Essential Masonic Doctrines
The Landmarks of Freemasonry
"The Landmarks of Freemasonry are unwritten laws that form the
basis of every Grand and subordinate Lodge constitution." These
Landmarks are to Freemasonry what essential doctrine is to Biblical
Christianity. As such, they are the "essential doctrines" of
the Masonic Order and the foundation on which Freemasonry stands.
On the other hand, the Essential Doctrines of the historic Christian
faith, as derived from the Bible and confirmed through the ancient
ecumenical creeds (such as the triune God, the authority of Scripture,
the Deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sacrificial
substitutionary atonement for sin, His bodily resurrection, and
salvation by faith in Him alone) are collectively the line of
demarcation between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the cults. In
other words, these tenets of our Christian faith are the dividing line
between the kingdom of light
and the kingdom of darkness.
The crux of the matter in determining the incompatibility of
Christianity and Freemasonry is to compare doctrine. Biblical Doctrine
is the standard by which we can determine if the religious teachings of
any organization, fraternal or otherwise, are Christian or not.
The popular misconception about Freemasonry is that it is a social or
civic organization. Perhaps this would be true if it had no religious
teachings whatsoever. Yet, because its religious teachings are such an
integral part of its very being, "secured to it by its ancient
Landmarks," such teaching must be examined by the interested
Christian in light of Scripture. To blindly accept its religious
teachings without Biblical scrutiny is spiritually dangerous at best.
Yet to embrace such teachings after being shown the Biblical
inconsistencies is nothing less than deliberate rebellion against God.
Just as the slightest deviation from the fundamental doctrines of the
historic Christian faith will create instant Biblical heresy, any
modification to the ancient and deeply-rooted Landmarks of Freemasonry,
would immediately render such a lodge or Grand Lodge as, not only
Masonicly unorthodox but, "irregular" or
"clandestine." In other words, heresy
is to Biblical Christianity what clandestine
or irregularity is
to Freemasonry.
Once fully explained and understood, certain Masonic Doctrines render
Freemasonry Biblically heretical. To that end, while most Masonic
Landmarks are rather benign in nature, since they have no real Biblical
significance, it is vitally important to pay particular attention to
seven of the most critical Landmarks of the Masonic Order, which are
numbers 3, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25 (highlighted
in red below). Please note, that while Landmark #3 appears from
the surface to have no Biblical implications, it is vitally important
for the reader to understand The Hiramic Legend and The
Masonic Baptism (which requires the free Real
Audio player) in order to fully comprehend the heretical teachings
from the Third Degree of Freemasonry.
Every Grand Lodge adopts all or a portion of the Landmarks listed
below. An extensive discussion of these Masonic principles can be found
in "Jurisprudence of Freemasonry"
by Albert G. Mackey, from which the following quotes were derived.
LANDMARK FIRST
"The modes of RECOGNITION are, of all the Landmarks, the most
legitimate and unquestioned. They admit of no variation; and if ever
they have suffered alteration or addition, the evil of such a violation
of the ancient law has always made itself subsequently manifest. An
admission of this is to be found in the proceedings of the Masonic
Congress at Paris, where a proposition was presented to render these
modes of recognition once more universal — a proposition which never
would have been necessary, if the integrity of this important Landmark
had been rigorously preserved."
LANDMARK SECOND
"THE DIVISION OF SYMBOLIC MASONRY INTO THREE DEGREES is a
Landmark that has been better preserved than almost any other, although
even here the mischievous spirit of innovation hag left its traces, and
by the disruption of its concluding portion from the Third Degree, a
want of uniformity has been created in respect to the final teaching of
the Master's order, and the Royal Arch of England, Scotland, Ireland,
and America, and the "high degrees" of France and Germany, are
all made to differ in the mode in which they lead the neophyte to the
great consummation of all symbolic masonry."
"In 1813, the Grand Lodge of England vindicated the ancient
Landmark, by solemnly enacting that ancient Craft Masonry consisted of
the three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason,
including the Holy Royal Arch; but the disruption has never been healed,
and the Landmark, although acknowledged in its integrity by all, still
continues to be violated."
