The Secret History of Freemasonry by Paul Naudon

Author:Paul Naudon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inner Traditions / Bear & Company
Published: 2013-06-24T04:00:00+00:00

The Brotherhoods

The trade or community remained coupled with a brotherhood, a group that was assembled for religious or charitable purposes, placed under the protection of one or more patron saints, and established in the chapel of a church. The brotherhood was thus subject first and foremost to ecclesiastical authority. Long before the community, it was the first form of trade organization, reflecting the craft’s traditional and spiritual elements. While labor retained the supernatural values it had held since time immemorial, religious bonds closely committed the members to God and their fellows in the fulfillment of their daily tasks.

We have seen that in many regions and for a long time there were no trade communities, but only brotherhoods. These also remained the sole professional organizations of the francs métiers. When both groups coexisted, as was the case in Paris, they were no less distinct. They sometimes shared the same directors, but ordinarily their management and resources were clearly separate. Moreover, membership in the brotherhood was obligatory, as was membership in the community.

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