Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
"The Grand Lodge Of 1717 Was The First Grand Lodge In The World."
" THE GRAND LODGE OF 1717 WAS THE FIRST GRAND LODGE IN THE WORLD . "
A brother who writes of Freemasonry in France and in Germany during the first half of the last century , will ^ do well to understand this somewhat vainglorious aud inaccurate expression , as bestowed upon the Grand Lodge of 1717 , in reference to the lodges founded in France and Germany during the period of
which lie treats , and to their descendants . Many of those lodges were the daughters of ihe Grand Lodge of 1717 . Most of the others , probably all , took our celebrated lodge for their model . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER .
THE DEGREE OE MALTA . I find the following in your report of the meeting of the Grand Priory of the Order of Malta : — "Your committee begs to recommend that the register of this Order shall be kept separate , " & c . Now the Order of the Temple was dissolved in 1314 , and the
Order of Malta ( as such ) arose in 1530 . Therefore no Templar could have been created a Knight of Malta . Had our rulers any knoAvledge of TempJary in England they would Lave been aware that the JVJalta portion was considered amerehistorical addition , arising from the acquisition of that island . I approve of the
historical addition , but not of a separate Grand Priory of the Order of Malta , and rather than have it , I hope fhe whole will suffer extinction . The Scottish system is a very sensible one . When they instal a Knight , he is considered , on taking an obligation , also to belong to nil these minor Orders ( about a dozen ) . —JOHN TARKER .
A REAL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION . I have observed it Ffated that a lodge in Avhich no refreshment is ever to appear will shortly be started in Edinburgh . I trust that the brethren who are taking this in hand have the ability and perseverance to carry out their intentions to a decided success .
They deserve the goodwill of all real wdl-wishers to Masonry and to Masons , not forgetting either Masons' wives and iAlasons' bairns . This so-called "refreshment" lies been detrimental to Masonry from first to inst . I consider Hint our drinking customs are causing the rapid deterioration of Scottish
Masonry . Like a cancer , they are eating into its vitals ; hence the real cure is amputation . Masonry will then rise to a healthier , purer , and nobler life than it has ever vet seen . —W . P . B .
COMMUNICATIONS SIGNED " EliOll" AND " A MASONIC STUDENT . " My answer to the letter of an Entered Apprentice is that , according to my Craft Memorandum Book , the communications to the Freemason ' s Magazine , signed "Ebor , " commence vol . viii . page Gl . For some weeks
they were frequent , but afterwards became rare . The last of which 1 have made a noto occurs iu vol . xi ., pnge 325 . The communications signed "A Masonic Student , " commence vol . xviii ., page 291 . An Entered Apprentice cannot studthe
abovey mentioned communications too much . All who can form a correct judgment of them , and who desire the progress of sound Masonic , historical knowledge , must hope that they may long be continued by their learned and accomplished author . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER .
"The Grand Lodge Of 1717 Was The First Grand Lodge In The World."
COUNCIL OE RITES . I may inform " Progress" that every Grand Lodge in England , including the V 717 , recognised the Arch , Rosy Cross , and Templar Kadosh last century . EveH Craft Masons should insist upon such a Council to stop the present anarchy and lvasfce of means , moral , and material . —J . TARKER .
MASON ' S SQUARE IN GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL . At page 303 , April 16 tb , there are some remarks upon this subject by Bro . Henry Jeffs . To these remarks I sent up an answer at the time . I heg to be allowed to state again that I differ entirely from Bro . Jeffs in his ideas , and that supposing this stone was
set up and cut in the 15 th century , it has nothing whatever to do with our system of Freemasonry , with its degrees , & c , certainly not , any more than did certain remarks which appeared in this Magazine , as taken by me from the Aberdeen Burgh Records . So far as the 1717 theory is concerned , therefore , this "Mason ' s Square" does not interfere with it in the least . There were undoubtedly " Free-masons" in the 15 th
century , but these Avere free , operative Masons—Masons fully qualified to carry on their work , not Speculative Freemasons , such as we now are ; and these old operative Masons neither knew aught of nor practised our system of Freemasonry . —W . P . B .
MASONIC PRINCIPLES . If by " Masonic principles" reference is made to our present Speculative Masonry , I say that they should be looked for amongst the philosophical sects of Christianity . —J . TARKER .
ROMAN COLLEGES . —OLD LODGES . " Why should it not be inferred that the latter were imitations of the former ? " The possibilities are that building Freemasonry was lineally derived from the colleges of the Romans ; but if so , present Freemasonry cannot be such , for in its nature it is Jewish Cabalism .
It is far more likely to be the work of another society , a member of which , c . c . 1530 , styled himself "Prince of Philosophers and Grand Master of Mechanical Secrets . ' " True before the establishment of the present Grand Lodge in 1717 , the derivation of our society from the operative brotherhood Avas asserted , but such lias never yet been shoAvn . Your readers will perceive I Avrite to elicit truth , utterly regardless of popularity . — JOHN TARKER .
1717 THEORY CONTROVERSY . I have shown above that there is abundant means of disposing of this . —J . Y .
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed ly Correspondent ? , A COUINTCIL OF RITES .
10 THE lilHTOl : OF THE rilEIiarASOHS' MAGAZIJ'E AUD MASONIC MIRBOH . Dear Sir and Brother , —Your correspondent " Progress , " although actuated by a most proper feeling . Avith regiird to the mutual support of the various grades of Freemasonry , is evidently under a Avrong impression as to the " consummation devoutly to be wished . " The first of his propositions is as follows : — " The high grades should be recognised , acknowledged , and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
"The Grand Lodge Of 1717 Was The First Grand Lodge In The World."
