TL - FC

Thus he showed me;an,behold the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A Plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more

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 solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will always hail,ever conceal and never reveal any of the secret arts, parts, or point of the Fellow Craft Degree to any person whosoever, except it be to a true and lawful brother of this degree or within a regular lodge of fellow crafts, nor unto him or them until by strict trial, due examination or lawful information, I shall find him or them as lawfully entitled to the same as I am myself. I furthermore promise and swear that I will stand to abide by all the laws, rules, and regulations of the Fellow Craft Degree, as far as the same shall come to my knowledge, Further I will acknowledge and obey all due signs and summons sent to me by a lodge of Fellow Crafts, or given to me by a brother of that degree, if within the length of my cabletow. 

Further, that I will aid and assist all poor, distressed, worthy Fellow Crafts, knowing them to be such, as far as their necessities may require and my ability permit, without any injury to myself. Further, that I will not cheat, wrong, nor defraud a bother of this degree, knowingly, nor supplant him in any of his laudable undertakings. 

All this I most solemnly promise and swear with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same without any hesitation, mental reservation or self-evasion of mind  whatever; binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my breast torn open; my heart plucked out and placed on the highest pinnacle of the temple, there to be devoured by the vultures of the air, should I ever knowingly violate the Fellow Craft obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast in the dur performance of the same.

I am. Try Me!

By the Square

Because it is an emblem of Morality and one of the working tools of my profession.

An Angle of 90 degrees or a fourth part of a circle.

In a regularly constituted Lodge of F.C.

By being divested of all minerals and metals; neither naked nor clothed; barefoot nor shod; hoodwinked, a cable-toe twice around my right arm in which I was conducted to the door of a lodge by a brother.

To signify as Fellow Craft, that I was under a double tie to the Fraternity.

By 3 distinct knocks.

To the 3 Jewels of the F.C. and attentive ear, an instructive tongue, and a faithful breast.

Who Comes here?

A Brother who has been regularly initiated E.A. and now wishes to receive light in Masonry, by being passed to the degree of F.C.

If it was of my own free will and accord; if I was worthy and well qualified; duly and truly prepared, had made suitable proficiency in the preceding Degree, and was properly vouched for,  all of which being answered in the affirmative, I was  asked, by what further right or benefit I expected to gain admission.

By Benefit of the Pass.

I did not; but my conductor gave it for me.

I was bid to wait and patience until the W.M. was informed of my request and his answer returned.

Let him enter, in the name of the Lord, and be received in due form.

On the angle of the square presented to my naked right breast, which was to teach me that the square of virtue should be a rule and guide of my conduct, in all my future transactions with mankind.

I was conducted twice around the lodge to the Junior Warden in the South where the same questions were asked and like answers were returned at the door.

He directed me to a pass on to the S.W. in the West and he to the W.M. in the East, where the same questions were asked and like answers were returned as before.

He ordered me to be returned to the S.W. in the West, who taught me to approach the East by two regular steps, my feet forming an angle of a square, my body erect at the altar before the W.M. in the East.

He made me a F.C. in due form.

Kneeling on my naked right knee, my left forming a square, my right hand on the holy bible, square, and compass, my left leg and left arm each forming a square in which due form I took the obligation of a F.C.

What I most desired.

More Light in Masonry

I did, by the order of the W.M. and the assistance of the brothers

One point of the compass elevated above the square, which was to signify that I had received light in Masonry by points

The Worshipful Master approaching me from the east, under due guard and sign of a fellowcraft mason, who in token of the continuance of his Brotherly Love and favor presented me with  his right hand, and with it the token of the pass, the pass, the grip, and a word of a F.C. and ordered me to arise and salute the J.W. and the S.W. as such

The W.M. ordered me to the S.W in the West who taught me to wear my apron as a F.C.

With the flap turned down and the left corner turned up

I was conducted tot eh W.M. in the East, who presented me with the working tools of a F.C. the Plumb, Square and Level and taught me their uses.

