Well actually C.T. Russel gave a sermon in a Masonic Temple called "The Temple Of God". In this heretical sermon C.T. Russel goes on to say the following statements exerpted from his blasphemous sermon:
Yes, a thousand years for the blessing of the world through this great
Temple that God is preparing. A thousand years during which
these Knights Templar are to scatter blessings to all the families
of the earth. We may not wear our white feathers now, but we
will have all white raiment by and by. "They shall walk with
Him in white, for they are worthy."
And he said:
I wonder how many of us here present have taken the first step,
the first degree? I wonder how many have gone on to take the
second and third degrees? I wonder how many have come into
Knighthood--shall I say?--to be Knights Templar?
And he even said this:
That is getting up to one of the high degrees, to be leaders in the Church
of Christ, to be Knights Templar, to be amongst those who are
special functionaries in any matter pertaining of the interests of
the Temple, and know most about the things of the Temple.
You know that in these orders of Masonry, as they progress
from one step to another, they learn more and more, and there
are Masons in the thirty-second degree that know a great many
things that Masons of the fourteenth or sixteenth plane would
not know. And those on the fourteenth plane know a great deal
more than those down in the third degree. It is a matter of
increased knowledge.