[paragraph continues] Lodge, that they having due and timely notice, may govern themselves accordingly. 14.). of such, and not unto him or them until by due. S. D.--Brother Junior Deacon, is he worthy and well qualified? This latter is accomplished as follows: a canvas, seven feet long and about six feet wide, with five or six strong loops on each side, is produced from a closet or chest in the room; and a buckskin bag, stuffed with hair, about the size of two boxing-gloves, is taken from the same receptacle. W, M.--Is he worthy and well qualified, duly and truly prepared? One of the brethren then replies: "We will go a southwesterly course, and will come up with our brothers." 130.). What! 6, p. 18), and says: Worshipful Master, while engaged in the lawful pursuit of Masonry, there is an alarm at the inner door of our Lodge. sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. "3d. Ruffian--Give me the secrets of a Master Mason, or I will take your life! In one account, the brethren disperse widely, east, west, and south; in another, they keep within hail of each other.--Historical Landmarks, vol. How many constitute an Entered Apprentices' Lodge? 16 and 17, pages 97 and 120; also see Note L, Appendix. Behold! W. M.--Why leave you the west, and travel toward the east! J. W.--Pass. S. D.--By what further right or benefit does he expect to gain admission? This Degree is very lengthy, and to give the lecture at an initiation would take up too much of the night; but if there is time, the Master and Senior Warden usually go through with the first section before closing the Lodge, so that the candidate and brethren may become conversant with it. As the candidate falls into the canvas the brethren lower it to the floor, when the following dialogue ensues between those who held the canvas and the Master, or the brother acting as the Third Ruffian. All eyes are upon the Master. How should a Master Mason wear his apron? This Degree has a reference to the Christian dispensation, when the day of salvation is more fully revealed; atonement is made for sin; and the resurrection from the dead plainly communicated and confirmed by the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Investigation Committee, Grand Lodge of Wisconsin Rituals, Handbooks, 1. A sufficient number of the brethren now take up the body (yet rolled up in the canvas), and, raising it on their shoulders, proceed to carry it around the Lodge, head foremost, three times, in representation of ascending a hill, the last time halting in the west end of the Lodge, nearly in front of the Senior Warden's station, and a little to the right. 115:1 Their real names (if there be any thing real in the whole transaction, which is more than doubtful), as preserved in a subsidiary degree. Is there no hope for the widow's son? [paragraph continues] Warden three raps, and the Worshipful Master three raps. A. It is my orders that strict search be made for him through the apartments of the Temple, and due inquiry made. below--above-- Fill our hearts with truth and love; When dissolves our earthly tie, Take us to thy Lodge on High. A. (Moving off, one says:). When was our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, found to be missing? On the points of the compasses, extended from my naked right to left breast, which was to show that as the vital parts of man are contained within the two points of the Compasses, which are friendship, morality, and Brotherly love. It is a dangerous coast, and we shall be taken; for before this time our escape is discovered, and the sea-coast will be lined with our pursuers. Let me admonish you, in the most serious manner, in reference to the close of life, that, when the cold winter of death shall have passed, and the bright summer morn of the resurrection appears, the Sun of Righteousness shall descend and send forth His angels to collect our ransomed dead; then, if we are found worthy, by the benefit of his "pass" we shall gain a ready admission into that celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides, where we shall see the King In the beauty of holiness, and with him enter into an endless eternity. A. Second Ruffian, Jubelo, generally the S. W. in the west. 18.) I'm the International Master Council of DeMolay and an EA out of Myrtle lodge in Oklahoma City. These implements are both used as will be described hereafter. Yet, O Lord! The drawers are rolled up just above the candidate's knees, and both arms are taken out of his shirt-sleeves, leaving his legs and breast bare. We three should like to take a passage with you. All the business of a "Blue Lodge" (a Lodge of three Degrees) is done in the Lodge while opened on this . We will carry the body a westerly course from the Temple to the brow of the hill west of Mount Moriah, where I have dug a grave due east and west, six feet perpendicular. 1, King Solomon then ordered them to go and assist in raising the body; and it was agreed between him and Hiram, king of Tyre, that as the Master's word was then lost, the first sigh given at the grave, and the first word spoken after the body should be raised, should be used for the regulation of all Masters'. FIG. They buried it in the rubbish of the Temple until low twelve, or twelve at night, when they met by agreement and carried it a westerly course from the Temple, to the brow of a hill west of Mount Moriah, where they buried it in a grave dug due east and west, six feet perpendicular, at the head of which they planted an acacia, in order to conceal it, and that the place might be known, should occasion ever require; and then made their escape. (Gives one rap (), when the Junior Deacon, at the inner door of the Lodge, rises to his feet.) In some Lodges, the brethren on this occasion attire the candidate with a very rich apron and yoke. Worshipful Master gives one rap with his gavel, when the Lodge is closed, and the brethren divest themselves of their regalia, preparatory to returning to their respective homes. Senior Deacon passes on to the west, where the same questions are asked and answered as before, and the Senior Warden suffers them to pass on to the Worshipful Master in the east, where the same questions and answers are repeated. A. (See Fig. Why had you a cable-tow three times around your body? Masonic ritual has appeared in a number of contexts within literature including in "The Man Who Would Be King", by Rudyard Kipling, and War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. 