Masonic - EA Degree

From a lodge dedicated to the Holy Saints John

To learn to subdue my passions and improve myself in Masonry

I am so taken and accepted amongst 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, horizontals and perpendiculars

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

I concele

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, nor shall I so impart it.

I will letter it with a brother

You begin

O, B, A, Z,     BO   AZ   BOAZ  

Strength

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

There are four in number:  pectoral, 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 around my neck; left foot, knee and breast bare; in which condition I was conducted to a door

By first meeting resistance, afterwards gaining admission

By giving three distinct knocks

To a certain passage of scripture:  "ask and it shall be given, Seek and ye shall find; Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Who comes here?

Mr. (full name), who is desirus of having and receiving a part of the rights, light and benefits of this Worshipful Lodge, erected to God and dedicated to the Holy Saints 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.

By being a man, freeborn, 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 rials, troubles and difficulties through life, in whom I placed 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, Senior Warden in the West, and the Worshipful Master in the east, where the same questions were asked and like answers returned as at the door, with the additional question from the Worshipful Master, "whence come you, weathered 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 heel 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 altar of Freemasonry, where it would be necessary for me to take 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 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 altar on my naked left knee, right extended, forming the angle on a square; left hand supporting the Holy Bible, Square and Compass; 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 may be communicated to me, to any person or persons whatsoever, except it to be 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 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 code of a moral obligation.

In my present contention, what I most desired.

Light.

I did, by 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.  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 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 altar, and are thus explained:  as the sun rules the day and the moon governs the night, so should the 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 confidence in my integrity, presented me his right hand in token of friendship and brotherly love, and proceeded to invest me with the grip 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.