As the Senior Deacon and candidate pass the different stations of the officers, they (the officers) sound their gavels as follows; when they pass the Junior Warden in the south the first time, he gives one rap (), Senior Warden one rap, and Worshipful Master one rap; the second time, .Junior Warden two raps, Senior Warden two raps, and Worshipful Master two raps (); the third time round, Junior Warden three raps (), Senior. The Senior Deacon then conducts the candidate to the Senior Warden in the west, and reports: S. D.--Brother Senior Warden, it is the orders of the Worshipful Master that you teach this candidate to approach the east, the place of further light in Masonry, by three upright, regular steps, his body erect at the altar before the Worshipful Master in the east. A. The Worshipful Master approaching me from the east, under the duegard of a Master Mason, who, in token of further continuance of his brotherly love and favor, presented me with his right hand, and with it the pass and token of the pass of a Master Mason, and ordered me to arise and salute the Junior and Senior Wardens as such. Let us emulate his amiable and virtuous conduct, his unfeigned piety to his God, his inflexible integrity to his trust; and as the evergreen that bloomed at the head of the grave be. The ruffians buried the body 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 made their escape. 30 WM: As further evidence that all present are Master Masons, receive the pass-word from the Senior SW: (S) Worshipful Master. The body was then carried to the Temple for a more decent burial, and was interred in due form. My brother of Tyre, what shall we do? Thus we find that "Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the Lord." It was his usual practice at high twelve, while the Craft were called from labor to refreshment, to enter into the unfinished Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies of the Temple, and there to offer up his adorations to Deity, and there to draw his designs on the trestle-board. We have several, and they are divided into two classes. Part of the fun of masonry is finding these patterns as you memorize the ritual words.The author touches on this as much as he is able to in the untyled forum of a book available to the public while still maintaining masonic secrets, and there are no spoilers that would make lower degree masons avoid this book. reflect with horror on the atrocity of your crime, and on the amiable character of your Worshipful Grand Master, whom you have so basely assassinated. Captain--The sooner the better! One of the brothers now takes off the jewel from the candidate's neck, and all repair to the Master's seat in the east, and report: Answer--A westerly course, where our weary brother sat down to rest and refresh himself. Thus, in the thirty-second, or Degree of Prince of the Royal Secret, according to the Continental nomenclature, the following analogies are p. 147 explained: "The symbolical mystery of the death of (Hiram Abiff) represents that of the Messiah; for the three (blows) which were given to him at the three gates of (the Temple) allude to the three points of condemnation against Christ at three separate places, viz. Very well made and achieved. or Best Offer. blessed be God, we pause not our feet at the first or second step; but, true to our principles, look forward for greater light. p. 118. 1 "What means this acacia coming up so easily? Second Ruffian--Then let us flee into the interior parts of the country, and avoid being taken as long as possible. He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. In the mean time, the canvas is slipped out of the Lodge, and as the Master commences to give or whisper the word in the candidate's ear, some one of the brethren slips off the hoodwink, and this is the first time he has seen light, probably, in an hour. Let him enter, and be received in due form. A candidate for the sublime Degree of a Master Mason is generally (as in the preceding Degrees) prepared by the Junior Deacon and the two Stewards, or some other brethren acting as such. "This is an . Let him enter in the name of God, and be received in due and ancient form. At this time, the twelve Fellow Crafts, who had recanted from their murderous designs, appeared before King Solomon, clothed in white gloves and aprons, in token of their innocence, acknowledging their premeditated guilt, and humbly imploring his pardon. : Mah-Hah-Bone, which is given on the five points of fellowship, and in low breath. 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. (Scottish Rite 1st - 32nd 'Degree' Explanations), 'Masonic Ritual for use by The Most paragraph 6. Her tomb was in the rubbish and filth cast forth from the Temple, and acacia waved its branches over her monument. And Dalcho observes that the interpolated word is not to be found in any language that ever was used. Members of the Lodge, in the act of holding the canvas to catch the candidate. It is the general belief (and it would be readily inferred from most exposures of Masonry) that a candidate is knocked down with a large setting-maul kept for that purpose, but no reasonably sane person would for one moment entertain any such idea of the ceremony of making a Master Mason. Our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, was found to be missing on the following day; his absence was discovered by there being no designs drawn on the trestle-board. oftheStateofMaine!!!! 