John L. Cooper III

Lessing Addresses Masonic
Relief in the 18th Century

Masonic philanthropic outreach to society is a centuries-old tradition.

Brother Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, 1729-1781

Masonic relief for the less fortunate as an organized activity is often considered a modern phenomenon. Many people think of Masonic charities, such as the Shriners Hospitals or the RiteCare Childhood Language Program of the Scottish Rite, as purely modern inventions within Freemasonry, something newly created in the 20th century to “reach out” to the non-Masonic world through organized charity. It may come as a surprise to learn that “Masonic outreach” is more than two centuries old, and a commentary on its function within Freemasonry is found in a powerful Masonic work published in Germany in 1778. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a contemporary of other distinguished Freemasons, such as George Washington and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As a representative of the German Enlightenment, he was almost without equal. In 1778, he wrote Ernst and Falk, a dialogue patterned after Plato’s Dialogues. Falk is a Freemason, and, when the dialogue opens, he is engaged in a conversation with his friend Ernst. Ernst says to Falk, “Are you a Freemason?” Falk responds, “I believe myself to be one.” Falk agrees that he was initiated a Mason in a Masonic Lodge, but insists that this is not the real reason why he claims to be a Mason. Falk says, “I believe myself to be a Freemason—not so much for the reason that I was initiated by older Masons in a warranted Lodge, but because I understand and perceive what Freemasonry is and why it is.” Ernst is intrigued with what Freemasonry means to Falk, and Falk is glad to explain it.
One part of the dialogue is especially intriguing as it relates to Masonic relief. Falk, when challenged by Ernst to recount the things that Freemasons do for others—as opposed to themselves—is treated to a litany of Masonic philanthropies of the day: a foundling hospital in Stockholm, a workhouse for poor young girls in Dresden, a school for poor boys in Brunswick, and a free public school in Berlin.
Falk is modest, but Ernst presses him to admit that Freemasons do all this for the publicity they receive. Falk vehemently denies this, saying, “The real deeds of the Free-masons are so great, look so far ahead, that whole centuries could pass by before one was able to say, ‘That have they done!’” Ernst closes this part of the conversation with a riddle: “Good deeds…aim at making good deeds superfluous.”
Think carefully about the meaning of this riddle as you read about Masonic relief. Lessing is saying that good deeds are not just done to relieve a temporary distress, but rather to set in motion things that will ultimately make those deeds superfluous. In Lessing’s day, there were no hospitals for the poor; but Freemasons started them, and soon society came to accept responsibility for medical care for the poor. In Lessing’s day, there were no widespread public schools; but Freemasons created them, and soon society came to accept its responsibility for free public education.
Masonry believes in equality of men before God, and in 1776, a new political society, America, took its place among the nations of the Earth based on Masonic principles. Freemasons founded the Shriners Hospitals when children suffered from infantile paralysis. When that dreaded disease had been conquered, they turned to helping children with other needs.
Freemasonry is thus much more than a “relief society” dedicated to doing good works. It is an idea and an ideal—a force for good that changes the world for the better. And it has been doing so for almost 300 years.

John L. Cooper III is Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of California
1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108-2284; jlcooper@freemason.org
The above article is reprinted with permission from the California Freemason (Winter 2002).