1988 

Opening

WM, knocks once, not repeated by Wardens: Brethren, assist me to open this Lodge of St. Lawrence the Martyr.
All rise.
WM: Brother Junior Warden, what is the first care of every Brother of St. Lawrence?
JW, no Sign: To see the Lodge properly tyled.
WM: Direct that duty to be done.
JW: Brother Inner Guard, see that the Lodge is properly tyled.
IG, opens the door and sees that Tyler is present; closes door and reports; no Sign: Brother Junior Warden, the Lodge is properly tyled.
JW, gives one knock, no Sign: Worshipful Master, the Lodge is properly tyled.
WM: Brother Senior Warden, what is our next care?
SW: To see that the Brethren stand to order with the first Sign of the Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr.
WM: To order, Brethren.
All stand to order with first Sign.
WM: Brother Senior Warden, are you a Brother of St. Lawrence the Martyr?
SW: I am, Worshipful Master. Try and prove me.
WM: By what will you be tried?
SW: By Elbow Square gives Sign with left arm.
WM: What is Elbow Square?
SW: An angle of 90° , or the fourth part of a circle.
WM: How do you support Elbow Square?
SW: By Elbow Square gives Sign with right arm.
WM: Can you give me any further proof?
SW: I could if I were an a hidden vault or in some secret place.
WM: You are now in a closely tyled Lodge of St. Lawrence, and I demand the proof.
SW drops Elbow Square, goes directly to middle of Lodge, and give third Sign.
WM: What is that?
SW: Tooth and Nail.
WM: So it is my lad.
SW returns to his Chair, and resumes first Sign.
WM: Let us supplicate the Great Disposer of All to guide us according to His heavenly will and power.
All: So mote it be.
WM: In the name of St. Lawrence the Martyr, I declare this Lodge duly opened on Elbow Square. Knocks *** **, repeated by Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Inner Guard and Tyler.
Immediate Past Master opens Volume of Sacred Law at Proverbs, chap. 15, v. 33 and lays Gridiron thereon.
 

