First Section

Question 1

What is Freemasonry?

Answer 1

A beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.

Question 2

How do you know yourself to be a Mason?

Answer 2

By having often been tried, never denied, and willing to be tried again

Question 3

How shall I know you to be a Mason?

Answer 3

By certain signs, a token, a word, and the perfect points of my entrance.

Question 4

What are signs?

Answer 4

Right angles, horizontals, and perpendiculars.

Question 5

What are tokens?

Answer 5

Certain friendly, or brotherly grips, by which one Mason, may know another, in the dark, as well as in the light.

Question 6

Where were you first prepared to be an Entered Apprentice Mason?

Answer 6

In my heart.

Question 7

Where were you next prepared?

Answer 7

In a room adjacent to a regularly constituted lodge of free and accepted Masons.

Question 8

How were you prepared?

Answer 8

By being divested of all metals, neither naked nor clothed, barefoot nor shod, hoodwinked, with a cable-tow around my neck in which condition I was conducted to the door of the lodge by a friend, whom I later found to be a Brother.

Question 9

How did you know it to be a door, being hoodwinked?

Answer 9

By first meeting with resistance, and then gaining admission.

Question 10

How gained you admission?

Answer 10

By three distinct knocks.

Question 11

What was said to you from within?

Answer 11

Who comes here?

Question 12

On being brought to the light, what did you first discover?

Answer 12

The three great lights in Masonry, by the help of the lesser three.

Question 13

What are the three great lights in Masonry?

Answer 13

The holy bible , square and compass.

Question 14

What are their Masonic uses?

Answer 14

The holy bible is the rule and guide to our faith and practice, the square, to square our actions, and the compass, to circumscribe and keep us within the due bounds with all mankind, but more especially with a brother Mason.

Question 15

What are the three lesser lights?

Answer 15

Three burning tapers, in a triangular position about the altar.

Question 16

What do they represent?

Answer 16

The sun, the moon and master of the lodge

Question 17

What is a common gavel

Answer 17

The common gavel is an instrument made use of by the operative Masons, to break off the superfluous corners of rough stones, to better fit them for the builder’s use. But we as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose; of divesting our minds and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby better fitting us, as living stones for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Question 18

What is a twenty four inch gauge?

Answer 18

The twenty-four inch gauge is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to measure and lay out their work, but we as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose, of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts, is emblematical of the twenty-four hours of the day. Which we are taught to divide into three equal parts, whereby we find a portion for the service of God and the relief of a distressed worthy Brother, a portion for our usual vocations, and a portion for refreshment and sleep.