KNOW THY ENEMY!
KNOW THY ENEMY!
FREEMASONRY ENEMY OF HUMANKIND
!
Leia este texto em Português
clicando aqui
Read this page in portuguese by clicking
here
The Liars Get Together
Leon Zeldis, Freemason PS,
33° Grand Master
PSGC, Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite for the State
of
Honorary
Adjunct Grand Master
Editor, The Israeli
Freemason
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/9991/jerusalem.html
|
For both ‘J”ians and Jews,
In 586 BCE, King Solomon's
|
Beneath the wall
encircling the
The newly opened
Museum of the History of Jerusalem, at King David's Tower, near the
|
There are eight
Lodges working in
CHECK YOURSELF ON A ONE
DOLLAR BILL WHERE THE HIDDEN LETTERS ARE
ONE DOLLAR
BILL:HIDDEN LETTERS MEANS=MASON
Or Asmon a fictitious “evil” demon statue that guarded the
Solomon’s
Time of your mask to fall has
come!
1.
History of the Hebrew
Manuscript on the Origin of Freemasonry
1.
Introduction
2. History of the Hebrew Manuscript
·
It was generally believed that modern
Freemasonry was created in 1717
when its Grand Lodge of
·
The following sections on Masonry are based on the English
translation of the original manuscript written in Hebrew of the History of Masonry. The http://biblebelievers.org.au/masonry1.htm
history was transmitted from the nine founders only to the direct descendants of
these founders. One of the original Hebrew copies was passed from
·
These are the words of Lawrence G.S. Lawrence:
·
Thus it is that I, Lawrence, son of
George, son of Samuel, son of Jonas, son of Samuel Lawrence, of Russian origin,
the last descendant of the descendants of one of the owners of this History,
say:
o
I inherited from my father a manuscript
composed by our ancestors in the Hebrew language and translated by one of them
to Russian language. Another of them translated it to English. (p. 18).
o
Our ancestor, Jonas, introduced in the
manuscript a series of events; this History, thus, being produced by him and his
ancestors. Jonas arranged it and divided it into two sections. He wanted to
publish it, but various obstacles impeded it: health, economic means and
political events. He and his wife, Janet, conceived the idea of the publication
of this History; on finding themselves incapable of doing so, they commended its
publication to their son, my grandfather, Samuel. Jonas died without seeing his
longing fulfilled. (p. 18).
o
My grandfather, Samuel, the son of
Jonas, who was the son of Samuel Lawrence, here addresses his words to his son,
George, my father. Samuel said to his son, George:
§
Son: Here you see these introductions
headed by a list of names. These names correspond to the successive heirs of
this History since the renewal of the Association (The Mysterious Force)
where it changed its name to "Freemasonry." They include: Joseph Levy.
(p. 19)
§
Joseph Levy is one of the renewers of the association. He is a Jew and an heir of the
History from his ancient ancestors who, in turn, inherited it from
§
It was our ancestor, Joseph, who
conceived the idea of changing the name of the association (The Mysterious Force) to
Freemasonry and of reforming the statutes.
§
Here you have the details: He was sent
to to London with his son, Abraham, and a friend named
Abraham Abiud, all Jews, descendants of the heirs of
the History and very well financed. They had made efforts to enter another city
and, not having success, they headed for
§
John Desaguliers and a companion called George (last name unknown
to manuscript owner). (p. 19)
§
After having strengthened the
friendship among themselves, Joseph Levy revealed the name of the association,
"The Mysterious Force," and related to his two friends, in synthesis and with
discretion, some parts of the History, concealing its fundamental secrets. He
also made it known to them that for a long time it was inactive, almost dead,
needing for its renewal the change of name and the reform of the statutes in
such a way that the new statutes and the changed name might attract many
members. Thus it would grow. (p. 19)
§
With eloquence and cleverness, Joseph
Levy succeeded in convincing his two friends, Desaguliers and George, of the necessity of reviving the
association. Having achieved this initial success, they separated on condition
that they would meet again, each one of them bringing three names appropriate
for the new association, from which the specific name would come. The next
meeting was held ten days later. Each one presented his names, the one approved
being one of those proposed by Joseph Levy: FREEMASONRY. It was August 25, 1716.
(p. 20) - Surely George
Payne.
o
Abraham, son of Joseph Levy, who had
witnessed the two sessions, said:
§
This name had preference over the
others for two reasons. First, because it is the same name that some Italian
architects adopted in the 13th century (Freemasons). And second, because it was
a suitable expression of the ancient signs and symbols used in the association,
The Mysterious Force; symbols that pertained to construction and to
architecture, proposed by Hiram Abiud, one of the
founders, for the purpose of concealing the origin of the Association,
attributing it to epochs prior to ‘J”. (p. 20)
o
Desaguliers approved the words
of my father, adding:
§
"In the third place, present-day
architects and builders have associations, syndicates and lodges where they
gather to fortify and dignify their profession. With this name then, we can
gather, all in a single association without anyone's knowing our purposes. And
fourth, these two terms,' Masonry,' (construction) and 'Mason' are encountered
since antiquity, will be a thick veil over the secret of the origin of the
foundation; and, besides, without doubt, they will increase the prestige of
the Association." (p. 20)
o
Our ancestor, Abraham Levy, before his
death, added:
§
"Desaguliers
specified that those people who joined the lodges before
§
For that purpose five men met: Levy,
Desaguliers, and the companions mentioned above and
they approved the addition of the term, "Free," thus unequivocally
concealing the date of its foundation from the rest of the people in general and
the members and associates in particular. (pp. 20-21)
§
John Desaguliers and his companion began to demand that Levy show
him the History. Levy had made it known to them that it was translated into
English, that three of the inherited manuscripts had been lost recently, four
had been lost long ago, and there remained only his manuscript and one other (
Note: the other is the manuscript of Abraham Abiud. It
is the one whose translation we have on hand). Such declarations excited Desaguliers and George extremely, the reason why they
insisted on the need for a suitable copy so that with said copy it would be much
easier for them to form the new statute. They showed themselves so faithful to
the principles, desires and doctrines of Levy that they succeeded in convincing
him to deliver a copy to them. It was delivered to them. A time passed during
which they read it. (p. 21)
§
The five met again and decided to
summon some friends on the pretext of establishing a "Unitive Association." The true purpose was the renewal of
the Association, the Mysterious Force, its resurrection with the new name
agreed upon by the five and the restoration of the first Principal Lodge
(
§
On March 10, 1717 they invited several
architects and acquaintances. The invited were presided over by a wise man named
Dr. James Anderson, who was a friend of Desaguliers.
