Contents
The Frustrating
POSTAL sparseness of SERVICE
Baron Von Steuben
RELIGION
The Order of Judas Maccabeus
JAMES SMITH GOES TO WAR
Charlie Stroebel Council
No. 247 A.M.D.
Clyde 'Sugar Blues' McCoy
Freemasonry: Universal Brotherhood
Full of Sound and Furry
Conflicts and Developments
the philalethes
The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters
Jerry Marsengill, FPS Editor
401 Masonic Temple, 1011 Locust St.
Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 244-6011
FAX (515) 244-2540
OFFICERS
John Mauk Hilliard, FPS, President
Lehman College
Bronx, New York 10468 (212) 960-8713
Wallace E. McLeod, FPS. 1st Vice President
Victoria College University of Toronto
73 Queen's Park Crescent
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1K7
Forrest D. Haggard, FPS, 2nd Vice President
Overland Park Christian Church 7600 W75th St
Overland Park, KS 66204 (913) 677-4646
Allen E. Roberts, FPS, Executive Secretary
Drawer 70, 110 Quince Ave.
Highland Springs, VA 23075 (804) 737-4498
FAX 804/328-2386
Henry G. Law, FPS, Treasurer
2608 E. Riding Dr. Wilmington, DE 19808
(302) 737-9083
Harold L. Davidson, FPS, Librarian
The Philalethes Society 1903 10th St. W.
Billings, MT 59102 (406) 259-1552
LIVING PAST PRESIDENTS
Philalethes Society
William R. Denslow FPS
Robert V Osborne, FPS
Eugene S. Hopp, FPS
Dwight L. Smith, FPS
Robert L Dillard Jr., FPS
Bruce H. Hunt, FPS
Allen E. Roberts, FPS
John R. Nocas, FPS
Jerry Marsengill, FPS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EMERITUS
Carl R. Griesen, FPS
S. Brent Morris, FPS
CONTENTS
Cyril Batham of England - Lecturer at the Assembly/Feast/Forum
Postal Service
Philalethes Chapters - Please Note
Baron Von Steuben - The German Mason Who Changed Washington's Army
What Your Mailing Label Tells You
Religion
The Order of Judas Maccabeus
James Smith Goes to War
Charlie Stroebel Council No. 247 A.M.D.
Clyde "Sugar Blues" McCoy
Freemasonry: Universal Brotherhood
Full of Sound and Fury
Conflicts & Developments in Eighteenth Century Freemasonry: The American Context
Indexer Needed
Lodge Politics
The Masthead
Through Masonic Windows
ON THE COVER
Thanksgiving is the unique American Holiday. To give thanks to the Creator for a good harvest is a custom which has come down to us from antiquity. The old English festival of Harvest Home, the Jewish celebration of Succoth, and many other harvest festivals are forerunners of our Thanksgiving. Yet, to have a special holiday for the purpose of thanking God for our blessings is something which has occurred only in America. Our cover shows the gathering in of a bountiful harvest.
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Cyril N. Batham of England - Lecturer
at the Assembly/Feast/Forum
Friday, February 14, 1992
One of the great Freemasons of this century will be The Philalethes Society Lecturer for 1992. Cyril N. Batham is praised throughout the Masonic world for his wisdom and vast knowledge about the Craft and its history. To prove this point he was chosen as the Prestonian Lecturer for the United Grand Lodge of England in 1981.
Brother Batham has served in official capacities in France, where he lived for several years, Spain and England. He is a Past Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, England, and served as its Secretary for years. He has lectured in many countries. The Queen admitted him to the Order of St. John. He belongs to numerous Masonic Orders and holds Grand Rank in all that have them. (See the December issue for more about this man who is honoring The Philalethes Society and the Freemasons of the United States.)
The Date: Friday, February 14, 1992.
The Time: 6:00 p.m sharp for the Assembly and Feast.
The Place: The Hotel Washington, Washington, D.C.
The Investment: $26 for the Feast for reservations prior to February 1, 1992; $31.00 thereafter, including the lobby until noon on the 14th; none available after 12 o'clock noon.
Who?: Master Masons only
For Reservations: Send checks for $26 prior to February 1 to: Executive Secretary, PO Box 70, Highland Springs, VA 23075-0070
Make checks payable to: The Philalethes Society Your tickets will be mailed to you.
We strongly suggest reservations be made for hotel rooms immediately by calling 800/424-9540. Blocks of rooms are reserved only for those attending the Allied Masonic Degrees and The Philalethes Society.
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The Frustrating POSTAL sparseness of SERVICE
from your frustrated Executive Secretary
No organization is justifiably criticized as often and severely as the postal service. This is especially true for recent years. None deserves this criticism more. It's not my intent to fill the pages of this periodical with the multitude of valid grievances we, the people who keep the employees in luxury, have. Let me merely point out the way this Society has been stomped on.
It costs us 35 cents for every notice of an undeliverable magazine, even if a new address doesn't accompany the return. Even worse, the magazine's cover is torn and the contents thrown away. The would-be recipient doesn't see it. But that's merely the beginning; it takes two, three and even four months for this return to reach us. We even get two issues destined for one person (i.e., April and June) at the same time costing us 70 cents - and too late to change the address before another issue is mailed. The postal service is taking at least 70 cents, and more often $1.05, from us for every undelivered magazine, plus throwing away an expensive publication. Foreign postage costs 98 cents for the return plus $1.60 to remail to Canada, far more to other countries.
Returned books cost us $1.48, then another $1.48 (plus the cost of the container) to mail them to the correct address.
The "Bulk Mailing Centers" that every mass mailer must use is a catastrophe. We found this out when we mailed our bonus book, The Grand Design. Hours were wasted in sorting to comply with postal regulations the 908 copies you ordered. If it had not been for the valuable assistance of our local postmaster it would have taken us four or five times as long to sort them. (Yes, there are a few postmasters and employees who are conscientious.) It was then I understood why it often takes three to five weeks for my copy of The Philalethes to reach me after it's put in the Des Moines post of lice. I'm told those who start work in those BMCs spend weeks in training - and they learn what a farce the system is.
Often I have rushed to get books and information to our members into the mail box on Sunday morning. This Sunday for the first time in weeks I looked at the pick up times. To my amazement I found we no longer have a Sunday pick up! Higher costs, higher salaries and wages, higher bonuses, less and less service! But plenty of excuses - and laughter when one has the audacity to complain.
Not too long ago I paid $12 for my post office box (can't call it a "drawer" any more, the employees won't know what it means!). It has gone up steadily year after year. It now costs $92. And if someone uses my street address the postal service can return my mail to the sender.
Please help. Please send your change of address as soon as you know what it is to: The Philalethes Society, PO. Box 70, Highland Springs, VA 23075-0070. AND PLEASE include your membership number - it's on your mailing label.
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Philalethes
Chapters
PLEASE NOTE
All Chapters must make a report to the Executive Secretary immediately after December 31 each year. This report must include:
The names of the officers, with addresses and phone numbers for the President and Secretary; a list of the membership of the Chapter (this will be checked against the master roster because only members of the Society can be members of a (chapter); a brief account of the Chapter's activities should be included.
Petitions for membership should be changed to reflect $20 for dues and $10 for the joining fee. After December 31, 1991 the Life Membership fee will be changed to $300.
A complete list of the Chapters will be recorded in the February issue of The Philalethes.
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The German Mason Who Changed Washington's Army
by Robert C. Barnard, MPS
The man historians call "the first teacher of the American Army" was born in the fortress of Magdeburg, Germany on September 17, 1730. He was christened seven days later by his grandfather, Augustin von Steuben, a minister of the German Reform Church, who had inserted the "von" in front of his name in 1708. The child's full name was Friederich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben.
His father, Wilhelm von Steuben, was a lieutenant of engineers in the army of Frederick William I of Prussia. However, soon after the birth of his son, he transferred his allegiance to Czarina Anne of Russia and took his family there. It was ten years before they returned to Germany, Lt.Von Steuben to the Prussian Army and little Frederick to the Jesuit School in Breslau.
Completing his education at the age of seventeen, Frederick obtained a lieutenant's commission on the Prussian Army, first in the infantry and then as a staff officer. He served through the Seven Years War and when he was thirty, was transferred to the General Staff, which operated the Prussian war machine.
Historians point out that it was Steuben's years of experience on the Prussian General Staff that made his services invaluable and unique when he came to America. At this time, Prussia was the only country with a general staff to coordinate the entire army from the top. Von Steuben was able to bring Washington's staff a technical training and equipment that was unknown in either the British or the French armies. To serve on the General Staff of Prussia in the time of Frederick, the Great, the military genius of the age, was to learn the art of war.
Shortly after peace was signed, Captain von Steuben was discharged at the age of thirty-three. History fails to tell us whether Steuben had fallen from the King's favor or any other circumstances concerning the discharge. Biographers say that the reasons are "obscure" and we must draw our own conclusions.
Failing to find military employment, Steuben obtained a position as chamberlain in the court of the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, a petty German state. Here, he was knighted and was awarded the rank of baron.
When his prince became financially embarrassed, Steuben accompanied him to France in search of funds. The move was a mistake for both and Steuben returned to Germany several years later destitute of money and with no prospects in sight.
It was at this low point in his career that Steuben made a friend of Benjamin Franklin who recognized his worth and recommended him to America's ambassador in France. Franklin's evaluation of Steuben was aided by that of Count de St. Germain, the French Minister of War. The count knew of Steuben's reputation as a German staff officer and knew that an accomplished graduate from the school of Frederick, the Great, would be "peculiarly qualified to give the Americans needed advice on military training, organization and administration.
In 1777, the French had set up a bogus company, supposedly to trade with the American colonies, but in reality to aid them with arms and munitions. This corporation, Hortalez and Company, proposed to send Steuben to America with adequate funds, although they could not guarantee him any rank in the Continental Army. Steuben agreed to go as a distinguished gentleman volunteer.
At this point, Franklin and the French authorities conspired in a deception, or more bluntly, they lied to ensure the acceptance of Steuben in America. Letters were sent to Washington and the Continental Congress introducing "Lieutenant General von Steuben of the King of Prussia' s service. " Since Steuben had held no higher rank than major, he was living a lie when he came to America.
The deception had the desired result. By the time George Washington learned that his great German general was a European fraud, Steuben had made himself so invaluable that he could not be replaced. He was beloved by the entire Continental Army.
The new "lieutenant general," accompanied by a military secretary and an aide-de-camp, sailed from Marseilles, arriving in America on December 1, 1777. He was received with high honors in Boston and by the Continental Congress.
Steuben pleased the Americans by waiving all claim to rank or pay, asking only that his expenses be paid while he served as a volunteer with the army. Should his services "contribute to the success of the American cause, " he would expect compensation later. Congress accepted his services and sent him to Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge on February 23.
Washington was so favorably impressed by his practical knowledge and his experience that he asked Steuben to act as inspector general and undertake the training of the army. The baron began immediately and since he spoke no English, he overcame tremendous difficulties as he gave his orders and instructions through interpreters.
He formed a model company of one hundred selected men and undertook its drill in person. Pretty good for a lieutenant general! This company became a shining example of military excellence and in a short time led the entire army to emulate its actions.
Steuben's labors have been called "perhaps the most remarkable achievement in rapid military training in the history of the world." As Washington was the father of the American Army, so Steuben was its first teacher, says historian D.S. Freeman .
As a drillmaster, Steuben was a humorous, but respected symbol of authority to the Continental soldiers. When all else failed, he would explode into foreign oaths and tell his translator that "these fellows won't do what I tell them. Come and swear at them for me in English! "
Captain Walker, his aide, said that "his fits of passion were comical and amused the soldiers. " However, they also obeyed him with good humor and gusto. Units that used to march in sloppy, strung-out Indian fashion now advanced compactly, four abreast, and the whole army suddenly moved faster and with greater resolution.
Steuben entertained the junior officers, stating in jest that none should be admitted who had a pair of untorn trousers . Which was fine, for by this time, the winter and strenuous labors had not left one really decent pair of trousers at Valley Forge. Steuben called the young officers his "sans-culottes" (without pants) soldier boys. He succeeded in winning their affection while he taught them to act like veterans.
Because the Continentals lacked a set of written regulations, the inspector general compiled the American Army's first manual. He wrote it in French, an aide translated it into English and Alexander Hamilton put it into language understandable to all.
For instance, he described the position of a soldier at attention: "He is to stand straight and firm on his legs, the heels two inches apart; the toes turned out; the belly drawn in a little; the breast a little projected; the shoulders square to the front and kept back; the hands hanging down at the sides with the palms close to the sides. " American Army veterans today will recognize much of these instructions, for although there are changes, the main idea has remained the same for 200 years.
Von Steuben also brought a new professional pride, just as important as his manual of arms. He became the American substitute for all those competent British Army sergeants who made the enemy outfits work.
Perhaps Steuben's most important asset was his active belief that an officer must love and gain the love of his men by treating them with every kindness and being alert to their complaints. His attitude is shown in these words of praise for his new nation and people: "What a beautiful, happy country it is! No kings, prelates or blood-sucking tax collectors. Here, everybody is prosperous. I would cheerfully die for this nation. "
The Continental, from General Washington down, soon proved that they returned Steuben's feelings of esteem. When the greatly improved army left Valley Forge, he was raised to the rank of Major General and commanded a wing of the army at the Battle of Monmouth. He was sent with General Greene to the South and commanded in Virginia while Greene won battles in the Carolinas .
In the final great action of the war, having besieged Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Washington found Steuben's help invaluable. He knew siege warfare from his years in the Seven Years War. He commanded one of Washington's three divisions with pride and stood at attention while the tired, defeated British Army filed past the elated American and French troops.
Steuben attended Masonic Lodges whenever possible. He had been a Mason before coming to America and had served as Worshipful Master in the military Lodge of the Blazing Star in Berlin prior to 1777. He became a member of Trinity Lodge No. 12 in New York City and was made an honorary member of Holland Lodge No. 8 there. After the war, when the old hero visited France in 1789, he attended Lodge in Paris and brought his venerated friend, President Washington, an honorary membership from the French brethren.
The Baron became an American citizen by act of the Pennsylvania legislature in 1783 and by act of the New York legislature in 1786. He became a social lion in his old age; president of the German Society and of the New York branch of the Cincinnati. He was proud to be a regent of the University of New York.
He died on his own estate in the Mohawk country of New York on November 28, 1794. Eulogies from all over America left no doubt of his permanent place in the affections of the rank and file of the Continental Army.
Some modern historians feel that Steuben' s services have been overpraised. John R. Alden reminds us that "Washington's army was not a rabble in March or a perfect fighting machine in June. " This is probably true. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that General von Steuben was instrumental in converting the American Army into an effective and highly disciplined military force, necessary for the colonies to achieve victory and independence. He was a most worthy man and Mason.
Bibliography
1. Adams, James Truslow. Album of American History, vol. I ,p. 398. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974.
