Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1920-06-26
ST. JOHNS DAY, JUNE "a
(By Eugene Griffin

divinity
The Romans during the Republic confided
this duty to their cOnslls, censOrs or other
chief magistrates, and afterward to En-
perOrs.
According to the Paripian law, the ded-
cation must have been authorized by de-
cree Of the Senate and the people and the
consent of the College Augurs.
The ceremony consisted Of surrounding the
Temple or object to be dedicated with gar
lands Of flowers. while the vestal virgins
poured on the exterior of Temple lustra
water.
The dedication was completed by formu-
la Of words uttered by the pontiff and the
mmOlatiOn Of the victim. whose entrails were
placed upon an altar of turf
The dedication of the Temple was always
festival for the people and was annually
celebrated.
While the Pagans dedicated their Temples
to different deities, (sometimes to the Joint
worship of severaD, the Monotheistic MO-
noth-eistic) Jews dedicated their religious
cdifces to one Supreme jehovah Thus,
David dedicated with solemn ceremonies the
altar which he erected on the thresh-foor of
Oran the Jebuste after the cessation of the
plague which had afflicted his people; and
Calmet (Cal-ma) con- lectures that he COM
posed the Both Psalm on this occasion.
The Jews extended this ceremony of ded-
cation even to their private homes, and
Clark tells us, in reference to passage on
this subject in the Book Of Deuteronomy that
cit was a custom of Israel to dedicate
new house to God with prayer and thanks
giving; and this was done in order to secure
the Divine presence and blessing, for no
pous or sensible man could imagine he could
dwell hat
the Immediate protection of God.
According to the learned Seldom, there was
distinction among the Jews between con-
secration and dedication. Dedication was,
therefore, a less sacred ceremony than con-
Secration
This distinction has always been preserved
among Christians, many Of whom, and in
the early ages, all, consecrate their Churches
to the worship of Cod but dedicate them,
or place them under the especial patronage
Of some particular Saint.
similar practice prevails in Masonic in
situtions; therefore while we consecrate our
Lodges "To the honor of Gods glory" we
dedicate them to the Patrons Of our Order
From the time Of the building Of the first
Temple at Jerusalem to the Babylonian cap
tivty tradition informs us that Masonic
Lodges were dedicated to King Solomon, be-
cause he was our first Most Excellent Grand
Master. From thence to the coming Of the
Messiah, they were dedicated to Zurabbable
the builder of the second Temple; then in
the 10Th century, St. John the Baptist
seemed to have been considered as the Pc
culiar Patron of Freemasonry, and from that
time to the final destruction of the Temple
by Titus in the reign of Vespasion IVES
pa-zhi-an): Freemasonry was dedicated to
the Holy st. John the Baptist.
But owing to the many massacres and
disorders which attended that memorable
event. Freemasonry sank very much into de-
cay; many lodges were entirely broken up,
and but few met in sufficient numbers to
constitute their legality; and at a general
meeting of the Craft held in the City of
Benjamin, it was observed that the principal
reason for the decline of Freemasonry was
the want Of Grand Master to patronize it.
They therefore deputized seven of their
most eminent members to wait upon St. John
the Evangelist who at that time was Bishop
of EDhesuS (Ef-e-Sl1S) reUuastinU him tO