After lengthy discussions they reached an accord and designated June 24, 1717,
to realize a great meeting. (p. 21)
§
Meanwhile Levy was preparing his son,
Abraham, for the great events of the future. Days later Abraham Levy journeyed
to
§
Between March 10 and June
o
On the June 24, 1717 meeting, they
agreed on creating the Grand Lodge of
o
Here it is necessary to mention the
names of the successive heirs of this History, from our ancestor, Joseph Levy,
the renewer of the Association, down to me, Lawrence.
§
Joseph Levy was the son of Nathan, who
was the son of Abraham, Abraham the son of Jacob, Jacob the son of Nathan,
Nathan the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Moab, Moab
the son of Rafael, etc., etc. back to Moab Levy, the first ancestor and one of
the Nine Founders of the Association, the Mysterious Force. (p. 22-23)
1.
Joseph Levy, Jew, 1665-1717
2.
Abraham, son of Joseph Levy, Jew,
1685 - 1718
3.
Nathan, son of Abraham Levy, Jew,
1717 - 1810
4.
Esther, daughter of Nathan Levy,
Jew, 1753 - 1793
5.
Samuel Lawrence, her husband, Jew,
1742 - 1795
6.
Jonas (son of Samuel and Esther),
converted to Christianity with the name of James, 1775 - 1825
7.
Janet, daughter of John Lincoln,
Christian Protestant, 1785 - 1854
8.
Samuel, son of Jonas and Janet
(Stepmother), Protestant ‘Christian ,1807 - 1883
9.
George, son of Samuel Lawrence,
Protestant Christian, 1840 - 1884. (p. 23)
o
Desaguliers, born March 12,
1683 and died in the year 1742, was the only man who distinguished himself by
his fervent zeal in the revitalization of the Association in the beginning of
the 18th century. He merited the title of "Father of the New Masonry." The
existence of the grand Lodge of
·
Notwithstanding the indication of the
name of
A typical Freemasonic Apron
1.
The Origin of
Freemasonry
1.
Masonry was founded by King Herod Agrippa with other eight Jewish
Founders
2.
The original name of ancient Masonry was "The Mysterious
Force"
3.
The frightful oath of founding members
4.
Meaning of instruments and symbols of Masonry
5.
The name was changed to Freemasonry on June 24, 1717 in
London
·
In the year AD43, King Herod Agrippa I
summoned the court of Jerusalem and said:
o
"Dear Brothers, you are not the King's
men and his collaborators. You are the support of the King and the life of the
Jewish people. Until now you have been his faithful followers. From this moment
on you will be his brothers . . .
o
"Let us all understand then, and let us
not forget, that this fundamental meeting realized by this new group is based on
Brotherhood . . .
o
"My Brothers, the aristocracy as well
as the common people have perceived the spiritual and even political revolt that
the appearance of the Impostor ‘J” (as in the original) has caused among the
people, and especially among our Israelites.
o
"We have noted a great power in him,
which he left as an inheritance to that group he called disciples. He founded an
Association that he called a religion, it being called that by them as well.
This supposed religion is at a point of overturning the foundations of our
religion and demolishing it . . .
o
"He attributed to himself the gift of
prophecy and the power of performing miracles. He claimed to be the hoped-for
Messiah of whom our prophets announced the coming; not being anything but a
vulgar man like the rest of the people, devoid of any feature of the Divine
Spirit, withdrawn to the extreme from the rectitude of our firm Jewish doctrine,
from which we are determined not to deviate in even one point.
o
"Never will we recognize such a person
as the Messiah, nor will we recognize his divinity. We know that the hoped-for
Messiah is not yet among us, nor has the time of his coming arrived. Nor has any
sign been exhibited that might indicate his appearance. If we commit the error
of letting our people follow him and be deceived, we convict ourselves of an
unforgivable crime.
o
"...We crucified him, he died and we
buried him, leaving guards who watched the tomb. But it was claimed that he was
risen, resurrected!... He disappeared in an unknown manner, in spite of the
zealous vigilance and the security of the closure . . .
o
"His leaving the tomb, my friends, was
a decisive blow for his rivals; it was a powerful means that encourages his men
to continue spreading his teachings and to prove the confirmation of his
divinity . . .
o
"We will not recognize, on any point, a
religion other than ours, the Jewish religion that we have inherited from our
ancestors. Duty calls us to preserve it until the end time.
o
"That blow had never been expected.
That mysterious force had never been dreamed of. Our fathers attacked it and we
continue attacking it. In spite of everything, astonishing! Their number
increases. Observe with me how the son is separated from the father, the brother
from his brother, the daughter from her mother, all alienating themselves to
join that group. This affair encloses a great secret. How many men, how many
women, how many entire families have abandoned the Jewish religion in order to
follow those impostors, those partisans of ‘J”. How many times they were
threatened by the priests and authorities, in vain!" (The Dissipation of the
Darkness, the Origin of Masonry, pp. 45-47).
·
Hiram Abiud, the King's Counselor, who was the
real founder of ancient Masonry, proposed the name of the association as the
"Mysterious Force." This was his reason:
·
"...It seems that there has been a
hand, a force, secret, mysterious, that punishes us without our being able to
offer resistance. It seems we have lost all our strength to defend our religion
and our existence itself.
·
"Majesty, based on the evidence that
there is no efficacious means of incorporating our ideas, nor firm hope of
attacking that force, undoubtedly mysterious; there is no other oath than to
establish a Mysterious force, similar to that one (to attack mystery with
mystery) (Editor's Note: phrase in brackets is in the original). I
have come to the conclusion that it is our unavoidable duty, unless you have a
better idea to establish an Association of greater power so it may assemble the
Jewish forces threatened by that mysterious force. It is fitting that no one
knows anything about this foundation, its principles and its actions. Only those
whom Your Majesty may choose as founders will know the secret of the
foundation." (p. 43).
A Foolish Apprentice
being initiated in First Degree
·
The nine founders had to take a
horrifying oath :
o
"I, (John Doe, son of John Doe), swear
by God, the Bible and my honor, that, having become a member of nine founders of
the Association, 'The Mysterious force', I bind myself not to betray my
brothers, the members in anything that might harm their persons, nor to betray
anything concerning the decrees of the Association. I bind myself to follow its
principles and to realize what is proposed in the successive decrees approved by
you, the nine founders, with obedience and precision, with zeal and fidelity. I
bind myself to work for an increase in the number of its members. I bind myself
to attack whoever follows the teaching of the Impostor ‘J” and to combat his men
until death. I bind myself not to divulge any of the secrets preserved among us,
the nine; either among outsiders or among the affiliated members.
o
"If I commit perjury and my betrayal is
confirmed in that I have revealed some secret or some article of the decrees
preserved among and our heirs this commission of eight companions will have the
right to kill me by whatever means available." (pp. 51-52).
