FREEMASONRY AS IT WAS AND AS IT SHOULD BE FOR ALL TIME
by R. F. Elring
The American Freemason - February 1912
In these days of modern rush and impatience, when the portals of Masonry are
opened wide for the reception of candidates, and when quantity rather than
quality appears to be the ruling desire in some sections, it may benefit us all
to examine more closely into the teachings of Masonry. Probably few brethren
have opportunity to read the Ancient Constitutions, Charges, etc., and the great
majority may not be aware that much of what is written or printed is contrary to
Masonic law. In Masonic controversy, especially relative to the Scottish Rite,
it is not uncommon to notice the use of vilification and slander, coupled with
falsehood, and we quote from the old laws, which are binding upon all Masons, as
laid down in "Lockwood's Masonic Law and Practice."
"The old York Constitutions of 926," define the duties of a Mason as follows:
"A Mason shall not be obliged to work after the sun has set in. the west. Nor
shall he decry the work of a brother or fellow, but shall deal honestly and
truly by him, under a penalty of not less than ten pounds. No man shall be false
to the Craft, or entertain a prejudice against his Master or Fellows. He shall
be true to his Master, and a just mediator in all disputes or quarrels. If a
Mason live amiss, or slander his brother, so as to bring the Craft to shame, he
shall have no further maintenance among the brethren, but shall be summoned to
the next Grand Lodge; and if he refuse to appear, he shall be expelled."
"The Constitutions of Edward III. - 1327-1377," says: "That for the future,
at the making or admission of a brother, the constitutions and the charges shall
be read." Referring to Lodges, they say: "That at such congregations it shall be
required, whether any Master or Fellow has broke any of the articles agreed to.
And if the offender, being duly cited to appear, prove rebel, and will not
attend, then the Lodge shall determine against him that he shall forswear (or
renounce) his Masonry, and shall no more use this Craft," etc.
"The Regulations of 1863" show; "That no person hereafter who shall be
accepted a Freemason shall be admitted into any Lodge or assembly, until he has
brought a certificate of the time and place of his acceptance from the Lodge
that accepted him," etc.
"The Ancient Installation Charges of James II. - 1685-'88," 9 say: "Ye shall
be true to one another, that is to say, every Mason of the Craft that is Mason
allowed, ye shall do to him as ye would be done unto yourself. .'. .'. .'. .'.
.'. Ye shall call all Masons your fellows, or your brethren, and no other name.
Ye shall not take your Fellow's wife in villainy, nor deflower his daughter or
servant, nor put him to disworship."
"The Ancient Charges at Makings" say: "And that none shall slander another
behind his back to make him lose his good name. That no Fellow in the house or
abroad answer another ungodly or reprovably without a cause. That every Mason
receive and cherish strange Fellows, when they come over the country," etc.
"The Charges of a Freemason," recognized by all regular Masons, compiled by
Dr. Anderson, and "To be read at the making of New Brethren, or when the Master
shall order it," say: "All preferment among Masons is grounded upon real worth
and personal merit only; that so the lords may be well served, the brethren not
put to shame, nor the Royal Craft despised: Therefore no Master or Warden is
chosen by seniority, but for his merit. The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill
language, and to call each other by no disobliging name, but Brother or Fellow.
None shall discover envy at the prosperity of a brother, nor supplant him, or
put him out of his work, if he be capable to finish the same. You are to salute
one another in a courteous manner, as you will be instructed, calling each other
Brother. You are to act as becomes a moral and wise man. You are cautiously to
examine" (a strange Brother.) "But if you discover him to be a true and genuine
brother, you are to respect him accordingly; and if he is in want, you must
relieve him, if you can, or else direct him how he may be relieved. Finally. All
these Charges you are to observe, also those that shall be communicated to you
in another way; cultivating Brotherly Love, the foundation and cape-stone, the
cement and glory of this ancient Fraternity, avoiding all wrangling and
quarreling, all slander and backbiting, nor permitting others to slander any
honest brother, but defending his character, and doing him all good offices, as
far as is consistent with your honor and safety," etc.
The Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons is composed of three degrees.
