MISNOMER ABOUT THE TERM ‘ANCIENT LANDMARKS’ IN MASONRY

What are they really and why the term Ancient ??

This Question can be answered in a simple, unconfusing and understandable manner.

  1. The term simply means that the landmarks are an agreed set of principles by which a Grand Lodge wishes to manage and operate its own organisation.
  2. Why? – Because each grand Lodge is self-governing, with no single body exercising authority over the whole of Freemasonry.
  3. The interpretation of these principle can and do vary, and actually lead to controversies of recognition and amity between Grand Lodges

Historical Claims of Freemasonry
Myths and theories propagated by Grand Lodges.

  1. We have to acknowledge that the earliest masonic texts on masonic history of the craft of masonry was embodied in the oldest known work manuscript, ‘The Halliwell Manuscript’, also known as ‘Regius Poem’, which dates from between 1390 and 1425. This document has a brief history in its introduction, stating that the “craft of masonry” began with Euclid in Egypt, and came to England in the reign of King Athelstan (924–939), and Anglo Saxon King and the father of Medieval England.
  2. In England, Scotland and Ireland, Freemasonry (or Speculative Masonry) initially developed out of the guilds and associations of operative stonemasons, during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. By 1700, numerous Masonic lodges were in existence throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. Each lodge was considered independent unto itself, and there was no supervisory body that governed all of freemasonry.
  3. The mystic sciences of Egypt were taken advantage of by the institutional establishment in England during the reign of Athelstan, and they redirected and took it to establish their institutions and worked around to digest the Egyptian mysteries of monotheism into their constitutions and rituals basing of biblical roots instead of dwelling deeper into the mystics and esoteric practices in Egypt and the Esat.
  4. The purported creation in 1717 of the Grand Lodge of England is in fact little known, as no one has records from the period 1717 to 1721 to support its claim.
  5. It was not till 1720 that Mr. George Payne, when he was the Grand Master who wrote some ‘General regulations of a freemason’ (meaning a set of working principles on which the lodge should operate).
  6. Later it was Dr. James Anderson, a church minister took it upon himself to write ‘The Constitutions of the Freemasons which contained the History, Charges, Regulations by which lodges could be guided in their operation.
  7. Thus, came into being The Anderson Constitution as formalised in 1723, that recommended a set of 39 principles OR landmarks as compiled by Mr. George Payne, in 1720 when he was the Grand Master.
  8. These 39 principles were generally known as the General Regulations of a Freemason and nothing else.
  9. It must be remembered that Dr. James Anderson was ordained a Minister in the Church of Scotland in 1707 and later became a preacher in a Presbyterian Church until 1734 and therefore the ritualist teachings revolved around biblical history and not Egyptian or any history and wisdom from the East.
  10. It was not until 1721 on the revival of freemasonry in England, that the grand lodge embarked upon producing an authoritative digest of the constitutions of the fraternity for use by freemasons in England.
  11. It must be remembered that not all Lodges accepted the self-proclaimed set up of the Grand Lodge.

Applicability and transportability of these ancient Rules and Regulations to the Eastern world. To what extent are they relevant.

  1. It is undeniable that true esoteric practice of masonic values and theory was way well established in the Egyptian empire by its Pharaohs and more especially by the Pharaoh Akhenaten who had abandoned polytheism and introduced Monotheism which awakened human awareness to the only ever-present Almighty power much before Moses or any other biblical and historic claims.
  2. The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malaysia is in the clear understanding that the practice of freemasonry is not and can never be patented as it revolves around the adaption of acceptable ethics and principles by which an organisation wishes to operate and there is no single body that may exercise or claim authority over the whole of Freemasonry.
  3. Whilst the Anderson Constitution as formalised in 1723, recommended a set of 39 principles or landmarks; we also find an explanation by Albert Mackey on the historical significance of masonic landmarks, are simply; “The universal language and the universal laws of masonry are landmarks, but not so are the local ceremonies, laws, and usages, which vary in different countries. To attempt to alter or remove these sacred landmarks…is one of the most heinous offences that a Mason can commit. 
  4. It is undeniable and as expressed by Mark Tabbert, that the actual rules and regulations laid down in the early masonic landmarks derive from the charges of medieval stonemasons all over the world, not just from the West as mistakenly portrayed. These ancient craftsmen and stonemasons took pride in their talents and protected and guarded their talents of work.
  5. In 1863, Oliver published the Freemason’s Treasuryin which he listed 40 landmarks.
  6. The first major attempt to define the landmarks of Freemasonry was in 1858, when Albert Mackey (1807-1881) defined 25 landmarks .

Who then has the Right over Freemasonry?

  1. History reveals that indeed no one may lay claims on a fraternity which was all along built upon Monotheism as the learned ones will surely acknowledges that no lodge must discuss religion or politics.
  2. We are convinced that a spectrum of rules, regulations / landmarks must necessarily be beneficial, and they must also be adaptable and desirable to all membership and not static in their adoption.
  3. Bearing in mind that all Grand Lodges are sovereign to their own self-governing countries, therefore the basic and principal landmarks or self-governing principles adopted by the Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malaysia are indeed universal and primarily set to serve its own members with full loyalty to our own King, The Duli Yang Di Pertuan Agung, the Sultans and the State Rulers. To this end the utmost of our principal landmarks to achieve unfettered sovereign independence and loyalty are :-
    1. There shall be no reference to any biblical or religious history in any of its rituals, teachings, and its constitution.
    2. There shall be excluded all references to any Zionist history and culture, nor shall there be any reference to the biblical rulers.
    3. The prime objective is to respect our own Ruler (King), The Yang Di Pertuan Agung and the Sultans and the State Rulers, and obedience to the laws of the land.
    4. That the National Flag be displayed at all regular meetings and the National Anthem be sung by all.
    5. That none of the Office positions in any daughter lodge be named or be descriptive of any Church office positions for the simple fact that masonry is not a religion and as such it should not be portrayed with any reference to religious office.
    6. That all candidates for freemasonry must be of mature age of twenty-one (21) years.
    7. That all members irrespective of creed, culture and religious faiths meet at the Level.
    8. That respect of all religious faiths be observed and hence there shall be no consumption offensive food such as Beef and Pork by any member and guests at all meetings and festivities.