Freemasonry & Israelitism.

faint . From the sole of the foot to the head there Avas no soundness in it ; but wounds , and bruises , and putrifying sores . " Side by side with a wanton contempt of true religion , there Avas an utter disregard of all

moral obligations . The " princes Avere rebels and a gang of thieves ; " " every one loves bribes and follows after rewards ; they judge not the fatherless , nor does the cause of the AvidoAV come before them , "

exclaimed the faithful and fervid Isaiah and the prophets Jeremiah , Ezekiel , Joel , Amos , Hosea , Micah , and Zephaniah , in their varied utterances , confirm the melancholy description . But , as the author of

the second book of Chronicles , says" They mocked the messengers of God , and despised His Avords , and misused His prophets , until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people , till there Avas no

remedy [ or healing ] . Therefore He brought upon them the king of the Chaldees . He gave them all into his hand , and all the vessels of the house of God , and the treasures of the house of the Lord , and the

treasures of the king and of his princes . And they burnt the house of God , and brake doAvn the Avail of Jerusalem , and burnt all the palaces thereof Avith fire . And they who had escaped from the sword ,

carried he away to Babylon , Avhere they Avere servants to him and his sons" ( c . xxxvi . 15-20 ) . As Israel had been destroyed for her manifold and incorrigible Avickedness , so Avas the judgment now brought upon Judah .

Her captivity , however , Avas to be unlike that of Israel , for it Avas to be for the term of 70 years , only ( Jer . xxv . ll ; xxix . 10 ); and in the first year of Cyrus , king of Persia , the return from the captivity took

place , in accordance Avith the Divine promise—the only instance to be found in history in which a nation , having run its career of progress and decline , and fallen at last through its vices , has ever risen

again . After the return , the reformation , or , Ave Avould rather say , the restoration , of the Jewish Church— -effected through Ezra , the scribe , the temple having been rebuilt through the pious zeal and unwearied

labours of Zerubbabel , the prince , Jeshua , thc high priest , and Haggai and Zechariah thc prophets—marks a new era in the history of thc Jews , and affords one of the most striking proofs of thc special providence of God that the Avorld has ever heard

of . Nehciniah completed the Avork which Zerubbabel and his compatriots had so far effected . He obtained from Artaxerxes permission to return to J erusalem for the space of twelve years , and to rebuild the walls of the

sacred cit ) ' , which still lay in ruins . The work Avas carried on , in spite of the persistent opposition of the Samaritans , and was finally completed . Tlie kingdom of Judah , thus restored , continued , under various vicissitudes and much

suffering , to thc time of Vespasian ( A . D . 70 ) , when it was swept with the besom of destruction , and its people were scattered throughout all lands , in which they now wander as strangers , finding no rest for the sole of their foot , antl

preserving themselves as a people separate from all others . They have not been utterly destroyed , though a full end lias been made of their enemies . The Egyptians , the Assyrians , the Babylonians , antl tlie Romans , though some

of the mightiest monarchies lhat ever existed , have no representative on earth ; while the Jews , oppressed and vanquished , banished and enslaved , and spoiled evermore , have survived

them all , and to this hour overspread the world . Of all the nations around Judea , the Persians alone , who restored them from the Babylonish captivity , yet remain a kingdom .

ERRATA . —In a portion of our impression , last week , the follpwing errors were printed : —No . 11 ., p . 339 , col . 3 , line it , for //( compatible read compatible ; line 45 , for national read natural j p . 340 , col . I , line 8 , Cor j t . iilea lead Judah .

Proceedings Of Grand Lodge Of Massachusetts, U.S.

PROCEEDINGS OF GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS , U . S .

We have lately been favoured Avith a copy of the above Avork , which comprises some 500 pages of closely-printed matter , and forms one of the most valuable records of" Proceedings of Grand Lodges " ever issued from the press . The

Constitutions are appended , by Avhich it appears that the Grand Lodge Avas incorporated in A . D . 1 S 59 , by the Commonwealth Representatives of Massachustets ; the said Corporation having the power to " take by purchase , gift

grant , or otherwise , and hold real estate not exceeding the value oi five hundred thousand dollars , and personal estate not exceeding the value of fifty thousand dollars . " The laws for the government of the 200 lodges and 20 , 000

members under this jurisdiction are well framed , and minutely provide for all possible contingencies , and in many respects read just like our own . The statistics are most elaborate , and are so exhaustive and complete that it is possible

for a stranger to be almost as conversant Avith the state of the Grand Lodge generally as the members themselves . The " List of Lodges , with date of precedence and date of Charter , " is exceedingly valuable and useful for brethren

who study the early history of the Craft in the United States . The first lodge , of course , is " Saint John ' s , " Boston , of A . D . 1733 ; and the second , " Saint Andrew ' s , " Boston , chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland November 30 ,

1756 . Thirty-three were warranted during the eighteenth century , and the remainder have mostly been granted during the last twenty years . To each lodge of any note " remarks " are attached , which serve , when connected , to

present an outline of the history of that flourishing Grand Lodge . The " Lodges of Instruction" are all granted by special warrants from the Grand Master , " and subject to be revoked "

m like manner . The AVorshipful Master generally holds office for three months , the Treasurer and Secretary one year , and the remaining officers one month .

ihe reports of the District Deputy G . Masters and G . Lecturers ( of which there are 16 and three respectively ) evince considerable acquaintance with the general work of the lodges under their jurisdiction , and evidently such appointments

are calculated to take the place of our Provincial Grand Masters , excepting the Grand Lecturers , who occupy special positions , and which we regret are not found under the Grand Lodge of England . AVe are persuaded that were Grand Lecturers

appointed in this country , the want of uniformity so manifest Avould soon cease to lie deplored . It cannot be said that any " system " is adopted by our Grand Lodge , antl therefore that point would first have to he decided , which , to sav

the least , Avould he a " knotty question for thc representatives to solve , as there are practically two systems of work in London , and in the country their number may be reckoned as legion !

