The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-06-04

| teOAIt, WHuSc ruins, eVtn dI tfllS uHy
are the wonder and admiration of the
! world. .H
These builders accompanied the Ro.
man legions in their military expedi.
tions, and constructed their camps and
bridges, traced their routes, and were
in fact their military engineers. 4 ~
In the year 43 of the Christian Era,
many members of the Colleges of Build.
ers, who were with Roman legions in
the countries bordering on the Rhine,
were sent by the Emperor Claudius In.
to the British Islands to protect the
Romans against the invasions of the
Scots. I0n.- iHr- .I rr--
| Before their arrival in the British
Islands there were no towns or villages,
but the Masons at once commenced the
construction Of bridges, camps and forti.
fications, in the interior of which forti
fications they erected temples and pala.
ces, rapidly converting them into per.
manent cities. tfi o5 20 as taalg
Their principal encampment was al
York, in England called by the Romans
E6oracum, which became city of i'm.
portance, and was for some time, fifteen
hundred and fifty years ago, the resi-.
dence of the Emperor Constantinehim-
self, the great patron and protector Of
Masonry, and hence comes tho name
of "York" Masonry. ..f ,.-.'-
The native population of Britain, ,whO
aided the Builders" "were initiated in Il.
to the operative bodies OF Masons, and
instructed in their art, and in short
time towns and villages were in pro-
gress of erection all over the country.
These societies became SO important
that the Emperor Carausius, about AID.
2S7, confirmed to the Masons all the
ancient privileges granted them by
Numa Pompilius, more than one thous-
and years before, among which was the
light of making their own laws, estab-
fishing their own judiciary, and were
not amenable to any other form,
whence came their title, Free Masons
About this period Christian mission.
aries were endeavouring to propagate
Christianity in Britain, but by DEGREES
of the Roman Emperor they were per-
secuted with the most terrible rigor !;
but owing to the great favor in which
the MasOns stood, they were not inter-
fered with for any cause and as their
foundation principles were that all men
are brothers--their duty not to hurt,
butto love, and elevate, and protect
advocating the largest liberty and tole-
ration OF opinion in religious matters as
in all other, their sympathies were
strongly with the prosecuted. They ex-
tended their protection to the mission
aries, and such persons, when accompa-
MED by Masons, were permitted to trav-
ell, teach and preach without molesta-
ton; and impressed with the noble
character of the institution, and in Or
der to avail themselves more fully of
such protection, large numbers sought
and obtained admission into Masonic
lodges, and thus connected and protect.
ed preached their doctrines with impu-
nifty, for as Masons they were amena-
Bile to no laws but their own, which
taught universal liberation of opinion.
Thus protected by the Masons, Chris
tianity spread with great rapidity--so
much so that about AID. .3O6 the Emperor
Constan tine, then residing at York EN-
braced the Christian religion, and de-
clared it the religion of the state. 1t
continued to spread with great rapdity,
and resulted in an era of building edi-
fees for worship, and furnishing ample
employment for the Masons, who had
themselves, to great extent, adopted
Christianity. Under the patronage of
Constantine and the labors of the Ma.
sons, magnificent churches sprang up
all over the land. The Masons and
Christians found themselves co-workers
in a congenial cause, and bringing to it
the learning, genius, devotion and en-.
thusiasm of art and religion.
During the invasion of the Danes, be-
tween A.D.s35 and $40, nearly all these
churches and monasteries were destroy
ed: and King Athelstane, desirous of
rebuilding the churches, directed his
adopted son Edwin to assemble in the
year A. ID. 92G, In the city Of York, all
the lodges of Masons In the country.
They assembled and the King presen-
ted to the Masons there assembled a
constitution, in which he confirmed
to them all the privileges Of which he
confirmed to them all the privileges Of
which they had formerly been possess
ed as free Roman colleges.
The Masons were again employed in
rebuilding the churches and other re-
ligious edifices, and as it was the Gus
tom in those days, and had been for
hundreds of years before, and il In this
day, TO dedicate churches to particular |
saints, the different trades and artists
also selected their patron saint. The
Christian Church from the time of Christ
had commemorated the oath Of June
as the anniversary of The birth Of 81.
John the Baptist, and also the eth Of
December as the festival of st. John the
and as many Of the Chris
tians had become members of the Ma
sonic fraternity, and We're united in a
great and common work, and us these |
days fell upon the solstical points which
the Masons had always observed, 1t ma
turally resulted in, to some extent,
blending the peeuliarities of the two in
stitutions, and hence the Masons adopt.
ed the two st. Johns as their two patron
saints-as there were two solstices, the
two-faced Janus and the two-fac Anu
biz, who presided over the two sOlsticial
points-and for some hundreds of years
the Masons in Britain and all over
Europe We're known almost exclusively
as the st. John Brothers, or Brothers
of st. John.
In the Monitor We read that Masons
protesting Christianity dedicated their
lodges to st, John the Baptist and st |