Table Of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Antiquity and Utility of Masonry ^ o . ; Footsteps of Freemasonry 204 Bro . f . essing and his Conversations , ; o 6 Hull and the Masonic Charities . jo ; Obituary , 507 The Grand Lodge of Ireland , ; oS Consecration of the New Masonic Hall in

Goldensquare , ; uo Address of General Clerk , Grand Chancellor . 509 CoitKliSPONDliNCK : — Practical Freemasonry . ; io Lodge of Perseverance , No . 16 4 lio CRAFT MASON HY : — Metropolitan ,. : i ¦

] instruction . ; 11 Provincial ; i 1 KOYAT , AHCH : — Provincial , ; 12 ANCIENT AND AicLPTiai Ktrr : — Grand Tribunal of the . > i * , ; i 2 Grand Lodge of Hungary , ) i . i

Consecration of a Lodge at Bala , North Wales , 51 , ? Consecration of ; i 1 . odge at Jamaica 313 Tianquipty and Confidence Charitable Association 31 . ; Scotland 31 ^ Masonic Tidings 314 Masonic Meetings for next week . V 4 Advertisements ; oi , ; o 2 , lit , ? io

Antiquity And Utility Of Masonry.

ANTIQUITY and UTILITY of MASONRY .

BY BKO . ROBERT BELL . Mysteries and Secret Societies , have existed from the mystic union of Adam and Eve till the

present day . They have engaged the attention , and called forth the warmest sympathies of the purest and best of men .

They have responded in a great measure , to the urgent wants of our social nature , by mollify - ingwiththeir ointment , the sorrow , and the suffering , ( hat sin lias entailed . Thev have atoned for

Ihe oppression of imperfect political institutions . They tire of the antidotes for the selfishness outward life of the world . Thev are ever widening the pathway to human exaltation , by silently

diffusing the principles of morality , ami by their example of fraternal Brotherhood . Their object is the elevation ami social regeneration of our race . And who can measure their success in

this glorious work . Thev are an auxiliary to the church—handmaids to the Gospel of peace . They penetrate into the thickest darkness of human degradation , dispelling ignorance , and

paving the way for ( he light that shall never end . Their influence and value in moralising ihe world is greal . They are . 1 nii- 'ht say . the

mother of civilisation , and the nursery of national prosperity . Some niis . crosc . opic critic mav- have discovered a dark spot , but it disappears in the brilliant rax s of the fraternal Sun , thai -bines

\\ illt true * benevolent , and regenerating influence , on the isolated condition of man . ' . The multiplication of Secret Societies , leads us to believe that the organisations of the outer world , do not

respond to the social elements of our common nature . Hence their antiquity , and increase . Egypt owes her ancient greatness and palmy days to the agency and influence of her secret

mysteries . The first of which we have any account , is Osiris and J sis , with whom the history of Egypt commences . They are now two grand and . imposing figures in her mythology .

An account of their ceremony in initiating the neophytes , or candidates , would have bee : , very : i " -tercst : ng , h : d time permitted .

Then folkwtu ( he isiar . ic myr . tcry , improved hut founded on Osiris and I sis , the influence of which on the Egyptian , 1 ' uc is , according to the

Antiquity And Utility Of Masonry.

historian , as follows : — " In these secret retreats were laid the foundation of that strange , and to us incomprehensible civilisation , whose

remembrance is perpetuated by the pyramids , and whose history is dimly and obscurely preserved by hieroglyphical signs . It was chiefly their

influence that gave unity to the Egyptian character , consistency to their religious establishments , stability to their political institutions ,

vigour and directness in the pursuits ol philosophy , science , and art . It was through them that Egypt first began to live , and through them that ancient people attained to that high intellectual , social , and moral development , which

for so many ages , raised them so far above the rest of the nations of the earth . " Again , fourteen centuries before the Christian era , we have the secret institution of Orpheus , the founder of Grecian civilisation . Me travelled

to Egypt in search of wisdom , and finding that her sacred mysteries were the sources of her greatness , was initiated therein . After which ,

he returned to Greece , where his sacred mysteries were first celebrated in forests , and on hig h hills . The ordeal of initiation was sufficient

to tax the patience and endurance of a Job , and the courage of a David . Still it made immense progress , and exercised a powerful influence over Grecian life and manners , so much so , that kings

and princes were ambitious of the honour of wearing the mystic badge of the Order . Then we have the Oabiria of Saniothraee , which prevailed \ ery extensively , at an early

