The Ancient Landmarks revisited, part 2: How Freemasonry lost its way

The Ancient Landmarks Revisited, part 2: How Freemasonry Lost Its Way, by Bro. Jeff Peace

In Part 1 of this paper I asserted that the Ancient Landmarks were based around the common definitions of Freemasonry from the early eighteenth century.

1. Freemasonry is a peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.
2. Freemasonry is dedicated to the brotherhood of man under the All-Seeing Eye of Deity.
3. Freemasonry is a progressive science.
4. Freemasonry is a natural philosophy, or system of natural philosophy.

If there ever was a document listing the Ancient Landmarks it is now lost, but we do have the old definitions, and when put together with historical events, I believe we can still come to an understanding of the guiding principles of the original Speculative Freemasons.

We know from existing historical documents the nature of the men who called themselves “Freemasons” and what they were doing both inside and outside the Craft. Since it is human nature to join together with men like your self we can safely assume that some common thread of interests must run through all of these people. I believe that common thread of interest is both spelled-out and veiled by the definitions above.

History would suggest that these men were bonded together by a peculiar or unique system of guiding moral principles that were distinct from those of the common people of the eighteenth century. And, that these moral principles were conducive to joining all people together in peace and harmony into one great brotherhood. Since religion and divine revelation were the framework of morality at the time it is clear that such an ideology would have met stiff resistance from both church and state; thus, the need for absolute secrecy in lodges. In light of this the grisly oaths and obligations begin to make perfect sense.

This new morality is evolving at a time when the Catholic Church in Europe had been weakened by both political and philosophical changes within society, and advancements in science and understanding. During the Middle Ages the church had become tyrannical, and questioning its authority or ideology was a death sentence to those courageous enough to do so. Galileo Galilei and Giordano Bruno are examples of this behavior. Modern free-thinkers had finally come to realize that divinely revealed systems of morality were incompatible with the advancement of humanity, and that too many people had needlessly died defending one religion from another during the Crusades. Thus, the unique system of morality proposed by the early Freemasons was entirely devoid of religion and instead based on Natural Philosophy. Unlike religious morality the new system would be adaptable to advancements in human understanding and open to a progressive science, thus ensuring that the Galileos of the future would not be silenced for their ideas. This is the dawning of what will become known as "The Age of Enlightenment" and it will be driven by the Light given to mankind by Freemasons.

What were these early brothers really like? What did they do in lodge? Were they really a society of mystics searching for some lost inner truth, or were they a product of the changing times in Europe? By gaining an understanding of this we can better comprehend the true nature of Speculative Freemasonry.

The earliest Speculative Freemasons came from a wide variety of backgrounds. Most were protestants, some devout and others barely religious. There were Pantheists, Atheists, Gnostics, Jews; men of every religious and non-religious persuasion joined the Craft. Most were from the growing middle class, and some were a part of the old aristocracy.

From the minutes of old lodge meetings we learn that Bro. John T. Desaguliers was teaching Newton’s Calculus and the Laws of Motion at their meetings. A brother who was a doctor brought a corpse to lodge and dissected it showing the brothers how the human body worked. From the periodicals of the time we learn that the early Freemasons were the ultimate party club of the eighteenth century. They were notorious for staying up to all hours of the morning drinking and singing. Tavern owners began to hate them for breaking all the glasses. Eventually super thick and difficult to break glasses were created just for the Freemasons. These were known as "firing glasses." On one noted occasion the Freemasons of Savannah, after a night of drinking, commandeered one of the king’s gun boats and took it for a cruise around the harbor. The idea of them being humble introspective mystics just doesn’t seem to fit with the history. If anything they appear to be rebelling against the rigid customs of society and enjoying the freedom of the human spirit.

The early Freemasons were also prolific underground printers circulating various heretical and revolutionary tracts throughout Europe like the "Treatise of the Three Impostures." In a sense they were the first political activists who spawned many of the revolutionary ideas that would help to form both modern Europe and America.

Within sixty years of the founding of the Grand Lodge of London in 1717 Masonic ideology will have pervaded most of Europe and crossed the Atlantic to America. On July 4, 1776 it will move from a “Speculative Art” to an Operative one.

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...." — The Declaration of Independence

In the very opening words of the American Declaration of Independence we see traces of Masonic ideology. It does not make an appeal to any religious God, but to "the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God." The new world and its laws will not be based on the divinely inspired decrees of pontiffs and priests, but upon the principles of Natural Philosophy. Masonic lodges were democratic in operation as would be the new nation. The Masonic idea of tolerance as the cement of brotherhood will be applied in the American government which protects the freedom of religion.

If you step back and look objectively at the Freemasonry in America today does it resemble that of the past? Were George Washington and Benjamin Franklin humble introspective mystics? Was Freemasonry about self-discovery or the advancement of all of humanity? Perhaps it was a little of both?

