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Article CONSECRATIONS. Page 1 of 1 Article THE DEGREES OF FREEMASONRY AND THE ROYAL ARCH. Page 1 of 4 →
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Consecrations.
CONSECRATIONS .
•v . LEGGE LODGE . THE date of the Consecration of this Lodge at West Bromwich , originally fixed for Tuesday last , has been altered to the 18 th inst . The Earl of Dartmouth Provincial Grand Master will be present on the occasion , and it is hoped there will be a good attendance of members of Provincial Grand Lodge .-
ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS LODGE .
THERE appears to be as little limit to the creation of new Masonic Lodges as to the charitable instincts of the Order itself . The Grand Secretary , assisted by several leading Brethren , last week consecrated at Freemasons ' Hall a new Lodge , to be known as the Royal Warrant
Holders' Lodge , and numbered ' 2789 . It is , as its name implies , for the use and accommodation of those men of business who hold Royal warrants and display the Royal Arms . Bro . Daniel Mayer ( Erard and Co . ) was the first Worshipful Master , and E . W . Stillwell and T . B . Tipton the first Wardens . — " Daily Telegraph . "
At a meeting of the Lodge of Tranquillity , No . 185 , it was decided , at the instance of Bro . Philip Ornstien W . M ., to vote twenty guineas- from the Lodge funds towards the special appeal in aid of the wives and families of soldiers and sailors , reserves included , who are serving with the colours in
South Africa ; and also twenty guineas towards the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund . Notice of motion was given by the W . M ., that at the next meeting he would propose that a sum of ten guineas to each of the Masonic Charities should be voted out of the Lodge funds . It was unanimously agreed
to send a letter of congratulation to the Rev . G . J . Emanuel , on his appointment to the office of Provincial Grand Chaplain of Warwickshire . It transpired that the Rev . G . J . Emanuel was formerly a member of the Lodge of
Tranquillity , having been initiated into Freemasonry in that Lodge in 1861 , and held office in the following year ( I . G . 1862 , J . D . 1862 , S . D . 1863 ) , an unusual quick preferment . He retired from the Lodge on being appointed Minister of the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation .
A great international gathering of Freemasons was held in Ottawa last week , 150 Craftsmen from Ogdensburg and other points in the northern parts of New York state paying a fraternal visit to the Builders' Lodge . Mr . Mulock , the Postmaster-General , and Mr . Malby , Speaker of the New
York Senate , were the principal speakers at the banquet . Anglo-Saxon unity was the keynote of all the addresses , every allusion thereto provoking great cheering . The following telegram from Grand Sec . Elhets , New York , was received with vociferous applause : — " The Brethren of New
York send heartiest greetings . May the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes , one and inseparable in the cause of universal brotherhood , ever be borne bv the armies of li . o ] - > r
and tolerance in warfare against darkness and superstitution , teaching man the Mason ' s faith , the Mason ' s hope , the Mason ' s charity . "— "Liverpool Courier . "
Bro . Henry Robinson , formerly the manager of the Town Hall Tavern , Kensington , has much pleasure in informing his friends that he has taken the " Old George , " Church
Street , Kensington , and will be pleased to see them there at any time , when they may rely on receiving a most heart y welcome . The busses to and from Earls Court pass the door .
The election meeting of the Domatic Lodge , No . 177 , will be held on Friday , at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , the proceedings commencing at 5 . 15 , with refreshments to follow at 7 o ' clock . There is one candidate on the agenda for raising .
A meeting of the Duke of Connaught Lodge , No . 1524 , took place at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , E . C ., on Thursday , when business in the three degrees was transacted . A detailed report will appear in our next issue .
The Degrees Of Freemasonry And The Royal Arch.
THE DEGREES OF FREEMASONRY AND THE ROYAL ARCH .
