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United Grand Lodge.
t the work in the Grand Secretary ' s office , and more ° ecially would provide a private office for the use of the recently app » i " Assistant Grand Secretary , an arrangeent greatly needed ; and that the lavatory , etc ., in the of the present waiting room and Grand Secretary ' s ffice | , reconstructed , with enlarged accommodation . It having been represented to the Board that a been to the Second in
•other j , ad passed Degree twenty-•elays only after his initiation , the circumstances were fullv enquired into , and it was ordered that the brother be . .. obligated , in the Second and Third Degrees , at a due interval , and that the Lodge of Benevolence ( No . 489 , Bideford ) be fined one guinea , and admonished to be more careful in future . ( Signed ) J B . MONCKTON ,
President . To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 17 th day of August instant , shewing a balance in the hinds of the Grand Treasurer of £ 7280 8 s . 3 d . ; and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 75 ; and for servants ' wages £ 9 6 15 s . The President will move : —
¦ That the report be received and entered on the
mmutes . 2 . —That Grand Lodge do adopt the recommendations of the Board of General Purposes with reference to the reconstitution of the Lodge of Benevolence . ^—That the Grand Registrar be requested to make such alterations and additions in the . Boo e of Constitutions as may be necessary for the purposes of such
reconstitution . 4 . —That the recommendations of the Board of General Purposes with reference to the proposed increased accommodation for the Grand Secretary ' s office be adopted , and that the same be referred back to the Board fur execution under the direction of the Grand Superintendent of Works .
PROPOSED MOTION . By Bro . John M . Clabon , P . G . D . : — " That a grant of one thousand guineas be made to the Indian Famine Relie Fund . ' ' The following is a list of lodges for which warrants have been granted by the M . W . Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge : —
1693 Kingsland Lodge , Islington . 1694 Imperial Lodge , Sloane-street , Chelsea 1 G 9 ; New Finsbury Park Lodge , Holluway . 169 ( 1 Lodge of Friendship , Mauritius . 16 97 Lodge of Hospitality , Waterfoot , Lane 16 9 8 Unity Lodge , Allahabad , Bengal . 1699 Wannon Lodge , Coleraine , Victoria .
1700 WaUiaUa Lodge , Walhalla , Victoria . 1701 Lodge of Sincerity , D . indenong , Victoria . 1702 Sub-Urban Lodge , Great Stanmore , Middlesex 1703 Windrusb Lodge , Witney , Oxfordshire . 170 4 Anchor Lodge , Southwark . 1705 Prince of Wales' Lodge , Gosport . 1706 Orpheus Lodge , Freemasons' Hall .
1707 Eleanor Lodge , Edmonton . 1708 Plucknett Lodge , Finchley . 17 C 9 Aryan Lodge , Bombay . 1710 Remuera Lodge , Newmarket , New Zealand . 1711 Rodney Lodge , Warkworth , New Zealand . 1712 St . John ' s Lodge , Newcastle-upon-Tyne . 1713 Wilbraham Lodge , Walton-on-the-Hill , Lane 1714 Albert Edward Lodge , York Town , Surrey .
1715 Arthur John Brogden Lodge , Grange-over-Sands , Lane . 17 lO All Saints Lodge , Poplar . 1717 Lodge of Ancient Carthage , Tunis . 1718 Centurion Lodge , Fleet-street . 1719 Evening Star Lodge , Freemasons' Hall . " 720 Greytown Lodge , Greytown , Wairarapa , New Zealand , i ? 21 United Manawatu Lodge , Palmerston , New Zealand
In The Shade.
IN THE SHADE .
