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Article ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE UNITED ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL. ← Page 2 of 2 Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 2 Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 2 Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 2 →
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Additional Notes On The United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.
legitimate existence according to the Statutes of the Order , and these alone are in communion , jurisdiction , and obedience with the Grand Mastery and Council , at present residing at Rome ; viz : First , the Grand Priory of Rome ; second , the Grand Priory of the Venetian Lombards ,
including Parma and Modina ; third , The Grand Priory of the Two Sicilies ; fourth , The Grand Priory of Bohemia . The existence ofthe Knights of St . John in Prussia , which desends by a legitimate and uninterrupted succession from the Ancient Grand Bailliewick of Bradenbourg is
recognised by the Order as perfectly legitimate , although this branch lias stood for many centuries , for special reasons , without the ordinary and continuous jurisdiction of the Grand Mastery . The small number of Knig hts of Justice , and those of the Knig hts decorated with the Cross of
Devotion , who , by their birth do not belong to any of the Priories nor to any of the legal langues still existing , are only recognised by our Order in so far and in as much as they have been received by the Mastery and Council in shut religionis , or because they have been admitted
into its Order by means of a Bull of Devotion , delivered in due form by that same authority . Except these langues , these Priories , and the Knig hts thus created or constituted , all those who may call themselves such are legally ignored Additional Notes 2
by our Holy Order . On these grounds his Excellency the Chief of our Order , and the undersigned , desire and demand to be erased , and declare that they consider themselves from the present time as erased from the published list of the " Synoptical Sketch , " where they ought not
to be inserted . Given at Rome at the Magisterial Palace of the Sovereign Order of Saint J ohn of Jerusalem , 16 th of December , 185 S . The Commander ( Count ) Brother Averado De . Medne Spada , Deputy
Knig ht of the Sovergn Order of St . John of Jerusalem . The Chevalier ( Count ) Luca te Gozze , Secretary of the Mastery of the same Order .
Original Correspondence.
Original Correspondence .
• ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — The points which we are patiently wait ing for Bro . Holmes to prove , are , not what existing Orders are unconnected with those Orders to which they claim affiliation , but ,
jirecisely , whether the Masonic Order ofthe Tenijile has a well-established connecting link with the Chivalric ( unmasonic ) Order of the Temple , and , this being so or otherwise , whether the Masonic Order of the Temple has any right to
adojit the title of the Chivalric ( unmasonic ) Order of the Hospital , an Order whose chief historical connection with that of tlie Temple is that it was constantly hostile to the latter , and eventually swallowed up the chief part of its property .
I submit that Bro . Holmes has signally failed to prove his case on either of these points , that he now has entirely , Ieft the ground upon which only can be founded any right of the Masonic Orders of the Temple and Mosjiital to drop the prefix "Masonic , " and by dropping it assume tu
be what I think the majority of Masonic Temp lars believe them not to be . The publication of a so-called " inqiortant " document from Rome , denouncing what Bro . Holmes and his party are pleased to call " The Manchester Men" can in no way affect thc
Masonic Order of the Temple , except in so much as this , that if the document should turn out lo be ths well known bogey , dated the 14 th December , 1858 ( the original of whicii is in the possession of Sir George Bowyer , Bart ., a Knight of Grace of the Roman Catholic Branch of the
Order in England ) , it seems a juty our Bro . Holmes , evidently tie useful man of a party in Grand Conclave , should forget that the Order of St . John of Jernsalei i is Hydra-headed , and that if he should succeed in doing what so many before him have tried hard , and with such signal
Original Correspondence.
ill-success , to do , that is in crushing the Protestant portion of the Order in England , there will still remain staring him in the face Sir George Bowyer , Lord Beaumont , and Messrs . Watts , Waterloo , Cavendish , and Havilland , representing the Roman Catholic portion of the Order in
England , dnly accredited by the Pope ; there will still exist , even in Bro . Holmes ' s mind , an Order of St . J ohn in England , purely unmasonic . Let us be honest men and Masons , and let ns not be ashamed of the prefix " Masonic . " If in
a hasty moment we have drojiped the title , and so assumed another which is not ours , let us not be afraid to acknowledge our error and resume our title " Masonic . " I am , faithfully yours , Civis .
