1887 – a notable year – the year in which Queen Victoria and her loyal subjects in the United Kingdom and the British Empire, indeed, in practically the whole world, celebrated fifty glorious years, the golden jubilee of her reign ...the year in which the new suspension bridge at Hammersmith, London, was opened as the eleventh bridge spanning the River Thames... the year in which Stainer’s "The Crucifixion” had its first public performance at St. Marylebone Parish Church in London... the year in which Marylebone Cricket Club celebrated its centenary at Lord’s... and the year in which the English "Order of the Secret Monitor” was born.
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light”...not a strictly accurate quotation but it will suffice, particularly for the men, for it signalled their admission into Freemasonry, the light of Freemasonry, that great light; and that great light shed its broad beam, not alone upon the main highway of the Craft, but to light up myriad byways leading to Mark and Ark Mariner, to Rose Croix, Knights Templar, Royal and Select Masters, Red Cross of Constantine, the Allied Masonic Degrees, and on the Order of the Secret Monitor.
Not every Masonic Degree is founded on Scriptural bases, but the legend of the Order of the Secret Monitor is surely one that is: our Order chose that wonderful story told in the Book of Samuel of the enduring friendship between David and Jonathan... a brief resume can be given here, but the full story is in the V.S.L. for all to read.
The Jews decided to follow the fashion set by their neighbours and to dispense with the Judges who had governed them previously, and take to themselves kings whose military ability had impressed them. They were convinced that their future safety would be greater under a king than a judge. The sword is mightier than the pen was their belief.
Samuel listened to their demands and he selected Saul as the first king. Saul was a stalwart figure, impressive indeed when arrayed for battle. Unhappily, Saul did not live up to expectations: mighty though he was in battle, he lacked the mental qualities so necessary for one who held power. Samuel was convinced that Saul had failed as a leader and that another must be found in his stead. Samuel found in David the son of Jesse the very man he was looking for: courageous, skilled in the use of arms, yet sensitive and artistic; a soldier, poet and musician of exceptional ability. Saul anticipated the course which events would take unless he acted decisively, and he was determined to establish the permanent supremacy of his family in Israel through Jonathan his son. David and Jonathan were close friends and nothing was permitted to come between them, not even future fame and honours. Jonathan did not claim succession to his father, accepting the decision of the High Priest without resentment. Saul, however, planned David’s death, but his plans failed. David was presented with many opportunities to slay the king, but Saul was the anointed of God and he held his hand. Finally, Jonathan and two of his brothers were slain in battle when the Philistines overran the Israelitish armies, and Saul, seeing all his plans fail, took his own life in despair. David, now, was fully accepted as King, but his immediate reaction was one of deep grief for the death of his friend.
The unselfish devotion of these two friends is the basis of our Secret Monitor ritual and precepts. Friendship for one’s Brother is the paramount basis of our teachings... even as Brotherly Love is the first tenet of the Craft.
History tells us that “The Order of David and Jonathan” was brought to the New World in or about 1658 by Dutch settlers of Jewish descent; but we must go back to the Netherlands for its origins. The northern most part of the Netherlands (Holland) was essentially Protestant in its religious persuasion in the 16th century; but an unfortunate dynastic marriage caused first a strong Austrian and then Spanish influence. Both Austria and Spain were strongholds of Roman Catholicism and consequently abhorrent to the Dutch Lutherans. Inevitably this led to the formation of underground secret societies with the object of freeing the motherland from the fetters of their overlords. Just as David was persecuted by Saul, so were the Dutch Protestants harassed by the Catholics. A revolutionary brotherhood was formed with modes of recognition suited to the hours of darkness as well as in daylight, and signs and symbols were chosen from the David and Jonathan story in the Bible. That was in the late 16th century... and it occurred again a hundred years later when Louis XIV of France invaded the Low Countries again in a Catholic crusade against the Huguenots... the same modes of recognition were employed to cause confusion amongst the invaders. Many Dutch Protestants emigrated to the New World to find a new life with greater liberty than seemed possible in Holland. Any opposition to the way of life of the Dutch settlers immediately drew forth a resurgence of the David and Jonathan cult which has served the Netherlanders so well in the past.
