[73] 1 - Why was Hiram, our ancient Grand
Master, called "ABIF?"
ABIF. A Hebrew word, signifying "his father." It is
often used in the Scriptures as a title of honor. It was given
to Hiram, the Tyrian builder, probably on account of his distinguished
skill.
2 - How is moral purification symbolized?
ABLUTION. Washing, or literally, a washing off, i. e., making
one clean from all pollution. In the ancient mysteries it constituted
a part of the preparation for initiation, and was a symbolical
representation of moral purification. The ceremony is practiced
in some of the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted rite.
3 - What is the ancient rule regarding attendance at Lodge?
ABSENCE. This term is usually applied to being absent by permission,
for a specified time, during the regular meetings of the Lodge,
and in such a manner as not to interfere with the harmony or working
of the body. Long or continued absence from the Lodge meetings
is contrary to the duties inculcated by the ancient charges of
the Order, which prescribe, as a rule, "that no Master or
Fellow could be absent from the Lodge, especially when warned
to appear at it, without incurring a severe censure, unless it
appeared to the Master and Wardens that pure necessity hindered
him."
4 - What is the symbolism of the sprig of Acacia?
ACACIA. An interesting and important symbol in Freemasonry. Botanically,
it is the acacia vera of Tournefort, and the mimosa nilotlea of
Linnaeus. It grew abundantly in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where
it is still to be found, and is familiar in its modern use as
the tree from which the gum arabic of commerce is derived.
The acacia, which in Scripture, is always called Shittah, and
in the plural Shittim, was esteemed a sacred wood among the Hebrews.
Of it Moses was ordered to make the tabernacle, the ark of the
covenant, the table for the shewbread, and the rest of the sacred
furniture. Isaiah, in recounting the promises of God's mercy to
the Israelites on their return from the captivity, tells them
that, among other things, he will plant in the wilderness, for
their relief and refreshment, the cedar, the acacia, the fir and
other trees.
[74] The first thing, then, that we notice in this symbol of the
acacia, is that it had been always consecrated from among the
other trees of the forest by the sacred purposes to which it was
devoted. By the Jew, the tree from whose wood the sanctuary of
the tabernacle and the holy ark had been constructed would ever
be viewed as more sacred than ordinary trees. The early Masons,
therefore, very naturally appropriated this hallowed plant to
the equally sacred purpose of a symbol, which was to teach an
important divine truth in all ages to come.
Having thus briefly disposed of the natural history of this plant,
we may now proceed to examine it in its symbolic relations.
FIRST. The acacia, in the mythic system of Freemasonry, is pre
eminently the symbol of the immortality of the soul - that important
doctrine which it is the great design of the institution to teach.
As the evanescent nature of the flower, which "cometh forth
and is cut down," reminds us of the transitory nature of
human life, so the perpetual renovation of the evergreen plant,
which uninterruptedly presents the appearance of youth and vigor,
is aptly compared to that spiritual life in which the soul, freed
from the corruptible body, shall enjoy an eternal spring and an
immortal youth. Hence, in the impressive funeral service of our
Order, it is said that "this ever green is an emblem of our
faith in the immortality of the soul. By this we are reminded
that we have an immortal part within us, which shall survive the
grave, and which shall never, never, never die." And again,
in the closing sentences of the monitorial lecture of the third
degree, the same sentiment is repeated, and we are told that by
"the evergreen and the ever living sprig" the Mason
is strengthened "with confidence and composure to look forward
to a blessed immortality." Such an interpretation of the
symbol is an easy and a natural one; it suggests itself at once
to the least reflective mind; and consequently, in some one form
or another, is to be found existing in all ages and nations. It
was an ancient custom, - which is not, even now, altogether disused,
- for mourners to carry in their hands at funerals a sprig of
some evergreen, generally the cedar or the cypress, and to deposit
it in the grave of the deceased.
But, lastly, the acacia may also be considered as the symbol of
initiation. This is by far the most interesting of its interpretations,
and was, we have every reason to believe, the primary and original;
the others being but incidental. It leads us at once to the investigation
of the significant fact that in all the ancient initiations and
religious mysteries there was some plant peculiar to each, which
was consecrated by its own esoteric meaning, and which occupied
an important position in the celebration of the rites, so that
the plant, whatever it might be, from its constant and prominent
use in the [75] ceremonies of initiation, came at length to be
adopted as the symbol of that initiation.
Thus, the lettuce was the sacred plant which assumed the place
of the acacia in the mysteries of Adonis. The lotus was that of
the Brahmanical rites of India, and from them adopted by the Egyptians.
The Egyptians also revered the erica or heath; and the mistletoe
was a mystical plant among the Druids. And lastly, the myrtle
performed the same office of symbolism in the mysteries of Greece
that the lotus did in Egypt or the mistletoe among the Druids.
In all of these ancient mysteries, while the sacred plant was
a symbol of initiation, the initiation itself was symbolic of
the resurrection to a future life, and of the immortality of the
soul. In this view, Freemasonry is to us now in the place of the
ancient initiations, and the acacia is substituted for the lotus,
the erica, the ivy, the mistletoe, and the myrtle. The lesson
is the same - the medium of imparting it is all that has been
changed.
Returning, then, to the acacia, we find that it is capable of
two explanations. It is a symbol of immortality, and of initiation;
but these two significations are closely connected, and that connection
must be observed, if we desire to obtain a just interpretation
of the symbol. Thus, in this one symbol, we are taught that in
the initiation of life, of which the initiation in the third degree
is simply emblematic, innocence must for a time lie in the grave,
at length, how ever, to be called, by the word of the Grand Master
of the Universe, to a blissful immortality. Combine with this
the recollection of the place where the sprig of acacia was planted,
- Mount Calvary, - the place of sepulture of him who "brought
life and immortality to light," and who, in Christian Masonry,
is designated, as he is in Scripture, as "the lion of the
tribe of Judah;" and remember, too, that in the mystery of
his death, the wood of the cross takes the place of the acacia,
and in this little and apparently insignificant symbol, which
is really the most important and significant one in Masonic science,
we have a beautiful suggestion of all the mysteries of life and
death, of time and eternity, of the present and of the future.
5 - Why are Masons said to be "Free and Accepted?"
ACCEPTED. A term in Freemasonry which is synonymous with "initiated"
or "received into the society." Thus, we find in the
Regulations of 1663, such expressions as these: "No person
who shall hereafter be accepted a Freemason shall be admitted
into a lodge or assembly until he has brought a certificate of
the time and place of his acceptation from the Lodge that accepted
him, unto the Master of that limit or division where such Lodge
is kept." The word seems to have been first used in 1663
and, in the Regulations of that Year: is constantly employed in
the place of the olden term "made," [76] as equivalent
to "initiated." This is especially evident in the 6th
Regulation, which says, "that no person shall be accepted
unless he be twenty one years old or more;" where accepted
clearly means initiated. As the word was introduced in 1663, its
use seems also to have soon ceased, for it is not found in any
subsequent documents until 1738; neither in the Regulations of
1721; nor in the Charges approved in 1722; except once in the
latter, where "laborers and unaccepted Masons" are spoken
of as distinguished from and inferior to "Freemasons."
In the Regulations of 1721, the words "made," "entered,"
or "admitted," are constantly employed in its stead.
But in 1738, Anderson, who, in publishing the 2d edition of the
Book of Constitutions, made many verbal alterations which seem
subsequently to have been disapproved of by the Grand Lodge, again
introduced the word accepted. Thus, in the 5th of the Regulations
of 1721, which in the edition of 1723 read as follows, "But
no man can be made or admitted a member of a particular Lodge,"
etc., he changed the phraseology so as to make the article read:
"No man can be accepted a member of a particular Lodge,"
etc. And so attached does he appear to have become to this word
that he changed the very name of the Order, by altering the title
of the work, which, in the edition of 1723, was "The Constitutions
of Freemasons," to that of "The Constitutions of the
Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons."
