Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Masonic Lectern.
precepts . Criticism , even what is called the higer criticism , should be encouraged , because every fresh incursion of thecritic only results in the discovery of fresh truths and beauty , and scientific men who bring their apparatus of criticism into play with the object of discrediting it , are invariably constrained to
admire , and to own that its wisdom is of infinite depth . The Freemason ' s attitude with regard to the Bible is well defined by the word " standard" which occursin the charge . There can only be one standard , either of truth or justice , and there can be but one standard of right and wrong generally . If the
Bible is ever depreciated in our estimation , we are at once adrift , and Freemasons would suffer more than any other section of society , for everything we prize is based on it . Our legends , our symbols , our history , our prototypes , our very secrets would all be degraded , and cease to possess either inlluence or importance . We cannot afford , therefore , to
THE LECTERN .
countenance any suggestion that , as regards its inspiration or authority-, the claims of the Bible can be considered pari passu with those of any other book . There have been such attempts even in the body of the Order , and it is to the credit of the Grand Loclge of England that in every such case the
offending member has been sternly cut off , and thus mortification of the whole body has been avoided . Even in heathen lodges , and there are many such , the English Bible is unhesitatingly accepted , and any other sacred volume is only introduced for purposes of obligation . The V . S . L . is not one
light among many , but compared with all other lights it is as the sun to the planets . Whatever direction the religious thought and the criticism of the future may take , the lectern in Pacliham church reminds us that the wealthiest and most influential , and probably the most numerous association of
men in the whole world , bound together by a common object , is only held together by its reverence for the Word of God , and is engaged by every obligation to support it .
The Highland Xea's of Inverness , 2 nd Sept ., says : —The M . W . Bro . J . Ross Robertson arrived in Stornoway on Thursday , 17 th tilt ., accompanied by Mrs . Robertson
and Miss Holland , and was met by a deputation of brethren of Lodge Fortrose , who gave him a hearty welcome . Bro . Ross Robertson , who is Past Grand Master of the Canadian Grand Lodge , has his home in Toronto , and although he travels a great deal every year , he has not been in Stornoway since 1901 . It is to be hoped that it will not again be so long
till he pays his next visit to the capital of Lewis , for his visits are refreshing . Stornoway has a natural attraction for him by reason that his mother was born at Goathill in 1808 , and lie has a warm attatchment to Fortrose Lodge on account of his grandfather , Hector Sinclair , of Goathill , being a member
of the lodge , 1797-1822 . Bro . Robertson is strong on Masonry and hospitals . May he ever ( adds our correspondent ) continue so , for no two grander channels for benevolence can be conceived . On the occasion of this visit Bro .
Robertson delivered a lecture to the brethren of the hortrose Loclge on the history of Masonry , which was greatly appreciated by the large number of brethren who were present . He was thanked for his lecture , and a very pleasant evening was thereafter spent . Bro . Robertson became from the beginning a real friend and benefactor to the Lewis Hospital .
He furnished it throughout , presented it with , a beautiful operating table , and has now given £ 10 to procure any necessary furnishings . To his credit , be it said , his benevolence is not restricted to the Lewis . Besides being chairman of the Sick Children ' s Hospital of Toronto , for
which he has done a great deal , he has just given £ 15 , 000 to erect a Nurses' Home in Toronto , Before leaving Stornoway Bro . Robertson visited several of his acquaintances and friends in the town and neighbourhood .
*& <&* « - !> From many lodge reports which come to hand , we notice with concern the tendency to crowd too much work into one evening . This occurs with frequency in country lodges , and unfortunately the spirit of competition enters in and rival Worshipful Masters try to excel each other not only in the
amount of work they do , but in the short time they take to do it in . This sort of thing came lo a rcdiiclio ad absnrdiim when at a lodge dinner the writer of these notes was told by a worshipful brother that he had " beaten the record Inputting in three degrees in sixty minutes . " Sixty minutes
equal one degree we used to be taught at school . There are circumstances under which we have heard of a man seeing double , but to see treble appears to justify that brother in saying he had beaten the record .
€ > 0 <& Many Liverpool Freemasons , says the Liverpool Dailv Post , do their best to discourage the ostentatious display of Masonic emblems , either by the wearing of the same as jewellery or their use on business premises or circulars . Some objection has likewise been taken to the carving of
Masonic devices on tombstones . What will , then , be said to the appearance of coffin handles of Masonic design ? In a Liverpool suburb , coffin handles , in the shape of the combined square and compasses , are actually exposed for sale !
< s > < 2 » © A new and pleasing departure in : he way of Masonic entertainment look place at Liverpool on August 16 th—a children ' s garden party in connection with the several lodges in that city . It was held in the grounds of Heatherlea , Priory Road , Anlield , kindly lent by Bro . T . Carr , and proved
an undoubted success . Upwards of 1 , 500 children and adults assembled , and through the indefatigable efforts of Bros . A . J . Fishlock , P . M . ( chairman ) , J . Leatherbarrow , W . M . ( treasurer ) , T . Hurst , P . M ., and G . D . Beattie ( hon . secretaries ) , and a representative committee , including Mrs . A . J .
