Judaism And Freemasonry.

JUDAISM AND FREEMASONRY .

THE spirit of universality which is the characteristic of Freemasonry , and the toleration it shows towards all classes of the community—and , we may add , the toleration it receives—has led to some peculiar incidents in the history of the Craft . Probably the banner of Freemasonry is the only one nnder which such mixed gatherings are possible as are sometimes witnessed in Masonic Lodges , and it would indeed be strange if , at times , some little

friction Avas not caused between the various bodies congregated together . An instance has recently occurred fully illustrating this , and proving that it is absolutely necessary to sometimes adopt our ritual to circumstances , rather than to maintain a rigid observance of the actual letter of our ceremonies .

It appears the corner stone of a new Synagogue was to be laid at an American town , and the Masonic Order was honoured in being asked to perform the ceremony with Masonic rites , the Grand Master of the District himself undertaking to conduct the work . All went well , observes one of the Jewish journals , " until the presiding official came out with the following declaration : — ' To the glory of God , and under

the patronage ot tne holy saints—Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist—I declare this stone to be well formed , & c . ' " Here was a serious mistake to be made in Freemasonry , although , perhaps , the official concerned would justify himself by saying he had strictly adhered to Masonic ritual . But does he suppose that Freemasonry is so bigoted as to prohibit

a departure from mere form under such circumstances , or is he such a strict disciplinarian as to

refuse to obey the spirit of Freemasonry even at the cost of its outward form ? "What is possible for our Jewish brethren to do under such conditions ? If they are true to their creed they can hardly complete their Synagogue on the foundation thus laid , ancl no one could blame them for going back , and trying to cancel , as far as possible , the proceedings of that

Masonic celebration . They have unfortunately been led into error which they can be excused for not providing for , but the same can hardly be said for the Mason who pronounced the blessing on the stone . He , at least , knew exactly what he was working for , and unless the words were uttered unintentionally it certainly proves he had not made himself master of

the situation . This calls to our mind a somewhat similar occurence that took place in a London Lodge some few years back . The Worshipful Master had a Jewish candidate for the first degree on the night of his installation , and as small discrepancies had crept

into the ceremonies in this Lodge , when other Jews had been admitted or advanced , the new Master had prepared himself , and was determined to be exact as required by the peculiar circumstances of the case . His intentions were fully known in the Lodge , the

members of which had been " lectured" on tho subject more than once . In this case all went well until the Obligation . The Master was correct in asking the candidate to be covered , and , looking round to see the effect of his careful preparation , called upon the gentlemen before him for his " christian " and surname in full . The effect was electrical , and

we have often wondered what was that brother's first impression of Freemasonry . The outburst that followed the Master's slip only lasted a few seconds , but it was sufficient to entirely upset the gravity of the situation . The brother who made this slight mistake was fully alive to the ceremony he would be called upon to take part in , and had rehearsed the necessary ritual time after time , yet when the

moment came he made the slip , and this may have been the case with the Craftsman who called for the patronage of the two Saints John for a Jewish Synagague . On the other hand , as we have hinted above , there are some men among us who would consider it wrong to omit such a portion of the ritual from any one of the Masonic ceremonies . Are they entitled to be classed as Freemasons ? Certainly not , and it is most gratifying to think that the large majority of the Craft would not uphold them in their bigotry . Freemasonry is essentially free to all classes and

conditions ot men , and m admitting all sorts it is distinctly understood that in its ceremonies there is nothing which in any way interferes with the peculiar religious views of the members . All that is required is a belief in a Supreme Being , and under such conditions we are able to receive the Jew as the Christian , the Mohammedan as the Hindu—on this basis then it must be wrong to associate in our ceremonies the name of any saint , or anything that cannot be

acceptable to all classes alike . Of course it will never be possible to wholly disassociate the names of the two Saints John from Freemasonry , but it is possible to reduce reference to them to a minimum—also to a vanishing point—such as is the system adopted in England , a system that might well be followed in some parts of America and other quarters of the globe .

Mystery.

MYSTERY .

An extract from an address hy Bro . Charles H . Gmdd , Grand Orator , before the Grand Lodge of Montana

at Great Falls , 31 st October 1889 . MYSTERY , simple in its usual definition , but considered from its influence upon Freemasonry , and upon the influence it has exerted upon the destiny of the human family , is as boundless as the universe . Anvthinw

mysterious iu its character , -whether it be the mystery of Freemasonry , religion , or any proposition or creed designed to make men better for having investigated its teachings , is morally certain to call ont the opposition of