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  • Jan. 4, 1879
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The Freemason's Chronicle, Jan. 4, 1879: Page 5

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    Article THE NEW SOUTH WALES SCHISMATIC GRAND LODGE. Page 1 of 2 →
Page 5

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The New South Wales Schismatic Grand Lodge.

THE NEW SOUTH WALES SCHISMATIC GRAND LODGE .

THAT is a curious feature Avhich has characterised Freemasonry throughout nearly the whole of its more recent history , namely , the superiority of the centrifugal over its centripetal force . We might well have imagined that being a fraternal body , the atoms of which ifc was composed would

invariably , and with a machine-like regularity , have gravitated towards tho centre . Thafc , indeed , is the general experience of mankind in respect of all well-ordered , properly conditioned , and properly-compounded bodies , thafc their constituent parts cohere and balance justly about what is

known as their respective centres of gravity . Whether ifc is that Freemasonry , being out of the common order of bodies , or being rather a class of body all by itself , is able with impunity to take liberties with the forces by which it is actuated or nofc , is a question on which ifc is needless we

shonld offer any opinion . Apparently it must be so , us its centre of gravity is constantly being displaced , and yet good instead of harm is invariably the result . In 1738 or thereabouts occurred the first of these serious displacements , and ifc took exactly three quarters of a century to

bring the central body of Freemasonry into order again with all its parts adjusted as they should be . Then in Scotland , where , -with all due respect to our brethren north of the Tweed , Freemasonry , though an important body , must be looked upon as having an inferior importance to

thafc of England , has more than once had its annoying illustrations of the degree to which its centrifugal or tangential force prevails over its centripetal force , or the force of gravitation . Moro than once has a formidable part of it flown off afc a tangent . We have seen the same thing happening in

France , in Germany , and the United States , and we see it even now happening in one of the Colonies of the British Crown . To drop metaphor , wherever Freemasonry has established itself , there sooner or later must a section of it fly off afc a tangent , detaching itself from the central body ,

and setting up for itself as an independent body . In some cases a redintegration of the different parts takes place , while in others the disintegration continues ; bnt whatever happens , Freemasonry in all its original purity and perfection survives and nourishes . Ifc is nofc in the power of

disappointed or dissatisfied brethren to injure seriously , much less permanently , the Grand Temple of our Fraternity , the structure which has existed through the Ages , and will endure till Time shall change into Eternity . But we are wandering , as Carlyle might say , into the "

profundities , " and it is not given to all people to appreciate the language of philosophers . Wo must . speak in the language of earth , that is , earthy , or we shall be

unintelligible . One of those acts of secession which Freemasonry has so frequently witnessed is now being attempted . The scene of this imagined disaster is New South Wales , one of the Colonies of the British Crown . Ifc is well known to

our readers that the Lodges of the United Kingdom havo daughter Lodges established in most of the British possessions . These Lodges work satisfactorily as a rule , be they under the English , Irish , or Scotch Constitutions , and whafcjs still more to the purpose , they work amicably

among themselves . The English , tho Irish , and the Scotch brethren aro always animated by the best of feelings towards each other . They visit and revisit each other constantly , and the spectacle is a most edifying one . There is nothing -wonderful in this . We are not disposed to lay any particular stress upon it . Indeed , we only note the

fact in order to contrast it with the different picture which is presented to us in this colony of New South Wales . There are , it seems , a dozen Lodges , or thereabouts , which , being actuated by unfraternal feelings , are resolved on throwing off their allegiance to their respective parent Grand

Lodges . They are starting a Grand Lodge of their own , and they are now seeking , with an audacity which so well becomes the mere parvemi , to be recognised by some of the Grand Lodges of America . We do nofc know thafc they have heretofore received any encouragement to continue in

their erratic course . On the contrary , they have , so far as we know , been , in more than one instance , very properly and unmistakably snubbed . Last week we published a letter from Bro . Jacob Norton on this secession , or schism , and though we do not agree with him in the advice he

offers , we do not think ifc possible for any one to have described the conduct of these New South Wales Lodges in more truthful , and at the same time , more offensive language . His advice , to lefc them go and form their new Graud Lodge , is offered merely from a sense of the writer ' s

utter contempt for such paltry conduct . So we read his tone and style , at least , if nofc his actual words . Our friend is likewise smart in his expressions about Ancient Landmarks , for which , however , we nofc only profess , bufc feel the most profound respect . We do not mean by this thafc

we accept whatever landmarks it may please a Masonic writer to set up . We attribute very little importance to what Bro . Baton may havo written on the subject , ancl we onl y accept his ruling when we find it in agreement with , abler and trustworthy authorities . Therefore , we care verv little

