Xinshun 1730

Chapter 1328 A Stylish Clique
On the way of the carriage, John Hancock was imagining what kind of questions and tests the Masonic people would ask, and how he should deal with it in order to be able to join this mysterious society that seemed to hold everything since the birth of mankind. Mystical organization.

The darkness in front of him brought him a different experience in perception, and it even magnified the drama in his heart.

After about an hour, the carriage stopped moving.

He heard the sound of the carriage opening, and felt a hand holding his hand, leading him down from the carriage.

Then, he heard the creaking sound of the door closing.

Vaguely, he heard delicate chant or other music mixed with ethereal instruments coming from inside.

The veil was still tied over his eyes, and Hancock tried to lift his eyelids, which were still dark.

The person holding his hand led him to walk forward slowly.Hancock could feel himself stepping on the carpet, a thick carpet that seemed to be cashmere.

After walking a heretical distance forward, the man who was holding his hand let go.

Hancock doesn't know what's going on, but he's sure his soul doesn't feel the door right now.At least, that's how he felt, and he didn't have any special visions, mysteries, or magical perceptions.

He didn't cry out, or try to ask anything, but just stood there silently waiting.

There was darkness in front of him, and time seemed to lose its meaning. Hancock had no idea how long he had been standing here.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from a distance, with a dull sound that echoed in the room, like a heavy drum beating his heart.

[As the prophet Isaiah said: I send my envoys before you, on the road to Esher.There are those who call in the wild, their voices cloud, prepare the main road, and straighten their diameter.Later, John came, baptized in the wild, proclaimed the baptism of repentance, and forgiven sins...]

[I will help each other, handed down from ancient times.The power of the world cannot destroy the foundation of our association. 】

[The primary purpose and foundation of our association is to preserve and teach some important metaphysics to future generations... From ancient times, even from the first man in the universe, it has been passed down to us, and the fate of human beings may be based on this metaphysics. 】

[But because of this metaphysical principle, it has such characteristics that no one can know it and apply it, unless he purifies himself diligently and diligently for a long time, and strives to cultivate himself.No one can get to this metaphysics quickly. 】

【Therefore, our second purpose is to train our members as much as possible, to correct their hearts, to purify and enlighten their minds, by means of the methods taught to us by those people who have worked hard to explore this metaphysics, As a result, they have the ability to comprehend this mystery. 】

[Ultimately, when purifying and transforming our members, we will also do everything possible to transform all human beings. 】

[Transform human beings, take me as a model. 】

[Set up a model of piety and virtue among our members for all mankind, so as to do our best to oppose the evil that dominates the world... I will divide the good and the evil. 】

The deep voice stopped abruptly after distinguishing between good and evil.

Hancock felt his legs tremble uncontrollably when he heard these grand statements, as if standing on a mountain overlooking the world.

Not fear.

Not uneasy either.

It was more like a certain force in the body was released, and the heart was beating violently, but he didn't know where to vent this force, so he could only unconsciously rely on the shaking of his body to get rid of this force.

Mystery, destiny, purification, good and evil, transformation of all mankind...

These words are like rolling the leaves of hemp into the shredded tobacco, or drinking a large cup of spiritual tea prepared by the northern Indians and adding rhododendron leaves to communicate with the gods.

Through the not-so-thick veil in front of him, Hancock found that the darkness in front of him had dissipated.

A light, through the thin veil, bloomed in front of his eyes.

The light is right in front of you, so bright that no scarf can hinder it.

After a long period of darkness that blinds the eyes, this vague, veiled brightness is really like light falling from the dark clouds.

white.

Like milk.

It's like, after losing myself in the long darkness, I finally saw a door.

Some rays of light shone through the cracks in the door.

It seemed that as long as he leaned over and opened that door, his soul could reach a world that had never been reached before.

"What a mysterious feeling! Is this how the soul perceives the door?"

Sighing in his heart, Hancock believes that this is the soul touch that the previous Freemason said.

So, he knelt down on the carpet piously, facing the direction where the white light shone.

Reaching behind her head with her hand, she untied the knot of the scarf.

The moment the knot was untied, the veil slipped off, and a chant-like harmony sounded from a distance.

