freemasonry - litmus test

8/9/2019 Freemasonry - Litmus Test

1/19

The Nature of Litmus Paper

Litmus paper is used as an acid-base indicator in chemicalanalysis. When litmus paper isplaced in an acidic solution, itturns red. When placed in a basicsolution, it turns blue. Chemistsrely on this reaction to identifyacidic or basic solutions.Although litmus paper is used totest for acidity, strong acid can

just as well be used to test litmus

paper. If a chemist were to placea strip of paper in a strongly acidicsolution and it did not turn red,he would KNOW that the stripwas not litmus paper. If a personwho claimed to be a chemist wereto insist that even though thepaper did not turn red in strongacid, it is still genuine litmuspaper, his judgment would be

called into question. It would beapparent that he does not knowchemistry. Litmus paper alwaysreacts in a predictable fashion.

The Nature of ChristiansChristians are people who haveembraced the person andteachings of Jesus Christ. Theyare followers of Jesus. Christiansreact to spiritual stimuli in a

predictable fashion, just as doeslitmus paper to chemical stimuli.Jesus said:

I am the light of the world: he that followeth

me shall not walk in darkness, but shall havethe light of life. (John 8:12)

Just as we know that a personwho is following Jesus does not

walk in darkness, we know that a

person who is walking indarkness is not following Jesus.It would be impossible.

The basics of the gospel are fairlysimple. Paul put it mostsuccinctly:

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the

gospel which I preached unto you, which alsoye have received, and wherein ye stand; By

which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memorywhat I preached unto you, unless ye have

believed in vain. For I delivered unto you firstof all that which I also received, how that Christdied for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose againthe third day according to the scriptures:

(1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

In summary, this is the Gospel:

1. Jesus willingly died.

2. He was buried.

3. He was raised

from the grave.

All Christians, even mere babesin Christ, have clearly perceivedthose facts and are conscious ofthem daily. In order for a personto be a Christian, he mustunderstand the reason for whichJesus died.

Paul explained exactly why Jesusdied in the book of Romans:

All men have sinned and fallen short (3:23)of the glory of God.

The wages of sin are death. (6:23)

There are none righteous, (3:10)no not one.

The righteousness of God is by faith (3:22)

of Jesus Christ unto all andupon all them that believe.

For those who believe on Him that (4:5)

justifieth the ungodly, their faithis counted for righteousness.

We are justified freely by his grace (3:24)

through the redemption thatis in Christ Jesus.

Christians know that Jesus

willingly died, was buried andraised from the grave, so thatthose who believed in Him wouldstand as righteous before God on

judgment day. Salvation isconditional on righteousness.Righteousness is conditional onfaith.

Just as acidity may be testedusing well know reactions, faithmay be tested. James tells usthat genuine faith produces areaction - works. Works, such asfeeding the poor, or caring for thesick are examples of fruit whichfaith produces. They are donewithout the expectation of rewardor recognition. James wrote:

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man

say he hath faith, and have not works? canfaith save him? . . . Even so faith, if it hath

not works, is dead, being alone.(James 2:14, 17)

Although he was involvedconstantly in good works, Paulrevealed that works have no partin our salvation:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; andthat not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9)

The litmus reaction is a valid

evidence of acidity, yet it doesnot have a part in the corrosiveeffect of acid. In a similar fashion,works done to bring glory to JesusChrist are a valid evidence offaith, yet they do not have a partin the salvation which results fromfaith.

Are there other litmus typereactions which can be used to

Freemasonryis a Litmus Test

Ephesians 5:11, Inc. - Box 291 - Fishers, IN 46038 - Email [email protected]


2/19

Freemasony

is a litmus test

for Christians.

identify those who will inheritsalvation? Speaking of sin, Jesussaid:

. . . except ye repent, ye shall alllikewise perish. (Luke 13:3)

. . . faith produces

a continuing series

of responses.

