Book Third. The Law of Individuals.
Passing from the consideration of the law, which refers to Masons in their congregated masses, as the constituents of Grand and Subordinate Lodges, I next approach the discussion of the law which governs, them in their individual capacity, whether in the inception of their masonic life, as candidates for initiation, or in their gradual progress through each of the three degrees, for it will be found that a Mason, as he assumes new and additional obligations, and is presented with increased light, contracts new duties, and is invested with new prerogatives and privileges.
Chapter I: Of the Qualifications of Candidates.
Section I. Of the Moral Qualifications of Candidates.Section II. Of the Physical Qualifications of Candidates.Section III. Of the Intellectual Qualifications of Candidates.Section IV. Of the Political Qualifications of Candidates.Section V. Of the Petition of Candidates for Admission, and the Action Thereon.Section VI. Of Balloting for Candidates.Section VII. Of the Reconsideration of the Ballot.Section VIII. Of the Renewal of Applications by Rejected Candidates.Section IX. Of the Necessary Probation and Due Proficiency of Candidates before AdvancementSection X. Of Balloting for Candidates in each Degree.Section XI. Of the Number to be Initiated at one Communication.Section XII. Of Finishing the Candidates of one Lodge in another.Section XIII. Of the Initiation of Non-residents.
Chapter II: Of the Rights of Entered Apprentices.
Chapter III: Of the Rights of Fellow Crafts.
Chapter IV: Of the Rights of Master Masons.
Section I. Of the Right of Membership.Section II. Of the Right of Visit.Section III. Of the Examination of Visitors.Section IV. Of Vouching for a Brother.Section V. Of the Right of Claiming Relief.Section VI. Of the Right of Masonic Burial.
Chapter V: Of the Rights of Past Masters.
Chapter VIII: Of Unaffiliated Masons.
Book Fourth. Of Masonic Crimes and Punishments.
Chapter I: Of What Are Masonic Crimes.
Chapter II: Of Masonic Punishments.
Section I. Of Censure.Section II. Of Reprimand.Section III. Of Exclusion from the Lodge.Section IV. Of Definite Suspension.Section V. Of Indefinite Suspension.Section VI. Of Expulsion.
Chapter III: Of Masonic Trials.
Section I. Of the Form of Trial.Section II. Of the Evidence in Masonic Trials.
Chapter IV: Of the Penal Jurisdiction of a Lodge.
Preface
In presenting to the fraternity a work on the Principles of Masonic Law, it is due to those for whom it is intended, that something should be said of the design with which it has been written, and of the plan on which it has been composed. It is not pretended to present to the craft an encyclopedia of jurisprudence, in which every question that can possibly arise, in the transactions of a Lodge, is decided with an especial reference to its particular circumstances. Were the accomplishment of such an herculean task possible, except after years of intense and unremitting labor, the unwieldy size of the book produced, and the heterogeneous nature of its contents, so far from inviting, would rather tend to distract attention, and the object of communicating a knowledge of the Principles of Masonic Law, would be lost in the tedious collation of precedents, arranged without scientific system, and enunciated without explanation.
When I first contemplated the composition of a work on this subject, a distinguished friend and Brother, whose opinion I much respect, and with whose advice I am always anxious to comply, unless for the most satisfactory reasons, suggested the expediency of collecting the decisions of all Grand Masters, Grand Lodges, and other masonic authorities upon every subject of Masonic Law, and of presenting them, without commentary, to the fraternity.
But a brief examination of this method, led me to perceive that I would be thus constructing simply a digest of decrees, many of which would probably be the results of inexperience, of prejudice, or of erroneous views of the masonic system, and from which the authors themselves have, in repeated instances, subsequently receded--for Grand Masters and Grand Lodges, although entitled to great respect, are not infallible--and I could not, conscientiously, have consented to assist, without any qualifying remark, in the extension and perpetuation of edicts and opinions, which, however high the authority from which they emanated, I did not believe to be in accordance with the principles of Masonic jurisprudence.
Another inconvenience which would have attended the adoption of such a method is, that the decisions of different Grand Lodges and Grand Masters are sometimes entirely contradictory on the same points of Masonic Law. The decree of one jurisdiction, on any particular question, will often be found at variance with that of another, while a third will differ from both. The consultor of a work, embracing within its pages such distracting judgments, unexplained by commentary, would be in doubt as to which decision he should adopt, so that coming to the inspection with the desire of solving a legal question, he would be constrained to close the volume, in utter despair of extracting truth or information from so confused a mass of contradictions.
This plan I therefore at once abandoned. But knowing that the jurisprudence of Masonry is founded, like all legal science, on abstract principles, which govern and control its entire system, I deemed it to be a better course to present these principles to my readers in an elementary and methodical treatise, and to develop from them those necessary deductions which reason and common sense would justify.
Hence it is that I have presumed to call this work "The Principles of Masonic Law." It is not a code of enactments, nor a collection of statutes, nor yet a digest of opinions; but simply an elementary treatise, intended to enable every one who consults it, with competent judgment, and ordinary intelligence, to trace for himself the bearings of the law upon any question which he seeks to investigate, and to form, for himself, a correct opinion upon the merits of any particular case.
Blackstone, whose method of teaching