The Mysteries of Free Masonry: Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge

In Short

William Morgan’s treatise serves as an exhaustive expose of early American Freemasonry, systematically laying out the oaths, handshakes, floor movements, and catechisms of various degrees. Beginning with the initial initiation of an Entered Apprentice, the text advances through the Fellow Craft and Master Mason degrees into the high-ranking chapters of the Royal Arch and Knights Templar. By revealing the precise wording of solemn vows, the physical mechanics of lodge "shocks," and the symbolic interpretations of traditional mason's tools, the book transformed private, guarded rituals into public property, securing its place as an infamous foundational text of American anti-Masonic literature.

The Story

The text unfolds not as a standard narrative, but as an methodical, step-by-step unveiling of esoteric rites, progressing in an ascending hierarchy of Masonic degrees. It begins within the foundational Blue Lodge, detailing the exact opening procedures, officer positions, and symbolic charges delivered to an Entered Apprentice. Here, the initiate is stripped of metallic items, blindfolded, and introduced to the primary tools of the trade—the plumb, square, and level—while swearing absolute secrecy under severe physical penalties.

As the text advances into the Fellow Craft and Master Mason degrees, the rituals grow increasingly theatrical and dramatic. The narrative within the catechisms shifts to the legendary building of King Solomon’s Temple and the martyrdom of its chief architect, Hiram Abiff. Through a rigorous series of questions and answers, the reader is shown how the candidate enacts Hiram’s murder by three rebellious ruffians—Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum—and his eventual symbolic resurrection through the "Master's grip." Oaths in these degrees demand even stricter loyalty, binding members to assist fellow Masons and keep their secrets intact.

Moving beyond the symbolic lodges, the book opens the doors to the higher council degrees, including the Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and the Royal Arch Chapter. In these rites, candidates re-enact historical and allegorical milestones: the discovery of the long-lost sacred word in a subterranean vault, the rebuilding of the temple under Zerubbabel, and the assignment of specialized pass-words like "GIBLEM" or "TUBAL CAIN." The text provides exact diagrams of secret ciphers, floor layouts, and officer stations—placing the High Priest, King, and Scribe in their respective positions within the sanctum sanctorum.

Finally, the text ascends to the chivalric and ineffable degrees, such as the Knights of the Red Cross, Knights Templar, Council of Knights of the Cross, and Grand Master of Symbolic Lodges. In these elevated ranks, the rituals take on explicit Christian and military imagery. Candidates swear to defend innocent virgins, widows, and the Christian religion, wielding swords and reciting prayers commemorating the crucifixion and the broken covenant. The work concludes with the philosophic and solar degrees, where dialogues between figures like "Father Adam" and "Brother Truth" turn the physical symbols into lectures on reason, natural law, and the rejection of vulgar prejudice.

How It Unfolds

The Apprentice enters The manual opens with the precise mechanics of opening a lodge, detailing how distinct floor raps summon specific officers. The novice receives his lambskin apron, learns the physical "shock" of combined foot-stamps and hand-claps, and takes an oath never to reveal the lodge's secrets under penalty of severe bodily mutilation.

The Master falls Advancing to the Master Mason degree, the candidate undergoes a ritual drama representing the assassination of Grand Master Hiram Abiff by three treacherous workmen. King Solomon dispatches twelve Fellow Crafts to track down the fugitives, leading to their capture in a coastal cavern near Joppa and the eventual recovery of Hiram's body.

The Vault opened In the Royal Arch degree, the ceremony shifts to the reconstruction of the Temple by Zerubbabel, where secret vaults and lost sacred words are uncovered. Officers arrayed in scarlet, purple, and blue banners instruct the candidate on the geometric ciphers used to encrypt sensitive communications.

The Sword drawn Entering the chivalric orders of the Knights Templar and Knights of the Cross, the initiate takes high-stakes military vows to protect the faith and assist distressed companions. Officers execute precise horn blasts, sword postures, and dramatic dialogues marking the solemn hours of Christ's passion.