Although many of the innovations of the edition of 1738 of the
Book of Constitutions were subsequently repudiated by the Grand
Lodge, and omitted in succeeding editions, the title of "Free
and Accepted Masons" was retained, and is now more generally
used than the older and simpler one of "Freemasons,"
to distinguish the society. The word accepted, however, as a synonym
of initiated, has now become obsolete. The modern idea of an accepted
Mason is that he is one distinguished from a purely operative
or stone mason, who has not been admitted to the freedom of the
company; an idea evidently intended to be conveyed by the use
of the word in the Charges of 1722, already quoted.
6 - What is the meaning of "Free Will and Accord?"
ACCORD. We get this word from two Latin ones ad cor, to the heart,
and hence it means hearty consent. Thus in Wiclif's translation
we find the phrase in Philippians, which in the Authorized Version
is "with one accord," rendered "with one will,
with one heart." Such is its significance in the Masonic
formula, "free will and accord," that is "free
will and hearty consent."
7 - What is the preliminary step in every Masonic trial?
ACCUSATION. The preliminary step in every trial is the accusation.
This, in Masonic language, is called the charge. The charge [77]
should always be made in writing, signed by the accuser, delivered
to the Secretary and read by that officer at the next regular
communication of the Lodge. The accused should then be furnished
with an attested copy of the charge, and be at the same time informed
of the time and place appointed by the Lodge for the trial.
8 - Who is the prosecuting officer of a Lodge?
ACCUSER. In every trial in a Lodge for an offense against the
'laws and regulations or the principles of Masonry any Master
Mason may be the accuser of another, but a profane cannot be permitted
to prefer charges against a Mason. Yet, if circumstances are known
to a profane upon which charges ought to be predicated, a Master
Mason may avail himself of that information, and out of it frame
an accusation to be presented to the Lodge. And such accusation
will be received and investigated, although remotely derived from
one who is not a member of the Order.
It is not necessary that the accuser should be a member of the
same Lodge. It is sufficient if he is an affiliated Mason; but
it is generally held that an unaffiliated Mason is no more competent
to prefer charges than a profane.
In consequence of the Junior Warden being placed over the Craft
during the hours of refreshment, and of his being charged at the
time of his installation to see "that none of the Craft be
suffered to convert the purposes of refreshment into those of
intemperance and excess," it has been very generally supposed
that it is his duty, as the prosecuting officer of the Lodge,
to prefer charges against any member who, by his conduct, has
made himself amenable to the penal jurisdiction of the Lodge.
I know of no ancient regulation which imposes this unpleasant
duty upon the Junior Warden; but it does seem to be a very natural
deduction, from his peculiar prerogative as the guardian of the
conduct of the Craft, that in all cases of violation of the law
he should, after due efforts towards producing a reform, be the
proper officer to bring the conduct of the offending brother to
the notice of the Lodge.
9 - Does acquittal of a Mason by a fury prevent his being tried
again by a Lodge on the same charge?
ACQUITTAL. Under this head it may be proper to discuss two questions
of Masonic law. 1. Can a Mason, having been acquitted by the courts
of the country of an offense with which he has been charged, be
tried by his Lodge for the same offense. And, 2. Can a Mason,
having been acquitted by his Lodge on insufficient evidence, be
subjected, on the discovery and production of new and more complete
evidence, to a second trial for the same offense? To both of these
questions the correct answer would seem to be in the affirmative.
[78] 1. An acquittal of a crime by a temporal court does not relieve
a Mason from an inquisition into the same offense by his Lodge;
for acquittals may be the result of some technicality of law,
or other cause, where, although the party is relieved from legal
punishment, his guilt is still manifest in the eyes of the community;
and if the Order were to be controlled by the action of the courts,
the character of the Institution might be injuriously affected
by its permitting a man, who had escaped without honor from the
punishment of the law, to remain a member of the Fraternity. In
the language of the Grand Lodge of Texas, "an acquittal by
a jury, while it may, and should, in some circumstances, have
its influence in deciding on the course to be pursued, yet has
no binding force in Masonry. We decide on our own rules, and our
own view of the facts."
2. To come to a correct apprehension of the second question, we
must remember that it is a long settled principle of Masonic law,
that every offense which a Mason commits is an injury to the whole
Fraternity, for the bad conduct of a single member reflects discredit
on the whole Institution. This is a very old and well established
principle of the Institution; and hence we find the old Gothic
Constitutions declaring that "a Mason shall harbor no thief
or thief's retainer," and assigning as a reason, "lest
the Craft should come to shame." The safety of the Institution
requires that no evil disposed member should be permitted with
impunity to bring disgrace on the Craft. And, therefore, although
it is a well known maxim of the common law that no one should
be twice placed in peril of punishment for the same crime; yet
we must also remember that ,ither and fundamental maxim - salus
populi suprema lax - which may, in its application to Masonry,
be well translated: "the well being of the Order is the first
great law." To this everything else must yield; and therefore
if a member, having been accused of a heinous offense and tried,
shall on his trial for want of sufficient evidence be acquitted,
or being convicted shall for the same reason be punished by an
inadequate penalty - and if he shall thus be permitted to remain
in the Institution with the stigma of the crime upon him, "whereby
the Craft comes to shame;" then, if new and more sufficient
evidence shall be subsequently discovered, it is just and right
that 'a new trial shall be had, so that he may on this newer evidence
receive that punishment which will vindicate the reputation of
the Order. No technicalities of law, no plea of autre f ois acquit,
nor mere verbal exception, should be allowed for the escape of
a guilty member; for so long as he lives in the Order, every man
is subject to its discipline. A hundred wrongful acquittals of
a bad member, who still bears with him the reproach of his evil
life, can never discharge the Order from its paramount duty of
protecting its own good fame and removing the delinquent member
from its fold. To [79] this great duty all private and individual
rights and privileges must succumb.
10 - What action should a Lodge take on receipt of a favorable
report on a petition?
ACTION ON PETITION. The petition of the candidate having been
referred to a committee, and that committee having reported favor.
ably, the next step in the process is to submit the petition to
the members of the Lodge for their acceptance or rejection. The
law upon which this usage is founded is contained in the sixth
article of the General Regulations of 1721, which declares that
"no man can be entered a Brother in any particular Lodge,
or admitted a member thereof, without the unanimous consent of
all the members of the Lodge then present when the candidate is
proposed, and their consent is formally asked by the Master."
No peculiar mode of expressing this opinion is laid down in any
of the ancient Constitutions; on the contrary, the same sixth
article goes on to say that the members "are to signify their
consent or dissent in their own prudent way, either virtually
or in form, but with unanimity." Universal and uninterrupted
usage, however, in this country, has required the votes on the
application of candidates to be taken by ballot, which has been
very wisely done, because thereby the secrecy and consequent independence
of election is secured.
11 - When is a Lodge or brother said to be "active?"
Active.. A Lodge is called active when it assembles regularly;
and a brother when he is a working member of such a lodge. Many
brethren visit a lodge who never or very seldom take part in lodge
work, either because they live too far distant from the lodge,
or because they are not sufficiently interested. Every lodge and
every officer ought to strive diligently to make the work interesting
to avoid the last imputation, but if they find their endeavors
in vain, or that there is any brother who will not pay due attention
to the work, they ought to endeavor to reclaim him, first by fraternal
remonstrances; or if those do not avail, by punishment. By the
death or removal of the members, a lodge may become inactive for
a time, and it is better that it should be so than that the continuing
of the work should be. entrusted to inexperienced officers.
12 - What are the prerogatives of the active members of a Lodge?
ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP, PREROGATIVES OF. Every Master Mason, who is
a member of a Lodge, has a right to speak and, vote on all questions
that come before the Lodge for discussion, except on trials in
which he is himself interested. Rules of order may be established
[80] restricting the length and number of speeches, but these
are of a local nature, and will vary with the by laws of each
Lodge.
A Mason may also be restricted from voting on ordinary questions
where his dues for a certain period - generally twelve months
- have not been paid; and such a Regulation exists in almost every
Lodge. But no local by law can deprive a member who has not been
suspended, from voting on the ballot for the admission of candidates,
because the Sixth Regulation of 1721 distinctly requires that
each member present on such occasion shall give his consent before
the candidate can be admitted. And if a member were deprived,
by any by law of the Lodge, in consequence of non payment of his
dues, of the right of expressing his consent or dissent, the ancient
Regulation would be violated, and a candidate might be admitted
without the unanimous consent of all the members present.
13 - What President of the United States was a bitter opponent
of Free masonry?
Adams, John Quincy, the sixth President of the United States,
who served from 1825 to 1829. Mr. Adams, who has been very properly
described as "a man of strong points and weak ones, of vast
reading and wonderful memory, of great credulity and strong prejudices,"
became notorious in the latter years of his life for his virulent
opposition to Freemasonry. The writer already quoted, and who
had an excellent opportunity of seeing intimately the workings
of the spirit of anti Masonry, says of Mr. Adams: "He hated
Free masonry, as he did many other things, not from any harm that
he had received from it or personally knew respecting it, but
because his credulity had been wrought upon and his prejudices
excited against it by dishonest and selfish politicians, who were
anxious, at any sacrifice to him, to avail themselves of the influence
of his commanding talents and position in public life to sustain
them in the disreputable work in which they were enlisted. In
his weakness, he lent himself to them. He united his energies
to theirs in an impracticable and unworthy cause." The result
was a series of letters abusive of Freemasonry, directed to leading
politicians, and published in the public journals from 1831 to
1833. A year before his death they were collected and published
under the title of "Letters on the Masonic Institution, by
John Quincy Adams." Some ex planation of the cause of the
virulence with which Mr. Adams attacked the Masonic Institution
in these letters may be found in the following paragraph contained
in an anti Masonic work written by one Henry Gassett, and affixed
to his Catalogue of Books on the Masonic Institution. "It
had been asserted in a newspaper in Boston, edited by a Masonic
dignitary, that John Q. Adams was a Mason. In answer to an inquiry
from a person in New York State, whether he was so, [81] Mr. Adams
replied that `he was not, and never should be.' " These few
words, undoubtedly, prevented his election a second term as president
of the United States. His competitor, Andrew Jackson, a Freemason,
was elected. Whether the statement contained in the italicized
words be true or not, is not the question. It is sufficient that
Mr. Adams was led to believe it, and hence his ill will to an
association which had, as he supposed, inflicted this political
evil on him, and baffled his ambitious views.
14 - What are the qualifications of Lodge officers?
ADDRESS. Those who accept office and exercise authority in the
lodge, ought to be men of prudence and address, enjoying the ad
vantages of a well cultivated mind and retentive memory. All men
are not blessed with the same powers and talents; all men, therefore,
are not equally qualified to govern. He who wishes to teach must
submit to learn; and no one can be qualified to occupy the higher
offices of the lodge who has not previously discharged the duties
of those which are subordinate. Experience is the best preceptor.
Every man may rise by graduation, but merit and industry are the
first steps to preferment.
15 - What rules govern a brother while speaking in Lodge?
ADDRESSING A LODGE. No brother shall speak twice to the same question,
unless in explanation, or the mover in reply. Every one who speaks
shall rise, and remain standing, addressing himself to the Master,
nor shall any brother presume to interrupt him, unless he shall
be wandering from the point, or the Master shall think fit to
call him to order; but, after he has been set right, he may proceed,
if he observe due order and decorum.
16 - To whom does the term "Adhering Mason" apply?
ADHERING MASON. Those Masons who, during the anti Masonic excitement
in this country, on account of the supposed abduction of Morgan,
refused to leave their Lodges and renounce Masonry were so called.
Among their number were some of the wisest, best and Most influential
men of the country.
17 How many candidates can be made Masons on the same day?
ADMISSION. Not more than five new brothers shall be made in tiny
one lodge on the same day, nor any man under the age of twenty
one years, unless by dispensation from the Grand Master. Every
candidate for admission must be a freeman, and his own master
and, at the time of initiation, be known to be in reputable circumstances.
He should be a lover of the liberal arts and sciences, and have
made some progress in one or another of them.
[82] 18 - Has a Master the right to deny a member admission to
his own Lodge?
ADMISSION OF MEMBERS. Coincident with the power of admitting or
excluding a visitor from another Lodge, is that of refusing or
consenting to the admission of a member. The ritual of opening
expressly says that none shall "pass or repass but such as
are duly qualified and have the Worshipful Master's permission;"
and if the prerogative of refusing admission to a brother hailing
from another Lodge is vested solely in the Master, that he may
be enabled, by this discretionary power, to maintain the by laws
and regulations of the Order, and preserve the harmony of the
Lodge, it seems evident that he should be possessed of equal power
in respect to his own members, because it may happen that the
admission even of a member might sometimes create discord, and
if the Master is aware that such would be the result, it must
be acknowledged that he would be but exercising his duty in refusing
the admission of such a member. But as this prerogative affects,
in no slight degree, the rights of membership, which inure to
every Mason who has signed the by laws, it should be exercised
with great caution; and where a member has been unjustly, or without
sufficient cause, deprived of the right of visiting his own Lodge,
there can be no question that he has the right of preferring charges
against the Master in the Grand Lodge, whose duty it is to punish
every arbitrary or oppressive exercise of prerogative.
19 - What right has a new Lodge with respect to the admission
of members?
ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS. The warrant of constitution having been
granted permanently and for the general objects of Masonry, and
not for a specific purpose and a prescribed period, as is the
case with Lodges under dispensation, the quality of perpetuity
is granted with it as one of the necessary conditions. But this
perpetuity can only be secured by the admission of new members
to supply the places of those who die or demit. This admission
may take place either by the initiation of profanes, who acquire
by that initiation the right of membership, or by the election
of unaffiliated Masons.
20 - Has a Master of a Lodge the right to decline to admit, as
a visitor, a Master Mason in good standing?
ADMISSION OF VISITORS. A prerogative of the Master of a Lodge
is that of controlling the admission of visitors. He is required
by his installation charge to see that no visitors be received
without passing a due examination and producing proper vouchers;
and this duty he cannot perform unless the right of judging of
the nature of that examination and of those vouchers be solely
vested in him self, and the discretionary power of admission or
rejection be placed in his hands. The Lodge cannot, therefore,
interfere with this [83] prerogative, nor can the question be
put to it whether a particular visitor shall be admitted. The
Master is, in all such cases, the sole judge, without appeal from
his decision.
21 - What is the duty of the Tiler with reference to the admission
of per sons to a Lodge room?
ADMITTANCE TO THE LODGE. The first and most important duty of
the Tiler is to guard the door of the Lodge, and to permit no
one to pass in who is not duly qualified, and who has not the
permission of the Master. Of these qualifications, in doubtful
cases, he is not himself to judge; but on the approach of any
one who is unknown to him, he should apprize the Lodge by the
usual formal method. As the door is peculiarly under his charge,
he should never, for an instant, be absent from his post. He should
neither open the door himself from without, nor permit it to be
opened by the Junior Deacon from within, without the preliminary
alarm.
22 - How should a brother be admonished?
ADMONITION. If a brother grossly misconduct himself, let him be
admonished privately by the Worshipful Master; try every gentle
means to convince him of his errors; probe the wound with a delicate
hand; and use very mild expedient to work his reform. Perhaps
he may save his brother, and give to society a renewed and valuable
member.
