The True History Of Freemasonry In England.

previously arrived at , that long before the Knights Templar Avere formed into an Order the Operative Guilds had carried on their work of initiation and probation , thouo-h admitting into their body , to strengthen them and protect them , both the Ecclesiastic and Knightly Orders . The same remarks , very nearly , will apply to what is called the Rose Croix theory That a Society of Rosicruciaus , as they are termed—from , their founder , Christian

Rosenkrantz—or Brethren of the Rosy-Cross , existed in the Avorld at one time , adepts in chemical or illuminati in alchemical science , admits of no doubt . That they may have used Masonry for their OAvn purposes is not impossible or improbable ; but that my brethren of the Rose Croix Degree , however excellent in themselves , as some I know are , are really in any measure descendants of the old Rosicruciau Confraternity any more than that the Masonic Knights Templar are lineal descendants , or even

preserve the ritual and secret reception of those famous soldiers of the Cross , the poor brethren Knights of the Temple at Jerusalem , is , I believe , a delusion . One more objection has been made to the operative origin of Freemasonry—that it is impossible to see , in the usages of a purely operative body , the end and object of a speculative Brotherhood , whose authentic annals do not date much earlier than the beginning of the last century . But we have evidence to prove that in 1646 Freemasonry Avas an established institution in this country , when Elias Ashmole , a purely Speculative Brother , was admitted at Warrington . In 1682 he was admitted " a fellow , " not of

the " Masonic Company , " but of a Society of Freemasons . Dr . Plot , in his " History of Staffordshire , " published in 1686 , alludes to the existence of the Order in terms which carry it back beyond the commencement of the 17 th century , at any rate . The earliest use I have found of the word " Freemason'' and " Freemasonry " is in a contract to build Fotheringay Chapel , in 1435 ; but if Sir F . Palgrave ' s Avords are literally exact , as I have already said , there exist in the Exchequer Rolls documents dating as far back as the reign of Edward I . mentioning the FreemasonsMaster and Wardens

, , , Fellows and Apprentices , No doubt it is true that in later times the complete supremacy of the speculative element has given a purely moral and spiritual application to our technical phraseology , and has tended to encourage that fuller teaching of a universal brotherhood . But though this be so , it does not do away with the almost positive certainty that the Operative Lodges have handed doAvn to us those leading truths and distinctive landmarks

which we still , as Speculative Masons , carefully preserve . So that , in conclusion , Avhatever may be said for or against this vieAv of this History of our Order—Avhatever difficulties there may be—and that there are still some I do not deny—yet further investigation , I feel convinced , will shoAv us that it is only thus , Avhen we profess to give an exact account of our Brotherhood , that Ave can harmonise it Avith the knoAvn facts of history , or explain numberless anomalies in that history which othenvise are altogether insuperable .

The Freemasons , in the early part of the 13 th century , seem to have formed themselves into small and migratory societies , under the government of a Master of the Craft , AA'ith the privilege of taking apprentices , Avho , after a due initiation , became Free and Accep ted Masons . Thus we have the word " Freemason " brought into use—not , as Mr . Iliilliwell thinks , because they Avere cutters of freestone , or as Leland seems to say , from the French " Freres Masons , " but because they Avere free of their Guild or Corporationfreein opposition to the serfs and villeins of those days—free to fix the price for labour

, in their General Assembly , and included \ vith the freedom of that extended but secret Brotherhood Avhich bound together in one bond of mystical union the Masons of different countries . I am afraid that my Lecture will have seemed to many both dry and uninteresting , almost unavoidably so ; but I yet can plead for it an honest endeavour to find the truth , Avithout any prejudice or partiality in favour of any preconceived opinion . I have offered

it to you this day as a Masonic student , and hope that Ave may yet live to seea thoroughly reliable history of our Order Avritten , based on the needful and all-important certainty of genuine witness and authentic statements . Not that , in saying this , I wish to blame our eariier Masonic historians , Preston especially , who seems to have used the ?