Conclusion

We will never truly know the origins of Freemasonry. All we do know factually, is that prior to 1717, there were lodges in England, Scotland, Ireland, and probably elsewhere too. That in 1717, four of these lodges decided to form a Grand Lodge. We also know that the one common thread across all of these different groups, whether it be the Ancient Mystery Schools of Egypt, the Essenes, Templar Knights, Royal Society, or Freemason Guilds, is a passion and a love for humanity. An understanding and appreciation for the belief in God and an enlightened view of Science. Most importantly, a belief in religious toleration. But more than that, it was not just a simple toleration for another person’s faith, but an understanding that in the end, we all pray at the feet of the same Divine Architect, we just use different names and rituals to achieve his Divine Grace.

Suggested Readings

Foundations: new light on the formation and early years of
The Grand Lodge of England The 2016 Prestonian Lecture by Ric Berman
The Magus of Freemasonry: The Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole
Scientist, Alchemist, and Founder of the Royal Society by Tobias Churton
The Regius Poem or Halliwell Manuscript
by James O. Halliwell (Author), Carl E. Weaver (Editor)
The Symbolism of Freemasonry Illustrating and Explaining Its Science
and Philosophy, Its Legends, Myths and Symbols by Albert Gallatin Mackey
Freemasonry and its Relation to the Essenes:
Foundations of Freemasonry Series by William Wynn Westcott
The New Atlantis by Francis Bacon
John Theophilus Desaguliers: A Natural Philosopher, Engineer
and Freemason in Newtonian England by Audrey T. Carpenter