The Light revealed The text culminates in the higher philosophical degrees, where Father Adam and Brother Truth examine the moral significance of the universe. Masonic tools are re-interpreted as symbols of pure reason, urging the Mason to rise above superstition and seek ultimate enlightenment.

The People

• Captain William Morgan / George R. Crafts: The compiling authors and editors whose intent is to lay bare every secret, grip, and password of the Masonic fraternity to the uninitiated public.
• Hiram Abiff: The legendary Grand Master and chief architect of King Solomon's Temple, who serves as the central martyr of Masonic lore; he chooses to be murdered by traitors rather than surrender the sacred words of a Master Mason.
• King Solomon: The wise biblical monarch who establishes order, commands the search for Hiram's killers, institutes the roll call of workmen, and establishes the foundational degrees of the order.
• Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum: The three conspiratorial Fellow Crafts who assault Hiram Abiff at the temple gates, flee toward Ethiopia, and hide in a rock cavern near Joppa before their capture.
• Zerubbabel: The historical leader who travels from the South to the East, leading the effort to rebuild the temple and rediscover the long-lost sacred name of the Deity.
• Father Adam and Brother Truth: Allegorical figures in the elevated philosophical degrees who engage in structured dialogues regarding natural law, reason, and humanity's struggle against vulgar prejudices.

In Its Own Voice

"At the same moment that the last of these words drops from the Master's lips, every member stamps with his right foot on the floor, and at the same instant brings his hands together with equal force, and in such perfect unison with each other, that persons situated so as to hear it would suppose it the precursor of some dreadful catastrophe." Context: Describing the sudden, dramatic physical sound known as "THE SHOCK" performed during the opening of an Entered Apprentice lodge.

"Furthermore, do I promise and swear, that I will not sell, swap, barter or exchange my mark, which I shall hereafter choose, nor send it a second time to pledge until it is lawfully redeemed from the first." Context: Excerpted from the solemn oath administered to a candidate receiving the degree of Mark Master Mason.

"By the level you are to learn to be upright and sincere, and not to suffer yourself to be drawn away by the multitude of the blind and ignorant people..." Context: A lecture explaining the moral and philosophical symbolism behind the standard working tools of a mason.

What It's Really About

Beneath its exhaustive lists of handshakes, floor movements, and passwords, the text is fundamentally an investigation into power, secrecy, and civic trust in early America. By documenting the exact oaths sworn by Masons—vows that bind members to favor brethren, keep their secrets, and punish betrayals—the book raises quiet questions about whether such private allegiances undermine the public good and equal justice under the law.

At the same time, the book exposes the deeply human urge to construct elaborate, hidden hierarchies. The rites present a substitute religion of sort, blending biblical history, medieval chivalry, and Enlightenment philosophy. Ultimately, the work functions as a battle between total transparency and elite concealment, testing whether democratic society can tolerate powerful, sworn brotherhoods operating behind closed doors.

Why Read It Today

For readers fascinated by nineteenth-century American history, secret societies, or the origins of political movements, this text remains an irreplaceable historical artifact. Reading it today feels like sneaking a glance behind an ancient velvet curtain; the prose is cold, precise, and uncompromisingly direct in its exposure. It provides an unvarnished look at the exact rituals that sparked the historic Anti-Masonic movement in the United States, giving context to the intense paranoia and fascination that surrounded the fraternity during the era.

However, modern readers should be prepared for a dry, heavily technical reading experience. The text does not offer fluid storytelling or literary flourishes; instead, it is structured like an operational manual or script. Page after page is dedicated to repetitive question-and-answer catechisms, hyper-specific physical directions, and long-winded legalistic oaths. Yet for those willing to sift through the dense procedural details, the book offers an extraordinary, primary-source glimpse into the secret theatricality and symbolic language that shaped early American social life.