— Bro. Jeff Peace
June 7, 2007, Atlanta, Georgia

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Bro. Jeff Peace's Masonic talk in Cleveland a success

I'm hearing that great things happened over the weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bro. Jeff Peace spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at West Side Masonic Temple on the history of speculative Freemasonry.

Tubalcain420 has written about it on his blog in an article called "A Great Masonic Weekend." In part, he writes:

The fellowship and brotherhood that was exemplified this weekend will have an eternal impact on many lives. The masonry/brotherhood we all experienced cannot be regulated; it cannot be chartered; it cannot be dispensated; And it cannot be forced. The love and tolerance that was exchanged between brothers (whether recognized or not), unconditionally is what masonry is supposed to be about. Men meeting on the level. There were no aprons brought out to potentially show some inequality in rank, there were no appendent bodies trying to get recognition. It was men only interested in the world of Blue Lodge Masonry. Where ALL men meet on the level.

The knowledge that Brother Peace has on Masonry, the zeal and passion for the fraternity is second to none. I am quite content in the side of the story I have on Brother Jeff Peace being expunged from the records of the GL of Ga without a Masonic trial (which I thought we were all afforded?). Once a Mason always a Mason. All I know is that any group of Masons would benefit from having Brother Peace around, teaching and enlightening the members. Whoever Brother Peace meets with at the present time must be blessed men to be privileged to be exposed to a man with this knowledge and love of the craft. Another humble servant of the craft. Brother Jeff Peace is a Mason through and through and no man has the authority to say otherwise.

— Tubalcain420

Bro. Jeff writes of his experience in Ohio:

On Saturday, April 21st, 2007, after 20 years of being a Freemason I discovered the secret treasure that every true Freemason seeks: a real Masonic lodge. Like many others after so many years of searching and hoping I had all but given up any hope of ever meeting on the Level with true brother Freemasons in a Masonic lodge dedicated to the very spirit of Freemasonry. I had become so accustomed to the long boring meetings of doing nothing more than meeting, eating and paying the bills that each visit to a Masonic lodge to give a lecture on history or symbolism represented something I dreaded, but felt obliged to do. Within minutes of meeting the brothers at Halcyon Lodge, No. 498, in Cleveland, Ohio, I knew that something was very different here. This was a thriving lodge of young Freemasons whose interests were wide and varied. There was total equality among them and nasty Masonic politics was nowhere to be seen — all met upon the same Level. As a brother who has been erased by the Grand Lodge of Georgia I had expected a rather cold reception, but instead discovered the warmth of friendship and brotherly love with each new face I came across. One brother came up and said, "Brother Peace, no Grand Lodge has the power or the authority to sever the mystic tie that binds us together as brothers. Once a Freemason — always a Freemason. Forget your past and live in the radiant Light of the present." It was at once humbling and wonderfully refreshing to be among this most excellent group of men, who were not only Freemasons, but true brothers.

The lodge building where Halcyon meets resembles the Greek Parthenon and is a magical edifice where the ghosts of brothers past freely roam the halls speaking out from their graves in testament to the brotherhood that still exists within the walls of this temple. For it is indeed a "temple" and not just a "lodge" — it is a Temple erected to the spirit of Freemasonry and the brotherhood of man. I couldn’t help but feel that some sacred force lived within the walls — ever watching over the brotherhood.

While I am not a member of Halcyon 498 I shall always know it to be my mother lodge because it was there that I first discovered Freemasonry.

— Bro. Jeff Peace

Image: Brothers from Georgia with Ohio brothers before Bro. Peace's lecture April 21, 2007. L-R back row: W. Bro. Chris Snow, Bro. Eric Chipps, Worshipful Master Mike Howard. L-R front row: Bro. Brian Roper (Ga.), Bro. Jeff Peace (Ga.), and Bro. Andrew Kavanaugh.

Masons | Masonic Education | Jeff Peace | Freemasonry | West Side Masonic Lodge | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

More on Bro. Jeff Peace's upcoming Masonic lecture in Cleveland, Ohio

I received this notice from Bro. Jeff Peace today, who asked that I post it on Burning Taper.

I’m really quite surprised by the number of emails I’ve received about my upcoming talk at Halcyon Lodge in Cleveland, Ohio. Some are curious about the subject matter of the talk while others are outright concerned. After reading through some of things being spread around the Internet regarding my talk, I thought a little clarification might be in order.

The talk is entitled “The Brotherhood of Man” and looks at the early development of speculative Freemasonry and how that the rediscovery of the basic principles of the Craft are its future. It is not a message of condemnation of the present ‘Antient’ state Grand Lodges, as many have speculated. These institutions of corporate Freemasonry became irrelevant to modern American society back in the 1960’s, and have no place in the future. The future of speculative Freemasonry lies in bringing all people together upon the same Level. Men and women do not join with us for initiation into a mere social club, but because they want to be a part of something greater than any individual, that points the way to a brighter future for us all.

