Contents.

CONTENTS .

LE . . RS *» i Sui"reme lira ml fl-aptcr f > j Consct-Tation of the Universal Uhapter , Xo . 1 S 1 < - ¦ -. Worshipful Masters 64 Craml Mark ] . »« h ; c «? The Late Hro . IVof-Jssor I'rau ' , Liverpool ... di Masonic Hnll-s . " . ' » . ¦;

1 KEI ' IRT- * CH * M \< o \ ii' I \ h : nTi \ iis— . ' Craft Masonry (>• | Instruction JI Knval Arch 71 I Instruction ;* i I Mark Masonry 7 * 1 Knights Templar 72 Kcil Cross of Constantine 72

I . ivirpnnl Masonic Hall 65 South Africa 0 $ New / calami , <> 5 The I . ast W ' oiden Spoon n : CUHRKSCDMIENTKSecretaries of Lodges 66 A I ' cji-i'hi'i ; Ma « -- > n ., <¦(» A Correction 6 . 1 Reviews 6 u Masonic Notes ami Oucries 6 7

j Unsicriieinu Society 72 Kast I . tinilon Masonic C haritahle Assoda-1 tion 73 ; The 'I heaties 73 ; Music 73 i ••*"•; ¦ ;¦ - ¦ " ¦ - ¦ •- •7 . ' Masonic ami ( it-nt-ral TirliiiLts - 4 l . ihl'o M

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THB meeting nt the Mansion House on Wednesday wns truly Representative and National , and litly and fully describes the universal feelings of faithful Freemasons and of Knglish citizens . The outrages upon the Jewish race in Russia are a disgrace In humanity and civilization , and reflect fearful discredit on all ivho commit them , or who stand by , with folded arms .

lo sec them committed , without interference and without repression . Our sympathies as Kreemasons , and as humble believers in a common religion , kindness , toleration , and goodwill to man , must go with our Jewish brethren and sislcrs so shamefully persecuted and disgracefully maltreated . VVe trust that a stop will scon be enforced by authority to acts and cruelties which fill

us all with horrcr , and that some compensation , if possible , may be made to the Jewish people , of all ages , sexes , and conditions , for unhallowed vindictiveness , and for all but licensed p lunder . As Kreemasons , wc note with

much gratification that (' anon KARKAK struck , amid the cheers of the meeting , that keynote which dominates all Masonic teaching and all Misonic practice , namely , the Universal I ' allieihood of ( ion and the I ' niversal Brotherhood of Man .

il . ¦ '* < OUR esteemed Hro . MACLKOD MOORI :, who is an excellent and cultivated Krccmason and the gallant ( iraiul Prior of Canada , h is recently , iu a public address , endorsed Bro . K . T . CARSON ' historical account of the Templar org .-inizntion in this country , which we have already pointed out , is altogether

based on an entirel y erroneous statement nf evidence , or rather positivel y on no evidence at all ; and for fear that , resting on such high authority and such friendly " sheepwalking , " other Masonic writers and students should be misled , wc think it right to enter a protest once more against ( his iinliiston ' cal way of writing history , this uncritical dealing with professedly absolute facts .

In order that there may be no mistake in the matter , wc reproduce here , once again , Bro , CAUSON ' original assertion as handed on by Bro . M At :-LKOI ) MooKi ; . It is as follows : "On thc . ' ( 'th of September , 17 _•I , the Grand Lodge of Kngland authorized llro . the Rev . J AMBS AMIKRSIIX , M . A ,, to revise and complete the his ' . nry and regulations of the existing old

constitutions . Krecmasonry having fallen into such decay it was comparatively easy to mr . ke radical changes in its organization . It would appear that Bro . AXDKRSON ' , ia fulfilling the duty confided lo him , went beyond his authority and made new charges ••cite unknown before , reorganizing the institution , which , after some amendments , wasformallyapp-ovcdand adopted

ln ' 72 . *; , and became known as the New Constitutions . This subsequently gave rise to much dissatisfaction among some of the brethren , the principal cause appearing to lie that the rigidly Christian character of thc Fraternity had been abandoned , and a Unitarian element introduced . Consequently those members who were Churchmen , wishing to preserve its early Christian

features , without severing themselves from the Craft , formed societies secretly attached to the lodges , in which the ceremonies of the obsolete order of Kni ghts Templar was conferred upon all Masons desirous of receiving il , thus preserving that belief amongst them which had been previously taught m all the old Craft lodges , so fully expressed in thc opening sentences of lh _*

old constitutions , viz .: 'The might of the Father in Heaven , with thc wisdom of His glorious Son , and goodness of the 11 ily Spirit , three persons in one Godhead . ' " And our llro . MACLKOD M IKIRK adds , "Our talented Bro . CARSON- gives extracts from twenty-one of the old constitutions of Freemasonry , their dates extending over more than two hundred and thirty years ,

down to 1723 , which contain unequivocal proof of a belief in thc Hol y lrinity as a part of thc Christian creed of the Craft . " With regard to the Knights Templar , we will deal with them presently " ; but "i respect of the Craft , we can only repeat what we have said previously ,

mat there is not the slightest available evidence of A NIIKRSON- hav . ' ng exceeded his powers , or of any dissatisfaction whatever among thc brethren , or 01 any Templar formation until late in the eighteenth century . Where Bro . " -ARSON finds thc slightest trace of the facts he so confidently asserts we are at a loss to conceive , and we do not believe that any of our English Masonic

