upon the earth. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. And
lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
TITLES, STATIONS, AND
DECORATIONS.
Sovereign Master, upon a throne, in
the East; Chancellor, on the right of the S. M.: Master of the Palace, on
the left of the S. M.; Prelate, or the right of the C.; Master of Cavalry,
on the right of the first division, when separately formed, and on the
right of the hole, when formed in line; Master of Infantry, on the right
of the second division, when separately formed, and on the left of the
whole, when formed in line; Master of Finances, on the right, in front of
the C.; Master of Despatches on the left, in front of the M. of P.;
Standard Bearer, in the West Sword Bearer, on the right of the St. B.;
Warder, on the left of the St. B.; Guards, at the Passes; Sentinel, at the
Door, outseide. The knigts are arranged, in equal numbers, on the right
and left of the throne.
The assembly is denominated a
Council. The drapery of the throne is green, a green banner is suspended
above the throne; on it a triple triangle, with a red cross in the centre
of each; underneath are arranged the emblems of the Order. The presiding
officer wears a green coilar, trimmed with red, to which is suspended a
triple triangle. The knights wear a green collar, trimmed with red, and a
sword and trowel, crosswise
* * * * * * * *
The following passages of Scripture are appropriate to this order, and
are rehearsed by the Prelate:
 "Now in the second
year of their coming unto the house of GOD at Jerusalem, in the second
month, began Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of
Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites,
and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and
appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward
the work of the house of the LORD. Then stood Jeshua, with his sons and
his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together to set
forward the workmen in the house of God; the sons of Henadad, with their
sons and their brethren the Levites. And when the builders laid the
foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their
apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals,
to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they
sang together by course, in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD:
because he is good;. for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all
the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because
the foundation of the house of the LORD was
laid"
 Now when the
adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity
builded the temple unto the LORD GOD of Israel, then they came to
Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us
build with you; for we seek your GOD as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto
him, since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Assur, which brought us up
hither. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the
fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build
an house unto our GOD; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD
GOD of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, hath commanded us. Then
the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and
troubled them in building; and hired counselors against them, to frustrate
their purpose, all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia even until the reign
of Darius, king of Persia.
 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning
of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of
Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel,
and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the
writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreting
in the Syrian tongue. Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote
a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, in this sort: this is
the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the
king: Thy servants, the men on this side the river, and at such a time. Be
it known unto the king, that the Jews, which came up from thee to us, are
come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have
set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto
the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then
will they not pay toll, tribute and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the
revenue of the kings. Now because we have maintenance from the king's
palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonor; therefore
have we sent and certified the king: that search may be made in the book
of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the
record, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto
kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of
old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. We certify the king,
that if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this
means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
Then
sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the
scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and
unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. The letter
which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. And I commanded,
and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath
made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been
made therein. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have
ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute and custom
was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease,
and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be
given from me. Take heed now, that ye fail not to do this: why should
damage grow to the hurt of the kings? Now, when the copy of king
Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and
their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and
made them to cease by force and power. Then ceased the work of the house
of GOD, which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the
reign of Darius, king of Persia. - EZRA iv.
Darius the king, having ascended the throne of Persia, the children of
the captivity were inspired with new hopes of protection and support in
completing their noble and glorious undertaking, which had been so often
and so long impeded by their adversaries on the other side of the
river.
Josephus informs us that Darius, whilst he was yet a private man, made
a vow to GOD, that if he ever came to the throne he would restore all the
holy vessels that were at Babylon, and send them back again to
Jerusalem.
Zerubbabel, one of the most excellent and faithful rulers of the Jews,
having been formerly distinguished by the favorable notice and friendship
of the king, whilst in private life, offered himself to encounter the
hazardous enterprise of traversing the Persian dominions, and seeking
admission to the royal presence, in order that he might seize the first favorable moment
to remind the king of the vow which he had made, and to impress upon his
mind the almighty force and importance of TRUTH. From the known piety of
the king no doubt was entertained of obtaining his consent, that their
enemies might be removed far from thence, and that they might be no longer
impeded in the glorious undertaking in which they were engaged. The
council of rulers accepted, with great joy, this noble sacrifice on the
part of Zerubbabel, and invested him with the necessary passports and
commendations to enable him to pass through their own dominions in safety.
