part derived from ancient times, and it is very probable

OX— PAS. C09
that they were more fitted for the state of society then existing, than they are for that which now exists. — • Gadicke.
OX. The ox forms a cc mponent part of the cherubic symbol. It was referred to the prophet Ezekiel, because he sets fortli the restoration of the Temple and altar, the emblem of atonement being an ox ; and to St. Luke, who commences with the narrative of Zacharias the priest. It also bore a reference to the priestly office of Christ.
PARALLEL LINES. In every well-regulated lodge, there is found a point within a circle, which circle is embordered by two perpendicular parallel lines. These lines are representatives of St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist, the two great patrons of Masonry, to whom our lodges are dedicated, and who are said to have been "perfect parallels in Christianity as well as Masonry." — Old Lectures.
PARTS. An old word for degrees or lectures, lii this sense, Freemasonry is said to be consistent in all its parts, which point to one and the same object, promi- nently kept in view throughout all the consecutive degrees ; and that every ceremony, every landmark, and every symbolical reference, constitutes a plain type of some great event, which appears to be connected with our best and dearest interests.
PASSIONS. The end, the moral, and purport of Ma- sonry, is to subdue our passions ; not to do our own will ; to make daily progress in a laudable art ; to promote morality, charity, good-fellowship, good nature, and humanity. — Anderson.
PASS- WORDS. Much irregularity has unfortunately crept into the blue degrees, in consequence of the want of masonic knowledge in many of those who preside over their meetings ; and it is particularly so with those who are unacquainted with the Hebrew language, in which all the words and pass-words are given. So essentially necessary is it for a man of science to preside over u lodge, that much injury may arise from the sinalK >•

deviation in the ceremony of initiation, or in the lectures of instruction. We read in the Book of Judges, that the transposition of a single point over the Schin, in conse- quence of a national defect among the Ephraimites, designated the cowans, led to the slaughter of 42,000 men. — Dalcho.
PAST MASTER. A Past Master, or one who has actually served the office of Master, so long as he remains a subscribing member to any warranted lodge, is, ex officio, a member of the Grand Lodge, and appears to be entitled to many privileges. None but a Past Master can legally initiate, pass or raise. A Master cannot resign his chair except to a past Master. No board of Past Masters can be legally formed, unless three or more installed Masters be present.
PATRONAGE. Many lodges honour the head of the government as their patron without his being a Free- mason, and receive from him a public local decree, or proteetorium, by which they are not only permitted to hold their lodges, but are also legally protected. It is likewise frequently the case that the patron is a member of the Order. — Gadicke.
PAVEMENT. The voluptuous Egyptians, who ex- hausted their ingenuity in the invention of new luxuries, used in common with painted walls and ceilings, the mosaic pavement, richly tesselated. In the palace of Cleopatra, these pavements were inlaid with precious stones ; and in India, the floors of the most sacred tem- ples, or at least of the adyta, were enriched with polished stones disposed in small squares or tessera, which reflected the beams of the sun in a variety of splendid colours. On a similar principle, the floor of a Masons' lodge has been constructed, which is thus in proper keeping with the rest of its decorations ; for the design would be imper- fect, if a strict regard to uniformity and propriety had not been observed throughout the whole arrangement. This is a striking evidence of the unity of design with which the gr^at plan of Freemasonry was originally constructed. How minutely soever the parts or elements may appear to be disposed, they each and all conduce
PEA— PEC. 611
to the same end, the glory of God, and the welfare of man
PEACE. A Masons' lodge is the temple of peace, harmony, and brotherly love. Nothing is allowed to enter which has the remotest tendency to disturb the quietude of its pursuits. A calm enquiry into the beauty of wisdom and virtue, and the study of moral geometry, may be prosecuted without excitement ; and they con- stitute the chief employment in the tyled recesses of the lodge. The lessons of virtue which proceed from the east, like rays of brilliant light streaming from the rising sun, illuminate the west and south; and as the work proceeds, are carefully imbibed by the workmen. Thus while Wisdom contrives the plan and instructs the work- men, Strength lends its able support to the moral fabric, and Beauty adorns it with curious and cunning work- manship. All this is accomplished without the use oi either axe, hammer, or any other tool of brass or iron, within the precinct of the temple, to disturb the peaceful sanctity of that holy place.
PECTORAL. The general signification or symbolical reference of the pectoral was this : — the four rows oi precious stones referred to the four cardinal virtues, and the three stones in each, to the three theological virtues. The twelve stones denoted the precious doctrines oi Christianity, promulgated by the twelve apostles ; and the Urim and Thummim, the vital spark of these doc- trines, was Christ, who bears his church to the throne of heaven, as the high priest bore that mystical oracle on his breast. This utensil has been variously explained, one translating the words Urim and Thummim by eluci- dations and perfections; another doctrines and truths- others brightness and perfection, justice and doctrine, lucid and perfect, &c. Philo says they were " duas vir- tutes depictas ; " and the seventy translate them by the word Jr^woiv and Afyd-eiav, manifestations and truth. They were certainly some tangible substances, which were placed in the doublings of the pectoral, as in a purse or pocket, by which responses wrere vouchsafed to the wearer of the epho i.
til3 PEC— PEN.
PECULIAR RESIDENCE. What was the object of building the temple of Solomon? One purpose, we art) informed, was, that is might be a house of prayer for all nations. But this was not its only purpose. Grod intended to make it the seat of his visible presence, or the place of his habitation. It was not designated, thought an eminent commentator, to be a place to worship in, but a place of worship at, where God was known to have a peculiar residence. — Scott.
PEDAL. The pedal is the point on which we receive the first great recommendation of the Master, ever to continue, as we then appeared, upright men and Masons. It therefore denotes the duty of universal justice, which consists in doing to others as we would they should dj unto us. — Hemming.
PEDESTAL. The altar of the lodge is a pedestal in the form of a double cube, on which is displayed the Holy Bible, to confer upon it the attribute of justice. And why is the open Bible said to be the emblem of justice ? I answer in the expressive words of an eloquent writer • Because there is no other virtue of such absolute importance and essential necessity to the welfare of society. Let all the debts of justice be universally dis- charged; let every man be just to himself, and to all others ; let him endeavour, by the exercise of industry and economy, to provide for his own wants, and prevent himself from becoming a burden upon society, and abstain, in the pursuit of his own subsistence, from everything injurious to the interests of others; let every one render unto all their due — that property which he is obliged by the laws of the land, or by those of honourable equity, to pay them ; that candour and open dealing to which they have a right, in all his commercial dealings with them ; that portion of good report to which their merit entitles them, with that decent respect and quiet sub- mission which their rightful civil authority demands. If iustice were thus universally done, there would be little left for mercy to do.
PENAL. The penal sign marks our obligation, and reminds us also of the fall of Adam and tlie dreadful
PEN. 613
penalty entailed thereby on his sinful posterity, being no less than death. It intimates that the stiffneck of the disobedient shall be cut off" from the land of the living by the judgment of God, even as the head is severed from the body by the sword of human justice.
PENCIL. This is one of the working tools of a Master Mason. With the pencil the skilful artist delineates the building in a draught or plan for the instruction and guidance of the workmen. The pencil teaches us that our words and actions are observed and recorded by the Almighty Architect, to whom we must give an account of our conduct through life.
PENITENTIAL. The reverential sign may be con- sidered as the parent of the penitential or supplicating sign, since it justly denotes that frame of heart and mind without which our prayers and oblation of praises will not obtain acceptance at the throne of grace, before which how should a frail and erring creature of the dust present himself unless with bended knees and uplifted hands, betokening at once his humility and dependence '? In this posture did Adam first kneel before God and bless the author of his being ; and there too did he bend with contrite awe before the face of his offended Judge, to avert his wrath, and implore his mercy ; and transmitted this sacred form to his posterity for ever.