Ceremony of Introduction, reception and Admission

SD withdraws from the Lodge and brings Candidate to door.
Tyler gives alarm: * * **
IG, opens door: Who comes here?
Tyler: A worthy Brother of a Lodge dedicated to St John, who is about to proceed on his travels to distant lands, and desires to be admitted to the Degree of St. Lawrence to enable him to demand the hospitality ever bestowed by the Brethren.
IG: What are his qualifications?
Tyler: The tongue of good report and the consent of the Brethren.
IG: Halt while I make a report closes door. Worshipful Master, a worthy Brother of a Lodge dedicated to St. John, who is about to proceed on his travels to distant lands, and desires to be admitted to the Degree of St. Lawrence to enable him to demand the hospitality ever bestowed by the Brethren.
WM: What are his qualifications?
IG: The tongue of good report and the consent of the Brethren.
WM: Let him be admitted.
IG opens door. SD enters with Candidate who is placed in the West between the Deacons.
WM: Brother …, the tongue of good report has already been heard in your favour, and the consent of the Brethren has been given to your admission to the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees.
I must therefore call upon you to take a solemn Obligation in this Lodge of St. Lawrence the Martyr to keep inviolate the secrets of this Degree.
Are you prepared to take it?
SD to Candidate: Answer.
Candidate: I am
WM: Then you will advance to the pedestal.
Deacons and Candidate advance directly to the pedestal.
WM: Place your right hand on the Volume of Sacred Law.
WM places one Token in Candidate’s left hand
Elevate your left hand with the Token of the Degree. Candidate does so.
WM gives one knock, repeated by SW and JW. All rise.
WM: State your names at length and repeat after me.
I, …, in the presence of the Great Disposer of All, and of this Lodge of St. Lawrence the Martyr do hereby and hereon most solemnly vow to keep inviolate the secrets of this Degree, and to reveal them only to those who may be found worthy of my confidence, and in strict conformity with the Constitutions of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees.
I also promise that I will never be present at, or assist in, the admission of anyone to this Degree unless he be a Mark Master Mason as well as a Royal Arch Mason, and not even then unless in the body of a lawful Lodge of St. Lawrence the Martyr, regularly opened on Elbow Square.
I further engage that, should a Brother present to me the Token of the Degree, I will prepare for him food sufficient for his necessities, especially bread, water and salt.
To these several points I swear fidelity. So help me the Great Disposer of All and keep me steadfast in this my solemn Obligation of a Brother of St. Lawrence.
WM: As a pledge of your fidelity you will seal this obligation once on the Volume of Sacred Law.
Candidate does so. WM or SD removes Candidate’s right hand from the Volume of Sacred Law.
WM: As a reminder of your solemn Obligation, and in memory of St. Lawrence the Martyr, I call upon you to copy my example and eat the food on the Token of the Degree, which you hold in your left hand.
WM and Candidate both eat.
JD takes both Tokens, returns to the West, disposes of them and resumes his place at the right of SW.
WM: I have much pleasure in acknowledging you a member of the Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr and I will entrust you with the Signs and Words of that Degree.
Brethren, be seated.
WM: The first Sign is given by extending the right arm horizontally, palm of the hand downward, elbow close to the side; then turning the hand with the palm upward and again downward.
This Sign is accompanied by the words "Turn Me Over".
The first Sign and these Words refer to the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence, which will be fully explained later in the Ceremony.
This Sign is given on entering or leaving a Lodge of St. Lawrence the Martyr, or when addressing the Worshipful Master.
The second Sign is Elbow Square, and is given by placing your left hand on your hip, fingers to the front. It is supported by Elbow Square with your right hand.
This Sign is used in conjunction with the third Sign to prove a Brother in this Degree.
I will now demonstrate the method of proving a Brother.
WM: Brother Senior Deacon, are you a Brother of St. Lawrence?
SD: I am, Worshipful Master. Try and prove me.
WM: By what will you be tried?
SD: By Elbow Square. Gives Sign with left arm.
WM: What is Elbow Square?
SD: An angle of 90° , or the fourth part of a circle.
WM: How do you support Elbow Square?
SD: By Elbow Square. Gives Sign with right arm.
WM: Can you give me any further proof?
SD: I could if I were in a hidden vault or in some secret place.
WM: You are now in a closely tyled Lodge of St. Lawrence, and I demand the proof.
SD drops Elbow Square, and gives third Sign.
WM: What is that?
SD: Tooth and Nail.
WM: So it is my Lad.
WM: You will have observed that the third Sign is given by placing the nail of the right thumb behind the front teeth, then flick the thumb forward.
The words given with this Sign are Tooth and Nail.
It is recorded that this Degree was in existence in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the middle of the XVIII century. It must have been of great practical importance to our Operative Brethren of earlier times, when traveling from place to place in search of employment.
The Senior Deacon will now conduct you to the Senior Warden, who will invest you.
SD leads Candidate directly to the North side of SW’s pedestal.
SW: By command of the Worshipful Master I now invest you with the jewel of this Degree, which is a representation of a Gridiron.
SD turns Candidate to face East.
 