Fishlock , a most enjoyable afternoon was spent . There were races for girls and boys , side shows , " Punch and Judy , " pierrots , " Uncle Sam ' s Darkies , " sketches , < K : c ., and the Pembroke band were much appreciated . In Masonic circles it is hoped that the children ' s garden party will become an
annual function , and that all the lodges will take part next year . A unique feature of the affair was ( he gift of a souvenir to every child present .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Masonic Lectern.
precepts . Criticism , even what is called the higer criticism , should be encouraged , because every fresh incursion of thecritic only results in the discovery of fresh truths and beauty , and scientific men who bring their apparatus of criticism into play with the object of discrediting it , are invariably constrained to
admire , and to own that its wisdom is of infinite depth . The Freemason ' s attitude with regard to the Bible is well defined by the word " standard" which occursin the charge . There can only be one standard , either of truth or justice , and there can be but one standard of right and wrong generally . If the
Bible is ever depreciated in our estimation , we are at once adrift , and Freemasons would suffer more than any other section of society , for everything we prize is based on it . Our legends , our symbols , our history , our prototypes , our very secrets would all be degraded , and cease to possess either inlluence or importance . We cannot afford , therefore , to
THE LECTERN .
countenance any suggestion that , as regards its inspiration or authority-, the claims of the Bible can be considered pari passu with those of any other book . There have been such attempts even in the body of the Order , and it is to the credit of the Grand Loclge of England that in every such case the
offending member has been sternly cut off , and thus mortification of the whole body has been avoided . Even in heathen lodges , and there are many such , the English Bible is unhesitatingly accepted , and any other sacred volume is only introduced for purposes of obligation . The V . S . L . is not one
light among many , but compared with all other lights it is as the sun to the planets . Whatever direction the religious thought and the criticism of the future may take , the lectern in Pacliham church reminds us that the wealthiest and most influential , and probably the most numerous association of
men in the whole world , bound together by a common object , is only held together by its reverence for the Word of God , and is engaged by every obligation to support it .
The Highland Xea's of Inverness , 2 nd Sept ., says : —The M . W . Bro . J . Ross Robertson arrived in Stornoway on Thursday , 17 th tilt ., accompanied by Mrs . Robertson
and Miss Holland , and was met by a deputation of brethren of Lodge Fortrose , who gave him a hearty welcome . Bro . Ross Robertson , who is Past Grand Master of the Canadian Grand Lodge , has his home in Toronto , and although he travels a great deal every year , he has not been in Stornoway since 1901 . It is to be hoped that it will not again be so long
till he pays his next visit to the capital of Lewis , for his visits are refreshing . Stornoway has a natural attraction for him by reason that his mother was born at Goathill in 1808 , and lie has a warm attatchment to Fortrose Lodge on account of his grandfather , Hector Sinclair , of Goathill , being a member
of the lodge , 1797-1822 . Bro . Robertson is strong on Masonry and hospitals . May he ever ( adds our correspondent ) continue so , for no two grander channels for benevolence can be conceived . On the occasion of this visit Bro .
Robertson delivered a lecture to the brethren of the hortrose Loclge on the history of Masonry , which was greatly appreciated by the large number of brethren who were present . He was thanked for his lecture , and a very pleasant evening was thereafter spent . Bro . Robertson became from the beginning a real friend and benefactor to the Lewis Hospital .
He furnished it throughout , presented it with , a beautiful operating table , and has now given £ 10 to procure any necessary furnishings . To his credit , be it said , his benevolence is not restricted to the Lewis . Besides being chairman of the Sick Children ' s Hospital of Toronto , for
which he has done a great deal , he has just given £ 15 , 000 to erect a Nurses' Home in Toronto , Before leaving Stornoway Bro . Robertson visited several of his acquaintances and friends in the town and neighbourhood .
*& <&* « - !> From many lodge reports which come to hand , we notice with concern the tendency to crowd too much work into one evening . This occurs with frequency in country lodges , and unfortunately the spirit of competition enters in and rival Worshipful Masters try to excel each other not only in the
amount of work they do , but in the short time they take to do it in . This sort of thing came lo a rcdiiclio ad absnrdiim when at a lodge dinner the writer of these notes was told by a worshipful brother that he had " beaten the record Inputting in three degrees in sixty minutes . " Sixty minutes
equal one degree we used to be taught at school . There are circumstances under which we have heard of a man seeing double , but to see treble appears to justify that brother in saying he had beaten the record .
€ > 0 <& Many Liverpool Freemasons , says the Liverpool Dailv Post , do their best to discourage the ostentatious display of Masonic emblems , either by the wearing of the same as jewellery or their use on business premises or circulars . Some objection has likewise been taken to the carving of
Masonic devices on tombstones . What will , then , be said to the appearance of coffin handles of Masonic design ? In a Liverpool suburb , coffin handles , in the shape of the combined square and compasses , are actually exposed for sale !
< s > < 2 » © A new and pleasing departure in : he way of Masonic entertainment look place at Liverpool on August 16 th—a children ' s garden party in connection with the several lodges in that city . It was held in the grounds of Heatherlea , Priory Road , Anlield , kindly lent by Bro . T . Carr , and proved
an undoubted success . Upwards of 1 , 500 children and adults assembled , and through the indefatigable efforts of Bros . A . J . Fishlock , P . M . ( chairman ) , J . Leatherbarrow , W . M . ( treasurer ) , T . Hurst , P . M ., and G . D . Beattie ( hon . secretaries ) , and a representative committee , including Mrs . A . J .
Fishlock , a most enjoyable afternoon was spent . There were races for girls and boys , side shows , " Punch and Judy , " pierrots , " Uncle Sam ' s Darkies , " sketches , < K : c ., and the Pembroke band were much appreciated . In Masonic circles it is hoped that the children ' s garden party will become an
annual function , and that all the lodges will take part next year . A unique feature of the affair was ( he gift of a souvenir to every child present .