The Mark Degree In England.

Bro . Kerr : The Mark Master or Overseer was the Master of the Fellow Craft's Lodge ; tho Master Mason presided over the entire Lodge of three Degrees . There were two classes of Lodges—viz ., Lodges for Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft , under one head . Bro . Binckes : Whose chief was an Overseer . Bro . Kerr : Their Master was au Overseer . There is a curious entry repeatedly made concerning the Master of this Mary ' s

Chapel Lodge which we seceded from , that he shall not go to any meeting of that Lodge Journeymen to pass the Fellow Crafts . Bro . Binckes : To pass Apprentices to the Fellow Craft ? Bro . Kerr : Yes ; all going to show that the Masters were in a superior position to the others . Bro . Binckes : And superior to the Overseers ? Bro . Kerr : Superior to the Overseers or Foremen . In

reference to the existence of what is termed " speculative Masonry , " 1 may mention the Secretary of the JRoyal Order of Scotland informed me that he had documents in his possession upwards of 200 years old , belonging entirely to what is called the " speculative" portion ot Masonry , not the " operative" at all ; and which is very much akin to our third Degree . Bro . Binckes : This is very interesting . What I want to

understand now is whether there were two distinct classes of Lodges—one with the power of working only the first and second Degrees , over which the Master presided as Overseer , and another with the power of ivorking the JEntered Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and Master Mason ? Bro . Kerr : That was the case of the Lodge Journeymen , No . 8 , wliich only worked the First and Second Degrees . The

Lodge from which it separated , No . 1 , Mary ' s Chapel , worked the first , second , and third Degrees . Bro . Mackersy : It required the Master to pass the JE . A . to the F . C . Degree . Bro . Kerr : I find the same kind of minute in reference to the Leith Lodge , viz , The Master of the Lodge shall not go to them , the Leith Lodge , to pass a F . C . ; and in this way these Lodges were kept in a subordinate position .

Bro . Binckes : But the word " pass" being used among us in a technical sense , I want clearly to understand does that mean passing from 1 st to 2 nd , or on to a higher Degree . Bro . Kerr : This may throw some light upon it . The minute of 1598 says , " that no E . A . or F . C . be received or admitted into the Lodge ivithout the number of six Masters and two E . Apprentices , the Wardens of that Lodge being two of the same six Masters . " Nowyou will see here that a FCcannot be

, . . received without the presence of six Masters and two Apprentices . I have an idea that these Apprentices were not present during the time the business was going on . Bro . Hay : They were merely present at the constitution of the Lodge . Bro . Kerr : Yes ; and not afterwards . Bro . Hay : The ori ginal document is on the minute hooks of

Mary's Chapel . _ Bro . Kerr : those Holes of 159 S were promulgated during the time the head of the Kossyln family was ilereilitaryGraud Master Mason . Copies of the rules were sent to the Ledge of Aitcheson ' s Haven , and they are now preserved there . I ° nccd not show further that the Grand Lodge of Scotland investigated this subject very fully . The greatest difficulty arose in getting written evidence because

; , from the strictness ofthe obligation even in the old minute books there is very little information concerning Masonry to be got . There is , indeed , little in them beyond the names of those who were present at the nicotines , and the amount of money received . As tu Minis being usee ! at an early period , you have doubtless at the present day the traditional practice among Operative Masons of using them on implementstoolschiselsand in

, , , many cases upon the stores they work . Some Operative Lodges took A pprentices bound to the Lodge up to ahont the year lfSO , and these young lads while out with a IC . or Journeyman , working along with him , used a Mark , called a blind Mark , frequentl y placed in connection with the regular Mark of the Fellow Craft . There was also the Ofhcial Mark or equilateral triangle I JWln

. „ Chapel upon four runed altars that were dedicated to the four Evangelist " every stone was marked with an equilateral triangle So far we show then- early use from ancient customs , and the ccistii . e Marks on buildings , and the continuation of the practice both by