2. Benton, Wm., ed. The Annals of America, vol.2, p. 475. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1968.
3. Bootner, Mark M. III. Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. New York: David McKay Co., Inc. 1964.
4. Cumming, Wm. P. The Fate of a Nation. New York: Hugh F. London Co., 1975.
5. Doyle, Joseph B. Frederick William von Steuben. Quincy, III.: Quincy College, 1970.
6. Dupuy, Trevor N. People and Events of the American Revolution. New York: Gay M. Bowker, 1974.
7. Jones, Thomas C., ed. The Pictorial History of the American Revolution. Chicago: J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, 1973.
8. Langgeth, A.J. Patriots. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988.
9. Lossing, Benson John. Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution. New York: Harper Bros., 1955.
10. Malone, Dumas, ed. Dictionary of American Biography, vol. 17, pp. 601-604. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935.
11. Moody, Sid. The World Turned Upside Down. New York: Associated Press, 1975.
12. Morris, Richard B., ed. The American Revolution. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 197 1.
13.Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
14. Palmer, John M. General von Steuben. Peoria Ill.: Associated Faculty Press of Bradley University, 1937.
15. Wilson, Woodrow, ed. Harpers Encyclopedia of U.S. History, vol. VIII. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1902.
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What Your Mailing Label Tells You
The top line is the key. Most of them will read:
1 09/91 00015678
Followed by the name and address.
The first number tells you what class your membership is:
1 = Member (you receive a dues notice yearly, about the first week in October)
6 = Life Member
5 = Fellow/Life Member (Life Membership for Fellows is now mandatory, receives no dues notice)
4 = Fellow (only two, receives dues notice)
2 = Subscriber (receives dues notice but no card)
3 = Exchange ( we exchange our publication with a selected few.)
The newt item shows the month and year for which the dues are paid, i.e., 09/91 (this should read 12/91 – the 09 will be changed to 12 for 1992, the computer service used the month of running the labels last year.
Then comes your membership (computer) number We must have this number (minus the 0s) for your changes to be made in the computer records.
Dues notices are mailed about the first week in October. With this notice you receive a pre-addressed envelope. Your dues card is included in this bulk rate mailing, saving money for your Society. This dues card is not valid until your dues payment is received. In January a second notice is mailed (without the return envelope) to those few who ignored (or overlooked) the original. Thirty days later those who do not respond are dropped from the mailing list. Every delinquent member is aked to inform the Executive Secretary if he is having physical or financial problems. No one has ever been removed from membership who cannot his dues through no fault of his own – if this is known.
The dues for 1992 will be $20. Please take this into account if you pay your dues before receiving your notice. Those who have prepaid will receive no dues notice. Life Members (and if you're not, you can be for only $250 until December 31, 1991) receive no dues notice – ever.
Please help us to help you.
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Ronald V. Beale, MPS
It was Karl Marx who purportedly espoused the conviction that religion was the opiate of the people. Quite naturally following such a statement, the question of exactly what was meant by the word presented itself.
The word religion actually is derived directly from the latin, and means "To gather together", presumably for the benefit of those who gather together.
There is no difficulty in explaining what is inferred by the true Christian sense embodied within this one concept. It is an infinite positive force within the cosmos, but when you examine it in the broader time frame of history, coupled with the varied philosophical and cultural enclaves distributed around the world, it takes on a somewhat frightening mantle.
There have been more wars, starvation, and unadulterated misery perpetrated upon the human race, becoming exponentially worse as the years roll by, and all in the name of religion.
When an examination of the different fundamental philosophies which have been expounded during the past several thousand years is undertaken, then certain strange convictions float to the surface well worth consideration.
Even the two Christian creeds speak independently as if the one is acceptable and the other is of very little consequence. There seems to be a less than pliable attitude which more than suggests that " My god is the only true god". There are two major Christian theological convictions. The more organized of these is the Roman Catholic Church which has a hierarchy which receives its strict guidance from the Pope in Rome, and this one mortal man is said to be the designated human being who speaks for Saint Peter directly to his flock.
The other Christian doctrine is of the Protestant persuasion, and it often appears that each of the multitude of denominations within this body maintain, as they try to outdo each other in the effort to gain more converts to their particular belief, that they also are gifted with the one and only correct path to God.
Deplorably, many of these so-called religions are nothing more than a scam or rip-off, carefully dedicated to the personal aggrandizement of one individual for the specific purpose of building a personal or corporate fortune at the monumental expense of the gullible.
The catholic Church is probably best described as monolithic, and the Protestant approach to religion as a whole could be considered as being considerably fragmented.
Judaism, stresses that right conduct is more important than right belief and according to the Talmud, every good man is assured of heaven. Judaism does not countenance excess or extravagance, and its central truth is morality.
Zoroaster was, according to legend, born of immaculate conception, and his followers were taught that life was a struggle between Good and Evil, the world serving as a battleground and there was no room for sentimentality. Zoroastrianism became the leading faith of the Persians.
Brahmanism or the Hindu faith, came to fruition in earliest India, and was animalistic. When the Aryan invaders arrived, they built up an elaborate ritual which they wrote into the Vedas or wise sayings. They also tried to maintain the caste system, which included the so-called Untouchables.
The ultimate to be absorbed by all Hindus was considered to be Liberation, absorption into it, or Nirvana, a state of mind rather than a physical state.
Another Hindu, became the founder of an entirely new branch of religion, Buddhism, which rejected the authority of the old Vedic laws and completely discarded the caste system, theology and the ritual of the Brahmins. Pure Buddhism leaves no room for gods, priests, prayers, temples or ritual, since it was believed that since Nirvana was a state of mind, it could best be reached by mental discipline.
Earliest records in China reveal an advanced state of a monotheistic attitude. Devotion to the dead became the keynote of Chinese belief. Filial piety led to burying food and even servants in allegory with the deceased. There were never any prayers for the dead as that would be an insult to one's ancestors. Sacrifices were made purely as an act of honor. This rite shows a belief in the continued existence of the spirits of men after death, although there was maintained a strict silence as to what ensued after the termination of life.
There were similar teachings to the Judaic doctrine of reward and punishment, even to the third generation.
The followers of Confucius, who came into prominence because of the Taoists, preached of love and gentleness even to insects. Confucius formulated the Golden Rule of reciprocity, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others, "
It is indeed strange and certainly a great deal more than coincidental that all the major religions were concentrating on the underlying good qualities in man. Perhaps it is as if there was one cosmic power reaching out to all mankind.
Shintoism is the national religion of Japan and is not really a religion at all, but it is the oldest and most simple of creeds which arose out of hero worship. It has no sacred books or moral code, and knows neither paradise nor hell. There were never any bloody sacrifices or cruel and immoral rituals.
Then came the Mithraists, who spread rapidly throughout Europe, most of them becoming Christians with little difficulty. Christ was literally humanized, since the concrete always carries more weight than the abstract. There were many points of similarity between these two religions and where differences did occur, the Christian often absorbed the Mithraic ritual. They both had the same holy day, Sunday, even similar Easter and Christmas festivals, as well as sacraments in the mass, vocabulary and litany which were almost identical in many respects.
Mithras is often represented as carrying a lamb on his shoulders, just as Jesus is. The robe of Mithras, absorbed from the older Osiris cult, was always described as being in one piece, representing universal light, and may be the source for the seamless robe of Christ worn at the time of the Crucifixion.
Mohammed, was known as "The Praised One. " When he began to proclaim this new faith to all, he brought down the vengeance of the priests who were the keepers of the idols, and his own followers were given the name of the despised title of Muslims or Moslems, meaning traitors, but the name survived with a totally different meaning of "those who submit to Allah. " Mohammed was convinced that there was but a single universal god, Allah, and so the doctrine of Islam was born.
There was a failed attempt to assassinate Mohammed in spite of the law against any form of bloodshed in the Holy City. He fled to another part of the desert and proceeded to build a mosque for prayer.
Hoping to win Jewish converts he decided that all should face Jerusalem for prayers, but as he was unsuccessful in this determination, he made the decision that everyone should, without exception, face Mecca.
Mohammed's whole movement became entirely militaristic, since his followers were not skilled in agriculture, consequently this was the beginning of the Holy Wars of Arabia. He made the Moslems fanatical fighters by instilling in them the belief that admission to paradise was assured for all who died fighting in the name of Allah.
The spread of Islam was now built into a Moslem Empire, whose function was religious, military, judicial and political and they produced a centralized government, with each vizier and emir presiding over all provinces, who were all directly responsible to the Caliph who reigned in the new capitol at Baghdad, which became a center of learning and science.
All the teachings of Mohammed were here compiled to form the Koran, meaning "The thing to be read." Islam has been defined as "Judaism" plus missionary endeavor or Christianity less the teachings of Saint Paul. Its ethics when truly practiced are literally the Sermon on the Mount translated into daily life. The primary doctrine is that there is but one god, Allah, and that Mohammed is his prophet. Daily recitation of the Creed, "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet. "
Prayer, following proper ablutions occurs five times daily, before and after sunset, at the close of the day, before sunrise and just after noon, facing toward Mecca, kneeling and with the forehead to the ground. Islam is a great and noble religion.
The great philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle among others, had a profound effect upon religion. From Judaism Christianity adopted the concept of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.
Paul developed the idea that Christ was both divine and human, and that He was separate from Judaism, and He adopted the Mithraic holy days, especially Christmas, Easter and Epiphany. Christianity had a tremendous advantage over the other religions in that it offered a real human being to worship and it had real gospels as evidence. It did absorb many pagan forms but it never became pagan in spirit but maintained its puritanism and avoided sensuality. The Church was lowly in origin with its greatest appeal among the poor and downtrodden.
It grew rapidly in the cities, and stressed the importance of a future life, consequently making the burden of this life more tolerable.
During the first centuries the Church suffered little organization, due to the conviction that all Christians expected His speedy return.
Gradually a system began to be developed whereby the priests became the clergy as averse to the laity. The chief priest became a bishop who in turn became an archbishop. As time went by, the Church insisted that it was supreme rather than subject to the king and emperor. The Pope was the supreme judge, administrator lawgiver and final interpreter of the Scriptures and possessor of the keys to Heaven itself.
The Church levied taxes and administered justice, using excommunication as its most serious penalty for any violation.
An entirely new code of "canon law" was developed and some of the clergy devoted themselves to this particular branch of Church work. Canon law was used in all trials of the clergy and any violation against the Church, such as heresy, atheism, adultery and sacrilege.
The Church became the center of social life and directed all education, dispensed all charities, controlled all universities, book publishers and hospitals. Family life, marriage, divorce, death, and wills were under its complete control. Their couriers acted as censors, and the clergy considered themselves as agents of God to guide men' s thoughts and actions. The Church professed to having control over the entrance to Heaven.
The power of the patriarch at Rome became all-consuming. The Roman Church was both wealthy and exceedingly strong, with no rival in the West. The Bishop of Rome was finally granted legal power as a judge of appeal for all Christian churches.
The importance of the Church at about 1200 would be difficult to overestimate. It kept in touch with its people from the cradle to the grave through the various sacraments, which gave even the lowliest man a distinct feeling of importance. The elaborate ritual and rich ceremonial provided a bright spot in the otherwise drab existence of the lower classes, taking the place of modern day entertainment.
The broadening of men's minds and the spread of learning weakened the Church, because men began to think for themselves. Independent thought led to tension inside, to unorthodox beliefs and eventually to schisms. Science is always opposed to authority and every advance weakened the position of the Pope.
For a while there were two Popes, which resulted in endless confusion, loss of prestige, a general falling away from the Church and the rise of new heresies.
By the end of the Middle Ages the Protestant Revolt expressed itself as a real rift during the reign of Henry VIII of England who made himself through the Act of Supremacy, the Head of the Church in England.
By the eighteenth century, toleration spread its tentacles in spite of Church opposition. People were encouraged to follow natural science rather than theology.
Many thinkers such as Voltaire showed the Church to be the greatest obstacle to the exercise of reason, progress and enlightenment. Voltaire is often given as an example of an atheist and enemy of religion, but he was actually strongly religious, only opposing restriction of the Freedom of Thought.
The current Western approach to Christianity is extremely different than that which prevailed in the Middle Ages, and far more so now that we are on the edge of the twenty-first century.
It is as if a great light had suddenly been turned on and radiated for all who would wish to be included, in a transformation from the historic religious values with which many of us were raised, to the more humane approach in the direction of Brotherly Love and the comforting feeling that each of us is our Brother's Keeper.
Without doubt, when you make the effort to study all of the principal religions or philosophical persuasions in the entire world, there comes a time when the reality makes itself unmistakable lucid that they are all searching for TRUTH, and that no matter by what name they may invoke the name of the Deity, they are all speaking to God and themselves at the same time, for God is in us, and we are God, and the Cosmos is where we came from and to where we will return.
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by Raymond R. Beardsley, MPS
In the mid-1970's, a group of York Rite Masons met in the Rochester area of upstate New York to consider the initiation of a new organization with the purpose of eventually proposing it as a new Body to be incorporated in the York Rite of Freemasonry. The inception of this idea had emanated from the fertile brain of the late Brother Herman Sarachan, often referred to as Mr. Mason in the Rochester area. Brother Sarachan had a distinguished Masonic record, having actively participated in both the Scottish and York Rites, as well as having served as a District Deputy Grand Master in the Monroe County area. He had been the High Priest of Hamilton Chapter No. 62 and the Illustrious Master of Doric Council No. 19.
For many years, Brother Sarachan edited a column in the Monroe Masonic News (the monthly Masonic publication in the Rochester area) entitled: "Dear Brother Herman, " in which he answered questions regarding Masonry history, biography, definition, procedure, law, ritual, protocol, etc. His articles were later incorporated into a book under the same title, published in 1979; in addition, Brother Sarachan had previously published a book on the history of Freemasonry in the Rochester and Monroe County area of New York.
Brother Sarachan believed that there was a need for an additional body in the York Rite for those Masons who either could not for religious reasons or would not for personal reasons join the Commandery of Knights Templar. The first two York Rite Bodies, the Royal Arch Chapter and the Council of Cryptic Masons, like the Symbolic Lodge, are nonsectarian; however, the Commandery of Knights Templar is distinctly a Christian Order of Masonry and is also a military type organization with uniforms, drills and inspections. As a result, Members of the Chapter and Council who are not Christians or who do not favor the militaristic atmosphere of the Commandery do not have a comparable body to join, which would be more suitable to their religious or personal beliefs and mores. With this in mind, Brother Sarachan proposed that a new body be initiated to meet the needs and desires of these particular Masonic brethren but which would welcome all Masons who wished to participate. The organization would be known as The Order of Judas Maccabeus.
Judas Maccabeus was the renowned leader of the Jews when they revolted against Roman hegemony in the second century, B.C., particularly after the Romans had desecrated the Temple at Jerusalem by erecting a statue of Zeus over the altar. Under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and the Temple for a period of time celebrated in Jewish history. Because of his prestige and stature in Hebrew history and tradition, the name of Judas Maccabeus was considered most appropriate for the new body. The Order of Judas Maccabeus would be founded on a non-sectarian basis and without military accoutrements, with the goal that it would eventually become a parallel Body to the Commandery.