112.) K. S.--You twelve Fellow Crafts will go in search of the body, and, if found, observe whether the Master's word, or a key to it, or any thing that appertains to the Master's Degree, is on or about it. In addition, the triangle is an ancient symbol, and its many forms have various meanings. The Monitor has model speeches and prayers for various occasions, and defines the order of Masonic processions. of an acacia, which easily giving way, excited his curiosity: upon examination they found it to be a grave. W. M.--You will detach your hands and kiss the book. The trowel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to spread the cement, which unites a building into one common mass; but we, as free and accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection, &c., &c. (See Monitor for the balance of this answer, or page 99 of this work.). --The Freemason's Treasury, p. 301. W. M.--Have you any thing to offer, Brother Junior Warden? Senior Warden, one. The beautiful virgin weeping over the broken column denotes the unfinished state of the Temple, likewise the untimely death of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff; the book open before her, that his virtues lay on perpetual record; the sprig of acacia in her right hand, the divinity of the body; the urn in her left, that his ashes were therein safely deposited, under the "Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies," of King Solomon's Temple. what's this?" At high twelve. A. Do good unto all. "A few years afterward, on his return to his brethren in Vermont, he stated to them, as I have been credibly informed and believe, that he found in the Western and Southwestern States different systems of lecturing prevailing, and that, upon presenting Gleason's Lectures to them, they were objected to by the different Grand Masters, who would not sanction his lecturing in their respective jurisdictions, unless he would adopt the lectures then in use among them; that, desiring to pursue his occupation there, he learned the different systems of lecturing existing among them, and made use of his newly acquired knowledge under the sanction of the respective Grand Masters." towards the Master), and says: Brother, you will step off with your left foot one full step, and bring the heel of your right in the hollow of your left foot; now step off with your right foot, and bring the heel of your left in the hollow of your right foot; now step off with your left foot, and bring both heels together. Jubela!! First Ruffian--If such are the regulations, we shall not get a pass at any port, and what will become of us? The Senior Deacon then answers with one rap (), and opens the door. My brother of Tyre, what shall we do? After the signs are gone through with by the whole Lodge, the Master gives one rap with his gavel, which is responded to by the Senior Warden, and then by the Junior Warden, and then again by the Master, one rap. The Lectures Of The Three Degrees In Craft Masonry. Then he would retire at the south gate of the outer courts of the Temple; and, in conformity with the custom of our Grand Master, whose memory we all so reverently adore, we will now retire at the south gate of the Temple. (left to right: Worshipful Master Altar, Candidate. shall be to a worthy Brother Master Mason, or. However, it becomes "real work" when the verbiage must be actually committed to memory - and vocal chord output. Are you a sea-captain? ii. ", Our cause is just; let us rush in and seize them.". The Master approaching me from the East, on the step, under the due guard and penal sign of an Entered Apprentice, who, in token of his Brotherly love and friendship presented me with his right hand, and with it the word and grip of an Entered Apprentice, and bade me arise and salute the Wardens as such. --You will arise, and salute the Junior and Senior Wardens as an obligated Master Mason. --Nothing, Worshipful. Captain--The sooner the better! . ), The Master next calls the candidate's attention to the three grand Masonic pillars, usually delineated on Master's carpet (a. We were sent in haste and on urgent business; there was nothing said about giving us a pass, and we presume it was forgotten, or not deemed necessary. --Grand Master Hiram, I am glad to meet you thus alone. In a just and lawfully constituted Lodge of Master Mason. 6, p. (See Fig. p. 166. W. M.--The password is right. They advance before the Master in the east, and form across the Lodge, when all make the duegard and sign of a Fellow Craft (Figs. and signing your name to the constitution and by-laws--which will then make you a member of this Lodge. ", All now form in a circle around the body, the Master and. 127-130. (Clinches candidate more fiercely.) within the body of a just and duly constituted Lodge. Where the same questions were asked and like answers given as at the door. "I furthermore promise and swear, that I will stand to and abide by all laws, rules, and regulations of the Master Masons' Degree, and of the Lodge of which I may hereafter become a member, as far as the same shall come to my knowledge; and that I will ever maintain and support the constitution, laws, and edicts of the Grand Lodge under which the same shall be holden. In youth, in Entered Apprentices. After being taught to wear your apron as a Master Mason, how were you then disposed of? Rite of Freemasonry Exaltation Ritual, Order 2 Fellow Craft. W. M.