EARLY CATECHISM OF

FREEMASONRY
Institution Of Free Masons, c. 172
The early history of this catechism, which is a manuscript version of The Grand Mystery
of Free-Masons Discover'd (q.v.), is unknown. It was purchased c. 1905 from a dealer by
Bro. . !. "alvert of #ondon. It consists of two leaves, $ $%5& ' 5 9%10&, cut out of an old
vellum(bound notebook, in which there were other writin)s which did not interest Bro.
"alvert. It was purchased from him in 19*1 by Bro. +ou)las ,noop. The catechism is
written on three sides and about a -uarter of the fourth, the rest of the pa)e bein) filled
with some lines in a different hand, headed &The "haracter of a .ason&. +r. /chofield of
the British .useum .//. +epartment is of opinion that it was written in the first half of
the ei)hteenth century. It was reproduced photo)raphically in the Authors' Lodge
Transactions, iii 019191, followin) p. *02. The transcript we print is made from the
manuscript. /ee Introduction, pp. 13, 19 above4 cf. sse! M".
I5/TIT6TI75 7! !899 ./75/
1. :uestion. ;eace be here. . I hope there is.
3. <hat a "lock is it= . Tis )oin) to 13 or >tis )oin) to ?
$. re you very busy= . 5o.
*. <ill you )ive or take= . Both or which you please.
5. @ow )o /-uares= . /trai)ht
?. re you rich or poor= . 5either
A. "han)e me that Bunprintable characterC= I will
2. In the name of Dod, men, re you a .ason= .ason
9. <hat is a .ason= man be)ot of a man, born of a woman E Brother to a ,in).
10. <hat is a fellow= "ompanion to a ;rince
11. @ow shall I know if you are a 8i)ht .ason= . By /i)ns, Tokens E ;oints of my
9ntry
13. <hich is the 1
st
;oint of your 9ntry= . To hide E conceal under the ;enalty of
havin) my Throat cut, or my Ton)ue cut out of my @ead.
1$. <here were you made a .ason= In a Fust E perfect #od)e.
1*. @ow many makes a #od)e= . Dod E the /-uare, w
t
A or 5 ri)ht E perfect .asons
on the hi)hest mountain or the lowest valley in the world.
15. <hy do odd 5umbers make a lod)e= . Because all 7dds are .en>s advanta)es.
1?. <hat lod)e are you of= The #od)e of /t Iohn 5.
1A. @ow doth that #od)e stand= ;erfect 9ast E <est as all holy Temples do.
12. <here>s the .asters ;ost= . t the 9ast window waitin) the risin) of the /un to set
his men at work.
19. <here>s the <arden>s ;ost= . t the <est window waitin) the /ettin) of the /un, to
dismiss the entred pprentice.
30. <ho rules E )overns the #od)e E is .aster of it= . Iehovah the ri)ht ;illar.
31. @ow is it )ovem>d= 7f /-uare, ;lumb E 8ule Bunprintable charactersC
33. @ave you a ,ey of the #od)e= Ges I have
3$. <hat is its Hirtue= To open E /hut E to /hut E open
3*. <here do you keep it= . In an Ivory BoI betwiIt my Ton)ue E Teeth, or w
t
in my
heart, where all my /ecrets are kept.
35. @ave you a "hain to the ,ey= Ges I have
3?. @ow #on) is it= It is as lon) as from my Ton)ue to my @eart.
3A. @ow many precious lewels= . Three a /-uare where a +iadem E a /-uare
Bunprintable charactersC
32. @ow many #i)hts= Three a 8i)ht 9ast, /outh E <est.
39. <hat do they represent= . The three ;ersons of the holy Trinity !ather /. E @.D
t
$0. @ow many ;illars= Two I . . hin E BoaJ.
$1. <hat do they represent= . /tren)th E /tability to the "hurch in all )es.
$3. @ow many n)les are in /t lohn>s #od)e= Bunprintable charactersC . !our boardin)
on /-uares.
$$. @ow is the .eridian found out= . <hen the /un leaves the /outh, E breaks in at the
<est 9nd of the #od)e.
$*. In what part of the Temple was the #od)e kept= . In /olomon>s ;orch at the west
9nd of the Temple, where the Two ;illars were set up.
$5. @ow many /teps belon) to a 8i)ht .ason= Three.
$?. Dive me the /alutation= . I will. The ri)ht <orshipful .aster E <orshipful fellows
of the 8i)ht <orsh. #od)e from whence I came )reet you well, as I do. Dod>s )reetin) be
at this our .eetin) E with the 8. < .asters E <. !ellows of the 8. <. #od)e whence
you came, E you also.
$A. Dive me the lerusalem <ords= D.....D....
$2. Dive me the 6niversal <ords= ........
$9. 8i)ht, Brother of ours, Dive me your 5ame= . or 5
*0. <elcome Brother . or 5 to our /ociety. @ow many ;rincipal ;oints pertain to a ri)ht
.ason= . Three. !raternity, !idelity, Taciturnity.
*1. <hat do they represent= . Brotherly #ove, 8elief E Truth, amon)st all ri)ht E
perfect .asons, for w
c
.asons were ordain>d at the Buildin) of the Tower of Babel E the
Temple of lerusalem.
*3. @ow many proper ;oints= !ive, foot to foot, ,nee to ,nee @and to @and, @eart to
@eart E 9ar to 9ar
*$. <hence is an rch deriv>d= !rom rchitecture.
**. <hat doth it resemble= The 8ainbow
*5. @ow many orders in rchitecture= . !ive, Tuscan, +orick, Ionick, "orinthian,
"omposit
*?. <hat do they answer to= They answer to Base ;erpendicular +iameter "ircumference
E /-uare
*A. <hich is the ri)ht <ord or ;oint of a ri)ht .ason= . dieu
T@9 7T@ 5ov
r
3*
th
Gou must /erve Dod accordin) to the best of your ,nowled)e E Institution, E be a true
#ie)e man to the ,in), E to help E assist any Brother of the antient E 5oble /cience, as
far as your bility will allow you. /o by the "ontents of this /acred write you>ll perform
this 7ath. /o help you Dod
T@9 @9#T@
@ere>s a @ealth to our /ociety E to every faithful Brother that keeps 7ath of /ecrecy as
we are sworn to love each other, the world no order knows like this of our ancient E
noble fraternity. #et them wonder what the .ystery is. @ere !ellow I drink to thee.
@7< T7 ,57< !899 ./75
1. To put off the ..... with two fin)ers E a Thumb
3. To strick w
t
the 8i)ht @and on the ..... of the ...... 5 times as if hewin).
$. By makin) a /-uare, namely, by settin) the @eels to)ether E the Toes of both !eet
spread out at a distance, or by any other way of Trian)le.
*. To take @and in @and w
t
#eft E 8i)ht Thumbs closs, touchin) the .... 5 times hard w
t

the forefin)er on each place
5. Gou must whisper /ayin) thrice, the .
r
, !ellows of the 8i)ht <orshipful "ompany
whence I came )reet you well Then the other will answer. Dod )reet well, the .
r
,
!ellows of the <orshipful #od)e or "ompany from whence you came(and then( @ow do
you do Brother= E drink to each other E ask. In what #od)e were you made a free
.ason=
?. The )reatest . . . . . . is to /troak two of your fore(fin)ers over the ..............