Thus, in 1974, a group of some 30 York Rite leaders in the local area met in the Rochester Temple to formally consider The Order of Judas Maccabeus. Present were Masons prominent in all the York Rite Bodies, including past heads of all of the Grand Bodies in the State of New York: M..E..Frank Allen of the Grand Chapter, M..I.. Bruce Dayton of the Grand Council and R..E..Ward Ekas of the Grand Commandery. All in attendance were unanimously in agreement as to the desirability of instituting a complementary Body to the Commandery that would more appropriately meet the needs of our Jewish and other non-Christian or non-military-minded Companions. It should be born in mind that the majority of York Rite Masons present were Christians and members of the local Commanderies.
The Order of Judas Maccabeus was originally to encompass three Orders: The Order of David, The Order of Judas Maccabeus and The Order of the Temple (referring to the Jewish Temple). The Order of David teaches the lesson of unselfish love and devotion and uses as its framework the story of David and Jonathan, as depicted in the Old Testament in the Book of First Samuel. The Order of Judas Maccabeus teaches the lesson of fidelity and devotion to faith and uses as its framework the revolt of the Jews in 168 B.C. against the Roman hierarchy of Antiochus, who had prohibited the practice of the Jewish faith and had desecrated the Temple, as related in the Apocryphal Books of the Maccabeus.
These first two Orders were prepared under the aegis of Brother Sarachan, and, to date, have formed the basis for initiation into the Order. The Order of the Temple, which ultimately is to form the final phase of initiation into the Order, has not been completed. Brother Sarachan's health failed and he passed on before he could turn his attention to the proposed Order of the Temple. However, it is now in the process of formulation, and much thought is going into its preparation, in order that it may take its place on a level with such awe-inspiring exemplifications as the Royal Arch Degree of the Chapter, the Super Excellent Degree of the Council and the Order of the Temple of the Commandery.
Members of The Order of Judas Maccabeus are titled "Valiant Princes" and constituent Bodies are termed "Assemblages," whose principal officers are Commander, Chancellor, Orator, Treasurer, Recorder, Captain of the Guard, Lecturer, Marshall, Warden and Sentinel. The premier Assemblage, inaugurated in the Rochester area, is known as Genesee Valley Assemblage No. 1.
A number of other Assemblages have been instituted in New York State, specifically in New York, Long Island and Buffalo. Also, Assemblages have been inaugurated in the States of Connecticut and New Jersey. Numerous enquiries have been received from interested York Rite Masons from such States as Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and California, to name a few.
To date, recognition of The Order of Judas Maccabeus as an accepted and official York Rite Concordant Body has not been granted by any Grand Lodge Jurisdiction, but it is hoped that this recognition eventually will be received in those jurisdictions where the Order has been active and is growing. At the inception of the Order, Brother Sarachan discussed this possibility with the then current Grand Master of New York, and it was understood that the Order would have to exhibit a continuing growth and expansion before formally petitioning for such recognition. This, undoubtedly, would be true in any state jurisdiction.
Although the early years of Genesee Valley Assemblage No. 1 did not always run smoothly and for awhile the original enthusiasm was somewhat abated, it is now prospering with a large number of new members. Whereas the charter membership was largely Christian, in recent years a number of our Jewish and other non-Christian Brethren have joined. In the meantime, with the emergence of other Assemblages about New York and adjoining States, a Grand Assemblage was instituted a few years ago with the presiding officer designated to be "The Most Sovereign Grand Commander of North America." The current holder of that august-sounding title is the author of this article, whose address is 32 Kurt Road, Pittsford, NY 14534.
Any enquiries and questions should be forwarded to the above address. Although there may be those who question the desirability of a new Masonic organization, the criterion that should be applied is the need for and function of such a new Masonic entity. Over the past 35 years, we have experienced the inception of two new Masonic organizations which met specific needs and desires and, as a result, have been highly successful. These are The York Rite Sovereign College of North America and The National Camping Travellers. The first originated for Masons active in all four York Rite Bodies, and the second for Masons and their families interested in camping. Both of these Masonic organization have, in a relatively few years, grown tremendously with both of them having well over 100 constituent Bodies throughout the United States and Canada.
In like manner, The Order of Judas Maccabeus was founded to meet a distinct need in York Rite Masonry. Because of this, those of us who have been intimately connected with its formulation and establishment feel that it will play a unique and increasingly important role in The York Rite of Freemasonry.
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by James Smith
Compiled by C. Clark Julius, FPS
The following article describes the author's adventures in 1755, during the French and Indian War. James Smith was eighteen years old when he left his parent's farm in what is now Franklin County, Pennsylvania, to work as a road-builder in the western wilderness. The new road was being built for General Braddock of the British army, who planned to march his army west over the road to attack the French stronghold of Fort Duquesne. That fort stood on the future site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in country controlled by the Indian allies of France - editor
In May 1755, the province of Pennsylvania agreed to send out three hundred men to cut a wagon road from Fort Loudon to join Braddock's road near the Turkey Foot or three forks of Yohogania. My brother-in-law, William Smith, Esquire, of Conococheague, was appointed commissioner in charge of these road cutters .
Though I was at that time only eighteen years of age, I had fallen violently in love with a young lady who, I believed, possessed a large share of both beauty and virtue. But I decided I must leave her and go out with this company of road cutters to see the outcome of the campaign. I expected that sometime in the course of the summer I should return to the arms of my beloved.
We went on with the road without interruption until near the Allegheny Mountain. Then I was sent back to hurry up some provision wagons that were on the way after us. Finding the wagons were coming on as fast as possible, I returned up the road toward the Allegheny Mountain in company with one Arnold Vigoras.
About four or five miles above Bedford, three Indians had made a blind of bushes, stuck in the ground as though they grew naturally. Here they concealed themselves about fifteen yards from the road. When we came opposite them, they fired upon us and killed my fellow traveler. Their bullets did not touch me, but my horse made a violent start and threw me. The Indians immediately ran up and took me prisoner.
The one that laid hold of me was a Canasatauga, the other two were Delawares. One of them could speak English, and asked me if there were any more white men coming behind me.
"Not any near, that I know of, " I told him.
Two of these Indians stood by me whilst the other scalped my comrade. We then set off and ran at a smart rate through the woods for about fifteen miles. That night we slept on the Allegheny Mountain, without fire.
The next morning the Indians divided the last of their provision, which they had brought from Fort Duquesne, and gave me an equal share about two or three ounces of moldy biscuit. This and a young groundhog about as large as a rabbit, roasted and also equally divided, was all the provision we had until we came to Loyal-Hanna Creek, which was about fifty miles. A great part of the way we came through exceedingly rocky laurel thickets, without any path.
When we came to the west side of Laurel Hill, they gave the scalp halloo, which is a long yell or halloo for every scalp or prisoner they have. The last of these scalp halloos was followed with quick and sudden shrill shouts of joy and triumph. We were answered by the firing of a number of guns on Loyal-Hanna Creek one after another, quicker than one could count, by another party of Indians. As we advanced near this party they increased their repeated shouts of joy and triumph, but I did not share their excessive mirth.
When they came to this camp, we found they had plenty of turkeys and other meat there. I had never before eaten venison without bread or salt, yet, as I was hungry, it relished very well. There we stayed that night, and the next morning the whole of us marched on our way for Fort Duquesne. The following night we joined another camp of Indians, with nearly the same ceremony, attended with great noise and joy among all except one.
The next morning we continued our march. In the afternoon we came in full view of the fort, which stood on the point near where Fort Pitt now stands. We made a halt on the bank of the Allegheny and the Indians repeated the scalp halloo. It was answered by the firing of all the firelocks in the hands of both Indians and French who were in and about the fort, and also the great guns. This was followed by the continued shouts and yells of the different savage tribes collected there.
As I was unacquainted with this mode of firing and yelling of the savages, I concluded that there were thousands of Indians there, ready to receive General Braddock. But, what added to my surprise, I saw numbers running toward me, stripped naked, excepting breechclouts, and painted in the most hideous manner with various colors red, black, brown, blue, etc.
As they approached, they formed themselves into two long ranks, about two or three yards apart. I was told by an Indian that could speak English that I must run betwixt these ranks and they would flog me all the way. If I ran quickly, it would be so much better, as they would quit when I got to the end of the ranks. There appeared to be a general rejoicing around me. I could find nothing like joy in my breast, but I started the race with all the resolution and vigor I was capable of. I was flogged the whole way. When I got near the end of the lines, I was struck with something that appeared to me to be a stick, which caused me to fall to the ground.
Recovering my senses, I endeavored to renew my race. As I arose someone cast sand in my eyes, which blinded me, so that I could not see where to run. They continued beating me most intolerably, until I was at length insensible. Before I lost my senses, I remember my wishing them to strike the fatal blow. I thought they intended killing me, but were too long about it.
The next thing I remember was my being in the fort, amidst the French and Indians, and a French doctor standing by me, who had opened a vein in my left arm. The interpreter asked me how I did. I told him I felt much pain. The doctor then washed my wounds and the bruised places of my body with French brandy. As I felt faint and the brandy smelt well, I asked for some inwardly. But the doctor told me, by the interpreter, that it did not suit my case.
When they found I could speak, a number of the Indians came around me and questioned me. They threatened me with a cruel death if I did not tell the truth.
The first question they asked me was: "How many men are there in the party coming from Pennsylvania to join Braddock? "
I told them the truth there were three hundred.
The next question was: "Are they well armed? "
I told them they were all well armed (meaning the arm of flesh), for they had only about thirty guns among the whole of them. If the Indians had known this, they would certainly have gone and massacred all of them. Therefore I could not in conscience let them know the defenseless situation of these road cutters.
I was then sent to the hospital and carefully attended by the doctors, and recovered quicker than I expected.
Some time after, I was visited by the Delaware Indian already mentioned, who was at the taking (capture) of me. Though he spoke bad English, I found him to be a man of considerable understanding. I asked him if I had done anything that offended the Indians which caused them to treat me so unmercifully. He said no, it was only an old custom, like saying how do you do. After that, he said, I would be well used.
I asked him if I should be permitted to remain with the French. He said no and told me as soon as I recovered I must go with the Indians, but must be made an Indian myself.
"What news from Braddock's army?" I asked.
He said the Indians spied on them every day. He showed me, by making marks on the ground with a stick, that Braddock's army was advancing in very close order, and that the Indians would surround them, take to the trees, and (as he expressed it) "shoot um down all one pigeon. "
Shortly after this, on the 9th day of July, 1755, in the morning I heard a great stir in the fort. As I could then walk with a staff in my hand, I went out and stood upon the wall. The Indians were in a huddle before the gate, where there were barrels of powder, bullets, flints, etc., and everyone was taking what he needed. I saw the Indians also march off likewise the French Canadians and some regulars. I estimated them to be about four hundred, and wondered that they attempted to go out against Braddock with so small a party. I was then in high hopes that I would see them flying before the British troops, and that General Braddock would take the fort and rescue me.
I remained anxious to know the outcome of this day. In the afternoon I again observed a great noise and commotion in the fort. Though at that time I could not understand French, I found it was the voice of joy and triumph, and feared they had received what I called bad news.
I had observed some of the old-country soldiers speak Dutch (German). As I spoke Dutch I went to one of them and asked him what was the news. He told me a runner had just arrived who said Braddock would certainly be defeated. The Indians and French had surrounded him and were concealed behind trees and in gullies, and kept a constant fire upon the English, who were falling in heaps. If they did not take to the river and make their escape, the runner had said there would not be one man left alive before sundown.
Sometime after this I heard a number of scalp halloos and saw a company of Indians and French coming in. They had a great many bloody scalps, grenadiers' caps, British canteens, bayonets, etc., with them. They brought the news that Braddock was defeated.
After that another company came in which appeared to be about one hundred, and chiefly Indians. It seemed to me that almost every one of this company was carrying scalps. After this came another company with a number of wagon horses and also a great many scalps. Those that were coming in and those that had arrived kept up a constant firing of small arms and also the great guns in the fort. This was accompanied with the most hideous shouts and yells from all quarters, so that it appeared to me as if hell had broken loose.
About sundown I beheld a small party coming in with about a dozen prisoners, stripped naked, with their hands tied behind their backs and their faces and part of their bodies black. These prisoners they burned to death on the bank of the Allegheny River opposite the fort.
I stood on the fort wall until I beheld them begin to burn one of these men. They had him tied to a stake and kept touching him with firebrands, red-hot irons, etc. He screamed in a most pitiful manner, the Indians in the meantime yelling like devils. As this scene was too shocking to me to behold, I retired to my lodgings.
When I came in, I saw Russel's Seven Sermons. They had brought this book from the field of battle and a Frenchman had made a present of it to me. From the best information I could receive there were only seven Indians and four French killed in this battle and five hundred British lay dead in the field, besides those that were killed in the river on their retreat.
The morning after the battle I saw Braddock's artillery brought into the fort. The same day I also saw several Indians in British officers' dress, with sash, half-moon, laced hats, etc., which the British then wore.
A few days after this the Indians demanded me and I was obliged to go with them. I was not yet well able to march, but they took me in a canoe up the Allegheny River to an Indian town on the west branch of the Muskingum, about twenty miles above the forks. This town, called Tullihas, was inhabited by Delawares, Caughnawagas, and Mohicans.
The day after my arrival a number of Indians collected about me, and one of them began to pull the hair out of my head. He had some ashes on a piece of bark, in which he frequently dipped his fingers in order to take the firmer hold. And so he went on, as if he had been plucking a turkey, until he had all the hair clean out of my head, except a small spot about three or four inches square on my crown. they cut this off with a pair of scissors, excepting three locks, which they dressed up in their own mode. Two of these they wrapped round with a narrow beaded garter made for that purpose, and the other they plaited at full length and then stuck full of silver brooches .
After this they bored my nose and ears, and fixed me up with earrings and nose jewels. They ordered me to strip off my clothes and put on a breechclout which I did. Then they painted my head, face and body in various colors. They put a large belt of wampum on my neck, and silver bands on my hands and right arm.
Next, an old chief led me out in the street and gave the alarm halloo, "Coowigh!" several times, repeated quickly. At this, all that were in the town came running and stood round the old chief, who held me by the hand in their midst.
At that time I knew nothing of their mode of adoption, and had seen them put to death all they had taken. As I never could find that they saved a man alive at Braddock's defeat, I did not doubt they were about to put me to death in some cruel manner.
The old chief, holding me by the hand, made a long speech very loud, and handed me to three young squaws. They led me by the hand down the bank into the river until the water was up to our middle.
The squaws made signs to me to plunge myself into the water. I did not understand them. I thought the result of the council was I should be drowned, and these young ladies were the executioners. All three took violent hold of me. For some time I opposed them with all my might, which occasioned loud laughter among the multitude on the bank of the river.
At length one of the squaws resorted to speaking a little English (for I believe they began to be afraid of me) and said, " No hurt you ! " At this I gave myself to their ladyships, who were as good as their word. Though they plunged me under the water and washed and rubbed me severely, I could not say they hurt me much.
These young women then led me up to the council house, where some of the tribe were ready with new clothes for me. They gave me a new ruffled shirt, which I put on, a pair of leggings done off with ribbons and beads, a pair of moccasins, and garters dressed with beads, porcupine quills, and red hair also a tinsellaced cloak.