( Continued from page 348 ) . But Illinois ; what have you done to accomplish "the grand design " of ihe Order ? You have established lodges ail over your vast prairies , anil added thousands to the ranks ° f the mystic brotherhood . Have you b y preceptorexample
engraven upon their hearts the memory of their word and Promise ; the declaration of unselfishness ; Ihe pledge of fealty to thc great work of charity ; the vow that binds all hearts and all ' -ands to the cause and the work of benevolence ? What fruits have you to show for all this ? what evidence that these pledges were intended to be redeemed
, and have been redeemed ? You have , I believe , ° ver seven hundred lodges in your great State ; are there no orphans of your deceased brethren who need , home and shelter , food and raiment , care and education ? Are there no ' aged and infirm " brethren who need , not alone your a « ive sympath y , but your filial care ? Where is the great !••,, ---j- — - » . ^ j uub jruui 11 mil Lair . . TI III . IL 13 LUC k * 'Vill
j ! , w ° rk of Masonry in Illinois ? Have you accomplished •Or are you only rreditating its commencement ? I emember when your Grand Lodge was organised , and fn V ' r solitary lodges were in the State . I knew your > st Grand Master , and several of the succeeding ones . l , „ nr- mcml , ershi P 'hen was very limited , ami they were L .... --. mryj uicri was very uuiiteu , aim tney were
cling up homes in a new country ; family first—this are " £ ~ tnen 'he Craft . Your members now l ) ou V ^ ° broa ' , productive prairies bring forth nteousl y in response to your labours , and , can 1 1 ) rovidcnce and blessing of Gtd , you Vourf- ^ mUCh f ° "blessed charity , " if you will . WealrV ,-,. Lod S > b « ng the largest and among the " > iest m the West , mi ght lead in the " glorious work
In The Shade.
of Masonry , " and thus furnish an example for the rest . It has been long since I was in Illinois , and longer still since I attended your Grand Lodge , and may not , therefore , know what you have been and are doing to promote the Royal Art ; but I would be glad to know that profession has been reduced to practice , and avowed principles crystallised into a great fact . Build your asylums ,
your homes , your rests , for the orphan and the aged , the widow and the helpless , where the weary may find rest and the helpless a home . Adorn your grand Prairie State with a great temple to benevolence , in " which your brother's orphan may be fed and clothed and educated , and forget that his Mason-father is in the grave , because every Mason has become to him a father , and the extra
resource's of the entire brotherhood are pledged for his protection and . support . Let it ( or another ) be a home for the aged and indigent who have wrought faiti . fully in the quarries , where they may " rest from their labours , " and the evening of their days be warmed and lighted by the glow of Masonic care and Masonic benevolence . Can you not do this , and still have to spare ?
I have long since lost all respect for that Masonry , and those Masons whose devotion to Masonry is always being declared and never practised . I would not give a farthing for the Order if its professed principles are not crystallised into great works—if the words of its members do not become deeds , and its sacred vows are forgotten as soon as uttered . Freemasonry must live as a reality , not as an
ideal ; it must do more and profess less , if it would retain the respect of community or the real regard of its own thoughtful members . A Grand Lodge , like Ohio , for instance , can spend from twelve to fifteen thousand dollars to pay the expenses of a two days' sess'on , but the widow and the orphan are remittee ! to an occasional scanty donation of a lodge . Let Freemasonry redeem its promises ,
and it need have no fears of the future ; if it would live , it must build its own monument of benevolence and usefulness . A dead church , and an idle , useless Freemasonry , alike tend to decay and ruin . Yet , after all , there aie elements in Freemasonry , though dormant for the moment , that may be stimulated into activity , and make their impress for good upon the present and future .
