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Article CHURCH SERVICES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article TOO GREAT ZEAL FOR DUES. Page 1 of 1 Article REAPING MASONS. Page 1 of 1 Ad Untitled Page 1 of 1
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Church Services.
placing of each of us as living stones in the heavenly Jerusalem . Secondly , the text taught the lesson with reference to the ancient Order of Freemasons , which , the preacher pointed out , had been silently built up in quietness and peace and harmony in accordance with the
fundamental tenets of Brotherly love and truth . Thirdly , the contrast between the turmoil and labour near Joppa , and fche quiet building of tlio Temple of Jerusalem , was the picture in parable of the contrast between the coming
of old age to fchose whom fche Most High had given a competency , and those who found the closing years of life darkened and bedimmed by the pressure of want . The preacher concluded by making an earnest appeal for the Hamer Institution . The collection realised £ 18 15 s 3 d .
Too Great Zeal For Dues.
TOO GREAT ZEAL FOR DUES .
AM A S O N has a two-fold membership ; a membership in the whole Fraternity , and a membership in a local Lodge that is a constituent of a regular and lawfully constituted Grand Lodge . The first membership ,
is the higher and paramount one—the membership that embraces all there is of the mystic tie , and of friendship , morality and brotherly love . The second membership is one of organisation and association , and is local in name ,
in character , and in rights and privileges . To sustain such an organisation there must be a requisite fund , and that fund musfc be provided by the members by voluntary contributions or by the payment of fixed annual dues . The great majority of Lodges have chosen the latter
plan , and the need of money has made many of them too zealous for dues—so over-zealous that they have prevailed on their Grand Lodges to legislate that a non-affiliate of a few months standing has no Masonic right or privilege but thafc of applying for reinstatement or affiliation . They admit that he is guilty of no un-Masonic conduct ,
and has done no wrong but that of exercising his free will and accord about seeking affiliation , and yet they place him in the same condition as if he were a Mason under sentence of suspension from all the rights and privileges
of Freemasonry . This is a coercion of affiliation to an extreme . It is saying to a Free and Accepted Mason , you shall affiliate with a Lodge or you shall be to us no
more than a profane , save that you may apply for reinstatement or affiliation . Masonic obligations cannot guiltlessly be so repudiated or laid aside . The answer to the question , " What makes you a Mason ? " is nofc Lodge affiliation and payment of Lodge dues , but
something far different , and thafc fact cannot be gainsaid . That every Mason ought to be an affiliate will not be disputed , bufc there is nowhere in Freemasonry a principle
or teaching insisting thafc he shall be . The most thafc a non-affiliate can be rightly deprived of , is the Lodge rights and privileges . Anything further than that is un-Masonic . If our information is correct , Bro . Morgan
Lewis Grand Master of Masons in New York from 1830 to 1843 , was a non-affiliate . He ought to have been an affiliate , but was not , and his service as Grand Master was unquestioned on account of it . Of course , as circumstances now are in this country concerning Lodges and Grand Lodges , a non-affiliate would not , and
probably could nofc , be elected Grand Master in any Grand Jurisdiction , yet none the less a Morgan Lewis would be worthy of election . What we are contending for is less zeal for Lodge dues and more zeal for Masonry —more zeal for the inculcation and practice of Masonic
tenets and principles . Albert Pike , Albert G . Mackey , George Washington , Eoberfc E . Livingston , De Witt Clinton , and many others , are Masonically mentioned with pride and eloquence . If either of them had died as an over six months non-affiliate , would the Craft
generally have justified a declaration that he had at his decease no right but that of applying for reinstatement or affiliation ? Would the Masonic world have sent his remains fco the grave as those of a profane , and thus have proclaimed that all his merit and worth were
naught when confronted wifch six months non-affiliation and non-payment of Lodge dues ? If nay , then let us have less zeal for dues and greater zeal for Masonry .
Let us have better Lodges—true Masonic Lodges , and there will be less non-affiliation and non-payment of dues , and no need of coerced affiliation . — " Voice of Masonry . "
Reaping Masons.
REAPING MASONS .
ril H E Masonic Brotherhood ought to be made up of reading J _ people , and Masons are supposed to be a select people , chosen with much care from the common mass of mankind ; sound in body and mind , who have a desire for knowledge , that they may be serviceable to their fallow men . And our art is calculated to
stimulate rather than stultify a growth of intellect and foster a lovo for leanv ' ng . Now , in order to acquire knowledge , stndy is requisite ; hence it might be readily inferred that Masons wonld bfc students—not only readers of books , but students of them , and of that class of books which afford food for the intellectual faculties .
