The Pope And Freemasonry.

the East India Company , Avhom he contrived somehoAV or other to introduce tupon the scene ; but this ivas before the East India Company itself came to grief ! The kings of the East , hoivever , were really , 1 . Antiochus , who had his capital at

Samosata , on the Euphrates ; 2 . Agrippa , King of Chalcis , a neighbouring place ; 3 . Sohenias , King of Emesa , also on the Euphrates ; and 4 . Malchus , King of Arabia , which is described in the Epistle of Clement as one of the countries of

the East . Both Josephus ancl Tacitus record the fact that these four kings each sent a large army to aid the Komans in Judea , leaving the region of the Euphrates in as defenceless a condition ( i . e . dried up ) as it was when Cyrus marched through the bed of the river , and took Babylon . Bead Josephus , Bell . Jud . iii . 4 , and Tacitus , Hist .

v . . I will only add that everything else in the Book can be explained as simply as the above by a mere reference to Josephus . The "tivo ivitnesses " were not Luther ancl Calvin , or anything else , but Justus and Ananus , Avhose " witness" may be

read in Josephus . But all this has reference to the primary fulfilment in the destruction of Jerusalem . It ivill be fulfilled again befoi'e the final destruction of the world , of ivhich the other Avas a type . For three and a half years the devil

himself incarnate—Antichrist — Avill go about deceiving the whole ivorld hy his poAver of vrorking miracles . The false Church in the first case ivas the Jeivish : in the second it will be , not the Church of Eome , or any particular church , but

but the whole of Christendom ; for there ivill be a general apostacy , or "falling away" from the faith . The freethinkers are already introducing the small end of the Avedge , and the signs of the times are ominous indeed . It will be rank infidelity , and not Eomanism , that Antichrist will use as his tool .

I have extended this much beyond the limits I intended to confine myself to ivhen I began , but the interesting nature of the subject has led me astray . I shall never be sufficiently thankful for the benefit I have derived for having'become a

member of so excellent a society , and I cannot do better than recommend the clergy in general to study the ancient symbolism of the mysteries—if with the aid of the full light afforded by Masonry , so much the better—if they would really understand that sublime Book of Symbols " the Bevelation of St . John the Divine . "

Kirkdale Church And Knights Templars.

KIRKDALE CHURCH AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

Near the road from Hohnsley to Kirbymoorside , about thirty miles to the west of Scarborough , is the ancient church of Kirkclale , shut up in a tranquil valley within the bosom of lofty woods . Its parish is extensive , comprising several villages ,

but none bearing its own name . Within the porch of this church is a Saxon remain which has attracted the notice of antiquaries . The subjoined is a translation of the Saxon inscription on the dial over the door of the church : — " Orm Gamals '

son bought St . Gregory ' s Church ; then , it was all gone to ruin and fallen doivn , ancl he agreed with Maccan to renew it from the ground to Christ and St . Gregory in Edward ' s clays the King and Tosti ' s days the Earl . "

Upon the dial in the centre : — "This is a draught exhibiting- the time of day whilst the sun is passing to and from the Avinter solstice . And Haivarth me made and Brand the Priest . " From the above record appears the antiquity of

this church for Tosti , the fourth son of Godwin , Earl of Kent and brother to King Harold , was created Earl of Northumberland by King Edivard the Confessor , in the year 1056 . But he ( Tosti ) being of a cruel and turbulent disposition ivas

expelled the kingdom anno 1065 , and lost his life the year following at Stamford Bridge , near York , upon his returning and attempting to recover his former power ancl dignity . Hence the church must have been rebuilt ancl the inscription cut between the years 1056 ancl 1065 .

Memorials of the erection and consecration of our churches by inscription before the Norman Conquest ( 1066 ) are very rare . Mr . Pegge says that " there are not above three or four that

actually precede the Norman era . " Not far distant from this parish is the Manor of Staintondale , which , about the year 1140 , ivas granted by King Stephen to the Knights Templars , on condition that a chaplain should constantly be

retained by them to perform Divine service there daily , ancl to offer up their intercessions for the kings of England and their heirs . And as it ivas a desert place , they ivere also to entertain such poor people ancl travellers as passed that way ,

and to provide themselves with a good bell ancl horn ; and they Avere bound to ring the bell ancl blow the horn in the twilight of every evening to g ive notice to the bewildered passenger whither he might repair to meet Avith hospitable lodging