Coach, a great blog about the highest degree in Masonry.
There's a bit of confusion in the Temple though. Are you saying that the Master Mason is a rank and not the last & sublime degree of our Craft system?
I understand your historical lesson that prior to the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, there's a strong likelihood that there was just a two degree system, EA & FC. The MM does appear as an innovation. It's sort of gloss or something added to the picture for whatever purposes these men had but never fully explained and understood by future generations.
Our system seems to have been complete with only the 2 degrees. In fact, the FC degree meshes well the Mark Master account without the necessity of the MM degree. However the MM doesn't naturally blend in except maybe with the introduction of the final working tool, the Trowel.
It's explained that only MMs are given a trowel.
But anyways, i'm understanding where you're coming from historically. But i'm not sure if i can agree with you that after all this time, we should not still consider the MM degree as the final & highest?