For the ritual roots of our Order we must look back to a Dutch work of the Order of Jonathan and David and Jesus Christ: an Order having seven degrees:- 1. Squire or Friend of the Order; 2. Knight or Nephew; 3. Commander or Brother; 4. Grand Commander of Jonathan and David; 5. Commander of the Order of Jesus Christ; 6. Grand Knight; 7. Grand Commander. The first three seem to be closely connected to the First Degree of our Order, but the last four were reserved for Freemasons of eminence. From this Dutch Order may have derived the subsequent “Secret Monitor or Trading Degree” in which was incorporated a part of the earlier ritual, but it was so loosely rendered, that it became offensive to any thinking Freemason. Its aim was, as stated in earlier documents “to introduce him (the candidate) to business by sending him custom or to support him in any other manner by which a penny could be thrown in his way”...not very good masonry; there was no ceremony and no witnesses were required when admission took place.
In the mid-19th century, however, there is evidence that a quasi-Masonic degree existed in America closely allied to the O.S.M. First Degree and practised under various titles: i. The Order of Brotherly Love; ii. The Order of Jonathan and David; iii. The Order of the Secret Monitor. An effort was made in 1890 to bring this Order under the umbrella of the Sovereign College of Allied and Masonic and Christian Degrees: the basic requirement was that a candidate must be an Ark Mariner. That Order became well-established in the final two decades of the nineteenth century in America.
It is interesting here to quote part of the lecture used at the induction and the presentation of the working tools of the degree: “Jonathan and David typify the conscience of man. Jonathan is emblematical of God, who advises and warns the human soul; and David of the soul. God and a man’s heart alone know a secret matter... the world without knows nothing of it”. The working tools of this degree were a Hackle and the Bow and Arrows; the candidate was taught: “Let the Hackle ever teach you that no man can escape sorrow, that it is as inevitable as death, that just as surely as it is appointed for us all to die, so surely must a portion of the life of every man be overshadowed by the cloud of grief. However we try to avoid it sorrow will cross the threshold of our home. The world is no lovely palace of pleasure where the inmates live enchanted lives. We need not expect immunity from suffering... we might as well demand immunity from death. Therefore, let sorrow be our teacher, leading us away from sin, schooling us in sympathy, directing us in the paths of heroism, and reminding us that we suffer because we are not, as the beasts that perish, but as children of the Living God. Receive the Bow and Arrows: they are emblematical of man in his uncivilised state, relying on his own resources. Let them ever remind you that man apart from God has no understanding; that from God has come all enlightenment which has led on humanity in the road of progress, that if man would have all things put under his feet he must recognise his dependence upon God, and that man will assume his true position as head of created things when he acknowledges, not by his word only, but also by his will and resultant conduct that he is not only Son of Man but also Son of God.”
How then did the Order of the Secret Monitor develop in England? The earliest history of the Order tells us that it was started by Dr. Issachar Zacharie, and it was he who brought it from America. We learn that he was born in Chatham, Kent of Jewish parents who had become converts to Christianity. According to his accounts, he was born in the year 1827 (but since his golden wedding was celebrated in 1894, he must have married in his teens). The family emigrated to America in his early boyhood. His initiation into Freemasonry in 1848, but there is no sure knowledge where this took place. He obtained medical qualifications, probably through an apprenticeship with another physician. In the American Civil War, he offered his services as a foot specialist, proving a shrewdness and discernment characteristic of his race, for the foot soldier, marching hundreds of miles on rough ground would surely need attention by such a practitioner. He was appointed Chiropodist-General to the United States Army.
Little is known of his Masonic progress, but one source quotes him as being a Past Grand Master of California. It is known, however, that he returned to this country in 1875, settled at 80 Brook Street, London, where he built up a busy and successful practice as an orthopaedic surgeon. In London he became a member of the Bon Accord Mark Lodge and there he met a number of brethren who had become Secret Monitors during their Masonic progress. They were:- Col. Shadwell H. Clerke, Grand Secretary of the Craft (who became a Secret Monitor in Malta in 1845); James Lewis Thomas, PAGDC, Craft (St. Vincent, W.I., 1846); F. A. Philbrick, B.A., Q.C., G.Reg., and Dep. Prov.G.Master, Essex, Craft; W. G. Lemon, B.A., LL.B. (Treas., Univ. of London Lodge); Gen. C. W. Randolph, P.P.G.W.; W. I. Spratling, B.Sc. (Sec., Univ. of London Lodge); the Rev. J. Oxley Oxland, M.A. (Secret Monitor in Jerusalem, 1848); and Charles Fitzgerald Matier (G.Sec., Mark, who received the degree from an American brother passing through London in 1865).
