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Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY .
^' P'EIE animal meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodao was held on 1- Saturday last , sit tho Public Hall , Sutton , all tho arrangements being under ( lie direction of tho Lornn Lodge , No . 1317 General Brownrigg . C . B .. Prov . G . Master , presided , and was weV supported by the Grand O'licers , present and past , of the Province and the members of Lod ires , as well as bv a fairly numerous body of
Visitors , among whom were Bros . S . C . I ' erkins , Past Grand Master of ( ho Grand Lodi-e of Pennsylvania , Lieut .-Colonel Shadwell Gierke . Grand Socrcte . ry , & o . £ c . After the usual pivliminaries had been observed , Mm roll of tho Lodges in the Province , was called over , anil tho Report of tho Finance aud Audit Committee was presented for approval . This , ns showing a balance in the hands of P . G . Treasurer ,
amounting to £ 103 lis 2 d , mnst bo described as of a most satisfactory nature , and was accepted amid general acclamation . It next devolved on P . G . Lodgo to elect its Treasurer for tho year , and this resulted in tho unanimous choice of Bro . Georgo Price to re-occupy that honourable position , which he had filled with so much credit to himself , and so great advantage to the Province , for the last quarter of a century . The following brethren were then appointed to offices
for the ensuing year , namely : — Bros . V . W . the Rev . C . W . Arnold , M . A ., ' P . G . Chaplain , P . M . 1395 - Dep . Prov . Grand Master Samuel G . Kirchofler 1714 - - Prov . Grand S . Warden George K . Faxon 416 ... „ J . Warden Rov . F . Foakes-Jackson , M . A ., 1616 „ Chaplain
Charles Greenwood jnn . 410 - „ Registrar Charles Greenwood 410 - - „ Secretary Francis Buckland 889 ... „ S . Deacon E . D . Frost 1347 - „ J . Deacon W . J . Sugg 452 .... „ S . of Works H . E . Frances 1556 ... „ D . of C .
P . S . J . Officer 1362 ... „ A . G . D . ofC . G . C . Bnrry 1347 ... „ Organist J . S . Lavies 1826 ... „ Sword Bearei H . W . Linton 1638 ... „ Pursuivant
and Bros . F . G . Frost 463 , Thomas L . Locke 1347 , Charles T . Tyler 1395 , S . W . Lambert 1556 , W . Weller 1564 , and Thomas Vincent 1851 Prov . Grand Stewards . General Brownrigg having , with his wonted terseness and perspicuity , reviewed the principal events of the past year , Provincial
Grand Lodge was closed in due form , and with the customary formalities . We must not forget to mention that the following sums were voted out of the funds of Prov . Grand Lodge , namely : —To the Croydon Hospital , five guineas ; to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , ten guineas ; to Royal Masonio Institution for Boys , ten guineas ; and to the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution , ten
guineas . The brethren then attended Divine Service in the Parish Church , and the manner in which it was conducted was—if wo may be permitted to say so—a rare treat snch as we have seldom been ptivileged to enjoy . Tho mnsical portion was under the direction of Bro . G . C . Bnrry , Organist of Boddington , and Grand Organist of the
Province for the current year . The hymns and anthem—the latter consisting of certain verses from the 104 th Psalm set to music by Bro . Bnrry himself—wero snng most admirably by a full choir of well-trained voices . The portions of Scripture selected for the service of the day were most appropriate to the occasion , and the sermon , by the Rev . F . Foakes-Jackson , Ottershaw , Chertsey , Provincial
G . Chaplain , was so strictly in keeping with the circumstances , and so simply eloquent in its language—as well as so impressive by reason of the manner in which it was delivered—thafc we reproduce it here at length for the benefit of our readers . The text was from Sfc Paul ' s Epistle to the Ephesians iv . 6 , — " One God and Father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in you all , " —and on this our Rev .
