The Fraternity Company's History*

Jacques de Molai , was burnt to death with other noble knights martyrs by that brutal Vivace of scoundrels and robbers , Pope Clement and Philip le Bel . Then taking the Modern Order , he clearly shows that there is not a shred of evidence to connect the oldest or " time i in memorial " prcccptorics in Fngland with the original Order , and that in fact there is no proof forthcoming of the existence of these prcccptorics earlier than the middle , or

even later , of the last century , whilst on the other band there is abundant internal evidence that these bodies derived from the high grade Masonic system of the European Continent . There arc four of these English prcccptorics claiming a time-immemorial existence ( Col . Moore only mentions two )—the" Abbey , " at Nottingham , the " Ancient York , " at Hull ( formerly held at York ) , the Baldwyn , at Bristol , and the Mount Calvary , in London ,

but none of these have minutes extending further back than 120 years . Moreover , the titles used by them in the early minutes , such as " Encampment , " " Commander , " " Captain , " " Sir Knight , " and so on , plainly point to the fact that those who used such a nomenclature could not have been descendants of an Order in which designations such as these were never used or even heard of . It is , indeed , only quite lately that most of these

childish and ridiculous titles have been discarded in favour of the correct words " Preceptory , " " Preceptor , " " Constable , " " Marshal , " and " Frater , " whilst even yet the supremely absurd title of "Sir Knight " ( of Shakesperc and the comic dramatists of that age ) is retained by Great Priory and members of preceptorics . In the name of all that is educated and sensible let us drop it and adopt the " Frater , " remembering that the old

Order was not a legion of Sir John Falstalf s , but a Monastic organisation of the strictest kind , whose members always addressed one another as " Frater . " But bad habits die hard . Up to within a few years the Order was officially called the Masonic Templar Order , the fact being that beyond the rule that candidates for admission must be Royal Arch Masons , the Society had no connection whatever with the Craft , the latter being Deistic , the former Trinitarian .

Then , again , the authorised ritual no more resembles the ancient form of admission than docs the Church catechism , and is in man ) ' respects a very poor travesty of the Craft working . It must always be a matter for deep regret amongst the well-wishers of the Order that the ritual drawn up by the Ritual Commission some 13 or 16 years ago was not universall y adopted , In Canada it was substantially taken up , thanks to the good sense of its late

Great Prior , and , with some modifications adapted to the Dominion , is used by the Prcccptorics . 1 personally still cherish a hope that the advanced education of our members , together with the extension of good taste and common sense in Masonry , as well as other things , may result in the ritual question being once more taken up , and a radical reform effected . I am perfectly satisfied that a perusal of the ceremonies recommended by the

Ritual Commission would satisfy any unprejudiced mind of their enormous superiority to the frig htful anachronisms and sometimes silly dialogue used in our preceptorics . Col . Moore had a very keen appreciation of these questions , and in the essay under notice he speaks his matured mind very plainly . On one matter he always insisted very strongly , and that was the

essential point [ of the Trinitarian doctrines of the Order , and the elimination of these by some of the American " Commanderies " was a matter of sincere grief to him . There can be no doubt that the admission of orthodox Jews or Unitarians into the Order of the Temple is a flagrant violation of every tradition connected with Templary .

Col . Moore has referred en passant to the Danish Christianised Masonic ritual which I believe is quite distinct from the ordinary Danish Craft ritual , and is used by the Brotherhood of St . John , of which the King of Denmark is the Hereditary Grand Master . Having hid an opportunity of perusing this absolutely esoteric and unique ritual , I can corroborate what Col . Moore has said regarding its claims to have an hereditary descent from the earliest days of the Christian Era .

