ENTERED APPRENTICE LECTURE:
The forms and ceremonies of your initiation may have seemed to you light and frivolous, if not absolutely unmeaning; yet, it may with truth be said of Masonry that all its forms and ceremonies have emblematical meaning, and those through which you have just passed will now be explained to you.
You were first prepared to be made a Mason in your heart; next, in a room adjoining the body of a just and duly constituted Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons.
You were prepared by being divested of all metallic substances, neither naked nor clothed, barefoot nor shod, left knee and breast bare, hood-winked, and with a cable-tow about your neck, in which condition you were conducted to a door of the Lodge and caused to give three distinct knocks, which were answered by three within.
You were divested of all metallic substances for two reasons; first, that you might carry nothing offensive or defensive into the Lodge: second, at the building of King Solomon's Temple, there was not heard the sound of axe, hammer, or any metal tool. The question naturally arises, how could so stupendous an edifice have been erected without the sound of axe, hammer, or metal tool?
The stones were hewn, squared, and numbered in the quarries where raised; the timbers felled and prepared in the forests of Lebanon, conveyed by sea in floats to Joppa, and thence by land to Jerusalem, where they were set up by the aid of wooden instruments prepared for that purpose; and when the building was completed, every part thereof fitted with such exact nicety that it resembled more the handiwork of the Supreme Architect of the Universe than that of human hands.
You were neither naked nor clothed because Masonry regards no man on account of his worldly wealth or honors. It is the internal and not the external qualifications that recommend a man to Masonry.
You were neither barefoot nor shod, agreeably to an ancient Israelitish custom adopted among Masons. We read in the book of Ruth concerning their manner of changing and redeeming, that, "to confirm all things, a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor." That was testimony in Israel. This therefore we do, testifying thereby in the strongest manner possible the sincerity of our intentions in the work in which we are engaged.
You were hood-winked and with a cable-tow about your neck for three reasons; first, that your heart might conceive before your eyes beheld the beauties of Freemasonry; second, that as you were in darkness, it was to teach you to keep the whole world so respecting the secrets of Freemasonry, except to such as were justly entitled to receive the same as you were about to become; and third, had you not conformed to the ceremony of your initiation, thereby rendering yourself unworthy to be taken by the hand as a Mason, you might, by aid of the cable-tow, have been led out of the Lodge without having beheld even the form thereof.
You were caused to give three distinct knocks to alarm the Lodge and inform the Worshipful Master that a poor blind candidate craved admission. The three knocks allude to a certain portion of the Scriptures which reads: "Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
You found your circumstances in Masonry at that time verified by that passage as follows; you asked the recommendation of a friend to be made a Mason; through his recommendation you sought initiation; you knocked, and the door of Freemasonry was opened unto you.
You were received on the point of a sharp instrument piercing your naked left breast, to teach you that as it was an instrument of torture to the flesh, so should the recollection thereof be to your mind and conscience should you ever reveal the secrets of Freemasonry unlawfully.
You were conducted to the center of the Lodge and caused to kneel for the benefit of prayer, for before entering upon any great or important undertaking, we ought always to invoke the aid of Deity.
You were asked in whom you put your trust, agreeably to our ancient laws, as no atheist can be made a Mason; it was therefore necessary that you express a belief in Deity, otherwise no obligation would have been regarded as binding.
You were taken by the right hand, ordered to rise, follow your conductor and fear no danger, for as your were in darkness and could neither foresee nor avoid danger, it was to teach you that you were in the hands of faithful friends, in whose fidelity you might with safety confide.
You were conducted once regularly around the Lodge that the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren might see that you were duly and truly prepared.
You were caused to meet with several obstructions on your passage around the Lodge, because this and every regular and well governed Lodge is or ought to be a correct representation of the ground floor of King Solomon's Temple, which had guards placed at the south, west and east gates to prevent any from passing or re-passing except such as were duly qualified and had permission from King Solomon; it was therefore necessary that you meet with these several obstacles and at each of those stations be duly examined. You were caused to kneel on your naked left knee and not your right or both, because the left side has ever been deemed the weaker part of the human body; it was therefore to teach you that you were taking upon yourself the weaker part of Masonry, it being that of the Entered Apprentice only.
