I thought I had responded to that, but obviously not. Here, then, is the response: "The First Grand Light" can have two meanings: 1) It's the first of 3, with the S&C being the other two; 2) it's the first of the VSL's, all of which can be a jurisdiction's Grand Light.
Naturally, as always, you ignore context when it doesn't suit your argument. The statement as it reads says:
38.27 Use of Bible containing extraneous matter is not proper. The First Grand Light in Masonry is the unadorned Holy Bible. (1941 Proc. 82)
You forget, too, that the same Digest of Masonic Law in Florida says:
The written law of Masonry is embraced in the Holy Bible, the Constitution and legislation of Grand Lodge, and the Laws, Rules and Regulations of the Particular Lodges, respectively, to which every Mason in his proper sphere of fraternal jurisdiction should yield dutiful conformity.
That's the Holy Bible first, then the other regulations, because these are listed "RESPECTIVELY," meaning, this is the order in which they are considered authoritative.
The notation at the end of the statement in paragraph 38.27 shows the year and lists the decision by number. This is a statement which has stood on the books since 1941.
That makes your claim rather interesting, given that your number 2) is based on ideas which developed long after that point. The idea of "Grand Light" is never used in relation to any other book but the Bible. [The only usages of "Grand Light" I found otherwise, were (1) references in an appendant degree of Masonry, and (2) a degree by that name in some of the continental degrees.] Besides the one reference to it in Florida Digest of Masonic Law, I have found extremely few places the term is used as an alternate understanding of "Great Light." First of all, these two:
We should not bring our business troubles within our Lodge rooms t5o disturb its peace and harmony, nor should we open these gaping woulds in our courts of justice, to the idle and curious, but we should get together, like men and brethren, and settle our troubles as we are taught to do, by that Grand Light that should be our guide in all the affairs of life.
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (L.S. Myler, Jewels of Masonic Oratory, p. 416)
The fact that this one quotes from it immediately after referring to it, makes it clear what the intent of the reference is.
If God is not in Masonry then have I studied it in vain. Take Him out of it, or cease to honor Him in it, and it is scarcely more than sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. As to the evil of profanity and drunkenness, the unpublished edict of the Grand Lodge is clear and emphatic, and should be rigidly enforced.If we expect Masonry to prosper in its mission it should be pure. We will certainly see it die whenever we allow its holy precepts to be trampled under foot. The best and purest of its members will leave it with a sigh that its First Grand Light is so grossly dishonored." (GL of Canada, Proceedings, 1896, p. ii)
With this one, the very date veritably precludes the reference as anything but the Holy Bible, being in a North American GL statement in 1896.
And the only other one I could find was this snippet reference:
... of all masonic law, and of the by-laws of this Grand Lodge, and a shameful violation of the Grand Light, (GL of Iowa, Proceedings Vol. 6, p. 37)
Not much context was available to determine, but as this one also had to do with similar subject matter as the previous one, and with vol. 6 of their proceedings being, if I am correct, circa 1870, there is little doubt what Book was the intent of the reference here as well.
The idea of "Great Light" of Masonry in reference to any book other than the Holy Bible--despite the fact that even now such usages go against the far more widespread practice of the use of the term as an indication of the Holy Bible--has been a recent development, making an interpretation of a 1941 statement in a Florida ruling of Masonic Law highly unlikely, it not ruling it out completely.
One thing is for certain, the use of "Grand" interchangeably with "Great," though it occurs commonly in reference to "Grand" or "Great" Architect of the Universe, is extremely rare as an alternate for "Great" Light, in regard to the book on the altar. There are specific reasons for it, of course. For one, if you will remember, "Great Light" was not in vogue at the inception of the Grand Lodge era. The date generally given for its introduction into Masonry is 1760. But that is not the whole story. The term "Great Light" was in vogue in other ways much earlier than that; it simply had not been associated as yet with the Bible on the altar. The Johannite Masons, for example, had as a part of their tradition, an emphasis upon the proclamation of John the Baptist, whose main proclamation came from the book of Isaiah. A familiar verse to them from Isaiah was, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." There was also a key focus upon the prologue to the Gospel of John, and the interplay contained therein between themes of darkness and light.
Since "great light" already had a history as a tradition in Masonry in another sense, it therefore makes sense that an interchange of that term in the same manner in which "Great Architect" often became "Grand Architect," was almost unheard of.
