 Masonic quotes "The dunces who led primitive Christianity astray, by substituting faith for science, reverie for experience, the fantastic for the reality; and the inquisitors who for so many ages waged against Magism (magic and sorcery) a war of extermination, have succeeded in shrouding in darkness the ancient discoveries of the human mind" Albert Pike [33rd degree Mason] 'Morals and Dogma' 732 (Note: Commander Albert Pike was Grand Master of the Central Directory at Washington, D.C., Grand Commander of the Supreme Council at Charleston, S.C., and Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry. He was an honorary member of almost every Supreme Council in the world, personally receiving 130 Masonic degrees)
"Masonry is the descendent of, or is founded upon, a divinely imparted religion which long antedates the prime date of creation as given in our Bible. It is all that remains to us of the first world religion which flourished in an antiquity so old that it is impossible to affix a date. It was the first unified religion... To this, such symbols as the pyramids, both in Egypt and South America, bear witness... The ancient mysteries were temporary custodians of the ancient truth and closely allied to the Masonic work of today... the relation of the Mysteries to Masonry has oft been recognized, and the golden thread of living continuity can be traced through them to modern Masonry. The Mysteries...are all parts of that ancient thread which has its origin in that primeval religion which terminates today in masonry" Foster Bailey [33rd degree Mason], 'The Spirit of Freemasonry' 30-2 "All antiquity believed ...in a Mediator or Redeemer, by means of whom the Evil Principle was to be overcome and the Supreme Deity reconciled to His creatures. The belief was general that he was to be born of a virgin and suffer a painful death. The Hindus called him Krishna; the Chinese, Kioun-tse; the Persians, Sosiosch; the Scandinavins, Balder; the Christians, Jesus; the Masons, Hiram" Pirtle, The [Masonic] Kentucky Monitor 14,15 "I consider Freemasonry is a sufficiently organized school of mysticism to be entitled to be called a religion.....I boldly aver that Freemasonry is a religion, yet in no way conflicts with any other religion, unless that religion holds that no one outside its portals can be saved" J.M Ward 'Freemasonry: Its Aims and Ideals' p.182, 185, 187 "Freemasonry is emphatically a religious institution; it teaches the existence of God. It points to the celestial canopy above where is the Eternal Lodge and where He presides. It instructs us in the way to reach the portals of that distant temple" Albert Mackey [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite] 'The Mystic Tie' p 32 "As some of us prefer to put it, Masonry is not a religion but Religion—not a church but a worship, in which men of all religions may unite" Joseph Fort Newton 'The Religion of Masonry' p 10 & 11 "The religion, then, of Masonry is pure Theism" Albert Mackey [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite] 'Lexicon of Freemasonry' p 404 "The meeting of a Masonic Lodge is strictly a religious ceremony. The religious tenets of Masonry are few, simple, but fundamental. No lodge or Masonic assembly can be regularly opened or closed without prayer" T. S. Webb 'Masonic Monitor' p 284 "The truth is that Masonry is undoubtedly a religious institution, its religion being of that universal kind in which all men agree" Albert Mackey [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite] 'Textbook of Masonic Jurisdiction' p. 95 "The religion of Freemasonry is not Christian" Albert Mackey [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite], 'Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry'. 618 "Blue Lodge Masonry has nothing whatever to do with the Bible; if it did, it would not be Masonry, it would be something else" Chase's Digest of Masonic Law p 207 "So broad is the religion of Masonry, and so carefully are all sectarian tenets excluded from the system, that the Christian, the Jew, and the Mohammedan, in all their numberless sects and divisions, may and do harmoniously combine in its moral and intellectual work, with the Buddhist, the Parsee, the Confucian, and the worshiper of Deity under every form" T. S. Webb 'Masonic Monitor' p 285 "Freemasonry has taught each man can, by himself work out his own conception of God and thereby achieve salvation" J. S. M. Ward 'Freemasonry: Its Aims and Ideals' p 187 "Masonry's conception of immortality is something for which man must qualify while still in the flesh. Through the fellowship of a moral discipline Masons are taught to qualify for the fellowship of eternal life" William F. Hammond 'What Masonry means' p 171 "The whole process (of initiation) should be made one of the most crucial experiences of the candidate's life, one that will change him to the center of his being. It is like the moral and spiritual change which comes over a man who passes through the religious experience known as 'conversion' or 'regeneration.' Masonic initiation is intended to be quite as profound and revolutionizing an experience. As a result of it the candidate should become a new man" H. L. Haywood 'The Great Teachings of Masonry' p 30 & 31 "Masonry inculcates faith in immortality as indispensable to moral living and urges its members to qualify for eternal life by the practice of those qualities—integrity, fellowship and service—which may reasonably be expected to constitute the felicity of a future life" William E. Hammond 'What Masonry Means' p 175 "The Light could not unite with darkness. It but put on the appearance of a human body, and took the name of Christ in the Messiah, only to accommodate itself to the language of the Jews ... He suffered in appearance only ... the person of Jesus having disappeared ... " Albert Pike [33rd degree Mason] 'Morals and Dogma', p. 567 'That sacred and invisible bond that unites men of the most discordant opinions into one band of brothers, which gives one