·
King Agrippa explained the meaning of
instruments and symbols used in Masonry:
o
"You already know that we must make
everyone believe that our Association is very ancient... We will reinforce this
deceit with the use of the instruments of construction that the architect Hiram
utilized in the construction (of the Solomon Temple), such as the Square, the
Compass, the Trowel, the Scales, the Hammer, etc., all of wood as Hiram Abiff had them." (p. 62).
o
"...Every session will be opened by
striking three times consecutively with this hammer; thus we will remember
eternally through centuries, that we have crucified him and with this hammer we
have fixed the nails in his hands and feet, killing him. These three stars you
see symbolize the three nails. Within this "great sign" are the three stars of
David, telling the Jewish people that he is continuing the work of the 9 Masonic
founders.
o
"Within our
Association, we will make degrees, as we have mentioned previously. These will
be thirty-three, symbolizing the age of the impostor. We will give a name to
each degree and we will create other similar symbols. All these things were my
ideas and those of brothers Moab and Hiram. The meaning of these ironic symbols
must not be perceived; it must remain among the nine of us. For the other
brothers or affiliates it is enough to make them see the utilities and
instruments so they may believe that the Association was founded in the times of
Solomon or earlier than this." (p.64).
o
"Any brother can propose a new symbol."
o
"What do you think and observe,
brothers, concerning what I have presented to you?"
o
The six men approved without objection,
everything being recorded. (Note from the Original Manuscript: 6 men and
the three proposers: the King, Moab, and Hiram).
o
Then the King said: "Let us rejoice!
Let us begin the march on the path of triumph! Let us take our first three
steps! Let us strike three times with this victorious hammer, with the symbol of
death for our enemy the Impostor, the symbol of the establishment of our
honorable principles that we fix with the nails of brotherhood and union! Let us
all exclaim with joy: Onward to victory!" (p. 64)
o
During the First Session, the nine
founders also created a new symbol: the apron that symbolized the protection of
the clothing from the mud. This together with the Masonic instruments are to
conceal the true purpose and to assure the affiliates of the antiquity of the
Association. (p. 64).
o
The King-President said: "I, with my
authority as President (and not as King) grant each one of you the 33rd degree,
the highest in our Association. .
. . Since our brother Hiram is orphaned of his father since childhood, knowing
no one other than his widowed mother, I propose to call our Association, "The Widow," asking your approval.
From now on the name of the founders will be "The Sons of the Widow." Each member
of the Association will call himself a son of the widow until the end of time
because we believe that our Association will live until the end of time." (p.
65)
o
(Note: King Agrippa became
blind within five days of the illness of the eyes, then paralyzed, and died
shortly afterward in the year 44. Acts of the Apostles (12:23) reported that the
King was struck by an angel and eaten by worms before he died. Hiram Abiud replaced The King as president of the Association but
disappeared mysteriously and his
body was found eaten by vultures. Desaguliers became mad and died in extreme poverty).
·
Masonry set up the Temple of
Jerusalem and sent heir-descendant of Hiram Abiud to
Rome to establish the two Temples of Rome and of Achaea. After the members of the latter two temples killed
St. Peter and St. Andrew, the Temple of Rome became the presider of all temples in the East. The heir-descendant of
Moab Levy was sent to Russia, that of Adoniram to Gaul
(France) and those of the successor of Abiud to
Germany. The movement initiated by the Mysterious Force did not expand greatly
due to the fear created by its name. Joseph Levy and Abraham Abiud, heir-descendants of Moab Levy and Hiram Abiud, were sent from Russia and Germany to London where
they met John Desaguliers, who was a Protestant with
intense hatred for Catholics. The three agreed on naming the Association Freemasonry on
August 25, 1716. Then on June 24, 1717, they met with the associations of
architects and builders in London and officially launched the Association with
the new name. Since 1717, the temples were changed to lodges.
http://mastermason.org/elpaso/desaguliers.htm
The Rev. John Theophilus Desaguliers LL.D., F.R.S. was born in Rochelle, France. The
son of a Huguenot clergyman, Desaguliers was educated
at ‘J” Church, Oxford. His reputation as a lecturer on experimental philosophy
obtained for him a Fellowship in the English Royal Society. He was the inventor
of the planetarium.
Elected the third Grand Master of England in 1719, Desaguliers was a zealous collector of early masonic manuscripts. Although attributed to Dr. James
Anderson, the General Regulations found in the first edition of the
Constitutions were compiled under his supervision.
Grand
Master, 1719
Deputy Grand
Master, 1723
Deputy Grand
Master, 1725
Grand Lodge of
England
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:
Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert Mackey. p.
276-7.
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/desaguliers_j/desaguliers_j.html
The Rev. John Theophilus Desaguliers
LL.D.,
F.R.S. was born in Rochelle,
France. The son of a Huguenot clergyman, Desaguliers
was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. His reputation as a lecturer on
experimental philosophy obtained for him a Fellowship in the English
Royal Society. He was the inventor of the planetarium.
Elected the third Grand Master of England
in 1719, Desaguliers was a zealous collector of early
masonic manuscripts. Although attributed to
Dr. James Anderson, the General Regulations found in the first edition
of the Constitutions were compiled under his supervision.
Grand Master,
1719
Deputy Grand Master, 1723
Deputy Grand Master, 1725
Grand Lodge
of England
Source: Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert Mackey. p.
276-7.
Grand Master,
United Grand Lodge of England
http://www.quincy26masons.org/01_MAIN%20PAGE/011_ff/ff%20desaguliers.htm
Desaguliers was born March
12th,
The Rev John D Desaguliers became chaplain of a French Huguenot church in
London and there guided the training of his son in classical languages At this
time, Latin was an important scientific language. Later, with the assistance of
his son, then only in his teens, he founded a school at Islington
(London).
After the death of his
father, John Theophilus Desaguliers decided to finish his studies at Oxford, where
he Experimental Philosophy, or Science. He then became Professor of Experimental
Philosophy at Christ's College.
In 1713 he left Oxford for
London, taking spacious apartments and gave scientific lectures in them. The
people of London crowded his quarters, and it became fashionable to see Dr Desaguliers' lectures. The greatest noblemen of his time
honored his courses with their attendance and him with their friendship. He
became one of the most celebrated people in London. Previously natural
philosophers had talked only to their fellows or to students at the
universities. In this radical change, the scientific thinkers of the day began
to discuss their ideas with educated amateurs. They were a kind of rational
entertainment, part of a wider 'polite' culture, and were not a requirement for
any trade or profession. Desaguliers was invited to
give many lectures to the new king, George I and his family. The enthusiasm of
the royal family for natural philosophy was important for two reasons: natural
philosophers needed patrons, and the tastes of the royal family influenced the
fashions of the day.
