text of charge in EA degree

The text of the charge delivered upon initiation into the first degree, as set down by William Preston, opens by congratulating the candidate on becoming a member of an ancient and honorable society founded on solid principles and moral maxims, whose art has been encouraged by monarchs throughout every age 1.

It directs the newly initiated brother to study the moral law as contained in the sacred code, taking it as an unerring standard of truth and justice 1. He is instructed to observe three great moral duties: to God, by holding His name in awe and reverence, imploring His aid, and esteeming Him as the chief good; to his neighbor, by acting upon the square and rendering favors he would expect to receive; and to himself, by avoiding intemperance and irregularity 1.

Regarding civic duties, the candidate is enjoined to be a quiet and peaceable subject, true to his sovereign and just to his country, yielding cheerful obedience to legal authority and government 1. In present-day practice, the charge calls on the initiate to be exemplary in the discharge of his civil duties throughout his private, public, business, or professional life, reinforcing his duty as a citizen without conflict, as the United Grand Lodge of England states.

The text further counsels the initiate to avoid censure in outward demeanor, guard against those who might sway his virtuous resolutions, practice benevolence and charity, and listen attentively to tales of woe to relieve distress 1. Finally, it recommends that he study the Constitutions of the Order, which detail its history, illustrious members, and governing laws 1.