Master Mason Catechism

I am

My Obligation

That I might travel, work, and receive Master wages, the better to enable me to support myself and family, and contribute to the relief of worthy distressed Brother Master Masons, their widows and orphans.

In a room adjoining a regular Lodge of Master Masons.

By being divested of all metals and minerals, neither naked nor clothed; barefoot nor shod; hoodwinked; a cable-toe three times around my body; left foot; both knees and both breast bare; clothed as a Fellow Craft; in which condition I was conducted to a door and caused to give three distinct knocks.

Who comes here?

Bro ________, who has been regularly initiated an Entered Apprentice; passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft; and now seeks further light in Masonry by being raised to the sublime Degree of Master Mason.

If this was still an act of my on free will and accord; if I was still worthy and well qualified; duly and truly prepared and properly avouched for; and if I have made suitable proficiency in the preceding degrees to entitle me to this; all of which being answered in the affirmative, I was then asked, by what further right or benefit I expected to obtain this important privilege?

By benefit of the pass.

I had it not, my conductor had it for me.

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 both points of the Compasses, extended from my naked left to right breast, which was to teach me that as the vital parts of man are within the breast, so also the most vital tenants of Freemasonry contained between the extended points of the Compasses, which are Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love.

Three times regularly around the Lodge, then pausing at the several stations, where the same questions were asked and like answers returned as at the door, with the additional question from the Worshipful Master "whence come ye, whether traveling?"

From the West, traveling East.

In search of further Light in Masonry.

That I be reconducted to the Senior Warden in the West, Who instructed me how to approach the east for the third time in a proper manner.

By advancing on the step of an Entered Apprentice; saluting the Worshipful Master with the due-gard and sign; advancing on the step of a Fellow Craft, saluting the Worshipful Master with the due-gard and sign; advancing an additional step with my left foot, bringing the heel of the right to the heel of the left; feet forming the angle of the Square; body erect, facing East.

That I was now standing before the consecrated alter of Freemasonry, for the third time, where is would be necessary for me to take upon myself a solemn and binding obligation belonging to this degree but as in the preceding degrees, he gave me the assurance that there was nothing contained therein 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 a Master Mason.

In due form.

By kneeling at the alter on both naked knees; both hands resting upon the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses; body erect; facing the Worshipful Master; in which due form, I took upon myself the solemn and binding obligation of a Master Mason.

• I, __________, of my own free will and accord, in the presence of Almighty God and this worshipful lodge of Master Masons, erected to Him and dedicated to the Holy Saints John, do hereby and Hereon, solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will forever keep and conceal all the secrets belonging to this Degree; that I will not communicate them to any person or persons whosever; except it be to a true and lawful Brother Master Mason or within a regular Lodge of Master Masons, and not unto him or them until after due trial, strict examination or lawful information, I shall have found him or them justly entitled to receive the same.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will answer and obey all due signs and regular summons, sent me by a regular Lodge of Master Masons or handed me by a brother of this degree, if within the length of my cable-toe.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will stand-to and abide by all the laws, rules and regulations of any Lodge of Master Masons of which I may be a member, together with the general laws and edicts of the Grand Lodge, under whose authority the same shall work, so far as they shall come to my knowledge.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will help, aid and assist any poor or distressed Brother Master Masons, their widows and orphans, they applying to me as such and I finding them worthy, so far as I may be able without material injury to myself or family.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will keep the secrets of a worthy Brother Master Mason when communicated to and received by me as such, as secure and inviolate in my breast as they were in his before being thus communicated.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will not wrong, cheat or defraud a Lodge of Master Masons or a Brother of this degree, out of the value of anything, knowingly myself, or allow it to be done by another, if within my power to prevent.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will not be present at the making of woman a Mason, an old man in his dotage, a young man in his non-age, an atheist, a mad man, a libertine, or a fool, knowing them to be so.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will not violate the chastity of, nor have Illicit carnal intercourse with a Master Mason wife, mother, sister or daughter, nor allow it to be done by another, if within my power to prevent.
• I furthermore promise and swear that I will not give the substitute for the secret word of a Master Mason in any other manner or form save that in which I so received it, which will be under the five points of fellowship, and at low breath; and that I will not give the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress unless I am in real distress or my life in intimate danger, in some public place for the instruction of a brother, or within a regular Lodge while at labor, and should I ever see that sign given or hear the words accompanying it spoken, I will hasten to the relief of the Brother so giving or speaking them should there be a greater probability of saving his life than of losing my own.
• I further promise and swear that I will not sit in a lodge of clandestine masons, nor have Masonic communication with a clandestine made Mason, a suspended or expelled Brother while under such time of sentence, knowing them to be so.
• To all of which I do most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear to keep and perform the same, without any equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion of mind in me whatsoever, binding myself under no less penalty the that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken out, may remains burned to ashes and spread to the four winds of heaven, that there might neither remain any more remembrance or memory among man or Masons forever; should I ever knowing, willfully, or unlawfully violate or transgress this, my solemn, Master Mason Obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast.

In token of my sincerity, and that I have 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.

In my present condition, what I most desired.

Further light.

I did, by order of the worshipful master.

To the three great lights in Masonary, as in the preceding degrees, with this difference: now, both points of the compasses were elevated above the Square, which was to teach me that I was entitled to receive all the secrets that could be communicated to me in a master mason lodge.

The worshipful master approaching me from the east with the step, Dugard, and son of a Master Mason, who, having confidence in my integrity, presented me his right hand in token of a continuance of fellowship and brotherly love, and proceeded to invest me with the past grip and password of a Master Mason. I was ordered to arise and under direction of the senior deacon, go and salute the junior and senior warden's as a Master Mason

At ease

The working tools of a Master Mason, which are all the implements of masonry indiscriminate, more especially the trowel. The trowel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to spread the cement which unites the building into one common mass; But we, as free and accepted Masons, or talk to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection, the cement which unites us into one sacred bond or society of friends and brothers, around which no contention should ever exist, but that Noble contention, Or rather emulation, of who better can work and better agree.

That I'll 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 instruction.

From

From the grip of a fellow craft Mason to the pass grip of a Master Mason

The pass grip of a Master Mason

It has

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

I will syllable it with a brother

You begin

Bul

Cain

Bul

Tubulcain

The first well known artesian in brass and other metals

From

From the pass grip of a Master Mason to the real grip of the same

The grip of a Master Mason or the strong grip of the lion paw of the tribe of Judah.

It has

Place yourself in the proper position to receive it and I will

Under the five points of fellowship

Foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back, mouth to ear