George Oliver was well aware of the Johannite Masons (as his writings attest), and was very knowledgeable about the subject matter of the features of Johannite Masonry and the more recent introductions into Masonry by Hemming. There were themes in Johannite Masonry with very intentional focus upon this idea of "great light." Interestingly, Oliver takes his discussion of such matters to those and to several other key places that Masonry has taken it, with some fascinating results:
This interpretation of the Shekinah or Light, appears to have been the mystery so frequently referred to in the New Testament. Thus Christ himself said: "I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." St. Paul repeatedly expresses himself to the same effect. To the Romans he speaks of a mystery which was kept secret since the world began." To the Ephesians he also refers to "the mystery which, from the beginning of the world, hath been hidden." And the expression in the original does not vary, when he reminds the Colossians of "a mystery that hath been hid from ages." The secret which so frequently constituted the subject of scripture prophecy, must have been of vast importance. It had been carefully concealed from all the world, except a select few in every age, and they were not favoured with a clear conception of' its nature and end. Thus it continued an ineffable mystery which the angels of heaven desired to look into, from the beginning of time. The great exultation which was displayed amongst the hosts of heaven, is described in the Apocalypse, when Christ was declared worthy to open the BOOK OF SECRETS; into which neither angels, men, nor infernal spirits were thought worthy to look. This inviolable mystery was no other than the revelation of Light, or scripture morality, by the true Shekinah of God, during a visible and bodily appearance on earth. And to whom was this Light revealed? St. Paul tells us that it was first communicated to the Apostles, and from them it passed to all who should faithfully receive it. And thus was fulfilled a series of remarkable predictions uttered by the prophet Isaiah. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great Light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the Light shined," And again, "he will destroy the covering cast over all people; and the veil that is spread over all-nations." For this reason the Messiah was termed anatolē, the East; because in the prophetical style the East signified Revelation, or the moral light of God. Tile prophet Zechariah, according to the Septuagint, says: "Behold the man whose name is the EAST;" and again: "I send my servant the East." The same phraseology is preserved by Zacharias, speaking under the influence of Light. "The day spring (the East) from on high hath. visited us, to give Light to them that sit in darkness;" for the prophet Malachi had said that when the time was accomplished for the revelation of this ineffable secret, the Shekinah, or Sun of Righteousness "should arise (in the East) with healing on his wings." We have no reason to believe that the Shekinah was withdrawn at the ascension of Christ; although, so far as regards the science of Speculative Masonry, it forms a subject of sublime speculation and unceasing interest. This beatific principle continued to enlighten saints and holy men until the temple was finally destroyed, and true religion so firmly established as to need no visible manifestation from on high. It appeared in a glorious Light to the first martyr Stephen, who "saw the glory of God, and Jesus Christ standing on the right hand of God." It was manifested to Saul in so vehement a Light as for a time to deprive him of his vision. And at Pentecost the Holy Ghost was commissioned to be, as it were, a substitute for the Shekinah, and appeared in the form of fire hovering over the Apostles. Bishop Andrews, citing Eusebius, says: "the glory of Christ is now much greater than it appeared on the mount of transfiguration; with which, if his apostles were then dazzled, how can it be now expressed!" And this glory is described by St. John as "the God Omnipotent; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; appearing on his throne of Light crowned, and with eyes like flames of fire." This word signifies not only the rising of the Sun, but the place where it first appears. (George Oliver, Theocratic Philosophy of Freemasonry, p. 14-15)
We are indebted to Oliver, who did his homework and knew the source of these things. But to check up on his account of things here, looking in Strong's for "dayspring," we find it as he has stated the matter, and not just from the Septuagint as he has related it:
395. anatolē
1) a rising (of the sun and stars)
2) the east (the direction of the sun's rising)
The very term "Great Light" then, goes back to Isaiah, the reference in Isaiah goes back to Shekinah, the Shekinah reference is a typological reference to Christ, the term "dayspring" which has reference to Christ, points us to a reference to the rising of the sun, the sun reference puts us in mind of the Malachi reference to the rising of the "Sun of Righteousness."
All of these things, in turn, put us in mind of the things of Masonry: the circumambulation of the altar, said to be in reference to the sun's cycles also; the references to "the east," which as we find in the "dayspring" reference--which, literally, means "the east"--have reference to Christ also; the references to "light," "more light," and "further light."
It also elucidates for us some of the references commonly found in Masonry: to Genesis, "and God said, let there be light, and there was light"; to John, "In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"; "and the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it"; thus it is no surprise that Masonry eventually got around to associating the idea of the "Great Light," which is Christ, with the written Word, of which Christ is the very embodiment.
Then, there is also the custom of not passing between the altar, on which lies the Bible, the "Great Light," and the WM of the lodge, whose symbolic designation of "Master" is itself a veiled reference to Christ, who cannot be separated from the concept of the written Word, He being its expression in its greatest fullness.
It's remarkable how keyed in Oliver was to the significance of these things in regard to Masonry, and in regard to what they truly symbolize. In this one brief discussion of Shekinah and its relation to the symbolism, he unveils an incredible amount of the most basic biblical and Christian symbolism that can be found in Blue Lodge symbolism. Those who created the system knew exactly what they were doing, and it is an extraordinary work of symbolic concealment; Oliver's understanding of it is no less extraordinary. The symbolism thus portrayed is so direct and so abundant, that it would be the most superficial treatment of it for someone to try to claim that it was "coincidence." The sheer abundance of the symbols alone cries against such an understanding. The very presence of the many OT typological references to Christ, which biblical scholars agree are extraordinary but do occur, as an intentional inclusion by the Bible's true Author; would seem to suggest, that such an extraordinary convergence of symbolic references that all indicate Christ as their object, if such was not the intent of the human authors of Masonry, must certainly indicate that the same Author of our Holy Writ, Old and New Testaments, had a hand in bringing about the same phenomenon by "accident" as it occurs in such strong and abundant Christological references in Masonry. Either way, one thing is clear: the intent is there, whether one wishes to acknowledge it as human or divine. There are far too many to ignore, or to misattribute to "chance" or "accident" or "coincidence."
