FREEMASONS PART II

The veil of secrecy that the covered first three centuries makes it difficult to access all of the combination of esoteric thought which made up the Masonic Lodges.

The histories of Clan Sinclair of Roslyn makes it clear that it was the preservation of the Templar tradition that lay behind the merging of the craft guilds of Scotland into the fraternal lodges in America!

Under the guidance of the Sinclair Grand Masters the ability to transfer sacred knowledge through rituals and leading to higher degree's of responsibility. These rituals were very complex and sophisticated and these in turn led to the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and the Royal Arch Degrees.

The ancient knowledge passed through the Scottish Rite can be verified by the word “Roslyn” which means “ancient knowledge passed down through the generations” as translated from ancient Gaelic.

The Sinclair s and other members of the Rex Deus are descended from the High Priests of Solomon s Temple. Who were then descended from a close knit group of priests who could trace their lineage, knowledge, and teachings to ancient Egypt.

A select group of priests were given this sacred knowledge which certain Egyptian and Hebrew intellectuals could rise above the general population with information counter to the churches teachings.

This is why certain medieval  groups developed with an anticlerical and anti Catholic bias. These groups kept very close ties with their center of knowledge in Scotland.

Like the Scottish Rite in Scotland, the French lodges tried to maintain the tradition beliefs that had been passed down over the centuries. This control of sacred knowledge has been closely guarded for three centuries after the death of Sir William Sinclair, the builder of Roslyn Chapel.

The formation and long term goal of Freemasonry was to spread the teachings of Rex Deus beyond the previous closed circle of families that made up the Rex Deus.

This could not be rushed, appropriate members would have to be found and taught this information. They would in turn find other appropriate members to train for the next several generations. Only then could the members gain full control of the fraternity of Masons.

William Sinclair was Master of the hard and soft guilds of Scotland. He was the Supreme Judge of the courts at Kilwinning in 15^th century. The Sinclair s of Roslyn were the hereditary Grand Masters of the guilds and of Freemasonry until the early 18^th century.

On St. Andrews day in 1736, a William Sinclair who was a descendant of the builder of Roslyn Chapel resigned his reins of the hereditary guardianship of the Masonic craft.

This was the creation of the “Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland.” At that point Sir William Sinclair of Roslin Esq. Was proclaimed as Grand Master Mason of all of Scotland.

The world wide fraternity of Freemasonry put their knowledge into effect and became the center of social change in the seventeenth and eighteenth century.

The concepts of science, freedom and democracy from the Rex Deus tradition, which was central to the teachings of the Masonic fraternity were becoming the central tenants of the creation of America.

Many of the students of Masonic thought, who maintained a network with other scholars formed a society known as the “Third Force.” The Third Force was a was a movement of moderation against the excesses of the protestant movement and also that of Catholism In the times of reformation.

The Third Force combined with a Masonic movement in Holland known as the “Family of Love.” The family of Love became known as the “Invisible College” which was a network of scholars working for change. This movement went public in England and became known as the “Royal Society” which was granted a charter by King Charles II in 1662.

The Royal Society was made up of scientists who were primarily Freemasons. This included Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton, who were far more gifted with knowledge that went far beyond the science of the day.

The Invisible College developed into the “Correspondence Society”. The Correspondence Society was instrumental in conveying democratic ideals of the fraternity of liberty that inspired the French Revolution.

Freemasonry was from the beginning a political organization very closely aligned with the Stuart dynasty of Scotland. When the Stuart Monarch was exiled in 1691, French Freemasonry experienced a massive induction of members, who spurred the spread of Masonic thought throughout Europe.

With the spread of Freemasonic liberal thought and influence the Vatican became alarmed. Pope Clement XII issued a papal bull in (Eminenti Apostolatus Specula) was the first of a series of declarations which dispatched the Dominican Inquisition into action.

Any catholic who joined the Masonic Lodge would be excommunicated. In Catholic countries all Freemasons were persecuted arrested tortured and expelled from the country. In Papal states any membership in a Masonic Lodge was punishable by death.

The Masonic Lodges played an instrumental role in Russia and other European states wherever Russian revolutionaries needed refuge.The Italian leaders of the Risorgimento, Garibaldi and Massini were both Freemasons.

 General Marquis de Lafayette was also a Freemason who at this time was gaining prominence in Colonial America and continued with his membership when he returned to France.

Other prominent Freemasons of this era were, Danton, Camille Desmoulins, and Abbe Sieyes. The Abbe Augustine de Barruel claimed that the French Revolution was simply the bloody aftermath of a Freemasonic plot to over throw the royal authority. While Freemasons were active in revolutionary movements, other member of the craft were active in supporting right wing regimes in Prussia, Austria and Great Briton.

It is perhaps appropriate that the lands discovered by Prince Henry Sinclair were the lands of the most powerful and lasting legacy of Freemasonry.

Freemasons emigrated to North America in the eighteenth century from the United Kingdom to the Colonies and also from the traveling Field Lodges of the British army.

In 1730 Masonic Lodges were established in Boston and Philadelphia under Grand Master Benjamin Franklin. In 1734, Benjamin Franklin published the first Masonic book in the new world.

By the time of the American Revolution most of the leading voices for independence were Masonic. After the American War of Independence Grand Lodges were formed in the United States so that American Freemasons were no longer under the control of the active Grand Lodge in London.

It soon became apparent that in America as in Europe membership in the Grand Lodge was a requirement of nomination to high office. Freemasonry was known for drawing it's membership from all walks of life and trades. It also drew a significant amount of it's membership from the educated, aristocratic and professional classes.

 Even though Freemasonry drew it's membership from various religions, political groups and nationalities; it should not be surprising that many politicians and heads of state from the time of George Washington to Gerald Ford included fourteen presidents.

 Masonic thinking was the predominant influence on the creation on the highest form of democracy, the Constitution of the United States.