Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-08-02
NUMBER 20.

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had long previously existed. The plant
from the parent stock thus transplanted
to England and Scotland, survived the
parent stock, and in turn gave the world
the free masonry it now has.
As it emerged from the dark ages,
free masonry was wholly operative, in
Guiding only men skilled in the arts of
architecture and building. The most
perfect type of that period were the as
selatlons OF stone masons in Germany
and France. Enough is known of the
practices and Journalism of these associ-
iations to prove their identity beyond
doubt, with the mother lodges of Eng
land and Scotland, of whom we
are the lineal descendants. These
medieval associations of masons
were patronized. wholly by the
church, which then possessed largely
the wealth of the world, and was thor
oughly engaged in the advancement of
church architecture and building. They
were favored by the church, and were
released from various Burdens and i'm
positions which were imposed upon other
people, for which reason they came TO
be called free masons.
1t is matter of uneert ainty when ma
sonic lodges first existed in England and
Scotland, but undoubtedly they came in
connection with the erection of church
edifices in those countries. by master
masons, from the continent Kilwin-
ming lodge was the first and mother
lodge in Scotland. 1t remained at the
head of the fraternity there until the or
ganization of the Grand Lodge of Scot
land at Edinburgh, in 1886. The date of
the organization of Kilwinning lodge is
not known, but beyond doubt il was at or
about the time of the founding of the
Abbey of kilwinning, which was in
1140. The Scotch masons have ALWAYS
maintained an organization independ-
ent of the English, and strong argu-
ments have been made favoring the
proposition that English masonry
sprang from Kilwinning. The Scottish
rites appertain to Scottish masonry.
Early masonry in England is involved
in still greater obscurity, largely in con-
sequence of reliance in the past having
been placed upon documents. which, if
genuine. would establish its existence
as early as the 4th century, but which
have, in modern times, been shown con-
clusiyely not to be genuine. The fact
undoubtedly is that Masonry came to
England from the continent at about the
time it came to Scotland, or that it
came to England from Scotland soon af-
ter its advent there, and in either case
that the erection of church editices in
England brought it TO that country. 1t
is beyond doubt true that masonic
marks are now visible upon the stones
in the walls of the oldest abbeys and
churches in Scotland, which show con-
clusively that they were built by crafts
men from the continent. The first ma
sonic organization in England was York
Lodge, which is the mother of English
masonry. June oath, 17l7, the Grand
Lodge of London was organized. From
that time until 1913 the Grand Lodges
of England and York both existed, each
claiming for itself regularity and SUI
| premaCy over the other. This rivalry
was settled in 1913, when all irregular
tiles were healed and the United Grand
Lodge of England was organized at
London, and at once became, by COM
mon consent, and has since remained the
only Grand Lodge of England. After the
organization of the Grand Lodge OF
England in l717, those masons who still
adhered to York, styled themselves the
"Ancients," which probably account,
for the use of thnt vvorciin connection
with present masonry. The York rite.
appertained to the York jurisdiction
and much discussion has in the past oc
CURED as to the regularity of York ma
sons.
Thus appear masonry as viewed from
this side of the inpenetrable chasm OF
the dark ages, which shuts out all view
of the remote past. 1t is impossible to
prove to the satisfaction of the sceptic
and probably also the critical and I'M
prejudiced mind that masonry existed
anterior to the dark ages.
The church is the ark by which the
remnants of past civilizations were
saved and brought to the present. And
although at one time the church was
the chief patron and encourager of the
fraternity and was in every sense its
friend, the time came centuries ago
when the church changed its policy in
this respect and Rome became intense
| lyhostile towards masonry and would af-
! ford ii no facilities to establish its early
existence. In view of this hostility and
the absence of other means of proof, II
follows that if masonry had existed pre-
yious to the dark ages, it would be I'M
possible to prove it satisfactorily, at least
to the critical mind So that necessarily
it becomes wholly matter of conjec-
ture. Many facts, which none familiar
with ancient history will deny, are
consistent with the existence of mas
onry before the Christian era. Indeed
the proof makes it very probable that
masonry then existed, but they fall
short of absolutely establishing that
proposition. At different times and
in different countries, anterior to the
Christian era, sects or fraternities,
are known to have existed bearing in
many respects close resemblance to
! free masonry. One of these was the
Essences, q Jewish fraternity of which
Josephus gives quite a full account.
| 1t may have existed at the time of the
building of the temple by Solomon.
1t was a secret society. The char
acters of all candidates were carefully
scrutinized before allowed admission
to it. Solemn obligations were impos-
ed upon initiates net to diyulge the
secrets of the order. nor to inoyate
upon its practices and customs.
| Women were not admitted to member
ship. They had retreats which were
called colleges, and were similar to
masonic lodges. They dressed in
white emblematic of innocence. Broth
erly affection and charity were incul-
Gated. They had burial service.
Their chief aim was the subsection of
matters of sense and pleasure, to n
higher spiritual and intellectual life.
Pythagoros was Grecian and lived
in the 9Th century before Christ. He
was a great traveller and visited and
closely studied all the eastern coun-
tries. He afterwards lived in Southern
Italy, and there established very
peculiar school of PHILOSOPHY. He
was mathematician. He taught that
there was a rythm in nature which
determines the question of harmony or
discord and right or wrong. This quality
was represented in pure mathematics
by odd and even numbers. The ele-
ments in nature were represented by
geometrical figures. He had large
following and his discipless were organ
ICED into fraternity closely resem-
| bling the Essenian fraternity of the
East, whichImasonic tradition informs
us, Pythagoros had become member
of at the East and carried with him to
Italy. The Pythagorians became num-
erous in Italy and Rome, where their
colleges are known to have existed.