The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARmonks in the prosecution of the same designled tothis result: that in the process of time, graduallyand almost unconsciously, the monks imparted tothem the art, secrets and principles of architecture.Then, by degrees, the knowledge of the arts andsciences went from these monkish builders out intothe world, and the laymen architects, withdrawingfrom the ecclesiastical fraternities, organizedbrotherhoods of their own. These independentbrotherhoods now began to be called upon whereveran important building was to be erected, and eventuallythey entirely superseded the monkish teachersin the prosecution of the art of building. But nowa new classification took place. The more intelligentof the laymen, who had received these secretsfrom the monks, were distinguished as architectsfrom the ordinary laborers, or common masons.The latter knew only the use of the trowel and mortar,while the former were occupied in devisingplans for building. These brotherhoods of highartists soon won great esteem, and many privilegesand franchises were conceded to them by the municipalauthorities among whom they practiced theirprofession. Their places of assembly were calledLodges, and the members took the name of Freemasons.Their patron* saint was St. John the Baptist,who was honored by them as the mediatorbetween the old and the new covenants, and thefirstmartyr of the Christian religion. Such wasthe beginning of the brotherhoods of Masons inGermany.The most important event in the cultivation andspread of Masonic art on the continent of Europewas that which occurred at the citv of Strasburg in70