Brother discoursed as follows : — Perhaps the grandest feature of Freemasonry is the union of that truly Catholic spirit , in which it includes all mankind , without having regard to race , rank , or religious belief , with the confidence with which it declares an unshaken faith in one God . Although pro . fessedly simply a system of morality , it proclaims a morality based on
the surest foundations , the existence of a personal God , to whom every man individually is responsible for his actions . This con . fession is the great bond by which onr vast Brotherhood is held together ; we admit tho natural equality of all men because all are alike under one Providential rule ; we acknowled ge the great principle of Universal Brotherhood , because we are all created by the
hand of the same God , whoso offspring wo are , who is , as our text declares , tho " one God and Father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in yon all . " It is on this one God that all unity depends ; He is its source , He is also its consummation . The confession of a belief in the one Almighty Father , "in whom we live , and move , and have our being , " is the keystone of our vast Masonic system . There
can be no truly united Brotherhood , no association founded on the principles of Fraternity aud Truth without an nndoubting acknowledgment of , and a sure trust in , the great Father of nil , who is , and from whom proceeds , all unity , truth , and love . Lot us , to-day , considor the personality of God and the direct intercourse between Him and us His creatures . Tho prevailing tendency of the age in which
we are living is to deny this , and by refusing to acknowled ge the truth of any revelation of tho Divine Will or its attributes , to fall into a state of religions indifference , and disregard of God . P . nt this view of the Divino nature is practically Atheism , veiled under some more specious name . For a denial of the direct inflnence of the Prov -
der'ce of God upon the affairs of this world , a refusal to acknow - ledge tho f-i ' vcm-y of prayers mado to Him by His creatures , an assertion that Nature is in herself the Divino , and influenced in r . e way by the Supreme , Will in her Appointed course—What are thes <> but denials of those attributes which prove the existence of a God , tho Ruler of tho Universe ? If we examine the broad outlines
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.
"f the various schools of thought which deny the revelation of r >' od to man , as unfolded by the Volume of the Sacred Law , wo - •hall , I venture to assert , discover that they approximate , perhaps moro closel y than their followers imagine , to the declaration of Mie impious man mentioned by the Psalmist : " The fool hath -= aifl in his heart , thero is no God . " Let us take tbe finest
coneeption of an nnrevealed God—Pantheism . God is said to per . vade all Nature ; in everything there is a divine element working . Nature herself is a great goddess ; her laws are fixed and determined , and she carries on tho government of the nniverse on the grandest and most comprehensive principles . A beautiful idea ! a graud conception ! Wo cannot refuse to admit its partial truth . When we are
alone in the country , aud survey the mighty works of the Creator , wo cannot fail to recognise the divine element of life working in all creation , from man , the lord of all the world , to the tiniest insect and the most insignificant of plants . We must acknowledge , too , that there are wonderful laws by whioh the universe is governed ; the sun , the moon , the stars , the tides , all obey what
appears to be the fixed and unchangeable law of destiny . But if we acknowlege God only as far as he is manifested in Nature , or rather if our only conception of Him is as a principle whioh pervades the whole universe , we surely are embracing a hard and hope , less creed . We aro to imagine ourselves to bo subjected to natural laws , which wo can never influence , and from whose rule we can
never escape . If sickness assails ns , or those clear to us , there is no helper to whom we can go ; the law of destiny must be fulfilled , Nature must take her course ; the vicissitudes of life , the troubles by which we are sometimes brought down to the earth crushed and wounded , the cares of this world , the difficulties whioh assail us dnring our present life , are all the results of certain natural laws ;
these troubles have been bronght about by tbe folly of ourselves and others , and there is no course but to submit . Surely this is a dreadful condition in whioh the denial of a personal God places us—to be without trust in any power hig her than our own , to have none to whom we may go for consolation and help , no assurance of the tenderness of an Almighty Father , no hope , no prayer , no love .
