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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • Sept. 2, 1871
  • Page 6
  • ANTIQUITY OF THE CRAFT.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Sept. 2, 1871: Page 6

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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Antiquity Of The Craft.

from ancient monuments and philology , as well as from collation and comparison Avith other traditions , to the sifting of traditions . In the course of their investigations , many things bearing on the antiquity of Freemasonry

have come to light , some of Avhich I desire to bring to your notice , rather as the evidences of stores of illustration that the energy of students is now developing , which give countenance to the traditions of our Craft , than from any desire

to take part in controversies Avhich I have no leisure nor means to investigate , and Avhere the marked ability of Bro . Pindel and his opponents leaves small space for competition . The evidence relied on to fix the origin of

Ereemasonry at about A . D . 1717 is purely of a speculative character , and is controverted by direct facts .

Elias Ashmole , in his published diary , —an old edition of Avhich is before me as I Avrite , —states , in the year 1646 , " Oct . 16 , 4 . 30 , P . M ., I was made a Freemason , at Warrington , in Lancashire , vrith Col . Henry Mainwaring , of Kartichan , in Cheshire ,

etc . " A few days after , he states that he is made acquainted with Mr . William Lilly and Mr . John Booker , facts that I shall comment on hereafter . This was just after the surrender of Worcester in the Cromwellian Avars , in which Ashmole Avas

engaged as a "Royalist cavalier . This fact , as authentic as the fact ot the formation of the Grand Lodge at London in 1717 , disposes of the pretence that Freemasonry began Avith this Grand Lodge at London : I spare you other citations to ihe point . Ashmole , in his admission , uses our

own phrase—he \ A as " made —and gives the names of those then present , seventy-one years before the Grand Lodge's date . In Bro . Findel ' s second edition , it is stated that the Scotch Masonic Eecords SIIOAV several

of the gentry of that country were admitted members between A . D . 1600 aud A . D . 1641 . He and others , also , cite D . Plot's History of Staffordshire , published in 16 S 6 , to the effect that a prosperous Masonic Lodge existed in that shire ,

of which many of the gentry Avere members . Should Ave , as Ave are asked to do , assume that Ancient Masonry ended Avhen men of various professions Avere initiated , Ave could not , in presence of these facts , infer that the " universality" of Freemasonry began about the era of the London Grand Lodge . I fail , hoAvever , to see any

weighty evidence of any modern origin for the universalism of Freemasonry , whether it is called " Symbolic" or " Ancient . " Are Ave not , then , justified in following the traditions avowed by the founders of that Grand

Lodge , that their Freemasonry was very old in their time , and relinquishing its origin , as back beyond the era of records , into the arms of tradition as an ancient institution ? I think so , and , therefore , tarn to trace the doctrines , symbols , and usages of Freemasonry toward their sources , and leave those who seek a modern author for

Freemasonry to prove their case . It is hard to say which has been the greatest obstacle to the investigation of historical monuments , the doubting Thomases who require to put their fingers into the very holes made by the cruel

nails , or those Avho have thought it merely a pious fraud to supply such people with forged material as tangible evidence to remove their doubts . We learn in 1 Edras , c . 4 , that , when Prince Zerubbabel placed truth foremost of all things , the

Persian king and court , embued with . Zoroastian doctrines , shouted , " Great is truth , and mighty above all things . " Freemasonry we have received by tradition and not by books . The Lodge-records are of known modern dates : the

the Craft are jealous of divulging their philosophy or their rituals , and equally so of any pretence of making secret records of them . The hearts of Masons are bound together by their secret doctrine ; this makes them a fraternity : let it remain a hidden wel ! of sweet waters in the desert

of life . The doctrines of Freemasonry are so nicely blended as to satisfy the wants , and command the respect of millions of initiated men of good report in the communities where they reside . Her copious symbology is full of meaning : how

came all these united in one teaching ? For centuries Ave know they have been substantially unchanged . Verbal ritualistic changes being , AA'e are told , made at certain times , merely to protect the language from becoming obsolete and

unintelligible to the Craftsmen , and to foil impostors , and showing few or no serious divergencies in the numerous independent jurisdictions where our art is practised . If Freemasonry began late , some record or

tradition of its author Avould have come to us : the examination of its dogmas and symbols would SIIOAV the influence of the age when it started ; or ,

