"As an adequate punishment for this defection, God inspired the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to take vengeance on the kingdom of Israel. This prince sent an army, with Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, who entered Judah with fire and sword, took and sacked the city of Jerusalem, razed its walls, and destroyed that superb model of excellence, the temple. The people were carried captive to Babylon, and the conquerors carried with them all the vessels of gold and silver, &c. This happened 470 years, 6 months and 10 days after its dedication, "When the time arrived that the christian princes entered into a league to free the holy land from the oppression of the infidels, the good and virtuous masons, anxious for so pious an undertaking, voluntarily offered their services to the confederates, on condition that they should have a chief of their own election, which was granted; accordingly they accepted their standard and departed. "The valour and fortitude of those elected knights were such, that they were admired by, and took the lead of, all the princes of Jerusalem, who, believing that their mysteries inspired them with courage and fidelity to the cause of virtue and religion, became desirous of being initiated; upon being found worthy, their desires were complied with, and thus the royal art, meeting the approbation of great and good men, became popular and honourable, and was diffused to the worthy, throughout their various dominions, and has continued to spread, far and wide, through a succession of ages, to the present day." THE FREEMASON'S MONITOR. PART SECOND. BOOK II. SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA. CHAP. I. General Remarks. A GRAND Lodge consists of the master and wardens of all the regular lodges of master masons, within its jurisdiction, with the grand master at their head, the deputy graud master on his left, and the grand wardens and deacons in their proper places; attended also by the grand secretary, graud treasurer, grand chaplain, grand sword bearer, grand marshal, and also the past grand and deputy grand masters, and past masters of regular lodges while members of a lodge within the jurisdiction. In England, until the year 1717, a sufficient number of masons met together, had ample power to make masons, and discharge every duty of masonry by inherent priviJeges, vested in the fraternity at large, without a warrant of constitution. But at the meeting of the grand lodge of England on St. John the Baptist's day, in that year, the following regulation was adopted: "The privilege of assembling as masons, which has hitherto been unlimited, shall be vested in certain lodges of masons, convened in certain places; and every lodge hereafter convened, shall be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the grand master for the time being, granted to certain individuals by petition, with the consent and approbation of the grand lodge in communication; and without such warrant, no lodge shall hereafter be deemed regular or constitutional.” CHAPTER II. Commencement of Masonry in America. ON application of a number of brethren residing in Bosfon, a warrant was granted by the right honourable and most worshipful Anthony, Lord Viscount Montague, grand master of masons in England, dated the 30th of April, 1733, appointing the right worshipful Henry Price grand master in North America, with full power and authority to appoint his deputy, and other masonic officers necessary for forming a grand lodge; and also to constitute lodges of free and accepted masons, as often as occasion should require. In consequence of this commission, the grand master opened a grand lodge in Boston,* on the 30th of July, 1733, in due form, and appointed the right worshipful Andrew Belcher deputy grand master, the worshipful Thomas Kennelly and John Quann, grand wardens. The grand lodge being thus organized, under the desiguation of St. John's Grand Lodge, proceeded to grant war. rants for instituting regular lodges in various parts of America; and from this grand lodge originated the first lodges in Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, Barbadoes, Antigua, Newfoundland, Louisburgh, Nova-Scotia, Quebec, Surinam, and St. Christopher's. There was also a grand lodge holden at Boston, upon the ancient establishment, under the designation of "The Massachusetts Grand Lodge," which originated as fol lows. In 1755, a number of brethren residing in Boston, who were ancient masons, in consequence of a petition to the grand lodge of Scotland, received a deputation, dated Nov. 30, 1752, from Sholto Charles Douglas, Lord Aberdour, then grand master, constituting them a regular lodge, under the title of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 82, to be holden at Boston. This establishment was discouraged and opposed by the St. John's grand lodge, who thought their privileges *Sometimes called "The grand lodge of modern masons.” infringed by the grand lodge of Scotland; they therefore refused to have any intercourse with St. Andrew's lodge, for several years. The prosperous state of St. Andrew's lodge soon led its members to make great exertions for the establishment of an ancient grand lodge in America: which was soon effected in Boston, by the assistance of travelling lodges, belonging to the British army, who were stationed there. Dec. 27, 1769. The festival of the evangelists was celebrated in due form. When the brethren were assembled, a commission from the right honourable and most worshipful George, Earl of Dalhousie, grand master of masons in Scotland, dated the 30th of May, 1769, appointing Joseph Warren to be grand master of masons in Boston, and within one hundred miles of the same, was read, and he was, according to ancient usage, duly installed into that office. The grand master then appointed and installed the other grand officers, and the grand lodge was at this time completely organized. Between this period and the year 1791, this grand lodge granted warrants of constitution for lodges to be holden in Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont and New-York. In the year 1773, a commission was received from the right honourable and most worshipful Patrick, Earl of Dumfries, grand master of masons in Scotland, dated March 3, 1772, appointing the right worshipful Joseph Warren, Esq. grand master of masons for the continent of America. In 1775, the meetings of the grand lodge were suspended, by the town of Boston hecoming a garrison. At the battle of Bunker's hill, on the 17th of June, this year, masonry and the grand lodge met with a heavy loss, in the death of grand master Warren, who was slain contending for the liberties of his country. Soon after the evacuation of Boston by the British army, and previous to any regular communication, the brethren, influenced by a pious regard to the memory of the late grand master, were induced to search for his body, which had been rudely and indiscrimately buried in the field of slaughter. They accordingly repaired to the place, and, by direction of a person who was on the ground at the time of his burial, a spot was found where the earth had been recently turned up. Upon removing the turf, and opening the grave, which was on the brow of a hill, and adja, cent to a small cluster of sprigs, the remains were discovered, in a mangled coudition, but were easily ascertain ed; and, being decently raised, were conveyed to the state house in Boston; from whence, by a large and respectable number of brethren, with the late grand officers, attending in procession, they were carried to the stone chapel, where an animuted eulogium was delivered by brother Perez Morton. The body was then deposited in the silent vault, "without a sculptured stone to mark the spot; but as the whole earth is the sepulchre of illustrious men, his fame, his glorious actions, are engraven on the tablet of universal remembrance; and will survive marble monuments or local inscriptions." 1777, March 8. The brethren, who had been dispersed in consequence of the war, being now generally collected, they assembled to take into consideration the state of ma sonry. Being deprived of their chief by the melancholy death of their grand master, as before mentioned, after due consideration they proceeded to the formation of a grand lodge, and elected and installed the most worshipful Joseph Webb, their grand master. 1783, January 3. A committee was appointed to draft resolutions explanatory of the power and authority of this grand lodge. On the 24th of June following, the committee reported as follows, viz. "The committee appointed to take into consideration the conduct of those brethren who assume the powers and prerogatives of a grand lodge, on the ancient establish ment, in this place, and examine the extent of their authority and jurisdiction, together with the powers of any other ancient masonic institution within the same, beg leave to report the result of their examination, founded on the following facts, viz. "That the commission from the grand lodge of Scot land, granted to our late grand master Joseph Warren, Esq. having died with him, and of course his deputy, whose appointment was derived from his nomination, being no longer in existence, they saw themselves without a By an artificial tooth. |