PENT ALPHA. In the Royal Arch Degree, the name of God is depicted in the centre of old floor-cloths, by a double interlacing triangle thus Q, inscribed within a dark circle, representing unlimited space beyond the reach of light, and the top representing the " light shining in darkness, and the darkness comprehending it not." This had been used as a Christian symbol, to de- note the two natures of Jehovah, the God-man, for centuries before the Royal Arch Degree was ever thought of. In this form 2$., or the above, it was called the pent- angle, or seal of Solomon, and the shield of David, and was employed all over Asia as a preservative against witchcraft, in which superstition the Jews are said to have participated ; for they used written charms enclosed in the above hexagonal or pentangular figure, and disposed
GU PER.
cabalistically, which were worn about their necks. It constituted the Pythagorean pentalpha, and was the symbol of health.
PERFECT ASHLAR. The perfect ashlar is a stone of a true square, which can only be tried by the square and compasses. This represents the mind of a man at the close of life, after a well-regulated career of piety and virtue, which can only be tried by the square of God's Word, and the compasses of an approving conscience.
PERJURY. Let any unprejudiced man pronounce his opinion of Freemasonry from the experience of the benefits it has conferred on society, and his judgment cannot be unfavourable. Take the great body of Free- masons, and their most determined enemies must admit them to be honourable in their actions, and estimable in private life. Look over the criminal calendar at any assizes, and you very seldom find members of this Order charged with felonious offences, or accused of disturbing social order. Should a Mason be convicted of felony or perjury, he is immediately expelled the Order.
PERPENDICULAR. Geometrically, that which is per- fectly upright and erect, inclining neither one way or the other. Symbolically, inclining neither to avarice nor injustice, to malice nor revenge, to envy nor contempt, in our intercourse with mankind ; but as the builder raises his column by the plane or perpendicular, so should the Mason carry himself toward the world ; thus will he stand approved before heaven and before men, purchasing honor and felicity to himself as a professor of Masonry.
PERSONAL MERIT. All preferment amongst Ma- sons is grounded upon real worth and personal merit only, so that the lords may be well served, the brethren not put to shame, nor the Royal Craft despised. There- fore no Master or Warden is chosen by seniority, but for his merit. It is impossible to describe these things in writing, and therefore every brother must attend in his place, and learn them in a way peculiar to this Fraternity — Ancient Charges.
PET— PI L. f,i;>
PETITION. Every application for a warrant to hold a new lodge must be by petition to the Grand Master, signed by at least seven regularly registered Masons ; and the lodges to which they formerly belonged must be specified. The petition must be recommended by the officers of some regular lodge, and be transmitted to the Grand Secretary, unless there be a Provincial Gran Master of the district or province in which the lodge i proposed to be holden, in which case it is to be sent to him, or to his deputy, who is to forward it, with his recommendation or opinion thereon, to the Grand Master. Applications for relief must also be by petition, stating the name, occupation, place of abode, and present cir- cumstances of the petitioner ; together with the name and number of the lodge in which he was initiated, and the time when he was made a Mason. The applicant, unless disabled by disease or accident, must' sign his name to the petition. — Constitutions.
PHRASES OF ADMISSION. When a candidate receives the first degree, he is said to be initiated, at the second step he is passed, at the third raised; when he takes the mark degree, he is congratulated; having passed the chair, he is said to have presided; when he becomes a Most Excellent Master, he is acknowledged and received; and when a Royal Arch Mason, he is exalted.
PHYSICAL. The physical qualifications of a candi- date are, that he shall be a free man, born of a free woman, of mature age, and able body.
PICKAXE. The sound of the stroke of the pickaxe reminds us of the sound of the last trumpet, when the grave shall be shaken, loosened, and deliver up its dead.
PILLARS. Every lodge must be supported by three grand shafts, or pillars — Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty Wisdom constructs the building, Beauty adorns, and Strength supports it; also, Wisdom is ordained to dis- cover, Beauty to ornament, and Strength to bear. He who is wise as a perfect Master, will not be easily injured by his own actions. Hath a person the strength which a Senior Warden represents, he will bear and overcome
616 PIL— PLO.
every obstacle in life. And he who is adorned, like the Junior Warden, with humility of spirit, approaches nearer to the similitude of God than another. But the three pillars must be built upon a rock, and that rock is called Truth and Justice. — Gadicke.
PILLARS OF THE PORCH. It is generally thought that these pillars were made and erected only for orna- ment, because they supported no building. But Abar- binel's conjecture is not improbable, that Solomon had respect to the pillar of the cloud, and the pillar of fire, that went before them and conducted them in the wilder- ness, and was a token of the divine Providence over them. These he set at the porch, or entrance of the Temple (Jachin representing the pillar of the cloud, and Boaz the pillar of fire), praying and hoping that the Divine Light, and the cloud of His glory would vouch- safe to enter in there ; and by them God and His provi- dence would dwell among them in this house. — Bishop Patrick.
PLACED. The situation of the candidate at the north-east angle of the lodge, was symbolical of Joseph, who was the father of two tribes of Israel, one of which was placed at the head of his division of the Israelites in the wilderness, and bore one of the great cherubic banners, and the other had two allotments in the land of Canaan.
PLANS. The tracing-board is for the Master to draw his plans and designs on, that the building may be carried on with order and regularity. It refers to the Sacred Volume which is denominated the Tracing-Board of the Grand Architect of the Universe, because in that holy book he had laid down sucli grand pla"ns and holy designs, that were we conversant therein, and adherent thereto, it would bring us to a building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
PLOTS. A Mason is a peaceable subject to the civil powers wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concerned in plots and conspiracies against the peace and welfare of the nation, nor to behave himself unduti-
PLU— POL 617
fu ly to inferior magistrates. He is cheerfully to conform to every lawful authority; to uphold, on every occasion, the interest of the community, and zealously to promote the interests of his own country. — Ancient C/uirgcs.
PLUMB-EULE. Without this instrument the opera- tive mason cannot prove that his work is perfectly upright; and the overseer or superintendent of any build- ing must have this tool ever in his hands, that he may prove that his men are working correctly. To proceed straight forward in the paths of virtue and honour, and faithfully to perform those duties the Craft requires of us, demands constant attention on the part of every Free and Accepted Mason. — Gadicke.
POETRY OF MASONRY. An intelligible view of the poetry of Masonry may be gathered from its general principles. It inculcates brotherly love amongst all mankind; it tends to soften the harshness of an exclusive feeling towards those who differ from us ill our views of religion and politics, although it allows of no discussions on either the one or the other; it suppresses the attach- ment to class, which is the bane of all other institutions; and, by the purity of its sentiments, it harmonizes the mind, ameliorates the disposition, and produces that genuine feeling of benevolence and Christian charity which " suffereth long and is kind ; which envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not easily puffed up, doth not behave unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily pro- voked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, eridureth all things."
POINT. A point is an inactive effective disposition or inclination to the several duties of man, and is the beginning of every active duty. It is also the beginning of every advantage, profit, pleasure, or happiness, tha flows from the observation or performance of such a duty.
