Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated - The Masonic Trowel

338 GRAND INSPECTOR INQUISITOR COMMANDER.
Candidate and All—I do.
Most Perfect President—Do you solemnly and sincerely
swear that you will as a judge lay aside all pride of
opinion, obstinacy and self will, and be governed
absolutely by the dictates of law, justice equity and
your own conscience, so far as the frailty of your nature
will permit?
Candidate and All—I do.
Most Perfcct President—DO you solemnly and sincerely
swear that you will usurp no doubtful power; that
you will strain no law so as to make it cover cas~s to
which it does not plainly apply; that you will presume
e~ery man innocent until he is proven guilty, and that
you will give to every one accused the benefit of all reasonable
doubt, and of a charitable and natural construction
of his actions; and remember that the Masonic law
seeks punishment as a means only, and not as an end?
Candidate and All—I do.
Most Pcrfecl President—Repeat then with me. (Candidate
and all repeat the following:)
All this I do swear, expecting that God will so judge
me, as I judge others, and eon’~igning myself to the contempt
of my brethren ai~i’d to their just and terrible anger,
to be visited up~n my unprotected head, if I should
willfully or through indifference violate this my solemn
oath and obligation. So help me God.
A fl—Forgive us our tresspasses, 0! Father, as we
forgive those that trespass against us.
Most Perfect President—Witness the solemn oath
my brethren, and let it be recorded.
All—We witness it.
Chancellor—And I record it. (As the last words are
uttered, light is given to the candidate, the scale, of
justice are taken from him and placed on the altar.)
INITIATION. 339
Most Perfect President—(Taking the candidate by
the hand. (Rise my brother.) (Candidate rises and all
the brethren sheath their swords.)
Most Perfect President—Most Enlightened Brother
Master of Ceremonies, do 3’our duty. (Master of Ceremonies
divests the candidate of all his decorations and
lays.them on the altar.)
Most Perfect President—Sir Knight, we divest you of
all your decorations, because the degree which you are
now entering is above those you have already received,
and in it you enter the judicial branch and leave the
military branch of the order. Most Enlightened Brother
Master of Ceremonies, teach the candidate the march
of the Grand Inspectors Inquisitors Commanders and
then bring him to me.
Most Perfect President—To your places Grand Inspectors
Inquisitors Commanders! (The Most Perfect
President, officers and members, return to their places.
The Master of Ceremonies places the candidate under
the sign of order. Then he causes him to step off one
step to the front with the right foot, and then bring his
feet together so as to form a square, at the same time
uncrossing and crossing his arms. Then he steps off
with the left foot one step and forms the square again,
uncrossing and crossing his arms, and so on by alternation
until he reaches the foot of the throne.)
Most Perfect President—(Invests him with the collar
and jewel of the order.) I invest you with the white
collar and jewel of this degree. See that the purity of
the former and the lustre of the latter be never sullied
or dimmed by your injustice, inhumanity or impurity.
Return to the altar my brother, and kneel.
Most Perfect President—Order Most Enlightened
Brethren! (All rise under the sign of order. Candidate
goes to the altar and kneels.)