Your right hand and not your left or both, rested on the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, because the right hand, by our ancient Brethren, was deemed the sign of fidelity. The ancients worshipped a deity named Fides, sometimes represented by two right hands joined, at others by two human figures holding each other by the right hand. The right, therefore was used in this great and important undertaking, testifying thereby in the strongest manner possible the fidelity of our purpose in the work in which we are engaged.You were presented with a lambskin or white leather apron, because the lamb, in all ages has been deemed an emblem of innocence. The lambskin is therefore to remind you of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct which is so essentially necessary to your gaining admission to that Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.
A demand was made of you for some metallic substance, to teach you that should you ever meet a member of the human family, especially a Brother Mason, in like destitute situation, it would be your duty to contribute to his relief as liberally as his necessities might require and your ability permits.
You were placed in the north-east corner of the Lodge, because in the erection of all public buildings, especially those of Masonic form, the first stone is, or ought to be placed in the north-east corner; you were therefore placed in the north-east corner of the Lodge to receive your first instruction, whereon to build your moral and Masonic edifice.
This brings us to the third and last section of the degree, which explains the manner of constituting and the proper authority for holding a Lodge. Here also, we learn where Lodges were anciently held; their Form, Support, Covering, Furniture, Ornaments, Lights and Jewels; how situated, and to whom dedicated, as well in former times as at present. You are taught, by the aid of impressive symbols, to discharge with propriety the duties that devolve upon you as a man and Mason.
The word Lodge is analogous to that of church, referring not so much to the place of meeting as to the persons assembled.A lodge may therefore at this time be defined as a certain number of Free and Accepted Masons, duly assembled, furnished with the Holy Bible, the Square and the Compassed, together with a Charter, or Dispensation, from some Grand Body of competent jurisdiction empowering it to work.
The Holy Bible, Square and Compasses have been partially explained to you; the Charter has not. This is the one in possession of this Lodge. The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Nevada was pleased to grant this Charter to __________ Lodge No. ___. It empowers us to confer the three degrees of Masonry, which powers we are this evening partially exercising. It is signed by the Grand Officers, with the seal of the Grand Lodge attached, and contains all the necessary instructions for retaining the same.
Our ancient Brethren held their Lodges on high hills or in low vales, the better to observe the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers, ascending or descending.
Lodge meetings at the present day are usually held in upper chambers - probably for the security which such places afford. This custom may have had its origin in a practice observed by the ancient Jews of building their temples, schools and synagogues on high hills, a practice which seems to have met the approbation of the Almighty, who said unto the Prophet Ezekiel, "Upon the top of the mountain, the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy."
The form of a Lodge is oblong. In length from east to west, in breadth between north and south, as high as heaven, and as deep as from the surface to the centre. A Lodge is said to be thus extensive to denote the universality of Freemasonry, and teaches that a Mason's charity should be equally extensive.
A Lodge is supported by three great pillars, denominated Wisdom, Strength and Beauty; because there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings. They are represented by the three principal officers of the Lodge; the pillar Wisdom by the Worshipful Master in the East, who is presumed to have wisdom to open and govern the Lodge; the pillar Strength by the Senior Warden in the West, whose duty it is to assist the Worshipful Master in the discharge of his arduous labors; and the pillar Beauty, by the Junior Warden in the South, whose duty it is to call the Craft from labor to refreshment, superintend them during the hours thereof, carefully to observe that the means of refreshment are not perverted to intemperance or excess, and see that they return to their labor in due season, that the Worshipful Master may receive honor, and they pleasure and profit thereby.
The covering of a Lodge is no less than the clouded canopy, or starry decked heaven, where all good Masons hope at last to arrive by the aid of that ladder which Jacob in his vision saw extended from earth to heaven, the principal rounds of which are denominated Faith, Hope and Charity, which admonish us to have Faith in God, Hope in Immortality, and Charity to all mankind. The greatest of these is Charity; for our Faith may be lost in sight, Hope ends in fruition, but Charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of eternity.
