W. M.--You will attend to the alarm, and ascertain the cause. it was I that struck him harder than you both; it was I that gave him the fatal blow; it was I that killed him.' but which, he adds, "I can find only twice particularly described. W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, it is my orders that this Lodge be now closed, and stand closed until our next regular communication (barring emergency), when all, or a suitable number, shall have due and timely notice. ", Master (as K. S.) makes the "grand hailing sign of distress" (see Fig. But its esoteric meaning contains some of the most profound spiritual instruction which it is possible to obain to-day. After the signs are gone through with by the whole Lodge, the Master gives one rap with his gavel, which is responded to by the Senior Warden, and then by the Junior Warden, and then again by the Master, one rap. They have now passed around the Lodge three times, and as. finishing with a few other names; when he leaves the brethren in the ante-room, closes the door, and reports as follows to King Solomon: G. Amid its concerns and temptations, forget not the duties you have heard so frequently inculcated and so forcibly recommended in this Lodge. Each organization's degrees focus on a different theme, and together, they create a larger story that teaches Freemasons valuable lessons through . You have a rough and rugged road to travel, beset with thieves, robbers, and murderers; and should you lose your life in the attempt, it will not be the first instance of the kind, my brother. On his last day on earth, it was bright, sunny and warm. As they approach the Worshipful Master's station, he says: W. M.--Brother Senior Deacon, you will reconduct the candidate to the Senior Warden in the west, with my orders that he teach him how to wear his apron as a Master Mason. Free & Accepted, Prince Hall, Le Droit Humaine). I suppose you are brothers, workmen from the Temple, and journeying, are you not? This Masonic third degree can only be offered by Masonic lodges and cannot be taken as a form of free or paid course online. All in attendance, including exemplars, will be clad in business dress with appropriate regalia. As Masons, we understand the moral lessons derived from the square. ii. Sec. Jewels, Chains, Collars & W. M.--Your duty there, Brother Senior Deacon? cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree. One of the ruffians exclaims: Now let us make our escape out of the country. 1, The "work," or rather the lectures in the several degrees of Masonry, more especially in the first three degrees (masonically termed the Blue Degrees, or Blue Lodge), differ so much in each State that it would be a difficult thing to get exactly at the proper responses to some of the Masonic interrogatories. At the same time the Senior Warden steps to his stand, and turns up the column on his desk at his right. Jubelum!! The most well-known purposes are to pass degree proficiency or deliver ritual. 137:1 We are told that when the Temple was nearly finished, it was customary at the hour of H. (high) XII., when the men were called from labor to refreshment, for H. A. On your return to the Lodge, where were you placed? [1994] (Wikileaks), Masonic the end of man, and of the aspiring hopes of all faithful Masons? The Master so times his reading of the passage of Scripture, as to finish just as the parties reach the Junior Warden's station in the south, on the third round, when they halt. Amen. Why are they not at work as usual? (Clinches candidate more fiercely.) Some Lodges use a large drum, others roll a large cannon-ball across the ante-room floor, letting it strike on a cushion placed against the wall. Conductor--By the pass and token of the pass of a Master Mason. FELLOWCRAFT MASON- 2ND DEGREE - STAIRCASE TRACING BOARD / LECTURE PROP. Q. The brethren commence, in loud voices to inquire of one another: Have you seen any thing of our Grand Master Hiram Abiff? 35 I would remark here, that in some Lodges the Master does not make the sign of distress first at the body, but only gives the sign of a Master Mason, which is done by drawing the right hand across the body, with the thumb inward. 14.). King Solomon then ordered them to divide themselves into parties, and travel three east, three west, three north, and three south; and that they should, with others whom he should appoint, go in search of the ruffians. If this was of my own free will and accord, if I was duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified; if I has made suitable proficiency in the preceding degrees; all of which being answered in the affirmative. How many constitute an Entered Apprentices' Lodge? The main thing we do in normal Lodge meetings is perform our rituals or ceremonies. . Official!Cipher! This latter is accomplished as follows: a canvas, seven feet long and about six feet wide, with five or six strong loops on each side, is produced from a closet or chest in the room; and a buckskin bag, stuffed with hair, about the size of two boxing-gloves, is taken from the same receptacle. In France, it was originally south, north, and east, but now west, south, and east. A. A. