Antiquity Of The Third Degree.

previously . What was it ? Hacl ifc any relation to our present third degree ? Dr . Oliver thinks not . He opines that the third degree was manufactured by Drs . Desaguliers and Anderson about 1717 . The seceding brethren in the great schism , of whom Dermott was one , charged these brethren with having manufactured the degree , and they never denied it . Therefore the present third degree , according to Dr . Oliver , is not older than 1717 .

But what was the old Master's part ? It is not likely that any of the " joj-ous Drafts " knew anything about it , as it was ( probably ) confined to Masters in the chair . Is our present third degree what they invented again I ask ? Is our Eoyal Arch their invention ? And did these , if either or both of them were then ancl there purely and simply manufactured , contain no traces of

the old Master's part ? In short , can it be assumed , on the evidence of Lawrence Dermott , a very questionable authority , that the old Master's part was entirely and totally forgotten , even by the Masters of the four old lodges in London at the revival in 1717 , to say nothing of those in the S " orth ? Thafc some joyous Grafts , or Drs . Desaguliers and Anderson , composed a degree which was at once received all over the world as pure ancient Masonry—our present sublime degree of the Master Mason P

Finally , —for , brethren , I will not keep you much longer , —our rev . brother argues much from the fact of fche ^ discrepancies existing in the legend as given in various countries . He says : — " An old established institution , of whatever nature it may be , will have all its landmarks defined , and not liable to cavil or dispute , because its details , having become fixed by time and

uniform practice , will absolutely exclude all puerile doubts or vexatious objections . " * Is this so ? May , is not ^ the very reverse the case ? Look at Christianity audMahomedanism—oldestablished institutions enough ; are their landmarks so defined as not to bo liable to cavil or dispute ? If , with written laws and landmarks , they are disputedas they most assuredlare day

, y every , how much more are those of Masonry liable—unwritten , legendary ? And tho landmarks disputed , how certainly does the practice differ I In my humble opinion , the diversity in the details of the third degree , as given in various countries , and yet whieh all flow , as it were , in the same stream , is a strong proof of the antiquity of the legend aud of the extent to which it was practised .

Brethren , with every respect ancl reverence for our rev . brother , I submit ho has not proved his position . This has been a dry lecture indeed . I thank you for the patience with which you have heard me , and can with safety promise you something better in my ' next , if ifc please the Great Architect of the Universe to spare us all to meet again .

Masonic Notes Amd Ctueries.

MASONIC NOTES AMD CtUERIES .

THE TEMl'LAES' GOSPEL . Is there such a thing as a Templars' Gospel ?—MAECION . —[ A Greek Gospel of S . John was found in the archives of the Temple at Paris and has been published . It was first noticed in 1 S 2 S by the Danish Bishop Mnenter , as well as by Abbe Grcgoire ,

exbishop of Blois . It is a vellum MS . in large 4 to ., said , by experts , to have been executed in the -13 th or 14 th century , and to have been copied from a Mount Athos MS . of an earlier date . The writing is in gold letters . It is divided into nineteen sections , which are called " gospels , " ancl is , on this account , supposed to have been designed for liturgical use . These sections ,

corresponding m most instances with our chapters ( of which , however , the 20 fch and Slsfc are omitted ) are subdivided into verses , the same as those now in use . The omissions ancl interpolations ( which latter are in barbarous Greek ) represent the heresies and mysteries of the Knights Templar . Notwithstanding all this , the collator considers it to be modern and fabricated since the commencement of the eighteenth century . Condensed from Kitto ' s Cyclopaedia . " }

THE SUPEE 1 IB COUNCIL , 33 ° . [ The Supreme Council have just issued a List of llembers of the Ancient and Accepted Mite , in which it is stated , " -N " o person can be received or admitted into any Council , Consistory , Areopagus , Chapter , or Lodge of the Ancient and Accepted Eite whose name

is not found in the following list , unless admitted subsequently to tho 20 fch day of April , 186-1 , and presenting his diploma . " The Council consist of Sovereign Grand Inspectors General , 33 ° ;—Bro . Dr . HENET BEAUMONT LEESONMost

Puis-, sant Sovereign Grand Commander . Bro . Lieut .-Col . HENEX ATKINS BOWYEE , Lieut . Grand Commander . Bro . HENEX CHAELES VEENON , Grand Treasurer General . Bro . Lieut .-Col . HEX - CEEEK , Grand Secretary

General . Bro . Sir J . G . EEEYE BE LA POLE , Bart ., Grand Chancellor . Bro . Dr . BENJAMIN A . KENT ( H . E . ) Bro . Lieut .-Col . DEEING- ( H . E . ) Bro . ALBEET lloxns ( H . E . ) Bro . Capt . NATHANIEL GEOEGE PHILIPS ( H . E . )

Betired Members . Bro . Eev . Dr . GEOH & E OLIVEB , 33 ° . Bro . Sir JOHN EOEINSON , Part ., 33 ° . Bro . Lieut .-Col . GEOEGE AUGUSTUS YEENON , 33 ° . Bro . CIIAELES JOHN "VIGNE , 33 ° . Assist . Sec . Gen . to Sup . G . C .

Bro . HYDE PULLEN , 32 ° . ] OEIGIN OE EEEEitASONET . Wanted an account of the ori gin of Ereemasonry ? —B . A . —[ Preston will give it . There is a book published by Bro . Leon Hyneman , of America , which

rejoices in the following title : —A History of the Time when , the Place ivhere , and the Persons icith whom , the Institution originated , and the occasion and necessity for tlie establishment of the llystic Brotherhood , including the Cause for the introduction , and the true explanations of the symbols of Freemasonry ; and

if it only does one tithe of what it professes , must be a very valuable work . ] HIEAM ABIFE ' S TOHB . E . TV . S . has sent a representation of what he is pleased to term Hiram AbifFs tomb . He gives as his

authority some very unauthoritative author on Scriptural Archaeology for this statement . Does E . ~ W . S . believe it ? If so , it may be questioned if he ever was in a lodge in fche third degree . Your readers should not be subjected to having such contradictions placed before them . —G . C . S . —[ Out of error comes truth . Discussion is the object of these columns , and while