Every regular and well governed Lodge is furnished with the Holy Bible, the Square, and the Compasses, together with a Charter or Dispensation. The Holy Bible is dedicated to the service of God, because it is the inestimable gift of God to man, and on it we obligate our newly made Brethren. The Square to the Master, because it is the proper Masonic emblem of his office, and the Compasses to the Craft, because, by a due attention to their use, they are taught to circumscribe their desires and keep their passions in due bounds with all mankind, especially the Brethren.
The Ornaments of a Lodge are the Mosaic Pavement, the Indented Tessel, and the Blazing Star.
The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the ground floor of King Solomon's Temple; the Indented Tessel, of that beautiful tessellated border or skirting which surrounded it.
The Mosaic Pavement is emblematical of human life, checkered with good and evil; the Indented Tessel, or tessellated border, of the manifold blessings and comforts which constantly surround us, and which we hope to enjoy by a firm reliance on Divine Providence, which is hieroglyphically represented by the Blazing Star in the centre.
A Lodge has Three Symbolic Lights, situated East, West and South. There is none in the North, because King Solomon's Temple was situated so far north of the ecliptic that the sun, even at meridian, did not dart its rays into the northernmost parts thereof. The North, therefore, we Masonically term a place of darkness.
A Lodge has six Jewels - three movable and three immovable.
The Immovable Jewels are the Square, the Level and the Plumb. They are so termed because they are appropriated to particular parts of the Lodge, where alone they should be found - the Square to the East, the Level to the West and the Plumb to the South. Although the Brethren occupying those stations may from time to time be changed, still the Jewels will always be found in their respective stations in the Lodge.
The Movable Jewels are the Rough Ashlar, the Perfect Ashlar, and the Trestle-board. The Rough Ashlar is a stone in its rude and natural state, as taken from the quarry; the Perfect Ashlar, one prepared by the workmen, to be adjusted by the working tools of a Fellow Craft; and the Trestle-board is for the master workman to draw his designs upon.
By the Rough Ashlar we are reminded of our rude and imperfect state by nature; by the Perfect Ashlar, of that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive by aid of a virtuous education, our own endeavors and the blessing of Deity; and as the operative workman erects his temporal building in accordance with the designs laid down upon the Trestle-board by the master workman, so should we, both operative and speculative, endeavor to erect our spiritual building in accordance with the designs laid down by the Supreme Architect of the Universe in the Great Book of Nature and Revelation, which is our spiritual, moral and Masonic Trestle-board.
Lodges are situated due east and west, because King Solomon's Temple was so situated. Moses, by divine command, after having conducted the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, through the Red Sea and into the wilderness, erected a Tabernacle to God, which he situated due east and west, to commemorate that miraculous east wind which wrought their mighty deliverance. King Solomon's Temple is said to have been a representation of that Tabernacle.
Lodges were anciently dedicated to King Solomon, as he is said to have been our first Most Excellent Grand Master; but modern Masons dedicate their Lodges to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, and since their time there is represented in every regular and well governed Lodge a certain point within a circle, the point representing the individual Brother, the circle representing the boundary line of his duty to God and man, beyond which he is never to suffer his passions, prejudices or interests to betray him on any occasion. This circle is embordered by two perpendicular parallel lines, representing St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, and upon the vertex rests the book of Holy Scriptures, which points out the whole duty of man. In going around this circle we necessarily touch upon these lines as well as upon the Holy Scriptures, and while a Mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, it is impossible that he should materially err.
The principal tenets of our profession are three-fold, including the inculcation and practice of those truly commendable virtues, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
By the exercise of Brotherly Love we are taught to regard the whole human race as one family - the high, the low, the rich, the poor - who, being created by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, ought to aid, support and protect each other. On this principle Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance.
To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men, but particularly on Masons, who are linked together by an indissoluble chain of sincere affection. To soothe the unhappy, to sympathize with them in their misfortunes, to compassionate their miseries, and to restore peace to their troubled minds is the great aim we have in view. On this basis we form our friendships and establish our connections.
Truth is a divine attribute and the foundation of every virtue. To be good men and true is the first lesson we are taught in Freemasonry. On this theme we contemplate, and by its dictates endeavor to regulate our conduct. Hence, while influenced by this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among us, sincerity and plain-dealing distinguish us, and the heart and the tongue join in promoting each others welfare and rejoicing in each others prosperity.