Our learned and lamented historian divided his essay under several heads . He commenced with an account of the origin of Speculative Masonry . This he did for the purpose of showing why there should have been , as there undoubtedl y has been , a wide-spread belief in an intimate connection between the Templar Order and Freemasonry , pointing out that it was by the Benedictine Order of Monks ( and later the Cistercians ) that the science of architecture was promoted and enlarged , and that the lay brethren of those Orders formed the medixval Societies of Stonemasons in

Germany and the early English Guilds . So also the Monastic Order ol the Temple was guided by the Ber . eiictine Rule , so that there was a kind of resemblance between the Societies which may have given rise to the belief in the existence of an actual connection . The crash of the Reformation struck a furious blow for a long time , at least at architecture and the line arts , and those Guilds and Societies which had been formed for the promotion of such things soon become weaker .

Then began the admission of persons , not operatives , who were attracted by the secrecy and antiquity of the Guilds , and were introduced as speculative members , the teachings of the Craft lodges being at this period , as proved by the existing ancient Constitutions , entirely Christian and Trinitarian . But the admission of outsiders introduced a new element of thought , and when the " revival" took place in 1717 the Christian teachings were eliminated , and " Freemasonry " was evolved as we now know it—suited lo form a common platform for all creeds .

In his second chapter Col . Moore has given an excellent summary of the continuation of the history of the Craft Degrees , Royal Arch , and Mark Degrees up to the present time . All this is , of course , known to any brother with any pretentions to Masonic knowledge . In his third chapter he trickles the " High Degrees , " as they are ' called , In the course of this section he has found fault ( and I quite agree with him )

with the ridiculous and pretentious titles adopted by many of the Rites . 1 he abolition of these would not interfere in any way with the beauty of the working , and would remove the provocative cause of many a broad grin , which t have not unfrcquently , and with much irritation , seen myself , on occasions when some commonplace and half-educated person has been addressed as " M . W . S ., " or by some equally unsuitable title .

In Chapter IV . wc have the history concisely given of the original Templar Order , tracing its career and its eventual disruption . Our author has also attempted to show that it is to the Order of St . John of Jerusalem that we are mainly indebted for the transmission of the Templar precepts and usages , and this on the ground that some of the Templars at the dissolution of their

Order joined the Order of St . John . It is certainly somewhat significant that in Scotland the Order became the combined Orders of St . John and the Temple . It is hardl y necessary to say that the Ancient Order of Malta ( St . John ) is still in active existence in England , and has its head-quarters at St . John ' s Gate House , Clcrkenwcll , with our beloved Sovereign as its head and patron .

The Fraternity Company's History*

Chapter V . investigates the circumstances of the commencement of Modern Templary , and proves that our present Order had no connection whatever with the ancient Society . This is really one of the most entertaining- sections of the work , giving an account as it docs of the various Degrees worked in connection with Kni g ht Templary at the end of the last and beginning of the present centuries , and describing the objects of the formation of the present Convent General .

Chapter VI . deals with the ritual question , and is a powerful appeal on behalf of such a revision as that to which I have before referred , and have advocated for years . It also discourses of the symbols and dress of the Order , giving the origin , reasons , and symbolism of both garb , emblems , and banners .

In Chapter VII . the reader will find an account of the modern system of Templary in different countries , embody ing at the same time our late brother ' s unanswerable arguments in favour of the Trinitarian principles of the Order being retained , which lie concludes in these words : " It was the very basis of the ancient Order , and continues to be so up to the present

time . When the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is expunged from the Templar code all my interest ceases , and I will have nothing to do with such a system of so-called Templary . " And so ends this most able and learned essay , which was concluded almost at the same time as the sands of its author ' s earthly existence ran out . He spent much of his life in the service of the Cross , and now has his eternal reward .

I only wish that this admirable essay could be reprinted , separately , for circulation amongst English Templars , few of whom , I fear , have any real knowledge of their Order . It would form an admirable handbook on the subject , and would be a monument to its gallant and pious author , whose memory will ever be to me a cherished delight . T . B . WHYTEHEAD .

Tee Hughan Masonic Ms.

TEE HUGHAN MASONIC MS .

