Midland Railway.

MIDLAND RAILWAY .

CHEAP EXCURSIONS

FROM ST . PANCRAS AND CITY STATIONS , A FORTNIGHT IN IRELAND . ON 16 th and 24 th September , to Dublin , Ballina , Galway , Sligo , and South of Ireland ; on 18 th September , to Belfast and North of Ireland ; and on 19 th September , to Londonderry .

To SCOTLAND , for £ 5 , 11 , or 16 days . On Friday , llth September , for 11 days , from St . Pancras at 10-5 p . m ., to Carlisle , Dumfries , Castle Douglas , Kirkcudbright , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Greenock , Helensburgh , Ayr , Kilmarnock , Newton Stewart , Stranraer , Wigtown , & c .

Also for 5 or 11 days , from St . Pancras at 9-15 p . m . to Stirling , Perth , Dundee , Arbroath , Forfar , Brechin , Montrose , Stonehaven , Aberdeen , Inverness , Port William , & c .

Return Tickets at a Third Class Single Ordinary Fare for the Double Journey will also be issued by the above trains for Scotland , to return any day within

16 days from date of issue . On Friday , llth September , for 11 or 16 days , from St . Pancras at 8-30 p . m ., to JTorthallerton , Richmond , Darlington , Durham , Newcastle , and Berwick .

GENERAL EXCURSION , SATURDAY , 12 th SEPTEMBER . To Leicester , Nottingham , Derby , Burton , Matlock , Buxton , Stockport , Southport , Liverpool , Manchester , Accrington , Blackburn , Burnley ,

Bolton , Rochdale , Oldham , Bury , Lancaster , Morecambe , the Lake District , Barrow , Whitehaven , Carlisle , Birmingham , Walsall , Wolverhampton , Stoke , Hanley , Burslem , Macclesfield , & c . Tickets will be available foi returning on Monday , 14 th September , or Thursday , 17 th September .

NEW WEEKLY SUMMER EXCURSIONS . Every Saturday until 19 th September , to the Isle of Man , and until 26 th September , inclusive , to Liverpool , Southport , Blackpool , Matlock , Buxton , Morecambe , Lancaster , and English Lake District .

Tickets available for 3 , 8 , 10 , 15 , or 17 days . For times , & c , see Small Bills . Tickets and bills may be had at the Midland Stations and City Booking Offices , and from Thos . Cook and Son , Ludgate Circus , and Branch Offices . GEO . H . TURNER , General Manager .

Ar00704

a ^^^^^ ^^ lA . vv- ^ . v' ^ . vv' ^ Ji ^ "J nm ' ¦ SATUEDAY , 5 TH SEPTEMBEE 1896 .

Christianity And Freemasonry.

CHRISTIANITY AND FREEMASONRY .

THE following further letters have appeared in the " Church Times , " in answer to the one we recently extracted : SIB , —Having acquired very decided opinions on this matter , I have been interested to note the replies of so-called " Masons " to the letter of " Ofieiriad . " All the replies , excepting one ( which entirely deprecates the discussion of the matter , and in so doing is consistent with the principles of Freemasonry ) , justify Freemasonry to the support of Christianity , by

pointing to the amount of charitable work done , and to the principles of morality inculcated . Conceded that a large balance of the funds , after working expenses are paid , are given away to support charities ; and conceded that the published books of the " craft" do teach Theism and a stilted morality—surely these are no reasons why a Christian should join a society which embraces men of all creeds—Jews , Turks , infidels , and heretics—and be bound to them in such close bonds of fellowship and brotherhood as the constitutions demand . To a . Christian " Christ is all , and

in all . " His morality , his rule of life , must date from the precepts and example of Christ . His fellowship is in the Church of Christ ; his talents , his means of doing good—should all be devoted to the service of Christ and His Church . What , then , can we have to do with a society which teaches a morality based simply on a belief in God and the immortality of the soul ? " What part hath he that believeth with an infidel 1 " Mr . Horsley says , " None but those who share the ignorance of the Pope and ' Ofieiriad ' will refuse its aid to morality and faith . "

What morality ? what faith ? The Christian knows no other faith than Christ crucified , and no morality than that which emanates from Him . Looking at Freemasonry in this light , I do not consider it " harmless . " I consider it usurps in many cases the place which the Church should occupy , and so is harmful . The ritual and quasi-religious character of the Lodge meetings tend to strengthen this view .

A further objection I offer to a Catholic presenting himself for initiation is , that he is kept in ignorance beforehand of the profession which he will be required to make , and so may unawares be forced to take a solemn oath not to divulge certain childish " secrets , " and that too amidst such farcical surroundings as to make mention of the Holy Name a profanation . I fear I have already trespassed too far on your valuable space , but should , in conclusion , like to remind " Atticus , " who identifies his society with the

Christianity And Freemasonry.

ancient trade Guild of Masons , that he has nothing in common with the noble band of men who built our cathedrals , except the nomenclature . They were Catholics , not Theists only ; they learnt their craft by patient years of manual labour , and were not made masons in a few weeks by the payment of a fee ; they knew the practical use of the tools which their degenerate successors degrade into playthings to teach an absurb symbolism .

