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Article Untitled Page 1 of 1 Article THE MASON'S CONSTITUTIONS. Page 1 of 2 Article THE MASON'S CONSTITUTIONS. Page 1 of 2 →
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Ar00902
23 GREAT QUEEN STREET , W . C .
The Mason's Constitutions.
THE MASON'S CONSTITUTIONS .
Concluded from p 281 . WHO GAVE A CHARGE TO MASONS IN ENGLAND FIRST . St Alban was the first that gave a Charge to Masons in England ( wch was then called Brittain ) for all this Season England stood Void as to any Charge of Masons . In St Albans days Enland or Brittain was in
SnbjeoHon to the Roman Emperours and St Alban was a Worth y Jfj , and thro' his good Conncel Govern ' in the Realm and boilded several Town walls and was Governr over the Work , he loved Masons and did cherish them much , and he made their pay right good as other Realms had done who had learned ye Soience .
For before St Albans time ; in Brittain a Mason had but for his pay one penny p day and his meat : but he advanced And amended the wages and pay of Masons from a penny a clay and meat their Antient pay to two Shillings and Sixpence p Week and three pence . And he also procured a Charter to Masons in England that they might
bold a General meeting & Conncel , and he gave it the Name of an Assembly , and to encourage the Fraternity went to the A ssemblies himself wch was held by Virtne of ye charter which he had procured and did help to make Masons and he Confirmed again all the former Charges and it was Called the sixth Charge given to Masons
by St Alban . Soon after the death of St Alban their Came diverse Warrs into the Realm , and diverse other Nations did inhabit it , So that the good Rule
of Masonry was much deeayd till the time of King Athelstone who was a worthy Kin ? of England and Brought the Land to good rest and peace and did bnild many good works as Abbeys and Sewers and other Buildings and he Loved Masons mnch more than his Father did
THE THIRD PRINCE WHICH WAS MASON . Edwyn or Edgar the Son of Atbelstone was a favourer of Masons above his father he was a great Practiser in Gpometry or Masonry wch drew bim mnch to talk wth Masons and toComnne wth them and to Learn of them Masonry & afterwards for the Love that be Bare
nnto Masons and their Science he was made a Mason and obtain'd of his Father Athelstone a Charter for the Masons in England wch Charter he himself made and Ordaind It should be Renewed from King to King , and a Comission to hold once Every year an Assembl y where they would in any place wtuin the Realm of England wth power
to correct wtkin themselves defaults and Trespasses that were done by Masons against ye science And he also after haver ' ng procured the Charter and Cnmisson held an Assembly at York this was the third and Best Charter that was granted to Masons ; and the Second Assembly of Masons in England ; and being gathered
together be made a Cry or Proclamation after this manner That all Masons both old and young that had any Writeings or Understandings of the Charges , or Manners of Masons that were in this Land or any other that they should shew them forth : Then after tho Proclamation Every Mason that had any snch Writeings did shew
them forth : and there was some found Written in Greek , some in French and some in English and other Languages yet their Intent TO found to be all one . Then Prince ( Edwyn or Edgar ) wth the Best advice of al ! the Masters and Fellows ordained that the Charges
following , wch ( being only a Confirmation of the former Charges again wch were g £ ven Dy Nimrod & c . ) should be Inviolably kept for Ever hereafter and from that day untill this time the Charges and Manners of Masons have been kept in that form , as well as Men might Govern Itt / i
At the some time a Book was Comaiided to be made wherein should be recorded How the Science was first found out and that all the Charges and Manners of Masons sbonld be Written in the same . At the same Assembly likewise it was ordained that when any Mason would be made Tbat the said Book should be read , and told to him , to give him his charge wch he is to keep inviolably w th an Oath to " 8 then administered to him .
THE roR . ii OF rue OATS . ihese charges v / ch -weo now rehearse to yon , and all other the ali n ^ ' ^ ecrets an ( l Mysteries belonging to Free-Masonry , yon snail faithfull y and trnely ' keep together with the Conncel of this
~ „ 'e or Chamber . You shall not for any Gift , Bribe or Reward avouv or Affection directly or Indirectly for any Canse whatsoever Ch'll ° di 8 closo t 0 either Father or Mother Sister or Brother Wife "d friend Relation or Stranger or any other prson whatsoever . So nel P you God yoi- Holy doom and the Contents of this Book .
