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Article RETURNING TO LABOUR. ← Page 2 of 2 Article THE PRESENT POSITION OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 2 Article THE PRESENT POSITION OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Returning To Labour.
we have not already gone upon our holiday escapades , for in a trice we shall be glad of cosy fires in our grates , the closed curtains , and the gladdening society of friends . Then will come forth from their hidden recesses the emblems
and insignia which have been laid aside , " in lavender , " by -l i considerate Ty lers ; the lig hts will re-appear , and the brethren will again repair to their respective homes—for where can the word " home" find such thorough and
perfect exemplification as within the precincts of a Masonic Lodge ? In p leasant recollection of the evenings we have spent together in this way we can only repeat , " Happy may we meet again . " One thine , is certain ; the same joyous
faces , the same impulses of hearty good fellowship and fraternal greeting will soon once more adorn the haunts of " ye mystic tie , " when with heart and hand our friends and neighbours will cheer the winter , and dissipate for another
year the inaction which inevitably accompanies the recess through which we have nearly passed . We venture to hope that in the months that are usually designated " the dull season" Masters of Lodges have not been entirely
unmindful of the work which will devolve upon them in tho approaching Session . From experience we know that , in many cases , this period of leisure is made the most of by the rulers of Lodges for maturing and developing some
new scheme for the edification and improvement of the brethren . Nor do we see that the present year should be any exception to the rule . They will recollect that next year brings with ifc the Centenary of tho Girls' School ,
when great things will be expected from the Craft in celebration of the one hundredth year of the existence of our oldest Charity . Great things will be done , undoubtedly , in connection with that event , and already Stewards are busy
in that direction ; but care must be exercised by Stewards for the other Institutions that the year ' s charity is not monopolised by the Centennial Institution . It is obvious
that , whatever exertion the past year has shown , equal labour will devolve upon the Lodges next year , and this will be one of the first questions which the members of tho Craft will have to take into consideration on the
re-assembling of their Lodges . It may be early yet to speak of the Festivals of 1888 , but we would remind our readers that . it will be an exceptional year , in which every nerve and muscle will have to be strained in order to maintain the
prestige and efficiency of our grand Institutions . We firmly believe they will brace themselves up for the effort , and that the result will be another glorious vindication of the principles and practice of Freemasonry . One word
more , and it is this . If it be in the power of Masters to improve the programme in their Lodges so as to relieve the occasional monotony that is felt , we think the result would be very salutary . The remark applies as much , if not
more , to Lodges of Instruction , where the iteration of the same phrases week by week and year by year becomes wearisome , and the real work of edification aimed at is missed . We sincerely trust that as the season progresses
we may have the pleasure of participating in much of the harmony and enjoyment of which Masonry is so largely made up , and that prosperity and peace may be the lot of every Lodge dnring the working year which is " shortly about to commence . "
The Present Position Of Freemasonry.
THE PRESENT POSITION OF FREEMASONRY .
No . HI . THEBE is a remarkable feature in tbe present aspect and outcome of our English Jurisdiction , and of others we may say it equally , which deserves noting and
consideration , namely , the great change which has been effected in the literary wants , aims and tastes of our Fraternity .
Time was , and has not altogether , we fear , quite passed away , when students were few and readers fewer ; when even anything tending to inquiry or study of Freemasonry , its history and antiquities , was rather discouraged than
favoured , silently obstructed if not even actuall y frowned upon . Certain stereotyped views , and we fear we must say fables , were to the fore , and it was then hardl y considered " good form , " if not partly unorthodox , to question their coherency or doubt their accuracy . Our Grand Lodge even was not precisely correct , or historicall y warranted in some statements as regards archaic
The Present Position Of Freemasonry.
dates and evidences of Freemasonry , and the " Fables of the FreemasoiiS" was an expression too often used bv "Literati , " and contemporary writers , to satisf y f ; he doubts of the thoughtful , or compose the hesitations and difficulties of the inquiring student .
Dr . Oliver , with the best intentions in the world , had in truth done a great deal of harm to Masonic studies and students .
Under his auspices what we may without offence term an Oliverian literary epoch had sot in , which resting on native talent , ignored or obscured all the labours of other
thinkers and other schools , especially the German , which might have helped to lead English students into a ri ght and safe path .