That they would devote at least some time to those works of science which are calculated to reveal the hidden truths of nature , and lead the mind up through nature into communion with the Great First Cause —the God who dwelleth in secret , and yet He is not far from him who searcheth after Him .
But it is a lamentable fact that multitudes of the members of our Institution are not reading men . If they ever had any thirst for knowledge it must havo died out , or it lies as dormant as does the latent heat in a bar of frosted iron , and requires quite as hard blows to incite it to action . Ask them to subscribe for a journal or
purchase a book , and they show no interest whatever . Press the matter and you will soon discover that they have no interest in journals or books . It is true they will tell you they are fully supplied—have even more than they can possibly find time to read . But converse with them on topics of interest to the man of
intelligence , and you will soon discover the utter bareness of their nr ' nds . If they read at all , their reading is made up of the light frothy fiction which affords no work for the intellectual faculties , and is not calculated to improve either mind or morals . Now we do not mean to insinuate that there arc no reading
Masons ; far from it . There aro not a few who are students indeed . They are often found among the most busy of men ; thoso who rise early and retire , and eat not tho bread of idleness . But they rightly divide their time , and thoy sacredly set asido a portion for mental and moral culture , and thus they find time for bnsiness , for
society , for the study and reading needful in order to their keeping pace with the intelligence and progress of the age . And they find time to read a Masonic journal also , and therefore know something of what is transpiring in the Fraternity at home aud in sister Jurisdictions . They are enlightened Masons . —Ex .
A general meeting of the Governors and Subscribers of the Fortescue Masonic Annuity Fund was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Exeter , on the 10 th inst .,. when , among other business , a Brother of the St . George Lodge , No . 2025 , Plymouth , was elected as an annuitant on the Fund .
Ad00503
CRITERION RESTAURANT . EAST ROOM , DIMERS & SUPPERS A LA CARTE . ! WEST ROOM , I FROM 12 TO 3 , Academy Luncheon at 2 / 9 per Head , "Le Diner Parisien , " 5 / - ; Supper , 4 / - Tnstrumental Music . GRAND HALL , The Popular 3 / 6 Dinner i Is Served at SEPAKATE TABLES , 6 to 9 pm ., I During - which the Celebrated "SPIERPON" ORCHESTRA WILL PERFORM .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Church Services.
placing of each of us as living stones in the heavenly Jerusalem . Secondly , the text taught the lesson with reference to the ancient Order of Freemasons , which , the preacher pointed out , had been silently built up in quietness and peace and harmony in accordance with the
fundamental tenets of Brotherly love and truth . Thirdly , the contrast between the turmoil and labour near Joppa , and fche quiet building of tlio Temple of Jerusalem , was the picture in parable of the contrast between the coming
of old age to fchose whom fche Most High had given a competency , and those who found the closing years of life darkened and bedimmed by the pressure of want . The preacher concluded by making an earnest appeal for the Hamer Institution . The collection realised £ 18 15 s 3 d .
Too Great Zeal For Dues.
TOO GREAT ZEAL FOR DUES .
AM A S O N has a two-fold membership ; a membership in the whole Fraternity , and a membership in a local Lodge that is a constituent of a regular and lawfully constituted Grand Lodge . The first membership ,
is the higher and paramount one—the membership that embraces all there is of the mystic tie , and of friendship , morality and brotherly love . The second membership is one of organisation and association , and is local in name ,
in character , and in rights and privileges . To sustain such an organisation there must be a requisite fund , and that fund musfc be provided by the members by voluntary contributions or by the payment of fixed annual dues . The great majority of Lodges have chosen the latter
plan , and the need of money has made many of them too zealous for dues—so over-zealous that they have prevailed on their Grand Lodges to legislate that a non-affiliate of a few months standing has no Masonic right or privilege but thafc of applying for reinstatement or affiliation . They admit that he is guilty of no un-Masonic conduct ,
and has done no wrong but that of exercising his free will and accord about seeking affiliation , and yet they place him in the same condition as if he were a Mason under sentence of suspension from all the rights and privileges
of Freemasonry . This is a coercion of affiliation to an extreme . It is saying to a Free and Accepted Mason , you shall affiliate with a Lodge or you shall be to us no
more than a profane , save that you may apply for reinstatement or affiliation . Masonic obligations cannot guiltlessly be so repudiated or laid aside . The answer to the question , " What makes you a Mason ? " is nofc Lodge affiliation and payment of Lodge dues , but
