LK600
Premium Member
Excerpt from the Grand Lodge No.1 Manuscript (1583)
EVERY man that is a Mason take right good heed to these Charges, and if any man find himself guilty of any of them, that he amend himself before God. And in particular, you that are to be charged, take good heed to keep these Charges right well, for it is of great peril and great danger for a man to forswear himself upon a Book.
1. - The first Charge is that you shall be true men to God and the Holy Church, and that you use neither error nor heresy in your own understanding, and be discreet and wise men in each thing.
2. - You shall be true liegemen to the King of England without any treason or any falsehood; and if you know of any that you amend it privately, if you can, or else warn the King and his Council of it by declaring it to his officers.
3. - You shall be true to one another, that is to say to every Mason of the Craft of Masonry who are allowed Masons, and do unto them as you would they should do unto you.
4. - You shall keep truly all the counsels of your fellows whether [expressed] in the Lodge or in the Chamber, and all other counsels, that ought to be kept by the way of Masonry.
5. - Also, that no Mason shall be a thief, or otherwise, as far as he may know.
6. - Also, you shall be true to each other, and to the Lord, or Master, that you serve; and truly see to his profit and advantage.
7. - And also, you shall call Masons your Brethren or fellows, and use no foul name.
8. - And also, you shall not take your fellows’s wife in villainy, nor desire ungodly his daughter, nor his servant, nor put him to any discredit.
9. - And also, that you pay truly for your meat and drink wherever you go to board, and also that you do no wrong in the place where you go boarding whereby the Craft might be slandered.
THESE are the Charges in general that concern every Mason, which have to kept by both Masters and fellows.
I have no reason to post this other than I was looking over it again, and I find comfort in it. So... I thought I would share.
EVERY man that is a Mason take right good heed to these Charges, and if any man find himself guilty of any of them, that he amend himself before God. And in particular, you that are to be charged, take good heed to keep these Charges right well, for it is of great peril and great danger for a man to forswear himself upon a Book.
1. - The first Charge is that you shall be true men to God and the Holy Church, and that you use neither error nor heresy in your own understanding, and be discreet and wise men in each thing.
2. - You shall be true liegemen to the King of England without any treason or any falsehood; and if you know of any that you amend it privately, if you can, or else warn the King and his Council of it by declaring it to his officers.
3. - You shall be true to one another, that is to say to every Mason of the Craft of Masonry who are allowed Masons, and do unto them as you would they should do unto you.
4. - You shall keep truly all the counsels of your fellows whether [expressed] in the Lodge or in the Chamber, and all other counsels, that ought to be kept by the way of Masonry.
5. - Also, that no Mason shall be a thief, or otherwise, as far as he may know.
6. - Also, you shall be true to each other, and to the Lord, or Master, that you serve; and truly see to his profit and advantage.
7. - And also, you shall call Masons your Brethren or fellows, and use no foul name.
8. - And also, you shall not take your fellows’s wife in villainy, nor desire ungodly his daughter, nor his servant, nor put him to any discredit.
9. - And also, that you pay truly for your meat and drink wherever you go to board, and also that you do no wrong in the place where you go boarding whereby the Craft might be slandered.
THESE are the Charges in general that concern every Mason, which have to kept by both Masters and fellows.
I have no reason to post this other than I was looking over it again, and I find comfort in it. So... I thought I would share.