-
Articles/Ads
Article THE FREEMASONS' LEXICON. ← Page 9 of 12 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Lexicon.
afterwards by a third , by which the meeting was prorogued until Easter 1782 , and finally by a fourth , by which the first day of assembling was definitively fixed for the 16 th July , 1782 . This assembly actually took place on tbe last named day , and consisted of the chief of the Order , Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick , the grand officers of the province , the Grand Priors , ancl the duly constituted deputies of the Grand Scottish Lodges and Prefectures ( this predicate was customary in those times ) .
The chief object of this convention was to acquire a new light upon the real aim of the Order of Freemasonry , at the same time diligently to search into the truth or falsehood of the opinion at that time current , that Freemasonry was a continuation of the Knights Templar order , and if the so called true and genuine secrets of Freemasonry were still to be sought from the unknown yet living high chief of the Knights Templar . After thirty sittings , the assembled brethren finally came
unanimously to the conclusion , that they were not true and genuine successors of the Knights Templar ; antl that as genuine members of the three first symbolical degrees of Freemasonry , they could not be so ; yet they , at the same time , declared that there was incorporated with tbe last degree of their Order historical information on the system of the Knights Templar , and that this information was at the same time like the last flowers strewn upon the grave of this order of knihthood
g , which had become as celebrated through its deeds as through its misfortunes . Finally , the noble Grand Master closed the assembly with a discourse , from which we will introduce the last words : — " If they must give an answer to the apprentices , craftsmen , and even brethren of the higher degrees , when they are asked by them how they may attain a
knowledge of the true secrets of Freemasonry ; then they must answer confidently and without fear of erring , that going through high degrees and dignities in the Order give them no right to know , if they have not proved themselves worthy by every means in their power , and under all circumstances in which they may have been placed to receive the same ; that those , ancl those only , who have purified their souls from vices and failings which they have probably been inadvertently induced to commit without their own knowledge ; that those only who have diligentl
y wrought their own rough ashler , who have conscienciously endeavoured to obtain a thorough knowledge of themselves , who have zealously endeavoured to improve the talents with which God has blessed them , who have given proofs that they have exercised those talents to promote the welfare of themselves and their fellow-men ; that those only are worthy to participate in this knowledge , and that without having done so , it would in all probability be a great misfortune to them to press forward
their claims to participate therein . " Winkel oder undchte Logon . Clandestine or unwarranted Lodges . —Some years ago there were a number of those so called lodges , but there are none at present . Clandestine lodges are such as have been formed by avaricious Freemasons , who take money from those people who can have no idea of the difference between warranted ancl unwarranted lodges . They were not warranted by any Grand Lodgeand
, endeavoured as much as possible to conceal their existence from the Grand Lodges ; their founders formed a ritual from their memories , and by this ritual they made so called Freemasons , but as they coulcl not legitimize themselves for want of certificates and proper information , they were unable to gain admission into any worthy and warranted lodge . Since the lodges have been formed into unions , working under
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Lexicon.
afterwards by a third , by which the meeting was prorogued until Easter 1782 , and finally by a fourth , by which the first day of assembling was definitively fixed for the 16 th July , 1782 . This assembly actually took place on tbe last named day , and consisted of the chief of the Order , Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick , the grand officers of the province , the Grand Priors , ancl the duly constituted deputies of the Grand Scottish Lodges and Prefectures ( this predicate was customary in those times ) .
The chief object of this convention was to acquire a new light upon the real aim of the Order of Freemasonry , at the same time diligently to search into the truth or falsehood of the opinion at that time current , that Freemasonry was a continuation of the Knights Templar order , and if the so called true and genuine secrets of Freemasonry were still to be sought from the unknown yet living high chief of the Knights Templar . After thirty sittings , the assembled brethren finally came
unanimously to the conclusion , that they were not true and genuine successors of the Knights Templar ; antl that as genuine members of the three first symbolical degrees of Freemasonry , they could not be so ; yet they , at the same time , declared that there was incorporated with tbe last degree of their Order historical information on the system of the Knights Templar , and that this information was at the same time like the last flowers strewn upon the grave of this order of knihthood
g , which had become as celebrated through its deeds as through its misfortunes . Finally , the noble Grand Master closed the assembly with a discourse , from which we will introduce the last words : — " If they must give an answer to the apprentices , craftsmen , and even brethren of the higher degrees , when they are asked by them how they may attain a
knowledge of the true secrets of Freemasonry ; then they must answer confidently and without fear of erring , that going through high degrees and dignities in the Order give them no right to know , if they have not proved themselves worthy by every means in their power , and under all circumstances in which they may have been placed to receive the same ; that those , ancl those only , who have purified their souls from vices and failings which they have probably been inadvertently induced to commit without their own knowledge ; that those only who have diligentl
y wrought their own rough ashler , who have conscienciously endeavoured to obtain a thorough knowledge of themselves , who have zealously endeavoured to improve the talents with which God has blessed them , who have given proofs that they have exercised those talents to promote the welfare of themselves and their fellow-men ; that those only are worthy to participate in this knowledge , and that without having done so , it would in all probability be a great misfortune to them to press forward
their claims to participate therein . " Winkel oder undchte Logon . Clandestine or unwarranted Lodges . —Some years ago there were a number of those so called lodges , but there are none at present . Clandestine lodges are such as have been formed by avaricious Freemasons , who take money from those people who can have no idea of the difference between warranted ancl unwarranted lodges . They were not warranted by any Grand Lodgeand
, endeavoured as much as possible to conceal their existence from the Grand Lodges ; their founders formed a ritual from their memories , and by this ritual they made so called Freemasons , but as they coulcl not legitimize themselves for want of certificates and proper information , they were unable to gain admission into any worthy and warranted lodge . Since the lodges have been formed into unions , working under