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

34 AFFIRMATION AFRICA
," to communicate to any one a participation
in the spiritual benefits of a religious order,"
and he says that such a communication is
called an " affiliation ." - The word, as a technical
term, is not found in any of the old Masonic
writers, who always use admission instead
of affiliation . There is no precept more
explicitly expressed in the Ancient Constitutions
than that every Mason should belong to
a Lodge. The foundation of the law which
imposes this duty is to be traced as far back as
the Regius MS ., which is the oldest Masonic
document now extant, and of which the " Secunde
poynt " requires that the Mason work
upon the workday as truly as he can in order
to deserve his hire for the holiday, and that
he shall " truly labour on his deed that he may
well deserve to have his meed." (Lines 269-
274 .) The obligation that every Mason should
thus labor is implied in all the subsequent
Constitutions, which always speak of Masons
as working members of the Fraternity, until we
come to the Charges approved in 1722, which
explicitly state that "every Brother ought
to belong to a Lodge, and to be subject to its
By-Laws and the General Regulations ."
Grand Master on the Coast of Africa and in
the Islands of America, excepting such places
where a Provincial Grand Master is already
deputed ." However, in spite of these appointments
having been made by the Grand
Lodge of England, there is no trace of the establishment
of any Lodges in West Africa
until 1792, in which year a Lodge numbered
586 was constituted at Bulam, followed in
1810 by the Torridzonian Lodge at Cape
Coast Castle . There are now on the West
Coast of Africa fourteen Lodges warranted
by the Grand Lodge of England, one holding
an Irish warrant, one under the Grand Lodge
of Scotland and two German Lodges ; and in
the Negro Republic of Liberia a Grand Lodge
was constituted in 1867, with nine daughter
Lodges subordinate to it .
In the North of Africa there is the Grand
Lodge of Egypt at Cairo with 47 subordinate
Lodges ; both England and Scotland have
established District Grand Lodges in Egypt
by consent of the former, while Italy, France
and Germany have Lodges at Alexandria and
Cairo.
In Algeria and Morocco French influence
is predominant, but in Tunis there is
A®rmation. The question has been an independent Grand Lodge, established in
mooted whether a Quaker, or other person 1881 .
having peculiar religious scruples in reference Masonry was introduced into South Africa
to taking oaths, can receive the degrees of by the erection of a Dutch Lodge (" De Goede
Masonry by taking an affirmation . Now, as Hoop") at Cape Town in 1772, followed by
the obligations of Masonry are symbolic in another under the same jurisdiction in 1802,
their character, and the forms in which they and it was not until nine years later that the
are administered constitute the essence of the first English Lodge was established there,
symbolism, there cannot be a doubt that the which was gradually followed by others, the
prescribed mode is the only one that ought to Dutch and English Masons working side by
be used, and that affirmations are entirely inadmissible.
The London Freemason's Quarterly Provincial Grand Master for the District who
side with such harmony that the English
(1828, p. 286) says that "a Quaker's affirmation
is binding." This is not denied : the only Grand Master for the Netherlands . In 1860
was appointed in 1829 was also Deputy
question is whether it is admissible . Can the a Scotch Lodge was set up at Cape Town,
obligations be assumed in any but one way, and 35 years later one was erected at Johannesburg
under the Grand Lodge of Ireland,
unless the ritual be entirely changed? And can
any "man or body of men" at this time make so that there are four different Masonic bodies
such a change without affecting the universality
of Masonry? Bro . Chase (Masonic Digest, together in South Africa, viz ., the Grand
exercising jurisdiction and working amicably
p . 448) says that "conferring the degrees on Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland,
affirmation is no violation of the spirit of Freemasonry,
and neither overthrows nor affects a Under the Grand Lodge of England there
and the Grand Orient of the Netherlands .
landmark ." And in this he is sustained by were at the last issue of the Masonic Yearthe
Grand Lodge of Maine (1823) ; but the Book, 155 subordinate Lodges arranged in
only other Grand Lodges which have expressed 5 Districts, viz ., Central, Eastern and Western
South Africa, Natal and the Transvaal .
an opinion on this subject-namely, those of
Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Delaware, At the same time there were 16 Lodges
Virginia, and Pennsylvania-have made an owing allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Ireland,
76 under the Scotch Constitution, di-
opposite decision. The entire practise of
Lodges in America is also against the use vided among the Districts of Cape Colony,
of an affirmation . But in England Quakers Cape Colony Western Province, Natal, Or-
have been initiated after affirmation, the ange River Colony, Rhodesia and the Transprinciple
being that a form of 0 B . - . which the vaal, and 28 under the jurisdiction of the
candidate accepts as binding will suffice . Grand Orient of the Netherlands, besides two
Africa. Anderson (Constitutions, 1738, p . 'German Lodges at Johannesburg.
195) has recorded that in 1735 Richard' On the East Coast of the Dark Continent
Hull, Esq., was appointed " Provincial Grand there are two Lodges at Nairobi, one of them
Master at Gambay in West Africa," that in being English and the other Scotch, and there
1736 David Creighton, M .D ., was appointed is also an English Lodge at Zanzibar .
" Provincial Grand Master at Cape Coast ! [E. L . H .]
Castle in Africa," and that in 1737 Capt . Will- ; Africa . In the French Rite of Adoption,
iam Douglas was appointed " Provincial the south of the Lodge is called Africa .