The fraternal society of the Masonic Order, steeped in mystery for over 600 years, is brought to light in a fascinating volume that serves as a guide for neophytes as well as a reference for the initiated. Duncan's Ritual of Freemasonry reveals the spiritual paths taken by inductees as they move through each initiated degree of enlightmentment: Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and the Royal Arch. The Freemasons' rituals, arcane symbols and mystical doctrines are also probed, and accurate explanations of gestures, tools and terms are accompanied by more than 100 illustrations and original engravings. The work is a fascinating exploration of the theories and practices of the world's most enduring secret society.
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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. 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 Third Degree is said to be the height of Ancient Freemasonry, and the most sublime of all the Degrees in Masonry (Royal Arch not even excepted) ; and when it is conferred, the Lodge is generally well filled with the members of the Lodge and visiting brethren.
The traditional account of the death, several burials, and resurrections of one of the craft, Hiram Abiff, the widow’s son, as developed in conferring this Degree, is very interesting.
We read in the Bible, that Hiram Abiff was one of the head workmen employed at the building of King Solomon’s Temple, and other ancient writings inform us that he was an arbiter between King Solomon and Hiram, king of Tyre; but his tragical death is nowhere recorded, except in the archives of Freemasonry. Not even the Bible, the writings of Josephus, nor any other writings, however ancient, of which we have any knowledge, furnish any information respecting his death. It is very singular, that a man so celebrated as Hiram Abiff was, universally acknowledged as the third most distinguished man then living, and, in many respects, the greatest man in the world, should pass from off the stage of action, in the presence of King Solomon, three thousand three hundred grand overseers, and one hundred and fifty thousand workmen, with whom he had spent a number of years, and with King Solomon, his bosom friend, without any of his numerous confrères even recording his death, or any thing about it.
A Master Masons’ Lodge is styled by the Craft the “Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies, of King Solomon’s Temple,” and when the Lodge is opened on this Degree, both points of the compasses are elevated above the square. (See engraving.)
A candidate for the sublime Degree of a Mas ter Mason is generally (as in the preceding Degrees) prepared by the Junio Deacon and the two Stew ards, or some other brethren acting as such.
PREPARING THE CANDIDATE
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. The drawers are rolled up just above the candidate’s knees, and both arms are taken out of his shirt-sleeves, leaving his legs and breast bare. A rope, technically called, by Masons, a cable-tow, is wound around his body three times, and a bandage, or hoodwink, is tied very closely over his eyes. (See engraving.)
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 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. 6, p. 18), and says:
Worshipful Master, while engaged in the lawful pursuit of Masonry, there is an alarm at the inner door of our Lodge.
W. M. — You will attend to the alarm, and ascertain the cause. Senior Deacon gives three loud knocks (
), which are responded to by one (
) from the parties outside. The Senior Deacon then answers with one rap (
), and opens the door. (See Note J, Appendix.)
S. D. — Who comes here ?
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.
S. D. — Brother Gabe, is it of your own free-will and accord?
Candidate — It is.
S. D. — Brother Junior Deacon, is he worthy and well qualified?
J. D. — He is.
S. D. — Duly and truly prepared?
J. D — He is.
S. D. — Has he made suitable proficiency in the preceding degrees?
J. D. — He has.
S. D. — And properly vouched for?
J. D. — He is.
S. D. — Who vouches for him?
J. D. — A brother.
S. D. — By what further right or benefit does he expect to gain admission?
J. D. — By the benefit of the password.
S. D. — Has he the password?
J. D. — He has it not, but I have it for him.
S. D. — Advance, and give it me.
Junior Deacon here steps forward and whispers in the Senior Deacon’s ear, “ Tubal Cain.”
S. D. — The pass is right; you will wait with patience until the Worshipful Master is informed of your request and his answer returned.
The Deacon then closes the door, repairs to the centre of the Lodge-room before the altar, and sounds his rod on the floor three times (
), which is responded to by the Master with three raps of the gavel, when the Senior Deacon makes the sign of a Master Mason (see Fig. 6, p. 18), and says:
S. 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.
W. M. — Is it of his own free-will and accord?
S. D. — It is.
W. M. — Is he worthy and well qualified, duly and truly prepared ?
S. D. — He is.
W. M. — Has he made suitable proficiency in the preceding degree?
S. D. — He has.
W. M. — And properly vouched for?
S. D. — He is.
W. M. — Who vouches for him?
S. D. — A brother.
W. M. — By what further right or benefit does he expect to gain admission?
S. D. — By the benefit of the password.
W. M. — Has he that pass?
S. D. — He has it not, but I have it for him.
W. M. — Advance, and give it me.
The Senior Deacon steps to the Master, and whispers in his ear, “Tubal Cain.”
W. M. — The password is right. Let him enter, and be received in due form.
The Senior Deacon steps to the altar, takes the compasses, repairs to the door, opens it, and says:
S. D. — Let him enter, and be received in due form.
The Junior Deacon advances, followed by the Stewards, with rods, when the Senior Deacon stops them, by placing his hand against the candidate, at the same time saying:
S. D. — Brother Gabe, on entering this Lodge the first time, you were received on the point of the compasses, pressing your naked left breast, the moral of which was explained to you. On entering the second time, you were received on the angle of the square, which was also explained to you. I now receive you on both points of the compasses, extending from your naked left to your naked right breast (he here places both points against candidate’s breasts), which is to teach you, that as the vital parts of man are contained within the breasts, so the most excellent tenets of our institution are contained between the points of the compasses — which are Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love.
The Junior Deacon now passes the candidate over to the Senior Deacon, and he (Junior Deacon) takes his seat near the door, at the right hand of the Senior Warden in the west, while the Senior Deacon proceeds to conduct the candidate, followed by the two Stewards, three times around the Lodge, during which time the Worshipful Master reads the following passage of Scripture:
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them: while the sun, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain; in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease, because they are few; and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets; or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken at the fountain, or the wheel at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God, who gave it.”
In some Lodges the following paraphrase of the above is sung; and if the Lodge have an organ, or melodeon, the singers are generally accompanied on the instrument:
“Let us remember in our youth, Before the evil days draw nigh, Our Great Creator, and his Truth, Ere memory fail, and pleasures fly; Or sun, or moon, or planet’s light Grow dark, or clouds return in gloom; Ere vital spark no more incite; When strength shall bow and years consume.”
For balance of this paraphrase, see Freemason’s Monitor, or Illustrations of Masonry, by Thomas S. Webb, p. 61.
As the Senior Deacon and candidate pass the different stations of the officers, they (the officers) sound their gavels as follows; when they pass the Junior Warden in the south the first time, he gives one rap (
), Senior Warden one rap, and Worshipful Master one rap; the second time, Junior Warden two raps, Senior Warden two raps, and Worshipful Master two raps (
) ; the third time round, Junior Warden three raps (
) , Senior Warden three raps, and the Worshipful Master three raps. 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.
J. W. — Who comes here?
Conductor (S. D.) — Brother Gabe, who has been regularly initiated Entered Apprentice, passed to the degr...
