Masonry And Its Origin.

MASONRY AND ITS ORIGIN .

A Paper read before the Windsor Lodge of Instruction , on lQth December , and the Bute Lodge of Instruction , on January l'Mh , BY BKO . A . 0 . F . CALAMINUS , 1754 .

WORSHIPFUL Master and Brethren , —I open my to-ni g ht ' s paper with an explanation of the motives which have induced me to come forward . Although this preamble may appear irrelevant and not directly connected with tho subject I am going to treat , yet it may perhaps , in itself , be of sufficient importance to be the subject of discussion hereafter . I snvjpose'brethrenwe all have frequentlbeen asked tho

question—, , y " "What do you do in your lodges ? what is the good of Masonry ? " and , probably , we all were in the same predicament , viz .: had our Constitutions allowed us to give an answer , we should have been at a loss where to find it . I suppose , beyond initiating new candidates , and raising duly qualified brethren , or discussing points of purely routine work connected with the working of the lodge or ritual , not much is really done . I have made the same experience in lodges of

various descriptions and in various localities , in foreign countries and here . We have a s ] ilendid organization ; our order is presided over and supported by men of the very highest social position and intellectual achievements ; a vast amount of wealth is at at our disposal ; but what have wo to show in the shape of actual work ? We call ourselves Speculative Masons , and all our emblems and symbols , represent active and never-ceasing toil , but where are the results ?

Beyond sonic schools and charities , which are certainly excellent in themselves , but which are far surpassed by other organisations , we have very little to show ; and I must freely confess that any friendly society or club seems to further real humanitarian ends more than our magnificent order . And yet we are enjoined at every meeting to work , try to improve ourselves and reach perfection ; our ritual abounds with allusions to it , and we take most solemn oaths to this effect . What is tho reason of this apparent inadequacy of the results as compared with the means at our disposal ?

rib doubt one of them is the fact that our Constitutions do not allow us to discuss religion and politics at our meetings . We all know that in these times hardly any social or philosophical problem can be started or discussed , much less put into practice , without in some shape or other approaching one of these two very ticklish questions . In fact , I cannot see how society can be improved without legislation on the part of the State or discipline and teaching of some established religion , be its name whatever it may . But as opinions about the means to be employed for these ends will always differ , it is evident that there are always bound to be different parties . Therefore the greatest social and

philosophical problems , which our present generation is trying to solve , and which keep our minds and energies in continual exercise , cannot be discussed inside the walls of a lodge , where all is to be harmony and peace , and where only words of love and friendship are to be heard . We have seen that the great political and social problems of the day cannot be the object of our toil and work , and we must leave these to other and differently constituted associations . Our labours must be of a quieter and less

ostentations nature . It is our own inner man , our own life , mind , and intellect , we must try to improve . As a celebrated German poet has it : — " Moge jeder still-begliickt seiner selbst nur warten wenn die Rose selbst sick schmiickt , schmiickt sie auch den Garten . " Let our labours then be of this quiet