The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-21
OVER Two HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
The Masonic Order Has Had It's Pres
emit Form Since 1916.
The Churchman's Magazine.

The Churchman's Magazine.
Freemasonry is a principle which has ex-
listed in all stages of civilization. The
state in which we know it, of vast broth
really builders, but who, as everybody is
aware. have adopted the signs and SYM
own secret principle, is, as far as we know,
about two and a half centuries old, The
being accepted into one of the lodges of
the old building crafts is that Of elias
Ashmole, the antiauary lafterward Windsor
herald to King Charles III, who, along with
Colonel Mainwaring, was entered at War
rington in 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
Sood and Wae or te be
man a' was taught ans ' By jesus S9sfo Of Nas-
al and religious societies the one
hand. and the principle of brotherhood of
as civilization itself; and it is of these two
that speculative Freemasonry is the mod
ern representative, The principle of moral
ancient times by the Pythagoreans and
the Eleusinians among the Greeks. by the
mathites and Fedavi, who were the mystic
rationalsts of the Mahometans. But the
Of O Were ouf the ed
aeval building corporations, who may them
selves have a remote connection with the
collegia, or skiliful fraternities for the
same purpose. These Roman collegia had
ious Ceremonies. an oath, a benefit and
burial fund and a register. Their officers
were masters, Wardens, recorders and CEN
to a certain extent in secret There can
be no doubt that such Fellowship existed for
probable that they deposited in these coun-
tries the tradition of their ideas and habits.
The taste and science of Gothic archi-
a
session of the Bauhutten or wooden booths,
where the stonecutters, during the progress
held their meetings and probably also took
their meals and slept. Hence our modern
there n are distinct traces Of
general association of these lodges through
out Germany, acknowledging one set of
craft laws, one set of secret signs and
ceremonies, and to certain extent one
central authority in the Grand Lodge of
The Jewish and Arabian symbols which
were SO popular in these crafts are sup
posed to have been introduced by Albertus
The atmosphere of these medieval building
societies seems favorable to liberty of
they were prohibited at the Roman Council
CT Avignon in the year 1926. The authority
of the Grand Lodge was recognized at
the great assemblies of RatiSbon and
SIrasburg in 1853. the statutes of which
received imperial confirmation. 1t was le-
IN England had imported much of her
lodge organization and learning from Ger
many The causes which led to the in
Production of the new class of members.
the amateurs those who are ordinarily
known as Freemasons, and which grad
ually converted operative into speculative
Masonry, were inevitable. The reconstruc-
ton of London after the fire, the. build
ing of St Paul $ cathedral and the patron
age of the immortal Sir Christopher Wren,
kept up the interest in the movement.
that the Masonic privileges should no
longer he confined to operative Masons.
The modern phase of English Masonry
may be said to have begun in London on
June "A, Iii, when the four London lodges
having erected themselves into a grand
lodge named their first grand master
The leading spirits were the Huguenot
Desagulers, the we'll known popularizer of
natural science. and James Anderson a
Scotch Presbyterian minister. who COM
piled the Book of Constitutions" From
this time new lodges could only be formed
by warrants from the Grand Lodge.