LANDMARK THIRD
"The Legend of the THIRD
DEGREE is an important Landmark, the integrity of which has been
well preserved. There is no rite of Masonry, practiced in any country or
language, in which the essential elements of this legend are not taught.
The lectures may vary, and indeed are constantly changing, but the
legend has ever remained substantially the same; and it is necessary
that it should be so, for the legend of the Temple
Builder constitutes the very essence and identity of Masonry; any
rite which should exclude it, or materially alter it, would at once, by
that exclusion or alteration, cease to be a Masonic rite."
LANDMARK FOURTH
"THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FRATERNITY BY A PRESIDING OFFICER called
a Grand Master, who is elected from the body of the Craft, is a Fourth
Landmark of the Order. Many persons ignorantly suppose that the election
of the Grand Master is held in consequence of a law or regulation of the
Grand Lodge. Such, however, is not the case. The office is indebted for
its existence to a Landmark of the Order. Grand Masters are to be found
in the records of the institution long before Grand Lodges were
established; and if the present system of legislative government by
Grand Lodges were to be abolished, a Grand Master would be necessary. In
fact, although there has been a period within the records of history,
and indeed of very recent date, when a Grand Lodge was unknown, there
never has been a time when the Craft did not have their Grand
Master."
Notice how problematic this Landmark becomes as it relates to The
Separate, but equal Brotherhood.
LANDMARK FIFTH
"The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every
assembly of the Craft, wheresoever and whensoever held, is a fifth
Landmark. It is in consequence of this law, derived from ancient usage,
and not from any special enactment, that the Grand Master assumes the
chair, or as it is called in England, "the throne," at every
communication of the Grand Lodge; and that he is also entitled to
preside at the communication of every Subordinate Lodge, where he may
happen to be present."
LANDMARK SIXTH
"The prerogative of the Grand Master to grant Dispensations for
conferring degrees at irregular times is another and a very important
Landmark. The statutory law of Masonry requires a month, or other
determinate period, to elapse between the presentation of a petition and
the election of a candidate. But the Grand Master has the power to set
aside or dispense with this probation, and allow a candidate to be
initiated at once. This prerogative he possessed in common with all
Masters, before the enactment of the law requiring probation, and as no
statute can impair his prerogative, he still retains the power, although
the Masters of Lodges no longer possess it."
LANDMARK SEVENTH
"The prerogative of the Grand Master to give dispensations for
opening and holding Lodges is another Landmark. He may grant, in virtue
of this, to a sufficient number of Masons, the privilege of meeting
together and conferring degrees. The Lodges thus established are called
"Lodges under Dispensation." They are strictly creatures of
the Grand Master, created by his authority, existing only during his
will and pleasure, and liable at any moment to be dissolved at his
command. They may he continued for a day, a month, or six months; but
whatever be the period of their existence, they are indebted for that
existence solely to the grace of the Grand Master." (This
make a Grand Master sound like God.)
LANDMARK EIGHTH
"The prerogative of the Grand Master to make Masons on sight is
a Landmark which is closely connected with the preceding one. There has
been much misapprehension in relation to this Landmark, which
misapprehension has sometimes led to a denial of its existence in
jurisdictions where the Grand Master was perhaps at the very time
substantially exercising the prerogative, without the slightest remark
or opposition."
"It is not to be supposed that the Grand Master can retire with
a profane (an interesting reference for a non-mason) into a private
room, and there, without assistance, confer the degrees of Freemasonry
upon him. No such prerogative exists, and yet many believe that this is
the so much talked of right of "making Masons at sight". The
real mode and the only mode of exercising the prerogative is this: The
Grand Master summons to his assistance not less than six other masons,
convenes a Lodge, and without any previous probation, but on sight of
the candidate, confers the degrees upon him, after which he dissolves
the Lodge and dismisses the brethren. Lodges thus convened for special
purposes are called "occasional lodges." This is the only way
in which any Grand Master within the records of the institution has ever
been known to "make a Mason at sight."
