More Light On Freemasonry In Pennsylvania In A.D. 1732.

permitted to critically inspect and transcribe it . Mr Insfbam has , besides , a nnmber of letters to and from Franklin , while he was both at home and abroad , written by Alex . Strahan arid others . This , the oldest orir / innl Masonic Lodge report in America .

is dated "June 5 , 1732 , " and written on three pa

ByLaws , for the government of the Lodge . All of tnese regulations are distinguished by peculiar Masonic wisdom , exhibiting Freemasonry in Philadelphia in the year 1732 in the best possible light , and its members as actuated by a spirit and understanding which wonld bo creditable to the

Brethren of any Masonic Lodge at the present day . The report is signed by eleven members , beins : a , majority of the Committee , inelnding the names of William Pringlo , Thomas Bonde , and Benjamin Franklin ; and , judging

from the chirogwphy , the entire body of the report is in the handwriting of Bro . Benjamin Franklin . Wo give below an exact copy , which wo made , verbatim et literati HK of this deepl y interesting document—remarking upon some of its features thereafter :

"GENTLEMEN or Tire LODGE : The Committee yon have been pleased to appoint to consider of the present Stnte of tho Lod

1 . That since the excellent Science of Geometry and Architecture is so mnoh recommended in onr ancient Constitutions , Masonry beincr first ins'ituted with this Desitrn , among others , to distinguish the true and skilful Architect from nnskilful Pretenders ; total ignorance of this art is very nnb ^ coming a Man who bears the worthy Name and Character of Mason :

We therefore conclude , that it is the Dnty of every Member to make himself , in some Measure , acquainted therewith , as ho would honour tho Society he belongs to , and conform to the Constitutions .

2 . That every Member may have an Opportunity of so doing , the present Cash be laid out in the best Books of Architecture , suitable Mathematical Instruments , & c . 3 . That since tho present whole Stock is not too Wco for that purpose , every member indebted to tho hodgo pay what is from him

respectively due on Monday Nk'ht , the nineteenth Instant , that so the whole being ready by the 24 th of June , mny ho sent a-. vav by the first Opportunity . And that every one not paying that r » iirht , be snspended till he do pny : For without Care be in ken that Rules are punctually observed , no Society can be long upheld in good Order and Regularity .

f 4 . That since Love and Good Will are the best Cement of •jlj | any Society , we endeavour to cucreaso it among ourselves b y ° | a kind and friendly conversation , so as to make us of ourselves < D - \ desire to moot , but that all Compulsion , by fining any Person g I for not Meeting , bo utterly taken away and abolished , except £ | only Persons in Office , and others when a Meeting is eall'd I upon extraordinary Occasions .

5 . That the nse of the balls be established in its full Force and Vigour ; and that no new member be admitted against the will of any present Member ; because certainly more Regard ought to be had in this way to a Brother who is already a Mason , than to any Person who is not one , and we should never in snch cases disoblige a Brother , to oblige a Stranger .

6 . That any Member of this Lodge having a complaint against any other member , shall first apply himself to the Wardens , who shall bring the Cause before the Lodge , where it shall be consider'd and made up , if possible , before tho Complainant bo al / ovv'd to make that Complaint publick to tho World ; tho Offender against this Rule to be expelFd .

June 5 , 1732 . The members whose Names are underwritten , being a Majority , agree unanimously to the within Proposals of the Committee ( except the fourth , which is cross'd out ) and accordingly have hereunto set their hands

WILL : PRINGLE . JOHN EMERSON . THOMAS BOUDE . LAV ' . REYNOLDS . B . FRANKLIN . JN ' O . HOBAKT . XTOPHEU THOMPSON . HENRY PRATT . Tnos . HAKTT . SAML . NICHOLAS . " DAVID PARRY .

First , as to the Masonic record of the members of the committee who signed this document , so far as we can gather it from Liber B . of St . John ' s Lodge , and the pages of Franklin ' s Pevvsiileania Gazrtte :

Bro . William Pringle , on 24 th June 1732 , just after tin ' s Report was made , was elected Deputy Grand Master of the provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , Bro . Thomas Boude on the same date was elected Senior Grand

More Light On Freemasonry In Pennsylvania In A.D. 1732.

