which they would be secured against cowans
and Saracens. The different degrees were fixed first to the number of
seven by the example of the Grand Architect of the Universe, who built
all things in six days and rested on the seventh. This is
distinguished by seven points of reception in the Master's degrees.
Enoch employed six days to construct the arches, and on the seventh,
having deposited the secret treasure in the lowest arch, was
translated to the abodes of the blessed. Solomon employed six years in
constructing his temple; and celebrated its dedication on the seventh,
with all the solemnity worthy of the divinity himself. This sacred
edifice we choose to make the basis of figurative Masonry. In the
first degree are three symbols to be applied. First, the first of the
creation, which was only chaos, is figured by the candidate's coming
out of the black chamber, neither naked nor clothed, deprived, etc.;
and his suffering the painful trial at his reception, etc. The
candidate sees nothing before he is brought to light; and his powers
of imagination relative to what he has to go through are suspended,
which alludes to the figure of the creation of that vast luminous body
confused among the other parts of creation before it was extracted
from darkness and fixed by the Almighty fiat. Secondly, the candidate
approaches the footstool of the Master, and there renounces all
cowans; he promises to subdue his passions, by which means he is
united to virtue, and by his regularity of life, demonstrates what he
proposes. This is figured to him by the steps that he takes in
approaching the altar; the symbolic meaning of which is the separation
of the firmament from the earth and water on the second day of
creation. (The charge proceeds by giving a figurative interpretation
of the ceremonies, etc., of the first and second part of the third
degree, which I pass over as uninteresting to my readers, and
commence with an interpretation which will be as novel to the Craft of
the lower grades as to the cowans, or non-initiated.)

In the Master's degree is represented the assassination of Hiram by
false brethren. This ought to put us in mind of the fate of Adam,
occasioned by perverseness in his disobeying his great and awful
Creator. The symbolic mystery of the death of Hiram Abiff represents
to us that of the Messiah; for the three blows which were given to
Hiram Abiff, at the three gates of the temple, allude to the three
points o