Let me once more point to England as an illustration of promises remembered and pledges redeemed . Though many at the present day , may become members of the Institution because it basks in the smiles of Royalty , yet the great mass of the membership prove their devotion to their principles by their grand achievements in the cause of benevolence . Orphans by the score and by the hundred are cared
for and educated in their " schools "—one for boys and another for girls . A comfortable and beautiful home is provided for " aged and decayed Freemasons , " their wives and widows . The free-will offerings of the English Craft to sustain these " schools " and " homes " amount to more than two hundred thousand ^ dollars per year I Royalty smiles upon them and lays its offering of gold upon
their altars ; wealth stops in its pursuit of gain to contribute of its abundance ; official distinction deems it an honour to devote a portion of its emoluments to the cause ot Masonic charity , and labour contributes of its earnings to help swell the volume of benevolence . Hail , grand old English Masonry ! It is doing a work which humanity applauds and God approves . May not Americi , with all
its conceits and prejudices , learn to emulate the good deeds and grand achievements of English Masons ? Every Grand Lodge should either have its orphanage or home or asylum , or something to denot" * . its active efforts to redeem the general pledge of the Order ; or it should be laying aside of its annual revenues to accumulate a fund for future work . The expenses of Grand Lodges are
too great . The " per diems " and the " mileages " and the printing , and the salaries of Grand Secretaries , should be reduced , at least , one-half , and some of them might be abolished altogether ; while the savings from these useless expenditures would , in a few years , enable the Craft in each State to do something to redeem their pledges . private and public , and in the shape of homes and asylums for
the orphans and the aged , build monuments to the glory and renown of our grand old Institution . As matters go now , though we may be increasing in numbers , we are losing the spirit of Masonrv , neglecting its noble mission , and forfeiting the respect of the communities among whom we live . But the reader may say I am writing " in the shade , "
and therefore do not see all that is being accomplished by my brethren . It is true that I am in the shade , not only literally sheltered from the sun , but the shade of years is gathering about me , and the twilight of life ' s evening begins to obscure thc horizon . Yet , forty years of active labour in the forest and in the quarries , and on Moiiah as well , have given me a knowledge of the dangers which
surround our beloved Order . Effects follow causes in Masonry as they do in nature , and blessings unimproved will surely become curses . Nations rise to power and influence , and for centuries , perhaps , shine as great landmarks to the world . But with power comes corruption j ambition lures to deceive ; the foundations of the national structure , neglected , soon decay ; and influence , instead of
being properly directed , changes its course and that influence , " like gravitation , tarns the other way . " The downfall of that nation is but a question of time . Like causes will produce like results in Freemasonry . With principles as pure as " Siloa's Stream , " they may be neglected or misapplied . With power and influence capable of performing
great achievements , they may pass away by non-user , or be directed by selfish or ambitious men to ruinous and destructive results . But the Institution need have r . o fear if its acknowledged principles are practically exemplified before the world . " To do good unto all , " —this is the glorious inscription upon the old banner , and underneath is added by way of a particular admonition— " Especially to the household of faith . " To " aid and assist all" the
In The Shade.
Craft , and especially " their widows and orphans , " these are the inspiring words—the clarion call to active usefulness and glorious rewards . But while as Masons we arc urged to the discharge of these duties , and permitted to boast of thc capacity of our Order to be useful in the world , we must not forget that all of Masonry is not confined to our Institution . It is in
the warm heart and sympathetic nature , whether within or without our Order ; its symbolism is seen and read in the alphabet of nature ; and as well " from the flowers that bloom beneath us , " as " from the heavens that bend above us , " we may learn the lessons and be urged to the duties of our mystic Cratt . And so Freemasonry may triumph , though never another neophyte should pass the threshold of our Temple .
I rejoice to see that the journals of the day , devoted to the interests of Masonry , are not only •' disseminating light and information" among the Craft , but also calling them to duty . Let the editors keep this in view , and urge upon their readers the discharge of every Masonic dutypromptly and heartily ; then shall the Temple of Freemasonry stand up a glory and a power for good throughout all the earth .
Reviews.
Reviews .
