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  • April 25, 1863
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, April 25, 1863: Page 10

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    Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 3 of 3
Page 10

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Masonic Notes And Queries.

of Masonic secrecy , and then spread throughout England and Ireland calling themselves Masonic Templars . By this means I have no doubt that the customs , ceremonials , and costume became much changed , and a sad jumble of Cliivalric and Masonic rites ensued , more particularly in the last century when the rage for mysterious and secret societies was at its highest . " The jewels worn bthe officers of English encampments

y , and many of the titles , there does not appear any history to sanction , nor can our Grand Conclave produce any authority for their adoption , though the jewels now adopted by us were taken in a great measure from the Scotch Order . The titles ' 1 st and 2 nd Captain , Senior and Junior Wardens , Prelate , Expert , Captain of Lines , ' etc ., are all modern innovations , as is also that of calling an assembly of Templars an encampment . This word

may have arisen after the dispersion of the Order , from small detached bodies being found dispersed in different countries . Command-cry , Priory or Preceptory of the Order being the correct term . " I am not satisfied at the United States Templars refusing to admit English Templars without their taking intermediate degrees that wo do not recognise . A great many of us object to

the O . B . of the 'Knight of the East or Sword , ' and I can see no use in the Order as connected with the Temple . There should certainly be some law passed to admit Templars of the English jurisdiction as Templars , without reference to other degrees .

'As a Masonic body , the Grand Lodge of England recognises no other degrees than those of which it takes charge , viz ., the E . A ., P . C ., and M . M . ; this is the first subdivision into which the degrees of Masonry are divided . There are , in the United States , France , Ireland , and some other places where higher degrees are conferred , other divisions into which the degree of Masonry are subdivided , each of which subdivisions is under the charge of some Grand Lodge or of some superior degree . The

Grand Encampment of the United States requires that a candidate shall have taken the Mark and Most Excellent Masters ' Degrees , hut they also require him to be a ltoyal Arch Mason , which is higher than the two former . Now these two ( Mark M . and M . E . M . ) , arc not recognised in England at all , and I understand that if an English Koyat Arch Mason visits your chapters , he will not be admitted unless healed . But manyI

knowre-, , fuse to take more O . B . 's . So , in the same way , I could not visit your encampments , because I do not choose to take the O . B . of the Knight of Red Cross . Surely this cannot be right , or if so , Masonry is not universal . I maintain that the simpler ancl fewer the degrees , the better , as more in accordance with ancient usage .

" The ltoyal Arch is only tlie perfection of the Master Mason , and the word was formerly given when taking the chair as installed Master . The degree of ltoyal Arch , as a separate ceremony , arose from the disputes between the so-called ' ancient ' and ' modern' Masons , and the ceremonial of the ltoyal Arch was never heard of until 1700 . There is no connection with our Templar Order and the rites of Masonry , but none but Christian Foyal Arch Masons will be admitted as candidatessimpl

, y that as being vouched for in that degree of Freemasonry , we presume we are admitting into our Oreler none but , 17001 ^ men and true . The test of old was ' noble birth , ' this , with many points of the vow , has very properly been abolished , to conform to a more enlightened and liberal age . ' ' All United States Templars are received and welcomed into an English encampment , but we are debarred from yours unless

we take O . B . ' s we are taught not to recognise , ancl do not consider necessary . , 1 very much fear that this is a stumbling block to-many who would otherwise visit the encampments in the United States . "

OPERATIVE l'HEEMASONltr . I am obliged to "Ebor" for his kind offer ; anything relating to the history of the Operative fraternity cannot fail to interest us all . Pirst , as to the Sloane MS ., already quoted from , is it the 16-1-6 or the 1659 document ? 2 . Are the 80 , or 40 , regulations there given attached to the usual operative constitutions ? 3 . Can "Ebor" vouch

that the words " society , company and fraternity , " aro contained in the original document ? 4 . Is not that document , itself , destructive of " Ebor ' s" theory , as I understand it , and in conformity with the teaching of the Grand Lodge of 1717 ? Since it shews that no one could

be made an apprentice until he was twenty-one years of age , that being beyond the time of life of a working apprentice . There can be little doubt that present Preemasonry is from three sources , viz ., the Bosicrucians , Cliivalric Order of the Temple , and speculative Masonry of the operative builders , the question being what share has each had in forming the present system ? York

Masonry was affected by the Templars , London by the Bosicrucians , Templary and Speculative Masonry probably being branches of the elder brother of the mysteries , latterly termed Bosicrucianism . —A . THE OEDEE OE CINCINNATUS . With reference to this order , concerning which

informationwas solicited by " Ordo ab Chao" ( November 15 th , 1862 ) , iu the essay on American Statesmen , contributed by Lord Brougham to the Edinburgh Review , October , 1837 , there appears the following passage , " But , at the first , no reasonable doubt can be entertained of the fondness for monarchial institutions which prevailed among the Federalists . The difficulty with which the scheme of

the Cincinnati , an order of merit and . of military merit , was first modified and then abandoned , is well known . " —III . DEO . BICIIAKD LINNECAB . I have in my possession an engraved portrait of Eichard Linnecar , E . W . M . of the Lodge of Unanimity ( hTo . 202 ) , Wakefield , and a coroner for tbe county of

York . The portrait was published in the year 1800 . It is from a painting by H . Singleton , and engraved by T . Barrow ; and represents the " worthy Mason " as seatedin the chair of K . S ., with the jewel of office suspended from his neck . On the pedestal before him is the Bible , opened at the Gospel of St . John . The figure is surrounded by Masonic emblems , & c . Can you , or any , of your readers give some information as to Bro . Linnecar , who seems to have been a person of note iu his day and generation ?—TRIANGLE .

