The Rise And Purposes Of Speculative Masonry.

A lodge was opened in Rome about 1725 . Both in Ireland and America the craft dates from 1729 . I have only now to account for the manner in which the knowledge of the order of tho Holy Royal Arch must have been communicated to the

descendants of brethren AVIIO had quitted Jerusalem 470 years before the discoveries which that order commemorates were made . The Royal Arch traditions tell us that the secrets of the Craft were conserved amongst the Jews from the time of

King Solomon down to the day of the relase from captivity by King Cyrus , and , moreover , that none but Master Masons of pure Hebrew lineage were ¦ permitted to participate in the building of the secoud temple . Therefore the great discoveries

effected when clearing a place for the foundation of that sacred edifice could only have become ¦ known to such Jews as were Master Masons , and these , I am of opinion , subsequently merged themselves amongst the well-known sect of the

Essenes , whose usages , as recorded by Josephus , bore so striking a resemblance to those of onr society . The Essenes again must have

cominuaicated the momentous secrets of the Holy Royal Arch to their Gentile brethren , when , under the Boman Emperors , intercourse between Italy and -Palestine became frequent . Asl have already stated , until within recent times the arcana of the Royal

Arch were . always conferred with the third degree ; it was nob previous to 1740 that increase in the number of companions enabled the chapters to give realising effect to the tradition that every Royal Arch Convocation perpetuates the Grand

Council opened at Jerusalem A . L . 3466 , or B . C . 535 , and supplied to them the means of admitting Master Masons to the Order with the pomp and ceremony now most appropriately practised in the celebration of its solem rites and the

communication of its ineffable mysteries . I have finished . If in the course of my remarks I have increased love and respect for the Craft in the heart of any brother , I have fulfilled my purpose ; and if I may have been so fortunate

as to have afforded ground and matter for satisfactory contemplation , where only doubt and ¦ chaos previously existed , my labours are amply rewarded .

FEAR GOD , LOVE THE BEOTHEEHOOD , HONOUR ALL MEN , HONOUR THE KINS .

Masonic Jottings.—No. 6.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 6 .

BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER . OUR CONSTITUTION OF 1725 . Our Constitution of 1725 was formed out of the Gothic Constitutions , the old Charges and the General Regulations , revised , arranged and

digested ; and includes what was contained in the Ancient Books generally , but at the same time altered to suit the different circumstances .

OUR CONSTITUTION OP 1725 . Bro . Findel asserts that the laws and regulations therein contained , were really those which were found in the ancient documents , and which were in use up to that period .

THE FREEMASON' 3 RELIGION . The Freemason's Religion is the Religion of Nature , and so much of the Religion of his country as his reason approves . MAGICIAN , ALCHEMIST AND MASON .

In an old Masonic Common Place Book this is the heading prefixed to the names—Albertus Magnus , Christian Rosenkreutz , John Valentine Andreas , Elias Ashmole and Count Cagliostre .

THE GRAFTING . In the communication thus entitled , page 69 of the present volume , FOR " metaphysical" read " metaphorical . '' EARLY GERMAN LODGE .

The science , religion , and ethics of the early German Lodge were equivalent to the science , religion , and ethics which , in later lodges , have received the appellation of Speculative Masonry .

THE GERMAN THEORY . My long long reading of Masonic periodicals has produced the conviction that an accurate knowledge of the German theory can be acquired only by the study of German writers .

SPECULATIVE MASONRY . A learned correspondent thinks that Speculative Masonry was never more flourishing than in the Hth century , when Monks and Masons separated . My correspondent sends me numerous extracts from German Masonic writers . *