Page 6 - ASHLAR - Oct-Dec 2019

N A L G R
I G O AND LODGE
The Ashlar E R Vol. XV Issue III
was annexed to the Babylonian Empire. After the Grand Lodges came together to form the United
devastation of King Solomon's temple, Grand Lodge of England, with the Duke of
Nebuchadnezzar enslaved the Masons till King Sussex as Grand Master. Ironically, the
Cyrus freed them. The most eminent among 'Moderns' therefore are older than the 'Antients'.
those captive Masons, Zerubbabel, a prince of Freemasonry spread through British and other
Judah demanded freedom for his brethren from colonial powers. In the 'Americas' the Moderns
King Cyrus. King Cyrus demanded the secrets of of F&AM found a better foothold, although, the
the Orders of Freemasonry from Zerubbabel in Antients also existed. During the civil war
return for their freedom. Zerubbabel defiantly between North and South, Masons fought each
denied the King's order and said such freedom other. But they also aided each other - further
was not worth having. Hearing this, King Cyrus references of these anecdotes are found in two
exclaimed, “I admire your zeal and courage. books 'High Twelve' and 'Low Twelve'. They
Generals, Knights, this worthy Prince merits contain stories of how Masons on opposite sides
liberty for his fidelity to his engagements. lent a helping hand to each other at great
Zerubbabel, I grant your request, and consent to personal risk, but to remain true to their
your being set at liberty. You are free”. The King obligations.
ordered his guards to strike off the chains, which The Dutch, the Portuguese, the French, Ireland,
bound Zerubbabel saying, “ May these emblems Scotland and England all set up Lodges in
of slavery never again disgrace the hands of a various parts of India. The oldest Masonic Lodge
Mason”. He declared the masons to be "Free is said to have functioned in what we know as
Men" i.e. they would always be free and nothing Calcutta today during the last decade of the
or no one would ever enslave them.' The earliest
Lodge Minutes of Speculative Masons in
existence date back to 1593 in Scotland.
Freemasonry, then however, wasn't 'organized'.
It was about 300 years ago that a few
Speculative Masons met at an unassuming
tavern called the Goose & Gridiron to form the
Premier Grand Lodge of England under the
'Moderns' or Free & Accepted Freemasonry.
Officially, the Premier Grand Lodge of England
was founded in London on St. John the Baptist's
day, 24 June 1717, when four existing Lodges
gathered at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in
St. Paul's Churchyard in London and constituted
themselves a Grand Lodge. Among them was
James Anderson, a Minister of a Church and a
Grand Warden under the Grand Lodge of
London, who formulated the first constitution of
this Grand Lodge which he styled as “The
Constitutions of the Free-Masons; containing the
History, Charges, Regulations, etc. of that Most
Ancient and Right Worshipful Fraternity. For the
Use of the Lodges, London. In the year of
Masonry 5723, Anno Domini 1723. ”However,
disagreements prevailed over several issues Seventeenth Century. However, these were
between the Moderns and the Antients until they Military Lodges with traveling warrants. By the
resolved their differences and decided to merge. end of British Rule in India, only Ireland, England
So, it was that on the Feast of St. John the and Scotland remained in India. The oldest
Evangelist, 27 December 1813, the two English Masonic Lodge under Organized Masonry

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