ARCHITECT . SIB , —May I venture to add my testimony , as a Mason of thirty-six years' standing , to that of the Rev . 3 . W . Horsley and others , as to perfect compatibility of British Masonry with the teaching , not alone of the Church of England , but also of all pure and undefiled religion . The Christian virtue of charity is beautifully set forth iu Masonic ritual , and is exemplified daily

in the loving and unselfish actions of true and loyal British Masons . Though with no time now for attendance at Lodges , and though I have never myself had occasion to require Masonic aid in any part of the world , I have known almost innumerable instances in which aid of all kinds has been freely bestowed , where discomfort and suffering must otherwise have been

endured . Other Christian virtues are so inculcated as to warrant the assertion that a good Mason must be a truly religious man . As a laymember of the Church of England , I do not hesitate to add that Mr . Horsley and his colleagues are doing an excellent work for the Church in their efforts towards a gathering of Freemasons at the Church Congresses .

NORMAN KERB , M . D . 1 Hamilton Terrace , Regent's Park , London , N . W ., 24 th Aug . SIR , —One would have thought the calm and weighty letter of " Ofieiriad " would result in some better material than the replies of the

Revs . J . W . Horsley , David 0 . Moore , " H . V . T ., " and Mr . Wm . Butler . And it may be permissible to remind those gentlemen that such of your correspondents as , in strict conformity to the rules laid down by yourself , Mr . Editor , elect to adopt a pseudonym , are actuated by quite as honourable motives as those who prefer to parade their names before the public .

Mr . Horsley , among a number of other assertions , tells us the Church , in its condemnation , is " utterly wrong as regards original and real Masonry . " But , as a fact , such Masonry no longer exists , and the Church both founded it , and blessed and fostered it when it did exist . Modern Masonry is as like " original and real Masonry" as a paste stone is to a diamond . The Masonic brotherhoods of the Middle Ages were organised in corporations ,

not substantially different from other craft guilds , formed for the development of building construction and architecture . In an age of church building they were naturally accorded special privileges , and the word " Free " was adopted by the craft of Masons to denote their exemption , by several Papal Bulls , from the laws which regulated common labourers ; and their immunity from various burdens thrown on the working classes at large both in England and on the Continent . &

But , like every other Guild , the Masons were bound by their rules to the performance of specific religious duties , and one of the principal functions of the craft being church building , they were under the especial protection and guidance of the clergy . It is to these noble sons of art and craftsmanship that we owe the majestic fanes and stately Christian edifices which stud our land , and which are at once the object-lessons , the admiration , the envy , and

the glory of modern students , even va . the secular arts . What in , common , may be asked , has English Masonry , which was not founded until upwards of 100 years subsequent to the Reformation , and which , as the Rev . 3 . W . Horsley himself declares , so far from being under the guidance of the Church actually does not profess to be even a Christian society , with the original and real Masonry of pre-Reformation days ? And setting aside this tacit

negation of Christianity by modern Masonry , proclaimed by Rev . 3 . W . Horsley , and strongly corroborated by his brother Mason , Rev . David C . Moore , how many of these " Masons" have as much acquaintance with original Freemasonry as would enable them to draw a single stroke of a design , or place a stone upon a stone in the performance of its duties and objects ?

The courtesy and sincerity of your' correspondents , " Atticus " and " Catholic , " command respect , but the replies to " Ofieiriad" above cited confirm the wisdom of his conclusion , viz . : — " That there are already good Catholics in the fraternity is a hindrance to thc faith . " Touching the fact that Royal patronage is enjoyed by modern Freemasonry , let those members who have a real regard for the sanctity of the marriage bond bear in mind that the same Royal patronage is accorded to the Deceased Wife ' s Sister Bill . SIGMA .

Freemasonry And Business.

FREEMASONRY AND BUSINESS .

THE following letter and answer appeared in last week's issue of " Tit-Bits . " We refer to the matter elsewhere : TYLER writes : — " I want to ask you about Freemasonry . My brother , aged twenty-seven , has been a Freemason for six years . He was strongly advised to join the Craft , as he was told if he were a Mason he need never be out of work , or know what wont is . Two years ago my brother was discharged from his situation through being a Freemason , since which time he has done

absolutely nothing , and has tried his best to get employment , but without success . He is very well educated , a first-class scholar , good and rapid writer and arithmetician ; has had ten years' good business experience in large firms ; he is a clever pianist and entertainer , and freely gave his entertainments at local charitable institutions , and , indeed , is a smart , all-round , popular young gentleman , yet he cannot get employment . He has been to some eighteen Freemasons' Lodges and explained his unfortunate position , and asked the members to try and get him a situation . Yet they have not

done anything for him , although he has had hundreds of promises . Now , sir , I ancl he and other Freemasons think that Freemasonry in England is all a farce . Abroad , it a great help , but in England there is too much banqueting , & c , instead of helping distressed Masons . What is Masonry but ' to help each other' ? It is an absolute waste of money to join the Craft , and I shonld advise everyone not to do so . My brother ' s case is one of many thousands . I should like to know what you think of this case , & c , in your Answers to Correspondents . " People who become Freemasons merely for what they can get out of the Craft do not carry out the spirit in which the Brotherhood was