Dr Desaguliers became Curator of Experiments at the highly
influential Royal Society (founded 1660), and was elected as a Fellow (FRS). He
helped to standardize the courses by publishing a syllabus, and the text of his
lectures. There he met many prominent scientists of the day, including Sir Isaac
Newton. He later translated Newton's Principia into English (it was
written in Latin), patented some scientific inventions, and invented the
planetarium. As an early investigator into electricity he coined the terms
'insulator' and 'conductor' (Later, Ben Franklin coined even more!). He went on
to write many treatises and books on Natural Philosophy, which did much to
disseminate knowledge, and perhaps more importantly to popularize the spirit of
inquiry, as a significant part of The Enlightenment. This put him in good stead
to radically change the course of Freemasonry.
See one of Desaguliers' patents CLICK
On June 24th, 1717 the
United Grand Lodge of England was formed by the combination of four influential
lodges. Desaguliers became its third Grand Master in
1719, giving him an unparalleled opportunity to influence
Freemasonry.
Desaguliers was a man of
liberal thought who did not want Masonic membership restricted only to
Christians. It is probable that the required 'belief in a single God'
requirement was a compromise between the conservatives and the freethinkers.
Desaguliers was no stranger to religious bigotry,
since his family had to flee France upon the repeal of the Edict of Nantes. He
took a liberal standpoint from that of the Church of England establishment,
which was not originally in favor of Freemasonry. Masons in later Revolutionary
France went one step further and discarded the 'belief in a single God'
requirement, thus causing a rift between the Grand Orient and the
UGLE.
There is no question that
Desaguliers had an extraordinary influence upon the
early years of the formation of modern Freemasonry. We know he visited Europe,
and encouraged the formation of Freemasonry there. In 1731, Francis, Duke of
Lorraine (later Emperor Francis I of the Holy Roman Empire), and husband of
Maria Theresa of Austria, was initiated as an Entered Apprentice and passed to
the degree of Fellow Craft in a Lodge held at the house of the British
Ambassador at The Hague. Dr Desaguliers was among
those present.
In 1721 the Scots clergyman
James Anderson was given the task of compiling a book about the codes and
regulations of Freemasonry. In that year Lodges from outside London began to
join the London Grand Lodge. With the help of Desaguliers and George Payne, Anderson published in 1723
The Constitutions of the Freemasons… being the History, Charges and
Regulations… This book was a definitive statement of the Constitution for
Freemasonry, derived from a compilation of the old manuscripts of Constitutions
of existing Freemasons' Lodges.
The noted Scots Masonic
historian Murray Lyon (died 1903), described Desaguliers as the "co-fabricator and pioneer of the system
of symbolical masonry." Certainly Desaguliers was just
about the most influential Mason of the period, serving as Grand Master in 1719,
and Deputy Grand Master in 1722 and 1726. This was the period in which the third
degree was introduced into the ceremony of the Grand Lodge. It is highly likely
that Desaguliers and his Masonic friends in the Royal
Society were prime movers. Certainly, nothing could have been introduced without
their approval. The Craft changed dramatically during the time that Desaguliers was active. The original Grand Lodge, as far as
we can tell, was little more than an annual assembly for a feast or festival.
The Desaguliers era saw the introduction of the
keeping of minutes, an improvement in administration, and the introduction of
the third degree. This was
entirely in keeping with his organizational propensities.
We do not know much about
the later years of this illustrious Freemason. One report has it that misfortune
overtook him, and that sorrow and poverty were his fate. James Cawthorn, in a poem, entitled the "Vanity of Human
Enjoyments" (Poems, 1771), indicates that he was in needy circumstances at the
time of his death:
"How poor, neglected Desaguliers fell;
How he who taught two gracious
kings*to view
All
Boyle* ennobled and
all Bacon*knew,
Died,
in a cell without a friend to save.
Without a guinea*, and without a
grave."
If this is true, it is the
height of irony that one of our most important Freemasons should have died
without relief. Whatever the case, his legacy to Freemasonry across the world
was profound and lasting.
* King George I
and King George II. (Although King George II was less interested in scientific
inquiry than George I and George III).
* Robert Boyle was a noted scientist of the time. High school
students nowadays learn Boyle's Law concerning the behavior of
gases.
*Francis Bacon
was a polymath from the 17th century: a scientist, philosopher, and
(some say) the true writer of Shakespeare's works.
* Guinea. A gold coin of high value. It was exchangeable for
the sum of one pound sterling and one shilling, or one and 1/20 pounds. Even
long after it had ceased to be coined, the sum of 'one guinea' long persisted in
England (up to decimalization in the 1960s). In the world of the well-to-do,
tailors' and physicians' bills were usually in
guineas.
A. D. 1720 . . . . . . . . No. 430
Heating by Steam for various Manufacturing
Purposes
DESAGULIER, NIBLETT, AND VREEM'S PATENT
GEORGE, by the grace of god, &c., to all whom these presents shall
come, greeting.
(surely GEORGE
PAYNE!)
WHEREAS our trusty and wellbeloved John Theophilus Desaguliers, Doctor of Laws, Daniel Niblet, Coppersmith, William Vreem, Instrument Maker, have, by their petition, humbly
represented unto us, that they by their great expense, labor and study, found
out a new Invention
"for
making the steam and vapor of boiling liquids useful for many purposes, and
particularly for drying malt, hop, starch, and other humid substances, and for
baking, brewing, distilling, boiling, and making of salt, better and with a less
quantity of fire, without mixing the fiery particles with the several substances
so much as in the way commonly used, by which Invention several works may be
effected without danger, such as drying gum powder, boiling pitch, tarr, oils, varnishes, wax, tallow, sugar, and extracting
spirits from turpentine and other inflammable liquors, which, according to the
common way, are apt to set houses on fire, and often prove a very bad
consequence in great cities;"
and humbly pray us to grant them, that the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem,
our Royal Letters Patent for the sole use and benefit of the said Invention for
the space of fourteen years, according to the statute in that case made and
provided.
