The "Century" Question.

December , 18 99 ? " Bro . MAY and others say 19 centuries ; we and others say 18 centuries and 99-hundredths of a 19 th century . With all due respect to our worthy brother , he has been too

eager to travel back to Chaos and the infinities beyond to bestow as much attention as it deserves upon that comparatively brief finite period of time which constitutes what iscommonly known

among men as the Christian era . This era commences from the Birth of CHRIST and ends at the present—which is necessarily an ever-varying—moment of time . Let the point C in the line A B represent the Birth of Christ , A ^ C — B

Let the line from A to C be divided into 100 spaces , each representing a year , and similarly the line from C to B divided into 100 spaces or years . Thus C A represents a century of years before CHRIST , and C B a century of years after CHRIST . The

section C A of the line A B , being produced infinitely , may be held to represent the centuries before CHRIST , Chaos which preceded them and the . eons , which preceded Chaos ; but the section C B is producible only to a limited extent , so as to represent the

finite period which has elapsed between the Birth of CHRIST and the present time , or that point of time which has been fixed for the purposes of our illustration . Now the point C , representing the Nativity , is common to both the sections A C , C B of

the line A B ; but being a point—which , as EUCLID defines it , has no parts or no magnitude—it necessarily forms no part of either . In explanation of this seeming paradox , we remark that the last of the complete centuries of years which preceded the

Nativity—represented by A C—insomuch as it terminates at C , may be said to include that point ; and similarly the first of the complete centuries of years which followed the Nativity , or , in other words , the first century of the Christian era , insomuch as it

begins at C , may also be said to include that point . Thus the point C is , in a sense , common to A C and C B . On the other hand as the century before CHRIST , represented by A C , lies wholly between the points A and C , and the century after CHRIST—C B

—wholly between C and B , the point C forms no part either of A C or C B . Bro . MAY ' S illustration taken from the pedestrian who walks 100 miles , and does not complete it till the 100 th milestone is reached , may be conveniently applied to

our line A B bisected at C , so that A C and C B represent each a distance of 100 miles . Place two pedestrians one at A and the other at B , both facing inwards towards C , which is equidistant from A and B . Then let them

commence at the same moment the task of covering the intervening distance of 100 miles between A and C , and B and C , respectively , and assuming they both maintain the same rate of walking throughout the journey , they will both arrive at , and if

such a thing were possible , should occupy the point C at the same moment . But there is no interval between them ; no Chaosexcept such as may be caused by two bodies , which are not malhematical points , occupying precisely the same spot ; no

such dreadful things as " an eternity of cyclic aions of infinite " distances : they will each of them be at the point C . The only difference we are able to connect with these pedestrians is that , if instead of facing inwards they stand back to back and

retrace their steps , the one who walks from C in the direction of A will , if he continues his journey far enough , ultimately reach Chaos , while the one from C moving in the direction of

B , will be commencing his 1900 th mile the moment he passes the 1899 th milestone and will complete that mile when ho reaches the 1900 th stone .

The fact is , Bro . MAY has been confusing the lumlc with the Infinite , with the result that he has landed himself in a Chaos of his own creation . Many people , amongst whom are the Emperor of GERMANY , Dr . J OSEPH PARKER , of the City Ttmple , and

Bro . MAY , argue that 19 centuries , that is , 19 comp . e ' . ed periods of 100 years each , were completed when the clocks struck what is commonly spoken of as the hour of midnight on the 31 st December , 1 S 09 . and that instantly afterwards we entered upon

the 20 th century . Others maintain that 19 centuries will not have been completed until the corresponding hour on the 31 st December , iyoo , and we consider these latter are right , on the ground that it takes 1900 years to makeup 19 complete centv riep . In tletermining this question , it does not matter about

The "Century" Question.

