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

any time, from its usages, rules and regulations." Observe, he does not say that no
additions can be made, but no deviations. He proceeds: "Such is its nature, that no
innovations on its customs can be introduced, or sanctioned, by any person or
persons. DeWitt Clinton, the former Governor of New York and Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of New York and of the United States, also made an affidavit on
the same occasion. He says: "The principles of Masonry are essentially the same
and uniform in every place" (Powell, p. 40, as quoted by Stearns). In Hardy's
Monitor, a standard Masonic work, we have the following, p. 96: "Masonry
stands in no need of improvement; any attempt, therefore, to introduce the least
innovation will be reprobated, not by one, but by the whole fraternity." The Grand
Lodge of Connecticut asserts: "It is not in the power of man, nor in any body of
men, to remove the ancient landmarks of Masonry" (Allyn's Rituals p. 14). These
are the highest Masonic authorities, and to the same effect might be quoted from
all their standard works.
Second.--From the nature of the institution it cannot be changed, except by
addition. In proof of this I observe
I. That Masonry is extended over the civilized world, at least Masons themselves
boast that it includes men of every language, and of every clime. They claim for
Masonry that it is a universal language; that men of every country and language
can reveal themselves to each other as Freemasons; that by their signs and grips
and pass words, etc., they can not only know each other as Masons, but as having
taken such and such degrees of the order, that as soon as they reveal themselves to
each other as having taken certain degrees of Masonry, they know their
obligations, each to the other--what they may demand or expect of each other, and
what each is under oath to do for the other. Now this must be true, or of what
avail would Masonry be to those who are traveling through different countries,
where there are different languages. Unless their methods of knowing each other
were uniform, universal, and unchangeable, it is plain that they could not know
each other as Masons. It is true in some particular localities there may be an
additional pass word or sign, to indicate that they belong to that locality, but in all
that is essentially Masonic, it must be universal and unchangeable.
II. The same is true with respect to their oaths. They must all, in every place, be
under the same obligations to each other, or it would introduce endless confusion
and uncertainty. Every Mason, of every place, must know that every other Mason,
having taken the same degrees, has taken the same oaths that he himself has
taken; that he owes the same duties, and can claim the same privileges of any
other Mason of the same degree. If this were not so, Masonry would be of no
value among strangers. Furthermore, if their obligations were not exactly alike,
they would necessarily be betrayed into violating them. If they found that they
claimed duties of each other which were not necessarily imposed by the
obligations of both, or claimed privileges of each other not conferred by the
obligations of both, they would in this way make each other acquainted with their
respective obligations which were not in fact alike. Thus each would reveal to the
other, secrets which he was sworn to keep.
III. The oaths of every degree, from the lowest to the highest, must be uniform,