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| Royal Society.com |
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Prior to the establishment of the Royal Society, science had been dominated
by religion and suppressed by theological arguments. The Royal Society changed public attitudes to science and technology.
Freemasonry and its teachings played an important part in the formation of the Royal Society. Today there are no links
between them.
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* October 1667: John
Wilkins presented the Society with the official A History of the Royal Society. This presentation
copy had an engraving by John Evelyn on the frontpiece: 1. Compasses and Squares: 'The compasses and squares, when united, regulate our
lives and our actions. The compasses belong to the Grand Master, and the square to the whole craft.' 2.
The two pillars when conjoined are said to represent stability. 3. The
pedestal which supports the bust of Charles II is positioned
where the pedestal of Enoch would be placed in a Masonic Royal Arch Chapel. Masonic ritual says the pedestal
is one of the pillars made by the patriarc Enoc, who carved on them the
secrets of all the sciences when the world was threatened by a great flood. Freemasonry says that the pillar was found in
a secret vault when the site was being cleared ready for the building of Solomon's Temple. Charles II is placed as
the Grand Master in the East. William Brouncker is placed in the seat
of the senior working officer, while Francis Bacon is placed in the seat
of the immediate Past Master... In the Masonic Ritual of the Holy Royal Arch, whose symbolism appears to have
been used in the frontispiece, the Royal Arch Mason is told that Moses
was one of the First Three Grand Masters of Freemasonry who held the First or Holy Lodge on the summit of Mount Horeb.
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| Frontpiece of Royal Society's Presentation Copy |
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| By John Evelyn (17th C.) |
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The Twelve Founders of the Royal Society
"Wee doe consent and
agree that wee will meet together weekeley to consult and debate concerning the promoting of experimental learning."
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John Wilkins: Chairman of the first meeting. Designed wind-driven
chariots, wrote about travelling to the moon, created a garden with a haunted statue...
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William Brouncker: First President of the Royal Society. Translated
Descartes' theories about music, was a capable mathematician...
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Robert Boyle: Physicist, law that relates the pressure and volume
of a gas...
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William Petty: Invented modern statistics, survey of Ireland,
designed sailing vessels...
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Christopher Wren: Best architect of his generation, scale model
of the moon, skilled scientist...
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Abraham Hill: Merchant, education, taught himself several languages
and natural and moral philosophy...
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Robert Moray: Spy, mathematics, member of Masonic Lodge of Edinburg,
favourite of Cardinal Richelieu, symbolism and Egyptian hieroglyphics, great patron of the Rose-Crusians... The Scottish
Freemasonry created a Lodge of Research named in his honour: Lodge Sir Robert Moray, No 1641...
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The Five Remaining Founders: Alexander Bruce, Paul Neile, Jonathan
Goddard, William Balle and Laurance Rooke ( Of the original
forty members, twelve were academics and sixteen were all influential political figures...)
| Rosslyn Chapel.com |
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| William St Clair |
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| Rosslyn Chapel |
* Freemasonry started in Scotland. The earliest
documentary evidence for the existence of Freemasonic rituals is to be found on the south wall of Rosslyn
Chapel (XV AD). It was built between 1441 and 1486 by William St Clair and Lord Sinclair...
The Freemasons of the 17th Century studied and practice the concepts of the Royal Society. Freemasonry philosophy of studying
the hidden misteries of nature and science played a major role in moulding the attitudes of the men who made up the
Royal Society. Inigo Jones (1607), General Warden of the Craft:
'The Names of the Seven Liberal Sciences are these:
I. GRAMMAR, and that
teacheth a Man to speak and write truly.
II. RHETORICK, and that teacheth a Man
to Speak fair, and in soft terms.
III. LOGIK, and that teacheth a Man to
discern truly from falsehood.
IV. ARITHMETICK, which teacheth a Man
to reckon, and Count all manner
of Numbers.
V. GEOMETRY, and that teacheth a man the
Mett and Measure of the Earth, and of all other things; which SCIENCE is Called MASONRY.
VI. MUSIK, which Gives a Man Skill of
Singing, teaching him the ART of Composition; & playing upon Divers Instruments, as the ORGAN and HARP methodically.
VII. ASTRONOMY, which teacheth a MAN to
know the Course of Sun, Moon and Stars.
NOTE I pray you that, these Seven are contain'd under Geometry...
For neither GRAMMAR, LOGICK nor any other of the said Sciences, can Subsist without GEOMETRY...'
* Some of the oldest written statements about Freemasonry
are contained in papers called the Old or Ancient Charges. These
describe the history of the Craft of Freemasonry and the duties of Freemasons. The earliest Scottish copies are known
as Kilwinning, Artchison Haven and Aberdeen Charges. These Charges, which list suitable subjects for Masonic study and the
duties of a Freemason, date from 1583. There are also about half a dozen similar copies of these Old Charges written
between 1583 and 1630... Early Scottish Freemasonry had a clear tolerance
of different religious view and a profound dedication to studying the hidden mysteries of nature and science: "For
they openly profess not to lay the foundations of an English, Scoth, Irish, Popish, or Protest: philosophy, but a philosophy
for mankind. A History of the Royal Society, T. Spratt."
* Galileo Galilei
was presented by the Church for daring to suggest the Earth revolves around the Sun. All Freemasons
today recite the normal statement of the Galilean Heresy (<<I,
Galileo, kneeling before you, most Eminent and Reverend Lord Cardinals Inquisitors-General againts heretical depravity throughout
the whole whole Christian Republic... An injunction had been judicially intimated to me by the Holy Office to the effect that
I must altogether abandon the false opinion that the sun is the centre of the world...>>... Freemasons meet in
lodges. Each one has a name and, since the formation of Grand
Lodges after 1717, a roll number. The discussion of religion and politics is forbidden within a lodge. Modern Freemasonry
has three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow-Craft and Master
Mason. Initiation:'Brother________, having passed through the ceremony of your initiation... As a Freemason
I would first recommend you to your most serious contemplation the Volume of the Sacred
Law (this is the name first used for whatever sacred writing they follow, e.g. the Bible, the Torah,
the Koran, the Hindu Scripture, etc.)... You devote time to study of such of the liberal arts and sciences
as may be within the compass of our attaintments..."
| The Trinity |
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* Second Degree: <<The Study of the liberal
arts... Especially geometry, which is established as the basis
of our art... And strive through reasearching the more hidden paths of nature and science be enabled to better know your creator>>...
Third Degree: <<Your were led in the Second Degree to contemplate
the intellectual faculties and to trace them through the paths of nature and science to the throne of God Himself. The secrets
of nature and the principles of intellectual truth were then unveiled to your view...>>... Very litle of what goes
on behind the doors of a lodge is secret. The only secrets are the means of recognition, the passwords and tokens that
enable a Freemason to identify himself at any lodge throughout the world.
To be continnued...
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