Dr . Oliver was , moreover , not consistent , either in the theories he propounded or the conclusions he advocated . His later avowals , for instance , are not consistent with his earlier , and in consequence gravely reacted on many
who commenced their Masonic studies in absolute faith on the assertions and contentions of the good old Doctor . A man of great industry and wide reading , untiring in his pursuit of illustrations , and remarkably able in his
groupings , often picturesquely so , of ideas and words , he was conspicuous unfortunately for one or two defects , criticall y and scientifically , which rendered his serious labours comparatively useless , and caused his undoubted zeal and
learning to act almost as a foil to his too rash assumptions , his habitual inaccuracy , and his want of a discriminating decision as to the actual value of isolated facts , or their bearing on the case generally . Added to this , his evidently
careless appreciation of the force and meaning of evidences per se , and his eager grasping at apparent coincidences , rendered him an unsafe guide to follow , and even his best lucubrations are unsound bases for the studies and labours
of all students of history , fact , and authenticity . Take for instance his oft-repeated assertion , thafc to certain brethren , whom he conspicuously names , the Bevival , the ritual , the actuality of the Grand Lodge in 1717 were
owing . With the sheep-walking of a later day , introduced greatly by himself , this statement was repeated as a matter of certaint y and fact , though Anderson in 1738 bad practically given students evidence as to the real facts of the
case . It was happily reserved to Bro . Gould to point out in his History thafc these brethren so named , and so
conspicuously commended , were those who were assembled at Hampton Court Palace , to initiate Frederick Prince of Wales , aud some of whom , there is little doubt , were not Freemasons in 1717 .
Countless other assertions of our excellent old brother are familiar to Masonic students which are now not only doubted and denied , but given up , as hopelessly untenable altogether
Dr . Oliver , in his many able works , led his readers through so many fields of study , up to so many recondite speculations , until they actually became bewildered with
the accretions and intensity of such a system of thought , study , and evidence , and many were alarmed and driven away from subjects and researches that required much learning to master and greater knowledge to realize .
Accordingly after a little time Masonic literature sank to a comparatively low level , and we can remember the period when outside Oliver there was little to glean by
those who wished to impart an intellectual character to the normal existence of our Lodges or the routine of Lodge life and Lodge work amongst us .
The authentic school has happily now changed the aspect of affairs , and has completely weighed down the balance .
The skits at Masonic literature , beliefs , and facts have passed utterly away in the outer world . Freemasonry is no longer to it a quasi or tolerant benefit society , with childish ceremonies and convivial symposia , but becomes ,
both to Masonic and non-Masonic students , a curiously interesting archaic and world-wide system . It is now clearly seen to be bound up with the relig ions and mysteries , the speculative and occult societies of a long
buried past , with the mystical confraternities and operative sodalities of history , and has to be probed and studied , matured and realized , if we wish ever to discover how it really is that this quaint and universal system apparently ,
whether made up of Adepts , Brethren , The Enlig htened , or Craftsmen , has been enabled to endure the changes of the world , and outlive the lapse of centuries . Competent judges think they discover in this more intel-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Returning To Labour.
we have not already gone upon our holiday escapades , for in a trice we shall be glad of cosy fires in our grates , the closed curtains , and the gladdening society of friends . Then will come forth from their hidden recesses the emblems
and insignia which have been laid aside , " in lavender , " by -l i considerate Ty lers ; the lig hts will re-appear , and the brethren will again repair to their respective homes—for where can the word " home" find such thorough and
perfect exemplification as within the precincts of a Masonic Lodge ? In p leasant recollection of the evenings we have spent together in this way we can only repeat , " Happy may we meet again . " One thine , is certain ; the same joyous
faces , the same impulses of hearty good fellowship and fraternal greeting will soon once more adorn the haunts of " ye mystic tie , " when with heart and hand our friends and neighbours will cheer the winter , and dissipate for another
year the inaction which inevitably accompanies the recess through which we have nearly passed . We venture to hope that in the months that are usually designated " the dull season" Masters of Lodges have not been entirely
unmindful of the work which will devolve upon them in tho approaching Session . From experience we know that , in many cases , this period of leisure is made the most of by the rulers of Lodges for maturing and developing some
new scheme for the edification and improvement of the brethren . Nor do we see that the present year should be any exception to the rule . They will recollect that next year brings with ifc the Centenary of tho Girls' School ,
when great things will be expected from the Craft in celebration of the one hundredth year of the existence of our oldest Charity . Great things will be done , undoubtedly , in connection with that event , and already Stewards are busy
in that direction ; but care must be exercised by Stewards for the other Institutions that the year ' s charity is not monopolised by the Centennial Institution . It is obvious
that , whatever exertion the past year has shown , equal labour will devolve upon the Lodges next year , and this will be one of the first questions which the members of tho Craft will have to take into consideration on the
re-assembling of their Lodges . It may be early yet to speak of the Festivals of 1888 , but we would remind our readers that . it will be an exceptional year , in which every nerve and muscle will have to be strained in order to maintain the
prestige and efficiency of our grand Institutions . We firmly believe they will brace themselves up for the effort , and that the result will be another glorious vindication of the principles and practice of Freemasonry . One word
more , and it is this . If it be in the power of Masters to improve the programme in their Lodges so as to relieve the occasional monotony that is felt , we think the result would be very salutary . The remark applies as much , if not
more , to Lodges of Instruction , where the iteration of the same phrases week by week and year by year becomes wearisome , and the real work of edification aimed at is missed . We sincerely trust that as the season progresses
we may have the pleasure of participating in much of the harmony and enjoyment of which Masonry is so largely made up , and that prosperity and peace may be the lot of every Lodge dnring the working year which is " shortly about to commence . "
The Present Position Of Freemasonry.
