Part 11 (1/2)

FOOTNOTES:

[113] We should not forget that noble dynasty of large and liberal souls in the seventeenth century--John Hales, Chillingsworth, Whichcote, John S_ set the principle of toleration to stately strains of eloquence--Sir Thomas Browne, and Richard Baxter; saints, every one of them, finely-poised, sweet-te the ht tolerance in a bigoted and bitter age (see _Seventeenth Century Men of Latitude_, EA George)

[114] For instance the _Cooke MS_, next to the oldest of all, as well as the _W Watson_ and _York No 4_ MSS It is rather surprising, in view of the supremacy of the Church in those times, to find such evidence of what Dr Mackey called the chief mission of primitive Masonry--the preservation of belief in the unity of God These MSS did not succuy of the Church, and their invocations remind us more of the God of Isaiah than of the decrees of the Council of Nicaea

[115] It was, perhaps, a picture of the Masonic Lodges of that era that Toland drew in his _Socratic Society_, published in 1720, which, however, he clothed in a vesture quite un-Grecian At least, the syive-and-take of questions and answers, their aversion to the rule of ious belief, and to creed hatred, as well as their ard for one another, remind one of the spirit and habits of the Masons of that day

[116] Now is as good a time as another to name certain curious theories which have been put forth to account for the origin of Masonry in general, and of the organization of the Grand Lodge in particular They are as follows: First, that it was all due to an iinary Temple of Solomon described by Lord Bacon in a Utopian romance called the _New Atlantis_; and this despite the fact that the temple in the Bacon story was not a house at all, but the name of an ideal state Second, that the object of Freeree was the restoration of Charles II to the throne of England; the idea being that the Masons, who called themselves ”Sons of the Widow,” iance to the Queen Third, that Freemasonry was founded by Oliver Cromwell--he of all men!--to defeat the royalists

Fourth, that Free-hts Te once held this theory, but seeiven it up Which one of these theories surpasses the others in absurdity, it would be hard to say De Quincey explodes thein of the Free-ht also have added his own pet notion of the Rosicrucian origin of the order--it being only a little less fantastic than the rest (_De Quincey's Works_, vol xvi)

[117] Of the Masonic feasts of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist much has been written, and to little account In pre-Christian tiia ont to adopt pagan deities as patrons When Christianity came, the names of its saints--some of them martyrs of the order of builders--were substituted for the old pagan Gods Why the two Saints John were chosen by Masons--rather than St Thomas, as the patron saint of architecture--has never beenat the time of the summer and winter solstices, are in reality older than Christianity, being reion in which Masonry had its origin

[118] The badge of office was a huge white apron, such as we see in Hogarth's picture of the _Night_ The collar was of much the same shape as that at present in use, only shorter When the color was changed to blue, and why, is uncertain, but probably not until 1813, e begin to see both apron and collar edged with blue (See chapter on ”Clothing and Regalia,” in _Things a Freeht to Know_, by JW Crowe) In 1727 the officers of all private--or as ould say, subordinate--Lodges were ordered to wear ”the jewels of Masonry hanging to a white apron” In 1731 we find the Grand Master wearing gold or gilt jewels pendant to blue ribbons about the neck, and a white leather apron _lined_ with blue silk

[119] This is clear from the book of _Constitutions_ of 1723, which is said to be ”for the use of Lodges in London” Then follow the naes, all in London There was no thought at the tie upon the country in general, roe shall sketch later For an excellent article on ”The Foundation of Modern Masonry,” by GW Speth, giving details of the organization of the Grand Lodge and its changes, see _A Q C_, ii, 86 If an elaborate account is wanted, it may be found in Gould's _History of Masonry_, vol iii

[120] _History of the Four Lodges_, by RF Gould Apparently the Goose and Gridiron Lodge--No 1--is the only one of the four now in existence After various changes of nae of Antiquity, No 2

[121] _Royal Masons_, by GW Speth

[122] Froazine_, 1783, we learn that he was a native of Scotland--the place of his birth is not given--and that for many years he was minister of the Scots Presbyterian Church in S Street, Piccadilly, and well known to the folk of that faith in London--called ”Bishop” Anderson by his friends He married theof an arh a learned ies_, which seems to have been his hobby--he was so lost most of his property in 1720 Whether he was a Mason before coreat part in the work of the Grand Lodge, entering it, apparently, in 1721 Toward the close of his life he suffered many misfortunes, but of what description we are not told He died in 1739

Perhaps his learning was exaggerated by his Masonic eulogists, but he was a noble man and manifestly a useful one (Gould's _History of Masonry_, vol iii)

[123] Having emphasized this point so repeatedly, the writer feels it just to hiht a kind of materialist, or at least an ene been an hureat mystics; they are his best friends--as witness his two little books, _The Eternal Christ_, and _What Have the Saints to Teach Us?_ But , and mystification is another, and the former may be stated in this way:

First, by mysticism--only another word for spirituality--is meant our sense of an Unseen World, of our citizenshi+p in it, of God and the soul, and of all the forher than theion at all that is not mere theory or form, he is a mystic; the difference between hienius and spiritual culture--between a boy whistling a tune and Beethoven writing music

Second, since mysticism is native to the soul of man and the common experience of all who rise above the animal, it is not an exclusive possession of any set of adepts to be held as a secret Any ht heavenward, is an initiate into the eternal th and solace of huious reat huo to Hidden Teachers to learn ht of it It shone in their sy or beauty It is, indeed, the soul of sy an effort to express a reality too great for words

So, then, Masonry is mystical as music is mystical--like poetry, and love, and faith, and prayer, and all else that makes it worth our time to live; but its mysticism is sweet, sane, and natural, far from fantastic, and in nowise eerie, unreal, or unbalanced Of course these words fail to describe it, as all words must, and it is therefore that Masonry uses parables, pictures, and symbols

[124] _Seventeenth Century Descriptions of Solomon's Temple_, by Prof

SP Johnston (_A Q C_, xii, 135)

[125] _Transactions Jewish Historical Society of England_, vol ii

[126] Smith's _Dictionary of the Bible_, article ”Temple”