23 - Who was Adoniram?
ADONIRAM. This prince was appointed by King Solomon to super intend
the contribution towards building the temple, as well as the levy
of 30,000 Israelites to work by monthly courses in the forest
of Lebanon. For this purpose, and to insure the utmost regularity,
an old masonic tradition informs us that he divided them into
lodges, placing three hundred in each, under a Master and Wardens,
himself being Grand Master over all. He was also constituted by
the king one of the seven Grand Superintendents, and Chief of
the Provosts and Judges.
24 - What is the relation of women to Masonry in France and in
America:,
ADOPTIVE MASONRY. A name given to certain degrees resembling Masonry,
and Masonic in spirit, which have been invented for ladies who
have claims upon. the Order of Freemasonry, through relatives
who are members of it. Adoptive Masonry first made its appearance
in France, in the early part of the 18th century, and is still
a legal and regular branch of the Institution in that country.
The French rite has four degrees:
1. Apprentice;
2. Companion;
3. Mistress;
4. Perfect Mistress. The officers of a Lodge of Adoption are a
Grand Master and a Grand Mistress; an Orator; an Inspector, and
[84] Inspectress; a Depositor and Depositrex; a Conductor and
Conductress. They wear blue collars, with a gold trowel pendant
therefrom, white aprons, and gloves. The members also wear the
jewel of the Order, which is a golden ladder with five rounds,
on the left breast. Many of the most distinguished ladies of Europe
have been, and are now, members of this Order. Among them were
the Duchess of Bourbon, the Empress Josephine, Lady Montague,
Duchess Elizabeth Chesterfield, and the Empress Eugenie. The Adoptive
Lodges were at first rapidly diffused throughout all the countries
of Europe except the British empire. But the American Adoptive
rite is better adapted to the United States, and has excited considerable
interest, and found many powerful advocates in this country. It
consists of five degrees, as follows:
1. Jephthah's daughter, or the Daughter's degree, illustrating
respect to the binding force of a vow;
2. Ruth, or the Widow's degree, illustrating devotion to religious
principles;
3. Esther, or the Wife's degree, illustrating fidelity to kindred
and friends;
4. Martha, or the Sister's degree, illustrating undeviating faith
in the hour of trial;
5. Electa, or the Benevolent degree, illustrating charity and
courage, with patience and submission under wrongs.
All the degrees together are called the "Rite of the Eastern
Star," and are very beautiful and impressive. Ladies who
have received these degrees have a ready and efficient means of
commanding the services of Freemasons whenever and wherever they
may need them. The moral teachings of the Eastern Star degrees
are excellent, and cannot fail to make a good impression. Notwithstanding
that there is among some Masons a strong feeling against any form
of Adoptive Masonry, it cannot be questioned that the spirit of
the age demands something of the kind. Masons cannot find a surer
safeguard and protection for their wives, sisters, and daughters
than is furnished by the American Adoptive rite or Order of the
Eastern Star. To the objection that the degrees are not Masonic,
it may be replied that they are as much so as any degree outside
of the Symbolical Lodge. No degrees above the first three are
Masonic, except by adoption.
25 - How is the word "advanced" technically used in
Masonry?
ADVANCED. This word has two technical meanings in Masonry.
1. We speak of a candidate as being advanced when he has passed
from a lower to a higher degree; as we say that a candidate is
qualified for advancement from the Entered Apprentice's degree
to that of a Fellow Craft when he has made that "suitable
proficiency in the former which, by the regulations of the Order,
entitle him to receive the initiation into and the instructions
of the latter." And when the Apprentice has thus been promoted
to the second degree he is said to have advanced in Masonry.
[85] 2. The word is peculiarly applied to the initiation of a
candidate in the Mark degree, which is the fourth in the American
modification of the York Rite. The Master Mason is thus said to
be "advanced to the honorary degree of a Mark Master,"
to indicate either that he has now been promoted one step beyond
the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry on his way to the Royal Arch,
or to express the fact that he has been elevated from the common
class of Fellow Crafts to that higher and more select one which,
according to the traditions of Masonry, constituted, at the first
Temple, the class of Mark Masters.
26 - What is the status of an Entered Apprentice if the Lodge
denies him advancement?
ADVANCEMENT, DENIAL OF. An Apprentice has the right to apply for
advancement; but the Lodge in which he was initiated has the correlative
right to reject his application. And thereby no positive right
of any person is affected; for, by this rejection of the candidate
for advancement, no other injury is done to him than the disappointment
of his expectations. His character as an Entered Apprentice is
not impaired. He still possesses all the rights and prerogatives
that he did before, and continues, notwithstanding the rejection
of his application, to be an Apprentice "in good standing,"
and entitled, as before, to all the rights and privileges of a
possessor of that degree.
27 - Does an Entered Apprentice have the right of advancement?
ADVANCEMENT, RIGHT OF. Apprentices have the right to apply for
advancement to a higher degree. Out of the class of Apprentices
the Fellow Crafts are made; and as this eligibility to promotion
really constitutes the most important right of this inferior class
of our Brethren, it is well worthy of careful consideration. I
say, then, that the Entered Apprentice possesses the right of
application to be passed to the degree of a Fellow Craft. He is
eligible as a candidate; but here this right ceases. It goes no
farther than the mere prerogative of applying. It is only the
right of petition. The Apprentice has, in fact, no more claim
to the second degree than the profane has to the first. It is
a most mistaken opinion to suppose that when a profane is elected
as a candidate, he is elected to receive all the degrees that
can be conferred in a Symbolic Lodge. Freemasonry is a rigid system
of probation. A second step never can be attained hntil sufficient
proof has been given in the preceding that the candidate is "worthy
and well qualified." A candidate who has received the first
degree is no more assured by this reception that he will reach
the third, than that he will attain the Royal Arch. In the very
ceremony of his reception he may have furnished convincing evidence
of his unfitness to proceed further; and it would become the duty
of [86] the Lodge, in that case, to debar his future progress.
A bad Apprentice will make a worse Master Mason; for he who cannot
comply with the comparatively simple requisitions of the first
degree, will certainly be incapable of responding to the more
important duties and obligations of the third. Hence, on the petition
of an Apprentice to be passed as a Fellow Craft, a ballot should
always be taken. This is but in accordance with the meaning of
the word; for a petition is a prayer for something which may or
may not be refused, and hence, if the petition is granted, it
is ex gratin, or by the voluntary favor of the Lodge, which, if
it chooses, may withhold its assent. Any other view of the case
would exclude that inherent right which is declared by the Regulations
of 1721 to exist in every Lodge, of being the best judges of the
qualifications of its own members.
28 - What are the supports of the adytum or Lodge?
ADYTUM. In the British and other Mysteries the three pillars of
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty represented the great emblematical
Triad of Deity, whereas with us they refer to the three principal
officers of the lodge. We shall find, however, that the symbolical
meaning is the same. In Britain the Adytum or lodge was actually
supported by three stones or pillars, which were supposed to convey
a regenerating purity to the aspirant, after having endured the
ceremony of initiation in all its accustomed formalities. The
delivery from between them was termed a new birth. The corresponding
pillars of the Hindu Mythology were also known by the names of
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, and were placed in the east, west,
and south, crowned with three human heads. They jointly referred
to the Creator, who was said to have planned the Great Work by
his infinite Wisdom; executed it by his Strength; and adorned
it with all its Beauty and use fulness for the benefit of man.
29 - Of what were the ancient Lodges schools?
AFFABILITY. The ancient lodges were so many schools or academies
for teaching and improving the arts of designing, especially architecture;
and the present lodges are often employed in that way in lodge
hours, or else in agreeable conversation, though without politics
or party feeling. None of them are ill employed; they have no
transaction unworthy of an honest man or a gentleman; no personal
piques, no quarrels, no cursing and swearing, no cruel mockings,
no obscene talk, or ill manners, for the noble and eminent brethren
are affable to the meanest; and these are duly respectful to their
betters in harmony and proportion; and though on the level, yet
always within compass, and according to the square and plumb.
[87] 30 - What is the distinction between an affiliated and a
non affiliated Mason?
AFFILIATED. A word that designates a Mason as a member of some
Lodge. A Mason who does not belong to any Lodge is styled "Non
Affiliated."
31 - What is the Masonic meaning of the term "affiliation?"
AFFILIATION. Initiation indicates the first reception of a person
into a Masonic Lodge; affiliation denotes the reception of one
already a Mason into some other Lodge than the one in which he
received the Light.
All the rights and duties that accrue to a Master Mason, by virtue
of membership in the Lodge in which he was initiated, likewise
accrue to him who has been admitted to membership by affiliation.
There is no difference in the relative standing of either class
of members: their prerogatives, the privileges, and their obligations
are the same.
There is, however, a difference in the methods of admission. Those
who acquire membership in a Lodge, by virtue of having received
therein the third degree, obtain that membership as a matter of
right, without petition and without ballot. But a Master Mason,
who is desirous of affiliating with a Lodge in which he was not
initiated, or in which, after initiation, he had at the legal
time declined or neglected to assert his right of membership,
must apply by petition. This petition must be read at a regular
communication of the Lodge, and be referred to a committee of
investigation, which committee, at the next regular communication
(a month having intervened), will report on the character and
qualifications of the candidate; and if the report be favorable,
the Lodge will proceed to ballot. As in the case of initiation,
the ballot is required to be unanimously in favor of the applicant
to secure his election. One black ball is sufficient to reject
him.
All of these Regulations, which are of ancient date and of general
usage, are founded on the fifth and sixth of the Regulations of
1721, and are, it will be seen, the same as those which govern
the petition and ballot for initiation. The Regulations of 1721
make no difference in the cases of profanes who seek to be made
Masons, and Masons who desire affiliation or membership in a Lodge.
In both cases "previous notice, one month before," must
be given to the Lodge, "due inquiry into the reputation and
capacity of the candidate" must be made, and the "unanimous
consent of all the members then present" must be obtained.
Nor can this unanimity be dispensed with in one ease any more
than it can in the other. It is the inherent privilege of every
Lodge to judge of the qualifications of its o`vn members, "nor
is this inherent privilege subject to a dispensation."
[88] 32 - Are there any geographical restrictions on the right
of affiliation?
AFFILIATION OF NON RESIDENTS. Some Grand Lodges have adopted a
Regulation requiring a Mason, living in their respective jurisdictions,
to unite himself in membership with some Lodge in the said jurisdiction,
and refusing to accord the rights of affiliation to one who belongs
to a Lodge outside of the jurisdiction. But I have no doubt that
this is a violation of the spirit of the ancient law. A Mason
living in California may retain his membership in a Lodge in the
State of New York, and by so doing, is as much an affiliated Mason,
in every sense of the word, as though he had acquired membership
in a California Lodge. I do not advocate the practice of holding
membership in distant Lodges; for I believe that it is highly
expedient, and that a Mason will much more efficiently discharge
his duties to the Order by acquiring membership in the Lodge which
is nearest to his residence, than in one which is at a great distance;
but I simply contend for the principle, as one of Masonic jurisprudence,
that a Master Mason has a right to apply for membership in any
Lodge on the face of the globe, and that membership in a Lodge
carries with it the rights of affiliation wherever the member
may go.
33 - To what Lodge or Lodges may a Mason apply for affiliation?
AFFILIATION, PETITION FOR. There is one difference between the
condition of a profane petitioning for admission, and that of
a Master Mason applying for membership, which claims our notice.
A profane can apply for initiation only to the Lodge nearest his
place of residence; but no such Regulation exists in reference
to a Master Mason applying for membership. He is not confined
in the exercise of this privilege within any geographical limits.
No matter how distant the Lodge of his choice may be from his
residence, to that Lodge he has as much right to apply as to the
Lodge which is situated at the very threshold of his home. A Mason
is expected to affiliate with some Lodge. The ancient Constitutions
specify nothing further on the subject. They simply prescribe
that every Mason should belong to a Lodge, without any reference
to its peculiar locality, and a Brother therefore complies with
the obligation of affiliation when he unites himself with any
Lodge, no matter how distant; and by thus contributing to the
support of the institution, he discharges his duty as a Mason,
and becomes entitled to all the privileges of the Order.
This usage - for, in the absence of a positive law on the subject,
it has become a Regulation, from the force of custom only - is
undoubtedly derived from the doctrine of the universality of Masonry.
The whole body of the craft, wheresoever dispersed, being considered.
by the fraternal character of the institution, as simply component
[89] parts of one great family, no peculiar rights of what might
be called Masonic citizenship are supposed to be acquired by a
domiciliation in one particular place. The Mason who is at home
and the Mason who comes from abroad are considered on an equal
footing as to all Masonic rights; and hence the Brother made in
Europe is as much a Mason when he comes to America, and is as
fully qualified to discharge in America all Masonic functions,
without any form of naturalization, as though he had been made
in this country. The converse is equally true. Hence no distinctions
are made, and no peculiar rights acquired by membership in a local
Lodge. Affiliation with the Order, of which every Lodge is equally
a part, confers the privileges of active Masonry. Therefore no
law has ever prescribed that a Mason must belong to the Lodge
nearest to his residence, but generally that he must belong to
a Lodge; and consequently the doctrine is, as it has been enunciated
above, that a Master Mason may apply for affiliation, and unite
himself with any Lodge which is legal and regular, no matter how
near to, or how far from his place of residence.
34 - What is the relation of the ancient love feast to Masonry?
AGAPE. Love feast. A banquet of charity, among the early Christians.
St. Chrysostom thus describes its origin and purposes: "At
first Christians had all things in common; but when that equality
of possession ceased, as it did even in the Apostle's time, the
Agape, or love feast, was instituted instead of it. Upon certain
days, after the religious services were closed, they met at a
common feast, the rich bringing provisions, and the poor, who
had nothing, being invited. These meetings were held in secret."
The Agape cannot but call to mind the Table lodges of Freemasonry,
and, in truth, these owe their origin to the love feasts of the
primitive Christians. A distinguished German scholar, A. Kestner,
professor of Theology at Jena, published a work in 1819, entitled,
"The Agape, or the Secret World Society - Weltbund, of the
primitive Christians" - i.e., a society apart from their
spiritual organization - "founded by Clemens, at Rome, in
the reign of Domitian, having a hierarchical constitution, and
a ground system of Masonic symbolism, and mysteries." In
this Work he argues that there was a direct connection between
the Agape and the Table lodge of Freemasons.
35 - Of what was the stone of foundation formed?
AGATE. Among the Masonic traditions is one which asserts that
the stone of foundation was formed of agate. This, like everything
connected with the legend of the stone, is to be mystically interpreted.
In this view, agate is a symbol of strength and beauty, a symbolism
derived from the peculiar character of the agate which [90] is
distinguished for its compact formation, and the ornamental character
of its surface.
36 - Is the age of twenty one the lawful age of admission in all
Masonic jurisdictions?
AGE, LAWFUL. The ancient Regulations do not express any determinate
number of years at the expiration of which a candidate becomes
legally entitled to apply for admission. The language used is,
that he must be of "mature and discreet age." But the
usage of the Craft has differed in various countries as to the
construction of the time when this period of maturity and discretion
is supposed to have arrived. The sixth of the Regulations, adopted
in 1663, prescribes that "no person shall be accepted unless
he be twenty one years old, or more;" but the subsequent
Regulations are less explicit. At Frankfort on the Main, the age
required is twenty; in the Lodges of Switzerland, it has been
fixed at twenty one. The Grand Lodge of Hanover prescribes the
age of twenty five, but permits the son of a Mason to be admitted
at eighteen. The Grand Lodge of Hamburg decrees that the lawful
age for initiation shall be that which in any country has been
determined by the laws of the land to be the age of majority.
The Grand Orient of France requires the candidate to be twenty
one unless he be the son of a Mason, who hasp performed some important
service to the Order, or unless he be a young man who has served
six months in the army, when the initiation may take place at
the age of eighteen. In Prussia the required age is twenty five.
In England it is twenty one, except in cases where a dispensation
has been granted for an earlier age by the Grand or Provincial
Grand Master. In Ireland the age must be twenty one, except in
cases of dispensation granted by the Grand Master or Grand Lodge.
In the United States, the usage is general that the candidate
shall not be less than twenty one years of age at the time of
his initiation, and no dispensation can issue for conferring the
degrees at an earlier period.
This variety in the laws relating to this subject conclusively
proves that the precise age has never been determined by any Landmark
of the Order. The design and nature of the institution must in
this case be our only guide. The speculative character of the
society requires that none shall be admitted to its mysteries
except those who have reached maturity and discretion; but it
is competent for any Grand Lodge to determine for itself what
shall be considered to be that age of maturity. Perhaps the best
regulation is that adopted by the Grand Lodge of Hamburg. Hence
the Masons of this country have very wisely conformed to the provisions
of the law on this subject, which prevail in all the States, and
have made the age of twenty one the legal one for candidates applying
for admission.
ALBERT GALLATIN MACKEY
Born at Charleston, South Carolina, March 12th, 1807. Passed on
at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, June 20th, 1881, at the age of 74
years. Buried at Washington, D.C., June 26th, 1881, with all the
solemnity of the Masonic Rites wherein he had long been an active
leader. Graduated with honors at the Charleston Medical College,
in 1831 gave his attention to the practice of medicine until 1851,
but from that time on devoted his time to literary and Masonic
efforts. He was Initiated, Passed and Raised in Saint Andrews
Lodge No. 10, Charleston, South Carolina, in 1841. Shortly thereafter
he affiliated with Soloman's Lodge No. 1, Charleston, and was
elected Worshipful Master in 1842. From 1842 to 1867 he held the
office of Grand Secretary of South Carolina. In 1812 he was advanced
and exalted in Capitular Masonry, and served 1855 to 1867 as Grand
High Priest of South Carolina. From 1850 to 1868 served as General
Grand High Priest. Created a Knight Templar in 1842, elected Eminent
Commander 1844. Crowned a Sovereign Grand Inspector General of
the Thirty Third and last Degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rite in 1844, and for many years Secretary General of the Supreme
Council. Ilis most popular and outstanding Masonic literature
were "A Lexicon of Freemasoliry," "Mackey's History
of Freemasonry," "Jurisprudence," "Symbolism,"
and "Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry." These works
are recognized and published then out the English speaking world,
as works of authority on Freemasonry.
[91] 37 Certain numbers are assigned as the symbolic ages of Masons
of various degrees. What are they, and why?
AGE, MASONIC. In all of the Masonic Rites except the York, or
American system, a mystical age is appropriated to each degree,
and the initiate who has received the degree is said to be of
such or such an age. Thus, the age of an Entered Apprentice is
said to be three years; that of a Fellow Craft, five; and that
of a Master Mason, seven. These ages are not arbitrarily selected,
but have reference to the mystical value of members and their
relation to the different degrees. Thus, three is the symbol of
peace and concord, and has been called in the Pythagorean system
the number of perfect harmony, and is appropriated to that degree,
which is the initiation into an Order whose fundamental principles
are harmony and brotherly love. Five is the symbol of active life,
the union of the female principle two and the male principle three,
and refers in this way to the active duties of man as a denizen
of the world, which constitutes the symbolism of the Fellow Craft's
degree; and seven, as a venerable and perfect number, is symbolic
of that perfection which is supposed to be attained in the Master's
degree. In a way similar to this, all the ages of the other degrees
are symbolically and mystically explained. It has already been
said that this system does not prevail in the York Rite. It is
uncertain whether it ever did and has been lost, or whether it
is a modern innovation on the symbolism of Masonry invented for
the later Rites. Something like it, however, is to be found in
the battery, which still exists in the York Rite, and which, like
the Masonic age, is varied in the different degrees.
The Masonic ages are - and it will thus be seen that they are
all mystic numbers 3, 5, 7, 9, 15, 27, 63, 81.
38 How is the word "agenda" used in Masonry?
AGENDA. A Latin participle, signifying "things to be done."
In Masonry it means small books in which certain virtues or precepts
are written, and which it is the duty of all Masons to inculcate
and practice. It also applied to the items constituting a program
or order of business.
39 - What was the book of the Constitutions of the Ancient Masons
called?
AHIMAN REZON. Dr. Mackey says these words are derived from the
Hebrew ahim, brothers, manah, to prepare, and ratzon, the will
or law; and signifies, therefore literally, "the law of prepared
brothers." Others contend that the derivation is from achi
man razor., "the opinions of a true and faithful brother."
It was the title adopted for their Book of Constitutions by the
section which split off from our Grand Lodge about the year
1740, and denominated themselves, by way of distinction, "Ancient
Masons."
[92] 40 - To what extent should a Mason extend aid to a worthy
distressed brother?
AID AND ASSISTANCE. The duty of aiding and assisting, not only
all worthy distressed Master Masons, but their widows and orphans
also, "wheresoever dispersed over the face of the globe,"
is one of the most important obligations that is imposed upon
every brother of the "mystic tie" by the whole scope
and tenor of the Masonic Institution. The regulations for the
exercise of this duty are few, but rational. In the first place,
a Master Mason who is in distress has a greater claim, under equal
circumstances, to the aid and assistance of his brother, than
one who, being in the Order, has not attained that degree, or
who is altogether a profane. This is strictly in accordance with
the natural instincts of the human heart, which will always prefer
a friend to a stranger, or, as it is rather energetically expressed
in the language of Long Tom Coffin, "a messmate before a
shipmate, a shipmate before a stranger, and a stranger before
a dog;" and it is also strictly in accordance with the teaching
of the Apostle of the Gentiles, who has said: "As we have
opportunity, therefore, let us do good to all men, especially
unto them who are of the household." But this exclusiveness
is only to be practiced under circumstances which make a selection
imperatively necessary. Where the grant of relief to the profane
would incapacitate us from granting similar relief to our brother,
then must the preference be given to him who is "of the household."
But the earliest symbolic lessons of the ritual teach the Mason
not to restrict his benevolence within the narrow limits of the
Fraternity, but to acknowledge the claims of all men, who need
it, to assistance. Inwood has beautifully said, "The humble
condition both of property and dress, of penury and want, in which
you were received into the Lodge, should make you at all times
sensible of the distress of poverty and all you can spare from
the call of nature and the due care of your families, should only
remain in your possession as a ready sacrifice to the necessities
of an unfortunate, distressed brother. Let the distressed cottage
feel the warmth of your Masonic zeal and, if possible, exceed
even the unabating ardor of Christian charity. At your approach
let the orphan cease to weep, and in the sound of your voice let
the widow forget her sorrow." Another restriction laid upon
this duty of aid and assistance by the obligations of Masonry
is that the giver shall not be lavish beyond his means in the
disposition of his benevolence. What he bestows must be such as
he can give "without material injury to himself or family."
No man should wrong his wife or children that he may do a benefit
to a stranger or ever a brother. The obligations laid on a Mason
to grant aid and assistance to the needy and distressed [93] seem
to be in the following graduations: first, to his family; next,
to his brethren; and, lastly, to the world at large.
So far this subject has been viewed in a general reference to
that spirit of kindness which should actuate all men, and which
it is the object of Masonic teaching to impress on the mind of
every Mason as a common duty of humanity, and whose disposition
Masonry only seeks to direct and guide. But there is another aspect
in which this subject may be considered, namely, in that peculiar
and technical one of Masonic aid and assistance due from one Mason
to another. Here there is a duty declared, and a correlative right
inferred; for if it is the duty of one Mason to assist another,
it follows that every Mason has the right to claim that assistance
from his brother. It is this duty that the obligations of Masonry
are especially intended to enforce; it is this right that they
are intended to sustain. The symbolic ritual of Masonry which
refers, as, for instance, in the first degree, to the virtue of
benevolence refers to it in the general sense of a virtue which
all men should practice. But when the Mason reaches the third
degree, he discovers new obligations which restrict and define
the exercise of this duty of aid and assistance. So far as his
obligations control him, the Mason as a Mason, is not legally
bound to extend his aid beyond the just claimants in his own Fraternity.
To do good to all men is of course inculcated and recommended;
to dv good to the household is enforced and made compulsory by
legal enactment and sanction.
Now, as there is here, on one side, a duty, and on the other side
a right, it is proper to inquire what are the regulations or laws
by which this duty is controlled and this right maintained.
The duty to grant and the right to claim relief Masonically is
recognized in the following passage of the Old Charges of 1722:
"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. You must employ him some days, or else recommend him
to be employed. But you are not charged to do beyond your ability;
only to prefer a poor brother, who is a good man and true, before
any other people in the same circumstances." This written
law agrees in its conditions and directions, so far as it goes,
with the unwritten law of the Order, and from the two we may deduce
the following principles:
1. The applicant must be a Master Mason. In 1722, the charitable
benefits of Masonry were extended, it is true, to Entered Apprentices,
and an Apprentice was recognized, in the language of the law,
as "a true and genuine brother." But this was because
at that time only the first degree was conferred in subordinate
Lodges. Fellow [94] Crafts and Master Masons being made in the
Grand Lodge. Hence the great mass of the Fraternity consisted
of Apprentices, and many Masons never proceeded any further. But
the second and third degrees are now always conferred in the subordinate
Lodges, and very few initiates voluntarily stop short of the Master's
degree. Hence, the mass of the Fraternity now consists of Master
Masons, and the law which formerly applied to Apprentices is,
under our present organization, made applicable only to those
who have become Master Masons.
2. The applicant must be worthy. We are to presume that every
Mason is "a good man and true" until the Lodge which
has jurisdiction over him has pronounced to the contrary. Every
Mason who is "in good standing," that is, who is a regularly
contributing member of a Lodge, is to be considered as "worthy,"
in the technical sense of the term. An expelled, a suspended,
or a non affiliated Mason, does not meet the required condition
of "a regularly contributing member." Such a Mason is
therefore not "worthy," and is not entitled to Masonic
assistance.
3. The giver is not expected to exceed his ability in the amount
of relief. The written law says, "you are not charged to
do beyond your ability," the ritual says, that your relief
must be "without material injury to yourself or family."
The principle is the same in both.
4. The widow and orphans of a Master Mason have the claims of
the husband and father extended to them. The written law says
nothing explicitly on this point, but the unwritten or ritualistic
law expressly declares that it is our duty "to contribute
to the relief of a worthy, distressed brother, his widow and orphans."
5. And lastly, in granting relief or assistance, the Mason is
to be preferred to the profane. He must be placed "before
any other people in the same circumstances." These are the
laws which regulate the doctrine of Masonic aid and assistance.
They are often charged by the enemies of Masonry with a spirit
of exclusiveness. But it has been shown that they are in accordance
with the exhortation of the Apostle, who would do good "especially
to those who are of the household," and they have the warrant
of the law of nature; for every one will be ready to say. with
that kindest hearted of men, Charles Lamb, "I can feel for
all indifferently, but I cannot feel for all alike. I can be a
friend to a worthy man, who, upon another account, cannot be my
mate or fellow. I cannot like all people alike." And so as
Masons, while we should be charitable to all persons in need or
distress, there are only certain ones who can claim the aid and
assistance of the Order, or of its disciples, under the positive
sanction of the Masonic law.
[95] 41 - By what three elements is a Mason proved?
AIR. Every human being at his birth becomes subject to the action
of three elements. He comes out of water, passes through the air,
and when he arrives at maturity, he is under the influence of
fire. It is only at his death that he can participate of the fourth
element (the earth). When he is initiated into the mysteries of
Masonry, he is proved by the three elements of water, air, and
fire.
42 - In what sense is the word "alarm" used in Masonry?
ALARM. The verb, "to alarm," signifies, in Freemasonry,
"to give notice of the approach of some one desiring admission."
Thus, "to alarm the Lodge," is to inform the Lodge that
there is some one without who is seeking entrance. As a noun,
the word "alarm" has two significations. 1. An alarm
is a warning given by the Tiler, or other appropriate officer,
by which he seeks to communicate with the interior of the Lodge
or Chapter. In this sense the expression so often used, "an
alarm at the door," simply signifies that the officer outside
has given notice of his desire to communicate with the Lodge.
2. An alarm is also the peculiar mode in
which this notice is to be given. As to the derivation of the
word, a writer in Notes and Queries ingeniously conjectures that
it comes from the old French a l'arme, which in modern times is
aux armes, "to arms." The legal meaning of to alarm
is not to frighten, but to make one aware of the necessity of
defense or protection. And this is precisely the Masonic signification
of the word.
43 - What is the sacred book of the Mohammedans called?
ALCORAN. The sacred book of the Mohammedans, or rather a sacred
book, for they recognize the old Hebrew Scriptures as of greater
authority. The Alcoran, commonly called the Koran, contains the
revelations made to Mohammed, his doctrines and precepts. In a
Masonic Lodge of Mohammedans it should lay on the altar as the
Bible does in a Lodge of Christians.
44 - Has a woman ever been made a Mason?
ALDWORTH, THE HON. MRS. This lady received, about the year 1735.
the first and second degrees of Freemasonry in Lodge No. 44, at
Doneraile, in Ireland. The circumstances connected with this singular
initiation were first published in 1807, at Cork, and subsequently
republished by Spencer, the celebrated Masonic bibliophile, in
London. It may be observed, before proceeding to glean from this
work the narrative of her initiation, that the authenticity of
all the circumstances was confirmed on their first publication
by an eye witness to the transaction.
The Hon. Elizabeth St. Leger was born about the year 1713, and
was the youngest child and only daughter of the Right Hon. Arthur
[96] St. Leger, first Viscount Doneraile, of Ireland, who died
in 1727, and was succeeded by his eldest son, the brother of our
heroine. Subsequently to her initiation into the mysteries of
Freemasonry she married Richard Aldsworth, Esq., of Newmarket,
in the county of Cork Lodge No. 44, in which she was initiated,
was, in some sort, an aristocratic Lodge, consisting principally
of the gentry and most respectable and wealthy inhabitants of
the country around Doneraile. The communications were usually
held in the town, but during the Mastership of Lord Doneraile,
under whom his sister was initiated, the meetings were often held
at his Lordship's residence.
It was during one of these meetings at Doneraile House that this
female initiation took place, the story of which Spencer, in the
memoir to which we have referred, relates in the following words:
"It happened on this particular occasion
that the Lodge was held in a room separated from another, as is
often the case, by stud and brickwork. The young lady, being giddy
and thoughtless and determined to gratify her curiosity, made
her arrangements accordingly, and, with a pair of scissors (as
she herself related to the mother of our informant), removed a
portion of a brick from the wall, and placed herself so as to
command a full view of everything which occurred in the next room;
so placed, she witnessed the two first degrees in Masonry, which
was the extent of the proceedings of the Lodge on that night.