NOW KNOW YEE, that we, being willing to
give encouragement to all arts and Inventions which may be of public use and
benefit, of our especial grace, certain knowledge and meer motion, have given and granted, and by these presents,
for us, our heirs and successors, do give and grant unto the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem,
there and ever of there executors, administrators, and assignes, especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that they the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet, and
William Vreem their and every of their executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by himself and themselves, or by
his or their duty or duties servants and agents, or such others as they, the
said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet, and
William Vreem their and every of their executors,
administrators, and assigns, shall at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all time during the term of years here and expressed, shall
and lawfully may exercise, work use and enjoy, within that part of our kingdom
of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales, and town
Berwick-upon-Tweed, the said new Invention for making the steam and vapor of
boiling liquors useful for the purposes aforesaid, as above described, and that
they, the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet, and
William Vreem their and every of their executors,
administrators, and assigns, shall and may have and enjoy the whole profit,
benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing,
and arising by reason of the said Invention, for enduring the full term of years
herein mention, to have , hold, exercise, and enjoy the said license, powers,
privileges, and advantages herein-before granted, were mentioned to be granted,
unto the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet, and
William Vreem their and every of their executors,
administrators, and assigns, for enduring and unto the full and term of fourteen
years from the day of the date of these presents next and immediately ensuing,
and fully to be complete and ended according to the statue in such case made and
provided; and to end that the said John Theophilus
Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet,
and William Vreem there and every of there executors,
administrators, and assigns, may have and enjoy the full benefit , and sole use
and exercise of the said Invention according to our gracious intention
herein-before declared , we do by these presents, for us, our heirs and
successors, require and strictly command all and every person and persons,
bodies politic and corporate, and all other our subjects whatsoever, of what
estate, quality and degree, name and condition soever
they be, within that part of our said kingdom of Great Britain called England,
our dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, that neither they nor any
of them at any time during the continuance of the said term of fourteen years
hereby granted, either directly or indirectly, do make, use, or put in practice
the said Invention, or any part of the same so attained unto by the said John
Theophilus Desaguliers,
Daniel Niblet, and William Vreem, aforesaid, nor shall in anywise counterfeit, imitate,
or resemble the same nor shall make or cause any addition thereunto or
subtraction from the same, whereby to pretend himself or themselves inventor or
inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, without the license, consent, or
agreement of the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet, and
William Vreem their and every of their executors,
administrators, and assigns, in writing under their hand and seals first had and
obtain in that behalf, upon such pains and penalties as can or maybe justly
inflicted on such offenders, for their contempt of this our royal command, and
further, to be answerable the said John Theophilus
Desaguliers, Daniel Niblet,
and William Vreem their and every of their executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, according to law, for their
damage thereby occasion; and more over, we do be these presents, for us, our
heirs and successors, will and command all and singular our justices of the
piece, mayors, sheriffs, bailiffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers
whatsoever of us, our heirs and successors, for the time being, that they or any
of them do not nor shall at anytime hereafter during the said term hereby
granted , in anywise molest trouble, or hinder the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem
their and every of their executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of them,
their or any of their deputies, servants, or agents, in or about the due or
lawful making use or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or any thing thereto;
provided always, and these our Letters Patents are and shall be upon this
condition, that if at any time during the said term hereby granted, shall be
made appear to us, our heirs or successors, or any six or more of our or their
Privy council, that this our grant is contrary to law or prejudicial or
inconvenient to our subjects in general, or that the said Invention is not a new
Invention, as to the public use or exercise thereof within that part of our said
kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales, and town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, or not invented or found out by the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem,
some or one of them as aforesaid , then, upon signification and declaration
thereof , to be made by us, out heirs or successors under our or their signet or
privy seal or by the lords and others of our or there Privy Council, or any six
or more of them, under their hand, these out letter patents shall forward the
cease, determine, or be utterly void to all intensive purposes, anything herein
-before contained to the contrary notwithstanding; provided also, that these our
Letters Patent, or any thing herein contained , shall not extend, or be
construed to extend, to give privilege to the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem
their and every of their executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of them
, to use or imitate any Invention or work whatsoever which hath heretofore be
found out or invented by any other our subject whatsoever , and publicly used or
exercised within that part of our said kingdom of Great Britain called England,
our dominion of Wales or town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, unto whom like letter
patent and privilege have been already granted for the sole use, exercise, and
benefit thereof, it being our will and pleasure that the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem
their and every of their executors, administrators, and assigns, that these our
Letters Patent , or the enrollment there of, shall be in and by all things,
good, firm, valid, sufficient, and effectual in the law, according to the intent
and meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adjudged in the most
favorable and beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said John Theophilus Desaguliers, Daniel
Niblet, and William Vreem
their and every of their executors, administrators, and assigns, as well in all
courts of records as else where, and by all and singular the officers and
minister what so ever of us, our heir and successors, within that part of our
said kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales, and town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and amongst all and every the subjects of us, our heir and
successors , whatsoever and wheresoever,
notwithstanding, the not full and certain describing the nature or quality of
the said Invention, or of the materials there to conducing or belonging
.
In
witness, &c. Witness our selfe, at Westminster,
the Twenty-fifth day of June. [1720]
By Writt of Privy Seal.
Soon after the formation of the London Grand
Lodge its second Grand Master, George Payne, collected many manuscripts on the
subject, including copies of the Ancient Charges. It was decided to publish the
Book of Constitutions in 1720 but, at that time, many old manuscripts were burn
to prevent them to fall in the hands of a fraction known as the "moderns". In
1724 the then Grand Master, the Duke of Richmond, established the first
Committee of Charity to provide a fund to help needy Masons.
In 1727 the Office of Provincial Grand Master
was created to run secondary centres of administration
and its first Grand Masters for North Wales and South Wales were nominated. Also
in 1727 the first warrants were given to oversee lodges in Gibraltar and Madrid
and from 1728 many lodges opened in the British Colonies, in the USA and in many
foreign countries. By 1733 fifty-three lodges were affiliated to the London
Grand Lodge and in
Dr. Desaguliers,
through his friendship with Isaac Newton, attracted many well-known people to
the Craft. Dr. Desaguliers, the son of Huguenot
refugees, was a typical speculative Mason committed to the ideal of tolerance.
He was also what is called a "physicist" interested in the study of the "Hidden
mysteries of Nature and Science" who attracted many members and fellows of the
Royal Society. After him, at least twelve other Grand Masters were Fellows of
the Royal Society, and many others were Grand Officers. After 1720 all the Grand
Masters were nobles or of royal rank.
In the eighteenth century communications were
difficult and it was not easy to administer the provincial lodges. Provincial
Grand lodges were created to solve this problem and their statute was defined in
1813. They were mainly responsible for creating new lodges in their province in
Great Britain, and in the British Colonies and Possessions. In the foreign
countries independent Grand Lodges were created.
Although there were many early operative
lodges in Scotland, the first Grand Lodge dates from 1736 when four lodges got
together on 30 November, and William St Clair was elected Grand Master Mason of
Scotland. Operative Masons remained powerful much longer than in England, new
lodges were slow to come, and serious internal dissension between operative and
speculative Masons did not help. In 1743 Canongate
Kilwinning Lodge left the Grand Lodge of Scotland and
remained outside for seventy years during which it chartered lodges in Scotland
and in North America. It was also directly involved in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, even if most lodges did not got
involved in politics. One of the most famous Scottish Masons of that time was
Robert Burns.
