Document Title STB-AP78 THE PETITIONER KNOCKS
STB-AP-78
Music on this page is: piano sonata no. 3. in bb Movement #2 andante by Brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
THE PETITIONER KNOCKS
Dr. and Brother George H. T. French,
author of this Short Talk Bulletin, is Editor
of The Occasional Bulletin of the Texas
Lodge of Research. We are indebted to him
and to the Texas Lodge of Research, A.F. &
A.M., for the use of this paper, which was
presented in June of 1971.
We search for hidden lessons woven into the
Masonic ritual. The scrutinizing eye and enquiring mind do uncover those lessons--deep,
illuminating, edifying lessons.
Too often it is assumed that all of Masonry's
lessons are presented after the candidate has
entered the lodge room. This is not so, and
here an attempt will be made to dissect the
petitioner's initial steps in the hope of uncovering the principles upon which all petitions rest.
If we take the word principle in its meaning
of a settled rule of action, a governing law of
conduct, there are at least seven well defined
principles which apply to the petitioner himself. Besides which, the recommender, who is
the petitioner's guide to the door of the Lodge,
is also governed by certain rules.
UNSOLICITED PETITION
Freemasonry demands that the petitioner,
unbiased by the improper solicitation of friends
against his own inclination, offer himself as a
candidate of his own free will and accord.
There is a well-known picture called The
Light of the World. It portrays Jesus holding
a lantern in his left hand. The light falls on
the closed door which lacks a handle. The
explanation is that this is the door of the human heart, to be opened only from within.
Centuries ago men saw in Freemasonry a
deposit of the high and simple wisdom of old,
preserved in tradition and taught by symbols.t
They, freely and voluntarily, petitioned for
membership. This supposed in them a preparation "at heart" which our Craft still cherishes
and continues to demand, a preparation that
signified a change of mind and purpose leading to a sincere desire for a deeper quality of
life. This in turn suggested that the petitioner
was a good man and true, and as such could
be accepted. Masonry has repeatedly stated
that it does not strive to make bad men good,
but rather seeks good men to make them
better.
One enormous value of the principle of the
unsolicited petition is that it relieves all Masons from the onus of being the judges of what
is proper and improper in the matter of solicitation. The current rule of no invitation and
no solicitation is easily and readily understood
by any Mason, and can lead to no misinterpretations or confusions. 2.So valuable is it that
it is not even advisable to consider the possibility of any form of discreet or veiled solicitation, for that would not take long to develop
into dissonant publicity and outright membership campaigns.
Another value of the prohibition to proselyte is that it imposes upon each and every
member of the Craft the duty to display, at all
times and in all places, a conduct so exemplary
and a loyalty to the Fraternity so evident that
all reluctant good men would be enticed to join
the Order. Thus every Mason, by the example
of his private life, can become a silent but
efficient Masonic ambassador to the world at
Every Mason can also be a vocal ambassador if he be well grounded in Masonology,
which is the knowledge of the doctrines, principles, symbolism and history of Freemasonry,
and so be willing to tell people what the Craft
stands for, whence it came, how it developed,
licitation.
There is also a matter of policy to be considered. A rapid extension of the Order due
to excessive proselyting, plus injudicious acceptance of members, can easily damage the
long term interests and welfare of the Craft, 3
so dependent on slow but steady growth.
And, finally, if the candidate had been invited to petition or prevailed upon to join, 4
then many changes would have to be introduced into the ritual.
THE PERFECT YOUTH
Anderson's Constitutions of 1723 stated
that "no Master should take an Apprentice
. . . unless he be a perfect Youth, having no
Maim or Defect in his body, that may render
him incapable of learning the Art...." 5
This rule, when applied to our Craft today,
means three things: ( 1 ) that the petitioner
must be able physically to perform the ceremonies of the three degrees, and earn his own
living; (2) that he be mentally able to learn
the ritual and pass the proficiency tests, and
(3) that he be intellectually qualified to study
Masonology and understand the purpose and
doctrine of Freemasonry.
