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Article LATE HOURS IN FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 2 Article THE SECOND AND THIRD DEGREES. Page 1 of 2 Article THE SECOND AND THIRD DEGREES. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Late Hours In Freemasonry.
of little moment if taken singly , they mount up to no inconsiderable total during the progress of a long sitting , and should unquestionably be taken into consideration when aranging the programme of the day .
It is not necessary to carry the discussion of this subject ranch further , our readers have no doubt experienced the inconvenience arising from late hours , and although we
may not have considered every cause which leads to delay , we have given them sufficient ground on which to work should thev desire to effect improvement in any particular Lodge with which they are associated .
The Second And Third Degrees.
THE SECOND AND THIRD DEGREES .
AMONG the many questions concerning the history of the Craft none are more important than that of the antiquity of the second and third degrees , as compared with the first . This question does not arise from the source from
which it might naturally be expected , the exploration and comparison of all the matters in the three degrees , collectively and severally ; by which any discrepancy or
inconsistency between the parts of the system involved in the first and those in the others might be detected ; but on the contrary from the very want of such exploration .
It is not here intended to discuss any of the countless characteristics , or the admirable order of either of the degrees , or the remarkable conformity between them , or the
completeness of the whole as a system ; but to call atten tion to another question which springs out of the former and the mode of discussing the same , adopted by those who assert the modern origin of the second and third of the
series . This question affects the dignity and honour of the Institution much more than Masons generally suppose ; for it involves a charge raised directly by some , and by necessary
implication by others , that the Masonic Lodge , or system of Ancient Craft Masonry as it now exists , is not onl y modern , contrary to the claim of its votaries , and its own authorized utterances , but that it was put forth aud palmed upon the
world as ancient knowingly and wilfully by concerted fraud and false pretence , contrived by its leaders and counived at by its Fraternity , during the years from about A . D . 1716 to 1736 , in both England and Scotland . It is not pretended
here that such being the effect of the charge goes to prove that it is either false or true , or that the degrees in question are either ancient or modern ; but it is simply intended to set forth what is one of the unmistakable issues raised
upon the official and public acts and declarations of the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland , through their principal officers and authorized agents , when engaged in perfecting the reorganization of the Craft in those countries
in the early part of the last century . It is very true that many writers who favour the notion of the modern ori gin of the degrees are far from making any direct assertion of
dishonest conduct on the part of the leaders of the revival of 1717 ; yet what they utter is in substance the same , notwithstanding the politeness of language and expression with which their suggestive remarks are put forth .
It is not necessary to feel or express any regret , on being compelled to differ in conclusion from writers who show themselves reckless in sentiment or unfair in their presentation of facts or arguments ; but the case is different in
calling attention to anything offered by such brethren as Right Worship ful W . J . Hughan , a writer whose utterances can only invite the most respectful consideration of those who may feel warranted in drawing inferences from
facts different from those suggested by him . That distinguished brother in an article in the March number of the Voice of Masonry , favoured its readers with some further
results of his careful and conscientious labours among the existing archives of the "Lodges Kilwinning , " of Scotland ; which contribution is of much interest and value to all Masons , and deserving of hearty thanks .
In that article , speaking of the " St John ' s Old Kilwinning Lodge , " after mentioning the histories of Lyon , Hunter and others , he says : " So far as they or we know or can discover , the esotoric ceremony in vogue until the
second or third decades of the last century was confined to the admission of apprentices ; after which all were on the same level as respected Masonic secrets ; that is to say , whatever was subsequently communicated , if aught , was of a secret character ; all participated or might do so
The Second And Third Degrees.
whether Apprentices , Fellow Crafts or Masters . I am aware that this statement has not passed unchallenged , but it has never been disproved . Should any records be traced proving that three distinct and separate degrees were
worked before the origin of the Premier Grand Lodw 0 0 f England 1716-17 , and exhibiting also proof that they were written before the second decade of the last century for
England , and the second and third decades for Scotland I shall be among the first to acknowledge the evidence but not till theyi . "
On the opposite page in speaking of the charter issued by the new Grand Lodge of Scotland to said " St . John ' s Lodge , " and a petition therefore by the Lodge , and some of its contents , he further says : " The charter issued by the
Grand Lodge recites that' it was evidently made to appear to us and our brethren of the Grand Lodge by proper documents , that from the 27 th of December , one thousand six hundred and seventy-eight , they have been constituted in
a regular Masson Lodge by the name and designation of Old Inverness Kilwinning aforesaid , since which time they have been in use to keep regular meetings , in which they have received and entered Apprentices , past Fellow Grafts and
raised Master Masons ; and for that purpose have kept regular books , wherein they entered their proceedings in the way and manner practised in other well governed Massons' Lodges , " & c .
