-
Articles/Ads
Article CORRESPONDENCE. ← Page 2 of 2 Article ROYAL ARCH. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
regret the letter of Bro . F . Binokes , as tending to re-open a quarrel which had been closed by mutual consent . The report of the Provisional Committee is merely a temperate recital of what it haa done , in pursuance of its instructions to improve the arrangements of the School ; and as the School is after all a merely human
Institution , the most ardent champion of the old order of things cannot pretend that it was absolutely perfect . Bro . Binckes ' s acceptance of the very honourable terms of his retirement precludes him , 1 think , from reviving the former controversy , and I venture to
express a hope that he will " let the dead past bury its dead , ' and leave our Masonio posterity to do justice to hia share in a closed chapter of the history of tbo Boys' School . I am confident that a different course will do him no good , while it is certainly calculated to alienate support from the Institution .
Yours faithfully and fraternally , HAROLD LEWIS I . P . M . 686 Bristol , I 6 tb April 1891 .
DOBS BRO . SPETH BELIEVE THAT HE IS AN INFALLIBLE MASONIO AUTHORITY ?
To the Edttm- of the FBEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . BEAK SIK AND BROTHER , —I asked a Catholic clergyman to explain the meaning of the word " inspiration , " or in what manner were the writers of the books in the Bible inspired , and he answered that when St . Matthew took the pen in his hand to write the Gospel , he became unconscious , and while he was in that state the Holy Ghost
guided his pen , and when he recovered his consciousness , he found the Gospel that goes by his name was written , and in the same way the other writers of the books in the Bible were inspired . " But , " said I , " what authority have you for your belief . " " The Church , " said he . After that answer it was of no use to ask any further questions ; the ohnroh is infallible , and its dictum must be believed ,
in spite of reason and common sense . Masonio luminaries never claimed tbe gift of inspiration , and as far as I know , nobody claimed ID for them ; but yet I remember when Masous believed in the writings of Anderson , Preston , Oliver , Mackey , Moore , and Co ., as implicitly as they believed in the Gospels ; yes , I remember the time when it would have been deemed a monstrous Masonio heresy to
express a doubt that Adam , or Noah , or Moses , and above all King Solomon , were Masons ; all whioh disbelief , however , is no longer frowned upon by onr present Masonio luminaries . But here is another illustration . In 1870 , in a reply to an editorial iu tbe Freemason , 1 ventured to show the difference between the aims of our speonlative Masons , and the Masons of the Middle Ages .
" Our object and aim is , " said I , "to unite all good and trne men , without distinction of creed , into a brotherhood , bat the aim of the Masonio organization in the Middle Ages was bread and butter , or , in other words , higher wages . " Thereupon , somo of the then Masonio luminaries came ont in the Freemason with squibs and sneers , headed " The Nortonian Theory , " " Bread and Butter Theory , " & c , but now
there is not an impartial , well-informed Masonio writer , who does not believe that my opinion was right . Some months ago , however , I ventured to criticise Bro . Speth ' s opinion that the Matthew Cooke MS . was written during the first half of the fifteenth century , and I offered a number of reasons for my belief that tho said Cooke MS . waa written by a Protestant , for a Lodge composed of Protestants ;
and having recently read , in Tonlmin Smith's book on English Gilds , that ont of about six hundred Gild ' s codes or laws , he found but one operative Gild which had no patron Saint , and having shown that , even in the laws of the said saintless Gild , there was ample evidence that they were written by a Catholic for a Catholic Gild , while on the other hand , the Masons of the fifteenth centnry had four patron
saints , and prayed to the Virgin in their Lodges , and , in short , the whole poem of the fifteenth century ia crammed full of Roman Catholic beliefs , while the Cooke MS . is minus of the slightest hint that it was written by a Roman Catholic , or for the use of a Masonio Gild composed of Roman Catholics , and knowing that during the first half of the sixteenth centnry the religious Reformation took
place in England , when saints and Virgin worship was brought into contempt . For the above reasons , I politely suggested to Bro . Speth that the saintless , Virginless Matthew Cooke MS . must have been written after the Reformation , by a Protestant for a Lodge of Protestant Masons . Now , if Bro . Speth had gone to work and collected the laws of six hundred Gilds which existed before the
Reformation , and had proved that five per cent , of the said six hundred documents were minus of allusions to patron saints , to the Virgin , and of the last hint , that thoy were written by Catholics , or for Catholics , he might have convinced me that the Cooke MS . might have been written before the Reformation . But instead of doing so , he resorted to ridicule and sneers . Now , I have shown that
former Masonic luminaries have tried the same game , but their sneers recoiled upon themselves , and I now ask Bro . Speth , how does he know , whether at a near future , hia method of ridiculing and sneering may not also recoil upon himself ? Bro . Speth claims that his opinion about the age of the Cooke MS . is supported by the opinions of Bros . GouldHughanand others .
