3rd

I am

That I might obtain the masters word, travel in foreign countries, work and receive masters wages and be thereby better enabled to support myself and family and contribute to the relief of distressed worthy master masons their widows and orphans.

My obligation.

Within the body of a just and duly constituted lodge of Master Masons, assembled in a place representing the unfinished sanctum sanctorum of King Soloman's Temple, furnished with the holy bible, square and compasses, together with a charter of dispensation from some grand body of competent jurisdiction empowering it to work.

By certain signs and tokens.

Right angles, horizontals, and perpendiculars.

advance duegard of master mason

The duegard of master mason.

It has , to the position of my hands while taking the obligation.

I have, give the sign.

It has to the penalty of the obligation.

Certain friendly or brotherly grips whereby oneMason may know another in the dark as in the light.

The pass-grip of Master Mason.

It has.

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

Letter or syllable it.

You begin.

Tu

• Cain
• Tubalcain

From

From the pass-grip of Master Mason to the real grip of the same.

The real grip of master mason, or lions paw.

It has.

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

On the Five Points of Fellowship.

Foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back and or mouth to ear.

Ha

Mahabone

In a room adjoining the body of a just a duly constituted lodge of Master Masons.

Divested of all metallic substances, neither naked nor clothed, barefoot nor shad, both knees and breasts bare, hood-winked, and with a cable-tow three times around my body, clothed as Fellow Craft, in which condition I was conducted to a door of the Lodge and caused to give three distinct knocks, which were answered by three within.

To teach me that my duties and obligations become more and more extensive as I advance in Masonry.

The third degree of Masonry, on which I was then entering.

Who comes here.

A worthy brother, who has been duly initiated an Entered Apprentice, passed to theDegree of Fellow Craft, and now wishes further Light in Masonry by being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason.

If this was an act of my own free will and accord, if I was worthy and well qualified, duly and truly prepared, if I had made suitable proficiency in the preceding degree, 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.

Benefit of the password.

I hadn't, my conductor had and gave it for me.

Since I was in possession of all these necessary qualifications, I should wait until the Worshipful Master could be informed of my request and his answer returned.

Let him enter this worship-full lodge of Master Masons and be received in due and ancient form.

On the extreme points of the Compasses, extending from my naked right to my naked left breast, which was to teach me that as within the breast are contained the most vital parts of man, so between the extreme points of the Compasses are contained the most valuable tenets of Freemasonry, which are Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love.

Conducted three times regularly around the Lodge and to the Junior Warden in the South, where the same questions were asked and answers returned as at the door.

Directed me to be conducted to the Senior Warden in the West, where the same questions and answers were asked and answers returned as before.

Directed me to be conducted to the Worshipful Master in the East, where the same questions were asked and answers returned as before, who also demanded of me whence I came and whither traveling.

From the west, traveling east.

In search of further light in Masonry.

Ordered me re-conducted to the Senior Warden in the West, who taught me how to approach the East in due and ancient form.

Advancing on my left foot, bringing the heel of my right to the heel of my left, thereby forming the angle of a square, body erect, facing East.

Obligated me a Master Mason.

In due form.

Kneeling on both naked knees, both hands resting upon the holy bible, square and compasses, in which due form I took the solemn oath of Master Mason.

I have

• I, AB, of my own free will and accord, in presence of Almighty God and this Worshipful Lodge of Master Masons, erected to Him and dedicated to the memory of the HolySaints John, do hereby and hereon solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will keep and conceal and never reveal any of the secrets belonging to the Degree of Master Mason, which I have received, am about to receive, or may be here after instructed in, to any person unless it shall be to a worthy Brother Master Mason, or within the body of a just and duly constituted Lodge of such, and not unto him or them until by due trial, strict examination, or lawful Masonic information, I shall have found him or them justly entitled to receive the same.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will support the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, also all laws, rules, and edicts of the same, or of any other Grand Lodge from whose jurisdiction I may hereafter hail; together with the by-laws, rules, and regulations of this or any other Lodge of which I may become a member, so far as the same shall come to my knowledge.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will answer and obey all due signs and regular summons sent to me from the body of a just and duly constituted Lodge of Master Masons, or handed me by a worthy Brother of this degree, if within the length of my cable-tow and the square and angle of my work.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will help, aid, and assist all poor and distressed Master Masons, their widows and orphans, they applying to me as such, I finding them worthy and can do so without material injury to myself or family.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will keep the secrets of a worthy Master Mason, when communicated to me as such, as secure and inviolate in my breast as they were in his before communication.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not give the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress of Master Mason, except for the benefit of the Craft while at work or the instruction of a Brother, unless I am in real distress; and should I see the sign given, or hear the words accompanying the same , I will hasten to the relief of the person so giving it.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not give the substitute for the Master’s Word in any other way or manner than that in which I received it, which will be on the Five Points of Fellowship, and at low breath.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not wrong, cheat, nor defraud a Master Masons Lodge, or a worthy Brother of this degree to the value of anything, knowingly, nor suffer it to be done by another, if in my power to prevent.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not violate the chastity of a MasterMason’s wife, widow, mother, sister or daughter, nor suffer it to be done by another if in my power to prevent.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not be present at the initiating, passing, or raising of an old man in dotage, a young man underage, an irreligious libertine, an atheist, a person of unsound mind, a eunuch  or a woman, knowing them to be such.
• Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not be present at the initiating, passing, or raising of a candidate clandestinely, nor hold Masonic intercourse with a clandestine Mason, or with one who has been suspended or expelled, knowing him to be such, until duly restored.
• To all of which I do solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without any hesitation, mental reservation, or secret evasion of mind in me whatsoever; binding myself symbolically under the ancient penalty of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken thence, and burned to ash, and the ashes thereof scattered to the four winds of Heaven, that there might remain neither track, trace nor remembrance among man or Masons of so vile and perjured a wretch as I should be, should I ever knowingly or willfully violate this, my solemn Obligation of Master Mason. So help me God and make me steadfast to keep and perform the same.

What I most desired.

Further light in Masonry.

I did, by order of the Worshipful Master.

The Three Great Lights in Masonry, as in the preceding degree, with this difference: Both points of the Compasses were above the Square, which was to teach me that I had received, and was entitled to receive all the Light that could be conferred upon or communicated to me in a Master Masons Lodge.

• The Worshipful Master approaching me from the East, on the step, under the due-guard and sign of Master Mason; who presented his right hand in token of continuance of friendship and brotherly love, and invested me with the pass-grip and pass-word, ordered me to rise, salute
• the Junior and Senior Wardens and satisfy them that I was a duly Obligated Master Mason, in possession of the step, due-guard, sign, pass-grip and pass-word.

Redirected to the Senior Warden in the West, who taught me to wear my apron as a Master Mason.

With the flap and corners downs.

The working tools of Master Mason, which are all the tools of Masonry especially the Trowel. The Trowel an instrument used by operative masons to spread the cement which unites the building into one common mass; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection - that cement which unites us into one sacred band or society of friends and Brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree.

Re-conducted to the place whence I came, invested with that of which I had been divested, and in due time returned to the Lodge for further instruction.