FREEMASONRY, THE TERCENTENARY OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND BEYOND. (April 2017)

By: Bro. Afeez Adeshola Crescent Adebayo
Niger Lodge #3882 UGLE



When sometimes around February this year, on an online forum, Wor. Bro. Ade Bakare shared a circular issued by Abuja Lodge #9866EC inviting brethren to participate in a Masonic essay, in memory of our beloved departed Wor. Bro. Ima Kagho. PADGM, a very fine and quintessential Mason. To some of us who were privileged to have known and interacted with him before his translation to the Grand Lodge above, his memories are evergreen. Having missed out during his elaborate Masonic obsequy, I consider this a huge and substituted opportunity to pay my last respect. We are consoled  knowing he led a life squared, leveled and plumbed. Permit me to thank the Worshipful Master, Wardens,  and the entire Brethren of the Abuja Lodge for this very worthy cause in preserving our illustrious brother’s cherished values and memories. May his soul continue to rest in the bosom of the most High God.

I find myself humbled and privileged to be making this submission, how much more, dwelling on a topic as versed as this, and one I think you would find very interesting. Titled: Freemasonry, The Tercentenary of Craftsmanship and Beyond.
As the four corners of the Masonic world join the United Grand lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of England in celebrating the three hundred glorious years of its formation. Indeed, an institution as versed as Freemasonry, a day of which is but a volume of hundreds of pages itself if is is to be penned down. I would be greatly constrained by space, this could be considered a preface to a larger work itself.  However, I would endeavor to dwell on certain areas of our cherished history, as no book, left alone a paper of this nature can adequately chronicle Masonry in the British Isle or the world of Freemasonry at large. For the purpose of this task, it would be largely restricted to English Masonry. Please join me, let’s go.

WHENCE IT ALL BEGAN:
That our antient and honourable institution has subsisted from time immemorial is not a subject of doubt to many, although there have been several postulations by different eminent historians, Masonic and otherwise, as to the true origin of the Royal Art. Some have routed our history to the medieval guild of stone-Masons in Scotland and elsewhere, some accounts informed us of The Templar connections, the Druids, even to the mythical lost island of Atlantis. How ancient then is our honourable society?

After the exodus of the Israelites from the captivities of Egyptians, while marching to Canaan, two of the Israelites, one BEZALEEL of the tribe of Judah and another AHOLIAB of the tribe of Dan, were divinely inspired to erect a glorious Tabernacle, where the Shekinah resided, built in accordance to the design divinely revealed to Moses, this design would later be the model of King Solomon temple, the tabernacle was erected with the aid of Geometry, the craft which was brought to Egypt by MITZRAHIM son of Ham, was learnt by Moses and it was taught to the Israelite, Moses, who himself became the head of the Israelite.  Upon leaving Egypt, the Israelite were a kingdom of Masons, divinely inspired and enabled in the sublime knowledge of Masonry. From the beginning, the patriarch of humankind Adam, taught his sons the art of Geometry, it was said that a city was built and consecrated by Cain, which he named after his first son Enoch. The art was passed on and on up to Noah down to the Assyrians and the line continued downward to our own immediate ancestry, the medieval guild of Stone - Masons.
The first of the Seven Wonders of the World came with the building of God’s house at Jerusalem, built and dedicated to God by the wisest of earthly Kings. Accounts show that 3,600 Master Masons, 80, 000 stone hewers or fellows of craft and 70,000 Labourers were engaged in the glorious task. Upon completion and solemn dedication of the Temple exactly seven years later, many of the artists engaged in the building dispersed themselves to several cities of the then known world: Mesopotamia, Syria, Assyria, Chaldea, Babylon, Persia, Arabia, Africa, Lesser Asia, Greece and other part of Europe, including Scotland and England. Where they taught the Royal Art to free born and sons of eminent persons, as no slave or bondmen are allowed in the work of Masonry. Thus, Freemasonry is the daughter of Geometry, spread by Euclid in Egypt and widely propagated by Pythagoras in Europe.

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD MASONRY:
The word FreeMason or Mason as they have been interchangeably used, was first heard in the year 1376 in the city of London, where by a leaflet, owing to ignorance of the profane world and organized religion,  warning the public about the "society of Masons". The word is meant to denote the hewers or setters of hewn stones. In a separate account, the first known non - operative Mason, Elias Ashmole was recorded to have entered in his diary in 1686, where he referred to have been admitted to the “Fellowship of Free Masons”
There have been divided opinions about the language ancestry of the word Masonry itself by different authorities. If we are to consider the man who works in a quarry, then we would be right but that would be narrowing it to stone-work alone. Let’s look at the various lingual origins of the word Masonry.
The Greek word Maza and Massein which mean to press something together and then the Latin word Massa which refers to a club or society, from thence to the word Mass in English which means to bring together for a united action, in order to achieve a desired goal. Hence, Masonry is amalgamation of stones, bricks, wood, iron, or human being into a compact structure, when these tasks are done, then work of Masonry is complete.