It is worthy of notice that Anderson specified two points: (l) a Youth, that is to say
a man with a youthful and flexible mind, a
mind not set in its ways but pliable enough to
learn that which Masonry can teach; and (2)
not merely a youth, but a Perfect youth, a person functionally able and willing to perform
adequately within Freemasonry.
MATURITY
When Masonry demands a youth, it is saying that it will reject a man approaching his
dotage. And when it demands a perfect youth
it is saying that it does not want an immature
youth.
The maturity demanded is interpreted, by
some Jurisdictions, to be the lawful age of
twenty-one years. What is really desired is the
steadfastness of purpose of an adult, the attitude to life that is conducive to a continuous
increase in moral stature, and the prudence
that assures discretion.
Although some American Jurisdictions have
given serious consideration to the lowering of
the age of admission to less than twenty-one
years, there repeatedly arises the question of
whether it should be increased instead of decreased. Full social responsibility and maturity
of judgment come with full financial independence, and this is arriving later and later in life
in a complicated society that is demanding
increasingly prolonged education for the performance of so many wage earning occupa-
tions. At college, under the intellectual direction of teachers, and under dependence due to
financial help received from parents or spouse,
the situation is not ideal for independent thinking or decision making.
GOOD BIRTH
From the 4th Article in the Regius Poem
(c. 1390)'6 which directs that the Master "be
no bondman 'prentice make." 7 Down to our
20th century question as to whether the candidate is a free man, Freemasonry has been concerned with the status of its applicants.
Not only the ecclesiastics who composed the
Ancient Charges but also the rearrangers of
the Masonic Ritual throughout the 17th into
the l9th centuries were well aware of the debasement which any form of bondage brought
to its victims.8 And they were absolutely determined that there was no place in Freemasonry for any man who was not physically free.
Bondage has several aspects: (1) illegitimacy; (2) serfdom; and (3) slavery from
birth.
Inasmuch as the Old Charges required a
prospective apprentice to be of "honest parentage" or "to come of good kindred," we must
assume that young men of illegitimate birth
were not generally acceptable to Masonry.9
The Old Charges have been written by men
of the degradation brought by serfdom, and
our Ritual has borrowed freely from those
ancient manuscripts.
Anderson's Constitutions insisted that every
candidate be not only a free man, but free
born. There was intense feeling against any
man who had been born a slave and afterwards
achieved his freedom. It was considered that
a slave needed time to emancipate himself from
the habits of deceitfulness and meanness of
spirit which a subservient condition had forced
upon him.10
Today, with slavery abolished in most countries
where Freemasonry exists, there has been
in some rituals a change from the term "free
born" to the words "free man." This charge
has been resented by some as an alteration of
a Landmark. But it has the advantage that it
precludes a prisoner from being made a Mason.
To grow, Freemasonry has always needed
an atmosphere of freedom, and only under
such conditions can it survive. Its very
existence is bound up with the principle
of freedom, the freedom of the individual
to act in accordance with his choice and his will.
GOOD REPORT
There is something in man that is greater
than man. Freemasonry's purpose is to accept
men who are good and have the potential
to become better.11
The rough ashlar is stone taken from the
quarries, but the stone must be of good quality, without defects or cracks, possible to be
worked into a perfect, smooth ashlar. That is
why Masonry accepts no immoral or scandalous men, but only those who come under the
tongue of good report.12
In essence, Masonry puts the requirement
of membership on good conduct, and not on
conversion which is a religious experience.13
SOLVENCY
Financial ease is not spelled out in so many
words as one of the qualifications of a petitioner. However, it is most decidedly implied
as different duties are enumerated. The candiate undertakes to pay dues regularly to his
lodge, for which he must be both solvent and
willing.
The Constitutions of 1723 demanded that
every initiate "deposit something for the relief
of indigent and decay'd Brethren." 14 He
could not do this unless he were solvent. Furthermore, our obligation enjoins us to help,
aid and assist our poor and penniless brothers.
