Jachin and Boaz, or, The Free Mason's Catechism/Origin of Masonry
THE
HISTORY OF MASONRY.
ORIGIN OF MASONRY.
The original institution of Masonry is laid on the foundation of the liberal Arts and Sciences; but more especially on the fifth, namely, Geometry: For ou the building of the Tower of Babel, the art of Masonry was first introduced; and from thence handed down by Euclid, a most worthy and excellent Mathematician in Egypt: and he communicated it to Hiram, the Master-Mason, concerned in the building of Solomon's Temple, at Jerusalem; where was an excellent and curious Mason, that was the chief under the Grand Master, Hiram, whose name was Mannon Græcus, who taught the art of Masonry to one Carolus Marcel in Franco, who was afterwards elected king of France: And from thence it was brought into England, in the time of Ethelstane; who ordered an assembly to be held every year at York, which was the first introduction of it into England. And Masons were made in the manner following:—
Whilst one of the Seniors holdeth the Book, then ho or they put their hands on tho Book, whilst tho Master ought to read the Laws or Charges.
Which Charges were:—That they should be true to one another without exception; and should be obliged to see to their brothers' and fellows' necessities, or put them to labour and reward them accordingly.
But in these latter days Masonry is not composed of artificers, as it was in its primeval state, when some few catechistical questions are only necessary, to declare a man sufficiently qualified for an Accepted Mason.
The new terms of Free and Accepted Masonry, as it now is, was not heard of till within those few years: No Constituted Lodges, or Quarterly Communications were known till 1691, when Lords and Dukes, Lawyers and Shop-keepers, and other inferior tradesmen, porters not excepted, were admitted into this mystery, or no mystery. The first sort being introduced at a very great expence, the second sort at a moderate rate, and the latter sort at the expence of six or seven shillings; for which they receive the Word, as they term it; which is more ancient and honourable than the order of the Star and Garter; which antiquity is accounted, according to the Rules of Masonry, as delivered by their tradition, ever since Adam, which I leave the candid reader to determine.
From the Accepted-Masons sprung the real Masons; from both sprung the Gormogans, whose Grand-Master, the Volgi, deduces his original from the Chinese, whose writings, if to bo credited, maintains the hypothesis of the Pre-Adamites, and consequently, must be more ancient than Masonry.
The most free and grand Society, is that of the Grand Koihebar, which consists of a select company of responsible people, whose discourse is concerning trade and business, and promote friendship without compulsion or restriction.
But if, after admission into the secrets of Masonry, any new brother should dislike their proceedings, and reflect on himself for being so easily cajoled out of his money, declines the fraternity, or secludes himself upon account of the quarterly expences of the Lodge, and the Quarterly Communications, notwithstanding he has been legally admitted into a constituted and regular Lodge, ho shall be denied the privilege, as a visiting brother of knowing the mystery for which he has already paid, which is a manifest contradiction, according to the institution of Masonry itself, as will evidently appear by the following treatise.