something far different , and thafc fact cannot be gainsaid . That every Mason ought to be an affiliate will not be disputed , bufc there is nowhere in Freemasonry a principle
or teaching insisting thafc he shall be . The most thafc a non-affiliate can be rightly deprived of , is the Lodge rights and privileges . Anything further than that is un-Masonic . If our information is correct , Bro . Morgan
Lewis Grand Master of Masons in New York from 1830 to 1843 , was a non-affiliate . He ought to have been an affiliate , but was not , and his service as Grand Master was unquestioned on account of it . Of course , as circumstances now are in this country concerning Lodges and Grand Lodges , a non-affiliate would not , and
probably could nofc , be elected Grand Master in any Grand Jurisdiction , yet none the less a Morgan Lewis would be worthy of election . What we are contending for is less zeal for Lodge dues and more zeal for Masonry —more zeal for the inculcation and practice of Masonic
tenets and principles . Albert Pike , Albert G . Mackey , George Washington , Eoberfc E . Livingston , De Witt Clinton , and many others , are Masonically mentioned with pride and eloquence . If either of them had died as an over six months non-affiliate , would the Craft
generally have justified a declaration that he had at his decease no right but that of applying for reinstatement or affiliation ? Would the Masonic world have sent his remains fco the grave as those of a profane , and thus have proclaimed that all his merit and worth were
naught when confronted wifch six months non-affiliation and non-payment of Lodge dues ? If nay , then let us have less zeal for dues and greater zeal for Masonry .
Let us have better Lodges—true Masonic Lodges , and there will be less non-affiliation and non-payment of dues , and no need of coerced affiliation . — " Voice of Masonry . "
Reaping Masons.
REAPING MASONS .
ril H E Masonic Brotherhood ought to be made up of reading J _ people , and Masons are supposed to be a select people , chosen with much care from the common mass of mankind ; sound in body and mind , who have a desire for knowledge , that they may be serviceable to their fallow men . And our art is calculated to
stimulate rather than stultify a growth of intellect and foster a lovo for leanv ' ng . Now , in order to acquire knowledge , stndy is requisite ; hence it might be readily inferred that Masons wonld bfc students—not only readers of books , but students of them , and of that class of books which afford food for the intellectual faculties .
That they would devote at least some time to those works of science which are calculated to reveal the hidden truths of nature , and lead the mind up through nature into communion with the Great First Cause —the God who dwelleth in secret , and yet He is not far from him who searcheth after Him .
But it is a lamentable fact that multitudes of the members of our Institution are not reading men . If they ever had any thirst for knowledge it must havo died out , or it lies as dormant as does the latent heat in a bar of frosted iron , and requires quite as hard blows to incite it to action . Ask them to subscribe for a journal or
purchase a book , and they show no interest whatever . Press the matter and you will soon discover that they have no interest in journals or books . It is true they will tell you they are fully supplied—have even more than they can possibly find time to read . But converse with them on topics of interest to the man of
intelligence , and you will soon discover the utter bareness of their nr ' nds . If they read at all , their reading is made up of the light frothy fiction which affords no work for the intellectual faculties , and is not calculated to improve either mind or morals . Now we do not mean to insinuate that there arc no reading
Masons ; far from it . There aro not a few who are students indeed . They are often found among the most busy of men ; thoso who rise early and retire , and eat not tho bread of idleness . But they rightly divide their time , and thoy sacredly set asido a portion for mental and moral culture , and thus they find time for bnsiness , for
society , for the study and reading needful in order to their keeping pace with the intelligence and progress of the age . And they find time to read a Masonic journal also , and therefore know something of what is transpiring in the Fraternity at home aud in sister Jurisdictions . They are enlightened Masons . —Ex .
A general meeting of the Governors and Subscribers of the Fortescue Masonic Annuity Fund was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Exeter , on the 10 th inst .,. when , among other business , a Brother of the St . George Lodge , No . 2025 , Plymouth , was elected as an annuitant on the Fund .
Ad00503
CRITERION RESTAURANT . EAST ROOM , DIMERS & SUPPERS A LA CARTE . ! WEST ROOM , I FROM 12 TO 3 , Academy Luncheon at 2 / 9 per Head , "Le Diner Parisien , " 5 / - ; Supper , 4 / - Tnstrumental Music . GRAND HALL , The Popular 3 / 6 Dinner i Is Served at SEPAKATE TABLES , 6 to 9 pm ., I During - which the Celebrated "SPIERPON" ORCHESTRA WILL PERFORM .