THE PRESENT POSITION OF FREEMASONRY .
No . HI . THEBE is a remarkable feature in tbe present aspect and outcome of our English Jurisdiction , and of others we may say it equally , which deserves noting and
consideration , namely , the great change which has been effected in the literary wants , aims and tastes of our Fraternity .
Time was , and has not altogether , we fear , quite passed away , when students were few and readers fewer ; when even anything tending to inquiry or study of Freemasonry , its history and antiquities , was rather discouraged than
favoured , silently obstructed if not even actuall y frowned upon . Certain stereotyped views , and we fear we must say fables , were to the fore , and it was then hardl y considered " good form , " if not partly unorthodox , to question their coherency or doubt their accuracy . Our Grand Lodge even was not precisely correct , or historicall y warranted in some statements as regards archaic
The Present Position Of Freemasonry.
dates and evidences of Freemasonry , and the " Fables of the FreemasoiiS" was an expression too often used bv "Literati , " and contemporary writers , to satisf y f ; he doubts of the thoughtful , or compose the hesitations and difficulties of the inquiring student .
Dr . Oliver , with the best intentions in the world , had in truth done a great deal of harm to Masonic studies and students .
Under his auspices what we may without offence term an Oliverian literary epoch had sot in , which resting on native talent , ignored or obscured all the labours of other
thinkers and other schools , especially the German , which might have helped to lead English students into a ri ght and safe path .
Dr . Oliver was , moreover , not consistent , either in the theories he propounded or the conclusions he advocated . His later avowals , for instance , are not consistent with his earlier , and in consequence gravely reacted on many
who commenced their Masonic studies in absolute faith on the assertions and contentions of the good old Doctor . A man of great industry and wide reading , untiring in his pursuit of illustrations , and remarkably able in his
groupings , often picturesquely so , of ideas and words , he was conspicuous unfortunately for one or two defects , criticall y and scientifically , which rendered his serious labours comparatively useless , and caused his undoubted zeal and
learning to act almost as a foil to his too rash assumptions , his habitual inaccuracy , and his want of a discriminating decision as to the actual value of isolated facts , or their bearing on the case generally . Added to this , his evidently
careless appreciation of the force and meaning of evidences per se , and his eager grasping at apparent coincidences , rendered him an unsafe guide to follow , and even his best lucubrations are unsound bases for the studies and labours
of all students of history , fact , and authenticity . Take for instance his oft-repeated assertion , thafc to certain brethren , whom he conspicuously names , the Bevival , the ritual , the actuality of the Grand Lodge in 1717 were
owing . With the sheep-walking of a later day , introduced greatly by himself , this statement was repeated as a matter of certaint y and fact , though Anderson in 1738 bad practically given students evidence as to the real facts of the
case . It was happily reserved to Bro . Gould to point out in his History thafc these brethren so named , and so
conspicuously commended , were those who were assembled at Hampton Court Palace , to initiate Frederick Prince of Wales , aud some of whom , there is little doubt , were not Freemasons in 1717 .
Countless other assertions of our excellent old brother are familiar to Masonic students which are now not only doubted and denied , but given up , as hopelessly untenable altogether
Dr . Oliver , in his many able works , led his readers through so many fields of study , up to so many recondite speculations , until they actually became bewildered with
the accretions and intensity of such a system of thought , study , and evidence , and many were alarmed and driven away from subjects and researches that required much learning to master and greater knowledge to realize .
Accordingly after a little time Masonic literature sank to a comparatively low level , and we can remember the period when outside Oliver there was little to glean by
those who wished to impart an intellectual character to the normal existence of our Lodges or the routine of Lodge life and Lodge work amongst us .
The authentic school has happily now changed the aspect of affairs , and has completely weighed down the balance .
The skits at Masonic literature , beliefs , and facts have passed utterly away in the outer world . Freemasonry is no longer to it a quasi or tolerant benefit society , with childish ceremonies and convivial symposia , but becomes ,
both to Masonic and non-Masonic students , a curiously interesting archaic and world-wide system . It is now clearly seen to be bound up with the relig ions and mysteries , the speculative and occult societies of a long
buried past , with the mystical confraternities and operative sodalities of history , and has to be probed and studied , matured and realized , if we wish ever to discover how it really is that this quaint and universal system apparently ,
whether made up of Adepts , Brethren , The Enlig htened , or Craftsmen , has been enabled to endure the changes of the world , and outlive the lapse of centuries . Competent judges think they discover in this more intel-