True Nature is a sublime Theophauy , a manifestation of the power and wisdom of God . True , God is through all things as well as all men ( as St . Paul says ) . He is the all-pervading principle of lifo in the universe , iu whom we live and move and have our being . As a great Christian philosopher says , " There is a light in the heavenly bodies which is a ray of the unseen light ; bufc let us
never forget that God is ABOVE all as well as through all , that He reigns in heaven , and directs us on earth , watches over us , helps our infirmities , pities us as a father pities his own children— " One God , the Father of all , who is above all , and in all , and for you all . " Asram , there are those who , denying the existence of a personal God , assert that in man alone is the divine element manifested . But
wonderful as the works of man ' s intelligence are , marvellously as he has acquired the mastery over Nature , especially dnring the last three centuries , can wo seriously say that in human nature alonewith all its crime , all its weakness , all its errors—the principles of divinity exist ? Can wo say , " Man is the master of all things , " when we are the slaves of our passions , held in bondage by tbe world
around us , uncertain of the future for a single hour ? Are we nob forced to admit there mnst be something that influences our actions , something divine , not of ourselves , that is urging ns to yearn for nobler things than those around us ; in fact , a God who is above all ? The spirit of God is in the heart of man . God hath breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life ; specially to those who
acknowledge his Son Jesus Christ has he imparted His spirit , the spirit which has prompted men to do their noblest actions , which has sent them to minister to the sorrows of others without hope of reward ; which has made them share their blessings with those who had them not , which has been the cause of those noble utterances of men which have influenced the actions of remote posperity . All these are
manifestations of the divine element in mankind , but it is an element not arising naturally in the heart of man , but implanted in it by " God the Father of all , who is above all , and for all , and in yon all . " I have spoken on this most difficult of subjects—the personal influence of God our Father—because I am fully persuaded that the welfare of Freemasonry depends on our Order adhering to the
acknowledgment of its trust in His almighty protection . Ours is a system of morality , with the highest possible standard , to act in obedience to the will of God . Depend upon it , when men begin to deny Him , they will not continue to maintain a fixed standard of morality ; the standard will vary according to the peculiar exigencies of the social system—I fear much , according to the imperative demands of the
passions of men . But let our trust be iu God our Father , who not only presents to us the full perfection of the moral law , but will give us strength in this world , and bring us to the standard of the perfect man in the world beyond the grave . Brethren , if there be any here who are tempted to abandon their faith in God our Father , let them consider well how many motives
for leading a good and useful and unselfish life they are leaving behind ; let them not be hired away by the really moral lives of some who have left us , and wandered from the lig ht they once possessed . Of these we can only say , " If their lives are blameless in the world ' s eyes , how far grander would they have been bad they been animated by the noblest of all incentives to virtue—the
love of God ? " And let any waverer ask himself if he is one of those described by Jesus Christ , and who , when tbe light came into the world , "loved darkness more than light , because their deeds were evil . " God is our Father , and if we wish to do right , Ho will guide us and help us , and place in our hearts the f-reatest inducement to do good and noble actions , the love of
His name . All the best work is done by those who work for His hononr , and who are animated with zeal and love of His name . Throughout the length and breadth of England , we , Masons may look upon the handiwork of our former brethren ; the cathedrals and churches , which are the glory of our native country . I believe I may safely say that the work was executed with a care
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY .
^' P'EIE animal meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodao was held on 1- Saturday last , sit tho Public Hall , Sutton , all tho arrangements being under ( lie direction of tho Lornn Lodge , No . 1317 General Brownrigg . C . B .. Prov . G . Master , presided , and was weV supported by the Grand O'licers , present and past , of the Province and the members of Lod ires , as well as bv a fairly numerous body of
Visitors , among whom were Bros . S . C . I ' erkins , Past Grand Master of ( ho Grand Lodi-e of Pennsylvania , Lieut .-Colonel Shadwell Gierke . Grand Socrcte . ry , & o . £ c . After the usual pivliminaries had been observed , Mm roll of tho Lodges in the Province , was called over , anil tho Report of tho Finance aud Audit Committee was presented for approval . This , ns showing a balance in the hands of P . G . Treasurer ,
amounting to £ 103 lis 2 d , mnst bo described as of a most satisfactory nature , and was accepted amid general acclamation . It next devolved on P . G . Lodgo to elect its Treasurer for tho year , and this resulted in tho unanimous choice of Bro . Georgo Price to re-occupy that honourable position , which he had filled with so much credit to himself , and so great advantage to the Province , for the last quarter of a century . The following brethren were then appointed to offices
for the ensuing year , namely : — Bros . V . W . the Rev . C . W . Arnold , M . A ., ' P . G . Chaplain , P . M . 1395 - Dep . Prov . Grand Master Samuel G . Kirchofler 1714 - - Prov . Grand S . Warden George K . Faxon 416 ... „ J . Warden Rov . F . Foakes-Jackson , M . A ., 1616 „ Chaplain
Charles Greenwood jnn . 410 - „ Registrar Charles Greenwood 410 - - „ Secretary Francis Buckland 889 ... „ S . Deacon E . D . Frost 1347 - „ J . Deacon W . J . Sugg 452 .... „ S . of Works H . E . Frances 1556 ... „ D . of C .
