Masonic Jurisprudence

a few weeks since , at a Lodge where a brother was balloted for and elected as a " re-joining member . " If a Mason , who has temporarily severed his connection with his Lodge , who has , in fact , merely

resigned his membership in the ordinary way , and wishing to re time , is obliged to undergo the ordeal of tho ballot , tl fortiori , I imagine a defaulter , whose membership has ceased through non-payment of his fees , must be balloted for if he seek to renew his membership . Fraternally yours , "Q . "

Lodge Fees.

LODGE FEES .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I hardly understand the case referred to last week by " GLENDHU . " WO all know WHEN the initiate is told he will be called upon in the course of tho evening for tho payment of certain fees . How is retraction possible then ? I understand his

declining to proceed further , and refusing to become affiliated to any Lodge . In such case no subscription would be payable , but I fancy the initiation fee would be due and payable . Does " GLENDHU " mean that a candidate presented himself for initiation , having the wherewith to pay his initiation fee and Lodge subscription , that he

temporarily entrusted those latter to some member , and then declined to submit to the ordeal of initiation ? If so , then the candidate , it seems to me , is entitled to the return of his moneys . Most Lodges , I believe , make provision for a contingency of this kind . However ,

men become Masons of their own free will ; they are not invited to become such . If , then , a candidate hesitates , and withdraws , even at the last moment , ho clearly assumes none of the responsibilities of membership . Masonry makes it patent to us afc every step we take that making a profit is not one of her objects . Yours fraternally , "Q . "

Past Masters And Installed Masters.

PAST MASTERS AND INSTALLED MASTERS .

Monte Video , 27 th Juno 1876 . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I was installing the W . M . on the 24 th instant , and on asking the M . M . ' s to retire , a clergyman , who says he was made a Past Master and Most Excellent Master in Delaware , respectfully asked to remain , as he was a P . M ., though he had only

ruled a Lodge " for one night . " We demurred , and ho at onco , good naturedly , retired . Shall we do right by allowing him to remain and form part of a Board of Installed Masters on a future occasion , his certificate and examination proving satisfactory ? Tours ever , A . J . T OWERS .

[ The Constitutions of England do not recognise the " degree of Past Master , " but only the rank of Past Master ; to obtain the latter it is indisvensable to have previously filled tho W . M . 's chair dnring a year of office . This question wilt bo found succinctly stated and answered at page 141 of Oliver ' s Masonic Jurisprudence . Tho Eev . Brother referred to cannot form part of a Board of Installed Masters , accord , to the Constitutions of England . —Ed . ]

Was St. Paul A Mason?

WAS ST . PAUL A MASON ?

From the " NEW YORK COURIER . "

THAT Sfc . Paul was a member of somo secret society , whose doctrines were assimilated to Masonry , was asserted by Past Gr . Master Eichard Vaux , in his recent oration afc Marietta , Ohio , in the following language : " When Sfc . Paul addressed the Council , perceiving some Sadducees and some Pharisees , ' Men and brethren , I am a Pharisee , tho son of a Pharisee , of the hope and resurrection of the dead , I am called

in question , ' he proclaimed a belief in a truth that was revealed in tho oral teachings by which the ancient mythologies or mysteries were known . The knowledge of these mysteries is peculiar to St . Paul . These ancient , oriential , eastern myths , contained tho truth of a resurrection and immortality . The Pharisees accepted the traditions , or oral teachings , as part of the tenets of their school or

sect . These mythologies , then , become of importance as the primary source of St . Paul ' s wisdom . " Wo are aware that the profoundest esoteric doctrines of the ancients were denominated wisdom , and afterwards philosophy , and also gnosis or knowledge . These profoundest doctrines were taught in the mythologies or mysteries .

"In Persia , Egypt , Greece and Home they wero known . For 4 , 500 years before Christ these mythologies were said to have been in existence in Egypt . They were secretly imparted to initiates , anil were divided into degrees . They were , of course , orally taught , and preparation for initiation and advancement in the acquirement of light or wisdom marked their rituals . To disclose the secret of these

mysteries was punished with death . Tho mythologies of Mithras in Persia , Osiris in Egypt , Eleuses in Greece , Bacchus in Eotne , were almost identical in character , and tho truth each embodied am ! communicated was the resurrection from the dead and an immortal life . The allegory or symbolism of Proserpine , Ceres , Bacchus aud

Isis indicate this beyond a doubt . Therefore these secret mysteries and their oral teachings , and their symbology , confined , as they were , to a select few of prepared initiates only , give to the utterance of St . Paul the highest importance . "St . Paul was doubtless an initiate in these mvsteries , else it

Was St. Paul A Mason?