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Let me admonish you, in the most serious manner, in reference to the close of life, that, when the cold winter of death shall have passed, and the bright summer morn of the resurrection appears, the Sun of Righteousness shall descend and send forth His angels to collect our ransomed dead; then, if we are found worthy, by the benefit of his "pass" we shall gain a ready admission into that celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides, where we shall see the King In the beauty of holiness, and with him enter into an endless eternity. It was to show that my duties and obligations became more and more extended as I advanced in Masonry. I am decidedly of opinion that our tradition is merely allegorical; for there can be no doubt but the Chief Architect was present at the dedication of the Temple. Craftsmen, we are having good times; I wonder if it will last. The first was the voice of Jubela exclaiming:2 'Oh! Master Mason Handbook. Turning in his seat toward the Treasurer's desk, he says to the Treasurer: "My worthy brother of Tyre, as the Master's word is now lost, the first sign given at the grave, and the first word spoken, after the body is raised, shall be adopted for the regulation of all Masters' Lodges, until future generations shall find out the right. You will remember you promised us, that when the Temple was completed, we should receive the secrets of a Master Mason, whereby we might travel in foreign countries, work, and receive Master's wages. W. M.--You will repeat your name, and say after me: "I, Peter Gabe (Master gives three raps with his gavel, when all present assemble round the altar), 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 Sts. in a loud voice, until he calls that of the First Ruffian, "Jubela! Q. As soon as the craftsman has finished this report, another party arrives with the ruffians, and reports as follows: "Most Worshipful King Solomon, while sitting down to rest and refresh ourselves, we heard the following horrid exclamations from the clefts of the adjacent rocks. Prop. ), The Master next calls the candidate's attention to the three grand Masonic pillars, usually delineated on Master's carpet (a. 9, p. 36), and then lets his hand slip off in a careless manner, and reports: "Most Worshipful King Solomon, owing to the high state of putrefaction, it having been dead already fifteen days, the skin slips, and the body cannot be raised.". And, if finished, he would not have been permitted to enter it; for one living person alone possessed that privilege, viz., the High Priest, and he only once a year. Ruffian--This (shaking candidate) does not satisfy me! Five; two Masters and three Fellow Crafts. The Worshipful Master, who ordered me to the Senior Warden in the west, who taught me how to wear my apron as a Master Mason. But we must look a little closer into the manner of making a covenant, in order to discover the connection of the different penalties as references to one entire ceremony. --Brother this is an unusual way of asking for them. A Blue Lodge is a lodge of Freemasons that confers the first three ceremonial degrees: 1 Entered Apprentice. Masonic ritual has appeared in a number of contexts within literature including in "The Man Who Would Be King", by Rudyard Kipling, and War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. Here are three of the poor fellows with us; we must not go and give them up, to be put to death; rather let us take a northwesterly or a southwesterly course. 2. W. M.--Has any brother around the Lodge any thing to offer for the benefit of Masonry before we proceed to close? He then turns to the Junior Warden, and says: "You will take the body by the Entered Apprentice grip, and see if it can be raised.". with hands, eternal in the heavens," where no discordant voice shall be heard, but all the soul shall experience shall be perfect bliss, and all it shall express shall be perfect praise, and love divine shall ennoble every heart, and hallelujahs exalted employ every tongue. that my breast had been torn open, my heart plucked out and placed upon the highest pinnacle of the Temple, there to be devoured by the vultures of the air, ere I had consented to the death of so good a man as our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff.' 5, p. Ruffian--You have (here Master seizes the candidate more fiercely, and affects a great earnestness of purpose) escaped "Jubela" and "Jubelo"; me you cannot escape; my name is "Jubelum!" FIG 18. p. 166. Every human being has a claim upon your kind offices. He has not been seen since high twelve yesterday. 