whether , as Bro . Norton properly points out , Bro . Baton has laid it clown that a certain number of Lodges , to wit , three , can establish a Grand Lodgo , in territory where no Grancl Lodge has previously existed . Had Bro . Paton written thirty or three hundred his opinion would have

been equally a matter of indifference to us . What does concern us is the question whether a few dissatisfied Lodges in one of our Colonies shall be permitted to disturb the equanimity of the Order for their own selfish ends . Ifc is not a question about the purity of Masonic doctrine

which so severely exercises these schismatics thafc they cannot continue to live in a state of peace and goodwill with their brethren in the same Colony . They are not engaged in championing any particular cause which might appeal to our sense of admiration and sympathy . They

are nofc doing battle against the oppressive edicts of their mother Grancl Lodges . They are simply ministering to their own selfish greed for the tinsel of Freemasonry . They want to have a Grand Lodge because a Provincial Grand Lodge is not grand enough , There must be no qualifying

" Provincial " to show their dependence on a remote Grand Lodge or Lodges . Some among them aspire to be Grand Officers , Grand Masters , Deputy Grand Masters , Grand Wardens , & c , & c . They imagine it will add to their importance , and thafc Graud Master Jenkins will be a more

dignified Masonic being than Provincial Grand Master , and thafc Grand S . Warden Jones will impress the beholders with a deeper sense of his importance than his Prov . G . S . Wardenship does at present . Bro . Norton ' s advice is , by

all means let them go and form a Grand Lodge , and if the schismatic Lodges had only to be thought of , wc should say that Bro . Norton ' s was the very best advice that conld be offered . Whatever of good pertains to their Lodges , emanated in the first instance from the Grand Bodies to

which they owe their existence , ancl once their connection with the latter is dissevered , they lose all respectability . Lodge No . 10 , 599 , holding under the G . Lodge of England ,

“The Freemason's Chronicle: 1879-01-04, Page 5” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 23 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fcn/issues/fcn_04011879/page/5/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
INDEX. Article 3
THE NEW SOUTH WALES SCHISMATIC GRAND LODGE. Article 5
OUR CHARITIES—A YEAR'S WORK. Article 6
THE SECRETS OF FREEMASONRY. Article 7
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 8
THE QUALIFICATION FOR THE CHAIR OF M.M.M.'s LODGES. Article 8
IS CHARITY WITHOUT GIVING? Article 8
THE ROYAL ARCH DEGREE. Article 9
REVIEWS. Article 9
In Memoriam. Article 10
Untitled Article 10
THE "OLD FOLKS." Article 11
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OUR WEEKLY BUDGET. Article 12
JAMAICA. Article 13
BOMBAY. Article 13
DIARY FOR THE WEEK Article 15
NOTICES OF MEETINGS Article 16
WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM. Article 18
Untitled Ad 19
THE THEATRES, &c. Article 19
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The New South Wales Schismatic Grand Lodge.

THE NEW SOUTH WALES SCHISMATIC GRAND LODGE .

THAT is a curious feature Avhich has characterised Freemasonry throughout nearly the whole of its more recent history , namely , the superiority of the centrifugal over its centripetal force . We might well have imagined that being a fraternal body , the atoms of which ifc was composed would

invariably , and with a machine-like regularity , have gravitated towards tho centre . Thafc , indeed , is the general experience of mankind in respect of all well-ordered , properly conditioned , and properly-compounded bodies , thafc their constituent parts cohere and balance justly about what is

known as their respective centres of gravity . Whether ifc is that Freemasonry , being out of the common order of bodies , or being rather a class of body all by itself , is able with impunity to take liberties with the forces by which it is actuated or nofc , is a question on which ifc is needless we

shonld offer any opinion . Apparently it must be so , us its centre of gravity is constantly being displaced , and yet good instead of harm is invariably the result . In 1738 or thereabouts occurred the first of these serious displacements , and ifc took exactly three quarters of a century to

bring the central body of Freemasonry into order again with all its parts adjusted as they should be . Then in Scotland , where , -with all due respect to our brethren north of the Tweed , Freemasonry , though an important body , must be looked upon as having an inferior importance to

thafc of England , has more than once had its annoying illustrations of the degree to which its centrifugal or tangential force prevails over its centripetal force , or the force of gravitation . Moro than once has a formidable part of it flown off afc a tangent . We have seen the same thing happening in

