Elijahs Challenge

Ezra 3:7

They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

Daniel 8:25

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

Acts 19:25

Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

Acts 19:27

So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

(Jeremiah 7:17-19)

Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

Section 316.

Unlawful oaths to commit treason, murder etc.

(1) Every person who-

(a) administers or is present at and consents to the administering of any oath or engagement in the nature of an oath purporting to bind the person who takes it to commit treason or murder; or

(b) takes any such oath or engagement not being compelled to do so; or

(c) induces or attempts to induce any person to take any such oath or engagement-

shall be guilty of an indictable offence, and shall be liable to level 5 imprisonment (10 years maximum).

(2) Every person who-

(a) administers or is present at and consents to the administering of any oath or engagement in the nature of an oath purporting to bind the person who takes it to act in any of the ways following (that is to say):-

(i) to engage in any mutinous or seditious enterprise;

(ii) to commit any indictable offence other than treason or murder;

(iii) to disturb the public peace;

(iv) to be of any association society or confederacy formed for the purpose of doing any such act as aforesaid;

(v) to obey the order or commands of any committee or body of men not lawfully constituted or of any leader or commander or other person not having authority by law for that purpose;

(vi) not to inform or give evidence against any associate confederate or other person;

(vii) not to reveal or discover any unlawful association society or confederacy or any illegal act done or to be done or any illegal oath or engagement that may have been administered or tendered to or taken by himself or any other person or the import of any such oath or engagement; or

(b) takes any such oath or engagement not being compelled to do so; or

(c) induces or attempts to induce any person to take any such oath or engagement-

shall be guilty of an indictable offence, and shall be liable to level 6 imprisonment (5 years maximum).

(3) A person who takes any such oath or engagement as is mentioned in the last two preceding sub-sections cannot set up as a defence that he was compelled to do so unless within fourteen days after taking it or if he is prevented by actual force or sickness within fourteen days after the termination of such prevention he declares by information on oath before some member of the Executive Council or a magistrate or if he is on actual service in Her Majesty's forces by sea or land either by such information or by information to his commanding officer the whole of what he knows concerning the matter, including the person or persons by whom and in whose presence and the place where and the time when the oath or engagement was administered or taken.

(4) A person who has been tried and convicted or acquitted on a charge of any of the offences mentioned in this section shall not be afterwards prosecuted upon the same facts for treason or for failing when he knows that any person intends to commit treason to give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to a magistrate or use other reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the crime.

SECTION 47

Unlawful oaths to commit crimes punishable with strict security life imprisonment

Any person who —

(1) Administers or is present at and consents to the administering of, any oath, or engagement in the nature of an oath, purporting to bind the person who takes it to commit any crime punishable with strict security life imprisonment; or

(2) Takes any such oath or engagement, not being compelled to do so; or

(3) Attempts to induce any person to take any such oath or engagement; is guilty of a crime, and is liable to imprisonment for 20 years.

SECTION 48

Other unlawful oaths to commit offences

Any person who —

(1) Administers, or is present at and consents to the administering of, any oath or engagement in the nature of an oath purporting to bind the person who takes it to act in any of the ways following, that is to say —

(a) To engage in any seditious enterprise;

(b) To commit any indictable offence not punishable with strict security life imprisonment;

(c) To disturb the public peace;

(d) To be of any association, society, or confederacy formed for the purpose of doing any such act as aforesaid;

(e) To obey the orders or commands of any committee or body of men not lawfully constituted, or of any leader or commander or other person not having authority by law for that purpose;

(f) Not to inform or give evidence against any associate, confederate, or other person;

(g) Not to reveal or discover any unlawful association, society, or confederacy, or any illegal act done or to be done, or any illegal oath or engagement that may have been administered or tendered to or taken by himself or any other person, or the import of any such oath or engagement;

or

(2) Takes any such oath or engagement, not being compelled to do so; or

(3) Attempts to induce any person to take any such oath or engagement; is guilty of a crime, and is liable to imprisonment for 7 years.

SECTION 86

Administering extra judicial oaths

(1) Any person who administers an oath or takes a declaration or affirmation without having lawful authority so to do is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for 2 years.

(2) This section does not apply to an oath, declaration or affirmation administered or taken —

(a) as authorised or required by law of; or

(b) for purposes lawful in, another country, State or Territory.

"...In willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming Sun shall strike me with a livid plague, and may Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same. "(from the oath of obligation, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ["Shriners"]) Portion Only

I….in the presence of the most high, and of this worthy and worshipful lodge of master masons, duly constituted, regularly assembled, and properly dedicated, of my own free will and accord, do hereby (Worshipful Master touches candidate’s hands with his left hand) and hereon (Worshipful Master touches The Bible with his left hand) most solemnly promise and swear that I will always hele, conceal, and never reveal any or either of the secrets or mysteries of or belonging to the degree of a Master Mason to anyone in the world…….

All these points I solemnly swear to observe, without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation of any kind, under no less a penalty, on the violation of any of them, than that of being severed in two, my bowels burned to ashes, and those ashes scattered over the face of the earth and wafted by the four cardinal winds of heaven, that no trace or remembrance of so vile a wretch may no longer be found among men, particularly master masons so help me the most high, and keep me steadfast in this my solemn obligation of a master mason.

Worshipful Master…….as a pledge of your fidelity and to render this binding as a solemn obligation for so long as you shall live, you will seal it with your lips thrice on the volume of the sacred law (The Bible)

In the presence of the grand geometrician of the universe, and of this worthy and worshipful lodge of fellow craft Freemasons, regularly held, assembled, and properly dedicated, of my own free will and accord do hereby (the worshipful master touches candidate’s right hand with his left). And hereon (Worshipful Master touches The Bible with his left hand) solemnly promise and swear that I will always hele, conceal and never improperly reveal, any or either of the secrets or mysteries of or belonging to the second degree in Freemasonry…..

These several points I solemnly swear to observe, without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation of any kind, under no less a penalty, on the violation of any of them, than that of having my left breast laid open, my heart torn there from, and given to the ravenous birds of the air, or devouring beasts of the field as a prey, so help me almighty god, and keep me steadfast in this my solemn obligation of a Fellow Craft Freemason.

Worshipful Master…..As a pledge of your fidelity, and to render this a solemn obligation which might otherwise be considered a serious promise, you will seal it with your lips twice on the volume of the sacred law (The Bible)

In the presence of the great architect of the universe, and of this worthy, worshipful and warranted lodge of free and accepted masons, regularly assembled properly dedicated of my own free will and accord do hereby (v m touches candidates right hand with his left hand and hereon (v m touches The Bible with his left hand) sincerely and solemnly promise and swear that I will always hele, conceal and never reveal.

These secret points I solemnly swear to observe, without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation of any kind, under no less a penalty, on the violation of any of them, than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the root, and buried in the sand of the sea at low water mark, or a cable’s length from the shore, where the tide regularly ebbs and flows twice in twenty four hours or…

What you have repeated may be considered but a serious promise; as a pledge of your fidelity and to render it a solemn obligation, you will seal it with your lips on the volume of the sacred law. (The Bible)

THE GRAND LODGE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA OF ANTIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS INCORPORATED

CONSTITUTION

7. RECOGNISED DEGREES

The Association shall not practise any Degree of Freemasonry other than those of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason, and shall not recognise any other Degrees, save those of the Honourable Degree of Mark Master Mason, and the degrees of the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch.