Why are we called “Freemasons”?
There are many theories: a man was a Freemason because
his ancestors were not slaves nor was he a slave; he was so called because he
was free within his Guild, or free of the Guild’s laws and could thus “travel
to foreign countries” and work where he would; he was a Freemason because he
worked in freestone, which is any stone that can be cut, smoothed, carved in
any directions; he was free when he had passed his apprenticeship and became a
Fellow of the Craft; he was free when he had left the status of serf or
villein* and legally became free.
Probably, at one time or another, masons were called
Freemasons for any of these reasons or for all of them. The consensus leans to the theory that the
Freemason was such because of his skill, knowledge and abilities which set him
free of those conditions, laws, rules and customs which circumscribed masons of
lesser abilities in the building of the Cathedral.
NB
Notes/Definition
Villein - any of a class of feudal
serfs who by the 13th cent. had become freemen in their legal relations to all
except their lord, to whom they remained subject as slaves
Note that the craftsmen of the olden
times (Renaissance in
Various
Grand Lodges have “adopted” various “list of Ancient Landmarks” and thus have
given the tenets in the list the force of law in those Grand Lodges. But no Grand Lodge can make or unmake a
landmark; any more than the Congress of the
Grand Lodges
which leave landmarks undefined and unrestricted by listing seem to have a
better practice, just as those churches which do not list “the moral law”
clause by clause seem to have better grasp of what it is.
The late
great Charles C. Hunt, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, put this
point of view in a few words:
“The Masonic
conception of a landmark is fundamental law of Masonry which no body of men or
Masons can repeal. Anything that can be
adopted can be repealed. If a Grand
Lodge has power to adopt, it has the power to repeal. It is the very fact that they are unalterable
which makes the landmarks similar to scientific laws which cannot be changed or
altered by any man or body of men.”
It is
probable that all English speaking Grand Lodges will agree that at least seven
Masonic fundamentals are landmarks.
These are:
a. Monotheism, the sole dogma of
Freemasonry (one God).
b. Belief in immortality, the ultimate
lesson of Masonic philosophy
c. The Volume of the Sacred Law, an
indispensable part of the furniture of the lodge.
d. The legend of the Third Degree
e. Secrecy.
f. The symbolism of the operative art.
g. A Mason must be a freeborn male
adult.
What is meant by “Esoteric Masonry”?
The secret portion of Masonry, which is hidden
emblems, symbols, allegories, legends, and other forms of mystery, and wholly
apart from monitorial teachings
Examination of
Candidate – What is the practice of Freemasonry in this matter?
Esoteric Masonry, the ritual and ceremonies of the different
degrees of Symbolic Masonry, are conferred in emblems, symbols, allegories,
legends, and must be committed to memory by the candidate following each degree
and before advancing to the succeeding degree.
Some brother gives the candidate instructions in private. From time immemorial it has been required
that before accepting a candidate for the advancing degrees he must pass a
creditable examination on the work of the previous degree in open lodge. The necessity for an adequate comprehension
of the mysteries of each degree before passing to the succeeding degree, of
proficiency in the work through which the candidate has already passed, is
absolutely essential.
es•o•ter•ic
adj.
1 a)
intended for or understood by only a chosen few, as an inner group of disciples
or initiates (said of ideas, literature, etc.) b) beyond the understanding or knowledge of most people;
abstruse
2 confidential; private; withheld [an esoteric plan]
Opposed to exoteric
Why is the
Masonry of today called "speculative"?
The word is used in the sense that the
Masonry of today is theoretical, not practical, building; that it is a pursuit
of knowledge, not of the construction of edifices (or buildings). Speculative
masonry began with the practice of admitting to membership in operative lodges
men who were not practical builders, stonecutters, architects, etc. but who
were interested in the moral, ethical and philosophical teaching of the
Fraternity.
What distinction is
attached to this principle of “brotherly love” among Masons?
1 the ultimate
source, origin, or cause of something
2 a natural or
original tendency, faculty, or endowment
Why does Freemasonry forbid the brethren to ask their
friends to become Masons?
One of the fundamental
concepts of Freemasonry is that application for membership must be wholly a
voluntary act. A man must seek for
himself and join “of my own free will and accord.” Under no other formula can men unite brethren
of a thousand religious and political beliefs.
Under no more constricting act could Freemasonry accomplish her only end,
the building of character among
men. Men who become members of a Masonic
Lodge for any other reason that their own desires can neither receive nor give
to others the advantages of a wholly voluntary association. Freemasonry is bigger than any man; the man
must seek its blessings; it never seeks
man.
NB
Notes; Draw your attention to the last
phrase.
fun•da•men•tal adj.
1 of or forming a foundation or basis; basic;
essential [the fundamental
rules of art];
2 on which others are based; primary; original
[a fundamental type]
char•ac•ter
n.
1 a
distinctive mark; a distinctive trait, quality, or attribute; characteristic;
essential quality; nature; kind or sort; the pattern of behavior or personality
found in an individual or group; moral constitution; moral strength; self-discipline, fortitude,
etc.; a) reputation b)
good reputation [left without a shred of character]
Mason is a secret society. What
can be told and what cannot?
Masonry is not a “secret society” but a society with
secrets. A secret society is one of
which the membership, aims and ideals are unknown. There is no secret about who is, and who is
not, a Freemason. Lodges publish their
rosters. Many Grand Lodges publish the
names of their members in Annual Proceedings.
The world at large knows that the aims and ideals of Freemasonry are
religious, charitable, friendly, and fraternal.
What is secret in Freemasonry is well phrased in the
Ninth Landmark as adopted by the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. “The legend of the third degree; the means of
recognition; the methods of conferring degrees; the obligation of those degrees
and the ballot of every brother are, and must continue to be, inviolably
secret.”
NB
Notes: In one of my readings, I came
across this well-phrased explanation as to the issue of secrecy or
secretiveness, etc. “In this regard, all
human groups and institutions have “secrets”, or better still, PRIVATE affairs
which for good reasons they do not wish to be made public. Families have discussion on subjects which do
not, and should not, concern their neighbors.
Governmental bodies meet behind closed doors to resolve problems
affecting the state without publicity.
Church councils convene apart from the general congregation, permitting
a more direct approach to situations demanding prompt action. … While all these are done privately –
“secretly”, if you will – this is hardly evidence that the subjects under
discussions, or resolutions made, are in any way unwholesome. Thus, if families, governmental bodies,
church councils, civic organizations, and directors of industries have private
matters which they wish to discuss away from the public, it is only reasonable
that a lodge of Freemasons should want to meet behind tiled doors while
peacefully engaged in the lawful pursuits of Freemasonry.
Why do we use "So Mote it be" instead of
"Amen"?
"So Mote It Be" are final words
in the Regius Poem. "Mote" is
old English for "may." Masons
have used the phrase since the beginning of the written history of the
Craft. Freemasonry includes many other
words, now obsolete, which bring the sanctity of age and the continuity of
ritual from ancient days to modern times.
Freemasonry’s practice has followed the ancient belief
that the world was created four thousand (4000) years before Christ; that when
God said “Let there be light” the world began.
Therefore Masons date their doings four thousand years plus the current
year, “Anno Lucis,” or “In the year of Light”.
Is there a distinction between Masonic oath and
Masonic obligation?
The “oath” is the “So help me, God” at the end of any
solemn promise made with hand upon the Book of the Law. The “obligation" is the substance of the
preceding promises. The “oath” is thus
symbolical of man’s fear of God; “obligation” signifies the promises and
agreements made preceding the oath.
Test Oath and excerpts from the WMC
I, (name), do hereby and
hereon most solemnly and sincerely swear that I have been regularly initiated
as an EAM, passed to the degree of a FCM and raised to the sublime degree of MM
in a regularly constituted Lodge of such; that I am not suspended or expelled,
and know of no reason why I should not converse Masonically with my Brethren. So help me God.
In the absence of personal avouchment, the applicant
for admittance as a visitor to a Lodge shall take the test oath and submit to
strict trial and due examination. Neither a diploma, nor a dimit, nor a
certificate of membership, nor a receipt showing payment of dues, shall be
conclusive as to the identity of the holder, nor as to his good standing in the
Fraternity. See WMC Secs. 92, 924,
925, 926, 2608.
WMC Sec.
13.09 B.L. - Admitting
Visitors.
1. 
Every Master Mason, on applying for admittance as a
visitor to a Lodge, shall exhibit either a receipt for dues or a document
showing him to be in good standing, or a dimit that was issued within the
previous three years. Such documents shall not be conclusive as to the identity
of the holder, who must provide additional evidence of his identity,
2. A Lodge must be satisfied as to the good Masonic
standing of an applicant for admission and as to the regularity of the Lodge
from which he hails. A Lodge becoming satisfied as to the identity of a visitor
and the genuineness and regularity of his documentation shall require
additionally, either:
A.
The personal
avouchment by a Brother knowing him to be in good Masonic standing and having
met him in open Lodge (examination by a Brother outside of Lodge is not
sufficient), or
B.
That he shall
take the Test Oath and submit to a strict trial and due examination by a
committee appointed by the Master.
A Mason who has been
unaffiliated for more than three years shall not be permitted to visit a Lodge
in this Jurisdiction, unless, in an exceptional case, he shall have received
written permission from the Master of the Lodge to attend the Lodge for a
period not to exceed six months.
WMC Sec.13.10 B.L. - Objection to
Visitor.
The privilege of a Mason to visit a
Lodge other than his own is subject to the right of any member thereof to
object to his admittance. Such member shall not be required to state his reason
for the objection. The objection shall hold good only during the communication
at which it is made and while the objector is present.
Several word pairs in Masonic rituals make interesting
studies: “duly and truly,” “worthy and
well-qualified,” “free will and accord,”
“parts and points,” “hele and conceal.”
At first glance it may seem that these are so arranged only for
emphasis. In the Middle English writing,
especially in the 13th and 14th centuries, when
Freemasonry was in the process of formation,
The apparent redundancy of expression in a number of
places in Masonic ritual may be traced back to these Middle Ages. The perpetuation of such usage now, when
clarity of thought and understanding might be served as well with one word, is
one of many proofs that Freemasonry delights to cling to the ancient and
venerated because it is venerated and ancient.
re•dun•dant
adj. - more
than enough; overabundant; excess; superfluous; 2 using more words than are needed; wordy
ac•cord
vt. 1 vt.
to make agree or harmonize; reconcile; 2. vi. to
be in agreement or harmony (with)
Why do Masons wear aprons? What does “properly clothed”
mean?
The use of the apron is extremely old, not, as with
the operative Masons, as a protector of clothing and body against tools and
stone, but as a badge of honor. It was
so used by the priest of
The material of the Masonic apron - lambskin - is a
symbol of innocence, as the lamb has always been. Color and material are important in its
symbolism but Masonry admits the “symbol of the symbol” – as, for instance, an
electric light in place of a candle.
Hence, a Mason has more than once been “properly clothed” when the
lambskin aprons of the lodge were all in use and he came through the tiled door
clad in a white handkerchief!
Note: I was unable to find in the
WMC a section specific to the regular white apron we use in our tyled meetings. Unless a brother knows, please let me
know. Section. 15.10 hereunder is the
closest I can find.
WMC Sec. 15.10 B.L.
Jewels and Aprons.,
The officers’ aprons shall be white and should be of
lambskin, fourteen inches wide and twelve inches deep, and may have sky-blue
lining and edging, with the respective emblems thereon. Rev. 1992
WMC Sec.
13.07 B.L. Public Appearance as Masons.
A Lodge or Mason may appear in public in Masonic
clothing to attend a Masonic funeral service, when escorting the Masonic Float
in parades, at meetings of the International Order of Job's Daughters, the
International Order of Rainbow for Girls, or the Order of DeMolay. A Lodge or
Mason may not otherwise appear publicly in Masonic clothing without the consent
of the Grand Master.
The occasions for which the
Grand Master may consider granting a dispensation for Masons or Lodges to
appear publicly in Masonic clothing are:
1. A strictly Masonic occasion,
2. To attend divine services,
3. The performance of Masonic duty, ceremony, or custom,
4. To take part in a community patriotic, historical, or
educational event; and
5. To take part in a community parade. Rev.1998
It is am emblem of innocence and the badge of a
Mason. More ancient than the Golden
Fleece or the Roman Eagle, more honorable than the Star and Garter, or any
distinction that can be conferred upon you, at this or any future period, by
King, Prince, Potentate or any other person.
It may be that in the coming years, upon your head
shall rest the laurel wreath of victory, upon your breast may hang jewels fit
to grace the diadem of an eastern potentate; nay more than these, with light
added to coming light, your ambitious feet may tread round after round the
ladder that leads to fame in our mystic circle and even the purple of our
Fraternity may rest upon your honored shoulder.
But never again from mortal hands, never again until
your enfranchised spirit shall have passed upward and inward through the pearly
gates shall any honor so distinguished, so emblematical of purity and all
perfections, be bestowed upon you as this which I now confer.
It is yours - your name is written upon it - yours to
wear throughout an honorable life and at your death be placed upon the coffin
which shall contain your earthly remains and with them laid beneath the silent
clods of the valley.
Let its pure and spotless surface be to you an
ever-present reminder of an emblematical or unblemished purity of life and
rectitude of conduct, a never-ending argument for nobler deeds, for higher
thoughts, for purer actions, and for greater achievements. And when at last your weary feet shall have
come to the end of their toilsome journey, and from your nerveless grasp shall
drop forever the working tools of life, may the record of your life and actions
be as pure and spotless as this fair emblem which I now place in your hands (hand its).
And when your trembling soul shall stand naked and
alone before the Great White Throne, there to receive judgment for the deeds
done while in the body, may it be your portion to hear from Him who sitteth as
the Judge Supreme, the welcome words “Well done thou good and faithful servant
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
It is hoped, my Brother, that you will wear that apron
with pleasure to your self and honor to the Fraternity.
Apron Lecture Interpretation Part 1
The apron is said to more ancient and honorable than
certain orders and decorations. The Order of the Golden Fleece was founded by
Philip, Duke of Burgundy in 1429.
The Roman Eagle was
Aver
- to
declare to be true; state positively; affirm
Apron Lecture Interpretation Part 2
Symbol of honorable labor. The material of the Masonic apron – lambskin
– is the symbol of innocence, as the lamb has always been. But for “innocence” do not read
“ignorant”. The word describes those who
do no injury to others, not those to whom injury maybe done because they know
little.
There is special symbolism in the different ways in
which Freemasons are taught to wear their aprons, emblematic of a progress from
darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge.
The use of the apron is extremely old, not, as with
operative Masons, as a protector of clothing and body against tools and stone,
but as a badge of honor. It was so used
by the priest of
Color and material are important in its symbolism but
Masonry admits the “symbol of the symbol” – as for instance, and electric light
in place of a candle. Hence a Mason has
ore than once been “properly clothed” when the lambskin aprons of the lodge
were all in use and he came through the tiled door clad in a white
handkerchief!
How is a man made a Mason at sight?
The Grand Master calls into existence an emergent
lodge under temporary dispensation, which lodge then confers the three degrees,
usually in short form, and usually all three degrees in one consecutive period,
upon the man selected for the honor by the Grand Master. Most Grand Lodges admit the right of a Grand
Master to do this; a few specifically forbid his doing so; one recognizes the
right and frowns upon its use. The
objection to the act are two: first, he
who seeks Masonry of his own free will and accord honors himself and not the
Order by his application; masonry need seek no candidate; second, the general
belief that every Mason should pass the ballot of his fellows and not be picked
by authority as beyond and above the requirement.
The ceremonies of “making a Mason at sight” are less
and less often performed as the years bring a better perspective upon the
practice.
A Mason is said to demit from his lodge when he
withdraws his membership; the demit (also spelled dimit in some jurisdictions)
is a document granted by the Lodge which certifies that dismission has been accepted by the Lodge, and that the demitting
brother is clear of the books and is in good standing as a Mason. The usual object in applying for a demit is
to enable the brother to join some other Lodge, into which he can not be
admitted without some evidence that he was in good standing in his former
lodge.
Permission given a member to terminate his membership;
the paper representing that permission.
In nearly all Grand Jurisdictions obtaining a dimit is a formality; a
lodge is obliged to grant a dimit to him who asks it, provided he is in good
standing and no charges have been or are about to be preferred against
him, The theory is that the joined his
lodge of his own free will and accord he should have the right to leave it in
the same way. In some Grand
Jurisdictions a member may receive a dimity only to join another lodge, or to
remove from his Grand Jurisdiction to another.
Can
a man renounce Masonry?
For reasons which may or may not be justifiable a man
may sever his connection with a
Masonic Lodge; but it is utterly impossible for any Mason who has been honest
and understanding in accepting the Rites of Freemasonry to repudiate his Masonic Obligations.
Nor can any man, in all good conscience with himself, toward man, and
toward God, denounce the principles,
tenets, symbolic instructions, inner workings, and uplifting benedictions of
Freemasonry, once he fully understood Freemasonry and fully assimilated its
teachings.
re•pu•di•ate
vt.
1 to refuse to have anything to do with;
disown or cast off publicly; 2 a) to refuse to accept or support;
deny the validity or authority of (a belief, a treaty, etc.) b) to deny the truth of (a charge,
etc.)
re•nounce
de•nounce
vt.
1 to accuse publicly; inform against ; 2 to
condemn strongly as evil
Unworthy Members – What is to be said of
them?
We are forced to admit that there are men in the
Masonic Order whose characters and lives reflect no credit upon the
Institution, whose hearts are untouched by its sublime moral and religious
teaching, and to whom Masonry means nothing in its higher and nobler aims and
purpose. They are in the
Is Freemasonry a religion or has it a
religion?
No to both questions. “A” religion connotes some particular
religion. Freemasonry is
nonsectarian. Before its altar
Christian, Jew, Mohammedan, Buddhist, Gentile, Confucian may kneel together. If the question be phrased "is
Freemasonry religious" then the obvious answer is that an institution
"erected to God" which begins its ceremonies and ends its meeting
with prayer; which has a Holy Book upon its Altar; which preaches the
fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, of course has a religious
character, although. let it be emphasized again, wholly nonsectarian. All Grand
Lodges require their initiates to express a belief and trust in God. No atheist can be made a Mason.
NB's
Opinion: The focal point of a tyled
(tiled) lodge is the Masonic Altar with the "Volume of the Sacred
Law". This is the more appropriate
term to use when explaining this issue to the uninitiated. Be conscious and sensitive to the
non-Christian brethren (or to a future brother). We refer to one Great Light as the Holy
Bible. Yes... for predominantly
Christian countries. Remember though,
that we have brothers from the Islam, Judaic and other faiths.
Why are discussions of politics and religion forbidden in lodge?
The prohibition goes back to the early history of the
Fraternity. It is written in the second
paragraph of the sixth “Old Charge” (Behavior after the Lodge is over and the
Brethren not gone); “No private Piques or Quarrels must be brought within the
Door of the Lodge, far less any Quarrels about Religion or Nations, or State
policy, we being only, as Masons, of the Catholick Religion above-mentioned; we
are also of all Nations, Toungues, Kindreds, and Languages, and are resolved
against all Politicks as what never yet conduc’d to the Welfare of the Lodge,
nor ever will. This Charge has been
always strictly enjoin’d and observ’d, but especially since the Reformation in
Freemasons today hold that the Old Charge prohibits
lodge discussions of politics in the sense of partisan politics and religion in
the sense of sectarian religion.
The
Trestleboard - Symbol of moral law.
As one of the
“movable jewels” of a lodge it is considered with the rough and perfect
ashlars. The trestleboard is that on
which the Master draws his design, from which the perfect ashlar is made from
the rough, and later, built into walls to construct the temple. By analogy, the trestleboard of the
Speculative Masons is that on which he draws the designs for his character and
spiritual growth; in other words, lays down his moral law. (From the “Pocket
Encyclopedia of Masonic Symbols).