Order Of The Temple.

Order of the Temple .

CONSECRATION OF THE SANCTA AIARIA PRECEPTORY .

THE latest addition to the Roll of Preceptories under the Great Priory of England was made on Saturday , May 12 th . when the Sancta Maria Preceptory was consecrated at Mark Masons' Hall , by the Rt . Hon . the Earl of Ettston , Alost Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , assisted

by the following officers : — The E . Kt . Rev . Dr . Cockrem , P . G . Prelate as Chaplain ; The V . E . Kt . Alfred J . Thomas , K . C . T . as ist Constable ; The V . E . Kt . Col . ] . D . Murray , K . C . T . as 2 nd Constable ; The V . E . Kt . C . F . Alatier , G . C . t . as Gt . V . Chancellor ; The V . E . Kt .

Thomas Eraser , K . C . T . as Marshal ; The E . Kt . F . C . Van Duzer , P . G . Std . Br . as Sword Br ., and The V . E . Kt . Imre Kiralfy , K . C . T . as Capt . of Guards . The Chaplain , in the course of an eloquent oration , said that every degree in Masonry had some special lesson to

teach , which was based on a myth or even fiction ; but the Knight Templar was an Order and not a degree , and w as the legitimate descendant of a body which had had a great influence in the world . It was substantial and not fictitious ; but it was Alasonic in the fact that its rites mid ceremonies were the vehicles for conveying moral and spiritual truths .

There were three principles which underlay the whole structure , and had the most influence in determining conduct . The first was Faithfulness , this was the quality of conduct brought about by belief . The Knight Templar of old , by virtue of his vow , fought nobly and desperately on behalf of the Cross , which was the symbol of his faith ,

and though the Knight Templar of the present clay had no Paynim or heathem to overcome , that is , no bodily enemy , he had none-the less real enemies to light , even more dangerous because they were spiritual . He was in the wilderness of temptation , and like a true knight must

wage war strenuously against those evil suggestiiigs and promptings which the spiritual enemy used as weapons against his immortal soul . Hence , faithfulness to his vow , as

the result of faith in the mission of the Cross , was as necessary now as in the clays of old . The second principle was Chivalry . The quality of chivalry was characteristic of the Knight of old , whether Red Cross or not . The defence and protection of the weak and defenceless was with him a point of honour ,

especially the protection of women and children . And though in these days there was perhaps less disposition to fulfil this duty , because women were approaching nearer to men in thought and endeavour than ever before , even so far as the shrieking zeal of the suffragette , yet it was their

duty as true Knights not to let any incidents of this kind influence them , but to be as bold in their defence and as deferential in their manner as every Knight of old , treating them with true knightly courtesy .

And the third principle was Loyalty , a course of conduct based on the consideration of what was due to the Sovereign . This implied true service to him in every department of life , whether in council or in war , or in any other relation in which a Knight may be brought . To give the best of himself on behalf of the Sovereign was a paramount duty . And this

was equally true of his relation to the Alost Eminent and Supreme Grand Master . It was the Knight ' s bounden duty to carry out the behests of his Grand Master and pay him that homage which was his due . And so for the other ranks in the Knighthood . Obedience and loyalty to his superior

were obligatory to every Knight of the Order . It was their desire that this Preceptory would fulfil these obligations , and hold up the banner of loyalty and faithfulness and chivalry and so fulfil the duty which was laid upon them . The E . Kt . R . Palmer-Thomas , who had been duly elected and approved as First Preceptor , having been installed by the Grand . Master , appointed the following

Knights as his officers : —ist Constable , E . Kt . Will . O . Welsford ; 2 nd Constable , Kt . Lt .-Col . J . C . B . Cnvster Treasurer , E . Kt . E . B . Florence ; Registrar , Kt . G . E . Hutchinson ; Marshal , Kt . M . W . Blackden ; Almoner , Kt . A . E . Waite ; ist HeraldKt . Holmes Kingston ; 2 nd Herald ,

, E . Kt . Dr . F . A . Brooks ; ist Standard Bearer , Kt . W . H . St Clair Johnston . The E . Preceptor said that the two remaining offices would be filled later on , that the V . E , Kt . A . Conyers Haycraft , P . G . AI . B . B ., had consented to act as Immediate

Past Preceptor , and that a Chaplain would not be appointed until a Knight in Holy Orders became a member of the Preceptory . It was then proposed by the E . Preceptor , seconded by the ist Constable and carried unanimously , that a vote of

thanks be passed to the Alost Eminent and Supreme Grand Master for consecrating the Preceptory , and the Great Officers for their assistance , and requesting the Grand Master and Great Officers to accept lion , membership . Before closing , the Eminent Preceptor in a brief

Installation Address , reminded the members of the special purposes for which the Sancta Maria Precptory had been founded . He said that for long he had contemplated the possibility of founding a Preceptory with the design of drawing together

Knights of the Temple who were interested in the history of the Order and the various attempts which had been made in the past , and would doubtless continue to be made in the future , to ascertain the connection between the ancient and modern Orders . In such a Preceptory , therefore , papers and discussions bearing on this and kindred subjects would be

encouraged and welcomed . With the assistance of his co-founders and by favour of the Grand Master this had now become possible , and the Eminent Preceptor desired specially to express his obligations to the ist Constable , E . Kt . Welsford , without whose invaluable assistance he doubted whether he

would ever have ventured to take those initial steps which had resulted in the consecration of the Sancta Maria Preceptory that day . In conclusion , he pointed out the importance of proposing for admission those only who were in sympathy with the special work which this Preceptory

was designed to carry out , always remembering that strength consisted not in quantity , but in quality , for the former contained in itself its own element of weakness .

The Preceptory was then closed with the usual forms . The Consecration was followed by an admirably-served luncheon at the Holborn Restaurant , at which the Grand Alaster and the Great Officers were present . In proposing " The health of the Alost Eminent and

Supreme Grand Master , " the E . Preceptor said that , while among Templars devotion to the Grand Master was a duty second only to that of loyalty to the Sovereign , there was a factor which went even beyond duty , because it carried them further , and that was personal feeling , and he would venture

to say that the element of personal regard entered strongly into their relation to their present supreme chief . Many of those present who were members of the King Edward VII . Preceptory knew the Grand Alaster well , for in that Preceptory they had often heard from him words of kindly

encouragement , of criticism , and also of generous appreciation when their work had met with his approval . Here they desired to offer him their respectful thanks for , in the lirst place , granting his warrant for the formation of the Sancta Alalia Preceptory ; and , secondly , for honouring them with

his presence on that occasion , thereby indicating that the special objects of the Preceptory had his sympathy . They hoped to prove hereafter that his confidence had not been misplaced , and to express their gratitude , as it would best be expressed , by good work done for the Order , the welfare of which they knew he had so much at heart .