The City Of Jerusalem.—Origin Of The Templars.

Church of Rome ; and they received such grants and emoluments that no order of knighthood became so rich and powerful . From being the poorest , they became the most opulent order in Europe ; and their poAver , influence , and vast

possessions excited the envy of kings and emperors . They were connected Avith the noblest families in the various realms in ivhieh they ivere established , and were generally disliked for the excessive pride and airogance which , it is said ,

they assumed . In the wars of the Crusades , for the recovery of Jerusalem from the possession of the infidels , these Knights of the Temple fought valiantly ; and they became renowned throughout Christendom for their invincible courage and for their deeds of valour . Peaceful times returning ,

they became scattered over Europe . To this day their temples and houses still exist , as monuments of an Order which above all others has made its mark in history . Finally the most outrageous charges Avere made against the Knights in France ,

and the Emperor Philippe le Bel , ivith the com plicity of the Pope of Rome , put to death the Grand Master De Molay , and other distinguished and influential Knights of the Order . This example was , in effect , folloAved throughout Europe ;

and the proud Order Avas . extinguished , its vast properties confiscated , and its Knights executed or expatriated . It is a well-known historic fact , that about the time of the suppression of the Order , the Knights were in some ivay allied Avith the Institution of Masonry .

The Continental War.

THE CONTINENTAL WAR .

Freemasonry has ever been the friend of peace , and the enemy of Avar and bloodshed . With Avhat feelings then must we contemplate the hellish carnage which is now desolating the continent ? Both as Christians and as

Freemasons , weare bound to look at it with abhorrence , to bear our protest , however feeble , against those wicked passions Avhich have excited ambitious monarchs to plunge their unfortunate subjects into miseries , the recital of Avhich makes the blood run

cold . The great light in Masonry warns us : " Be sure your sin will find you out . " How true this is , in the case of individuals , experience Avill prove . As it is with individuals , so it is with nations . Austria and Prussia , as we Englishmen think and

are convinced , committed a grievous sin against Denmark ; and now like tAvo greedy beasts of prey ., they are tearing each other to pieces over their illgotten wealth . AVe confess that we have no sympathy ivith these men ; " they are but eating the

fruit of their own devices . " But we deeply deplore the fate of those Avhom they have dragged away from their peaceful homes to die a death of agony , in order that the silly ambition of their Majesties of Austria aud Prussia may be

gratified . We are not advocates of the Peace Society . We believe that , in our present imperfect state , Avar is sometimes a necessary evil ; but we believe that the present continental war is unnecessary and

Avickecl , and might easily have been averted , ivere it not for the Avrongheadedness of the belligerents .

We are not going into the knotty question of the Divine right of Kings ; but supposing- thatthat dogma be a fiction , as many believe it to be , is there no escape for Central Europe from the wretchedness into Avhich it is at present plunged ?

Could not the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia be made to settle by single combat the difficulties Avhich have arisen between them . We are not disposed to go quite so far as a French . contemporaryAvho , anticipating that the conference

would turn out a failure , suggested that the only Avay of solving the difficulty Avas , that the ambitions potentates who refused to comply with the advice of the neutral powers , should be hung as common malefactors , as enemies to the world .

It perhaps would be better that these tAvo men should die the death , than that thousands of Avidoivs and orphans should be Availing over the loss , of those dearer to them than life itself .

Freemasonry has nothing to do with politics or revolutions . She is , hoAvever , powerful enough if she chose it , to have the world at her feet . And Ave cannot help thinking that her poAverful voice should be heard louder , and more peremptorily ro .

behalf of peace and humanity . We grieve to say it , the King of Prussia is a Mason ; and so is his victim the King of Hanover . The unbeliever in Christianity and Masonry

then is now only too glad to take the opportunity of asking , " Where are the boasted civilising effects of religion , and of Freemasonry ? " With sorrow ive must reply to him , " They are not to be found in Central Europe . "