SECTION III

Remarks on the First Lecture

Having illustrated the ceremony of opening and closing the lodge, and inserted the Prayers and Charges usually rehearsed in our regular assemblies on those occasions, we shall now enter on a disquisition of the different Sections of the Lectures which are appropriated to the three Degrees of the Order, giving a brief summary of the whole, and annexing to every Remark the particulars to which the Section alludes. By these means the industrious Mason will be better instructed in the regular arrangement of the Lectures, and be enabled with more ease to acquire a competent knowledge of the Art.

The First Lecture is divided into Sections, and each Section is subdivided into Clauses. In this Lecture, virtue is painted in the most beautiful colors, and the duties of morality are strictly enforced. Here we are taught such wise and useful lessons as prepare the mind for a regular advancement in the principles of knowledge and philosophy; and these are imprinted on the memory by lively and sensible images, well calculated to influence our conduct in the proper discharge of the duties of social life.

The First Section.

The first Section of this Lecture is suited to all capacities, and ought to be known by every person who wishes to rank as a Mason. It consists of general heads, which, though they be short and simple, will be found to carry weight with them. They not only serve as marks of distinction, but communicate useful and interesting knowledge when they are duly investigated. They qualify us to try and examine the rights of others to our privileges, while they demonstrate our own claim; and as they induce us to inquire minutely into other particulars of great importance, they serve as a proper introduction to subjects which are more amply explained in the following Sections.

As we can annex to this remark no other explanation consistent with the rules of Masonry, we must refer the more inquisitive to our regular assemblies for farther instruction.

The Second Section.

The Second Section makes us acquainted with the peculiar forms and ceremonies which are adopted at the initiation of candidates into Masonry; and convinces us beyond the power of contradiction, of the propriety of our rites; whilst it demonstrates to the most sceptical and hesitating mind their excellence and utility.

The following particulars relative to the ceremony of initiation may be introduced here with propriety:

The Declaration to be assented to by every Candidate previous to Initiation.

'Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, before these gentlemen[5], that, unbiased by friends against your own inclination, and uninfluenced by mercenary motives, you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a candidate for the mysteries of Masonry?' - I do.

'Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, before these gentlemen, that you are solely prompted 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?' - I do.

'Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, before these gentlemen, that you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient established usages and customs of the Order?' - I do.

The Candidate is then proposed in open lodge, as follows:

'R.W. Master, and Brethren,

At the request of Mr. A.B. [mentioning his profession and residence] I propose him in form as a proper Candidate for the mysteries of Masonry; I recommend him, as worthy to share the privileges of the Fraternity; and, in consequence of a Declaration of his intentions, voluntarily made and properly attested, I believe he will strictly conform to the rules of the Order.'

The Candidate is ordered to be prepared for Initiation.

A Prayer used at Initiation.

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 faithful Brother among us! Endue him with a competency of thy divine wisdom; that, by the secrets of this Art, he may be the better enabled to display the beauties of godliness, to the honor of thy holy Name! Amen.

Note: It is a duty incumbent on the Master of the lodge, before the ceremony of initiation takes place, to inform the Candidate of the purpose and design of the institution; to explain the nature of his solemn engagements; and, in a manner peculiar to Masons, to require his cheerful acquiescence to the tenets of the Order.

The Third Section.

The Third Section, by the reciprocal communication of our marks of distinction, proves the regularity of our initiation; and inculcates those necessary and instructive duties which dignify our character in the double capacity of Men and Masons.

We cannot better illustrate this Section, than by inserting the following:

Charge at Initiation into the First Degree.[6]

Brother, [As you are now introduced into the first principles of our Order, it is my duty to congratulate you, on being accepted a Member of an ancient and honorable Society; ancient, as having subsisted from time immemorial; and honorable, as tending, in every particular, so to render all men who will be conformable to its precepts. No institution was ever raised on a better principle, or more solid foundation; nor were ever more excellent rules and useful maxims laid down, than are inculcated on every person when he is initiated into our mysteries. Monarchs in all ages have been encouragers and promoters of the Art, and have never deemed it derogatory from their dignities, to level themselves with the brethren, to extend their privileges, and to patronize their assemblies.]

As a Mason, you are to study the moral law, as it is contained in the sacred code[7]; to consider it as the unerring standard of truth and justice, and to regulate your life and actions by its divine precepts.

The three great moral duties, to God, your neighbor, and yourself, you are strictly to observe: To God, by holding his name in awe and veneration; viewing him as the chief good, imploring his aid in laudable pursuits, and supplicating his protection on well-meant endeavors: To your neighbor, by acting upon the square, and, considering him equally entitled with yourself to share the blessings of Providence, rendering unto him those favors, which in a similar situation you would expect to receive from him: And to yourself, by not abusing the bounties of Providence, impairing the faculties by irregularity, or debasing the profession by intemperance.

In the state, you are to be a quiet and peaceable subject, true to your sovereign, and just to your country; you are not to countenance disloyalty or rebellion, but patiently submit to legal authority, and conform with cheerfulness to the government under which you live; yielding obedience to the laws which afford you protection, and never forgetting the attachment you owe to the place of your nativity, or the allegiance due to the sovereign or protectors of that spot.

