Laying The Foundation Stone Of A New Church At Pontefract.

so nearly accomplished . No small labour has been incurred to bring the work to its present stage . They had stimulated one another to exertion , and the repeated efforts they had made , and the kind encouragement they had so amply received , had kept them warm in the work .

Their earliest aspirations were limited to an enlargement of the very plain building across the way ; but the work had grown on their hands , and now they begged his lordship to lay the foundation stone of a new church that is to be the centre of a new ecclesiastical district , with all the advantages , spiritual and temporal , of a

village church and burial ground . The ground on which they stood will prove the richest garden of blessings to many generations in this village . Recent events have already g iven some of them an inalienable freehold in the soil . Five weeks ago an interment took place here , the first on record in licenced ground at East Hardwick . In that event was laid a foundation that made that

ground a hallowed spot , A spot on earth supremely blest ; A clearer , sweeter spot than all the rest . The affectionate interest that they had hitherto felt in this church and churchyard' had been deepened by that event . The few drops from

their hearts , laiel deep down with the beloved child , had bound them indissolubly to it , and their right hands mig ht sooner forget their cunning than their hearts forget this sacred ground . He had extreme pleasure in presenting the trowel to his lordship , on behalf of his ( Mr . Lord ' s ) dear

wife , as a further proof of her efforts to promote the work ' . He had the honour , in the name of the committee , through whose untiring energy the work had been brought to its present state , and of the St . Oswald Lodge , of which he had the honour to bi W . M ., to request his lordship

to lay the foundation of the Church of St . Stephen . Mig ht the superstiucture to be raised on that stone be perfect in all its parts , and honourable to the builders ! Might the symbol on which it was built—the symbol of our hol y faith—ever preserve it from desecration ! They

trusted that all who would wish to convert that sacred house of God into a building for secular purposes might be frustrated in their impious designs , and brought to a better state of mind . ( Hear , hear . ) There they trusted the pure Word

of God might be ever preached , and the sacraments rightly and duly administered ; that that sacred temple mig ht be the spiritual birthplace of thousands yet unborn . ( Hear , hear . ) Mr . Davies then handed to the G . Master a set

of the plans of the proposed church , and begged his acceptance of them . He afterwards presented a similar set to Mr . Bentley Shaw . The choir having sung the ode " Round the Spot , " composed by Dr . Spark , The Rev . ] . Oddy i ; Provincial Grand Chaplain )

offered prayer . The upper stone had , previous to this , been raised , and in the cavity of the lower stone was now deposited a bottle containing papers and documents , and over it was placed a brass plate on which was an insciiption setting forth the name of the church , the date of its

commencement , and other particulars connected with the ceremony . The upper stone was then lowered and laid in the customary manner , after which the Marquess of Ripon sprinkled upon it , from a cornucopia , a quantity of corn , as an emblem of plenty ; from an ewer he poured wine , as an emblem of joy ; and from another ewer , oil , as an emblcxi of harmony .

Ihe Rev . Dr Bisset , vicar of Pontefract , and the Rev . Lumlcy Cator , incumbent of East Hardwick , next offered prayer , after which the P . G . Master inspected the plans of the intended building , delivered the same to the architect , and desired him to proceed without loss of time to the completion of the work in conformity with the plan , and then addressed the assemblage .

The Marquess of Ripon said it now became his pleasing duty to oiler to those present his hearty congratulations upon the success of the completion of the work which had brought them together . ( Hear , hear . ) He was sure they

would agree with him that it was a subject lor congratulation to the inhabitants of that neighbourhood and to all who felt an interest in the welfare of that work , which , as he understood , had been so long in contemplation , and at length

Laying The Foundation Stone Of A New Church At Pontefract.

had been brought to the period of its actual commencement . It was a work of the highest and noblest description to raise a new church for the sacred worship of Almighty God , and to substitute for a building , which he understood to be now ruinous , and , if report spoke truly , an odious

structure , one which in its outward appearance would be more worthy of the sacred object to which it was in the future to be dedicated . ( Hear , hear . ) We need not dilate upon the advantages which would follow , as they all humbly trusted , under the blessing of Geid , to

that neighbourhood from the completion of the work ; but they would perhaps allow him to detain them for a moment , in order that he might express on his own behalf , and on that he was confident he might say , of all the brethren of West Yorkshire who surrounded him —( hear

hear)—the great satisfaction which they felt in being permitted to take part on that most interesting occasion . ( Hear , hear . ) It was true , doubtless , as most of them were aware , that in Freemasonry they did not make any inquiry of those whom they admitted to their Order as to

the religious opinion which they mig ht entertain , but people greatly erred , if any such there were , who thought that this rule of that ancient worldwide Craft arose from any indifference upon religious subjects . ( Hear , hear . ) They knew well that the principles of their Order , high and

noble as they believed them to be , could only be fully carried out by those who were aided by a hig her motive than any human institution could supply , by those who looked upward from this earth and its mortal fraternities to the heaven which was above them all . The principles of

the ir Order were those which he was proud to say most commended themselves to everyone who believed the Christian faith , and for himself he could not doubt that those princip les could only be fully applied by those who had the great blessing of Christian privileges . Although all

religious differences were banished from the lodges of Freemasons , they felt themselves fully free to come forward upon an occasion of that kind to aid in a work which they knew was calculated to confer the highest blessings , spiritual and temporal , upon those in that neighbourhood for

whose benefit the new church was designed . Therefore it was that they rejoiced to come to the ancient town of Pontefract , where their ancient Craft numbered so many members , and was held , as he ventured to believe , in general respect , for

a work which must command the sympathies of all , whether Masons or not , would , he trusted , prove to those who were not Masons the soundness of their principles and the real character of their Order . ( Cheers . )