The readers of the Freemason will be glad to read the announcement of another valuable " find" in the shape of . a Masonic manuscript of the Old Constitutions , but it cannot afford them more pleasure than it gives me to know that this document will bear the name of our illustrious Bro . Hughan .

Bro . Hughan is one of our greatest authorities on the subject of old Masonic MSS ., and has had more of these valuable relics of the past through his hands than any man living . It is , therefore , peculiarl y appropriate in this case that his name should be handed down to posterity , and associated with one of his favourite studies .

This MS . which has recently come to lig ht is a parchment scroll , Sh feet in length , 6 inches in width , and consisting of five strips sewn together . It is very legibly and finely written , and dates probably late 17 th centurysay 1700 circa . There are some unusual , if not unique , points in the text , which will be especially interesting to the student . Of this more anon .

The scroll is now in the possession of the Provincial Grand Lodge Library of West Yorkshire , having been generously presented by our learned and distinguished Provincial Grand Master , Bro . T . W . Tew , J . P ., and by his particular desire the title as noted is now attached to the MS . In writing to express this wish , Bro . Tew says - . " I have such a high sense of the knowledge and skill of Bro . Hughan , and the many kindnesses he

has rendered to West Yorkshire , that to ask him to allow his name to be conferred upon this MS . is only a just compliment to such a savant , and as recognising his many and valuable services to this province . " The "Hughan" MS . is one of the latest of the many important and valuable gifts our Provincial Grand Master has bestowed upon his grateful

and appreciative province ; and it is most gratify ing to the feelings of a host of his brethren to know that in the midst of the painful and dangerous bodily aflliction which he has so patiently borne now for many months , he has the welfare of his extensive province and the interest of the Craft at large still so close at heart and ever in mind .

WILLIAM WATSON , Hon . Librarian to Prov . Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire .

Fraternal Congresses.

FRATERNAL CONGRESSES .

At various times in the history of Masonry conferences have been held , in which , as in the general councils of the Church , the interests of the Craft have been the subject of consideration . These conferences have received the name of " Masonic Congresses . " Whenever a respectable number of Masons , invested with deliberative powers , assemble as the representatives of different countries and jurisdictions , to take into consideration matters relating to the Order , such a meeting- will be called a " congress . " Of these

" congresses , " some have been productive of little or no effect , while others have undoubtedl y left their effect ; nor can it be doubted that if a general or ecumenical congress , consisting of the representatives of all the Masonic powers of the world , were to meet , with an eye single to the great object of Masonic reform , and were to be guided by a liberal and conciliatory sp irit of compromise , such a congress might at the present day be of incalculable advantage .

The most important congresses that have ever met since the ycaM / S " i was Paris , first in 1785 , on general Masonic science , and resulted in no practical benefits ; the second was called in Paris , 178 7 , as a continuation of the former , and closed as did the other ; the third was called by the several Grand Lodges of the United Slates at Washington city , in 1 S 42 , for the purpose of recommending the establishment of a general Grand Lod of the I ' nited States . The result was an unsuccessful one ; the fourth

ge met in Baltimore , in 1843 , pursuant to a recommendation made in ' previous congress held . It consisted of delegates from 14 States . Its p ' i ' essed objects were to produce uniformity of Masonic work , & c , & c ' continued in session 10 days , the perfection of the ritual taking up " , ( js of the time . The organisation of a triennial Masonic convention of t " United States , to consist of delegates from all the Grand Lodges , being considered In both of these efforts it failed The fifth was held 1

. . Lexington , in 1853 , for the purpose of forming a general Grand J * ° j \ ' failure was the result . The sixth was held in Chicago , in 1859 , during 1 j session of the Grand Encampment and Grand Chapter , for the purp " establishing a general Grand Lodge , or permanent Masonic congress , results were not of a successful character , and the death of its m 0 V ] ° spirit , Cyril Pearl , soon after , ended all future attempts . —The A » "'r' 1 ' Ma . in n .