Ebenezer Lodge #76
In our degrees we are taught that it is the internal qualifications of a man, not the external, that make him qualified to be a Mason.
What does this mean?
Does it mean that it doesn’t matter what Masons wear to Lodge? When I hear the words “internal, not external” it’s usually in the context of objections to a dress code for lodge meetings. Somehow, I didn’t think the original meaning of those words had anything to do with flip flops and tee shirts versus a suit and tie. I looked for an answer. Instead of suits or overalls, the external refers to things someone can observe about a candidate for Freemasonry.
Mackey divides the external qualifications of a candidate into five types.
The Moral. The candidate observes the precepts of moral law and leads a virtuous life.
The Religious. The candidate must express a belief in God.
The Physical. The candidate must be a man of lawful age.
The Mental. A man must have the mental capacity to understand what Freemasonry is and to undertake the responsibilities of being a Mason.
The Political. A man must be free born, in other words, a man who was not born a slave. In the US, this hasn’t been a consideration for more than a hundred years.
These external qualifications, while necessary to be a Mason, really don’t describe the things that truly qualify a man to be a Mason. Instead, we must look deeper, to the internal qualifications.
What about the internal? Again, according to Mackey these are things we can only assume based on what a candidate tells us; others can’t just look at a man and know the truth of the matter. These all play into why a man chooses to become a Mason.
Mackey lists four internal qualifications for a man to be a Mason.
Free will and accord: He is applying because he wants to, not because he is being forced to do so.
Mercenary motives: He is not applying because he expects some sort of financial gain.
Favorable opinion: He is applying because he believes being a Mason is something good and special.
And lastly, that he is willing to follow the traditions and customs of Freemasonry.
Nowhere do I see anything about how a man looks or dresses on Dr. Mackey’s lists.
It’s obvious our Ancient Brothers were thinking that a man’s character is much more important than how he looks, who his parents were, or what his most recent bank balance might be. Mackey doesn’t list any of these as qualifications to be a Mason. I guess you could say that what is important to People Magazine, the superficial, isn’t what should be important to Freemasonry.
In short, the external are the qualities the world can see that show that a man is a lawful candidate for Freemasonry-not necessarily a good man or a good Mason, but the minimum standards for a candidate to become a Mason. The internal refers to the things that only the man in question can know and say.
So what are some of the internal qualifications, the things that should matter? I don’t know that there’s an official list. I also don’t know how to read minds to determine thoughts. Here’s a list of some of the things I believe are important qualities for a Mason.
He meets his commitments.
He admits his mistakes.
He avoids unnecessary conflict in his personal and private affairs.
He is kind and considerate toward others.
He takes a stand on things that are important.
He willingly protects those who cannot protect themselves.
He holds himself to higher standards than he sets for others.
He avoids gossiping.
He stays silent when telling the truth would cause unnecessary hurt to someone else, yet doesn’t hesitate to tell the truth, even to his own detriment, when standing silent will cause harm to another.
He gives credit where credit is due.
He accepts blame and declines credit for the actions of those under his supervision.
He can disagree without being disagreeable.
He accepts that others can have opinions that differ from his and still be good people.
He recognizes his own shortcomings and tries to correct them.
He judges others based on their internal qualities, not by how they look.
He tries to be a little better each day than he was the day before.
I’ll readily admit I don’t always meet the standards in my list. Each day I try to be a little better, but some days, probably most days, I fall short. But that doesn’t mean that I should stop trying.
I left out the most important quality of a Mason, so let’s add it to the list.
He looks at the internal qualifications of a man, not the external, when he chooses his friends and Brothers.
Ricky Stevens
Ebenezer Lodge #76
Senatobia, MS