IMMEDIATE PAST MASTERS
To the Editor of Thc Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 think " A Young J . W . " may be satisfied with havin < r laid the views of those Past Masters
of his lodge who dissent from the dictum of the Grand Secretary on the subject of the Immediate Past Mastership before your readers . I should recommend him and them to be content with the very explicit decision quoted by him .
Tlie argument of the P . M . who contends that the W . M . became I . P . M . ipso facto , on leaving his chair to be re installed , is clearly wrong . The law that a king never dies is as true iu a lodge as in our outside Constitutions ; if the W . M . became I . P . M ., he ceased for a few minutes to be
W . M . ; the lodge was therefore without a Master , whicii is impossible , as twelve months before he took an OB . as W . M ., not only for the ensuing twelve months , but until a successor should be elected and installed in his stead . One word as to thc lectures and explanations of the tracing boards , which appear to be treated
of as identical . They are quite distinct one from the other . A lecture in either degree is divided into sections and is given in the catachetical form . I have never heard these given from the Warden ' s chairs . The explanations of the tracing boards are not , technicall y sjieaking , lectures . Yonrs fraternally ,
F . L . E . J . THE MASONIC SCHOOLS .
To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , Masters of lodges possessing Governorships of our Charities , and who aim at handing down the privileges of their position pure and unsullied to their successors , will do well to
attend a Special General Court of the Boys ' , and Girls' Schools , which , is to be held at the Freemason ' s Hall on the 6 th of March next . Last Saturday , at a meeting of halfa dozen brethrenincluding the Secretaries of the two Schools , it was agreed to recommend that the ri ght of
voting at the General Committees of the Institutions should be taken away from the Masters of the lodges . I don ' t quite know whether the authorities of the Court of Chancery , or the Court of Queen ' s Bench would agree to this summary alteration of the conditions under
whicii large sums of money have been paid ; but so far as the Joint Committees , who are our Trustees , are concerned , it has been decided to atemjit this act of confiscation . Fortunately , however , the recommendation of the six brethren who met on Saturday requires the formal approval of the general body on the 6 th March ; and I
trouble you with this note to let my fellow subscribers know how matters stand , and how necessary it is vh-. ' . t the representatives of lodges , who feel and think as I do , should take the necessary stejis for asserting their determination to uphold existing rights . Yonrs fraternally , A LIIK GOVERNOR .
7 ( i the . Edilurof ' [ lie Lrccmason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I would ask you for the favour of a little space in your columns to enable me to make a few suggestive remarks upon the value of music in our ceremonies , the difficulties attending its use , ancl a suggestion ofa way to get over
Original Correspondence.
some of those difficulties . The value of music , and the power that it is capable of exercising over the mind , has been acknowledged in all ages , and I believe the Masons of the present day will ajipreciate its influence . Few lodges are now without that useful instrument
for solemn music , the harmonium , bnt on the other hand there is often a difficulty in securing the services of an Organist , who will attend regularly . Musical peojile are often rather difficult to deal with and to manage , and as it is necessary that they should be Masons , our choice
is frequently very limited . Thus again most of our existing Masonic odes , chants , & c . are written for part singing , which requires trained voices , and is useless unless you have them all there . The absence of one voice may effectually stop the music for the evening . Some of onr Masonic
composers seem to think it a point of excellence to make it as difficult as possible , by writing in musical keys and putting notes in that but few male voices ( non-professional ) can attain . I would suggest that all our singing should be in unison and consist principally of short but
appropriate chants , with a hymn or anthem at the opening and closing of the lodge . And I would just throw out a hint to the dealers in Masonic fittings that if they could arrange with some of the music manufacturers to construct a ibarrel organ sjiecially adapted for the Masonic lodge ,
it might meet with a good sale , as I know many brethren would sooner have " handle" music ( I do not mean a P . M . ) than none at all . It should be arranged to play two or three airs , to sing our odes and a couple of chants , and a small selection of short voluntaries or interludes to be jilayed whilst the C . is being led round
in the various degrees . A lodge possessing one of these instruments would then be able to have music , if not of the finest order , every night of meeting , and would not be jirevented by the abscn : e ofthe Organist , ; s any brother could turn the handle . Let it be distinctly understood I only propose this as an auxilliary , to be used when other instrumental music is unattainable . Yours fraternally , ORPHEUS .
