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Q: What induced you to become a MM?
- A: In order that I might travel in
- foreign countries, work and receive wages, as
- such and be thereby better enabled to support
- myself and family, and contribute to the relief of
- distressed brother MMs, their widows
- and orphans.
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Q: Where were you made a MM?
- A: In a just and lawfully constituted
- Lodge of MMs.
-
Q: How were you prepared?
A: By being divested of all metals of a removable nature, neither naked nor clothed, barefoot, hoodwinked, and a cable tow three times about my naked body in which condition I was led to the door of the lodge by a brother.
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Q: Why had you a cable tie three times about your naked body?
A: To teach me that as I advance in Masonry my duties and obligations become more and more extensive (extended).
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Q: How gained you admission?
A: By three distinct knocks.
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Q: What was said to you from within?
A: Who comes here?
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Your answer?
A brother who has been regularly initiated as an EA, passed to the degree of a FC and now wishes to receiver further light in Masonry by being raised to the sublime degree of a MM.
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What were you then asked?
If it were of my own free will and accord that I made this request, if I were duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified, and if I had made suitable proficiency in the preceding degrees, all of which being answered in the affirmative, I was asked by what further right or benefit I expected to gain admission.
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Your answer?
By the benefit of the pass.
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Did you give the pass?
I gave it not, my guide gave it for me.
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What followed?
I was directed to wait with patience until the WM was informed of my request and his answer returned.
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What answer did he return?
Let him enter this lodge in the name of God and be received in due and ancient form.
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How were you received?
On both points of the compasses extending from my naked right to left breast, which was to teach me that as the vital parts of man are contained within the breast, so the most useful tenets of our institution are contained between the points of the compasses, which are friendship, morality and brotherly love.
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How were you then disposed of?
I was conducted three times regularly about the lodge to the JW in the south, the SW in the west and the WM in the east, where the same questions were asked and like answers returned as at the door.
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What did the WM then demand of you?
From whence I came and where I was traveling.
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Your answer?
From the west and traveling toward the east.
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What did he further demand of you?
For what was I in pursuit.
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Your answer?
That which was lost, and which by my own endeavors and his assistance I was in hopes to find.
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What did he further demand of you?
To what I referred.
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Your answer?
The secrets of a MM upon which he observed that my pursuit was truly laudable and ordered me to be reconducted to the SW in the west who taught me to approach the east advancing by three regular steps, my feet forming a right angle of a perfect square, my body erect facing the east.
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What did the WM then do with you?
He made me a MM.
-
-
What is that due form?
Kneeling my naked knees, by body erect, my hands resting on the holy bible, square and compasses in which due form I took the obligation of a MM.
-
Repeat it.
GIVE OBLIGATION
-
I, _____ ______, of my own free will and accord,
- in the presence of Almighty God and this
- Worshipful Lodge, erected to Him and dedicated to the
- Holy Saints John, do hereby and hereon most solemnly and
- sincerely promise and swear as I have heretofore done
- but with these additions, that I will not communicate
- the secrets of a Master Mason, to a FC any more that
- those of a FC to an EA, nor those of an EA to the rest
- of the world, neither this nor any of them to any person
- or persons whomsoever, until by due trial, strict examination, or lawful information I shall have found him or them as lawfully entitled to the same as I am myself.
-
I furthermore promise and swear that I will stand to and abide by all the laws, rules, and regulations of a Master Mason's lodge together with the constitution, laws and edicts of the most worshipful Grand Lodge under who's jurisdiction the same may be holden, so far as the same shall come to my knowledge.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will answer and obey all due signs and summons sent me from a Lodge of MM, or handed me by a brother of this degree, if within the length of my cable-tow.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will help, aid, and assist all poor and distressed brother Master Masons, their widows and orphans, they applying to me as such, I finding them worthy,
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will keep a Brother MMs secrets inviolate when received by me as such, murder and treason alone excepted and that left to my own choice.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will not be present at, nor give my consent to the making of a woman a mason, an old man in his dotage, a young man in his nonage, an atheist, a libertine, a mad man or a fool, knowing him or them to be such.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will Not visit a clandestine lodge of Masons nor converse on the secrets of Masonry with a clandestine Masons, nor anyone that has been expelled or suspended while under such sanction, knowing them to be such.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will not wrong, cheat, nor defraud a Lodge of MMs, or a Brother of this degree, knowingly, nor supplant him in any of his laudable undertakings, but give him due and timely notice that he may ward off all approaching danger.
