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  • Feb. 21, 1863
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  • ANTIQUITY OF MASONIC DEGREES.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Feb. 21, 1863: Page 1

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Antiquity Of Masonic Degrees.

ANTIQUITY OF MASONIC DEGREES .

\ ZO JS DOF , SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 21 , 18 G 3 .

( From a Correspondent . ) Like Delta , I had not intended asain to trespass 0 Ii your space , had not , as he well puts it , the interest attached to the discussion seemed to serve as an excuse for still further craving , on my part ,

your patient indulgence . I am sorry to learn that Delta is reduced to the strait of " believing" Masonry to be "Templary , " or that " our three first ceremonies are the invention of the eig hteenth century . "

Not being reduced to such a "forlorn hope" myself , and trusting that thousands of my brethren are equally far removed from so lamentable a state of mind , I propose to take once again Delta ' s remarks seriatim , and show once more , as I think I have already sho wa , that he is sacrificing the substance of

true Masonry , in order to grasp a fantastic and disappointing shadow . Delta assumes what I have never yet conceded , though I thought it beside our immediate controversy , that modern and Masonic Templary , is indeed the same as aucient Templary , ou that I express no deliberate opinion , though niauy

good Masons doubt it , and to say the least , the historical evidence of it , nay , the Masonic evidence of it , is very scanty . But this by the way . In his orig inal letter , Delta denied that the three Craft degrees had any connection with operative Masonry , but asserted that they were a compilation

not later than the beginning of the eighteenth century , and that Templary was , if not tlie source , at any rate , the more ancient preserver of true Masonry . Though asked to give proof of such sweeping assertions , Delta travels from the record , leaves unnoticed the request for proof , but simply reiterates his firm conviction that the matter is as he first

stated it . But now Delta brings forward a newtheory , viz ., that Mark Masonry is identical with operative Masonry . Whatever be the importance of Mark Masonry to our general system , and that it has some importance I at once concede , yet it is impossible not to

demur to so categorical a demand ou our assent . I cannot now recall to mind the poetical extract of the fifteenth century , given , as Delta says , by our Bro . Matthew Cooke , " and beautifully showing the system of the working Masons ; " but of this I am quite confident , and this I again assert , that none of

the ancient operative charges or constitutions , or rules , or catechisms , which are still extant , afford to Delta the sli ghtest ground for attempting to sneer , as he does , at operative and speculative Masonry . I have not the fourth volume of-the MAGAZINE by

me , so am also unable to refer to the authority ot Bro . Matthew Cooke , whom Delta quotes , iu regard , as I understand him , to signs , & c , though naturally anything which Bro . Matthew Cooke puts forward deserves , at the hand of any Masonic student , respectful consideration . The Craft are greatly

indebted to him for the publication , of the " constitutions , " and I hope that he will continue to prosecute Eis valuable ancl unwearied researches . But yet I am not aware of any such authority existing , as "Delta" seems to imply . There is , in the Sloane MSS ., a paper which

professes to give the words and signs of a Preemason , together with a catechism , but that is in no wise confined to Operative Masonry . But is in truth fatal to Delta ' s theory , as it distinctly recognises the Master Mason and tlie Eellow Craft , and has , in fact , much to interest , perhaps more to amuse , every

Speculative Mason . Dr . Oliver in his last work , The Masonic Treasury , talks of a Sloane MS ., 38-18 , which disproves the antiquity of the Masters ' s degree . I believe Dr . Oliver has been misinformed , as 3 S 1 S Sloane , is but another transcript of the Masonic Constitutions ,

written probably early in the 16 th century , but having the endorsement of a Bro . Sanley , in 1646 . Dr . Oliver probably means the MS . 3228 , fo . 137 ,

but which , in itself , is decisive , as to the question of the Craft degrees . Delta seems to derive Masonry from Mesouraneo . One should have thought , by this time , that such a derivation would have been exploded altogether . It is , as a derivation , too absurd , in truth , to give the

slightest heed to . We have evidence from the York fabric rolls , that in 1370 , "Le loye , " was in use in England , to express the operative lodge . Magon , a JM ason , and magonner , to do Masons work , were in use at the same time in

Prance . That the Norman Prench word , " is lof / e , " is derived from the corrupt Latin , locjerium , or lor / eta , while magon , is equally derived , from the corrupt Latin memsio . Boquepart shows , in his Vocabtdaire de la lanque

" Romance , that even in the 12 th century , ma .-ointer had yet the meaning , to form a secret conspiracy-The remark that Delta makes , about Aubrey ' s paragraph respecting Ashmole , is truly astounding ,, for if that proves anything , it proves incontestable

this , that Ashmole , a purely speculative Mason , ivas admitted into an operative lodge ancl the regulations still exist in the British Museum , long anterior to 1717 , which governed the first gradual , but at last general admission of the speculative element . That Ashmole was a Eosicrucian may he the fact , but that he thereby learned the true speculative Masonry , is not proven in the remotest degree .