Christians have faith in the personand teachings of Jesus Christ.That faith produces a continuingseries of responses. John tells usthat we can use the presence, orabsence, of repentance as anindicator of those to whomrighteousness has been imputed,as a result of genuine faith:

Dear children, do not let anyone lead youastray. He who does what is right is righteous,

just as he is righteous. He who does what issinful is of the devil, because the devil has

been sinning from the beginning. The reasonthe Son of God appeared was to destroy thedevil's work. No one who is born of God will

continue to sin, because God's seed remains

in him; he cannot go on sinning, because hehas been born of God. This is how we knowwho the children of God are and who the

children of the devil are: Anyone who doesnot do what is right is not a child of God; noris anyone who does not love his brother.

(1 John 3:7-10)

The equations are simple:

No faith = no salvation

No reaction = no genuine faith

Repentance and works are thelitmus type reactions by whichGod would have us discern whoare and who are not our brothersin Christ. God had John tell ushow to discern so that we wouldnot be led astray, but rather wouldKNOW who is genuine.

Jesus said, in John chapter 10,that His sheep know his voice. Hesaid that they will never followanother. When we see a manwho is following another, we knowthat he is not one of the sheep.

The Nature of Freemasonry

If we look around, we can seemen in the midst of ourcongregations who have met insecret and portrayed Hiram Abiffin Masonic ritual. In ritual - asHiram, they have willingly died -rather than betray their trust.They have been buried and thenraised from the grave. At theconclusion of the ritual, they weretold that they should imitate HiramAbiff so that they can get intoheaven, to spend eternity withGod. ALL Master Masons arefamiliar with this ritual. They knowthat Hiram willingly died, wasburied and raised from the grave.They all know the name HiramAbiff.

The Masonic plan of salvationsubstitutes Hiram Abiff for Jesus

Christ. It replaces faith in JesusChrist with imitation of HiramAbiff, as the critical requirementfor spending eternity with God.[1.]

This is the gospel of Free-masonry:

1. Hiram willingly died.

2. He was buried.

3. He was raisedfrom the grave.

These facts can be verified byexamining Masonic ritual or byexamining many Masonicmonitors - small books which areproduced by the Grand Lodgesand given to men after they areraised to Master Mason.

Most Masons deny that Masonicritual teaches salvation. To admitthe truth would allow us toimmediately know that they werenot genuine Christians. Theycould no longer be pastors,elders, deacons, or SundaySchool teachers. Yet Masonic

monitors, which are written inplain, non-coded English, explainthe meaning of ritual. Manycontain the teaching that themeaning of the ritual is that they(Masons) have been redeemedfrom the death of sin. [2.] Somestate that the Master Masonrepresents a man raised to thefaith of salvation. [3.] Beginning

in 1946, and continuing throughat least five editions, theKENTUCKYMONITOR states that Jesus is asavior for Christians, while HiramAbiff is a savior for Masons. [4.]That statement alone reveals thatFreemasonry is a religion whichis opposed to Jesus Christ.When a Christian who joins theMasonic Lodge is confronted withthe facts of the Masonic gospel,

he can react in only one way: hemust renounce Freemasonry.

Freemasonry is a litmus test forChristians. A Christian reacts in

only one way because his natureis such that he will not walk indarkness. He will never followanother; he has chosen to followJesus. He must repent. Hisresponse is as predictable as theresponse of litmus to acid.

We should take note of thereaction of anyone who claims tobe a spiritual leader, yet claims


3/19

that a man who does notrenounce, when confronted withthe acidic nature of Freemasonry,is a Christian nonetheless. Weshould recognize that it is not thereaction of a genuine spiritualleader.

The Nature of Spiritual LeadersHebrews 13:7 tells us that aspiritual leader watches over thesouls of the flock as a man whomust give account. If he does notwarn men of the consequencesof participating in the promotionof a false gospel, we KNOW thathe is not acting as one who mustgive account. Spiritual leadersare watchmen on the wall. We

know that God will hold themaccountable:

But if the watchman sees the sword comingand does not blow the trumpet to warn the

people and the sword comes and takes thelife of one of them, that man will be taken away

because of his sin, but I will hold the watchmanaccountable for his blood.' (Ezekiel 33:6)

We need to examine thereactions of those who claim to

be spiritual leaders, because weare commanded to obey ourspiritual leaders. If we obeythose who claim to be spiritualleaders, yet do evil, we will sharein their evil deeds. They mayclaim to be shepherds of the flock,yet we must not follow them.Such false shepherds are notfollowing Jesus any more thanthe man who claims to be aChristian, yet will not renounceFreemasonry. The pastor whowelcomes Freemasons into thecongregation, while knowing thetruth about Freemasonry will beheld accountable. John wrote:

Anyone who runs ahead and does notcontinue in the teaching of Christ does not

have God; whoever continues in the teachinghas both the Father and the Son. If anyone

comes to you and does not bring this teaching,do not take him into your house or welcome

him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in hiswicked work. (2 John 1: 9-11)

Freemasonry is a litmus test forthe layman and for the spiritualleader alike. Christians, by theirnature can react in only one way.

