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Article OPINIONS ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 2 Article LODGES OF INSTRUCTION. Page 1 of 1 Article LODGES OF INSTRUCTION. Page 1 of 1 Article Obituary. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Opinions On Freemasonry.
showing the estimation in which Freemasonry was held by this remarkably gifted lady . She says : " Freemasonry has existed in all countries . It is an institution much moi'e serious in Scotland and Germany than in France ; but it nevertheless appears that ib was from Germany especially that this association took its origin ; that
it was afterwards transported to England by the Anglo-Saxons , and renewed , at the death of Charles I ., by the partizans of the Restoration , who assembled somewhere near St . Paul ' s Church , for the purpose of recalling Charles II . to the throne . It is also believed that the Freemasons , especially in Scotland , are in some measure
connected with the Order of Templars . " Lessing has written a dialogue upon Freemasonry , in which his luminous genius is very remarkable . He believes that this association has for its object the union of men , in spite of the barriers of society ; for if , in certain respects , the social state forma a bond of connection between men , by subjecting
them to the empire of the laws it separates them from by the differences of rank and government . This sort of Brotherhood , that true image of the golden asre , has been mingled with many other ideas , equally good and moral , in Freemasonry . However , we cannot dissemble that there is something in the nature of secret associations
which leads the mind to independence , but these associations are very favourable to the development of knowledge ; for everything men do , by themselves and spontaneously , gives their judgment more strength and more comprehensiveness . It is also possible that the principle of democratic equality may be propagated by this species
of institution , which exhibits mankind according to their real value , and according to their several ranks in the world . Secret associations teach us what is the power of number and of union , while insulated citizens are , if we may use the expression , abstract beings with relation to each other . In this point of view these associations
may be a great influence in the state , but it is nevertheless just to acknowledge that Freemasonry in general is only occupied with religions and philosophical interests . Its members are divided into two classes—the Philosophical Freemasonry , and the Hermetic or Egyptian Freemasonry . Tbe first has for its object the internal
Chnroh , or the development of the spirituality of the soul ; the second is connected with the sciences—with those sciences which are employed upon the secrets of nature Political institutions , social relations , and often even those of our own family , comprehend only the exterior of life . It is , then , natural that , at all times , men
should have sought some intimate manner of knowledge and understanding each other ; and also those whose characters , having depth , believe they are adepts , and edeavour to distinguish themselves , by some signs , from the rest of mankind . Secret associations degenerate with time , but their principle is almost always an enthusiastic feeling restrained by society . "
I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , OBSERVER .
Lodges Of Instruction.
LODGES OF INSTRUCTION .
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Some sensible remarks by the Worshipfnl Master of the Domatic Lodge at a meeting the other night on Lodges of Instruction , a report of which I read in a recent issue of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , strikes me as worthy of atten
tion . Bro . Pierpoint held it to be the duty of the Masters and Officers of Lodges to pay occasional visits to Lodges of Instruction established under their own banners ; and I echo that sentiment most cordially . It may be—it invariably is—that these offshoots meet at a distance from the residences of many members of the
Mother Lodge , and that , as a rule , they are prevented from collectively attending the weekly meetings , as they would no doubt like to do , in company with the brethren of the mother Lodge . But surely it is no great hardship , and it ought to be a pleasure as well as a duty , for the Worshipful Master and his Officers to attend their own
Lodges of Instruction occasionally—say once in three months—so as to encourage the brethren who take a lead in fostering the work of the Craft and training the younger brethren who are anxious to qualif y themselves to take office in their respective Lodges . By following the example of the Worshipful Master and Officers of the
Domatic , and which is no doubt emulated by many others , the rulers of the Craft wonld do mnch to cement the good feeling between Lodges and their Lodges of Instruction , and stimulate tbe laudable intentions of those who are solicitous for the welfare nnd good working of the Lodges to which they belong . I know of Lodges of
Instruction in which it is held as a sort of reflection that the Master and Officers not only do not attend , but absolutely ignore , the offspring of their Lodges . Thus , a laxity of spirit is engendered , and much benefit is lost which might otherwise accrno to both mother Lodge and " child . " As to the importance and influence of Lodges £
.-, ¦ T . . . - _ . ™ „ O of Instruction it would be superfluous for me to speak , as it is so well known . In country districts there are fewer opportunities for gaining that instruction which every student of Masonry desires to attain , or of the interchange of visits where work in all its phases EJay be practised . I am free to admit that having been a Mason ten
years , I have gained a greater insight into the inner working of the Craft in one year through attending good Lodges of Instruction than m all the rest of the time besides ; and thus I am grateful for the means nffv . f / ia / i « p ^™« .. ~ : t .. ^ „ . i , n ( - pnn - » m : „ i , * i .. „__ -. umoigiu ^ uum utvu icui uiiyuu ( JB UUUStrUeU
„„ . . -uvy . ucu u . T . x a Position usually designated as a " rusty " Mason . I remain , Dear Sir and Brother ,
Yours fraternally , STUDENT .