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. --Nothing, Worshipful (some say), in the west. The "work" in Minnesota and New York is strongly impregnated with what is called, among Masons, "Morganry"--very similar to the disclosures of Morgan and Richardson--so much so, that many Masters purchase these publications for their instruction in their duties and in the ritual. Ritual and Monitor, by Malcolm C. Duncan [1866] in When the candidate is prepared, the Deacon takes him by the left arm, leads him up to the door of the Lodge, and gives three loud, distinct knocks. . Junior Warden, one. Why are they not at work as usual? "The pillar of Wisdom represents Solomon, King of Israel, whose wisdom contrived the mighty fabric; the pillar of Strength, Hiram, king of Tyre, who strengthened Solomon in his grand undertaking; the pillar of Beauty, Hiram Abiff, the widow's son, whose cunning craft and curious workmanship beautified and adorned the Temple. W. M.--Brother Gabe, the second section of this degree exemplifies an instance of virtue, fortitude, and integrity seldom equalled, if ever excelled, in the history of man. The Master, who ordered me to the Senior Warden in the West, who taught me how to wear my apron as a Master Mason. The three Fellow Crafts who persisted in their murderous designs, knowing this to be his usual practice, placed themselves at the south, west, and east gates of the inner courts of the Temple, and there awaited his return. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee; thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; turn from him that he may rest, till he shall accomplish his day. They roll the canvas around and over the candidate where he fell, which is in the east or northeast corner of the Lodge, and, for a few moments, retire, when the Lodge becomes still as the hour of midnight; not a sound is permitted to be made; all go--if at all--from place to place on tiptoe. THE ceremony of opening and conducting the business of a Lodge of Master Masons is nearly the same as in the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Crafts' Degrees, already explained. A. After being taught how to wear your apron as a Master Mason, how were you then disposed of? step, due-guard, sign, grip and word of an Entered. --Brother Gabe, I presume you now consider yourself a Master Mason, and, as such, entitled to all the privileges of a Master Mason, do you not? 299-300. The Rough Ashlar is the stone taken from the quarry in its rude and natural state The Perfect Ashlar is the stone prepared by the workmen, to be adjusted by the working tools . The Senior Deacon steps to the altar, takes the compasses, repairs to the door, opens it, and says: S. D.--Let him enter, and be received in due form. A. (G.M.'S decision #186, page 424, of the 1894 proceedings.) Some Lodges use a large drum, others roll a large cannon-ball across the ante-room floor, letting it strike on a cushion placed against the wall. A. Worldly possession.--Dr. 18.) He can study the . 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. Master takes off his hat, and repeats the following prayer: "May the blessing of Heaven rest upon us, and all regular Masons; may brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue cement us. A. I was ordered to be returned to the place from whence I came, and reinvested of what I had been divested of, and wait the Worshipful Master's will and pleasure. Craftsman--We will go in pursuit of them; they are the fellows we want. (pdf), Masonry of Adoption: (Masonic Rituals for Women) K. S.--Arise, you twelve Fellow Crafts, divide yourselves into parties and travel--three east, three north, three south, and three west--with others whom I shall appoint, in search of the ruffians. If this Certification is to be respected and sought after as a mark of accomplishment, we must insist that those who . It is King Solomon's orders that the several rolls be called, and report made as soon as possible. WM: Attend to that duty and inform the Tyler that I am about to open a Lodge of Entered Apprentices, and direct him to tyle . time, pushing him backward, brings the candidate's heels against the edge of the canvas, trips him up, and the candidate falls upon his back, caught in the canvas clear of the floor, unharmed, but, in many instances, badly frightened. The Barney "work" is that adopted by the Baltimore Convention. that my breast had been torn open, my heart plucked out, and placed upon the highest pinnacle of the Temple, there to be devoured by the vultures of the air, ere I had consented to the death of so good a man as our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. SYMBOLISM OF THE DEGREE. 