St. Alban And Freemasonry.

imperial purple , defied the justice and the arms of Hs injured sovereign . Carausius , aware that orders for his execution had been issued by Maximian , and hoping to be the founder of a British Empire , found it

necessary to conciliate the important corporations ivhich ¦ then existed in Britain , among which were the . Societies of Architects , which had followed the Roman armies into that country . He , therefore , encouraged learning and learned men , and

collecting together the principal artificers , chiefly Masons , whom he held in great veneration , he appointed Albanus to be the principal Superintendent of their assemblies .

Albanus ivas a native of Britain , having been born at Verulam , but it may fairly be inferred from Ms name that he was of Roman ancestry . Through the example and influence of a monk he renounced Paganism , in which faith he had been

educated , and embraced Christianity . He afterwards suffered martyrdom for his faith , and was canonized by the church , under the name of St . Alban . The date of his martyrdom is variously -given by the chroniclers as the years 286 , 296 , and

303 . Five or six centuries afterwards , Ossa , King- of the Mercians , built a large and stately -monastery to his memory , and the toivn of St . Albans , in Hertfordshire , takes its name from the . profco-marfcyr .

The Soman governor sent a party of soldiers to : arresfc the monk , who was at the time the guest of Albanus . The latter , however , presented himself in the monk ' s stead , and ivas taken before the magistrate ; Being asked of what family he was ,

Albanus replied , " To what purpose do you inquire of my family ? If you would know my religion , I am Christian . " Being asked his name , he answered , " My name is Albanus , and I ivorship the only true and living God , who created all

things . "" The magistrate replied , " If you would enjoy the happiness of eternal life , delay not to sacrifice to the great Gods . " Albanus replied , ¦ f 'The sacrifices you offer are made to devils ; neither can they help the needy or grant the petitions of their votaries . " This reply so enraged the officer that he commanded that Albanus should be

immediately beheaded . As might be expected , the proto-martyr of Great Britain could not suffer death without the presence of supernatural occurrences . Freemasonry , as has often been said , is not a

St. Alban And Freemasonry.

religious society , in a sectarian or controversial sense . It enters into no theological discussions . It does not claim to usurp the Church ' s province or to interfere with the religious convictions of its votaries . It gathers into its ivide embrace

humanity of every clime and of every creed . Yet , for all this , Freemasonry has a religion and a faith , which every candidate for its mysteries must declare , before he is invested with its privileges . And if the Freemason be asked what is the

religious faith , which , as a Mason , he professes , he can answer in no better language than in the dying Avords of St . Alban , the first Grand Master of Britain , the utterance of which won for him the crown of martyrdom , " I worship the only true and living God , ivho created all things . "

Masonic Jottings, No. 62.

MASONIC JOTTINGS , No . 62 .

BY A PAST PKOVINCIAL GRAND MASTEE . ANTE-REVIVAL . SPECULATIVE MASONRY " . In the history of the Revival Proceedings it is mentioned that upon one occasion ( December , 1721 ) , several very instructive lectures were

delivered , and much useful information given by a few old Masons . A learned brother observes that as there was an abandonment of Operative Masonry , it is not an unreasonable presumption , that the very instructive lectures and the useful information regarded the Ante-Revival Speculative Masonry .

ANTE-REVIVAL CHARGES . Amongst the manuscripts asserted to have been burnt by scrupulous brethren about the time of the Revival , it is thought that there ivas a copy of the Ante-Revival Charges , written by Mr . Nicholas Stone , ivarden under Inigo Jones , —Papers of a Mason lately deceased .

TIIE BIBLE IS THE BOOK OP THE ENGLISII iiOncffi . The question ivhich a brother desires to agitate is not an open question . Our founders have made the Bible the Book of the English Lodge .

ETHICAL CHRISTIANS . Ethical Christians adop t tho morality of Christianity , but no part of its Theology . Nevertheless , as they ivorship the Great Architect of the Universe , and believe in a Future State of Re-Avards and Punishments , they are receivable into