A person wishing to become a Mason must get some one who is a Mason to present his petition to a lodge, when, if there are no serious objections, it will be entered on the minutes, and a committee of two or three appointed to inquire into his character, and report to the next regular communication. The following is the form of a petition used by a candidate; but a worthy candidate will not be rejected for the want of formality in his peti tion. To the Worshipful Master Wardens and Brethren of Lodge No. —, of Free and Accepted Masons. The subscriber, residing in — of lawful age, and by occupation a -, begs leave to state that, unbiassed by friends, and uninfluenced by mercenary motives, he freely and voluntarily offers himself a candidate for the mysteries of Masonry, and that he is prompt to solicit this privilege by a favorable opinion conceived of the institution, a desire of knowledge and sincere wish of being serviceable to his fellow-creatures. Should his petition be granted, he will cheerfully conform to all the ancient established usages and customs of the fraternity. (Signed) A. B. At the next regular communication, (if no very serieus objection appears against the candidate) the ballotboxes will be passed; one black ball will reject a candidate. The boxes may be passed three times. The Deacons are the proper persons to pass them; one of the boxes has black and white beans, or balls in it, the other empty; the one with the balls in it goes before, and furnishes each member with a black and white ball; the empty box follows and receives them. There are two holes in the top of this box with a small lube, (generally) in each, one of which is black, and the other white, with a partition in the box. The members put both their balls into this box as their feelings dictate; when the balls are received, the box is presented to the Master, Senior and Junior Wardens, who pronounce clear or not clear, as the case may be. The ballot proving clear, the Candidate (if present) is conducted into a small preparation room adjoining the Lodge, when he is asked the following questions, and gives the following answers. Senior Deacon to Candidate, Do you sincerely declare, upon. B 2 : your honor before these gentlemen, that unbiassed by friends, uninfluenced by unworthy motives, you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a Candidate for the mysteries of masonry? Ans. I do.' Senior Deacon to Candidate, 'Do you sincerely declare upon your honor before those gentlemen, that you are prompt to solicit the privileges of masonry, by a favorable opinion conceived of the institution, a desire of knowledge, and a sincere wish of being serviceable to your fellow creatures ? Ans. 'I do.' Senior Deacon to Candidate, 'Do you sincerely declare upon your honour before these gentlemen, that you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient established usages and customs of the fraternity?' Ans. 'I do.' After the above questions are proposed and answered, and the result reported to the Master, he says 'Brethren at the request of Mr. A. B. he has been proposed and accepted in regular form.. I therefore recommend him as a proper Candidate for the mysteries of masonry, and worthy to partake of the privileges of the fraternity and in consequence of a declaration of his intentions, voluntarily made, I believe he will cheerfully conform to the rules of the order.' The candidate during the time is divested of all his apparel, (shirt excepted) and furnished with a pair of drawers kept in the lodge for the use of Candidates; the Candidate is then blindfolded, his left foot bare, his right in a slipper, his left breast and arm naked, and a rope called a Cable-Tow round his neck and left arm, (the rope is not put round the arm in all lodges) in which posture the Candidate is conducted to the door, where he is caused to give or the conductor gives three distinct knocks, which are answered by three from within, the conductor gives one more, which is also answered by one from within. The door is then partly opened and the Junior Deacon generally asks, who comes there? who comes there? who comes there ?' The conductor, alias the Senior Deacon answers, 'A poor blind Candidate who has long been desirous of having and receiving a part of the rights and benefits of this worshipful lodge dedicated (some say erected) to God and held forth to the holy order of St. John, as all true fellows and brothers have done, who have gone this way before him.' The Junior Deacon then asks,' Is it of his own free will and accord he makes this request? is he duly and truly prepared? worthy and well qualified? and properly avouched for? All of which being answered in the affirmative, the Junior Deacon to Senior Deacon; 'By what further rights does he expect to obtain this benefit? Ans. 'By being a man, free born, of lawful age, and under the tongue of good report.' The Junior Deacon then says, 'since this is the case you will wait 'till the worshipful Master in the East is made acquainted with his request, and his answer returned ;' the Junior Deacon repairs to the Master, when the same questions are asked and answers are returned as at the door; after which, the Master says, 'since he comes endowed with all these necessary qualifications, let him enter this worshipful lodge in the name of the Lord and take heed on what he enters.' The Candidate then enters, the Junior Deacon at the same time pressing his naked left breast with the point of the compass, and asks the Candidate, 'Did you feel any thing? Ans. I Did.' Junior Deacon to Candidate, 'what was it? Ans. 