They again painted my head and face with various colors, and tied a bunch of red feathers in one of the locks they had left on the crown of my head, which stood up five or six inches. They seated me on a bearskin and gave me a pipe, tomahawk, and polecat-skin pouch which contained tobacco and dry sumac leaves, which they mixed with their tobacco also flint, steel, and spunk, a kind of dry wood they use as tinder.
When I was seated, the Indians came in dressed and painted in their grandest manner. They took their seats and for a considerable time there was a profound silence. Everyone was smoking, but not a word was spoken among them. Finally one of the chiefs made a speech which was delivered to me by an interpreter.
" My son, you are now flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone. By the ceremony which was performed this day, every drop of white blood was washed out of your veins. You are taken into the Caughnawaga nation and initiated into a warlike tribe. You are adopted into a great family, and now received with great solemnity in the place of a great man. You are one of us by an old strong law and custom.
" My son, you have nothing to fear. We are under the same obligation to love, support and defend you that are to love and defend one another. You are to consider yourself as one of our people. "
I did not believe this fine speech, but since that time I have found there was much sincerity in it. I never knew them to make any distinction between me and themselves in any respect whatever. If they had plenty of clothing, I had plenty: if we were scarce of provisions, we all shared one fate.
James Smith spent five years in Ohio with the Caughnawagas, a branch of the Mohawk nation. Yearning for his old sweetheart in Pennsylvania, he finally ran away from his Indian family in 1760. Upon returning to his home in Franklin, County, Pa., he was distressed to learn that his sweetheart, thinking him dead, had married another man a few days previous .
Smith fought against Indians as a colonel of militia during the American Revolution. After the Revolution he pioneered in Kentucky and was elected to the state legislature there. In his old age he became a missionary to the Indians.
James Smith, the signer of the Declaration of Independence lived in York, Pennsylvania. He died in 1806 and was buried in the cemetery located next to the First Presbyterian Church of York, PA.
It is believed by some writers that James Smith was a Mason. They claim he was a member of a Philadelphia, Pa. Lodge. I checked with the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and there is no record of him being a Mason but during that time no records were known or some were lost.
Sources:
Susquehanna Magazine
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
Sir Knight C. Clark Julius is a Past Commander of York Gethsemane Commandery No. 21 of York, Pa. and a recipient of the Knight's Templar Cross of Honor. He resides at 2260 Carlisle Road, York, PA 17404.
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Charlie Stroebel Council No. 247 A.M.D.
by Jerry R. Korstad, MPS
Charlie Stroebel Council Allied Masonic Degrees was instituted on April 29th, 1989 in Rochester. Charlie Stroebel Council "Under Dispensation" has now been designated with the number 247. It gives me great pleasure to say that we are well founded and established and can look forward to years of fellowship and study.
I would like to write of the man who honored us with his presence and counsel and whose memory we have tried to honor by giving this council his name.
Dr. Charles F. Stroebel was known to his friends as "Charlie." He was a brilliant, multi-talented man. Among his many interests and fields of expertise were anthropology, theology, archeology, geology, medicine and--Masonry.
Charlie wrote an autobiography which his wife has graciously loaned me to help in the preparation of this paper. When interviewing his wife, Ellnor Stroebel, at her home I noticed a painting on the wall. Charlie had bought this painting from a young artist. It is a picture along the Gun Flint Trail of the majestical White Pines. This is the Minnesota state tree. Its scientific name is white pine (pinus strobus), which means bushy. The white pine grows very tall and straight, and is bushy at the top. It is of a great economic value for its fine lumber. The picture is strong, robust, and stately much like Charlie was. One can understand why Charlie was attracted to it.
The following is a quote from its introduction: "WE ARE WHAT WE REMEMBER. Many people suffer needlessly by keeping alive memories of wrong done to them. They build up desires for revenge. But this is not the worst of it. We often remember and dwell on some wrong that we have done until we are sure that it has become unpardonable.
The reverse of this consists of forgetting what we should remember: our beginnings; people who have loved and helped us, shared with us. We are what we remember. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth urging the people to forgive those who had caused pain. The church tended to keep alive past hurts and grievances, both towards Paul and one another. And Paul cautioned them that maintaining these past errors--and dwelling on them--was opening the door for even greater evil. Unforgiven sins become the block to growth in our spiritual lives as well as in all human relationships. We are what we remember. This is true as individuals, as a church, as a community.
Fortunately, old angers and guilts have burned out; when I had them they did no good and often harm. Many of them are only dimly remembered. I suppose that I have had some triumphs, but time has, or will dispose of them too."
The Stroebels came to America from Wurtemburg in 1852. Charlie's greatgrandfather Stroebel and uncle were in the Bavarian Cavalry and after the War of 1840 decided that they had had enough of Army life. This prompted them, along with many others, to come to America. Charlie's father was born to the Rev. John Leonard and Katherine Stroebel at Menominee Falls, Wisconsin on September 10, 1873. The Stroebel family were community leaders. Both Charlie's father and grandfather were Masons. One of Charlie's early remembrances of them was of the Commandery of Knights Templar attending church services in their uniforms and chapeauxs and how proud that the Sir Knights were.
Charlie was born December 12, 1909 at Galena, Illinois in a home fronting on Bench Street. His mother, a Galena native, was Florence Maude Coatsworth. His Grandmother Coatsworth was very influential in his life. She taught him a deep sense of order and proper decorum. Grandmother Coatsworth came from England and was an Anglican. This, too, influenced Charlie's religious thinking. The Stroebels attended the Galena Presbyterian Church, but when Charlie was born the family went to the Calvary Episcopal Church where young Charlie was, to quote Grandmother Coatsworth, "properly baptized. "
The Stroebels moved from Galena, Illinois to Lake Mills, Wisconsin in 1919. There Charlie finished high school and in 1927 enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, declaring a major in religion. He soon changed his major to anthropology. As an anthropology major he went on many digs. One dig in 1930 took him to Trempealeau, Wisconsin, which is located near Winona, Minnesota. The group was invited into quite a few Winona homes and Charlie met people that he would get to know quite well in later years when he joined and became active in the Scottish Rite Bodies in Winona.
Charlie graduated from the University of Wisconsin in the spring of 1931 with a BA in Anthropology. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In the fall of that year he started graduate school at the University of Chicago working towards a doctorate in anthropology. Besides his classes at the University he assisted Prof. Ralph Linton at the Field Museum. Prof. Linton was still professor at Wisconsin University, but came down to Chicago weekends to work on the Northwest Coast Indian and Eskimo exhibit which were then being assembled. Charlie was assisting him on this exhibit, and he found it very interesting, but he found himself being spread too thin.
The depression was in full swing and many talented students dropped out of college for lack of funds. He also observed that foundation money and support for museums were drying up. How fate can intervene!
Charlie was already beginning to study more science and medical related studies. In his studies of bone measurements he found that their supposed information was incorrect. It had been shown by Bous that change of environment (diet) had caused change in height and skull shape, and this argued against measurements being genetic (i.e. racial). At best, our bone measurements were probably caused by a complex of factors. He had taken human anatomy at Wisconsin and was familiar with Bardeen's work on the bronchial and lumber plexuses of white and negro cadavers. And so he enrolled in more anatomy courses as well as a course in primate anatomy (under Romer).
He was called to the Illinois State Prison at Chester where buried human bones had been found. Rumors were flying far and wide. Some thought that prisoners had killed and buried someone. Others, including the press, were certain that it was the remains of a Revolutionary soldier (part of George Rogers Clark's Army). Charlie Stroebel concluded that from the strata from which the bones came and the slope of the skull that the bones were definitely those of an Indian. However, in the investigation, he found a piece of vertebra which he could not identify. After consulting with Dr. Linton at Madison and the experts at Chicago University someone suggested that he consult the head pathologist at the School of Medicine at Chicago University. After he met Charlie and talked with him he asked Charlie what his major was and when Charlie said "Anthropology" he said "Forget it. I will make arrangements to have you transferred to the School of Medicine." Thus the die was cast.
Charlie also realized that he probably would never make a living in the field of anthropology and was taking more courses in the medically related field.
While Charlie was in his internship in Chicago there was a drug store near the hospital that had a small ice cream parlor called "The Nook" and it was there that Charlie met a Minnesota girl from Northfield who was in her second year of nurses training at Presbyterian General Hospital. Now Charlie knew a good thing when he saw it and he wasted no time. Shortly there after on June 28, 1935 Ellnor Roe and Charlie were married. This marriage was blessed with 5 children.
Charlie had a distinguished medical career. We will only touch on it briefly in this paper. He practiced medicine for 3 years in Northfield, Minnesota and in 1940 he took a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. He served in the U. S. Army Medical Corp and in George S. Patton's third Army. After the war the Army arranged a trip to Oxford England for him where he studied hematology. He returned to the states and the Mayo Clinic where a new department of hematology was formed in 1940. He worked at the Mayo Clinic in general medicine, internal medicine and hematology until his retirement in November 1974.
Charles Stroebel was a fine medical doctor. He sincerely cared for his patients. One of his criticisms of modern medicine was that the patient load was so great that it forced doctors to depend too greatly on tests leaving too little time to listen to what the patient had to say and to respond to that patient with a caring and sincere attitude.
His avocational interest in paleontology and anthropology led to the identification of Olmsted County's biggest archeological find, Some 8,000 year-old mastodon tusks. These tusks are now the property of the Olmsted County Historical Society. Six year later in 1981, he aided in digging up a pine tree that was more than 40,000 years old.
Charlie Stroebel joined the Masonic Fraternity at Lake Mills Lodge #46 F. & A.M. in 1931, and the following year was initiated into Lake Mills Chapter #100, Royal Arch Masons. However, he was not very active Masonically until 1953 when his children were, by now teenagers, and his workload at the Clinic was down to a tolerable roar. He joined the Winona Scottish Rite Bodies from the 4th to the 32nd degree in October 1953. He also affiliated with Rochester Lodge #21 A . F. & A . M . . He joined Home Commandery #5 Knights Templar at Rochester and Red Wing Tyrian Council #4 Cryptic Rite. He transferred his Chapter membership to Halcyon Chapter #8 Royal Arch Masons. In 1958 he was elected Commander of Home Commandery #5 K.T. and in 1959 he was High Priest of Halcyon Chapter #8, R.A.M.. He also served as Recorder for Commandery.
He was Master of Rochester Lodge#21 in 1962. He was Venerable Master in Winona Lodge of Perfection in 19631966. Wise Master Winona Chapter of Rose Croix 1969-1972. He received the KC C H October 17, 1961 . Was Coroneted 33rd degree on November 15, 1969. Appended bodies: He was Knight Companion Red Cross of Constantine St. George Conclave Duluth December 1962. In 1971 he received the Royal Order of Scotland. He was a member of Rochester Chapter #193 Order of Eastern Star, Osman Temple A . A . 0. N . M . S., and Educational Lodge #1002. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Masonic Home 19661974.
Did you know that from 1957 until the middle of the 1960s that there was a very active Masonic Study Club in Rochester? The active members were Julian Smith, a lawyer; Roy Goddard, Dean of the Junior College (That's what the Community College was called then); Glen Burbach, Secretary of the Lodge and Rochester Post Master; James (Red) Cochran, Stationary Engineer; Julius Opheim, teacher; myself; and of course, Dr. Charles F. Stroebel. There was no president, no secretary-treasurer, and no dues. It was great to belong to this group. Sometimes we met in the clubrooms at the Masonic Temple--sometimes in our homes. Our discussions were lively and broad. No topic was taboo. Our discussions ranged from medicine to economics--physics to history to political science to Masonry. The sky was the limit.
James (Red) Cochran was one of the finest ritualists that I have known. Julian Smith had a mind like a trap and with his legal training he could dissect anything and everything. Some of the finest papers that I have ever heard in my lifetime were written by Julian Smith--and not a one was ever published. Julius Opheim had many papers published. Roy Goddard was a real thinker, and Charlie Stroebel had one of the finest minds that I have ever known. These were true brothers. They were Masons through and through. We enjoyed each others company. We helped with each others research. We were critical but never arbitrary.
The seven brothers that composed that study group accomplished a great deal. A small number often times will accomplish more than a large group. A committee of one to three may get something done. A committee of 5 to 7 will seldom accomplish as much. Now you can see why a Council of Allied Masonic Degrees is restricted to no more than 27 members. This is to be a " think tank"-a working council. So much emphasis has been placed on bigness--the big Lodge--the big Scottish Rite--the big Shrine Temple. But a small intimate group like A.M.D. has the opportunity to do so much more. Charlie Stroebel would like this idea.
I will conclude this paper with remarks in Charlie Stroebel's own words:
"I spent a fair amount of my spare time in various Masonic activities as must be evident from the list of offices. I did not want to confine myself entirely to medical societies but wanted associations with non-medical people. My only medical society work was as secretary-treasurer, vice-presidents, and president of the Southern Minnesota Medical Association. I was approached about work in the state society but declined.
It is hard to explain the lure of Freemasonry to one who is not a Mason. It is different than ordinary academic philosophy. The teaching is by symbolic ceremonies, allegories, and dramas. Some of the lectures are historic. There is a discipline which is assumed by the serious Mason. Incidental to being active in Masonic work is the fact that one has to cope with members who do not take the work seriously, with bad tempers, the unreliable, and the slow ones. This is a type of erosion that wears one's own rough places smooth. But it is all worth it for one makes friendships with very worth-while people: they may appear to be very ordinary, but when one is involved in the work with them, one discovers their value. I cannot begin to name them, for they were many. By and large, the man who works consistently over a long period in Masonry is doing so because he has a worthwhile character. True, one sees what one of my friends calls "glory hounds" who want the honors and titles, but one can usually tell them from the others. Glory there may be, and heavens know we all like some of it, but there's a lot of hard work earning it. Vanity there may be but it's a trap to accomplishing something.
It is no secret that Freemasonry in its ritual substance uses architecture as its allegory and certain episodes concerned with the building of the Jewish Temples. The allegories also extend to take in medieval knighthood. There's the myth that the Knights Templar, when in secuted and abolished in the 14th century, the myth states that they went "underground" in the Builder's guilds. There is plenty of material for allegories which teach the enfranchisement of the human spirit. Unfortunately there is also a certain amount of "mishmash" by brethren who are highly articulate without realizing that words can be very empty. The process of investigating applicants for the degrees is supposed to exclude those who aren't capable of understanding Masonry. Unfortunately, this does not work very well, and there are quite a few who are "ring and pin" Masons: they wear the badges but are never seen on Masonic premises! This is particularly aggravated in the United States where the demand is for big memberships and Temples. Better a small group meeting in a cellar or an attic with sincerity than the mob that only wants spectacle!
On several occasions I was asked if I was interested in being appointed/or elected to Grand (State) lines, but I de-Palestine, became heirs to some of the ancient mysteries. When they were precluded as it would have taken me traveling throughout the state, and I couldn't afford the time.
