Address.

prove himself far more competent and worthy ¦ of it . It now only remains to thank you for your kindness and general compliance with my wishes during the past year , and to express my

conviction that , whatever my errors may have been , they will be remedied by my most excellent brother who is shortly to fill my place . I owe him a debt of gratitude for the fidelity and ability with which from the west he has supported

me in this chair , ancl I pray that he may be guided in all his doings by the Grand Overseer of the Universe , and thus he enabled to conduce to your prosperity aud to the promotion of all the good which this branch of our Order is calculated to

effect . With these parting words I resign my official rank , the last art of which will be to instal my trusty and beloved brother the Rev . R . Bowden in the chair of Adoniram , which I now proceed » to do .

The Prayers Of The Craft.

THE PRAYERS OF THE CRAFT .

By Bro . WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN , P . M . & c . & c . It is my intention to write a series of papers on "The Prayers of the Craffc" in order to elucidate the character of Freemasonry before and since the Union of A . D . 1813 . Not having the requisite

¦ time to arrange my notes either chronologically or systematically , my readers must be content to accept the following , more as an unfinished sketch of so important a subject , than as an exhaustive examination , of the religious ceremonies of the Craft . '

The annexed Prayer is one of the most elaborate in my possession , and evidently unsuitable to be used at the initiation of any candidates other than believers in Christianity . It seems probable that but few else entered our lodges , anterior to the

present century , when the Institution was made thoroughly cosmopolitan and universal . Although the ancient charges breathe a pure spirit of unsectarian devotion , and are generally liberal , the prayers of the Craft from the revival , to the end of

the 18 th century seem to have been mostly of a strong Christian tendency , and we think neither Jews nor Mahomedans could have consistentl y taken part in the proceedings , because contrary to their beliefs . That this was usually the case through our country will appear more evident , when all the

The Prayers Of The Craft.

Prayers we have in M S . or printed , have been transcribed for the pages of the FREEMASONS ' MAGAZINE . From a confutation on the observations on Free--masonry , by an anonymous author of a pamphlet ,

entitled "Masonry the Way to Hell , " by Isaac Head , P . G . M ., Isles of Scilly , ( Exeter A . D . 1766 ) : — "A Prayer at the admission of a new made Brother . —0 God of Abraham , God of Isaac , God

of Jacob , Almighty and Eternal Lord , Maker and Creator of all things , Author and Finisher of our Faith ; Thou , 0 Glorious and Eternal God , to whom alone being belongeth , be pleased in mercy to vouchsafe Thy Divine influence to us the creatures

of Thy power , the work of Thy own hand , here assembled in , Thy awful presence ; and as Thou has promised , in Thy most holy and sacred word , that where two or three are a'athered together in

Thy name there Thou wilt be m the midst of them ; be Thou therefore , 0 Lord , present with us . Hear us from Heaven , Thy dwelling place , and send Thy Holy Spirit into onr hearts , that we may , at all times , in all places , and on all occasions , have a

due sense , of and reverential awe for , Thy Almighty Power , that we may duly consider , that all our thoughts , words , and works , are naked and open to Thy all searching ancl all seeing Eye . Regard , we beseech Thee , our supplications ,

which we offer up to Thee in the name , for the sake , and through the merits of the immaculate Lamb , slain from , the foundation of the world . Impress on our minds a clue sense of those sacred and holy things we have taken on us . Give Thy blessing , 0 Lord to this our present undertaking , and

grant that this onr new made brother may be true and faithful among us ; that he and all of us may devote every action of onr lives to Thy divine honour and service ; and that , with the attainment of the knowledge of the Arcana of Masonry ,

may be also revealed the sacred ancl sublime mysteries of Godliness and Christianity . Grant , 0 Lord , that we may ever agree together in brotherly love and charity , without which whosoever livethis counted dead before Thee ; that in all

our dealings in the world we may clo justice , love mercy , and walk humbly with Thee , 0 great and everlasting God ! ancl that at length an abundant entrance may be administered unfco us iu Thy kingdom , 0 great Jehovah ! and that in all our works , begun , continued , and ended in Thee , we may glorify Thy holy name , and finally , by Thy mercy