27. r/freemasonry. Ruffians (affecting surprise.) Conductor--From the real grip of a Fellow Craft to the pass grip of a Master Mason. reflect with horror on the atrocity of your crime, and on the amiable character of your Worshipful Grand Master, whom you have so basely assassinated. which constitute our authority for affirming that no such event ever happened; for H. A. In youth, in Entered Apprentices. Brethren on the right and left, and communicate it in the East. J. D.--Brother Gabe, who has been regularly initiated Entered Apprentice, passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft, and now wishes to receive further light in Masonry, by being raised to the sublime Degree of a Master Mason. Amen.". The candidate is divested of all wearing apparel, except his shirt and drawers, and if he has not the latter, he is furnished with a pair by the brethren preparing him. K. S.--.Jubelo, you also stand accessory to the death of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. It is done by putting the inside of your right foot to the inside of the right foot of the one to whom you are going to give the word, the inside of your own knee to his, laying your breast close against his, your left hands on each other's back, and each one putting his mouth to the other's right ear. [paragraph continues] Master's carpet is a large map that Lodges generally keep, which is highly embellished with Masonic emblems). with the right-hand corner tucked up, and he wears a yoke with a Senior Warden's jewel attached to it. 1. I hold in my hand an instrument of death; therefore, give me the Master's word, or I will take your life in a moment! Some portions of the lectures are conducted in the form of questions and answers, as part of the proficiencies, or memory work. Answer--We have murdered our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. Conductor. All the business of a "Blue Lodge" (a Lodge of three Degrees) is done in the Lodge while opened on this Degree, except that of entering an Apprentice or passing a Fellow Craft, when the Lodge is lowered from the Masters' Degree for that purpose. The Master having given the word, which is MAH-HAH-BONE, in low breath, requests the candidate to repeat it with him, which is in this wise: Master telling candidate never to give it in any other way than that in which he has received it. J. W.--Brother Senior Deacon, is he worthy and well qualified, duly and truly prepared? These facts will account for the want of agreement between the East and the West and Southwest, as to what are the true Barney Lectures. B. Begone! Capt.--They were three brothers, workmen from the Temple, seeking a passage to Ethiopia, but, not having King Solomon's pass, were not able to obtain one, and returned back into the country. SW: We are all Masons, Worshipful Master. The three (blows) were given with the three (tools, i.e., gauge, square, and gavel). "A few years afterward, on his return to his brethren in Vermont, he stated to them, as I have been credibly informed and believe, that he found in the Western and Southwestern States different systems of lecturing prevailing, and that, upon presenting Gleason's Lectures to them, they were objected to by the different Grand Masters, who would not sanction his lecturing in their respective jurisdictions, unless he would adopt the lectures then in use among them; that, desiring to pursue his occupation there, he learned the different systems of lecturing existing among them, and made use of his newly acquired knowledge under the sanction of the respective Grand Masters." The brethren form around the Secretary like a class at school. Upon which the three Fellow Crafts rush forward over benches and chairs, and secure the ruffians in no very gentle manner, and lead them to the Worshipful Master's seat in the east, when one of them reports to the Master: "Most Worshipful King Solomon, I, being one who pursued a westerly course, and, on my return, after several days of fruit-less search, being more weary than my companions, sat down on the brow of a hill to rest and refresh myself; and, on rising, accidentally caught hold of a sprig of acacia,1 which, easily giving way, excited my suspicions. What did the Worshipful Master do with you? 16, p. A. Kneeling on both my naked knees, both hands resting on the Holy Bible, square, and compasses; in which due form I took the solemn oath of a Master Mason, which is as follows: (Here give the obligation; but it is never required--being only a matter of form.). --Nothing, Worshipful. Turning to the Senior Warden, he continues: K. S.