{"product_id":"the-origin-of-freemasonry-chalmers-izett-paton-9798242834170","title":"The Origin of Freemasonry: The 1717 Theory Exploded","description":"THE ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY: THE 1717 THEORY EXPLODED\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs Freemasonry a Modern Invention or an Ancient Order?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor years, critics and historians have rallied around the \"1717 Theory\"-the controversial claim that Speculative Masonry was fabricated by Dr. Desaguliers and Dr. Anderson during the founding of the Grand Lodge of England. In this trenchant and rigorously researched volume, Brother Chalmers I. Paton dismantles this hypothesis piece by piece, exposing it as historically baseless and logically flawed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaton argues that if the 1717 theory were true, the founders of modern Masonry would be nothing more than \"consummate rascals\" who perpetrated a motiveless fraud upon the world. Instead, he presents a compelling case for the fraternity's deep antiquity, drawing on a wealth of overlooked evidence: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Diaries of Elias Ashmole: \u003c\/b\u003e Proving the existence of speculative lodges seventy years before the alleged \"invention.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Scottish Charters: \u003c\/b\u003e Revealing the hereditary patronage of the St. Clairs of Roslin dating back to the 15th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Locke Letter: \u003c\/b\u003e Unearthing a manuscript attributed to Henry VI that speaks of a brotherhood already ancient in his time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe German Steinmetzen: \u003c\/b\u003e Tracing the unbroken lineage of the craft from medieval guilds back to the Roman \u003ci\u003eCollegia\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Origin of Freemasonry\u003c\/i\u003e is more than a defense of the Order's history; it is a restoration of its dignity. Paton invites the reader to look beyond the skeptics and rediscover a system of morality and brotherhood that has endured not for centuries, but for millennia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A definitive refutation of modern skepticism... Paton proves that the roots of the Craft run far deeper than the Apple-Tree Tavern.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Chalmers Izett Paton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798242834170\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/06\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 66\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.17lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.14d","brand":"Chalmers Izett Paton","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48242092933375,"sku":"9798242834170","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_c3b20a80-cc63-4fe8-b911-c433a98c334e.jpg?v=1772657478","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-origin-of-freemasonry-chalmers-izett-paton-9798242834170","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}