SENSATION . An incident of a peculiar kind occurred to a willing assistant in collecting marks on mediaeval buildings as made by operative Masons , at Worcester Cathedral , which might have had a very serious effect on the searching brother . After passing over the walls of the interior of the nave , chancel , side chapels , and the curious

retiring places for the vergers , subsacristaus and others , the brother descended into the crypt from tho outside of tho building , which was in utter darkness , save a small stream of light through a wooden partition due north and south—tho brother hoping to find means of admiting light into tho dismal abode of the dead to assist his labours . Proceeding on his course by aid of his umbrella ,

probing his way , his foot struck something which yielded to the blow . A momentary shudder , and doubtless cold perspiration might have been traced on the forehead of our searching brother . After trying the effect ofthe end of his umbrella , only one consideration presented itself to our brother ' s mind—that it was a corpse wrapped around with a blanket or other covering , and placed there for

tho purpose of removal . He placed his foot upon it when the substance yielded to the pressure , and to some minds it would have been evidence strong as proof in holy writ , that tho first impression was correct . Confidence being restored and the service overhead having commenced , our brother found one of the workmen , who produced a candle for the purpose of closer inspection ,

and descended the steps of tho gloomy apartment , and with much difficulty succeded in lighting it , but only for a brief period , the draughts of wind being excessive , as if to prevent examination of this peculiar substance ; the brother , however , succeeded in ascertaining that there were no marks visible for him to store , and that the substance which had yielded to the pressure of his foot was only an old worn out hassock . —E . E . X . —Worcester April 22 nd , 1863 .

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1863-04-25, Page 10” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 20 March 2023, www.masonicperiodicals.org/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_25041863/page/10/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
THE BUDGET. Article 1
FREEMASONRY AS A TEACHER. Article 1
FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE. Article 2
BRITISH SCULPTORS. Article 2
KNIGHTHOOD. Article 3
THE CORONATION CHAIR, WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Article 5
PROPOSED MEMORIAL OF THE LATE PRINCE CONSORT. Article 7
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 8
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 11
THE ROYAL ARCH DISPUTE IN SCOTLAND Article 11
MASONIC MEMS. Article 12
THE BOYS' SCHOOL. Article 12
METROPOLITAN. Article 13
PROVINCIAL. Article 14
ROYAL ARCH. Article 15
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 15
MARK MASONRY. Article 16
Poetry. Article 16
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 17
THE WEEK. Article 17
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Masonic Notes And Queries.

of Masonic secrecy , and then spread throughout England and Ireland calling themselves Masonic Templars . By this means I have no doubt that the customs , ceremonials , and costume became much changed , and a sad jumble of Cliivalric and Masonic rites ensued , more particularly in the last century when the rage for mysterious and secret societies was at its highest . " The jewels worn bthe officers of English encampments

y , and many of the titles , there does not appear any history to sanction , nor can our Grand Conclave produce any authority for their adoption , though the jewels now adopted by us were taken in a great measure from the Scotch Order . The titles ' 1 st and 2 nd Captain , Senior and Junior Wardens , Prelate , Expert , Captain of Lines , ' etc ., are all modern innovations , as is also that of calling an assembly of Templars an encampment . This word

may have arisen after the dispersion of the Order , from small detached bodies being found dispersed in different countries . Command-cry , Priory or Preceptory of the Order being the correct term . " I am not satisfied at the United States Templars refusing to admit English Templars without their taking intermediate degrees that wo do not recognise . A great many of us object to

the O . B . of the 'Knight of the East or Sword , ' and I can see no use in the Order as connected with the Temple . There should certainly be some law passed to admit Templars of the English jurisdiction as Templars , without reference to other degrees .

'As a Masonic body , the Grand Lodge of England recognises no other degrees than those of which it takes charge , viz ., the E . A ., P . C ., and M . M . ; this is the first subdivision into which the degrees of Masonry are divided . There are , in the United States , France , Ireland , and some other places where higher degrees are conferred , other divisions into which the degree of Masonry are subdivided , each of which subdivisions is under the charge of some Grand Lodge or of some superior degree . The

Grand Encampment of the United States requires that a candidate shall have taken the Mark and Most Excellent Masters ' Degrees , hut they also require him to be a ltoyal Arch Mason , which is higher than the two former . Now these two ( Mark M . and M . E . M . ) , arc not recognised in England at all , and I understand that if an English Koyat Arch Mason visits your chapters , he will not be admitted unless healed . But manyI

knowre-, , fuse to take more O . B . 's . So , in the same way , I could not visit your encampments , because I do not choose to take the O . B . of the Knight of Red Cross . Surely this cannot be right , or if so , Masonry is not universal . I maintain that the simpler ancl fewer the degrees , the better , as more in accordance with ancient usage .

