Entered Apprentice Degree

From a Lodge dedicated to the Holy Saint's John.

To learn to subdue my passions and improve myself in Masonry.

I am so taken and accepted among brothers and fellows.

By having been tried, never denied, and willing to be tried again.

By certain signs, a token, a word, and the perfect points of entrance.

Right angles, horizontal, and perpendiculars.

A certain friendly or brotherly grip whereby one Mason may know another in the dark as well as in the light.

I Conceal.

All the secrets of Masons in Masonry to which this token alludes.

The Grip of an Entered Apprentice Mason.

It has.

I did not so receive it, neither will I so impart it.

I will letter it with a brother.

You begin.

O

A

BO

BOAZ

Strength

By the left hand pillar in the porch of King Solomon's Temple.

There are four in number: petrol, manual, Guttural and peddle, alluding to the breast, the hands, the throat, and the feet.

My obligation.

In my heart.

In a room adjoining a regular lodge of free and accepted Masons.

By being divested of all minerals and metals; neither naked nor clothed; barefoot nor shod; hoodwinked; a cable-toe about my neck; left foot, knee and beast bear; in which condition I was conducted to a door.

By first meeting resistance, afterwards gaining admission.

By giving three distinct knocks.

To a certain portion of Scripture: " Ask, and it shall be giving you; Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. "

Who comes here.

Mr. (full name) who is desirous of having and receiving a part of the rights, light, and Benefits of this Worshipful Lodge, erected to God and dedicated to the Holy Saint's John.

If this was an act of my own free will and accord, if I was worthy and well qualified, duly and truly prepared and properly avouched for, all of which being answered in the affirmative, I was then asked by what further rights or benefit I expected to obtain this important privilege.

By being a man, free-born, of lawful age and well recommended.

To wait until the Worshipful Master was informed of my request and his answer returned.

Let him enter and be received in due form.

Upon the point of a sharp instrument, piercing my naked left breast, which was to teach me as that was an instrument of torture to the flesh, so should the recollection of it be to my mind and conscious, should I ever presume to reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry unlawfully.

That as Masons we are taught never to enter upon any great or important undertaking without first invoking the blessing of Deity, I was therefore then conducted to a place near the center of the lodge-room and caused to kneel for the benefit of prayer.

"In all the great trials, troubles and difficulties thru life", In whom I place my trust: my answer being " in God", I was told since in God was my trust, my faith was well founded; was taken by the right hand, ordered to arise, follow my conductor, and fear no danger.

Once regularly about the lodge, then pausing at the stations of the Junior Warden in the South, the Senior Warden in the West, and the Worshipful Master in the East, where the same questions were asked and liked answers returned as at the door, with the addition question from the Worshipful Master, "whence come you, weather traveler"

From the West, Traveling East.

In search of light in Masonry.

That I be reconducted to the Senior Warden in the West, who instructed me how to approach the East in a proper manner.

By advancing one step with my left foot, bring the heal of the right to the hollow of the left, feet forming the angle of a square, body erect, facing East.

That I was now standing before the consecrated Alter of Freemasonry, where it would be necessary for me to taken upon myself a solemn and binding obligation belonging to this decree, but he gave me the assurance that there was nothing therein contained which would conflict with any of my civil, moral, or religious duties or privileges, be they what they may; with that assurance from him, I was still willing to proceed.

He made me an Entered Apprentice Mason.

In due Form.

By kneeling at the Alter on my naked left knee, right extended, forming the angle on a square; left hand supporting the Holy Bible, Square and Compass's; right resting thereon; body erect; facing the Worshipful Master; in which due form I took upon myself the solemn and binding obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason.

I, (full name) of my own free will and accord, in the presence of Almighty God and this Worshipful Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, erected to Him and dedicated to the Holy Saints John, do hereby and hereon, solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will always hele, forever keep and conceal, and never reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry, which have been heretofore, shall at this time or may at any future period be communicated to me, to any person or persons whatsoever, except it be to a true and lawful Brother Mason or within a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, and not unto him or them, until after due trial, strict examination of lawful information, I shall have found him or them justly entitled to receive the same. I furthermore promise and swear that I will not write, indite, print, paint, cut, carve, stamp, stain, mark, dot, or engrave them upon anything movable or immovable under the canopy of Heaven, whereby or whereon a single word, syllable, letter, or character may become legible or intelligible to myself or another, and the secrets of Freemasonry be thereby unlawfully obtained. To all of which I do most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, without any equalcation, mental reservation, or secret evasion of mind in me whatever; binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by the roots and buried in the sands of the sea a cable length from shore where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly, willfully or unlawfully violate or transgress this, my solemn Entered Apprentice Obligation. So Help me God and keep me steadfast.

In token of my sincerity and that I have voluntarily taken upon myself this solemn and binding obligation, to kiss the Holy Bible, open before me.

That I be released from the cable-toe as I was now bound by the strong cord of a moral obligation.

I my present contention, what I most desired.

Light.

I did, by the order of the Worshipful Master, assisted by the Brethren.

To the three Great Lights in Masonry, assisted by representatives of the three Lesser Lights. The three Great Lights in Masonry are the Holy Bible, Square and Compass’s. The Holy Bible is dedicated to the service of God, because it is the insatiable gift of God to Man, and the rule and guide to his faith and practice; the Square to the Worshipful Master, because it is the proper Masonic emblem of his office; and the Compass’s to the Craft, because, by a due attention to their use, we are taught to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions within due bounds towards all mankind especially a Brother Mason. The three Lesser Lights are the Sun, Moon, And Worshipful Master represented by three burning tapers placed in a triangular pattern about the Alter, and are thus explained : as the Sun rules the day and the Moon governs the night, so should the Worshipful Master with equal regularity endeavor to rule and govern the Lodge.

The Worshipful Master approaching me from the East with the step, due-guard and sign of an Entered  Apprentice Mason; who having confidents in my integrity, presented me his right hand in token of friendship and brotherly love, and proceeded to invest me with the grip and word of an Entered  Apprentice Mason. I was ordered to arise and, under direction of the Senior Deacon, go and salute the Junior and Senior Wardens as an Entered Apprentice Mason.

The Worshipful Master approached me from the East a second time for the purpose of presenting me with a lambskin or white leather apron, which he informed me was an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason; more ancient than the Golden Flee or Roman Eagle; more honorable than the Stars and Garter, or any other order that could be conferred upon me at this or any future period by king, prince, potentate or any other persons except he be a Mason. It was hope that I would wear it with pleasure to myself and honor to the Fatuity. I was order to take it to the Senior Warden in the West, who instructed me how to wear it as an Entered Apprentice Mason.

With the flap turned up.

The Working Tools of an Entered Apprentice Mason, which are the twenty-four inch gauge and the common gavel. Twenty-four Inch Gauge is an instrument made use of by operative masons to measure and lay out there work; but we, as Free and Accepted Mason, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts, Is emblematical of the twenty-four hours of the day. Which we are taught to divide into twelve equal parts, whereby are found eight hours for the service of God and a distressed Brother, eight for our usual vocations, and eight for refreshment and sleep. The common gavel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builder’s use; but we as Free and  Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and conscious’s of the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds as living stones, for that spiritual building that house not made with hands – eternal in the Heavens.

In the northeast corner of the Lodge. The Worshipful Master was pleased to say to me that I there stood, as the youngest Entered Apprentice and to all outward appearances, a just and upright man and Mason, and he gave it me strictly in charge, ever to walk and act as such before God and man.

That I be returned to the place whence I came, and there reinvested with that of which I had been divested, and returned to the Lodge for further instructions.