De Grasse-Tilly and the Early Supreme Council : 1786 – 1802
3 . The Constitutions of 1762 , 1786 Ahmend Francken Manuscript .
4 . The Constitutions of 1762 , 1797 Pierre Dupont Delorme Register .
Principles , and that it be certified by three Knights Princes , that he is Born of free Parents and hath lived with good Credit and Reputation , and been properly Received in all the preceding Degrees of Masonry , and at all times given proof of Obedience , Submission , Zeal , and Constancy to the Order ; and sufficiently at liberty to Contract the Obligations of the Venerable Knighthood – When , he shall be admitted to the Sublime Degree of the Highest Perfection , and consequently able to fulfill them all exactly , and to Obey the Most Illustrious Grand Master-Commander , his Officers , and the most Powerful Sovereign Grand Councils of Sublime Princes assembled – three Knights , Princes Masons ; nor unless he is born of free parents ; nor unless he has conducted himself well , and enjoys a good reputation , and has , as such , been admitted in all the preceding degrees of Masonry ; nor unless he has at all times given proofs of his obedience , docility , zeal , fervour and constancy ; nor , finally , unless he is free to take upon himself the obligations of Venerable Sublime Masonry , when admitted to the sublime degree of High Perfection , and also free
punctually to obey the Th∴ Ill∴ , Sovereign Grand Commander , his Officers , and the Sovereign and Puissant Grand Council , of the Sublime Princes , when assembled .
Article 2 . d
The Royal Art or Society of free and accepted Masons , is divided by Order , into Twenty five Degrees , Known & Proved – The first is inferior to the second , that to the third , and so on , in a successive progression to the twenty fifth , the Sublime and last Degree , which Commands and Governs all the others without Exception ~ Turn over to 3d article
ARTICLE II .
The Royal Art , or the Association of Free and Accepted Masons , is generally divided into 25 known degrees . The first is below the second , the second below the third , and so on in successive progression to the 25 th , which is the Sublime and last , that governs and commands all the others without exception .
Classes
All these degrees are distributed into seven Classes , thro ’ which , one must Pass , without dispensation , and must follow exactly the Order of time and distance between each Degree , which are ranged by Mysterious Number –
Class 1 st . Consists of three Degrees , called Symbolicks ~
N o 1 . Apprentice – subject to the Fellow 3 years Craft to be received requires 2 d . Fellow Craft , both these subject to 5 years the Master , to arise hither , must be Apprentice 3 d . Master , all these subject to the Superior 7 Degree , to become Fellow Craft and Master which is three times five years 15
The whole of the degrees are divided into seven classes , through which no one can be excused from passing , nor from observing punctually the order of times and the distances fixed between the degrees , divided by mysterious numbers , as follows :
1st class : 3 Degrees .
1 . To attain the degree of App ., 3 mos . 2 . From App ., to Fellow-Craft , 5 " 3 . From F . Craft to Master , 7 "
15 mos ... 3 x 5
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