Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily lov publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . Wo cannot undertake to return , rejected communications .

THE PAPACY , THK CRAFT , AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR Sin AND BROTHTCR , —W « ll may we exclaim , save ns from nnr friends ! That cousuientiot . s Romanists should be precluded from joining our nobis Craft by the unfortunate policy of their leaders is mnch to ba regretted . But the advocacy of Sir Charles Dilke is hardly likely to farther tha withdrawal of the prohibition . Sir

Charles knowledge of Forestry is shown by his ignorance of the fact tbat that Society was released from the ban years ago . His knowledge of Freemasonry is evidenced by his ignoring the very foundation on whioh Freemasonry rests , "the practice of every moral and social virtue . " His phrase , " the playful mysteries , " is an insult to the Craft . ¦*•

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , A FREEMASON AND A FORESTKR

To the Editor of the Speaker . SIR , —Your correspondent , while giving reasons for therestrlotions on Eoman Catholics joining the English Freemasons or the Good Templars , says tbat they can and do join the Oddfellows and Foresters without let or hindrance . This is hardly the case . lam aware that there are some Roman Catholics in some of the friendly

societies . There is one priest who is a Drnid , and thero are some Boman Catholic Oddfellows . On the other hand , the general prohibition of the church against seoret societies is understood by many as forbidding to them membership of all societies having secret signs or passwords , and it is difficult for ordinary Roman Catholics to understand what is the shade of difference which reitcts the Good

Templars and English Freemasonry as " secret , and yefc does not reject some other societies possessing secret signs and passwords —iinch as the Foresters and Oddfellows . The mere facfc of Roman Catholic membership of some of these societies proves nothing . I have a Roman Catholic friend who is an English Freemason , bufc he is perfectly aware that he is incurring the censure of his Church by

his membership . Moreover , we have the distinct fact that while the Oddfellows and Foresters of Australia are as " innocent , " to nse yonr correspondent ' s word , as are similar societies in Great Britain , these bodies have beeu specially forbidden to Roman Catholics . There is , I believe , in England a special Catholic benefit uooiety , one of the affiliated orders , established on the ground that "in our

business or employment in onr doily life we mnst mix with our Protestant friends , but we need not do so in a benefit society—a society whose chief object is to give comfort aud consolation in the time of sickness and of sorrow , times when the consolations of religion are most needed . And who can understand the feelings of a Catholic to console him so well as a fellow-Catholio can do ? There are many , I believe , judging from the letters which I have received ,

who think with me , that the timidity on the part of tho Roman Catholic Church here shown is unworthy of her , and that ifc would be better for her , as well as for the people concerned , to let them take part freely , and without tbe suspicion of a doubt , iu the work of such so-called secret societies as the Foresters and Oddfellow * , and even the Good Templars and English Freemasons , against whom it is admitted that the' prohibitions of fche Roman Catholio Church are still directed .

The doctrine of the Church , I believe , with regard to secret societies , is thafc if a man joins a society swearing never to reveal any of its workings , and to obey the dictates of its Officers blindly , he surrenders his personal liberty , becomes a slave to hia fellow men , and is in a position in whioh he ought not to bo allowed to partake of the sacraments of tho Church . On the other hand , the Church

hokta that if a man joins an organisation swearing to keep secret its workings , but with the proviso that nothing therein contained shall be contrary to the laws of the land , to his conscience , or to his religions tenets , his action is justifiable . Now ifc is my contention j that English Freemasonry , for example , stands in the latter position , and that the time has come when the Roman Catholic Church might .

without giving up any principle , allow her members , at all events in Great Britain , to become Freemasons , and make it clear thafc she j allows them to become Oddfellows and Foresters . I am not myself a Good Templar , bat from what I have been told I am not aware that there is auy specially Protestant element abonfc Wood Templars which need preclude Roman . Catholic * from

membership , and I fail to gather why the Roman Catholio Church shonld warn her members against becoming Good Templar ? . In reply fco your correspondent , I have to say tbat "The Great Architect of tbo Universe ' of Freemasons means God , and is so interpreted by them ,

<« . u uom pnrases ure us-d in Masonry . And when your correspondent says that English Masonry is incompatible with Catholicity , can only imagine that he himself is nofc a Mason , and is unacquainted with fche facts . If the Italian friendly societies continue "J de dangerous to the Papacy , as yonr correspondent thinks , why not allow English Roman Catholics to be English Freemaeons , and continue fche prohibition on tbe Contiuenc ? Yonra obediently , 1 R « JU . m CHARLES W . DILKE . < ° Sloane Street , S . W .

Correspondence.

