A Lecture,

innermost recesses of the Temple . Proclns , after describing tho preliminary preparation , says , " But on entering the interior parts of the Temple , unmoved and guarded by tho mystic rites , they generally received in their bosoms Divino Illumination ; and , ' stripped of their garments ' , ' pmdieipatod , as they would say , of a 'Divine Nature / aud were then clothed with the ' Kadra , ' or

'Sacred Vest , made of rams' skins ; ibis garment was aecoiiuf- 'd sacred , and of no less efficacy than to avert evils . It was never cast off ' till completely worn out ; ' in fact the initiated were buried in it . They argued that , as tho initiated needed to be * stripped naked ' to get the fnII benefit of initiation , so tho soul

needs to divest itself of everything that may hinder it from rising to the contemplation of things as they really are . " What Mason , when ho looks back to his own initiation aud his passage to the subsequent degrees , and compares this statement with his previous knowledge , shall say theso wero not theoretical Masous .

Julian , in his "Allegorical Fable , " says : — "Tho Snn said to him , 'You aro young , and havo not yet been initiated ; return and purify yourself from all impurities . "' Gibbon , in a noto on this , says : "Julian was secretly initiated in tho twentieth year of his age ; he obtained the privilege of a solemn initiation into tho mysteries ; as theso ceremonies were performed iu tho depths of

caverns and in the sileneo of the night , and as the inviolablo secret of tho mysteries was preserved by tho initiate . I shall not presume to describe thoso rites and coromonies which Avero presented to the senses or imagination of the initiate till tho visions of comfort and knowledgo broke upon him in a blnzo of celestial light . " And what is tho answer the initiate in Masonry gives when asked

the question—What is the predominant wish of your heart , ? And Avhen his request is granted , who shall describe the feeling of thankfulness ho experiences for tho blessing which is restored to him ? With what pleasuro docs he behold the " Two Grand Luminaries" and the " Master of tho Lodge ? " Liko Herodotus I must plead silence . I am tempted to qnoto an extract from

the Prefaco to the works of Julian by the Abbe de la Blotcrie : " The Snn is tho Eternal production of the Sovereign God , of whom it is the living image ; which from all eternity , according to Julian , ariaigncd the universe ; which preserves , and will always preserve it ; while holding tho same place in tho intelli gible world that the Sun holds among corporeal beings , is the sooreo , tho centre , the light of tho

subaltern gods , and of all tho spirits to which virtuous souls will bo reunited after death ; which manifests its power and resides in an especial manner in tho star whoso rays enlighten tho material Avorld . " And now let ns turn to the vital point , this "Mystic Tan , " the Sign of Lifo ; Jet us look at it as Masous ; not as the outside or profane world . In what senso was this letter the " Si » -u of Life ?"

It was figuratively to represent the lamented death of Tamtnur , and his restoration to lifo . I must direct yonr attention to a statement nv > de by Berosus . Berosns was a Priest of Bolus or Nimrod , 2 b'S B . C . " Bolus , " says Berosns , " commanded ono of tho gods to cut off his head that by his blood all might live . " This Bolus * is Osiris , Kohns , or Nimrod ; in other words , Tammur . Tho ends of the world wero shaken

at his death , and rejoiced again at his resurrection or raising . If wo look at this Masonically we can well understand their mystic signs of knowledge . Does it not bring to your minds our penal sign . Would we not sooner have than reveal that which has been entrusted to our keeping ? If this is what P ythagoras learnt from the Egyptians , and what he taught his pupils , the sequence naturall y follows , and the Egyptian parallel Masonically is complete .

* Thophilns of Antioch shows Kronos or Kohns , in tho East , was worshipped nnder the name of Bel or Bal .

The Modern Order Of Knights Templar.

THE MODERN ORDER OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

From the Canadian Craftsman , of July 1878 , with some Alterations and Additions .

BY COL . MACLEOD MOORE , GREAT PRIOR OF CANADA ,

( Continued from page 91 ) . UNF OETUNATELY , Masonic teachers and writers of the last century fell into very grave mistakes as to the practices and history of the old knightly fraternities , possibly arising from thoro being at the time no popular historic knowledge of these Orders disseminated , loading them to invent as their fancy dictated what thov

supposed wero the correct usages , without much regard to historic acenracy . Their idea would seem to have boon that the Order of Knights Templar and Knights of Malta were synonymons . No doubt this blunder caused the degree of Malta to bo mixed np with that of the Templars , which there is every reason to think Avas never contemplated when Templary was first attached to tho Graft , but as

the Union , whether by design or accident , has been so long established , it is now not desirable , nor advisable to dissolve it , tho history anrl doctrines of the Orders being so much alike , and the object of both being to attain the same end . In the early Encampments , as tho combined bodies were called , the ceremonies were not of a very uniform character , and considerable

differences existed , referring more to the Hospitallers of St . John wearing the black habit or costume of that Order , whilst others followed tho French " Ordro da Temple , " representing the Templars ° f the Crnsades , using the white mantle , the true badge , thns giving rise to the discrepancies that have been found to exist in different jurisdictions . The degrees of the " Rose Croix " and " Kadosh " now

The Modern Order Of Knights Templar.

