The Arizona Keystone Scientia Coronati Research Lodge #4 F. & A. M. Newsletter
october– december 2011 A.L. 6011
Volume 4, Issue 4
“…..But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovr’d country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have….” - - Hamlet, Act III, Scene I - - William Shakespeare
The Arizona Keystone Volume 4, Number 4 October - December 2011 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Boyd Robertson, Master MANAGING EDITOR Keith Rosewitz, Secretary The Arizona Keystone is an official publication of Scientia Coronati Research Lodge #4 F. & A. M. and printed quarterly. Unless otherwise noted, articles appearing in this publication express only the private opinion or assertions of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of Scientia Coronati Research Lodge #4 F. & A. M. or the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona. Articles are subject to editing and submittal grants Scientia Coronati Research Lodge #4 F. & A. M the right to publish and the authority to allow permission to reprint. Ownership of any article, photographs, or other materials remains with the author. No compensation is allowed for any article, photographs, or other materials submitted for publication.
CONTENTS FEATURES 3. EDITOR’S NOTES 4. PEN AND PAPER
Permission to reprint articles will be granted upon written request to the Editor. When reprinted, articles should note “Reprinted with permission of The Arizona Keystone (Month, year).”
Please direct all correspondence to: Editor: The Arizona Keystone 1908 Larchwood Cir. Prescott, AZ 86301
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M as te r ’s N otes My Brothers, As the year 2011 comes to a close I would like to personally thank all of you for making this year a great year to be the Master of our Lodge. And I have been honored to serve you this year. Also, I want to say a special thank you to all of the brethren that stepped forward and presented a paper for one of our meetings. Our growth and education could not have happened without you. As we look into the future I hope that we can continue to grow as a Lodge and as Masons. There is a special joy in learning with and from the brethren of our ancient fraternity. And I have thoroughly enjoyed the education that I have received this year. Every one of us should strive to grow as individual Masons as well as helping our brethren grow. To me that is the reason for our research lodge. In closing I would like to say that our journey has unlimited bounds as long as we are willing to take that first step in our own education. Thank you once again for the honor of serving as the Master for this year. And I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season as well as a prosperous new year!
Boyd
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PEN A N D PA P ER BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS Mackey’s Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, New Edition, 1929 The Book of Constitutions is that work in which is contained the rules and regulations adopted for the government of the Fraternity of Freemasons. Undoubtedly, a society so orderly and systematic must always have been governed by a prescribed code of laws; but, in the lapse of ages, the precise regulations which were adopted for the direction of the Craft in ancient times have been lost. The earliest record we have of any such Constitutions is in a manuscript, first quoted, in 1723, by Anderson (Constitutions, 1723, pages 32-3), which he said was written in the reign of Edward IV. Preston (page 182, edition of 1788) quotes the same record, and adds, that “it is said to have been in the possession of the famous Elias Ashmole, and unfortunately destroyed,” a statement which had not been previously made by Anderson. To Anderson, therefore, we must look in our estimation of the authenticity of this document; and that we cannot too much rely upon the accuracy as a transcriber is apparent, not only from the internal evidence of style, but also from the fact that he made important alterations in his copy of it in his edition of 1738. Such as it is, however, it contains the following particulars: “Though the ancient records of the Brotherhood in England were many of them destroyed or lost in the wars of the Saxons and Danes, yet King Athelstan (the grandson of Kind Alfrede the Great, a mighty Architect), the first anointed king of England, and who translated the Holy Bible into the Saxon tongue, 930 A.D., when he had brought the land into Rest and Peace, built many great works, and encourag’d many Masons from France, who were appointed Overseers thereof, and brought with them the Charges and Regulations of the Lodges preserv’d since the Roman times, who also prevail’d with the King to improve the Constitution of the English Lodges according to the foreign Model, and to increase the Wages of Working Masons.” “The said king’s youngest son, Prince Edwin, being taught Masonry, and taking upon him the Charges of a Master Mason, for the love he had to the said Craft and the honorable Principles whereon it is grounded, purchased a free charter of King Athelstan his Father, for the Masons having a Correction among themselves (as it was anciently express’d), of a Freedom and Power to regulate themselves, to amend what might happen amiss, and to hold a yearly Communication and General Assembly.” “Accordingly, Prince Edwin summoned all the Masons in the Realm to meet him in a Congregation at York , who came and composed a General Lodge, of which he was Grand Master; and having brought with them all the Writings and Records extant, some in Greek, some in Latin, some in French and other languages, from the Contents thereof that Assembly did frame the Constitution and Charges of an English Lodge, and made a law to preserve and observe the same in all time coming, and ordain’d good Pay for Working Masons, &c.” Other records have from time to time been discovered, most of them recently, which prove beyond all doubt that the Fraternity of Freemasons was, at least in the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, in possession of manuscript Constitutions containing the rules and regulations of the Craft. In the year 1717, Freemasonry, which had somewhat fallen into decay in the south of England, was revived by the organization of the Grand Lodge at London; and, in the next year, the Grand Master having desired, says Anderson, “any brethren to bring to the Grand Lodge any old writings and records concerning Freemasons and Freemasonry, in order to show the usages of ancient times, several old copies of the Gothic Constitutions were produced and collated” (see Constitutions, 1738, page 110.). But these Constitutions having been found to be very erroneous and defective, probably from carelessness or ignorance in their frequent transcription, in September 1721, the Duke of Montagu, who was then Grand Master, ordered Brother James Anderson to digest them “in a new and better method” (see Constitutions, 1728, page 113). 4