Lodges Of Instruction.
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .
DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —There is no doubt a great deal of truth in what your correspondent " WATCHMAN " says as to the " incongruity of beer and divinity , the absolute pr-ofanity of combining drinking with the exposition of the most sublime system of
morality , " and as to brethren smoking and drinking " while performing or listening to the ritual , the grandeur and sublimity of which cannot be over-estimated . " I have often thought the same , and the subject has been most thoroughly threshed out in the columns of your own and other Masonic jonrnals . The conclusion arrived at ,
after a conscientious discussion of the subject , was that too hard and fast a line in that direction cannot be drawn . It is argued , and with some degree of practical force , that brethren , however anxious of working up the ritual , would scarcely care to spend a couple of evenings weekly under the rigid school-like discipline which
" WATCHMAN suggests , and that it is better to allow a little margin in the matter of " personal comforts " than to run the risk of diminishing the attendance or discouraging young brethren from availing themselves of the advantages afforded by Lodges of Instruction . Whilst admitting the theory propounded by your correspondent ,
therefore , my experience is that where brethren can combine rational enjoyment with educational improvement , there should be no impediment cast in the way . It must not be inferred from " WATCHMAN ' S" remarks thataLodgo of Instruction is comparable to a drinking bout in a tap room , or that the grand r tnal is performed
amidst a dense fog of tobacco smoke . I have seldom seen , during the two hours , or two hours and a-half , over which the work of Lodges of Instruction extends , a second glass ordered by a brother ; if it is done , it is not the rule , but the exception , so far as my experience goes . And the innate
consciousness of the brethren causes them naturally to cease from smoking during the more reverent portions of the ceremonies . For the rest , and while the ordinary ritual is being rehearsed—without the solemnities by which they are accompanied in open Lodgo—there is little to complain of if the brethren think proper to assist their
memories and concentrate their thoughts over the ' fragrant weed , and its almost necessary accompaniment a glass of ale . To grumble at this one little fault , if it can be called a fault at all , is to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel . " W ATCHMAN " says , " if brethren must drink and smoke , let Lodge be called off , according to the ritual made
arid provided . Better still—shorten the hours of labour , and let those who wish for social enjoyment remain , while others not so inclined might retire . " One might as well say if a brother does not find it in accordance with his conscientious scruples to combine social enjoyment with such instruction as is imparted in these
" nurseries of the Craft "—as you once described them—let him try and find , if he can , some other Lodge of Instruction which will suit his tastes in every particular . For my own part , I thoroughly enjoy
my cigar whilst listening to , and endeavouring to learn , the routine of our interesting ceremonies , and look upon my evening at my Lodge of Instrnction as one of the most soothing , agreeable , and edifying of the week . YonrB fraternally , VIA MEDIA .
Obituary.
Obituary .
BRO . W . PLOWS , No . 87 . IT is with unfeigned regret that wo announce the death of Bro . W . Plows , an active member of the Vitruvian Lodge , No . 87 , which melancholy event occurred somewhat suddenly at Brixton , on Saturday , the 7 th instant . The
funeral took place on the 14 th , at Lingfield , Surrey , and was attended by the Secretary and several of tho members of his own and other Lodges , by whom he was sincerely and deservedly respected . The procession was met at the
church by the Vicar of the parish , who performed the solemn rites to the Church of England in an impressive manner . In addition to about fifty members of the Craft who attended , there was a number of Oddfellows present ,
our deceased Brother having been a member of a local branch of that Order . We understand that a letter of condolence has been sent by the Vitruvian Lodge to the widow , expressing the regret of the brethren at the loss of
so respected and valued a member of the Lodge , and their sympathy with her in her bereavement . Our deceased Brother was a quiet , though earnest Mason , and his kindly disposition had earned for him the respect and esteem of all by whom he was surrounded .