of tho A . and A . S . Bite , as also that known as " Knight Templar Priest , " formed part of tho system , to which was added a short ceremony fcr tho degree of Malta , this latter being r , ercdy intended as a brief historical record , to show i hat the Kides'ts of St . , 'lohu , having established themselves in the Island of'Mahe , a . ::: r . r d that

name , the Masonic Malta degree heie . g u uuv . < ; ., ' ! u den e . < , hue having no inapt preiensious In a conuivilou ' .. dih d . e " Sovereign Order of Malta . " Givat care appear ..- ; to ; - > : ¦ ¦ ' - 1 > - > i ¦ ¦' - . 'n ' . y ' . ' io Commission to ascertain the ancient iv ..: ivnioule . s <¦ . ' i ! - ' Templars , evidently from researches into the mo . sn million : io u-onunmis extant on the subject , and in preparing a simple and impressive ritual ,

going back to first principles , and Keeping it ns neany as , po . ssio . e lo what it was in tho olden time , before Masonic innovation had crept in , which had no place in the early Order . This explanation , it is to bo hoped , will prove witidi ' aeiory to tho . " - * interested in tho subject , whose time , and class of reading , may no ' : havo led ( hem to a knowledge of iU true history , but who wish

without trouble to be correctly informed . ?¦'<> arguer ¦ : ;! s or ' :: | II : I ::.-L - tion will , however , have any weight where there is a >! ,. : ermiaalion not to be convinced , and an obsthauy of purpose Io attain asellidi end . A dislike of change is eh . araotcrestio of most of us , and wo are naturall y in favour of what has beer , ! s ; ectiemed by ! . mg u .-, e , clinging to eld associations ; but the antiquity to be desired and retained in that which carried us back i <> the beginning , tho work .

ing of any now system being most ir ! : somo , it . is AVISO to make all radical changes gradually , respecting the pr . 'judices of those who are opposed to extreme measures . Thoro cannot boa doubt that in modern Templary many customs

havo been introduced by those ignorant of its history , who , tautug vulgar error and fiction for fact , have , perpetuated absurdities ; w genuine evidence , Avhich it is now difficult to eradicate , nltltrngh shown to bo historically incorrect . In former times there were two separate classes of knighthood , tho earliest ( now extinct ) originated with the Crusades , being' independent

military fraternities , or bodies of soldier Monk : ) , which the modern Templars represent . The second class or titular knighthood , established long afterwards by Royal authority , still survives , and is n , distinction of high honour , resting in the hands of Sovereigns , granted for distinguished services to tho State , to which tho I dido "Sir" or "Chevalier " prefixed to the Christian nn .-nn hi ah-mr

applicable . Masonry has no power nor ever had of conferring knightho : \ d ; tho only authorit y for so doing is a self-constituted ono , in imitation of tho early practices of chivalry , long since fallen into desuetude , which authorised ono knight to create another by giving tho accolade or dubbing any worthy aspirant . It is theroforo looked upon as a

ridiculous , although harmless assumption , to address modern lompiara by the title "Sir" added to their names , and has been long discontinued in the British dominions , unless with ( die addition of tho word "Knight" between it and the name , even this is considered too much in the stylo of romaneo to recommend its adoption on ell occasions , and the form " grade , " when speaking of the divisions or degrees of the Order , is also a very iuaophca ' ole innovation .

Tho ancient Templars were known as file " . Brotherhood of tho Temple , " and tho common mode of address to individual members that of Brother" or " Fratcr . " Tho latter [ Fiv .. } as « , prefix , do-s not mean a professed Monk , but simply his brntlcrhood in fdm Chivalric Order . Officially the members wore id vl-cl " Tee k ' rdg ' u , " — "Knight Picccptor" — " "The Sh-ur of , " Fr . Ve Ciuvalier , " & c , adding their names , and tho designations by which ihey v / cae commonly known .

Much has boon said about tho landmarks of the Ot . ier . i ' eo word itself iu this sense appears a misnomer , as it is Civ . ft , not Chivalric bodies , that , properly speaking , hare ' ' landmark .-. ; . ' ^ Templary being in tho strictest sense Christian , it may bo said that the whole doctrines of tho Christian faith are its landmarks . But to particularize : —None can become Temp lars who do not profess a belief

in the Holy and undivided Trinity . This is of a universal and general application , imperative and indispensable , aud provided for la tho rules of the Order . It may thus he considered the principal landmark , handed down from tho Medieval Monastic Chivalric : fraternities . Another is , that the Masonic candidate should bo a Royal Arch Masou , this degroo being tho completion of tho Craft , in which a firm belief

and trust iu tho Supremo Ruler o the Universe ^ is peculiarly inculcated , very properly precedes tho Templar Christian belief in tho Holy Trinity as an addition to that general recognition of the Deity which is absolutely necessary and common to tho whole Masonic fraternity , not from anysuppoiol oormoo . io-i between tho Eoyal Arch and Templar ceremony . Rituals , signs , and password ;; ,

can hardly be called landmarks , because they differ in seme degree in every jurisdiction , oven in tho Craft , and as they were introduced by Masonic ritualistic compilers arc liablo to change as circumstance ;! render it necessary . With respect to tho amalgamation of the Temphir Order wi : h

Freemasonry , all tho evidence that can be collected tends in :-. ' .:-, < vf that in tho middle , if not in the early part , of ( ho inst century , tho Knights Templar Order was in possession of the Bnglish Masec ' e body , and was practised as an appendage to a higher degree than the Royal Arch , but that the old knig htly fraternities wero iu iior . ue Masonic .

It appears to have been the custom in tho last century to work degrees that were not controlled by any governing grand >> , dy , under sanction of a Craft warrant , that is , in tho fjodgo room of a regularl y warranted Craft Lodge , and this would seem to bo a very proper custom , tho presence of tho warrant giving a certain degree of legitimacy to those working iu tiic higher degrees . No doubt , this

was the case with the Kilwinning High Knight .- ; Templar Lodge of Ireland , who obtained their warrant iu 1779 , from tho Mother Kilwinning Craft Lodgo of Scotland . The Irish daughter evidently considered that the warrant gavo authority to practise ! tho higher degrees , as almost immediately after receiving it the Templar Order and other high degrees Averc communicated . The IUI . W : of tin