UNAUTHORISED OFFICES .
To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Bro . — I observe many lodges , both provincial and ordinary , presume to apjxiint officers to which they are not entitled ; for instance , in your
jmblication ofthe 15 th February , I find a private lodge ajijiointing a Supt . of Works , a Standard Bearer , and a Director of Ceremonies . By a reference to the Book of Constitu : ions , page 61 , the two first named of these officers have no
existence , and the latter must be called " Master of Ceremonies , not " Director , " as that is the name of a similar office in Grand and Provincial Grand Lodges . Again , 1 find some Provinces ajipointing as
officers Prov . Grand Standard Bearer , ; they have no ri g ht to do so . Such an officer does not exist . Even the Grand Master himself cannot appoint such an officer , n . u-h less any Provincial Grand Master ( see Book of Constitutions , page 40 ) .
It is lawful to appoint such an officer in Grand Chapter and Provincial Grand Chapters , but not in the Craft . Would it not be well to call the attention of Provincial Grand Lodges , as well as private lodges to this excess of jurisdiction .
Yours fraternally , H . STATUS OF PAST MASTERS . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother . Referring you to a letter on the above
subject , signed " An Old P . M ., ' in your issue of the 1 jth inst ., and thanking the writer for his desire to remove the disabilities under which Irish Past Masters at present labour with regard to their status in English lodges ; I would ask to
hi allowed to jioint oat a few errors under which your corresjiondent evidently lies . Passing the chair—as a preparation for exaltation to the Roval Arch—has for some years been discontinued in this country , and now no
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Additional Notes On The United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.
legitimate existence according to the Statutes of the Order , and these alone are in communion , jurisdiction , and obedience with the Grand Mastery and Council , at present residing at Rome ; viz : First , the Grand Priory of Rome ; second , the Grand Priory of the Venetian Lombards ,
including Parma and Modina ; third , The Grand Priory of the Two Sicilies ; fourth , The Grand Priory of Bohemia . The existence ofthe Knights of St . John in Prussia , which desends by a legitimate and uninterrupted succession from the Ancient Grand Bailliewick of Bradenbourg is
recognised by the Order as perfectly legitimate , although this branch lias stood for many centuries , for special reasons , without the ordinary and continuous jurisdiction of the Grand Mastery . The small number of Knig hts of Justice , and those of the Knig hts decorated with the Cross of
Devotion , who , by their birth do not belong to any of the Priories nor to any of the legal langues still existing , are only recognised by our Order in so far and in as much as they have been received by the Mastery and Council in shut religionis , or because they have been admitted
into its Order by means of a Bull of Devotion , delivered in due form by that same authority . Except these langues , these Priories , and the Knig hts thus created or constituted , all those who may call themselves such are legally ignored Additional Notes 2
by our Holy Order . On these grounds his Excellency the Chief of our Order , and the undersigned , desire and demand to be erased , and declare that they consider themselves from the present time as erased from the published list of the " Synoptical Sketch , " where they ought not
to be inserted . Given at Rome at the Magisterial Palace of the Sovereign Order of Saint J ohn of Jerusalem , 16 th of December , 185 S . The Commander ( Count ) Brother Averado De . Medne Spada , Deputy
Knig ht of the Sovergn Order of St . John of Jerusalem . The Chevalier ( Count ) Luca te Gozze , Secretary of the Mastery of the same Order .
Original Correspondence.
Original Correspondence .
• ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — The points which we are patiently wait ing for Bro . Holmes to prove , are , not what existing Orders are unconnected with those Orders to which they claim affiliation , but ,
jirecisely , whether the Masonic Order ofthe Tenijile has a well-established connecting link with the Chivalric ( unmasonic ) Order of the Temple , and , this being so or otherwise , whether the Masonic Order of the Temple has any right to
adojit the title of the Chivalric ( unmasonic ) Order of the Hospital , an Order whose chief historical connection with that of tlie Temple is that it was constantly hostile to the latter , and eventually swallowed up the chief part of its property .
I submit that Bro . Holmes has signally failed to prove his case on either of these points , that he now has entirely , Ieft the ground upon which only can be founded any right of the Masonic Orders of the Temple and Mosjiital to drop the prefix "Masonic , " and by dropping it assume tu
be what I think the majority of Masonic Temp lars believe them not to be . The publication of a so-called " inqiortant " document from Rome , denouncing what Bro . Holmes and his party are pleased to call " The Manchester Men" can in no way affect thc
Masonic Order of the Temple , except in so much as this , that if the document should turn out lo be ths well known bogey , dated the 14 th December , 1858 ( the original of whicii is in the possession of Sir George Bowyer , Bart ., a Knight of Grace of the Roman Catholic Branch of the
Order in England ) , it seems a juty our Bro . Holmes , evidently tie useful man of a party in Grand Conclave , should forget that the Order of St . John of Jernsalei i is Hydra-headed , and that if he should succeed in doing what so many before him have tried hard , and with such signal
Original Correspondence.
ill-success , to do , that is in crushing the Protestant portion of the Order in England , there will still remain staring him in the face Sir George Bowyer , Lord Beaumont , and Messrs . Watts , Waterloo , Cavendish , and Havilland , representing the Roman Catholic portion of the Order in
England , dnly accredited by the Pope ; there will still exist , even in Bro . Holmes ' s mind , an Order of St . J ohn in England , purely unmasonic . Let us be honest men and Masons , and let ns not be ashamed of the prefix " Masonic . " If in
a hasty moment we have drojiped the title , and so assumed another which is not ours , let us not be afraid to acknowledge our error and resume our title " Masonic . " I am , faithfully yours , Civis .
IMMEDIATE PAST MASTERS
To the Editor of Thc Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 think " A Young J . W . " may be satisfied with havin < r laid the views of those Past Masters
of his lodge who dissent from the dictum of the Grand Secretary on the subject of the Immediate Past Mastership before your readers . I should recommend him and them to be content with the very explicit decision quoted by him .
Tlie argument of the P . M . who contends that the W . M . became I . P . M . ipso facto , on leaving his chair to be re installed , is clearly wrong . The law that a king never dies is as true iu a lodge as in our outside Constitutions ; if the W . M . became I . P . M ., he ceased for a few minutes to be
W . M . ; the lodge was therefore without a Master , whicii is impossible , as twelve months before he took an OB . as W . M ., not only for the ensuing twelve months , but until a successor should be elected and installed in his stead . One word as to thc lectures and explanations of the tracing boards , which appear to be treated
of as identical . They are quite distinct one from the other . A lecture in either degree is divided into sections and is given in the catachetical form . I have never heard these given from the Warden ' s chairs . The explanations of the tracing boards are not , technicall y sjieaking , lectures . Yonrs fraternally ,
F . L . E . J . THE MASONIC SCHOOLS .
To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , Masters of lodges possessing Governorships of our Charities , and who aim at handing down the privileges of their position pure and unsullied to their successors , will do well to
attend a Special General Court of the Boys ' , and Girls' Schools , which , is to be held at the Freemason ' s Hall on the 6 th of March next . Last Saturday , at a meeting of halfa dozen brethrenincluding the Secretaries of the two Schools , it was agreed to recommend that the ri ght of
voting at the General Committees of the Institutions should be taken away from the Masters of the lodges . I don ' t quite know whether the authorities of the Court of Chancery , or the Court of Queen ' s Bench would agree to this summary alteration of the conditions under
whicii large sums of money have been paid ; but so far as the Joint Committees , who are our Trustees , are concerned , it has been decided to atemjit this act of confiscation . Fortunately , however , the recommendation of the six brethren who met on Saturday requires the formal approval of the general body on the 6 th March ; and I
trouble you with this note to let my fellow subscribers know how matters stand , and how necessary it is vh-. ' . t the representatives of lodges , who feel and think as I do , should take the necessary stejis for asserting their determination to uphold existing rights . Yonrs fraternally , A LIIK GOVERNOR .
