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James Anderson
The
Constitutions of the Freemasons
Containing the History, Charges, Regulations, etc., of that most
Ancient and Right Worshipful Fraternity, for the Use of the Lodges. Dedicated to his Grace the Duke of Montagu the last Grand Master, by Order of his Grace the Duke of Wharton the present Grand Master, authorized by he Grand Lodge of Masters and Wardens at the Quarterly Communication. Order'd to
be publish'd and recommended to the Brethren by the Grand Master and his Deputy.
Printed in the Year of Masonry 5723; of our Lord 1723.
The
Ancient Charges of a Freemason
Extracted From The Ancient Records of Lodges beyond the Sea, and of those in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the use of the Lodges in London. To be read at
the making of New Brethren, or when the Master shall order it.
The
General Heads, viz.:
I. Of God and
Religion.
II. Of the Civil
Magistrate, supreme and subordinate.
III. Of Lodges.
IV. Of Masters,
Wardens, Fellows and Apprentices.
V. Of the
Management of the Craft in working.
VI. Of Behavior,
viz.:
1. In the
Lodge while constituted.
2. After the
Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone.
3. When
Brethren meet without Strangers, but not in a Lodge.
4. In
Presence of Strangers not Masons.
5. At Home
and in the Neighborhood.
6. Toward a
strange Brother.
I.
Concerning God and Religion
A Mason is oblig'd by
his Tenure, to obey the moral law; and if he rightly
understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist
nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient Times
Masons were charg'd in every Country to be of the
Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet
'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to
that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving
their particular Opinions to themselves; that is, to be
good Men and true, or Men of Honour and Honesty, by
whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be
distinguish'd; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of
Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship
among Persons that must have remain'd at a perpetual
Distance.
II.
Of the Civil Magistrate Supreme
and Subordinate
A Mason is a peaceable
Subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or
works, and is never to be concern'd in Plots an
Conspiracies against the Peace and Welfare of the Nation,
nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior
Magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always injured by
War, Bloodshed, and Confusion, so ancient Kings and
Princes have been much dispos'd to encourage the
Craftsmen, because of their Peaceableness and Loyalty,
whereby they practically answer'd the Cavils of their
Adversaries, and promoted the Honour of the Fraternity,
who ever flourish'd in Time of Peace. So that if a
Brother should be a Rebel against the State he is not to
be countenanced in his Rebellion, however he may be
pitied as any unhappy Man; and, if convicted of no other
Crime though the Loyal Brotherhood must and ought to
disown hi Rebellion, and give no Umbrage or Ground of
political Jealousy to the Government for the time being,
they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his Relation to
it remains indefeasible.
III.
Of Lodges
A Lodge is a place
where Masons assemble and work; Hence that Assembly, or
duly organized Society of Masons, is call'd a Lodge, and
every Brother ought to belong to one, and to be subject
to its By-Laws and the General Regulations. It is either
particular or general, and will be best understood by
attending it, and by the Regulations of the General or
Grand Lodge hereunto annex'd. In ancient Times, no Master
or Fellow could be absent from it especially when warned
to appear at it, without incurring a sever Censure, until
it appear'd to the Master and Wardens that pure Necessity
hinder'd him.
The persons admitted Members of a Lodge must be good and
true Men, free-born, and of mature and discreet Age, no
Bondmen, no Women, no immoral or scandalous men, but of
good Report.
IV.
Of Masters, Wardens, Follows and
Apprentices
All preferment among
Masons is grounded upon real Worth and personal Merit
only; that so the Lords may be well served, the Brethren
not put to Shame, nor the Royal Craft despis'd: Therefore
no Master or Warden is chosen by Seniority, but for his
Merit. It is impossible to describe these things in
Writing, and every Brother must attend in his Place, and
learn them in a Way peculiar to this Fraternity: Only
Candidates may know that no Master should take an
Apprentice unless he has Sufficient Imployment for him,
and unless he be a perfect Youth having no Maim or
Defects in his Body that may render him uncapable of
learning the Art of serving his Master's Lord, and of
being made a Brother, and then a Fellow-Craft in due
Time, even after he has served such a Term of Years as
the Custom of the Country directs; and that he should be
descended of honest Parents; that so, when otherwise
qualifi'd he may arrive to the Honour of being the
Warden, and then the Master of the Lodge, the Grand
Warden, and at length the Grand Master of all the Lodges,
according to his Merit.