period , in e \ ery quarter " 1 the world . Their ceremony was so frightful , thai many of the candidates were overcome with fear , and fell sensless to the "round . The candidates who overcame , the

initiation , were baptized , as in the Christian Church now , and received a new name . Their dip loma was a small white stone , and on this

stone was engraven their new name , together with their mark or sign . V . e mav therefore infer that the apostle John , was an initiate of this order , lie evidently

alludes to this . Mystic Stone , in Rev . 2 and 17 , where he savs , " to him that overcometh , " mark it was hard to overcome . "To llim that uver' ¦ ometh , will I give lo eat of the ' hidden manna , and will give him a while stone , anil in the stone

J a new name written , which no man knoweth , ; saving He lhaf receiveth it . " This double figure I . . ,. . . . i of the manna and stone is beautifully explicit , ol ! . ' . ' i the new name and nature of a true believer in jcsiis . | o ) m must therefore have known , and

appreciated ( his onjrr , also Ilirani , King ol Tyre , was a high priest of the order . It existed in Judea , in the time of Christ , who you know condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees , but not the Cabirian , or Essenes , as they were then

called . They were the Freemasons of that age . Their princip les were Liberty , Fraternity , Equality . Thev were admired for their amiability , and gentleness of manner . Would thai we eoulu say this of all Masons , now , near the close ol

the nineteenth century . Then in the sixth century before Christ , wi have the secret order of Pythagoras . Me was

initiated into the Cabirian , Isianic , and Greek mysteries , lie taught his doctrines in a symbolical form , and veiled them with obscurity , which attracted great numbers of influential disciples .

Antiquity And Utility Of Masonry.

and" which exercised a mi ghty influence for good , on subsequent ages . From this period some Freemasons date the origin of our order , but with them I differ . Doubtless his mode of teaching

Divine truth , though more obscure , was somewhat similar to our own , this however , is no conclusive argument , that our present Masonic organisation then existed .

Then about fifty years before the Christian era , we find secret societies flourishing in ancient Scandinavia , originated by Odin , the great mystagogue of the north of Europe . His life and

death were alike wonderful , and would repay a careful perusal ; his beneficial influence on the world , cannot be measured , his shadow reaches down through centuries , to the present time , the

whole of Europe felt , and still feels , the power of his mighty life , which clearly demonstrates the utility of fraternal combination . Next we have the Westphalian Brotherhood of Germany , in the middle of the thirteenth

century , originated to defend themselves against despotic oppression . The great powerof this fraternity , like the rays of the sun , radiated in all directions , and penetrated all places ; was

powerful in repressing evil , in restoring liberty , freedom , and social equality , and gave to those words their present grand significance . This Order gave rise to another in Spain , at the close

of the thirteenth centuary , called the Hermandad , who , like their "Westphalian brethren , had to combat with anarchy and violence , and like

them , they succeeded , with ( he aid of their King , in restoring liberty . The utility of the Spanish Brotherhood at that time was so great , that its eflects were manifest to all .

"We come next to simnv Italv , with its secret , order called < ' arbonari , based on civil libcrfv and reli gious freedom . It has been inactive , but is still looking forward , and expects to accomplish much .

" \ N e come now to the . Kni ghts Templar , who organised themselves in the . beginning of the twelfth centurv . But as it would form a

subject of itself , I prefer passing it over till a future occasion . Also lo pass over the middle ages , and bring you to Freemasonry , w here we will find ourselves more at home .

I agree with those who hold that our present organization of Freemasonry originated in 1717 . Had time permitted , it would he easy to shew ,

how the Corporations of operative Masonry gradually expanded into our present accepted form , have uoi only retained the name , the customs .

and the ceremonies of the ancient fraternity ; but also the very words , by which their principles were made known , namely : Fraternity , Integrity , Equality .

At this period she began to embrace all trades , all mankind , and all creeds , the atheist and the profligate only excepted . And now we have Freemasonry , free from the trammels and bondage

of the past , looking outward on the world as her home , to be regenerated , and upward to heaven as her final p lace , of abode , where her social - ¦ lenient will flow on for ever uninterrupted . The

ancient mysteries and secret societies disappear tinder the universal glory of the Masonic sun . She shines with complacency on her contemporaries , the Foresters , the Oddfellows , the Kcchabites , the Orangemen , the Good Tern-