'A torture.' The Junior Deacon then says, 'as this is a torture to your flesh, so may it ever be to your mind and conscience if ever you should attempt to reveal the secrets of masonry unlawfully. The Candidate is then conducted to the centre of the lodge, where he and the Senior Deacon kneels, and the Deacon says the following prayer, 'Vouchsafe thine aid, Almighty Father of the universe, to this our present convention; and grant that this candidate for masonry may dedicate and devote his life to thy service, and become a true and faithfnl brother among us! Endue him with a competency of thy divine wisdom, that by the secrets of our art, he may be the better enabled to display the beauties of holiness, to the honour of thy holy name.' So mote it be- Amen! The Master then asks the candidate, 'In whom do you put your trust? Ans. 'In God.' The Master then takes him by the right hand and says, 'Since in God you put your trust, arise, follow your leader and fear no danger?' The Senior Deacon then conducts the candidate three times regularly round the lodge, and halts at the Junior Warden in the South, where the same questions are asked and answers returned as at the door. As the candidate and conductor are passing round the room the Master reads the following passage of Scripture, and takes the same time to read it that they do to go round the lodge three times. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garment: as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for ever more. The candidate is then conducted to the Senior Warden in the West, where the same questions are asked and answers returned as before, from thence he is conducted to the worshipful Master in the East, where the same questions are asked and answers returned as before. The master likewise demands of him, from whence he came and whither he is travelling. The candidate answers, 'from the West and travelling to the East.' Master inquires; 'Why so do you leave the West and travel to the East? Ans. In search of light.' Master then says, 'Since the candidate is travelling in search of light, you will please conduct him back to the West from whence he came, and put him in the care of the Senior Warden, who will teach him how to approach the East, the place of light, by advancing upon one upright regular step, to the first step, his feet forming the right angle of an oblong square, his body erect at the altar before the Master, and place him in a proper position to take upon him the solemn oath or obligation of an entered Apprentice Mason.' The Senior Warden receives the candidate, and instructs him as directed. He first steps off with the left foot and brings up the heel of the right into the hollow thereof, the heel of the right foot against the ancle of the left, will of course form the right angle of an oblong square; the candidate then kneels on his left knee, and places his right foot so as to form a square with the left, he turns his foot round until the ancle bone is as much in front of him as the toes on the left foot; the candidate's left hand is then put under the Holy Bible, square and compass, and the right on them. This is the position in which a candidate is placed when he takes upon him the oath or obligation of an entered Apprentice Mason. As soon as the candidate is placed in this position, the worshipful Master approaches him, and says, 'Mr. A. B. you are now placed in a proper position to take upon you the solemn oath or obligation of an entered Apprentice Mason, which I assure you is neither to effect your religion nor politics, if you are willing to take it, repeat your name and say after me;' [and although many have refused to take any kind of an obligation, and begged for the privilege of retiring, yet none have made their escape; they have been either coerced, or persuaded to submit. There are thousands who never return to the lodge after they are initiated] the following obligation is then administered. 'I. A. B. of my own free will and accord, in presence of Almighty God and this worshipful lodge of free and accepted masons, dedicated to God and held forth to the holy order of St. John, do hereby and herein most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will always hail, ever conceal and never reveal any part, or parts, art, or arts, point, or points of the secret arts and mysteries of ancient freemasonry, which I have received, am about to receive, or may hereafter be instructed in, to any person, or persons in the known world, except it be to a true and lawful brother mason, or within the body of a just and lawfully constituted lodge, of such; and not unto him, nor unto them who I shall hear so to be, but unto him and them only whom I shall find so to be after strict trial and due examination, or lawful information. Furthermore, do I promise and swear that I will not write, print, stamp, slain, hugh, cut, carve, indent, paint, or engrave it on any thing moveable or immoveable, under the whole canopy of Heaven, whereby, or whereon the least letter, figure, character, mark, stain, shadow, or resemblance of the same may become legible or intelligible to myself or any other person in the known world, whereby the secrets of masonry may be unlawfully obtained through my unworthiness. To all which I do most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without the least equivocation, mental reservation, or self evasion of mind in me whatever; binding myself under no less penalty, than to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the roots and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours; so nelp me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.' After the obligation the master addresses the candidate in the following manner: 'Brother to you the secrets of masonry are about to be unveiled, and a brighter sun never shone lustre on your eyes; while prostrate before this sacred altar, do you not shudder at every crime? |