Ten Commandments of
Masonry
by
Albert Pike
Masonry has its decalogue, which is a law to its Initiates. These are the
Ten Commandments:
I. God is the Eternal, Omnipotent, Immutable WISDOM and Supreme INTELLIGENCE
and Exhaustless Love.
Thou shalt adore, revere, and love Him!
Thou shalt honor Him by practicing the virtues!
II. Thy religion shall be, to do good because it is a pleasure to thee, and
not merely because it is a duty.
That thou mayest become the friend of the wise man, thou shalt obey his
precepts!
Thy soul is immortal! Thou shalt do nothing to degrade it!
III. Thou shalt unceasingly war against vice!
Thou shalt not do unto others that which thou wouldest not wish them to do
unto thee!
Thou shalt be submissive to thy fortunes, and keep burning the light of
wisdom!
IV. Thou shalt honor thy parents!
Thou shalt pay respect and homage to the aged!
Thou shalt instruct the young!
Thou shalt protect and defend infancy and innocence!
V. Thou shalt charish thy wife and thy children!
Thou shalt love thy country, and obey its laws!
VI. Thy friend shall be to thee a second self!
Misfortune shall not estrange thee from him!
Thou shalt do for his memory whatever thou wouldest do for him, if he were
living!
VII. Thou shalt avoid and flee from insincere friendships!
Thou shalt in everything refrain from excess!
Thou shalt shalt fear to be the cause of a stain on thy memory!
VIII. Thou shalt allow no passions to become thy master!
Thou shalt make the passions of others profitable lessons to thyself!
Thou shalt be indulgent to error!
IX. Thou shalt hear much: Thou shalt speak little: Thou shalt act well!
Thou shalt forget injuries!
Thou shalt render good for evil!
Thou shalt not misuse either thy strength or thy superiority!
X. Thou shalt study to know men; that thereby thou mayest learn to know
thyself!
Thou shalt ever seek after virtue!
Thou shalt be just!
Thou shalt avoid idleness!
But the great commandment of Masonry is this: "A new commandment give I unto
you: that ye love one another! He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his
brother, remaineth still in the darkness."
Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, 1871, PP. 17-18
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