[In your outward demeanour you are to avoid censure or reproach; and beware of all who may artfully endeavor to insinuate themselves into your esteem with a view to betray your virtuous resolutions, or make you swerve from the principles of the institution. Let not interest, favor, or prejudice, bias your integrity, or influence you to be guilty of a dishonorable action; but let your conduct be uniform, and your deportment suitable to the dignity of the profession.]

Above all, practice benevolence and charity; for these virtues have distinguished Masons in every age and country. [The inconceivable pleasure of contributing toward the relief of our fellow-creatures, is truly experienced by persons of a humane disposition; who are naturally excited, by sympathy, to extend their aid in alleviation of the miseries of others. This encourages the generous Mason to distribute his bounty with cheerfulness; by supposing himself in the situation of an unhappy sufferer, he listens to the tale of woe with attention, bewails misfortune, and speedily relieves distress.]

The Constitutions of the Order are next to engage your attention. [These consist of two points, oral and written communication. The former comprehends the mysteries of the Art, and are only to be acquired by practice and experience in the lodge; the latter includes the history of genuine Masonry, the lives and characters of its patrons, and the ancient charges and general regulations of the Craft.]

A punctual attendance on the duties of the Order we earnestly enjoin, more especially in that assembly where your name is enrolled as a member. [There, and in all regular meetings of the fraternity, you are to behave with order and decorum, that harmony may be preserved, and the business of Masonry properly conducted. The rules of good-breeding you are never to violate, by using unbecoming language, in derogation of the name of God, or toward the corruption of good manners: neither are you to enter into any dispute about religion or politics; or behave irreverently, while the lodge is engaged in what is serious and important.] On every occasion you are to pay a proper deference and respect to the Master and presiding officers, and diligently apply to the work of Masonry, that you may sooner become a proficient therein, as well for your own credit, as the honour of the company with whom you associate.

Although your frequent appearance at our regular meetings be earnestly solicited, your necessary employments are not to be neglected on that account: neither are you to suffer your zeal for Masonry to exceed the bounds of discretion, or lead you into argument with persons who may ridicule our system; but extend your pity toward those who may be apt through ignorance to contemn, what they never had an opportunity to comprehend. All that is required for your general observance is, that you study the liberal arts at leisure, trace science in the works of eminent masters, and improve in the disquisitions of the system, by the conversation of well-informed brethren, who will be equally ready to give, as you can be to receive, instruction.

Finally; Adhere to the constitutions, and support the privileges which are to distinguish you as a Mason above the rest of the community, and mark your consequence among the Fraternity. If, in the circle of your acquaintance, you find a person desirous of being initiated into the Order, be particularly attentive not to recommend him, unless you are convinced he will conform to our rules; that the value of Masonry may be enhanced by the difficulty of the purchase; the honour and reputation of the institution established on the firmest basis; and the world at large convinced of its benign influence.

[From the attention you have paid to the recital of the duties of the Order, we are led to hope that you will form a proper estimate of the value of Free-masonry, and imprint on your mind the dictates of truth, honour, and justice.]

This section usually closes with the following

EULOGIUM

Masonry comprehends within its circle every branch of useful knowledge and learning, and stamps an indelible mark of pre-eminence on its genuine professors, which neither chance, power, nor fortune, can bestow. When its rules are strictly observed, it is a sure foundation of tranquillity amid the various disappointments of life; a friend that will not deceive, but will comfort and assist, in prosperity and adversity; a blessing, that will remain with all time, circumstances, and places; and to which recourse may be had, when other earthly comforts sink in disregard.

Masonry gives real and intrinsic excellency to man, and renders him fit for the duties of society. It strengthens the mind against the storms of life, paves the way to peace, and promotes domestic happiness. It meliorates the temper, and improves the understanding; it is company in solitude, and gives vivacity, variety, and energy to social conversation. In youth, it governs the passions, and employs usefully our most active faculties; and in age, when sickness, imbecility, and disease, have benumbed the corporeal frame, and rendered the union of soul and body almost intolerable, it yields an ample fund of comfort and satisfaction.

These are its general advantages; to enumerate them separately, would be an endless labour: it may be sufficient to observe, that he who cultivates this science, and acts agreeably to the character of a Mason, has within himself the spring and support of every social virtue; a subject of contemplation, that enlarges the mind, and expands all its powers; a theme that is inexhaustible, ever new, and always interesting.

The Fourth Section.

The Fourth Section rationally accounts for the origin of our hieroglyphical instruction, and points out the advantages which accompany a faithful observance of our duty; it illustrates, at the same time, certain particulars, our ignorance of which might lead us into error; and which, as Masons, we are indispensably bound to know. To make daily progress in the Art, is a constant duty, and expressly required by our general laws. What end can be more noble, than the pursuit of virtue? what motive more alluring, than the practice of justice? or what instruction more beneficial, than an accurate elucidation of symbols which tend to improve and embellish the mind? Every thing that strikes the eye more immediately engages the attention, and imprints on the memory serious and solemn truths. Masons have therefore universally adopted the plan of inculcating the tenets of their order by typical figures and allegorical emblems, to prevent their mysteries from descending within the familiar reach of inattentive and unprepared novices, from whom they might not receive due veneration.

