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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, July 31, 1869: Page 1

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    Article MASONIC DISCIPLINE.—XVII. Page 1 of 2 →
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Ar00100

( fcantmis , ¦ PAGE . Masonic Discipline—By Crux 81 Sermon by Bro . the Rev . J . E . Cox , M . A 83 The Mark Degree —By Bro . Frederick Binckes 80 Burgh Records—By AA . P . Buchan 87 Masonic Notes and Queries 88 Correspondence S 9

Masonic Mems 01 United Grand Lodge 91 CRAFT LODGE MEETINGS : — Metropolitan 91 Provincial 91 Isle of Man 94 South Australia 94 Eoyal Arch 95

Knights Templar 98 The ' Royal Albert Orphan Asylum 96 Freemasonry among the Mormons 97 Literature , Science , Music , Drama , and the Fine Arts 98 Poetry 99 List of Lodge , & c , Meetings for ensuing week 99 To Correspondents 100

Masonic Discipline.—Xvii.

MASONIC DISCIPLINE . —XVII .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JULY 31 , 1869 .

BY CEUX . The remarks made by one of our correspondents respecting the self-election of what are known as " Masonic Instructors / ' and their ipse dixit style of teaching , amply corroborate the

statement put forward in some of our previous articles . One can hardly imagine that although the officers of lodges , ancl the brethren at large , are left at perfect liberty to work as they like , that the professors of the art and science of Masonry should

be equally free to advance any theories they choose , any dogmas they may believe or invent , any manner of working or any ritualistic phraseology they may either have learnt from their predecessors , or , as the Germans say , evolved from " their internal consciousness . " But so it is .

Supine , and inert , the supreme authority in the Craft takes no pains , makes not the slightest effort , to establish an uniformity of working , even among those who disseminate among the brethren , the theory and practice of Masonry . So monstrous

an anomaly as uncertificated instructors , does not at the present time exist in any department of our civil or military government , and yet Freemasonry , which extends its branches over the whole habitable surface of the glebe , possesses not a single

institution , not a single constituted body , charged with the educational surveillance of its officers ancl members , and the selection of those who may be qualified to act as instructors , or , to use our own term , "Masonic Professors . " Considering the disadvantage under which all self-constituted fceachers 4 abour , the highest credit is due to those

who have taken upon themselves a duty so arduous , and have displayed so much zeal in the interests of the fraternity . At the same time it is not the less a disgrace , not the less a reproach to the Craft , that its members are indebted for their knowledge

of Masonry , to brethren who have derived their own instruction from sources unauthorised , uncared for , and in many instances unknown to those ,, whose first duty is to provide for the educational status of the members , whom it professes to rule ,

govern , and dictate to . The subject of " Masonic Instruction , " which it is unnecessary to remark is at a wretchedly low pitch , although intimately connected with Masonic Discipline , " is one which we shall not particularly treat of at the present

moment , but shall pass on to discuss the further discrepancies in the ritual relating to the opening of a lodge . Having'determined the proper manner in which the first and succeeding interrogatories of the

W . M . should be addressed to his officers , we may now proceed to examine into the nature of the dialogue itself . In the answer to the first

question , a confusion incessantly arises between it and a very similar one put at the closing of a lodge . This can be scarcely be included under the category of " discrepancies " nor can it be regarded as a serious mistake . It is simply an instance of

stupid blundering , and proves how little earnest attention . is paid to the intent and meaning of what is said in a lodge . It is somewhat humiliating to the zealous neophyte , to witness old Masons unable to distinguish between the

" proper " and the " close " tyling of a lodge , and to be compelled in silence to listen to the accurate question and the inaccurate answer , or to the incorrect interrogatory and the correct response .

How often have we heard brethren , to whom , to judge from appearances young members would naturally look up with reverence ancl respect , confound the "first" with the " constant" care of a Mason ! Is there any necessity to observe that

there is nothing so prone , so admirably contrived to dissipate the ardour of an aspiring brother , to destroy his love , his zeal for the science , as the glaring incapacity of those , to whom he considers he is bound to apply to for information , and to

regard as his superiors in the Craft ? Alas ! how many , whom at our initiation , we regarded with feelings of awe ancl esteem , have we wei ghed in the balance and found miserably wanting ! A little reflection will readily point out that " to see