The persistent Mason is not aChristian. Those who maintainthat a Christian can remain aMason are either ignorant of thefacts concerning Freemasonry, orthey are people who would modifythe Gospel of Jesus Christ. Theydo this by stating that a man neednot repent. They claim that a mancan remain a Mason and stillshare in the salvation which was

purchased with the blood ofJesus. They are denying theteachings of Jesus. In Luke 13:3,Jesus said that unless we repent,we will die in our sins.

Jesus also said that His sheep willnot follow another. If we chooseto support and follow a falseshepherd, knowing he does notspeak the whole council of God

(Acts 20:26-31), we are not Hissheep. His sheep will not followanother.

You have a choice to make. Willyou stand with the Church, andfollow legitimate spiritual leadersopposing false plans of salvationand spread the Gospel of JesusChrist? Or, will you stand withthose from the Lodge and defend

an organization which teaches aplan of salvation which is basedon imitation of Hiram Abiff?

Your response will be determinedby your nature. Christians canreact in only one way.

Freemasonry is a litmus test.

It is not just another sin.

It is another savior.

The following source documentshave been placed on our website.

[1.] KENTUCKY MONITOR, GrandLodge of Kentucky, p. 152

[2.] INDIANA MONITORANDFREEMASONS GUIDE, GrandLodge of Indiana, p. 154

NEVADA MASONIC MONITOR,THIRD DEGREE, GrandLodge of Nevada, p. 3

AHIMAN REZON, GrandLodge of South Carolina,p. 141

[3.] ibid, p. 142

[4.] KENTUCKY MONITOR,p. xiv-xv

You may view, download, andprint the source documents listedabove, as well as additionalcopies of this paper without cost.The internet address is:

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/

litmus.htm

Masonic rituals for the first threedegrees of Freemasonry havebeen provided by EX-MASONSFORJESUS. The rituals are availableon our website. The MasonicMonitors for Virginia and Iowamay be downloaded from thesame page. The internet addressis:

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/

masonicritualWe work closely with EX-MASONSFOR JESUS. Former Masons areavailable for testimonies andsubstantiation of the facts. Wehave provided them with spacefor their website on our server.The address is:

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/ex_masons_for_jesus

References


4/19

Video tapes documenting the facts concerning Freemasonry for delivery in the United States.

Testimonies - Ritual - Former Worshipful Masters

Masonic ritual - performed by EX-MASONSFOR JESUS.In the Legend of the Third Degree, Hiram Abiff willingly dies, is buried and is raised fromthe grave.

Personal testimonies of former Masons. Members of EX-MASONSFOR JESUS explain whythey left the lodge.

A panel of three former Worshipful Masters and three pastors discuss Freemasonry andthe church.

Masonic Teachings

THE JESUSOF FREEMASONRYFreemasonry does take a position, both implicitly and explicitly, on the person andteachings of Jesus Christ.

THE MASONIC CONCEPTOF GODFreemasonry teaches that ALL men of all religions worship the same God, simply using avariety of different names. Masonic literature and Grand Lodge documents reveal thatMasons do not know the difference between Baal, Osiris and the God of Abraham, Isaacand Jacob.

Witnessing to a Mason

HOW CAN YOU LEADA MAN AWAY FROMTHE MASONIC LODGE?How can you witness to a Mason without his defenses going up? You have onlyone opportunity to begin a dialog about the incompatiblity between Chistianity and Free-masonry. How can you avoid the common mistakes, and have the best chance forleading him to repentance?

VIDEO TAPES

Make check or money order payable to Ephesians 5:11, Inc.

