THE BUILDER JULY 1916

THE RITES OF FREEMASONRY
BY BRO. J.L. CARSON, VIRGINIA

MASONIC students are prepared to accept the fact that at one time
and another there have been over one hundred Rites, and at least
fifteen hundred Degrees or grades connected directly and indirectly
with Freemasonry. Many of these were, of course, quasi-Masonic,
their names and origins being now almost unknown, and their history
if it was known would be worthless except so far as it might
interest the Masonic antiquarian. If it were possible to list all
these known and unknown rites and degrees, they would fill quite a
large volume, and after all serve no good purpose as many, indeed
most of them, were the outcome of childishness, if not worse.

To the Brethren who have only recently joined our Fraternity, the
following short resume of the more important of the Masonic Rites
may be interesting and perhaps instructive. If it proves to be so,
then the object of this paper will have been accomplished.

Our newly raised Brother seeking for Masonic light, naturally asks
us what is a Rite? How many degrees make a Rite? To what Rite do I
belong or do I belong to any? All perfectly natural questions, and
worthy of our reply.

A Rite in Freemasonry is a collection of grades or degrees, always
founded on the First three, the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow
Craft, and the Master Mason. All the various Rites except the York
and English Rites begin their systems with the Fourth degree, some
claiming as many as ninety-six degrees.

I will try and give our inquiring Brother a few pointers about the
best known of these Rites, so that he may recognize which of them
he already belongs to, and decide which Rite will be most
acceptable to the Masonic Jurisdiction in which he resides, and
govern himself accordingly.

THE YORK RITE

was the oldest and first established Masonic Rite, consisting of
the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason degrees.
When Dunckerley dismembered or disrupted the third degree about
1770, he destroyed the identity of this Rite, and as that portion
he took from it has never been restored, this Rite therefore does
not now exist. It never had any connection with the Grand Lodge of
all England, or the York Grand Lodge as it was called, but
represented the working of the Premier Grand Lodge established or
revived in 1717, and for fifty years after this revival.

Why this Rite got the name of York who can tell? It was and is an
unmeaning term, but the name has been so generally used by those in
high places, it is no wonder the young craftsman gets confused.

THE ENGLISH RITE,

as laid down in the Articles of the Union in 1813, is as follows:
"It is declared and pronounced that pure ancient Masonry consists
of three degrees, and no more, viz: those of the Entered
Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and the Master Mason, including the
Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch. But this article is not
intended to prevent any Lodge or Chapter from holding a meeting in
any of the degrees of the Orders of Chivalry, according to the
constitutions of the said orders." Thus the English Rite rests upon
the three symbolic degrees, but makes the Royal Arch the completion
of the Masonic edifice.

THE IRISH RITE

If the Irish had a "boat of their own at the time of the flood"
they could not rest without a Masonic Rite of their own, and they
have,--to my mind it is the most complete, useful and best
regulated Rite in existence today. Like all other Rites it is based
on the First Three degrees, followed by the Past Master, Mark
Master, Royal Arch, and Knight Templar, and all these various
degrees stand for. These degrees must be taken in the order named
before the Prince Masons degree is conferred; this brings us into
the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite at the 18d, followed by the
Knight of the Sun 28d, Knight K. H. 30d, Commanders Inquisitors
Grand Inspectors 31d, Prince of the Royal Secret 32d, Supreme
Council 33d. There are less than four hundred Prince Masons 18d in
Ireland; The one Council of the 28d is limited to thirty-five
subscribing members; The College of Philosophical Masons 30d
consists of thirty subscribing members; The Tribunal of the 31d is
limited to twenty-one; and the Consistory 32d cannot have over
sixteen members in addition to the nine members of the Supreme
Council 33d.

THE AMERICAN RITE

or York Rite as it is commonly though erroneously called, is
peculiar to the United states of America, and the term American
Rite is perfectly applicable. It confers under the Royal Arch
Chapter the Mark Master 4d, Past Master 5d, Most Excellent Master
6d, Holy Royal Arch 7d. The Council takes care of Royal Master 8d,
Select Master 9d, Super Excellent Master 10d, while the Knight Red
Cross 11d, Knight Templar 12d, and Knight of Malta 13d are taken
care of by the Commandery.

THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE

A brother in good standing in his Blue Lodge may elect to take the
degrees of this rite, which does not of course include any of the
degrees of the American Rite, and is administered by bodies of the
Thirty Third degree, called Supreme Councils. This Rite is today
more widely extended than all the others put together, no other
Rite being worked to any very great extent the United states,
Canada, Great Britain, the Latin countries of Europe and South
America. This Rite takes care of the degrees from the

4d to 14d in Lodges of Perfection.
15d to 18d in Chapters of Rose Croix.
19d to 30d in Councils of Knights K. H.
31d and 32d in Consistories of M. R. S.

and 33d Supreme Council, of which there are but two in the United
States.