, , Bnt suppose it is so , I ask , what of it ? Surely , clever and wellinformed as I admit them to be , I regard them os no more infallible than I regard Bro . Speth , and if Bro . Speth's opinion had been backed up by a unanimous vote of all the learned members of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , without giving better reasons for their
than iJro . bpoth gave v , ! , iH Commentary of the Cooke MS ., and without furnishing bettsr reasons against my belief than Bro . bpeth did in the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE of 2 lst March , I would still conscientiously maintain that the Matthew Cooke MS . was written by a Protestant for a Guild of Protestant Masons . Fraternall y yours , „ , „ „ . JACOB NORHON . Boston , U . S . A ., 31 et March 1831 .
Royal Arch.
ROYAL ARCH .
— : o : — PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF SUSSEX .
THE annual meeting waa held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on Saturday , the 11 th ult . The M . E . Comp . Lieut .-General C . W . Randolph , Grand Superintendent , opened the Chapter , and waa supported by the following Provincial Grand Officers , viz .: Comps . H . M .
Davey H ., Brantley Roberts J ., H . E . Price S . N ., J . M . Reed Treas ., R . Pidcock Reg ., T . C . Woodman P . Soj ., G . E . Chapman St . B ., A . King Organist , T . Hardy Stewardand H . H . Hughes Janitor . The minutes of tho
, last meeting having been read and confirmed , the Report of the Audit Committee and the Treasurer ' s accounts were received and adopted . Addressing the Companions , the M . E . Grand Superintendent said :
When comparing Mark Masonry with Royal Aroh Masonry I regret to see so many brothers Hooking to that branch of Masonry—taking a retrograde step , than being exalted in the Royal Arch Degree , whioh is a superior advancement in our Craft . There are reasons whioh possibly influence Master Masons to join the Mark Degree
instead of ours , the fees for entrance being less , and the clothing less expensive . I wish we could persuade the Grand S . E . ( who I regret is not with us this day ) to nse his endeavours to assimilate the fees , holding out equal inducements for brethren to join R . A . Chapters . I have attended all the installation meetings of our nine Chapters ,
except one , during the last year in the Province . 1 have observed in some Chapters the attendance has been good , and the working highly creditable , and I trnst , for the future , I shall witness the three Principals instal their several successors in their respective chairs , thus dividing the work ; that all Chapters work alike ; and that the
Province of Sussex will be quoted as a pattern Province ; for I am confident that when Companions take the trouble to acquire and learn their respective duties in the respective offices that they fill , it will always repay them , for we all well know with increased knowlege will come increased interest . We have heard the report of
the Treasurer ' s accounts , and I am pleased to say we are better off than we were last year . As regards the statistics , it is gratifying to see that this year we have had twenty-nine exaltations , whioh are more than in any previous year since 1882 . I cannot express to you Grand
how rejoiced I am to think that in the first year of my Superintendentship of the Province that we have excelled in numbers our exaltations since the year 1882 . Companions , may the Great Jehovah give us all health , strength , and inclination to perform our Royal Arch dnties throughout the coming year . The following wero appointed Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year , and wero invested with the insignia
of their respective offices : C . J . Smith H . A . King J . V . P . Freeman S . E . F . Daniel S . N .