Warden , and on 24 th June 1741 , Deputy Grand Master . FTe was one of the most regnlar attendants of St . John ' s Lodge , but one absence being recorded against him . Bro . Benjamin Franklin was elected Junior Grand Warden on

24 th June 1732 ; Grand Master on 24 th June 1734 ; was n era in Grand Master in 1749 ; and Deputy Grand Master ; n 1750 , and a number of years thereafter . Bro . Henry Pratt was Junior Grand Warden in 1737 . Bros .

Christopher Thompson , Thos . Hartt , David Parry , Lawrence Reynolds , John Hobart and Henry Pratt , remained tietivo members of St . John ' s Lodge until 1738 , at least , ¦ md Bros , John EmiMvson and Samuel Nicholas until 1734 .

Bro . John Hobart appeal's never to have been absent ivom the Lodge meetings . All of the names of the members of thin committee are in Liber B . of St . John ' s Lodge , where ( heir Masonic records appear in full , and at

/ he time when they submitted their report—5 th June 1732 —the same official record shows that St . John ' s Lodge had nineteen members . Of these , eleven signed this report . Next , as to some interesting details . The report is marked

throughout by the wisdom always characteristic of Benjamin Franklin , in whose handwriting it appears to he , and whose composition in every probability it was . He was apt to bo the working member of every committee on

which ho served . It recommends ( 1 ) that "every member" of St . John ' s Lodge make a special study of the science of Geometry and Architecture , " so ranch recommended in our ancient Constitutions , " and in order to

further this purpose it resolves that all the cash then in i he funds of the Lodge be expended in purchasing the " best books of architecture , suitable mathematical instruments , & o . " It recommends ( 2 ) that " every one not

paying ' his dues " be suspended till he do pay . ' ( 3 ) That there shall be unanimit y before initiation— "that no new member be admitted against the will of any present member . " ( 4 ) That all differences between members be

amicably adjusted b y the Lodge , and that if any Brother neglect , in such case , to " first apply himself to the Wardens , " "the offender against this rule to be expelled . " Tho drafter of the Report also suggested , further , that no member be fined for absence from the Lodo-o— " that all

compulsion by fining ho utterly taken away and abolished , except onl y persons in office , and others when a meeting is called upon extraordinary occasions . " It will be noted that this provides that fining be " utterly taken away

and abolished "—which implies that prior to 5 th June 1732 , the date of thin document , it had been customary in St . John ' s Lodge . Philadelphia , to fine every absent member . The Ledger of the Lodge , Liber B .,

above referred to , proves that this had been the custom from 24 th June 1731 . This proposed resolution was not approved by the majority of the committee , and hence was crossed out of the Report , by having lines drawn through it ,

and being noted at tho end . These two old records—Liber B . and the Report—thus entirely corroborate each other . It appears , however , from Liber B . that after June 1733 no fines were charged members for absence from Lodge

meetings—prior to that time sixpence being regularly paid by each member for " monthly quota , " and one shilling regularly charged to , and paid by , each absentee , so that this feature of the report , at first disapproved by the

majority of the committee , was afterwards enacted by the Lodge as one of its regulations . The further li ght shed by this document , upon the earl y history of St . Johu ' s Lodge , Philadel phia , is considerable , and of much interest . In

conclusion , we would sny , that while Liber B . is of •inestimable value , giving the Masonic records of St . John ' s Lodge from February 1731 , to 24 th 1738 , including the names of fift y members , thus ante-dating every other

Masonic record on this continent , this document , of date 5 th June 1732 , ante-dates more than one year the petition of the eighteen Brethren ( of date 30 th July 1733 ) to Henry Price , asking for the constitution of a Lodge at Boston , at

which latter date St . John ' s Tjodr jc , Philadelphia , had thirtyone members , as appears from Liber B . Thus a year before application even was made for the Boston Lodge , the Phi'ade / phia Lodge was actively , wisely , and prosperously

at work , and we have extant the ori ginal Report , signed by a committee of eleven members , proposing for adoption certain bye-laws . Thus , year by year we are discovering ' new and authentic evidence of the early activity of bodies

of our Craft in Philadel phia , corrobating and substantiating previously ascertained facts , and extending our knowledge of important details of Lodge life one hundred and fiftythree years ago in the City of Brotherly Love . Keystone