POINT WITHIN A CIRCLE. As in a circle, how- ever large, there is one middle point, whither all con- verge, called by geoinetricans the centre; and although the parts of the whole circumference may be divided
52
618 POL— FOR.
inuumerably, yet is there no other point save that one from which all measure equally, and which, by a certain law of evenness, hath the sovereignty over all. But if yoa leave thi3 one point, whatever point you take, the greater number of lines you draw, the more everything is confused. So the soul is tossed to and fro by the very vastness of the things, and is crushed by a real destitu- tion, in that its own nature compels it everywhere tc seek one object, and the multiplicity suffers it not. — St Augustin.
POLITICS. Politics are entirely prohibited from a Freemasons' lodge, and no brother dare attempt to propa- gate his views upon politics by means of the Order, this being in direct opposition to the ancient statutes. The political opinions of mankind never agree, and they are thus directly opposed to brotherly union. If a peculiar set of political opinions gain the upper hand in a state, or if a revolution take place, or if a country be invaded by a foreign army, the lodges close themselves. Charity to a suffering warrior, let him be a friend or a foe, must not be considered as a political act, for it is the general duty of mankind, and more especially it is a masonic duty. — Gadicke.
POMEGKANATE. Grained Apple. The fruit is about the size of an orange, of a tawny brown, containing an abundance of seeds ; when ripe it opens lengthwise, and is full of juice like wine, which is, when cultivated, sweet and highly agreeable. As an emblem for ornamentation it was highly esteemed by most of the nations of antiquity. Moses was directed to put embroidered pomegranates, with golden bells between them, at the bottom of the high-priest's robe. The two pillars set up at the porch of the temple were ornamented with rows of artificial pome- granates. This fruit, because of the exuberance of its seed, has been selected by Masons as an emblem of plenty.
PORCH. The width of the porch, holy and most holy places, were twenty cubits, and the height over the holy and most holy places, was thirty cubits ; but the height of the porch was much greater, being no less than 120 cubits, or four times the height of the rest of
POT— PRA.
the building. To the north and south sides, and the west end of the holy and most holy places, or all around the edifice, from the back of the porch on the one side, to the back of the porch on the other side, certain buildings were attached; these were called side cham- bers, and consisted of three stories, each five cubits high, and joined to the wall of the temple without. — Calmet.
POT OF INCENSE. The pot of incense presents itself to our notice as an emblem of a pure heart, which is always an acceptable sacrifice to the Deity ; and as this glows with fervent heat, so should our hearts con- tinually glow with gratitude to the great and beneficent author of our existence, for the manifold blessings and comforts we enjoy.
POT OF MANNA. The pot of manna was placed in the sanctuary to commemorate the heavenly bread, oy which the Israelites were sustained in the wilderness ; it has therefore been adopted as a masonic emblem, to signify that Christ is the bread of God which came down from heaven.
PUKSUIVANT. An attendant or herald, who publicly announced all new-comers at tournaments, etc. In some Grand Lodges, an officer whose name implies similar duties, and who acts as the inner sentinel.
PRACTICE. We may talk of religion, its doctrines, its precepts, and its privileges ; we may talk of philoso- phy with all its train of human perfections, and human acquirements; we may become Masons, boast of its secrecy, its science, and its morals ; put on all its gaudy trappings arid ornaments, and decorate ourselves with its richest external jewels. But if our religion is destitute of love to God, and of charity towards our fellow crea- tures ; if our philosophy is destitute of philanthropy, or if our Masonry is destitute of the activity of doing good, away with religious profession, it is but an empty name ; away with philosophical sentiment, it is but as sounding brass ; away with masonic pretensions, they are but as tinkling cymbals. — Invvod.
fi20 PR A— PR E.
PRAYER. The legitimate prayers of Freemasonry are short addresses to the Great Architect of the Uni- verse for a blessing on our labours. Now who is this Divine Being whom we thus invoke? — Why, according to the interpretation of our ancient brethren, " Him that was carried to the top of the pinnacle of the holy temple," or Jesus Christ. Nor is Freemasonry singular n ttiis interpretation. St. Paul says " Jesus Christ laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of his hands," or, in other words, that he is the Great Architect of the Universe.
PRECAUTION. The greatest precautions are used to prevent the admission of unworthy characters ; if from want of proper information, or from too charitable con- structions, such are introduced, we deeply regret the mistake, and use every proper method to remedy the evil. — Harris.
PRECEDENCY. The precedency of lodges is derived from the number of their constitutions, as recorded in the books of the Grand Lodge. No lodge shall be acknowledged, nor its officers admitted into the United Grand Lodge, or a Provincial Grand Lodge, nor any of its members entitled to partake of the general charity or other masonic privilege, unless it has been regularly constituted and registered. — Constitutions.
PREFERENCE. Though we give a decided prefe- rence to such as have been tried and proved, and found to be worthy, and have in consequence been made mem- bers of the masonic family, we are known to profess and practise charity unconfined, and liberality unlimited, and to comprehend in the wide circle of our bene- volence, the whole human race. — Harris.
PREJUDICE. From prejudice, as well as from igno ranee, arise most of the objections agaicst Freemasonry, and all the misrepresentations of its principles and prac- tices. As the origin of such dislike to our institution i? so well known, it might be deemed paying too great respect to its evils, to take any notice of them all. ID general, it is best to despise the invectives of calumny.
PRE. 62]
and smile at the impotence of malice ; to disdain taking any notice of groundless surmises, and not to give our- selves the trouble of listening to the queries of the ignorant, or of confuting the opinions of the prejudiced and captious. — Harris.
PREPARATION. Preparation has several depart- ments, various steps and degrees. We must place our feet on the first round of the masonic or theological ladder, before we can ascend the second ; and we must receive the degree of Entered Apprentice before we can obtain the Fellowcraft, and the Fellowcraft before the degree of Master Mason. Then how complete is the analogy between the work of speculative Masonry, and the preparation of the materials for King Solomon's Temple, and what does the argument by way of ana- logy demonstrate 'i Every moral truth which the pre- paration of the materials of the temple teaches, our masonic preparation also illustrates. It would be wise in us, to think often of the necessity of preparation to be advanced in light and knowledge. — Scott.
PREPARED. A man who has been properly pre pared to be initiated iuto Freemasonry, is a true symbol of a pure and uncorrupted man, such as the Society wishes apd requires to have as members. Such an one must be able to appreciate his fellow mortals more by their moral worth arid intellectual attainments, than by their rank, power, or riches. Happy are those who wish to be so estimated, for they will do honour to the Craft when clothed in purple and gold. — Gadicke.
PREPARING BROTHER. It is the duty of the preparing brother, shortly before the candidate for initia tion is introduced into the lodge, to prove if he still con- tinues earnest in his desire to be initiated, what are the reasons which induce him to do so, and if he is willing to submit himself unconditionally to the rules of an unknown society. From this we may perceive that the preparing brother must possess a line knowledge of man- kind. The situation in which he is placed with regard to the candidate, gives him an opportunity of putting a number of questions which could not be put in any other
622 F RE— PUT.
place, or which the candidate could not answer so fully and so unhesitatingly as in the preparing-room. The preparing brother must not terrify the candidate from seeking admission ; his duty is merely to remove any erroneous ideas the candidate may have formed of the Craft, as far as may be found necessary. — Gadicke.
PRE-REQUISITES. No person is capable of becom Jig a member unless, together with the virtues afore- mentioned, or at least a disposition to seek and acquire them, he is also free-born, of mature age, of good report, of sufficient natural endowments, and the senses of a man ; with an estate, office, trade, occupation, or some visible way of acquiring an honest livelihood, and of working in his Craft, as becomes the members of this most ancient and honourable fraternity, who ought not only to earn what is sufficient for themselves and fami- lies, but also something to spare for works of charity and supporting the true dignity of the royal Craft. — Moore
PRIEST. The second principal of the Royal Arch.
