Some musings around the VSL

A gift to the Craft, authorised in our Province in May 1601.
Over the last year or so as I have been travelling on the train into our Nation’s capital, researching the masonry of the Royal Mile, I have been musing on the religious aspects of the craft, in a world that is turning more and more secular. I have trod the cobbles of the Royal Mile and visited the birthplace of the first Royal Mason, King James VI, son of Mary Queen of Scots. James gave our Nation so many things in his long reign but the most enduring gift is arguably his book, that book that Sir Walter Scott asked Lockhart to bring to him on his death bed. That book was The Bible or as we know it in the Craft the Volume of the Sacred Law (VSL).
But are we honouring and understanding the legacy in 21st century freemasonry of this gift, or collection of books that many of the more modern installation “Bible charges” refer to. This gift that has a deep-rooted connection to the Kingdom of Fife as it was at a meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Burntisland Kirk in May 1601, a new translation of the Bible was approved. Today in 2026 the vast majority of Scottish Lodges, at home and abroad will use the King James Bible as the holy book that is used in their ritual work, although as Scotland becomes a more multicultural society it is not uncommon to see a Holy Quaran, the Vedas of Hinduism, the Tanakh, and the Talmud of Judaism.
But as we take a gentleman through his initiatic journey to become a Freemason are we ensuring that we are prepared to help him on this journey. The first question that he is asked is “Do you believe in a supreme being, do you believe in God”. A positive reply will take him forward to ballot and ultimately initiation, but what more do we explain to that man on his journey, if the first question that is asked has the highest importance to our Craft, what teaching do we give him. What understanding of the freemasonic reasoning do we have for taking our oaths on a holy book, what understanding do we have of our own holy book, these are all for the individual brother to answer on his own masonic journey, but as Lodges, we have a responsibility to help him answer these questions.
Bro. Mike Neville the author of Sacred Secrets, Freemasonry the Bible and the Christian Faith, tells us in his book that 35 out of the 39 Old Testament books contain references that are included in our masonic ritual. Bro. Neville’s book, is probably not for the new freemason in his early sojourn around the carpet, but it should be a read for all Freemasons as they start going up the rungs of our mystical ladder as it helps turn the allegories of our ritual into meaning, meaning that teaches brethren to be the best person that they can be.
But how do we prepare and ensure that our Lodges are set up correctly, to help our new initiate. As you are reading this paper, do you know where the book is marked for each of our degrees, do you know why these pages have been chosen? Yes, the obligations can be taken on any page, but if we are being serious about our teachings and our instructions we should follow our antient traditions and ensure that when a gentleman is initiated he is doing so on the correct pages for the holy book of his personal faith, and not assume that he is happy taking the obligation of the “traditional Christian” VSL.
In the First degree in my mother Lodge, our Authorised Version is open at Psalm 133
“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessings, even life for evermore.”
In the Second degree, Amos 7: 7,8 “Thus he shewed* me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them anymore.”
In the Master Masons degree, I Kings Chapter 7 setting out the final details of Solomon’s Pillars. In some Scottish Lodges you will see the Bible opened at Ecclesiastes 12, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them”
There is a visual clue to ensure that the new mason is taking his obligations on the correct readings, and what makes these readings from the VSL obvious is as you view the dividers or book marks that are used, they generally run through as 1st Degree, 3rd Degree, 2nd Degree. Thus, those observing the bible during the various degrees gives a quick visual that the bible is open at the correct passage for the degree, unfortunately in some Lodges, for no particular reason, the book marks are not always in the correct place.
In the charge to the Master in the previously mentioned modern bible charges, the Master is charged to ensure that the VSL is opened at the correct pages. But in most instances the VSL is taken from the cupboard, laid on the Dias or altar, and at the end closed and put back in the box not to see the light of day until the next meeting.
We are blessed in this Province with many exceptional ritualists that deliver poignant variations of the “Bible Charge” and every time I hear these various charges I am moved as they are reminding us all of that very first, that most important of questions, that first question posed to a gentleman who is seeking the light of freemasonry.
If we understand our own holy book, we can understand the core of freemasonry that core that has developed from the operative masons to the modern speculative mason. That core that is not just simply about charity or being seen to give to charity, it is not about good ritual delivery, or harmony in the presence of each other, important though all of these things are. It is something deeper, something quieter, and something far more enduring.
It is about how we choose to live our lives when we step outside the Lodge door.
If the King James Version, our Volume of the Sacred Law, teaches us anything, it is that charity is not an occasional act, but a constant duty. It is not measured by the coin placed in the plate, but by the compassion shown to those around us, by the hand extended when it is needed, and by the quiet support given without expectation of recognition.
The question we must therefore ask ourselves is not whether we have fulfilled our obligations within the Lodge, but whether we are truly living them beyond it.
Are we preparing the next generation of Freemasons not only to understand the words upon the page, but to embody them in their daily lives? Are we ensuring that when a man takes his obligation, he understands not just the symbolism of the act, but the responsibility that flows from it? And are we, as experienced brethren, setting the example that those words demand of us? I know I fail at this on a regular basis.
For if the Volume of the Sacred Law is to remain at the heart of our Craft, it must be more than a book that is opened and closed at our meetings. It must be a guide that is carried with us, informing our actions, shaping our character, and reminding us of the standard to which we are called. Only then can we truly say that we are honouring the gift bestowed upon us in 1601 in this our modern-day Province of Fife and Kinross.
Only then can we say that we understand its meaning. And only then can we ensure that the light first sought by the candidate is not something fleeting, but something that endure, within him, within the Lodge, and within the world beyond. The following verses help me understand what that original core concept of freemasonry is:
Matthew 6:1–4
“Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth…”
Tells us that our giving should be private, our motivation matters more than visibility our charity is about character, not recognition. Thus, it aligns with the idea of quiet benevolence, helping others without seeking applause, which should be a recurring theme in lodge culture.
1 Corinthians 13:13
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
In the King James Bible, the word “charity” is used where modern translations often use “love”. This difference elevates charity to a spiritual virtue and the highest expression of moral life. In a masonic context it tells us that charity is not just financial it’s compassion, tolerance, and goodwill toward all mankind.
Matthew 25:35–40
“I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat… Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these… ye have done it unto me.”
This is one of the most powerful statements I know that talks to the core of freemasonry, as charity is equated with serving God directly, moral judgement is tied to how we treat the vulnerable and this reinforces the idea that relief is a test of character, not just generosity.
And so perhaps the challenge for each of us is a simple one. That when we next stand within the Lodge, and when we next look upon the Volume of the Sacred Law, whether it be the King James Version or the holy book of a brother’s own faith, we pause not only to recognise its presence, but to reflect upon its purpose. For it is not there merely to sanctify our obligations, but to remind us of them.
If we can carry even a small part of those teachings beyond the tiled doors, if we can practise charity without recognition, offer relief without hesitation, and live with quiet integrity, then we honour both the gift of 1601 and the enduring spirit of our Craft. And in doing so, we ensure that Freemasonry remains not simply something we attend, but something we live.