J . M . Reed Treasurer 11 . Pidcock Registrar W . H . Barrett P . Soj . T . Hardy 1 st Assistant Soj . C . W . Tomes 2 nd Assistant Soj T . Berry Sword Bearer R . H . Ellman Standard Bearer F . Holford Dir . of Cers .
W . W . Roe Organist ^• ™ m } Stewards C . Bampfylde Warre ) H . H . Hughes Tyler
The Provincial Grand Chapter having been closed , tho Companions sat down to a banquet , over which the Grand Superintendent presided . The usual loyal toasts having been given , pomp . C . J . Smith proposed " The health of the Grand Sunerintendent , " who acknowledged the toast ,
and thanked the Companions for their attendance and support . "The health of the Provincial Officers" was proposed by the Chairman , and responded to by Comp . C . J . Smith . Comp . Paynter , from Monmouthshire , and Kemp Smythe , from Dover , responded for " The Visitors . "
" The Principals of the Chapters in the Province , " " The Masonic Institutions , " and the Tyler ' s toast concluded the proceedings . The musical arrangements were under the direction of Comp . W . W . Roo Orgauist , who had secured the services of Miss Maud Bond , Miss Louise Brazier , and Comp . R . Willard .
HOLLOWAT ' PILLS . —Though good health is preferable to high honour , how regardless people of tea are of tho former—how covotons of tho latter ! Many suffer their strength to drain away ero maturity is reached , through ignorance of the facility afforded by these incomparable Pills of checking tho first untoward symptoms of derangement , and reinstating order without interfering n the least with their pleasure or pursuits . To tha young especially it is important io maintain the highest digestive efficiency , without which tho growth is stunted , the muscles become lax , the frame feeble , and tho mind siothtul . The removal of indigestion by these Pills ia so easy that none save tho moat thoughtless would permit it to sap tho spring of life .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
regret the letter of Bro . F . Binokes , as tending to re-open a quarrel which had been closed by mutual consent . The report of the Provisional Committee is merely a temperate recital of what it haa done , in pursuance of its instructions to improve the arrangements of the School ; and as the School is after all a merely human
Institution , the most ardent champion of the old order of things cannot pretend that it was absolutely perfect . Bro . Binckes ' s acceptance of the very honourable terms of his retirement precludes him , 1 think , from reviving the former controversy , and I venture to
express a hope that he will " let the dead past bury its dead , ' and leave our Masonio posterity to do justice to hia share in a closed chapter of the history of tbo Boys' School . I am confident that a different course will do him no good , while it is certainly calculated to alienate support from the Institution .
Yours faithfully and fraternally , HAROLD LEWIS I . P . M . 686 Bristol , I 6 tb April 1891 .
DOBS BRO . SPETH BELIEVE THAT HE IS AN INFALLIBLE MASONIO AUTHORITY ?
To the Edttm- of the FBEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . BEAK SIK AND BROTHER , —I asked a Catholic clergyman to explain the meaning of the word " inspiration , " or in what manner were the writers of the books in the Bible inspired , and he answered that when St . Matthew took the pen in his hand to write the Gospel , he became unconscious , and while he was in that state the Holy Ghost
guided his pen , and when he recovered his consciousness , he found the Gospel that goes by his name was written , and in the same way the other writers of the books in the Bible were inspired . " But , " said I , " what authority have you for your belief . " " The Church , " said he . After that answer it was of no use to ask any further questions ; the ohnroh is infallible , and its dictum must be believed ,
in spite of reason and common sense . Masonio luminaries never claimed tbe gift of inspiration , and as far as I know , nobody claimed ID for them ; but yet I remember when Masous believed in the writings of Anderson , Preston , Oliver , Mackey , Moore , and Co ., as implicitly as they believed in the Gospels ; yes , I remember the time when it would have been deemed a monstrous Masonio heresy to
express a doubt that Adam , or Noah , or Moses , and above all King Solomon , were Masons ; all whioh disbelief , however , is no longer frowned upon by onr present Masonio luminaries . But here is another illustration . In 1870 , in a reply to an editorial iu tbe Freemason , 1 ventured to show the difference between the aims of our speonlative Masons , and the Masons of the Middle Ages .