I looked at the end of this paragraph to find Bro . Hughan ' s acknowledgment ; seeing that here was furnished proof which certainly would be deemed sufficient in all ordinary or similar cases , that the three degrees had been
conferred m said St . John ' s Lodge from the year A . D . 1678 , down to the year 1737 , the date of the charter—that this had been made evidently to appear by " proper documents , " before the officers and brethren of that Grand
Lodge ; and more , that tho Lodge had kept its books " in the way and manner practised in other % vell governed Masson ' s Lodges . " But I looked in vain for any admission that this official recital of facts proves anything .
Now , what would seem to be a reasonable construction to
be put upon the language of this or any other charter asserting like facts , issued by a Grand body of any respectable fraternity , upon a considerate reading of the same , by a stranger , who should know the character in which the
Officers acted , and that they were executing the determination of a body of men like the Masons of Scotland , and that the charter was genuine , and that a petition for a charter had been offered to the Grand Lodge which omitted
mention of degrees ? Clearly it would be something like this—that the document being genuine and authentic , issued for the purposes , and on behalf of the Grand Bod y mentioned therein , must be taken as sufficient proof of
several things . First , that whatever the petition mi ght have contained or omitted , the Grand Lodge had required and considered proofs by other means . Secondl y , that the proofs were made by proper documents ; that is , such as the
usage then or before that time required . Thirdly , that those proofs were concerning the conferring of the decrees mentioned . Fourthly , that the Lodge had made the proofs
satisfactorily to both officers and brethren " evidently , " to use the language of the charter . ) This statement is submitted as what such a document as the charter mentioned
does show , in the absence of luilful fraud ; for a mistake seems out of the question . Brother Hughan does not find such conclusions warranted b y this charter ; but looking to the contents of
the petition for the charter , and the absence of other documents after the lapse of one hundred and forty-nine years , " he says : " Happily both the charters [ this and that of No . 2 . Edinburgh , ] are preserved . Now it should
be noted that neither the petition nor aught else from Inverness , so far as we know , said aught about the conferring of the three degrees from 1678 . No warrant issued before 1717 ever alludes to such , and no records exist
which refer to the third degree prior to the last century ; so that the declaration of the Or and Lodge officials in 1737 respecting this old Lodge and its working three degrees from 1678 , is purely fanciful ? ( The italics are mine—also those words in brackets . )
The above expressed in blunt terms is simply this that the statement was made up , contrary to the truth , by men who knew what had been done .
The questions whether such degrees were conferred , and whether the Grand Lodge Officers acted honestly will not be discussed here . The object of this is simply to call
attention to the process of reasoning which seems to be
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Late Hours In Freemasonry.
of little moment if taken singly , they mount up to no inconsiderable total during the progress of a long sitting , and should unquestionably be taken into consideration when aranging the programme of the day .
It is not necessary to carry the discussion of this subject ranch further , our readers have no doubt experienced the inconvenience arising from late hours , and although we
may not have considered every cause which leads to delay , we have given them sufficient ground on which to work should thev desire to effect improvement in any particular Lodge with which they are associated .
The Second And Third Degrees.
THE SECOND AND THIRD DEGREES .
AMONG the many questions concerning the history of the Craft none are more important than that of the antiquity of the second and third degrees , as compared with the first . This question does not arise from the source from
which it might naturally be expected , the exploration and comparison of all the matters in the three degrees , collectively and severally ; by which any discrepancy or
inconsistency between the parts of the system involved in the first and those in the others might be detected ; but on the contrary from the very want of such exploration .
It is not here intended to discuss any of the countless characteristics , or the admirable order of either of the degrees , or the remarkable conformity between them , or the
completeness of the whole as a system ; but to call atten tion to another question which springs out of the former and the mode of discussing the same , adopted by those who assert the modern origin of the second and third of the
series . This question affects the dignity and honour of the Institution much more than Masons generally suppose ; for it involves a charge raised directly by some , and by necessary
implication by others , that the Masonic Lodge , or system of Ancient Craft Masonry as it now exists , is not onl y modern , contrary to the claim of its votaries , and its own authorized utterances , but that it was put forth aud palmed upon the
world as ancient knowingly and wilfully by concerted fraud and false pretence , contrived by its leaders and counived at by its Fraternity , during the years from about A . D . 1716 to 1736 , in both England and Scotland . It is not pretended
here that such being the effect of the charge goes to prove that it is either false or true , or that the degrees in question are either ancient or modern ; but it is simply intended to set forth what is one of the unmistakable issues raised
upon the official and public acts and declarations of the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland , through their principal officers and authorized agents , when engaged in perfecting the reorganization of the Craft in those countries
in the early part of the last century . It is very true that many writers who favour the notion of the modern ori gin of the degrees are far from making any direct assertion of
dishonest conduct on the part of the leaders of the revival of 1717 ; yet what they utter is in substance the same , notwithstanding the politeness of language and expression with which their suggestive remarks are put forth .
