"That is a bold-face slander."
Actually, you're correct. The candle representing Jesus is not snuffed out in the 33rd degree ceremony, but in the Maundy Thursday ceremony of the Scottish rite--
(As described by one participant)"On Thursday evening we gathered at our home Temple and dressed for the ceremony. . .
Dressed in long, black, hooded robes, we marched in, single file, with only our faces partly showing, and took our seats. . .
As I had done so many times before, I said, "We meet this day to commemorate the death of our 'Most Wise and Perfect Master,' not as inspired or divine, for this is not for us to decide, but as at least the greatest of the apostles of mankind." . . .
Once we were assembled at the table, I elevated (lifted high) the plate of bread, took a piece, put my hand on the shoulder of the man in front of me, gave him the plate and said, "Take, eat, and give to the hungry." . . . (i.e., not exactly the words of Jesus about the meaning of the bread. . . .)
There was a large Menorah (candlestick with seven candle holders) in the center of the room, with seven candles now burning.
Standing again, I said, "This is indeed a sad day, for we have lost our Master. We may never see him again. He is dead! Mourn, weep and cry, for he is gone."
Then I asked the officers to extinguish the candles in the large Menorah. One by one they rose, walked to the center of the room, extinguished a selected candle and left the room.
Finally, with only the center candle still burning, I arose, walked sadly to the Menorah and extinguished the last candle - the candle representing the life of Jesus, our "Most Wise and Perfect Master."
Albert Pike's instructions, ‘Instructions’ issued by him, on July 14, 1889, to the 23 Supreme Councils of the world (recorded in A. C. DeLaRive in La Femme et l'Enfante dan la Franc-Macconerie Univeselle page 588)
‘That which we must say to the crowd is — We worship a God, but it is the God that one adores without superstition. To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees . . .
"Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also God. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two Gods: darkness being necessary to light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive.
"In analogical and universal dynamics one can only lean on that which will resist. Thus the universe is balanced by two forces which maintain its equilibrium: the force of attraction and that of repulsion.
"These two forces exit in physics, philosophy and religion. And the scientific reality of the divine dualism is demonstrated by the phenomena of polarity and by the universal law of sympathies and antipathies.
"That is why the intelligent disciples of Zoroaster, as well as, after them, the Gnostics, the Manicheans and the Templars have admitted, as the only logical metaphysical conception, the system of the two divine principles fighting eternally, and one cannot believe the one inferior in power to the other.
"Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophic religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay. . ."
“I do not see how any Christian, most of all a Christian minister, can go into these secret lodges with unbelievers. Do not do evil that good may come. You can never reform anything by unequally yoking yourself with ungodly men.” (Dwight L. Moody)
I thought that was Hiram Abiff.
Being York Rite, and not Scottish Rite, but being Anglican, what you describe sounds an awful lot like the Paschal Service (Good Friday) service.
It is, off course, followed, by the resurrection of Jesus The Christ and the re-lighting of the candle from the one left burning, followed by hymns and praises to the God of Abraham.
Yeah, it is the Pashal (Good Friday) service, being mis-reported or misinterpreted by your author. Remember most American Masons were also Anglican (as was the majority of the populace in the Colonies at the time).
The Tenebrae or Service of Darkness takes place in the evening. It derives its name from the gradual extinguishing of candles and lights at various points in the service. The ensuing darkness is a symbolic recreation of the darkness that covered the land when our Lord died (see Mark 15:33). It also brings to mind the fading life of our Lord as He hung on the cross. Scripture readings and hymns direct the hearts of the people to repent of the sins that made our Lord's crucifixion necessary. The last remaining candle (representing Jesus) is carried out of the chancel or extinguished. The Service of Darkness ends with the strepitus, a sudden loud noise caused by the slamming of a book or door. The strepitus symbolizes the tumultuous earthquake that accompanied the Lord's death (see Matthew 27:46-53) and the shutting of the tomb when He was interred. It also foreshadows the breaking of the tomb at the Resurrection described in Matthew 28:2. The Christ candle is then relit or returned to the altar as a reminder to the worshippers that even in the midst of death and darkness our Lord was not defeated by the devil, but rose in triumph on Easter morning. The people then disperse in silence.
You are of course aware that the candles in Christian Churches are snuffed out on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday depending on the denomination/liturgical tradition - it's called Tenebrae. The Church sanctuary is darkened, the textiles removed, etc. Hardly anti-Christian - but rather commemorating in symbol the death of the Savior.
"Slander, Lies, Ignorance and Defamation - Anti-Masons strongsuit since the 1700's."