Oldest use of 'freemason'
Media
Part of The Cabletow
- Title
- Oldest use of 'freemason'
- Language
- English
- Source
- The Cabletow XXXIII (7) January 1958
- Year
- 1958
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- upon God by his sacred name to forgive the sins of the people. To day Jews say Adonai (my master) l'or the YHVH; but the most Orthodox will hesitate even to pronounce that substitution except on the holiest occasions, preferring Adoshem instead. Jehovah, frequently used by Christians to refer to the name of God, is due to Petrus Galatinus (c. 1500). He combined the conso nants YHVH with the vowels of the word Adonai, thus forming the word Jehovah, a word never used nor known in Jewish tradition. Shekinah is the Hebrew word for "the holy spirit of the Lord.” — The Royal Arch Mason OLDEST fSE OF "FHEEMASON" When was the word “Freemason” first used in print? It is dif ficult to say, because almost as soon as “the oldest dale” is discovered somebody finds an older one. Here at least is an exceptionally early date. In 1526 William Boude, who signed himself as a "bachelor of divinity,” published a work in which occurs the following paragraph, and which is an essay on Specu lative Freemasonry if ever there was one. . Then after we have been in the furnace of temptations and tribulations, keeping our souls unbroken, wc shall be as pure as the gold. Then if we be touched with a sharp word we shall yield a benign and gentle answer, and give a sweet silver sound as the tried silver. Then we shall be delivered out of our apprenticeship and be made free men. For, as for the four days past, we were but as apprentices, and now in this day we were but as ... , bound to learn the craft of the exercise of virtues; and now this day wc shall be masters of the craft. Example: The freemason setleth his apprentice first long time to learn to hew stones, and when he can do that perfectly, he admilteth him to be a free mason and chooseth him as a cunning man to be a master of the craft, and maketh him a setter or orderer of the same stone, which setting of stones, though it. be far greater cunning than is the hewing of stones, yet it is less labor and more quietness. So, in these four days past, we must as apprentices labor continually, and learn to hew, polish, and square the precious stones of virtues, which be to pul in the temple of God. Iniilded in our souls, of the which temple Saint Paul speaketh in the wise.” — Courtesy I'.'ra It"'!,
- pages
- 247