This Rite came to us from Europe between the years 1783 and 1801,
as the origin of the Rite is a subject of much controversy. We will
"nick it at that" as a good old Brother used to say when he wanted
an argument stopped in the Lodge. The word "Scottish" the name of
this Rite is a misnomer, as none of the degrees ever originated in
the "Land O Bibles Kirks and Haggis." It is claimed, however, that
amongst its founders were Scotch exiles in France, followers of the
Pretender, who introduced the word Scottish in order to make the
degrees more attractive and acceptable to the Jacobite party
resident there.

Our aspiring Brother will take notice that the degrees of the
various Rites are not interchangeable, when he has taken all the
degrees of the American Rite he is no further on his way to the
33d; if he elected to take the degrees of the A. & A. S. R. first,
he would still have to come back to the American Rite to reach the
Commandery.

THE RITE OF MEMPHIS

"The Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis" or the "Ancient Egyptian
Rite of Freemasonry" is to be found working in several States. It
claims to be international, educational, and practical, its
influence exerted on behalf of Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood.
It was revived in France as the Rite of Memphis in 1814, and
introduced into this country by M. De Negre in 1856. It consists of
ninety-six degrees, the 96d being called he Sovereign Sublime Magi.
In 1852 its Lodges were closed in France, in 1862 they were
acknowledged by the Grand Orient and revived. Most of its Lodges,
however, abandoned it to join the Modern French Rite. It gets its
name from the Legend that an Egyptian Sage Ormus, converted in A.D.
46, introduced the secrets of the Egyptian Mysteries into Europe,
claiming that these secrets are incorporated in the degrees of the
Rite.

THE RITE OF MIZRAM

This Rite has a grand body of its own in France. It was founded in
Milan 1805, and introduced into France in 1814. Its ninety degrees
are divided into Seventeen classes. It once had, and may yet have,
a Supreme Council in America with a small following; its teachings
and Masonry cannot be too highly appreciated. Over one hundred
years ago this rite was popular in Great Britain, particularly in
Ireland, but it is unknown there now.

THE ANCIENT AND PRIMITIVE RITE

as brought to France by S. Honis in 1814. Introduced into America
1856, and to England from America 1873. Its degrees were reduced
from ninety-five to thirty three in 1865, when an effort was made
to popularize it. It was practically a revival of the Rite of
Memphis, and has a small following in England and Scotland where
the late Brother John Yarker was the head and guiding spirit.

THE FRENCH RITE

or Modern French Rite founded in 1786 by the Grand Orient of
France, has seven degrees, 4d Elect, 5d Scotch Master, 6d Knight of
the East, 7d Rose Croix. It is largely practiced in France and
Brazil. It was formerly worked in the state of Louisiana more or
less extensively.

THE ANCIENT REFORMED RITE

Established in 1783 is still practiced by the Grand Lodge of
Holland, and the Grand Orient of Sweden.

THE RITE OF PERFECTION

had twenty-five degrees and was established by De Bonneville in
1754. It was also known as the "Chapter of Clermont," so named
after a Jesuit College in France where a lot of political scheming
was carried on in the stuart Cause--this rite was pretty closely
identified with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in its
earliest days.

THE RITE OF RAMSEY

or the Rite de Bullion consists of six degrees and was founded
about 1728 or later, by Chevalier Michael Andrew Ramsey, a Scotch
gentleman of great ability, culture and travel. With other wearers
of the "White Cockade" he was exiled in France, and if all said of
him be true, and as Paddy said "the half of the lies told of him
were not true," the word "Scottish" in most of the higher grades
might be laid at his footstool, as well as half a dozen Rites and
half a hundred degrees.


TIME

The old clock stands on the mantle shelf
Clicking the seconds with measured stroke
And as we listen it sounds to oneself
As clear as if another one spoke, 
Hope-ever. Ever-hope.
Pointing the hours with steady hands
And a forward move at every beat,
It measures this changing life of man's
As that one refrain we hear it repeat, 
Hope-ever. Ever-hope.
Through all the days of our sorrow and mirth
Time swings along with its measuring tread
And though we live long on the face of the earth
Why ever wish back the years that have fled. 
Hope-ever. Ever-hope.
Time weakens our form and lays it aside
Regardless of what we have or desire;
There's nothing in time that will ever abide,
But this we have left to make us aspire, 
Hope-ever. Ever-hope.
--Arthur B. Rugg, Minn.