" Our object and aim is , " said I , "to unite all good and trne men , without distinction of creed , into a brotherhood , bat the aim of the Masonio organization in the Middle Ages was bread and butter , or , in other words , higher wages . " Thereupon , somo of the then Masonio luminaries came ont in the Freemason with squibs and sneers , headed " The Nortonian Theory , " " Bread and Butter Theory , " & c , but now
there is not an impartial , well-informed Masonio writer , who does not believe that my opinion was right . Some months ago , however , I ventured to criticise Bro . Speth ' s opinion that the Matthew Cooke MS . was written during the first half of the fifteenth century , and I offered a number of reasons for my belief that tho said Cooke MS . waa written by a Protestant , for a Lodge composed of Protestants ;
and having recently read , in Tonlmin Smith's book on English Gilds , that ont of about six hundred Gild ' s codes or laws , he found but one operative Gild which had no patron Saint , and having shown that , even in the laws of the said saintless Gild , there was ample evidence that they were written by a Catholic for a Catholic Gild , while on the other hand , the Masons of the fifteenth centnry had four patron
saints , and prayed to the Virgin in their Lodges , and , in short , the whole poem of the fifteenth century ia crammed full of Roman Catholic beliefs , while the Cooke MS . is minus of the slightest hint that it was written by a Roman Catholic , or for the use of a Masonio Gild composed of Roman Catholics , and knowing that during the first half of the sixteenth centnry the religious Reformation took
place in England , when saints and Virgin worship was brought into contempt . For the above reasons , I politely suggested to Bro . Speth that the saintless , Virginless Matthew Cooke MS . must have been written after the Reformation , by a Protestant for a Lodge of Protestant Masons . Now , if Bro . Speth had gone to work and collected the laws of six hundred Gilds which existed before the
Reformation , and had proved that five per cent , of the said six hundred documents were minus of allusions to patron saints , to the Virgin , and of the last hint , that thoy were written by Catholics , or for Catholics , he might have convinced me that the Cooke MS . might have been written before the Reformation . But instead of doing so , he resorted to ridicule and sneers . Now , I have shown that
former Masonic luminaries have tried the same game , but their sneers recoiled upon themselves , and I now ask Bro . Speth , how does he know , whether at a near future , hia method of ridiculing and sneering may not also recoil upon himself ? Bro . Speth claims that his opinion about the age of the Cooke MS . is supported by the opinions of Bros . GouldHughanand others .
, , Bnt suppose it is so , I ask , what of it ? Surely , clever and wellinformed as I admit them to be , I regard them os no more infallible than I regard Bro . Speth , and if Bro . Speth's opinion had been backed up by a unanimous vote of all the learned members of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , without giving better reasons for their
than iJro . bpoth gave v , ! , iH Commentary of the Cooke MS ., and without furnishing bettsr reasons against my belief than Bro . bpeth did in the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE of 2 lst March , I would still conscientiously maintain that the Matthew Cooke MS . was written by a Protestant for a Guild of Protestant Masons . Fraternall y yours , „ , „ „ . JACOB NORHON . Boston , U . S . A ., 31 et March 1831 .
Royal Arch.
ROYAL ARCH .
— : o : — PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF SUSSEX .
THE annual meeting waa held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on Saturday , the 11 th ult . The M . E . Comp . Lieut .-General C . W . Randolph , Grand Superintendent , opened the Chapter , and waa supported by the following Provincial Grand Officers , viz .: Comps . H . M .
