Through the Key Hole - RoseCroix.org.au

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Whatever the origin, since the 18th century, blue lodge, blue Ma
sonry and blue degrees are terms referring to Craft Masonry. In
America an Installed Master of a Craft Lodge is often called “
“Master in the blue” when describing his Masonic standing at
Meetings of other Orders.
Red Masonry is the term used in similar fashion to the Royal Arch
which in the USA and Europe incorporates the ceremonies Mark
Master, Virtual Master, Excellent Master and Royal Arch.
Amongst the Jews, red was a colour of opulence or dignity.
Jeremiah in describing the rich men of his country speaks of them as
those who “were brought up in scarlet”. In ancient times, red was
the symbol of fire as the element of regeneration and purification
and so may allude to the rebuilding of the temple and is usually used
to denote fervency and zeal.
Black Masonry . On 6 March 1775, a military lodge with a warrant
from the Grand Lodge of Ireland, stationed at Boston, Massachusesetts,
initiated fourteen “free” Negroes of whom the most important
was Prince Hall. The Wor. Master was Sergeant J Batt.
When the regiment left Boston, an application was made to London
( To the Grand Lodge of England—”Moderns”) for a warrant for a new
lodge the founding members of which were these negroes. This
warrant was granted in 1784 and the lodge was named African
Lodge No,. 459. It wasn’t until 1787 that this warrant actually
reached the petitioners yet is still in existence today.
It was the last lodge to be warranted in the USA by the “Moderns”
Grand Lodge of England and in fact after the America gained its independence,
various lodges in the USA gradually formed sovereign
In 1904 the Williams and Walker Coloured Minstrels were touring
The Prince Hall Group, as the Negro lodges became known, did the
same, starting in Massachusetts. In the early years inter-visitation
was a fairly common practice, but is now only permitted wherever
THE MYSTERY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
By Keith Stockley
Would Abraham Lincoln have become a Freemason had he not been
assassinated? It is on record that on several occasions he expressed
his high opinion of the Order and on at least one occasion indicated
his intention to join. This is evidenced by the Grand Master of Masons
in the District of Columbia, Benjamin B French, who was a friend of
Lincoln’s.
“He (Lincoln) once told me how highly he respected our Order and
that at one time had fully made up his mind to apply for admission to
it..”
Lincoln was close friends with many prominent Freemasons and was
the principal speaker t the Masonic funeral of his old friend Bowling
Green. Apart from Bowling Green, most of the prominent men in his
home town were Freemasons. The Best Man at his wedding, James
Matheny, was snot only a Freemason but also a Past Master of the
Grand Lodge of Illinois. His closest neighbour James Gourlay was
also on the square.
Lincoln’s idol in politics was Henry Clay a U.S. Senator and Speaker
of the House of Representatives. He had been a candidate for President
several times and was one of the most influential Americans of
his time. Henry Clay was a Freemason.
If anyone can have been said to have been significantly exposed to
Freemasonry it was Abraham Lincoln. So why did he not join?
Admittedly Lincoln had stated openly that he had not petitioned for
membership because he considered himself too unworthy and that he
might have thought better of that consideration and submitted an application
had he not been a candidate for Presidential office in case
his motives for such a petition to become a Freemason might have
been misconstrued. Consequently he refrained from submitting his
application.