"Die Geheitn Statuten des Ordens der Templeherren ;" Edited by Dr . MERZDORF , with an after statement by Dr . GUSTAV SCIIWETSCKE . Halle , 1 877 . We have received and looked over this important work , which its original and able editor , Bro . Dr . Merzdorf did not ' however , unfortunately live to see published . It consists of three parts ; 1 st . " Regula Pauperum
Commilitonum Christi Templique Salomunis , " said to be extant in the Vatican Library , among " Acta Inquisitionis contra Ordinem Militia ; Templi ( Cod . xv . ) , "aud which have already appeared generally in the work of Milliter , Wilcke , Maillard tie Chambure , the " Histoire tie la Chevalerie , " and many other similar publications . We say generally , in an agreement with the publisl . ed texts , as time and
snace forbids us to make a careful collation of the "Regula . " They are 72 in the present collection , ami may be assumed to be correct . There are also seven " Accessiones Novic , " or new regulations added to them , and which profess to have been transcribed , together with the old rules , by " Frater Mathams de Tremelay , Anno Domini bis centesimo et quinto supra milesimum die S , Felicis "—
that is to say on St . Kelicia's day , 1205 . We do not think it needful to say anything more on these "Regulations of the Poor Soldiers of Christ , " as they are known to all who have studied the subject , and until shown to be unauthentic , may be accepted fairly as such . We wish however , that a collation of the Code X had taken place , and a facsimile of the handwriting had been made , so that
pala > ographtsts might be able to express an opinion on its actual date . Thc second document is thus headed : — " Incessunt Statuta Seereta qua ; Fratribus Electis de MiUtia Templi traeiiderunt prout acceperant Ff . Rogerius de Montagu Praeceptor Normanire , et Robertus de Barres , Procurator Maisnagiorum in Normania ; " That is to say we tiave here the secret statutes which Roger de Montagu ,
Preceptor of Normandy , and Robert de Bar , & c , delivered to the elect of the Militia of the Temple , as they received them . This important collection professes to be extant , alas , in the Vatican Library , Codex XXIV . among the " Acta" of the Inquisition against the Templars , and to have been transcribed by Bernard de St . Omer in 1252 , the 15 th of the Kalands of August . We may observe here that the
history of these MSS . seems to be this . They are all written by one hand , and were formerly in the possession of a Russian official Bober about the beginning of this century . He died about 1820 , and his MSS . fell into the hands of a Dr . Buek in Hamburgh , and are now among the archives of the Grand Lodge of Hamburgh , and from them this copy has been printed . We must again
repeat our regret that no search has been made in the Vatican Library , no collation attempted , and beyond the heading " Codex XXIV ., " it is not apparently known whether any such manuscript exists . We also desiderate greatly a facsimile of the hand writing , for when we carefully study the document , we are struck by this fact at once , that the language is not the language of the 1 3 th
century , and expressions are made use of which clearly are of later date . If these documents are genuine , they would clearly demonstrate that the Templars in 1252 , were in alliance with the Waldenses , and the various dissidents from the Church of Rome , were acquainted with the controversy of Anti-Christ , and had at the same time an affinity with Eastern Gnostics , and Mahommedan
teaching , and were in union with the Freemasons , and had in fact a Masonic ceremonial . We cannot accept any such theory , even on the internal evidence of the MS . itself , and can only presume it to be a " pious fraud , " either by some contemporary evremy of the Templars , ( if the MS . be really forthcoming ) , or of those members of the Masonic Order who in the latter end of the 18 th century were
determined to have a Templar ori gin for Freemasonry , To the last view we , on the whole , lean , for the entirety of the phraseology is clearly of late date , after known controversies and admitted facts . The use of the words elect , " Synagoga , Anti-christi , " the wonderful hostility to the Church of Rome , all express a much later period of thought and feeling than 1250 . The doctrine of " election " could hardly have been a famil ar subject of discussion in 1250 , and
whether the MS . be a forgery or not , it is not a 13 th century one in our humble opinion . In the XXVII . regulation , allusion is made to " Magiutri Massonerii , " ( Master Masons ) , which in our opinion is fatal to the reality of the MS . as of date 1250 . The word Massonerii is of quite late use , and we doubt if any good example can be cited of its appearance until those brethren set to work who drew up the Charter of Cologne . We regret to say , that
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge.