--My worthy brother of Tyre, I will thank you to endeavor to raise the body by the Fellow Craft's grip. this work, would not be out of place, as it will account to the reader for the difference existing between Masonic "works" in the several States, and in Europe: "In the year 1817, Brother John Barney, formerly of Charlotte, Vermont, went to Boston, and obtained possession of the Preston Lectures, taught there by Gleason, and approved by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The degrees, in order are Entered Apprentice (first degree), Fellowcraft (second degree), and Master Mason (third degree). S. D.--He has it not, but I have it for him. It is used interchangeably with the title Masonic third degree because they mean the same thing. These are taught in the ritual and lectures of the Entered Apprentice Degree. What have we done? W. M.--Brother Secretary, have you any thing on your desk? W. M.--Why leave you the west, and travel toward the east! 138:2 A similar divergence from uniformity will be found in describing the p. 139 places where the above-mentioned instruments were supposed to have been used with such terrible effect. W. M.--Brother Senior Deacon, you will now reconduct this candidate to the place from whence he came, and reinvest him with what he has been divested of, and await my further will and pleasure. The last of the Lodge ceremonies, the Master Mason degree, makes a candidate a full member of the Fraternity, enjoying both the rights and responsibilities of membership. Q. never--no, never dies. ii. King Solomon ordered them to divide in parties, and travel three east, three west, three north, and three south, with others whom he should appoint, in search of the ruffians. Brother Gabe, permit me to call your attention to the last emblem on the carpet--the spade, setting-maul, coffin, grave, and sprig of acacia. MASTER MASON, OR THIRD DEGREE. The Master silently steps to the east, near the candidate's head, and strikes the hour of low twelve (which is twelve o'clock at night) on a triangle or bell. (Moving off, one says:). Let him enter, and be received in due form. Our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, was found to be missing on the following day; his absence was discovered by there being no designs drawn on the trestle-board. (See Fig. One of his companions exclaims: "I am tired, too!" Answer--We will bury it in the rubbish of the Temple, until low twelve, and then we will meet and give it a decent burial. Phil., p. 232. 127-130. despicable villains! The significance of this Degree is. The beautiful virgin weeping over the broken column denotes the unfinished state of the Temple, likewise the untimely death of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff; the book open before her, that his virtues lay on perpetual record; the sprig of acacia in her right hand, the divinity of the body; the urn in her left, that his ashes were therein safely deposited, under the "Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies," of King Solomon's Temple. When the candidate is prepared, the Deacon takes him by the left arm, leads him up to the door of the Lodge, and gives three loud, distinct knocks. The pass-grip is given by pressing the thumb between the joints of the second and third fingers where they join the hand; the word or name is Tubal Cain. To the secrets of a Master Mason; after which he observed that my pursuit was truly laudable, and ordered me to be reconnected to the Senior Warden in the west, who taught me to approach the East, advancing by three upright regular steps, my feet forming the right angle of a perfect square, my body erect to the Master in the East. The ancient landmarks of the order, intrusted to your care, you are carefully to preserve; and never suffer them to be infringed, or countenance a deviation from the established usages and customs of the fraternity. W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, have you any alterations or additions to make to the minutes? Upon which they rushed in, seized, bound, and brought them before King Solomon; who, after due conviction of their guilt, ordered them to be executed according to their several imprecations upon their own heads, uttered from the clefts of the rocks. THE ceremony of opening and conducting the business of a Lodge of Master Masons is nearly the same as in the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Crafts' Degrees, already explained. --Nothing, Worshipful. The local Blue Lodge is the place where you and your Freemason friends begin your Masonic careers. And now, my brethren, let us see to it, and so regulate our lives by the plumb-line of justice, ever squaring our actions by the square of virtue, that when the Grand Warden of Heaven may call for us, we may be found ready; let