"The prerogative is dependent upon that of granting
dispensations to open and hold Lodges. If the Grand Master has the power
of granting to any other Mason the privilege of presiding over Lodges
working by his dispensation, he may assume this privilege of presiding
to himself; and as no one can deny his right to revoke his dispensation
granted to a number of brethren at a distance, and to dissolve the Lodge
at his pleasure, it will scarcely be contended that he may not revoke
his dispensation for a Lodge over which he himself has been presiding,
within a day, and dissolve the Lodge as soon as the business for which
he had assembled it is accomplished. The making of Masons at sight is
only the conferring of the degrees by the Grand Master, at once, in an
occasional Lodge, constituted by his dispensing power for the purpose,
and over which he presides in person."
LANDMARK NINTH
"The necessity of Masons to congregate in lodges is another
Landmark. It is not to be understood by this that any ancient Landmark
has directed that permanent organization of subordinate Lodges which
constitutes one of the features of the Masonic system as it now
prevails. But the landmarks of the Order always prescribed that Masons
should from time to time congregate together, for the purpose of either
operative or speculative labor, and that these congregations should be
called Lodges."
"Formerly these were extemporary meetings called together for
special purposes, and then dissolved, the brethren departing to meet
again at other times and other places, according to the necessity of
circumstances. But warrants of constitution, by-laws, permanent officers
and annual arrears, are modern innovations wholly outside of the
Landmarks, and dependent entirely on the special enactments of a
comparatively recent period."
LANDMARK TENTH
"The government of the Craft, when so congregated in a Lodge by
a Master and two Wardens, is also a Landmark. To show the influence of
this ancient law, it may be observed by the way, that a congregation of
Masons meeting together under any other government, as that for instance
of a president and vice-president, or a chairman and sub-chairman, would
not be recognized as a Lodge, The presence of a Master and two Wardens
is as essential to the valid organization of a Lodge as a warrant of
constitution is at the present day. The names, of course, vary in
different languages, the Master, for instance, being called
"Venerable" in French Masonry, and the Wardens
"Surveillants," but the officers, their number, prerogatives
and duties, are everywhere identical."
LANDMARK ELEVENTH
"The necessity that every lodge, when congregated, should be
duly tiled is an important Landmark of the institution, which is never
neglected. The necessity of this law arises from the
esoteric character of Masonry. As a secret institution, its
portals must of course be guarded from the intrusion of the profane,
and such a law must therefore always have been in force from the very
beginning of the Order. It is therefore properly classed among the most
ancient Landmarks. The office of Tiler is wholly independent of any
special enactment of Grand or Subordinate Lodges, although these may and
do prescribe for him additional duties, which vary in different
jurisdictions. But the duty of guarding the door, and keeping off
Cowan's and eavesdroppers, is an ancient one, which constitutes a
Landmark for the government." (Emphasis added)
LANDMARK TWELFTH
"The right of every Mason to be represented in all general
meetings of the Craft and to instruct his representatives is a twelfth
Landmark. Formerly, these general meetings, which were usually held once
a year, were called "General Assemblies," and all the
fraternity, even to the youngest Entered Apprentice, were permitted to
be present. Now they are called "Grand Lodge Sessions," and
only the Masters and Wardens of the Subordinate Lodges are summoned. But
this is simply as the representatives of their members. Originally, each
Mason represented himself; now he is represented by his officers and was
a concession granted by the fraternity about 1717, and of course does
not affect the integrity of the Landmark, for the principle of
representation is still preserved. The concession was only made for
purposes of convenience."
LANDMARK THIRTEENTH
"The Right of every Mason to appeal from the decision of his
brethren in Lodge convened, to the Grand Lodge or General Assembly of
Masons, is a Landmark highly essential to the preservation of justice,
and the prevention of oppression. A few modern Grand Lodges, in adopting
a regulation that the decision of Subordinate Lodges, in cases of
expulsion, cannot be wholly set aside upon an appeal, have violated this
unquestioned Landmark, as well as the principles of just
government."