We have to be solvent.
Freemasonry was not created to be an institution dedicated to benevolence, relief or life
insurance. However, the Old Charges do state
that "every Mason receive and cherish strange
Fellows when they come over the country . . .
refresh him with money unto the next
Lodge." 15 This brotherly duty was necessary
in an age when travel was so difficult.
Solvency is not enough to entitle a man to
become a Mason, for no man has an inherent
right to become a Freemason. Membership is
a privilege to be conferred upon the worthy.l6
Unfortunately, however, many petitioners are
accepted today who can pay the fee and little
else, and care nought about increasing their
moral stature. There have even been cases of
ill advised parents and church parishioners
who paid the fee for their sons or their ministers, almost insuring thereby an uninterested
Mason because not financially involved.
MONOTHEISM
The Ancient Charges commenced with a
prayer addressed to The Holy Trinity, but
gradually over the centuries the mention of
Christianity decreased and even ceased in some
places, and the doctrine of a "glorious Architect of Heaven and Earth" asserted itself.
While the transformation was taking place,
the Letter "G", which originally stood only for
Geometry, began appearing on the ceiling of
English Lodges. Today, as it appears in our
Lodges, it has come to denote much more than
Geometry.
Hence our petitioners must be ready to profess their belief in Deity, willingly invoke God
for help and steadfastness, and place a hand
on the Volume of the Sacred Law.
THE RECOMMENDER
Finally, Freemasonry has decided that a
petitioner's only path to the door of the Lodge
is paved by the good offices of a friend whom
he has enlisted on his behalf. 17 This friend
is called a Recommender.
The Recommender's signature on the petition means several things. (l) It means that
he is well acquainted with the petitioner. (2)
It means that the recommender sincerely believes that the applicant is the type of man
who would want to pursue a course of symbolic moral instruction, is a benevolent man
who wants to express that attitude in practical
ways, and wants to enjoy the association of
like minded men.18 (3) It means that the Recommender is assuming a definite responsibility
for the interest and growth in Masonry of this
petitioner, whom he should accompany when
receiving his degrees, help him to acquire the
necessary proficiency as he advances through
the several degrees, and by individual attention, advice and orientation lead him in paths
where he will be able to grow daily in Masonic
knowledge, information and understanding.
May each of us prepare ourselves to go forth
and, acting as Recommenders, select those
men who are good and true, and be permanently responsible for their interest and growth
in Masonry.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Newton, Joseph Fort. The Builders. New York,
1951. Page 157.
2. Smith, Dwight L. Why This Confusion in the
Temple? M.S.A. Digest, Washington, D. C.,
1966. Page 13.
3. Ibid., p. 16.
4. Ibid., pp. 15-16.
5. Little Masonic Library. Kingsport, Tenn., 1946.
Vol. II, p. 234.
6. Claudy, Carl H. Introduction to Freemasonry.
Washington, D. C., 1958. Page 12.
7. The Collected Prestonian Lectures, Ed. by Harry
Carr, London, 1965, p. 364.
8. Ibid., p. 372.
9. Jones, Bernard E. Freemason's Guide and Compendium . London, 1962. P. 260.
10. Collected Prestonian Lectures, Op. cit., pp. 373-
374.
11. Claudy, Carl H. Opt. cot., p. 51.
12. Fortitude Ms. The Collected Prestonian Lectures, Op. cit., p. 181.
13 . Haywood, H. L. Teaching of Masonry. Kingsport, Tenn., 1923, p. 31.
14. Constitutions of 1723, Regulation No. VIT, Little
Masonic Library, Vol. I Kingsport, Tenn., 1946,
p. 243.
15. Collected Prestonian Lectures, Op. cit., p. 177.
16. Smith, Dwight L. Whither Are We Traveling?
M.S.A. Digest, June, 1964, p. 18.
17. Claudy, Carl H. Op. cit., p. 25.
18. The Short Talk Bulletin, M.S.A., Vol. XLIV,
No. 3, March 1966, p. 4.