Masonic Landmarks
Encyclopedia
Masonic Landmarks are a set of principles that many Freemason
s claim to be "both ancient and unchangeable precepts of Masonry". Issues of the "regularity" of a Freemasonic Lodge, Grand Lodge
or Grand Orient are judged in the context of the Landmarks. Because each Grand Lodge is self-governing, with no single body exercising authority over the whole of Freemasonry, the interpretations of these principles can and do vary, leading to controversies of recognition. Different Masonic jurisdictions have different Landmarks.
term Landmark is biblical in origin. He cites the Book of Proverbs
22:28: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set", referring to stone pillars set to mark boundaries of land. He further quotes a Jewish law: "Thou shalt not remove thy neighbors' landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance" to emphasize how these Landmarks designate inheritance.
Mark Tabbert believes that the actual rules and regulations laid down in the early masonic landmarks are derived from the charges of medieval stonemasons.
in 1723 "Every Annual Grand Lodge has an inherent power and Authority to make new Regulations or to alter these, for the real benefits of this Ancient Fraternity; provided always that the old Land-Marks be carefully preserved." However, these landmarks were not defined in any manner. The first attempt at this was in Jurisprudence of Freemasonry 1856 by Dr. Albert Mackey
. He laid down three requisite characteristics:
He claimed there were 25 in all, and they could not be changed. However subsequent writers have differed greatly as regards what they consider the Landmarks to be. In 1863, George Oliver
published the Freemason's Treasury in which he listed 40 Landmarks. In the last century, several American Grand Lodges attempted to enumerate the Landmarks, ranging from West Virginia (7) and New Jersey (10) to Nevada (39) and Kentucky (54).
Joseph Fort Newton, in The Builders, offers a simple definition of the Landmarks as: "The fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, the moral law, the Golden Rule, and the hope of life everlasting."
Roscoe Pound
subscribed to six landmarks:
In the 1950s the Commission on Information for Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America upheld three "ancient Landmarks":
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
s claim to be "both ancient and unchangeable precepts of Masonry". Issues of the "regularity" of a Freemasonic Lodge, Grand Lodge
Grand Lodge
A Grand Lodge, or "Grand Orient", is the usual governing body of "Craft", or "Blue Lodge", Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction. The first Masonic Grand Lodge was established in England in 1717 as the Premier Grand Lodge of England....
or Grand Orient are judged in the context of the Landmarks. Because each Grand Lodge is self-governing, with no single body exercising authority over the whole of Freemasonry, the interpretations of these principles can and do vary, leading to controversies of recognition. Different Masonic jurisdictions have different Landmarks.
Origins
According to Percy Jantz, the MasonicFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
term Landmark is biblical in origin. He cites the Book of Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
22:28: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set", referring to stone pillars set to mark boundaries of land. He further quotes a Jewish law: "Thou shalt not remove thy neighbors' landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance" to emphasize how these Landmarks designate inheritance.
Mark Tabbert believes that the actual rules and regulations laid down in the early masonic landmarks are derived from the charges of medieval stonemasons.
History
According to the General Regulations published by the Premier Grand Lodge of EnglandPremier Grand Lodge of England
The Premier Grand Lodge of England was founded on 24 June 1717 as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster and it existed until 1813 when it united with the Ancient Grand Lodge of England to create the United Grand Lodge of England. It was the first Masonic Grand Lodge to be created...
in 1723 "Every Annual Grand Lodge has an inherent power and Authority to make new Regulations or to alter these, for the real benefits of this Ancient Fraternity; provided always that the old Land-Marks be carefully preserved." However, these landmarks were not defined in any manner. The first attempt at this was in Jurisprudence of Freemasonry 1856 by Dr. Albert Mackey
Albert Mackey
Albert Gallatin Mackey was an American medical doctor, and is best known for his authorship of many books and articles about freemasonry, particularly Masonic Landmarks...
. He laid down three requisite characteristics:
- notional immemorial antiquity
- universality
- absolute "irrevocability"
He claimed there were 25 in all, and they could not be changed. However subsequent writers have differed greatly as regards what they consider the Landmarks to be. In 1863, George Oliver
George Oliver
George Oliver may refer to:*George Oliver , Roman Catholic priest and historian*George Oliver , English physician*George Oliver *George Oliver , British politician...
published the Freemason's Treasury in which he listed 40 Landmarks. In the last century, several American Grand Lodges attempted to enumerate the Landmarks, ranging from West Virginia (7) and New Jersey (10) to Nevada (39) and Kentucky (54).
Joseph Fort Newton, in The Builders, offers a simple definition of the Landmarks as: "The fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, the moral law, the Golden Rule, and the hope of life everlasting."
Roscoe Pound
Roscoe Pound
Nathan Roscoe Pound was a distinguished American legal scholar and educator. He was Dean of Harvard Law School from 1916 to 1936...
subscribed to six landmarks:
- Belief in a Supreme Being
- Belief in the immortality of the soul
- A "book of sacred law" as an indispensable part of the "furniture" (or furnishings) of the Lodge
- The legend of the Third Degree
- The secrets of Freemasonry: The modes of recognition and the symbolic ritual of the Lodge
- That a Mason be a man, freeborn, and of lawful age.
In the 1950s the Commission on Information for Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America upheld three "ancient Landmarks":
- Monotheism — An unalterable and continuing belief in God.
- The Volume of The Sacred LawVolume of Sacred LawVolume of Sacred Law is the Masonic term for whatever religious or philosophical texts are displayed during a Lodge meeting.In English-speaking countries, this is most often the King James Version of the Bible or another standard translation of the Bible...
— an essential part of the furniture of the Lodge. - Prohibition of the discussion of Religion and Politics.