Fifteen
regulations of secondary importance to the Ancient Constition,
answering more nearly to modern by-laws,
and relating to the duties of inferior officers and private brothers. These
are declared to have been originated at
the same Assembly in the year 926, as with the Ancient Consitution,
however, it is believed these were actually written in the 1700s.
I. At this Assembly of great lords and Masters, further
regulations were established, to wit: that whosoever would learn and
work
Masonry, must always reverence God and his holy Church and the Master
with whom
he may engage to labor. Likewise
his
fellows in the art; for such is the general spirit of the fraternity.
II. The Mason shall
work honestly on working-days, that he may deserve his hire upon the
holy-day;
for he who faithfully toils, truly merits his reward.
III. The Apprentice shall keep the secrets entrusted to him
by his Master and brethren, in a faithful breast.
The arcane of the lodge and chamber – the
same being that which he has seen and heard – shall he
communicate to no
man. The privacy of
hall and habitation
shall be honorable maintained, lest the tale-bearer merit blame and the
Craft
appear despicable.
IV. The Apprentice shall not be false to the society; shall
maintain no error against it, but cast it off; and shall do no evil to
his Master
or brethren.
V. The Mason receiving his wages of the Master shall do it
with meekness; but the Master is bound to notify him, lawfully and
privately,
if he does not any longer desire his services; and, being thus warned,
he must
not contend against the order, if he would succeed well with the
fraternity.
VI. If the Mason through envy or hatred, of himself of
another, become embroiled with his fellow, the Master shall set apart a
day for
the reference. But
not until the work in
hand be completed shall this reference be made, for that is not to
cease in
settlement of quarrels. Leisure
may be
found in the holiday for this, and the contending parties shall be
bound to
submission to God’s law.
VII. The Apprentice, if he would enjoy God’s blessing, shall
not commit whoredom, wither with his Master’s wife or the
concubine of his
brother, any more than he would have them do by his.
The penalty of such misconduct shall be
great; and, if committed during the term of his apprenticeship, he
shall be
severely chastised
VIII. If the Mason has undertaken any work, let him be
faithful to his Master, standing honorably between him and the
brethren, and
dealing righteously by both parties.
IX. The Stewards of the hall shall serve the brethren at
their feasts in moderation and with brotherly courtesy.
They shall pay them honorably for the food
they may purchase, lest complaints be excited against the fraternity,
and they
shall render faithful accounts of all expenditures in their department.
X. The Mason must avoid discord and contention; and, if any
be false in his work, and through evil accusation, slander his fellows,
let him
not be maintained or aided in his misconduct, lest the evil wax worse. Yet he is not therefore to
be expelled, but
constrained to appear wheresoever he is summoned.
To the next Assembly, let him be called to
appear before all the brethren; and, if found incorrigible, let him be
punished, according to the ancient laws of the fraternity.
XI. The Mason understanding the rules of the art, and seeing
one of his brethren hewing a block so unskillfully as to threaten to
spoil it,
must improve the matter, if practicable, and inform the brother of his
mistake,
that the general undertaking may not be flawed.
He must instruct the ignorant brother with that wisdom
which God may
give him, and in loving words.
XII. Whenever the Assembly shall meet, there shall gather
together the Masters and brethren and the many of noble blood. The sheriff and the mayor
shall meet with
them – knights, squires and aldermen.
Such regulations as they may adopt shall be maintained
rigorously
against every member of this free and fair brotherhood.
If any is anywise contend against its
ordinances, he shall be made a subject of Masonic punishment.
XIII. The Mason shall be obligated neither to be a thief nor
the aid of one, for any profit that he might acquire thereby.
XIV. The Mason must further be obligated (a good true oath),
to his Master and the brethren assembled, to be true and steadfast to
his lord
the king, and to all the ordinances here enumerated, established by
such high
authority. Each
must take the same
obligation; and all shall inquire, as far as possible, that if any have
violated these regulations, he may be sought out, and brought to the
Assembly.
XV. The fifteenth point is of special importance to the
Mason who has been thus obligated.
A
regulation was passed at that dignified Assembly, that if any be
clearly proved
to be disobedient to these ordinances, or to the (fifteen) articles
before
enumerated, and make no amends for the offense, he must needs abandon
the
society, and swear no more to exercise the art.
If he will do so, he shall return no more to the Craft; if
not, the
sheriff shall imprison him for the offense he has committed, seize his
effects
for the king’s use, and let him remain in duress during his
pleasure.
