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Article TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page 1 of 1 Article The LEGEND of HIRAM ABIF. Page 1 of 1 Article The LEGEND of HIRAM ABIF. Page 1 of 1 Article Foreign Masonic Intelligence. Page 1 of 1 Article Obituary. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Table Of Contents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS .
PAGE THE LEGEND OF HIRAJI AUIP 169 FOREIGN MASONIC INTELLIGENCE 169 OBITUARY—M . W . Bro . Robert D . Holmes , P . G . Master , New York 169
LEAVES FROM MY LIBRARY 170 DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA 170 THE CRAFT—Metropolitan and Provincial 171 ROYAL ARCH—Metropolitan and Provincial ... 171 THE PUBLIC NIGHT OF THE CHAPTER OF PRUDENT BRETHREN NO . 145 172 & 173 ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 173 ¦
MASONIC INSTRUCTION 174 MULTUM IN PARVO 174 , 175 and * 7 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCEThe " Public Night" 176 Benevolent Institution for Widows of Freemasons ... ... ... ... ... ... 176 The " Masonic Tobacco-box" and the Perth
Drumraonds 176 The Daly Case „ . 177 The Pertwec Case 177 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 177 Antiquity of Freemasonry 177 Masonic Working 177 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 177
The Legend Of Hiram Abif.
The LEGEND of HIRAM ABIF .
BY BRO . WILLIAM CARPENTER , P . M ., P . Z . We have received the "Legend of Hiram Abif" from our esteemed Brother Carpenter , who , as indeed we confidently expected , handles the subject in a masterly manner
and our regret is proportionate that we cannot place his exposition before our readers , inasmuch as it mi ght be considered by some that it comprises a portion of the esoteric
revelations of the Order , and however incomprehensible such narratives may be to the ordinary reader , without the key which only Masons possess , it is still our duty
to avoid even the appearance of evil , and to refrain from giving to the profane world any " hint of knowledge " which might be unworthily used . The entire lecture—for
such it really is—we hope , however , will be given by Bro . Carpenter , before long , within the tyled precincts of a lodge of Freemasons . It may not be generally known to our
readers that Bro . Carpenter is one of the first biblical commentators of the day . As the editor of Calmct ' s Dictionary of the Bible , and the author of "Scicntia Biblica , "
"Calendanum ralestinre , and numerous works of a similar character , he has won a high place in literature , so that any observations of his
relating to Freemasonry—which is so intimately connected with the Sacred Scriptures—command our utmost consideration
and respect . For nearly half a century Bro . Carpenter has devoted the powers of his accomplished mind to the social ,
educational , and religious advancement of the community , and wc rejoice to find that his still vigorous intellect is now occupied in the elucidation of Masonic science and the
development of the great truths symbolised in every branch of our sublime institution . The following is a portion of the article
which will enable our readers to judge , however imperfectly , of the ability with which Bro . Carpenter enunciates his views
'I retain Abif ' as one of the proper names of Hiram , the widow ' s son , and the honoured artificer of Solomon , for whose services in decorating the Temple and producing the
exquisite beauty of its furniture he was indebted to the King of Tyre . Hiram Abif 's the name by which he is known in Masonry ; but by whatever name he is ' called , the story of his death is pregnant with in-
The Legend Of Hiram Abif.
struction , and is eminently calculated to impress upon us a sense of the fidelity with which we should observe obligations we have voluntarily taken upon ourselves , and that under the most solemn conditions .
Every true Mason must feel that a violation of these obligations would render him infamous—unfit to be received into any society in which honour and virtue are esteemed above all other things , including rank and fortune .
"The allegorical aim of Masonry is the reconstruction of Solomon ' s Temple : its real aim is the reconstitution of social unity by the alliance of reason and faith , and the
reestablishment of the true hierarchy according to knowledge and truth , with initiation and examination for degrees . Nothing can be more beautiful , nothing greater , than its ideas and its tendencies . "
Bro . Carpenter then proceeds to relate the legend of Hiram , with which our Masonic readers are familiar , and translates the explanation of its import as given by Levy in his "Histoire de la Magie . A portion of this we append : —
"Solomon is the personification of knowledge and supreme wisdom . The temple is the realisation , and the figure of the hierarchical reign of truth and reason on the earth . Hiram is man arrived at empire ,
through knowledge and wisdom . He governs by justice and by order , rendering to each according to his works . Each degree of the order possesses a word , which denotes its intelligence . There is but one
word for Hiram , but thatword is pronounced in three different ways . In one way by the apprentices , which , so pronounced , signifies nature , and is explained by labour ; in another way by the companions , with whom
it signifies thought , explaining itself by study ; in another way by the masters , and in their mouth it signifies truth , a word
which explains itself by wisdom . This word is that which is used to signify GOD , whose real name is unspeakable and incommunicable .