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1869-07-31, Page 1” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 11 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_31071869/page/1/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
MASONIC DISCIPLINE.—XVII. Article 1
SERMON, Article 3
THE MARK DEGREE. Article 6
BURGH RECORDS.—No. 5. Article 7
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 8
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 9
GRAND MARK LODGE. Article 10
THE ALYLUM FOR IDIOTS AT EARLSWOOD. Article 10
MASONIC MEMS. Article 11
UNITED GRAND LODGE. Article 11
METROPOLITAN. Article 11
PROVINCIAL. Article 11
ISLE OF MAN. Article 14
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Article 14
ROYAL ARCH. Article 15
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 16
THE ROYAL ALBERT ORPHAN ASYLUM FOR THOROUGHLY DESTITUTE CHILDREN. Article 16
FREEMASONRY AMONG THE MORMONS. Article 17
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, MUSIC, DRAMA, AND THE FINE ARTS. Article 18
Poetry. Article 19
LIST OF LODGE, &c. MEETINGS FOR WEEK ENDING 7TH AUGUST, . 1869. Article 19
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Ar00100

( fcantmis , ¦ PAGE . Masonic Discipline—By Crux 81 Sermon by Bro . the Rev . J . E . Cox , M . A 83 The Mark Degree —By Bro . Frederick Binckes 80 Burgh Records—By AA . P . Buchan 87 Masonic Notes and Queries 88 Correspondence S 9

Masonic Mems 01 United Grand Lodge 91 CRAFT LODGE MEETINGS : — Metropolitan 91 Provincial 91 Isle of Man 94 South Australia 94 Eoyal Arch 95

Knights Templar 98 The ' Royal Albert Orphan Asylum 96 Freemasonry among the Mormons 97 Literature , Science , Music , Drama , and the Fine Arts 98 Poetry 99 List of Lodge , & c , Meetings for ensuing week 99 To Correspondents 100

Masonic Discipline.—Xvii.

MASONIC DISCIPLINE . —XVII .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JULY 31 , 1869 .

BY CEUX . The remarks made by one of our correspondents respecting the self-election of what are known as " Masonic Instructors / ' and their ipse dixit style of teaching , amply corroborate the

statement put forward in some of our previous articles . One can hardly imagine that although the officers of lodges , ancl the brethren at large , are left at perfect liberty to work as they like , that the professors of the art and science of Masonry should

be equally free to advance any theories they choose , any dogmas they may believe or invent , any manner of working or any ritualistic phraseology they may either have learnt from their predecessors , or , as the Germans say , evolved from " their internal consciousness . " But so it is .

Supine , and inert , the supreme authority in the Craft takes no pains , makes not the slightest effort , to establish an uniformity of working , even among those who disseminate among the brethren , the theory and practice of Masonry . So monstrous

an anomaly as uncertificated instructors , does not at the present time exist in any department of our civil or military government , and yet Freemasonry , which extends its branches over the whole habitable surface of the glebe , possesses not a single

institution , not a single constituted body , charged with the educational surveillance of its officers ancl members , and the selection of those who may be qualified to act as instructors , or , to use our own term , "Masonic Professors . " Considering the disadvantage under which all self-constituted fceachers 4 abour , the highest credit is due to those

who have taken upon themselves a duty so arduous , and have displayed so much zeal in the interests of the fraternity . At the same time it is not the less a disgrace , not the less a reproach to the Craft , that its members are indebted for their knowledge

of Masonry , to brethren who have derived their own instruction from sources unauthorised , uncared for , and in many instances unknown to those ,, whose first duty is to provide for the educational status of the members , whom it professes to rule ,

govern , and dictate to . The subject of " Masonic Instruction , " which it is unnecessary to remark is at a wretchedly low pitch , although intimately connected with Masonic Discipline , " is one which we shall not particularly treat of at the present

moment , but shall pass on to discuss the further discrepancies in the ritual relating to the opening of a lodge . Having'determined the proper manner in which the first and succeeding interrogatories of the

W . M . should be addressed to his officers , we may now proceed to examine into the nature of the dialogue itself . In the answer to the first

question , a confusion incessantly arises between it and a very similar one put at the closing of a lodge . This can be scarcely be included under the category of " discrepancies " nor can it be regarded as a serious mistake . It is simply an instance of

stupid blundering , and proves how little earnest attention . is paid to the intent and meaning of what is said in a lodge . It is somewhat humiliating to the zealous neophyte , to witness old Masons unable to distinguish between the

" proper " and the " close " tyling of a lodge , and to be compelled in silence to listen to the accurate question and the inaccurate answer , or to the incorrect interrogatory and the correct response .

How often have we heard brethren , to whom , to judge from appearances young members would naturally look up with reverence ancl respect , confound the "first" with the " constant" care of a Mason ! Is there any necessity to observe that

there is nothing so prone , so admirably contrived to dissipate the ardour of an aspiring brother , to destroy his love , his zeal for the science , as the glaring incapacity of those , to whom he considers he is bound to apply to for information , and to

regard as his superiors in the Craft ? Alas ! how many , whom at our initiation , we regarded with feelings of awe ancl esteem , have we wei ghed in the balance and found miserably wanting ! A little reflection will readily point out that " to see

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