" THE GRAND LODGE OF 1717 WAS THE FIRST GRAND LODGE IN THE WORLD . "
A brother who writes of Freemasonry in France and in Germany during the first half of the last century , will ^ do well to understand this somewhat vainglorious aud inaccurate expression , as bestowed upon the Grand Lodge of 1717 , in reference to the lodges founded in France and Germany during the period of
which lie treats , and to their descendants . Many of those lodges were the daughters of ihe Grand Lodge of 1717 . Most of the others , probably all , took our celebrated lodge for their model . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER .
THE DEGREE OE MALTA . I find the following in your report of the meeting of the Grand Priory of the Order of Malta : — "Your committee begs to recommend that the register of this Order shall be kept separate , " & c . Now the Order of the Temple was dissolved in 1314 , and the
Order of Malta ( as such ) arose in 1530 . Therefore no Templar could have been created a Knight of Malta . Had our rulers any knoAvledge of TempJary in England they would Lave been aware that the JVJalta portion was considered amerehistorical addition , arising from the acquisition of that island . I approve of the
historical addition , but not of a separate Grand Priory of the Order of Malta , and rather than have it , I hope fhe whole will suffer extinction . The Scottish system is a very sensible one . When they instal a Knight , he is considered , on taking an obligation , also to belong to nil these minor Orders ( about a dozen ) . —JOHN TARKER .
A REAL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION . I have observed it Ffated that a lodge in Avhich no refreshment is ever to appear will shortly be started in Edinburgh . I trust that the brethren who are taking this in hand have the ability and perseverance to carry out their intentions to a decided success .
They deserve the goodwill of all real wdl-wishers to Masonry and to Masons , not forgetting either Masons' wives and iAlasons' bairns . This so-called "refreshment" lies been detrimental to Masonry from first to inst . I consider Hint our drinking customs are causing the rapid deterioration of Scottish
Masonry . Like a cancer , they are eating into its vitals ; hence the real cure is amputation . Masonry will then rise to a healthier , purer , and nobler life than it has ever vet seen . —W . P . B .
COMMUNICATIONS SIGNED " EliOll" AND " A MASONIC STUDENT . " My answer to the letter of an Entered Apprentice is that , according to my Craft Memorandum Book , the communications to the Freemason ' s Magazine , signed "Ebor , " commence vol . viii . page Gl . For some weeks
they were frequent , but afterwards became rare . The last of which 1 have made a noto occurs iu vol . xi ., pnge 325 . The communications signed "A Masonic Student , " commence vol . xviii ., page 291 . An Entered Apprentice cannot studthe
abovey mentioned communications too much . All who can form a correct judgment of them , and who desire the progress of sound Masonic , historical knowledge , must hope that they may long be continued by their learned and accomplished author . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER .
"The Grand Lodge Of 1717 Was The First Grand Lodge In The World."
COUNCIL OE RITES . I may inform " Progress" that every Grand Lodge in England , including the V 717 , recognised the Arch , Rosy Cross , and Templar Kadosh last century . EveH Craft Masons should insist upon such a Council to stop the present anarchy and lvasfce of means , moral , and material . —J . TARKER .
MASON ' S SQUARE IN GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL . At page 303 , April 16 tb , there are some remarks upon this subject by Bro . Henry Jeffs . To these remarks I sent up an answer at the time . I heg to be allowed to state again that I differ entirely from Bro . Jeffs in his ideas , and that supposing this stone was
set up and cut in the 15 th century , it has nothing whatever to do with our system of Freemasonry , with its degrees , & c , certainly not , any more than did certain remarks which appeared in this Magazine , as taken by me from the Aberdeen Burgh Records . So far as the 1717 theory is concerned , therefore , this "Mason ' s Square" does not interfere with it in the least . There were undoubtedly " Free-masons" in the 15 th
century , but these Avere free , operative Masons—Masons fully qualified to carry on their work , not Speculative Freemasons , such as we now are ; and these old operative Masons neither knew aught of nor practised our system of Freemasonry . —W . P . B .
MASONIC PRINCIPLES . If by " Masonic principles" reference is made to our present Speculative Masonry , I say that they should be looked for amongst the philosophical sects of Christianity . —J . TARKER .
ROMAN COLLEGES . —OLD LODGES . " Why should it not be inferred that the latter were imitations of the former ? " The possibilities are that building Freemasonry was lineally derived from the colleges of the Romans ; but if so , present Freemasonry cannot be such , for in its nature it is Jewish Cabalism .
It is far more likely to be the work of another society , a member of which , c . c . 1530 , styled himself "Prince of Philosophers and Grand Master of Mechanical Secrets . ' " True before the establishment of the present Grand Lodge in 1717 , the derivation of our society from the operative brotherhood Avas asserted , but such lias never yet been shoAvn . Your readers will perceive I Avrite to elicit truth , utterly regardless of popularity . — JOHN TARKER .
1717 THEORY CONTROVERSY . I have shown above that there is abundant means of disposing of this . —J . Y .
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed ly Correspondent ? , A COUINTCIL OF RITES .
10 THE lilHTOl : OF THE rilEIiarASOHS' MAGAZIJ'E AUD MASONIC MIRBOH . Dear Sir and Brother , —Your correspondent " Progress , " although actuated by a most proper feeling . Avith regiird to the mutual support of the various grades of Freemasonry , is evidently under a Avrong impression as to the " consummation devoutly to be wished . " The first of his propositions is as follows : — " The high grades should be recognised , acknowledged , and