"There are three degrees in the hierarchy , as there are three doors to the temple ; there are three rays in light : and three
forces in nature , which forces are symbolised by the rule which levels , the lever which lifts , and the mallet which closes . " The rebellion of the brutal instincts
against the hierarchal aristocracy of wisdom , arms itself with these three forces , which it turns aside from harmony . There arc three rebel types ; the rebel to nature , the rebel to knowledge , and the rebel to truth . They
were symbolised in the hell of the ancients by the three heads of Cerberus . They arc represented in the bible by Norah , Dathan , and "Abiram ; in the masonic legend they arc designated by names which vary
according to the rites Since the commencement of the labour of mind to build the temple of unity , Hiram has been many times killed , and as many times resuscitated . He is Adonis killed by the wild boar ,
Osinis assassinated by Typhon , Pythagoras proscribed , Orpheus torn to pieces by the Bacchantes , Moses abandoned in the caves of Mount Nebo , Jesus put to
death by Caiaphas , Judas , and Pilate . The true Masons are those who persist in willing and persevering efforts to construct the Temple according to the example of Hiram . "
'' It is a real pleasure for us to speak favourably of Perry Davis ' s Pain Killer , known almost universally to be an excellent remedy for burns , bruises , sprains , and other injuries . It is invaluable for colds , coughs , rheumatism , neuralgia , and gout , as well as cliarrliccri , cholera , and other summer complaints . "—Christian Advocate .
Foreign Masonic Intelligence.
Foreign Masonic Intelligence .
v BOMBAY . The R . W . Bro . George Taylor has sent home his resignation of the office of District Grand Master under the English Constitution . No better selection in his stead could be made than that of Bro . Gustavus S . Judge , who is a Mason of the highest standing in , Bombay and greatly respected by the Fraternity .
MADRAS . It is proposed to establish a Royal Arch Chapter , under the title of " Excelsior , " in connection with the local Masonic Lodge at Ootacamund .
Obituary.
Obituary .
M . W . BROTHER ROBERT D . HOLMES , P . G . MASTER , NEW YORK . We deeply regret having to announce the decease of this illustrious Mason , who departed this life , on the 12 th ultimo , at his residence in Barrow-street , New York . The late M . W . Bro . Holmes was an eminent
member of the New York bar , in addition to which he presided with rare ability over the Masonic department of the Neiv York Dispatch for more than fourteen years past , and we can bear personal testimony to the kindly Masonic spirit by which his editorship was animated . We
had begun to look upon him as a friend—although thousands of miles separated us from each other—and none of our exchanges were more welcome than the Dispatch , enriched as it was by many contributions from his accomplished pen . The funeral of our lamented brother , which
took place on the 16 th ult ., is described as the " most imposing Masonic demonstration ever witnessed in this city " ( New York ) . Thousands of brethren attended in mourning to pay the last token of respect to their late Grand Master , and followed the remains , in procession to the
cemetery at Greenwood . Among the distinguished Masons present were Bros . J . H . Anthon , D . G . M . ; R . Macoy , P . D . G . M . •John W . Simons , P . G . M . ; J . M . Austin , G . Sec ; M . J . Drum * mond , Daniel Sickles , and Rev . W . T . Anderson ,
G . Chaplain . There were eight pall-bearers , including two judges , and the Ivanhoe Commander */ of Knights Templar formed the escort . At the grave R . W . Bro . Anthon delivered a beautiful oration , the concluding paragraph of which we give , regretting that our space will not admit of
more : — " We arc here , brethren , to learn the lesson which this death teaches us . Here , at the coffin of our Grand Master , he warns us with a voice more eloquent , a greater energy of utterance than in life , that there be no dissensions among us . Here , at
his coffin , let every heart be conscious that the time comcth when the wrong done to the living—the unkind thought , or word , or deed—can be atoned for only to the dead ; when the ear shall be deaf to the prayer for forgiveness and reconciliation , and the tongue powerless to utter the word of pardon .
Let no man incur to the living the debt that can only be paid to the dust . Wc have witnessed the solemn services of religion over the remains of our dead Master , the solemn and sweet voices of music in the arched and sculptured church , and now here wc are again assembled , with the wind wailing about
us , with the lulls and woods as our temple , the voice ofthe boundless ocean echoing near us , to learn the same lesson of love to each other . Our Master has been taken from us ; but while he lived he gained the love of his brethren , and that love gave smiles to his lime of departure and flowers to his
resting-place . So live that wc may win such love , and die looking back on a life not lived in vain , and forward in the assured hope of an eternal rising . " As he concluded , the Worshipful Master deposited upon the coffin the symbolic sprig of
evergreen , saying , as he did so , " Alas ! my brother . " The others followed , depositing the sprig , and uttering the same exclamation , and with the suitable Masonic sign , closed at once the solemn and imposing burial service of ROIIEUT I ) . HOI . MKS . E-rzraaL-it ^ res- *^
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Table Of Contents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS .
PAGE THE LEGEND OF HIRAJI AUIP 169 FOREIGN MASONIC INTELLIGENCE 169 OBITUARY—M . W . Bro . Robert D . Holmes , P . G . Master , New York 169
LEAVES FROM MY LIBRARY 170 DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA 170 THE CRAFT—Metropolitan and Provincial 171 ROYAL ARCH—Metropolitan and Provincial ... 171 THE PUBLIC NIGHT OF THE CHAPTER OF PRUDENT BRETHREN NO . 145 172 & 173 ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 173 ¦
MASONIC INSTRUCTION 174 MULTUM IN PARVO 174 , 175 and * 7 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCEThe " Public Night" 176 Benevolent Institution for Widows of Freemasons ... ... ... ... ... ... 176 The " Masonic Tobacco-box" and the Perth
Drumraonds 176 The Daly Case „ . 177 The Pertwec Case 177 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 177 Antiquity of Freemasonry 177 Masonic Working 177 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 177
The Legend Of Hiram Abif.
The LEGEND of HIRAM ABIF .
BY BRO . WILLIAM CARPENTER , P . M ., P . Z . We have received the "Legend of Hiram Abif" from our esteemed Brother Carpenter , who , as indeed we confidently expected , handles the subject in a masterly manner
and our regret is proportionate that we cannot place his exposition before our readers , inasmuch as it mi ght be considered by some that it comprises a portion of the esoteric
revelations of the Order , and however incomprehensible such narratives may be to the ordinary reader , without the key which only Masons possess , it is still our duty
to avoid even the appearance of evil , and to refrain from giving to the profane world any " hint of knowledge " which might be unworthily used . The entire lecture—for
such it really is—we hope , however , will be given by Bro . Carpenter , before long , within the tyled precincts of a lodge of Freemasons . It may not be generally known to our
readers that Bro . Carpenter is one of the first biblical commentators of the day . As the editor of Calmct ' s Dictionary of the Bible , and the author of "Scicntia Biblica , "
"Calendanum ralestinre , and numerous works of a similar character , he has won a high place in literature , so that any observations of his
relating to Freemasonry—which is so intimately connected with the Sacred Scriptures—command our utmost consideration
and respect . For nearly half a century Bro . Carpenter has devoted the powers of his accomplished mind to the social ,
educational , and religious advancement of the community , and wc rejoice to find that his still vigorous intellect is now occupied in the elucidation of Masonic science and the
development of the great truths symbolised in every branch of our sublime institution . The following is a portion of the article
which will enable our readers to judge , however imperfectly , of the ability with which Bro . Carpenter enunciates his views
'I retain Abif ' as one of the proper names of Hiram , the widow ' s son , and the honoured artificer of Solomon , for whose services in decorating the Temple and producing the
exquisite beauty of its furniture he was indebted to the King of Tyre . Hiram Abif 's the name by which he is known in Masonry ; but by whatever name he is ' called , the story of his death is pregnant with in-
The Legend Of Hiram Abif.
struction , and is eminently calculated to impress upon us a sense of the fidelity with which we should observe obligations we have voluntarily taken upon ourselves , and that under the most solemn conditions .
Every true Mason must feel that a violation of these obligations would render him infamous—unfit to be received into any society in which honour and virtue are esteemed above all other things , including rank and fortune .
"The allegorical aim of Masonry is the reconstruction of Solomon ' s Temple : its real aim is the reconstitution of social unity by the alliance of reason and faith , and the
reestablishment of the true hierarchy according to knowledge and truth , with initiation and examination for degrees . Nothing can be more beautiful , nothing greater , than its ideas and its tendencies . "
Bro . Carpenter then proceeds to relate the legend of Hiram , with which our Masonic readers are familiar , and translates the explanation of its import as given by Levy in his "Histoire de la Magie . A portion of this we append : —
"Solomon is the personification of knowledge and supreme wisdom . The temple is the realisation , and the figure of the hierarchical reign of truth and reason on the earth . Hiram is man arrived at empire ,
through knowledge and wisdom . He governs by justice and by order , rendering to each according to his works . Each degree of the order possesses a word , which denotes its intelligence . There is but one
word for Hiram , but thatword is pronounced in three different ways . In one way by the apprentices , which , so pronounced , signifies nature , and is explained by labour ; in another way by the companions , with whom
it signifies thought , explaining itself by study ; in another way by the masters , and in their mouth it signifies truth , a word
which explains itself by wisdom . This word is that which is used to signify GOD , whose real name is unspeakable and incommunicable .
