Knights of Jerusalem
Ritual of the Apprentice Degree
n.d.
Opening of the Apprentice Lodges
W.C.: Brethren, I am about to open a Lodge for business, for the
good and welfare of this Lodge and Order, and now we are about to enter on the
ground-floor of the Garden of Eden. You will prepare yourselves to act just and
truthful, and all persons who are not members, will please retire from the room.
The S.C. and T.C. will please take up the Password.
The S.C. and T.C. shall then make their reports as follows: W.C.,
we find all the Brethren in possession of the Password in the Garden of Eden.
W.C. to the Outs. K.: Brother Outs. K. what are your duties?
Outs. K.: It is my duty to guard well the outer gate and suffer no
one to pass without the Password.
W.C.: You will take your instrument and retire to your station.
W.C. to Ins. K.: Brother Ins. K. what are your duties?
Ins. K.: It is my duty to guard well the inside gate and suffer no
one to pass without the Password, or permission from the W.C., to receive the
name and number of the Lodge to which the Brother seeking admission, belongs.
W.C.: You will please take up your instrument and retire to your
station.
W.C.: Brother S.C., you will take the right.
W.C.: Brother T.C., you will take the left.
W. C.: Officers and Brethren; you will clothe yourselves with your
aprons and jewels.
W.C.: W.P., we are now prepared to open.
The W.P. will then sing the Apprentice’s ode:
And are we yet alive
To see each other’s face,
Glory and praise to Jesus name
For his redeeming grace,
Preserved by powers divine
To reel salvation here,
Again in Jesus praise we join,
And his sight appear.
W.C.: W. P., you will please lay off the work.
All the Brethren will advance the to the front of the altar and give the
sign.
W.C.: I now declare this Lodge duly opened in the ancient form, by
the authority of this warrant. Brethren you will please to be seated at one
sound of the gavel.
Initiation Ceremony
The W.C. will ask if there is anything for the good of this Lodge.
The T.C. answers: W.C. there is a candidate without.
W.C.: Has the candidate been waited upon?
T.C.: He has.
W.C.: Do you find him duly qualified as the laws of this Lodge
require?
T.C.: I find him duly qualified to all the laws.
W.C.: You will please retire and prepare the candidate and when
ready, inform us.
The W.C. cautions the Brethren to give their undivided attention to the
ceremony about to be performed, and while thus instructing them, a knocking at
the inner gate is heard.
W.C.: Brother S.C., you will please take up your arms and go to
the inner gate to ascertain the cause of all this noise.
The S.C. takes up his arms, goes to the Inner gate, gives one rap
and says: A friend, or friends wish to enter the Garden of Eden.
W.C.: Is he prepared?
S.C.: He is.
W.C.: How is he prepared?
S.C: As the G. of E. was, without sin at one time, so must he be,
divested of all his clothing, and in a state of total darkness.
W.C.: Is he all of that?
S.C.: He is.
W.C.: So long as he is endowed with all these noble qualifications
let him enter in the name of the Lord and let him take heed of all that will be
administered.
One rap calls the Officers and Members to rise and they sing the Apprentice’s
ode.
W.C.: Friend or friends! You have said you are willing to go the
way all the Brethren have gone before you. Are you willing?
Candidate answers: I am willing.
W.C.: Well then, friend, you will kneel to take upon yourself the
oath and obligation of this Order, which will not conflict with your religion or
politics. Are you willing?
Candidate: I am.
W.C.: Well then, friend, on your oath, do you promise and swear,
that you will always hail, conceal and never reveal any part that you
have received or may hereafter be taught?
Candidate: I will
W.C.: On your oath, do you promise and swear, that you will not
write, indite, or cause to be written, or print, or cause to be printed, without
you are lawfully or truly instructed to have it done, and that you will not work
with any person, who is not a member of this degree, until you have lawfully and
truly tested and tried’ and find him a true an d worthy Brother of this Order?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Friend, on your oath do you believe that God made the world
in six days?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Do you believe that he made all the beasts of the field and
nil the birds of the air and all the fishes in the sea?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Do you believe that he made them all in Societies?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Do you believe the he made man out of clay of the earth and
blowed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living soul?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Do you believe that God put the man to sleep and took out of
his side a rib and made a woman for him, a helpmate, and a society for him in
the Garden of Eden? Do you believe all of this?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Then you must believe that this is the first society that
was formed in the world. Do you believe such was done by God?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Do you believe that Adam was in the Garden of Eden with all
the beasts of the field, and fowls of the air and they were all at his command,
and they were all together, and he gave them their names? Do you believe that
all the beasts of the field and all the fowls of the air obeyed Adam?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: Then you believe that friendship, harmony and truth was with them all?