SIR , —If not too late in the field I should wish , on behalf of the affiliated friendly societies in Great Britain , ab all events—and I have reason to believe in America as well—to point out to Sir Charles Dilke that the Roman Catholio Church in no way ( so far as I have been able fco learn ) interferes with it * members join ng Oidfellows , Foresters , Drnids , and snch-like secret orders . The position taken

is pretty much thafc of Cardinal Gibbons with reference to the American "Knights of Labour , " namely , "If a man joins an organisation swearing to keep seoret its workings , with the proviso that nothing therein shall be contrary to the laws of the land , to his conscience and religious tenets , we hold that his action is perfectly justifiable . " Freemasonry , for certain reasons , comes under the ban of the Roman Communion . Bnt as an instance in point of the

freedom enjoyed , with this exception , nofc only by the members , bub nlso the priesthood of the Romtn Catholic Church , I might mention a certain priest , well known to me , who is a zealous Druid—an Order famous for its rites and ceremonies—and has presided over the " mysteries" aa the white-robed Aroh-Druid of his Lodge . The proportion of Roman Catholics in the great friendly society orders I have no mean 4 of estimating ; they have now , however , an order of their own in their Catholio Benefit Society . —I am , & o ., J . FKOJIE WILKINSON

The "Prophetic News and Israel ' s Watchman , " a twopenny pamphlet published in London , contains a notice of Freemasonry . " I shall endeavour , " writes the contributor , " to prove thafc the system of Freemasonry , while exhibiting solicitude for the material benefit of man , is in its natnre an enemy of the Truth of God , Christianity and Freemasonry stand in opposition . The latter

numbers its millions ; has its passwords , signs , grades ; and has also wealth within its pale . The great ones of the earth occupy its highest places . Ifc has specfcacolar shows , feastings and secrets which , nnder pain of death , aro supposed to be protected by solemn oaths and fearful penalties , viz .: 'To have the body opened , the entrails plucked out , fche heart torn to pieces

and the whole thrown to the dogs . ' Freemasonry is based on Sabeism , or the worship of the Stars . Ifc is Babel in iti present underground working of fche mystery of iniquity—a wing of the great army of Satan , to be brought into action when the contending forces join in battle . Ifc is a well attested fact that every idolatrous system contains a perversion of the events recorded in

Genesis . The temptation effected throngh the Serpent has induced the worship of the Serpent as a sapernatual being . This worship is co-extensive with the race . " " For the facts here presented , " he continues , "I must refer to 'Traditions of Eden , ' by Shepheard , and fco ' Secret Societies , ' by Hekefchorn . Ifc will then be seen that Freemasonry is a perpetuation of myths vanished here and there

with Scriptural quotations , " and he maintains that 3 , 000 , 000 American Christians affirm " the Lodge system to be anti-Christian in its practice and in its aims . " We quote the opinions of the pampleteer in question as they are worth glancing at while Freemasonry holds its present position , as are also the strange prophecies of this periodical which promise ns very extraordinary

political convulsions , giving the certain dates : —In 1892 we are to witness the greatest European war ever known , in which Germany will be defeated , and France is to extend her rule to the Rhine . In 1893 we are to have the determination of this war and a Confederacy of ten kings—viz ., France , Britain , Spain , Italy , Austria , Greece , Egypt , Syria , Turkey , and the Balkan States , and within a few

months from the formation of this Confederacy an eleventh king , reigning over a small kingdom like Macedonia , it is to be added to it . The last comer is to be a Napoleon , and is to have the support of France , whioh may be then under a Napoleonic King . In 1894 the eleventh King is to have rule over Greece , Turkey , and Syria , and is to make a covenant with the Jews , to end in 1901 . In 1894

towards the end of the year , fche Jewish morning and evening sacrifices are to be restored , and Jerusalem ia to be rebuilt and restored preparatory to the Second Advent , whioh is to occur 5 th March 1896 . This interpreter of prophecies admits that no signs of immediate war are discernible , bnfc , nevertheless , re-affirms his

views , and anticipates the outbreak of war in the spring or summer of lg 92 . Naturally this discounting of onr immediate future is to be accepted at its value , and the tardiness of the Napoleonic advent ia qnite inexplicable on any grounds at our command . We imagine that those who take "The prophetic News" aux aerienx are few and far between . —Belfast Morning News .

On " Floral Day , " in the Godolphin Hall , Helston , a grand Masonio charity ball is to be held , under the auspices of Lodge No . 318 ( True and Faithful ) , and the patronage of several influential connty Masons has been promised . The profits will be devoted to charitable

Masonio objects . The Hon . Sees . ( Messrs . John James and R . H . Cade ) , together with Mr . A . E . Ratcliffe , the Treasurer , and a largely representative committee of the Lodge , are indefatigable in their efforts to make this first Helton Masonio ball a great success , and they hope to secure the attendance of at least ISO ladies and gentle .

men . Rehearsals for " The Magistrate " are now in active progress afc Terry ' s Theatre , under the personal saperintendance of Mr . A . W . Pinero , and according to present arrangements the production will

take place ou Wednesday evening , 13 th April , in whioh case matinees will be given on the Saturday following Good Friday and on Easter Monday . The first night promises to be a very brilliant affair , as the applications for the seats for that and the following evenings are alieady very heavy .

Ad00302

The TOWBR FcasisKiim COMPAHT LIMITED supply goods on Hire direct from Manufacturers ; one , two or three years' credit without security . Purchasers have the choice of 100 Wholesale Houses . Call or write for Prospectus . Address—Secretary , 43 Great Tower Street . E . O .