Annual Meting Of P.G. Priory Of Devon.

ANNUAL METING OF P . G . PRIORY OF DEVON .

THE Annual Meeting of tho Provincial Grand Priory of tho United Religions and Military Order of the Temple was held on Wednesday afternoon , 3 rd April , at the commodious Lodgo Room in Candy-street , Exeter . Tho P . G . P . was opened in ancient form , under the banner of the Rougemcnt Encampment , by the Very High and Eminent Sir Knight Rev . J . Huyshe M . A ., G . C . T . Past Grand Master , P . P . G . Com . Amongst thoso present wore : —V . H . and

Eminent Sir Knight L . I . -Metham , aud Eminent Sir Knights V mceut Bird P . E . C . P . P . B . B ., E . A . Davies P . E . C F . P . O . V . Chancellor , Samuel Jew E . C . P . G . Treasurer L . D ., Westcott P . E . C . P . P . G . Reg ., J . P . Gover P . E . C . P . P . G . T ., Colonel Fitzgerald P . E . C . Past Second Grand Captain of England , Josiah Austin P . P . O . P . P . G . E ., Samuel Jones Past Standard Bearer of England , II . W . Townsend E . C . elect

Eoyal Sussex , T . XV . Lemon T . G . Chaplain , If . Woodgato Viee-Chancellor , T . Dar . d P . E . P . First Equerry Devon , H . B . Stark P . P . G . O ., Sidney Templar P . P . B . B ., Sir Knights J . Stroud Short , R . T . Thornton , Elphingtou Stone , J . J . Daw , Lillywhite , Hants , II . Bartlett , W . Vicary , XV . Bennett Maye , and G . Evans . Tho proceedings commenced by the reading of the patent from

tho Grand Master of England appointing tho Tory High and Eminent Sir Knight L . P . Metham as the Grand Prior of Devon . Tho V . 1 I and E . Sir Knight Rev . J . Huyshe then installed G . P . elect in duo form . The ceremony was performed by the venerable and venerated Sir Knight in his usual impressive aud dignified maimer . IIo accompanied the installation with a masterly and feeling exhortation

on tho duties of tho distinguished ollico his esteemed brother was about to assume , and expressed tho pleasure , pride , and gratification ho felt to seo ono for whom ho had so high a regard exalted to a position for which ho was so eminently qualified . Tho Eminent Prior Sir Knight Metham , having taken tho chair , delivered with characteristic eloquence the following oration : —

Sir Knights , —I am sure you will all sympathise with my first expression iu taking this chair , which is ono of gratitude to our esteemed chief , Bro . Huyshe , for having volunteered to instal me , and for the manner in which he has performed that duty , spite of all tho drawbacks caused by his failing health . For tho third of a century I havo enjoyed his steadfast friendship , and during that long

timo not a cloud even so small as a man s hand has obscured its serenity , and ho has never wearied in showering on mo personal kindness and Masonic distinction . For all those I am bankrupt in thanks , and can only trust , dear Bro . Huyshe , to repay yon in the manner in which you would most wish to bo repaid , by trying to live a life approaching nearer and nearer every day to your ideal of what a

good Knight Templar ought to bo . Yon know better than any one that I more than onco declined this most honourable post , not from fear of tho additional labour it might entail upon me , but from a conscientious scruple as to my fitness to undertake its onerous responsibilities . But , having accepted it , I will strive to perform its duties to the best of my ability . There was ono prominent feeling

which moro than any other decided my acccjitance , which was that there never was a timo when it was moro necessary for every true Mason , and especially every true Knight Templar , to come to tho front and contend for tho sacred truths which aro embodied in Masonry . Freemasonry has shown , and will , I trust—continue to show a wise toleration to her sons' varied worship of the Great