I have enjoyed my part in Masonry over the years, and if I had the same opportunities again, I would take them again. I like the ritual, and in the Scottish Rite where there is opportunity to select materials (as one can't use them all) I have done quite a bit, notably in the 14th degree and 18th degree. But above all, I have met some remarkable men. The majority of men who take Masonry seriously are of fine type and worth knowing. "
Charlie Stroebel died from a heart condition on December 13, 1982 . He left the following message to his family:
"We have tried to operate on our belief that the ultimate dimensions of life are spiritual and that at death we achieve greater reality. We think that love transcends death and that we have been touched by it from beyond the veil. " Thanks for the help Ellnor Stroebel
Francesca Wilson and Betty Korstad gave me in preparing this paper.
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by Joseph E. Bennett, MPS
A Memphis newspaper carried sad tidings on June 14, 1990. The article announced the passing of Clyde McCoy three days earlier, along with a short biography covering a few highlights of an illustrious career. The text was an understatement of great proportion, for it simply failed to say that an institution in big band music had passed into history. Probably not a name in popular music is more widely known than that of Clyde McCoy, famed for his rendition of the Sugar Blues, augmented by his patented "wah wah" mute. He made his final professional appearance in 1985, at Sarasota, Florida, and was compelled to deliver two successive renditions of his famous number by a tumultuous standing audience. Clyde was 81 years of age.
The McCoy story began many years ago in Ashland, Kentucky. When Clyde was born on December 29, 1903, into the family of one side of the famous Hatfield McCoy feud, nobody even dreamed that he would gain international fame as a musician. He did, though, in a professional career that spanned well over 60 years.
Clyde's father was a railroad detective working for the Chesapeake & Ohio in Ashland. He was transferred to Portsmouth, Ohio before the youngster was in his teens. It was in Ohio that Clyde clasped the trumpet to his breast and mastered the instrument. By the time he was fourteen years old, in 1917, the young musician was employed on the riverboats out of Cincinnati the "Island Queen" and the "Bernard Swain." Not exactly a late start for a budding musician.
McCoy assembled his first orchestra in 1920 on short notice. Learning from a friend that the Whittle Springs Hotel and Spa in Knoxville, Tennessee, had a two-week booking for a band, Clyde assembled a group and rehearsed for the audition on the train. George Whittle himself listened to the boys and signed them up on the spot. A two-week stay expanded into eight when Clyde's band received enthusiastic acceptance. The Clyde McCoy Orchestra never faltered after that engagement. They worked their way north and finally landed in New York City, where they jobbed around until 1925. That year Clyde decided it was time to try their luck on the west coast. Before long, they were booked into the Dome Theater in Ocean Park at Los Angeles. The band improved all the time, and began to accumulate an impressive circle of fans. The key to success was hard work, and plenty of it-leaving scant time for recreation. Nevertheless, Clyde and his brother Stanley, the bass player in the band, managed to find time to take their first airplane ride. Securely belted side-by-side in the front cockpit of an old open biplane, they were treated to an aerial view of Los Angeles by an equally young pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh. Imagine their surprise two years later when they learned that Lindy had made a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean !
The band continued to travel and build their reputation over the next few years, finally earning a major booking in 1930 at the brand new Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago. Clyde had been experimenting with a tune written by Clarence Williams back in 1922 called "The Sugar Blues. " In order to achieve the effect he wanted, Clyde developed a mute that produced a sort of "talking trumpet" effect. It took several years to perfect the device, but eventually it was ready. The famous arrangement of Sugar Blues was the end result. Clyde's new mute was so successful that he patented it and sold manufacturing rights to the King Instrument Company. Although thousands of the mutes were sold, no one ever learned to produce the same results that Clyde had achieved. The song and sound became the McCoy theme and trademark.
Chicago was a great city for a good band in the 1930's. Clyde received extensive radio exposure there over powerful station WGN. They made nightly broadcasts from the leading hotels, one of which was the Drake. Following a long engagement at the Drake the band was booked into the Terrace Garden for a year. Completing that stay, they returned to the Drake Hotel for an additional two years. With such an impressive record at Chicago, it was only natural that the band's reputation would create a demand for their music in the theater. Clyde proved to be a natural showman, and produced a very popular theater performance, complete with a miniature trumpet and the Sugar Blues. His records were beginning to catch on, too.
An amusing incident occurred at one of the theater appearances of the McCoy Orchestra. Clyde and orchestra leader Don Bestor, of Jack Benny Show fame were scheduled to open at an Indianapolis theater on the same date, due to a booking error. Clyde solved the dilemma by originating the "battle of the bands" idea, and both groups alternated on stage. The winner was determined by an applause meter. It turned out to be a popular idea, and was adopted by many bands from that time on. McCoy slyly admitted that it was always rigged to end in a tie.
The first recording contract was signed in 1931, and with it the first pressing of Sugar Blues. However, it was not until Clyde signed with the new Decca label in 1935 that his recording career really took off. He made a second recording of Sugar Blues, and it became a national sensation. Contrary to some critical opinions
McCoy's music was not limited to wahwah mute arrangements. He demanded a high degree of musicianship from his band, and their library contained many swinging Dixieland arrangements. Many of those became classics over the years, starting with his own composition "Tear It Down," a number on the flip side of the Decca recording of Sugar Blues.
George Simon, a musical critic of considerable statue during the Big Band Era, gave Clyde less-than-flattering reviews in "Downbeat," a leading trade publication. Simon was not a little embarrassed to learn that McCoy was one of the owners of the magazine. Simon went on to become the editor of " Metronome," another major trade publication, but later admitted that Clyde and the band played surprisingly "good" Dixieland. McCoy never commented on the incident. He was too busy pleasing his legion of loyal fans.
Natural modesty prevented Clyde McCoy from publicizing his personal life or accomplishments. Although his name was a household word in America, little was known of his personal history. Few knew, for example, that his wife was a member of the famous Bennett Sisters trio, a vocal group that joined the band in 1937 during an engagement at the Peabody Skyway in Memphis. Clyde and Maxine were married in her home town, San Antonio, Texas, on January 20, 1945. The fine trio was expanded to a quartet when Maxine, Charlie Bell, and Marguerite were joined by sister Billie Jane a few years later.
Clyde's list of record successes over the years is long and impressive. Among them were " I Found A New Baby, " "Honeysuckle Rose," "Hell's Bells," "Alley Cat," "September Song," "Dixieland Jazz Man," and the old Bix Beiderbecke favorite, "Jazz Me Blues"-just to name a few! Eventually, record sales topped fourteen million. No little credit to the band's success was due to some extremely fine musicians who played over the years. Among them was a famous pianist, Lou Busch, who went on to the Hall Kemp Orchestra, and eventually a popular single act as "Joe Fingers Carr. " Eddy Kusby, an outstanding trombonist, was another who finally moved over to the Hal Kemp band, and then on to the movie studios. Vocalist Freddy Steward went to the Charlie Barnet Orchestra in 1945, and drummer Frankie Carlson played with Woodie Herman after leaving Clyde. Frankie later joined the 20th Century-Fox organization.
One of the more memorable incidents of Clyde' s long career occurred one night in 1942 at the Peabody Skyway. When he was introduced to a table of U.S. Navy brass, he was invited to enlist. Clyde obliged and took the entire orchestra into the service with him. During WW II, the band made hundreds of appearances at military installations in the United States. When he returned to civilian life, his popularity had not diminished one whit. Clyde and the boys took up where they had left off, maintaining a full 15piece orchestra until 1955. By that time, the Big Band Era was definitely on the wane, and bookings for a large group were few and far between. Most of the large bands disappeared as musical focus switched to individual singers. Clyde shifted gears and kept right on going. He gave up the large band and by 1960 was fronting a scaled-down version that continued to feature his popular trumpet. He operated out of Memphis, where he and Maxine maintained a luxury condominium. They continued to play in the linest rooms in the country, all the while traveling to any location where the McCoy brand of music was in demand. The Sugar Blues was still a winner and Clyde was as popular as ever.
Maxine McCoy recalls that Clyde never really retired. When they wanted a vacation, he simply booked the group into Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, or some other plush location. Over the years they remained supremely happy. There were never any children, but it didn't matter. Clyde McCoy was the greatest husband a woman ever had, and Maxine was supremely happy. This statement came from Mrs. McCoy herself.
Clyde received his Masonic work in Daylight Lodge No. 780, in Louisville, Kentucky. He received the Entered Apprentice Degree on January 9, 1926, the Fellowcraft on May 8, 1926, and was raised to the Sublime Degree on July 26, 1926. Later, he became a life member of his Lodge. His 50-year recognition from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky was conferred concurrently with his induction into Kosair Temple of the Shrine at Louisville in 1976.
A door closed forever on June 11, 1990, as Clyde McCoy passed from this mortal scene. The Big Band Era was many years in the historic past, but he endured as one of the last of the great figures of that time. Millions of Americans, including myself, look back on the years before World War II with happy memories of a more carefree time in which swing music was an integral ingredient. The picture of Clyde is vivid for most of his old fans, for we remember that distinctive style of his . That young Kentuckian came swinging out of an Ohio River town back in 1917, and never laid down his horn for seventy years. None of us will ever hear the Sugar Blues without getting a lump in our throat and a tear in our eye. It represents a magic time that is gone forever.
Clyde left a legacy of love of family, exquisite musical craftsmanship, and distinction in matters Masonic. Millions remember him with affection, including thousands of Freemasons. What greater reward can life offer?
References and Material Source
Dave Dexter, Jr., Playback, Billboard Publications NYC, 1976.
George T. Simon, The Big Bands, MacMillan Co., NYC, 1967
Leo Walker, The Big Band Almanac, Vinewood Enterprises, Hollywood, CA., 1978.
Biographical Annotator Articles, Brad McCuen Hindsight Records, Bregman, Vocco, and Conn, Inc., Music Publisher, NYC, 1939.
Masonic Records and Archives, Grand Lodge of Kentucky, F. & A.M., Kosair Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. Information provided by family; Mrs. Maxine McCoy.
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Freemasonry: Universal Brotherhood
by Mervin b. Hogan, FPS
Charity is silence when your words would hurt.
It's patience when your neighbor's hurt,
It's deafness when the scandal flows.
Charity is thoughtfulness for another's woes,
It's promptness when stern duty calls,
It's courage when misfortune falls.
Anon.
The candidate meets faith, hope, and charity face to face as the Lodge seriously presents them to his consideration as three great pillars upholding mortal life. Brotherhood is very easy to talk about, but its actual implementation is quite another matter. Some thoughtful person cautioned us briefly of this fact by the simple lines above intimating that charity is a vital attribute of brotherhood. Furthering this great virtue, some other forgotten student of man' s innate nature directed our due attention to the essential endeavor titled "Let Each Man Learn to Know Himself:"
Let each man learn to know himself;
To gain that knowledge let him labor,
Improve those failings in himself
Which he condemns so in his neighbor.
How lenient our own faults we view,
And conscience's voice adeptly smother,
Yet, oh, how harshly we review
The self-same failings in another!
And if you meet an erring one
Whose deeds are blamable and thoughtless
Consider, ere you cast the stone,
If you yourself are pure and faultless.
Oh list to that small voice within,
Whose whisperings oft make men confounded,
And trumpet not another's sin;
You'd blush deep if your own were sounded.
And in self judgment if you find
Your deeds to others' are superior,
To you has Providence been kind,
As you should be to those inferior.
Example sheds a genial ray
Of light which men are apt to borrow,
So first improve yourself today
And then improve your friends tomorrow.
The state of brotherhood is materially stressed by the chasm separating poverty and wealth. One of the frustrating aspects of life is the endeavor to understand the reason for affluence and destitution in the Supreme Architect's Grand Plan of Mortality. If we could but see beyond real estate and livestock, inflation and depression, stocks and bonds, debit and credit, or speculation in financial matters, to a realm rich in intellectual and spiritual opportunity, to a haven where material and physical things assumed so little personal worth that worldly prosperity would no longer be conveted! Maybe then we could grasp a clearer concept of immaterial or intangible charity.
Independent thinkers and analysts with penetrating discernment, of the strain typified by Henry Thoreau, have endeavored to advise and guide us to the Utopia where materialism is of minimal consequence. It was Thoreau who admonished us: "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone." A related but somewhat different concept was intimated by Joseph de La Vega in 1688: "Profits on the exchange are the treasures of goblins. At one time they may be carbuncle stones, then coals, then diamonds, then flint stones, then morning dew, then tears. "
The Great Master, Jesus of Nazareth, projected his charitable sympathy and understanding to the rich as well as the poor. He pointed out that each may be poor and each may be rich, but each in a widely differing sense. His view is dramatically conveyed to us in the parable of The Rich Man and The Beggar (Luke 16:19-31).
The presentation is in perfect accord with Masonry. The first scene of the drama is set in Palestine and is a tableau; not a word is spoken. The characters are restricted to an un-named rich man and Lazarus, a beggar.
The first wears impressive garments, "purple and fine linen;" eats "sumptuously every day," his larder laden with choice food; and enjoys the attention of numerous servants. A mansion is set in a beautiful garden enclosed by a high stone wall. A watchman stands at the gate, allowing the neighboring rich to come and go at will but keeping the poor without the gate.
A dirty, crippled beggar with few and ragged clothes lies at the gate. He has many running sores which scrawny, emaciated dogs are licking in their desperate need for food. He is carried to the gate each day and daily he pleads for "the crumbs which fall from the rich man' s table. " Occasionally a sympathetic and kind hearted servant permits him and the dogs to search through the garbage for food.
By this presentation affluence and destitution are strikingly contrasted.
The drama's second scene represents two places of abode in the hereafter: heaven and hell. In heaven is Lazarus, in the bosom of Abraham. He had died on earth, his body likely eaten by the starving dogs, but his spirit guided to heaven by angels. The rich man is in hell. At his death an expensive and elaborate funeral attended the interment of his body, but no angels appeared to direct him to his anticipated heavenly mansion. After doggedly pursuing a long and arduous journey, he finally realized he was in hell.
As the curtain rises, the rich man calls, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. " Abraham replies, "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. " Abraham then points out the basic and critical seriousness of the situation, "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. "
With racking pangs of remorse the rich man grasps the fact he had unwittingly inched his way to hell by his own choice of devoting his life to worldly things and disregarding the opportunity to develop his inner self. Actuated by sympathetic charity, he could still think of others. He says, "I pray thee therefore, Father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. "
The ramified significance of the Holy Scriptures is then stressed by Abraham as he replies, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." With a full awareness of human skepticism, the rich man pleads, "Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent." With shattering and inexorable finality, Abraham informs him. "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."
The curtain falls; the drama is ended.
These two scenes stir our sympathies; first, for Lazarus in his dire poverty and, secondly, for the rich man because of the terrible barrier between him and heaven. As we analyze the action, we fully realize the rich man plays the leading role: Lazarus has only the supporting role which provides the desired contrast.
If the rich man had lived his life more understandingly and comprehensively, he would have avoided hell and Lazarus would have had a more tolerable life. This result would not have been assuredly accomplished by the simple materialistic or tangible approach of giving Lazarus more edible garbage or even paying for the medical services he so sadly needed. Lazarus would have benefited immeasurably in the physical sense, but the rich man would likely have been building the same abyss between them with that view of charity, since his actions could have been the outward expression of selfish altruism.
