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Article LITERARY NOTICES. ← Page 5 of 8 →
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Literary Notices.
Masonry ; and that it was not admitted into their system till after the building of Freemasons' Hall in the year 1776 . " In proof that the members of the constitutional Grand Lodge were , at this period , ignorant of its existence , and disclaimed its authority as a Masonic innovation , the Grand Secretary of the moderns stated , in answer to the petition of an ancient Mason for pecuniary relief , about the year 1758— ' Being an aucient Masonyou are not entitled to
, any of our charity . The ancient Masons have a Lodge at the ' Five Bells , ' in the Strand , and their secretary ' s name is Dermott . OUR SOCIETY IS NEITHER ARCH , ROYAL AKCH , nor ancient , so that you have no right to partake of our charity . ' It is clear , therefore , that the moderns had ho'Royal Arch in 1758 ; and equally clear that it had been long practised by the ancients , who were entirely ignorant of it at the first breaking out of the schism ; for they were then members of Lodges under
the constitutions of England ; and if they were acquainted with the degree , they were bound on their allegiance to communicate it to their superiors , if , as they afterwards asserted , it formed a constituent part of ancient Masonry , which they did not do . And if they were not acquainted with it , as it is reasonable to presume , how did they know it after the schism , if it was not a new invention , or a new communication ? And it could not be the latter for the reasons already stated . The conclusion is , therefore , inevitable , that the ancients fabricated the degree .
. " In confirmation of this fact , the same Book of Constitutions declares , that 'it is impossible to exalt a modern Mason to the Royal Arch , without previously conferring upon him the Master ' s degree according to their own ceremonies' This assertion was doubtless made on the ground that'lie was already in possession of the Master ' s word , which they knew was communicated in the third degree , according to the terms of the 'Master ' s part , ' as then practised by the modern Grand Lodge : for the
first lectures which were drawn up by Bros . Payne , Anderson , Desaguliers , Martin Folkes , Madden , and other eminent Masons , expressly declare in the degree of Master , that' that whicli was lost / meaning the Master Mason ' s word , 'is now found ; ' i . e . in the latter ceremonies of the third degree , when it was delivered to the newly-raised Master in form ; -and , therefore , the I ' oyal Arch degree would have thrown no new light on the subject to a constitutional Master Mason .
"This is a convincing proof that the difference between the ancient and modern systems consisted solely in the mutilation ofthe third degree ; and it is actually referred to in the proceedings of the modern Grand Loclge , in 1755 , where they express their disapprobation at the conduct ' of the ancients in 'introducing novelties and conceits of opinionative persons , to create belief that there have been other societies of Masons more , ancient than this society ; ' evidently alluding to the establishment of the Royal Arch ; which they publicly repudiated three years after- ; wards , as I have already shown , by declaring that they knew nothing of 'either Arch orRoyal Arch . '" - ¦¦' . ' -.
. , Many interesting particulars respecting the schism are added ; arid the Doctor appears to think that , in its effects , it was rather beneficial to . the Craft than otherwise . Thus he says- — ' '" ¦ '" : ' " ' ' " " '" -It . will be unnecessary to enquire whether all . this is , c ' onsisten . t ; vyith the-requirements of-Masonic duty . It is clear ' that . .. disobedience ,. is a breach of Masonic law . The very essence of the , institution is founded on obedience to authority ; and this once forfeited , led to division ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Literary Notices.
Masonry ; and that it was not admitted into their system till after the building of Freemasons' Hall in the year 1776 . " In proof that the members of the constitutional Grand Lodge were , at this period , ignorant of its existence , and disclaimed its authority as a Masonic innovation , the Grand Secretary of the moderns stated , in answer to the petition of an ancient Mason for pecuniary relief , about the year 1758— ' Being an aucient Masonyou are not entitled to
, any of our charity . The ancient Masons have a Lodge at the ' Five Bells , ' in the Strand , and their secretary ' s name is Dermott . OUR SOCIETY IS NEITHER ARCH , ROYAL AKCH , nor ancient , so that you have no right to partake of our charity . ' It is clear , therefore , that the moderns had ho'Royal Arch in 1758 ; and equally clear that it had been long practised by the ancients , who were entirely ignorant of it at the first breaking out of the schism ; for they were then members of Lodges under
the constitutions of England ; and if they were acquainted with the degree , they were bound on their allegiance to communicate it to their superiors , if , as they afterwards asserted , it formed a constituent part of ancient Masonry , which they did not do . And if they were not acquainted with it , as it is reasonable to presume , how did they know it after the schism , if it was not a new invention , or a new communication ? And it could not be the latter for the reasons already stated . The conclusion is , therefore , inevitable , that the ancients fabricated the degree .
. " In confirmation of this fact , the same Book of Constitutions declares , that 'it is impossible to exalt a modern Mason to the Royal Arch , without previously conferring upon him the Master ' s degree according to their own ceremonies' This assertion was doubtless made on the ground that'lie was already in possession of the Master ' s word , which they knew was communicated in the third degree , according to the terms of the 'Master ' s part , ' as then practised by the modern Grand Lodge : for the
first lectures which were drawn up by Bros . Payne , Anderson , Desaguliers , Martin Folkes , Madden , and other eminent Masons , expressly declare in the degree of Master , that' that whicli was lost / meaning the Master Mason ' s word , 'is now found ; ' i . e . in the latter ceremonies of the third degree , when it was delivered to the newly-raised Master in form ; -and , therefore , the I ' oyal Arch degree would have thrown no new light on the subject to a constitutional Master Mason .
"This is a convincing proof that the difference between the ancient and modern systems consisted solely in the mutilation ofthe third degree ; and it is actually referred to in the proceedings of the modern Grand Loclge , in 1755 , where they express their disapprobation at the conduct ' of the ancients in 'introducing novelties and conceits of opinionative persons , to create belief that there have been other societies of Masons more , ancient than this society ; ' evidently alluding to the establishment of the Royal Arch ; which they publicly repudiated three years after- ; wards , as I have already shown , by declaring that they knew nothing of 'either Arch orRoyal Arch . '" - ¦¦' . ' -.
. , Many interesting particulars respecting the schism are added ; arid the Doctor appears to think that , in its effects , it was rather beneficial to . the Craft than otherwise . Thus he says- — ' '" ¦ '" : ' " ' ' " " '" -It . will be unnecessary to enquire whether all . this is , c ' onsisten . t ; vyith the-requirements of-Masonic duty . It is clear ' that . .. disobedience ,. is a breach of Masonic law . The very essence of the , institution is founded on obedience to authority ; and this once forfeited , led to division ,