Partial Destruction Of The New York Masonic Temple.

Custom of the monks had become tbe standard of morals and the basis of all doctrine . All gifts of learning and genius would have been vain had not Luther possessed piety . His soul was purely religious . God and Jesus Christ were loved , and lived for

and trusted . Christianity was not a form , but it was his joy and his hope . In fervour he was more like the Madam Guyon and Fenelon to come after him than like thoso who had passed before him . His hymns were not full of theology but of affection .

Thou Strong Defence , Thou Holy Light , Teach ns to know our God aright , And call him Father from the heart ; The Word of Life and Truth impart

That we may love , not doctrines strange , Nor e ' er to other teachers range , But Jesus for our Master own , And put our trust in Him alone .

Hallelujah , Hallelujah

Thou Saored Ardour , Comfort Sweet , Help us to wait with ready feet And willing heart , at Thy command , Nor trial fright us from Thy band j

Lord , make us ready with Thy powers , Strengthen the flesh in weaker hours ; That , as good warriors , we may force Through life and death to Thee our course Hallelujah , Hallelujah !

Such was the personal approach of Luther toward an unseen but vast work . His acquisition , his natural power , his honesty , his fervour , his stubborn will , and his unequalled courage , fitted him to be a leader from darkness to light . He was one of those whose life shines in history like a Bun in the sky . —Masonic Beview .

The New Tear ' s Entertainment to the " Old People , " resident at the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , at Croydon , -will take place on Wednesday next , the 2 nd proximo .

Our readers will regret to learn that Brother James Stevens , on Wednesday evening , the 19 th inst ., met with a somewhat serious accident . In alighting from a tramcar , opposite his house , Bro . Stevens slipped , and received a severe scalp wound , which for somo three hours bled so

copiously as to create no small amount of alarm among the medical men in attendance . However , it is satisfactory to know that matters have since taken a favourable turn , and that Bro . Stevens is on a fair way to recovery . Bro .

Dr . Eugene Cronin , of Clapham , is in charge of our zealous brother , who we trust -will realise the necessity of strictly adhering to the injunctions laid down by his medical attendant , — " that he must keep quiet . " We tender our best wishes for a speedy recovery .

Mr . Thomas Holloway , tbe well-known manufacturer of patent medicines , died of bronchitis , at his residence , Tittenhurst , near . Sunningdale , Berks , on Wednesday night , at the advanced age of 84 . The deceased gentleman ' s name will be long remembered for the munificence which

he manifested in the closing years of his life . In 1873 he put aside a quarter of a million of money to erect , for the use of the middle classes , an asylum for the insane and hospitals for incurables and convalescents . This asylum has since been erected , at St . Ann's Hill , near Virginia

Water , and forms a prominent object as seen from the surrounding country . A few years later he gave another quarter of a million , and promised £ 100 , 000 additional for

endowment , for a building to be called the Holloway College for the Higher Education of Women . The first brick of this building was laid in September 1879 , near Virginia Water , and its erection has since been proceeded with .

Wo have received a specimen copy of "Woods and Forests , " a new illustrated journal devoted to tree planting in all its branches . Large areas of the poorer lands of the United Kingdom and of the hill and mountain country , of no agricultural value , are fitted for the profitable growth

of timber . The landscape beauty of our country is owing mainly to the taste for planting long characteristic of the country gentleman . These interests may be deepened and the love of planting extended by this high class weekly

journal , which will furnish to the planter useful information on every subject connected with tree culture . The offices for this journal are at 37 Southampton Street , Covent Garden , London , W . C .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the optn % ons of our Cor * respondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

GRAND MASTER SAYER

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND B ROTHER , —In your issue of 22 nd instant , you pub . lished a letter from Brother Yarker in which he states that , " in 1730 , Sayer ( formerly Grand Master ) was reprimanded for attending

Schismatio Lodges . " This may possibly have been another slip of Brother Yarker * s pen , so , for his benefit , as well as for the information of your readers generally , I shall be obliged if you oan find room for the following particulars copied verbatim from the written minutes of the Grand Lodge of 28 th August 1730 .

" A paper signed by the Master and Wardens of the Lodge at the Queens Head , * in Knaves Aore , was presented and read , complaining of great irregularities having been committed by Brother Anthony Sayer , notwithstanding the great favoursf he

hath lately received by order of the Grand Lodge . " Ordered , that Bro . Sayer be summoned to attend at the next Quarterly Communication to answer the said complaint , and that the persons who signed tbe same do also attend at the same time . "

15 th December 1730 . " Brother Sayer likewise attended . to answer the complaint made against him , and after hearing both parties , and some of the Brethren being of opinion that what he had done was clandestine , others that it was irregular . The question

was put , whether what was done was clandestine or irregular only , and the Lodge was of opinion that it was irregular only . " Whereupon the Deputy Grand Master told Brother Sayer that he was acquitted of the charge against him , and recommended him to do nothing so irregular for the future . "

This is the only complaint recorded against Sayer , and as you will observe , there is not a word about attending sohismatio Lodges ; nor , in my opinion , anything likely to lead an impartial reader to that conclusion , and so far from being reprimanded , he was not even found

guilty . Unless Bro . Yarker can give U 3 further and more reliable information , he will pardon me for preferring my own opinion as to the nature of the said complaint . Yours fraternally ,

H . SADLER P . M

BRO . JACOB NORTON AND No . " 79

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —Brother Jacob Norton has a great deal of the stubbornness of John Bull in his nature . I sometimes fancy he follows the instincts of the animal whioh is supposed to be the type of Englishmen , and that he rushes wildly to conclusions . He

seems to me , however , in this matter of the " 79 " Lodge to be on safer ground . I do not say he is right , but I am justified in saying that he has furnished proofs and reasons for his contention that will be hard to refute . He ventures into the realms of speculation , it is

true , but the sober facts keep him tolerably safe to the main purpose ; I hope 3 ome one better able than myself will take up this question raised by Bro . Jacob Norton . It is an interesting one , and just now in a rather exciting condition . Yours very fraternally , INQUIRER .

The approaching North London Masonic Benevolent Ball , to which we have already referred in these columns , bids fair to have a very successful result . It will take place on Tuesday , the 8 th January , at Myddelton Hall

Upper Street , Islington . If any of our readers desire further information , the Hon . Secretary , Bro . Edwin Woodman , of 50 Marquess Road , Canonbury , will be happy to furnish it .

A fortnight since we had the pleasure of congratulating Bro . John Mason , collector of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , on the compliment proposed to be paid to him by the Feltham Lodge , No . 1567 , on the occasion of his silver wedding . Since then fresh cause has arisen for

congratulating him , a few of his friends having banded together , and presented to him by the hands of Bro . James Terry , the Secretary of the Institution , and one of their number , a handsome salver , bearing the following inscription : — " Presented to Brother John Mason , by a few of his friends , on the occasion of his silver wedding . 25 th December 1883 . "