Through this talk I hope to allow everyone a glimpse into the workings of the early lodges in hopes that they can begin to emulate their character and sense of brotherhood. I think we, as a fraternity, have lost sight of these fundamentals and replaced them with politics and justice. This is our greatest failure. Neither politics nor justice can replace the primordial nature of all human beings to long for the warmth and security of being associated with others. We are a social species that has always formed tribes, cities and states. For Freemasonry to be of value it must once again be able to forge the bonds of friendship between people who would otherwise have forever remained at a distance.

I believe this is possible, but only if we are willing to look within ourselves and our fraternity and make the changes that are necessary for brotherhood to prevail. These changes must start with us, if we and Freemasonry are to prevail.

— Jeff Peace

Note from Widow's Son: Some recent emails I have received indicate that some readers think I am Jeff Peace. I am not, nor am I a "mouthpiece" for him or for anyone or any group. If you have Masonic news or comments of interest you would like to see published here,
send it in.

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Wisconsin brother refutes anti-Masonic statements leveled by Lutherans

Are you tired of hearing fundamentalist and evangelical Christians repeatedly making the same dumb accusations against Freemasonry?

W. Bro. Joshua M. Armstrong, the current Master of Excelsior Lodge No. 175 F & AM, in Excelsior, Wisconsin, is. He has created an excellent web page for his lodge that refutes five common oppositions to Freemasonry leveled by evangelical groups. Specifically, he is responding to statements made by Missouri and Wisconsin Lutheran Evangelical Synods.

Read W. Bro. Armstrong's responses to these charges:

• Freemasonry is a religion.
• Freemasonry holds the belief that all faiths are equally valid pathways to salvation (or that Freemasonry is "unionistic").
• Freemasonry requires that men of different faiths pray together.
• Masonry promotes good works and personal betterment as a means of salvation.
• Masons swear blood oaths.
• Masons swear to protect other Masons from punishment for their crimes.

W. Bro. Armstrong has done a great job, not only with this article, but with the entire website he has created for Excelsior Lodge. His site has a nice mix of local news for brethren of his lodge, plus articles of general, universal interest. The site also includes an aggregator that stays up to the minute with new articles from all your favorite Masonic blogs, including The Burning Taper. Well done, Brother!

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Masonic preparation and education

Julian Rees has been decorated by the Institut Maçonnique de France with the Masonic Ordre de Lafayette. He is the author of Making Light: A Handbook for Freemasons.

Brother Rees, on Masonic initiation:

Preparation proceeds at different levels. We may regard the physical preparation of the aspirant as being important, in a symbolical sense, yet there are deeper levels of preparation which he must experience before the transformative influence of Masonic initiation can be fully effective. He must be prepared in his heart, since it is the intuition of the heart, the ability to gain insights into his own nature, which is supremely important, more than the gaining of academic knowledge. Intellect here then, is the intellect of feeling and sensing rather than that of accumulation of knowledge. Part of this preparation has to do with freedom, and this again relates to different levels and to different aspects. He must be, or intend to be, free of material bonds which may impede his progress towards spiritual advancement. He should be free of selfish impulses and passions, which might similarly hold him back. And he must be free to choose, not impaired by any outside influences.

On Masonic education:

In the 18th Century... the Brethren would sit around and discuss matters of scientific, intellectual, philosophical, moral, artistic interest. But nowadays, lodges of instruction have become lodges of rehearsal, making sure that the words and movements of the ceremony are learned in the most correct way possible. It’s like admiring the design on the chocolate box, without ever tasting the chocolates!

I have attended the local "lodge of instruction" several times, and commend Brother Warren Banks, who conducts it. He certainly knows his ritual.

Once, a "high-ranking" Past Master from my lodge also attended, one who thinks he knows his stuff.

I was shocked when he stood up in the middle of a class and loudly told the instructor, "No! The Senior Deacon comes ALL the way to the altar to announce the candidate, not halfway."

I was then impressed at the instructor's low-key, confident response: "You do it the way you want at your lodge. I'm simply telling you the correct way."

As the worshipful bigmouth brother was a self-proclaimed big shot at my lodge, he later "corrected" me during a practice session when I, as Senior Deacon, performed as I had learned at the school of instruction.

"That's the way we're going to do it here!" he shouted.

I did it his way.

At the practice.

I did it the right way when it was for real.

Call me a pot-stirrer. Or maybe a stickler for details. Perhaps I was guilty of admiring the design on the box of chocolates, but I figured if we were paying a man to teach us, and I'd spent 24 hours of my life (I went to the two-hour, four session school of instruction three years in a row) to learn the correct way to do the rituals, I'd try to do them the right way.

Worshipful Brother Bigmouth had a great desire to see that "his" lodge did it "the way we've always done it." It was much more important to him than doing it the way Masons for 300 years have always done it. or the way current rulebooks say. For example: "His" lodge had "always" prayed to Jesus, so by God, we're going to keep doing it "our way" no matter what the rules say, and no matter who it offends.

The bigmouth Past Master was later a key participant in the Masonic Ambush. I should have seen it coming.

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