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Freemasonry is ancient, having existed in some
form for so long that many serious students have differed as to the time
and
place of its origin.
There is evidence of a basic type of craft association which antedates
the Christian era. It survived various transitions which took place during
the Middle Ages. It was during this period that the word "Free" was
prefixed to the word Mason, because these builders were one of the very
few classes of persons allowed to travel from country to country and
to practice the builder's art wheresoever they went. It was these companies
of Masons who constructed the beautiful cathedrals and other stately
structures which dot the plains of Europe and the English countryside.
These
men differed in the main from others of the working-trades class because
they, possessing knowledge and skills not found elsewhere, were
free men rather than bond servants.
Until about the Sixteenth Century
Masons were strictly an operative craft, bound together by the close
ties found in the constructive craft
guilds of the day. Early in the Seventeenth Century, men of prominence
were admitted, not as craftsmen, for they were not skilled in the builder’s
art, but rather, as patrons. Gradually these men came to be known as "accepted" Masons.
Thus, by the time the Seventh Century came to its end the accepted or
speculative Masons were predominant in many of the older Lodges of Freemasons.
Today
the Masonic Lodge is termed speculative because its emphasis is on the
moral philosophy which is its foundation, rather than on the operative
art of the Sixteenth and earlier centuries. The tools of the stonemason
are used to symbolize moral virtues rather than to build cathedrals.
The
Grand Lodge System
On June 24, 1717, this being St. John the Baptist Day, the members of
four old Lodges in London, England, met together in Grand Assembly
to form the Grand Lodge of England. That this was a speculative Lodge
is evidenced by the election of one styled "Anthony Sayer, gentleman," as
Grand Master. All modern Freemasonry traces its beginning under the
Grand Lodge system of government to this Grand Lodge.
Where did Masonry
come from?
One of the most interesting and romantic parts of Freemasonry
is its history. You may have heard or read that Freemasonry is one
of the world's
oldest organizations. Where did it come from? How did it originate? Here
again, conjecture and interpretation play their part. We can but give
you the generally accepted views of many Masonic scholars.
To a great
extent, much that is said and written about Freemasonry necessarily
represents the personal opinion or thinking of an individual or a group
of individuals. In this fact lies one of the great strengths of our Fraternity.
As you progress and learn about Freemasonry, you will find that while
the truths and principles of the Order are positive and fixed in character,
much of their interpretation is left to you, the individual. It is this
factor which affords you the opportunity for a lifetime of research and
study.
In general, the history may be divided into two distinct eras or
parts. The first refers to the era which came before recorded or written
history.
The second refers to the era which runs back from the present day approximately
800 years and covers that period of which there is a definite record.