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Canon Richard Tydeman During the ceremony of Initiation the new Freemason is commended for his ‘meek and candid behaviour’, and I wonder if the meaning of that phrase is generally understood? Unfortunately the word ‘meek’ has become, for many people, synonymous with ‘weak’ and therefore by no means a desirable quality to possess. This is a pity because meekness in its original sense is a proof of inner strength and restraint. There are many references to meekness in the Bible which show it as being very far from weakness: for instance, in Numbers, (ch.12, v.3), we find ‘Moses was very meek’ – and I don’t think that even his most severe critics could ever have described Moses as ‘very weak’! Meekness is commended in the Psalms, the Prophets and in many books of the New Testament; in fact we are told in several places that ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’. So what is this meekness which so merits admiration? Most dictionaries just say it means ‘gentleness of temper’ or ‘submissiveness’ but the Biblical use goes much deeper. Cruden’s Concordance of the Holy Scriptures describes meekness thus: ‘a humble, submissive frame of spirit, ready to receive and entertain the truths of God’. In other words, meekness means being prepared to learn, having a general desire of knowledge, the ability to accept instruction from others, to submit and obey when necessary. A weak man would struggle madly to be free from restraint; a meek man will accept restraint for what it is, and thus escape the great dangers of rashly advancing and of hastily retreating. So now, what about ‘candid’? This is a word that does not appear at all in either the Old or the New Testament but it has an interesting history: the Latin word candidus means ‘white’ and because it was the custom in ancient Rome for applicants for office to appear clad in white robes, such applicants were therefore known as ‘candidates’ and we still use such words today. But white robes are one thing and ‘white’ conduct is another and so the word ‘candid’ has come to mean ‘clean, frank, ingenuous, fair or impartial’. Our new Freemason has already heard another word derived from the same source for when he first entered the Lodge he was asked some questions which, the Master said, ‘I trust he will, answer with candour’, and this he did, sincerely, frankly and fairly. Altogether then, ‘meek and candid behaviour’ involves a willingness to learn the truths of God and man, recognising that self-restraint is a virtue and accepting all this with frankness and impartiality. Of all the mistaken ideas of Freemasonry, there are two which I find puzzling because they are the direct opposite of each other. The first mistaken idea is that the Lodge is a sort of elite dining club whose members will go to any lengths to assist each other, even resorting to illegal acts to do so. The second is that masons are men who have sold their souls to the devil and have to do what their masters tell them, without question. The first of these mistaken ideas concentrates on our principle of ‘Relief’. Masons have their charities and therefore they are inward-looking and self-serving and inordinately proud. People who think like that are not likely to have any respect for meekness or candour: it usually means that they are jealous of the satisfaction that masons enjoy and they attribute that satisfaction to the selfish ends which they themselves value. It is no use telling them that of all the masonic charities by far the biggest is the Grand Charity which contributes millions of pounds annually to non-masonic causes both religious and secular. They have their fixed opinions – usually at least a century out of date – and nothing will alter them. The second mistaken idea proclaims that masonry must be a religion because meetings open with prayer – so do the daily sessions of parliament, but they forget that. Furthermore, as our prayer does not actually mention the name of Christ they conclude that it must be addressed to the devil – or to someone they refer to as ‘the masonic god’. This leads to accusations of – at best – Pelagianism and at worst, blasphemy. Thus the behaviour of the meek and candid initiate becomes, for them, the weak and abandoned slavery of the blind leading the blind. How to judge masonry How can we set these mistaken ideas right? Modern methods of communication have stripped mystery from most aspects of life and books of masonic ritual are readily available for all to read, so what remains? Surely the answer lies within ourselves. Masonry today will be judged not by the contents of our rituals or by its use of religious and secular terms. It will be judged by the behaviour of Brethren in their everyday lives, by what we say and by what we do outside the lodge. We are taught never to use our membership of the Craft to try and gain preferment or financial advantage but neither should we be afraid to acknowledge our membership in public. Recruits to Freemasonry are expected to have ‘a favourable opinion preconceived of the Institution’ and the only way they can ever do that is by knowing who are masons and who are not – and knowing the difference! Let us therefore continue to practise what is preached in our ritual and demonstrate to the world the true meaning of meek and candid behaviour.
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