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Article ON FREEMASONRY. THE NUMBER THREE. ← Page 12 of 16 →
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On Freemasonry. The Number Three.
( Continued from rage 254 . J Alter , Age . —The order of Free and Accepted Masons should consist solely of men of mature age , and it is in accordance to this rule that young men and boys are denied admittance . In the ancient charges of the English Constitution Book , under date 29 th December , 1729 , it is laid down as a rule that no person shall be initiated under 25 years of age . The Lodges of other countries initiate at an earlier period , and the son of a Freemason , called Lewis , is allowed even in England to be initiated much earlier .
By the laws of Prussia no native of that country can be initiated under 2 . 5 years of age , and the Lodges are allowed to make no exception to this rule except travellers from foreign countries . The Lodges in foreign countries , held by warrants from the three grand Lodges in Prussia , are not bound by this law ; but should a young Prussian be initiated in a foreign country , and return unto his native land before he has attained his 25 th year , he is not permitted to visit a Lodge until he has done so . It is always a great pleasure to the order when men
of mature age offer themselves as candidates . —The celebrated Wieland was initiated in his 72 nd year . It is men of mature age and sound judgment alone who can preserve the order in its native purity ; and those Lodges whose officers are careful to act in strict accordance to the laws and to the spirit of Freemasonry , will always have a supply of men of mature age as candidates . In the lectures the question of age occurs , but that refers merely to the degree
wrought upon . In the ancient mysteries , the mystical age ^ of 1 , 3 , 5 , and 7 , refers to so many years of probation . Anderson Jacob ' ' lived in the beginning of the 18 th century , and it is from him that we have the so deservedly celebrated Book of Constitutions of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons . The first part contains the history of the order , and the second contains the charges , rules , laws , duties , & c , & c , together with
an historical account of the origin of the order . Anderson , in the dedication to the then Prince of Wales , calls himself Secretary to the Grand Lodge in London , and states that the work was composed by the command of the Grand Lodge , from its Archives , Traditions , and Lodge-books . The first edition appeared in 1723 , a second in 1738 ; since then various editions have been published , viz ., one by Entick , in 1758 , one in 1776 , one in 1784 , and in lS 06 f one by Northbrokethe latest the second edition
, . To a superior privilege was attached by the Grand Lodge in London , no other Constitution book being allowed in the Lodges but that of Anderson , and no alteration being allowed to be made in it . Although in this work the history of Freemasonry is carried back unto the Creation , yet the valuable information it has been the means of preserving with regard to the duties of a Freemason , the constitution of the order , and the history of the English Lodges , make it a valuable work , and caused it to be hi ghly prized by every Lodge and every Brother . Iw the first edition no mention is made of the formation of the Grand Lodge in London
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. The Number Three.
( Continued from rage 254 . J Alter , Age . —The order of Free and Accepted Masons should consist solely of men of mature age , and it is in accordance to this rule that young men and boys are denied admittance . In the ancient charges of the English Constitution Book , under date 29 th December , 1729 , it is laid down as a rule that no person shall be initiated under 25 years of age . The Lodges of other countries initiate at an earlier period , and the son of a Freemason , called Lewis , is allowed even in England to be initiated much earlier .
By the laws of Prussia no native of that country can be initiated under 2 . 5 years of age , and the Lodges are allowed to make no exception to this rule except travellers from foreign countries . The Lodges in foreign countries , held by warrants from the three grand Lodges in Prussia , are not bound by this law ; but should a young Prussian be initiated in a foreign country , and return unto his native land before he has attained his 25 th year , he is not permitted to visit a Lodge until he has done so . It is always a great pleasure to the order when men
of mature age offer themselves as candidates . —The celebrated Wieland was initiated in his 72 nd year . It is men of mature age and sound judgment alone who can preserve the order in its native purity ; and those Lodges whose officers are careful to act in strict accordance to the laws and to the spirit of Freemasonry , will always have a supply of men of mature age as candidates . In the lectures the question of age occurs , but that refers merely to the degree
wrought upon . In the ancient mysteries , the mystical age ^ of 1 , 3 , 5 , and 7 , refers to so many years of probation . Anderson Jacob ' ' lived in the beginning of the 18 th century , and it is from him that we have the so deservedly celebrated Book of Constitutions of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons . The first part contains the history of the order , and the second contains the charges , rules , laws , duties , & c , & c , together with
an historical account of the origin of the order . Anderson , in the dedication to the then Prince of Wales , calls himself Secretary to the Grand Lodge in London , and states that the work was composed by the command of the Grand Lodge , from its Archives , Traditions , and Lodge-books . The first edition appeared in 1723 , a second in 1738 ; since then various editions have been published , viz ., one by Entick , in 1758 , one in 1776 , one in 1784 , and in lS 06 f one by Northbrokethe latest the second edition
, . To a superior privilege was attached by the Grand Lodge in London , no other Constitution book being allowed in the Lodges but that of Anderson , and no alteration being allowed to be made in it . Although in this work the history of Freemasonry is carried back unto the Creation , yet the valuable information it has been the means of preserving with regard to the duties of a Freemason , the constitution of the order , and the history of the English Lodges , make it a valuable work , and caused it to be hi ghly prized by every Lodge and every Brother . Iw the first edition no mention is made of the formation of the Grand Lodge in London