--Why in the east, and his duty there? The only alterations which occur in the lectures of each degree are in the commencement. i. 149:1 See Robert Morris's Freemason's Monitor, 1860. "4th. The first paragraph of the Obligation is similar in all three degrees and this portion of the Master Mason Obligation was fairly easy for . And Dalcho observes that the interpolated word is not to be found in any language that ever was used. at the same time pulling up the evergreen--or acacia, as it is styled--at the head of the grave. Brother, be ever mindful of that great change, when we shall be called from labors on earth to that everlasting refreshment in the paradise of God. Treasurer--(See opening ceremony, p. The highest degree that can be obtained in Freemasonry is the Master Mason Degree. By innocence is meant clean thinking and clean living, a loyal obedience to the laws of the Craft and sincere good will one's Brethren. xxxiv. the end of man, and of the aspiring hopes of all faithful Masons? K. S.--Divide yourselves and travel, as before, with positive instructions to find the ruffians, and with as positive assurance that, if you do not, the twelve shall be deemed the murderers, and suffer severally, for the crime committed. The Obligation of a Master Mason that I need to memorize is huge! Phil., p. 232. The Masonic rituals provided here are as practiced under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Nevada . in a loud voice, until he calls that of the First Ruffian, "Jubela! "Three constitute a Lodge of Master Masons--three Master Masons. WM: The first great care of Masons when convened. Breast to breast--that you will ever keep in your breast a brother's secrets, when communicated to and received by you as such, murder and treason excepted. King Solomon, being informed of this, supposed him to be indisposed, and ordered strict search to be made for him through the several apartments of the Temple, and due inquiry made; search and inquiry were accordingly made, but he could not be found. 1 "What means this acacia coming up so easily? W. M.--You will attend to the alarm, and ascertain the cause. Cheek to cheek, or mouth to ear--that you will ever caution and whisper good counsel in the ear of an erring brother, and, in the most friendly manner, remind him of his errors, and aid his reformation, giving him due and timely notice, that he may ward off approaching danger.". After calling a few more names, which are responded to by the brethren, he says: "Jubelo! (Mirror Site), Illustrations of Masonry, by Capt. ), Ruffian--Give me the Master's word, or I will take your life in a moment! Conductor--Cain. . of Royal and Select Masters, Select Master Degree, Order But few Masons take sufficient interest in Masonry to be advanced further, and consequently do not get the password which was lost by the tragical death of Hiram Abiff. The York Rite is a system of Masonic degrees that is spread out between four organizations: the Symbolic Lodge, the Royal Arch Chapter, the Cryptic Council, and the Commandery of Knights Templar. Ruffian--The very port to which we wish to go. You will pass on to the Senior Warden's station in the west, for his examination. &c., &c.; the third was the voice of Jubelum, exclaiming, "Oh! (i.e. It was, by fifteen Fellow Crafts, who, seeing the Temple about to be completed, and being desirous of obtaining the secrets of a Master Mason, whereby they might travel in foreign countries, work, and receive Master's wages, entered into a horrid conspiracy to extort them from our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, or take his life; but, reflecting with horror on the atrocity of the crime, twelve of them recanted; the other three persisted in their murderous designs. --What is that? The missing word was found, after four hundred and seventy years, and was then, and still is, used in the Royal Arch Degree, as will be seen in the ceremonies of that Degree. the Masons) in pdf, Duncan's Masonic Brethren on the right and left, and communicate it in the East. 5, 6, pp. I hold in my hand an instrument of death; therefore, give me the Master's word, or I will take your life in a moment! Jubelum!!!" By the order of the Master and the assistance of the Brethren. It should be remarked here, that there is a similar column on the Senior Warden's desk, which is always placed in a horizontal position (i.e., turned down on its side) when the Junior Warden's column is up, and vice vers. K. S.--.Jubelo, you also stand accessory to the death of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. By demonstrating your commitment at meetings and studying Masonic symbolism, you can earn the 2nd degree of Masonry, called Fellowcraft, and finally the 3rd degree. In order that I might receive a Masters' wages, and be the better enabled to support myself and family, and contribute to the relief of poor, distressed Master Mason, their widows and orphans. The motives of emigrants were various - to work (or alternatively not to work), to escape an old society or build a new one, to acquire riches, or, as early colonists in New England expressed it, to secure a 'competencie'5 - but they all faced the same challenge of moving from the known to the unknown, and of coming to terms with an . As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, so man lieth down, and riseth not up till the heavens shall be no more. Answer--We have murdered our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. 