MA80NBY 773 BffASONBY
selves: that is, to be good men and true or Men of to desijsoate the essential principle of Masonrv (Grod-
Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations 4eck; Handbuch", 3rd ed., I, 466 sqq.)* It occurs
or Persuasions they may be distinguished; whereby in a Masonic address of 1747 (Ohver/' Remains", 1, 96;
Masonry becomes the Centre of Union and the Means 332). Other watchwords are tolerance", unsecta-
of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that rian", "cosmopoUtan". The Christian character of
must have remained at a pei^tual Distance." the society under the operative regime of former cen-
Under Article VI, 2 (Masons' behaviour after the turies, says Hughan (Chr., 1876, I, 113), "was ex- Lodge is closed and the Brethren not gone) is added: changed for the unsectarian regidations which were to In order to preserve peace and harmony no private include under its wing the votaries of all sects, with- piques or quarrels must be brought within the door of out respect to their differences of colour or clime, the Lodge, far less any quarrels about Religion or provided the simple conditions were observed of mo- Nations or State Policy, we being only, as Masons, of raUty, mature age and an approved ballot " (see also the CathoUck ReUgion above mentioned, we are also Chr., 187S, I, 180; 1884, II, 38; etc., Gould, "Cone, of all Nations, Tongues, Kindreds and Languages and Hist.", 289 sq.) In Continental Masonry the same are resolved against all Politicks [printed in the orig- notions are expressed b3r the words " neutrality ". inal in Gothic letters] as what never yet conduced to " laicit^ ", " Comessionslosigkeit ", etc. In the text ot the welfare of the Lodge nor ever will. This charge 1738 particular stress is laid on "freedom of con- has been always strictly enjoin 'd and obsery'd; but science" and the universal, non-Christian character especially ever since the Reformation in Britain or the of Masonry is emphasized. The Mason is called a dissent and secession of these Nations from the comr "true Noanida ", i. e. an adherent of the pre-Christian munion of Rome" and pre-Mosaic system of undivided mankind. The
In the text of 1738 the same articles run (variation "3 articles of Noah" are most probably "the duties
from the ed. of 1723 are given in italics) : — 1. Concern- towards Godj the neighbour ana himself " inculcated
ing God and Religion. A Mason is obliged by his from older times in the "Charge to a newly made
Tenure to observe the moral law as true Noahida (sons Brother ". They might also refer to " brotherly love,
of Noah, the first name of Freemasons) and if he relief and truth", generally with "religion" styled
rightly understands the craft, he will never be a stupid the " great cement " of the fraternity and called by
atheist or an irreUgious libertine nor act against con- Blackey (Lexicon, 42) " the motto of our order and
science. In ancient times the Christian masons were the characteristic of our profession ". charged to comply with the Christian usages of each Of the ancient Masons it is no longer said, that they
country where tney travelled or worked ; but Masonry were obliged to " be of the religion " but only " to com-
being found in all nations, even of diverse religions f ply with the Christian usages of each Country ". The
they are now generally charged to adhere to that re- designation of the said " unsectarian " reUgion as the
U^on, in which all men agree, (leaving each Brother "ancient catholick" betrays the attempt to oppose
his own particular opinion), that is, to be good men this religion of "Humanity" to the Roman Catholic
and true, men of honour and honesty, by whatever as the only true, genuine, and originally Catholic.
nameSf religions or persuasions they may be distin- The unsectarian character of Masonry is also implied
Ruished; for they all agree in the three great articles of in the era chosen on the title page: " In the year of
jfioahf enough to preserve the cement of the lodae. Thus Masonry 5723" and in the "History". As to the
Masonry is the centre of their union and the happy "History" Anderson himself remarks in the preface
means of conciliating true friendship among persons (1738) : " Only an expert Brother ^ by the true light, can
who otherunse must have remained at a perpetual dis- readily /irufnuint/ useful hints in almost every page ojf this
tanoe. VI. 1. Behaviour in the Lodge before clos- 2»ooiSrwliich Cowans and others not initiated (also among
ing: ... No private piques nor quarrels about na- Masons) cannot discern." Hence, concludes Krause
tions, /ami/ies, religions or politics must by any means (Kunsturkunden, 1810, 1, 525), Anderson's " History"
or under any colour or pretence whatsoever be brought is allegorically written in "cipher language". Apart,
within the doors of the lodge; for as Masons we are of then, from "mere childish allusions to the minor
the most ancient catholic religion y above mentioned and secrets", the general tendency of this "History" is
ofaU nations upon the square y level and plumb; and Wee to exhibit the " unsectarianism " of Masonry. our jyredecessors in all ages, we are resolved against Two points deserve special mention : the utterances
political disputes, as contrary to the peace and welfare on the " Augustan " and the " Gothic " style of arch!-
of the Lodge. tecture ana the identification of Masonry with geo-
In order to appreciate rightly these texts character- metry. The " Augustan " which is praised above all izing modern *' speculative " I* reemasonry it is neces- other styles alludes to "Humanism", while the sary to compare them with the corresponding injuno- "Gothic" which is charged with ignorance and nar- tion of the "Gothic" (Christian) Constitutions regu- row-mindedness, refers to Christian and particularly lating the old lodges of " operative " Masonry till and Roman Catholic orthodoxy. The identification of after 1747. These injunctions are uniformly summed Masonry with geometry brings out the naturalistic char- up in the simple words: " The first charge is this that acter of the former. Like the Royal Society, of which you be true to God and Holy Church and use no error a large and most influential proportion of the first Free- or heresy" (Grand Lodge Ms. No. 1, Gould, "Concise masons were meml:)ers (Begemann, "Vorgeschichte," History^', 2.'^; Thorp, Ms. 1629, A. Q. C, XI, 210; II, 1910, 127 jjq., 137 sq.). Masonry professes the Rawlinson Ms. 1729-39 A. Q. C, XI, 22; Hughan;' empiric or" positivist" geometrical method of reason "Old Charges"). The radical contrast between and deduction in the investigation of truth (Calcott, A the two types is obvious. While a Mason accord- Candid Disquisition, etc.", 1769; Oliver, "Remains", ing to the old Constitution was above all obliged to 11,301.) In general it appears that the founders of Ma- be true to God and Church, avoiding heresies, his son ry intended to follow the same methods for their so- "reUgious" duties, according to the new type, are es- cial purposes which were chosen by the Royal Society sentially reduced to the observation of the "moral for its scientific researches ((jould, "History", II, law" practically summed up in the rules of "honour 400). "Geometry as a method is particularly recom- and honesty" as to which "all men agree". This mended to the attention of Masons." " In this light, " universal religion of Hunianity " which gradually re- Geometry may very properly be considered as a natural moves the accidental divisions of mankind due to par- logic; for as truth is ever consistent, invariable and uni- ticular opinions "or religious", national, and social form.alltruthsmaybeinvestigatedinthesamemanner. "prejudices", is to be the bond of union among men in Moral and religious definitions, axioms and proposi- the Masonic society, conceived as the model of human tions have as regular and certain dependence upon association in general. Humanity " is the term used each other as any in physics or mathematics." *' Let
