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 I-
Concerning God and Religion.
A
Mason is oblig'd, by this Tenure, to obey the moral Law; and if he
rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid atheist, nor an
irreligious libertine. But though in ancient Times Masons were charg'd
in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation,
whatever it was, yet 'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them
to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular
Opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men an true, or Men of
Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be
distinguish'd; whereby Masonry becomes the Centre of Union, and the
Means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that must have
remain'd at a perpetual Distance.
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II-
Of the Civil Magistrate
Supreme
and Subordinate.
A
Mason is a peaceable Subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or
works, and is never to be concern'd in Plots an Conspiracies against the
Peace an Welfare of the Nation, nor to behave himself undutifully to
inferior Magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always injured by War,
Bloodshed, and Confusion, so ancient Kings and Princes have been much
dispos'd to encourage the Craftsmen, because of their Peaceableness and
Loyalty, whereby they practically answer'd the Cavils of their
Adversaries, and promoted the Honour of the Fraternity, who ever
flourish'd in Times of Peace. So that if a Brother should be a Rebel
against the State, he is not to be countenanc'd in his Rebellion,
however he may be pitied as an unhappy Man; and, if convicted of no
other Crime, though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his
Rebellion, and give no Umbrage or Ground of political Jealousy to the
Government for the time being; they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and
his Relation to it remains indefeasible.
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III-
Of Lodges.
A
Lodge is a Place where Masons assemble and work: Hence that Assembly, or
duly organiz'd Society of Masons, is call'd a Lodge, and every Brother
ought to belong to one, and to be subject to its By-Laws and the General
Regulations. It is either particular or general, and will be best
understood by attending it, and by the Regulations of the General or
Grand Lodge hereunto annex'd. In ancient Times, no Master or Fellow
could be absent from it, especially when warn'd to appear at it, without
incurring a severe Censure, until it appear'd to the Master and Wardens,
that pure Necessity hinder'd him. The Persons admitted Members of a
Lodge must be good and true Men, free-born, and of mature and discreet
Age, no Bondmen, no Women, no immoral or scandalous Men, but of good
Report.
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IV-
Of Masters, Wardens, Fellows, and Apprentices.
All
Preferment among Masons is grounded upon real Worth and personal Merit
only; that so the Lords may be well served, the Brethren not put to
Shame, nor the Royal Craft despis'd: Therefore no Master or Warden is
chosen by seniority, but for his Merit. It is impossible to describe
these things in writing, and every Brother must attend in his Place, and
learn them in a way peculiar to this Fraternity: Only Candidates may
know, that no Master should take an Apprentice, unless he has sufficient
Employment for him, and unless he be a perfect Youth, having no Maim or
Defect in his Body, that may render him uncapable to learning the Art,
of serving his Master's Lord, and of being made a Brother, and then a
Fellow-Craft in due time, even after he has served such a term of Years
as the Custom of the Country directs; and that should be descended of
honest Parents ; that so, when otherwise qualify'd, he may arrive to the
Honour of being the Warden, and then the Master of the Lodge, the Grand
Warden, and at length the Grand-Master of all the Lodges, according to
his Merit. No Brother can be a Warden until he has pass'd the part of a
Fellow-Craft; nor a Master until he has acted as a Warden, nor Grand
Warden until he has been Master of a Lodge, nor Grand-Master unless he
has been a Fellow-Craft before his Election, who is also to be nobly
born, or a Gentleman of the best Fashion, or some eminent Scholar, or
some curious Architect, or other Artist, descended of honest Parents,
and who is of singular great Merit in the Opinion of the Lodges. And for
the better, and easier, and more honourable Discharge of his Office, the
Grand-Master has a Power to chuse his own Deputy Grand-Master, who must
be then, or must have been formerly, the Master of a particular Lodge,
and has the Privilege of acting whatever the Grand-Master, his Principal,
should act, unless the said Principal be present, or interpose his
Authority by a Letter. These rules and Governors, Supreme and
Subordinate, of the ancient Lodge, are to be obey'd in their respective
Stations by all the Brethren, according to the old Charges and
Regulations, with all Humility, Reverence, Love, and Alacrity.
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V-
Of the Management of the Craft in working.
All
Masons shall work honestly on working Days, that they may live
creditably on holy Days; and the time appointed by the Law of the Land,
or confirm'd by Custom, shall be observ'd. The most expert of the
fellow-Craftsmen shall be chosen or appointed the Master, or Overseer of
the Lord's Work; who is to be call'd Master by those that work under him.
The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill Language, and to call each other by
no disobliging Name, but Brother or Fellow; and to behave themselves
courteously within and without the Lodge. The Master, knowing himself to
be able of Cunning, shall undertake the Lord's Work as reasonably as
possible, and truly dispend his Goods as if they were his own; nor to
give more Wages to any Brother or Apprentice than he really may deserve.
Both the Master and the Masons receiving their Wages justly, shall be
faithful to the Lord, and honestly finish their Work, whether Task or
Journey; nor put the Work to Task that hath been accustom'd to Journey.
None shall discover Envy at the Prosperity of a Brother, nor supplant
him, or put him out of his Work, if he be capable to finish the same;
for no Man can finish another's Work so much to the Lord's Profit,
unless he be thoroughly acquainted with the Designs and Draughts of him
that began it. When a Fellow-Craftman is chosen Warden of the Work under
the Master, he shall be true both to Master and Fellows, shall carefully
oversee the Work in the Master's Absence to the Lord's Profit; and his
Brethren shall obey him. All Masons employ'd, shall meekly receive their
Wages without Murmuring or Mutiny, and not desert the Master till the
Work is finish'd. A younger Brother shall be instructed in working, to
prevent spoiling the Materials for want of Judgment, and for encreasing
and continuing of Brotherly Love. All the Tools used in working shall be
approved by the Grand Lodge. No Labourer shall be employ'd in the proper
Work of Masonry; nor shall Free Masons work with those that are not free,
without an urgent Necessity; nor shall they teach Labourers and
unaccepted Masons, as they should teach a Brother or Fellow.