Chaos and the ? eons , the eternity of infinite ages , and so on Men , who after all , are very practical beings , have invented a system for the measurement of time , which they call " chronology . " Those among them who are Christians have adopted

what they rightly consider the most important event in the world ' s history , namely , the Birth of CHRIST , as the starting point for this measurement , both backwards through the ages of the pras-Christian era , and

forwards during the Christian era . To revert to the line before described , the Birth of CHRIST is the point C in the line A B , and the space A C , being marked off into 100 equal spaces , represents the first century before CHRIST , and the space

C B , which is similarl y marked off , the first century after CHRIST The points at A and B , respectively represent , the former the point at which the last or 100 th year of the first century before CHRIST is completed , and the latter the corresponding year of

the first century after CHRIST . This line , as we have said , may be produced either way—in the direction of A as far back as Bro . MAY desires , the line so produced being marked off into successive centuries of 100 equal spaces or years each , and the

line so produced in the direction of B being also marked out into centuries of equal spaces , and when the last of the 100 equal spaces in the 19 th century has been traversed , the year iqoo

and with it the 19 th century , will be completed ; but not before and for this reason—that it takes 1900 years to make 19 centuries , not 18 99 years .

The York Grand Lodge. —A Brief Sketch

THE YORK GRAND LODGE . —A BRIEF SKETCH

Bv BRO . WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN , PAST SENIOR GRAND DEACON OF ENGLAND , & C , & C . { Concluded from Page J 5 ) . APPENDIX A .

A ROLL OF PARCHMENT , ENDORSED " 1712 TO 1730 . " No , 7 . March the 19 th , 1712 . At a private Lodge held at the house of James Borehatn situate in Stonegate in the City of York . Mr . Thomas Shipton Mr . Caleb Greenbury , Mr . Jno Norrison Mr . Jn ° Russell , Jno Whitehead and Francis Norrison were all of them severally and admitted into the honourable

sworne Society and fraternity of free-Masons . | Geo . Bowes , Esqr Dep . President . Jno . Wilcock also ) Tho * Shipton Caleb Greenbury admitted at the > ] n ° Norrison John Russell same Lodge J Fran . Norrison John Whitehead John Wilcock .

June the 24 th 1713 . At a General Lodge on St John ' s Day at the House of James Boreham sittuate in Stonegate in the City of York , Mr . John Langwith was admitted and Sworne into the honourable Society and fraternity of free Masons . Sir Walter Hawksworth Knt and Barrt President . Jno Langwith .

August the 7 th 1713 . At a private Lodge held then at the house of James Boreham situate in Stonegate in the City of York , Robert Fairfax Esqre and Tobias Jenkings Esqre were admitted and sworne into the honl'le Society and fraternity of freemasons as also

the Reverend Mr . Robert Barker was then admitted and sworne as bsfore . Geo . Bowes Esqre Dep . President Robert Fairfax T . Jenkyns Robt Barber .

December the 18 th . 1713 . At a private Lodge held then at the house of Mr . James Boreham in Stonegate in the City of York , Mr . Tho » Hardwick Mr . Godfrey Giles and Mr . fho Challener was admitted and sworne int > the hon'ile Society and Company of Freemjsons before Ihe Worshipfull Sr Walter Hawksworth Knt and Barrt President . Tho . Hardwick Godfrey Giles llis Thomas T Challoner mark

1714 . At a Gener . il Lodge held then on the 24 th of June at Mr James Boreham's situate in Stonegaie in York . John Taylor of Langton in the Woulds was admitted and sworne into the hono b'e Society and Company of Freemasons in the City of York btfore the Worshipfull Charles Fairfax Esqre . _ „ . John Taylor At St Lod

John ' s ge in Christmas 1716 . At the house of Mr . James Boreham situate Stonegate in York being a General Lodge held then by the hono » le Society and Comp my of Freemasons in the City of York John Turner Esq « - was sworne and admitted into the said Hono ° le Society and Fraternity of Free Masons Charles Fairfax Esqre Dep . President John Turner .

At S John ' s Lodge in Christmas 1721 . At Mr . Robt Chi j opendul ' s in the Shamlles York Robt Fairfax Esqre then [) jp President , the said Robt Chippendal was admitted and sworne into the honjole Society of Free Masons . Rob : Fairfax Esqre D . P , Robt Chippendal !