IIottowAT ' sCPiLts . —Changes of temperature and weather frequently upset persons who arc most careful of their health , and particular in their diet . These corrective , purifying , and gently aperien- Pills are the best remedy for all defective action of the digestive organs . They augment the appetite , strengthen the stomach , correct biliousness , and carry off all that is noxious from the sy & tem . Holloway ' a Pills arc composed of rare balsam-, unmixed with baser matter , and on that account are peculiarly well adapted to tho young , delicate , and aged . As this peerless medicine has gained fame in the past , so it will preserve it in the future by its renovating and invigorating qualities , and the impossibility of its doing harm .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Opinions On Freemasonry.
showing the estimation in which Freemasonry was held by this remarkably gifted lady . She says : " Freemasonry has existed in all countries . It is an institution much moi'e serious in Scotland and Germany than in France ; but it nevertheless appears that ib was from Germany especially that this association took its origin ; that
it was afterwards transported to England by the Anglo-Saxons , and renewed , at the death of Charles I ., by the partizans of the Restoration , who assembled somewhere near St . Paul ' s Church , for the purpose of recalling Charles II . to the throne . It is also believed that the Freemasons , especially in Scotland , are in some measure
connected with the Order of Templars . " Lessing has written a dialogue upon Freemasonry , in which his luminous genius is very remarkable . He believes that this association has for its object the union of men , in spite of the barriers of society ; for if , in certain respects , the social state forma a bond of connection between men , by subjecting
them to the empire of the laws it separates them from by the differences of rank and government . This sort of Brotherhood , that true image of the golden asre , has been mingled with many other ideas , equally good and moral , in Freemasonry . However , we cannot dissemble that there is something in the nature of secret associations
which leads the mind to independence , but these associations are very favourable to the development of knowledge ; for everything men do , by themselves and spontaneously , gives their judgment more strength and more comprehensiveness . It is also possible that the principle of democratic equality may be propagated by this species
of institution , which exhibits mankind according to their real value , and according to their several ranks in the world . Secret associations teach us what is the power of number and of union , while insulated citizens are , if we may use the expression , abstract beings with relation to each other . In this point of view these associations
may be a great influence in the state , but it is nevertheless just to acknowledge that Freemasonry in general is only occupied with religions and philosophical interests . Its members are divided into two classes—the Philosophical Freemasonry , and the Hermetic or Egyptian Freemasonry . Tbe first has for its object the internal
Chnroh , or the development of the spirituality of the soul ; the second is connected with the sciences—with those sciences which are employed upon the secrets of nature Political institutions , social relations , and often even those of our own family , comprehend only the exterior of life . It is , then , natural that , at all times , men
should have sought some intimate manner of knowledge and understanding each other ; and also those whose characters , having depth , believe they are adepts , and edeavour to distinguish themselves , by some signs , from the rest of mankind . Secret associations degenerate with time , but their principle is almost always an enthusiastic feeling restrained by society . "
I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , OBSERVER .
Lodges Of Instruction.
LODGES OF INSTRUCTION .
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Some sensible remarks by the Worshipfnl Master of the Domatic Lodge at a meeting the other night on Lodges of Instruction , a report of which I read in a recent issue of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , strikes me as worthy of atten
tion . Bro . Pierpoint held it to be the duty of the Masters and Officers of Lodges to pay occasional visits to Lodges of Instruction established under their own banners ; and I echo that sentiment most cordially . It may be—it invariably is—that these offshoots meet at a distance from the residences of many members of the
Mother Lodge , and that , as a rule , they are prevented from collectively attending the weekly meetings , as they would no doubt like to do , in company with the brethren of the mother Lodge . But surely it is no great hardship , and it ought to be a pleasure as well as a duty , for the Worshipful Master and his Officers to attend their own
Lodges of Instruction occasionally—say once in three months—so as to encourage the brethren who take a lead in fostering the work of the Craft and training the younger brethren who are anxious to qualif y themselves to take office in their respective Lodges . By following the example of the Worshipful Master and Officers of the
Domatic , and which is no doubt emulated by many others , the rulers of the Craft wonld do mnch to cement the good feeling between Lodges and their Lodges of Instruction , and stimulate tbe laudable intentions of those who are solicitous for the welfare nnd good working of the Lodges to which they belong . I know of Lodges of
Instruction in which it is held as a sort of reflection that the Master and Officers not only do not attend , but absolutely ignore , the offspring of their Lodges . Thus , a laxity of spirit is engendered , and much benefit is lost which might otherwise accrno to both mother Lodge and " child . " As to the importance and influence of Lodges £
.-, ¦ T . . . - _ . ™ „ O of Instruction it would be superfluous for me to speak , as it is so well known . In country districts there are fewer opportunities for gaining that instruction which every student of Masonry desires to attain , or of the interchange of visits where work in all its phases EJay be practised . I am free to admit that having been a Mason ten
years , I have gained a greater insight into the inner working of the Craft in one year through attending good Lodges of Instruction than m all the rest of the time besides ; and thus I am grateful for the means nffv . f / ia / i « p ^™« .. ~ : t .. ^ „ . i , n ( - pnn - » m : „ i , * i .. „__ -. umoigiu ^ uum utvu icui uiiyuu ( JB UUUStrUeU
„„ . . -uvy . ucu u . T . x a Position usually designated as a " rusty " Mason . I remain , Dear Sir and Brother ,
Yours fraternally , STUDENT .