Jehovah so long as under every sky that sacred name , tho symbol of the eternal , unknown , truth , is represented , and acknowledged . Ages ago Masonry may have existed without religion , simply as a bond uniting the weak to resist tho aggression of the strong , and , as time went on , as a means of preserving the secrets of science and art from tho attack of tho cowan and barbarian . But for hundreds of

years religions belief has entered largely into our ceremonies , and has been tho basis of our ritual , and therefore , if we , in the present day , voluntarily extinguish that tried hereditary lamp of religious belief , which has so long illuminated our Lodges , to run after the delusive wills-of-thc-wisp aud restless phantoms of fancied progress and discursive philosophy , wo shall bo aiding not iu a forward , but in

a retrograde movement , by which Masonry will bo lowered , and humanity will , of necessity , suffer . Wc have lately witnessed with astonishment and sorrow that tho sething volcano of revolution and infidelity has poured forth burning lava that will , if not checked , destroy , and ashes that will bury in ono lamentable ruin the fundamental and most vital principle of our Order—a recognition of tho

Supreme Being , and a belief in tho immortality of the soul . On that belief wo tako our stand ; let French Masons , if they will , discuss the date at which religion was introduced into our ritual , let them persist in excluding it if they can , and will , from their own Lodges . Bo it enough for us that wc found it in ours at our initiation , and

that we are resolved to preserve it there in its fullest integrity . Of this most precious jewel in the crown which our devout and older brethren have placed on the brow of Masonry , and which they have bequeathed to us , let us with one voice exclaim , as our noble En"lish Prince exclaimed , in relation to his father ' s earthly crown : —

They won it , wore it , kept it , gave it me , Then plain and right must our possession be , AVhich we , with moro than with a common pain , 'Gainst all the world will righteously maintain ! At our initiation , which waa symbolical of our helpless infancy , tho volume of the Sacred Law was placed open before ns , aud we were tanght to look to it for comfort and support to our tottering steps .

As we advanced in the science into that stage which represented the vigour of manhood , wc learned to implore tho aid of God on all our lawful undertakings , and to dedicate tho intellectual and physical powers with which He has endowed us to His glory , our own advancement , and the benefit of our fellow creatures . And , then , when our day is ended , and , with wearied brain and fceblo limbs , wo prepare for rest , like labourers who , at the close of their toil , seek their

Annual Meting Of P.G. Priory Of Devon.

couch and its calm and grateful slumber , the same Sacred Volume whispers to us that , if we havo been truo and faithful stewards of the talents committed to ns , wo shall awake to a brighter morrow , in which there shall bo no moro toil , nor pain , nor night . That glimmering light in tho East , so often indicated to us in our Masonic

journey as tho beacon to direct our steps , and which so often varied , now brighter , now fainter , now nearly extinguished , as faith , reason or doubt has ruled tho hour , will expand into that bright morning star , also indicated to us in our Masonic progress , whoso rising shall bring peace and salvation to tho faithful and obedient of tho human race . That symbolical star will guide us until it is itself

Lost , dissolved in Thy superior rays , One tido of glory , ono unclouded blaze Shall tlcod Thy courts ! Tho light Himself shall shine Revealed , and God ' s eternal day bo thino ! That star , that light , is Christ our Priest , Christ our Prophet , Christ our King ! We in tho present day aro not required to emulate tho

noble example and self-denying zeal of our older brethren , tho Mill , tary Knights of the Temple , who patiently endured hunger , thirst , and privation , who voluntarily encounter hardship , danger , and death , who sacrificed wordly ambition , and renounced tho endearing ties of family love and friendship , to do unceasing battle with the enemies of the Cross who sought to defile the Holy Sanctuary . But not the

less havo wc self-imposed , self-denying duties to perform . In becoming Knight Templars we havo voluntarily adopted a special and sectarian belief iu the Blessed Trinity , in addition lo that genera recognition in tho Supreme Ruler of tho Universe which is common to tho fraternity throughout the world . If , therefore , wo aro Knight Templars in spirit and reality , as well as in name aud ritual , wo are