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. This canvas is usually held behind the candidate, in an inclined position, by some of the brethren, and is for the purpose of catching him when he is tripped up by the assumed ruffian, Jubelum. (Pronounced by the conductor--Tubal Cain.) Conductor--Cain. The Ruffian gives the candidate a brush across the throat with his right hand, and at the same time relinquishes his hold with his left, steps quietly to one side, and permits the conductor and candidate td pass on to the Senior Warden's station in the west, which is done by the conductor advancing very rapidly, pulling the candidate along with him. of!the!! with hands, eternal in the heavens," where no discordant voice shall be heard, but all the soul shall experience shall be perfect bliss, and all it shall express shall be perfect praise, and love divine shall ennoble every heart, and hallelujahs exalted employ every tongue. witnessed the Light at this Degree before. At the revival in 1717, they were called setting-tool, setting maul, and setting-beetle; later in the century, it was the twenty-four-inch gauge, square, and gavel; then the setting-tool, square, and rule; and now the plumb-rule, square, and strong or heavy maul.--The Freemason's Treasury, p. 306. it. Seven; one Master and six Entered Apprentices. Wm. W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, it is my orders that this Lodge be now closed, and stand closed until our next regular communication (barring emergency), when all, or a suitable number, shall have due and timely notice. The next ceremony was to p. 114 tear the breast open and pluck out the heart, and if there were the least imperfection, the body would be considered unclean. A. How came he to be assassinated at that hour? Reader, I have given you the whole of the first three Degrees in Masonry. Conductor here instructs candidate to pass his thumb from the second joint to space beyond, which is the second space. W. M.--Brother Gabe, you are not yet a Master Mason, neither do I know that you ever will be, until I know how well you will withstand the amazing trials and dangers that await you. Ruffian--Give me the secrets of a Master Mason! "All this I most solemnly, sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steady resolution to perform the same, without any hesitation, mental reservation, or secret evasion of mind what-ever, binding myself, under no less penalty than that of having my body severed in two,1 my bowels taken from thence and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered before the four winds of heaven, that no more remembrance might be had of so vile and wicked a wretch as I would be, should I ever, knowingly, violate this my Master Mason's obligation. It describes ceremonies, including the those used for the three major initiations and the burial rite. (Hiram Abiff) to retire to the Most Holy Place, to draw his plans and designs, and offer up his orisons, &c. But flow could this be accomplished before the Sanctum Sanctorum was built. S. W.--As the sun rises in the east, to open and govern the day, so rises the Worshipful Master in the east (here the Master gives three raps (), when all in the Lodge rise to their feet, the Master rising first), to open and govern his Lodge, set the Craft to work, and give them proper instructions. Brother Senior Warden. No designs are drawn on the trestle-board, and for this reason many of us are idle. One of his companions exclaims: "I am tired, too!" Amen. 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. Now, as in p. 138 the former case, this arrangement would be impossible before the pillars were erected or the Middle Chamber built: and if it he pretended that any such plan was adopted after they were finished, the tragic drama could not be true because it professes to have been enacted before the Temple was completed. 12, p. and satisfy them that I was in possession of the. The brethren now all kneel around the body on one knee. They would fail to become proficient in the required memory work. Both points of the compasses are elevated above the square, which is to teach you never to lose sight of those truly Masonic virtues, which are friendship, morality, and brotherly love. Our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, having finished his usual exercises, attempted to retire at the south gate, where he was accosted by Jubela, who thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, or the Master's word; and, on being refused, gave him a blow with the twenty-four-inch gauge across the throat, upon which he fled, and attempted to pass out at the west gate, where he was accosted by Jubelo, who, in like manner, thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, or the Master's word; and, on his being refused, gave him a blow with a square across his breast, upon which he fled, and attempted to make his escape out at the east gate, where he was accosted by Jubelum, who, in like manner, thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master .Mason, or the Master's word: and, on his being refused, gave him a violent blow with a setting-maul, on his forehead, which felled him dead on the spot. J. D. (makes sign.) J. D.--He has it not, but I have it for him. 