Modern Writers Upon Freemasonry.—Iii.

self to alter the lessons appointed for the day in the Book of Common Prayer . Dr . Oliver would doubtless be scandalized , horrified , at an attempt of any brother to infringe an order of tho Book of Constitutions , but the Book of Common Prayer is another affair entirely . How can Dr . Oliver , who inculcates such high lessons on the subject

of obedience in Freemasonry recommend disobedience in matters pertaining to law , to religion , to God 1 Has our reverend brother forgotten that every clergyman is obliged to read publicly in church within three months of the date ofhis licence to auy and every cure that he may undertake ( or his induction to a benefice ) the following declaration : — " I , , clerk , master of arts , " ( or as the case may be ) , " do

declare that I will conform to the liturgy of tho church of England , as it is by law established "—and that previously to reading this declaration he has deliberately signed his name to it , in the presence of his diocesan ' . ' Surely any such unauthorized alteration would be sufficient to "bring down sharp" ( as tho saying is ) such diocesan upon the perpetratoreven if he were of a lenient disposition—but especiall

, y if ) like the late Bishop Armstrong , he were opposed to the Order ; ancl to give him a strong handle , not only against the individual , but against the Craft , which could sanction an innovation in the services of the church , which they would not for a moment tolerate in their own ritual .

Following this , we have au anticlimax ; we descend from the services of the church to the mimifce book of business . The minutes are of course to be duly entered at one meeting , and read and put for confirmation at the next ( regular ) meeting , & c , as laid down in the Book of Constitutions . Wo are glad to sec that Dr . Oliver quotes the dictum- of the late

Grand Master , that considerable latitude must be allowed to every Worshipful Master as to tho language in which he may think it advisable to deliver the ceremonies of the Lodge . Indeed , we should be sorry to give it with the scriptural , chronological , geographical , and historical solecisms which we have occasionally heard , and from which Dr . Oliver himself ) according to Bishop Armstrongis not

, entirely free . Page 206 . —" Let him" ( the Worshipful Master ) "be cautious how he introduces any whimsical and unauthorized speculations ofhis own , for such a practice will certainly produce the effect of disgusting , rather than pleasing his hearers . " This is excellent advice ; it is only a pity it did not occur to Dr . Oliver to act upon it himself , before he

presented the Masonic world with a few of his own wild speculations , such as the one to which we have before alluded in these papers of the " Symbol of Glory , " with regard to the assembly of the first disciples of Christianity with closed doors , which heimao-ines to have been a tyled Lodge of Freemasons . We must apologize once more for this digression , and more for its continuance , but we cannot resist the inclination to lay before our readers an extract from the writings of one now living , ( whose nanie