Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—»—" KES NOJf VERBA , " " CIPES , " AND THE TEMPLARS . The society of Good Templars lias quite as good a rig ht to assume the name as the Masonic Templars , for the one had about as much to do

¦ with the old Knights Templar as the other ; and the assertion that "The Scottish Templars claim to be the original Knights Templar , and have

affiliated themselves to Freemasons merely in order to enjoy the protection afforded by law , " is an imposition any way you like to take it . LEO .

FREEMASONRY AND THE MATMED , ETC . I may add to the observations of my friend Bro . D . M . Lyon , that according to the Grand Lodges of England and Ireland , "bastards , " if otherwise eligible , may be initiated under their

respective Constitutions ; ancl as regards the " maimed , " I have just been informed by a wellknown Mason in Ireland that the M . W . the Grand Master , his Grace the Dnke of Leinster

authorised the initiation of Mr . Kavanagh , thc extraordinary M . P ., and certainly , if worth and zeal arc to be standards , the reception of such a worthy gentleman into our Order was honourable indeed . W . J . HUGUAN .

RED CROSS OF ROME AND CONSTANTINE . The following notes have been hastily comp iled for the forthcoming new edition of the " Cyclopedia and Dictionary of Freemasonry , " edited by my esteemed friend Bro . Robert Macoy ,

33 ° . Past Deputy Grand Master of New York , & c ., & c ., and they may not prove uninteresting to some of j'our readers . I may add that I shall

be glad to receive biographical sketches of eminent Masons , deceased or living , for insertion in Bro . Macoy ' s valuable work , which is a credit to Masonic literature . It . W . LITTLE .

Conclave . —A regular assembly of Kni ghts of the Order of Constantino ( better known as the " Red Cross " Order ) is thus designated , and the appellation is also applied in England to an assembly of Principals of Royal Arch Chapters

•when congregated for the purpose ot installing Companions as Principals of the Order . College . —The term applied to thc meetings of tho priestly order of Eusebius , or second grade in the Order of Constantine , which is styled a " College of Viceroys . "

Constantino . — Ihe first Christian emperor of Eome . Ho was a native of Britain , where his father , Constantius , commanded thc Eoman forces ¦ wi th thc title of Cajsar , and upon tho death of Constantius his soldiers unanimously proclaimed

Constantino " iniperator . " Thc latter , however , had to contend against the power of Maxentiup , ¦ who ruled in Italy , but after several sanguinary contents , the triumph of Constantine was decided at thc battle of Snxa Rubra , which was fought

on the 12 th October , A . D . 312 . A remarkable omen which appeared before the battle to Constantine and his army is thus referred to b y thc learned Dr . Oliver in his " Historical Landmarks " : — "The Red Cross of Constantino

commemorates tho following circumstance , which is attested by Eusebius . The army of Constantine boing on the march to meet thc enemies of tho Cross , it happened one evening , when the sun was declining and the Emperor was engaged in

devotion , that thero suddenly appeared a pillar of lig ht in the heavens , like a cross , whereon was an . inscription , expressed iu letters formed by a configuration of stars , TOYTftNIKA—in this

overcome . Constantino was not a little startled at this sight , and so was the whole army that beheld it . They looked upon it as an inauspicious omen , and even the Emperor himself was confounded . But at night our Lord appeared to

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

him in a dream , with the cross in His hand , commanding him to make a royal standard like that which he had seen in the heavens , and cause it to be borne before him in his wars as an ensign of victory . " Smith ' s "Classical Dictionary" further

states that " The miracle of Constantine s conversion to Christianity was commemorated by the imperial standard of the labarum , at the summit of which was the monogram of the name of Christ . " It is also alleged that the Emperor

was so pleased with the valour of the Christian legion of his army on the day of victory , that he formed them into an equestrian order , or chosen body-guard of cavalry , and the traditions

associated with these events are preserved and recorded in a chivalric fraternity which has existed for many years , and now exists , under the title of " Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine . "

Generals , Senior and Junior . —The titles of the third and fourth officers in a Conclave of Knights of the Red Cross . Their duties are chiefly symbolic , and refer to the ancient military character of the organization .

Herald , —The tenth in rank among the officers of a Red Cross Conclave . As his name implies , this officer heralds the approach of all who seek admission , and proclaims the installation of thc

newly-installed Knights of the Order . High Prelate . —The fifth officer of a Red Cross Conclave ; his duty is sufficiently expressed by the title of his office .

Imperial Council , Grand . —Tlie governing body of the Red Cross , compos ? d of thii teen members , supposed to be in commemoration of Christ and the twelve apostles . Prefect . —The eighth officer of a Conclave of

Red Cross Knights . Ifis duties arc similar to those of a Senior Deacon in Craft lodges . Recorder —The seventh officer of a Red Cross

Conclave is thus designated . He corresponds to the Secretary of a symbolic lodge . Senate . —The meetings of Sovereigns of the Order of Constantine arc called Senates .

Sentinel . —J he title given to the T yler or Janitor of a Conclave in the Red Cross Order . Sovereign . —Tho designation of the presiding officer in a Rose Croix Chapter or a Red Cross Conclave . In the former he is styled " Most

Wise , " and in the hitter " Most Puissant . " Constantine , Sovereign of the East and West , is represented by the last-named officer .

Standard-bearer . —Thc ninth officer of a Red Cross Conclave . The charge of the imperial standard is confided to this officer , under the supervision of the Generals .