WHO SHAW , ADMINISTER THE OATH . 'ins ex Senioribus teneat Librum tit ille ve | . illi ponat vol pouan delih " u ^ ^ anns sn P Librum et tunc ptcepta ha > o scqnentia folio ' L ° gi ; then affcer the 0 tUb taken > anc 1 the Book kist the 8 r to J , £ PrCe P and Charges ( wch he or they are or is to keep ) are
m A DM 0 NITION TO THE PARTIE OR PARTIES WHO ARE TO DE MADE MASONS BETOBE THE EEADINO or THE CHARGE . w n that are to be made Masons and charged take good heed
The Mason's Constitutions.
that yon keep these Charges well , w'h an upright faith and Good Conscience according to the Oath yon have taken for it is a great perril for a Man to forswear himself upon tiie Holy Bible . THE CHARGE CALLED PRINCE EDWIN ' CHARGE WCK COMI ' RBHCNOS ALL Y * roRKGOIXG CHARGES .
1 The tirst Charge is yon shall bo true men God and his Holy Church and that you use not countenance or Maintain any Error Faction Schism or Herety in the Church to the Best of yo * undegtandings or Can be Convinced by Discreet or Wise Men's teaching .
2 Secondly . You shall Bear true Allegiauce to yo King wt « out any Treason or Falsehood to him ; And if yon know any Treason or falsehood yon shall not conceal the same Bnt shall thereof forthvvth warne the King and his Councel ; nnd if you know yorself guilty Repent to God privately yorself for that offence #### ^ #####
3 Thirdly . You shall Love and be true to every Mason of the Science of Masonry if he be a Mason Lawfully made and allowed And you shall do to him or them as you would be
done by . 4 Yon shall call Masons yo"" Brethren or ffellows and not Call them by any disgracefull or Ugly names as Slave , Knave , Rogue , & c . to their Discredit .
5 You shall not take yor ffellows Wife to Villany nor Ungodly desire , his Daughter , or his Maid , Nor Covet any thing that is his , Nor put him to any . 6 You shall not take in Hand any Thing to Doe yor Brothers or ffellows nvy wrong .
7 You shall not ( nor any other Mastr or ffellow ) either Directly or Indirectly for any allowance reward or other Consideration whatsoever of yorself or any fewer number than Seven ( wch
number is Term'd a Lodge ) or Six at the Least wth the Consent of a Seventh tho' absent Whose consent must appear undi' his Hand Writing to the Lodge to make any man a ffree-Mason .
8 You shall admitt no prson to be made a ffree mason who is not able in all manner of Degrees ( that is to say ) he shall be free Born Bond man , and to have all his Limbs prfect as a man ought to have . 9 Yon shall not Slander one another Behind bis Back to make him Loose his good name or his Worldly Goods .
10 You shall at all Times receive Strange Masons and ffellows an " Cherish and Relieve them when they come over the Country 8 ( if upon Examination they appear to be ffree-Masons ) and set them on Work as the manner is . If you have no Mold nor Stones at the place where you meet you shall refresh him with Money unto the next Lodge .
11 You shall not make any Mold , Square , or Rule for any that is but a Lewis , a Lewis is such an one as hath served an Apprentiship to a Mason but is not admitted afterwards according to this manner and Custom of Makeing Masons . 12 If any Quarrel or Difference arise amongst Masons or any
Trespasses or Transgressions be Committed by any Mason against y e Science ; Then an Assembly ought to be Called to be held in some Convenient place for the Determining , Redressing , Correcting and amending such Matters and y e parties are to refer themselves wholy to the Judgment of the Assembly and
to sabmitt themselves to the award and Determination whose Award is finall and from w ° h there is no appeal . Bub if the Assembly cannot Determine and agree the Controversie .
Then ( by the Assent and Consent of the Assembly being first asked and Obtain'd ) they may go to Law but yet w tn so much Love one to another y t the Law may . only decide the Cause and not procure any Evil will betwixt them .
13 You must not upon any excuse whatsoever ( unless real Sickness or Disability of Body ) absent yorselves from this Assembly If it be wthin fifty miles , about you if you have a Letter or any other Notice to signifie to you ye time and place where held .
14 You shall not in the Lodge , or wtbout Swear any ungodly Oath or Prophane Gods Sacred name . 15 You shall at all times Chearfully and Bountifully di a ( lI ' I ' Dtlfca yo Charity to the Relief of Poor Sick and distressed fellow Masons .
16 You shall not give any Evil Conncel to one another neither Reprove one another w th out Just Cause . 17 You shall not be a Letcher or Whoretnaster nor be ab any time Bawdy where by the Science may be Slandered . 18 Yon shall not be a Comon player at Cards or Dice or any other vmlawfull game .
19 You shall not be a Comon Drunkard . 20 If you bo in a Town or Corporation where there is a Lodge of Sufficient Fellows you shall not go into the Town on the night time Unless yon have a ffellmv wth you that may bear yon Witness that yon was in an Honest place .