【sic transit gloria mundi】

【The prosperity of the world is fleeting】

【Cleanse the soul and accommodate the light】

Hancock was amazed by such a chant, slowly raised his head, and looked forward with eyes that were not used to the light.

There was a table in front of it, facing his direction, with a long tasseled table rug hanging down.

A special cross, deformed like a compass that spreads its feet, hangs on the table rug.

On the table, there is a book upside down.

The cover of the book is black, and the book is opened, front and back, and buckled at a right angle.

Next to the book, there is an oil lamp arranged in a strange pattern. If you look down from the sky, you can see that it is a pattern of shining stars.

Behind the oil lamp, there are two mirrors.

The oil lamp itself has a strange and mysterious atmosphere.

Oil lamps contain lamp oil, not glass, ceramics, or tin or iron.

It was a skull, and a skull with teeth.

The inside of the skull is filled with grease, and the long wick is constantly shining with luster. Under the reflection of the mirror, it is like opening a door to light in the dark.

There are seven skulls in total.

Same number of steps as in the legendary Solomon's Temple.

Beside the oil lamp and the table stood a figure in a black robe with a black hood over his head, holding a strangely decorated staff in his hand.

On the staff, some symbols that are not weird, and even common in life, are embossed in gold and silver.

In other words, it is more like some kind of ancient and primitive pictograph or cuneiform.

day.

month.

hammer.

Ink line.

lead pendant.

shovel.

Compasses.

square……

The man in black with a hood stretched out his staff to Hancock, and called him [Seeker].

"Seeker, come forward..."

Hancock stood up, already shocked by such a ceremony, the flickering light on the skull was a little dazzling after being reflected by the mirror.

He realized that the "seeker" was referring to him.

So he squinted his eyes and walked towards the table.

When he walked to the table, he noticed that the book that was turned upside down on the table with the front and back covers split at right angles was "Gospel".

The man in the hood handed the Gospel to Hancock and said, "Put your hand on the Gospel and hear the purpose of this church."

Hancock put the Gospel on the table, pressed one hand on the Gospel, and listened quietly to the rules of the congregation explained by the interpreter as many days as God created the world.

"First, keep the secrets of the Freemasonry strictly."

"The second rule is to obey the ranks in the meeting."

"The third rule is to behave properly. Purify your soul, distinguish between good and evil, do good and refrain from evil."

"Fourth, love human beings. But love those who are truly on the right path, not those who are bewitched by demons."

"The fifth thing is to be brave. Not only to face the enemy you can see, but also to bravely face the filth in your heart. It is also a kind of bravery to examine the filth in your heart from time to time."

"Rule number six, be generous."

"Seventh, devotion. Always think of devotion, try to make yourself feel that death is no longer a terrible enemy, but a friend...Death, which can save your soul tortured by practice from the disaster of life Released from it, and led it into His rewarded resting place..."

After Hancock repeated the seven rules, the guide placed his staff engraved with those strange runes in front of Hancock.

"Our Freemasonry imparts teachings and knowledge, not just relying on language and words, but is more inclined to the method that is convenient for the soul to perceive."

"These methods will do more to the sincere seeker of wisdom and virtue than oral instruction."

"If your heart is sincere, then the runes you see on this staff will explain everything to your heart more powerfully than words."

"If you haven't seen it now, it's because your heart is not pure. When you are purified, you see some symbols, some decorations, a house, a boat, and even everything in the world, and your soul will understand to all that He asks to convey in it."

"Our Freemasons imitate the ancient societies to reveal the truth with the help of pictographic symbols. Pictographic symbols are the names of things that are not subject to emotion. The symbols that your eyes can see are only superficial symbols of things."

"Only through the touch of the soul, or in other words, you have to use the heart and soul outside the eyes to see all these, can you understand these symbols. It can only be felt, not expressed in words, and it cannot be expressed in words, because this is not the ability to use words, What the eyes, ears, and language can describe and experience, only the eyes of the soul can touch the fur of truth through these hieroglyphs."

"When your soul perception can already see the meaning conveyed by these hieroglyphs, you can go a step further and use the eyes of your soul to see everything and the world, even if you look at a tree. Creation is the ultimate principle.”

"These hieroglyphs are like..."

The guide thought for a while and made a metaphor.