It is not necessary to feel or express any regret , on being compelled to differ in conclusion from writers who show themselves reckless in sentiment or unfair in their presentation of facts or arguments ; but the case is different in
calling attention to anything offered by such brethren as Right Worship ful W . J . Hughan , a writer whose utterances can only invite the most respectful consideration of those who may feel warranted in drawing inferences from
facts different from those suggested by him . That distinguished brother in an article in the March number of the Voice of Masonry , favoured its readers with some further
results of his careful and conscientious labours among the existing archives of the "Lodges Kilwinning , " of Scotland ; which contribution is of much interest and value to all Masons , and deserving of hearty thanks .
In that article , speaking of the " St John ' s Old Kilwinning Lodge , " after mentioning the histories of Lyon , Hunter and others , he says : " So far as they or we know or can discover , the esotoric ceremony in vogue until the
second or third decades of the last century was confined to the admission of apprentices ; after which all were on the same level as respected Masonic secrets ; that is to say , whatever was subsequently communicated , if aught , was of a secret character ; all participated or might do so
The Second And Third Degrees.
whether Apprentices , Fellow Crafts or Masters . I am aware that this statement has not passed unchallenged , but it has never been disproved . Should any records be traced proving that three distinct and separate degrees were
worked before the origin of the Premier Grand Lodw 0 0 f England 1716-17 , and exhibiting also proof that they were written before the second decade of the last century for
England , and the second and third decades for Scotland I shall be among the first to acknowledge the evidence but not till theyi . "
On the opposite page in speaking of the charter issued by the new Grand Lodge of Scotland to said " St . John ' s Lodge , " and a petition therefore by the Lodge , and some of its contents , he further says : " The charter issued by the
Grand Lodge recites that' it was evidently made to appear to us and our brethren of the Grand Lodge by proper documents , that from the 27 th of December , one thousand six hundred and seventy-eight , they have been constituted in
a regular Masson Lodge by the name and designation of Old Inverness Kilwinning aforesaid , since which time they have been in use to keep regular meetings , in which they have received and entered Apprentices , past Fellow Grafts and
raised Master Masons ; and for that purpose have kept regular books , wherein they entered their proceedings in the way and manner practised in other well governed Massons' Lodges , " & c .
I looked at the end of this paragraph to find Bro . Hughan ' s acknowledgment ; seeing that here was furnished proof which certainly would be deemed sufficient in all ordinary or similar cases , that the three degrees had been
conferred m said St . John ' s Lodge from the year A . D . 1678 , down to the year 1737 , the date of the charter—that this had been made evidently to appear by " proper documents , " before the officers and brethren of that Grand
Lodge ; and more , that tho Lodge had kept its books " in the way and manner practised in other % vell governed Masson ' s Lodges . " But I looked in vain for any admission that this official recital of facts proves anything .
Now , what would seem to be a reasonable construction to
be put upon the language of this or any other charter asserting like facts , issued by a Grand body of any respectable fraternity , upon a considerate reading of the same , by a stranger , who should know the character in which the
Officers acted , and that they were executing the determination of a body of men like the Masons of Scotland , and that the charter was genuine , and that a petition for a charter had been offered to the Grand Lodge which omitted
mention of degrees ? Clearly it would be something like this—that the document being genuine and authentic , issued for the purposes , and on behalf of the Grand Bod y mentioned therein , must be taken as sufficient proof of
several things . First , that whatever the petition mi ght have contained or omitted , the Grand Lodge had required and considered proofs by other means . Secondl y , that the proofs were made by proper documents ; that is , such as the
usage then or before that time required . Thirdly , that those proofs were concerning the conferring of the decrees mentioned . Fourthly , that the Lodge had made the proofs
satisfactorily to both officers and brethren " evidently , " to use the language of the charter . ) This statement is submitted as what such a document as the charter mentioned
does show , in the absence of luilful fraud ; for a mistake seems out of the question . Brother Hughan does not find such conclusions warranted b y this charter ; but looking to the contents of
the petition for the charter , and the absence of other documents after the lapse of one hundred and forty-nine years , " he says : " Happily both the charters [ this and that of No . 2 . Edinburgh , ] are preserved . Now it should
be noted that neither the petition nor aught else from Inverness , so far as we know , said aught about the conferring of the three degrees from 1678 . No warrant issued before 1717 ever alludes to such , and no records exist
which refer to the third degree prior to the last century ; so that the declaration of the Or and Lodge officials in 1737 respecting this old Lodge and its working three degrees from 1678 , is purely fanciful ? ( The italics are mine—also those words in brackets . )
The above expressed in blunt terms is simply this that the statement was made up , contrary to the truth , by men who knew what had been done .
The questions whether such degrees were conferred , and whether the Grand Lodge Officers acted honestly will not be discussed here . The object of this is simply to call
attention to the process of reasoning which seems to be