t the work in the Grand Secretary ' s office , and more ° ecially would provide a private office for the use of the recently app » i " Assistant Grand Secretary , an arrangeent greatly needed ; and that the lavatory , etc ., in the of the present waiting room and Grand Secretary ' s ffice | , reconstructed , with enlarged accommodation . It having been represented to the Board that a been to the Second in
•other j , ad passed Degree twenty-•elays only after his initiation , the circumstances were fullv enquired into , and it was ordered that the brother be . .. obligated , in the Second and Third Degrees , at a due interval , and that the Lodge of Benevolence ( No . 489 , Bideford ) be fined one guinea , and admonished to be more careful in future . ( Signed ) J B . MONCKTON ,
President . To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 17 th day of August instant , shewing a balance in the hinds of the Grand Treasurer of £ 7280 8 s . 3 d . ; and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 75 ; and for servants ' wages £ 9 6 15 s . The President will move : —
¦ That the report be received and entered on the
mmutes . 2 . —That Grand Lodge do adopt the recommendations of the Board of General Purposes with reference to the reconstitution of the Lodge of Benevolence . ^—That the Grand Registrar be requested to make such alterations and additions in the . Boo e of Constitutions as may be necessary for the purposes of such
reconstitution . 4 . —That the recommendations of the Board of General Purposes with reference to the proposed increased accommodation for the Grand Secretary ' s office be adopted , and that the same be referred back to the Board fur execution under the direction of the Grand Superintendent of Works .
PROPOSED MOTION . By Bro . John M . Clabon , P . G . D . : — " That a grant of one thousand guineas be made to the Indian Famine Relie Fund . ' ' The following is a list of lodges for which warrants have been granted by the M . W . Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge : —
1693 Kingsland Lodge , Islington . 1694 Imperial Lodge , Sloane-street , Chelsea 1 G 9 ; New Finsbury Park Lodge , Holluway . 169 ( 1 Lodge of Friendship , Mauritius . 16 97 Lodge of Hospitality , Waterfoot , Lane 16 9 8 Unity Lodge , Allahabad , Bengal . 1699 Wannon Lodge , Coleraine , Victoria .
1700 WaUiaUa Lodge , Walhalla , Victoria . 1701 Lodge of Sincerity , D . indenong , Victoria . 1702 Sub-Urban Lodge , Great Stanmore , Middlesex 1703 Windrusb Lodge , Witney , Oxfordshire . 170 4 Anchor Lodge , Southwark . 1705 Prince of Wales' Lodge , Gosport . 1706 Orpheus Lodge , Freemasons' Hall .
1707 Eleanor Lodge , Edmonton . 1708 Plucknett Lodge , Finchley . 17 C 9 Aryan Lodge , Bombay . 1710 Remuera Lodge , Newmarket , New Zealand . 1711 Rodney Lodge , Warkworth , New Zealand . 1712 St . John ' s Lodge , Newcastle-upon-Tyne . 1713 Wilbraham Lodge , Walton-on-the-Hill , Lane 1714 Albert Edward Lodge , York Town , Surrey .
1715 Arthur John Brogden Lodge , Grange-over-Sands , Lane . 17 lO All Saints Lodge , Poplar . 1717 Lodge of Ancient Carthage , Tunis . 1718 Centurion Lodge , Fleet-street . 1719 Evening Star Lodge , Freemasons' Hall . " 720 Greytown Lodge , Greytown , Wairarapa , New Zealand , i ? 21 United Manawatu Lodge , Palmerston , New Zealand
In The Shade.
IN THE SHADE .