PRINCIPAL POINT. The principal point of Ma- sonry, is Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
PRINCIPALS. In a Royal Arch Chapter the Com- panions are supposed to be seated round, in the fonn of the catenarian arch, in which the thrones of the three Principals form the key or cope-stone, to preserve a memory of the vaulted shrine in which King Solomon deposited the sacred name of the word. The cope-stones are represented by the three Principals of the Chapter, because as a knowledge of the secrets of the vaulted chamber could only be known by drawing them forth, o the complete knowledge of this degree can be attained only by passing through its several offices.
PRINTED WORKS ON FREEMASONRY. The Mas >n promises at his initiation, that he will not betray the secrets of the Order by writing, and notwithstanding the great number of the so-called printed works upon Freemasonry which we have, there is not an author ol one of those works who has been a traitor to the re;:)
PKI. f>28
secrets of the Craft. When it is maintained by the world that the books which are said to have been written by oppressed Freemasons, contain the secrets of Free- masonry, it is a very great error. To publish an account of the ceremonies of the Lodge, however wrong that may be, does not communicate the secrets of Freemasonry The printed rituals are not correct, as they are printed from memory, and not from a lodge copy. Inquiries into the history of the Order, and the true meaning cf its hieroglyphics and ceremonies by learned brethren cannot be considered treason, for the Order itself recommends the study of its history, and that every brother should instruct his fellows as much as possible. It is the same with the printed explanation of the moral principles and the symbols of the Order ; we are recommended to study them incessantly, until we have made ourselves masters of the valuable information they contain ; and when our learned and cautious brethren publish the result of their inquiries, they ought to be most welcome to the Craft. — Gadicke.
i
PRINTING. No brother shall presume to print 01 publish, or cause to be printed or published, the pro ceedings of any lodge, nor any part thereof; or the names of the persons present at such lodge, without the direction of the Grand Master, or Provincial Grand Master, under pain of being expelled from the Order. This law is not to extend to the writing, printing, or publishing, of any notice or summons issued to the mem- bers of a lodge by the authority of the Master. — Consti- tutions.
PRIVATE DUTIES. Whoever would be a Mason should know how to practise all the private virtues. He should avoid all manner of intemperance or excess, which might prevent his performance of the laudable duties of his Craft, or lead him into enormities, which would reflect dishonour upon the ancient fraternity. He is to be industrious in his profession, and true to the Lord and Muster he serves. He is to labour justly, and not to eat any man's bread for nought ; but to pay truly for his meat and drink. What leisure his labour allows, he is to employ in studying the arts and sciences with a dili-
624 PR1— PRO.
gent mind, that he may the better perform all his duties to his Creator, his country, his neighbour and himself. — Moore.
PRIVILEGES. The majority of every particular lodge, when duly congregated, have the privilege of instructing their Master and Wardens for their conduct in the Grand Lodge and (Quarterly Communications ; and all particular lodges in the same Communications, shall as much as possible observe 'the same rules and usages, and appoint some of their members to visit each other in the different lodges, as often as it may be convenient — Moore.
PROBATIONS. Probation implies progression, and progression implies reward. If the labour of the Entered Apprentice is intended to refer to the fall of man, or the curse pronounced for his disobedience, then the industri- ous and Christian Mason has an assurance that the time will come when he will be called from his labour on earth, to refreshment in heaven. — Scott.
PROCESSIONS. Our public processions have been instituted for many noble purposes. We visit the house of God in public, to offer up our prayers and praises for mercies and blessings ; we attend in a body to shew the world our mutual attachment as a band of brothers ; we are arranged in a set form to exhibit the beauty of our system, constructed on the most harmonious proportions, and modelled by a series of imperceptible grades of rank, which cement and unite us in that indissoluble chain of sincere affection which is so well understood by Master Masons, and blend the attributes of equality and sub- ordination in a balance so nice and equitable, that the concord between rulers and brethren is never subject to violation, while we meet on the level and part on the square.
PROCLAMATION. On the proclamation of Cyrus the Jews left Babylon, under the conduct of Zerubba- bel, son of Shealtiel, the lineal descendant of thr princely house of Judah, attended by Jeshua the High Priest, Ilaggai the prophet, and Ezra the scribe, and returned
(JRAJiD MASONIC PBOCE8SIOH.
PRO. 627
to their own land. In the seventh month of the same year the altar of God was erected, and burnt offerings were sacrificed upon it ; and the feast of tabernacles was kept according to the law of Moses. Men were also employed according to the permission of Cyrus, to cut cedars in Lebanon, and bring them by sea to Joppa. In the beginning of the second year, the foundation of the temple was laid by Zerubbabel, the Grand Master of the Jewish Masons, assisted by Jeshua the High Priest, as Senior Grand Warden, with great rejoicing and praise to God.
PROFANE. The word signifies uninitiated. All those who do not belong to the Order are frequently so called. Before a lodge is held, care must be taken that none but the initiated are present, and that the lodge is carefully tiled. In the lodge lists, which are frequently open to the public, there are given the addresses to which all letters for the lodge must be sent, and these are called profane addresses. It would be much more proper to call them u town addresses," for many of the uninitiated translate the word profane as unmannerly or impious. — Gadicke.
PROGRESSIVE. There are three steps and three degrees in symbolical Masonry. Each step or degree is an advance towards light and knowledge. There is more revealed in the Fellow Craft's degree, than in the degree of the Entered Apprentice ; and there is fulness of light and knowledge in the degree of Master. Mankind, be- fore the appearance of the Messiah, had been partially instructed under the patriarchal and Levitical dispensa- tions. But the world was then comparatively in dark- ness ; more light was wanted, and the Messiah came to give moie light, to teach and instruct the world in the mysteries of his kingdom. — Scott.
PROMISE. The promise of a Saviour, its reference and fulfilment, is the great mystery of Freemasonry. Some of our most sublime observances are founded upon it, and the distinguishing tokens of recognition in one of the degrees, refer exclusively to that gracious interposi- tion of the Deity in behalf of fallen man : and by virtue
02S PRO.
of one of these significaLt signs, if we prostrate ourselves with our face to the earth, it is to supplicate the mercy of our Creator and Judge, looking forward with humble confidence to his holy promises, by which alone we hope to pass through the ark of our redemption, into the mansions of eternal bliss and glory.
PROMOTION. Every man strives for promotion, either in office or in knowledge. It is for this reason that the Apprentice strives for the Fellowcraft's degree ; the Fellov craft for the Master's degree, and the Master for a still higher degree, or state of knowledge. Those who really and zealously strive to obtain a correct know- ledge of all that is truly good and valuable in the Craft, will not fail in their endeavours to obtain masonic pro- motion.— Gadicke.
PRONUNCIATION. The name of Jehovah is the fountain and root, produces all others, and itself is derived from none ; which is shewn by being written in 111 in TH which is seventy-two ; and is adduced by " Bereshith Raba," as one of the highest Names, being taught by the priests and wise men, once in seven years, to their equals in piety and virtue, from the pronuncia- tion being extremely difficult and secret. — Manasseh Ben Israel.
PROPAGATION. Our Grand Master Solomon, ob- serving the effects produced by strict order adopted among the Masons employed in his work, conceived the idea of uniting the wise in every nation, in the bond of brotherly love, and in the pursuit of scientific acquire- ments. He admitted to the participation of this system those illustrious sages, who resorted to Jerusalem, even from the uttermost parts of the East, to be instructed in his wisdom ; and they returning to their respective homes, propagated the system of Freemasonry over the whole face of the Eastern continent. — Hemming.