The rich man's key lay in implanting within his heart and investing his actions with the genuine and true note of intrinsic sympathy and consecrating his life to the service of others with no thought or anticipation of personal reward. His possessed riches didn't necessarily retard or restrict him from such human service; they could have actually furthered and promoted that very attainment. His abode in hell was empty and repulsive because his only acquisitions during his lifetime had been worldly possessions which he could not take with him.
The sincere giving of one's wholehearted self without expectation of recompense of any kind is a true expression of sympathy and charity. This bestowal is like the two-edged sword of Masonry: it confers sympathy on both the receiver and the giver. The rich man and Lazarus could each have benefited handsomely had the man of wealth seen fit to practice this form of charity. Each could have been rich in life as well as in heaven, and the spirit of true brotherhood could have existed between them.
The concepts and interpretation of charity are governed by at least three related factors: the spirit and action of the donor, the attitude and performance of the recipient, and the orderly and just dispensing of substance from the contributor to the receiver
Everyone of us owes his life to some one else. The days of our infancy, childhood and our basic educational training, as the very minimum, are true gifts to us from a generous source outside ourselves. We are beholden to the Supreme Architect for all we are or have: life, health, talents, food, raiment, and every material bauble. We are but stewards of those fundamental endowments of our lives, talents, and time; no other than accountable custodians for a terribly brief period of the Grand Designer's gifts. With this restriction in mind, we are less inclined to a self-centered interest in our personal talents and material things; experiencing a great desire and urge to give of ourselves.
A contributor ought to be ever heedful that charity should never be restricted solely to the giving of physical substance. With sympathetic warmth and understanding, we should be concerned with such situations as broken hearts that ache to be comforted, vital opportunities for employment and work which need to be created, instructive and motivating paths of behavior that require blazing, sincere words of encouragement and appreciation that ought to be uttered, together with exemplary lives of high principled conduct which must be demonstrated.
Then we perceive, realize and practice true Masonic charity in the vital spirit of Brotherhood.
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Dear Brother Marsengill:
I have followed with interest and not a little amusement the many letters and articles you have printed, concerning the change in rituals, moving the "penalties" from one part of the ritual to another, or doing without them at all.
The latest example that comes to mind is Bro. Tom L. Dean's letter in The Philalethes o f December, 1990 . Bro. Dean writes: "The penalties...are ancient archaic methods of treating someone who might violate his oath. " From this premise, he draws the conclusion that the removal of such ancient, archaic, penalties, would in no way detract from the ritual of Freemasonry.
I challenge Bro. Dean, or indeed any historian, to prove that the gory punishments described in the "penalties", dismemberment, disembowelment, etc. were ever used, at any time, in an European country, as punishment for perjury. I submit that the "penalties" in Masonic rituals are and have always been mere symbolic expressions, and are not m any way connected with actual punishments, nor have they ever been intended to be understood as potential punishment for violators of the Masonic oaths.
To understand the meaning and intention of the "penalties" we must look in the direction of alchemical lore which, as we well know, had such influence on many of the key figures in the creation of symbolic Freemasonry, in the 17th and 18th centuries.
For obvious reasons, I cannot go into details of each "penalty", but any Master Mason will easily see that there is a progression from degree to degree, proceeding from the head downwards. This is obviously so not by chance, but by design. There is a message in these "penalties", to be studied and interpreted.
In some Masonic rituals (mostly not worked in the United States), the candidate being initiated is led through three "symbolic voyages", to be purified by air, water and fire. The " reflection room" represents purification by earth. The same idea, of course, was used by Mozart in the "Magic Flute." All this has also alchemical origins.
The problem with eliminating or moving around the "penalties" is that we are tampering with a very delicately balanced and carefully thought-out symbolic construction. Unfortunately, present-day Masons are not generally inclined to study Masonic eseoterism, or the explanation of Masonic symbols at a level more profound than that provided by the stale homilies that pass as "lectures. " Before doing away with this or that section of our rituals, we would do well to reflect, with a good dose of humility, on how little we understand them.
Finally, if the changes in our rituals were the result of an evolution of thought within the Fraternity, there might be some justification for them. However, the changes have been, or are being implemented solely to satisfy outside critics who pretend to believe the "penalties" to be actual or potential modes of punishment. These critics have a built-in prejudice against Freemasonry that no change in our rituals can mitigate. Therefore, it's pointless to try and appease the bigots who rant against Freemasonry by changing our ways. They couldn't care less whether the "penalties" are here there, or nowhere. What they really want is the elimination not of the " penalties ", but of Freemasonry itself. Nothing less will satisfy them.
Yours Fraternally, Leon Zeldis, MPS
Herzliya, Israel
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In Eighteenth Century Freemasonry:
The American Context
(Copyright 1991. All rights reserved.)
by William N. Stemper, Jr., MPS
The development of Freemasonry in the eighteenth century is a complex and tangled story. It has not as yet been unravelled in terms of the origin, development, and theological significance of its symbolism. There was a primary symbolic synthesis, and subsequent development within English Freemasonry, which generated a unique Masonic tradition in America. The development of this separate, but related, system contains important theological and political symbols which achieved mature expression in America. By contrast, the same symbols were possibly abbreviated and/or truncated within official English Masonic structures between c. 17231813. This paper focuses on the particular conflicts and developments within Eighteenth Century American Freemasonry which illustrates the character of its English sources. The evidence presented suggests the importance of understanding American Masonic symbolism as one means of discovering the character of these sources.
The use of the terms "Antient" and "Modern" throughout this essay denote two important, rival camps within English Masonic organizations. The "Antients" break away from the premier English Grand Lodge in 1751. The latter body, termed "Moderns" predominates when a reunion is effected under the "Modern" Grand Master, H.R.H. The Duke of Sussex in 1813. The rituals and practices of American Freemasonry are predominantly "Antient."
Throughout the paper, the use of two technical terms: eschatology and political theology are significant. The former refers to the Judaeo-Christian doctrine of "last things;" the latter to the use of religious ideas for political purposes. It would be a mistake to consider the use of either term as an assumption that Freemasonry is a religion. The writer is convinced that such is not the case, for reasons published elsewhere. What is intended by reference to these concepts is to show how symbolic definitions were often achieved in the context of politically significant religious controversy, the political theology of American freemasonry in the eighteenth century develops in four distinct stages: "modern," English, associated with the early Benjamin Franklin (c 1730-1751 ); iconographic, expressed by the later Franklin and George Washington (1751 1799); an 'illuminist period' (c 1776-1826), associated with Thomas Paine; and a new "Antient" synthesis created by New York State Governor, DeWitt Clinton, Thomas Smith Webb and Salem Town from English "Antient" sources, the Royal Arch of Enoch, and the modern structure of William Preston's Illustrations of Masonry. (1) Benjamin Franklin bridges two of these stages. As a loyal English colonial he published the first American edition of James Anderson's Constitutions of 1723. From 1730 to 1750 he was active in the development of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania during its "modern" period. He was initiated in 1730/1731, and until he went abroad in 1751, the year the English "Antient" Grand Lodge was created, he was instrumental in stamping the character of the "Modern" English phase of American Freemasonry. Franklin was designated Provincial, and subsequently Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Pennsylvania in 1749. (2)
Franklin's imprint was a determined balance of English "Modern" Masonic principles of latitude and toleration, and Enlightenment values. The tone of this balance is suggested in his Autobiography: "I never doubted the existence of Deity that he (sic) made the world and governed it by his providence that the most acceptable service to God was the doing of good to man that our souls are immortal and that all crimes will be punished and virtue rewarded either here or hereafter. (3)
Franklin, like James Anderson, was convinced of the "utility and excellency of (his) method" and that sectarianism was destructively divisive. (4) "...yet 'tis now thought more expedient to oblige them (Masons) to that Religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves." (5)
Franklin balanced this application of Anderson's ethic with a determined effort to establish a ritually correct and legitimately connected tie to the English Grand Lodge. (6)
The tragic death of a Masonic candidate in a Philadelphia Lodge for initiation had recently precipitated a public anti-Masonic reaction. For this reason, Franklin went on to stress that "the craft is like to come into disesteem among us unless the true Brethren are countenanced and distinguished by some such special authority." (7) There was a distinctive aristocratic element to Pennsylvanian Freemasonry in Franklin's era. This is consistent with the profile of London "Modern Masons" from the election of their first noble Grand Master, John, Duke of Montagu in 1721.
The accounts of St John' s Lodge, Philadelphia from June 24, 1731 to June 24, 1738, of which Franklin was Secretary and Treasurer for two years, disclose, for example, the membership of William Allen, the first Grand Master of Pennsylvania. Allen studied law at the Temple in 1725, was a judge (c 1741), councilman (1727) and mayor (1735). He, and five other members of St. John's Lodge were members of the American Philosophical Society. (8) Such a pattern of learned Society membership is consistent with the "modern" interest in the Royal Society, of which Jean Theophile Desaguliers, Grand Master in 1719 was Fellow. (9)
Franklin was responsible for shifting this element of Pennsylvanian Freemasonry away from a narrow anglophilia towards Enlightenment ideas consistent with "Modern" English Freemasonry. He did this by the force of his own ideas, modifying his early iconoclasm (cf Benjamin Franklin, Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, 1725) in favour of a form of public religion consistent with Anderson's royalism and Preston's definition of religion: (l0) "The tendency of true religion is to strengthen the springs of government...confirming all the essential bonds and obligations of civil society, " and to avoid "the mischiefs arising from zeal and enthusiasm. " (11)
Because Pennsylvania was the intellectual cradle of American colonial Freemasonry and Franklin was in close touch with the only other contender Boston, his city of birth, it is important to mark the precise nature of this transition. It involves a movement from the 'establishment' royalism of the first Provincial Grand Master, Daniel Coxe (16731739) (12), towards an "illuminist" tendency to project Masonic values of universal brotherhood onto social and political order. This tendency, which is refined during Washington's presidency, is encouraged by Franklin's religious philosophy, that is, to value "religion so-called because of its evident usefulness to society." (13)
It is likely that Franklin first discovered the political usefulness of Freemasonry and its symbolism as a de facto public religion to justify and legitimate the American Revolution. His and Washington's efforts have obvious links to the influence of illuminism on American Masonic thinking after 1776, the date of the founding of the Illuminati and the Declaration of Independence. Yet, there is also a link between Anderson's purpose in strengthening loyalism to George I and the Hanoverian succession, and Franklin's desire to establish 'publick religion' as a progressive colonial public ethic. Subsequently, Washington applies Masonic ideas to the reconciliation of the egalitarian guarantees in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with the existence and preservation of the hierarchically ordered colonial propertied and commercial classes. For this reason the Lodges in Virginia and Massachusetts complemented Pennsylvania' s strategic position in the evolution of American Freemasonry.
Yet the origin of this concept is the relationship in Franklin's mind between "Publick religion" and Freemasonry. Franklin is careful to avoid emphasis upon Christian pietism or the "Antient" Masonic ethic. Both of these value personal moral transformation. In the "Antient" case, there is also a clear reference to Masonic priesthood. Franklin would have found this inconsistent with his views of public religion.
Eventually Pennsylvania became an "Antient" Masonic Grand Lodge by 1761 when Franklin was in England (1757-1762). (14) By the time of this transition, Franklin had achieved a mythological enthronement of moral paragonship reserved by James Anderson for the King. He became a de facto Solomon whose marriage of theory and practice "ruled the cosmos. (15)
It is unlikely that even Franklin's intellectual and irenic approach to the symbolism of Freemasonry would have survived the Revolution if Colonial American Masonic Lodges had not admitted men of lesser social status before 1776 (16) This began to happen in Franklin's own era with the creation of the Lodge at the Tun Tavern c. 1749-1755, and the introduction of "Antient" Freemasonry to Boston in 1751. (17) As in England, "Antient" Masons were inclined to be from the labouring classes. "Antient" Masons came to Boston with regimental military Lodges (see Coil, supra). In Philadelphia, such Lodges admitted seafarers, transients and non-Anglican or lapsed Anglican clergy. (18)
In a similar manner George Washington's Freemasonry adopts an illuminist element in that it adopts Masonic ideas into social-political order initiated by Franklin. He established the ideological foundation for a broad, public ethic of utility which modified the Anderson and Edmondes "modern" ethic of hierarchy, but stopped short of Thomas Smith Webb' s Antient priesthood (19) Like Franklin, whose advocacy of public religion avoided partisan attacks, he believed in limited constitutional separation of military from civilian authority and provided a providential vocabulary of faith for a unifying, non-sectarian political enterprise. To all of this, Washington gave a Masonic idiom. "His frequent usage of the term "Grand Architect" was an indication of this trend in his thinking. (20) Washington's Masonic ethic overlapped his view of the public or civic role of religion. He articulated this perspective at a unique juncture in American history when Pietist and rationalist forces found more in common, that is a common British enemy, than not. (2l) Washington, like Franklin, distrusted the divisive influence of sectarianism: "It serv'd principally to divide us, and make us unfriendly to one another," (22) yet he believed the success of the Revolution was due, "...to the Grand Architect of the Universe; who did not see fit to suffer his superstructure and justice to be subjected to the ambition of the princes of the world, or to the rod of oppression, in the hands of power upon Earth." (23)
Washington enjoined a similar, but not identical, iconographic adulation in tumultuous times as did Elizabeth I. (24) He integrated an appeal to public and private ethical sense avoiding the kind of partisan attacks which Adams, Jefferson and Madison were forced to endure. Freemasonry was Washington's political theology. It enabled him to project a political sacrality reserved in Anderson to the monarch. This involved a mythology of timeless moral order complete with an integrated ethic of civility, etiquette, and public morality.
Washington's "elective" monarchical persona is important for understanding the origin of Freemasonry as a political theology. His cult minimizes, indeed transfers, regal, mystical secrecy away from the sacred person of the Monarch to the public order. This process termed " the invisible hand, " as expressed in the First Inaugural:
"No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of many more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providentia, agency." (25)
Washington's funerary iconography discloses the nature of Freemasonry's role as a political theology. This is replete with the symbolisms of Greek mythology, Christian iconography, Chivalry and American history. Yet, there is little or no "sacred" mystery. Nowhere does Washington appear as a priest or a King. (26)
The achievement of Washington' s usage of Freemasonry as a political theology was to reconcile and harmonize democracy, or egalitarianism, with hierarchy, not as in Anderson in the mystical or sacral person of the sovereign, but in the providential moral workings of the foundation of the Republic. After Franklin's 'first stage' of American Masonic development, this is the 'second stage' of American Masonic development, this is the 'second stage.' It borrows from the "Modern" approach of Anderson, yet avoids the individual sacralization of the citizen implicit in Thomas Smith Webb's "Antient" Royal Arch.