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students will endorse in any measure such statements . The old Trinitarian formula is no doubt the Invocation of all the well known Guild Legends or Constitutions , but was made to give way , in i / j _» , to a Theistic acknowledgment only . Christian and Theistic teaehiiigwent onalmost "pari p-is . su" until 1 . S 1 "j , when Theistic declarations became the distinguishing feature of the United

Knglish G . Lodge . Christian prayersand the symbolism and explanation ofthe Johannile Masons , so-called , still exis ' . in some Knglish Lodges , in Ireland and Scotland , Lut the prevailing Theistic proclamation of 1 JJ j originally , gradually increased in favour among the Knglish Craft , speciall y among the Moderns , until lSi . ** , when our great Masonic Concordat settled the uueslion for the

(" raft . 1 here probably , as we have ollen said , will arways be a distinct Christian school in Freemasonry , and , within due limits , it is lo be fairly expected and tolerated , but it is wrong , by a " post hoc propter hoc , " to make A MII'RSOX , who was a Christian minister , unfaithful to his trust , the

Knglish Masons discontented and dissatisfied with the formularies ihcy nil cheerfully accepted , and lo assert the contemporary existence of Templar Masons at a time , when , as far as we know , ihcy were not born nor thought ol " . ...

Bid . CARSON , that very able M i-onie writer and student , is right , no doubt , in his main contention that a Trinitarian basis , an avowal of belief in the Holy Trinity , —has always been the mark and token of Ma sonic Christian Templary . From its active promulgation by 1 JI'NI * . J -RI . "* Y in this country , such has been the invariable dogma , the unvarying avowal

it made , so much so , that none but believers in the Trinity cojld be properly or conscientiously members of the Older . Such an assertion has , no doubt , also , we may add , liistutic . il certainly as its characteristic and reality . When Templary first Appeared iu Kngland is a very moot question . The well-known KAMS . IV , in France , in i / . 'o , first threw out the idea nf a kni ghtly

and crusading origin for Freemasonry , not specifically Templar ; indeed , he is credited with the " Kite tie Bouillon , " which took its name from the famous Goiil . l Itoi nr . l ' rirti . i . ox , the leader of the first Crusade-. The Templar pcipetuation theory seems lo have emanated from the " Chapitre de Clermont" at JViris , and to have culminated in the " strict observance" under

\ ox 11 I'M ) . But there was no contemporary movement 111 Kngland . Some attempt has been made to identify thc Si CARTS wilh Templary in 1745 , but we apprehend the evidence is very scanty and dubious on that head , almost as hazy as that of the Rose Croix of Heredom at Arras , at the same dale . We do not

contend thai these assertions are positively untrue , but only that ihcy are very doubtful ; so doubtful , as lo render them , wo are inclined tc think , altogether apocryphal . Al thj same time we say this , we are open to evidence , proper evidence , on the subject , Thero is no trace of Templar ) ' in Kngland as far as we are aware , strictly speaking , before

17 . Su . It has been alleged that there are much earlier Templar Warrants ; we can only say that we should like to see them , and have them exhibited to experts . We confess we do not believe that any such really exist . But then , on the other hand , Templary exists now , and it seems to us far belter to deal wilh it as it is , than enter upon researches which lead to nothing , and

indulge in discussion on archaic forms and ceremonies abo . it which we have not a scintilla of trustworthy evidence . In all probability , Templary , like some other grades , came to Kngland from the continent , but to prove that Masonic . 'Templary is indigenous to Kngland we must also certify the existence of some lingering remains of the Old 'Templars . But that is a

" Crux " which overpasses even our able Uro . Carson ' s admitted Masonic knowledge and power lo remove or smoolh over . 'Thai the 'Templars had a " sccrela rcceptio , " wilh ceremonies akin to Masonic forms , is , we think , proveable from the examinations al Paris preserved b y Duptiy and others ; but

how Masonic 'Templar ) ' got to Kngland , or was received in Kngland , if it was received , must be left wc apprehend iu that mystery and obscurity in which it has long been involved . Bro . Carson ' s account of its existence about 17 , - ; o , or thereabouts , if not earlier , in Kngland , cannot be accepted as either historical or authentic . -.

MANY of us know Bro . J : / . Hot ; --, P . G . IX , and will extremely disapprove of the foolish and uncourteous cross-examination of Mr . Dunn * SKYMOUR , to which he was recently exposed . We are glad lo note that the peccant

O . C . afterwards apologized . We gwe ihe report of the trial—Dr . Jabez IIo < rp * , London , said M'Mann was undoubtedly suffering from paralysis in both les . Tlie objective and subjective sy . nptoms were perfectly consistent . Mr . Seymour . —Were you nominated upon tbe Hospital Fund Council ? .

Witness . —1 have been for nine years on the Council , but I recently resigned in consequence of increasing age and duties , anil also in consequence cf an expression of opinion that the older members should resign and make room for the younger . His Lordship . —What is the imputation , Mr . Seymour ? Mr . Seymour . — 'That he had resigned at the instance of the Secretary , and in consequence of the representation of'other members of the Council .