PROPER PERSONS. The persons made Masons, 01 admitted members of a lodge, must be good and true men, free born, and of mature and discreet age and sound judgment ; no bondmen, no women, no immoral or scan- dalous men, but of good report. — Ancient,
PRO. 629
It is to be lamented that the indulgence (subjoined tc this wholesome injunction, (no lodge shall ever make a Mason without due inquiry into his character,) should weaken the regard seriously due to it ; for as no man will build his house upon a bog or a quicksand, a man of suspicious integrity will be found equally unfit to sustain the character of a true Mason ; and if some corre- sponding regard to worldly circumstances were included, it would operate more for the welfare and credit of the Society. — Noorthouck.
PROPHET. The third principal of the Royal Arch
Chapter.
PROPOSING. Proposing a candidate is a thing which requires the greatest care and attention. Through an improper subject, a whole lodge — nay, even the whole Society — may receive a deep wound. No one dare pro- pose a person with whom he is not intimately acquainted, and whose conduct he has not had an opportunity ol observing under different circumstances. The person who is about to make a proposition, must have carefully inquired whether the candidate is influenced by the desire of gain or self-interest ; for he must not look to the Order as a means of making money, but rather as a means of expending it in charitable objects.
PROSCRIPTION. The severest punishment in the Order. The Freemason who is found guilty of a crime against the regulations of the Order, or the laws of the land, is solemnly proscribed, and notice of his proscrip- tion is sent to all lodges, so that he never can gain admission again. — Gadicke.
PROTECTION. The true believers, in order to withdraw and distinguish themselves from the rest of mankind, especially the idolaters by whom they were surrounded, adopted emblems, and mystic devices, toge- ther with certain distinguishing principles, whereby they should be known to each other; and also certify that they were servants of that God, in whose hands all crea- tion existed. By these means they also protected them- selves from persecution, and their faith from the ridicule of the incredulous vulgar — Hutchiiison. 53
630 PEG.
PROTOTYPE. Masonry has the Omnipotent Archi- tect of the Universe for the object of its adoration and imitation, His great and wonderful works for its pattern and prototype, and the wisest and best of men of all ages, nations and languages, for its patrons and professors. But though Masonry primarily inculcates morals and the religion of nature, it has caught an additional spark from the light of revelation and the Sun of Righteousness And though Masonry continues to burn with subordinate lustre, it lights the human traveller on the same road, it oreathes a concordant spirit of universal benevolence ai/d orotherly love, adds one thread more to the silken cord jf evangelical charity which binds man to man, and crowns the cardinal virtues with Christian graces. — Watson.
PROVERBS OR MAXIMS. For the most part having reference to the Order, are in many lodges orally com- municated to the brethren, and they are examined in the proficiency they have obtained in discovering the spirit and meaning of those proverbs, before they can obtain a higher degree. — Gadicke.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE. The Provincial Grand Lodge of each province is to be assembled by the Provincial Grand Master or his deputy, at least once in each year for business; and which may also be a masonic festival. The present and past provincial grand officers, being subscribing members of any lodge within the dis- trict, with the Masters, Past Masters, and Wardens of all the lodges, are members of the Provincial Grand Lodge ; and the Master and Wardens shall attend the same when duly summoned, or depute some brethren properly quali- fied to represent them. — Constitutions.
PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER. The appoint- ment of this officer, for counties and for large populous districts, is a prerogative of the Grand Master, by whom, or, in his absence, by his deputy, a patent may be grant- ed, during pleasure, to such brother of eminence and ability in the Craft as may be thought worthy of the appointment. By this patent he is invested with a rank and power, in his particular district, similar to those pos- sessed by the Grand Master himself. —
PRO— PUB. 631
PROVINCIAL GRAND OFFICERS. These officers are to be annually nominated and installed or invested, according to their stations, in the Provincial Grand Lodge; and when so regularly appointed, they possess, within their particular district, the rank and privileges of grand officers; but they are not by such appointment members of the United Grand Lodge, nor do they take any rank out of the province, though they are entitled to wear their clothing as provincial grand officers, or past officers, in all masonic assemblies. No brother can be appointed a Grand Warden unless he be the Master of a lodge, or has regularly served in that office; nor a Grand Deacon, unless he be a Warden, or Past Warden of a lodge. If Grand Stewards are appointed, the number shall not exceed six, nor shall they take any prominent rank or distinction in the province. — Constitutions.
PRUDENCE. The emblem of prudence is the first and most exalted object that demands our attention in the lodge. It is placed in the centre, ever to be present to the eye of the Mason, that his heart may be attentive to her dictates, and steadfast in her laws; for prudence is the rule of all virtues; prudence is the path which leads to every degree of propriety; prudence is the channel whence self-approbation flows for ever. She leads us forth to worthy actions, and, a.s a blazing star, enlightens us throughout the dreary and darksome paths of life — Hutchinson.
PUBLICITY. What is there in Freemasonry, except the landmarks and peculiar secrets, that we ought to be anxious to conceal? Are our doctrines unfavourable to the interests of morality, that we are desirous of hiding them from public observation? Are our ceremonies re- pulsive to virtue, or our practices subversive to the rules and decencies of society"/ Nothing like it. We boast of our benevolent institutions; we extol our brotherly love; we celebrate our regard for the four cadinal, and the three theological virtues. Why place our light under a bushel ? why refuse to let it shine before men, that they may see our good works have a tendency to the glory of our Father which is in heaven?
032 PUN— QUA.
PUNCTUALITY. I would impress upon the Masters and Wardens the necessity of being punctual, and always to open their lodges and commence their business at the exact hour mentioned in the summonses, assured that if they persevere in this duty, they will incite regularity in the brethren, and the consequences will be, that their families, and the world at large, will appreciate an insti tution which thus displays the fruits of sound and whole- some discipline; the lodges' will increase in number and reputation, and through their exemplary conduct, Free- masonry will secure a triumphal ascendancy, and excite general admiration and respect.
PUNISHMENTS. Those Freemasons who violate the laws of the country in which they reside, are either suspended, excluded, or proscribed. The lodge, never- theless, never usurps the place of the magistrate or judge, as it has been formerly accused of doing. It rather directs the attention of the officers of justice to those brethren upon whom remonstrances are of no avail, and whom it is compelled to exclude. — Gadicke.
PURITY. White was always considered an emblem of purity. Porphyry, who wrote so largely on the spu- rious Freemasonry, says, " They esteem him not fit to offer sacrifice worthily, whose body is not clothed in a white and clean garment ; but they do not think it any great matter, if some go to sacrifice, having their bodies clean, and also their garments, though their minds be not void of evil, as if God were not the most delighted with internal purity, which bears the nearest resemblance to him. It was even written in the temple of Epidauras — let all who come to offer at this shrine be pure. Now purity consists in holy thoughts.
PURPLE. The colour by which the grand officers are distinguished. It is an emblem of union, being pro- duced by the combination of blue and scarlet, and reminds the wearer to cultivate amongst the brethren over whom lie is placed, such a spirit of union as may cement them into one complete and harmonious society.
QUADRANGULAR DIAGRAM. This figure, which
QUA. 633
appears on some of the old Royai Arch floor-cloths, reminds us of the seven pair of pillars which supported King Solomon's private avenue, the seven steps in ad- vancing, and the seven seals ; for in those days the O. B. was sealed seven times. The entire hieroglyphic, in- cluding the linear and angular triads, and the quadrangular diagram, was use'5 in the continental degree of Secret Master, to ex- press the Tetragrammatou, or Sacred Name, which they assert was found written upon the ancient monuments of Jerusalem.
