Church Service.

CHURCH SERVICE .

A SPECIAL Masonic Service , organised by the Erkenwald Lodge , No . 2808 , was held at St . Margaret ' s Church ,

Barking , on Sunday afternoon , 21 st ult . Altogether some twenty-four Lodges were represented . The Brethren , to the number of about sixty , met at the Council Chamber , and afterwards marched in procession to the church .

The Service at the Church , whieni was conducted by the Rev . P . M . Wathen ( vicar ) , assisted by the Rev . B . A . Duke ( curate ) , was of a most impressive character . The

hymn , " Brightly gleams our banner , " was sung as a processional , and " Abide with me" as a recessional . The anthem , " I have built Thee an house" ( J . Tallis Trimneil ) was most creditably rendered by the choir .

The preacher was the Right Rev . Bishop of Barking , D . D ., Past Grand Chaplain , and he took his text from Isaiah lviii , 12 . They met that afternoon , he said , on hallowed and historical ground . If they went back over the ages the

fragments of stone could tell them of wonderful 'tilings that had taken place at or near that spot . They found that 2 , 000 years ago the Roman invaders of this country raised their standard , the Roman eagle , and made those earthworks not far from there , which still remained to testify to their

occupation . They might well believe that amongst those Roman soldiers were the first missionaries of the gospel of Christ in the land . There was indisputable record that a Christian church stood there in the days of the Heptarchy . The Christian Bishop Erkenwald , who gave his name to

the Lodge under whose banner they had met that afternoon , the master builder , who though , perhaps , not a Mason , had the true Masonic spirit , built a religious house to continue the good work of charity and benevolence , as Masons were doing at the present time . It was one of the earliest , and

later one of the wealthiest and best known of the religious houses in the land . His sister , Ethelburga , became its first Abbess . It seemed probable that the house was built of that wonderful timber with which Essex abounded . There was one example of a timber church at Greenstead , near

Ongar , built of the massive oak trunks . Then there came troublous times , and the Danish invaders devastated and destroyed the house . A few years later William of Normandy received , near the spot , the homage of the conquered chieftians , and a little later Henry II . took a great deal of interest

in the rebuilding of the religious house , and installed Mary Beckett , the sister of the murdered archbishop , as its Abbess in expiation of the murder . From then more troublous times seem to have hidden all record of the house . Proceeding to speak of the good work of the Order of

Freemasons , he said that at the Albert Hall a few days back they heard that during the short time the present King was Grand Master , about a quarter of a century , the Order had contributed no less a sum that £ 2 , 000 , 000 of money to the three Masonic Charities—that for the education of boys , that

for the education of girls , and that for the relief of the aged and widows and those who were in especial need . That sum represented only a small part of what had been contributed by Masons to charitable objects . He could not imagine a more suitable and appropriate work for Masons

than to endeavour to build up the old waste places and restore and make good , as far as they could , the work of past generations , and join heart and hand with those who were taking another part in the work , building up the spiritual fabric . — " Stratford Express . "

Misuse Of Masonic Emblems.

MISUSE OF MASONIC EMBLEMS .

IN our experience as a Mason for many years and some observation of public affairs , we have seen the emblems of Masonry everywhere—where they ought not to be , as well as

where they ought . We have seen them on the signs of respectable hotels and on seme not so respectable , and on some anything but respectable , and so on down to the lowest grog-shop . We have seen them on the flags flying above the steamboat and at the door of the little shop in a country

village ; appended to a medical advertisement in a newspaper , and hung over the entrance of an oyster saloon ; on the bosom and watch chains and finger rings of mercantile drummers and dapper clerks in jobbing houses ; indeed , we hardl y know where we have not seen Masonic emblems . We

Misuse Of Masonic Emblems.

shall not be surprised to see them , some of these days , branded upon a cow ' s horn , as a mark of ownership , or suspended from a dog ' s ear , to indicate that his master is a Freemason . Why not ? Are they not a "big medicine ? " Why

should they not be everywhere Masons are , and on everything a Mason owns ? We have often wondered for what purpose these emblems were thus disposed , and the reply has as often been suggested—mercenary . Occasionally , a Brother may wear them attached to his clothes , or about his person , simply

because he thinks them pretty , or is fond of looking at them ; but , nine times out of ten , they are put on sign-boards or attached as advertisements to secure customers . Sometimes a trafficker is fearful he cannot pass inspection in the market ,

and he hangs up a Masonic emblem as a proper guarantee of his honesty ! Is it not so ? And if it is , in what light does it place the individual in the estimation of all " just and upright Masons ?'

Several Grand Lodges on this side the Atlantic have been compelled , out of self-respect , to utter a sentence of condemnation against the practice ; but still it obtains to much too great an extent . The practice is wrong , wherever it may obtain , and should be discouraged by every possible means .

The emblems of Masonry belong to the Lodge rooms , where , as the tangible representatives of sacred and important truths , they should be kept for instruction . They should never be

placed as beggars upon the high road of life or desecrated to mercenary purposes . " The square teaches morality . " It should never become a solicitor for patronage at an hotel or an oyster-house . — " Orphan ' s Friend . "

« ' * r <> n < J » » <> . * v . r ** * r •jtrjt vr 7 f Ttir 7 r 7 T w ft yr w vc vMr ITHTT The New York correspondent of the " Birmingham Daily Post" cables that a report is current that the Freemasons of America and Europe have contributed $ 200 , 000 to aid

General Uribe to overthrow the Colombian Government , which is strongly antagonistic to all orders not in favour with the" Church . General Uribe was in New York recently , but is now in Colombia at the head of 15 , 000 men armed with mausers which have been bought in Europe .

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