us cultivate assiduously the noble tenets of our profession--brotherly love, relief, and truth--and, from the square, learn morality; from the level, equality; from the plumb, rectitude of life. Heretofore you have had some one to pray for you, but now you have none. We three should like to take a passage with you. What induced you to become a Master Mason? He ordered me to be returned to the Senior Warden in the west, who taught me to approach the east by three upright regular steps, my feet forming the angle of a perfect square, my body erect at the altar, before the Worshipful Master in the east. You will remember in whom you put your trust, with that divine assurance, that "he who endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved." The Master now gives and explains to the candidate the several signs and tokens of this Degree, commencing with the first (see Figs. I fear he is indisposed. Also learned a lot about some Masonic symbology. The Worshipful Master here gives the candidate a blow on his head with a buckskin bag, or setting-maul;1 at the same. --Brother Senior Warden, at the opening of this Lodge you informed me that you were a Master Mason. A. The following is the representation of the Master giving candidate the grand Masonic word, or at least this is a substitute, for, ac-cording to Masonic tradition, the right one was lost at the death of Hiram Abiff. Our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, having finished his usual exercises, attempted to retire at the south gate, where he was accosted by Jubela, who thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, or the Master's word; and, on being refused, gave him a blow with the twenty-four-inch gauge across the throat, upon which he fled, and attempted to pass out at the west gate, where he was accosted by Jubelo, who, in like manner, thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, or the Master's word; and, on his being refused, gave him a blow with a square across his breast, upon which he fled, and attempted to make his escape out at the east gate, where he was accosted by Jubelum, who, in like manner, thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master .Mason, or the Master's word: and, on his being refused, gave him a violent blow with a setting-maul, on his forehead, which felled him dead on the spot. Master now takes his seat in the east, and requests candidate to stand before him. Three ruffian nations from the south, the west, and the east--the Syrians, the Chaldeans, and the Romans--gave in succession this temporary dispensation its death-blow; those who sought religion through the wisdom of the ancients were not able to raise her; she eluded their grasp, and the polluted hands were also stretched forth in vain for her restoration. It is now past mid-night, and if we do not act with decision, daylight will be upon us, and we will be discovered and taken. See pp. He cannot be found. --The Freemason's Treasury, p. 213. To attain the 32nd degree, for example, a Freemason must have been a Master Mason for at least 14 years, have been elected Master of the Lodge, and have satisfactorily served the Supreme Council. After saluting the Wardens, what did you first discover? Reading the part will not merit receiving credit for the part. After the candidate has said Amen, and the Lodge-room has been darkened by turning down the gaslights or lamps, the conductor takes the candidate by the right arm, assists him to arise, and they proceed to travel three times around the room, travelling with the sun. . ii. K. S.--Divide yourselves and travel, as before, with positive instructions to find the ruffians, and with as positive assurance that, if you do not, the twelve shall be deemed the murderers, and suffer severally, for the crime committed. On the Ground Floor of King Solomon's Temple. Not!to!be!consulted!in!any!Lodge!or! "Solemn strikes the funeral chime, Notes of our departing time; As we journey here below, Through a pilgrimage of woe!" Second Ruffian--Then let us flee into the interior parts of the country, and avoid being taken as long as possible. tokened the place of his interment, so may virtue's ever-blooming loveliness designate us as free and accepted Masons. A momentary silence then ensues, during which one of the party groans, as if nearly dying. Worshipful Master gives one rap with his gavel (). Thus was man formed for social and active life, the noblest part of the work of God; and he that will so demean himself as not to be endeavoring to add to the common stock of knowledge and understanding, may be deemed a drone In the hive of nature, a useless member of society, and unworthy of our protection as Masons. Rapping three times each. Duncan's Masoic Ritual and Monitor, by Malcom C. Duncan, [1866], at