Candidate: I do.
W.C.: The W.P. will read from the text Book: Genesis, chap. i, v.
25-28.
The Priest reads as directed.
W.C.: Friend, on your oath, will you go one mile barefooted, at
midnight, on cold frozen ground to relieve a worthy but distressed brother?
Candidate: I will
W.C.: On your oaths will you promise and swear that you will not
spoil the chastity of a brother’s wife, sister, mother, or daughter?
Candidate: I will not.
W.C: On your oath, promise and swear, that you will not wrong a
brother of this fraternity out of one cent, or suffer it to be done, if you can
prevent it, under penalty of having your right arm cut off close to your body
and your tongue torn out by the roots, so that you cannot give the sign or the
grip or speak the words. Now, friend, attach your hands to the Holy Book and
kiss it.
Well friend, what is your greatest desire at present?
Candidate: Light.
W.C.: The Worthy Priest with the assistance of the brethren will
bring you to light.
W.P: Light! Very good. God gave his own begotten son that all men
shall have light. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and
the earth was without form, and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep,
and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, let there
be light, and there was light.
The W.C. will then instruct the candidate In the signs and grips, and how to
use the Password.
W.C.: Brother, you will go out and prepare yourself and come
again, and I will give you further instructions.
W.C.: Brother, to this degree there is an entrance-sign, a
working-sign, the sign of recognition.
The W.C. then proceeds to give die entrance-sign with explanation, then the
working-sign with explanation, the sign or grip and Password. The apron is then
placed on the Candidate and also explained.
W.C.: The Entering Sign is one rap at the Inner door, and this
quarter’s password. The Working Sign is to step off with your left foot, reach
forward the right hand, close the fingers, and bring it to the mouth; then
extend the hand out, thus.
This sign represents Eve taking the apple from the tree and biting a piece
off and giving a piece to Adam. The sign of Recognition is to close the fingers
or the right hand, leaving the thumb out, thus: bring the thumb to the left hip,
and draw it square across at the waist, and down the right leg. The answer to
this sign is to put the tight-hand forefinger to the eye; this means, I see you;
you then put your finger to your mouth, meaning, I want to speak to you. The
person giving the eye sign will answer by putting his finger to his ear,
meaning: I hear you, and will advance and take you by the right hand and say:
"Well, Brother." The grip is made with the right hand, the forefinger
pressing the wrist. The test word with Brothers, is "Where do you hail
from?" The answer is: "From the beginning." The answer to a
person who is not a member, is, "From nothing." This apron represents
the fig leaves that Adam and Eve sewed together to make aprons to hide their
nakedness.
Well, Brother, if you omit any of your obligations at this or any
other time, you will always hold yourself amenable, when informed. Brother, this
Order instructs you to always give to your Brother all the assistance that you
can spare as long as he is worthy to receive it, and that he sustains you
rightly as a worthy Brother, but always give him the refusal. This is to keep
one Brother from intruding on the other, who is not good.
The W.P. will read the Text Book: Genesis,ch.2, v.17 and 18, and ch. 3, v. 18
and 24.
The W.C. will clothe Candidate and put him in position and then explain the
principles of the Order, the motto of which is: Friendship, Harmony
and Truth.
The W.P. will then declare the Candidate to be a Brother, having had the
first degree conferred upon him and that he is now an Apprentice in the Order of
Jerusalem. having taken the first step to advancement.
Closing Ceremonies of the Apprentice Lodge
W.C.: I am about to close this Lodge. Worthy Priest, officers and
members, give heed. We are about to leave these walls and to mingle again with
the outside world, and it is your duty to live in Friendship, Harmony and Truth,
until we meet again; then remember, one rap calls up the Lodge.
W.C. to W.P.: We are ready to close.
The W.P. will then give the Benediction.
W.C. to W.P.: You will close the works.
W.C.: I now declare this Lodge-closed in, the ancient form. Please
to inform the Outside Keeper, and so may it be until we meet again. Amen!
All present respond and give the sign and rap.