Paper read by Comp . C . L . Mason , at the meeting of the Prov . Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire , 22 nd November 1899 . BY the solemn Act of Union between the two Grand Lodges of Freemasons of England in December 1813 , it was
" declared and pronounced that pure Ancient Masonry consists of three degrees and no more , viz .: those of the Entered Apprentice , the Fellow Craft , and the Master Mason , including the Supreme Order of the Holy Eoyal Arch . " ( 1 )
Before we proceed , id may be well to explain what is meant by a Degree . Let us adopt the definition of Brother Gould , who says : " A degree in its present Masonic sense represents a rank secretly conferred . " ( 2 )
Now the question of degrees is a vexed one , and thoroughly to go into the matter would take more time than I have at my disposal . Brother Hughan holds that originally there was but one degree . This opinion he supports very strongly in a paper on " The Three Degrees of Freemasonry , " which he read before
the QuatuorCoronati Lodge on Thursday , the 24 th June 1897 . ( 3 ) Hear what he says : " It is still a difficulty with me to understand how Brethren versed in Craft lore can see any proof that more than one esoteric ceremony was known to and practised by our Masonic forefathers anterior to the Grand Lodge era .
" Brother D . Murray . Lyon and I have laboured in this particular field of research for over thirty years , have made ourselves acquainted with all known minutes and records of the period , have discovered nob a few important manuscripts , have been assisted by numerous willing and earnest students , especially in more recent times , and yet have failed to find aught that weakens our po-ition .
" In our judgment , until the second decade of the last century , there was but one simple ceremony ; never were Brethren required to leave the Loige because a higher degree was to be worked—for which they were nob eligible—but whether Apprentices , Fellow Crafts , or Master Masons , all were equally
entitled to be present , irrespective of any notion of degrees whatever . In other words , so far as we can determine * in the light of duly authenticated facts , distinct and separate Masonic degrees are never met with , alluded to , or even probable , prior to 1716-1717 circa .
"I believe in the great antiquity of the Fraternity ; in the Free and Accepted Masons of to-day being the lineal descendants of the Craftsmen who built our noble Cathedrals , and in the existing copies of the Old Charges ( extending over a period of five centuries ) , constituting the title deeds to our Masonic
inheritance . But the antiquity or continuity of Freemasonry is one thing , and that of degrees quite another ; hence , while I do my utmost to strengthen the links of evidence which connect the original organisation with its operative and partly speculative predecessor—both esoterically and symbolically—I feel quite as
free to reject any theory which seeks to date back the origin of degrees , and particularly that of the ' Third , ' to the 17 th century or earlier , because adequate proof is lacking . " This is Brother Hughan ' s view . Brother Speth , the Secretary of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge ,
argues that there were two degrees , and in a paper read before the Lodge on the 4 th March 1898 ( 4 ) , thus sums up his contention : " In the olden days the operative apprentice was ' Entered , ' which was a purely business proceeding , equivalent to our modern indentures or articles . Then , or shortlv afterwards , came the
degree work , making him a Mason , which comprised the administration of an oath , the communication of the Craft-legend , and the imparting of certain secrets , which are now divided between him and the Fellow Craft . Seven years later he was passed a Master after due examination , again a purely business proceeding . But if he desired to pursue the Craft for a living
it became necessary , as m all other guilds , to join the Fellowship , and this entailed a ceremony conferring the secrets necessary for him to prove himself abroad a Fellow of the Craft and not a runaway apprentice . Moreover , this ceremony , which was mystic and a real initiation , imparted , naturally in a much less ornate manner than now , the ' Master's part , ' or , in other words , the essentials of our Master Mason ' s degree .
"In later times these two degrees were run into one when conferred upon a speculative candidate , and , as a natural consequence of the decay of the Lodges , the second degree was almost forgotten by the operatives , and , possibly , much confused by the speculative Masons . In 1717 these two degrees were taken over bodily by the Grand Lodge , and restored to sense , as well as the limited knowledge of the members would permit .
