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Article TO THE EDITOR. ← Page 2 of 2 Article TO THE EDITOR. Page 1 of 2 →
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To The Editor.
On the 2 nd of May , 182 fi , the Grand Chapter resolved " that if the Principal Sojourner , his assistants , the Sword Bearer , or Standard Bearer , should fail to attend during two consecutive convocations without sufficient excuse , they shall forfeit their rank and appointment . " This order would seem to imply that those companions were under a penalty to perform their allotted task , or why the stringent penalty ? But in page 12 of the Lawsthe second h provides that the
, paragrap Chair shall be filled by seniority , and is silent as to whether Office-Bearers , if present , should remain stationary ; certes , the Office-Bearer ceased to be such for the time by vacating it , yet the penalty does not apply , he being present to gaze on the vacancy he created . The matter of "diffidence" is probably purely imaginative . It is felt that the really qualified in Arch Masonry are more numerous below than on the dais , and here anomaly almost reigns supreme , for while all below
the seat of honour must be qualified to open the Grand Lodge , it by no means follows that any of the " promoted" need be , the Grand Principals alone excepted . Indeed , many Grand Ofiicers have been , and some are still , obliged to retire from the Temple during the commencement of service , —qualified , it is true , to wear the decoration , but unqualified to assist ; yet such companions can , and do , afterwards enter the Grand Chapter , and take part in the executive—by speaking and voting !
The case of the scribes being present , and not assuming the Chairs , may be thus explained . Had E . felt desirous , he ivould , as he has done before—have taken such place ; he declined in favour of another companion . Scribe N . not being yet a Z ., could not vacate his seat ! Propriety in their case was preserved—they kept their stations . The appointments , as they generally are , were made on the moment . Accidental promotion in the Royal Arch over the heads of othersof
, any one _ who in Craft Masonry is not of equal rank , is really inconvenient in practice and discipline . The cases generally arise from the promotion of a Craft Brother to the purple , who is not a R . A ., and the post in the superior grade is accidentall y filled up . We do not hesitate to say , that no Brother should be promoted unless he be a R . A ., and for obvious reasons : —superior moral worth , public service , or exalted rank , may be pleaded in extenuation , but such exceptions prove the rule .
We shall probably have more to say hereafter , at present , our business is to reply to Non-Edax , and we conclude with one significant hint—REFORM IT ALTOGETHER .
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
AGED FREEMASONS' ASYLUM . SIR , —I have observed , with a great deal of pain , the apathy so conspicuously exhibited by many Grand Officers toivards the promotion of the success of this Asylum , which has induced me to trouble you with a few lines . Our Society , in doctrine , is in perfect accordance with the doctrines of Christianity , as promulgated in the New Testament , in fulfilment of the second great Commandment , — " Love your neighbour as yourself . " Our doctrines teach us that all mankind are by nature upon an equality ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
On the 2 nd of May , 182 fi , the Grand Chapter resolved " that if the Principal Sojourner , his assistants , the Sword Bearer , or Standard Bearer , should fail to attend during two consecutive convocations without sufficient excuse , they shall forfeit their rank and appointment . " This order would seem to imply that those companions were under a penalty to perform their allotted task , or why the stringent penalty ? But in page 12 of the Lawsthe second h provides that the
, paragrap Chair shall be filled by seniority , and is silent as to whether Office-Bearers , if present , should remain stationary ; certes , the Office-Bearer ceased to be such for the time by vacating it , yet the penalty does not apply , he being present to gaze on the vacancy he created . The matter of "diffidence" is probably purely imaginative . It is felt that the really qualified in Arch Masonry are more numerous below than on the dais , and here anomaly almost reigns supreme , for while all below
the seat of honour must be qualified to open the Grand Lodge , it by no means follows that any of the " promoted" need be , the Grand Principals alone excepted . Indeed , many Grand Ofiicers have been , and some are still , obliged to retire from the Temple during the commencement of service , —qualified , it is true , to wear the decoration , but unqualified to assist ; yet such companions can , and do , afterwards enter the Grand Chapter , and take part in the executive—by speaking and voting !
The case of the scribes being present , and not assuming the Chairs , may be thus explained . Had E . felt desirous , he ivould , as he has done before—have taken such place ; he declined in favour of another companion . Scribe N . not being yet a Z ., could not vacate his seat ! Propriety in their case was preserved—they kept their stations . The appointments , as they generally are , were made on the moment . Accidental promotion in the Royal Arch over the heads of othersof
, any one _ who in Craft Masonry is not of equal rank , is really inconvenient in practice and discipline . The cases generally arise from the promotion of a Craft Brother to the purple , who is not a R . A ., and the post in the superior grade is accidentall y filled up . We do not hesitate to say , that no Brother should be promoted unless he be a R . A ., and for obvious reasons : —superior moral worth , public service , or exalted rank , may be pleaded in extenuation , but such exceptions prove the rule .
We shall probably have more to say hereafter , at present , our business is to reply to Non-Edax , and we conclude with one significant hint—REFORM IT ALTOGETHER .
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
AGED FREEMASONS' ASYLUM . SIR , —I have observed , with a great deal of pain , the apathy so conspicuously exhibited by many Grand Officers toivards the promotion of the success of this Asylum , which has induced me to trouble you with a few lines . Our Society , in doctrine , is in perfect accordance with the doctrines of Christianity , as promulgated in the New Testament , in fulfilment of the second great Commandment , — " Love your neighbour as yourself . " Our doctrines teach us that all mankind are by nature upon an equality ;