In the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts the " work " is decided on , and hy that standard all must abide ; and the Grand Lecturers are especially enjoined to " report to the Grand Master , in writing , whenever antl as often as

they shall discover any deviation , cither in tlie work or lectures , from the system adopted by the Grand Lodge . " The great charm , however , of the Avork consists in the addresses of the Grand Master , Bro . William Sewall Gardner . These

are always most readable and full of interesting details respecting the history of the earliest Grand Lodge in the United States . We cannot present even a sketch of these admirable addresses , as they are mainly parts of a series of

extensive investigations which have been patiently conducted lor several years . In THE FREEMASON for Nov . 12 , 1 S 70 ( page 572 ) , AVC alluded to the statement made by Bro .

J . L . Gould , 111 his " Guide to thc Chapter " ( p . 101 ) , that the " three degrees of Masonry were worked in the spring of 1658 " at Newport , U . S ., and expressed our doubts of such an occurrence . Wc are pleased to notice that thc

Proceedings Of Grand Lodge Of Massachusetts, U.S.

M . W . Bro . W . S . Gardner has examined this assertion , which Avas supported by an extract from the Rev . E . Peterson's " History of Rhode Island and Newport in the Past . " In the edition of 1853 , Bro . Gardner says the extract appears in totidem verbis , and immediately following it ,

in italics , " Taken from documents now in the possession of N . H . Gould , Esq . " The Grand Master of Mass . then communicated with Bro . N . H . Gould , and received a letter from him in December last . If time permitted AVC would transcribe the whole of this rather long epistle

for this sketch . AVe must , however , refrain from doing more than to quote the opinion expressed by Grand Master Gardner : — "It is almost impossible to treat this story with the attention which the subject demands . It bears upon its face the utter refutation of the assertion made

by the Rev . Edward Peterson , and of the claim made by Bro . J . L . Gould , of Connecticut . It is unnecessary to argue that , admitting everything in the letter to be true , it affords no proof , not even the probability of the existence of Masonry in Rhode Island previous to its

introduction there , by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts about 1749 , " Fragmentary pieces of paper , containing partly illegible writing in the handwriting of no person known , nullius filius , are not sufficient to controvert Avell-established historical facts . The M . AV . Bro .

T . A . Doyle , G . M . of Rhode Island , remarks , December , 1 S 70 : "I have made many enquiries about these documents of brethren in Newport , members of the Grand Lodge , and others , and do not find that any one has ever seen them ; neither do the brethren believe that any proof

exists of the truth of Peterson ' s statement . " Bro . N . H . Gould declares the document in question to be as follows : — " Ths ye ( day and month obliterated ) 1656-8 ( not certain Avhich , as the place Avas stained and broken ; the three first figures Avere plain ) , A \ ee mett att y House off

Mordecai Campunnall affter Synagog Avee gave Abm . Moses the degrees of Maconrie . " AVe beg to draw attention to the fact that " three degrees " are not mentioned , but only "degrees , " which may after all be susceptible of explanation , even if the record is admitted to be genuine ,

and we hope Bro . Gardner will not cease his useful enquiry until he has carefully examined this " memorandum of A . D . 1656-8 , " especially as to the date and the last three words . The subject is certainly of importance , and demands a most rigid scrutiny ; and if genuine ,

let the evidence be made public . No records exist in England , Scotland , or in fact in any country , so far as Ave know , that mentions " three degrees of Masonry " before the second decade of the last century . AVe must not forget to mention that the Grand

Master , Bro . Gardner , at the " stated communication of the Grand Lodge" ( December , 1870 ) spoke most favourably of the "Masonic Annual " published by Bro . M . C . Peck , Hull , and Bro . George Kenning , London , which work is published solely on behalf of Masonic charity . *

The Deputy Grand Master , the Rev . Charles L . Woodbury , delivered an address at the " Quarterly Communication " ( Sept . 14 th , 1870 ) . AA e hope soon to see it grace the columns of THE FREEMASON , for although ws cannot entirely agree with the origin and character of our

ancient Order ascribed to it by the Avorthy lecturer , there can be but one opinion as to the ability and research evinced in its preparation . As a Masonic address , it is far beyond the ordinary style of such productions , and the author is evidently an earnest and patient Masonic student .

Tlie sketch we intended of these " proceedings " will soon he far too extended , unless we come to a halt . So , to prevent our trespassing too much on one number of THE FREEMASON , we will content ourselves with simply stating that tlie foregoing is only a brief accountof a few of the

interesting subjects contained 111 tlie work , and will conclude our hasty review hy referring to thc report of the committee on thc " Montacule question . " It seems of late that the correctness of such a title has been called in question by tho members of tbe lodge bearing that name in

"Copies may still be had of the publishers ,