" The ltoyal Arch is only tlie perfection of the Master Mason , and the word was formerly given when taking the chair as installed Master . The degree of ltoyal Arch , as a separate ceremony , arose from the disputes between the so-called ' ancient ' and ' modern' Masons , and the ceremonial of the ltoyal Arch was never heard of until 1700 . There is no connection with our Templar Order and the rites of Masonry , but none but Christian Foyal Arch Masons will be admitted as candidatessimpl

, y that as being vouched for in that degree of Freemasonry , we presume we are admitting into our Oreler none but , 17001 ^ men and true . The test of old was ' noble birth , ' this , with many points of the vow , has very properly been abolished , to conform to a more enlightened and liberal age . ' ' All United States Templars are received and welcomed into an English encampment , but we are debarred from yours unless

we take O . B . ' s we are taught not to recognise , ancl do not consider necessary . , 1 very much fear that this is a stumbling block to-many who would otherwise visit the encampments in the United States . "

OPERATIVE l'HEEMASONltr . I am obliged to "Ebor" for his kind offer ; anything relating to the history of the Operative fraternity cannot fail to interest us all . Pirst , as to the Sloane MS ., already quoted from , is it the 16-1-6 or the 1659 document ? 2 . Are the 80 , or 40 , regulations there given attached to the usual operative constitutions ? 3 . Can "Ebor" vouch

that the words " society , company and fraternity , " aro contained in the original document ? 4 . Is not that document , itself , destructive of " Ebor ' s" theory , as I understand it , and in conformity with the teaching of the Grand Lodge of 1717 ? Since it shews that no one could

be made an apprentice until he was twenty-one years of age , that being beyond the time of life of a working apprentice . There can be little doubt that present Preemasonry is from three sources , viz ., the Bosicrucians , Cliivalric Order of the Temple , and speculative Masonry of the operative builders , the question being what share has each had in forming the present system ? York

Masonry was affected by the Templars , London by the Bosicrucians , Templary and Speculative Masonry probably being branches of the elder brother of the mysteries , latterly termed Bosicrucianism . —A . THE OEDEE OE CINCINNATUS . With reference to this order , concerning which

informationwas solicited by " Ordo ab Chao" ( November 15 th , 1862 ) , iu the essay on American Statesmen , contributed by Lord Brougham to the Edinburgh Review , October , 1837 , there appears the following passage , " But , at the first , no reasonable doubt can be entertained of the fondness for monarchial institutions which prevailed among the Federalists . The difficulty with which the scheme of

the Cincinnati , an order of merit and . of military merit , was first modified and then abandoned , is well known . " —III . DEO . BICIIAKD LINNECAB . I have in my possession an engraved portrait of Eichard Linnecar , E . W . M . of the Lodge of Unanimity ( hTo . 202 ) , Wakefield , and a coroner for tbe county of

York . The portrait was published in the year 1800 . It is from a painting by H . Singleton , and engraved by T . Barrow ; and represents the " worthy Mason " as seatedin the chair of K . S ., with the jewel of office suspended from his neck . On the pedestal before him is the Bible , opened at the Gospel of St . John . The figure is surrounded by Masonic emblems , & c . Can you , or any , of your readers give some information as to Bro . Linnecar , who seems to have been a person of note iu his day and generation ?—TRIANGLE .

SENSATION . An incident of a peculiar kind occurred to a willing assistant in collecting marks on mediaeval buildings as made by operative Masons , at Worcester Cathedral , which might have had a very serious effect on the searching brother . After passing over the walls of the interior of the nave , chancel , side chapels , and the curious

retiring places for the vergers , subsacristaus and others , the brother descended into the crypt from tho outside of tho building , which was in utter darkness , save a small stream of light through a wooden partition due north and south—tho brother hoping to find means of admiting light into tho dismal abode of the dead to assist his labours . Proceeding on his course by aid of his umbrella ,

probing his way , his foot struck something which yielded to the blow . A momentary shudder , and doubtless cold perspiration might have been traced on the forehead of our searching brother . After trying the effect ofthe end of his umbrella , only one consideration presented itself to our brother ' s mind—that it was a corpse wrapped around with a blanket or other covering , and placed there for

tho purpose of removal . He placed his foot upon it when the substance yielded to the pressure , and to some minds it would have been evidence strong as proof in holy writ , that tho first impression was correct . Confidence being restored and the service overhead having commenced , our brother found one of the workmen , who produced a candle for the purpose of closer inspection ,

and descended the steps of tho gloomy apartment , and with much difficulty succeded in lighting it , but only for a brief period , the draughts of wind being excessive , as if to prevent examination of this peculiar substance ; the brother , however , succeeded in ascertaining that there were no marks visible for him to store , and that the substance which had yielded to the pressure of his foot was only an old worn out hassock . —E . E . X . —Worcester April 22 nd , 1863 .

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