ILLUSTRATIONS OF MASONRY

Freemasonry or Masonry consists of fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local fraternities of stonemasons, which from the end of the fourteenth century regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. The degrees of freemasonry retain the three grades of medieval craft guilds, those of Apprentice, Journeyman or fellow (now called Fellowcraft), and Master Mason. These are the degrees offered by Craft (or Blue Lodge) Freemasonry. Members of these organisations are known as Freemasons or Masons. There are additional degrees, which vary with locality and jurisdiction, and are usually administered by their own bodies (separate from those who administer the craft degrees).

This Illustrations of Masonry book has a controversial backstory which is part of the mythology of anti-Freemasonry. 'Captain' William Morgan, the author, was a disappointed Freemason in Batavia, New York. Rejected by the local lodge, he announced that he was going to publish a work exposing Masonic rituals and secrets. Shortly before publication in 1826, he disappeared, and three Masons were later convicted of kidnapping him. Although claims were made that Morgan had been murdered, some say that he was forced to leave the US. Either way, it was good publicity for this book, which was published in 1827, but bad for the Masons. The incident led to widespread protests against Freemasons in the US, and eventually an anti-Masonic Party, which at its height in 1832 got seven electoral votes for William Wirt for President.

So why read this book? Stripped of the fevered historical background, and ignoring the publisher's antimasonic introduction, this becomes simply one of the first published accounts of US Freemasonry in the early 19th century. It seems accurate, based on other published Monitors, such as Ducan's. At this perspective, Illustrations is no more offensive than Robert's Rules of Order, although it makes more interesting reading.

Included in this Masonry app:
★ Introduction
★ Opening the Lodge
★ First Degree Initiation
★ Closing the Lodge
★ First Section of the Lecture on the First Degree
★ Second Section of the Lecture on the First Degree
★ Third Section of the Lecture on the First Degree
★ Second or Fellow Craft Degree Initiation
★ First Section of the Fellow Craft Mason Lecture
★ Second Section of the Fellow Craft Mason Lecture
★ Third, or Master Mason's Degree
★ First Section of the Master Mason Lecture.
★ Second Section of the Master Mason Lecture.
★ Third Section of the Master Mason Lecture
★ Entered Apprentice Degree
★ Fellow Craft Degree
★ Master Mason's Degree
★ Recommended Resources

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