Masonic Jurisprudence.

phets were addressed to descendants of Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob , and thus those descendants were rightly jealous of thc purity of their lineage . They haughtily declined to receive proselytes . Mixed marriages were forbidden , and such as made them were expelled and excommunicated . They would not receive even menial assistance from them .

It might be inferred from the lecture that the new temple was practically built over the remains of the old one ; but there is absolutely no real historical foundation for the account of the discovery of thc subterranean gallery .

Equally gratuitous is the statement that the sacred name was pronounced by the High Priest on the great day of atonement . The commonly received theory is that K . S . T . was as utterly destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar as the second temple was by Cyrus . We shall next discuss the form and ornaments of a Royal Arch Chapter .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CORNWALL .

The Prov . G . Lodge of Cornwall met on the 17 th instant at Bodmin , under the banner of Lodge One and All , No . 330 , whose members made excellent arrangements for the occasion . The whole town was decorated , and the brethren coming from a distance were entertained with refreshments on their arrival . The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe arrived overnight , and , with the Dep . Prov . G . Master , was entertained by Bro . R . J . Collins . The weather was unfortunately wet and gloomy .

The Prov . G . Lodge was constituted as follows : Bros , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Prov . G . Master ; P . Colville Smith , Dep . Prov . G . Master ; G . H . Chilcott , 331 , Prov . S . G . W . ; J . M . Carne , 75 , Prov . J . G . W . ; the Revs . H . K . Southwell , 330 , and VV . G . Kerr , Prov . G . Chaps . ; E . A . P . Broad , 450 , Prov . G . Treas . ; A . Walters , 154 . 1 , Prov . G . Reg . ; B . F . Edyvean , 330 , Prov . G . Sec ; F . J . Lee , 154 . 4 , and John

Tonkin , 131 , Prov . S . G . Ds . ; John Grossman , 070 , and 1 . A . Iaylor , 12 7 , Prov . J . G . Ds . ; F . J . Gardenner , 1544 , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; H . Downing , 589 , Prov . G . D . of C . ; C . Webber , 2747 , Dep . Prov . G . D . ofC ; G . R . Brown , 856 , Prov . Asst . G . D . of C . ; W . " Andrew , 977 , Prov . G . S . B . ; J . Smith , 100 G , and T . C . Jeffery , 1136 , Prov . G . Std . Brs . ;

C . H . Wheller , 49 6 , Prov . G . Org . ; 1 . E . Roach , 967 , Prov . Asst . G . Sec ; E . J . Goodfellow , , " 30 , Prov . G . Purst . ; G . Anderson , 1954 , Prov , Asst . G . Purst . ; A . Bowhay , 21 C 6 , R . Colenso , 121 , C . Mitchell , 510 , P . Blake , 1785 , W . Stephens , S 93 , and J . Brooking , 10 71 , Prov . G . Stwds . ; J . V . Bray , 450 , Prov . G . Tyler ; and J . C . R . Crewas , Clerk-Assistant to the Prov . G . Secretary .

The Prov . J . G . W . being-unable to attend , his place was taken by Bro . W . Rowe , 330 , who was Prov . J . G . W . in 1 S 87 . The other Prov . Grand Officers unable to attend were Bros , the Rev . W . G . Kerr , Gardenner , Roach , Anderson , P . Blake , and Jas . Bray . Among the brethren who wrote regretting their absence wereBros . W . J . Hughan , Col . Prideaux-Brune , the Revs . E . F . Nugent and R . F . Fraser-Frizell , Gilbert P . Pearce , E . Forbes Whitley , F . Harvey , and J . Tonkin .

Bro . E . Symons , W . M . elect of the Cornish Lodge , London , attended the meeting as a representative of that lodge . The P . G . M ., on pulling the minutes for confirmation , said the two new lodge rooms alluded to in the minutes had now been completed , one at St . Austell , and the other at Calstock . He was sorry he was not able to be at the consecration of the Calstock Lodge , but his faithful Deputy , who took his place and did the work better than he could , was there . . The more new lodge rooms they could get the better they should be pleased .