Having passed the barriers, and entered the Persian dominions, he was
taken captive, clothed in the habiliments of a slave, and put in chains;
but not discouraged by this misfortune, he declared himself a prince of
the power of Judah, and demanded an audience of the sovereign. He was told
that he could only appear in the presence of the sovereign as a captive
and slave: to which he consented, being impressed with a belief, that if
by any means he could gain access to the king, he should succeed in the
object of his journey.
Zerubbabel, having thus gained admission to the royal presence, was
recognized by the king at the friend and companion of his youth, and was
interrogated as to his motives in attempting to pass the barriers of his
dominions; to which Zerubbabel replied, that he was induced to seek the
face of the king by the tears and complaints of his brethren and
companions in Jerusalem, who were impeded, by their adversaries on the
other side of the river, in the noble and glorious undertaking of
rebuilding the house of the LORD, in which they had been permitted to
engage by their late sovereign master, Cyrus, the king; that this great
work having been made to cease by force and power, he had come to implore
the sovereign that he might be restored to his confidence, and admitted
amongst the servants of his household.
The king answered, that he had often reflected, with
peculiar pleasure, upon their former intimacy; that he had heard, with
great satisfaction, of his fame as a wise and accomplished ruler among the
architects of his country; that having a profound veneration for an
institution which was reputed to practise mysteries which were calculated to
promote the glory of the nation, and the happiness of the people, he would
instantly restore him to favor, upon condition that he would reveal those
mysteries which so eminently distinguished the architects of the Jews from
those of all other nations.
Zerubbabel replied, that their institution inculcated the doctrine that
TRUTH is a divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue; that to
be good men and true was the first lesson they were taught that his
engagements were inviolable; that if he could obtain the royal favor only
by the sacrifice of his integrity, he should humbly beg leave to renounce
the protection of the sovereign, and cheerfully submit to an honorable
exile, or a glorious death.
The king, struck with admiration at the firmness and discretion of
Zerubbabel, declared that his virtue and integrity were truly commendable;
that his fidelity to his engagements were worthy of imitation, and from
that moment he was restored to his confidence.
Darius, in the first year of his reign, gave a splendid and magnificent
entertainment to the princes and nobility; and after they had retired,
finding himself unable to sleep, he fell into discourse with his three
favorite officers, to whom he proposed certain questions, telling them, at
the same time, that he who should give him the most reasonable
and satisfactory answer, should be clothed in purple, drink in a golden
cup, wear a sillken tiara, and a golden chain about his neck. He then
proposed this question: which is greatest, the strength of WINE, of the
KING, or of WOMEN? To this the first answered, wine is the
strongest; the second, that the king was strongest; and the third,
(who was Zerubbabel) that women were stronger, but above all
things, TRUTH beareth the victory.
The king, being forcibly struck with the addition Zerubbabel had made
to his question, ordered than the princes and nobles should assemble on
the following day, to hear the subject discussed.
* * * * * * * *
On the following day the king assembled together the princes and
nobility, to hear the question debated. The first began as follows,
upon
"O ye princes and rulers, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all
men to err that drink it; it maketh the mind of the king and the beggar to
be all one; of the bondman and the freeman; of the poor man and of the
rich; it turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man
remembereth neither sorrow nor debt; it changeth and elevateth the
spirits, and enliveneth the heavy hearts of the miserable. It maketh a man
forget his brethren, and draw his sword against his best friends. O ye
princes and rulers, is not wine the strongest, that forceth us to do these
things?"
Then began the second, and spoke as follows, upon
"It is beyond dispute, O princes and rulers, that GOD has made man
master of all things under the sun; to command them, to make use of them,
and apply them to his service as he pleases: but whereas men have only
dominion over other sublunary creatures, kings have an authority even over
men themselves, and a right of ruling them by will and pleasure. Now, he
that is master of those who are masters of all things else, hath no
earthly thing bove him."