Anderson having accordingly accomplished the important task that had been assigned him, in December of the same year a committee, consisting of fourteen learned Brethren, was appointed to examine the book; and, in the March Communication of the subsequent year, having reported their approbation of it, it was, after some amendments, adopted by the Grand Lodge, and published in 1723, under the title of The Constitutions of the Freemasons, containing the History, Charges, Regulations, etc., of the Most Ancient and Right Worshipful Fraternity. For the use of the Lodges. A second edition was published in 1738, under the superintendence of a committee of Grand Officers (see the Constitutions of that year, page 133). But this edition contained so many alterations, interpolations, and omissions of the Charges and Regulations as they appeared in the first, as to show the most reprehensible inaccuracy in its composition, and to render it utterly worthless except as a literary curiosity. It does not seem to have been very popular, for the printers, to complete their sales, were compelled to commit a fraud, and to present what they pretended to be a new edition in 1746, but which was really only the edition of 1738, with a new title page neatly pasted in, the old one being canceled. In 1754, Brother Jonathan Scott presented a memorial to the Grand Lodge, “showing the necessity of a new edition of the Book of Constitutions.” It was then ordered that the book “should be revised, and necessary alterations and additions made consistent with the laws and rules of Masonry”; all of which would seem to show the dissatisfaction of the Fraternity with the errors of the second editions. Accordingly, a third edition was published in 1756, under the editorship of the Rev. John Entick. The fourth edition, prepared by a Committee, was published in 1767. In 1769, G. Kearsly, of London, published an unauthorized edition of the 1767 issue, with an appendix to 1769; this was also published by Thomas Wilkinson in Dublin in the same year, with several curious plates; both issues are now very scarce. And an authorized supplement appeared in 1776. John Noorthouck published by authority the fifth edition in 1784. This was well printed in quarto, with numerous notes, and is considered the most valuable edition; it is the last to contain the historical introduction. After the Union of the two rival Grand Lodges of England (see Antient Masons) in 1813, the sixth edition was issued in 1815, edited by Brother William Williams, Provencial Grand Master for Dorsetshire; the seventh appeared in 1819, being the last in quarto; and the eighth in 1827; these were called the Second Part, and contained only the Ancient Charges and the General Regulations. The ninth edition of 1841 contained no reference to the First or Historical Part, and may be regarded as the first of the present issue in octavo with the plate s of jewels at the end. Numerous editions have since been issued. In the early days of the Grand Lodge of England in all processions the Book of Constitutions was carried on a cushion by the Master of the Senior Lodge (Constitutions, 1738, pages 117-26), but this was altered at the time of the union and it is provided in the Constitutions of 1815 and in the subsequent issues that the Book of Constitutions on a cussion shall be carried by the Grand Secretary.
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Blindness on the Path By Brother David Trice Blind we are and yet the ever present urge of union with divinity .This expresses itself as longing, deep devotion and meditative prayer directed towards God transcendent and God immanent1. These are the first infant steps toward that long process we call initiation. At each initiation a Mason is asked to wear a blindfold. Symbolic of the blindness we all experience throughout life and each initiation on the Path. Each Mason must first show faith as to what may follow. “In whom do you put your trust?” is asked by the Master of the candidate. If the candidate offers anything other than a belief in a Supreme Being he is conducted from the room and dismissed.
If the correct answer given the candidate is then told to kneel for the benefit of Prayer. Selfless Prayer is the Masons way. Its importance cannot be over stated. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. Matthew 7:7 Still blind he is then conducted eventually to the Alter where is asked to take a solemn oath binding himself to the fraternity and the principles we profess. “Being in a condition of darkness what do you most desire” is asked of the candidate. Light is the response and gift we all hope for. After the Oath is taken he is then instructed (the lectures) with open eyes.
Two thousand years ago…. That great initiate and Master, Jesus, was giving his Sermon on the Mount. Many things did he teach that day. Among them was the principle of prayer.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6.
The three great lights of Masonry are the Holy Bible, Square and Compass. This we all know. However, it takes overcoming inertia to read the H.B2. and use the S. and C.
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Remember most of all dear Brothers that Masonic secrets are not just the rituals we perform at the Lodge. They are most importantly secrets that are revealed in the heart and from the soul because of Masonry (keeping our passions within due bounds) and most of all Virtue3. Keep the secrets dear brothers, keep the secrets. Lead us Oh Lord from darkness to light from the unreal to the real and from death to immortality. An ancient Hindu prayer. May we all be lead from darkness to light.
1. God without and God within. Both are esoterically correct until we lose the sense of I (the personality) and merge with the soul. 2. Particularly the New Testament. The Gospel according to St. Matthew in particular. 3. Virtue being the first tests along the way .
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