mysteries-of-freemasonry-1880-william-morgan.pdf

THE

Mysteries of Freemasonry

CONTAINING

ALL THE DEGREES OF THE ORDER CONFERRED

IN A MASTER'S LODGE,

AS WRITTEN BY

CAPTAIN WILLIAM MORGAN.

All the Degrees Conferred in the Royal Arch Chapter and

Grand Encampment of Knights Templars—Knights

of the Red Cross—of the Christian Mark—and

of the Holy Sepulchre.

ALSO

The Eleven Ineffable Degrees Conferred in the Lodge of Perfection—and the

still higher degrees of Prince of Jerusalem—Knights of the East and

West—Venerable Grand Masters of Symbolic Lodges—Knights

and Adepts of the Eagle or Sun—Princes of the Royal

Secret—Sovereign Inspector General, etc.

Revised and Corrected to Correspond with the Most Approved

Forms and Ceremonies in the Various Lodges of Free-Masons

Throughout the United States.

By GEORGE R. CRAFTS,

Formerly Thrice Puissant Grand Master of Manitou Council, N.Y.

[Pg 3]

MORGAN'S EXPOSE OF FREEMASONRY.

C EREMONIES OF O PENING A L ODGE OF E NTERED A PPRENTICE M ASONS .

One rap calls the Lodge to order; one calls up the Junior and Senior Deacons; two raps

call up the subordinate officers; and three, all the members of the Lodge.

The Master having called the Lodge to order, and the officers all seated, the Master

says to the Junior Warden, "Brother Junior, are they all Entered Apprentice Masons in

the South?" He answers, "They are, Worshipful." Master to the Senior Warden, "Brother

Senior, are they all Entered Apprentice Masons in the West?" He answers, "They are,

Worshipful." The Master then says, "They are in the East;" at the same time he gives a

rap with the common gavel, or mallet, which calls up both Deacons. Master to Junior

Deacon, "Attend to that part of your duty, and inform the Tyler that we are about to open

a Lodge of Entered Apprentice Masons; and direct him to tyle accordingly." The Tyler

then steps to the door and gives three raps, which are answered by three from without;

the Junior Deacon then gives one, which is also answered by the Tyler with one; the door

is then partly opened, and the Junior Deacon delivers his message and resumes his

situation, and says, "The door is tyled, Worshipful" (at the same time giving the due-

guard, which is never omitted when the Master is addressed). The Master to the Junior

Deacon, "By whom?" He answers, "By a Master Mason without the door, armed with the

proper implements of his office." Master to the Junior Deacon, "His duty there?" He

answers, "To keep off all cowans and eave-droppers, see that none pass or repass without

permission from the Master." [Some say without permission from the chair.] Master to

Junior Deacon, "Brother Junior, your place in the Lodge?" He answers, "At the right

hand of the Senior Warden in the West." Master to Junior Deacon, "Your business there,

Brother Junior?" He answers, "To wait on the Worshipful Master and Wardens, act as

their proxy in the active duties of the Lodge, and take charge of the door." Master to

Junior Deacon, "The Senior Deacon's place in the Lodge?" He answers, "At the right

hand of the Worshipful Master in the East." [The Master, while asking the last question,

gives two raps, which call up all the subordinate officers.] Master to Senior Deacon,

"Your duty there, Brother Senior?" He answers, "To wait on the Worshipful Master and

Wardens, act as their proxy in the active duties of the Lodge, attend to the preparation

and introduction of candidates—and welcome and clothe all visiting brethren." [i.e.,

furnish them with an apron.] Master to Senior Deacon, "The Secretary's place in the

Lodge, Brother Senior?" He answers, "At the left hand of the Worshipful Master in the

East." Master to the Secretary, "Your duty [Pg 4] there, Brother Secretary?" He answers,

"The better to observe the Worshipful Master's will and pleasure, record the proceedings

of the Lodge; transmit a copy of the same to the Grand Lodge, if required; receive all

moneys and money-bills from the hands of the brethren, pay them over to the Treasurer,

and take his receipt for the same." The Master to the Secretary, "The Treasurer's place in

the Lodge?" He answers, "At the right hand of the Worshipful Master." Master to the

Treasurer, "Your duty there, Brother Treasurer?" He answers, "Duly to observe the

Worshipful Master's will and pleasure; receive all moneys and money-bills from the

hands of the Secretary; keep a just and true account of the same; pay them out by order of

the Worshipful Master and consent of the brethren." The Master to the Treasurer, "The

Junior Warden's place in the Lodge, Brother Treasurer?" He answers, "In the South,

Worshipful." Master to Junior Warden, "Your business there, Brother Junior?" He

answers, "As the sun in the South at high meridian, is the beauty and glory of the day, so

stands the Junior Warden in the South the better to observe the time; call the crafts from

labor to refreshment; superintend them during the hours thereof; see that none convert the

hours of refreshment into that of intemperance or excess; and call them on again in due

season, that the Worshipful Master may have honor, and they pleasure and profit

thereby." Master to the Junior Warden, "The Senior Warden's place in the Lodge?" He

answers, "In the West, Worshipful." Master to the Senior Warden, "Your duty there,