QUALIFICATION. Every candidate for the office of Master must be true and trusty, of good report, and held in high estimation amongst the brethren. He must be well skilled in our noble science, and a lover of the Craft ; he must have been regularly initiated, passed, and raised in the three established degrees of Freemasonry, and have served the office of Warden in some regulai warranted lodge. He ought to be of exemplary conduct, courteous in manners, easy of address, but steady and firm in principle. He must have been regularly ballotted for, and elected by, the Worshipful Master, officers, ano brethren, in open lodge assembled ; and presented ac- cording to ancient form, to a regularly constituted board of installed Masters.
QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS. These questions are used as tests, to ascertain the progress of a candidate during his passage through the degrees. They are signi ficant ; and every one who aspires to the character of a perfect Mason, ought to be acquainted with them.
QUARRELLING. As a Mason you are to cultivate brotherly love, the foundation and cape-stone, the cement and glory of this ancient fraternity, avoiding all wrangling and quarrelling, all slander and backbiting, nor permitting others to slander any honest brother, but defending his character and doing him all good offices, as far as is con- sistent with your honour and safety, and no farther. — Ancient Charges.
QUARRIES OF TYRE. The arrangement of tr*
034 QUA.
Tyriun quarries must not be compared with the cornmcn stone-pits of this country, but rather to an extensive coal mine. Thus, Shaw describes the quarries of Strabo, at Aquilaria: — "Small shafts or openings are carried up quite through the surface above, for the admission of fresh air, whilst large pillars, with their respective arches: are still left standing to support the roof." Here the lodges were opened in the several degrees.
QUARTERLY COMMUNICATIONS. Four Grand Lodges, representing the Craft, shall be held for quarter- ly communication in each year, on the first Wednesday in the months of March, June, September and December, on each of which occasions, the Masters and Wardens of all the warranted lodges, shall deliver into the hands of the Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer, a faithful list of all their contributing members ; and the warranted lodges in and adjacent to London, should pay towards the grand fund one shilling per quarter for each member. — Articles of Union.
QUARTERLY SUBSCRIPTIONS. Supporting a lodge, paying the serving brethren, and other expenses which are unavoidable, cause an expenditure which the uncertain fees upon initiation will not meet, and thus renders it necessary for the brethren to contribute a small sum monthly for this purpose ; these sums vary in amount in different lodges according to their own by- laws made for the purpose. The balance in the hands of the Treasurer, after paying all necessary expenses, is spent for the benefit of the lodge, or devoted to charita- ble purposes. No subscribing brother ought to neglect these payments; and he who lives in a place where there is no lodge, and is not a subscriber, acts most unmasonically by neglecting to support the Charities. — • Poor brethren, and those who are initiated as musical or serving brethren, are exempt from all contributions ; but those who are able to subscribe and do not do so, deserve most justly to be struck off the list of members. — Gadicke.
QUATERNARY. The sacred quaternarj , or number Four, involves the liberal sciences, phy.sirs, morality. &c,
QUE— RAI. 6,35
And because the first four digits, added into each other, produce the number ten, Pythagoras called the quater- nary all number, and used it as the symbol of univer- sality.
QUEEN ELIZABETH. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the government of the country attempted to interfere with Freemasonry, but without success. The queen was jealous of all secrets in which she was unable to participate, and she deputed an armed force, on St John's day, in December, 1561, to break up the annual Grand Lodge. The Grand Master, Sir Thomas Sackville, received the queen's officers with great civility, telling them nothing could give him greater pleasure than to .admit them into the Grand Lodge, and communicate to them the secrets of the Order. He persuaded them to be initiated, and this convinced them that the system was founded on the sublime ordinances of morality and religion. On their return, they assured the queen that the business of Freemasonry was the cultivation of mo- rality and science, harmony and peace; and that politics arid religion were alike forbidden to be discussed in their assemblies. The queen was perfectly satisfied, and never attempted to disturb the lodges again.
RAINBOW. The rainbow was an emblem common to every species of religious mystery ; and was probably derived from an old arkite tradition, that the divinity was clothed in a rainbow ; for thus he is represented by Eze- kiel the prophet : "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of the Lord." St. John saw in a vision the throne of God encompassed by a rainbow. A rainbow was in fact the usual emblem of a divine Saviour throughout the world. Some Christians, "from the irradiation of the sun upon a cloud, appre- hend the mystery of the Son of Righteousness in th obscurity of the flesh by the colours green and red the two destructions of the world by water and fire ; or by the colour of water and blood the mysteries of baptism ind the holv eucharist "
o86 flAI— KEG.
RAISED. The expressive term used to designate the reception of the candidate into the third or sublime degree of Master Mason, and alludes both to a part of the ceremony and to oar faith in the glorious morn of tin; resarrection, when onr "bodies will rise, and become aa incorruptible as our souls.
RECOGNITION, SIGN OR SIGNS, WORD, AND GRIP. Wherever brethren meet, in whatever part of the world it may be, whether they can understand each others language or not, if it be by day or by night, if one be deaf and the other dumb, they can nevertheless recognise each other as brethren. In this respect the recognition signs are a universal language, and they are communicated to every Mason at his initiation. Signs and grips can be given so cautiously that it is not possi-* ble to perceive them, if they are surrounded by thousands who have not been initiated. To give the word is some what more difficult. By the grip we may make ourselves known to the blind, by the sign unto the deaf, and by the word and grip by day or by night. — Gadicke.
RECOMMENDATION. The following is the general form of a petition to the Lodge of Benevolence for relief, which may be altered according to circumstances : — We the undersigned, being the Master, Wardens, and majority of the members present, in open lodge assembled, of
lodge No. — called , and held at , this
— — — day of , 18 - , do hereby certify, that the
within named petitioner hath been a regular contributing
member of this lodge for the space of years ; and
that we have known him in reputable circumstances, and do therefore recommend him to the Lodge of Benevo- lence for relief, having satisfactory grounds for believing the allegations set forth in his petition to be true. — Con "titutions.
RECONCILIATION. Freemasonry teaches to sup- press private prejudices and party spirit; to forget ani- mosities, and to listen to the voice of reconciliation ; to soften into gentleness and complaisance, sympathy, and love ; and to prepare for all the duties of universal benevolence. — Harris.
RED— REG. 637
RED SEA. That part of the sea over which the Israelites passed, was, according to Mr. Bruce, arid other travellers, about four leagues across, and, therefore, might easily be crossed in one night. In the dividing oi the sea, two agents appear to be employed, though the effect produced can be attributed to neither. By stretch- ing out the rod the waters were divided ; by the b . jwirig of the vehement east wind, the bed of the sea was dried. It has been observed that in the bed of the sea, where the Israelites were supposed to have passed, the wator is about fourteen fathoms, or twenty-eight yards deep. No natural agent could divide these waters, and cause them to stand as a wall upon the right hand and upon the left ; therefore God did it by his own sovereign power. When the waters were thus divided, there was no need of a miracle to dry the bed of the sea, and make it passa- ble; therefore the strong desiccating east wind was brought, which soon accomplished this object. — Adam Clarke.
