Question--What were the preparatory circumstances attending your reception to this illustrious Order? Answer--A Council of Royal Arch Masons being assembled in a room adjacent to the Council chamber, I was conducted to the door, where a regular demand was made by two, three, and two.
Q. What was said to you from within? A. Who comes there?
Q. Your answer? A. Companion A. B., who has regularly received the several degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason, Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch, and now solicits the honor of being regularly constituted a Knight of the Red Cross.
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was asked if it was of my own free will and accord that I made this request; if I was worthy and well qualified; if I had made suitable proficiency in the foregoing degrees, and was properly vouched for; all of which being answered in the affirmative, I was asked by what further right or benefit I expected to gain admittance.
Q. Your answer? A. By the benefit of a pass-word.
Q. Did you give that pass-word? A. I did, with the assistance of my companions. [Here the Royal Arch word is given as described in the Royal Arch degree.]
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then directed to wait with patience till the Most Excellent Prelate should be informed of my request, and his answer returned.
Q. What was his answer? A. Let him be admitted.
Q. What was you then informed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate observed that the Council there assembled represented the Grand Council convened at Jerusalem, in the second year of the reign of Darius, King of Persia, to deliberate on the unhappy state of the fraternity during the reigns of Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus, and to devise some means to obtain favor of the new Sovereign, and to gain his consent to proceed in rebuilding their new city and temple.
Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then informed me if I was desirous of attending the deliberations of the Council at this time, it was necessary that I should assume the name and character of Zerrubbabel, a prince of the house of Judah, whose hands laid the foundation of the second temple, and whose hands the Lord has promised should complete it.