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VI-
Of Behaviour,
1.
In the Lodge while constituted.
You
are not to hold private Committees, or separate Conversation, without
Leave from the Master, nor to talk of any thing impertinent or unseemly,
nor interrupt the Master or Wardens, or any Brother speaking to the
Master: Nor behave yourself ludicrously or jestingly while the Lodge is
engaged in what is serious and solemn; nor use any unbecoming Language
upon any Pretence whatsoever; but to pay due Reverence to your Master,
Wardens, and Fellows, and put them to worship. If any Complaint be
brought, the Brother found guilty shall stand to the Award and
Determination of the Lodge, who are the proper and competent Judges of
all such Controversies, (unless you carry it by Appeal to the Grand
Lodge) and to whom they ought to be referr'd, unless a Lord's Work be
hinder'd the mean while, in which Case a particular Reference may be
made; but you must never go to Law about what concern the Masonry,
without an absolute Necessity apparent to the Lodge.
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2.
Behaviour after the Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone.
You
may enjoy yourselves with innocent Mirth, treating one another according
to Ability, but avoiding all Excess, or forcing any Brother to eat or
drink beyond his Inclination, or hindering him from going when his
Occasions call him, or doing or saying any thing offensive, or that may
forbid an easy and free Conversation; for that would blast our Harmony,
and defeat our laudable Purposes. Therefore no private Piques or
Quarrels must be brought within the Door of the Lodge, far less any
Quarrels about Religion, or Nations, or State Policy, we being only, as
Masons, of the Catholick Religion above-mention'd; we are also of all
Nations, Tongues, Kindreds, and Languages, and resolv'd against all
politicks, as what never yet conduc'd to the Welfare of the Lodge, nor
ever will. This Charges has been always strictly enjoin'd and observ'd;
but especially ever since the Reformation in Britain, or the Dissent and
Secession of these Nations from the Communion of Rome.
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3.
Behaviour when Brethren meet without Strangers, but not in a Lodge
form'd.
You
are to salute one another in a courteous manner, as you will be
instructed, calling each other Brother, freely giving mutual
Instructions as shall be thought expedient, without being overseen or
overheard, and without encroaching upon each other, or derogating from
that Respect which is due to any Brother, were he not a Mason: For
though all Masons are as Brethren upon the same Level, yet Masonry takes
no Honour to whom it is due, and avoid ill Manners.
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4.
Behaviour in Presence of Strangers not Masons.
You
shall be cautious in your Words and Carriage, the most penetrating
Stranger shall not be able to discover or find out what is not proper to
be intimated; and sometimes you shall divert a Discourse, and manage it
prudently for the Honour of the worshipful Fraternity.
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5.
Behaviour at Home, and in your Neighbourhood.
You
are to act as becomes a moral and wise Man; particularly, not to let
your Family, Friends, and Neighbours know the concerns of the Lodge, etc.
but wisely to consult your own Honour, and that of the ancient
Brotherhood, for Reasons not to be mention'd here. You must also consult
your Health, by not continuing together too late, or too long from home,
after Lodge Hours are past; and by avoiding of Gluttony or Drunkenness,
that your Families be not neglected or injured, nor you disabled from
working.
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6.
Behaviour towards a Strange Brother.
You
are cautiously to examine him, in such a Method as Prudence shall direct
you, that you may not be impos'd upon by an ignorant false Pretender,
whom you are to reject with Contempt and Derision, and beware of giving
him any Hints of Knowledge. But if you discover him to be a true and
genuine Brother, you are to respect him accordingly; and if he is in
want, you must relieve him if you can, or else direct him how he may be
reliev'd: You must employ him some Days, or else recommend him to be
employ'd. But you are not charged to do beyond your Ability, only to
prefer a poor Brother, that is a good Man and true, before any other
poor People in the same Circumstances.
Finally,
All these Charges you are to observe, and also those that shall be
communicated to you in another way; cultivating BROTHERLY-LOVE, the
Foundation and Cape-stone, the Cement and Glory of this ancient
Fraternity, avoiding all Wrangling and Quarrelling, all Slander an
Backbiting, nor permitting others to slander any honest Brother, but
defending his Character, and doing him all good Offices, as far as is
consistent with your Honour and Safety, and no farther. And if any of
them do you Injury, you must apply to your own or his Lodge; and from
thence you may appeal to the GRAND LODGE at the Quarterly Communication,
and from thence to the annual GRAND LODGE, as has been the ancient
laudable Conduct of our Fore-fathers in every Nation; never taking a
legal Course but when the Case cannot be otherwise decided, and
patiently listening to the honest and friendly Advice of Master and
Fellows, when they would prevent your going to Law with Strangers, or
would excite you to put a speedy Period to all Law-Suits, that so you
may mind the Affair of MASONRY with the more Alacrity and Success; but
with respect to Brothers or Fellows at Law, the Master and Brethren
should kindly offer their Mediation, which ought to be thankfully
submitted to by the contending Brethren; and if that Submission is
impracticable, the must however carry on their Process, or Law-Suit,
without Wrath an Rancor (not in the common way) saying or doing nothing
which may hinder Brotherly Love, and good Offices to be renew'd and
continu'd; that all may see the benign Influence of MASONRY, as all true
Masons have done from the Beginning of the World, and will do to the End
of Time.
Amen,
so mote it be.
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