New Church At Felixstowe.

NEW CHURCH AT FELIXSTOWE .

THE progress of additional work towards the completion of the new church of St . John the Baptist , at Felixstowe , was signalised by a very interesting ceremony which took place on Thursday afternoon , 26 th ult . The new work will consist of a chancel forty feet by

twenty-five feet ; a morning chapel for daily services , on the North side , thirty feet by twenty feet ; clergy and choir vestries on the South side , divided by a wooden partition which can be removed so as to form one large room , thirtyfive feet by thirty feet , for " meetings , etc ., " and an organ

chamber over the choir vestry . The chancel will be divided from the nave by a low brick and stone screen , four feet high , and the vestries and morning chapels will also be divided by screens . It is estimated that 250 additional seats , which are very much needed in the summer season ,

will hereby be provided , and that the cost will be £ 2 , 715 , of which amount £ 800 has been subscribed , while the remainder ( pending the receipt of further contributions ) will be advanced by Messrs . Barclays' Bank , on the guarantee

of Captain Pretyman and others . The architects are Sir Arthur Bloomfield and Sons , and the building contract is in the capable hands of Mr . Fred C . Thurman , of the Walton Works .

The vicar of the church ( Rev . J . G . Munday ) was Worshipful Master last year of the Felix Lodge , No . 2371 , and this circumstance—together with the fact that other prominent members of the congregation are " good Masons " - —was doubtless the initial cause of arrangements being made that the corner stone should be laid with Masonic ceremonial .

Lord Henniker Prov . G . Master summoned an especial Provincial Grand Lodge for the purpose at the Victoria Hall . Although his Lordship could not attend personally ,

his place was taken by that genial Master of the Craft the Rev . Charles J . Martyn P . G . C . D . P . G . M ., and the Brethren , responding to the invitation with characteristic loyalty , assembled in imposing force from all parts of the district .

The weather was delightfully fine and bright , and there was a large gathering outside the church of Felixstowe residents , and visitors from Ipswich , before the special service commenced . After transacting the usual formal business of Provincial Lodge , the Brethren were marshalled by Bro . J .

M . Franks as Grand Director of Ceremonies , assisted by Bro . N . Tracy P . G . Std . B . Eng . Prov . G . S ., and wearing full Masonic Craft clothing , with " aprons outside their coats , " the procession was a picturesque spectacle . There were

Tylers with drawn swords ( sadly in the need of burnishing , by-the-way ) , and bearers of banners , cornucopias , and ewers , of plumb rule , level and square , of Corinthian , Doric and Ionic lights , and other emblems that were to the uninitiated mystic and wonderful .

The church was crowded as the Brethren took their places in reserved seats , and were followed by the officiating clergymen—the Vicar ( Rev . J . G . Munday ) and the Rev . G . Hodges , Vicar of St . James ' s , Bury St . Edmund ' s , who wore their regalia as Freemasons—at the head of the surpliced choir .

The service was a shortened form of evening prayer , with special Psalms ( 8 4 and 122 ) and a most appropriate lesson from the Old Testament . In the first part the hymns sung were , " Pleasant are thy courts above , " and " Christ is our Corner Stone . "

The Rev . G . Hodges preached from the text ( I Kings v ., 17 )— " And the king commanded , and they brought great stones , costly stones , and hewed stones , to lay the foundation of the house . " In his opening remarks , he indicated the argument of an excellent discourse . The first or foundation

stone , he said , was laid at the north-east corner of the building ; in that position the corner-stone of the chancel of the Church in which they were assembled would that day be laid with all the dignity of Masonic ritual . There was a peculiar fitness in that function being discharged by a

religious body of Freemasons , and that for three reasons—in the first place , they acknowledged God as the Great Architect of the Universe ; in the second , they claimed descent from

King Solomon , the great Temple builder ; and , in the third place , they had a mystical interpretation for all ,. things material . Upon these points the preacher dwelt with striking eloquence and earnestness .

