Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 26

Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 26

Q. "After saluting the Wardens, what did you

discover ? "

 

A.* "The Wprshipful Master approaching me

from the East a second time, who presented me with

a lambskin or white leather apron, which he informed

me was an emblem of innocence and the badge of a

Mason, ordered me to carry it to the Senior Warden

 

 

 

I06 HAND BOOK OP" FREEMASONRY.

 

 

 

in the Wfest who taught me how to wear it as an En-

tered Apprentice."

 

Q. "How should Entered Apprentices wear their

aprons ? "

 

A. "With the bib turned up/'

 

Q. "After being taught how to wear your apron,

how were you then disposed of?"

 

A. "I was reconducted to the Worshipful Master

in the East, who informed me that according to an

ancient custom adopted in every regular and well

governed Lodge, it became necessary that I be re-

quested to deposit something of a metalic kind, not

for its intrinsic worth, but that it might be laid up

amongst the records in the archives of the Lodge as

a memorial, that I was there made a Mason, but upon

strict search I found myself entirely destitute.

 

Q. "How were you then disposed of?"

 

A. "I was placed in the' North-East corner, my

feet forming the angle of a square, my body erect at

the right hand of the Worshipful Master on the East,

who was pleased to say that I there stood a just and

upright Mason and gave it to me strictly in charge

ever to walk and act as such."

 

Q. "With what were you then presented?"

 

A. "The working tools of an Entered Apprentice

and. taught their uses."

 

Q. "What are the working tools of an Entered

Apprentice ? "

 

A. "The twenty- four-inch gauge and common

gavel."

 

Q. "What are their Masonic uses?"

 

A. "The twenty-four-inch gauge is an instru-

ment made use of by operative Masons to measure and

lay out their work, but we as Free and Accepted

Masons are taught to make use of it for the more noble

 

\

 

 

 

WORK ON THE FIRST DEGREE. 107

 

 

 

and glorious purpose of dividing our time. It being

divided into twenty- four equal parts is emblematical of

the twenty- four hours of the day which we are taught

to divide into three equal parts, whereby we find eight

hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy

brother, eight for our usual vocations and eight for

refreshment and sleep.

 

"The common gavel is an instrument made use of

by operative Masons to break off the rough and super-

fluous parts of stones, the better to fit them for the

builder's use; but we as Free and Accepted Masons

are taught to make use of it for the more noble and

glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and con-

sciences of the vices and superfluities of life, there-

by fitting our minds as living stones for that spiritual

building, that house not made with hands, eternal in

the heavens."*

 

Q. "How were you then disposed of?"

 

A. "I was reconducted to the place where I came,

invested with what I had been divested of and returned

to the Lodge for further instruction."

 

 

 

CHAPTER V.

 

 

 

SECOND OR FELLOW CRAFT DEGREE.

 

The second degree of Masonry is divided into two

sections, the second of which is based upon the pre-

tended tradition that at the building of King Solomon's

temple 80,000 Fellow Craft workmen repaired on the

sixth hour of the sixth day of the week to the middle

cnamber, there to receive their wages. This chamber

was reached by a flight of winding stairs, as we read in

1 Kings vi. 8 : "The door for the middle chamber was

in the right side of the house, and they went up with

winding stairs into the middle chamber. " But to sup-

pose that 80,000 men went up those winding stairs

once a week to be paid in corn, wine and oil, is as er-

roneous as every other part of Freemasonry, and that

entire system is without any doubt the grandest hum-

bug the world ever saw. Where did the 80,000 Fellow

Crafts go to be paid before the middle chamber was

built? Where were the supposed Junior and Senior

Grand Wardens stationed before the outer and inner

doors of the middle chamber were hung in their places ?

Brother Masons, why don't you inquire into the nature

of these pretended traditions imposed upon you for

pure truth, and judge for yourselves whether you

ought to support such a monstrous system of error,

falsehood and fraud? The reader is referred to the

following pages for the Fellow Craft degree in full

 

For the ceremony of opening a Lodge of Fellow

Crafts "in due and ancient form," see page 7, but as

the Lodge in the preceding chapter is opened on the

first degree, in order to proceed with the work in reg-

 

108

 

 

 

WORK ON SECOND DEGREE.

 

 

 

109

 

 

 

ular Lodge form, it 5s necessary to "raise" it to the

second degree which is done as follows:

 

The Lodge is supposed to be opened on the first

degree.

 

Worshipful Master (one rap) : "Brother Senior

Warden, are you satisfied that all present are Fellow

Crafts?"

 

Senior Warden (rising) : "All present are not

Fellow Crafts, Worshipful."

 

Worshipful Master: "All those below the degree

of Fellow Craft will please retire."

 

The Entered Apprentices present having made the

usual salute at the altar — the due-guard and sign — re-

tire to the ante-room and generally at this stage leave

the building.

 

Senior Warden (reports) : "All present are Fel-

low Crafts, Worshipful."

 

Worshipful Master: "Brother Senior Warden, it

is my order that we now dispense with labor on the

first degree and resume on the second for work; this

you will communicate to the Junior Warden in the

South and he to the brethren present, that all having

due notice thereof may govern themselves accordingly."

 

Senior Warden (one rap) : "Brother Junior

Warden, it is the order of the Worshipful Master that

we now dispense with labor on the first degree and

resume on the second for work. This you will com-

municate to the brethren present for their govern-

ment."

 

Junior Warden (three raps): "Brethren, it is

the order of the Worshipful Master communicated to

me by way of the West, that we now dispense with

labor on the first degree and resume on the second for

work; take due notice thereof and govern yourselves

accordingly."

 

 

 

IIO HAND BOOK OF FREE MASONRY.

 

Worshipful Master: "Together, brethren/*

 

All the brethren in unison and looking to the East

make the due-guard and sign^of a Fellow Craft. (Se^

fig. pp. 26-7.) Worshipful Master gives two raps, the

Senior Warden gives two, and the Junior Warden two-

 

Worshipful Master: "Accordingly I declare Key-

stone Lodge, No. 639, duly at labor on the second de-

gree of Masonry. Brother Junior Deacon, inform

the tyler. Brother Senior Deacon, arrange the lights."

 

The Senior Deacon elevates one point of the com-

pass above the square, and the Junior Deacon informs

the tyler as in first degree. (See page 28.) The Wor-

shipful Master gives one rap and the brethren are seated.