The subtlety and importance of this stage in American Masonic development comes into focus in Washington's cogent response to a congratulatory letter from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania upon his announcement that he would not seek a third term:
"Fellow citizens and brothers...I have received your address with all Brotherly affection...to have been, in any degree, an instrument in the hands of providence to promote orders and union, and erect upon a solid foundation, the true principles of government, is only to have shared with many others in a labor, the result of which, let us hope, will prove through all ages a sanctuary for Brothers, and a Lodge for the virtues. . .Permit me to reciprocate your prayers, and to supplicate that we all may meet thereafter in the eternal Temple whose Builder is the great Architect of the Universe," (27)
In brief scope, Washington establishes two important points, first the "true principles of government," not Anderson's monarchical cosmological system, are the foundation of the Republic; secondly, the Nation, to Washington, is, in illuminist language, " a Lodge for the virtues. "
Washington's transposition of Freemasonry from a proto-royalist ethic of personal oral transformation to a moral model for the new nation was bound to excite anti-Masonic agitation, since in Masonic ritual, the Lodge is a symbol of Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem, a Christian eschatological motif. (28)
The so-called illuminist period of American Freemasonry dates from c 1776 to 1826. This reaches from the founding of the Society of Illuminati by Adam Weishaupt (1748-1811) and the expropriation of Masonic lore and the technique of the gradual revelation of mystical and political truth by Weishaupt's disciple Xavier Zwack, to the beginning of the 'Morgan era' in 1826 which saw a wholesale national political and religious reaction to American Freemasonry which begins in 1826. As John M. Roberts states "...the Illuminati were the first society to use for political subversion the machinery of secret organization offered by free masonry...through the craft they began to spread.(29)
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) represents this period best in America because his writings are associated with American reaction to the French Revolution, particularly the perceived threat of Jacobinism to American political and religious institutions. Paine understood history to be a contest between "illumines" and those who would impede mankind in the misery and folly of royal absolutism and priestcraft. (cf Roberts for a discussion of the meaning of the term 'illumines' vis a vis 'illuminati,' pp. 135-136). In the American context, he jointly attacks British political institutions(The Rights of Man, 1791, 1793) and George Washington (Letter to Washington, 1796). He was convinced man could know God and his duties to God by unaided reason, and that such knowledge was the basis of a just political order. (30) He found the received aristocracy of British and 'Washingtonian' Federalism equally distasteful.
Paine and his critics were aware that each of the above utilized Masonic affiliations for their own purposes. Yet it was the core symbolism of his ideas about the craft which excited the most heated controversy from those who feared illuminism as a threat both to religion and to politics.
Paine summarized the basic elements of his understanding of Freemasonry in a brief essay. (3l) It is useful, therefore to examine the core symbolism Paine uses in his short essay. This can be described by enumerating the basic elements of his understanding of the nature of Freemasonry:
(l) The essence of Freemasonry is its third degree not the first two E.A. and F.C., which are useful only for modes of recognition. (32)
(2) Masonry derives from a 'revealed' religion, which predates Judaeo-Christianity.(33)
(3) This religion is Druidical i.e., based upon Egyptian sun worship which was understood eschatologically to be "Time without limits." (34)
(4) Christianity is a parody of this religion, and thus of Freemasonry. (35)
(5) King Solomon' s Temple (ie Judaism) is not the origin of Freemasonry, nor is the Tower of Babel for reasons of error in historical chronology. (36)
(6) "The Druids, whose religion was in the study and contemplation of the creator in the works of creation, of which the sun, as the great visible agent of that Being...was the...object of...adoration (of the Druids)."(p. 7)
(7) Jews (with reference to K.S.T.) being ignorant of astronomy and science, corrupted any religion which fell into their hands. (37)
(8) Egyptians and Quakers (38) are related to Freemasonry as derived from an ancient system prior to and unconnected with Christianity by virtue of the uniqueness of their chronology, i.e. Counting years from "the Light" (Anno Lucis) (p. 11-12) rendered as from the year of creation (Anno Mundi) to avoid Christian persecution.
(9) The reason for Masonic secrecy is a fear of Christian persecution.
Paine's narrative, characteristically anti-clerical and anti-Judaeo-Christian, identifies a strain of Masonic ideas with three characteristics or principles:
(l) It is scientific, or geometric, in political cosmology.
(2) It equates Egyptian sun worship with scientific (Deistic) free thought.
(3) It refutes any mystical (ie Jewish Christian) aspect related to "The Name of God," and opposes Jerusalemic eschatology, for the 'eternal moment' of heliocentric time.
Importantly Paine makes no reference to Kingship. Rather, he invests Druidical (magistic) society with political importance. (34) If it is ruled by a collegium of interpreters ("professors") of the religion of the sun, this was, by implication a republic not a monarchy which involved the "priesthood" of all citizens, in the sense that Luther's Reformation invoked the "priesthood of all believers. " (40)
Paine' s usage of the Druids echoes John Toland's Critical History of the Celtic Religion in which Druidical religion is metaphorized as a pristine Anglo Saxon. (4l) In Paine's and Toland's minds a return to paganism would have the same effect as a new irenic imperium (42) devoted to the abolition of religious warfare. (43)
It is important to note that Paine' s political-theological objective was a republican ideology of the priesthood of all citizens. It appears to seek the same objective as Webb 'every Mason (citizen) a priest. ' The difference is, of course, Webb avoids irreligion of any sort, carefully amalgamating Jewish, (which Paine would never allow) Egyptian, and Christian symbolism, with a slight disemphasis of the implications of Deism.
Paine's Egyptianism is by far the most important aspect of his Masonic schema. It is only slightly different from Hermetic elements because it stresses a form of militant political eschatology which is loath to concede any Hellenistic symbolic or intellectual debt to Judaeo-Christian religion. In this sense, Paine's "Age of Reason" is a secular "Third Age" successor both to ancient religion, and to Judaeo-Christianity. It points to antecedents, such as Toland, and equates pure Geometry with Deistic rationalism. (44)
Paine's views excite two overlapping but distinct reactions to Freemasonry religious and political. Jedidiah Morse (1761-1826) led the theological attack. Morse, a Congregationalist minister, was a determined champion of orthodoxy against moderate Calvinism and Arminianism. As an overseer of Harvard in 1804, he unsuccessfully opposed the appointment of a moderate to the faculty. When he lost, he founded the enormously influential Andover Theological Seminary as an alternative. His polemics, in effect, separated American Unitarianism from Congregationalism.
Morse's basic view was that Freemasonry was in league with seditious conspirators who sought to overthrow Christian Orthodoxy. (Mead, p. 50). He was convinced that the kind of Freemasonry expressed by Paine signalled a decline in the influence of Christianity as a justification for political power (Morse, A Sermon delivered at New North Church in Boston, May 9 1798, being the day recommended by John Adams, President of the United States for Solemn Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, Boston: privately printed 1798, pp. 21-22). Adams was a Unitarian.
Morse was careful to segregate 'illuminist' Masons, such as Paine, from Church-going Masons in his congregation. Yet, his intensity of millenarian fervor (45) succeeds in questioning the whole of Masonic compatibility with orthodox Christianity.
Morse is clearly inspired by Scottish preacher John Robinson (1739-1805) whose 1798 attack on Freemasonry in Edinburgh (Proofs of a conspiracy against all religious and governments of Europe, carried on in the recent meetings of Freemasons, Illuminati, and Reading Societies, Edinburgh, printed by George Forman for Cornelius David, 1798) emphasizes the political nature of the threat to orthodox theology.
This question is emphasized by John Wood who sees in Illuminist Freemasonry not only specific instances of disloyalty, as did Morse, but a particular pattern of conspiracy in an organization of Illuminati, led by New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. Clinton would have been suspect for three reasons. His cousin married the Girondist Edmund Charles Edouard Genet (1763-1834), French ambassador to Washington from 1793. He was first head of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, a friend of Thomas Smith Webb and patron of Salem Town. Clinton was also a member of an eminent and aristocratic New York state family and nephew of Governor George Clinton (1739-1811), serving as his uncle's private secretary. In 1802, Wood attacks the "Clintonian Faction" and the society of the Columbian Illuminati (46). He quoted the oath of the organization, and traced its existence in its present American form, "the Theistical Society," to the German Illuminati from John Robinson (supra). He singles out Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and the two Clintons as members, and accuses it of "the rankest Jacobinism with the vilest deism" (Wood, pp. 33, 40, 45, 48 passim). Both Morse and Wood set the tone and pattern for the maelstrom of subsequent political and religious attacks upon Freemasonry in the Morgan era, c 1826. But, the immediate response by Clinton and his colleagues was to distance themselves from Paine's views, and to create a unique synthesis of "priestly" Freemasonry from English "Antient" and other sources.
References
1. William Preston, Illustrations of Masonry, 1776, reprinted Wellingborough, Northants: The Aquarian Press, 1986, p. 127.
2. Henry Wilson Coil, Masonic Encyclopedia, New York: Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co., 1961, p. 468. Coil is authoritative for Masonic facts and dates.
3. Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, Reading, PA: The Spencer Press, 1936, p. 101.
4. Autobiography, p. 113; Anderson, cf Article 1, "Concerning God and Religion," The Charges of a Freemason.
5. Facsimile, New York: Jno W. Leonard and Co., 1855, p 50
6. Coil, Freemasonry through Six Centuries, 2 vols, Fulton, Mo: Missouri Lodge of Research, 19671968. Coil quotes from Franklin's letter to Henry Price, Provincial Grand Master in Massachusetts, Nov. 28, 1734: "The sanction of some authority derived from home" was necessary to strengthen "the interests of Masonry." (Vol. 1, p. 236.)
7. Coil, Freemasonry, 1, p. 265, quoting from an official letter to Grand Master Henry Price from Franklin, Philadelphia, November 28, 1734.
8. "Liber B," Accounts Book of St John's Lodge, Philadelphia, quoted in Julius F. Sachse, supra, pp. 30-31.
9. C. Mackechnie-Jarvis, Grand Stewards 17281978, Prestonian Lecture, United Grand Lodge of England, 1978.
10. William Preston, Illustrations of Masonry, 1775, reprinted, Wellingborough: the Aquarian Press, 1986, p. 127.
11. Ibid, p . 128 .
12. Grandson of the physician to Charles 11 and Queen Anne, Sachse, p. 12; Coil, Encyclopedia, p. 149-150. Coxe was appointed June 5, 1730 by the Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master of the premier Grand Lodge.
13. Quoted by Edwin Gaustad from Franklin's Necessity of a Publick Religion in Faith of our Fathers: Religion and the New Nation, San Francisco: Harper and Bros, 1987, p. 71. Franklin assumes The symbolic role of magus, or "enrich," the genius and mediator of the New Nation, p. 74.
14. Pennsylvania's "Antient" character is indicated and confirmed in a circular letter of August 4, 1784, designed to cement the independence of American Masonic Grand Lodges from the "Modern" Grand Lodges of England: "all due respect we will ever pay to the Gr. Lodge of England. But we feel ourselves also closely connected with the brethren of Scotland and Ireland and that our circle ought to include true masons of every country." (Sachse, pp. 122-124; "A fraternal letter was ordered sent to the ["Modern"] Grand Lodge of Englands, "taking a formal leave of them, " p. 126). Sachse, p. 119 ff.
15. Gaustad, p. 86; cf iconography of painting "Du Genie de Franklin," Marguerite Gerard, after Fragonard, Philadelphia Museum of Art, reproduced Gaustad, p. 70.
16. Compare, for example, the decline of Anglicanism, Anne W. Rowthorn, Samuel Seabury, New York: The Seabury Press, 1983, pp. 9,33,39.
17. Sachse, p. 80-81; Coil, Freemasonry, 11, pp. 50, 51, 78; "The Pennsylvania Gazette," no. 108, December 3-8, 1730.
18. Minute Book of the Tun Tavern Lodge, 28 June 1749 2 July 1755, Archives, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. extracted by Sachse, pp. 82-84, passim, references are made to "irregular (social) practices" and improper behaviour in Lodge meetings, p. 84.
19. Thomas Edmondes Esq, An Address to the respective bodies of Free and Accepted Masons..., London: S. Hooper, 1766. Edmondes was an articulate spokesman for the "modern" public ethic. Thomas Smith Webb, Monitor, supra.
20. Benjamin Franklin's Letters to the Press, 17581775, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1950, p. xliii. Franklin was a member, and Venerable Master, of Voltaire's Lodge when Voltaire was initiated in 1778, Coil, Encyclopedia, p. 674.
21. Sidney Mead, The Lively Experiment: the Shaping of Christianity in America, New York: Harper and Bros., 1963, p. 39.
22. Quoted by Mean, p. 39.
23. Quoted by Gaustad, p. 76.
24. Gaustad, p. 78; Roy Strong, Gloriana, London: Thames and Hudson, 1987, p. 93; Francis A. Yates, Astraea: the Imperial Thane in the Sixteenth Century, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1975.
25. Quoted by Gaustad, p. 79.
26. Gaustad, p. 81; Richard D. Brown, Knowledge is Power: the Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865, Oxford University Press, 1989, p. 256. Brown terms the Masonic function in Washington's countless funeral processions, 'ostentatious secrecy.' See Sachse's facsimile "Order of Procession" with engraving of Washington's memorial service, 22 February 1800, II, pp. 257-266, passim.
27. Sachse, Vol. 11. P. 227.
28. Bernard Jones, Freemason's Guide and Compendium, London: George G. Harrap and Sons Ltd., pp. 427-428. This conflict came to definition when American Masons, seeking "to establish their own respectability through the apotheosis of Washington, " Dorothy Lipson, Freemasonry in Federalist Connecticut, Princeton University Press, 1977, pp. 99-111.
29. J.M. Roberts, The Mythology of Secret Societies, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972, pp. 123-124.
30. Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, intro Philip S. Foner, Secaucus, New Jersey: The Citadel Press, 1974, p. 36.
31. Thomas Paine, An Essay on the Origin of Freemasonry, London: R.E. Carlisle, 1826. The exact date is uncertain, but it clearly describes views in common with The Age of Reason published in 1794/1795.
32. Paine's credibility on the subject is enhanced by his reference to Samuel Pritchard's 1730 expose. Essay, p. 3.
33. The result of divine communication, p. 5.
34. p. 5, cf Jacobs, p. 154.
35. Ibid.
36. pp. 5-6.
37. p. 10.
38. cf Katz, pp. 160-163.
39. Paine quotes two authorities, the Reverend William Dodd (1729-1777), the first Masonic Grand Chaplain and the last man to be publicly hanged, for forgery, in England; and Captain George Smith, Coil, pp. 626-627; both of whom are anti-establishment figures.
40. cf reference to Luther in The Age of Reason, p. 81. Luther's Reformation unintentionally revived science, "the only public good the Reformation did."
41. Society of nature worshippers who were tyrannically subjugated by Normans (Cavaliers, Jacobites, etc.)
42. cf Margaret Jacob, supra, p. 154.
43. John Toland was patronized by the Electress Sophia of Hanover, daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth of Bohemia, cf Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment, p. 173; ODCC, pp. 1382-1383.
44. cf Paine's style also with that of Laurence Clarkson, 1615-1667, whose doctrine of universal salvation is linked to " the first signs of modern ideas of democracy and of civil religious liberty, " to the everlasting evangel or "gospel" of Joachim of Flora, A.L. Montoy, " Laurence Clarkson and the Everlasting Gospel," The World of the Ranters, London: Laurence and Wishart, 1979, pp. 117, 126-127.