"There are three degrees in the hierarchy , as there are three doors to the temple ; there are three rays in light : and three
forces in nature , which forces are symbolised by the rule which levels , the lever which lifts , and the mallet which closes . " The rebellion of the brutal instincts
against the hierarchal aristocracy of wisdom , arms itself with these three forces , which it turns aside from harmony . There arc three rebel types ; the rebel to nature , the rebel to knowledge , and the rebel to truth . They
were symbolised in the hell of the ancients by the three heads of Cerberus . They arc represented in the bible by Norah , Dathan , and "Abiram ; in the masonic legend they arc designated by names which vary
according to the rites Since the commencement of the labour of mind to build the temple of unity , Hiram has been many times killed , and as many times resuscitated . He is Adonis killed by the wild boar ,
Osinis assassinated by Typhon , Pythagoras proscribed , Orpheus torn to pieces by the Bacchantes , Moses abandoned in the caves of Mount Nebo , Jesus put to
death by Caiaphas , Judas , and Pilate . The true Masons are those who persist in willing and persevering efforts to construct the Temple according to the example of Hiram . "
'' It is a real pleasure for us to speak favourably of Perry Davis ' s Pain Killer , known almost universally to be an excellent remedy for burns , bruises , sprains , and other injuries . It is invaluable for colds , coughs , rheumatism , neuralgia , and gout , as well as cliarrliccri , cholera , and other summer complaints . "—Christian Advocate .
Foreign Masonic Intelligence.
Foreign Masonic Intelligence .
v BOMBAY . The R . W . Bro . George Taylor has sent home his resignation of the office of District Grand Master under the English Constitution . No better selection in his stead could be made than that of Bro . Gustavus S . Judge , who is a Mason of the highest standing in , Bombay and greatly respected by the Fraternity .
MADRAS . It is proposed to establish a Royal Arch Chapter , under the title of " Excelsior , " in connection with the local Masonic Lodge at Ootacamund .
Obituary.
Obituary .
M . W . BROTHER ROBERT D . HOLMES , P . G . MASTER , NEW YORK . We deeply regret having to announce the decease of this illustrious Mason , who departed this life , on the 12 th ultimo , at his residence in Barrow-street , New York . The late M . W . Bro . Holmes was an eminent
member of the New York bar , in addition to which he presided with rare ability over the Masonic department of the Neiv York Dispatch for more than fourteen years past , and we can bear personal testimony to the kindly Masonic spirit by which his editorship was animated . We
had begun to look upon him as a friend—although thousands of miles separated us from each other—and none of our exchanges were more welcome than the Dispatch , enriched as it was by many contributions from his accomplished pen . The funeral of our lamented brother , which
took place on the 16 th ult ., is described as the " most imposing Masonic demonstration ever witnessed in this city " ( New York ) . Thousands of brethren attended in mourning to pay the last token of respect to their late Grand Master , and followed the remains , in procession to the
cemetery at Greenwood . Among the distinguished Masons present were Bros . J . H . Anthon , D . G . M . ; R . Macoy , P . D . G . M . •John W . Simons , P . G . M . ; J . M . Austin , G . Sec ; M . J . Drum * mond , Daniel Sickles , and Rev . W . T . Anderson ,
G . Chaplain . There were eight pall-bearers , including two judges , and the Ivanhoe Commander */ of Knights Templar formed the escort . At the grave R . W . Bro . Anthon delivered a beautiful oration , the concluding paragraph of which we give , regretting that our space will not admit of
more : — " We arc here , brethren , to learn the lesson which this death teaches us . Here , at the coffin of our Grand Master , he warns us with a voice more eloquent , a greater energy of utterance than in life , that there be no dissensions among us . Here , at
his coffin , let every heart be conscious that the time comcth when the wrong done to the living—the unkind thought , or word , or deed—can be atoned for only to the dead ; when the ear shall be deaf to the prayer for forgiveness and reconciliation , and the tongue powerless to utter the word of pardon .
Let no man incur to the living the debt that can only be paid to the dust . Wc have witnessed the solemn services of religion over the remains of our dead Master , the solemn and sweet voices of music in the arched and sculptured church , and now here wc are again assembled , with the wind wailing about
us , with the lulls and woods as our temple , the voice ofthe boundless ocean echoing near us , to learn the same lesson of love to each other . Our Master has been taken from us ; but while he lived he gained the love of his brethren , and that love gave smiles to his lime of departure and flowers to his
resting-place . So live that wc may win such love , and die looking back on a life not lived in vain , and forward in the assured hope of an eternal rising . " As he concluded , the Worshipful Master deposited upon the coffin the symbolic sprig of
evergreen , saying , as he did so , " Alas ! my brother . " The others followed , depositing the sprig , and uttering the same exclamation , and with the suitable Masonic sign , closed at once the solemn and imposing burial service of ROIIEUT I ) . HOI . MKS . E-rzraaL-it ^ res- *^