Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

LECTURES
LECTURES 431
freemason? A . He y't was caryed to y'e
highest pinnicall of the temple of Jerusalem .
Q . Whith'r is your lodge shut or open ? A .
It is shut. Q. Where lyes the keys of the
lodge doore? A . They ley in a bound case or
under a three cornered pavem't about a foote
and halfe from the lodge door . Q. What is
the key of your lodge doore made of? A .
It is not made of wood stone iron or steel
or any sort of mettle but the tongue of good
report behind a Broth'rs back as well as before
his face . Q . How many jewels belong to
your lodge? A . There are three the square
pavem't the blazing star and the Danty tassley
. Q. How long is the cable rope of your
lodge? A . As long as from the Lop of the
liver to the root of the tongue . Q . How many
lights are in your lodge? A . Three the sun
the mast'r and the square . Q . How high is
your lodge? A . Without foots yards or
Inches, it reaches to heaven . Q . How stood
your lodge? A . East and west as all holly
Temples stand . Q . W'ch is the mast'rs place
in the lodge? A . The east place is the mast'rs
place in the lodge and the jewell resteth on him
first and he setteth men to worke w't the m'rs
have in the forenoon the wardens reap in the
afternoon. Q. Where was the word first given?
A . At the tower of Babylon. Q. Where did
they first call their lodge? A . At the holy
chapell of St . John. Q . How stood your
lodge? A . As the said holy chapell and all
other holy Temples stand (viz .) east and west .
Q . How many lights are in your lodge? A .
Two one to see to go in and another to see to
work . Q . What were you sworne by? A .
By God and the square . Q. Whither above
the cloathes or und'r the cloathes? A . Und'r
the cloathes. Q. Und'r what acme? A . Und'r
the right arme. God is gratfull to all Worehipfull
Mast'rs and fellows in that worshipfull
lodge from whence we last came and to
you good fellow w't is your name . A . J or B
then giving the grip of the hand he will say
Broth 'r John greet you well you. A . God's
good greeting to you dear Broth'r ."
But when we speak of the lectures, in the
modern sense, as containing an exposition of
the symbolism of the Order, we may consider
it as an established historical fact, that the
Fraternity were without any such system until
after the revival in 1717 . Previous to that
time brief extemporary addresses and charges
in addition to these test catechisms were used
by the Masters of Lodges, which, of course,
varied in excellence with the varied attainments
and talents of the presiding officer .
We know, however, that a series of charges
were in use about the middle and end of the
seventeenth century, which were ordered "to
be read at the making of a Freemason ."
These "Charges and Covenants," as they
were called, contained no instructions on the
symbolism and ceremonies of the Order, but
were confined to an explanation of the duties
of Masons to each other . They were altogether
exoteric in their character, and have
accordingly been repeatedly printed in the authorized
publications of the Fraternity .
Dr . Oliver, who had ampler opportunities
than any other Masonic writer of investigating
this subject, says that the earliest authorized
lectures with which he has met were
those of 1720 . They were arranged by Drs .
Anderson and Desaguliers, perhaps at the
same time that they were compiling the
Charges and Regulations from the ancient
Constitutions . They were written in a catechetical
form, which form has ever since been
retained in all subsequent Masonic lectures .
Oliver says that "the questions and answers
are short and comprehensive, and contain a
brief digest of the general principles of the
Craft as it was understood at that period ."
The "digest" must, indeed, have been brief,
since the lecture of the Third Degree, or what
was called "the Master's Part," contained
only thirty-one questions many of which are
simply tests of recognition . Dr . Oliver says
the number of questions was only seven ; but
he probably refers to the seven tests which
conclude the lecture . There axe, however,
twenty-four other questions that precede
these.
A comparison of these-the primitive lectures,
as they may be called-with those in
use in America at the present day, demonstrate
that a great many changes have taken
place. There are not only omissions of some
things, and additions of others, but sometimes
the explanations of the same points are
entirely different in the two systems. Thus
the Andersonian lectures describe the " furniture
" of a Lodge as being the "Mosaic pavement,
blazing star, and indented tassel, emblems
which are now, perhaps more properly,
designated as "ornaments ." But the present
furniture of a Lodge is also added to the pavement,
star, and tassel, under the name of
"other furniture ." The "greater lights" of
Masonry are entirely omitted, or, if we are to
suppose them to be meant by the expression
"fixed lights," then these are referred, differently
from our system, to the three windows of
the Lodge.
In the First Degree may be noticed, among
others, the following points in the Andersonian
lectures which are omitted in the American
system : the place and duty of the Senior
and Junior Entered Apprentices, the punishment
of cowans, the bone bone-box, and all
that refers to it ; the clothing of the Master,
the age of an Apprentice, the uses of the day
and night, and the direction of the wind .
These latter, however, are, strictly speaking
what the Masons of that time denominated
"tests ." In the same degree, the following,
besides many other important points in the
present system are altogether omitted in the
old lectures of Anderson : the place where
Masons anciently met, the theological ladder,
and the lines parallel . Important charges
have been made in several particulars ; as, for
instance, in the "points of entrance," the ancient
lecture giving an entirely different interpretation
of the e ression, and designating
what are now call " points of entrance" by
the term "principal signs" ; the distinctions