Lecture

WM: This Degree relates to the period about the year AD 257, during the reign of the Emperor Valerian, when the persecution of the Christians in Rome was intensified.
The Prefect of Rome, having been informed that the Christian Church was rich beyond measure, sent for Lawrence the Deacon, a Spaniard by birth, to whose care he understood that the treasures were committed. He demanded that these treasures should at once be handed over to him.
Lawrence replied that, while the Christian Church was indeed wealthy, he would require three days to make an inventory and set all in order. The Prefect granted this delay
The Deacon then assembled all the halt, the maimed and the blind, all the poor and the decrepit of both sexes, and, on the day appointed, he led them in procession to the Great Square of the City.
The Prefect, in surprise, demanded where were the treasures of the Christian Church’ to which Lawrence replied that the light of Heaven was the true gold, and all the riches of the new religion had been dispensed in charity: then, pointing to the poor and sick, he said "Behold, these are the treasures of the Christian Church."
Infuriated by this reply, the Prefect ordered a great gridiron to be prepared, and live coals, almost extinguished, to be thrown underneath, so that the Martyr might be the more slowly burned. St. Lawrence was accordingly stripped, extended and bound with chains on the iron bed over a slow fire, which broiled his flesh little by little, reaching at length even to his vitals.
The Martyr however felt not the bodily pangs, but deemed his torture a refreshment and a comfort.
After having suffered for a long time, he turned to the Prefect, and with a smiling countenance exclaimed "Let my body be turned, one side is broiled enough."
By order of the Prefect the executioners turned him over; he then said "It is broiled enough you may eat and see which is better, roast meat or raw."
The Token of the Degree, from which you partook of food. reminds us of the instruments by which the Martyr’s body was turned.
It was in reference to the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence that the Ancient Penalty, formerly used in this Degree, had its origin: "under a penalty no less than that of being broiled alive over a gridiron, as was St. Lawrence the Martyr."
It was in allusion to the turning of the body of St. Lawrence that the First Sign and the words "Turn Me Over" were adopted.
The Gridiron symbolically warns us of the ultimate doom of the wicked and impenitent, while it still further impresses upon us the advantages of morality and rectitude. which are indeed symbolised by the parallel lines or bars within the rectangle of the Gridiron.
The Volume of the Sacred Law in conjunction with the Gridiron in this Degree denotes our utter dependence upon the will of our Great Creator, Who has inspired us with the belief that He will provide for us each day our daily bread, and to Whom our heartfelt thanks are due for His favours continually bestowed upon us and all men.
By the peculiar Obligation and Token of this Degree we are forcibly reminded of the great Masonic virtues of Charity and Hospitality, and are taught how we should assist a Brother in time of distress.
Thus, my Brother, we should ever allow the symbols of this Degree to remind us of the humility and reverence due to our Great Creator, and the charity and hospitality which we owe to our fellow men.
SD conducts Candidate directly to WM’s pedestal.
WM shows Warrant of Council to Candidate, presents to him a copy of the Constitutions of the Order, and the By-laws of the Council.
WM: You are now at liberty to take your seat among your Brethren of St. Lawrence, and I congratulate you on your introduction, reception and admission to this ancient Degree.
SD conducts Candidate to a suitable seat, and then resumes his own.
 

Closing

WM: Brethren, I rise to inquire for the first, second and third times whether any Brother has aught to propose for the good of the Order in general, or this … Council in particular.
WM: Brethren, I rise again to make the same inquiry for the fourth time.
WM, gives one knock, repeated by SW and JW: Brethren, assist me to close this Lodge of St. Lawrence the Martyr.
All rise.
WM: Brother Junior Warden, what is the constant care of every Brother of St. Lawrence?
JW: To see the Lodge close tyled.
WM: Direct that duty to be done.
JW: Brother Inner Guard, prove the Lodge close tyled.
IG knocks on door *** *.
Tyler replies *** *.
IG: Brother Junior Warden, the Lodge proves close tyled.
JW knocks *** *, gives Sign: Worshipful master, the Lodge is close tyled.
WM: Brother Senior Warden, what is our next care?
SW: To see that the Brethren stand to order as Brothers of St. Lawrence.
WM: To order, Brethren.
All stand to order with first Sign.
WM: Before our departure, let us beseech the Great Disposer of All to have us in His holy keeping until we meet again.
All: So mote it be.
WM: Brother Senior Warden, our labours being ended, you have my command to close the Lodge. Knocks *** *.
SW: In the name of St. Lawrence the Martyr, and by command of the Worshipful Master, I close this Lodge of St. Lawrence. Knocks *** *.
JW: And it is closed accordingly. Knocks *** *.
IG and Tyler repeat knocks *** *.
Immediate Past Master, removes Gridiron, closes Volume of Sacred Law: Nothing now remains but, according to ancient custom, to lock up our secrets in the safe repository of our hearts, uniting in the act Fidelity, Fidelity, Fidelity, - Fidelity.

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