Provincial.

be the first to acknowledge Christ as He of whom Moses and the prophets wrote—the bright and morning star , the Prince of Peace . English Freemasons were taught in their lodges to receive the volume of the Sacred Law as a revelation from God , and they were charged to make the study of it their first consideration . Without , possibly , even a single exception , Englisii Freemasons professed belief in Christ ; hence , not only were they members of the most ancient of all brotherhoodsbut they were also

, a Christian brotherhood . The rev . gentleman then impressed upon his brethren the necessity of acting outintheirdailylife the lessons they had received in their lodges as to the duties they owed to God , to their neighbours , and to themselves . He exhorted those who did not belong to the brotherhood not to condemn Masonry because Freemasons might be found who did not carry out in their lives the principles of Christianity . Freemasonry

was not to be tested by the doings or tbe conduct of any individual Freemason , nor even of any particular lodge of Freemasons ; the proper test of Freemasonry was necessarily that which was done by Freemasons in their corporate capacity . The limits of his sermon would prevent him from recounting what had been done by Freemasons in old times and in countries far remote , and he would therefore confine himself to what had

been done at a comparatively recent time in England . English Freemasons of the present day did not use Masonic tools architecturally , save on rare occasions , —such , for instance , as the laying of memorial stones for philanthropic institutions , of which they had an example in the Hospital which that day appealed to them for aid . Freemasons for the most part used Masonic tools emblematically to inculcate moralit but it was onltwo

ceny ; y turies or so ago that their ancient and honourable fraternity ceased to be operative , ancl became speculative , or Free and Accepted Masons . With the reasons for that change they were not then concerned ; but it was not owing to any failure in the operative works of the Craft ; on the contrary , the superb and stately edifices that were planned and erected by their operative brethren were the wonder and the admiration of the

present time ; and it had been truly said that there was scarcely a single cathedral , or abbey , or college , or public building of any note , that was not either originated , or conducted , or completed by the associated body of Freemasons . In the reign of Henry II .

the lemple Church was erected by them . During the reign of Edward II . they were employed , under the auspices of then-Grand Master , the Bishop of Exeter , in building Exeter and Oriel Colleges , Oxford and Clare Hall , Cambridge . AVilliam of AVykeham , Grand Master on the accession of Richard IL , founded at his own expense New College , Oxford , and Winchester College . In the reign of Henry IV . were founded the Guildhall of LondonBattle Abbeyand Fotheringaywhile

, , ; during that of Henry VI . Bishop Wanefleefc , Grand Master , erected , at his own cost , Magdalen College , Oxford , with several other religious houses ; Eton College , and King ' s College , Cambridge , were also founded in this reign . In the reign of Henry VII ., who was also Grand Master , was laid the foundation of the east end of Westminster Abbey , called Henry VII . ' s Chapel . Under Cardinal AVolsey , Grand Master , were built Hampton Court

, Whitehall , and Christ Church , Oxford ; whilst his successor , Cromwell , employed the fraternity in erecting St . James ' s Palace , Christ ' s Hospital , and Greenwich Castle . On the accession of James I . to the throne , Inigo Jones was appointed general surveyor to the king and Grand Master of England , and _ under his auspices was built the Banquetting Houseat Whitehall . Nov must vie over the Grand Master

, pass , Sir C . AVren , and the masterpiece of agricultural skill , St . Paul ' s Cathedral . Would time permit , he might easily extend the list by naming , as amongst the operative work of the craft , nearly every one of the cathedrals of our land , those colossal , yet so beautifully proportioned , houses of God . He might also mention many Masonic structures of lnedioival times , " whose very ruins and moss grey stones bespeak their pristine grandeur , and

bear witness to the skill and zeal of their noble-minded builders . " Enough , however , had been said to justify the pride that Freemasons feel in having been linked into so ancient ancl so honourable a chain of brotherhood . AVell may Freemasons with a glow of pleasure point to these operative works of the craft and say—Behold some of the fruits of Masonry ! Freemasonry of the present day couldhoweverpoint to nobler works stillancl