It is worthy of note that beyond the various speculations and assumptions, the “Free” in the word FreeMason does not distinguish between the man who is either operative or speculative Mason, but the word Free, refers to the FREEMAN and freedom of inclination a candidate for the mysteries must possess and ACCEPTED, as being regularly approved by members of his proposed Lodge, usually after he must have been regularly proposed by his sponsor and seconded by another brother, in whose opinion he is worthy of our mysteries.  According to A.S MacBride “As far as the records of the order go, both in England and Scotland, non – operatives are found as members of the Craft and there does not appear to have been any distinction made between them and operatives members in the manners their names were recorded” . In this sense we can safely say that Free Mason as a word refer to both the operatives and the gentlemen Masons or speculative.

FREEMASONRY OF OUR ERA:
Operative Masons operated in several lodges across Europe, a lodge is usually attached to a site of labour, particularly in England and Scotland. It serves both as a resting place and where the skills and mysteries of the craft are passed on from one brother to another. No other institution can boast so noble and honourable like Freemasonry, especially in rectitude of conducts of those that reigned under its banners. It enjoyed royal patronage in the British Isles and elsewhere, reliable accounts show that this patronage dated as far back as King Athelstan of England around 925AD, who was then the patron of Masonry in the British isles. The great turnarounds in the fortune of the craft occurred in  1583 when a gentleman, a scot, named William Schaw was appointed by King James VI as Maister O Wark or Master of Works, to superintendent over the construction of Royal palaces and castles in his realm. As it was predominant then, majority of the stone-Masons were illiterates, the new Master of Work then wrote them a statutes, popularly known as First Schaw Statute in 1598 and another in 1599, detailing various offices, roles and responsibilities attached to each, for the smooth running and governing of their affairs. The statutes were rooted in the Old charges of Freemason and detailed the issue relating to hierarchy and the responsibilities of various officers of the lodge. It carefully crafted, and as it is the tradition, it was unanimously agreed to by assembly of Master Masons.

In 1686, Elias Ashmole an astrologer, philosopher and alchemist was admitted to the Lodge of operative Freemason as a gentleman Mason or speculative, his admission heralded the influx of nobles and intellectuals of the time into Masonic membership. Many prominent members of Royal Society and Newtonian School of thought enlisted, so is the Royal patronage of the craft, with Earls, Lords, Dukes and Kings of England, including our amiable Grand Master, Second Duke of Kent. Wearing our badge with pride and exchanging the scepter for trowel, to spread the cement of brotherly love.

GRAND LODGE:
On 24th June in the year of Masonry 5717 and of the lord 1717, four lodges of gentlemen Masons or speculatives meeting in quaint houses in London, namely:
The Goose and Gridiron
The Rummer and Grapes
The Apple Tree Tavern
The Crown Ale-House
Came together to form what is to be known as Grand Lodge of London and Westminster (Premier Grand Lodge) founded on the three grand principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, chief among which is Brotherly love, the foundation and copestone, the cement and glory upon which its columns rest. Amongst its early ranks are Dr. Jean Theophilus Desaguliers a Mathematician and Philosopher who emigrated from France to England with his father after the edict of Nantes, his father being a Protestant Pastor. Then there was Rev. James Anderson, a Presbyterian pastor, Anthony Sayer and then Goerge Payne. Anthony Sayer was elected and installed as the first Grand Master of the new Grand Lodge in their inaugural assembly of July 1717.
The roles of Dr. Desaguliers, Rev. James Anderson and George Payne in the growth of the new Grand Lodge were huge. Rev. James Anderson was saddled with the responsibility of compiling the Old Charges as extracted from the oldest Masonic manuscripts, The Regius Poem and from antient records of Lodges beyond the sea and those in England, Scotland and Ireland, the finished work was named after him with the title Anderson Constitution. The job was concluded and adopted by the Grand Lodge in 1723. Ironically unlike his other brethren, Rev. Anderson didn't reign as Grand Master but his name is forever indelible, to him we are forever thankful for his service to the craft.
Records also point that Dr. Desaguliers was responsible for secularizing the antient charges. The previous old charges all began, first with an invocation to the trinity, thereafter it was changed to God and the holy church, both were all together dropped in favour of a simple belief in Supreme Being, Dr. Desaguliers himself being of the Latitudinarian school of theology, who propagated the doctrine of listening to the dictates of reason, divesting the craft of any form of Romanism. The Grand Lodge prospered in no small measure and the benign influence of Masonry was felt in all corners of the globe. The Grand lodge expanded to other free world. Today there are over 195 regular Grand Lodges in fraternal amity with UGLE  and number of lodges on its roll are nearly 10,000. The light was spread to Africa and Nigeria enjoyed its first lodge warrant in the year 1867, with the formation and consecration of Lagos Lodge #1171 EC, several other lodges, including of different obedince have since been warranted and flourishing. Men from all works of life and social status have joined in the assemblies.

ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF MASONIC RITUAL:
Let us trace the origin of our mysterious and colourful ceremonies and its evolution over the years. According to records obtained from Edinburgh House Manuscript of 1696, Airlie MS of 1710 and that of Chetwode Crawley Manuscript of circa 1700, the methods of opening prayer, the traditional history and charges and most importantly, of impacting the Masonic word and the catechism, known and referred to as Masonic ritual.  According to Edinburgh House Manuscript of 1696 “The person to take the word, had to first take an oath of secrecy, in which he swore not to reveal by word or writing any part of what he should see or hear, or to draw it with the point of a sword, or other instrument, upon the snow or sand.…” In a separate account of Chetwode Crawley Manuscript, it confirms that there were but two types of ceremonies, that of Entered Apprentices and of Journeyman or Fellow craft or Masters. These two form the bulk of our ceremonies as they are worked today.
Although prior to 1723 -7 or thereabout , the third degree or the ceremony of raising were unknown and not included in the initiatory process of making of a Mason. According to an explanation of our Antient Charge no IV. of Masters, Fellows and Apprentices “In antient times no brother, however skilled in the craft, was called a master-mason until he had been elected into the chair of the lodge”
However, evidence points out that the legend of the third degree is known by the operatives. Perherps, having joined the Templars in the crusades, it might have filtered to our antient brethren from the local operative Masons.
To add credence to this, Dr. Marks an Hebrew scholar, while conducting researches in Oxford came across an Arabic manuscript of the 14th century containing Masonic signs or Password, some of which cannot be mentioned in this paper, which when translated depicted the existence of the knowledge of the legend of the third degree by the operative Masons even though it wasn't part of the ceremonies of making a Mason.
Interestingly, in June 1986 after a very long discussion, the United Grand Lodge of England resolved to remove the physical penalties from the obligations. Several other Grand Lodges have since adopted same in their rituals. Anti - Masonic sentiments and publications have been so rive and unabated. The UGLE in commemorating the tercentenary, in an unprecedented decision, commissioned Sky TV to produce a documentary about Freemasonry in a television series. The series would include showing some parts of our ritual for the first time for public viewing.

THE SCHISM AND THE UNION:
From the beginning, lodges of Masons have been havens of great minds and intellectual laboratories. No sooner than the Grand Lodge was formed and the development of its rituals, was the question of the Royal Arch relevance brought to the fore, certain section of the brethren held that the Royal Arch is the Fourth degree or the completion of the journey in pure and antient Masonry, while others held that it should be worked as part of workings of the craft lodge. Also was the issue of the word of a Master Mason. After several debates and ensuing disagreements, in 1751 a new Grand Lodge was formed, in contrast it claimed to be antient in origin and the other were then referred to as moderns. Regardless of this schism, brethren of both jurisdictions worked in harmony and Princess of Blood Royal enlisted in both organizations.
THE UNION OF 1813: HRH The Duke of Sussex, KG who was initiated in Berlin on 20th December, 1798 began a Masonic journey which eventually led to the solemn union of the two Grand Lodges. Together with his Royal brother and counterpart in the Antient Grand Lodge, HRH The Duke of Kent and Strathearn, after several meetings of brethren of both jurisdictions, an Articles of Union was drafted on November 8th 1813 which was thereafter ratified by an Especial Grand Lodge communication of both Grand Lodges, convoked separately specifically for the purpose of the ratifying the Articles of Union, which was held concurrently on 1st December, 1813. Signaling the birth of United Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of England. HRH The Duke of Sussex, KG of the former Modern Grand Lodge was elected as the first Grand Master with a proposition made by his brother, HRH The Duke of Kent and Strathearn, KG. He was installed in a very colourful ceremony attended by thousands of brethren on 2nd May, 1814.
Let me also add that, the Royal Arch chapters of both former Grand Lodges now united, that of the Premier, having been constituted with the Charter of Compact of 1766 and of the antients were merged together to form, Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Mason of England on 18th March 1817. The merger being one of the decisions in the Articles of Union. Every Master Mason, having been raised for four weeks is eligible to petition a chapter for an exaltation. Indeed, without the Royal Arch, the journey of the Master Mason is uncompleted.

