Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chiyaley,
of the Christians , —that he might generously aid and assist the pilgrims . He founded a hospital and organized a fraternity to attend the sick and wounded Christians who visited the Holy Sepulchre He exposed his life constantly ; neither war . nor pestilence , nor the fury of the infidels , could deter him from the pursuits of
benevolence . Hence he was more worthy to become the patron of a society whose object is charity . Death at length arrested him in his labours ; yet he left the example of his virtues to the brethren , who have made it their duty to endeavour to imitate them ; and the Masons—whose temples , which had been overthrown by the barbarians , he caused to be re-built—selected him with one accord as
their patron . We may here remark that the primitive or mother Lodge was held at Jerusalem , and was dedicated to St . John ; the style and title was " The Lodge of the Holy St . John of Jerusalem : " and all old
Masonic documents , and many foreign Masonic authorities , still continue to claim their transmission from this Lodge ; and the reason assigned for this is , because in the time of the Crusades the perfect Masons communicated a knowledge of their mysteries to the Knights of St . John of Jerusalem .
The Knights of St . John w ere also called Knights of the Holy Sepulchre , or at least some of them , for we find that on the loss of the Holy Land , they took refuge in Perugia ; and when the Hospitallers were established in Rhodes , they were incorporated with that Order . Curzon , in his " Visits to the Monasteries in the Levant , "
states that the Order is still conferred in Jerusalem , but onlv on states that the Order is still conferred in Jerusalem , but only on Soman Catholics of noble birth , by the superior of the Franciscans , and that the accolade is bestowed with the sword of Godfrey de Bouillon , which , with his spurs , is preserved in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . This degree is given in the Encampments of
Masonic Knights Templar in America . As a Masonic degree , the Knight of St . John of Malta , which may be considered the same , was given in England with the Templar degree , until 1851 , when that , as also the degrees of H . R . D . M . and K . D . S . H ., were severed from it by the Grand Conclave .
The duties of the hospital were discharged by a few Benedictine monks , with the assistance of such lay brethren among the pilgrims as were induced to extend their penitential vow by a protracted residence in the Holy Land . The habitual respect of the Mohammedan mind for all charitable foundations , allowed the hospital of St . John to survive through all the storms of Turkish persecution
so that when Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Crusaders , the house was joyfully opened for the reception and care of the wounded warriors . Many of the Crusaders embraced the charitable service of the institution , which soon grew into such importance that the lay members , separating themselves from tho religious community of the chapel , formed themselves into a distinct body , though they assumed a religious habit , consisting of a black mantle , with a white cross of VOE . IV . a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chiyaley,
of the Christians , —that he might generously aid and assist the pilgrims . He founded a hospital and organized a fraternity to attend the sick and wounded Christians who visited the Holy Sepulchre He exposed his life constantly ; neither war . nor pestilence , nor the fury of the infidels , could deter him from the pursuits of
benevolence . Hence he was more worthy to become the patron of a society whose object is charity . Death at length arrested him in his labours ; yet he left the example of his virtues to the brethren , who have made it their duty to endeavour to imitate them ; and the Masons—whose temples , which had been overthrown by the barbarians , he caused to be re-built—selected him with one accord as
their patron . We may here remark that the primitive or mother Lodge was held at Jerusalem , and was dedicated to St . John ; the style and title was " The Lodge of the Holy St . John of Jerusalem : " and all old
Masonic documents , and many foreign Masonic authorities , still continue to claim their transmission from this Lodge ; and the reason assigned for this is , because in the time of the Crusades the perfect Masons communicated a knowledge of their mysteries to the Knights of St . John of Jerusalem .
The Knights of St . John w ere also called Knights of the Holy Sepulchre , or at least some of them , for we find that on the loss of the Holy Land , they took refuge in Perugia ; and when the Hospitallers were established in Rhodes , they were incorporated with that Order . Curzon , in his " Visits to the Monasteries in the Levant , "
states that the Order is still conferred in Jerusalem , but onlv on states that the Order is still conferred in Jerusalem , but only on Soman Catholics of noble birth , by the superior of the Franciscans , and that the accolade is bestowed with the sword of Godfrey de Bouillon , which , with his spurs , is preserved in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . This degree is given in the Encampments of
Masonic Knights Templar in America . As a Masonic degree , the Knight of St . John of Malta , which may be considered the same , was given in England with the Templar degree , until 1851 , when that , as also the degrees of H . R . D . M . and K . D . S . H ., were severed from it by the Grand Conclave .
The duties of the hospital were discharged by a few Benedictine monks , with the assistance of such lay brethren among the pilgrims as were induced to extend their penitential vow by a protracted residence in the Holy Land . The habitual respect of the Mohammedan mind for all charitable foundations , allowed the hospital of St . John to survive through all the storms of Turkish persecution
so that when Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Crusaders , the house was joyfully opened for the reception and care of the wounded warriors . Many of the Crusaders embraced the charitable service of the institution , which soon grew into such importance that the lay members , separating themselves from tho religious community of the chapel , formed themselves into a distinct body , though they assumed a religious habit , consisting of a black mantle , with a white cross of VOE . IV . a