Mail to:

Ephesians 5:11, Inc. Box 291, Fishers, IN 46038

UPS delivery requires astreet address. All orders

shipped to Post Office

Boxes will be shipped by

US Mail. Orders shipped

within 3 working days.

Enclosed is a check or money order for $10 per tape plus $5 shipping.Please ship the tapes selected above to:

Name

Address

Address

City State Zip


5/19

KENTUCKY MONITOR

Complete Monitorial Ceremoniesofthe Blue Lodge

THIRTEENTH EDITION

ARRANGED BY

HENRY PIRTLE

Past Master

Copyright, 1921

THE STANDARD PRINTING Co.

INCORPORATED

LOUISVILLE, KY.


6/19

THE SP IRIT OF MASONRY

A Masonic Manual should be strictly confined inits text to the purpose for which it is intended. Thefield is amply extensive, and those who wish to enlargeupon and amplify the symbols of Masonry have beforethem the height and depth, from earth to heaven, fromthe surface to the center, as the field of their opera-tions. Thus read the preface to an old Masonicmanual by Cornelius Moore, former editor of theFreemasons Magazine and then editor of the MasonicReview (Cincinnati).

The purpose in publication of the K E N T U C K Y M O N I-T OR has been to collect and present to the lodge officersand interested brethren some of those comments whichhave been made by qualified brethren in such amplifica-tion of some portions of our ceremonies not otherwise

sufficiently explained. The writer has endeavored toedit this matter for appropriate use rather than toenlarge it with his own comments. All matter hereincluded has been found in print elsewhere in propersources. The intention of the K E N T U C K Y M ONITOR h a sbeen to aid the brethren engaged in the active work inthe lodges in their endeavors to extend the Light, thatthe Spirit of Masonry may ever guide the way.

When the First Edition of the K E N T U C K Y M O N I T O Rappeared in the year 1918 a great struggle among thepeoples of the world was then in progress from whichAmerica hoped that the world might be made safefor democracy. Again, with this Eighth Edition in1946, we are met on a great battlefield of that wartestmg whether any nation conceived in liberty, anddedicated to the proposition that all men are created

equal can long endure, whether government of thepeople, by the people, and for the people shall notperish from the earth. Masonry has ever championedin its peaceful way the right of the common man t o

1 The Craftsman, and Freemasons Guide, 13th edition, 1859.


7/19

x i v The Spirit of Masonry

of whisperings of ancient truths discovered in theoldest religions which once ruled the minds of men

and whose ruins, says Brother Albert Pike, encum-ber the plains of the great Past, as the brokencolumns of Palmyra and Tadmore lie bleaching inthe sands of the desert. They rise before us, thoseold, strange, mysterious creeds and faiths, shroudedin the mists of antiquity, and stalk dimly and un-defined along the line which divides Time fromEternity; and forms of strange, wild, startling beauty

mingle in the vast throng of figures with shapesmonstrous, grotesque and hideous.

The primitive men met in no temple made withhuman hands. God, said Stephen, the first martyr,dwelleth not in temples made with hands. In theopen air, under the overarching mysterious sky, onthe highest hills or in the lowest valleys, in the greatWorld-Temple, they uttered their vows and thanks-

givings and adored the God of Light; of that Lightthat was to them the type of Good, as darkness wasthe type of Evil. Masons from time immemorialhave been called Sons of Light. It is a peculiarco-incidence that the Egyptian words Phre-Massenmean Children (especially Sons) of the Sun, that isSons ofLight, a term applied to those who had beenreceived into the Ancient Egyptian Mysteries. The

word Phre meant the Sun, and Mas was a child.Masons, as Sons of Light, to this day write allMasonic dates by adding 4,000 years to the year of thecommon era. The present year Anno Domini 1941 isexpressed in Masonic circles as Anno Lucis 5941, thatis, In the year of Light 5941.