GOING FORWARD:
Let me borrow a phrase from our illustrious and eminent brother, Most Worshipful Brother HRM Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe the immediate Past Grand Master of Grand Lodge of Nigeria, at a Yoruba Tennis Club event recently, in a lecture he eruditely delivered, where he used the term "The agent of change in an unchanging manners”, in reference to the traditional institution.
Freemasonry can be best captioned this way. For centuries, the antient landmarks of the order have remained unchanged and a slight deviation from it has led to cessation of Masonic amity with those who wish to be recognized by the regular Grand Lodges, particularly that of England. However, Masons as individuals, as Masonry hold no view on subjects of theology and affairs of nations, have been at the forefront of hUman right struggles, all forms of freedoms and liberation from dictatorial tendencies. In the field of academic and science, Masons have been prominent and led the way. Masons have been the best of philanthropists, in fact, the Grand Charity now Masonic Charitable Foundation of UGLE founded in 1980, taking over the responsibilities of Board of Benevolence is arguably the biggest charity in Europe and perhaps the world at large. 

Going forward, we should consider the following:
Invite qualified friends and family members to the participation of our craft. In  December 1981, The Grand Lodge adopted a statement by the Board of General Purposes which read thus “There is no objection to neutrally worded approach being made to a man who is considered a suitable candidate for Freemasonry. There can be no objection to his being reminded, once, that approach was made. The potential candidate should then be left to make his own decision without further solicitation.
Why then has our roll of members depleted so badly? Why haven't we take up the opportunity provided by this edict to reach out?. Survey locally shows that average Nigerian don't even know Masonic lodges exist in Nigeria and when they do with the aid of internet, they are fed with conspiracy theories and erroneous information by antagonists of the order.
Brethren all, it’s time for us to start taking action and getting quality gentlemen on-board, in a country as big as Nigeria, our membership strength cannot be said to be true reflection of the good men in our midst under any guise. It’s time to come out of the closet.
Social media/Internet Presence: Our corporate presence on the social media is very poor, we must make considerable and deliberate commitment to building and maintaining an internet presence. Internet is the working tools of the 21st century man. We should take a queue from England and others who have benefited immensely from their online investment and presence.
Retention: The strength of any organization lies much in its capacity to retain its folds, while attracting new quality admissions.

MENTOR/INSTRUCTOR: Knowledge is power. Like a sea, the tide of the ocean can stray  a vessel not anchored. So it is when our new entrants are left without a guide and mentor. Our mentors also must be properly equipped with the tools and curriculum to carry out this task and progress of assigned mentee monitored. Curriculum, because he is expected to stick strictly to Masonsry as practiced and sanctioned by the Grand Lodge. We have seen a case of brethren, having multiple fraternal obedience, confusing other ethos with that of Masonry.
Brethren all, the tercentenary provides us an excellent opportunity to showcase the beauty and rich traditions of our institution to Nigerians and the world at large. UGLE has shown the path with the Television series which now airs on Sky TV titled “Inside the Freemasons” we must replicate this concept and bring the craft to the doorstep of the public. Let me use the opportunity to commend and thank the Rt. Worshipful District Grand Master for Nigeria, Rt. Wor. Bro, Olorogun Moses O. Taiga for the great events which are lined up to commemorate this milestone and for his great leadership over the years. May the Great Architect of the Universe bless all true and faithful Masons throughout the world, may brotherly love prevail and every moral and social virtue, bind and cement us, now and for evermore. So mote it be.

Permit me to leave you with a poem, specially dedicated to the memory of our departed brother, Wor. Bro. Ima O. Kagho.
Thank you for your time.

FROM THE KNOCK, TO THE GONG.

I am an Ashlar,
Fresh from the quarry,
In God is my trust firmly rooted,
with reverence I sought His aid,
Led through the antient porchways, like in all ages,
My points of entrance have been perfected,
I am a fellow to the poor, companion of kings

Innocence is not enough, for the stairs of life are intricate,
Nature is not to all fair, chequered are the sojourns,
but gladly partaking of His divine providence,
welfare of my fellow mortals I hold dear.

My promises are sacred,
surrounded by gentlemen of noblest fashion,
Elu of the antient mysteries.

I am hewn and polished readied for the Lewis,
I am a Free and Accepted Mason.


 ~ Crescent.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
At
A.S MacBride: Speculative Masonry, its roots, its evolution and its Landmarks - 1914
      2. James Anderson: The Constitutions of the Freemason – 1734
      3.  A.G Mackey: The History of Freemasonry Vol II – 1906
      4.  Information for the Guidance of Member of the Craft – 2012
      5.  Rt. Wor. Bro. Yasha Beresiner: 1813 Articles of Union
      6.  Edinburgh House Manuscript
      7.  Gould: History of Freemasonry
      8.  Grand Lodge of Scotland – www.grandlodgeofscotland.com
      9.  United Grand Lodge of England – www.ugle.org.uk
     10. UGLE Masonic Year Book - 2012