The "Modern" Grand Lodge increased in
strength too. William Preston published his "Illustration of Masonry" in 1772
that confirmed the supremacy of the Craft over the fight between the two English
Grand Lodges that were, however, good examples of tolerance and harmony. In
Protestant England they were among the few national organisations run, from time to time, by Catholic Grand
Masters. At the close of the eighteenth century Freemasonry was seen by the
public as dedicated to benevolence and the moral good. The Craft was also
non-political and the American Revolution had little effect on it, in contrary
to what happened with the French Revolution of 1789. Initially the French
Revolution was greeted with sympathy in England. The elimination of an
absolutist tyranny, to be replaced by a constitutional monarchy and an elected
government, were well accepted, but the "Terror" changed everything. Freemasonry
was blamed for its part in releasing this violence, although there were no proof
of any kind of interference. On the contrary English Freemasonry, which was run
by Royal Grand Masters since 1782, was far from being a subversive organisation. In order to heal the trauma due to the
implications of the French Revolution, both English organisations worked together from
The Duke was politically and religiously
tolerant in this age of bigotry. He supported Catholic emancipation and was
friendly with the Jews. He reorganised the Craft and
the Royal Arch so that they would be universal, and open to men of all faiths.
The revised Craft of 1814-16 and the revised Royal Arch of 1834-35 were de-Christianised by removing all Christian references from both
rituals. As a result, it was easier for non-Christians to enrol in the Craft, and Freemasonry could proclaim that,
while supporting religion, it was not supporting any in particular; in other
words, Freemasonry was not a religion.
This revision changed also the nature of the
English Freemasonry. In the eighteenth century the rituals had been a mean to
gain admission into a social society. The New Rituals, based on the three
Masonic Principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, emphasised the centrality of God in human existence, and
they became the basis of Freemasonry and not only entrance ceremonies to a
social club. In this way, Freemasonry, rooted in morality and religion, expanded
rapidly through the whole world at a rate unthinkable by the early nineteenth
century authors of the revised rituals.
The Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland
followed closely the events that led to the United Grand Lodge of England and,
while independent of each other, maintained close contacts between them. They
all became part of the social environment. Freemasonry grew again during the
Industrial Revolution. The new ideas that it generated created problems to most
social organisations, with the exception of
Freemasonry. The Craft, due to its unchanging basic principles, continued to
offer to its members coming from all ways of life, but equal in their lodges, a
place for polite discussion.
The first Grand Lodge in the world was
founded in London in 1717. It was not, however, until 1730, the year in which
Prichard’s "Masonry Dissected" was published, that new ceremonials and esoteric
rituals were made available in written form to all the lodges to replace the old
ones of pre-1700. The first Grand Lodge was at the base of the spectacular
growth of Freemasonry in the following years.
The four lodges met on St John’s Day in 1717
with the oldest Lodge Master in the chair; they decided to hold quarterly
meetings –known as Quarterly Communication- and an early General Assembly and
Feast when the next Grand Master would be elected. The first Grand Lodge
restricted its jurisdiction to London and Westminster following the practise of the London Company of Masons. The "four old
lodges" believed that their existence was going back in the long past, and they
did not take into consideration the fact that new lodges could have been created
since. And some had come to life outside and inside the first Grand Lodge
jurisdiction and their members were also regular Masons. They were individually
independent and would not accept any outside jurisdiction, although they greeted
visiting Masons from other lodges. From the start the first Grand Lodge met
their opposition. The first Grand Lodge succeeded, however, to bring many London
and country lodges under its jurisdiction, and it also created new ones. The
Grand Lodge grew very fast and extended its jurisdiction outside London (64
loges in 1725) to become, finally, a national organisation.
In 1724 the Old Lodge of York organised itself into a Grand lodge and Ireland and Scotland
followed in 1725 and 1736. Many military lodges came into existence and they met
where the regiment was at the time.
Dr. James Anderson edited the first
Constitutions of the first Grand Lodge in 1723. It was based on the Old MS.
Charges of the fourteenth –or earlier- century. The title "Constitutions" was
used by the London Company of Masons to describe their copies of the Old
Charges. The Old MS. Charges brought Masonry, or Geometry, from the children of
Lamech to Solomon and, through a long way, to England.
Anderson traces the origin of Masonry to Adam who taught geometry to Cain so
that he could build a city. From there, it went down to Noah and his son, and to
Moses. He derives all civilised architecture from
Solomon’s Temple and traces sciences’ progress from Greece, to Sicily, and
finally, to Rome. Art was lost in England when the Romans left but Charles
Martel brought it back from France after the Saxon invasion. Anderson states
that his history comes from the general records of the Craft and their faithful
traditions. In fact, he drew most of it from the Bible and older writers,
including Cooke. Anderson issued a new version of the Constitutions in 1738 and
this was revised completely by John Entick in 1756.
Anderson’s Constitutions have had a large influence on world Masonry. The first
Irish Constitutions of 1730 was based on Anderson’ and the American borrowed
fully his text for their own use.
In 1717 there were only four lodges
affiliated to the Grand Lodge, but many more existed outside its jurisdiction.
It was difficult, if not impossible, for these other lodges to join, and the new
ones created later on found the same difficulties, since there was no rules
stating how this should be done. The second Grand Master, George Payne, had the
necessary rules adopted and incorporated in the Constitutions. From then on new
lodges knew how to join and old ones could, if they wanted, regularise their position with the Grand Lodge and many did.
However many old lodges, operative and speculative, refused to join. As an
example we can mention the old lodge of York which, not only refused to
affiliate, but also declared itself in 1725 to be "the Grand Lodge of All
England held at York". It became dormant in 1740, was revived in 1761, and
disappeared in 1792.
The first reference to a Jewish Mason in
England dates from 1732 and refers to Daniel Delvalle
or Dalvalle, a Master of the Cheapside lodge. There is also a reference of 1658
concerning the arrival at Newport, Rhode Island, USA, of fifteen Jewish families
of Dutch origin bringing with them the three first degrees of Masonry and
working them until 1742. There are many doubts concerning this story as no
speculative Masonry existed in Holland until the eighteenth
century.
Freemasonry from Harpers's
Encyclopaedia of Mystical & Paranormal Experience
© 1991 by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
http://www.gaiaguys.net/Freemasons-Harpers.htm
The secret and fraternal
organizations believed descended from the craft guilds of the stonemasons. These
groups, open to membership by men only, represent no single religion or ideology
but instead try to foster spiritual development and fraternal charity among all
classes and creeds. Also called the Brotherhood or the Craft, the orders provide
a network for business, professional, and social success and advancement. The
term "Freemasonry" often is shortened to "Masonry."
History and
Legend
Architects and
builder-craftsmen have always occupied a place of honor in society, dating back
to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Building symbolizes creation, the raising of
an edifice in which to glorify and worship gods and humankind, and correlates to
the improvement of the body and mind as a temple for the soul.