45. Yale University Library, Archives, Morse Family, MSS, J. Morse, Jr., to J. Morse, Sr., July 18, 1795 and October 11, 1803.
46. John Wood, A Full Exposition of the Clintonian Faction and the Society of the Columbian Illuminati. . .. Newark: Printed for the author, 1802.
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by John Mauk Hilliard, I?PS
There is one crucial aspect of Masonic life that Freemasons are most uncomfortable about confronting openly: namely, Lodge Politics. Gasps of distress, indignation, and astonishment usually greet the suggestion that there is such a thing as politics in a Masonic Lodge. Why this reaction should occur is itself a curious and revealing phenomenon which, if examined, tells much about the nature of the Craft.
Politics in a Masonic context is conventionally considered a dirty word. It bespeaks a certain innocence and naivety at work in the attitudes of those brethren who boldly proclaim that "politics" has no place in a voluntary and covenanted association of friends and brothers because our expressed goal as a community is to foster Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. This fierce proscription of politics in Lodge Life is probably not only unrealistic, but perhaps even unreasonable.
Politics, after all is said and done, is simply the processes of power...both its usages and its abuse. And as any decent behavioral scientist will tell us, there are no human relationships which are not, to a greater or lesser extent, based on power. This is true of all institutions, whether governmental, educational, or religious; it is also true of family relationships, and of male-female relationships as well. Masonry is no exception. To ignore or deny the processes of power in Lodges is to invite a foolish and unrealistic perception to dominate the decision making and problem-solving mechanisms which are built into the structure of the Craft Lodge. Its effectiveness as an institution is completely dependent upon a clear understanding of its political structures.
We Freemasons must be bold enough and honest enough to confront and acknowledge politics as an essential, even omnipresent aspect of Lodge life. All of us, both older and newer brothers of the Craft, need to be aware of the political covenant that guides our Masonic lives, of the structures and usages of power that must be carefully practiced and efficiently manipulated to effectively rule and govern the institution.
What then is the political structure of the Lodge? That requires little analysis. It can pretty well be summed up in a little piece I clipped from the New Mexico Freemason several years ago. I do not know the author or original source of this statement, but it certainly identifies and describes the three main power centers generally at work in most Masonic Lodges:
It has been said that: A Past Master is said to be a man who knows a great deal about very little and goes along knowing more and more about less and less until finally he knows practically everything about nothing, whereas: A Master on the other hand, is a man who knows very little about a great deal, and keeps knowing less and less about more and more until he knows practically nothing about everything...A Secretary starts out knowing practically everything about everything but ends up knowing nothing about nothing due to his association with Masters and Past Masters.
This tongue-in-cheek and somewhat cynical analysis is not an altogether unfair representation of what too often can happen to the mechanism of power in Lodges. The above statement also identifies the three real centers of power in most Lodges. No discussion of this matter can proceed further without a reference to the singularly most important aspect or attribute of power, Lord Acton's celebrated statement that: "All power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Corruption, the misuse and abuse of power, is as great a danger to Masonry as to any institution made by the minds and hands of men. Each of the three centers of power in the Lodge are to some degree at risk from it.
The Master, because he embodies a kind of sweeping power rarely granted to leaders of institutions in our society, is forced by Masonic tradition and law to play the role of benevolent autocrat. And therein lies his greatest danger. It is no wonder that, at every turn, he is confronted by warnings in the ritual and installation ceremonies regarding the use of his power. He occupies the Chair of Solomon, the Oriental Chair, which cannot be filled safely or happily save by that Master who knows the uses of temperate behavior and of patience, toleration, and the institution's constant need for peace and harmony. His is a careful balancing act. He must weigh the necessity for free, open, and democratic discussion and decision-making against the dangers of disharmony and conflict which arise any time problems must be solved.
There is a reason our Lodges are set up in a physical mode which is quintessentially parliamentary--benches facing each other across a level plain whereon men and their ideas might meet and meld on an equal footing. The most powerful party in that Masonic parliament is likely to be found on the "Buzzard's Roost" in the northeast corner of the Lodge. There the great Tory party of the Past Masters spit, whittle, bitch and moan The danger, of course, is that their expertise, their knowledge, and their judgement is too often soured by a grief born of the abrupt severance of their personal power which is represented by their forced return from the East to the Level. There is a terrible crucible of fierce potential criticism born in the minds of men who no longer have immediate responsibility or accountability for the tasks at hand. Among the Past Masters, a respect for tradition is too often metamorphed into a blind imprisonment of thinking. Past Masters inevitably find it a constant temptation to second-guess those in true authority.
The Secretary, on the other hand, is as prey to evil and mean-spirited notions as any brother in Masonry. To him is left the often odious task of "picking up the pieces," of following through, in a host of ways, for inexperienced, often ignorant Masters and for senior and junior line officers, as well. And so his natural mandate to provide continuity, attention to detail, and constancy of judgement and knowledge becomes instead a tendency to do everything himself, to make too many decisions independently of others, and finally to arrogate to himself too much power. He does most of the work, and he therefore concludes that his is the judgement which must always prevail.
There are two important leavening agents that can immensely assist the resolution of conflict among these three centers of power in the Lodge: the first is the concept of FEEDBACK. It is a term used by specialists in conflict resolution to describe a process whereby all parties to a problem can express their own individual, immediate feelings and impressions about an issue without attacking the motives, values, or attitudes of the other people involved. It is a simple process--when a brother is hurt or angry, he does not attack the person who is the source of that feeling, but rather he describes to that person how he feels, and does so without incorporating a judgement on the other's behavior. Because this is a positive approach, it enables the other party to respond to the person's sense of injury, and not to spend psychic and emotional energy fending off a counter-attack.
The second concept that Lodge members would do well to remember in solving Lodge problems is that "conflict arises at the level of solution." In other words, all parties concerned with a given issue have a different notion as to how the problem should be solved. The way out of this dead-end bind, and out of incipient potential conflict, is to have everyone step back a pace--in Masonic terms to return to the level--and examine the needs of the various parties. When people's needs and values have been clearly determined and understood by all, then all can work toward a variety of solutions. This, essentially, is a mechanism that can lead to acceptable compromise, and the creation of that precious state of mind so nobly inscribed at the end of the minutes of every communication of a regular and well-governed Lodge: "We are closed with Peace And Harmony Prevailing."
Perhaps one of the most acute definitions in modern times of the uses of power comes to us from a non-Mason, the celebrated soldier of the American South, General Robert E. Lee, who reminds us: "The forebearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman. The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly--the forebearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light. The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He can not only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others."
Such sentiments are quintessentially Masonic, in that we Masons too, when confronted with an erring brother, are enjoined "to remind him in the most tender manner of his failings, and aid his reformation. " The temptations and excesses of power make the best of Masons sometimes forget themselves; the force of true fraternal affection, toleration, and personal restraint will do much to redress the internal balance that every leader of the Craft must find within himself if peace and harmony are to prevail in his Lodge.
Finally, I close with another anonymous offering which delightfully examines our extraordinary institution:
The Masonic Lodge Structure
Master
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound
Is more powerful than a locomotive
Is faster than a speeding bullet
Walks on water
Gives policy to God.
Senior Warden
Leaps short buildings in a single bound
Is more powerful than a switch engine
Is just as fast as a speeding bullet
Walks on water if the sea is calm
Talks with God.
Junior Warden
Leaps short buildings with a running start and favorable wind
Is almost as powerful as a switch engine.
Is faster than a speeding BB
Walks on water on an indoor swimming pool
Talks with God if special request is approved.
Senior Deacon
Barely clears a quonset hut
Loses tug-a-war with a locomotive
Can fire a speeding bullet
Swims well
Is occasionally addressed by God.
Junior Deacon
Makes high marks on the wall when trying to leap buildings
Is run over by locomotive
Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self-injury
Dog paddles
Talks to animals.
Senior Steward
Runs into buildings
Recognizes locomotive two out of three times
Is not issued ammunition
Can stay afloat with life preserver
Talks to walls.
Junior Steward
Falls over doorsteps when trying to enter buildings
Says, "look at the choo-choo"
Wets himself with water pistol
Plays in mud puddles
Mumbles to himself.
Secretary
Lifts buildings and walks under them
Kicks locomotives off the tracks
Catches speeding bullets in his teeth and eats them
Freezes water with a single glance
HE IS GOD.
So Mote It Be!
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That Few Read
Before communicating with editors or officials of any periodical the communicator should read the Masthead. It will save all concerned time and embarrassment. Here's what page 2 (reverse of the cover) of The Philalethes tells you:
1. The name, address, phone and fax number of the Editor. In small print it lets you know he's the fellow who runs the magazine. He's the one who must receive articles for possible publications; letters criticizing or complimenting the contents. He's not interested in the collection of dues, new members, changes of addresses, or anything else pertaining to administration.
2. The name, address and phone number of the President. He presides at all meetings of the Society and the Executive Board. It's his job to administer the affairs of the Society following its Bylaws and directives of the Executive Board. He's the moderator.
3. The Vice Presidents are charged to assist the President, other officers and the members at all times.
4. The Treasurer collects the bulk of the dues and assists the Executive Secretary in many ways.
5. The name, address and phone number of the Librarian. He's the one to contact for back issues, replacements for damaged issues, and index of articles from 1946 to 1986, and the audio book tapes. He can also assist you with minor research.
6. The name, address and phone numbers of all the officers. Any of them can be contacted for anything within their expertise.
7. The Executive Secretary's name, phone and fax numbers and address. He handles the administrative and accounting duties pertaining to the society. Changes of address and status should be sent to him. He is the one all new members should contact. He informs the membership of the directives of the Executive Board (which is charged with operating the Society) and is the official spokesman for the Society. This last statement is important - see 8 below.
8. Let's make this perfectly clear - your officers are among the most knowledgeable and informed of Freemasons. Each of them has opinions, often at odds with the status quo. These will not be discouraged in any way What they have to say will be published in The Philalethes when appropriate. BUT - and this is important - only as individuals - never should they be interpreted as official pronouncements of the Society. This is so stated in the Masthead.
Perhaps it would be well to again stress the policy of this "The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters. " We read in the history of The Philalethes Society, Seekers of Truth, that its founders were concerned with the Masonic censorship that was (and too often still is) prevalent. They believed this censorship to be wrong and downright disastrous. They wanted a publication that would present all sides of all issues. It took time, but they achieved their goal. Not only members of The Philalethes Society are the beneficiaries, so is all of Freemasonry.
May it ever be so.
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by Allen E. Roberts, FPS
Saturday, June 8, 1991, almost a century after he persuaded his Grand Lodge to recognize Prince Hall Masonry, a headstone with Masonic symbols was placed at the grave of William Upton. Over 400 Freemasons, black and white, were present in Mountainview Cemetery in Walla Walla, Washington, for this historic occasion. They were honoring the death bed declaration of William Upton. In 1898 he persuaded the Grand Lodge of Washington to recognize Prince Hall Masonry as legitimate. The following year, to still the outcry from throughout the land, his Grand Lodge rescinded the previous action. Upton demanded that no headstone be placed on his grave until his Brothers of whatever color could march side by side. In 1990 the Grand Lodge of Washington and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge entered into fraternal recognition. From that House not made with hands, Upton must have smiled with pleasure. As the Holy Bible says: "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
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Thomas E. Weir, FPS, an ordained minister, is Chaplain of the National Sojourners. In his column for The Sojourner he included this piece of wisdom: "Masonry may well be the greatest ally churches and synagogues have. From different viewpoints, religion and Masonry call on the individual to act responsibly, to bear true faith and allegiance to those moral designs laid out by the Great Architect of the Universe. "
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Tom Weir's last phrase is interesting. It should truly be applauded by the " politically correct" characters running rampant throughout our land, especially our bodies of "higher learning." Note how "The Great Architect of the Universe" is non-sexist. This centuries-old description of God again proves that Freemasonry has always been far ahead of the so-called " intelligentsia."
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Even casual readers of The Philalethes will recall a good Brother taking me to task for daring to suggest the United Grand Lodge of England and its officials are not necessarily godlike. Rare indeed are those within Freemasonry who would dare disagree with that Brother. But at least one other has found the UGL fallible. In a letter to the Grand Secretary of the UGL, Kenneth W. Aldridge, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Quebec, questions the UGL's wisdom in prohibiting the visitation of its members in those Grand Lodges recognizing Prince Hall Masonry as legitimate. Aldridge points out in his letter: "There is no uniform state of recognition in the world and further there is not one Grand Lodge in North America that can be said to recognize every Grand Lodge recognized by its sister Grand Lodge with whom it is in amity...[T]o be fair your Board should have expanded its decision to include every Grand Lodge in North America because in every Grand Lodge recognition is extended to many Grand Lodges not recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England." He added several examples. He thrust his pen a little deeper: "It certainly cannot be based on the legality of the Prince Hall [M]asonry, since the original warrant to Africa[n] Lodge was issued by the Grand Lodge of England (Moderns) and the evolution to a Grand Lodge is similar to many of the present day Grand Lodges currently recognized by your Grand Lodge. One would assume it cannot be racially motivated since your Grand Lodge enfolds within its ample arms and under its banner many blacks around the world. It cannot be due to shared territory because your Grand Lodge has Lodges in many parts of the world where it does, in fact, share the territory. Quebec is one such territory. In any case, the question of exclusive territory is an American doctrine which should have no bearing upon any decision made by the United Grand Lodge of England." Aldridge closed his letter, which was sent to all Canadian Grand Lodges, several in the U.S., and the MSA, with a truism that should be engraved on the walls of all right-thinking men: "Upon occasion [M]asons must do that which is right because it is right and not be intimidated by those with other less noble agendas. " As we went to press Aldridge had received no response from the UGL.
Note: Our English Brethren are told by AQC (probably others) never to capitalize "mason," "freemason," "fraternity," and other nouns that set the "craft" apart. So a Freemason or Mason become members of the honorable craft of bricklayers. Ridiculous?
* * *
Several months ago a good Brother attempted to have me expelled from Freemasonry. Why? Because I told the truth, as I have found it in my research, about the membership of our Founding Fathers. This appeared in a Short Talk Bulletin titled "Some Masonic Misconceptions" of The Masonic Service Association. This Brother's "enemies" list includes many Masonic authors I'm proud to be considered good enough to be among. Within the last "Myths" column I wrote for The Northern Light I condemned a copyrighted "play" this Brother had written called "Freemasonry's Contribution to the U.S. Constitution. " He labeled it "(a True Story). " By no stretch of the imagination can it be called "true": in fact, it's not even good fiction. Among many, many errors of truth (or misconception), he lists Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Morris and James Madison as Freemasons when all evidence points to them never having received a Masonic degree. This Brother lists as his advisors and "authority" several good Brothers who disclaim any authoritative connection with him. We cannot find where this Brother belongs to any research lodge or body. At any rate, if this "play" ever is released to the public it will cause Freemasonry irreparable damage.
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Have I ever made a mistake? You betcha! Far too many. Example: Based on numerous supposedly authoritative statements I claimed in my G Washington Master Mason that Lafayette presented Washington with a Masonic apron made and decorated by Madam Lafayette. I am now convinced this isn't true, and I'm searching for the truth. Please help me find the truth.