All antiquity solved the enigma of the existence ofevil by supposing the existence of a Principle of

Evil, of demons, fallen angels, an Ahriman, a Typhon,a Siva, a Loki, or a Satan, that, first falling them-selves, and plunged into misery and darkness, temptedman to his fall and brought sin into the world. All

6 Morals and Dogma."7 Morals and Dogma."


8/19

The Spirit of Masonry XV

believed in a future life, to be attained by purificationand trials; in a state or successive states of reward

and punishment; and in a Mediator or Redeemer, bywhom the Evil Principle was to be overcome and theSupreme Deity reconciled to His creatures. Thebelief was general that He was to be born of a virginand suffer a painful death. The Hindus called himKrishna; the Chinese, Kioun- tse; the Persians,Sosiosch: the Chaldeans, Dhouvanai; the Egyptians,Horus: Plato, Love; the Scandinavians, Balder; the

Christians, Jesus; Masons, Hiram. It is interestingthat the small hill westof Mount Moriah has beenidentified as Golgotha, or Mount Calvary. Krishna,the Hindoo Redeemer, was cradled and educatedamong shepherds. A tyrant, at the time of his birth,ordered all the male children to be slain. He per-formed miracles, say his legends, even raising thedead. He washed the feet of the Brahmins. It was

on a cruciform tree that Krishna was said to have ex-pired, pierced with arrows. He descended into Hell,rose again, ascended to Heaven, charged his disciplesto teach his doctrines, and gave them the gift ofmiracles.8

This belief of primitive man in the fall of mankindfrom the Kingdom of Light and restoration to blissthrough a Redeemer is also inseparably connected

with the belief in original creation through thespoken Word of the Supreme Deity. God spoke theWord and the Word created the world and thecreatures therein. Only by this all-powerful, om-nipotent Word could * * * be raised from Death toimmortality! This legend of the Master MasonsWord is rooted among the very oldest beliefs ofmankind. The pastor of your church will tell you

that, viewed historically and critically, the FourthGospel of St. John is an entirely different kind ofdocument from those of the first three Gospels. Thefirst three are called the Synoptical Gospels, becauseof their many agreements in subject, order, and

8 Morals and Dogma.


9/19

152 Master Mason

Judah, which bears witness that even in thisperishable frame resides a vit a l and immor ta l

principle, which inspires a holy confidence thatthe Lord of Life will enable us to trample theking of terrors beneath our feet, and strengthensus with confidence and composure to lookforward to a blessed immortal i ty; and wedoubt not that on the glorious morn of theResurrection our bodies will rise and become as

incorruptible as our souls.(*) (*) (*)

And now, my brethren, let us see to it, andso regulate our lives by the plumb line of justice,ever squaring our actions by the square of virtue,th a t when t he Gran d Warden of Heaven sha llcall for us, we may be found ready. Let uscultivate assiduously the noble tenets of ourprofession, brotherly love, relief, and truth;from the squa re lear n mora lity; from the levelequa lity; and from the plumb rect itu de of con-duct.

Then let us imitate our G. M. H. A. in allhis varied perfect ion. Let us emulate hisamiable and virtuous character, his unfeignedpiety to God, and his inflexible fidelity to histrust, that, like him, we may welcome the grimt yr ant Dea t h, an d r eceive h im a s a k in d

messenger sent by our Supreme Grand Masterto tr anslat e us from th is imperfect to th a t all-per fect , glor ious, and celestial Lodge above,where the Great Architect of the Universepresides, forever reigns. (*)


10/19

INDIANA MONITOR

and

FREEMASONS GU IDE

Compiled by

LAURENCE R.TAYLOR

Published by authority of the

MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE

OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS

OF THE STATE OF INDIANA

1993


11/19

154 INDIANA MASONIC MONITOR

to labor diligently in the tasks it prescribes, just as theman is required to enlarge his mind by the acquisition

of new ideas, an d t o extend h is u sefu lness to h is

fellow-creatures. But as a Master, the Mason istaught t he last , the most import an t a nd most neces-sar y of tr ut hs, th at ha ving been faith ful to all his tr ust ,

he is a t last to die, and to receive the rewards of h is

fidelity

It was the single object of all the ancient rites and

mysteries practiced in the very bosom of pagan dark-ness, shining as a solita ry beacon in all tha t sur roun d-

ing gloom, and cheering the philosopher in his wearypilgrimage of life, to teach the immortality ofthe soul.This is still the great design of the th ird degree of

Masonry. This is the scope and aim of its ritual. Th eMaster Mason represents man, when youth, man-

hood, old age, and life itself have passed away as

fleeting shadows, yet raised from th e grave of in iquity,and quickened into another and better existence.