Brother Senior?" He answers, "As the sun sets in the West, to close the day, so stands the

Senior Warden in the West, to assist the Worshipful Master in opening his Lodge; take

care of the jewels and implements; see that none be lost; pay the craft their wages, if any

be due; and see that none go away dissatisfied." Master to the Senior Warden, "The

Master's place in the Lodge?" He answers, "In the East, Worshipful." Master to the

Senior Warden, "His duty there?" He answers, "As the sun rises in the East to open and

adorn the day, so presides the Worshipful Master in the East to open and adorn his

Lodge; set his crafts to work with good and wholesome laws, or cause the same to be

done." The Master now gives three raps, when all the brethren rise, and the Master,

taking off his hat, proceeds as follows: "In like manner so do I, strictly forbidding all

profane language, private committees, or any other disorderly conduct whereby the peace

and harmony of this Lodge may be interrupted while engaged in its lawful pursuits, under

no less penalty than the by-laws, or such penalty as a majority of the brethren present

may see fit to inflict. Brethren, attend to giving the signs." [Here Lodges differ very

much. In some they declare the Lodge open, as follows, before they give the sign.] The

Master (all the brethren imitating him) extends his left arm from his body, so as to form

an angle of about forty-five degrees, and holds his right hand traversely across his left,

the palms thereof one inch apart. This is called the first sign of a Mason—is the sign of

distress in this degree, and alludes to the position a candidate's hands are placed in when

he takes the obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason. The Master then draws his right

hand across his throat, the hand open, with the thumb [Pg 5] next to the throat, and drops it

down by his side. This is called the due-guard of an Entered Apprentice Mason (many

call it the sign), and alludes to the penalty of an obligation. The Master then declares the

Lodge opened in the following manner:—"I now declare the Lodge of Entered

Apprentice Masons duly opened for the dispatch of business." The Senior Warden

declares it to the Junior Warden, and he to the brethren. "Come, brethren, let us pray."

P RAYER . —Most holy and glorious God! the great Architect of the Universe: the giver

of all good gifts and graces. Thou hast promised that "Where two or three are gathered

together in Thy name, Thou wilt be in the midst of them, and bless them." In Thy name

we assemble, most humbly beseeching Thee to bless us in all our undertakings, that we

may know and serve Thee aright, and that all our actions may tend to Thy glory, and our

advancement in knowledge and virtue. And we beseech Thee, O Lord God, to bless our

present assembling; and to illumine our minds through the influence of the Son of

Righteousness, that we may walk in the Light of Thy countenance; and when the trials of

our probationary state are over, be admitted into the temple not made with hands, eternal

in the heavens. Amen. So mote it be.

A NOTHER P RAYER .—Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell

together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the

beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of

Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountain of Zion, for there the Lord

commanded the blessing, evermore. Amen. So mote it be. [This prayer is likewise used

on closing the Lodge.]

The Lodge being now open and ready to proceed to business, the Master directs the

Secretary to read the minutes of the last meeting, which naturally brings to view the

business of the present. If there are any candidates to be brought forward, that is the first

business attended to. [1]

C EREMONIES OF THE A DMISSION AND I NITIATION OF A C ANDIDATE IN THE F IRST D EGREE

OF F REEMASONRY .

At the first regular communication after the candidate has petitioned for admission, if

no objection has been urged against him, the Lodge proceeds to a ballot. One black ball

will reject a candidate. The boxes [Pg 6] may be passed three times. The Deacons are the

proper persons to pass them; one of the boxes has black and white beans or balls in it, the

other empty; the one with the balls in it goes before and furnishes each member with a

black and white ball; the empty box follows and receives them. There are two holes in

the top of this box, with a small tube in each, one of which is black, and the other white,

with a partition in the box. The members put both their balls into this box as their

feelings dictate; when the balls are received, the box is presented to the Master, Senior,

and Junior Wardens, who pronounce clear or not clear, as the case may be. The ballot

proving clear, the candidate (if present) is conducted into a small preparation room

adjoining the Lodge; he is asked the following questions, and gives the following

answers. Senior Deacon to candidate, "Do you sincerely declare, upon your honor before

these gentlemen, that, unbiassed by friends, uninfluenced by unworthy motives, you

freely and voluntarily offer yourself a candidate for the mysteries of Masonry?"

Candidate answers, "I do." Senior Deacon to candidate, "Do you sincerely declare, upon

your honor before these gentlemen, that you are prompt to solicit the privileges of

Masonry, by a favorable opinion conceived of the institution, a desire of knowledge, and

a sincere wish of being serviceable to your fellow-creatures?" Candidate answers, "I do."

Senior Deacon to candidate, "Do you sincerely declare, upon your honor before these

gentlemen, that you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient established usages and

customs of the fraternity?" Candidate answers, "I do." After the above questions are

proposed and answered, and the result reported to the Master, he says, "Brethren, at the

request of Mr. A. B., he has been proposed and accepted in the regular form. I therefore

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