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The only period portrait of Anderson is found in William Hogarth's "The Mystery of Masonry brought to light
by ye Gormagons", Brother James Anderson is portrayed with his head in the ladder.
Bro James Anderson as the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of London he was in that position a key
member in the process of Changing the name from Grand Lodge of London to Grand Lodge of England
during the year of 1724.
James Anderson among other important contributions which he gave to the Craft was laying down in
writing the position of Freemasons in Freemasonry in regards to organized religion, because of all this his
work which we in its day helped the Craft to establish it self as a solid Society, we still today are honoured
and grateful for his fundamental work which enable this our Grand Society of the Royal Art to survive and
having given us the tools to understand that particular period of the Craft by the legacy of his masonic
work and writings. In this sense the RW Brother James Anderson is regarded by the Masonic High Council
the Mother High Council of the World as the first reformer of the Craft.
The Masonic published works of our RW Bro. James Anderson where:
The Constitutions of the Free-Masons 1723
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Otto Caspari, historian, Goethe admirer and Masonic enthusiast, couples Goethe and Schroeder in the
change of the working of Lodge Amalia. He says:
"Frederich Ludwig Schroeder was the man who, meantime, made his appearance as the reformer of
Freemasonry. He also went to Weimar and succeeded in persuading Goethe and the Duke Carl Augustus to
take an interest in his system. Amalia Lodge accepted Schroeder's system and in 1808 opened its Temple
again."
"Jachin and Boaz" may be found in any good Masonic Library. The modern Freemason will miss much that
he knows in its pages, and find much that he does not know as Masonry; but he will see that many
essential Masonic principles are therein set forth.
Goethe remained a member of Amalia Lodge to the day of his death. What was to him the "new system"
must have made a far greater appeal than the Rite of Strict Observance. Shortened, abbreviated, scanty as
is the Masonry set forth in "Jachin and Boaz," to us who are heir of the rich ritual and symbolism of
Preston, Oliver, Desaugliers et al; it is yet Masonic, which the Strict Observance can hardly be considered
to be in the light by which we moderns see. At any rate, Goethe embraced the Schroeder system as the
real and Ancient Freemasonry, and it was this which influenced both his life and his writings.
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Those who would like to make a study more meticulous must have as reference a copy of the Ritual of
Schroeder of the year 1816. The ideas of Schroeder became obvious by the detailed reading of his own
text. The citations of the edition of 1815 of his work "Materialien zur Geschichte der Freimaurerei (Material
for the History of Free Masonry), which we give hereby an excerpt:
I hope that the complete Ritual will explain better my own opinion, than those of the fragments of the first
paragraphs. We cannot forget that I by no means consider that this Ritual ("Three Distinct Knocks") is the
original.
Maybe it has developed gradually to a certain perfection, has it had to have suffered changed, at least
when the Protestant Church had become predominant.
The United Lodges (this is those in Hamburg and those in Berlin) they already know this Ritual from a
collection of texts, but the observations in them serve only to show the difference between the old and the
new Freemasonry and I could not lift the entire veil. Therefore I now present to my readers a conscientious
translation, so that a convenient exam can be done.
The small book opened my eyes and makes my affirmations highly probable, it is called: "Three Distinct
Knocks at the Door of the most Ancient Freemasonry".
Schroeder now makes a few preliminary observations over the text of the "Three Distinct Knocks" which is
partially in line with the original, but it has a few additions to it which are immediately recognized such as
the following ones: He gives the Column B to the Senior Warden and the column J to the Junior Warden.
In relation to the Old Obligation Schroeder agrees with the suggestion of Herder, that the Obligation should
not be given in the night of Initiation but should be read together with the Degrees Catechism to the
candidate in the following working Lodge of Instruction meeting.
Before he said anything he had to be instructed. It seems that he had been kneeling until then. Several
reasons take me to doubt that in that original arrangement, no word was said concerning the Temple of
Salomon. How come that in this Ritual and in the Catechism of Prichard , the Column B comes before the
Column J. Dr. Kause correctly states that it must be J because he will be elevated. So we can suspect
that the change to the order of the Columns much after 1725, when the first and second Degree where
given together, the truth to all this can be found in the documentation of the First Grand Lodge of London
before 1725.
Here we see the influence of Herder very clearly. In a memorandum for the works of Schroeder, he writes:
We cannot deny, that the all of the ceremonies of the Operative Masons, are for us, strange and out of
fashion, and do not contain nothing of inspiring. Already in the end of the 17 century this was felt, even in
England where the Traditions of several Arts where upheld with in high regards. Therefore the most refined
symbols of fore example Architecture where added to the symbols of Pure Operative Craft. Taking this in
consideration, we must avoid any gross thing; even the perambulations should not be called dangerous nor
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embarrassed tests... . But with most caution we can preserve this old customs which where left behind.
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the Original Craft from which both the Scottish and Irish learned the Craft.
If there is any doubt concerning this point it just takes to read the Old Charges found in Scotland to see
that they mention the oat shall be given to the English King, in other words that these Old Charges where
in fact copied from their Original English Charges of English Craft.
On the 25th of January 2005, our RW Brother Rui Gabirro tired of talking into a brick wall, and supported
by a small group of most noble and honourable Brethren, helped to establish the Masonic High Council the
Mother High Council of the World.
And what soon started as a 13 point list of Masonic Principles which where prepared and presented in the
form of a Declaration known today in the Craft as The Act of Regularity, followed by the Official
Declaration from the Masonic High Council the Mother High Council of the World known as The
Foundations of Regular Craft Ritual which served as the bases to reform the Craft and bring into practice
all the original English Craft working Ceremonies which where in practice from 1745 up to 1765.
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make a daily progress is a laudable art, and to promote morality, charity, good fellowship, good nature,
and humanity."
James Anderson, In Golden Remain
Preserving the original Tradition of Craft Freemasonry and to amend what has
happen amiss, and to hold a yearly communication and General Assembly of
Masons.
If you have any questions or comments, we would be pleased to hear from you.
masoniccouncil@gmail.com
www.rgle.org.uk
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