language to men of all nations and one altar to men of all religions, is properly, from the mysterious influence it exerts, denominated the mystic tie; and Freemasons because they alone are under its influence, or enjoy its benefits, are called brethren of the mystic tie' Albert Mackey [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite], 'Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry'. Vol 2 778 "Light is the key which opens the door to our mysteries, and it is the same Light which 'shines in every letter of the Koran,' and is the Light of Mithra, who is the light of Ahura-Mazda. It is the same Light from which Moses shaded his eyes when it appeared to him in the bush, and the sign of a R(oyal) A(rch) is still made by an Arunta native of Australia when he returns from the final degree through which he passes in the mysterious ceremonies peculiar to that primitive people. It is that Light of which it is written in our Scriptures that 'the Light shineth in the Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not' " J. S. M. Ward 'Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods' p 61 & 62 "Masonry is regarded as the direct descendant, or as a survival of the mysteries...of Isis and Osiris in Egypt" Robert Freke Gould, History of Freemasonry 1:13 "In Crete, Jupiter Ammon, or the Sun in Aries, painted with the attributes of that equinoctial sign, the Ram or Lamb; - that Ammon who, Martianus Copella says, is the same as Osiris, Adoni, Adonis, Atys and the other Sun-Gods - had also a tomb, and a religious initiation; one of the principal ceremonies of which consisted in clothing the Initiate with the skin of a white lamb. And in this case we see the origin of the apron of white sheepskin, used in Freemasonry" Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, page 407 "Man is God in the making.." Manley P Hall. [33rd degree Mason] 'Lost keys of Freemasonry' 92 "Be still -and know - that I am God"'..'THAT I AM GOD'-the final recognition of the All in All, the unity of self with the Cosmos- the cognition of the Divinity OF THE SELF!" George H.Steinmetz, 'The Lost Word: Its hidden meaning 241-242 "The signs, symbols and inscriptions date from...the Sumerian civilizations..., Chaldea [Babylon], Assyria, Greece, Rome and even in Mexico and Yucatan... Some rites of the Scottish rite of Freemasonry of our Mother Jurisdiction have been in existence from time immemorial. For we teach the same grand truths, the same sublime philosophies...as those adepts of the ancient mysteries taught in their esoteric rites" Henry C. Clausen, 'Messages for a Mission' [the Supreme Council 33rd degree, A & ARFM, Mother Jurisdiction of the World, 1971] 5-7 “Freemasonry is the survivor of the ancient mysteries - nay, we may go further and call it the guardian of the mysteries” Bro. J.S.M.Ward. 'Freemasonry and the ancient gods' p 347 “Man is never closer to God than when he kneels, spiritually naked, at the altar of Freemasonry” “Masonic Services Association” series. vol.19 p14 “The Second Landmark is the Volume of Sacred Law, open in the Lodge. But the Bible is not, in freemasonry, more than one of the Great Lights, and never has been, for the reason that Masons are not required to believe its teachings...The stern fact is that we are constantly admitting Hindu’s, Chinese, Mohammedans, Parsees and Jews, not one of whom believes in the Bible, and this forces the conclusion that Masonry regards the Bible only as a symbol” Masonic Record, June 1926 in an article by Bro. T.H.R. entitled “What are our Landmarks?” The Oxford University Press publishes a special edition of the Bible for presentation to Masonic candidates containing a declaration that the Bible “itself is a symbol - that is, a part taken for the whole” And in the same edition, Dr. Fort Newton explains that “the whole includes God’s revelation through the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, etc” “Even our so called Christian degrees have taken a Christian colour merely because, in the main, we are Christians, and not because they are in essence Christian” Bro. J.S.M.Ward. 'Freemasonry and the ancient gods'. 347 “The interpretation of the symbols of Freemasonry from a Christian point of view is a theory adopted by some, but one which I think does not belong to the ancient system. The principles of Freemasonry preceded the advent of Christianity. If Masonry were merely a Christian institution, the Jew, the Moslem, the Brahman and the Buddhist, could not consistently partake of its illumination. But its universality is its boast. In its language, citizens of every nation may converse; at its altar men of all religions may kneel; to its creed disciples of every faith may subscribe” Albert Mackey, [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite] 'Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry'. "Triangle - An important symbol in Masonry. 1. The equilateral triangle was adopted by all ancient nations as a symbol of Deity, and was regarded as the most perfect of figures. It constantly recurred in Craft Masonry as well as in the Royal Arch. 2. The right angled triangle was also regarded as an important figure. Among the Egyptians the base represented Osiris, or the male principle; the perpendicular, Isis, or the female principle; and the hypoteneuse, Horus, their son. R.H.MacKenzie, 'The Royal Masonic cylopedia, Rites, Symbolism and Biograghy' 743 'Thus by square conduct, level steps, and upright intentions we hope to ascend to those immortal mansions whence all goodness emanates" 'This is the great lesson of the second degree, that by ourselves and in ourselves, we can discover God' Declaration by Worshipful Master during 2nd degree and a quote from the 2nd degree handbook page 68 by Bro J.S.M Ward Question: 'Having been kept for a considerable time in a state of darkness, what, in your present condition, is the predominant wish of your heart' Answer 'Light' Extract from Entered Apprentice and the Holy Royal Arch Degree “Are they seriously suggesting