P . S . J . Officer 1362 ... „ A . G . D . ofC . G . C . Bnrry 1347 ... „ Organist J . S . Lavies 1826 ... „ Sword Bearei H . W . Linton 1638 ... „ Pursuivant
and Bros . F . G . Frost 463 , Thomas L . Locke 1347 , Charles T . Tyler 1395 , S . W . Lambert 1556 , W . Weller 1564 , and Thomas Vincent 1851 Prov . Grand Stewards . General Brownrigg having , with his wonted terseness and perspicuity , reviewed the principal events of the past year , Provincial
Grand Lodge was closed in due form , and with the customary formalities . We must not forget to mention that the following sums were voted out of the funds of Prov . Grand Lodge , namely : —To the Croydon Hospital , five guineas ; to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , ten guineas ; to Royal Masonio Institution for Boys , ten guineas ; and to the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution , ten
guineas . The brethren then attended Divine Service in the Parish Church , and the manner in which it was conducted was—if wo may be permitted to say so—a rare treat snch as we have seldom been ptivileged to enjoy . Tho mnsical portion was under the direction of Bro . G . C . Bnrry , Organist of Boddington , and Grand Organist of the
Province for the current year . The hymns and anthem—the latter consisting of certain verses from the 104 th Psalm set to music by Bro . Bnrry himself—wero snng most admirably by a full choir of well-trained voices . The portions of Scripture selected for the service of the day were most appropriate to the occasion , and the sermon , by the Rev . F . Foakes-Jackson , Ottershaw , Chertsey , Provincial
G . Chaplain , was so strictly in keeping with the circumstances , and so simply eloquent in its language—as well as so impressive by reason of the manner in which it was delivered—thafc we reproduce it here at length for the benefit of our readers . The text was from Sfc Paul ' s Epistle to the Ephesians iv . 6 , — " One God and Father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in you all , " —and on this our Rev .
Brother discoursed as follows : — Perhaps the grandest feature of Freemasonry is the union of that truly Catholic spirit , in which it includes all mankind , without having regard to race , rank , or religious belief , with the confidence with which it declares an unshaken faith in one God . Although pro . fessedly simply a system of morality , it proclaims a morality based on
the surest foundations , the existence of a personal God , to whom every man individually is responsible for his actions . This con . fession is the great bond by which onr vast Brotherhood is held together ; we admit tho natural equality of all men because all are alike under one Providential rule ; we acknowled ge the great principle of Universal Brotherhood , because we are all created by the
hand of the same God , whoso offspring wo are , who is , as our text declares , tho " one God and Father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in yon all . " It is on this one God that all unity depends ; He is its source , He is also its consummation . The confession of a belief in the one Almighty Father , "in whom we live , and move , and have our being , " is the keystone of our vast Masonic system . There
can be no truly united Brotherhood , no association founded on the principles of Fraternity aud Truth without an nndoubting acknowledgment of , and a sure trust in , the great Father of nil , who is , and from whom proceeds , all unity , truth , and love . Lot us , to-day , considor the personality of God and the direct intercourse between Him and us His creatures . Tho prevailing tendency of the age in which
we are living is to deny this , and by refusing to acknowled ge the truth of any revelation of tho Divine Will or its attributes , to fall into a state of religions indifference , and disregard of God . P . nt this view of the Divino nature is practically Atheism , veiled under some more specious name . For a denial of the direct inflnence of the Prov -
der'ce of God upon the affairs of this world , a refusal to acknow - ledge tho f-i ' vcm-y of prayers mado to Him by His creatures , an assertion that Nature is in herself the Divino , and influenced in r . e way by the Supreme , Will in her Appointed course—What are thes <> but denials of those attributes which prove the existence of a God , tho Ruler of tho Universe ? If we examine the broad outlines
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.