France , in Germany , and the United States , and we see it even now happening in one of the Colonies of the British Crown . To drop metaphor , wherever Freemasonry has established itself , there sooner or later must a section of it fly off afc a tangent , detaching itself from the central body ,

and setting up for itself as an independent body . In some cases a redintegration of the different parts takes place , while in others the disintegration continues ; bnt whatever happens , Freemasonry in all its original purity and perfection survives and nourishes . Ifc is nofc in the power of

disappointed or dissatisfied brethren to injure seriously , much less permanently , the Grand Temple of our Fraternity , the structure which has existed through the Ages , and will endure till Time shall change into Eternity . But we are wandering , as Carlyle might say , into the "

profundities , " and it is not given to all people to appreciate the language of philosophers . Wo must . speak in the language of earth , that is , earthy , or we shall be

unintelligible . One of those acts of secession which Freemasonry has so frequently witnessed is now being attempted . The scene of this imagined disaster is New South Wales , one of the Colonies of the British Crown . Ifc is well known to

our readers that the Lodges of the United Kingdom havo daughter Lodges established in most of the British possessions . These Lodges work satisfactorily as a rule , be they under the English , Irish , or Scotch Constitutions , and whafcjs still more to the purpose , they work amicably

among themselves . The English , tho Irish , and the Scotch brethren aro always animated by the best of feelings towards each other . They visit and revisit each other constantly , and the spectacle is a most edifying one . There is nothing -wonderful in this . We are not disposed to lay any particular stress upon it . Indeed , we only note the

fact in order to contrast it with the different picture which is presented to us in this colony of New South Wales . There are , it seems , a dozen Lodges , or thereabouts , which , being actuated by unfraternal feelings , are resolved on throwing off their allegiance to their respective parent Grand

Lodges . They are starting a Grand Lodge of their own , and they are now seeking , with an audacity which so well becomes the mere parvemi , to be recognised by some of the Grand Lodges of America . We do nofc know thafc they have heretofore received any encouragement to continue in

their erratic course . On the contrary , they have , so far as we know , been , in more than one instance , very properly and unmistakably snubbed . Last week we published a letter from Bro . Jacob Norton on this secession , or schism , and though we do not agree with him in the advice he

offers , we do not think ifc possible for any one to have described the conduct of these New South Wales Lodges in more truthful , and at the same time , more offensive language . His advice , to lefc them go and form their new Graud Lodge , is offered merely from a sense of the writer ' s

utter contempt for such paltry conduct . So we read his tone and style , at least , if nofc his actual words . Our friend is likewise smart in his expressions about Ancient Landmarks , for which , however , we nofc only profess , bufc feel the most profound respect . We do not mean by this thafc

we accept whatever landmarks it may please a Masonic writer to set up . We attribute very little importance to what Bro . Baton may havo written on the subject , ancl we onl y accept his ruling when we find it in agreement with , abler and trustworthy authorities . Therefore , we care verv little

whether , as Bro . Norton properly points out , Bro . Baton has laid it clown that a certain number of Lodges , to wit , three , can establish a Grand Lodgo , in territory where no Grancl Lodge has previously existed . Had Bro . Paton written thirty or three hundred his opinion would have

been equally a matter of indifference to us . What does concern us is the question whether a few dissatisfied Lodges in one of our Colonies shall be permitted to disturb the equanimity of the Order for their own selfish ends . Ifc is not a question about the purity of Masonic doctrine

which so severely exercises these schismatics thafc they cannot continue to live in a state of peace and goodwill with their brethren in the same Colony . They are not engaged in championing any particular cause which might appeal to our sense of admiration and sympathy . They

are nofc doing battle against the oppressive edicts of their mother Grancl Lodges . They are simply ministering to their own selfish greed for the tinsel of Freemasonry . They want to have a Grand Lodge because a Provincial Grand Lodge is not grand enough , There must be no qualifying

" Provincial " to show their dependence on a remote Grand Lodge or Lodges . Some among them aspire to be Grand Officers , Grand Masters , Deputy Grand Masters , Grand Wardens , & c , & c . They imagine it will add to their importance , and thafc Graud Master Jenkins will be a more

dignified Masonic being than Provincial Grand Master , and thafc Grand S . Warden Jones will impress the beholders with a deeper sense of his importance than his Prov . G . S . Wardenship does at present . Bro . Norton ' s advice is , by

all means let them go and form a Grand Lodge , and if the schismatic Lodges had only to be thought of , wc should say that Bro . Norton ' s was the very best advice that conld be offered . Whatever of good pertains to their Lodges , emanated in the first instance from the Grand Bodies to

which they owe their existence , ancl once their connection with the latter is dissevered , they lose all respectability . Lodge No . 10 , 599 , holding under the G . Lodge of England ,

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