CHAPTER XV.

ObservatioThs on the Order of High Priest.

THIS order appertains to the office of High
Priest of a Roy%l Arch Chapter, and no one can

178 FREEMASON^S MONITOlt

be legally entitled to receive it until he has bees
elected to sustain that office in some regular
chapter of Royal Arch Masoni*

The following passages of scripture are made
use of during the ceremonies appertaining to tbii
order, viz. -

Gen. xiv. 12—24. " And they took Lot,
Abram's brother^s son, (who dwelt in Sodom,) and
his goods, and departed* And there came one
that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew ;
for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amonfe,
brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner : and these
were confederate with Abram. And when Abram
heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed
his trained servants, bom in his own house, three
hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unte
Dan. And he divided himself against them, he
and his servants, by night, and smote them, and
pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left
*hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the
goods, and also brought again his brother Lot,
and his goods, and the women also, and the peo-
ple. And the king of Sodom went out to meet
him, (after his return from the slaughter of Che-
dorlaomer, and of the kings that were with himj
at the valley of Sheveh, which is the king's dale.
And Melchizedec king of Salem brought forth
bread anc^ wine : and lye was the priest of th&

FRXBMASON'S MONITOR. 179

most high God. And lie blessed him^ and said.

Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor

of heaven and earth : and blessed be the most

high God, which hath delivered thine enemies

into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of alU

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give

me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have

iiited up mine^hand unto the Lord, the most high

Crod, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will

not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and

that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest

4hou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich :

Save only that which the young men have eaten,

«nd the portion of the men which went with me,

Aner, Eshcol^ and Mamre ; let them take their

portion.''

Numb, vu 22 — 26. '^ And the Lord spake unto
Moses, saying. Speak unto Aaron, and unto his
tontf saying. On this wise ye shall bless the chil-
dren of Israel, saying unto them> The Lord bless
thee, and keepXhee ; the Lord make his face shine
upon thee, and be gracious unto thee : the Lord
liA up his countenance upon thee, and give thee
peace.''

Hebrews vii. 1 — 6. " For this Mclchizedec,
king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who
met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the

Ho fri:emasok's monitor^

kings^ and blessed him ; to whom also Abraham
gave a tenth part of all ; (first being, by interpre-
tation^ King of righteousness^ and after that also.
King of Salem, which is. King of peace ; -without
father, without mother, without descent, having
neither beginning of days, nor end of life '; but
made like unto the Son of God ;) abideth a priest
continually. Now, consider how great this man
was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham
gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they
that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the of-
fice of the priesthood, have a commandment to
take tithefi of the people according to the law, that
is, of their brethren, though they come out of the
loins of Abraham.**

*^ For he testifieth. Thou art a priest for ever, af-
. ter the erder of Melchizedec.

'^ And inasmuch as not without an oath he was
made priest.

*^ For those priests (under the Levitical law)
were made without an oath ; but this with an
oath, by him that said unto him. The Lord sware
and will not repent. Thou art a priest for ever,
after the order of Melchizedec."

THE

FREEMASON'S MONITOR.