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1871-09-02, Page 6” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 11 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_02091871/page/6/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
THE CRYPTIC RITE. Article 1
THE UNIVERSALITY OF FREEMASONRY ! Article 1
THE MYSTIC BEAUTIES OF FREEMASONRY. Article 2
MASONIC JOTTINGS, No. 84. Article 3
ANTIQUITY OF THE CRAFT. Article 4
TIME. Article 7
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 8
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 10
THE SLOANE MS., 3,329., ART. 29. Article 10
THE INITIATION FEE. Article 11
MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD. Article 11
MASONIC MEMS. Article 12
Craft Masonry. Article 12
PROVINCIAL. Article 13
MARK MASONRY. Article 13
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 15
CRYPTIC MASONRY. Article 15
"PASSION PLAYS" AT OBER-AMMAGAN. Article 15
Obituary. Article 16
REVIEWS. Article 17
NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. Article 18
SUMMARY OF MASONIC LAW. Article 18
Poetry. Article 20
LIST OF LODGE MEETINGS &c., FOR WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 8TH, 1871. Article 20
METROPOLITAN LODGES AND CHAPTERS OF INSTRUCTION. Article 20
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Antiquity Of The Craft.

from ancient monuments and philology , as well as from collation and comparison Avith other traditions , to the sifting of traditions . In the course of their investigations , many things bearing on the antiquity of Freemasonry

have come to light , some of Avhich I desire to bring to your notice , rather as the evidences of stores of illustration that the energy of students is now developing , which give countenance to the traditions of our Craft , than from any desire

to take part in controversies Avhich I have no leisure nor means to investigate , and Avhere the marked ability of Bro . Pindel and his opponents leaves small space for competition . The evidence relied on to fix the origin of

Ereemasonry at about A . D . 1717 is purely of a speculative character , and is controverted by direct facts .

Elias Ashmole , in his published diary , —an old edition of Avhich is before me as I Avrite , —states , in the year 1646 , " Oct . 16 , 4 . 30 , P . M ., I was made a Freemason , at Warrington , in Lancashire , vrith Col . Henry Mainwaring , of Kartichan , in Cheshire ,

etc . " A few days after , he states that he is made acquainted with Mr . William Lilly and Mr . John Booker , facts that I shall comment on hereafter . This was just after the surrender of Worcester in the Cromwellian Avars , in which Ashmole Avas

engaged as a "Royalist cavalier . This fact , as authentic as the fact ot the formation of the Grand Lodge at London in 1717 , disposes of the pretence that Freemasonry began Avith this Grand Lodge at London : I spare you other citations to ihe point . Ashmole , in his admission , uses our

own phrase—he \ A as " made —and gives the names of those then present , seventy-one years before the Grand Lodge's date . In Bro . Findel ' s second edition , it is stated that the Scotch Masonic Eecords SIIOAV several

of the gentry of that country were admitted members between A . D . 1600 aud A . D . 1641 . He and others , also , cite D . Plot's History of Staffordshire , published in 16 S 6 , to the effect that a prosperous Masonic Lodge existed in that shire ,

of which many of the gentry Avere members . Should Ave , as Ave are asked to do , assume that Ancient Masonry ended Avhen men of various professions Avere initiated , Ave could not , in presence of these facts , infer that the " universality" of Freemasonry began about the era of the London Grand Lodge . I fail , hoAvever , to see any

weighty evidence of any modern origin for the universalism of Freemasonry , whether it is called " Symbolic" or " Ancient . " Are Ave not , then , justified in following the traditions avowed by the founders of that Grand

Lodge , that their Freemasonry was very old in their time , and relinquishing its origin , as back beyond the era of records , into the arms of tradition as an ancient institution ? I think so , and , therefore , tarn to trace the doctrines , symbols , and usages of Freemasonry toward their sources , and leave those who seek a modern author for

Freemasonry to prove their case . It is hard to say which has been the greatest obstacle to the investigation of historical monuments , the doubting Thomases who require to put their fingers into the very holes made by the cruel

nails , or those Avho have thought it merely a pious fraud to supply such people with forged material as tangible evidence to remove their doubts . We learn in 1 Edras , c . 4 , that , when Prince Zerubbabel placed truth foremost of all things , the

Persian king and court , embued with . Zoroastian doctrines , shouted , " Great is truth , and mighty above all things . " Freemasonry we have received by tradition and not by books . The Lodge-records are of known modern dates : the

the Craft are jealous of divulging their philosophy or their rituals , and equally so of any pretence of making secret records of them . The hearts of Masons are bound together by their secret doctrine ; this makes them a fraternity : let it remain a hidden wel ! of sweet waters in the desert

of life . The doctrines of Freemasonry are so nicely blended as to satisfy the wants , and command the respect of millions of initiated men of good report in the communities where they reside . Her copious symbology is full of meaning : how

came all these united in one teaching ? For centuries Ave know they have been substantially unchanged . Verbal ritualistic changes being , AA'e are told , made at certain times , merely to protect the language from becoming obsolete and

unintelligible to the Craftsmen , and to foil impostors , and showing few or no serious divergencies in the numerous independent jurisdictions where our art is practised . If Freemasonry began late , some record or

tradition of its author Avould have come to us : the examination of its dogmas and symbols would SIIOAV the influence of the age when it started ; or ,

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