Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review.
REVIEW .
THE FREEMASON ' CALENDAR . *—THE COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR . THE annual appearance of these two useful handbooks reminds the Craft and Ohivalric Masonry that another period of work has commenced in that yearly round of faithful duty and pleasant
observance which makes up the normal existence of a world-wide Order of far-extending organizations . It is a very wonderful thing , when we come to regard it seriously and thoughtfully , is this Ubiquity of Freemasonry , and the universal spread of Fraternities , and Chapters , and Councils , whose basis is , after all , nothing but Craft
Masonry . It is one of the great arguments in favour of the reality of historic claims and ancient origins , for all these various and differing bodies , that they all rest on the humbler idea and teaching of Craft Masonry . It lias been said hastily by some that this is a proof of partizan accretion , unhealthy growth , and untrue assumptions , in that all such grades and developements professed to emerge out of the earlier legends
of the Craft . But those who so wrote formerly , and those who so contend to-day , have either not thought out where their premises are leading them , or have not realized the effect of evidence , whether direct or inferential . Hence , in our days , the too hasty induction of an earlier class of writers is not now accepted , and sounder views ,
happily , prevail , both as to the possible and the probable in Masonic history , both as to what is actually proveable , and what can only be fairly inferred . The old argument that condemned with sweeping censure all Hig h Grade formations as the creation of ignorance , imposture , or folly , is not now acceded to by any leading Masonic student ;
and though still a great contrariety of opinion exists as to the comparative value of this or that developement , yet all agree that by historical evidence , and historical evidence alone , the great fabric of true Masonic history must stand or fall ; and that without truth , objective truth , too , as its basis , no superstructure , be it what it may , can endure , for even ever so short a time , the levelling and scathingwords of searching and destructive criticism .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review.
REVIEW .
THE FREEMASON ' CALENDAR . *—THE COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR . THE annual appearance of these two useful handbooks reminds the Craft and Ohivalric Masonry that another period of work has commenced in that yearly round of faithful duty and pleasant
observance which makes up the normal existence of a world-wide Order of far-extending organizations . It is a very wonderful thing , when we come to regard it seriously and thoughtfully , is this Ubiquity of Freemasonry , and the universal spread of Fraternities , and Chapters , and Councils , whose basis is , after all , nothing but Craft
Masonry . It is one of the great arguments in favour of the reality of historic claims and ancient origins , for all these various and differing bodies , that they all rest on the humbler idea and teaching of Craft Masonry . It lias been said hastily by some that this is a proof of partizan accretion , unhealthy growth , and untrue assumptions , in that all such grades and developements professed to emerge out of the earlier legends
of the Craft . But those who so wrote formerly , and those who so contend to-day , have either not thought out where their premises are leading them , or have not realized the effect of evidence , whether direct or inferential . Hence , in our days , the too hasty induction of an earlier class of writers is not now accepted , and sounder views ,
happily , prevail , both as to the possible and the probable in Masonic history , both as to what is actually proveable , and what can only be fairly inferred . The old argument that condemned with sweeping censure all Hig h Grade formations as the creation of ignorance , imposture , or folly , is not now acceded to by any leading Masonic student ;
and though still a great contrariety of opinion exists as to the comparative value of this or that developement , yet all agree that by historical evidence , and historical evidence alone , the great fabric of true Masonic history must stand or fall ; and that without truth , objective truth , too , as its basis , no superstructure , be it what it may , can endure , for even ever so short a time , the levelling and scathingwords of searching and destructive criticism .