What is Freemasonry
Norman Frederick De Clifford’s booklet is not an attack on Freemasonry; it is a concise, sympathetic illustration written from inside the Craft to present its history, symbols, and moral aims in a favourable light. And says that Masonry takes a good man and tries to make him better
We shall endeavour to show all who may read this series of books, that the system of Morality embodied in Masonry embraces the ethics of all Religions, all Science and all Philosophies that have ever existed upon the face of the earth. At the same time, you dear Brothers must distinctly understand that Masonry advocates no special Religion.
It does not teach Buddhism, although the Free-Mason who has been "duly and truly prepared" thoroughly comprehends its basic principles as well as the Vedic mythology of Ancient Masonry does not teach or believe in Sun worship, yet Master Mason knows all the profound philosophical truths that underlie the Religions of the ancient Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Peruvians, Britons, Scandinavians and the Sun Worshipers of the world universal. Masonry does not teach the Religion of Mohammed. Neither do Freemasons believe in its prophet as the inspiration of God?
Masonry does not teach or ask its members to practice Hebraism any farther than a belief in the One, Eternal, Everlasting, Supreme Architect of the Universe.
Neither does Masonry teach Christ or Christianity? But it does most assuredly Claim that Religion has or contains the whole of TRUTH. But it teaches every Freemason to believe and positively know that each and every one does contain a part of the Eternal Verities of the Ancient Wisdom Religion that was taught by a Venerable Association or Brotherhood of ancient India.
Freemasons believe in the ONE ABSOLUTE EVERLASTING GOD, a knowledge of whom passeth all understanding. Be- fore whom all men bow in Awe and Adoration. Third Concerning the Allegories, Legends, and Symbols that permeates the whole of Masonry. We will endeavor to lift the veil and unfold to you their True meaning. Religions of every age, from the most ancient to the present day, are filled with Allegories.
We also find them permeating the mythologies of all nations and peoples. The Brahmins, Zarathustra and ancient Egyptians used them. So did the Babylonians, Phoenicians, Peruvians and Scandinavians. And it The Lion's Paw Series is a well-known fact that the Jewish Rabbits used them in their religious teachings more freely than (perhaps) any other people.
The Christian philosophy is full of them, in fact, Christ Himself is taught in parables (Allegories). They seem to have been the favorite method adopted by the ancient members of our Royal Craft in order to hide from the profane their Esoteric mysteries. The Legends, Allegories and Sym- bols of Masonry are purely Allegorical.
They teach us a knowledge of Life, Death and the Immortality of the Soul. All our Masonic Legends, Allegories and Symbols are perfectly and easily understood by those who have been "duly and truly prepared" and who have put themselves into a position to Receive and understand them. More especially is this so to him who has kept his First Vow To subdue his passions and improve himself in Masonry. In this series we will endeavor to unfold some of the most sublime Truths that are embodied in the Allegories and Symbolism of our most Illustrious Fraternity.
Fourth. We shall find a most profoundly beautiful scientific philosophy in the Metaphysical and Ethical teachings of Masonry which are embodied in those Allegories and Symbols. We shall also find that those sublime teachings and that profound Scientific Philosophy have come down to us from a Venerable Association or Brotherhood of India known as "The Great School of the Masters
Study Notes
Freemasonry – What It Is
These notes summarise the booklet’s principal arguments and supply modern context for 2027 readers.
I. Author & Purpose
• Norman Frederick De Clifford (1864–1927), American Masonic lecturer and historian.
• Written as a concise “plain-English” defence and explanation of Freemasonry for outsiders and new members during the anti-Masonic suspicions of the 1920s.
II. Core Definition Offered by the Booklet
Freemasonry is:
“A peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”
The three pillars of the Craft are Brotherly Love, Relief (charity), and Truth.
III. Historical Sketch Given in the Text
• Legendary origin: stonemason guilds of medieval Europe.
• Transition from “operative” (stone-working) to “speculative” (moral-philosophical) Masonry, completed by the early 1700s.
• Establishment of the first Grand Lodge in London, 1717; rapid spread to Europe and North America.
IV. Organisational Structure Outlined
• Three symbolic “Blue Lodge” degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason.
• Optional “appendent” bodies: Royal Arch, Cryptic Masons, Knights Templar, Scottish Rite (4°–33°).
• Governance: local lodges under Grand Lodges; no single worldwide authority.
V. Symbols & Allegory Emphasised
• Working tools (square, compasses, level, plumb-rule) → moral lessons.
• Temple of Solomon narrative → personal character-building.
• All-seeing Eye, pillars J∴ & B∴, mosaic pavement, etc. → constant reminders of ethical conduct.
VI. Moral & Philosophical Teachings Cited
• Belief in a Supreme Being (the “Great Architect of the Universe”) required; specific religious dogma excluded.
• Fraternal secrecy protects modes of recognition, grips, and ritual drama—not political conspiracy.
• Charity extended to widows, orphans, and disaster relief.
VII. Common Misconceptions Addressed in 1920s Context
• Not a religion or substitute for one.
• Not a political lobby or subversive society.
• Not connected with occultism or tax-exempt “secret-government” theories popular in the era.
Quotes:
“Masonry takes a good man and tries to make him better.”
“The secrets of Freemasonry are the modes of recognition—its truths are open to the world.”
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