REFRESHMENT. I like the good old custom of moderate refreshment during lodge hours, because, under proper restrictions, I am persuaded that it is consonant with ancient usage. The following are the routine ceremonies which were used on such occasions by our brethren of the last century. At a certain hour of the evening, and with certain ceremonies, the lodge waa called from labour to refreshment, when the brethren " enjoyed themselves with decent merrimenfr," and the song and the toast prevailed for a brief period. The songs were usually on masonic subjects, as printed in the old Books of Constitutions, and other works ; and although the poetry is sometimes not of the choicest kind, yet several of them may class amongst the first compositions of the day. Each song had its appropriate toast ; and thus the brethren were furnished with the materials for passing a social hour. And I can say from experience, that the time of refreshment in a masonic lodge, up to the union in 1S13, was a period of unalloved happiness and rational enjoyment.
REG-ALIA. No brother shall, on any pretence, be admitted into the Grand Lodge, or anv subordinate lodge.
C38 REG.
without his proper clothing. If an honorary or ot^ei jewel be worn, it must be conformable to, and consistent with, those degrees, which are recognised by the Grand L o dge . — Constitutions.
REGENERATION. The cross on which the Messiah suffered was typified by the staff* of Jacob amongst the patriarchs ; amongst the Jews by the rod of Moses, as an agent of salvation on their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and during their sojournings in the wilderness ; and also by the pole on which the brazen serpent was suspended : and amongst the heathen by the tau-cross, which was appropriated to Serapis, and other deities ; and, in its triple form (y) , constituting a striking emblem of Royal Arch Masonry united with Christianity at the present day. And it is remarkable, that in each and every case, whether of the staff* of Jacob, the rod of Moses, the pillar of the brazen serpent, or the tau of the heathen nations, the emblem signified alike the cross of Christ, regeneration, and life.
REGISTRAR. The Grand Registrar is to be appointed annually by the Grand Master on the day of his installa- tion, and, if present, invested according to ancient cus- tom. He shall have the custody of the seals of the Grand Lodge, and shall affix the same to all patents, warrants, certificates, and other documents issued by the authority of the Grand Lodge, as well as to such as the Grand Master, in conformity to the established laws and regulations of the Craft, may direct. He is to superin- tend the office of the records of the Grand Lodge, and to take care that the several documents issued from his office be in due form. — Constitutions.
REGISTRATION. Every lodge must be particularly careful in registering the names of the brethren initiated therein, and also in making the returns of its members, as no person is entitled t^ partake of the general charity, unless his name be duly registered, and he shall have been at least two years a contributing member of a lodge ; except in the following cases, to which the limi- tation of two years is not meant to extend, viz.: ship- wreck, or capture at sea, loss by fire, or breaking or diy
REG -REI. 63il
locating a limb, fuJly attested and proved. To prevent injury to individuals, by their being excluded the privi- leges of Masonry, through the neglect of their lodges in not registering their names, any brother, so circum- stanced, on producing sufficient proof that he has paid the full fees to his lodge, including the register fee, shall be capable of enjoying the privileges of the Craft. But the offending lodge shall be reported to the Board 01 General Purposes, and rigorously proceeded against for detaining monies which are the property of the Grand Lodge. — Constitutions.
REGULAR LODGE. By this term we are not only to understand such a lodge as works under a general warrant, granted by the Grand Lodge of the country in which it is situated, and which is acknowledged by, and is in correspondence with, the neighbouring lodges, but also that the Book of the Holy Law shall be unfolded on the pedestal ; that it shall be composed of the requi- site number of brethren, and the authority of the warrant enforced by the presence of the Book of Constitutions.
REGULARITY. He only is acknowledged as a Free and Accepted Mason who has been initiated into our mysteries in a certain manner, with the assistance of, and under the superintendence of at least seven brethren, and who is able to prove that he has been regularly initiated, by the ready use of those signs and words which are used by the other brethren. — Charter of Colne.
REGULATIONS Without such regulations as Solo- mon had devised for the government of his servants, without such artificers, and a superior wisdom overruling the whole, we should be ;it a loss to account for the beginning, carrying on, and finishing that great work in the space of seven years and six months, when the two succeeding temples, though much inferior, employed so much more time ; and then we have good authority to believe that the temple of Diana, at Ephesus, a structure not comparable to the Temple of Jerusalem, was two hundred and twenty years in building. — Hutcldnson.
REINSTATEMENT The Provincial Grand Mast™
640 R EL— REN.
has no power t > expel a Mason, though he may, when satisfied that any brother has been unjustly or illegally suspended, removed, or excluded from any of his masonic functions or privileges by a lodge, order him to be immediately restored, and may suspend, until the next quarterly communication, the lodge or brother who shall efuse to comply with such order. — Constitutions.
RELIEF. Relief is an important tenet of our pro- ession ; and though to relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men, it is more particularly so on Masons, who are linked together by an indissoluble chain of sincere affection. To soothe calamity, alleviate mis- fortune, compassionate misery, and restore peace to the troubled mind, is the grand aim of the true Mason. On this basis he establishes his friendships, and forms his connexions.
RELIGION. The ancient lodges only admitted those persons into the Order who acknowledged the divinity of Jesus Christ ; thus they were to be Christians, either of the English, Catholic, Lutheran, reformed, or modern Greek church. Mahometans, Jews, &c., were excluded, for none of these acknowledged the New Testament as a sacred writing. In modern times some of the French lodges have initiated Jews, but they are not acknow- ledged by the ancient lodges to be Freemasons. — GaJicJce
REMOVAL OF LODGES. When any lodge shall have resolved to remove, the Master or Warden shall forthwith send a copy of the minutes of the lodge for such removal to the Grand Secretary, or to the Provincial Grand Master or his deputy, that it may be ascertained whether the above law has been strictly complied with, and that the removal may be duly recorded. If the meeting of a lodge at its usual place should by any cir- cumstance be rendered impossible or improper, the Master may appoint any other place, and consult his brethren on the occasion. — Constitutions.
RENUNCIATION. Amongst the Jews, when a person renounced any bargain or contract, he took off his shoe, and gave it to his fellow; which was considered a suffi-
REP. 641
cient evidence that he transferred all his right unto that person to whom he delivered his shoe. It is not easy to give an account of the origin of this custom ; but the reason is plain enough, it being a natural signification that he resigned his interest in the land by giving him his shoe, wherewith he used to walk in it, to the end that he might enter into it, and take possession of it him- self. The Targum, instead of a shoe, hath the right-hand glove; it being the custom in his time, perhaps, to give that instead of the shoe. For it is less troublesome to pull off a glove than a shoe, and deliver it to another, though it hath the same signification ; as now the Jews deliver a handkerchief to the same purpose. So R. Solo- mon Jarchi affirms — " We acquire, or buy, now by a handkerchief, or veil, instead of a shoe." — Bishop Patrick.
REPASTS. The days of meeting are often days of festivity. The repasts are heightened by the temporary equality, which adds much to the mirth of the meeting, and all cares subside for the day. What has been said oi certain assemblies, where decency was not respected, u most certainly the invention of calumny. — Barmel.
REPORT. The sound of the Master's hammer reminds each brother of the sacred numbers, a thing which oughi to induce us readily and cheerfully to acknowledge and obey his commands. He who wishes to gain admittance amongst us must remember the saying, " Knock and it shall be opened unto you." It is only then that he can enter with a sanctified heart. — Gadiche.
REPORTS. The reports or signals of Masonry are too well known to every brother to need any explanation They are arranged on certain fixed principles to dis- tinguish every separate degree.
REPRESENTATION. The public interests of the Fraternity are managed by a general representation of all private lodges on record, together with the present and past g*ind officers, and the Grand Master at theit head. All brethren who have been regularly elected and installed as Master of a lodge, and who have exe- cuted the office for one year, shall rank as Past Masters- 54
REP.
and shall be members of the Gra.id Lodge. But if a Past Master shall cease to subscribe to a lodge for the space. of twelve months, he shall no longer enjoy the rank of Past Master, or continue a member of the Grand Lodge. — Constitutions.