LANDMARK FOURTEENTH
"THE RIGHT OF EVERY MASON TO VISIT and sit in every "regular"
Lodge is an unquestionable Landmark of the Order. This is called
"the right of visitation." This right of visitation has always
been recognized as an inherent right, which inures to every Mason as he
travels through the world. And this is because Lodges are justly
considered as only divisions for convenience of the universal Masonic
family. It is may of course be impaired or forfeited on special
occasions by various circumstances; (such as when a Prince Hall Mason
tries to visit a lodge that does not recognize Prince Hall Masonry) but
when admission is refused to a Mason in good standing, who knocks at the
door of a Lodge as a visitor, it is to be expected that some good and
sufficient reason shall be furnished for this violation, of what is in
general a Masonic right, founded on the Landmarks of the Order."
(Emphasis added)
LANDMARK FIFTEENTH
"It is a Landmark of the Order, that no visitor, unknown to the
brethren present, or to some one of them as a Mason, can enter a Lodge
without first passing an examination according to ancient usage. Of
course, if the visitor is known to any brother present to be a Mason in
good standing, and if that brother will vouch for his qualifications,
the examination may be dispensed with, as the Landmark refers only to
the cases of strangers, who are not to be recognized unless after due
trial, strict examination, or lawful information."
LANDMARK SIXTEENTH
"No Lodge can interfere in the business of another Lodge, nor
give degrees to brethren who are members of other Lodges. This is
undoubtedly an ancient Landmark, founded on the great principles of
courtesy and fraternal kindness, which are at the very foundation of our
institution. It has been repeatedly recognized by subsequent statutory
enactments of all Grand Lodges."
LANDMARK SEVENTEENTH
"It is a Landmark that every Freemason is amenable to the Laws
and Regulations of the Masonic jurisdiction in which he resides, and
this although he may not be a member of any Lodge. Non-affiliation,
which is, in fact in itself a Masonic offense, does not exempt a Mason
from Masonic Jurisdiction."
LANDMARK EIGHTEENTH
"Certain qualifications of candidates for initiation are derived
from a Landmark of the Order. These qualifications are that he shall be
a man (discrimination against women), shall be unmutilated
(discrimination against the handicap), free born
(used to discriminate against slaves in the past, and in some lodges
today against — African Americans — since
they are the descendants of slaves), and of mature or lawful age. That
is to say, a woman, a cripple, or a slave, or one born in slavery, is
disqualified for initiation into the rites of Masonry. Statutes, it is
true, have from time to time been enacted, enforcing or explaining these
principles; but the qualifications really arise from the very nature of
the Masonic institution, and from its symbolic teachings, and have
always existed as landmarks." (Emphasis added)
LANDMARK NINETEENTH
"A belief in the existence of a
Supreme Being as the GRAND ARCHITECT of the universe is one of
the most important Landmarks of the Order. It has been always deemed
essential that a denial of the existence of a Supreme and Superintending
Power is an absolute disqualification for initiation. The annals of the
Order never yet have furnished or could furnish an instance in which an
avowed atheist was ever made a Mason (although a few have slipped
through the cracks). The very initiatory ceremonies of the first degree
forbid and prevent the possibility of so monstrous an occurrence."
(Emphasis added)
Notice how there is no reference to a specific God, because it
doesn't matter, from a Masonic perspective, what God a Mason believes
in, since Freemasonry teaches that "God" is God regardless of
the name a Mason may use to refer to Him (or it) in his private
devotions (i.e. Allah, Buddha, Jehovah, Krishna, Lucifer, Ra, Jesus or
the Sun, Moon and Stars for that matter).
What is the implication of this Landmark in light of Deuteronomy
6:4, Isaiah
45:5, Exodus
20:3, Psalm
96:5, Matthew
28:19, John
1:1-2, I
Corinthians 10:19-21, II
Corinthians 13:14, Philippians
2:6 and Colossians
1:15-17?
