5113

From a lodge of the Holy Saints John of Jerusalem.

To learn to subdue my passions and improve myself in Masonry.

I am so taken and accepted by all worthy brothers.

By being often tried, never denied and willing to be tried again.

By certain signs, a token, a word and the perfect points of initiation.

Right angles, horizontals and perpendiculars.

A certain friendly grip, by which one brother may know another in the dark as well as in the light.

4. Gutteral, pectoral, manual and peddle.

The obligation.

Within the body of a just and legally constituted lodge, duly assembled in a room or place representing the ground floor or checkered pavement of King Solomon’s temple.

At heart.

In a room, adjoining the lodge.

By being divested of all metallic substances, being neither naked nor clad, barefooted nor shod, hoodwinked AND with a cable tow about my neck, in which condition I was led to the door of the lodge by a friend.

By first meeting with resistance, and afterwards gaining admission.

By three distinct knocks upon the outside of the door.

Who comes here.

A poor blind candidate, who desires to be brought from darkness to light by receiving a part of the rights, lights and benefits of this worshipful lodge of free and accepted masons erected to God and dedicated to the holy saints John as all worthy brothers have done who have gone this way before him.

If it was of my own free will and accord that I make this request, if I was duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified, of lawful age and properly vouched for.

All of which being answered in the affirmative I was then asked by what further rights I expect to gain admission.

By being a man, freeborn, sound in mind and members and coming under the tongue of good report.

To await the time with patience UNTIL my request should be known to the worshipful master and his answer returned.

Let the candidate enter and be received in due and ancient form.

Upon the point of a sharp instrument piercing my naked left breast, which was thus explained.

That as this instrument was a torture to my flesh, so should the recollection thereof be to my mind and conscious should I ever attempt to reveal any of the secrets of freemasonry unlawfully.

I was led near the center of the lodge and caused to kneel for prayer.

In whom I place my trust.

In God.

That my faith was well founded, to arise, follow my leader and fear no danger.

Once regularly around the lodge room. Then to the junior warden in the south, the senior warden in the west and the worshipful master in the east.

At each of which stations the same questions were asked and like answers returned as at the door.

He ordered me to the senior warden who taught me how to approach the holy alter of freemasonry.

The place of Masonic light in due and ancient form.

Taking one regular upright step with my left foot, bringing the heel of the right to the hollow of the left, my feet forming a right angle, my body erect.

I was made a mason.

In due and ancient form.

Kneeling upon my naked left knee, my right forming a square, my left hand supporting, my right resting upon the holy Bible, square and compasses in which due form I took upon myself the entered apprentice masons obligation.

I have.

I will with your assistance.

I NAME of my own free will and accord in the presence of all mighty God and this worshipful lodge of free and accepted masons erected to God and dedicated to the holy saints John due hereby and heron sincerely and solemnly promise and swear that I will always hail forever conceal and never reveal any of the secrets of ancient free masonry to anyone except it be a true and lawful brother or within the body of a just and legally constituted lodge and not to him or them whom I may hear so to be but unto him and them only whom I shall find so to be after strict trial, due examination or lawful information.

I further more promise and swear that I will not write indict print paint stamp stain cut carve engrave inlay or enamel the same upon anything moveable or immovable under the canopy of heaven capable of receiving the least impression of a word syllable or letter, mark figure or character which may become legible or intelligible to myself or any other person whereby the secrets of free masonry might be unlawfully obtained.

All of which I solemnly promise and swear, to keep and perform, without the least equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion of mind. Binding myself under the penalty of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots, my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, a cable tows length from shore, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours should I knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress any part of the entered apprentice masons obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast.

In my then condition, what I most desired.

Light.

I did.

By order of the worshipful master and assistance of the brethren.

The three great lights in masonry, assisted by the representatives of the lesser lights.

The Holy Bible, square and compasses.

The Holy Bible, THE great light in masonry, we take as our rule and guide to our faith and practices.

The square, to square our actions by the square of virtue.

While the compasses teach us to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions within due bounds.

The sun, moon and worshipful master.

By three burning tapers placed in triangular form IN the lodge room.

THAT as the sun rules the day AND the moon governs the night, so should the worshipful master rule and govern the lodge or cause the same to be done by his officers.

The worshipful master approaching me from the east upon the step, under the due guard and penal sign of an Entered Apprentice Mason.

Who extended to me his right hand in token of friendship and brotherly love and proceeded to instruct me in the grip and word of an Entered Apprentice Mason.

Bad me arise, salute the wardens as an Entered Apprentice Mason and turn to the east.

The worshipful master again approaching me from the east who presented to me the lamb skin or white leather apron and told me it was an emblem of innocence and the badge of a mason. Which he hoped I would wear with equal pleasure to myself in honor to the fraternity.

Bad me carry it to the Sr Warden who taught me how to wear it as an Entered Apprentice Mason.

With the bib turned up.

We are taught in the building of king Solomon’s temple Entered Apprentice Masons were bearers of burdens and wore their aprons with the bib turned up to prevent soiling their clothes.

But this teaches us that we should not tamper with untempered morter.

I was placed in the northeast corner of the lodge room. My feet forming a right angle, my body erect,

facing the worshipful master who told me that it having been so short of time since I had been made a mason that it was impossible that I could have materially errored

and that I there stood a just and upright mason and he gave me strictly in charge ever to walk and act as such.

The working tools of an Entered Apprentice Mason.

The 24 inch gauge and the common gavel.

The 24 inch gauge is an instrument made use of by operative masons to measure and layout their work. 

But we as free and accepted masons are taught to make us of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time.

It being divided into 24 equal parts is emblematical of the 24 hours in a day, which we are taught to divide into three parts.