( Continued from page 348 ) . But Illinois ; what have you done to accomplish "the grand design " of ihe Order ? You have established lodges ail over your vast prairies , anil added thousands to the ranks ° f the mystic brotherhood . Have you b y preceptorexample
engraven upon their hearts the memory of their word and Promise ; the declaration of unselfishness ; Ihe pledge of fealty to thc great work of charity ; the vow that binds all hearts and all ' -ands to the cause and the work of benevolence ? What fruits have you to show for all this ? what evidence that these pledges were intended to be redeemed
, and have been redeemed ? You have , I believe , ° ver seven hundred lodges in your great State ; are there no orphans of your deceased brethren who need , home and shelter , food and raiment , care and education ? Are there no ' aged and infirm " brethren who need , not alone your a « ive sympath y , but your filial care ? Where is the great !••,, ---j- — - » . ^ j uub jruui 11 mil Lair . . TI III . IL 13 LUC k * 'Vill
j ! , w ° rk of Masonry in Illinois ? Have you accomplished •Or are you only rreditating its commencement ? I emember when your Grand Lodge was organised , and fn V ' r solitary lodges were in the State . I knew your > st Grand Master , and several of the succeeding ones . l , „ nr- mcml , ershi P 'hen was very limited , ami they were L .... --. mryj uicri was very uuiiteu , aim tney were
cling up homes in a new country ; family first—this are " £ ~ tnen 'he Craft . Your members now l ) ou V ^ ° broa ' , productive prairies bring forth nteousl y in response to your labours , and , can 1 1 ) rovidcnce and blessing of Gtd , you Vourf- ^ mUCh f ° "blessed charity , " if you will . WealrV ,-,. Lod S > b « ng the largest and among the " > iest m the West , mi ght lead in the " glorious work
In The Shade.
of Masonry , " and thus furnish an example for the rest . It has been long since I was in Illinois , and longer still since I attended your Grand Lodge , and may not , therefore , know what you have been and are doing to promote the Royal Art ; but I would be glad to know that profession has been reduced to practice , and avowed principles crystallised into a great fact . Build your asylums ,
your homes , your rests , for the orphan and the aged , the widow and the helpless , where the weary may find rest and the helpless a home . Adorn your grand Prairie State with a great temple to benevolence , in " which your brother's orphan may be fed and clothed and educated , and forget that his Mason-father is in the grave , because every Mason has become to him a father , and the extra
resource's of the entire brotherhood are pledged for his protection and . support . Let it ( or another ) be a home for the aged and indigent who have wrought faiti . fully in the quarries , where they may " rest from their labours , " and the evening of their days be warmed and lighted by the glow of Masonic care and Masonic benevolence . Can you not do this , and still have to spare ?
I have long since lost all respect for that Masonry , and those Masons whose devotion to Masonry is always being declared and never practised . I would not give a farthing for the Order if its professed principles are not crystallised into great works—if the words of its members do not become deeds , and its sacred vows are forgotten as soon as uttered . Freemasonry must live as a reality , not as an
ideal ; it must do more and profess less , if it would retain the respect of community or the real regard of its own thoughtful members . A Grand Lodge , like Ohio , for instance , can spend from twelve to fifteen thousand dollars to pay the expenses of a two days' sess'on , but the widow and the orphan are remittee ! to an occasional scanty donation of a lodge . Let Freemasonry redeem its promises ,
and it need have no fears of the future ; if it would live , it must build its own monument of benevolence and usefulness . A dead church , and an idle , useless Freemasonry , alike tend to decay and ruin . Yet , after all , there aie elements in Freemasonry , though dormant for the moment , that may be stimulated into activity , and make their impress for good upon the present and future .