Then began Zerubbabel, upon
"O princes and rulers, the force of wine is
not to be denied; neither is that of kings, that unites so many men in one
common bond of allegiance; but the supereminency of woman is yet
above all this; for kings are but the gifts of women, and they are also
the mothers of those that cultivate our vineyards. Women have the
power to make us abandon our very country and relations, and many times to
forget the best friends we have in the world, and, forsaking all other
comforts, to live and die with them. But when all is said, neither they,
nor wine, nor kings, are comparable to the almighty force of TRUTH. As for
all other things, they are mortal and transient, but truth alone is
unchangeable and everlasting; the benefits we receive from it are subject
to no variations or vicissitudes of time and fortune. In her judgment is
no unrighteousness, and she is the strength, wisdom, power and majesty of
all ages. Blessed be the GOD of Truth."
When Zerubbabel had finished speaking, the princes and rulers cried
out,
"Great is truth, and mighty above all things."
Then said the king to Zerubbabel, "Ask what thou wilt, and I will give
it thee, because thou art found wisest among thy companions."
Then said he to Darius, "O king, remember thy vow, which thou hast
vowed, to build Jerusalem in the day when thou shouldest come to thy
kingdom, and to restore the holy vessels which were taken away out of
Jerusalem. Thou hast also vowed to build up the temple, which was burned
when Judah was made desolate by the Chaldees. And now, O king, this is that I
desire of thee, that thou make good the vow, the performance whereof, with
thine own mouth, thou hast vowed to the king of heaven."
Then Darius the king stood up and embraced him, and gave him passports
and letters to his governors and officers, that they should safely convey
both him, and those that should go with him, to Jerusalem; and that they
should not be delayed or hindered from building the city and the temple
until they should be finished. He also restored all the holy vessels
remaining in his possession, that had been taken from Jerusalem, when the
children of Israel were carried away captive to Babylon, and reserved by
Cyrus.
* * * * * *
 But it came to pass,
that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and
the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and hat
the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired
all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder
it. Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our GOD, and set a watch against
them day and night, because of them. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens
is decayed, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build
the wall. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till
we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to
cease. And it came to pass, that when the Jews, which dwelt by them, came,
they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto
us, they will be upon you. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard it
was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we
returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to
pass, from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the
work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and
the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of
Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with
those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and
with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his
sword girded by his side, and so builded; and he that sounded the trumpet
was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest
of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the
wall, one far from another: In what place, therefore, ye hear the sound of
the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our GOD shall fight, for us." -
NEHMIAH iv. 7-20.
 Then Darius the king
made decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the
treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the
palace that is in the province of the Medes a roll, and therein was a
record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus
the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the
house be builded, the place, where they offered sacrifices, and let the
foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore
cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of
great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out
of the king's house. And also let the golden and silver vessels of the
house of GOD, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is
at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again
unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place
them in the house of God. Now, therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the
river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions, the Apharsachites, which are
beyond the river, be ye far from thence: let the work of his house of GOD
alone; let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build
this house of GOD in his place. Moreover, I make a decree what ye shall do
to the elders of these Jews, for
the building of this house of GOD; that of the king's goods, even of the
tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that
they be not hindered. And that which they have need of, both young
bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings of the GOD of heaven;
wheat, salt, wine and oil, according to the appointment of the priests
which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail; that
they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors unto the GOD of heaven, and pray
for the life of the king, and of his sons. Also, I have made a decree,
that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his
house, and being set up let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be
made a dunghill for this. And the GOD that hath caused his name to dwell
there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter
and to destroy this house of GOD which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made
a decree; let it be done with speed. Then Tatnai, governor on this side
the river Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which
Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. And the elders of the Jews
builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet,
and Zechariah, the son of Iddo; and they builded and finished it,
according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the
commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia. - EZRA
vi.
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