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Article THE CANADIAN MOVEMENT. ← Page 3 of 11 →
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The Canadian Movement.
which he was Grand Master . He was Grand Master of Masons , but not of a Grand Lodge , as now understood ; for no such Ground body then existed . "It is ; doubtless true , that the York ' Assembly' exercised jurisdiction , in its day , over aZZ the Masons of England ; probably from 926 to 1567 , but such jurisdiction was not considered , by those Masons , as exclusive . It was not thus acknowledged by them ; for in that same year , 156 7—with out reference to the
York 'Assembly' at all—the Masons of the Southern part of England placed themselves independently under a new Grand Master , and there was for a long period of jyears , two Grand Masters of that kingdorn . "In the early part of the 13 th century , Masonry generally in England had fallen into disuetude . In the year 1715 four London Lodges assembled upon their own motion , and by their own voluntary action constituted themselves a ' Grand Lodge , pro tempore ! At the annual assembly arid feast , on Saint John
the Baptist s day , 1717 , these same Lodges , thus by self-action constituted into a Grand Lodge , for the first time adopted a regulation to restrain the old un > linutedinanner of Masonic meetings , and to establish Lodges in certain places , wjiich should be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the Grand Master , with the consent and approbation of the Grand Lodge , and that , without such warrant , no Lodge should thereafter be deemed regular or constitutional . the old
u Here , then , we have four Lodges , ^ arranged upon system , congregating themselves together to inaugurate and establish a neiv one . The whole history of things at York was unheeded by them ; no consent is asked from that quarter , nor is even the then Grand Master of the Masons of England consulted , who was living in that same city of London , and who did not pay the debt of nature until tbe year 1723 .
"Ei'om this action sprang the Grand Lodge of England , which has come down to our times . Ireland followed first , and Scotland succeeded her . I do not refer to any Masonic organizations of this kind upon the continent of Europe , because with them we have no common policy , no long connection , and especially because , upon this continent , we have never looked to that quarter for Masonic precedent .
"The beginning of Grand Lodges , as we understand these institutions in our own day , was established at the London meetings of the four Lodges of 1715 and 1717 . Ireland followed the path made by them . Scotland followed in a manner , though not identical , quite as independent , and tbe Grand Lodges on this side of the Atlantic have found no occasion for widening and enlarging the precedent of
171547 . " I do not mean , for a moment , to doubt the wisdom of the action of 1715-17 , or the right of the four London Lodges to do precisely what they did do . I intend to claim , however , that other Masonic action , equally legitimate , equally worthy , and equally important , is as equally to be recognized , at this hour , as if it had the
sanction of one hundred and forty years to strengthen the foundation of its right . 1 am not aware that any intelligent Mason desires to disturb a system of action which has been sanctioned by long acquiescence , and which has resulted in the harmony and happiness of the Order . I yield to the power of a precedent , however established , which settles a wise course of future action , but I can never agree to see a mere precedent tortured into working the highest practical
injustice . "The Grand Lodge of Ireland dated from 1730 . It Was formed in . ' imitation of the Grand Lodge of England , ' and chose for its first Grand Master a Brother who bad . been , the previous year , Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England . The constitution and usages of the Grand Lodge of England were adopted by it . "The Grand Lodge of Scotland was formed in 1736 . Masonry had then
existed in that country for centuries ; but not until November the 30 th—Saint Andrew ' s day—of that year , did the Lodges of that country assemble to organize as a common body , and choose their own Grand Master . Previously the Grand Mastership of Masons for Scotland had been hereditary in the family of Roslin , William Saint Glair of Roslin , having intimated to his Masonic Brethren his wish to resign his hereditary Grand Mastership , assembled his Brethren of the Lodges in and about Edinburgh , and wished them to determine upon a plan for the election
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Canadian Movement.
which he was Grand Master . He was Grand Master of Masons , but not of a Grand Lodge , as now understood ; for no such Ground body then existed . "It is ; doubtless true , that the York ' Assembly' exercised jurisdiction , in its day , over aZZ the Masons of England ; probably from 926 to 1567 , but such jurisdiction was not considered , by those Masons , as exclusive . It was not thus acknowledged by them ; for in that same year , 156 7—with out reference to the
York 'Assembly' at all—the Masons of the Southern part of England placed themselves independently under a new Grand Master , and there was for a long period of jyears , two Grand Masters of that kingdorn . "In the early part of the 13 th century , Masonry generally in England had fallen into disuetude . In the year 1715 four London Lodges assembled upon their own motion , and by their own voluntary action constituted themselves a ' Grand Lodge , pro tempore ! At the annual assembly arid feast , on Saint John
the Baptist s day , 1717 , these same Lodges , thus by self-action constituted into a Grand Lodge , for the first time adopted a regulation to restrain the old un > linutedinanner of Masonic meetings , and to establish Lodges in certain places , wjiich should be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the Grand Master , with the consent and approbation of the Grand Lodge , and that , without such warrant , no Lodge should thereafter be deemed regular or constitutional . the old
u Here , then , we have four Lodges , ^ arranged upon system , congregating themselves together to inaugurate and establish a neiv one . The whole history of things at York was unheeded by them ; no consent is asked from that quarter , nor is even the then Grand Master of the Masons of England consulted , who was living in that same city of London , and who did not pay the debt of nature until tbe year 1723 .
"Ei'om this action sprang the Grand Lodge of England , which has come down to our times . Ireland followed first , and Scotland succeeded her . I do not refer to any Masonic organizations of this kind upon the continent of Europe , because with them we have no common policy , no long connection , and especially because , upon this continent , we have never looked to that quarter for Masonic precedent .
"The beginning of Grand Lodges , as we understand these institutions in our own day , was established at the London meetings of the four Lodges of 1715 and 1717 . Ireland followed the path made by them . Scotland followed in a manner , though not identical , quite as independent , and tbe Grand Lodges on this side of the Atlantic have found no occasion for widening and enlarging the precedent of
171547 . " I do not mean , for a moment , to doubt the wisdom of the action of 1715-17 , or the right of the four London Lodges to do precisely what they did do . I intend to claim , however , that other Masonic action , equally legitimate , equally worthy , and equally important , is as equally to be recognized , at this hour , as if it had the
sanction of one hundred and forty years to strengthen the foundation of its right . 1 am not aware that any intelligent Mason desires to disturb a system of action which has been sanctioned by long acquiescence , and which has resulted in the harmony and happiness of the Order . I yield to the power of a precedent , however established , which settles a wise course of future action , but I can never agree to see a mere precedent tortured into working the highest practical
injustice . "The Grand Lodge of Ireland dated from 1730 . It Was formed in . ' imitation of the Grand Lodge of England , ' and chose for its first Grand Master a Brother who bad . been , the previous year , Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England . The constitution and usages of the Grand Lodge of England were adopted by it . "The Grand Lodge of Scotland was formed in 1736 . Masonry had then
existed in that country for centuries ; but not until November the 30 th—Saint Andrew ' s day—of that year , did the Lodges of that country assemble to organize as a common body , and choose their own Grand Master . Previously the Grand Mastership of Masons for Scotland had been hereditary in the family of Roslin , William Saint Glair of Roslin , having intimated to his Masonic Brethren his wish to resign his hereditary Grand Mastership , assembled his Brethren of the Lodges in and about Edinburgh , and wished them to determine upon a plan for the election