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Article THE MARK DEGREE. ← Page 2 of 2
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The Mark Degree.
hand was confined * to the British shores ; but vainly should we endeavour to force our maimed and crippled week upon the adoption of the rest of Europe , upon Asia , Africa , or America . Just so is it with the Mark Degree . Whilst we are all contending here , and splitting straws upon a few shillings extra expense , or upon the
particular position the Mark should occupy in the Masonic systemwhilst the Grand Master is correcting himself wrong , after being inadvertently right , and venerable Brethren are exhumed with no other purpose than to declare their own conscientious ignorance , upon their honour , of what they ought to have been acquainted with long ago ;—whilst , in a word , all this pestiferous and unseemly
disorganization is going on , the ^ English Brethren are being turned back and rejected even from Scottish , much more continental , Chapters , or obliged to take an additional obligation . The mistake of Brother Havers and his party is in the primary misconception that the Mark is a new Degree , and the subsequent rejection of it upon that fallacious assumption . We therefore sincerely regret that , by a sort
of surpnsal , the sensible recognition of the Mark , by Bro . Dobie , and the confirmation of the minutes in that particular , were frustrated at the quarterly communication , and we trust that the Country and Metropolitan Lodges will send up a strong muster to restore what is at present a dormant but assured portion of ancient Freemasonry . Meanwhile , we think the St . Mark ' s Lodge of
Mark Masters has done good service to the Craft , in obtaining a warrant from the Grand Chapter of Scotland , thereby recognizing authority in the midst of confusion , and preserving the Brethren from inconvenience in visiting foreign Chapters , until the Mark be duly acknowledged by the Grand Lodge of England , and the common sense of Bros . Dobie , Hearn , Beach , and Aria , penetrate the density of that restricted sphere .
Masonic Decorum m Lodge . —Let your makings , passings , and raisings be conducted with seriousness and decorum ; otherwise the candidate will be disgusted , and any respect for Masonry which he may have previously entertained will be cast to the winds of heaven . I once knew a Lodge where these ceremonies were conducted with unbecoming levity ; the consequence was , that while
several candidates halted on the threshold , and never advanced beyond the 1 st Degree ; others , who possessed sufficient perseverance to become Master Masons , ultimately abandoned the Society as a frivolous and trifling pursuit ; and at length the Lodge itself terminated its proceedings by surrendering the warrant , when it had not the legal number of members on its books to conduct its ordinary business .
Masonic Studies . —I cannot be too particular in recommending you to habituate yourself to serious application to Masonic studies , if you are desirous of distinction . Without excellence you can never become a bright Mason ; and excellence can only he acquired by application in the Lodge , and study and reflection beyond its walls . Nil sine magno Vita labore dedit mortalibus . —Hon . Dr . Oliver ' s Boole of the Lodge .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Mark Degree.
hand was confined * to the British shores ; but vainly should we endeavour to force our maimed and crippled week upon the adoption of the rest of Europe , upon Asia , Africa , or America . Just so is it with the Mark Degree . Whilst we are all contending here , and splitting straws upon a few shillings extra expense , or upon the
particular position the Mark should occupy in the Masonic systemwhilst the Grand Master is correcting himself wrong , after being inadvertently right , and venerable Brethren are exhumed with no other purpose than to declare their own conscientious ignorance , upon their honour , of what they ought to have been acquainted with long ago ;—whilst , in a word , all this pestiferous and unseemly
disorganization is going on , the ^ English Brethren are being turned back and rejected even from Scottish , much more continental , Chapters , or obliged to take an additional obligation . The mistake of Brother Havers and his party is in the primary misconception that the Mark is a new Degree , and the subsequent rejection of it upon that fallacious assumption . We therefore sincerely regret that , by a sort
of surpnsal , the sensible recognition of the Mark , by Bro . Dobie , and the confirmation of the minutes in that particular , were frustrated at the quarterly communication , and we trust that the Country and Metropolitan Lodges will send up a strong muster to restore what is at present a dormant but assured portion of ancient Freemasonry . Meanwhile , we think the St . Mark ' s Lodge of
Mark Masters has done good service to the Craft , in obtaining a warrant from the Grand Chapter of Scotland , thereby recognizing authority in the midst of confusion , and preserving the Brethren from inconvenience in visiting foreign Chapters , until the Mark be duly acknowledged by the Grand Lodge of England , and the common sense of Bros . Dobie , Hearn , Beach , and Aria , penetrate the density of that restricted sphere .
Masonic Decorum m Lodge . —Let your makings , passings , and raisings be conducted with seriousness and decorum ; otherwise the candidate will be disgusted , and any respect for Masonry which he may have previously entertained will be cast to the winds of heaven . I once knew a Lodge where these ceremonies were conducted with unbecoming levity ; the consequence was , that while
several candidates halted on the threshold , and never advanced beyond the 1 st Degree ; others , who possessed sufficient perseverance to become Master Masons , ultimately abandoned the Society as a frivolous and trifling pursuit ; and at length the Lodge itself terminated its proceedings by surrendering the warrant , when it had not the legal number of members on its books to conduct its ordinary business .
Masonic Studies . —I cannot be too particular in recommending you to habituate yourself to serious application to Masonic studies , if you are desirous of distinction . Without excellence you can never become a bright Mason ; and excellence can only he acquired by application in the Lodge , and study and reflection beyond its walls . Nil sine magno Vita labore dedit mortalibus . —Hon . Dr . Oliver ' s Boole of the Lodge .