The Rights Of Freemasons.

in the Lodge , except that of Master , for which he must be qualified by previously having occupied the post of a Warden . A Master has the right in all cases of an appeal from the decision of the Master or of the Lodge . A Master Mason in good standing , has a right at any time

to demand from his Lodge a certificate to that effect . Whatever other ri ghts may appertain to Master Masons will be the subjects of separate sections . SEC . II . —Of the Bight of Visit . —Every Master Mason , who is an affiliated member of a Lodge , has a right to visit any other Lodge as often as he may desire to do so . This

right is secured to him by the ancient regulations , and is therefore irreversible . In the "Ancient Charges at the Constitution of a Lodge , " formerly contained iu MS . of the Lodge of Antiquity , in London , aud whose date is not later than 16 S 8 * , it is directed that every Mason receive and cherish strange felloAvs Avhen they come over the country , and

set them on work , if they AA' 111 work as the manner is ; that is to say , if the Mason have any mold-stone in his place , he shall give him a mold-stone , and set him on work ; and if he have none , tho Mason shall refresh him with money unto the next Lodge . " This regulation is explicit . It not only infers the right of visit , but it declares that the strange brother shall be welcomed , " received , and cherished , " and "set on work , "

that is , permitted to participate in the work of your Lodge . Its provisions are equally applicable to brethren residing in the place where the Lodge is situated as to transient brethren , provided that they are affiliated Masons . In the year 1819 , the law was in England authoritatively settled by a decree of the Grand Lodge . A complaint had

been preferred against a Lodge iu London , for having refused admission to some brethren who were well knoivn to them , alleging that as the Lodge was about to initiate a candidate , no visitor could be admitted until that ceremony was concluded . It was then declared , "that it is the undoubted right of every Mason who is well knownor piroperly vouched

, , to visit any Lodge during the time it is opened for general Masonic business , observing the proper forms to be attended to on such occasions , and so that the Master may not be interrupted in the performance of his duty . "t A Lodge , when not opened for " general Masonic business , " but when engaged in the consideration of matters which

interest the Loelge alone , and ivhich it would be inexpedient or indelicate to make public , may refuse to admit a visitor . Lodges engaged in this way , in private business , from which visitors are excluded , arc said by the French Masons to be opened enfeunille . To entitle him to this right of visit , a Mason must be affiliated , that is , he must be a contributing member of some Lodge . This doctrine is thus laid down in the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England .

"A brother , who is not a subscribing member to some Loelge , shall not be permitted to visit any one Lodge in the town or place in which he resides more than once during his secession from the Craft . " A non-subscribing or unaffiliated Mason is permitted to visit each Lodge once , and once only , because it is supposed that this visit is made for the purpose of enabling him to

make a selection ofthe one with which he may prefer permanently to unite . But , afterwards , he loses the ri ght of visit , to discountenance those brethren ivho wish to continue members of the Order , and to partake of its pleasures ancl advantages , without contributing to its support . A Master Mason is not entitled to visit a Lodge unless

he previously submits to an examination , or is personall y vouched for by a competent brother present ; but this is a subject of so much importance as to claim consideration in a distinct section .

Another regulation is , that a strange brother shall furnish the Lodge he intends to visit with a certificate of his good standing in the Lodge from which he last hailed . This regulation has , iii late years , g iven rise to much discussion . Many of the Grand Lodges of this country , and several Masonic writers , strenuously contend for its antiquity and

necessity , while others as positively assert that it is a modern innovation upon ancient usage . There can , however , I think , be no doubt of the antiquity of certificates . That the system requiring them was in force nearly two hundred years ago , at least , will be evident from the third of the Regulations made iu General Assembly ,

December 27 , 1663 , under the Grand Mastership of the Earl of St . Alban ' s , '" ' and which is iu the following words : " 3 . That uo person hereafter ivho shall be accepted a Freemason , shall be admitted into any Lodge or assembly , until he has brought a certificate of the time and place of his acceptation , from the Lodge that accepted him , unto the Master of that limit or division where such a Lodge is kept . " This regulation has been reiterated on several occasions , by the Grand Lodo-e of England iu 1772 , and at subsequent

periods by the Grand Lodges of this and other countries . It is not , however , in force in many of the American jurisdictions . Another right connected with the right of visitation is , that of demanding a si g ht of the Warrant of Constitution . This instrument it is , indeed , not only the rig ht but the

duty of every strange visitor carefully to inspect , before he enters a Loelge , that he may thus satisfy himself of the legality and regularity of its character and authority . On such a demand being made by a visitor for a sig ht of its Warrant , every Lodge is bound to comply with the requisition , and produce the instrument . The same rule , of course ,

applies to Lodges under dispensation , whose Warrant of Dispensation supplies the p lace of a Warrant of Constitution . SEC . III . —Of tlie , Examination of Visitors . —It has already been stated , in the preceding section , that a Master Mason , is not permitted to visit a Lodge unless he previously submits to an examinationor is personally vouched for by some

, competent brother present . The 2 > rerog'ative of vouching for a brother is an inqiorfcant one , and will constitute the subject of the succeeding section . At present let us confine ourselves to the consideration ofthe ; mode of oxaminiii"' a visitor .

Every visitor who offers himself to the appointed committee of the Lodge for examination , is expected , as a preliminary step , to submit to the Tyler ' s Obligation ; so called , because it is administered in the Tyler ' s room . As this obligation forms no part of the secret ritual of the Order , but is administered to every person before any lawful knowledge of

Ills being a Mason has been received , there can be nothing objectionable in inserting it here , and in fact , ifc will bo advantageous to have the precise words of so important a declaration placed beyond the possibility of change or omission by inexperienced brethren . The oath , then , which is administered to the visitor , and

which he may , if he chooses , require every one present to take with him , is in the following words : — " I , A B , do hereby and hereon solemnly and sincerely swear that I have been regularly initiated , passed , and raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason , in a just and legallconstituted Lodge of suchthat I do not now stand

y , suspended or expelled , and know of no reason why I should not hold Masonic communication with my brethren . " This declaration having been given in the most solemn m-. umer , the examination must then be conducted with tho necessary forms . The good old rule of ' •' commencing at the beginning" should be observed . Every question is to bo

asked , and every answer demanded which is necessary to convince the examiner that the party examined is aeqnainted with what he ought to know , to entitle him to the appella-