"f the various schools of thought which deny the revelation of r >' od to man , as unfolded by the Volume of the Sacred Law , wo - •hall , I venture to assert , discover that they approximate , perhaps moro closel y than their followers imagine , to the declaration of Mie impious man mentioned by the Psalmist : " The fool hath -= aifl in his heart , thero is no God . " Let us take tbe finest
coneeption of an nnrevealed God—Pantheism . God is said to per . vade all Nature ; in everything there is a divine element working . Nature herself is a great goddess ; her laws are fixed and determined , and she carries on tho government of the nniverse on the grandest and most comprehensive principles . A beautiful idea ! a graud conception ! Wo cannot refuse to admit its partial truth . When we are
alone in the country , aud survey the mighty works of the Creator , wo cannot fail to recognise the divine element of life working in all creation , from man , the lord of all the world , to the tiniest insect and the most insignificant of plants . We must acknowledge , too , that there are wonderful laws by whioh the universe is governed ; the sun , the moon , the stars , the tides , all obey what
appears to be the fixed and unchangeable law of destiny . But if we acknowlege God only as far as he is manifested in Nature , or rather if our only conception of Him is as a principle whioh pervades the whole universe , we surely are embracing a hard and hope , less creed . We aro to imagine ourselves to bo subjected to natural laws , which wo can never influence , and from whose rule we can
never escape . If sickness assails ns , or those clear to us , there is no helper to whom we can go ; the law of destiny must be fulfilled , Nature must take her course ; the vicissitudes of life , the troubles by which we are sometimes brought down to the earth crushed and wounded , the cares of this world , the difficulties whioh assail us dnring our present life , are all the results of certain natural laws ;
these troubles have been bronght about by tbe folly of ourselves and others , and there is no course but to submit . Surely this is a dreadful condition in whioh the denial of a personal God places us—to be without trust in any power hig her than our own , to have none to whom we may go for consolation and help , no assurance of the tenderness of an Almighty Father , no hope , no prayer , no love .
True Nature is a sublime Theophauy , a manifestation of the power and wisdom of God . True , God is through all things as well as all men ( as St . Paul says ) . He is the all-pervading principle of lifo in the universe , iu whom we live and move and have our being . As a great Christian philosopher says , " There is a light in the heavenly bodies which is a ray of the unseen light ; bufc let us
never forget that God is ABOVE all as well as through all , that He reigns in heaven , and directs us on earth , watches over us , helps our infirmities , pities us as a father pities his own children— " One God , the Father of all , who is above all , and in all , and for you all . " Asram , there are those who , denying the existence of a personal God , assert that in man alone is the divine element manifested . But
wonderful as the works of man ' s intelligence are , marvellously as he has acquired the mastery over Nature , especially dnring the last three centuries , can wo seriously say that in human nature alonewith all its crime , all its weakness , all its errors—the principles of divinity exist ? Can wo say , " Man is the master of all things , " when we are the slaves of our passions , held in bondage by tbe world
around us , uncertain of the future for a single hour ? Are we nob forced to admit there mnst be something that influences our actions , something divine , not of ourselves , that is urging ns to yearn for nobler things than those around us ; in fact , a God who is above all ? The spirit of God is in the heart of man . God hath breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life ; specially to those who
acknowledge his Son Jesus Christ has he imparted His spirit , the spirit which has prompted men to do their noblest actions , which has sent them to minister to the sorrows of others without hope of reward ; which has made them share their blessings with those who had them not , which has been the cause of those noble utterances of men which have influenced the actions of remote posperity . All these are
manifestations of the divine element in mankind , but it is an element not arising naturally in the heart of man , but implanted in it by " God the Father of all , who is above all , and for all , and in yon all . " I have spoken on this most difficult of subjects—the personal influence of God our Father—because I am fully persuaded that the welfare of Freemasonry depends on our Order adhering to the
acknowledgment of its trust in His almighty protection . Ours is a system of morality , with the highest possible standard , to act in obedience to the will of God . Depend upon it , when men begin to deny Him , they will not continue to maintain a fixed standard of morality ; the standard will vary according to the peculiar exigencies of the social system—I fear much , according to the imperative demands of the
passions of men . But let our trust be iu God our Father , who not only presents to us the full perfection of the moral law , but will give us strength in this world , and bring us to the standard of the perfect man in the world beyond the grave . Brethren , if there be any here who are tempted to abandon their faith in God our Father , let them consider well how many motives
for leading a good and useful and unselfish life they are leaving behind ; let them not be hired away by the really moral lives of some who have left us , and wandered from the lig ht they once possessed . Of these we can only say , " If their lives are blameless in the world ' s eyes , how far grander would they have been bad they been animated by the noblest of all incentives to virtue—the
love of God ? " And let any waverer ask himself if he is one of those described by Jesus Christ , and who , when tbe light came into the world , "loved darkness more than light , because their deeds were evil . " God is our Father , and if we wish to do right , Ho will guide us and help us , and place in our hearts the f-reatest inducement to do good and noble actions , the love of
His name . All the best work is done by those who work for His hononr , and who are animated with zeal and love of His name . Throughout the length and breadth of England , we , Masons may look upon the handiwork of our former brethren ; the cathedrals and churches , which are the glory of our native country . I believe I may safely say that the work was executed with a care