The plum is an instrument made use of by operative masons to raise perpendiculars, the square to square their work, and the level to lay horizontals. But we as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to use them for more noble and glorious purposes. The plum admonishes us to walk upright, in our several stations before God and man, squaring our actions by the square a virtue, and remembering that we are traveling upon that level of time to that undiscovered country from whose born no traveler returns

I was ordered to be returned to the place from whence I came, and reinvested with that of which I had been divested; and was informed that, agreeably to an ancient custom in every well governed lodge, it therefore became necessary that I should make a regular ascent by a flight of winding stairs, consisting of three, five and seven steps to a place representing the Middle Chamber of King Solomon's Temple, there to receive instructions relative to the wages and jewels of a F.C.

I have in speculative: but our forefathers wrought in both speculative and Operative Masonry

At the beginning of King Solomon's Temple and of many other Masonic edifices

6 Days

They Did not

Because in six days God created the Heavens and the Earth, and the rested on the 7th day and therefore our ancient brothers consecrated as a day of rest from their labors, thereby enjoying more frequent opportunities to contemplate the glorious works of creation, and adore their great Creator

I did. Through along porch or alley by a flight of winding stairs consisting of three, five and seven steps.

There were 2 large columns or pillars, one on the left ( Boaz Denotes Strength)  and the other on right ( Jachin, denotes establishment)

A passage in Scripture wherein God has declared in his word, " in strength shall this house be established"

35 cubits in height 12 in circumference and 4 in Diameter

They were, with 2 large capitals one on each

5 cubits

They Were, with wreaths of the network (unity) , lily work (Peace) and pomegranates ( Plenty)

Unity, Peace and Plenty

• Network from its connection, denotes unity
• Lily work from its whiteness and purity and how it grows denotes peace
• Pomegranates from the exuberance of their seed, denote Plenty

They were, with 2 large globes or balls , one on each

40 Cubits

• They did, all the maps and charts of the essential terrestrial bodies
• To denote the universality of Masonry, and that Masons charity ought to be equally extensive

Molten or Cast Brass

Our Grand Master Hiram Abiff

On the banks of the river Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zaredatha where King Solomon ordered these and all other Holy Vessels to be cast.

• Hollow. 
• 4 inches or a hands breadth

Better to withstand inundations of conflagrations; they were said to contain all the archives of Masonry

• A flight of winding stars consisting of 3, 5, 7 steps alluding to 
• 3 principal supports in Masonry: Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. 
• also the 3 stages in Human Life: Youth Manhood, Old Age 
• Further allude to the 3 Degrees in Masonry: EA, FC, MM

The 5 orders of Architecture ( The Tuscan, Doric, Iconic, Corinthian, and Composite

• And the Human 5 senses ( Hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting),
• The first 3 of which have ever been deemed highly essential among Masons:
• 1) Hearing to Hear the word 
• 2) Seeing to see the sign 
• 3 Feeling to feel the grip 
• where by one Mason may know another in the dark as well as the light

• 7 Sabbatical Years
• 7 Years of Famine
• 7 Years of War
• 7 years in building the temple
• 7 Golden candle sticks
• 7 wonders of the world 
• 7 Planets
• 7 Liberal arts and Sciences ( Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, Astronomy)
• For these and many other reasons  the number 7 has been held in high estimation among Manson's

The outer door of the middle chamber of Kings Solomon's Temple which I found partially open, but closely guarded by the J.W in the South

By the Pass and token of the Pass of a F.C

" Password" and it denote Plenty  

By Ears of the corn Hanging near a waterfall

In consequence of a quarrel, which had long existed between Jephthah, Judge of Israel and the Ephraimites

The Inner door of the Middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple

By the grip and word of F.C

He ordered me to be conducted to the W.M in the East who informed me that I had arrived at a place representing the Middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple, where I would be received and recorded as such; which record was then made by the Secretary on the orders of the WM and I was presented with the wages and the Jewels of a F.C.

• The Corn of Nourishment - Peace
• The wine of Refreshment - Harmony 
• Oil of Joy - Strength

Denote- Peace harmony and Strength

• An Attentive Ear - 
• An Instructive Tongue, 
• A Faithful Breast 

The attentive ear Receives the sound from the Instructive Tongue. and the Mysteries of Masonry are Lodged in the repository of a faithful breast

The Letter "G"

Geometry, the 5th science but more particularly to the sacred name of the Deity, to whom we should all from the youngest EA who stands in the NORTHEAST corner to the W.M. who presides in the East with reverence most devoutly and humbly bow