Perhaps no building in all
of history so exemplifies this idea as King Solomon's temple in ancient Israel.
The legends of the temple form the cornerstone of Masonry's founding; but in
order to remove any direct references to Judaism or Christianity, the story
concentrates on Hiram Abiff, the architect and builder
assigned to the construction.
In 1 Kings 7:13-45, the Bible tells that Hiram, King of
Tyre, sent Solomon a man named Hiram who was highly
skilled in bronze work to make all the pillars, vessels, and other decorations
necessary for the temple, which he accomplished. The account is repeated in 2
Chronicles 2:13, but Hiram's tablets are here expanded to include work In gold,
silver, iron, wood, engraving, and fabrics. The biblical references to Hiram end
here, but the Freemasons have Hiram murdered at the hands of three of his
workmen when he would not reveal the secret Word of God hidden in the temple
structure. In ritual Masons "die"
as Hiram Abiff died, and are reborn in the spiritual
bonds of Freemasonry.
Philosopher Manly P. Hall
compared the Hiramic legend to the worship of Isis and
Osiris in the ancient Egyptian mystery schools,
another reputed source for Freemasonry. Osiris also
fell victim to ruffians, and the resurrection of his body minus his phallus -
and Isis's search for it - seems symbolically similar to the quest for the Lost
Word of God. Followers of the Isis cult were known as "widow's sons," after the
murder of her husband/brother Osiris, and Masons also are called "sons of the
widow."
Followers of Sufic mysticism believe that the builders of King Solomon's
temple were really Sufi architects incorporating the holy words of God in
numerical equivalents expressed in temple measurements, making Freemasonry
Arabic in origin. According to this view, the Saxon King Aethelstan (A.D. 894-939) introduced Masonry to England
after learning of it from the Spanish Moors.
None of these theories or
legends can be proven. Most Masonic scholars trace the Craft's history to the
development of medieval stonemason craft guilds, The skilled stonemasons, few in
number, traveled from town to town and were commissioned by local clergy to
build churches and cathedrals. In order to guard their knowledge, the masons
organized into guilds, complete with passwords, rules of procedure, payment and
advancement, and religious devotion.
How or why the stonemasons'
craft guilds attracted unskilled, or speculative members remains a mystery.
Speculative members were those men, usually of a higher class than the
craftsmen, who were interested in the pursuits of spiritual wisdom, philosophy,
and often the occult, with no knowledge of
stonemasonry. Perhaps the lodge provided cover for more esoteric activities, but
most likely hid the members' radical penchant for political and religious
reform.
Most Masonic historians
consider Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), astrologer,
solicitor, officer of the court of Charles II, and antiquarian, to be the first
important nonoperative Freemason in England. For years
Ashmole had dabbled in alchemy, Rosicrucian
philosophy, and the Kabbalah, and counted as friends
Francis Bacon and other founders of what became the Royal Society. Ashmole's diary records his initiation into Masonry in
October 1646, by which time the English lodges were so crowded with honorary, or
Accepted Masons that few claimed even one skilled craftsman as a
member.
By the eighteenth century,
nearly every pub in England and Scotland hosted a Masonic lodge. To establish
preeminence for the English lodges and standardize ritual, four London lodges
merged in 1717 into the Grand Lodge of England, with Anthony Sayer as the first Grand Master. George Payne replaced Sayer the next year, followed by the Rev. John Theophilus Desaguliers as Grand
Master in 1719. Desaguliers, a lawyer, Fellow of the
Royal Society, and chaplain to Frederick, Prince of Wales, helped not only
organize the Grand Lodge but used his considerable influence to spread the Craft
worldwide, especially to his French homeland.
Between 1751 and 1753,
Scots and Irish Freemasons unaffiliated with the Grand Lodge formed the Antient Grand Lodge, competing directly with the Grand Lodge
"Moderns" for participating lodges. Both groups became the United Grand Lodge of
England in 1813, which exists today.
Beliefs and
Symbols
Speculative Masonry inherited seven
fundamental principles from the craft guilds: (1) an organization of three
grades, called Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason; (2) a unit
called a lodge; (3) rules of secrecy; (4) methods of member recognition; (5)
histories of the craft contained in approximately one hundred manuscripts called
the Old Charges, particularly the Regis Manuscript of 1390; (6) a
tradition of fraternal and benevolent relations among members; and (7) a
thorough Christian grounding.
By 1723 all references to Christianity had been removed with
the publication of the Freemasonic Constitutions, instead requiring members to
believe in God but allowing personal choice of religion. God - or whatever
Supreme Being - became known as "The
Great Architect of the Universe": T.G.A.O.T.U.
As there are three degrees
in Craft Masonry, also known as the
Blue Lodge, the number' three plays a very important part in all Masonic
ritual. Hiram Abiff's three murderers symbolize
thought, desire, and action, which each Masonic candidate strives to
transmute into spiritual thought, constructive emotion, and labor. Petitioners
are called "rough ashlars," or uncut stones, which become the building blocks of
the temple.
Speculative Masonry borrowed the tools of the
craft as symbols of the order: the square, compass, plumb line, and level.
Members wear white leather aprons associated with builders. Ritual colors are
blue and gold. The capital letter G appearing in the Masonic compass most likely
stands for God. Meetings are held in Lodges or Temples: four-sided rectangular
structures decorated with Masonic symbols and black-and-white checkered floors,
symbolic of humankind's dual nature.
Another Masonic emblem is the Great Pyramid
of Giza, always shown with seventy-two stones
representing the seventy-two combinations of the Tetragrammaton, or the four-lettered name of God
(YHVH) in Hebrew. The pyramid is flat-topped,
unfinished, symbolizing humankind's incomplete nature. Floating above the
pyramid is the single All-Seeing Eye of the Great Architect, also associated
with Horus, son of Isis and Osiris. Both the pyramid and the All-Seeing Eye appear on
the United States dollar bill and the reverse of the Great Seal of the United
States.
With the formation of the
Antient Grand Lodge, a fourth degree called the Holy
Royal Arch was added. After the merger in 1813, the Holy Royal Arch became an
extension to the Master Mason's degree, a position to which candidates were
"exalted." The Holy Royal Arch signifies complete regeneration from death and
the high degree of consciousness possible from an intense, spiritual life and
oneness with the Great Architect. Members with the Holy Royal Arch degree no
longer belong to the Lodge but to a Chapter, overseen by a Grand Chapter. Only
Master Masons may receive this rank.
Many of these rites passed
quickly into oblivion, but not all. Thirty higher degrees, representing more
spiritual and esoteric understanding, became the Antient and Accepted Rite of the Thirty-Third Degree.
Philosopher Manly P. Hall, who himself achieved the Thirty-Third Degree,
compares the ascension to the Higher Degrees to "passing beyond the veil" to
true mystic union with God.