By its legend and all its ritual, it is implied that we

have been redeemed from the death of sin and thesepulchre of pollu tion . The ceremonies an d lectu re,as a distinguished writer has observed, beautifully

illustrate this all-engrossing subject; and the conclu-

sion we arrive at is, that youth, properly directed,

leads us to the honorable and virtuous maturity, and

that the life of man, regulated by morality, faith, and justice, will be rewarded at its closing hour by the

prospect of eternal bliss.

Many of the symbols of the Master Mason degree

are common to the preceding degrees. ...... Thereis, however, discoverable in their use, as the degrees


12/19

NEVADA

MASONI C MONITOR

TH I R D D EG R E E -

MASTER M A S O N


13/19

11/72 NEVADA MASONIC MONITOR 1MASTER MASON DEGREE

AN E XP LANATION

In the ceremonial of the Third Degree the lastgrand mystery is attempted to be illustrated ina forcible and peculiar manner, showing. bystriking analogy , that the Master Mason cannot

be deemed perfect in the glorious science untilby the cultivation of his intellectual powers hehas gained such moral government of his pas-sions, such serenity of mind, that in synonymousapposition with mastership in operative art histhoughts, like his actions, have become as use-ful-as human intelligence will permit; and that,

having passed through the trials of life withfortitude and faith, he is fitted for that grand,solemn, and mysterious consummation by whichalone he can become acquainted with the greatsecurity of Eternity. Unlike the Entered Appren-tice and Fellow Graft who can anticipate im-provement as they advance, the Master Mason

can learn nothing beyond the Third Degree; hishopes, therefore, with his thoughts and wishes,should be directed to the Grand Lodge above,where the worlds Great Architect lives andreigns forever. The ceremonial and lecture beau-tifully illustrate this all-engrossing subject,and the conclusion we arrive at is that youth

properly directed leads us to honorable and vir-tuous maturity, and that the life of man regulatedby morality, faith and justice, will be rewardedat its closing hour by the prospect of EternalBfiss.

SYMBOLISM OF THE DEGREE

If the first degree is intended t


14/19

2 NEVADA MASO NI C MONITOR 11/72

third, or Master Mason, is emblematic of old

age, with its trials, its sufferings, and its finaltermination of death. The time for toiling is nowover; the opportunity to learn has passed away;the spiritual temple that we all have been striv-ing to erect in our hearts is now nearly com-pleted, and the wearied workman awaits onlythe word of the Grand Master of the Universe,

to call him from the labors of earth to the eter-nal refreshment of heaven. Hence, this is by farthe most solemn and impressive of the degreesof Masonry; and it has, in consequence of theprofound truths which it inculcates, been dis-tinguished by the Craft as the Sublime Degree,As an Entered Apprentice, the Mason was taught

those elementary instructions which were to fithim for further advancement in his profession,

just as the youth is supplied with that rudimen-tary education which is to prepare him for enter-ing upon the active duties of life; as a FellowCraft, the Mason is directed to continue hisinvestigation in the science of the institution,

and to labor diligently in the tasks it prescribes, just as the man is required to enlarge his mindby the acquisition of new ideas, and to extendhis usefulness to his fellow creatures; but, asa Master, the Mason is taught the last, the mostimportant and the most necessary of truths, thathaving been faithful to all his trust, he is atlast to die, and to receive the rewards of hisfidelity.

It was the single object of all the ancient ritesand mysteries practiced in the very bosom ofpagan darkness, shining as a solitary beacon

in all that surrounding gloom, and cheering thephilosopher i n his weary pilgrimage of life, to


15/19

11/72 NE VADA MASO NI C MON ITOR 3

This is the scope and aim of its ritual. The

Master Mason represents man, when youth, man-hood, old age, and life itself have passed awayas fleeting shadows. yet raised from the graveof iniquity, and quickened into another and abetter existence. By its legend and all its ritual,it is implied that we have been redeemed fromthe death of sin and the sepulchre of pollution.

R E C E P T I O N

The Compasses are peculiarly dedicated to thisdegree, because within their extreme points,when properly e x t e n d e d, are emblematicallysaid to be enclosed the principle tenets of our

profession; and hence the moral application ofthe Compasses, in the third degree, is to thoseprecious jewels of a Master Mason - Friend-ship, Morality and Brotherly Love.

