Lukewarm Masons.

tunities of interchanging thonght and information—men of sufficient courage and research who arc disposed to set themselves up as mentors or preceptors . Nor is it easy to impart this interest and instruction by means of books or periodicals , for it , is a fact , proved by painful experience ,

that members of Lodges , though they will listen attentively and applaud appreciatively a discourse of half-an-hour ' s duration , are seldom gifted with a sufficient passion for inquiry as to read for themselves the result of deeper and more radical research . In the storehouses of Masonic

literature are " gems of purest ray serene "—splendid passages of traditional and archaeological lore , raked out from the dusty pages of the remote past , —but which are doomed to " blush unseen " or not oven dreamt of in the philosophy of ordinary Masons . Only those who

intelligently grasp the important bearings of literature upon the life and vitality of the Brotherhood can realise and appreciate tho valuable services which have been ren dered to the Craft by the few writers who havo become eminent amongst us : but we have-reason to fear that to the

vast majority of our brethren tho deeper springs of intellectual enjoyment are as unknown as tho unexplored bed of the ocean . For all that , it is expedient that constaut effort should

be exercised in the direction of sustaining the flagging interest and keeping alive the flame of ambition of those who without such aids would relapse into a backward or lukewarm frame of mind . When we hear a brother

exclaim that he has retired from tho regular meetings of his Lodge , and that he does not " see anything" in Masonry , one can only commiserate with a mind whose moral faculties have become disorganised , or with an ambition that is very easily satisfied . In either case such

brethren are better away from the Lodges than in them , for apathy is as catching as a cough before a sermon , and insidiously works incalculable mischief . There is little hope of reclaiming the class of men to which we refer , who have retraced their steps in the science , and forgotten what

little it was the honest intention of their superiors to teach them . But the increase and development of this indifference may be stayed in a great measure by infusing

additional attractiveness into Lodges of Intruction , and we are glad to notice many evidences of this determination on tho part of our brethren to sustain the fervour and cordiality with which such gatherings should always abound .

The English Rite Of Freemasonry.

THE ENGLISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY .

( Continued from page 290 ) . IN the next chapter , which , though a brief one , is replete with interesting matter , Bro . Hughan discusses the "Extension of Additional Degrees . " Having pointed out how fortunate the Royal Arch Degree was in

having secured the recognition of the " Atholl and " York " Masons , Bro . Hughan expresses his agreement with Bro . Carson that " the desire for a return to the exclusively Christian basis of the Fraternity was one of the chief causes which led to the fabrication of additional

degrees . " The passage quoted from Carson is as follows " Some time between 1723-1745 ( the exact time will possibly never be known , the movement going on by evolution ) , some of the brethren who wished to preserve the Christian features of the old Order formed themselves into

Societies , adjuncts , however , to the Lodges . ... It must be admitted that the present cosmopolitan or latitu - dinarian character of the Symbolic or Craft Degrees of Freemasonry ( i . e ., the first three ) dates only from 1721 . Prior to that time its members were required to believe in

Mother Church ( i . e . Christian Religion ) . " This view is so reasonable that we imagine most people will endorse it , especially as it is exemplified by the fact that of the extra-Craft degrees those have achieved the greatest distinction which have a Christian basis to rest upon . But Bro .

Hughan does not think it necessary to occupy his time m discussing this conjecture at length , and having contented himself with stating it , at once lays before his readers the information he has succeeded in collating about other

degrees . The senior of these , of which any records have been preserved , is that of the " Royal Order of Scotland , " and respecting this Bro . Hughan repeats the suggestion that it is probably the degree referred to under the designation of " Scotts Masons "—not tho "Scots Masons

The English Rite Of Freemasonry.

