The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-07
THE HISTORY OF FREEMAsONRY.
As 1t Exists Now 1t Is About Two and
a Half Centuries Old.

As NOW II Is ABOUT TWO ana
Half Centuries Old.
Freemasonry is a principle which has ex-s
listed in all stages of civilization. The state
in which we know it, of a vast brotherhood
builders but who as everybody is aware,
have adopted the signs and symbols CT the
building craft to express their own secret
and half centuries old. The first instance
of a gentleman or amateur being accepted
into one of the lodges of the old building
crafts is that of Elias Ashmole, the an
tiquary afterwards Windsor herald to
King Charles I'D. who, along with Colonel
1916. 1t is believed that there are now more
than, 10000 lodges and more. than 100000
members. The conception of Freemasonry
implies, like the Christian church, cosmo-
politan or universal brotherhood and was
| impossible to the ancient world, or until
the brotherhood of man was taught by
Jesus of Nazareth. But the principle of
sacred moral and religious societies, the
one hand, and the principle of brotherhood
of building craft on the other, are old
as civilization itself; and it is of these two
that speculative Freemasonry is the mod
ern representative. The principle of moral
and religious societies is represented in an
f,ent times by the Pyhthagoreans and the
Essenes among the Jews and by the Carma
thites and Fedavi, who were the mystic
rationaliStS of the MahometanS.
But the true historical precursors of our
modern brotherhood of t'reemaSons we're
the medieval building corporations. who
may themselves have remote connection
with the East, while among the Romans
there were collegia, or skilled fraternities
for the same purpose. These Roman col
legia had an excheGuer, an archive, patrons.
religious ceremonies, an oath, a benefit and
burial fund and register Their officers
were masters, wardens, recorders and CEN
sors, and they instructed their apprentices
to a certain extent IN secret. There can be-
no doubt that such fellowships existed for
centuries in Gaul and Britain, and it is
probable that they deposited in these coun-
tries the tradition of their ideas and hab-
its. The taste and science of Gothic archi-
lecture were to a large extent in the pos
session Of the Bauhutten; or wooden booths,
where the stonecutters during the progress
of their work kept their TOOLS, worked,
held their meetings and probably also took
their meals and slept Hence our modern
institution of the lodge. In the twelfth CEN
fury there are distinct traces of a general
association of these lodges throughout Ger
many acknowledging one Sc I. of craft laws
one set of secret signs and ceremonies and,
to certain extent, one central authority
The Jewish and Arabian symbols, which
were so popular in these crafts, are sup
Magnus early in the thirteenth century.
The atmosphere of these medieval build
to have been favorable to liberty of thought
and religious federation. Hence they were
non in the year 1895 The authority of the
Grand Lodge was recognized at the great
assemblies of Ratisbon and Strasburg in
1852 the statutes of which received inn
perial confirmation. 1t was legally de-
stroyed by imperial edict in 1741 Eng
land had imported much of her lodge or
ganization and learnings from Germany.
The causes which led to the introduction
Of the new class or members. 1le am
ateurs, those who are ordinarily known
verted operative into speculative Masonry
were inevitable. The reconstruction of Lon.
don after the fire, the building of st. Paul. 5
Cathedral and the patronage of the i'm
mortal Sir Christopher Wren, kept up the
interest in the movement and at last a
formal resolution was passed that the Ma
sonic privileges should no longer be con-
fined to operative Masons The modern
phase of English Masonry may be said
to have begun in London on June "A, Iii.
erected themselves into a Grand Lodge.
named their first Grand Master. The lead
ing spirits were the HugueEot, Desag uliers,
the WslI-known Icpularizer of natura
science and James Anderson. a Scotch
PRESBYTERIAN minister, who compiled the
Book of Constitutions From this time
new lodges could only be formed by war
-ert from, the Grand Lodge.