No Brother can be a Warden until he has pass'd the part
of a Fellow-Craft; nor a Master until he has acted as a
Warden, nor Grand Warden until he has been Master of a
Lodge, nor Grand Master unless he has been a Fellow Craft
before his Election, who is also to be nobly born, or a
Gentleman of the best Fashion, or some eminent Scholar,
or some curious Architect, or other Artist, descended of
honest Parents, and who is of similar great Merit in the
Opinion of the Lodges. And for the better, and easier,
and more honourable Discharge of his Office, the Grand
Master has the Power to chuse his own Deputy Grand
Master, who must be then, or must have been formerly, the
Master of a particular Lodge, and has the Privilege of
acting whatever the Grand Master, his Principal should
act; unless the said Principal be present, or interpose
his Authority by a Letter.
These Rulers and Governors, supreme and subordinate, of
the ancient Lodge, are to be obey'd in their respective
Stations by all the Brethren, according to the old
Charges and Regulations, with all Humility, Reverence,
Love and Alacrity.
V.
Of the Management of the Craft
in Working
All Masons shall work
honestly on Working Days, that they may live creditably
on Holy Days; and the time appointed by the Law of the
Land or confirm'd by Custom shall be observ'd.
The most expert of the Fellow-Craftsmen shall be chosen
or appointed the Master or Overseer of the Lord's Work;
who is to be call'd Master by those that work under him.
The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill Language, and to call
each other by no disobliging Name, but Brother or Fellow;
and to behave themselves courteously within and without
the Lodge.
The Master, knowing himself to be able of Cunning, shall
undertake the Lord's Work as reasonably as possible, and
truly dispend his Goods as if they were his own; nor to
give more Wages to any Brother or Apprentice than he
really may deserve. Both the Master and the Masons
receiving their Wages justly, shall be faithful to the
Lord and honestly finish their Work, whether Task or
journey; nor put the work to Task that hath been
accustomed to Journey.
None shall discover Envy at the Prosperity of a Brother,
nor supplant him, or put him out of his Work, if he be
capable to finish the same; for no man can finish
another's Work so much to the Lord's Profit, unless he be
thoroughly acquainted with the Designs and Draughts of
him that began it.
When a Fellow-Craftsman is chosen Warden of the Work
under the Master, he shall be true both to Master and
Fellows, shall carefully oversee the Work in the Master's
Absence to the Lord's profit; and his Brethren shall obey
him.
All Masons employed shall meekly receive their Wages
without Murmuring or Mutiny, and not desert the Master
till the Work is finish'd.
A younger Brother shall be instructed in working, to
prevent spoiling the Materials for want of Judgment, and
for increasing and continuing of brotherly love.
All the Tools used in working shall be approved by the
Grand Lodge. No Labourer shall be employ'd in the proper
Work of Masonry; nor shall Free Masons work with those
that are not free, without an urgent Necessity; nor shall
they teach Labourers and unaccepted Masons as they should
teach a Brother or Fellow.
VI.
Of Behaviour, viz.:
1. In the Lodge while
constituted
You are not to hold private Committees, or separate
Conversation without Leave from the Master, nor to talk
of anything impertinent or unseemly, nor interrupt the
Master or Wardens, or any Brother speaking to the Master:
Nor behave yourself ludicrously or jestingly while the
Lodge is engaged in what is serious and solemn; nor use
any unbecoming Language upon any Pretense whatsoever; but
to pay due Reverence to your Master, Wardens, and
Fellows, and put them to Worship.
If any Complaint be brought, the Brother found guilty
shall stand to the Award and Determination of the Lodge,
who are the proper and competent Judges of all such
Controversies (unless you carry it by Appeal to the Grand
Lodge), and to whom they ought to be referr'd, unless a
Lord's Work be hinder'd the meanwhile, in which Case a
particular Reference may be made; but you must never go
to Law about what concerneth Masonry, without an absolute
necessity apparent to the Lodge.
