The Order Of The Temple In Modern Times.

were of the rank of gentlemen . They united in their own persons the monastic and military character ; they were allotted one horse each , they wore the Cross of the Order of the Temple on their breasts ; they participated in all the privileges of the Brotherhood , and were eligible to the dignity of Preceptor . The Freres Serjens of the Temple wore linen coifs and red capes over them . At the ceremony of their admission into the Fraternity the

Master of the Temple placed the coif upon their heads and threw over their shoulders the white mantle of the Temple . He then caused them to sit down on the ground and gave them a solemn admonition concerning the duties and reponsibilities of their profession . The religious character of the ancient ceremony of admission into this legal Brotherhood , the fact that tho Serjeants of the Temple to-day still constitute a sort of Fraternity and address each other by the name of " Brother , " are curious and remarkable .

The late Grand Recorder Macoy gives credit to the several sources claimed and explains it thus : That—1 . From Larmenius come the French Templars . 2 . From D'Aumont come the German Templars of Strict Obedience . 3 . From Beaujeu come the Swedish Templars of the Rite of Zinnendorf .

4 . From the Scotch refugees come the Protestant Templars of Scotland and the Ancient Lodge of Stirling Scotch Templars . 5 . From Prince Charles Edward Stuart and Ramsay come the Templars of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Bite . 6 . From the Baldwyn Encampment and its co-ordinates come the old English Templars . — " The Minstrel . "

Ceremonial And Etiquette.

CEREMONIAL AND ETIQUETTE .

A paper read at a Regular Meeting of the Lodge St . David in the East , No . 371 , S . C , Calcutta , held on the 20 th September 1895 , by Rt . Wor . Bro . Rakhaldas Ghosh I . P . M . THE Ancient Charges of Free and Accepted Masons have the following with reference to the behaviour of Masons whilst inside the Lodge Rooms :

" IN THE LODGE WHILE CONSTITUTED : —You are not to hold private committees , or separate conversation , without leave from the Master ; nor to talk of anything impertinently or unseemly , nor interrupt the Master or Wardens , or any Brother speaking to the Master ; nor behave yourself

ludicrously or jestingly while the Lodge is engaged in what is serious and solemn ; nor use any unbecoming language upon any pretence whatsoever ; but to pay due reverence to your Master , Wardens , and fellows , and put them to worship .

" If any complaint be brought , the Brother found guilty shall stand to the award and determination of the Lodge , who are the proper and competent judges of all such controversies ( unless you carry them by appeal to the

Grand Lodge ) , and to whom they ought to be referred , unless a Lord's work be hindered the mean while , in which case a particular reference may be made ; but you must never go to law about what concerneth Masonry , without an absolute necessity apparent to the Lodge . "

Each member of the Craffc should be addressed as ' Brother' and the

Officers by the full names of their respective offices . Thus , the Worshipful Master of the Lodge should be addressed as ' Worshipful Master' or Worshipful Brother , ' not as ' Worshipful Sir . ' The title ' Sir' belongs to the outside world , and it would be proper to leave it for use outside the Lodge . Other Officers should be addressed as ' Brother , ' as Brother Senior Warden ,

Brother Junior Warden , Brother Secretary , Brother Senior Deacon , & c . All Past Masters should be addressed as ' Worshipful Brother . ' The terms ' Brother' and ' Worshipful' are generally abbreviated by ' B . ' or ' Bro . ' and 1 W . ' or ' Wor . ' ; and the correct usage is to place three dots in a triangular position after all Masonic abbreviations ; thus ' W . \ ' ' Bro .- . ' In print this

method cannot always be adopted , on account of the necessity for special type ; but in correspondence or writing it should never be omitted . The three principal officers of the Lodge , viz ., the Worshipful Master the Senior and Junior Wardens , should always follow the course of the sun

in going to or passing out of their respective seats . Thus , the Worshipful Master should enter his seat on the north side and leave on the south . Tho Senior Warden should enter on the south side and leave on the north . The Junior Warden should enter by the east and leave by the west .

In the same way , the Deacons should travel up the north , past the eastern chair , down the south to the west . The same procedure is to be followed by ALL brethren moving from one part of the Lodge to the other , saluting each time the Worshipful Master and the Wardens while passing before them , with the sign of the degree in which the Lodge is open at that time .

Any Brother entering the Lodge , when it is already opened , should go to and stand to , the left of Senior Warden ' s pedestal facing the Master , take B ... P and give s ... n of the degree in which the Lodge is being worked , and

then occupy a vacant seat . The same procedure should be observed by a brother who has been allowed to leave the Lodge before the proceedings terminate ; but , on no account , should the Master be addressed until the particular business which * may engage his attention is finished . A brother receiving a summons from a Lodge should make it a point to visit it , but if in case he is unable to do so , he should , as a matter of courtesy

1 Under the Scottish Constitution , the Worshipful Master of the Lodge is addressed as " Right Worshipful Master" or "Right Worshipful Brother . " The Senior and Junior Wardens are addressed as " Worshipful Senior and Worshipful Junior Wardens . "

Ceremonial And Etiquette.

and regard for the Lodge , send an apology either in writing or b y another member . It is better to be a little more punctilious on this point than lax . Though the Entered Apprentice enjoys equal privileges iu debate and voting wifch the oldest Past Masters ( Rule 191 ) , it is to be strongly recommended on the junior Member to show a becoming diffidence in the discussion

of Lodge matters , until time has given him sufficient experience to allow him to fully understand the merits and demerits of the case . Under the Grand Lodge of Scotland and other foreign Lodges , the Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts are not considered " members , " and they therefore cannot vote or speak in debate as such , the membership only being confined to the Master Masons .

