The Petitioner Knocks - Unknown

8/13/2019 The Petitioner Knocks - Unknown

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The Petitioner Knocks - Unknown

The Petitioner Knocks

Unknown

Dr. and Brother George H. T. French, author of this Short Talk Bulletin, is Editor of The Occasional Bulletin ofthe Texas Lodge of Research. e are inde!ted to hi" and to the Texas Lodge of Research, #.F. $ #.%., for the

use of this &a&er, 'hich 'as &resented in (une of )*+).

We search for hidden lessons woven into the Masonic ritual. The scrutinizing eye and enquiringmind do uncover those lessons dee!" illuminating" edifying lessons.

Too often it is assumed that all of Masonry#s lessons are !resented after the candidate has

entered the lodge room. This is not so" and here an attem!t will $e made to dissect the

!etitioner#s initial ste!s in the ho!e of uncovering the !rinci!les u!on which all !etitions rest.

%f we take the word !rinci!le in its meaning of a settled rule of action" a governing law of

conduct" there are at least seven well defined !rinci!les which a!!ly to the !etitioner himself.

&esides which" the recommender" who is the !etitioner#s guide to the door of the 'odge" is also

governed $y certain rules.

UNSOLICITED PETITION

(reemasonry demands that the !etitioner" un$iased $y the im!ro!er solicitation of friends

against his own inclination" offer himself as a candidate of his own free will and accord.

There is a well-known !icture called The 'ight of the World. %t !ortrays )esus holding a lantern

in his left hand. The light falls on the closed door which lacks a handle. The e*!lanation is that

this is the door of the human heart" to $e o!ened only from within.

+enturies ago men saw in (reemasonry a de!osit of the high and sim!le wisdom of old"

!reserved in tradition and taught $y sym$ols. They" freely and voluntarily" !etitioned formem$ershi!. This su!!osed in them a !re!aration ,at heart, which our +raft still cherishes and

continues to demand" a !re!aration that signified a change of mind and !ur!ose leading to a

sincere desire for a dee!er quality of life. This in turn suggested that the !etitioner was a good

man and true" and as such could $e acce!ted. Masonry has re!eatedly stated that it does not

strive to make $ad men good" $ut rather seeks good men to make them $etter.

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/ne enormous value of the !rinci!le of the unsolicited !etition is that it relieves all Masons

from the onus of $eing the 0udges of what is !ro!er and im!ro!er in the matter of solicitation.

The current rule of no invitation and no solicitation is easily and readily understood $y any

Mason" and can lead to no misinter!retations or confusions. 1o valua$le is it that it is not even

advisa$le to consider the !ossi$ility of any form of discreet or veiled solicitation" for that would

not take long to develo! into dissonant !u$licity and outright mem$ershi! cam!aigns.

2nother value of the !rohi$ition to !roselyte is that it im!oses u!on each and every mem$er of

the +raft the duty to dis!lay" at all times and in all !laces" a conduct so e*em!lary and a loyalty

to the (raternity so evident that all reluctant good men would $e enticed to 0oin the /rder. Thus

every Mason" $y the e*am!le of his !rivate life" can $ecome a silent $ut efficient Masonic

am$assador to the world at large.

3very Mason can also $e a vocal am$assador if he $e well grounded in Masonology" which is

the knowledge of the doctrines" !rinci!les" sym$olism and history of (reemasonry" and so $e

willing to tell !eo!le what the +raft stands for" whence it came" how it develo!ed.There is also a matter of !olicy to $e considered. 2 ra!id e*tension of the /rder due to

e*cessive !roselyting" !lus in0udicious acce!tance of mem$ers" can easily damage the long term

interests and welfare of the +raft" which is so de!endent on slow $ut steady growth.

2nd" finally" if the candidate had $een invited to !etition or !revailed u!on to 0oin" then many

changes would have to $e introduced into the ritual.

THE PERFECT YOUTH

2nderson#s +onstitutions of 456 stated that ,no Master should take an 2!!rentice ... unless he

$e a !erfect 7outh" having no Maim or 8efect in his $ody" that may render him inca!a$le oflearning the 2rt....,

This rule" when a!!lied to our +raft today" means three things9

. that the !etitioner must $e a$le !hysically to !erform the ceremonies of the three degrees"

and earn his own living:

5. that he $e mentally a$le to learn the ritual and !ass the !roficiency tests" and

6. that he $e intellectually qualified to study Masonology and understand the !ur!ose and

doctrine of (reemasonry.

%t is worthy of notice that 2nderson s!ecified two !oints9

. a 7outh" that is to say a man with a youthful and fle*i$le mind" a mind not set in its ways

$ut !lia$le enough to learn that which Masonry can teach: and

5. not merely a youth" $ut a Perfect youth" a !erson functionally a$le and willing to !erform

adequately within (reemasonry.

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MATURITY

When Masonry demands a youth" it is saying that it will re0ect a man a!!roaching his dotage.

2nd when it demands a !erfect youth it is saying that it does not want an immature youth.