REPRESENTATIVES, or DEPUTIES FROM ONE LODGE TO ANOTHER. They may either be represents tives of one Grand Lodge in another, or of a St. John' Lodge in a Grand Lodge. In the last case the deputy must endeavour to maintain the rights and privileges of the lodge he represents, and must not allow any resolu- tions to be passed which may act injuriously to the lodge he represents, or any other lodge. We perceive by this that a deputy should have clear views of the rights and privileges of the lodge he represents, and of the whole Order, or he cannot do his duty as a deputy in bringing any propositions he may have to make before the Grand Lodge. He must also be able to transmit a correct account of the transactions of the Grand Lodge to the lodge from which he is deputed. — Gadicke.
REPUTATION. It seems the Masons have great regard to the reputation, as well as the profit, of their Order; since they make it one reason for not divulging an art in common, that it may do honour to the possessors of it. I think in this particular they show too much regard for their own society, and too little for the rest of mankind. — Locke.
REPROACH. There are some of persons of so captious and uncharitable a make, that it would be impossible for the most cautious to avoid their remarks, or escape their censures. The exceptions may lay hold of some un- guarded circumstance or other, misrepresent what is good, and, by giving it a wrong turn or appellation, spoil both its credit and effect. While the envious and ma- licious will be sagacious in discovering the weak side of every character, and dexterous in making the most and worst of it. Thus circumstanced, how are* we to con- duct ourselves? How is it possible to steer clear from blame? It may not be. But if we cannot escape reproaches, we may avoid deserving them. — Harris.
KES. 643
RESIGNATION. This word is sometimes applied when a member desires to leave his Lodge. A Mason's obliga- tions to the Order are indefeasible. In the separation of » brother from his Lodge, the word dimit should be used.
RESPECTABILITY. In referring to the prosperous condition of the Craft, and the accession which is daily making to its numbers, 1 would observe that the charac ter of a lodge does not depend upon the number but the respectability of its members. It is too often the case that a lodge manifests too great anxiety to swell its numbers, under the erroneous idea that number consti- tutes might. It should, however, be remembered, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. So it is in Masonry ; a lodge of a dozen men, of respect- able standing in society, will exert more influence upon the community than five times the number of doubtful reputation. The latter will be greater in numerical strength, but the former in actual power. — TannekiU.
RESTRICTIONS. When the Temple at Jerusalem was completed, King Solomon, being desirous to trans- mit the society under the ancient restrictions, as a bless- ing to future ages, decreed that whenever they should assemble in their lodges, to discourse upon, and improve themselves in, the arts and sciences, and whatever else should be deemed proper topics to increase their know- ledge, they should likewise instruct each other in secrecy arid prudence, morality and good fellowship ; and for these purposes he established certain peculiar rules and customs to be invariably observed in their conversations, that their minds might be enriched by a perfect acquaint- ance with, and practice of, every moral, social, and religious duty, lest, while they were so highly honoured by being employed in raising a temple to the great Jeho- vah, they should neglect to secure themselves a happy admittance into the celestial lodge, of which the Temple was only to be a type. — Calcott.
RESURRECTION. The Master Mason's tracing-board, covered with emblems of mortality, reads a lesson to the initiated of the certainty of death, and also of a resurrec- tion from the dead. Like that of the two preceding
644 RET—REV.
degrees, it is an oblong square, circumscribed by a black border witbin the four cardinal points of the compass. The principal figure is a black coffin, on a white ground, at the head of which is placed a sprig of evergreen, called cassia, or acacia, which appears to bloom and flourish over the grave, as though it said — " 0 death where is thy sting! 0 grave where is thy victory ! "
RETURNS. Every lodge shall, at least once m the year, transmit, by direct communication, to the Grand Secretary a regular list of its members, and of the brethren initiated or admitted therein since their last return, with the dates of initiating, passing, and raising every brother; also their ages as nearly as possible at that time, and their titles, professions, additions, or trades ; together with all monies due or payable to the Grand Lodge ; which list is to be signed by the Master and Secretary. — Constitutions.
RE-UNION. Freemasonry forms a happy centre of re-union for worthy men, who are desirous of a select society of friends and brothers, who have bound them- selves in a voluntary obligation to love each otlwr, to afford aid and assistance in time of need, to animal*} one another to acts of virtue and benevolence, and to keep inviolably the secrets which form the chief charactt ristic of the Order. — Lalande.
REVELATION. Masonry primarily inculcates n orals and the religion of nature, but it has caught an addr ional spark from the light of revelation and the Sun of Ri fhte- ousness. And though Masonry continues to burn with subordinate lustre, it lights the human traveller OM the same road ; it breathes a concordant spirit of uniT ersal benevolence and brotherly love ; adds one thread more to the silken cord of evangelical charity which bindr man to man, and crowns the cardinal virtues with Chr>iian graces. — Watson.
REVELS. No dark reveis or midnight orgies hte practised in a lodge. No words of wrath or condemnation are heard, and no inquisitorial questions ere asked. The candidate hears of peace, brotherly love, relief, and train
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He is taught to reverence God's holy name, and never tc mention it but with that reverei-tial awe which is due from the creature to the Creator; to implore His aid in all laudable undertakings, and esteem Him as the chief good. — Scott.
REVERENTIAL. We are taught by the reverential sign to bend with submission and resignation beneath the chastening hand of the Almighty, and at the same time to engraft his law in our hearts. This expressive form, in which the Father of the human race first pre- sented himself before the face of the Most High, to receive the denunciation arid terrible judgment, was adopted by our Grand Master Moses, who, when the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush on Mount Horeb, covered his face from the brightness of the divine presence.
REVISION. A revision of the lodge lectures peri- odically, to meet the advance of civilization and science, ought to take place under the sanction of the Grand Lodge. Every institution, to be perfect, should be con- sistent with itself. And hence the insufficiency of the present lectures may reasonably be questioned. It is therefore desirable that the attention of the fraternity should be fairly awakened to the subject, that they may take the premises into their most serious consideration, and endeavour to place Freemasonry on so substantial a basis, as to constitute the unmixed pride of its friends and defenders, and defy the malice of its traducers and foes, if any such are still to be found amongst those who are indifferent to its progress.
REWARD. The brethren are released from theii labour to receive their reward. Respect, love, and grati- tude, are their reward, and the consciousness of having deserved such must dwell in the breast of the labourer himself. No one can or dare declare himself to be worthy or unworthy of this reward, much less can he claim merit from his brethren. — Gudicke.
RHETORIC. Rhetoric teaches us to speak copiously and fluently on any subject, not merely with propriety, but with all the advantage of force and elegance : wisely
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contriving to captivate the hearer by strength of argu- ment and beauty of expression, whether it be to entreat or exhort, to admonish or applaud.
RHYME. When lectures were added to the system of Freemasonry, they were sometimes couched in doggrel rhyme ; bat their verses seldom embodied any of the peculiar secrets. The introduction of the " Masters Part," as it was then called, was expressed- as follows The passage has been expunged from our disquisitions, as unmeaning and useless, and therefore there will be no impropriety in introducing an extract here, to show how our forefathers worked. Ex. An E. A. P. I presume you have been. R. J. and B. I have seen. A M. M. I was most rare, with diamond, ashlar, and the square. Ex If a M. M. you would be, you most understand the rule of three, and M. B. shall make you free ; and what you want in Masonry, shall in this lodge be shown to thee.