, , , the first was " The Fund of Benevolence , " to which every member of each lodge within the London district pays four shillings a-year , and every member of each country ancl military lodge two shillings a year . A portion of these payments was yearl y invested in the public funds , and now amounted to £ 21 , 000

Consols , the interest of which , together with the larger portion of the yearly payments , was applied to the relief of dirtressed brethren , and of the indigent widows ancl children of brethren deceased . Relief is given as necessity requires £ 5 , £ 10 , £ 20 , £ 40 , £ 60 , as the case may be . That fund was for the relief of temporary cases of distress ^ not for granting annuities . "The Eoyal Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons ancl the " r Widows" which was supported bdonationsbequestsand

an-, y , , nual subscriptions , was nominally only one institution , but in reality two—the funds received on account of the Male Annuity Fund being kept separate and distinct from those received on account of the Widows' Fund ; and in the public funds there stood £ 15 , 000 to the credit of theformer , and £ 6550 to that of the latter . There were 79 male annuitants , receiving , according to their age when elected—some £ 20 , some £ 25 , some £ 30 .

There were 47 widow annuitants , receiving , some £ 20 , some £ 25 ; there were also 5 widows , receiving half tbe amount of their deceased hasbands' annuities . The Royal Benevolent Institution thus granted annuities ( and only five of them under £ 20 ) to no less than 131 individuals . There was an asylum in connection with the institution . The male annuitants had the option of becoming inmates of it in the order of their seniority of election : should the male annuitants not fill itthe

, same option in the same order was given to the widows . A sum of over £ 900 had been invested in Consols for the sustentation of the building , temporary distress , and age in want , having thus been considered . Youth had not been forgotten in the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys and in the Eoyal Freemasons ' School for Female Children ( two totally distinct institutions ) . The children of decayed or deceased Freemasons were

maintained , clothed , and educated by means of donations , bequests , and annual subscriptions . The Boys' Institution had an investment of £ 13 , 100 Consols , together with a sustenation fund for the building of 500 Reduced ; and the Girls' School had to its credit £ 15 , 700 in Consols aiidEeduced , andasustentatioii fundof £ 1950 . The boys could enter at seven years of age , and remain till fifteen ; the girls at eight , and remain till sixteen . There were at the present time 72 boys and 80 girls , all of them being maintained , clothed , and educated at the cost of the institution . In their zeal for the good cause , the brethren

ivere now erecting a handsome building , which would provide accommodation for 150 boys . In all 950 boys and 800 girls had received the benefits of the charity . The boys received a first-class commercial education , with instruction in French , and their educational and subsequent progress had been extremely satisfactory . The girls , " in addition to the customary education which such establishments affordedwere employed by turns in all the domestic duties

, of the house , and great care was taken to make them export in needlework , so that they might be useful members of society when they left the school . " There was one fact which in itself spoke volumes as to the sort of education given : —Of the 800 girls , not one in after life had been known to conduct herself disreputably , or to have fallen from the path of chastity . Had Freemasonry no other charitable institutions than the six he

had named , they might safely challenge comparison on this score with any Society or Order of which the number of members was approximate ; but besides these they had provincial charities . To enumerate the various charities of the several provinces would occupy too much time ; to mention the charities of some ancl not of others is invidious ; but , as in private duty bound , he would briefly allucte to an institution which had been

lately formed in this province— " The Fortescue Annuity Fund . " It was instituted two years ago to commemorate the virtues of one who for forty-two years was the Grand Master of the province—Lord Fortescue—of whom he would speak particularly ; hut all here knew , if not him , his good deeds— -at least some of them , for they were legion , and extended over a considerable period of time . Already three annuitants had been

elected on this fund ; they each received £ 26 per annum , and there was a moral certainty that a fourth annuitant would be added in the course of two or three years . These facts abundantly represented the value of Freemasonry as exhibited in its fruits . The rev . gentleman then refuted the idea that the charity of the Freemason ended as well as began at home , and mentioned as a specimen of their benevolence the fact that they subscribed

£ 1000 towards the relief of the distress in the cotton districts . On the last occasion they met together it was the Honiton Dispensary to which they lent a helping hand , and that day he asked for liberal contributions , in order that the Hospital which they aided in erecting might be rendered capable of answering