how will you be tried?

A candidate seeking advancement to a higher degree is tested on his knowledge and proficiency in the preceding degree to ensure he is properly prepared 1. Where moral objections exist against his progress, Mackey holds that justice requires these objections to be tested formally through an impartial Masonic trial rather than through indefinite delay 1. Wilmshurst treats the fundamental test of a candidate as one of internal fitness, assessing whether he possesses purity of intention, docility of mind, and a willingness to divest himself of former preconceptions in the pursuit of self-knowledge 2.

Where a Mason faces formal disciplinary charges, the trial is conducted within the lodge opened on the highest degree attained by the accuser, while the final verdict and penalty must always be determined in a lodge opened on the Third Degree 1. Master Masons give testimony on their Masonic honor, whereas the testimony of non-Masons or those of a lower degree is taken by a committee or through affidavit 1. A two-thirds vote is generally required to find guilt or to pronounce suspension or expulsion, reflecting the principle that the protection of the fraternity's standing is paramount 1. In a Grand Lodge, owing to the size of the body, trials are usually delegated to an appointed committee, which hears the evidence and reports its findings for final action 1.