Lodge" mentioned in Pine ' s and other lists , but the " Scotts ' Masons " noted by Bro . Goldney in his " History of Freemasonry in Wiltshire" under date the 19 th October 1746 . Other Degrees are mentioned , among them being the Excellent and Super-Kxcollent referred to in a minute dated

loth August 1763 of a " Modern" Lodge at Great Yarmouth , and the Knight Templar , which , singularly enough , occurs for tho first time , so far as is known , in a minute of the St . Andrew ' s Chapter , Boston , Massachusetts , U . S . A ., of 28 th August 1769 . Of course , the Warrant granted by

the Earl of Egliuton as Master of Mother Kilwinning to the "High Knights Templars of Ireland , Kilwinning Lodge" to assemble in Dublin from 8 th October 1769 is introduced . It seems tho records of this Lodge , which was constituted the 27 th December

following , have been recently discovered by Bro . Neilson , and they disclose the extraordinary fact that " the Charter was used as the authority for conferring tho Royal Arch , Knight Templar , and Rose Croix Degrees in 1782 and since , though that document only provided for the

rights and privileges of ' a regular Lodge , ' the Scottish ' Kilwinning ' Brethren never at any time working other than ' St . John ' s Masonry . ' " The Mark , too , receives its just share of attention , having regard to the limited extent to which Bro . Hughan has considered it necessary to confine

his remarks . The result of these investigations is thus summed up : — " Of the several degrees worked in England last century , the only ones actually recognised were the Royal Arch by the ' York' and ' Atholl' Masons , and the Knight Templar by the former Body . Since the Union of

December 1813 the Royal Arch only has been authorised by the ' United Grand Lodge , ' and then , strictly speaking , not as a separate degree , but as the completion of the Third , including , of course , the special ceremonies peculiar to the installation of Masters of Lodges and Principals of Chapters . "

In our next paper we shall traverse the Seventh Chapter , in which is considered the " Constitution of the Grand Chapter , " and offer some few remarks on the documents furnished in the several appendices . ( To be continued . )

The Provincial Grand Royal Arch Chapter for the Province of Essex , of which M . E . Comp . Frederick A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , is the Grand Superintendent , will be holden at the Middleton Hotel , Southendon-Sea , on Wednesday next , the 19 th inst ., at 2 . 45 o ' clock

p . m ., when the attendance is required of the Provincial Grand Officers , with the Principals and Past Principals of the Chapters in the Province . All R . A . Masons are invited to be present . The Provincial Grand Chapter will be opened punctually at three o ' clock .

A Convocation of the North Lone on Chapter of Improvement was held at the Alwyne Cast ! . Tavern , St . Paul ' s Road , on Thursday . Companions Gregor ? M . E . Z ., Kidder H , Radcliffe J ., Sheffield S . E ., Brasted H if ,, G . W . Knight

P . S . There was a large gathering of I ' , •' Masons on the occasion , and a very pleasant and instrp .- // n evening was spent . R . A . Masons are kindly invi ¦ " ; ' ' . U » attend the Chapter of Improvement , which is alwi . < ¦ ¦ jll supported . Companion T . C . Edmonds is the Precep , ei \

At the meeting of the Industry Chapter . No . 186 , held on 21 st ultimo , at Freemasons' Hall , Co : np . Jas . Terry installed Bro . J . G . Horsey as M . E . Z ., Co- ip . Geo . Allen

as H ., and Comp . J . J . Taffs as J . T- * i Companions afterwards partook of a Banquet , but the >! ait Excellent Comp . Horsey was suffering so acutely frotix ibaralgia that he had to retire at a very early stage of the e . » ning .

The Evening Neios states the testimonial t , ro . W . J . Hughan , Past Grand Senior Deacon since 18 V , n recognition of his extensive services to Masonry , h ¦ ¦ ¦> . ; . Masonic historian , archaeologist , and student , will be pi -. ted on the afternoon of Wednesday , 3 rd December , at a ¦ , icheon

to be given at the Freemasons' Tavern . There i . s , long list of subscribers to the testimonial , and , as a lar ; c number of brethren will be in town for the purpose of atte ding Grand Lodge tho same evening , the meeting is expect ; d to be well attended . v