Freemasonry

Advancing to the Altar

Masonic Altar

The first degree lecture tells us that the E- A- degree is intended symbolically to represent the en­trance of man into the world in which he is afterwards to become a living and thinking factor. It is not until the ( ?) receives the second degree lecture that he is told of the second of the two great Ps – one on the left of the en­trance of the T – and one on the right, and he learns of the W-S, consisting of three, five and seven steps.

Symbolically, he leaves the outer world of ignorance and dark­ness when he passes those Ps and begins his Masonic life by ascend­ing the first three steps of the W -So. In all three degrees the (?) is instructed how to advance to the altar. These steps are full of symbolism.

In the first degree, the (?) is in­structed to advance to the altar by three irregular steps of about 15, 12 and 9 inches respectively. Later he is told that these steps were necessarily irregular, he not know­ing where he was going. To the thoughtful Mason, these three steps have great depth of meaning.

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A Charge for the Festival of St. John

The Charge

Brethren; Being this day, by your choice, exalted into the chair, it is the fervent wish of my heart to render myself as little undeserving as possible of this distinguished honour: many important has a Master of the Lodge to perform.

St. John

To give instruction is one: I do not, however, presume upon any special abilities to dictate to my brethren; yet I think it incumbent upon me, whilst I have the honour to sit in this chair, on this and all other occasional festivities, and indeed my office requires it of me, to exhort you to consider the nature of our institution, and to remind you of the duties it prescribes.

These duties are very various and important, and have this day, I doubt not, been expatiated upon in many places by reverend brethren in the solemn Temple.

Our order instructs us in our duty to the great Artificer of the Universe; directs us to behave as becomes the creatures of their Creator; to be satisfied with his dispensations, and always to rely upon Him, whose wisdom cannot mistake our happiness, whose goodness cannot contradict it.

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2016 Lecture – Searching for the Apple Tree: What Happened in 1716?

Prof. Andrew Prescott Professor of Digital Humanities, University of Glasgow Andrew Prescott is Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Glasgow. He is also Theme Leader Fellow for the ‘Digital Transformations’ strategic theme of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the major funder of advanced research in the humanities in the UK. Andrew trained as a medieval … Read more

The General Charge as the Ceremony of Installation: The Address to the Brethren

Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario logo

It is possible that some brethren would be interested to know where the ceremony of installation came from.  Most of it is done exactly as it was in England two hundred years ago.  If you were to visit in an English Lodge when the Master is installed, nearly the whole thing would be familiar to you.  There is one notable exception, one piece of ritual that was “made in Canada”, that is the General Charge, or Address or Charge to the Brethren delivered to the Lodge at the conclusion of the ceremony.  I do not know if you have ever listened to it carefully.

It comes at the end of a long evening when you may be tired, and for that reason it is often abbreviated – and rightly so if the work is running late.  In it entirety, it is magnificent and contains the very essence of Masonry.

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The Accepted

Reprinted 27th August, 2004 – CANMAS

Worshipful Company of Freemasons

The development of the “accepted” mason within the Worshipful Company of Freemasons in the City of London is a curious stage in the progression from artisan guild toward voluntary philosophical society. While the paucity of historical records covering this transitional period has encouraged wild conjecture from certain writers, in fact there is sufficient archival information pertaining to Masonic evolution to accurately discuss and assess the significance of the “Accepteds” within the London Company.[i]

The roots of modern Speculative Freemasonry began with the 17th century acception of non-artisan members into the London trade guild, and tracing and assessing this development offers insights into Masonic history.

Although very few contemporary English associations and organizations of the late Reformation period maintained and preserved written archives for posterity, and Masonic records pertaining to the introduction of “accepted masons” is limited, we are fortunate the introduction, or “acception,” of non-operatives into English and Scottish Masonic circles was contemporaneous. We can therefore draw upon Scottish records for certain perspectives into the evolution of Masonry.[ii]

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