Tenacity For Office.

1889 Powell , William A . F . Bristol 1890 Viscount Dnngorvan , D . L . Somersetshire „ Carrington , The Lord , G . C . M . G . Buckinghamshire 1891 Money , Col . Gerard Noel , C . B . Son-ey

„ Radnor , the Earl of Wiltshire „ Caldwell , Lt .. Col . Robeic Townley , M . A . Cambridgeshire „ Ampthill , The Lord Bedfordshire 1892 Hamilton , Lord George Francis , M . P . Middlesex

A Dark Record—Masonic Soul Liberty.

A DARK RECORD—MASONIC SOUL LIBERTY .

EREEMASONRY looks upon the terrible torments that were used to put down now forms of religion or extinguish the old . It sees with the eyes of memory the ruthless extermination of all the people of all sexes and ages , because it was their miifortune not to know the God

of the Hebrews , or to worship Him under the wrong name , by the savage troops of Moses and Joshua . It sees the thumbscrews and the racks , the whip , the gallows and the stake , the victims of Diocletian and Alva , the miserable Covenanters , the Non-Conformists , Servetua burned , and

the unoffending Quaker hung . It sees Cranmer hold his arm , now no longer erring , in the flame until the hand drops off in the consuming heat . It sees the persecutions of Peter and Paul , the martyrdom of Stephen , the trials of Ignatius , Polycarp , Justin , and Irenaans ; and then in turn

the sufferings of the wretched pagans under the Christian Emperors , as of the Papists in Ireland and under Elizabeth and the bloated Henry . The Roman Virgin naked before the hungry lions ; young Margaret Graham tied to a stake at low water mark , snd there left to drown ,

singing hymns to God until the savage waters broke over her head ; and all that in all ages have suffered by hunger and nakedness , peril and prison , the rack , the stake and the sword—it sees them all , and shudders at the long roll of human atrocities . And it sees also the oppression still

practiced in the name of religion—men shot in a Christian jail in Christian Italy for reading the Christian Bible ; in almoHfc every Christian State , laws forbidden freedom of speech on matters relating to Christianity ; and the gallows reaching its arm over the pulpit .

The fires of Moloch , in Syria , the harsh mutilations in the name of Astarte , Cybele , Jehovah ; the barbarities of Imperial Pagan torturers ; the still grosser torments which Roman—Gothic Christians in Italy and Spain heaped on their brother men ; the fiendish cruelties to which

Switzerland , France , the Netherlands , England , Scotland , Ireland , America , have been witnesses , are none too powerful to warn men of the unspeakable evils which follow from mistakes and errors in the matter of religion ,

and especially from investing the God of Love with the cruel and vindictive passions of erring humanity , and making blood to have a sweet savour in kis nostrils , and groans of agony to be delicious to his ears .

Men never had the right to usurp the unexercised prerogative of God , and condemn and punish another for his belief . Born in a Protestant land , we are of that faith . If we had opened our eyes to the light under the shadows of St . Peter ' sat Rome , weshould have been devout Catholics ;

born in the Jewish quarter of Aleppo , we should have condemned Christ as an impostor , in Constantinople , we should have cried , " Allah il Allah , God is great and Mahomet is his prophet ! " Birth , place and education give us our faith . Pew believe in any religion because they have

examined the evidences of its authenticity , and made up a formal judgment , upon weighing the testimony . No one man in ten thousand knows anything abont the proofs of his faith . We believe what we are taught ; and those are most fanciful who know least of the evidence on which their creed is based .

And no man truly obeys the Masonic law who merely tolerates those whose religious opinions are opposed to his own . Every man ' s opinions are his own private property , and the rig hts of all men to maintain each his own are perfectly equal . Merely to tolerate , to bear with an

opposing opinion , is to assume it to be heretical ; and asserts the right to persecute , if we would , and claim our toleration of it as a merit . The Mason ' s creed goes further than that . No man , it holds ,

has any right in any way to interfere with the religious belief of another . It holds that each man is absolutely sovereign as to his own belief , and that belief is a matter

A Dark Record—Masonic Soul Liberty.

absolutely foreign to all who do not entertain the same belief ; and that , if there were any right of persecution at all , it would in all cases DO a mutual right ; because one party has the same right as the other to sit as judge in his own case ; and God is the only magistrate that can rightfully

decide between them . To that great judge , Masonry refers to the matter , and opening wide its portals , invites to enter there and live in peace and harmony , the Protestant , and Catholic , the Jew , the Moslem ; every man who will lead a truly virtuous and moral life , love his brethren , minister

to the sick and distressed , and believe in the One , All-Powerful , and Preserver of all things , by whose universal law of Harmony ever rolls on this universe , the great , vast , infinite circle of successive Death and Life—to whose

Ineffable Name let all true Masons pay profoundest homage ; for whose thousand blessings poured upon , us , let us feel the sincerest gratitude , now , henceforth , and forever . —Bro . B . Pike .

"Table Lodges."

" TABLE LODGES . "

ONE of the old customs of Freemasonry was occasionally to open Table Lodges on occasions when Refreshment was the opportunity for social intercourse between the members . There were several reasons for this custom . After labour , when the Lodge was duly tyled and the members

engaged in the serious business which occupied attention at Lodge meetings , but little time was possible for the Brethren to enjoy the interchange of kindly and fraternal salutation . A desire for this was necessarily manifest . To meet the gratification of this desire , the Table Lodge

was the best and most appropriate manner of indulging this cordial and unrestricted converse . So long as the Table Lodge was opened there was a supervision of the Brethren , to prevent indecorous hilarity . To those who remember the many happy hours that marked these

meetings , they need not be described . Those who have had limited acquaintance with the proceedings of these regulated happenings will be pleased to know how much of advantage comes out of them . The Table Lodge was

tyled . No stranger could be present . None but Masons assembled . The Lodge Officers were in their stations . The Worship ful Master presided . The Junior Warden assisted in the preservation of order .

And let it never be forgotten what is the " charge " ordained to be read at the opening of every Lodge meeting . This " charge " is the commandment as to the conduct

of Masons at Lodge meetings . It is eminently appropriate to the assembling at Table Lodges : " Let our recreations , " say this charge , " be innocent , and pursued with moderation , and never let us suffer irregular indulgences to expose our character to derision or contempt . "

A Table Lodge conducted under this admonition cannot be objectionable . This command is , of course , obligatory on all Masons . The Worshipful Master at a Table Lodge is especially enjoined to see that the charge is obeyed . If

the Brethren so met are imbued with a due respect for our ancient and honourable Fraternity , it will be easy to conduct the proceedings of a Table Lodge with propriety and decorum , that all may enjoy the occasion without

regret . These occasions are suited to bring out from the members remarks which test both their ability to speak , and their knowledge of the essential principles of Masonry . They can compare the fellowship of the Craft with that

which so often detracts from like meetings of the profane . The subjects treated in the short addresses made are of a higher order than those of mere social gatherings of men

not governed by the noble ' and refined teachings which inspire the Freemason . Being a tyled Lodge , much instruction may be given as to the relations of the social p hase of Masonry .

Then too , as in the olden time , songs purify the atmosp here of the surroundings of a Table Lodge . Festivity , in the Masonic sense , is healthful , and imparts happiness without alloy . Brethren learn to know each other , and the character is bronght out in its especial features . The

wise are appreciated , the foolish are known , the uncongenial are ascertained , and the result of these meetings is to give a better understanding of the components of the Lodge . There are very many advantages that come from these meetings .