Daniel Parker's MASONIC TABLET

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Prior to the early nineteenth century American Masonic lodges didn't have standard forms of initiation rituals. Although they were generally similar there were occasionally tremendous variations. This began to change with the publication of Thomas Smith Webb's </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Freemason's Monitor</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> (1797) the first American Masonic guidebook. It offered standardized language to teach some of the fraternity's lessons. The secret initiation ceremonies however were taught mouth to ear by Webb (for a fee) to his student lecturers who in turn taught their own students (also for a fee). Webb's ritual was transcribed in private books in a one-to-three lettered cipher code. In 1822 the Rev. Daniel Parker printed his own clever cipher ritual which by-passed the need for private tutors as a supplement to Webb's Masonic monitor. His </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Masonic Tablet</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> offered the earliest full description of American Craft and York Rite rituals.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The author's introduction gives a biography of Parker and a history of his cipher. Also included are a complete facsimile of his work and a full plaintext decryption of the earliest descriptions of the American versions of the degrees of Entered Apprentice Fellow Craft Master Mason Past Master Most Excellent Master and Royal Arch Mason. For comparative purposes the appendices reproduce the original editions of William Morgan's </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Illustrations of Masonry by One of the Fraternity</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> (1826) and </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A Revelation of Freemasonry</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> (1827).</span></p>