The service in church closed with the hymn , " O Lord of Heaven , and earth , and sea . " Mr . T . Palmer was at the organ , and the singing of the large choir was highly commendable . The procession was then- re-formed , and joined by

New Church At Felixstowe.

members of the Building Committee , who were not amongst the Masons . Two other clergymen were also present in their surplices , the Rev . C . J . S . Ward ( curate of St . John Baptist ) , and the Rev . S . Banks ( vicar of Trimley ) . When those who were officially assisting had marched out by the

western door , the congregation left b y the south porch , and the whole assembly presentl y met again in front of the new buildings . The clergy , choir , and members of Provincial Lodge ascended a platform which had been built in front of

the corner stone ; the great body of Freemasons stood in a line below , and the general public took up every available " coign of ' vantage , " watching the proceedings with unabated interest , although the bitter north-east wind caused obvious discomfort .

The Masonic ceremony for such occasions is not unfamiliar , and scarcely calls , therefore , for detailed notice . In reply to the formal request of the Chairman of the Building Committee ( Rev . J . G . Munday ) , the Rev . C . J . Martyn said he should be most happy to do all he could to assist

this most good and excellent work . Then , addressing the assembly as " men and Brethren , " he declared that the Masons had amongst them , concealed from the eyes of all men , secrets which could not be revealed , and which no man had discovered—secrets which were lawful and

honourable , however , and not repugnant to the laws of God or man—and that they were bound by solemn obligations to assist in the erection of handsome buildings , to be serviceable

to the Brethren , and those who feared God , the Great Architect of the Universe . Prayer was offered by Bro . Munday as Prov . G . C . Bro . N . Tracy read the inscription on the stone , as follows : —

A . M . D . G . This stone was laid by the BBV . 0 . J . MARTYN P . G . C , Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons of Suffolk . 26 th January 1899 .

—a copy of the " East Anglian Daily Times , " and one or more current coins of the realm , were placed in the apeture beneath ; and , under the direction of Mr . Thurman , the stone was lowered to its place . The acting Prov . G . M . spread the mortar ; he tested the work , and announced that

he found the stone to be level , plumb , and square , and that the Craftsmen had laboured true and trusty ; he scattered corn on the stone , as an emblem of peace and abundance ; he poured wine and oil upon it as emblems respectively of joy and happiness , peace and unanimity ; and , finally , having

inspected the plans , presented by Bro . H . J . Wright , he requested that the work should be proceeded with speedily , and completed as soon as possible . The singing of the wellknown hymn , " Now thank we all our God , " closed an impressive function , which had been very smoothly and successfully discharged . — " East Anglian Daily Times . "

Church Service At New Barnet.

CHURCH SERVICE AT NEW BARNET .

ACCORDING to programme a Masonic Service was held on Sunday , at St . Mark's Church , New Barnet , and proved a most unqualified success , despite the fact that some of the wiseacres of the district—members of the Craft as well as outsiders—look upon the result as far from satisfactory .

An active experience of close on a quarter of a century places us in a position to form an opinion on the subject , and were it necessary we could produce particulars of some dozens of such meetings in proof of our contention that the result so far at New Barnet is not only eminently satisfactory , but is far

above the average for such gatherings . We suppose there always will be grumblers and objectors in connection with Freemasonry , just as there are in every sphere outside of the Craft , and it only remains for the workers in a cause to so persevere as to prove that opposition can be surmounted , and

unfair criticism can be nullified . It may not be possible to always convince objectors , but it is generally within the power of a body or . zealous Brethren to put their critics to shame—and we shall be very much surprised if this does not

happen in connection with the course the local Freemasons have adopted to help the new church of St . Mark , at New Barnet , and its respected pastor , Rev . Bro . C . Arthur Lane Chaplain 199 6 .

The Service was held under a dispensation from the Provincial Grand Master of Hertfordshire Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., who , in wishing every success to the project , regretted it was not possible for him to be present , and was attended by some 120 Brethren , most of them residents of the surrounding neighbourhood , but in a few cases visitors from afar ,