The Mark Degree In England.

appointed on the suggestion of the M . AV . Grand Mastea , to confer Avite six members of tbe Board of General Purposes and report to him ( the G . M . ) AA-hether it Avas advisable to attach the Mark Degree to onr present constitutions , and several members of that Committee took the Degree in the Albany Loclge and in the Isle of Wight , and in the Bon Accord Lodge , London . In the following month , at a meeting of the Grand Chapter of Scotland , it AA'as agreed to grant Mark AVarrants in England .

Bro . Portal : Was this before the Report Avas made by the Committee of Grand Chapter ? Bro . EntAvistle : It Avas on the 19 th December , 1855 . Bro . Portal : It seems then to have been rather a hasty step . Bro . EntAvisle : —The Report of the Committee of the Grand Ciapter AA'as made on the 1 st February , 1856 , and it stated that the Mark Degree formed no part of the Arch Degree , but AA'as a portion of tbe FCIIOAV Craft . In the Grand Lodge

Communication following , " on -March 5 tb , 1856 , it AA'as declared that the Mark forms no part of the Royal Arch Degree , but a link betivcen the second and third Degrees , aud recommend it to be added to the FCIIOAV Craft Degree . This , as AVO knOAv , the minutes of that Communication Avere non-confirmed at the meeting in June . They did not require noil-confirming in the Chapter , because Grand Cliapter Committee reported that the Mark Degree Avas not a portion of the Royal Arch .

Bro . Mackersy : —When AVUS the first Chapter granted bv Scotland ? Bro . Entwisle i—On the 18 th Juno ; fourteen days after the Grand Lodge hacl non-confirmed the minutes . There ivas a letter in the "Freemasons Magazine" at the time to Lord Leigh from three members of the Bon Accord Lodge , protesting against the unconstitntioanl conduct of several members of that Lodge and the great irregularities practised in his Lordshi's

p name . In May , 1857 , Lord Leigh issued a letter calling a meeting of all parties Avorking Mark Lodges under Avhatever jurisdiction , in Avhich be says . — " It appears to me very desirable , that the Avhole of the brethren of the Degree in England and AA ' ales should be invited to attend a General Meeting for the purpose of expressing their opinion as to AA'hotlicr it is better to unite as a whole under a constitutionally elected governing

body or to continue as at present—some under the English Constitution , and some under Irish , Scotch' or American Avarrants , each relatively to the other , in effect irregular . " There Avere four Lodges at that time under the Scotch Constitution—the Thistle , the Mark , the Arnott , and the St . John's . The meeting AVUS held at the Freemason's Tavern on the 31 st of Alay , 1857 , the Bon Accord Mark Masters , those acting under Scotch Warrants , aud time immemorial Lodges being fairly represented . The folloiving resolutions Avere unanimously carried .

Resolution—1 . That this meeting of Brethren practising the Mark Degree , regret that this portion of Freemasonry should have been , since 1813 , omitted from the ceremonies recognised by the Grand Lodge of England , aucl is anxious to promote the Avorking of Mark Masonry . 2 . That this meeting deplores the difference of Authorities , of Avorking and organisation , at present existing among Mark Masters , and is anxious to promote unity and uniformity on

these points . 3 . That a Committee be appointed to ascertain ancl represent tbe vieivs of all parties practising the Degree , wifcli respect to tbe means to be adopted to promote such unity ancl uiiiformitv .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

The Universal Masonic Directory , Calendar and Poctcet Poole for 1870-71 ., ( issued July 1 , 1871 ) , 276 p . p . London : 19 , Salisbury-street , Strand . This ivork contains complete lists of the lvhole of the Office bearers of the Grand Lodge ancl Grand Chapters , the Grand Mark Masters Loclge , the Grand Conclave of Knight ' s Templars , the Supreme Council 33 ° , and of other Grand , Provincial , District and subordinate Masonic bodies in EnglandScotland & c

, , , appointed to office in the year 1871 up to the 30 th June last , together ivith a vast amount of useful information relating to the various Masonic bodies throughout the world . The information contained is exclusively Masonic . SeA'eral improvements over the previous issues are noticeable , and the Avork is very coiiA-enient as a pocket book of reference for Masonic purposes .

Doctrines Of Masonry As Taught In Our English Lodge.

DOCTRINES OF MASONRY AS TAUGHT IN OUR ENGLISH LODGE .

Speculative Masonry Deiined . Speculative Masonry is a complete system of instruction in the great truths of natural and revealed religion veiled in allegory , and illustrated by symbols . It is progressive , commencing in the first degree with natural religion , advancing in the second to the law ,

and in the third to the gospel ; though the principles of Christianity are , to a certain extent , contained in all .

First Degree . —Natural religion includes all that man can learn without Divine revelation , and practise without Divine grace , viz ., belief in God , and reliance on His providence , and the four cardinal virtues of Fortitude , Temperance , Prudence , and Justice . It is to these that the signs and symbols connected

with initiation to the Entered Apprentice degree refer . But in addition to these the candidate is admonished as to the necessity of possessing the three Christian graces of Faith , Hope , and Charity , and he is referred to tbe Bible as the spiritual tracing

board of the Great Architect of the Universe , the unerring standard of truth and justice by which his faith is to be governed . Second Degree . —The instruction of the second degree has special reference to the Temple of

Solomon , the great type of Christian Churches . Third Degree . —An explanation of the legend of the third degree is given in the Freemasons' Magazine , vol . xviii ., page 42 . It is only by the light shed upon it by the gospel that its signification can be

discerned , and no one who is not a Christian can realise the full depth of its meaning , and the great beauty of its imagery . So long as the ceremony of raising to the degree of Master Mason remains unaltered , the separation of Masonic teaching from Christian doctrine is impossible . From a bundle of Masonic Excerpts . —CHAELES PUBTON COOPEI ? .

SECRET SOCIETIES . —Bufc it is said to be mconsiutent Avith the Gospel to hold societies thus secretly guarded . Let 11 im AVIIO " spake as neA'er man spake , " speak for Himself— "Unto you , " Ho says , to His disciples , "it is given to kuoAv the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven , but unto them Avithout all these things are done in parables . " When He stood before the High Priest , ancl AVUS asked of his doctrine , He replied , '' I spake openly to the Avorld ; I ever taught in the synagogue , and

in the temple , and in secret have 1 said nothing" contrary thereto . This He saicl of His doctrine and teaching . But the secrets and mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven were another matter . It AVUS only a few hours before He thus spake of His teaching—His doctrines—That He bad instituted the great sacramental mystery of His religion , in secret , Avith His disciples alone . And this sacrament of the last supper AVUS , for some centuries , ahvays a sacret mystery , knoAvn only to those

ivho hy baptism hacl been initiated ; until , alas 1 the Church began to court the world , and then those sacred mysteries of fchut heartrending eA'ent AA-ero made a public spectacle of , —alas for the Church that it is sol—Itev , E . M- P . Wells .