The Four Old Lodges.

THE FOUR OLD LODGES .

BRO . R . F . GOULD .

( Continued from page 100 . ) PART III . § 22 .

I . The present status of tbe surviving " Old Lodges " having now to be considered , a retrospect of the Legislation of the Craft , so far as it bears upon the compact of 1721 becomes essential . C ) It will be convenient , however , in the first instance , to

examine into the power of amendment actually possessed by the Grand Lodge , together with that which it assumed the right of exercising ' . For this purpose , a comparison between Article XXXIX . of the Old and the New "Regulations respectively , as shown in the Constitution Book for 1738 , will be found useful .

The term " Old " Regulations , was used to denote the rules of the Society as published in 1723 , whilst the expression " New " Regulations was applied to the various alterations that were subsequently made : these ( " Old " and " New " ) are shown in parallel columns in the Constitutions 1738 , from which the following extract is given .

( Dlb Regulations . Jtefo Regulations . XXXIX . —Every annual XXXIX . —On 24 th June 1723 , G . LODGE has an inherent at the Feast , the G . LODGE before Power and Authority to Dinner made this RESOLUTION ; make New Regulations , or that it is not in the Power of any to alter Ihese for tbe real Man or Body of Men to make any Benefit of this Antient Alteration or Innovati n in the

Fraternity , provided always Body of Masonry , without the that thi Old Land Marks consent first obtain'd of the G . be carefully preserved , and LODGE . And on 25 Nov . 1723 , tbflt FBcb New Regulations the G . LODGE in Ample Form and Alterations be pro- resolved , that any G . Lodge dnlv

posed and agreed to at the met has a Paiver to amend or 3 rd Quarterly Commnnifa . explain any of the printed Regulati > n preceding the Annval tions in the Book of Constitutions ; Grand Feast j and that thoy while they break not in upon the be offer'd to the Perusal of Antient Pules of the Fraternity . all the Brethren before But that no Alterations shall be

Dinner in writing even of made in this printed Book of Conthe Yonngest Enter'd stitutions without leave of the 0 . Prentice ; the Approbation Imlge , and Ci nsent of the Majority Accordingly

of all the Brethren present Ml the Aitemt ! ons 01 . N EW being absolutely necessary BBOVIATIONS above written are to make the same ' Binding onl for amendin „ explaining and Obligatory ; which must the 0 lD REGULATIOXS for the Good therefore after Duiuer , and nf M „ „ , „ ,, >> , „„ , K „ i .: „ ;„

after the tow G . Master the Antient me , of tho is install d , be Solemn y Fraternity , Still preserving the desir d 5 ns it was desir d m Land Marl ; s £ nd were n made and obtain d for these Old at Several T ; ag 0 ccasi Regulations when proposed offi ! t , th ( J G ^ m L ODGE ; who by the G . LODGE to about !„ . « . «„ JnWnt . Pnwn ™ r Am 0 nri

150 Brethren at Stationers j wbat m bo tflou „ ht Jncon _ n 1721 P venient > ™* «* lAe Authority of Day lUi . making NEW EEGULATIONS for the

_ , _ Grod of Masonry , without the THE END OF THE OLD consent of all th « BreAwn at the : REGULATIONS . GKAND Annual FEAST . which has not been disputed since the said 24 th June 1823 , for the Members

of the G . LODGE aro truly the Representatives of All the Fraternity , according to OLD EEGUIA - TION X .

II . It should be recollected , that virtually tho contract of 1721 was tripartite , the parties thereto being , 1 . The Four old Lodges . 2 . The Sixteen new Lodges constituted between 1717 and 1721 .

3 . The Masons of London and Westminster . From which it follows , as an obvious corollary , that the TRIPLE sanction was essential to any variation of its terms .

" The Constitutions of 1723 , " says Findel , ( ) " have ever since been regarded as the legal foundation , in fact , of the Fraternity of Freemasons under the form it should , retain in the future .

The Four Old Lodges.

" That the laws and regulations therein contained were really those which were found in the ancient documents , and in use np to that period , the official character of tbe Book of Constitutions itself , as well as tbe repeated assurances of Anderson and Desaguliers , that everything was

retained that was really ancient and authentic in the old Constitutions , is a sufficient security on tbe one hand ; and on the other hand the full and complete investigation of Kloss , who compared them with the old Constitutions themselves , has established it beyond doubt . "

III . A power of subsequent amendment was vested in tbe Grand Lodge , subject to certain well-defined conditions : — 1 . It could be exercised at the Third Quarterly Communication , only , preceding tbe Annual Feast .

2 . The old landmarks were not to be disturbed . 3 . Every proposed alteration was to be submitted in writing to all the brethren , including the youngest Enter'd Prentice .

It will be shown , however , that the Grand Lodge soon proceeded to act , as though its power of amendment was without limitation , and that it possessed ample authority to change , one by one , or altogether , every feature of the Constitution .

IV . —COMPOSITION OF GRAND LODGE . —The Grand Lodge , by the Old Constitutions , could consist only of the Masters and Wardens ( ) of regular Lodges , with the Grand Master and bis Wardens at their head ( ) : and it had been customary even for these officers , at their annual

election , and on other particular occasions , to withdraw , and leave the Masters aud Wardens of the Lodges to consult together , that no undue influence might warp their opinion . ( ) The first innovation upon the usages of the Society , occurred December 27 th , 1720 , when the office of

Deputy Grand Master was established , and the Grand Master was empowered to appoint that officer , together with the two Wardens . The privilege of voting in Grand

Lodge wa-i a few years afterwards extended to Past Grand Masters ( 1724 ) , Past Deputies ( 1726 ) , and Past Grand Wardens ( 1727 ) ; ( ) and was styled by Preston " apeculiar favour . "

The Treasurer and Secretary were gradually admitted to full membership , it not having been settled till 1753 , that the Treasurer " was a Grand Lodge officer , by vertue of his office , and as such to be elected from amongst the brethren who had served the Stewardship . " ( )

Eventually , however , the privilege of voting in Grand Lodge was extended to all Grand Officers , present and past . By old Regulation XIV " . in the absence of the Grand Master and his Deputy , the right of presiding in Graud

Lodge was vested "in the Master of a Lodge , who should be the longest a Freemason , " providing there was no one present who hnd been Grand or Deputy Grand Master , but before 1738 this privilege was transferred to actual or Past Grand Wardens .

26 th Nov . 1728 , N . R . ( New Regulation ) XII . If any Officer ( Master or Wardens ) cannot attend , he may send a Brother of that Lodge ( but not a mere Enter'd Prentice ) with his jewel to supply bis Room , and support the honour of bis Lodge . { )

It has been well observed , that in agreeing to the old Regulations , the single ( private or original ) Lodges , had to sacrifice some of their former independence , which signified the less , as at first the Grand Lodge was composed entirely of representatives from the Lodges . ( )

V . —COMMITTEE OF CHARITY . —On 13 tb December 1733 , the following regulation was made ( 10 ) : —