Viceroy Eusebius . —Tho second officer of a Red Cross Conclave . This dignitary represents Eusebius , bishop of Nicomedia , who was entrusted

by Constantine with the command of his bodyguard of Christian Kni ghts . He afterwards wrote the life of the Emperor , and is well known as an eminent ecclesiastical writer .

ST . GEOHOK ' S Louorc oi' IXSTIUTCTION . NO . MO , meets every Thursday , at eight p . m ., nt . Bro . Moore ' s , ( ilobe , Royal Mill , Greenwich . Jt is the oldest of all the Lodges of Instruction in ( lie district , and has ( lie good fortune to have many experienced local Freemasons among its members .

IF Christianity be not responsible for the misconduct of its professors , neither can Masonry . TRUE POLITKXESS—True , politeness is thc offspring of Brolherlv Love , all other is hut ceremonial

and superficial , conventional and shallow . RK ' . IOIO . V AND POLITICS —A Mason's religion is the faithful worship of God ; his polities , a strict obedience to the laws of the country in which he resides .

BREAKFAST . —Errs ' s COCOA . —Grateful and Comforting . —The very agreeable character of this preparation has rendered it a general favourite The Civil Service Gazette remarks : — -The singular succors which Mr . Epps attained by his homoeopathic preparation of cocoa has never been surpassed by any experimentalist . By a thorough knowledge of the nut und laws which govern the operations

of digestion and nutrition , and by a careful application of the fine propertim of well-selected cocoa . Mr . Kpps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately flavoured beverajre which may save us many heavy doctor ' s bills . " Made simply with boiling water or milk . Sold by the Trade only , in i lb ., 4 lb and 1 Ib . tin-lined packets , labelled J AUKS KITS & Co ., Homoeopathic Chemists . London . —Anvr .

Notable Rosicrucian Works.

NOTABLE ROSICRUCIAN WORKS .

BY WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN . The Rosicruciaii's Divine Light or a Synopsis of Jfhysicks : by 3 . A . Comenius . Exposed to the censure of those that are lovers of Learning , and desire to be taught of God : " Being a view of the world in generall , and of the particular creatures therein contained ;

grounded upon Scripture principles . With a briefe appendix touching the diseases of the body , mind , and soul ; with their generall remedies : by the same author . London : Printed by Robert and William Lcybourn , for Thomas Pierrepoint , at the Sun in Paul ' s Churchyard . MDCLI . "

The preface is addressed "To the trul y studious of wisdome , from Christ the fountain of wisdome greeting , " and as it accords with the other works of the class , it is tho most important and interesting part of tho book . In it , one

sees clearly revealed the mind of the writer , and the objects of the author appear on the surface , whereas in the synopsis itself , the real views of Comenius are veiled behind a cloud of obscui ^ e and peculiar supposed laws of nature . The preface commences with a short dissertation on

book-making , m which it is stated that few writers are the authors of the works which bear their names , for "few being anything of their own , but only steal things and words , of which they make books . " The author of the synopsis claims not to belong to such a class , bnt on the

contrary claims to have introduced " something new , aud different from tho common way of philosophic ; and I bring it so , as that I hope , it will be without any one ' s hindorance or molestation , as containing in a very few leaves , matters of very great moment . " Tlie following will bo found the chief points in Comenius' philosophy .

J t is usual for God in his wisdom to communicate light by degrees . The order in which Comenius perceived the truth and from graduall y having his mind enli ghtened by tho effect of several sparks , until this had become a torch b y which the great secrets of nature and very obscure parts of Scripture were made plain , was thus : — .

" 1 . That the onely ' truc genuine and plain way of Philosophic is to fetch all things from sense , reason and scripture . 2 . That the pcripatetick philosophic is not onl y defective in ninny parts , and many ways intricate , full of turnings and windings , and partly also erroneous , so that it is not ouely unprofitable fur Christians , but

also ( without correction and perfection ) hurtf ' ull . S . That philosophic may he reformed and perfected , by a harnionicall reduction of nil things that are and arc made , to sense reason and Scripture , with so mnch evidence nnd certainty ( in all such things ns are of most concernment , and have any necessity ) that any mortall man seeing may see , and feeling may feel , the truth scattered everywhere . "

iheso divisions Comenius proceeds to explain most fully , according to tlie light ho was blessed with . The Paptists on transnbstantiation come in for a share of thc writer ' s sarcasm , and all thoso who refuse to accept the harmonious evidence of reason , sense and Scripture . IIo ridicules the

fear of investigation , arguing that the Scri pture frequently invites us to hear , see , taste and consider , and he that believes , must know what ia fit to be believed . An elaborate investigation follows of tlio claims of revelation and its agreement with reason and common sense . " Philosophy is lame without divine revelation . A truer

way of Philosophic may be set out , by the guidance of God , thc Light of Reason , and the Tcstimonie of sense , if Philosophers would labour more after God and the Truth , then after Aristotle and Opinions . " So proceeds tho preface , which concludes with a fervent prayer for more light . It isdatcd March 12 th , 1 G 50 .

Jt must bo beyond the scope of tho "Rosi- , crucian " to give tho full synopsis by Comenius occupying as it does some 25 (» pages . Some of tbe propositions are certainly most startling and have been exploded , while others have . survived

tho testing crucible of centuries and still lives , being founded on eternal truth . Wo will , however , just glance at the most prominent doctrines advocated by Comenius . The author takes Genesis as the basis for accounting for the .