The usages and customs of Masons have ever corresponded with those of the ancient Egyptians; to which they bear a near affinity. Those philosophers, unwilling to expose their mysteries to vulgar eyes, concealed their particular tenets and principles of polity and philosophy under hieroglyphical figures; and expressed their notions of government by signs and symbols, which they communicated to their Magi alone, who were bound by oath never to reveal them. Pythagoras seems to have established his system on a similar plan; and many Orders of a more recent date have copied the example. Masonry, however, is not only the most ancient, but the most moral Institution that ever subsisted; as every character, figure, emblem, depicted in the lodge, has a moral tendency, and tends to inculcate the practice of virtue.

The Fifth Section.

The Fifth Section explains the nature and principles of our constitution, and teaches us to discharge with propriety the duties of the different departments which we are appointed to sustain in the government of the lodge. Here, too, our ornaments are displayed, and our jewels and furniture specified; while a proper attention is paid to our antient and venerable patrons.

To explain the subjects treated in this Section, and assist the industrious Mason to acquire them, we can only recommend a punctual attendance on the duties of the lodge, and a diligent application to the lessons which are there inculcated.

The Sixth Section.

The Sixth Section, though the last in rank, is not the least considerable in importance. It strengthens those which precede, and enforces, in the most engaging manner, a due regard to character and behaviour, in public as well as in private life, in the lodge as well as in the general commerce of society.

This Section forcibly inculcates the most instructive lessons. Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, are themes on which we here expatiate.-By the exercise of Brotherly Love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich and poor; who, as children of the same Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are 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.-Relief is the next tenet of the profession. To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men, particularly on Masons, who are linked together by an indissoluble chain of sincere affection. To soothe calamity, alleviate misfortune, compassionate misery, and restore peace to the troubled mind, is the grand aim of the true Mason. On this basis he establishes his friendships, and forms his 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 Masonry. On this theme we contemplate, and by its dictates endeavor to regulate our conduct: influenced by this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown in the lodge, sincerity and plain-dealing distinguish us; while the heart and tongue join in promoting the general welfare, and rejoicing in each other's prosperity.

To this illustration succeeds an explanation of the four cardinal virtues, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice. By Temperance, we are instructed to govern the passions, and check unruly desires. The health of the body, and the dignity of the species, are equally concerned in a faithful observance of it. By Fortitude, we are taught to resist temptation, and encounter danger with spirit and resolution. This virtue is equally distant from rashness and cowardice; and he who possesses it, is seldom shaken, and never overthrown, by the storms that surround him. By Prudence, we are instructed to regulate our conduct by the dictates of reason, and to judge and determine with propriety in the execution of everything that tends to promote either our present or future well-being. On this virtue, all others depend; it is, therefore, the chief jewel that can adorn the human frame. Justice, the boundary of right, constitutes the cement of civil society. This virtue, in a great measure, constitutes real goodness, and is therefore represented as the perpetual study of the accomplished Mason. Without the exercise of justice, universal confusion would ensue; lawless force might overcome the principles of equity, and social intercourse no longer exist.

The explanation of these virtues is accompanied with some general observations on the equality observed among Masons. In the lodge, no estrangement of behaviour is discovered; influenced by the same principle, a uniformity of opinion, which is useful in exigencies, and pleasing in familiar life, universally prevails, strengthens the ties of friendship, and promotes love and esteem. Masons are brethren by a double tie; and among them, as brothers, no invidious distinctions exist; merit being always respected, and honour rendered to whom honour is due. A king, in the lodge, is reminded, that although a crown may adorn the head, or a sceptre the hand, the blood in the veins is derived from the common parent of mankind, and is no better than that of the meanest subject. The statesman, the senator, and the artist, are there taught that, equally with others, they are, by nature, exposed to infirmity and disease; and that an unforeseen misfortune, or a disordered frame, may impair their faculties, and level them with the most ignorant of their species. This checks pride, and incites courtesy of behaviour. Men of inferior talents, or who are not placed by fortune in such exalted stations, are instructed to regard their superiors with peculiar esteem, when they discover them voluntarily divested of the trappings of external grandeur, and condescending, in the badge of innocence and bond of friendship, to trace wisdom and follow virtue, assisted by those who are of a rank beneath them. Virtue is true nobility, and wisdom is the channel by which virtue is directed and conveyed; Wisdom and Virtue only mark distinction among Masons.

Such is the arrangement of the Sections in the First Lecture, which, including the forms adopted at opening and closing the lodge, comprehends the whole of the First Degree. This plan has not only the advantage of regularity to recommend it, but the support of precedent and authority, and the sanction and respect which flow from antiquity. The whole is a regular system of morality, conceived in a strain of interesting allegory, which readily unfolds its beauties to the candid and industrious inquirer.

Back to Illustrations of Freemasonry [ Previous ] [ Next ]