Becoming aware, from what she heard, that the brethren were about
to separate, for the first time she felt tremblingly alive to
the awkwardness and danger of her situation, and began to consider
how she could retire without observation. She became nervous and
agitated, and nearly fainted, but so far recovered herself as
to be fully aware of the necessity of withdrawing as quickly as
possible; in the act of doing so, being in the dark, she stumbled
against and overthrew something, said to be a chair or some ornamental
piece of furniture. The crash was loud; and the Tiler, who was
on the lobby or landing on which opened the doors both of the
Lodge room and that where the honorable Miss St. Leger was, gave
the alarm, burst open the door, and with a light in one hand and
a drawn sword in the other, appeared to the now terrified and
fainting lady. He was soon joined by the members of the Lodge
present, and luckily; for it is asserted that but for the prompt
appearance of her brother, Lord Doneraile, and other steady members,
her life would have fallen a sacrifice to what was then esteemed
her crime. The first care of his Lordship was to resuscitate the
unfortunate lady without alarming the house, and endeavor to learn
from her an explanation of what had occurred; having done so,
many of the members being furious at the transaction, she was
placed under guard of the Tiler and a member, in the room where
she was found. The members reassembled and [97] deliberated as
to what, under the circumstances, was to be done, and over two
long hours she could hear the angry discussion and her death deliberately
proposed and seconded. At length the good sense of the majority
succeeded in calming, in some measure, the angry and irritated
feelings of the rest of the members, when, after much had been
said and many things proposed, it was resolved to give her the
option of submitting to the Masonic ordeal to the extent she had
witnessed (Fellow Craft), and if she refused, the brethren were
again to consult. Being waited on to decide, Miss St. Leger, exhausted
and terrified by the storminess of the debate, which she could
not avoid partially hearing, and yet, notwithstanding all, with
a secret pleasure, gladly and unhesitatingly accepted the offer.
She was accordingly initiated." Mrs., or, as she was appropriately
called, Sister Aldsworth, lived many years after, but does not
seem ever to have forgotten the lessons of charity and fraternal
love which she received on her unexpected initiation into the
esoteric doctrines of the Order. "Placed as she was,"
says the memoir we have quoted, "by her marriage with Mr.
Aldsworth, at the head of a very large fortune, the poor, in general,
had good reason to record her numerous and bountiful acts of kindness;
nor were these accompanied with ostentation - far from it. It
has been remarked of her, that her custom was to seek out bashful
misery and retiring poverty, and with a well directed liberality,
soothe many a bleeding heart."
45 - What is the name of God in the Mohammedan religion?
ALLAH. The Arabic name of God. The Alcoran describes his character
and attributes thus: "He alone is self existent; has no rival;
is from everlasting to everlasting; fills the universe with his
presence; is the center in which all things unite, as well the
visible as the invisible; is infinite; Almighty, all wise, all
merciful, tender hearted; and his decrees are unchangeable."
46 - What effect does non affiliation have upon the allegiance
of a Mason to the fraternity?
ALLEGIANCE. The relation which a Mason bears to his Lodge is of
a different nature from that which connects him with the Order.
It is in some degree similar to that political relation which
jurists have called "local allegiance," or the allegiance
which a man gives to the country or the sovereign in whose territories
and under whose protection he resides. This allegiance is founded
on the doctrine that where there is protection there should be
subjection, and that subjection should in turn receive protection.
It may be permanent or temporary. A removal from the territory
cancels the allegiance, Which will again be contracted towards
the sovereign of the new domicile to which the individual may
have removed. Now this is [98] precisely the relation which exists
between a Mason and his Lodge. The Lodge grants him its protection;
that is, from his membership in it he derives his rights of visit,
of relief, of burial, and all the other prerogatives which inure,
by custom or law, to the active members of Lodges, and which are
actually the results of member ship. In return for this, he gives
it his allegiance; he acknowledges obedience to its By Laws, and
he contributes to its revenues by his annual or quarterly dues.
But he may at any time dissolve this allegiance to any particular
Lodge, and contract it with another. As the denizen of a country
cancels his allegiance by abandoning its protection and removing
to another territory, the Mason may with draw his relations to
one Lodge and unite with another. But he still continues an affiliated
Mason, only his affiliation is with another body.
But the denizen who removes from one country may not, by subsequent
residence, give his allegiance to another. He may become a cosmopolite,
bearing local allegiance to no particular sovereign. All that
follows from this is, that he acquires no right of protection;
for, if he gives no subjection, he can ask for no protection.
Now this is precisely the case with an unaffiliated Mason. Having
taken his demit from one Lodge, he has of course lost its protection;
and, having united with no other, he can claim protection from
none. He has forfeited all those rights which are derived from
membership. He has dissevered all connections between himself
and the Lodge organization of the Order, and by this act has divested
himself of all the prerogatives which belonged to him as a member
of that organization. Among these are the right of visit, of pecuniary
aid, and of Masonic burial. When he seeks to enter the door of
a Lodge it must be closed upon him, for the right to visit belongs
only to affiliated Masons. Whenever he seeks for Lodge assistance,
he is to be refused, because the funds of the Lodge are not to
be distributed among those who refuse to aid, by their individual
contributions, in the formation of similar funds in other Lodges.
Nor can he expect to be accompanied to his last resting place
by his brethren; for it is a settled law, that no Mason can be
buried with the ceremonies of the Order, except upon his express
request, previously made to the Master of the Lodge of which he
is a member.
47 - What is the symbolism of the All Seeing Eye?
ALL SEEING EYE. An important symbol of the Supreme Being, borrowed
by the Freemasons from the nations of antiquity. Both the Hebrews
and the Egyptians appear to have derived its use from that natural
inclination of figurative minds to select an organ as the symbol
of the function which it is intended peculiarly to discharge.
Thus, the foot was often adopted as the symbol of swiftness, the
arm of strength, and the hand of fidelity. On the game principle,
the [99] open eye was selected as the symbol of watchfulness,
and the eye of God as the symbol of divine watchfulness and care
of the universe. The use of the symbol in this sense is repeatedly
to be found in the Hebrew writers. Thus, the Psalmist says (Ps.
xxxiv. 15): "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry," which explains a subsequent
passage (Ps. cxxi. 4) in which it is said: "Behold, he that
keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." On the same
principle, the Egyptians represented Osiris, their chief deity,
by the symbol of an open eye, and placed this hieroglyphic of
him in all their temples. His symbolic name, on the monuments,
was represented by the eye accompanying a throne, to which was
sometimes added an abbreviated figure of the god, and sometimes
what has been called a hatchet, but which, I consider, may as
correctly be supposed to be a representation of a square.
The All Seeing Eye may then be considered as a symbol of God manifested
in his omnipresence - his guardian and preserving character -
to which Solomon alludes in the Book of Proverbs (xv. 3), when
he says: "The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, beholding
(or, as it might be more faithfully translated, watching) the
evil and the good." It is a symbol of the Omnipresent Deity.
48 - What allurements does Masonry hold out?
ALLUREMENTS. Masonry is one of the most sublime and perfect institutions
that ever was formed for the advancement of the happiness and
general good of mankind, creating, in all its varieties, universal
benevolence and brotherly love. It holds out allurements so captivating
as to inspire the brotherhood with emulation to deeds of glory,
such as must command, throughout the world, veneration and applause,
and such as must entitle those who perform them to dignity and
respect. It teaches us those useful, wise, and instructive doctrines
upon which alone true happiness is founded; and at the same time
affords those easy paths by which we attain the rewards of virtue;
it teaches us the duties which we owe to our neighbor, never to
injure him in any one situation, but to conduct ourselves With
justice and impartiality; it bids us not to divulge the mystery
to the public; and it orders us to be true to our trust, and above
all meanness and dissimulation, and in all our vocations to perform
religiously that which we ought to do.
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