Let me once more point to England as an illustration of promises remembered and pledges redeemed . Though many at the present day , may become members of the Institution because it basks in the smiles of Royalty , yet the great mass of the membership prove their devotion to their principles by their grand achievements in the cause of benevolence . Orphans by the score and by the hundred are cared
for and educated in their " schools "—one for boys and another for girls . A comfortable and beautiful home is provided for " aged and decayed Freemasons , " their wives and widows . The free-will offerings of the English Craft to sustain these " schools " and " homes " amount to more than two hundred thousand ^ dollars per year I Royalty smiles upon them and lays its offering of gold upon
their altars ; wealth stops in its pursuit of gain to contribute of its abundance ; official distinction deems it an honour to devote a portion of its emoluments to the cause ot Masonic charity , and labour contributes of its earnings to help swell the volume of benevolence . Hail , grand old English Masonry ! It is doing a work which humanity applauds and God approves . May not Americi , with all
its conceits and prejudices , learn to emulate the good deeds and grand achievements of English Masons ? Every Grand Lodge should either have its orphanage or home or asylum , or something to denot" * . its active efforts to redeem the general pledge of the Order ; or it should be laying aside of its annual revenues to accumulate a fund for future work . The expenses of Grand Lodges are
too great . The " per diems " and the " mileages " and the printing , and the salaries of Grand Secretaries , should be reduced , at least , one-half , and some of them might be abolished altogether ; while the savings from these useless expenditures would , in a few years , enable the Craft in each State to do something to redeem their pledges . private and public , and in the shape of homes and asylums for
the orphans and the aged , build monuments to the glory and renown of our grand old Institution . As matters go now , though we may be increasing in numbers , we are losing the spirit of Masonrv , neglecting its noble mission , and forfeiting the respect of the communities among whom we live . But the reader may say I am writing " in the shade , "
and therefore do not see all that is being accomplished by my brethren . It is true that I am in the shade , not only literally sheltered from the sun , but the shade of years is gathering about me , and the twilight of life ' s evening begins to obscure thc horizon . Yet , forty years of active labour in the forest and in the quarries , and on Moiiah as well , have given me a knowledge of the dangers which
surround our beloved Order . Effects follow causes in Masonry as they do in nature , and blessings unimproved will surely become curses . Nations rise to power and influence , and for centuries , perhaps , shine as great landmarks to the world . But with power comes corruption j ambition lures to deceive ; the foundations of the national structure , neglected , soon decay ; and influence , instead of
being properly directed , changes its course and that influence , " like gravitation , tarns the other way . " The downfall of that nation is but a question of time . Like causes will produce like results in Freemasonry . With principles as pure as " Siloa's Stream , " they may be neglected or misapplied . With power and influence capable of performing
great achievements , they may pass away by non-user , or be directed by selfish or ambitious men to ruinous and destructive results . But the Institution need have r . o fear if its acknowledged principles are practically exemplified before the world . " To do good unto all , " —this is the glorious inscription upon the old banner , and underneath is added by way of a particular admonition— " Especially to the household of faith . " To " aid and assist all" the
In The Shade.
Craft , and especially " their widows and orphans , " these are the inspiring words—the clarion call to active usefulness and glorious rewards . But while as Masons we arc urged to the discharge of these duties , and permitted to boast of thc capacity of our Order to be useful in the world , we must not forget that all of Masonry is not confined to our Institution . It is in
the warm heart and sympathetic nature , whether within or without our Order ; its symbolism is seen and read in the alphabet of nature ; and as well " from the flowers that bloom beneath us , " as " from the heavens that bend above us , " we may learn the lessons and be urged to the duties of our mystic Cratt . And so Freemasonry may triumph , though never another neophyte should pass the threshold of our Temple .
I rejoice to see that the journals of the day , devoted to the interests of Masonry , are not only •' disseminating light and information" among the Craft , but also calling them to duty . Let the editors keep this in view , and urge upon their readers the discharge of every Masonic dutypromptly and heartily ; then shall the Temple of Freemasonry stand up a glory and a power for good throughout all the earth .
Reviews.
Reviews .
