“ It is declared and pronounced that pure and Ancient Craft Masonry consists of three degrees and no more, namely those of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason, including the Holy Royal Arch.” it futher added, “this article is not intended to prevent any Lodge or Chapter from holding meetings in any of the degrees of Chivalry, according to the Constitution of said Order.”

During the early and unwritten history of the fraternity, there was a strong tone of Christianity which ran throughout the Symbolic Lodge structure, but by the time Anderson published his Constitutions, Christianity was virtually taken out of the ritual and constitutions because of a great desire to make the fraternity such as might be acceptable to men of any religion.

While the Symbolic lodge today may be attained by men of all religions who accept the One and Only Living and True GOD, there is still an intimate dovetailing with the appendant, or erroneously called “higher bodies.”

For example, in England the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge is also called the head of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. In many jurisdictions some of the degrees here conferred by the appendant bodies are conferred by the Symbolic Lodge. On the North American Continent the appendant system or rite referred to as the York Rite includes some additional degrees supplementing the work of the Lodge. These are the degrees conferred by the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, the Council of Cryptic Masons, and the Commandery of Knights Templar.

The York Rite consists of the Symbolic Lodge, which is of York origin; the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; the Council of Cryptic Masons; and the Commandery of Knights Templar.

The Lodge teaches of the LOST WORD, the Chapter teaches of the DISCOVERY of the WORD, the Council teaches of the PRESERVATION of the WORD, and the COMMANDERY binds the Christian virtues of their promise of immortality in the expanding story, thus rounding out the STORY of the WORD.

It is also said that the Lodge symbolically deals with the material side of life. The Chapter and particularly the Royal Arch Degree, deals with the spiritual side of life. The Council deals with the philosophy of life and death, and the Commandery adds the Christian interpretation to the symbols of Ancient Craft Masonry.

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