L E S S O N (E c l. XII l-7)

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thyyouth, while the evil days come not.

*

Nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, Ihave no pleasure in them; while the sun, or thelight, 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


16/19

T HE

AHIMAN REZONOR

Book of Constitutions

OF THE

G R A N D LODGE

O F

Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina

WITH

A Syst em of Monitor ial In st ruct ion

Adapt ed to the work a s P racticed in

th at J ur isdiction

Corm piled an d Arra nged by the Auth ority of th e Gra nd Lodge,an d Pu blished Un der its San ction.

COLUMBIA, S. C.THE R. L. BRYAN COMPANY

1947


17/19

ORIGINALLY EDITED BY

ALBERT G. MACKEY, M.D.

Past Grand Secretary and Past Grand Lecturer of the Grand

Lodge of South Carolina. Author of a Lexicon ofFree Masonry, The Book of the Chapter,

Masonic Jurisprudence, Symbolism

of Free Masonry, etc.

REVISED BY

CHARLES INGLESBYGrand Secretary

Assisted by WALTER M. WHITEHEAD, Deputy Grand Master

Prudent antiquity did, for more solemnity and better mem-

ory and observations of that which is to be done, express sub

stances under ceremonies.-Lord Coke.

SEVENTEENTH EDITION

REVISED AND AUGMENTED BY

0. FRANK HART

Grand Secretary


18/19

MASTER MASON'S DEGREE. 141

ta sks it prescribes, just as t he man is required to enlar ge

his mind by the acquisition of new ideas, and to extend

his usefu lness to his fellow-creat ures; bu t, as t he Ma ster ,the Mason is taught the last, the most important, and

the most necessary of truth;, that having been faithful

to all his trusts, he is at last to die, and to receive the

rewards of h is fidelity.

It was the single object of all the ancient rites and

m y s t e r i e s practiced in the very bosom of pagan dark-

ness, shining as a solitary beacon in all that surrounding

gloom, and c h e e r i n g the philosopher in his weary pil-

grimage of life, to teach the immortality of the soul.

This is still the great design of the third degree of Ma-

son ry . This is the scope and aim of its ritual. The

Master Mason represents man, when youth, manhood,

old age, and life itself have passed away as fleetingshadows, yet raised from the grave of iniquity, and

quickened into another and better existence. By its

legend and all its ritual, it is implied that we have been

redeemed from the death of sin and the sepulchre of

p o l l u t i o n . The ceremonies and the lecture, as a dis-

tinguished writer has observed, beautifully illustrate this

all-engrossing subject , an d t he conclusion we ar r ive a t is,

that youth, properly directed, leads the life of man, regu-

lated by morality, faith, and justice, will be r e w a r d e d a t

its closing hour by the prospect of eternal bliss.

T H I R D L E C T U R E .

This has very properly been called the sublime degreeof a MasterMason, as well for the solemnity of the ce r e -monies which accompany it, as for the profound lessons

of wisdom which it inculca tes. The import ant design

of the degree is to symbolize the great doctrines of the

resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul;

and hence it has been remarked by a learned writer of


19/19

142 MANUAL OFTHE LODGE.our Order, that the Master Mason represents a man saved

from the grave of iniquity, and raised to the faith of

sa lvat ion. The lectur e is divided into thr ee sections.

F IRST SECTION .

The ceremony of raising a candidate to the sublime

degree of a Mast er Mason is par t icula rly described in th e

first sect ion , which, th ough brief, will be found essent ially

useful.

The Compasses are peculiarly consecrated to this de-gree, because with in th eir extr eme point s, when properly

extended, are emblematically said to be in -

closed the principal tenets of our profession,

an d hence th e mora l applicat ion of the Com-

passes, in the th i rd degree , i s to those

precious jewels of a Master Mason, Friend-

ship, Morality, and Brotherly Love.The following passage of Scripture is introduced dur-

ing th e ceremonies:

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 light, or the moon, or the stars, be not

darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: in the

day when t he keepers of th e house sh all tremble, and t he

strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease

because they are few, and those that look out of the win-

dows 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 daugh-ters 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 grass-

hopper 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

freemasonry - litmus test

Documents