7, p. 18.) The Jewish law had degenerated into a mass of rottenness and corruption:--piety, which planned the Temple at Jerusalem, was expunged; the reverence and adoration due to the Divinity was buried in the filth and rubbish of the world; and religion and morality were scattered to the four winds of heaven. What induced you to become a Master Mason? (See Figs. 1, The "work," or rather the lectures in the several degrees of Masonry, more especially in the first three degrees (masonically termed the Blue Degrees, or Blue Lodge), differ so much in each State that it would be a difficult thing to get exactly at the proper responses to some of the Masonic interrogatories. Q. 112:1 The system of Freemasonry, as practised in different countries and at different periods, is not uniform on this subject; and I feel so little at liberty to bring forward evidence on such a delicate point, that I am afraid it will he impossible to place it clearly before the brethren. J. W. (making sign.) 138:1 Our traditions further say, that the time when this celebrated use went into the H. of H. (Holy of Holies) to offer up his orisons to God, at the hour of H (high) twelve, the Ark of the Covenant had not been removed thither, for that took place at the dedication, after which no one was permitted to enter but the H. P. (High Priest), and he only ours a year, on the great day of expiation, at which time he had a string or belt around his waist, which extended into the court of the tabernacle, that he might be drawn forth from the S. S. (Sanctum Santorum) in case sudden death should occur while he officiated there.--Historical Land-marks, vol. A. In this state of darkness and despair she lay until the Saviour came, instituted the five points of Christian fellowship, and raised her from the dust, in which she had been indecently interred, to a more glorious inheritance."--Theo. I would remark here, that in some Lodges the Master does not make the sign of distress first at the body, but only gives the sign of a Master Mason, which is done by drawing the right hand across the body, with the thumb inward. First Ruffian--We cannot make our escape in that way. The Worshipful Master, who ordered me to the Senior Warden in the west, who taught me how to wear my apron as a Master Mason. Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge', The Degree Rituals of the Northern At this command the Secretary passes out of the Lodge, accompanied by ten or fifteen of the brethren, into the ante-room, leaving the door open, so that the candidate can hear the rolls called. [paragraph continues] Lodges, until future generations should find out the right one. The candidate enters the Lodge of the Master Mason in darkness, for he has not. J. W.--The password is right. W. M.--You will attend to that part of your duty, and inform the Tyler that we are about to close this Lodge, and direct him to tyle accordingly. You will remember you promised us, that when the Temple was completed, we should receive the secrets of a Master Mason, whereby we might travel in foreign countries, work, and receive Master's wages. The "work" known among Masons as the "Webb Work,". If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. On being brought to more light, what did you first discover more than you had heretofore done? A. The following appears to be the proper way:--After the candidate gets up from the altar, the conductor should lead him from the altar direct to the Junior Warden's station in the south. "This report of the committee was accepted and adopted by the Grand Lodge, and Brother Barney, provided with the recommendation thus obtained, visited many of the Lodges of the State, and imparted to them a knowledge of these lectures. Captain--I should be glad of your company. no pass. Thus you will render yourself deserving of the honor which we have conferred, and merit the confidence we have reposed. As they approach the west, the Senior Warden steps out as did the Junior Warden, facing the candidate, and, clinching him by the collar more roughly than the Junior Warden, exclaiming as follows: S. W. (Second Ruffian.) When all has been again quiet in the Lodge for a few seconds, the brethren jump up, commence laughing, singing, &c., exclaiming: No work to-day. Jubela! Shield and defend us from the evil intentions of our enemies, and support us under the trials and afflictions we are destined to endure, while travelling through this vale of tears. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. (They now pass to the pass grip of a Master Mason. Thus, when dissolution draws nigh, and the cold winds of death come sighing around us, and his chilly dews already glisten on our foreheads, with joy shall we obey the summons of the Grand Warden of Heaven, and go from our labors on earth to everlasting refreshments in the Paradise of God. In a way, the Masonic ritual represents the rebirth of man. S. D.--Brother Gabe, is it of your own free-will and accord? Degree, Order of Royal and Select Masters, Super-Excellent Master B. divided the operatives the three classes, viz., Apprentices, Fellow Crafts, and Masters; paying the wages of the former at the pillar of J (Jachin), and the Masters in the Middle Chamber. Besides, when a work is nearly completed, the necessity of Plans and designs ceases altogether. ), The Master steps to the feet of the candidate, bending over, takes him by the real grip of a Master Mason, places his right foot against the candidate's. It is very singular, that, a man so celebrated as Hiram Abiff was, universally acknowledged as the third most distinguished man then living, and, in many respects, the greatest man in the world, should pass from off the stage of action, in the presence of King Solomon, three thousand three hundred grand overseers, and one hundred and fifty thousand workmen, with whom he had spent a number of years, and with King Solomon, his bosom friend, without any of his numerous confrres even recording his death, or any thing, A Master Masons' Lodge is styled by the Craft the "Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies, of King Solomon's Temple," and when the Lodge is opened on this Degree, both points of the compasses are elevated above the square.