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. i. They travelled as before, and after fifteen days of weary travel and hardships, one of the brethren, being more weary than the rest, sat down on the brow of a hill, west of Mount Moriah, to rest and refresh himself, and, on attempting to rise, caught hold. Candidate. We three should like to take a passage with you. 9, p. 36), and then lets his hand slip off in a careless manner, and reports: "Most Worshipful King Solomon, owing to the high state of putrefaction, it having been dead already fifteen days, the skin slips, and the body cannot be raised.". "5th. "Further, that I will not sit in a Lodge of clandestine-made Masons, nor converse on the subject of Masonry with a clandestine-made Mason, nor one who has been expelled or suspended from a Lodge, while under that sentence, knowing him or them to be such. W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, do you know of any thing further before this Lodge of Masons previous to closing? Upon which the three Fellow Crafts rush forward over benches and chairs, and secure the ruffians in no very gentle manner, and lead them to the Worshipful Master's seat in the east, when one of them reports to the Master: "Most Worshipful King Solomon, I, being one who pursued a westerly course, and, on my return, after several days of fruit-less search, being more weary than my companions, sat down on the brow of a hill to rest and refresh myself; and, on rising, accidentally caught hold of a sprig of acacia,1 which, easily giving way, excited my suspicions. W. M. (looking conductor in the eye.) Foot to foot--that you will never hesitate to go on foot, and out of your way, to assist and serve a worthy brother. These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. Behold! of such, and not unto him or them until by due. The Freemasons Are the Oldest Fraternal Organization in the World. It is very true, we have been associated with these three ruffians, but we have not committed any actual crime". Behold! Each Grand Lodge has a "work" of its own, which is taught the subordinate Lodges annually by its Grand Lecturer. , worshipful master, senior warden, king solomon, fellow craft, tracing board, solemn obligation, great architect, master mason, middle chamber, junior warden Collection . S. W. (now styled J. G. W.)--Most Worshipful King Solomon, there is no work laid out for us, and it is said we can have none. 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. I was conducted to the Master in the East, who then presented me with the working tools of a Master Mason, and taught me their uses. J. W. (makes the same sign as the Senior Warden.) Third Ruffian--Let us secrete ourselves until night and steal a small boat and put to sea. Here, too, one may easily discover the visual, in terms of a sequence; memorizing accordingly. 18.) And immediately one of the most intelligent brethren stations himself at the door of the ante-room, and when those who have been acting the part of the ruffians approach him, the following colloquy ensues: First Ruffian--Hallo, friend! xxxiv. right hand in token of friendship and brotherly love, and invested me with the grip and word, ordered. that my body had been severed in two, my bowels taken from thence," &c., &c. (See p. 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. The Third Degree is said to be the height of Ancient Free-masonry, and the most sublime of all the Degrees in Masonry (Royal Arch not even excepted); and when it is conferred, the Lodge is generally well filled with the members of the Lodge and visiting brethren. (See Note P, page 272. .18); as if they would say--Thus let it be done to him, and thus let his body be cut in two, who shall break this covenant. First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. The Master gives one rap with his gavel, when all take their seats except the candidate, who remains standing before the Master, by whom he is addressed as follows: W. M.--Brother Gabe, in closing this Degree, I now give you the following. A momentary silence then ensues, during which one of the party groans, as if nearly dying. . Let him enter, and be received in due form. Proficient in the Uniform Work of the Master Mason Degree, in all chairs, including Lectures and Charge. They repaired to the grave, when King Solomon ordered one of the Fellow Crafts to take the body by the Entered Apprentice grip, and see if it could be raised; but, on account of its high state of decomposition, it could not be raised--the flesh cleaved from the bone. Ruffian--Give me the secrets of a Master Mason, or I will take your life! ii. That is strictly forbidden; so you may set your minds at rest. Seraphs of celestial wing, To our funeral altar come: Waft this friend and brother home. UNIFORM FLOOR WORK GENERAL RULES APRON: The apron shall be worn over the outer garment. How did the Junior Warden dispose of you? --Historical Landmarks, vol. 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. 18.) Senior Warden, one. A. Sec.--Assemble, Craftsmen! Approaching the candidate, another replies: "Yes, this is the place; let us remove the rubbish and dig down here. Our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, was slain at high twelve. Whence I came, and wither I was traveling. "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.
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