Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 9
28 HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.
Keystone Lodge, No. 639, opened on the second degree
of Masonry. Brother Junior Deacon, inform the
Tyler. Brother Senior Deacon, arrange the lights.
The Senior Deacon now opens the Bible at the
seventh Chapter of Amos, and places the Square and
Compass upon it, with one point of the Compass above
the Square, as in the figure.
Junior Deacon: "The Tyler is informed Wor-
shipful."
Worshipful Master (gives one rap).
MASTER MASON'S LODGE.
OPENING CEREMONIES.
In the technical language of Masonry, a Lodge \
of Entered Apprentices represents the "ground floor"
of King Solomon's Temple, a Lodge of Fellow Crafts,
the "middle chamber/' and a Lodge of Master Ma-
sons, the "Sanctum Sanctorum" or Holy of Holies.
In referring to the Jerusalem Temple, however, it
must be borne in mind that every part of the Masonic
system is symbolic, and consequently, that all allusions
made in the ritual to Solomon's Temple, are only to
be understood as symbolizing the erection of a spirit-
ual temple in the heart, pure and spotless, which Free-
masonry professes to build for every one of its mem-
bers, Jew or Gentile, without the remotest reference
to the name or atonement of Christ. In this way,
V
OPENING OF TH^f THIRD DEGREE. 29
and only in this, can the philosophy of Freemasonry
and its true symbolism be rightly understood; and
then it will be discovered that it is such a stupendous
mass of infidelity and imposture, that modern civiliza-
tion never witnessed its equal.
In opening a Master Mason's Lodge, the same
rule must be observed as in the preceding case, and
hence I shall now proceed to give the opening cere-
monies of this sublime ( ?) ''degree in full :
Worshipful Master (one rap) : "Brother Senior
Warden, will you be off, or from ? "
Senior Warden (rising) : "From."
Worshipful Master: "From what, to what?"
Senior Warden: "From the degree of Fellow
Craft to that of Master Mason."
Worshipful Master: "Are all present Master
Masons?"
Senior Warden: "I will inquire by my proper
officer and report."
Senior Warden (facing Junior Deacon) (one
rap): "Brother Junior Deacon, you will proceed to
satisfy yourselves that all present are Master Masons."
The Junior Deacon then taking his rod, proceeds
around the Lodge- room, stopping in front of every
brother whom he does not personally know, and raps
on the floor with his rod ; and that brother thus chaK
lenged, if not vouched for by some one present, must
retire into the ante-room to await, if he sees ,fit, , the
action of an examining committee sent out by the
W. M. The Junior Deacon, in this manner , having
made the entire circuit of the Lodge-room^ returns
in front of the Senior Warden's station, and reports
to that officer: "I am so satisfied Bro. S. W./> and
30 HAND BOOK 01* FREEMASONRY.
then resumes his former place in the Lodge. The
Senior Warden then reports.
Senior Warden (one rap) : "All present are Mas-
ter Masons, Worshipful."
Should there be any Fellow Crafts present, the
Senior Warden replies: "All present are not Master
Masons, Worshipful;" when the Master calls upon
"all those below the degree of a Master to please
retire." The Fellow Crafts will then step to the altar,
make the due-guard and sign of that degree, and
retire, as in the previous degree.
Worshipful Master: "As a further evidence, you
will cause the Senior and Junior Deacons to approach
the West, receive from them the pass, direct them to
proceed on the right and left, collect the pass from the
brethren and convey it to the East."
Senior Warden: "Bro. Senior and Junior Dea-
cons, report to the West and give me the pass of a
Master Mason. You will now proceed on the right
and left collect the pass from the brethren and convey
it to the East."
Worshipful Master (i rap) : "The pass is right."
The Deacons approach the Senior Warden's sta-
tion, as in the second degree, whisper into his ear
the pass of a Master Mason, which is Tubal-Cain;
they then go through the same performance exactly
as they did in collecting the pass of a Fellow Craft,
only using the due-guard of a Master Mason, and the
Master makes the same response as before.
Worshipful Master: "Brother Senior Warden,
are you a Master Mason ? "
Senior Warden: "I am."
Worshipful Master: "What makes you a Master
Mason ? "
Senior Warden: "My obligation/'
OPENING OF THE THIRD DEGREE. 31
SENIOR WARDEN.
To understand why the Master and Wardens are thus stationed, see
« Master's Carpet » pp. 304—3*8. [37]
32
HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.
Worshipful Master: ''Where were you made a
Master Mason ? "
Senior Warden: "In a regularly constituted
Lodge of Master Masons."
Worship fid Master: "What number constitutes
a Lodge of Master Masons ? "
Senior Warden: "Three or more."
Worshipful Master: "When of three only, whom
do they consist? "
Senior Warden: "The Worshipful Master, Sen-
ior and Junior Wardens."
Worshipful Master: "The Junior Warden's sta-
tion?"
Senior Warden: "In the South, Worshipful."
Worshipful Master (two raps) : "Brother Jun-
ior Warden, the Senior Warden's station?"
Junior Warden: "In the West, Worshipful."
Worshipful Master: ".Brother Senior Warden,
the Worshipful Master's station?"
Senior Warden: "In the East, Worshipful."
Worshipful Master: "Why in the East?"
Senior Warden: "As the sun rises in the East
to open and govern the day, so rises the Worshipful
Master in the East to open and govern his Lodge, set
the Craft to work, and give them proper instruction."
Worshipful Master: "Bro. Senior Warden, it
is my order that Keystone Lodge, No. 639, be now
opened on the third degree of Masonry for the dis-
patch of business, this you will communicate to the
Junior Warden in the South, and he to the brethren,
that all having due notice thereof may govern them- selves accordingly."
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