7 ( i the . Edilurof ' [ lie Lrccmason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I would ask you for the favour of a little space in your columns to enable me to make a few suggestive remarks upon the value of music in our ceremonies , the difficulties attending its use , ancl a suggestion ofa way to get over
Original Correspondence.
some of those difficulties . The value of music , and the power that it is capable of exercising over the mind , has been acknowledged in all ages , and I believe the Masons of the present day will ajipreciate its influence . Few lodges are now without that useful instrument
for solemn music , the harmonium , bnt on the other hand there is often a difficulty in securing the services of an Organist , who will attend regularly . Musical peojile are often rather difficult to deal with and to manage , and as it is necessary that they should be Masons , our choice
is frequently very limited . Thus again most of our existing Masonic odes , chants , & c . are written for part singing , which requires trained voices , and is useless unless you have them all there . The absence of one voice may effectually stop the music for the evening . Some of onr Masonic
composers seem to think it a point of excellence to make it as difficult as possible , by writing in musical keys and putting notes in that but few male voices ( non-professional ) can attain . I would suggest that all our singing should be in unison and consist principally of short but
appropriate chants , with a hymn or anthem at the opening and closing of the lodge . And I would just throw out a hint to the dealers in Masonic fittings that if they could arrange with some of the music manufacturers to construct a ibarrel organ sjiecially adapted for the Masonic lodge ,
it might meet with a good sale , as I know many brethren would sooner have " handle" music ( I do not mean a P . M . ) than none at all . It should be arranged to play two or three airs , to sing our odes and a couple of chants , and a small selection of short voluntaries or interludes to be jilayed whilst the C . is being led round
in the various degrees . A lodge possessing one of these instruments would then be able to have music , if not of the finest order , every night of meeting , and would not be jirevented by the abscn : e ofthe Organist , ; s any brother could turn the handle . Let it be distinctly understood I only propose this as an auxilliary , to be used when other instrumental music is unattainable . Yours fraternally , ORPHEUS .
UNAUTHORISED OFFICES .
To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Bro . — I observe many lodges , both provincial and ordinary , presume to apjxiint officers to which they are not entitled ; for instance , in your
jmblication ofthe 15 th February , I find a private lodge ajijiointing a Supt . of Works , a Standard Bearer , and a Director of Ceremonies . By a reference to the Book of Constitu : ions , page 61 , the two first named of these officers have no
existence , and the latter must be called " Master of Ceremonies , not " Director , " as that is the name of a similar office in Grand and Provincial Grand Lodges . Again , 1 find some Provinces ajipointing as
officers Prov . Grand Standard Bearer , ; they have no ri g ht to do so . Such an officer does not exist . Even the Grand Master himself cannot appoint such an officer , n . u-h less any Provincial Grand Master ( see Book of Constitutions , page 40 ) .
It is lawful to appoint such an officer in Grand Chapter and Provincial Grand Chapters , but not in the Craft . Would it not be well to call the attention of Provincial Grand Lodges , as well as private lodges to this excess of jurisdiction .
Yours fraternally , H . STATUS OF PAST MASTERS . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother . Referring you to a letter on the above
subject , signed " An Old P . M ., ' in your issue of the 1 jth inst ., and thanking the writer for his desire to remove the disabilities under which Irish Past Masters at present labour with regard to their status in English lodges ; I would ask to
hi allowed to jioint oat a few errors under which your corresjiondent evidently lies . Passing the chair—as a preparation for exaltation to the Roval Arch—has for some years been discontinued in this country , and now no