THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

Constantine and Theodosius; and from remains recently brought to
knowledge it is plain that their style of building at that time was
very like that of the churches built at Hexham and York in England,
and those of the Ravenna, also nearly contemporary. They may not have
been actually called Free-masons as early as Leader Scott insists they
were,[65] but _they were free in fact_, traveling far and near where
there was work to do, following the missionaries of the Church as far
as England. When there was need for the name _Free-masons_, it was
easily suggested by the fact that the cathedral-builders were quite
distinct from the Guild-masons, the one being a universal order
whereas the other was local and restricted. Older than Guild-masonry,
the order of the cathedral-builders was more powerful, more artistic,
and, it may be added, more religious; and it is from this order that
the Masonry of today is descended.
Since the story of the Comacine Masters has come to light, no doubt
any longer remains that during the building period the order of Masons
was at the height of its influence and power. At that time the
building art stood above all other arts, and made the other arts bow
to it, commanding the services of the most brilliant intellects and
of the greatest artists of the age. Moreover, its symbols were wrought
into stone long before they were written on parchment, if indeed they
were ever recorded at all. Efforts have been made to rob those old
masters of their honor as the designers of the cathedrals, but it is
in vain.[66] Their monuments are enduring and still tell the story of
their genius and art. High upon the cathedrals they left cartoons in
stone, of which Findel gives a list,[67] portraying with searching
satire abuses current in the Church. Such figures and devices would
not have been tolerated but for the strength of the order, and not
even then had the Church known what they meant to the adepts.
History, like a mirage, lifts only a part of the past into view,
leaving much that we should like to know in oblivion. At this distance
the Middle Ages wear an aspect of smooth uniformity of faith and
opinion, but that is only one of the many illusions of time by which
we are deceived. What looks like uniformity was only conformity, and
underneath its surface there was almost as much variety of thought as
there is today, albeit not so freely expressed. Science itself, as
well as religious ideas deemed heretical, sought seclusion; but the
human mind was alive and active none the less, and a great secret
order like Masonry, enjoying the protection of the Church, yet
independent of it, invited freedom of thought and faith.[68] The
Masons, by the very nature of their art, came into contact with all
classes of men, and they had opportunities to know the defects of the
Church. Far ahead of the masses and most of the clergy in education,
in their travels to and fro, not only in Europe, but often extending
to the far East, they became familiar with widely-differing religious
views. They had learned to practice toleration, and their Lodges
became a sure refuge for those who were persecuted for the sake of
opinion by bigoted fanaticism.
While, as an order, the Comacine Masters served the Church as
builders, the creed required for admission to their fraternity was
never narrow, and, as we shall see, it became every year broader.
Unless this fact be kept in mind, the influence of the Church upon
Masonry, which no one seeks to minify, may easily be exaggerated. Not
until cathedral building began to decline by reason of the