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1863-02-21, Page 1” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 21 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_21021863/page/1/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
ANTIQUITY OF MASONIC DEGREES. Article 1
CHRONOLOGY VIEWED THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ASTRONOMY AND FREEMASONRY. MASONRY. Article 2
NEW MATERIALS FOR THE LIFE OF JOHN FLAXMAN, R.A. Article 3
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 5
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 7
METROPOLITAN. Article 8
PROVINCIAL. Article 11
SCOTLAND. Article 14
MARK MASONRY. Article 15
ROYAL ARCH. Article 16
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 16
MASONIC FESTIVITIES. Article 16
WEST INDIES. Article 16
THE WEEK. Article 18
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Antiquity Of Masonic Degrees.

ANTIQUITY OF MASONIC DEGREES .

\ ZO JS DOF , SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 21 , 18 G 3 .

( From a Correspondent . ) Like Delta , I had not intended asain to trespass 0 Ii your space , had not , as he well puts it , the interest attached to the discussion seemed to serve as an excuse for still further craving , on my part ,

your patient indulgence . I am sorry to learn that Delta is reduced to the strait of " believing" Masonry to be "Templary , " or that " our three first ceremonies are the invention of the eig hteenth century . "

Not being reduced to such a "forlorn hope" myself , and trusting that thousands of my brethren are equally far removed from so lamentable a state of mind , I propose to take once again Delta ' s remarks seriatim , and show once more , as I think I have already sho wa , that he is sacrificing the substance of

true Masonry , in order to grasp a fantastic and disappointing shadow . Delta assumes what I have never yet conceded , though I thought it beside our immediate controversy , that modern and Masonic Templary , is indeed the same as aucient Templary , ou that I express no deliberate opinion , though niauy

good Masons doubt it , and to say the least , the historical evidence of it , nay , the Masonic evidence of it , is very scanty . But this by the way . In his orig inal letter , Delta denied that the three Craft degrees had any connection with operative Masonry , but asserted that they were a compilation

not later than the beginning of the eighteenth century , and that Templary was , if not tlie source , at any rate , the more ancient preserver of true Masonry . Though asked to give proof of such sweeping assertions , Delta travels from the record , leaves unnoticed the request for proof , but simply reiterates his firm conviction that the matter is as he first

stated it . But now Delta brings forward a newtheory , viz ., that Mark Masonry is identical with operative Masonry . Whatever be the importance of Mark Masonry to our general system , and that it has some importance I at once concede , yet it is impossible not to

demur to so categorical a demand ou our assent . I cannot now recall to mind the poetical extract of the fifteenth century , given , as Delta says , by our Bro . Matthew Cooke , " and beautifully showing the system of the working Masons ; " but of this I am quite confident , and this I again assert , that none of

the ancient operative charges or constitutions , or rules , or catechisms , which are still extant , afford to Delta the sli ghtest ground for attempting to sneer , as he does , at operative and speculative Masonry . I have not the fourth volume of-the MAGAZINE by

me , so am also unable to refer to the authority ot Bro . Matthew Cooke , whom Delta quotes , iu regard , as I understand him , to signs , & c , though naturally anything which Bro . Matthew Cooke puts forward deserves , at the hand of any Masonic student , respectful consideration . The Craft are greatly

indebted to him for the publication , of the " constitutions , " and I hope that he will continue to prosecute Eis valuable ancl unwearied researches . But yet I am not aware of any such authority existing , as "Delta" seems to imply . There is , in the Sloane MSS ., a paper which

professes to give the words and signs of a Preemason , together with a catechism , but that is in no wise confined to Operative Masonry . But is in truth fatal to Delta ' s theory , as it distinctly recognises the Master Mason and tlie Eellow Craft , and has , in fact , much to interest , perhaps more to amuse , every

Speculative Mason . Dr . Oliver in his last work , The Masonic Treasury , talks of a Sloane MS ., 38-18 , which disproves the antiquity of the Masters ' s degree . I believe Dr . Oliver has been misinformed , as 3 S 1 S Sloane , is but another transcript of the Masonic Constitutions ,

written probably early in the 16 th century , but having the endorsement of a Bro . Sanley , in 1646 . Dr . Oliver probably means the MS . 3228 , fo . 137 ,

but which , in itself , is decisive , as to the question of the Craft degrees . Delta seems to derive Masonry from Mesouraneo . One should have thought , by this time , that such a derivation would have been exploded altogether . It is , as a derivation , too absurd , in truth , to give the

slightest heed to . We have evidence from the York fabric rolls , that in 1370 , "Le loye , " was in use in England , to express the operative lodge . Magon , a JM ason , and magonner , to do Masons work , were in use at the same time in

Prance . That the Norman Prench word , " is lof / e , " is derived from the corrupt Latin , locjerium , or lor / eta , while magon , is equally derived , from the corrupt Latin memsio . Boquepart shows , in his Vocabtdaire de la lanque

" Romance , that even in the 12 th century , ma .-ointer had yet the meaning , to form a secret conspiracy-The remark that Delta makes , about Aubrey ' s paragraph respecting Ashmole , is truly astounding ,, for if that proves anything , it proves incontestable

this , that Ashmole , a purely speculative Mason , ivas admitted into an operative lodge ancl the regulations still exist in the British Museum , long anterior to 1717 , which governed the first gradual , but at last general admission of the speculative element . That Ashmole was a Eosicrucian may he the fact , but that he thereby learned the true speculative Masonry , is not proven in the remotest degree .

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