seems difficult to account for his special and enigmatical reference to them . That he had , as a Pharisee , faith in oral teachings , is proved by his speech before the Council , by his acknowledgment that for his belief in a resurrection as Pharisee he was called in question . But when , as a christian teacher , he cites these mysteries , it is either because his knowledge found in them the best illustration of his

thought , or that the great truth ho desired to impress upon hia hearers was the truth these mythologies embodied for the instruction of the world . Either view is predicated of St . Paul ' s initiation . For evidence of this listen to his own words . In his letter to the Romans he says : ' According to the revelations of the mystery which waa kept secret since the world began . ' To the Corinthians he writes :

' But wo speak the wisdom of God in a mystery , oven the hidden wisdom which God advanced before the world unto our glory . ' Behold I show you a mystery . And though I have the gift of prophecy and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge . ' To the Ephesians , he declares : ' Having made known unto ns the mystery of his will , as I before wrote in a few words , now that by revelation

he made known to me the mystery whereby , when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery . * # * And make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from tha beginning of the world had been hid in God . ' To the Colossians : ' Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from genera , tions . ' Surely these establish a most strong presumption that

St . Paul was an initiate , that he fully understood that the secret mysteries , the ancient mythologies—hid from ages and from genera , tions embodied the truth of the resurrection of the dead and immortality for which he was called in question , for teaching as a Pharisee and which had been confirmed as revealed to him b y divine supernatural interposition when ho taught as a Christian . It waa

from these mythologies St . Paul first learned the truth they held iu their secrets of a resurrection from the dead , which was a preparatory preparation for the highest degree of wisdom , eternal life . It should be remarked that the Greek word mystery as used in St . Paul ' s letters was initiated into mysteries . " When , therefore , Sfc . Paul was called to teach the Gentiles in

Corinth , this great truth which had travelled with time , from the ages and from the generations , he found that by symbolism only he could make it comprehensible to the ordinary mind . Symbolism and allegory were used in the teachings of the initiates in the mysteries , and St . Paul adopted this method of esoteric instruction . It is a most remarkable fact that in writing to the Corinthians on tho

doctorine of the resurrection , Sfc . Paul takes from the Eleusinian mystery in which Ceres has so important a place the symbol of tbo seed of grain to explain to them the mystery of rising from the dead , for he writes : " But some man will say how aro the dead raised up aud with what body do they come—thou fool , that which thou sowesfc is not quickened except ifc die , that which thou sowesfc thou sowesfc

not that body which shall be , but bare grain , it may chance of wheat , or some other grain . " " Can it then be even plausibly asserted that if St . Paul was au initiate in these pre-Christian mysteries , and enlightened mankind either from their wisdoms or by adapting them to this end after ho became a divinely ordaiiieJ teacher , that lie taught anti-Christain doctrines ?

" And so it came to pass that the great truth of the resurrection and eternal life in the teachings of the cult , or the mythologies or mysteries , hid from ages and from generations , which from tha beginning of the world was hid with God , imparted only in secret to initiates in tyled Lodges of the fellowship of the mystery , where ifc was deposited under the protection of commissioned conservators , was taught by St . Paul to mankind , who thus in the symbolism of the seed of grain , ' brought immortality to light . '"

Railway Traffic Returns.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS .

The following statement shows the receipts for traffic on the undermentioned railways for the past week , as compared with tha corresponding week in 1875 : — Miles open . Receipts . Railway . 1870 . 1876 1875 £ S

Caledonian 742 J- 60 , 669 61 , 950 Glasgow and South Western . . . 315 j 20 , 609 19 , 377 Great Eastern 761 £ 60 , 186 60 , 860 Great Northern 658 63 , 618 61 , 323

Great Western . . . . . 2 , 029 119 , 487 144 , 440 Lancashire and Yorkshire . . . 437 * 73 , 026 76 , 828 London aud Brighton .... 378 £ - 47 , 773 48 , 611 London , Chatham and Dover . . 153 ^ 27 , 841 27 , 242 London and North Western . . . 1 , 612 $ 2 ) 2 / J 20 193 , 969 London and South Western ... — 50 , 512 48 , 190

Loudou , Tilbury and Southend . . 45 3 , 138 3 , 336 Manchester and Sheffield . , . 259 . V 31 , ( 506 32 , 607 Midland 1 , 062 " 129 , 159 122 , 085 Metropolitan 8 9 , 516 9 , 202 „ „ District .... S £ 4 , 814 4 , 709 St . John ' s Wood . . 14 408 439

North British 841 | 49 , 099 49 , 691 North Eastern 1 , 4114 130 , 568 140 , 353 North Loudon 12 7 , 456 7 , 828 North Staffordshire Eaihvay . . . 191 12 , 321 11 , 337 „ Canal ... 118 1 , 532 1 , 566 South Eastern 350 46 , 835 49 , 208

CLUB HOUSE PIATING CABDS . —Mogul Quality , picked Is 3 d per pack , lis : > er dozen packs . Do . seconds Is per pack , lis per dozen packs . If by post 14 d per pack extra , Cards for Piquet , Bdzique , Ecartd , & c ., Mogul quality lOd pet pack , 9 s per dozen packs , —London ; W . W . Morgan , 67 Barbican , £ , 0 , *