The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-28
the possession of ."-Addi-

sons knights Templars.
To the vows of the monks, and the
austere life of the convent, they added
the discipline of the camp and the
stern duties of military life, thus
blending the fine vocation of the sword
and lance with the holy zeal and body
bending tolls of a poor brotherhood
Their story eXcites in us emotions OF
admiration for their constancy and
courage, and sincere pity for their un-
nerited and cruel fate.
In the earlier years it was univer-
sally held by the members Of the
| american Order of the Temple that
their system had been handed down in
unbrolen succession from the Order
of Christian Knights, whose history is
| briefly outlined above.
Masonic writer's and historians,
| whose utterances are entitled to re-
| spect, have, however. long ago repu-
| dated the theory that the Templary
| of our day is legitimate offshoot from
that of the twelfth and fourteenth
centuries. Tempary, as well as Ma
sonry, religion and history, has it's
myths, and the connection of modern
with ancient Templarism is one Of
them.
II. Murray Lyon, of the grand lodge
of Scotland; William James Hughan,
of the grand lodge of England; Will
liam Gould, author of "Gould's His
tory of Freemasonry," and eminent
students and Masonic writer's in our
own country have decided, after the
most patient research among all known
records, that no authority exists for
such claim; and, in addition to all
that can be known on the subject,
there Is sufficient internal evidence in
the system itself to render the theory
of such an origin very doubtful,
1.-THE Masonic Knights Templar OF
he eighteenth century, and since, have
no connection with the earlier body.
and never had. Bodies of Knights
Tenplar, in connection with the craft,
came on the scene in the first half OF
the last century. The origin of Ma
sonic 1emplary Is unknown."-Hugh-
an.
1.-THE theory that the chivalric Tenn
plar Order, on their persecution and
dispersion, took refuge in the Masonic
body, is but one of the fabulous tradi-
tions of the past. There Is not the
SllSnteSC IOunudtlOn IOr the statement
that members of the dispersed Tenn
plars, after their suppression in 1914,
became Freemasons. 1t Is but one Of
the fabrications of modern Masonic
tradition to account for the amalga-
nation of the Templary with Masonry,
and is totally opposed to historic facts.
IL is not even probable that the proud
and naughty mobiles Of that age, from
which class the Templars' orders was
selected, would engraft themselves
upon a society of mere mechanics
when all the great military orders in
Europe were open to them, and who
would be only too glad to receive into
their ranks so renowned military
body as the chivalry of the Templars."
w. j. b. Mcleod Moore (Canada).
Sir James II. Hopkins made report
to the grand encampment, giving an
account of his investigations into this
subject while i'm Europe. and among
other things he said: II made an anx-
ious effort to learn the origin of the
connection between Freemasonry and
the orders of the Christian Knight
hood The most eminent sholars
whose writings ! could procure, and
the most learned with whom ! had the
opportunity to converse. have failed TO
clear away the mlsts of uncertainty