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Article FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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Freemasonry In France.
control over the symbolic lodges , but only over the " Lodges of Perfection . " The meeting at Bordeaux of the commissioners , who made , it is said , the regulations and constitutions on which were based the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite ,
undoubtedly took place , and these regulations appear equally apochryphal with the constitution of 1786 . They bear date the 20 th September , 1762 , and do not bear any name , although the diploma delivered to Stephen Morinin 1761 is signed by
, , the names of all the official dignitaries of the Grand Lodge of France , which clearly proves that the Sovereign Council acted regularly , and did not require to reconstitute itself at Bordeaux .
We would add that in the proceedings of the Supreme Council it is stated that the ancient regulations are ratified for transmission to " our Illustrious Bro . De Grasse-Tilly , Grand Inspector of all the Lodges in the Two Hemispheres . " This ratification , signed by the Grand
Chancellor Adington , bears date the 9 th day of the 2 nd month , 5801 , and the diploma of Bro . De Grasse-Tilly is not dated till 1802 , and did not constitute him Inspector of all the Lodges in the two hemispheres , but only " 33 rd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , Grand Inspector General . " In 1804 the union of the Scottish Rite
of Heredom with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite gave some umbrage to the Grand Orient of France . The indefatigableRoelliers de Montaleau , rather unwilling to enter into this new
struggle , thought it better to try persuasion than force , and a Concordat was proposed between the Grand Orient and the New Scottish Masonic Power . This Concordat was signed the 8 th December , 1 S 04 . We shall have occasion to recur to it , but for the present it will suffice to state that the
Rite of Heredom was one of the contracting parties , and that Bro . Haquet was nominated as President of the Grand Chapter General of the Grand Orient of France . When the compact was broken by the Supreme Council of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite , the Rite of Heredom remained faithful to the Grand Orient . We extract from a deliberation taken in 1818 , by the Grand Consistory of Prince Masons , the following passage : —•
" When the compact of union was broken all the seductive means were resorted to in order to inveigle the Scottish Rite of Heredom into this defection . Firm in its principles as in its attachment to the Grand Orient of France , the Rite of
Heredom continued to faithfully comply with all the terms of the social compact . If since the defection of the high grades of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite it resumed the exercise of its regime , it was done with a delicate deferenceb
, y addressing to the Grand Orient a declaration in which it protested its fidelity to the common centre , and since the Grand Orient had proclaimed the reprisal of its rights over High Grade Masonry , the Rite of Heredom reported to the central
authority those portions of its administration which it had withdrawn , this withdrawal was accompanied with a renewed protestation of fidelity . "
Phis deliberation was terminated with the following resolution : — " The Grand Consistory , considering that the Grand Orient is the sole legislative and administrative authority in France , aud also the sole protector of all Masonic regimesthat being itself subject to the
, empire of the law which governs the divers dogmas , it owes to its subordinates , etc ., resolves that the Grand Orient be very humbly solicited —( 1 ) to fix the jurisdiction of the Grand Consistory of Rites according to the laws of Hig h Grade
Masonry ; ( 2 ) to re-establish each body of Hi gh Grade Masonry in the exercise of their respective dogmas ; ( 3 ) and , lastly , to regard the proceedings taken by the Grand Consistory of the Rite of He edom as a proof of its sincere attachment to its
true principles . " It is necessary to note on the other hand , that the Supreme Council , who had , in 1804 , entered into an alliance with the Heredom Masons some months before the concordat , emitted , in 1807 , the singular pretension of claiming jurisdiction over all the Masonic bodies of the Scottish Rite of
Perfection . The following is the reply : — " Considering , etc ., etc ., that the pretensions of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite can only be considered as an abuse of authority , th 6 Grand Consistory resolves that it will acknowledge no other jurisdiction than that
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In France.
control over the symbolic lodges , but only over the " Lodges of Perfection . " The meeting at Bordeaux of the commissioners , who made , it is said , the regulations and constitutions on which were based the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite ,
undoubtedly took place , and these regulations appear equally apochryphal with the constitution of 1786 . They bear date the 20 th September , 1762 , and do not bear any name , although the diploma delivered to Stephen Morinin 1761 is signed by
, , the names of all the official dignitaries of the Grand Lodge of France , which clearly proves that the Sovereign Council acted regularly , and did not require to reconstitute itself at Bordeaux .
We would add that in the proceedings of the Supreme Council it is stated that the ancient regulations are ratified for transmission to " our Illustrious Bro . De Grasse-Tilly , Grand Inspector of all the Lodges in the Two Hemispheres . " This ratification , signed by the Grand
Chancellor Adington , bears date the 9 th day of the 2 nd month , 5801 , and the diploma of Bro . De Grasse-Tilly is not dated till 1802 , and did not constitute him Inspector of all the Lodges in the two hemispheres , but only " 33 rd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , Grand Inspector General . " In 1804 the union of the Scottish Rite
of Heredom with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite gave some umbrage to the Grand Orient of France . The indefatigableRoelliers de Montaleau , rather unwilling to enter into this new
struggle , thought it better to try persuasion than force , and a Concordat was proposed between the Grand Orient and the New Scottish Masonic Power . This Concordat was signed the 8 th December , 1 S 04 . We shall have occasion to recur to it , but for the present it will suffice to state that the
Rite of Heredom was one of the contracting parties , and that Bro . Haquet was nominated as President of the Grand Chapter General of the Grand Orient of France . When the compact was broken by the Supreme Council of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite , the Rite of Heredom remained faithful to the Grand Orient . We extract from a deliberation taken in 1818 , by the Grand Consistory of Prince Masons , the following passage : —•
" When the compact of union was broken all the seductive means were resorted to in order to inveigle the Scottish Rite of Heredom into this defection . Firm in its principles as in its attachment to the Grand Orient of France , the Rite of
Heredom continued to faithfully comply with all the terms of the social compact . If since the defection of the high grades of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite it resumed the exercise of its regime , it was done with a delicate deferenceb
, y addressing to the Grand Orient a declaration in which it protested its fidelity to the common centre , and since the Grand Orient had proclaimed the reprisal of its rights over High Grade Masonry , the Rite of Heredom reported to the central
authority those portions of its administration which it had withdrawn , this withdrawal was accompanied with a renewed protestation of fidelity . "
Phis deliberation was terminated with the following resolution : — " The Grand Consistory , considering that the Grand Orient is the sole legislative and administrative authority in France , aud also the sole protector of all Masonic regimesthat being itself subject to the
, empire of the law which governs the divers dogmas , it owes to its subordinates , etc ., resolves that the Grand Orient be very humbly solicited —( 1 ) to fix the jurisdiction of the Grand Consistory of Rites according to the laws of Hig h Grade
Masonry ; ( 2 ) to re-establish each body of Hi gh Grade Masonry in the exercise of their respective dogmas ; ( 3 ) and , lastly , to regard the proceedings taken by the Grand Consistory of the Rite of He edom as a proof of its sincere attachment to its
true principles . " It is necessary to note on the other hand , that the Supreme Council , who had , in 1804 , entered into an alliance with the Heredom Masons some months before the concordat , emitted , in 1807 , the singular pretension of claiming jurisdiction over all the Masonic bodies of the Scottish Rite of
Perfection . The following is the reply : — " Considering , etc ., etc ., that the pretensions of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite can only be considered as an abuse of authority , th 6 Grand Consistory resolves that it will acknowledge no other jurisdiction than that