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Fourth Degree Oaths

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1 Text of the Oaths
- 1.1 Oath of Secrecy
- 1.2 Degree Oath
2 Comparision to Masonic Oaths
3 Conclusions
4 See also
5 References
6 External Links

Text of the Oaths

The following is quoted from Francis King's The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O. under the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law strictly for non-profit educational purposes:

Oath of Secrecy

"We A, B and C upon these sacred and sublime symbols most solemnly and sincerely swear never improperly to reveal any of the secrets of the degrees about to be communicated to us.

Which oath if we break, may our heads be severed from our bodies by the sword of Justice. Amen."

Degree Oath

"I, ..., in the presence of the Powers of the Word, and of this L. of P., duly constituted, consecrated, and congregated, of my own free will and accord do hereunder and hereon solemnly promise and swear that I will always hele, conceal, and never reveal any of the secrets or mysteries of this supreme degree to any one in the world unless it be a true, lawful, and perfect Magician, and not even to him, until after due trial, strict examination, and full conviction that he is worthy of that confidence or in the body of a Lodge of P.M.s. duly opened beneath the Vault of Heaven.

I further solemnly pledge myself never to pronounce that Solemn and Mysterious Name which may now for the first time be communicated to me, unless in the presence and with the assistance of two or more P.M.s.

All these points I solemnly swear to observe, without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation of any kind under the penalty of having my skull sawn off and my brains exposed to the searing rays of the Sun. Amen."

Comparision to Masonic Oaths

The following are parts of the oath is used in the Royal Arch or Seventh Degree of Mark Masonry as recorded in Duncan's Rituals of Freemasonry. Similarities have been highlighted for the purposes of historical comparison.

"I, Peter Gabe, of my own free-will and accord, in presence of Almighty God, and this Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, erected to God, and dedicated to Zerubbabel, do hereby and hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, in addition to my former obligations, that I will not reveal the secrets of this Degree to any of an inferior Degree, nor to any being in the known world, except it be to a true and lawful Companion Royal Arch Mason, or within the body of a just and legally constituted Chapter of such and never unto him, or them, whom I shall hear so to be, but to him and them only whom I shall find so to be, after strict trial and due examination, or lawful information given."

"To all which I do most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, without any equivocation, mental reservation, or self-evasion of mind in me whatever; binding myself under no less penalty, than to have my skull smote off, and my brains exposed to the scorching rays of the meridian sun, should I knowingly or wilfully violate or transgress any part of this my solemn oath or obligation of a Royal Arch Mason. So help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same."

Conclusions

The similarities in the oaths, as well as other similarities in the initiation rituals, words and signs (for which we refer the reader to the references) would seem to bear out the allegations [1] that, at least in the Fourth Degree, Ordo Templi Orientis, Inc. implements a clandestine Rite of Freemasonry.