Operative Masons and existing Operative Lodges . In many of the old minute books the name is not only signed , but the Mark is put behind it , in some places before . In the ritual practised , even in the oldest forms you have of it , it is stated that the stones were hewn at a distance , marked and numbered ; but there is nothing whatever in the instruction now given that describes the manner of marking or anything else relating to it , but in the Mark Ritual , tbe whole is i ' vJUdescribed and shown

y that each individual has a Mark , the Apprentice and F . C . Looking to the Lodge , you have the Junior Warden telling you that his duty is to mark the time , in other words he takes an account of the time . The S . W . tells you he has to pay all the wages ; he is paymaster . This has reference to something that must have been doing ; some work that has been performed . What are you to pay for ? What amount are you to ? Yet

pay you are brought into a chamber to receive wages . You have an indication of something that is incomplete in the second degree . Whereas in the Mark Ritual yon are told that the Overseer or Foreman must examine the work done . He then records the amount of work that has been sent forward to the building , properly marked , which he states opposite the corresponding mark in his book . And when the ivorkniin comes forward to

receive the wage ? , you have the treasurer called upon to pay the amount due as entered against those marks . I mention this to show that the reference made in the two first Degrees is to something without which they are not complete , and that the section ofthe Fellow Craft Degree , now called the Mark Master Degree , supplies what is required . It is not a separate Degree , hut a superior or closing section of the F . C . It is to be remembered that foreman is a F . C . He may be a foreman to-day .

The Master may say at the end of a day , I have no further employment for you in that capacity ; but if you like to work for me as a F . C . for two or three days I will gladly give you work until yon find employment as a Foreman or Overseer . In a Mark Lodge the Cilice Bearers are only Overseers , styled Junior Senior , and Master Overseers—showing clearly that they are in charge for a superior authority . These Overseers not only

directed the workmen , but gave an account of the time employed , and received plans and instructions from the Master , to be communicated to the workmen , ivhether relating to plain or more intricate portions of the work . Passing onward , we have the third Degree in two parts . The first introductory , and the latter containing a legend , where a reference is made to a superior order of Fellow Craftwho bore rule over the othershaving

, , conspired together . In the present course of instruction , there is only one order of Fellow Crafts recognised . Yet reference is distinctly made to a superior order which can only be reconciled by referring to the teaching given in the Mark Ritual . Thero is a very general idea , I am sorry to say , that the third Degree is quite a modern invention , while it is the best authenticated

portion of the Ihree Degrees . It is simply an astronomical problem showing the state of the heavens at the time the foundation tone of the Temple of Solomon was laid , We have notes of it in Scotland . I recollect seeing it worked out upon two large terrestial and celestial globes by an eminent astronomer . The globes were properly rectified and the state of the heavens minutely noted . The signs and ivords of the Degrees nere obtained , and the reason of the implements being used in the Legend of

the third Degree , also the name being thrice repeated , —why the ear of corn and tho waterfall are depicted , and the directions i "_ which tho procession moves . It has proved itself lo be one of the best authenticated of the three Degrees . The astronomer asked whether I would mind leaving the notes with him . I did so , and he afterwards informed me that he went over the whole willi u very learned Professor , who expressed his opinion that it evidentl ancient

was y a very system of some kind or other , He did not care whether it was Masonry or what it was ; it appeared to ho of undoubted antiquity . Bro . Mackersy : Were these gentlemen Mason ? Bro . Kerr : No ; I may mention that what I have stated , as a short summary , occupied many long meetings of the Committee ot Grand Lodgewhen they were considering whether thoy

, . should recognise the Mark Degree as a part of the Fellow Cralt They investigated the subject very fully . The then Deputy Grand Master , Bro . Why te Melville , also made enquiry and found the marks to have been used in tho older Lodges , as already stated . Afterwards , the late Dr . Walker Arnott , who was very much opposed to Grand Lodge taking up the matter , made the same enquiry , and the evidence he collected was corrrhorativo .