sacred-texts.com. A. J. W. (makes the same sign as the Senior Warden.) The brethren assembled around the grave of (Hiram Abiff) is a representation of the disciples lamenting the death of Christ. W. M. (lifting the candidate up.) Morgan [1827] (Murdered by . We are told, if we do not find the ruffians we must be punished--put to death, probably. Thus we find that "Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the Lord." You must pray for yourself. [paragraph continues] Lodges, until future generations should find out the right one. This Degree has a reference to the Christian dispensation, when the day of salvation is more fully revealed; atonement is made for sin; and the resurrection from the dead plainly communicated and confirmed by the resurrection of Christ from the grave. (See Note Q, Appendix.). [paragraph continues] Lodge, that they having due and timely notice, may govern themselves accordingly. that my throat had been cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, ere I had been accessory to the death of so good a man as our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. (Shakes candidate. sign of an Entered Apprentice, who presented his. FELLOW CRAFT AND MASTER MASON DEGREE . A. --Give me the secrets of a Master Mason! The three, as they were passing a westerly course, coming down near the port of Joppa, met a seafaring man, of whom they inquired if he had seen any strangers pass that way. The masons learn that hard work and perseverance are keys to success and that violence is never an acceptable form of conduct 18 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF . G. On entering the second time, you were received on the angle of the square, which was also explained to you. The Senior Deacon, who has stationed himself at the inner door, at the right of the Senior Warden, on hearing these raps rises to his feet, makes the sign of a Master Mason to the Master (see Fig. Q. Q. Updated on March 23, 2022. As the final and highest honor in Freemasonry, the Master Mason degree symbolizes man's maturity through increased knowledge and wisdom. Brother Junior Deacon (turning to that officer), you will inform the Tyler. They are the grips, penal signs, passwords and ritual work. Let us go and report. Complete Master Mason Study Guide - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. . have compassion on the children of thy creation, administer them comfort in time of trouble, and save them with an everlasting salvation. We were sent in haste and on urgent business; there was nothing said about giving us a pass, and we presume it was forgotten, or not deemed necessary. The Master now steps back about three paces from the altar, and says. NEW IMPROVED VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPmhe9j08R4An in depth 8 part series on the Freemasons called, "The Hiram Abiff Series (Freemasons ritu. "I furthermore promise and swear, that I will stand to and abide by all laws, rules, and regulations of the Master Masons' Degree, and of the Lodge of which I may hereafter become a member, as far as the same shall come to my knowledge; and that I will ever maintain and support the constitution, laws, and edicts of the Grand Lodge under which the same shall be holden. The apron is white, lined and bordered with blue. --Brother Gabe, I presume you now consider yourself a Master Mason, and, as such, entitled to all the privileges of a Master Mason, do you not? The Applicant must perform the ritual parts from memory. "Three constitute a Lodge of Master Masons--three Master Masons. Wm. (See engraving.). In the course of the degree, the new Master Mason is taught the importance of living a life true to the principles of morality and virtue. List the six basic rights guaranteed by law in the Consumer Bill of Rights. B. not only lived to finish all the work, in whatever capacity he might have been engaged, but also, according to the testimony of Josephus, who calls him ABDEMON, he returned to Tyre, and died there at a good old age.--The Freemason's Treasury, pp. The "work" known among Masons as the "Webb Work,". Examination for Membership, Grand Lodge of Indiana Form 13 Petition for the Ritual and Monitor, by Malcolm C. Duncan [1866] in There is a great degree of uniformity in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin--also in Indiana and Iowa. A. Jubela!! 6, p. The ruffians buried the body in the rubbish of the Temple until low-twelve, or twelve at night, when they met by agreement and carried it a westerly course from the Temple, to the brow of a hill west of Mount Moriah, where they buried it in a grave dug due east and west, six feet, perpendicular, at the head of which they planted an acacia, in order to conceal it, and that the place might be known, should occasion ever require, and made their escape.