Where by we find a portion FOR the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, a portion for our usual vocation and a portion for refreshment and sleep.

The common gavel is an instrument made use of by operative masons to break off the rough and superfluous parts of stone. Better to fit them for the builders use.

But we as free and accepted masons are taught to make use of them for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our minds and CONSCIENCES off all vices and superfluities of life thereby fitting ourselves as living stones for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens.

I was ordered to the room whence I came to be invested of what I had been divested and return to the lodge room for further instructions.

For two reasons.

First that I might carry nothing offensive or defensive into the lodge with me. 

Secondly, THAT we are taught in the building of King Solomon's Temple there was not heard sound of axe, hammer or any tool of metal.

This stupendous edifice was erected of stones that were cut, square and numbered in the quarry's where they were raised

and of timbers felled, huen and prepared in the forests of Lebanon.

Conveyed thence in floats by sea to Joppa. Thence overland to Jerusalem where they were setup and adjusted by the assistance of wooden mauls prepared for the purpose

and it is said the building when completed fitted with such exact nicety in all its parts THAT it resembled more of the handy work of the supreme architect of the universe than that of human hands.

THIS was to teach me that masonry regards no man for his wordly wealth or honors and that it is the internal and not the external qualifications that recommend a man be made a mason.

THIS was an allusion to an ancient Israelitish custom that we read of in the book of Ruth concerning redeeming and changing.

That to confirm all things a man pluck off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. This was testimony in Israel.

I did this as a token of my sincerity to the work I was then entering upon.

For several reasons,

First that as I was then in total darkness, so should I ever keep the outer world in regards to the secrets of freemasonry and

Secondly, that my mind might conceive, before my eyes beheld the beauties of freemasonry and

Thirdly, had I proved refractory, and refused to conform to the forms and ceremonies of initiation, thereby rendering myself unworthy to be taken by the hand, as a brother, that I might by the assistance of the cable tow have been more easily led from the lodge room without beholding the form and beauty thereof.

For two reasons.

First to alarm the lodge and inform the Worshipful Master that a candidate was prepared for initiation.

Secondly this was to remind me of a passage of scripture, that says, "Ask and it shall be given you," "Seek and ye shall find," "Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

I ASKED the recommendation of a friend to be made a Mason, through that recommendation, I SOUGHT initiation.

I KNOCKED and the door of masonry was opened unto me.

Because masonry teaches us that before entering upon any great and laudable undertaking, we should first invoke the aid of diety.

Because, no atheist can be made a Mason.

It became necessary therefore that I declare a belief in diety, otherwise an obligation would have not been binding.

Because, in my then condition I could neither foresee nor prevent danger.

This was to signify that I was in the hands of a true and trustee friend, in whom I could with safety confide.

So that the worshipful master, wardens and brethren could see that I was duly and truly prepared.

Because this lodge is or ought to be a correct representation of King Solomon's temple, which had guards stationed at the south, west, and east gates, there to see that none should pass except those who were duly qualified and had permission.

Because the left has, in all ages, been considered the weaker side of man.

This was to signify that I was then engaged upon the weaker part of masonry, being that of an Entered Apprentice Mason only.

Because the right hand was, considered by the ancients, the seat of fidelity.

I did this as a pledge OF my fidelity IN the work that I was then engaged upon.

Because the lamb has, in all ages, been deemed an emblem of innocence.

He therefore who wears the lambskin as the badge of a Mason is constantly reminded of that purity of heart and uprightness of conduct, so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the celestial lodge above where the Supreme Architect of The Universe presides.

Because it is customary in operative masonry, that the first stone of the building be laid in the northeast corner.

I being the youngest Entered Apprentice, it became necessary that I be placed in the northeast corner of the lodge room,

there to receive those first instructions upon which to rear my future, moral, and masonic edifice.

A lodge is a certain number of brethren, duly assembled in a room or place, with the Holy Bible, square and compasses, and a warrant or charter authorizing them to work;

a place where Masons meet for work.

Upon the highest hills and the lowest veils.

That they might THE better observe the approach of cowins and eavesdroppers, either ascending or descending.

Oblong and extending from east to west, between north and south, as high as the highest heavens, and from the center to the circumference of the earth.

The Holy Bible, square, and compasses.

The Holy Bible we dedicate to God for it is the inestimable gift from God to man, and upon it we obligate the Mason.

The square to the Master, because it is the proper Masonic emblem of his office,

while the compasses is to the craft, for by due attention to their uses, they are taught to circumscribe their desires and keep their passions within due bounds.

Three

In the east, west, and south, but there are none in the north.

Because King Solomon's temple was situated so far north of the ecliptic, that the sun and moon when darting their rays from meridian height, could not penetrate the north part,

hence the north is masonically called a place of darkness.

Due east and west.

Because King Solomon's temple was so situated.

Because Moses after passing through the Red Sea by Divine command, erected a tabernacle in the wilderness and situated it due east and west,

that it might receive the first rays of the rising and the last rays of the setting sun,

and to commemorate that miraculous east wind which wrought their mighty deliverance.

This being a model for King Solomon's temple, and King Solomon's temple a pattern for masonic lodges, therefore should they be so situated.

With freedom, fervency, and zeal.

By chalk, charcoal, and clay.

There is nothing freer than chalk, for by the slightest touch it leaves a trace.

There is nothing more fervent than charcoal, for when properly ignited, it causes the most obdurate metals to yield.

and there is nothing more zealous than clay, constantly producing man's sustenance, from it he sprang, and to it he must return.

It is the grip of an Entered Apprentice Mason.

It has.

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

I will letter or syllable it with you, prefer lettering.

You begin.

"A"

"O"

"BO"

"BOAZ"