All of them were members of Alfred Meadows Lodge (named after a distinguished surgeon) and, at the invitation of Dr. Zacharie they met at his house on May 5, 1887. Also present were Bros. C. Belton, H. E. Francis, Dr. Lennox Browne (a laryngologist), J. P. Godfrey, M. Ohren and T. Godfrey. It was resolved to form the Alfred Meadows Conclave with Dr. Zacharie as first Supreme Ruler.
The legend of the Order as set up was based upon the scriptural story of the great and enduring friendship between David and Jonathan which led to the secondary part of the Order’s title: “The Brotherhood of David and Jonathan”, and its practice and teachings have ever led to care for one’s brother and lasting friendship.
Progress was rapid... on June 17, 1887, Grand Council was constituted, with Dr. Issachar Zacharie nominated as first Grand Supreme Ruler. The first meeting of Grand Council took place at 80 Brook Street on July 2, 1887 the minutes for which record: –
ORDER OF THE SECRET MONITOR
At a meeting of the Grand Council for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown, held at 80 Brook Street, London, W. on Saturday, 2nd July 1887, there were present:
Bro. I. Zacharie, M.D.
Bro. Col. Shadwell H. Clerke,33º, G.Sec. Craft.
Bro. J. Lewis Thomas, 18º, PAGDC Craft.
Bro. F. A. Philbrick, B.A., Q.C., G.Reg. Craft, Dep.Prov.G.M. for Essex Craft.
Bro. W. G. Lemon, B.A., LL.B., 30º, Treas. Univ.London Craft Lo.
Bro. Gen. C. W. Randolph,32º, P.P.G.W. Craft.
Bro. W. J. Spratling, B.Sc., 18º, Secy. Univ.London Craft Lo.
All of the above being members of the Alfred Meadows Conclave of the Order.
It was resolved to form a Council to be styled – “The Grand Council of the Order of the Secret Monitor for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown”. The Council being thus formed, Bro. Zacharie was elected, installed and proclaimed Supreme Ruler of the Grand Council. Thereupon, he proceeded to appoint a number of Grand Councillors including Bro. Shadwell Clerke, G.Sec. of the Craft and Bro. C. F. Matier, G.Sec. of the Mark, as Past Rulers of the Grand Council. As well, he appointed Bro. F.A. Philbrick as Grand Chancellor and Bro. W. J. Spratling as Grand Recorder.
A special meeting of the Grand Council was called for July 11 at 80 Brook Street, at which Bro. Philbrick submitted draft Constitutions, together with all necessary forms, certificates and other documents, all of which were approved.
At the recent meeting of the Grand Council of the Order for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown, the Grand Chancellor brought up a complete set of Constitutions for the Government of the Order, which were unanimously adopted.
In these Constitutions the object of the Order is set forth as follows:
“The special feature of the Order consists in this: Every Conclave shall appoint not more than four Visiting Deacons *, whose duty it shall be to search out and call upon any Brother who may be in danger or distress, or who may have fallen into ill health, or may be in need of fraternal monition, sympathy, consolation, or assistance. This duty shall be recognised in every set of by-laws sanctioned for any conclave, and the S.R. of every conclave at his installation must be duly warned that he will be held responsible to the Grand Council for the proper and effective carrying out of this Constitution. He will also take care to impress the importance of this matter upon those whom he may appoint as his visiting Deacons.”
Article 28 of the 1887 B.C. lays down “Visiting Deacons (not exceeding four)”. The ritual of that year seems to indicate that only two deacons actually took an active part in the induction ceremony. The by-laws of Conclave No.14 provide for a senior and junior V.D. only.
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Bro. Col Shadwell H. Clerke, 33º, G.S. |
P.S.Grand Ruler |
"The number of applications for membership of the Order is already very large, and it is confidently believed that as soon as it becomes well-known, a Conclave of the Order will be as necessary an accompaniment of any Craft Lodge as it is at present a Royal Arch Chapter."
The title of the Order “The Order of the Secret Monitor in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Dominions, Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown”, having become outdated following the independence of the colonies, was changed in 1968 to “The Order of the Secret Monitor, or the Brotherhood of David and Jonathan, in the British Isles and in Territories Overseas”.