Ancient Mystic Oriental Masonry

16.The Master of a particular Lodge has the Right and Authority of congregating the Members of his: Lodge into a Chapter at pleasure, upon any Emergency or Occurrence, as well as to appoint the time and place of their usual meeting. In case of the sickness of the Master no Lodge can be opened. In the case of the death of the Master of any of the other Officers, the Deputy Grand Master will appoint a successor.

17.The Master of each particular Lodge shall keep ^[189] a Book containing their By-laws, the Names of their Members, with a list of other Lodges in such state or country. A copy of the Secret Laws shall also be kept in such Lodge and each member must possess a copy of such Secret Laws.

18.No man can be made or admitted a member of a particular Lodge, without previous notice one Month before given to the said Lodge, in order to make due inquiry into the reputation and capacity of the Candidate; unless by Special Dispensation. No man can be admitted or made unless he first becomes a member of the ………………

19."The candidate shall solemnly promise to submit to the Constitutions, the Charges, Regulations, and such other Usages as shall be intimated to him in time and place convenient.

20.No set or number of Brethren shall withdraw or separate themselves from the Lodge in which they were made Brethren, or were afterwards admitted Members, unless the Lodge becomes too numerous; nor even then, without a Dispensation from the Supreme Grand Master; and when they are thus separated, they must either immediately join themselves to such other Lodge as they shall be ordered, or else ^[190] they must obtain the Supreme Grand Master's warrant to join in forming a new Lodge.

21.If any number of Brethren shall take upon themselves to form a Lodge without the Supreme Grand Master's Warrant, the regular Lodges are not to countenance them, nor own them as fair Brethren and duly formed, but treat them as Rebels. It will be impossible that this should happen for the reason that the Brethren can only reach the Supreme Grand Master through the Deputy and since not even the Masters of the Lodges can come into direct contact with the unknown Supreme Grand Master, and since no one but the candidate for the Highest Degrees can know the Supreme Grand Master, it will be impossible to form such clandestine Lodges, since their very support and source of Light would be totally cut off from them. Besides this, The Secret Code absolutely forbids this and under the Obligation that each Brother takes before he can be admitted to even the first degree of Mystic Masonry, he can never betray either a Brother or the Lodge to which he belongs, much less the Supreme Grand Lodge.

22.If any Brother so far misbehaves himself as to render his Lodge uneasy, he shall be admonished by the Master in the formed Lodge; and if he will not ^[191] refrain his Imprudence, and obediently submit to the advice of the Brethren, and reform what gives them Offense, he shall be dealt with according to the Secret Rules, for the Lodge of Mystic Masonry combines both the Church and the Academy and the Brethren meet for instruction and worship, therefore, no inharmony can be allowed to prevail.

23.All Lodges are to observe the same Usages as much as possible, in order to do this, and for cultivating a good understanding among Mystic Masons, some members out of every Lodge shall be deputed to visit other Lodges as often as shall be thought convenient and each Lodge, or several may combine, may form a College for secret instruction of its members.

27.The Supreme Grand Lodge consists of the unknown Supreme Grand Master, the Supreme Grand Master, the Supreme Grand Deputy, the Grand Secretary, the Grand Deputies of the States and the Secret Teacher or Hierophants of the Higher Degrees. The Brethren who come into touch with the Hierophants are absolutely forbidden, as per their Obligation, to ever reveal the abiding place of any Hierophant.