bound by tho most solemn ties and obligations to imitate ourselves , and to teach others to do tho same , at however long a distance , tho example of Him on whose Sacred Name this solemn degree is founded . Wo , too , liko our autient brethren , must wage incessaut warfare , but it must bo against more insidious foes than they had to contend with . Our foes lurk within as well as without the Citadel ; wo must wage

hourly conflict with ignorance , bigotry , and superstition , with intolerance on ono side , aud infidelity on tho other , with arrogance and self-assertion , with tyranny , inhumanity , and selfishness . We must strive to imitate Him who , whilo Ho dwelt on earth , was Charity itself in thought , word , and deed ; who bid him , who is without sin , cast the first stone at tho sinner ; who on earth went about doing good ; who visited the widow and orphan in their affliction : who

clothed tho naked , fed tho hungry , and cured the blind , the dumb , tho sick , the leper , mid tho lame ; and who , on quitting the earth , bid his disciples " Food My Sheep . " When wo have done this as well as our imperfect nature and limited opportunities will permit , then shall wo bo indeed Knight Templars ; then , with a safe conscience and trusting confidence , may wo lay our armour at the foot of the Cross , and look to enjoy

Tho peace that follows battle , The night that ends in day . Then shall wo bo privileged to enter that Living Temple not made with hands , eternal in tho Heavens , of which Ho who is tho embodiment of pure , universal , Catholic charity—that emblem of our Order

—is the sure foundation , tho tried corner stone , the solid buttress , and the topmost pinnacle . Then shall wo come face to face with thoso Christian graces , shining in full meridian splendour , of which , on earth , wc havo had but glimpses , dull aud intermittent at the best . Until that day lot us , as Masons , aud especially as Knight Templars , find in them our motto aud our watchword : —

Remember Faith , Hope , Charity , these three . But tho greatest of these is Charity . These wore tho words our Great Redeemer tanght , Those were the deeds our Heavenl y Master wrought . Peace upon earth , joy , goodwill to man , Form tho bright columns of His Godlike plan ! 'Tis mercy , bounteous merey , warm and wide , That brings tho creature to his Maker ' s side !

The minutes of tho last Preceptory having been read and confirmed , a committee , consisting of Sir Knights Jones , Bird and Dand , was appointed to audit tho Treasurer ' s accounts , which wero received and adopted . Tho V . H . and E . Prior then invested the following Sir Knights as his officers : —Admiral Glasso C . B . Snb-Prior , K . T . Thornton Prolate ,

Capt . E . Stone Chancellor , Colonel Fitzgerald Constable , the Hon . W , H . Joliffo Marshall , V . Bird Treasurer , K . Worth Reg ., Major C . W . Troy to Vice-Chancellor , Templar Sub-Marshal , Rev ? Thornton Almoner and Chaplain , II . W . Townsend Warden of Regalia , J . R , Keats Herald , J . Horswell Second Standard Bearer , J . Evens M . D . Banner Bearer , J . J . Short 1 st D . C , T . L . Heath 2 nd D . C , W . Vicary Chamberlain

, W . B . Mayo Captain of Guard , W . Browning Sword Bearer , II . B . Stork Organist , aud P . Blanchard Guard . A Committee of the following Sir Knights wore chosen as a Board of General Purposes : —F . B . Gover , S . Jew , L . D . Westcott , E . A . Davies , J . Austin . This brought to a close the business for which the Priory had been summoned , and it was closed in ancient form .

Grand Chapter Of Prince Masons Of Ireland.

GRAND CHAPTER OF PRINCE MASONS OF IRELAND .

THE Triennial Convocation of the Prince ' s Grand Rose Croix of Ireland , will be held at tho Chapter Rooms , Freemasons' Hall , Dublin , on Thursday , the 25 th April 1878 , at six o ' clock p . m ., when tho Honourable Judge Towsend , LL . D ., President of tho Order , will present to Grand Chapter his report as to the progress and present position of the Rose Croix Order in Ireland . Tho triennial banquet will take place at seven o ' clock .