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Article THE RECENT GRAND LODGE. ← Page 5 of 6 →
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The Recent Grand Lodge.
he is an English gentleman . Discretion , however , is not at all times in our power ; and the youthful aspirant for masonic fame has in a degree outstripped the boundary , both in the address which has been rejected by the Grand Lodge , and by the introduction of unfair remarks into an otherwise most erudite and judicious charge delivered to his province , in which he thus indulges : —
" It now becomes my duty to touch on the affairs of the Craft generally : —Events of considerable importance have occurred since we last met . Much interesting discussion has taken place on the eleventh clause of page G 2 , Book of Constitutions , and after an animated debate , it has been carried and confirmed that a discretionary power be given to Prov . Grand Masters in foreign parts , by allowing them to grant
dispensations by which the time between the degrees may be lessened from a month to eight days . During this discussion much has been said on both sides of the question . On the one hand , it has been asserted that the alteration of this rule is an infringement- on the landmarks o £ Masonry , and that the Craft is likely to suffer materially by it ; and on the other hand , it is said by those who have most experience in foreign masonic policy , that were this rule not relaxed , we should not stand on equal ground with our Scotch and Irish brethren ,
who do not require such a length of time to elapse between the degrees , and who , consequently , gain a great advantage over us thereby , in the larger number of brethren who , from the pressure of their various pursuits and avocations , are unable to remain in any one place for the length of time prescribed by the English Book of Constitutions ; and , therefore , such persons prefer taking the first three degrees in Scotch or
Irish lodges , where their convenience is more consulted by the facility with which these degrees are obtained . Such have been the opinions held by many of our brethren , on both sides of the question . I must say that I most strongly approve of the decision of the Grand Lodge . I cannot look on this point in any light as an infringement of the landmarks of Masonry . Such a point seems to me to have been merely a
rule of the Order , which it was competent to the brethren at any time to alter or amend . " I cannot but regret that the words ' Free by birth' ( page 85 , Book of Constitutions ) should have been altered . This , in my opinion , did form a landmark of Masonry , and such an one as no man who has ever g iven his assent to the ancient charges ought to have lent his hand to
alter . But the edict has gone forth ; and henceforward those beautiful lectures which were founded on this part of our ceremonies must be laid aside and forgotten .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Recent Grand Lodge.
he is an English gentleman . Discretion , however , is not at all times in our power ; and the youthful aspirant for masonic fame has in a degree outstripped the boundary , both in the address which has been rejected by the Grand Lodge , and by the introduction of unfair remarks into an otherwise most erudite and judicious charge delivered to his province , in which he thus indulges : —
" It now becomes my duty to touch on the affairs of the Craft generally : —Events of considerable importance have occurred since we last met . Much interesting discussion has taken place on the eleventh clause of page G 2 , Book of Constitutions , and after an animated debate , it has been carried and confirmed that a discretionary power be given to Prov . Grand Masters in foreign parts , by allowing them to grant
dispensations by which the time between the degrees may be lessened from a month to eight days . During this discussion much has been said on both sides of the question . On the one hand , it has been asserted that the alteration of this rule is an infringement- on the landmarks o £ Masonry , and that the Craft is likely to suffer materially by it ; and on the other hand , it is said by those who have most experience in foreign masonic policy , that were this rule not relaxed , we should not stand on equal ground with our Scotch and Irish brethren ,
who do not require such a length of time to elapse between the degrees , and who , consequently , gain a great advantage over us thereby , in the larger number of brethren who , from the pressure of their various pursuits and avocations , are unable to remain in any one place for the length of time prescribed by the English Book of Constitutions ; and , therefore , such persons prefer taking the first three degrees in Scotch or
Irish lodges , where their convenience is more consulted by the facility with which these degrees are obtained . Such have been the opinions held by many of our brethren , on both sides of the question . I must say that I most strongly approve of the decision of the Grand Lodge . I cannot look on this point in any light as an infringement of the landmarks of Masonry . Such a point seems to me to have been merely a
rule of the Order , which it was competent to the brethren at any time to alter or amend . " I cannot but regret that the words ' Free by birth' ( page 85 , Book of Constitutions ) should have been altered . This , in my opinion , did form a landmark of Masonry , and such an one as no man who has ever g iven his assent to the ancient charges ought to have lent his hand to
alter . But the edict has gone forth ; and henceforward those beautiful lectures which were founded on this part of our ceremonies must be laid aside and forgotten .