(*) Book of Constitutions , 1 st Regulation . ( ) A . Q . C . x . —128 . (») A . Q . C . x . —127 . ( i ) A . Q . C . xi . —55 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Consecrations.
CONSECRATIONS .
•v . LEGGE LODGE . THE date of the Consecration of this Lodge at West Bromwich , originally fixed for Tuesday last , has been altered to the 18 th inst . The Earl of Dartmouth Provincial Grand Master will be present on the occasion , and it is hoped there will be a good attendance of members of Provincial Grand Lodge .-
ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS LODGE .
THERE appears to be as little limit to the creation of new Masonic Lodges as to the charitable instincts of the Order itself . The Grand Secretary , assisted by several leading Brethren , last week consecrated at Freemasons ' Hall a new Lodge , to be known as the Royal Warrant
Holders' Lodge , and numbered ' 2789 . It is , as its name implies , for the use and accommodation of those men of business who hold Royal warrants and display the Royal Arms . Bro . Daniel Mayer ( Erard and Co . ) was the first Worshipful Master , and E . W . Stillwell and T . B . Tipton the first Wardens . — " Daily Telegraph . "
At a meeting of the Lodge of Tranquillity , No . 185 , it was decided , at the instance of Bro . Philip Ornstien W . M ., to vote twenty guineas- from the Lodge funds towards the special appeal in aid of the wives and families of soldiers and sailors , reserves included , who are serving with the colours in
South Africa ; and also twenty guineas towards the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund . Notice of motion was given by the W . M ., that at the next meeting he would propose that a sum of ten guineas to each of the Masonic Charities should be voted out of the Lodge funds . It was unanimously agreed
to send a letter of congratulation to the Rev . G . J . Emanuel , on his appointment to the office of Provincial Grand Chaplain of Warwickshire . It transpired that the Rev . G . J . Emanuel was formerly a member of the Lodge of
Tranquillity , having been initiated into Freemasonry in that Lodge in 1861 , and held office in the following year ( I . G . 1862 , J . D . 1862 , S . D . 1863 ) , an unusual quick preferment . He retired from the Lodge on being appointed Minister of the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation .
A great international gathering of Freemasons was held in Ottawa last week , 150 Craftsmen from Ogdensburg and other points in the northern parts of New York state paying a fraternal visit to the Builders' Lodge . Mr . Mulock , the Postmaster-General , and Mr . Malby , Speaker of the New
York Senate , were the principal speakers at the banquet . Anglo-Saxon unity was the keynote of all the addresses , every allusion thereto provoking great cheering . The following telegram from Grand Sec . Elhets , New York , was received with vociferous applause : — " The Brethren of New
York send heartiest greetings . May the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes , one and inseparable in the cause of universal brotherhood , ever be borne bv the armies of li . o ] - > r
and tolerance in warfare against darkness and superstitution , teaching man the Mason ' s faith , the Mason ' s hope , the Mason ' s charity . "— "Liverpool Courier . "
Bro . Henry Robinson , formerly the manager of the Town Hall Tavern , Kensington , has much pleasure in informing his friends that he has taken the " Old George , " Church
Street , Kensington , and will be pleased to see them there at any time , when they may rely on receiving a most heart y welcome . The busses to and from Earls Court pass the door .
The election meeting of the Domatic Lodge , No . 177 , will be held on Friday , at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , the proceedings commencing at 5 . 15 , with refreshments to follow at 7 o ' clock . There is one candidate on the agenda for raising .
A meeting of the Duke of Connaught Lodge , No . 1524 , took place at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , E . C ., on Thursday , when business in the three degrees was transacted . A detailed report will appear in our next issue .
The Degrees Of Freemasonry And The Royal Arch.
THE DEGREES OF FREEMASONRY AND THE ROYAL ARCH .