"Die Geheitn Statuten des Ordens der Templeherren ;" Edited by Dr . MERZDORF , with an after statement by Dr . GUSTAV SCIIWETSCKE . Halle , 1 877 . We have received and looked over this important work , which its original and able editor , Bro . Dr . Merzdorf did not ' however , unfortunately live to see published . It consists of three parts ; 1 st . " Regula Pauperum
Commilitonum Christi Templique Salomunis , " said to be extant in the Vatican Library , among " Acta Inquisitionis contra Ordinem Militia ; Templi ( Cod . xv . ) , "aud which have already appeared generally in the work of Milliter , Wilcke , Maillard tie Chambure , the " Histoire tie la Chevalerie , " and many other similar publications . We say generally , in an agreement with the publisl . ed texts , as time and
snace forbids us to make a careful collation of the "Regula . " They are 72 in the present collection , ami may be assumed to be correct . There are also seven " Accessiones Novic , " or new regulations added to them , and which profess to have been transcribed , together with the old rules , by " Frater Mathams de Tremelay , Anno Domini bis centesimo et quinto supra milesimum die S , Felicis "—
that is to say on St . Kelicia's day , 1205 . We do not think it needful to say anything more on these "Regulations of the Poor Soldiers of Christ , " as they are known to all who have studied the subject , and until shown to be unauthentic , may be accepted fairly as such . We wish however , that a collation of the Code X had taken place , and a facsimile of the handwriting had been made , so that
pala > ographtsts might be able to express an opinion on its actual date . Thc second document is thus headed : — " Incessunt Statuta Seereta qua ; Fratribus Electis de MiUtia Templi traeiiderunt prout acceperant Ff . Rogerius de Montagu Praeceptor Normanire , et Robertus de Barres , Procurator Maisnagiorum in Normania ; " That is to say we tiave here the secret statutes which Roger de Montagu ,
Preceptor of Normandy , and Robert de Bar , & c , delivered to the elect of the Militia of the Temple , as they received them . This important collection professes to be extant , alas , in the Vatican Library , Codex XXIV . among the " Acta" of the Inquisition against the Templars , and to have been transcribed by Bernard de St . Omer in 1252 , the 15 th of the Kalands of August . We may observe here that the
history of these MSS . seems to be this . They are all written by one hand , and were formerly in the possession of a Russian official Bober about the beginning of this century . He died about 1820 , and his MSS . fell into the hands of a Dr . Buek in Hamburgh , and are now among the archives of the Grand Lodge of Hamburgh , and from them this copy has been printed . We must again
repeat our regret that no search has been made in the Vatican Library , no collation attempted , and beyond the heading " Codex XXIV ., " it is not apparently known whether any such manuscript exists . We also desiderate greatly a facsimile of the hand writing , for when we carefully study the document , we are struck by this fact at once , that the language is not the language of the 1 3 th
century , and expressions are made use of which clearly are of later date . If these documents are genuine , they would clearly demonstrate that the Templars in 1252 , were in alliance with the Waldenses , and the various dissidents from the Church of Rome , were acquainted with the controversy of Anti-Christ , and had at the same time an affinity with Eastern Gnostics , and Mahommedan
teaching , and were in union with the Freemasons , and had in fact a Masonic ceremonial . We cannot accept any such theory , even on the internal evidence of the MS . itself , and can only presume it to be a " pious fraud , " either by some contemporary evremy of the Templars , ( if the MS . be really forthcoming ) , or of those members of the Masonic Order who in the latter end of the 18 th century were
determined to have a Templar ori gin for Freemasonry , To the last view we , on the whole , lean , for the entirety of the phraseology is clearly of late date , after known controversies and admitted facts . The use of the words elect , " Synagoga , Anti-christi , " the wonderful hostility to the Church of Rome , all express a much later period of thought and feeling than 1250 . The doctrine of " election " could hardly have been a famil ar subject of discussion in 1250 , and
whether the MS . be a forgery or not , it is not a 13 th century one in our humble opinion . In the XXVII . regulation , allusion is made to " Magiutri Massonerii , " ( Master Masons ) , which in our opinion is fatal to the reality of the MS . as of date 1250 . The word Massonerii is of quite late use , and we doubt if any good example can be cited of its appearance until those brethren set to work who drew up the Charter of Cologne . We regret to say , that