21 Every Mason shall Reverence his Elder and put him to Worship . PRACTISER' S . 22 No Mason tbat practiseth the Science and is a Workman shall take upon him any Lords or other persons work , as Mastr thereof unless he know himself to be of Sufficient skill to perform and End the same , Least the Lord should not
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ar00902
23 GREAT QUEEN STREET , W . C .
The Mason's Constitutions.
THE MASON'S CONSTITUTIONS .
Concluded from p 281 . WHO GAVE A CHARGE TO MASONS IN ENGLAND FIRST . St Alban was the first that gave a Charge to Masons in England ( wch was then called Brittain ) for all this Season England stood Void as to any Charge of Masons . In St Albans days Enland or Brittain was in
SnbjeoHon to the Roman Emperours and St Alban was a Worth y Jfj , and thro' his good Conncel Govern ' in the Realm and boilded several Town walls and was Governr over the Work , he loved Masons and did cherish them much , and he made their pay right good as other Realms had done who had learned ye Soience .
For before St Albans time ; in Brittain a Mason had but for his pay one penny p day and his meat : but he advanced And amended the wages and pay of Masons from a penny a clay and meat their Antient pay to two Shillings and Sixpence p Week and three pence . And he also procured a Charter to Masons in England that they might
bold a General meeting & Conncel , and he gave it the Name of an Assembly , and to encourage the Fraternity went to the A ssemblies himself wch was held by Virtne of ye charter which he had procured and did help to make Masons and he Confirmed again all the former Charges and it was Called the sixth Charge given to Masons
by St Alban . Soon after the death of St Alban their Came diverse Warrs into the Realm , and diverse other Nations did inhabit it , So that the good Rule
of Masonry was much deeayd till the time of King Athelstone who was a worthy Kin ? of England and Brought the Land to good rest and peace and did bnild many good works as Abbeys and Sewers and other Buildings and he Loved Masons mnch more than his Father did
THE THIRD PRINCE WHICH WAS MASON . Edwyn or Edgar the Son of Atbelstone was a favourer of Masons above his father he was a great Practiser in Gpometry or Masonry wch drew bim mnch to talk wth Masons and toComnne wth them and to Learn of them Masonry & afterwards for the Love that be Bare
nnto Masons and their Science he was made a Mason and obtain'd of his Father Athelstone a Charter for the Masons in England wch Charter he himself made and Ordaind It should be Renewed from King to King , and a Comission to hold once Every year an Assembl y where they would in any place wtuin the Realm of England wth power
to correct wtkin themselves defaults and Trespasses that were done by Masons against ye science And he also after haver ' ng procured the Charter and Cnmisson held an Assembly at York this was the third and Best Charter that was granted to Masons ; and the Second Assembly of Masons in England ; and being gathered
together be made a Cry or Proclamation after this manner That all Masons both old and young that had any Writeings or Understandings of the Charges , or Manners of Masons that were in this Land or any other that they should shew them forth : Then after tho Proclamation Every Mason that had any snch Writeings did shew
them forth : and there was some found Written in Greek , some in French and some in English and other Languages yet their Intent TO found to be all one . Then Prince ( Edwyn or Edgar ) wth the Best advice of al ! the Masters and Fellows ordained that the Charges
following , wch ( being only a Confirmation of the former Charges again wch were g £ ven Dy Nimrod & c . ) should be Inviolably kept for Ever hereafter and from that day untill this time the Charges and Manners of Masons have been kept in that form , as well as Men might Govern Itt / i
At the some time a Book was Comaiided to be made wherein should be recorded How the Science was first found out and that all the Charges and Manners of Masons sbonld be Written in the same . At the same Assembly likewise it was ordained that when any Mason would be made Tbat the said Book should be read , and told to him , to give him his charge wch he is to keep inviolably w th an Oath to " 8 then administered to him .
THE roR . ii OF rue OATS . ihese charges v / ch -weo now rehearse to yon , and all other the ali n ^ ' ^ ecrets an ( l Mysteries belonging to Free-Masonry , yon snail faithfull y and trnely ' keep together with the Conncel of this
~ „ 'e or Chamber . You shall not for any Gift , Bribe or Reward avouv or Affection directly or Indirectly for any Canse whatsoever Ch'll ° di 8 closo t 0 either Father or Mother Sister or Brother Wife "d friend Relation or Stranger or any other prson whatsoever . So nel P you God yoi- Holy doom and the Contents of this Book .
WHO SHAW , ADMINISTER THE OATH . 'ins ex Senioribus teneat Librum tit ille ve | . illi ponat vol pouan delih " u ^ ^ anns sn P Librum et tunc ptcepta ha > o scqnentia folio ' L ° gi ; then affcer the 0 tUb taken > anc 1 the Book kist the 8 r to J , £ PrCe P and Charges ( wch he or they are or is to keep ) are
m A DM 0 NITION TO THE PARTIE OR PARTIES WHO ARE TO DE MADE MASONS BETOBE THE EEADINO or THE CHARGE . w n that are to be made Masons and charged take good heed
The Mason's Constitutions.
that yon keep these Charges well , w'h an upright faith and Good Conscience according to the Oath yon have taken for it is a great perril for a Man to forswear himself upon tiie Holy Bible . THE CHARGE CALLED PRINCE EDWIN ' CHARGE WCK COMI ' RBHCNOS ALL Y * roRKGOIXG CHARGES .
