The Knights Templars.

' Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain , for he -will not hold him guiltless AVIIO doeth so . ' You have sworn to live chastely ; therefore receive attendance or service of ivhatever kind from no woman . Kiss no woman , be she mother ,

sister , aunt , or cousin , for by such baits doth the devil lure the soul to uncleanness ; for the last clause of Chapter 78 of our Rule declares : — ' We hold it to be dangerous to all religion to look too much on the countenance of woman , and therefore

let no brother presume to kiss either widow or virgin , or mother , or sister , or aunt , or any other woman . Let the soldiery of Christ , therefore , shun feminine kisses , by Avhich men are often exposed to danger , that Avith a pure conscience and secure

life they may Avalk everlastingly in the sight of God . ' Hold no child at the baptismal font . You cannot ans ; ver for your life a single day , and how can you swear to protect aud rear another ' s ? Besides , you are the bond slave of the Order . " This ,

however , was sometimes broken through , for at the election of Jacques de Molai , the last Grand Master , we find him acting as sponsor to a son of the King of France . " You must abuse no man , nor call any one foul names , but be courteous aud polite ;

for our Lord on the cross , while parched ivith thirst , on receiving the bitter hyssop , cried to his Father , " Forgive them , they know not what they do . Sleep iu a lineu shirt , drawers , and hose , Avith a small girdle , Avith your arms conveniently

placed beside you , so that at a moment ' s notice 3 'ou may be armed and ready for the fight . Attend divine worship punctually , for you kuoAv not how soon you may be in eternity . At table , commence aud finish with prayer , for God giveth us our daily

bread . During meals , preserve silence , and meditate upon the goodness of our Father Avhoisin heaven . " Immediately after the reception mass was offered up , at Avhich all the Knights communicated . ( To be continued . )

Lecture

LECTURE

Delivered hy Comp . ihe llev . Samuel Fox , Scribe N , at the last meeting of the -members of Silurian Boyal Arch Chapter ( JS o . 47 ) . Most Eminent Principals and Companions assembled in this Chapter , —We find ourselves surrounded by the most sacred emblems , and have the most sublime events in the history of the Avorld brought before our eyes . What is the chapter

Lecture

but a representation of the ancient Sau-hedrim o the JOAVS ? The Principals and the various officers are representatives of holy men AVIIO Avere appointed by the Great Architect for the government of His chosen people at a most critical and

important period in their history . The clothing and furniture give us their appropriate lessons , while the wands of office not only point historically to the twelve tribes of Israel with their blessings and curses depicted upon them , but they serve to remind us that the various offices Ave are called .

upon to fill , whether Avithm the chapter or out of it ,. Avill prove to ourselves and others blessings or sources of misery . Surely , Avorthy companions , any feeble light that can be thrown upon our assemblies to render them profitable , will not be .

Avithout some good and lasting result . And I would suggest that the subjects introduced should not be extraneous , but such as Masonry itself is prepared to teach . There are three epochs in Masonry Avhich in the

address appointed to be given from the 3 rd chair , is urged upon our consideration , viz ., the history of the 1 st or Holy Lodge , the 2 nd or Sacred Lodge , and the 3 rd or Grand and Eoyal Lodge . The 1 st was held by Moses , Aaron , and Bezalie ] , at the foot of Mount Horeb . The 2 nd or Sacred

Lodge was held by Solomon , King of Israel , Hiram ,, King of Tyre , ancl H . Abiff in the bosom of the holy Mount Moriah , under the very centre of the place Avhere the solemn Sanhedrein was afterwards erected . The 3 rd , the Grand and Royal Lodge

Avas holden at J erusalem after the return of the . Israelites from captivity under Zerubabbel , the . Prince of the people , Haggai the Prophet and Joshua ( the son of Josedech ) , the High Priest . It is u ] 3 on the first of these three lodges that

thesefew remarks are intended to refer , leaving some Avorthy companion to carry on the subject in reference to the two other lodges . We are not to suppose that we can find in the history of this first , or Holy Lodge , anything

approaching to our system of opening and closing ,, or indeed anything approaching to what we rightly term Ancient Freemasonry ; all we affirm is that a spirit of Masonry was there , that in that lodge , love to God and love to man were taught , and

that every heart beat Avith emotions of gratitude and fidelity to Him who had so far sustained them They met upon the level—all Avere prostrate in , the dust , acknowledging the mercy of God in preserving them from the iron rule of Egypt , ancl