The maturity demanded is inter!reted" $y some )urisdictions" to $e the lawful age of twenty-one

years. What is really desired is the steadfastness of !ur!ose of an adult" the attitude to life that isconducive to a continuous increase in moral stature" and the !rudence that assures discretion.

2lthough some 2merican )urisdictions have given serious consideration to the lowering of the

age of admission to less than twenty-one years" there re!eatedly arises the question of whether it

should $e increased instead of decreased. (ull social res!onsi$ility and maturity of 0udgment

come with full financial inde!endence" and this is arriving later and later in life in a com!licated

society that is demanding increasingly !rolonged education for the !erformance of so many

wage earning occu!ations. 2t college" under the intellectual direction of teachers" and under

de!endence due to financial hel! received from !arents or s!ouse" the situation is not ideal for

inde!endent thinking or decision making.

GOOD BIRTH

(rom the ;th 2rticle in the ?@ which directs that the Master ,$e no

$ondman #!rentice make., 8own to our 5?th century question as to whether the candidate is a

free man" (reemasonry has $een concerned with the status of its a!!licants.

Aot only the ecclesiastics who com!osed the 2ncient +harges $ut also the rearrangers of the

Masonic th centuries were well aware of the de$asement

which any form of $ondage $rought to its victims. 2nd they were a$solutely determined that

there was no !lace in (reemasonry for any man who was not !hysically free.

&ondage has several as!ects9 =@ illegitimacy: =5@ serfdom: and =6@ slavery from $irth.

%nasmuch as the /ld +harges required a !ros!ective a!!rentice to $e of ,honest !arentage, or

,to come of good kindred", we must assume that young men of illegitimate $irth were not

generally acce!ta$le to Masonry.

The /ld +harges have $een written $y men of the degradation $rought $y serfdom" and our


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resented $y some as an alteration of a 'andmark. &ut it has the advantage that it !recludes a

!risoner from $eing made a Mason.

To grow" (reemasonry has always needed an atmos!here of freedom" and only under such

conditions can it survive. %ts very e*istence is $ound u! with the !rinci!le of freedom" the

freedom of the individual to act in accordance with his choice and his will.

GOOD REPORT

There is something in man that is greater than man. (reemasonry#s !ur!ose is to acce!t men

who are good and have the !otential to $ecome $etter.

The rough ashlar is stone taken from the quarries" $ut the stone must $e of good quality" without

defects or cracks" !ossi$le to $e worked into a !erfect" smooth ashlar. That is why Masonry

acce!ts no immoral or scandalous men" $ut only those who come under the tongue of good

re!ort.

%n essence" Masonry !uts the requirement of mem$ershi! on good conduct" and not on

conversion which is a religious e*!erience.

SOLVENCY

(inancial ease is not s!elled out in so many words as one of the qualifications of a !etitioner.

Bowever" it is most decidedly im!lied as different duties are enumerated. The candidate

undertakes to !ay dues regularly to his lodge" for which he must $e $oth solvent and willing.

The +onstitutions of 456 demanded that every initiate ,de!osit something for the relief of

indigent and decay#d &rethren., Be could not do this unless he were solvent. (urthermore" ouro$ligation en0oins us to hel!" aid and assist our !oor and !enniless $rothers. We have to $e

solvent.

(reemasonry was not created to $e an institution dedicated to $enevolence" relief or life

insurance. Bowever" the /ld +harges do state that ,every Mason receive and cherish strange

(ellows when they come over the country ... refresh him with money unto the ne*t 'odge., This

$rotherly duty was necessary in an age when travel was so difficult.

1olvency is not enough to entitle a man to $ecome a Mason" for no man has an inherent right to

$ecome a (reemason. Mem$ershi! is a !rivilege to $e conferred u!on the worthy.Unfortunately"

however" many !etitioners are acce!ted today who can !ay the fee and little else" and carenaught a$out increasing their moral stature. There have even $een cases of ill advised !arents

and church !arishioners who !aid the fee for their sons or their ministers" almost insuring

there$y an uninterested Mason $ecause not financially involved.

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MONOTHEISM

The 2ncient +harges commenced with a !rayer addressed to The Boly Trinity" $ut gradually

over the centuries the mention of +hristianity decreased and even ceased in some !laces" and

the doctrine of a ,glorious 2rchitect of Beaven and 3arth, asserted itself.

While the transformation was taking !lace" the 'etter ,C," which originally stood only forCeometry" $egan a!!earing on the ceiling of 3nglish 'odges. Today" as it a!!ears in our

'odges" it has come to denote much more than Ceometry.

Bence our !etitioners must $e ready to !rofess their $elief in 8eity" willingly invoke Cod for

hel! and steadfastness" and !lace a hand on the Dolume of the 1acred 'aw.

THE RECOMMENDER

(inally" (reemasonry has decided that a !etitioner#s only !ath to the door of the 'odge is !aved

$y the good offices of a friend whom he has enlisted on his $ehalf. This friend is called a

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The Petitioner Knocks - Unknown