Davey H ., Brantley Roberts J ., H . E . Price S . N ., J . M . Reed Treas ., R . Pidcock Reg ., T . C . Woodman P . Soj ., G . E . Chapman St . B ., A . King Organist , T . Hardy Stewardand H . H . Hughes Janitor . The minutes of tho
, last meeting having been read and confirmed , the Report of the Audit Committee and the Treasurer ' s accounts were received and adopted . Addressing the Companions , the M . E . Grand Superintendent said :
When comparing Mark Masonry with Royal Aroh Masonry I regret to see so many brothers Hooking to that branch of Masonry—taking a retrograde step , than being exalted in the Royal Arch Degree , whioh is a superior advancement in our Craft . There are reasons whioh possibly influence Master Masons to join the Mark Degree
instead of ours , the fees for entrance being less , and the clothing less expensive . I wish we could persuade the Grand S . E . ( who I regret is not with us this day ) to nse his endeavours to assimilate the fees , holding out equal inducements for brethren to join R . A . Chapters . I have attended all the installation meetings of our nine Chapters ,
except one , during the last year in the Province . 1 have observed in some Chapters the attendance has been good , and the working highly creditable , and I trnst , for the future , I shall witness the three Principals instal their several successors in their respective chairs , thus dividing the work ; that all Chapters work alike ; and that the
Province of Sussex will be quoted as a pattern Province ; for I am confident that when Companions take the trouble to acquire and learn their respective duties in the respective offices that they fill , it will always repay them , for we all well know with increased knowlege will come increased interest . We have heard the report of
the Treasurer ' s accounts , and I am pleased to say we are better off than we were last year . As regards the statistics , it is gratifying to see that this year we have had twenty-nine exaltations , whioh are more than in any previous year since 1882 . I cannot express to you Grand
how rejoiced I am to think that in the first year of my Superintendentship of the Province that we have excelled in numbers our exaltations since the year 1882 . Companions , may the Great Jehovah give us all health , strength , and inclination to perform our Royal Arch dnties throughout the coming year . The following wero appointed Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year , and wero invested with the insignia
of their respective offices : C . J . Smith H . A . King J . V . P . Freeman S . E . F . Daniel S . N .
J . M . Reed Treasurer 11 . Pidcock Registrar W . H . Barrett P . Soj . T . Hardy 1 st Assistant Soj . C . W . Tomes 2 nd Assistant Soj T . Berry Sword Bearer R . H . Ellman Standard Bearer F . Holford Dir . of Cers .
W . W . Roe Organist ^• ™ m } Stewards C . Bampfylde Warre ) H . H . Hughes Tyler
The Provincial Grand Chapter having been closed , tho Companions sat down to a banquet , over which the Grand Superintendent presided . The usual loyal toasts having been given , pomp . C . J . Smith proposed " The health of the Grand Sunerintendent , " who acknowledged the toast ,
and thanked the Companions for their attendance and support . "The health of the Provincial Officers" was proposed by the Chairman , and responded to by Comp . C . J . Smith . Comp . Paynter , from Monmouthshire , and Kemp Smythe , from Dover , responded for " The Visitors . "
" The Principals of the Chapters in the Province , " " The Masonic Institutions , " and the Tyler ' s toast concluded the proceedings . The musical arrangements were under the direction of Comp . W . W . Roo Orgauist , who had secured the services of Miss Maud Bond , Miss Louise Brazier , and Comp . R . Willard .
HOLLOWAT ' PILLS . —Though good health is preferable to high honour , how regardless people of tea are of tho former—how covotons of tho latter ! Many suffer their strength to drain away ero maturity is reached , through ignorance of the facility afforded by these incomparable Pills of checking tho first untoward symptoms of derangement , and reinstating order without interfering n the least with their pleasure or pursuits . To tha young especially it is important io maintain the highest digestive efficiency , without which tho growth is stunted , the muscles become lax , the frame feeble , and tho mind siothtul . The removal of indigestion by these Pills ia so easy that none save tho moat thoughtless would permit it to sap tho spring of life .