"It's like a training tool to train you and let you try to learn to perceive all things with the soul. This is the accumulation of wisdom of thousands of generations. People can't directly see the world with the eyes of the soul. They can only use these pictographs first. Wen exercises your perception, just like a baby pushes a cart when trying to walk, until one day you can walk naturally without your control..."

Hancock comprehended these words carefully, vaguely understanding them, and thinking about them, it seemed infinitely mysterious.

At the first glance, the compasses are compasses, and then the compasses are not compasses. Finally, after learning to use the eyes of the soul, one can see everything and attain the supreme principle.

These runes are like a tool to assist in training, to guide members to get started.Once you have entered the door, you can use the method of looking at these symbols to see everything else.

However, Hancock looked at it for a long time, but didn't see anything, but felt that what the lead said seemed to make sense.

Maybe, like seeing a sheep kneeling and drinking its milk, you can't see it as a lamb eating. That's what the eyes see, or the eyes that are subject to the soul and are polluted by the world. an appearance.

The eyes of the soul should see the supreme truth contained in the world from it: for example, a life should bow down and thank Him for giving life, food and the whole world.

Not even this, just an advanced stage.A truly purified soul and a tempered mind should see the grander and more distant one-dharma supremacy.

Since one method is universal, one of the ten thousand methods can be used casually, even if it is a tree, a grass, or even a dung ball rolled by a dung beetle, one can comprehend the supreme truth and wisdom.

While he was thinking, the guide talked about his last rites before his initiation.

Or rather, a compliance test.

"Please take off your clothes as I will say next, to show obedience."

"Obey?" Hancock was a little surprised by the word.

"Yes, obey. It's not to obey me, nor to the person in charge of the hut, or even the head of the grand hotel or the head of the big hotel. Instead, obey this supreme truth."

Hancock felt a little confused in his head, but it seemed that what he said to the other side made sense. He didn't obey him, but he represented the will of the supreme truth.

Now that he has come to this point, he didn't struggle with the issue of "obedience", but followed the guide's reminders step by step.

Following the prompts, he took off his coat, jacket and leather boot on his left foot, and rolled up the left trouser leg above the knee.

After doing this, he subconsciously wanted to take off the boot on his right foot, but the guide stopped him and indicated that he only needed to take off the left boot.

Then, the guide spoke the last words to welcome him into the club.

【my brother! 】

[In our temple we recognize no rank but that which lies between virtue and vice. 】

[Be careful not to cause harm except for the grade difference between virtue and vice. 】

[Once a brother of the Freemasonry is in trouble, he must run to help his brothers and sisters. 】

【You must teach those who go astray and lift up those who fall, and you should never hold grudges or enmity against brothers and sisters. 】

[Be amiable.Kindle the flame of virtue in every heart.And share happiness with others, never letting jealousy disturb this pure pleasure. 】

[……execute the supreme canon in this way, and you will be able to search for the lost ancient majestic and majestic soul relics in your soul…]

After saying this, the host extended his hand to Hancock.

As if he had just smoked a whole cigarette, Hancock dazedly stretched out his hand and shook the host, his heart was full of excitement, and he couldn't believe that he had become brothers with these Freemasons .

In other words, he has also become a member of the Brotherhood of Masons.

He didn't know much about this organization, but some semi-public information and rumors made him have an inexplicable admiration for the organization's aggressiveness.

He is only from a merchant family. Although his uncle is a rich merchant in Boston, his social prestige is still poor after all.

And now that he knows, the members of the Freemasonry in North America—only he knows, or semi-publicly—who doesn’t elevate the style of this organization?

think about it.

The head of the headquarters is the Duke of Norfolk, who was a famous family during the War of the Roses.

Acting head of the Great Hotel of England, Viscount Montague.

And in North America, among the already semi-public members of the organization, which one does not have a very high reputation and a real top of society?

Benjamin Franklin, former warden of the North American chapter, at this time the head of the Pennsylvania Grand Regiment.At this time, the Minister of the British North American Postal Department, a scientist.

Jeremiah Grindley, founder of the Boston Bar Association, professor of Harvard Law School, students include John Adams, William Cushing, James Otis... These are barristers who have gained fame in North America in these years , are his disciples.

William Allen, chief justice of the thirteen state supreme courts in North America.

