Through the Key Hole - RoseCroix.org.au

26
AHIMAN REZON
By Arthur E Waite and edited by Keith Stockley
This is the title which Laurence Dermott chose for the Book of
Constitutions edited by himself and issued in 1756 for the use of
the so-called Ancient or otherwise schismatic Masons. It should
be noted that the Premier Grand Lodge in the world, the first
Grand Lodge ever to be formed, was the Grand Lodge of England
in 1717.
Because this Grand Lodge allegedly departed from the ancient
traditions and introduced ceremonies and rituals that departed
from the “old ways” in a number of directions, a second Grand
Lodge was formed, of which Laurence Dermott was the Secretary.
The first was basically concerned with England and the second,
Ireland.
The second Grand Lodge dubbed the former the “moderns” and
regarded itself as the “ancients”.
The Premier Grand Lodge ( The moderns) published the first
ever Book of Constitutions in 1723. The Ahiman Rezon was the
“ancients” equivalent.
It is of Hebrew origin, meaning faithful Brother Secretary, according
to the Rev. Morris Rosenbaum, and not the will of a prepared
brother, or the will of Ahiman, a name occurring in Numbers XIII,
verse 22 and elsewhere.
As might be expected, Kenneth MacKenzie gives a muddled explanation
of the title. Eight editions were produced up to and including
the year of union, 1813 when the “moderns” and the
”ancients” merged to form the United Grand Lodge of England
( UGLE).
Content of the work: As it must be said notwithstanding that it is
much more interesting and important in respect of the first than it
is in the second respect, I shall deal with it shortly in the present
place.
150
THE LOST WORD
By Keith Stockley
Freemasons always seem to be searching for something that was
lost and in particular one of the most frequent of the missing items
is the Masons’ Word.
For we are Brethren of the Rosie Cross
We have the Mason Word and second sight
This verse was written in 1638 by Henry Adamson who published a
metrical account of Perth, Australia, in which this couplet appears.
Thus it seems that a Masons’ Word existed at least 370 years ago
or at the very least Henry Adamson knew it existed.
The Mason’s Word given to every Freemason at his Third Degree
raising and which is consequently known to every Master Mason in
the world is hardly likely to have been the one that Henry Adamson
wrote about for it is generally accepted that the third degree raising
ceremony was introduced only in the 1700’s, sixty years after
Adamson’s writings.
In terms of tradition there was a Mason’s Word used in Scotland
perhaps connected with the pillars Jachin and Boaz, but what this
word was is not known to us and it is more than likely that it had
nothing to do with the “lost” word for which we are searching.
I came across a letter by Dr. Rev. George Hickes D.D. written on
the 13 July 1678 from which I quote the following:
“…..Here I went to Halbertshire. This is a strong house tower built
by the Laird of Roslin in King James the 5th’s time. The Lairds of
Roslin have been great architects and patrons of building for these
many generations. They are obliged to know the Masons’ word
which is a secret signall Masons have throughout the world to
know one another by. They allege ‘tis as old as since Babel when
they could not understand one another and they conversed by signes.
Others would have it no older than Solomon. However it is,
he that hath it will bring his brother mason to him without calling to
him or your perceiving of the signe”.