The Arcana of Freemasonry (1915) - The Masonic Trowel

VIII
FREEMASONRY, PAST AND FUTURE
A Lecture delivered before the Mid Kent Masters' Lodge, No. 3173,
at Chatham, on the i$th March, 1913.
There are very few students amongst our
Brotherhood ; and even amongst those few
scarcely one who can go beyond the " Modern
Aspect " of Freemasonry ; I have chosen, there-
fore, to discuss the " Ancient Origin " of Freemasonry,
not the Modern Aspect, which covers
a period of a few hundreds of years only. Bros.
Gould, Anderson, Armitage, Horsley, Lawrence,
and many other able writers and speakers have
studied the latter. We have no written history
of the Craft prior to that time, only traditions.
Yet Freemasonry has existed for at least six
hundred thousand years, but not under the name
of Freemasonry. That term did not then exist.
The farthest date back in which we find that word
is 1376. But the word or term "Craftsman"
was in existence more than six hundred thousand
years ago, as were some of our Signs, Symbols,
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