Paper read by Comp . C . L . Mason , at the meeting of the Prov . Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire , 22 nd November 1899 . BY the solemn Act of Union between the two Grand Lodges of Freemasons of England in December 1813 , it was
" declared and pronounced that pure Ancient Masonry consists of three degrees and no more , viz .: those of the Entered Apprentice , the Fellow Craft , and the Master Mason , including the Supreme Order of the Holy Eoyal Arch . " ( 1 )
Before we proceed , id may be well to explain what is meant by a Degree . Let us adopt the definition of Brother Gould , who says : " A degree in its present Masonic sense represents a rank secretly conferred . " ( 2 )
Now the question of degrees is a vexed one , and thoroughly to go into the matter would take more time than I have at my disposal . Brother Hughan holds that originally there was but one degree . This opinion he supports very strongly in a paper on " The Three Degrees of Freemasonry , " which he read before
the QuatuorCoronati Lodge on Thursday , the 24 th June 1897 . ( 3 ) Hear what he says : " It is still a difficulty with me to understand how Brethren versed in Craft lore can see any proof that more than one esoteric ceremony was known to and practised by our Masonic forefathers anterior to the Grand Lodge era .
" Brother D . Murray . Lyon and I have laboured in this particular field of research for over thirty years , have made ourselves acquainted with all known minutes and records of the period , have discovered nob a few important manuscripts , have been assisted by numerous willing and earnest students , especially in more recent times , and yet have failed to find aught that weakens our po-ition .
" In our judgment , until the second decade of the last century , there was but one simple ceremony ; never were Brethren required to leave the Loige because a higher degree was to be worked—for which they were nob eligible—but whether Apprentices , Fellow Crafts , or Master Masons , all were equally
entitled to be present , irrespective of any notion of degrees whatever . In other words , so far as we can determine * in the light of duly authenticated facts , distinct and separate Masonic degrees are never met with , alluded to , or even probable , prior to 1716-1717 circa .
"I believe in the great antiquity of the Fraternity ; in the Free and Accepted Masons of to-day being the lineal descendants of the Craftsmen who built our noble Cathedrals , and in the existing copies of the Old Charges ( extending over a period of five centuries ) , constituting the title deeds to our Masonic
inheritance . But the antiquity or continuity of Freemasonry is one thing , and that of degrees quite another ; hence , while I do my utmost to strengthen the links of evidence which connect the original organisation with its operative and partly speculative predecessor—both esoterically and symbolically—I feel quite as
free to reject any theory which seeks to date back the origin of degrees , and particularly that of the ' Third , ' to the 17 th century or earlier , because adequate proof is lacking . " This is Brother Hughan ' s view . Brother Speth , the Secretary of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge ,
argues that there were two degrees , and in a paper read before the Lodge on the 4 th March 1898 ( 4 ) , thus sums up his contention : " In the olden days the operative apprentice was ' Entered , ' which was a purely business proceeding , equivalent to our modern indentures or articles . Then , or shortlv afterwards , came the
degree work , making him a Mason , which comprised the administration of an oath , the communication of the Craft-legend , and the imparting of certain secrets , which are now divided between him and the Fellow Craft . Seven years later he was passed a Master after due examination , again a purely business proceeding . But if he desired to pursue the Craft for a living
it became necessary , as m all other guilds , to join the Fellowship , and this entailed a ceremony conferring the secrets necessary for him to prove himself abroad a Fellow of the Craft and not a runaway apprentice . Moreover , this ceremony , which was mystic and a real initiation , imparted , naturally in a much less ornate manner than now , the ' Master's part , ' or , in other words , the essentials of our Master Mason ' s degree .
"In later times these two degrees were run into one when conferred upon a speculative candidate , and , as a natural consequence of the decay of the Lodges , the second degree was almost forgotten by the operatives , and , possibly , much confused by the speculative Masons . In 1717 these two degrees were taken over bodily by the Grand Lodge , and restored to sense , as well as the limited knowledge of the members would permit .
(*) Book of Constitutions , 1 st Regulation . ( ) A . Q . C . x . —128 . (») A . Q . C . x . —127 . ( i ) A . Q . C . xi . —55 .