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ROYAL MasonicInstitutionforBoys, WOOD GREEN , LONDON , N . Office—6 FREEMASONS' HALL , LONDON , W . C . GRAND PATRON : HEE MAJESTY THE QUEEN . PRESIDENT : H . R . H . THE PRINCE OP WALES , K . G ., M . W . G . M . A QUARTERLY COURT of tha Governors and Subscribers will be held at FREEMASONS' TAVERN , Great Queen Street , Lincoln's Inn Pields , London , on FRIDAY , the 12 th day of October 1900 , at Twelve o ' clock noon precisely , for the transaction of the ordinary business of the Institution ; To . Elect Two Trustees ; To consider tbe question of a Memorial to the late V . W . Bro . RICHARD E VE ; To receive a Statement from the Board of Management respecting the progress in the Building of the ( Bushey ) New Schools , and the disposal of the Wood Green property , and to Elect 20 Boys from an approved List of 27 Candidates , reduced to 26 by the -withdrawal of—[ No . 27 on List ] AUSTIN , George Elliott . ( Withdrawn for Presentation . ) The Ballot for the Election of Boys will be open at One o ' clock , or so soon as the General Business of the Court shall have terminated , and will close at Three o'clock precisely . By order , J . M . McLEOD , Secretary . LONDON , 4 th October 1900 . % * The 103 rd ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL will bo held on 26 th JUNE 1901 , under the distinguished Presidency of the Right Hon . W . W . BRAMSTON BEACH , M . P ., R . W . Prov . Grand Master for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , Trustee of the Institution . The services of Ladies and Brethren as Stewards on the occasion are earnestly solicited , and will be gratefully acknowledged .

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^^^^^^^ SATURDAY , 6 TH OCTOBER 1900 .

London's Chief Magistrate.

LONDON'S CHIEF MAGISTRATE .

rTl HE Lord Mayor-elect of the city of London is Brother I Alderman Frank Green , who is well known in Masonic Circles . He is a Past Grand Deacon of England , and was one of the founders of the Alliance Lodge , No . 1827 , of which he is a Past Master . We wish him a successful term

ERRONEOUS OPINIONS .

S OME members of the Craft are of the opinion that Freemasonry is a Religious Institution , and that in it is all the religion that is needed , both for time and eternity ; while others claim that in Freemasonry there is no religious teaching .

Some assert that Freemasonry is only a man ' s club , and has little or nothing beyond its . social features ; . while others are of the opinion that it is a luxury to be enjoyed only by the wealthy .

The assertion is sometimes made that Freemasonry differs from other organisations in that it is only social , while they are social and charitable . These latter seem to forget that the charity of other organisations is obligatory , while that of Freemasonry is spontaneous and voluntary .

The former editor of the " Keystone , " the late Bro . Clifford P . MacCalla , referring to Religion and Freemasonry , said •. " While , to our mind , it is clear that . Freemasonry is neither a religion , nor a good-enough substitute for a religion , it is

eminently religious , as both its history and ritual prove . The creed of Freemasonry is absolutely religious . This creed may be briefly stated in these words : Faith in God , Hope in immortality , and Charity for all mankind , but especially for our Brethren in the Craft . "

The ritual of Freemasonry is also religious . The lessons which it inculcates are founded upon the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments , which together , as contained in the Holy Bible , constitute the First Great Light of Freemasonry .

One of the best articles we have ever read on the subject of Religion and Freemasonry is the following , copied from the address of the M . W . G . Master of the Grand Lodge of New York , delivered at its one hundred and tenth Annual Grand Communication , June 1891 :

During the year I have received personal communications and marked copies of newspapers , calling my special attention to the subject of 'Religion and Freemasonry , ' and 'The Church and Freemasonry /

London's Chief Magistrate.

" It has been my purpose to fairly and fearlessly meet every legitimate inquiry touching the merits of our Institution . I am therefore ready to meet this inquiry and proclaim what I

honestly believe to be the true doctrine of every Free and Accepted Mason who practises in deed , not professes in word , the relig ious teaching which is the bulwark of our strength and perpetuity .

" I differ from those Masonic writers and orators who purposely abstain from mentioning Religion in connection with Freemasonry , or who frequently make the statement that there is no Religion in our Institution . " I boldly proclaim with all the force of language at my

command that there is Religion in Freemasonry . Not the narrow Religion of sect or creed , but that broad Religion which teaches ' Thou shalt have no other gods before me ; ' that Religion which teaches us from childhood to old age reverently to say ' Our Father which art in heaven ; ' that Religion which

teaches us to protect and preserve the Great Light in Masonry which is given as a ' rule and guide for our faith and practice . ' And so long as the ten thousand Lodges exist in this fair land of ours , so long will ten thousand Holy Bibles be preserved , as silent but all-powerful witnesses before the world that there is Religion in Freemasonry .

" Our Grand Institution lives , moves and has its being in that beautiful and broad Religion which conveys to us the command , ' Thou shalt love the Lord . thy God with all thy

heart and . with all thy mmd and with all thy strength , and thy neighbour as thyself . ' Does not this declare with great force and power the truth we so love to teach , ' The Fatherhood of God , the Brotherhood of man ?'

Freemasonry becomes a part of Religion , because it teaches ' Faith in God , hope in immortality , charity to all mankind . ' Freemasonry becomes a part of Religion , because it teaches ' Duty to God , to your neighbour , and yourself . ' These eternal principles , vital to our very existence , should at all

times be proclaimed to and by the Craft with no uncertain sound ; and especially should the candidate be given to understand in thunder tones that he is expected to lead a religious life ; that he violates his vows if he does not live upright before God and man . He should be taught that Freemasonry and

Religion are so interwoven that it is nothing less than criminal for him to make application to become a member of the Fraternity if he be an immoral man , if he be a profane man , if he be an irreligious man , lacking in love for his fellows and devoid of the love of God in his heart .

" We are grateful that the Craft has been controlled by such a spirit in the past , and that its teachings have brought us to the present high plane of honour and usefulness , which was the ambition of our Masonic fathers and is our brightest hope .

" Lest I be misunderstood , I will here state explicitly that ' Religion and Freemasonry' should not be confounded with ' The Church and Freemasonry . ' We should never seek to unite the Church and State , nor should we seek to unite the Church and Freemasonry . Keep separate ; each working in its own way for the good of a common cause .

' I am utterly opposed to that class of Freemasons—thank God , we have few—who state that the Lodge is good enough church for them , and that to be a good Mason is to be a good church member . Away with that doctrine ! I am as 2 ealous a Mason as lives , and yet with all my zeal I desire here and now

to record my belief that there are two things over , above , and beyond Freemasonry—one , the Church ; the other , the family . Never substitute Freemasonry for the Church . Let us have a common religious platform where all Free and Accepted Masons can meet ; in addition to this , let us have

a Church where each individual Mason may select his Church home . I also insist with equal sincerity and solemnity that no Brother should ever substitute for Freemasonry some

unknown , uncertain , unmeaning , unbelievable theory under the guise of so-called religious progress .- Let us have complete , earnest , honest faith and belief in Religion , and let it be firmly and forever interwoven with Freemasonry .

Brethren , this Grand Lodge has ever remained true and stedfast to these religious principles which were born of Go . d , and not created by man . And so long as we stand firm in the faith , our Institution will stand firm as the Rock of

Ages . Give no heed to the word or creed of finite man , whose judgment may be biased by passion or prejudice . The definition of religion by the infinite God is sufficient to enlighten us here and to guide us to the glory of the hereafter . "— " Keystone . "