Lodges Of Instruction.
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .
DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —There is no doubt a great deal of truth in what your correspondent " WATCHMAN " says as to the " incongruity of beer and divinity , the absolute pr-ofanity of combining drinking with the exposition of the most sublime system of
morality , " and as to brethren smoking and drinking " while performing or listening to the ritual , the grandeur and sublimity of which cannot be over-estimated . " I have often thought the same , and the subject has been most thoroughly threshed out in the columns of your own and other Masonic jonrnals . The conclusion arrived at ,
after a conscientious discussion of the subject , was that too hard and fast a line in that direction cannot be drawn . It is argued , and with some degree of practical force , that brethren , however anxious of working up the ritual , would scarcely care to spend a couple of evenings weekly under the rigid school-like discipline which
" WATCHMAN suggests , and that it is better to allow a little margin in the matter of " personal comforts " than to run the risk of diminishing the attendance or discouraging young brethren from availing themselves of the advantages afforded by Lodges of Instruction . Whilst admitting the theory propounded by your correspondent ,
therefore , my experience is that where brethren can combine rational enjoyment with educational improvement , there should be no impediment cast in the way . It must not be inferred from " WATCHMAN ' S" remarks thataLodgo of Instruction is comparable to a drinking bout in a tap room , or that the grand r tnal is performed
amidst a dense fog of tobacco smoke . I have seldom seen , during the two hours , or two hours and a-half , over which the work of Lodges of Instruction extends , a second glass ordered by a brother ; if it is done , it is not the rule , but the exception , so far as my experience goes . And the innate
consciousness of the brethren causes them naturally to cease from smoking during the more reverent portions of the ceremonies . For the rest , and while the ordinary ritual is being rehearsed—without the solemnities by which they are accompanied in open Lodgo—there is little to complain of if the brethren think proper to assist their
memories and concentrate their thoughts over the ' fragrant weed , and its almost necessary accompaniment a glass of ale . To grumble at this one little fault , if it can be called a fault at all , is to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel . " W ATCHMAN " says , " if brethren must drink and smoke , let Lodge be called off , according to the ritual made
arid provided . Better still—shorten the hours of labour , and let those who wish for social enjoyment remain , while others not so inclined might retire . " One might as well say if a brother does not find it in accordance with his conscientious scruples to combine social enjoyment with such instruction as is imparted in these
" nurseries of the Craft "—as you once described them—let him try and find , if he can , some other Lodge of Instruction which will suit his tastes in every particular . For my own part , I thoroughly enjoy
my cigar whilst listening to , and endeavouring to learn , the routine of our interesting ceremonies , and look upon my evening at my Lodge of Instrnction as one of the most soothing , agreeable , and edifying of the week . YonrB fraternally , VIA MEDIA .
Obituary.
Obituary .
BRO . W . PLOWS , No . 87 . IT is with unfeigned regret that wo announce the death of Bro . W . Plows , an active member of the Vitruvian Lodge , No . 87 , which melancholy event occurred somewhat suddenly at Brixton , on Saturday , the 7 th instant . The
funeral took place on the 14 th , at Lingfield , Surrey , and was attended by the Secretary and several of tho members of his own and other Lodges , by whom he was sincerely and deservedly respected . The procession was met at the
church by the Vicar of the parish , who performed the solemn rites to the Church of England in an impressive manner . In addition to about fifty members of the Craft who attended , there was a number of Oddfellows present ,
our deceased Brother having been a member of a local branch of that Order . We understand that a letter of condolence has been sent by the Vitruvian Lodge to the widow , expressing the regret of the brethren at the loss of
so respected and valued a member of the Lodge , and their sympathy with her in her bereavement . Our deceased Brother was a quiet , though earnest Mason , and his kindly disposition had earned for him the respect and esteem of all by whom he was surrounded .
IIottowAT ' sCPiLts . —Changes of temperature and weather frequently upset persons who arc most careful of their health , and particular in their diet . These corrective , purifying , and gently aperien- Pills are the best remedy for all defective action of the digestive organs . They augment the appetite , strengthen the stomach , correct biliousness , and carry off all that is noxious from the sy & tem . Holloway ' a Pills arc composed of rare balsam-, unmixed with baser matter , and on that account are peculiarly well adapted to tho young , delicate , and aged . As this peerless medicine has gained fame in the past , so it will preserve it in the future by its renovating and invigorating qualities , and the impossibility of its doing harm .