that all the clergy be compelled to renounce their vows made at their initiation and subsequent advancement in the craft” The Rev. Alexander Morris (when in May 1951, Dr. Hubert S. Box proposed that the Convocation of Canterbury should set up an inquiry into Freemasonry) “The true Mason is not creed bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge, that as a Mason his religion must be Universal. Christ, Buddha or Mohammed. The name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque, pagoda or cathedral, and realizes with his true understanding the oneness of all spiritual truths. No true Mason can be narrow for his lodge is the divine expression of all broadness” (contrary to Matt.7 v 13-14) Manley P Hall [ 33rd degree Mason] ‘Lost Keys of Freemasonry’ 64, “When the Mason learns that the key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the mystery of his craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands and before he may step onwards and upwards he must prove his ability to properly apply (this) energy.” Manley P Hall [33rd degree Mason] ‘Lost Keys of Freemasonry’ 48, “..the true Mason raises himself by degrees until he reaches heaven” - extract from the 28th degree lecture. “There he stands without (outside) our portals, on the threshold of his new Masonic life, in darkness, helplessness and ignorance. Having been wandering amiss the errors and covered over with the pollutions of the outer and profane world, he comes to our door, seeking the new birth, and asking a withdrawal of the veil which conceals divine truth from his uninitiated sight” Albert Mackey, [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite] ‘The Manual of the Lodge’ (105:20 cf. 13:5) Coil’s Masonic Encyclopaedia (95: 516-17) states the following about
God..
Coil’s Masonic Encyclopaedia (95: 516) and the ‘Masonic Ritual and Monitor (58:
226) admit that “Bul” or “Bel” refers to the Assyrian or Canaanite
deity, and that “On” refers to the Egyptian deity Osiris.
Wagner in his ‘Freemasonry; An interpretation (16:338 -39) reveals the Masonic goal
in this pagan trinity.. ..'it is the body of the Holy Spirit, the Universal agent, the Serpent devouring his own tail' Rex Hutchens [33rd Mason] 'A Bridge to Light' 253 Published by the Supreme Council, Thirty-third Degree Ancient and Accepted Scottish rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction, "Masonry, like all the religions, all the mysteries, Hermericism and alchemy conceals its secrets from all but the adepts and sages, or the elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve to be misled, to conceal the truth, which it calls light, from them and to draw them away from it. The blue degrees (that is the craft degrees) are but the outer courts or portico of the temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them, but it is intended that he shall imagine he understand them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry. The whole body of the Royal and Sacerdotal Art was hidden so carefully, centuries since, in the High Degrees, so that it is even yet impossible to solve many of the enigmas they contain. It is well enough for the mass of those called Masons, to imagine that all is contained in the Blue degrees; and whoso attempts to undeceive them will labour in vain, and without any true reward violate his obligations as an Adept. Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma 104,105 & 819) This can be read online at http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/apike13.html A comprehensive and concise book, 'A Bridge to Light' by DR. Hutchens, summarizes our Scottish Rite Degrees and assists in a ready understanding and appreciation of our ritual. Also it frequently returns to the great cornerstone of our order, Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma.. Taken from the official Supreme Council Masonic web site on 22/08/00 from a section entitled: 'A presentation concerning the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry'. (http://www.srmason-sj.org/council/temple/booklet/START.HTM)
Masons use the two triangles to represent this idea of opposites. In the short talk Bulletin, a pamphlet which is to be read in the lodges, we are told that the triangles "are symbolic of good and evil, day and night, the Chinese yang and yin.." 'Point within a circle' Short Talk Bulletin August 1931 vol.9 (reprinted July 1990)
"When later he (the Mason) is given Light, it means really that he is taught the principles of Occultism." Arthur H. Ward. 'Masonic symbolism and the Mystic Way' 149-150
"By the Lambskin [apron] the Mason is reminded of the purity of life and rectitude of conduct which are so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above [heaven] where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides" Albert Mackey, [33rd degree Mason and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the thirty third degree Scottish Rite] 'Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry'. rev.ed "apron", 72-74
"Both Jesus Christ and God are very important in my life but I don't like the Christianity that links the two. I have found a lot of the answers to my questions in Freemasonry. Jim Davidson talking to 'Hello' magazine June 1996
"However I have to say that in over 40 years membership of the order I have never been conscious of any conflict between my Christian belief and my membership of the Order. Yes it is true that Christ is not mentioned in our Craft degrees, but that does not mean He is not present at our meetings. If He dwells in the heart of the Christian, then He is present" Past Chaplain the Rev.H.R.Allen O.B.E M.A 'Freemasonry and the Church' 1992
"Blindfolding a candidate in any rite is not for practical but spiritual reasons. The temporary blinding is a symbol of present darkness, which will be displaced by light when and if the initiate succeeds in penetrating the mysteries within" Pocket Encyclopaedia of Masonic Symbols
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