The P . G . T REASURER called particular attention to one item on the receipt side of his accounts , namely , £ 5 9 s . Sd ., 12 months' interest from the bank . There was no difficulty in getting the b . mk lo agree to that interest . He had noticed that the P . G . Treasurer ' s account book began 50 years ago . In 1 S 51 there was a balance against the Prov . Grand Lodge of £ 9 l 5 - 3 < 3 . ; now there was a credit balance of ^ , ' 304 9 ; . nod . In 1851 , £ 5 8 s . was given in Charity ; in KJOI , the sum was ^ 128 6 > . Tl ; e income in 1 S 51 was £ 26 6 s . . id . ; in IODI , X 301 16 s . sd . ( Applause . )

The P . G . SECRETARY announced that he had received an intimation from the Grand Lodge that Fort Lodge , No . 1528 , Newquay , having ceased to work , had been removed from the register of the Grand Lodge of lingland . Fort Lodge was founded on January 15 th , 1 S 75 . The total membership in the province was H ) i ) 5 , against 198 4 in 1899 , an increase of 11 .

A reply had been received to the address they had presented to the King on his accession . Bro . Edyvean also presented a statement of their Masonic War Fund . The total receipts were £ 473 , and £ 14 9 s . was sent inadvertently to the Western Morning News F ' und . ^ , 157 had been disbursed at the discretion of the P . G . M ., and / 314 9 s . remained still in the bank .

Ihe PROV . CRANIO MASTER said with regard to the address to his Majesty , he invited the Cornish Lodge in London to join with I hem—a compliment that he knew was appreciated , because they liked ver ^ much to be associated with the province . He hoped they would think he was right in doing so . ( App ! au : e ) They had h ard the gracious reply of his Majesty , who had now ascended the Throne of the Empire , and his brother

—alas 1 now his only brother—had ascended the throne of the Craft . ( Applause . ) He believed the installation of the Duke of Connaughv was largely attended by brethren from Cornwall ; he ( the Prov . Grand Master ) was sorry to say he was unable to be there , but he was ( juite sure the loyalty they had always felt towards his Majesty the King would be shown to his brother . ( Applause . ) He ( the Prov . G . Master ) had venturedwith

, , the assistance of Bto . Edyvean , to sanction the expenditure oi certain sums , and he hoped he had kept within such lim ' us as they would desire . ( A pplause . ) Part of it had gone to pay postage of newspapers which Bro . Edyvean had collected for men at the front . That work had been extremely well appreciated , and nio--e than a hundred letters of thanks had been

received . The regiment had not known what other regiments were doing sometimes until they had received the newspapers , all communication h wing been cut off . His lordship read extracts from one letter from a Cornish volunteer , in which , after expressing appreciation of the papers sent , he made allusion to the loss his company had sustained by the death ol Mr . G .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

Co wlard . He said Mr . Cowlard brought them the news of the death of the Queen , and took 15 of them to a Dutch farmhouse to church for a memorial service . The report of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund was presented " by Bro . E . M . MILFORD , the Treasurer of the Fund . The year began with a balance in hand of £ 46 , the receipts from investments were £ 238 , and from donations and subscriptions £ 4 . 00 ; total , £ ' 684 . Forty-five

pounds was granted to aged Masons , £ Si to widows , and £ 45 for education . The expenses were £ 35 , and the balance at the bank £ 478 . The existing annual charges on the fund are fi ve annuities to aged Masons , £ 90 ; 11 annuities to widows , ^ 162 ; and six education grants , £ 75 ; total , £ 327 . The Committee recommended the addition of five annuities to widows , £ 90 , and three educational grants , £ 55 ; making the total annual charges , ^ 47 2 - The capital of ths fund was £ 7199 , an increase on the year of . £ 481 .

Bro . MILFORD said this report was the best they had ever had . He thought the balance would enable them to give a little larger grants than in times past , and he should later on propose one or two alterations of rules to enable this to be done .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER said that was a very satisfactory statement . No doubt , one of the functions of Masonry was to give relief to brethren and their families in time of need ; but he would again urge on them great care in admitting to their lodges persons not in a position to contribute to their funds , but who were , on the other hand , likely to stand in need of receiving something . ( Hear , hear . ) It was contrary to the principles on which the Order was based , and was not fair to the individual or

his family because it rendered him liable to have a grant refused ; that had been done by Grand Lodge on the ground that the member was not in a position to become a Mason at the time he was initiated . Never having been in a position to assist Masonry he had no real claim to assistance from the Craft . Therefore , it would be unfair to admit men into the Craft under such circumstances , as they would find that one of the objects for which thev joined would turn out a disappointment .