2. Behaviour after the
Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone
You may enjoy yourself with innocent Mirth, treating one
another according to Ability, but avoiding all Excess, or
forcing any Brother to eat or drink beyond his
Inclination, or hindering him from going when his
Occasions call him, or doing or saying anything
offensive, or that may forbid an easy and free
Conversation, for that would blast our Harmony, and
defeat our laudable Purposes. Therefore no private Piques
or Quarrels must be brought within the Door of the Lodge,
far less any Quarrels about Religion, or Nations, or
State Policy, we being only, as Masons, of the Catholick
Religion above mention'd, we are also of all Nations,
Tongues, Kindreds, and Languages, and are resolv'd
against all Politics, as what never yet conduct'd to the
Welfare of the Lodge, nor ever will. This charge has been
strictly enjoin'd and obser'd; but especially ever since
the Reformation in Britain, or the Dissent and Secession
of these Nations from the Communion of Rome.
3. Behaviour when Brethren
meet without strangers, but not in a Lodge formed
You are to salute one another in a courteous Manner, as
you will be instructed, calling each other Brother,
freely giving mutual instruction as shall be thought
expedient, without being ever seen or overheard, and
without encroaching upon each other, or derogating from
that Respect which is due to any Brother, were he not
Mason: For though all Masons are as Brethren upon the
same Level, yet Masonry takes no Honour from a man that
he had before; nay, rather it adds to his Honour,
especially if he has deserve well of the Brotherhood, who
must give Honour to whom it is due, and avoid ill
Manners.
4. Behaviour in presence of
strangers not Masons
You shall be cautious in your Words and Carriage, that
the most penetrating Stranger shall not be able to
discover or find out what is not proper to be intimated,
and sometimes you shall divert a Discourse, and manage it
prudently for the Honour of the worshipful Fraternity.
5. Behaviour at Home, and
in your Neighborhood
You are to act as becomes a moral and wise Man;
particularly not to let your Family, Friends and
Neighbors know the Concern of the Lodge, &c., but
wisely to consult your own Honour, and that of the
ancient Brotherhood, for reasons not to be mention'd here
You must also consult your Health, by not continuing
together too late, or too long from Home, after Lodge
Hours are past; and by avoiding of Gluttony or
Drunkenness, that your Families be not neglected or
injured, nor you disabled from working.
6. Behaviour towards a
strange Brother
You are cautiously to examine him, in such a Method as
Prudence shall direct you, that you may not be impos'd
upon by an ignorant, false Pretender, whom you are to
reject with contempt and Derision, and beware of giving
him any Hints of Knowledge.
But if you discover him to be a true and genuine Brother,
you are to respect him accordingly; and if he is in Want,
you must relieve him if you can, or else direct him how
he may be relieved; you must employ him some days, or
else recommend him to be employ'd. But you are not
charged to do beyond your ability, only to prefer a poor
Brother, that is a good Man and true before any other
poor People in the same Circumstance.
Finally, All these Charges
you are to observe, and also those that shall be
recommended to you in another Way; cultivating Brotherly
Love, the Foundation and Cap-stone, the Cement and Glory
of this Ancient Fraternity, avoiding all wrangling and
quarreling, all Slander and Backbiting, nor permitting
others to slander any honest Brother, but defending his
Character, and doing him all good Offices, as far as is
consistent with your Honour and Safety, and no farther.
And if any of them do you Injury you must apply to your
own or his Lodge, and from thence you may appeal to the
Grand Lodge, at the Quarterly Communication and from
thence to the annual Grand Lodge, as has been the ancient
laudable Conduct but when the Case cannot be otherwise
decided, and patiently listening to the honest and
friendly Advice of Master and Fellows when they would
prevent your going to Law with Strangers, or would excite
you to put a speedy Period to all Lawsuits, so that you
may mind the Affair of Masonry with the more Alacrity and
Success; but with respect to Brothers or Fellows at Law,
the Master and Brethren should kindly offer their
Mediation, which ought to be thankfully submitted to by
the contending Brethren; and if that submission is
impracticable, they must, however, carry on their
Process, or Lawsuit, without Wrath and Rancor (not In the
common way) saying or doing nothing which may hinder
Brotherly Love, and good Offices to be renew'd and
continu'd; that all may see the benign Influence of
Masonry, as all true Masons have done from the beginning
of the World, and will do to the End of Time.
Amen, so mote it be.
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Anderson`s Constitution