Only Master Masons may
strive for these "perfected" states, and not every Mason even knows of their
existence outside the Craft. Higher Degrees are administered by a Supreme
Council, made up of members with the Thirty-Third degree, denoted 33°, the most
senior Supreme Council is located in Charleston, South Carolina. In the United
States, candidates receive each degree individually in an initiation ceremony,
whereas in Great Britain 4° through 17° are conferred with 18°; 19° through 29°
with 30°, and 31°, 32° and 33° awarded singly.
The Higher Degrees, in
order, are: (4) Secret Master; (5) Perfect Master; (6) Intimate Secretary; (7)
Provost and Judge; (8) Intendant of the Building; (9)
Elect of Nine; (10) Elect of Fifteen; (11) Sublime Elect; (12) Grand Master
Architect; (13) Royal Arch of Enoch; (14) Scottish Knight of Perfection; (15)
Knight of the Sword, or of the East; (18) Prince of Jerusalem; (17) Knight of
the East and West; (18) Knight of the Pelican and Eagle Sovereign Prince Rose
Croix of Heredom; (19) Grand Pontiff; (20) Venerable
Grand Master; (21) Patriarch Noachite; (22) Prince of
Libanus; (23) Chief of the Tabernacle; Prince of the
Tabernacle; (25) Knight of the Brazen Serpent; (26) Prince of Mercy; (27)
Commander of the Temple; (28) Knight of the Sun; (29) Knight of St. Andrew; (30)
Grand Elected Knight Kadosh Knight of the Black and
White Eagle; (31) Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander; (32) Sublime Prince of
the Royal Secret; and (33) Grand Inspector General.
Fame and
Infamy
Many readers of the above
list might liken the Brotherhood to an elaborate fraternity, blessed with an
abundance of mystical offices. But the Roman Catholic church and some other
Christian faiths take Freemasonry's hermetic side very seriously and outlaw its
practice among church members.
The Vatican issued its
first papal condemnation of Freemasonry in 1738, and by 1917 decreed that anyone
joining a Masonic organization was excommunicated. Many Catholics, including
Vatican prelates, had joined Masonic lodges in the beginning. Many church
officials continue to look the other way, especially in England, home of most
European Masons. The Greek Orthodox church officially condemned Freemasonry in
1933, calling it a system reminiscent of heathen mystery religions.
S. R. Parchment, author of
Operative Masonry and founder of the Rosicrucian Anthroposophic League, stated in no uncertain terms that
Masons believe in the potential of Christ in each man, but not in Jesus as the
Son of God. Even the Anglican vicar and Masonic apologist Vindex called Freemasonry the embodiment of all religious
systems and ancient mysteries, not the Christian organization inherited from the
guilds. Of course, many Masons are not Christians.
Stephen Knight, author of
The Brotherhood, claims that during ritual ceremonies for the Holy Royal Arch
exaltation, candidates learn the Lost Name or Word of God, said to be "Jahbulon." Knight maintains that most Masons do not realize
the significance of the name, which he defines as a combination of three names:
Jah, for the Hebrew god Yahweh; Bul, the ancient Canaanite fertility god Baal and devil; and
On, for Osiris, the Egyptian god of the
underworld.
It is impossible, however,
to besmirch the characters of so many illustrious Freemasons with devil worship.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a Mason, and probably Christopher Wren, architect of
St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi also
professed Freemasonry.
Those who believe the
United States is a nation destined to rise and prosper ascribe the country's
founding as proof of spiritual intervention via the Craft, noting that eight
signatories of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin and
John Hancock, were Masons. George Washington became a Freemason in 1752, but
declined to assume control of all Masonry in the United States. As a result each
state has a Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter.
The Marquis de Lafayette,
who joined Washington during the revolution and ardently supported the American
cause, was also a Mason, as were sixteen other presidents: Madison, Monroe,
Jackson, Polk, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Garfield, McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt,
Taft, Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Ford, and Reagan.
Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Democrat Adlai Stevenson were also "widow's
sons."
In England royalty has
joined Freemasonry since the beginning, with the King as Grand Patron, although
a woman, Queen Elizabeth II, serves as Grand Patroness. Winston Churchill was a
Freemason. British Masonry functions much like old school ties, with the
Brotherhood strong in the fields of law, jurisprudence, police, government, and
the armed forces.
Sources: Foster Bailey.
The Spirit of Masonry. London: Lucis Press
Ltd., 1957; Keith Grim, general ed. Abingdon Dictionary of Living
Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1981; R. A. Gilbert. "Freemasonry
& The Hermetic Tradition." Gnosis no. 6 (Winter 1988): 24-27; Manly
P. Hall. Freemasonry of the Ancient Egyptians. 1937. Los Angeles:
Philosophical Research Society, 1973; Manly P. Hall. The Lost Keys of
Freemasonry. 1923. Richmond, VA: MaCoy Publishing
and Masonic Supply Company, 1976; Manly P. Hall. Masonic Orders of
Fraternity. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, 1950; Manly P.
Hall. The Secret Destiny of America. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research
Society, 1944; Stephen Knight. The Brotherhood: The Secret World of the
Freemasons. New York: Stein & Day, 1984; S. R. Parchment. Operative
Masonry. San Francisco: Rosicrucian Fellowship, 1930; Henry Sadler.
Masonic Facts and Fictions. 1887. Wellingborough, Northamptonshire,
England: The Aquarian Press, 1985; Idries Shah. The
Sufis. Garden City, NY: Anchor/ Doubleday, 1971; Waiter L. Wilmshurst. The Meaning of Masonry. 1927. 5th ed. New
York: Bell Publishing Co., 1980; Robert Anton Wilson. "The Priory of Sion: Jesus, Freemasons, Extraterrestrials, the Gnomes of Zurich,
Black Israelites and Noon Blue Apples." Gnosis no. 6 (Winter 1988):
30-39.
The First Grand
Lodge |
|
The lodges began to attract men of intellect,
notably Dr. John Theophilus Desaguliers (Grand Master 1719) and other members of
the Royal Society and the aristocracy, (John 2nd Duke of Montagu, the first noble Grand Master 1721) who
changed the Grand Lodge from a simple Feast to a regulatory
body. By 1730 the Grand Lodge had published its
Constitutions (1723);
begun to keep official Minutes (1723); issued an annual engraved List of Regular Lodges (1723); set
up a Charity Committee and Central Charity Fund (1727); held authority
over seventy four Lodges in England and Wales, and had begun to export the
Craft abroad by issuing deputations to form lodges in
Gibraltar and India.
|
OR READ THIS SAME
PAGE IN PORTUGUESE / LEIA ESTA PÁGINA AQUI EM PORTUGUES