Every officer ought to be well up in his work . No officer should be prompted when discharging the duties of his own particular office . The status and the name of the Lodge considerably suffers when its officers cannot well perform their parts .

Punctuality in opening the Lodge should never be lost sight of . Dr . Oliver says that " the first duty of the Master in the government of his Lod ge is to be in his place punctually afc the hour and minute named in the summons , for such an example of regularity cannot fail to produce a beneficial effect on the officers and brethren under his control . "

Ifc is the duty of every Lodge to welcome and clothe every worthy and well-qualified brother who visits it , that is to say , to receive him with the honors due to his rank , and to furnish him , if necessary , with a proper investiture . The Senior Deacon is directed to see that this duty is performed . The practice of administering S . 0 . B . on more than one candidate at

the same time is a bad one , and was stopped by a circular issued by order of the District Grand Master of Bombay , dated as far back as 3 rd of August 1868 . The circular runs thus : — " The practice of obligating more than one candidate at a time is highly objectionable for many reasons , which must be patent to all Masons who desire to act up to the ancient usage and customs of Order , and really have the good of the Craffc at hearfc . The R . W . the D . G . M .

hereby directs that the practice must at once be discontinued , and that the obligation must in each Degree be given to candidates separately and individually , and only one candidate received up to this point . " We do nofc know whether the Grand Master of other Districts have adopted the similar procedure , but in the District of Bengal the practice of obligating more than one candidate at the same time still prevails .

In India , when the Lodges are composed of Brethren professing different religious beliefs , such as Christianity , Hinduism , Mahomedanism , and Zoroastrianism , & c , the sacred writing of each of these sects should be kept for use , and on no account should they be opened out and placed over the V . of the S . L . of the Lodge as is often done , a separate pedestal being provided for the purpose .

The working , tools of all the Degrees should always be kept over the Wor . Master ' s pedestal , so that he can work with them afc pleasure instead of disturbing those of the other officers . The Inner Guard also must have a separate set for his own use .

It is incumbent upon all Worshipful Masters , hut more particularly upon the proposers and seconders of candidates , to see that they are properly instructed in a knowlege of each Degree they receive , and this should be strictly carried out according to the ancient charge that " a younger brother shall be instructed in working to prevent spoiling the materials for want of

judgment , and for increasing and continuing brotherly love . " Thus a young Mason , whether E . A . or F . C , undergoing an examination in open Lodge , and having to be prompted in every response by the Deacons , is not to be blamed , but tho Worshipful Master is responsible for seeing the provisions of the Constitutions ( Rules 183 and 195 ) in this respect duly observed .

The practice of conferring two Degrees concurrently at one meeting by using two separate rooms for the purpose has been objected to , as being irregular and inconsistent with the ancient usage . Though there is no constitutional ruling prohibiting such a course , yet , on mature consideration it will be evident that the practice is objectionable .

The Grand Master of all Scottish Freemasonry in India , in his letter No . 93 , dated 21 st January 1895 , to the R . W . M . of Lodge St . David in the East , No . 371 , S . C , commands " that this practice is not carried out in any Lodges in his jurisdiction , and if such a practice has been followed in the

past , he directs that it be at once discontinued . " We are not aware whether any District Grand Masters under the English Constitution have issued similar circulars , but in Calcutta all the English Lodges work two degrees simultaneously in one meeting in two separate rooms .

The duty of the P . P . M . is to adjust the S ... and C ... s in the three degrees , but in many Lodges we often see him , to do this , either stooping over , or kneeling upon the cushion , in whichever position he finds convenient . Bufc this should not be the case . He must use that position in the adjustment of the instruments in which the candidate is obligated .

The tracing boards should nofc be exhibited until the Lodge is declared open , and then only of that of the Degree in which the Lodge is working , On no account should those of a higher Degree be visible . The practice of keeping the tracing boards per' -nan ^ ntly open , and suspended from the walls in the Lodge room , visible to Cowans , should be discontinued .

It is often observed that the examination of a candidate by the Wardens during the working of a Degree is conducted in a low voice or whisper , but ifc should be invariably done aloud so that every Brother may hear . The Deacons should not prompt the candidates unless this is absolutely necessary .

2 Nofc all . Lodges Thomas Jones , No . 2441 , E . G ., and Prinsep No . 1037 , only work one degree at a time , for the bestof reasons , that they havo only one room available . —Editor , " I . F . "