1 The tirst Charge is yon shall bo true men God and his Holy Church and that you use not countenance or Maintain any Error Faction Schism or Herety in the Church to the Best of yo * undegtandings or Can be Convinced by Discreet or Wise Men's teaching .
2 Secondly . You shall Bear true Allegiauce to yo King wt « out any Treason or Falsehood to him ; And if yon know any Treason or falsehood yon shall not conceal the same Bnt shall thereof forthvvth warne the King and his Councel ; nnd if you know yorself guilty Repent to God privately yorself for that offence #### ^ #####
3 Thirdly . You shall Love and be true to every Mason of the Science of Masonry if he be a Mason Lawfully made and allowed And you shall do to him or them as you would be
done by . 4 Yon shall call Masons yo"" Brethren or ffellows and not Call them by any disgracefull or Ugly names as Slave , Knave , Rogue , & c . to their Discredit .
5 You shall not take yor ffellows Wife to Villany nor Ungodly desire , his Daughter , or his Maid , Nor Covet any thing that is his , Nor put him to any . 6 You shall not take in Hand any Thing to Doe yor Brothers or ffellows nvy wrong .
7 You shall not ( nor any other Mastr or ffellow ) either Directly or Indirectly for any allowance reward or other Consideration whatsoever of yorself or any fewer number than Seven ( wch
number is Term'd a Lodge ) or Six at the Least wth the Consent of a Seventh tho' absent Whose consent must appear undi' his Hand Writing to the Lodge to make any man a ffree-Mason .
8 You shall admitt no prson to be made a ffree mason who is not able in all manner of Degrees ( that is to say ) he shall be free Born Bond man , and to have all his Limbs prfect as a man ought to have . 9 Yon shall not Slander one another Behind bis Back to make him Loose his good name or his Worldly Goods .
10 You shall at all Times receive Strange Masons and ffellows an " Cherish and Relieve them when they come over the Country 8 ( if upon Examination they appear to be ffree-Masons ) and set them on Work as the manner is . If you have no Mold nor Stones at the place where you meet you shall refresh him with Money unto the next Lodge .
11 You shall not make any Mold , Square , or Rule for any that is but a Lewis , a Lewis is such an one as hath served an Apprentiship to a Mason but is not admitted afterwards according to this manner and Custom of Makeing Masons . 12 If any Quarrel or Difference arise amongst Masons or any
Trespasses or Transgressions be Committed by any Mason against y e Science ; Then an Assembly ought to be Called to be held in some Convenient place for the Determining , Redressing , Correcting and amending such Matters and y e parties are to refer themselves wholy to the Judgment of the Assembly and
to sabmitt themselves to the award and Determination whose Award is finall and from w ° h there is no appeal . Bub if the Assembly cannot Determine and agree the Controversie .
Then ( by the Assent and Consent of the Assembly being first asked and Obtain'd ) they may go to Law but yet w tn so much Love one to another y t the Law may . only decide the Cause and not procure any Evil will betwixt them .
13 You must not upon any excuse whatsoever ( unless real Sickness or Disability of Body ) absent yorselves from this Assembly If it be wthin fifty miles , about you if you have a Letter or any other Notice to signifie to you ye time and place where held .
14 You shall not in the Lodge , or wtbout Swear any ungodly Oath or Prophane Gods Sacred name . 15 You shall at all times Chearfully and Bountifully di a ( lI ' I ' Dtlfca yo Charity to the Relief of Poor Sick and distressed fellow Masons .
16 You shall not give any Evil Conncel to one another neither Reprove one another w th out Just Cause . 17 You shall not be a Letcher or Whoretnaster nor be ab any time Bawdy where by the Science may be Slandered . 18 Yon shall not be a Comon player at Cards or Dice or any other vmlawfull game .
19 You shall not be a Comon Drunkard . 20 If you bo in a Town or Corporation where there is a Lodge of Sufficient Fellows you shall not go into the Town on the night time Unless yon have a ffellmv wth you that may bear yon Witness that yon was in an Honest place .
21 Every Mason shall Reverence his Elder and put him to Worship . PRACTISER' S . 22 No Mason tbat practiseth the Science and is a Workman shall take upon him any Lords or other persons work , as Mastr thereof unless he know himself to be of Sufficient skill to perform and End the same , Least the Lord should not