MASONIC DEDICATORY SERVICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16160, 24 August 1914, Page 2

MASONIC DEDICATORY SERVICE.

TO BRETHREN FOR THE FRONT. IMPRESSIVE ADDRESS BY THE PRIMATE. An impressive Masonic dedicator? service to tho Masonic brethren leaving for the front was held last evening in tho New Queen's Theatre. About 45 members of various Maeonio Lodges have so lar volunteered their services, and as many of these as were able to obtain leave were present and occupied seats in the front of the theatre. Members of the various Masonio lodges in and around Dunedin filled the body of the building, the gallery, and the back of tho theatre being occupied by a numerous attendance of the general publi*. Those who occupied seats on the platform were his Lordship the Primate, grand chaplain of the Grand Lodge of England, Rev. Bro. Archdeacon Gould, Rev. Bro. Canon Curzon-Siggers, R.W. Bro. T. S. Graham, D.G.M., E.C., R.W. Bro. D. Goone, D.G.M., S.G, R.W. Bro. J. J. Clark, P.G. Sup., N.Z.C., R.W. Bro. A. Stoneham, P.P.G., Sup., N.Z.O, R.W. Bro. G. Watts, PJ>. G. Sup., N.Z-C. I'he service was a most impressive one, and all present , appeared to thoroughly realise its solemnity. After -tile opening' hymn ("Our God, Our Help in Ages Past") had been sung, all took part in the Lord's Prayer, after which the Rev. Archdeacon Gould read the Confession .of Sin, the Collect for Peaco, and the Prayer for the Army and Navy. The hymn "Onward, Brethren, Onward Go" was sung, and the Rev. Archdeacon Gould read Psalms 46 and 91. The hymn "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," followed, and the leaeson (2 Chronioles xx, 1-18, -was then read by the Rev. Canon Curzon-Siggers. After the singing of "Onward, Christian Soldiers," His Lordship the Primato delivered a stirring address. He said that he stood before them, not as a leader of a Church, nor as a member of a Masonic brotherhood, but simply as a member of their common humanity. It would strike them as a most astounding thing, were they net so familiar with it, that men should deliberately set themselves to accomplish tho slaughter of hosts of their fellows, should devise machines that were meant to slay. All this was a wondrous thing, that only familiarity with the wars of past ages could prevent them from recognising. It was worth considering how this came to pass. Christ, when asked how these things could be, re"Come they not from your own lusts?" Wars arose out of a corrupt condition of the morals. They remembered all of them, how the angels burst forth from heaven and proclaimed the advent of One bringing "Peace to earth and goodwill among men." When asked by His followers—"When shall these things be," He replied, "Not yet, not yet You shall hear of wars and rumours of war. . . . These things must needs be." He asked why must they needs be. Christ proclaimed that tho Gospel of Peace must be preached among all nations so' that that they would hear and obey. Herein lay the Divine .philosophy. God was the perfection of truth, righteousness, holiness, and love, and Ho changed not. Man in his first condition of finite perfection was filled with truth, justice, holiness, and love, but men and angeis fell They read of war in Heaven, of the angel who rebelled against ■God and was cast out Satan, the father of lies, . filled with hatred and malignity, sought the destruction of man who became the victim of evil. And so it came 'to pass that there was war on the national scale, war on the social soale, and war in the domestic sphere. This was because of moral corruption, and because it was possible for a man to become a human devil. Napoleon was ah instance of the latter. He asked: Was it anything to him to wade' through oceans of blood that he might become an autocrat over his fellows. Napoleon was the emblem of Satan himself, and it was nothing to him that his fellows lay low in famine and ruin. It seemed as if another suoh was rising to their view. They heard of one who had been manifestly plotting and planning to raise himself up to the ruin of his neighbour nations. They heard of jhim standing forth and in a spirit of arrogance saying to the ytorld at large: "I have drawn my sword, it cannot go back to its sheath until I have conquered!" And he called upon God to witness his doings! It behoved them to remember that Satan was cast out of heaven, that the empire of Napoleon was confined at last to a rock in midAtlantic, and, further, that it might be .that the sword this proud one tiad drawn might be a broken one before long.—(Applause.) He prayed God would • sustain those going forward to take part in this terrible war, which involved all parte of the globe in its consequences. Men needed to come to see that the moral law of God must be tho moral law of man, and peace could never be in the world until men were moved by truth, righteousness, holiness, and love. Wnen men hai attained to this then, and then only, would nation refuse to rise up against nation, and learn, wax no more.

Addressing, the volunteers, his Lordship then said: "Brethren, you are going forth to do your part I beg and earnestly pray that you do as much by your good example as by the power of your arm to teach mankind that war is an anachronism. I commit you to God, and pray that He> may protect you in danger and bring you back to this your beloved land, the land of your birth and your home."

Tho Christian Soldiers' Short Litany was gone through, and the Rev. Canon CurzonSiggers then made the following invocation: Almighty and Most Merciful Father, the Protector of all that trtret in Thee: Accept we beseech Thee, our bumble intercession for our brethren, Thy servants now fighting the battle's of our country. Protect and defend them with Thine almighty power; give them truo courage in danger, and mercifulness in victory. Be pleased, O Lord, to succour and relieve the sick and wounded, and to bless the means used for their recovery. Grant that all who fall in battle may look to Thee for salvation. Minister abundantly the consolations of Thy Holy Spirit to tho fatherless children and widows, and to all whose homes are made desolate; and in Thine own good time restore to all the nations of the worldthe blessings of peace. Grant'this. O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Thy dear Son, the Prince of Peace, our Savour Jesus Christ. Amen. All present then rose and sang the National Anthem, and the benediction pronounced by the Primate brought the servioß to a close.