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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 23 of 26 →
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Provincial.
Master was proposed ancl responded to in the most enthusiastic manner possible . The AA orshipful Master ' s reply was nearly as follows : — " Brethren , —This is indeed hard work ; after the arduous duties of the evening , you would , I think , have acted with more kindness to me if you had not , by this flattering and unanimous expression of your attachment , p laced me in the difficult position in which I now stand . Believe me , it is not an ordinary one . We have this evening began a and in the of the Britan
new , ancl I trust , a long flourishing era history - nia Lodge , and I am called upon by tbe very solemnity of the occasion to render an account to you—though it be a brief one—of my Masonic conduct during the time I have had the honour of filling the Master ' s chair ; in doing which you will allow me to take a retrospective view of the history of Masonry in this town . Every human affair is liable to fluctuateand itself is no exception to so general a rule
, Masonry ; though it has long flourished in Sheffield , yet it has for the last few years been on the decline ; but , as if it were to show that it possesses within itself that principle of vitality which can never perish , it is again rising like a Phoenix from its ashes . " At one time our Lodge numbered so few Brethren , and was besides , so poor , that to preserve its warrant , a few worthy Masons were obliged to meet in humble houseof which they rented but one-half- A
a very , little later , and still poorer , they were under the painful necessity of relinquishing their place of meeting , and of removing to the Spread Eagle Inn—a circumstance which I would deplore did I not feel convinced that the Lodge could not by any other means have continued to exist ; not that 1 have any fault to find with the worthy landlord or his
dependents ; on the contrary , the thanks of the Lodge are due to him for his uniform attention ; and if the Lodge is to he held at a publichouse , I know of none that I would sooner go to . But we must convince ourselves that no Masonic Lodge can permanently prosper , which is not held in a private house ; for when Masons hold their meetings at a public-house , the uninitiated are apt to suppose—as I know has been asserted in Sheffield —that Masonry is a mere convivial club . I need because know well
not tell you how pitiful is such ignorance , you as as I clo myself , that no human institution is more calculated to benefit mankind than Masonry is . If it be true that we admit amongst us men of different religious opinions , it is also certain that no good Mason can be an atheist , Masonically speaking- We are reminded at every step of the existence of an all-seeing and omnipotent Creator , whose merciful judgment we must all endeavour to obtainand if 'Love th
; y neighbour as thyself , ' be a Christian command , then I maintain that Masonry is calculated to promote Christianity , ancl to inculcate the most useful and moral maxims . Feeling the truth of this assertion , I have indentified myself with the institution from the moment of my initiation . AVhen you honoured me by appointing me to preside over you , the gloomy prospects which opened before us did not deter me from undertaking the duties of the officebecause 1 considered
-; my self engaged in a good cause , and trusted that the Great Disposer of human events would permit an institution calculated to do so much good , aud which has survived the wreck of mighty empires , ancl defied even the destroying hand of Time , again to prosper ; the event I think fully justifies my expectations ; and 1 trust the great success which has attended my humble efforts will encourage you to persevere in your
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
Master was proposed ancl responded to in the most enthusiastic manner possible . The AA orshipful Master ' s reply was nearly as follows : — " Brethren , —This is indeed hard work ; after the arduous duties of the evening , you would , I think , have acted with more kindness to me if you had not , by this flattering and unanimous expression of your attachment , p laced me in the difficult position in which I now stand . Believe me , it is not an ordinary one . We have this evening began a and in the of the Britan
new , ancl I trust , a long flourishing era history - nia Lodge , and I am called upon by tbe very solemnity of the occasion to render an account to you—though it be a brief one—of my Masonic conduct during the time I have had the honour of filling the Master ' s chair ; in doing which you will allow me to take a retrospective view of the history of Masonry in this town . Every human affair is liable to fluctuateand itself is no exception to so general a rule
, Masonry ; though it has long flourished in Sheffield , yet it has for the last few years been on the decline ; but , as if it were to show that it possesses within itself that principle of vitality which can never perish , it is again rising like a Phoenix from its ashes . " At one time our Lodge numbered so few Brethren , and was besides , so poor , that to preserve its warrant , a few worthy Masons were obliged to meet in humble houseof which they rented but one-half- A
a very , little later , and still poorer , they were under the painful necessity of relinquishing their place of meeting , and of removing to the Spread Eagle Inn—a circumstance which I would deplore did I not feel convinced that the Lodge could not by any other means have continued to exist ; not that 1 have any fault to find with the worthy landlord or his
dependents ; on the contrary , the thanks of the Lodge are due to him for his uniform attention ; and if the Lodge is to he held at a publichouse , I know of none that I would sooner go to . But we must convince ourselves that no Masonic Lodge can permanently prosper , which is not held in a private house ; for when Masons hold their meetings at a public-house , the uninitiated are apt to suppose—as I know has been asserted in Sheffield —that Masonry is a mere convivial club . I need because know well
not tell you how pitiful is such ignorance , you as as I clo myself , that no human institution is more calculated to benefit mankind than Masonry is . If it be true that we admit amongst us men of different religious opinions , it is also certain that no good Mason can be an atheist , Masonically speaking- We are reminded at every step of the existence of an all-seeing and omnipotent Creator , whose merciful judgment we must all endeavour to obtainand if 'Love th
; y neighbour as thyself , ' be a Christian command , then I maintain that Masonry is calculated to promote Christianity , ancl to inculcate the most useful and moral maxims . Feeling the truth of this assertion , I have indentified myself with the institution from the moment of my initiation . AVhen you honoured me by appointing me to preside over you , the gloomy prospects which opened before us did not deter me from undertaking the duties of the officebecause 1 considered
-; my self engaged in a good cause , and trusted that the Great Disposer of human events would permit an institution calculated to do so much good , aud which has survived the wreck of mighty empires , ancl defied even the destroying hand of Time , again to prosper ; the event I think fully justifies my expectations ; and 1 trust the great success which has attended my humble efforts will encourage you to persevere in your