...Even the person closest to him is the respected Joseph Warren, the best doctor in Boston. Plato opened his mouth and closed his mouth Socrates.

Although his family was rich, after all, this time coincided with the first great awakening of the Puritan religious revival.As well as the strong religious atmosphere of the unity of politics and religion in Massachusetts before, even a big businessman family like his is still inferior in traditional social status in Massachusetts.

The first version of the city on the hill, it is clear, is to establish a religious colony, and businessmen are third-class people in Puritan thinking.

Scholars, agricultural workers, and then merchants.

The first-class priests, the second-class self-cultivators and farmers, craftsmen, craftsmen, lawyers, doctors, etc., and the third-class are businessmen who buy low and sell high.

Although it is generally said that those who arrange this kind of scholars, farmers, businessmen and commerce are basically bullshit in the later stage.However, in terms of the overall religious atmosphere and social morality... Hancock and the semi-public Freemasons he heard, such as Franklin and Grindley, are still not as good.

Hancock is certainly excited at the thought of being able to enter such a circle, such an elite, even a high-profile coterie that holds the highest truth and wisdom of mankind.

In excitement, he followed the guide's guidance and walked towards a door.

"On the other side of the door, your brothers are waiting for you, waiting to welcome new members and celebrate the addition of another member to our brothers."

The guide said, pointing to the door.

Then, the oil lamp of the skull at the back went out, and a lot of light shone through the gap in the door.

Hancock couldn't contain his trembling hands, and pushed open the door, imagining the scene inside.

And, most importantly, the people inside.

What kind of people would that be?

What kind of elite would that be?
What kind of high-profile will this mysterious coterie and the coterie I joined be?

Trembling and pushing the door open, Hancock cast his eyes on the people inside.

then……

moment.

He felt physically sick.

It's not because it's filled with horrors like mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

If so, he would be nervous and excited, perhaps mixed with a little fear, but it would not be physically nauseated or want to vomit.

Nor is it because it is a magical, heavenly scene of holy light.If that was the case, he would actually feel the excitement and admiration mixed with a little anxiety and inferiority complex, but it would not be physical nausea and vomiting.

He had imagined what kind of scene he would see.

But everything in front of him was something he had never imagined.

Not because it's unimaginable.

It's because it's too common, so I never thought about it.

Looking at the familiar people, Hancock's stomach turned a little as he thought about the lengthy and mysterious rituals just now.

The people who greeted him inside were too many people whom he saw in his daily life and even looked down on at all.

Paul Levi, the silversmith in this town, is also his brother?Are you more qualified than yourself to join this high-profile coterie?

John Luo, a slave trader, his uncle belittled him more than once when chatting with people, saying that he was a short-sighted villain-it was agreed that the slave would cost 35 yuan, but John Luo dropped fifty cents and sold it for 34 yuan 5.

Ebenezer Mackintosh, a shoemaker, and a bad one at that.He is the leader of the town's unemployed hooligans, and someone describes him as saying that for 10 silver coins, he can lead people into the streets and smash up the rival shops...

Hancock thought that for such a ceremonial initiation ceremony and such a mysterious organization, the people inside must at least be people like Joseph Warren.

Unexpectedly...it turned out to be a group of people he saw often, peed and fought together when he was a child, borrowed money from his house when he grew up, or flattered his uncle whose social status was lower than his.

Hancock thought that after joining the club, everyone was brothers and they were all on the same level.Joseph Warren can bear it, and the rest, such as Franklin, the Attorney General, the President of the Bar Association, the Duke of Norfolk, etc., after joining the club, everyone is equal, and I am the same as them instantly.

But now, it turned out to be such a group of people, a group of people lower than himself...

It is difficult to describe Hancock's mood at this time, or it is difficult to describe his physical nausea at this time.

It's just like……

It's like some people in later generations, after waiting for a long time, or saving up for a long time, finally got a ticket to a high-end club or a high-end restaurant.

I thought that after I entered, my status would be the same as that of the other people who entered the venue, and I was immediately promoted.

So I dressed up carefully, took out my best clothes, and went in with great interest. Just about to pose for a photo, I found a person next to me with slippers and a hurdle vest sitting there.And myself, sitting in the small circle of the same level.

(End of this chapter)