The Mysteries of Free Masonry Part 10

Q. How? A. In due form.

Q. What was that due form? A. Both knees bent, they forming a square, both my hands on the Holy Bible, Square, and Compa.s.s, my body being erect; in which posture I took upon me the solemn oath or obligation of a Mark Master Mason.

Q. Have you that oath or obligation? A. I have.

Q. Will you give it me? A. I will, with your a.s.sistance. [Here, as in the preceding degree, you repeat after the Right Wors.h.i.+pful Master, I, A. B., etc. See pages 67 and 68.]

Q. After your oath or obligation, what follows? A. Information was brought that the Temple was almost completed, but the craft was all in confusion for want of a certain keystone, which none of them had been instrumental to make.

Q. What followed? A. King Solomon believing in confidence, that our worthy Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, had completed this keystone agreeable to the original plan, ordered inquiry to be made among the Master Overseers, if a stone bearing a particular mark had been presented to them for inspection; and on inquiry being made, it was found that there had.

Q. What followed? A. King Solomon ordered search to be made for the stone, when it was found, and afterwards applied to its intended use.

Q. What color was the stone? A. White.

Q. What did it allude to? A. To a pa.s.sage in Scripture, where it says, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving him that receiveth."

Q. What was that new name? A. The letters on the stone and the initials of the words for which they stand, viz.: H. T. W. S. S. T. K.

S.

Q. Of what use is this new name to you in Masonry? A. It was the original mark of our worthy Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, and is the general mark of this degree, and the letters form the circle, in the centre of which every brother of this degree places his particular mark, to which his obligation alludes.

Q. What followed? A. I was more fully instructed with the secrets of this degree.

Q. Of what do they consist? A. Of signs and tokens.

Q. Have you a sign? A. I have.

Q. What is it called? A. Heave over.

Q. What does it allude to? A. To the manner of heaving over work that the Overseers said was unfit for the Temple; also the manner the keystone was hove over.

Q. Have you any other sign? A. I have (at the same time giving it).

Q. What is that? A. The due-guard of a Mark Master Mason.

Q. What does it allude to? A. To the penalty of my obligation; which is, that my right ear should be smote off, that I might forever be unable to hear the word, and my right hand be chopped off, as the penalty of an impostor, if I should ever prove wilfully guilty of revealing any part of my obligation.

Q. Have you any further sign? A. I have.

Q. What is that? A. The grand sign, or sign of distress.

Q. What does it allude to? A. To the manner the Fellow Crafts carry their work up to the Temple for inspection; also the manner I was taught to carry my work, on my advancement to this degree.

Q. Have you any other sign? A. I have not; but I have a token (gives it to him).

Q. What is this? A. The pa.s.s-grip of a Mark Master Mason.

Q. What is the name of it? A. "JOPPA."

Q. What does it allude to? A. The city of Joppa.

Q. Have you any other token? A. I have.

Q. What is this? A. The real grip of a Mark Master Mason.

Q. What is the name of it? A. MARK WELL.

Q. What does it allude to? A. To a pa.s.sage of Scripture, where it says, "Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looketh towards the East, and it was shut; and the Lord said unto me, son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and the laws thereof, and mark well the entering in of the house, with the going forth of the sanctuary."

Q. Who founded this degree? A. Our three ancient Grand Masters, viz.: Solomon, King of Israel, Hiram, King of Tyre, and Hiram Abiff.

Q. Why was it founded? A. Not only as an honorary reward, to be conferred on all who have proved themselves meritorious in the preceding degrees, but to render it impossible for a brother to suffer for the immediate necessities of life, when the price of his mark will procure them.

Q. A brother pledging his mark and asking a favor, who does he represent? A. Our worthy Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, who was a poor man, but on account of his great skill and mysterious conduct at the building of King Solomon's Temple, was most eminently distinguished.

Q. A brother receiving a pledge and granting a favor, whom does he represent? A. King Solomon, who was a rich man, but renowned for his benevolence.

THE PAST MASTER'S DEGREE.

This degree is very simple. It is necessary that a Master Mason should take this degree before he can, const.i.tutionally, preside over a Lodge of Master Masons as Master of it; and when a Master Mason is elected Master of a Lodge, who has not previously received the Past Master's degree, it is then conferred upon him, often without any other ceremony than that of administering the obligation.

This Lodge is opened and closed in the same manner that the Lodges of the first three degrees are; the candidate pet.i.tions and is balloted for in the same manner, but he is received into the Lodge in a very different manner. He is conducted into the Lodge without any previous preparation, when the presiding officer rises and says, "Brethren, it is inconvenient for me to serve you any longer as Master of this Lodge. I wish you would select some other brother for that purpose."

The candidate is nominated, the usual forms of balloting for officers are then dispensed with, and a vote of the Lodge is taken by yeas and nays. The candidate is elected, and generally refuses to serve, but he is eventually prevailed on to accept; whereupon the presiding officer addresses the Master-elect in the words following, viz.:

"Brother, previous to your invest.i.ture, it is necessary that you a.s.sent to those ancient charges and regulations, which point out the duty of a Master of a Lodge.

1. You agree to be a good man and true, and strictly to obey the moral law.

2. You agree to be a peaceable subject, and cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country in which you reside.

3. You promise not to be concerned in any plots or conspiracies against government; but patiently to submit to the decisions of the supreme legislature.

4. You agree to pay a proper respect to the civil magistrate, to work diligently, live creditably, and act honorably by all men.

5. You agree to hold in veneration the original rules and patrons of Masonry, and their regular successors, supreme and subordinate, according to their stations, and to submit to the awards and resolutions of your brethren when convened, in every case consistent with the const.i.tution of the Order.

6. You agree to avoid private piques and quarrels, and to guard against intemperance and excess.

7. You agree to be cautious in carriage and behavior, cautious to your brethren, and faithful to your Lodge.

8. You promise to respect genuine brethren and discountenance impostors, and all dissenters from the original plan of Masonry.

9. You agree to promote the general good of society, to cultivate the social virtues, and to propagate a knowledge of the arts.