The report of the Committee of Relief on Petitions stated that three grants had been made to widows of members of lod ges 131 , 496 , and 1164 , and they recommended that 100 guineas should be divided a-nong the Masonic Charities . The P . G . TREASURER proposed that as their Deputy Prov . G . Master had kindly undertaken to represent the province as a Steward at the Girls ' School Festival , 50 guineas out of the 100 guineas should be placed on his list .

Ihis was agreed to , 20 guineas being given to the Benevolent and to guineas to the Boys' Institutions . At this point the lodge adjourned , and went in procession to church , headed by a band and with the banners of the lodges . There was a drizzling rain at the time , but a large number of people witnessed the procession . The Volume of the Sacred Law was carried by four Lewises in front of

the Prov . Grand Master . The procession was met at the west door of the fine old church by the clergy and choir , Mr . Vining ( the organist ) playing the National Anthem as they entered . The service was sung by the Rev . I . Jones , the senior assistant curate ; and the special lesson ( I . St . Peter ii . ) was read by Bro . the Rev . T . Kendall , P . P . G . C . ( now rector of Holsworthy ) .

Ihe I rov . G . Chaplain ( Bro . Canon SOUTH WELL ) preached an admirable sermon from St . John ii ., 18-19 , "Then answered the Jews and said , What sign shewest thou ? . . . Jesus answered and said , I will destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up , but He spake of the temple of His body . " No wonder the Jews were angry with our Lord when He spake as He did of their temple ; but they misunderstood Him ; He spake

of thc temple of His body . Beautiful as that old temple was , our Lord spoke of a temple which was far higher and nobler , for His body was the shrine of God 'tiinself . Our Lord did not mean that they should detract from their reverence for the House of God . Twice in His life He cleansed that temple ; but the Jewish worship of that day was so much occupied with outward ritual that it wanted in heartfelt reverence . So we learnt that

no outward expression of reverence in connection with reli gion could possibly be pleasing to Almighty God unless accompanied with a true and heartfelt reverence . The heart o ! the worshipper was wrong if he did not reverence the House of God ; but , on the other hand , no amount of external grandeur or ritual would compensate in the sight of God for the lack of that which He most desired , the spiritual worshi p of His people . Where

men did really love and worship God , there would be no lack of external reverence . The principles of Masonry were sublime ; they ware divine in their moral teaching . No man who had worked through Masonry could possibly think otherwise ; no man who understood the spirit of Masonry and the ritual they used could fail to see that the truth of Masonry was hidden in the heart . It was quite right , that its ritual should be carefully framed

and rendered ; it was quite right that the te-nples in which they met shojld be appropriately an 1 fittingly cared for ; it was ri ght they should be of serious demeanour whenever they were in those temples , because they were there as Masons in the name of God , and could not forget that they were not a mere worldly society . At the same time they should re . Tiember that temples built by men ' s hands were not after the true shrines of the M isanic

Craft . The spirit of Freemasonry was to be looked for in the hearts and lives of Masons . It was not the outward ritual and pomp that made Masonry : it was the spirit within the heart , and the life the Mason lived in thc world . ' They did not forget the first question put to them after they had become an entered apprentice Freemason . It had been said to him , " How can you possibly be a Mason ? Masonry is not Christian . " But / was not the Old Testament Christian ? Was not Christ written in

every page of the Bible ? The first home of Masonry was , according to their traditions , the old Jewish nation and Church , ' it was their purpose and work to build a mighty temple for the worship and service of God , a type of the far higher and greater temple which should not be built with hands—the temple of the body of Jesus Christ Himself . Never let them forget that the great Architect had designed them to be nobler temples in which should be enshrined the true principles of Masonic life .

On the return from church , the PROV . GRAND MASTER , as usual , presented a beautiful copy of the Bible to each of the four lads who had carried the Volume of the Sacred Law in procession . Addressing- the lad * his lordship said they were called Lewises because they were sons of Masons and it was very likely they would became Masons when they grew up . He was going to present them each with a Bible in remembrance of thatdty . They were being told at school that the studies they undertook were nec * 5 »