Another ode , composed by Dr . Spark , " Great Architect of Earth and Heaven , " was sung by the choir , and the ceremony was brought to a close bv the Rev . Win . Barton nronouncing the

benediction . Before the spectators dispersed cheers were given for the Marquess and the Marchioness of Ripon . A banquet ( the purveyor of which was Mr . C . Furze , of Leeds ) was afterwards held in a

temporary , but substantially-erected building near the site of the new church , and it was attended b y the majority of the ladies and gentlemen present at the stone laying , including the Marquess of Ripon , Lord Houghton , the Right Hon . II . C . E . Childers , M . P ., Major Waterhouse , M . P ., the

Mayor of Pontefract , the Hon . and Rev . P . Yorke Savile , the Rev . Sir Thomas Bloomfield , Bart ., the Rev . Dr . Bisset , the Rev . L . Cator , the Rev . W . Barton , Mr . Bentley Shaw , Mr . T . W . Tew , Mr . L . R . Starkey , Mr . E . Lord , Dr . Spark , Mr . C . Grabham , M . D ., Mr . S . Freeman , Mr . E . Freeman . In the intervals between the toasts

the choir sang part songs and glees , and several solos were also given . After the usual loyal toasts had been given from the chair ( which was filled by the Marquess of Ripon ) , and warmly acknowledged ,

Mr . Bentley Shaw proposed , in very complimentary terms , " The M . W . G . M . of England and P . G . M . of West Yorkshire , the Right '" Hon . the Marquess of Ripon , and the rest of the Grand Offices ! -. " ( Cheers . )

The Marquis of Ripon , responding , again expressed the pleasure it had been ro the oliicers and members of the oreler to attend and take part

Laying The Foundation Stone Of A New Church At Pontefract.

in the proceedings of the day . From what he had since heard he was afraid he had spoken in somewhat disparaging terms of the existing church at East Hardwick , but he wished it to be understood that he had no intention of casting the slightest discredit upon the benefactor of that

district—Mr . Cawood—who erected the old church in times when the Church of England was in a state of great depression , and when architectural taste in England was at a very low ebb . In these days we had learnt to believe that it was our duty when we built churches for

the worship of God , to make them as beautiful as we could ; that it was our duty to give our best to God ; and that there was no nobler use to which the means at our disposal could be put than the service of the Church . ( Hear , hear . ) They must ever feel grateful for the benefaction , and it was to the credit of the present time and

that neigbourhood that , acting in the spirit which had distinguished their patriotic benefactor , the people had come forward to second his work and improve upon it by raising , as he trusted there would be raised before long in that neighbourhood , a reall y beautiful church suited to the requirements of the district . ( Cheers . )

The Mayor of Pontefract proposed "The D . P . G . M . of West Yorkshire , Bro . Bentley Shaw , and the rest of the P . G . Officers . " , Mr . Bentley Shaw replied . Mr . Childers , M . P ., proposing " The Archbishop and Clergy of the District , " referred to the

suspicion with which secret societies were rein gardeel some parts of Europe , and to the manner in which the society of Masons , whose purpose was beneficent , had been confounded with secret societies , whose objects were very different . This feeling had extended in countries on the

continent to the Church , but fortunatel y in England no such antagonism existed . Here the Masons recognised the great truth of the Divine saying , " Except the Lord build the house , he labours in vain who builds it "—( hear , hear ) — and the Church recognised them as a part of that

great people to whom the message was given of " peace em earth anel goodwill to men . " ( Hear , hear . ) While , as their Grand Master had already said , on laying the stone , they were anxious to be free from all those discussions which had so much divided Christendom , they were at the same time most happy , in this country , especially ,

to connect themselves and their objects with the Church , which was so ready to connect herself with them . ( Hear , hear . ) In asking them to drink the toast , he asked to be allowed to connect with it the name of Dr . Bisset , to whom the district was indebted for the manner in which he had promoted the arrangements for the new church . ( Cheer ^ . )

The Rev . Dr . Bisset responded . This , he said was an age of progress . Their own church was undoubtedly making great progress among the people —( hear , hear)—but it would be wry unbecoming eif him if he eliel not acknowledge the great zeal that was now manifested by either

denominations of Christians . ( Hia- hear . ) He spoke of the interest that was now taken in the question of Jay co-operation , and said that for the building of the new church they were mainly indebted to Mr . and Mrs . Lord , Mr . and Mrs . Slack , and Mr . Tew . ( Cheers . )

Lord Houghton proposed " The Cawood Trustees and the Building Committee of St . Ste phen ' s Church "—( cheers)—and in doing so he expressed his gratitude to his noble friend ( the . Marquess of Ripon ) for coming amongst them on that occasion . I lis lordship was the eighth

or ninth subject of the realm , and he was the president of a Cabinet Council which had the government of the British Monarchical Republic . ( f Slighter . ) His name had latel y been identified with one of the greatest events in the history of the world—the arbitration between England and America—which had settled bv the skill of

statesmanship that which at other times had been only settled by misery and war , and with that arbitration his name would go down to posterity irrevocably associated . ( Loud cheers . ) The remaining toasts on the list having been duly honoured , the proceedings were brought to a cl ISO .

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