Every Freemason, after he has qualified in all three degrees, is issued with a Certificate from Grand Lodge confirming that the Brother whose name appears below has been duly accepted and registered in the books of the Grand Lodge of England.
    The Certificate is usually presented during a meeting of the Lodge, with an explanation of its contents and its uses. The design of this Certificate, we are told, has been unchanged since 1819. That is true of the general design, but of course there are little details that have to be changed from time to time: of these the most prominent is the title and coat of arms of the Grand Master at the top. Our present Grand Master, H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, being of the blood royal, uses the royal arms with what I believe is known in heraldry as a "difference" to distinguish between members of the same family. In our Duke’s case this consists of a narrow band or "label" along the top of the shield with five "points" hanging down, each containing an anchor. This is repeated in smaller form on the necks of the lion and the unicorn supporters. Our Grand Master also being a Knight of the Garter, the shield is surrounded by Honi soit qui mal y pense.
    It may be of some interest to know that my own Grand Lodge Certificate is almost the same as this – almost, but not quite. Why? Well, I was initiated in 1937 under the old Duke of Connaught who had been Grand Master since 1901, and I was looking forward to receiving a Certificate with his name on it. But the Duke of Connaught resigned eighteen months later, so that by the time I received my Certificate in 1939 there was a new coat of arms at the head and a new Grand Master called H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, K.G. I felt a certain disappointment.
    That Duke of Kent, who was the father of our present Grand Master, was installed in July 1939 but was tragically killed on active service just three years later and the Earl of Harewood was elected in his place. No more certificates under a Duke of Kent’s name were issued until 1967. My disappointment disappeared completely, for I now realise that my Certificate is something of a rarity: between 1939 and 1942 masonic activity was severely limited by wartime conditions and less Certificates than usual were issued. I wonder how many there still are with that former Duke of Kent’s name on them? It would be interesting to hear from any Brother who has one.
    The next difference to note is that the text of a modern Certificate is entirely in English. My Certificate has the text in English on the left and in Latin on the right. In those days it was still assumed that every educated man, whatever his own language was, would know a little Latin and would therefore be understood in any part of the world. I must admit that I was always amused to see myself described as Ricardus.
    So much for changes; now a few reflections on things that have not changed. Look first at the three pillars with capitals of the Ionic, Doric and Corinthian Orders of Architecture figuratively representing Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. The only thing wrong with them is that all three are shown as the same height; to be correct, the Corinthian pillar should be taller than the Ionic, and the Doric should be shorter – but that would give an unbalanced picture so the designer has used "artistic licence" and made them equal.
    In the Lodge these pillars become the columns (and candlesticks) of the principal officers: the Ionic (the central one on the certificate) stands by the Master, the Doric (on your left) by the Senior Warden, and the Corinthian by the Junior Warden.
    It is important to remember which is which. On several occasions I have been in Lodges where the columns have been set out wrongly: the most common mistake is to suppose that the Corinthian, being the tallest, ought to be the Master’s.
    Below, on the black and white flooring, stand various articles with the Bible at the centre. In some printed explanations it is stated that the working tools of the three degrees are here depicted; this is, strictly speaking, untrue, for however hard you look, you will not find a skirret.
    In fact, every item depicted here is mentioned in the First Degree, either in the Initiation Ceremony or in the First Degree Lecture – which I strongly recommend every mason to study.
    Finally, perhaps the most important thing on the certificate, is the seal of the United Grand Lodge of England which validates it.
    The printed explanation of the Certificate optimistically declares that if you examine the seal closely you will see certain Hebrew characters on it. I defy anyone actually to see them, but they are there all right, and they are Kodesh Io Adonai, "Holiness to the Lord", reminding us that although Freemasonry is not, and can never be, a Religion, it is open only to men who believe in a Supreme Being, and when asked "In Whom do you put your trust?" can unhesitatingly answer, "In God". This is what raises Freemasonry from a social and charitable club into a System of Morality whose foundations are well and truly laid in the Volume of the Sacred Law.