LANDMARK TWENTIETH
"Subsidiary to this belief in God, as a
Landmark of the Order, is the belief in a resurrection to a future life.
This Landmark is not so positively impressed on the candidate by exact
words as the preceding; but this doctrine is taught by very plain
implication, and runs through the whole symbolism of the Order. To
believe in Masonry, and not to believe in a resurrection, would be an
absurd anomaly, which could only be excused by the reflection, that he
who thus confounded his belief and his skepticism, was so ignorant of
the meaning of both theories as to have no rational foundation for his
knowledge of either."
What is the implication of this Landmark in light of Daniel
12:2, Luke
16:19-31, John
5:28-29, John
11:25-26, John
14:6, Acts
24:25, II
Corinthians 5:8, I
Thessalonians 4:14-17, Ephesians
2:8-9, I
John 3:2 and Revelation
20:4-6?
LANDMARK TWENTY-FIRST
"It is a Landmark, that a "Book of
the Law" (or VSL = Volume of Scared Law)
shall constitute an indispensable part of the furniture
of every Lodge. I say advisedly, a Book of the Law,
because it is not absolutely
required that the Bible be used.
The "Book of the Law" is that volume which, by the
religion of the country, is believed to
contain the revealed will of the Grand Architect of the universe."
"Hence, in all Lodges in Christian
countries, the Book of the Law is composed of the Old and New
Testaments; in a country where Judaism was the prevailing faith, the Old
Testament alone would be sufficient; and in Mohammedan countries, and
among Mohammedan Masons the Koran might be
substituted."
"Masonry does not attempt to interfere
with the peculiar religious faith of its disciples
(which seems to imply that any faith outside the Masonic faith is
strange, odd, or abnormal), except so far as relates to the belief in
the existence of God, and what necessarily results from that belief. The
Book of the Law is to the speculative Mason his spiritual Trestle board;
without this he cannot labor; whatever he believes to be the revealed
will of the Grand Architect constitutes for him this spiritual Trestle
board, and must ever be before him in his hours of speculative labor, to
be the rule and guide of his conduct. The Landmark, therefore, requires
that a Book of the Law, a religious code of some kind
(of any kind), purporting to be an exemplar of the revealed will of God,
shall form an essential part of the furniture
of every Lodge." (Emphasis added)
What is the implication of this Landmark in light of Joshua
1:8, II
Timothy 3:16-17, II
Peter 1:20-21, Matthew
5:18 and John
16:12-13?
LANDMARK TWENTY-SECOND
"THE EQUALITY OF ALL MASONS is another
Landmark of the Order. This equality has no reference to any subversion
of those gradations of rank which have been instituted by the usages of
society. The monarch, the nobleman or the gentleman is entitled to all
the influence, and receives all the respect which rightly belongs to his
exalted position. But, the doctrine of Masonic equality implies that, as
children of one great Father, we meet in the Lodge upon the level-that on that
level-we are all traveling to one predestined goal, that in the Lodge
genuine merit shall receive more respect than boundless wealth, and that
virtue and knowledge alone should be the basis of all Masonic honors,
and be rewarded with preferment. When the labors of the Lodge are over,
and the brethren have retired from their peaceful retreat, to mingle
once more with the world, each will then again resume that social
position, and exercise the privileges of that rank, to which the customs
of society entitle him."
What is the implication of this Landmark in light of John
1:1-13, John
3:5-7, Romans
4:13-16, Romans
8:14, Romans
9:8, and Galatians
3:26-29?