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Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not have illicit carnal intercourse with a Master Mason’s wife, mother, sister, or daughter, nor suffer it to be done by another if in my power to prevent it.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will not give the great Masonic Word in any other way or manner than that in which I shall receive it, and then in a low breath.
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I furthermore promise and swear that I will not give the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress of a Master Mason, except in the case of most imminent danger or suffrage In the cause of innocence and virtue, in a just and lawfully constituted lode or for the purposes of instruction and when I see the sign, give or hear the words uttered, by a brother in distress, I will fly to the relief of him who give I if there be a grater probability of saving his life than of losing my own.
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All of this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, without the least equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion whatsoever, binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken from thence and burned to ashes and those ashes scattered by the four winds of heaven that there may be no more remembrance amongst man or Masons of so vile a wretch as I should I in the least knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress this my MMs obligation, so help me God and keep me steadfast.
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After taking the obligation, what were you asked?
What I most desired.
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Your answer?
Further light in Masonry.
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Did you receive it?
I did.
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How?
By order of the WM and assistance of the brethren.
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On being brought to light, what did you discover more than you had heretofore done?
Both points of the compass elevated above the square which was to teach me never to loose sight of the Masonic application of the useful and valuable instruction which teaches friendship morality and brotherly love.
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What did you then discover?
The WM approaching me from the east on the step, under the duegaurd and with the sign of a MM, which in token of the further continuance of his brotherly love and friendship presented me his right hand and with it the pass, and token of the pass of a MM, bid me arise and salute the wardens as such.
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After saluting the warden how were you disposed of?
I was reconducted to the SW in the west who taught me how to wear my apron as a MM.
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How should a MM wear his apron?
With the bib and apron turned down.
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After being taught how to wear your apron as a MM how were you disposed of?
I was conducted to the right hand of the WM in the east who presented me with the working tools of the MM and taught me their uses.
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What are the working tools of a MM?
All the instruments of Masonry indiscriminately, more especially the trowel.
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What is the use of the trowel?
The trowel is an instrument made us of by operative Masons to spread the cement which united the several parts of a building into one common mass; but, we as Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brother ly 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 the noble contention, or rather, emulation of who can best work and best agree.
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How were you then disposed of?
I was conducted to the place from whence I came, there reinvested with that of which I had been divested, and returned to the lodge for further instruction.
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Have you as sign pertaining to this degree?
I have several.
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Give me a sign.
GIVES THE DUEGUARD
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What is that?
The duegaurd of a MM.
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Has it an allusion?
I has, to the position in which my hands were placed when I took my obligation and when our ancient brothers assembled at the grave of there GMHA they found their hand involuntarily placed in the pattern to guard their nostril fromt eh disagreeable effluvia arising fromt eh grave.
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Give me another sign.
GIVE THE SIGN OF A MM
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What is that?
The sign of a MM.
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Has it an allusion?
It has, to the penalty of my obligations.
-
Give me another sign
GIVE GR HO SIGN
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What is that?
The Grand Hailing Sign of Distress.
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Has it an allusion?
It has, to the raising of the body or our GMHA and when our ancient brother in token of their sorrow, thrice raised their hands to the heavens and exclaimed: ****
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When should that be given?
Never, except in case of most imminent danger or suffering, in the cause of innocence and virtue, in a just and lawfully constituted lodge or for the purposes of instruction.
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What are the words uttered when the sign cannot be seen?
GIVE WORDS
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Give me a token.
GIVES TOKEN
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Will you be off for from?
From
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From what and to what?
From the grasp of a FC to the pass grip of a MM.
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Pass. What is this?
The pass grip of a MM.
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-
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Will you be off or from?
From.
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From what and to what?
From the pass grip of a MM to the true grip of the same.
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PASS What is this?
The strong grip of a MM or Lion’s Paw.
-
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Give it me.
I cannot, nor can it be given except on the five points of fellowship and then in a low breath.
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Advance and give it.
GIVES IT.
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