There is no other Masonry, and no Grand Lodge has lawful authority to recognize
the Scottish Rite, or any other organizations, as Masonic. Mackey states in his
Encyclopedia: "A Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, for instance, is not, and cannot
be recognized as a Masonic body, by a Lodge of Master Masons. 'They hear them so
to be, but they do not know them so to be,' by any of the modes of recognition
known to masonry. "
"Masonic Jurisprudence and Symbolism as interpreted by Grand Lodge decisions"
in England, dated October, 1908, shows: "Another point in connection with the
lodge-room needs attention. If there be but one Masonic Hall in town, and many
of the further degrees are worked, the walls are to be found decorated with the
handsomely-framed warrants of Mark, Templars, Rose Croix, Royal Order of
Scotland, etc., etc., along with the warrants, also framed, of all the Craft
Lodges working there. Masonic decency, as well as a sense of the Masonic
unities, would seem to suggest that all these alien warrants should be taken
down - at all events, whilst a Craft Lodge is working - by virtue of the warrant
of a Grand Lodge, which has explicitly declined to recognize any of them."
Under the heading "Extraneous Orders and Degrees" the same authority shows:
"June 1872. - It was alleged that certain clerks in the Grand Secretary's office
were in the habit of transacting business in connection with the Ancient and
Accepted Rite, The following resolution was therefore adopted by Grand Lodge:
'That, whilst this Grand Lodge recognizes the private right of every brother to
belong to any extraneous Masonic organization he may choose, it as firmly
forbids, now and at any future time, all brethren, while engaged as salaried
officials under this Grand Lodge, to mix themselves up in any way with such
bodies as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the Rites of Mizraim and
Memphis, the spurious Orders of Rome and Constantine, the schismatic body
styling itself the Grand Mark Lodge of England, or any other exterior Masonic
organization whatever, (even that of the Order of Knights Templar, which is
alone recognized by the Articles of Union,) under the pain of immediate
dismissal from employment by this Grand Lodge.' This order still remains in
force, but is practically inoperative, owing to a more enlightened conception of
the exterior organizations referred to."
Some American Grand Lodges have changed the wording of the Tyler's oath for
the purpose of preventing Master Masons in good standing from visiting Lodges
under their jurisdiction if they are Scottish Rite Masons of some obedience not
recognized by them. The Tyler's oath as printed in the above named authority on
English Grand Lodge law is as follows:
I, A. B., do hereby and hereon solemnly and sincerely swear that I have been
regularly initiated, etc., in a just and regularly constituted lodge of M. M.,
and that I do not stand suspended or expelled, and know of no reason why I
should not hold Masonic communication with my brethren."
No Grand Lodge possesses lawful power to change the above, and in regard to
visitation, the same authority states: "It should be understood clearly that,
welcome or unwelcome, every Freemason has an inalienable right to visit any and
every Lodge he pleases."
In legislating for the support and protection of certain Scottish Rite
bodies, some of our American Grand Lodges even went so far as to enact
retrospective laws, and to expel Master Masons from all the rights and
privileges of Masonry in accordance with these retrospective laws. Relative to
such legislation Mackey, in his "Masonic Jurisprudence," states:
"The legislation of every Grand Lodge must be prospective, and not
retrospective in its action. To make an ex post facto law, would be to violate
the principles of justice which lie at the very foundation of the system."
Mackey also states in his "Lexicon of Freemasonry" as follows: "To attempt to
alter or remove these sacred landmarks, by which we examine and prove a
brother's claim to share in our privileges, is one of the most heinous offences
that a Mason can commit."
The following is quoted from the "Articles of Union between the two Grand
Lodges of England. In Grand Lodge, this first day of December, A. D. 1813.
Ratified and Confirmed, and the Seal of the Grand Lodge affixed,"
"II. It is declared and pronounced, that pure Ancient, Masonry consists of
three degrees, and no more: Viz., those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow
Craft and the Master Mason (including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch.)
But this article is not intended to prevent any Lodge or Chapter from holding a
meeting in any of the degrees of the Order of Chivalry, according to the
Constitutions of the said Orders.
"Ill. There shall be the most perfect unity of obligation, of discipline, of
working the Lodges, of making, passing, and raising, instructing and clothing
brothers; so that but one pure, unsullied system, according to the genuine
landmarks, laws, and traditions of the Craft, shall be maintained, upheld, and
practiced, throughout the Masonic world, from the day and date of the said Union
until time shall be no more.
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