LANDMARK TWENTY-THIRD
"The secrecy of the institution is another and a most important
Landmark. There is some difficulty in precisely defining what is meant
by a "secret society." If the term refers, as perhaps in
strictly logical language it should, to those associations whose designs
are concealed from the public eye, and whose members are unknowing which
produce their results in darkness, and whose operations are carefully
hidden from the public gaze — a definition which will be appropriate
to many political clubs and revolutionary combinations in despotic
countries, where reform, if it is at all to be effected, must be
effected by stealth — then clearly Freemasonry is not a secret
society. Its design is not only publicly proclaimed. But is vaunted by
its disciples as something to be venerated; its disciples are known, for
its membership is considered an honor to be coveted;
it works for a result of which
it boasts, the civilization, and reformation of his
manners." (Emphasis added)
"But if by a Secret society is meant, and this is the most
popular understanding of the term, a society in which there is a certain
amount of knowledge, whether it be of methods of recognition, or of
legendary and traditional learning, which is imparted to those only who
have passed through an established form of initiation, the form itself
being also concealed or esoteric, then in this
sense Freemasonry is undoubtedly a secret society. Now this form of
secrecy is a form inherent in it, existing with it from its very
foundation, and secured to it by its ancient Landmarks."
"If divested of its secret character, it would lose its
identity, and would cease to be Freemasonry. Whatever objections may,
therefore, be made to the institution, on account of its secrecy, and
however much some unskillful brethren have been willing in times of
trial, for the sake of expediency, to divest it of its secret character,
it will be ever impossible to do so, even were die Landmark not standing
before us as an insurmountable obstacle; because such change of its
character would be social suicide, and the death of the Order would
follow its legalized exposure. Freemasonry, as a secret association, has
lived unchanged for centuries an open society it would not last for as
many years."
LANDMARK TWENTY-FOURTH
"The foundation of a Speculative Science
upon an Operative Art, and the symbolic use and explanation of the terms
of that art, for purposes of religious or
moral teaching, constitute another Landmark of
the Order. The Temple of Solomon was the
cradle of the institution, and, therefore, the reference to the
operative Masonry, which constructed that magnificent edifice, to the
materials and implements which were employed in its construction, and to
the artists who were engaged in the building, are all component and
essential parts of the body of Freemasonry, which could not be
subtracted from it without an entire destruction of the whole identity
of the Order. Hence, all the comparatively modern rites of Masonry,
however they may differ in other respects, religiously
preserve this temple history and these operative elements, as the
substratum of all their modifications of the Masonic system."
(Emphasis added)
Satan always hides behind a facade; and he does not need a password
or dues card to enter the lodge in order to grip the hearts and minds of
Masons. If this is true, it is of utmost importance for us to discern
how the devil has used Freemasonry to distort the Biblical record. Satan
is not interested in destroying other faiths; he already knows that they
are counterfeit. He only cares about deceiving Christians, hence the use
of Bible "scripture twisting" in Freemasonry-one of his
craftiest works of art-rather than the counterfeit "Volumes of
Sacred Law" of other religions.
The paradox of Freemasonry is that from its formative years it began
with a rather Christian veneer (Satan's concealing outfit), even
adopting the Biblical account of the building of King Solomon's Temple
as the basis for its fictitious legend and espousing his wisdom. Yet, it
has evolved to a point where it is today-a haven of religious
syncretism-which just so happened to be what led to Solomon's calamity
and eventually his demise.
What is the implication of this Landmark in light of the "rise
and fall" of King Solomon found in I
Kings chapters 3 through chapter 11. More importantly, what is the
significance of what the Tabernacle/Temple represents from a Christian
perspective (The Temple of God)?
LANDMARK TWENTY-FIFTH
"The last and crowning
Landmark of all is that these Landmarks
can NEVER be changed! Nothing can be subtracted from them-nothing
can be added to them, and not the slightest modification can be made in
them. As they were received from our predecessors, we are bound by the
most solemn obligations of duty to transmit them to our successors. Not
one jot or one title of these unwritten laws can be repealed; for in
respect to them, we are not only willing but compelled to adopt the
language of the sturdy old barons of England — Nolumus
legen mutari." (Emphasis added)
So, although there is clearly Masonic doctrine that is contrary to
what the Bible teaches, by virtue of this Landmark, Freemasonry couldn't
correct its doctrine in order to make it more compatible with Scripture
even if it wanted to. In other words, this Masonic Landmark forces
Freemasonry into a permanent trap of remaining heretical in its
teachings forever.
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