New Ideas And Novel Degrees.

NEW IDEAS AND NOVEL DEGREES .

I confess that Avhen I take up out Masonic paper to clay , " The Freemason , " or any of the American or Foreign Masonic periodicals , I am altogether lost in astonishment , at tho wonderful progress NOAV Ideas and NoA el Degrees seem to ho making in our venerable , and somevfhat stationary Craft .

But , then , I am free to admit , that I am only a very old-fashioned Craft Mason , and it is not to be expected that my venerable limbs can go the pace some of our young "Bapids" seem disposed to go at the present hour . I must say , that I sometimes sigh amid

all this Avaste , as it appears to me , of energy and zeal , and amid new ceremonies and recent additions to Freemasonry , Avith high sounding titles and gorgeous rituals , for the simplicity of our bye-gone system and older school of pure Craft Masonry .

Time Avas , Avhen to be an M . M . Avas thought something , to be a W . M . a much coveted honour , and . to he a E . A . Avas the " "Ultima Thulo" of our Masonic peregrinations . But IIOAV Ave take up " The Freemason , " or some euphonious American Masonic paper , and Avhat do Ave see and read 1 Names of " Orders" and "Grades , " nay "Degrees , "

as they arc termed , not only of the most remarkable designation , but oi tho most heterogeneous composition . I say nothing more on this subject , as I am most luiAvilling to seem even to AVOUIKI by implication tite " amour propre" of some sensitive high grade " Confrere" or to arouse the

suscepti-, bilities of some " preux Chevaliers " of the so called knightly combinations . Neither do I mention any names , as I abhor personalities on all occasions , and my remarks should he taken as the old lad y said Avhen a young man proposed to heror

, rather to her jointure , and she refused him then and there , " Avithout any personal uncomfortableness . " But I fear that Ave are likely to loose , in this modern accumulation of NOAV Orders , mostly by tite Avay of forei introductionliOAvovcr lausible

gn , p their objects or attractive ' their rituals , tho " antiqua simplicita . " of our Masonic system and of our Masonic Avork . I do not mean for one moment to contend , that , there should not be as it Avere an

outlet for all those Avho object to the Avide platform of Craft Masonry , and prefer a ' ' particular " to an " universal" basis of our fraternity . But , I think , AVO ought to be on our guard , lest Ave alloAV this rapid growth of

" excrescences" on Craft Masonry in any Avay to Aveaken or overshadoAV the simp ler and safer foundation on Avhich Freemasonry is built up . For bo it remembered , that after all the Craft systemincluding the Eoyal Arch is

, , the actual basis of all other degrees and orders , Avith very feAV exceptions . It is , for instance , the germ of all the many developements of the " Eite Eeossaise / ' nay of all other Masonic systems , and some have even contended that to it may be traced the

"formula . " of thepirescnt Masonic Kni ghtly Orders . At any rate , as I said before , Avitli very ICAV exceptions indeed , to Craft Masonry all these higher grades refer ; from Craft Masonry they derive their very meaning , Avhich in some of the foreign

grades seem very hazy indeed , and Avithout Craft Masonry as their background , they are mostly either unmeaning additions in themselves , unnecessary developements of

Masonry , void of any special end or actual good , except as the opportunity of scenic display , of elaborate titles , and of brilliant decorations . I say all this , to day , in all good feeling and all fraternal deference , because many of our modern Masonic Avriters seem to me to

write , and many of our younger brethren seem to me to speak , both in a very indistinct , or rather incorrect Avay on this Avide subject . For they often seem to suppose and to contend , that all the " High Grades " are only part and parcel of Craft

Masonry , if developements , the luxuriant bloom , at any rate , of the old tree . And there appears to bo a spreading desire amongst us all , to encumber our unpretending Craft system Aviththe arrangements and nomenclature of ornate ordersall of

, them not earlier than 1717 , and many of them of a very much later date . NOAV I feel sure , as far as anyone can he sure here , that this is a great mistake , and fraught Avith evil to Craft Masonry in many Avays .

So long as Ave maintain boldly our old position and platform , so long Ave continue Craft Masons , and only Craft Masons , ours is a distinct enunciation of certain very