Quarterly Court Of The Boys' School.

42 Mitchell , Reginald A . L . - . 2 6 8 46 Bray , Henry — 8 8 19 Douglas , Francis C . A . - . 3 4 7 18 Bell , Frank William - 3 2 5 56 Graves , Harry Robert . — 5 5

48 Green , James Murray . — 4 4 61 Davis , Frederick Teilo .. — 22 49 Whitiug , Edward Alfred . . — 11 50 Rose , Frederick Joseph . — 11 60 Mnsgrave , Thomas Frank ( withdrawn ) — 11 65 Crntchetfc , Albert Edmund . —The proceedings closed with the customary votes of thanks to Scrutineers and Chairman .

The monthly meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , when Brother Joshua Nunn presided ; Bros . James Brett S . V . P . and Charles Atkins J . V . P . occupying their respective chairs . There were also present Bros . T . Cubitt , W . Mann , H .

Garrod , J . H . Matthews , G . P . Britten , Charles Dairy , 0 . B . Hogard , J . D . Collier , F . Spaull , W . P . Brown , A . Spaull , W . Holloway , G . E . Fairchild , Capt . A . Nicols , George Cordwell , T . C . Walls , J . Dawkins , John Maclean , John Jervis , T . Harper , 0 . Hawksley , George Andrews , W . A .

Tmney , A . J . Burr , J . F . de Gallais , T . W . Ockenden , Courtenay Wynn , A . Tisley , H . P . Tiddiman , W . Groove , H . E . Tucker , J . R . Behenna , J . 0 . Woodrow , W . 0 . Lyon , A . Marvin , W . Hopekirk , Edgar Bowyer , and E . C . Massey . The brethren first confirmed the sums ,

amounting to £ 305 , recommended at last meeting to be granted by the M . W . Grand Master . The list of new cases was then considered . It contained thirty , of which two were dismissed , six were deferred , and the other twentytwo were relieved with an aggregate sum of £ 645 , which

consisted of one grant of £ 100 ( £ 100 ) , two of £ 50 ( £ 100 ) , three of £ 40 ( £ 120 ) , six of £ 30 ( £ 180 ) , two of £ 25 ( £ 50 ) , two of £ 20 ( £ 40 ) , one of £ 15 ( £ 15 ) , three of £ 10 ( £ 30 ) , and two of £ 5 ( £ 10 ) . The Lodge was then closed , at nine o ' clock .

"John Bull" On Freemasonry.

" JOHN BULL" ON FREEMASONRY .

' ^ T writes vindicate Masonio organization -l-i •known as the Grand Orient of France from the " sweeping charge of Infidelity . " He supports his view by a long quotation from an address which occurs , or , at any rate , once occurred , in the initiatory rite of the Grand Orient , and in whioh the Name of God is mentioned . We think our esteemed correspondent must be unaware

that , only a few years ago , the Grand Orient expunged fche Name of God from its proceedings . That is simply a matter of fact beyond dispute , and indeed admitted on all hands . What we intended to point out last week was , that this avowedly Atheistic Rite is not " spurious , " but a perfectly genuine Masonic organisation j and our object was to draw an inference hostile to all Freemasonry . Our

new is , that the English Freemasons who objurgate the Grand Orient cannot really dissociate themselves either from that or from any other Masonic sect , without abandoning the pretensions of Freemasonry to world-wide universality—a course which would be fatal to their own claims to be included in tbe Masonic brotherhood . Our correspondent has also favoured us with an account of the " Origin of

all the known Masonic Rites , " a part of which is amusingly mythical ; as , for instance , the assertion that one Rite was " purified " by an Alexandrian disciple of St . Mark—a process which seems to have lacked the element of stability . The true origin of Freemasonry has long been discussed . The various Lodges included within it are certainly modern in their

origin ; but the Craft itself is unquestionably ancient , and the general course of its history not difficult to trace . It is , indeed , the offspring of that vast movement which , ever since the foundation of Christianit y , has flowed on side by side with it as a hostile rival . The doctrines borrowed from Eastern philosophy by the Gnostics and Manichees , who mingled them with those of Christianity , were the

direct source of all the ancient heresies , such as the Arian , Nestorian , and Eutychian . Gnosticism itself continued to live on , and the movements of . its votaries can be distinctly traced dnring the Middle Ages . The Albigenses , for instance , as is evident to any one who carefull y studies their doctrines and history , were certainly of Gnostic ori gin ; and the same is true of various other religions sects down to

the present dny . By what process it was that the mediaeval military Orders , such as that of the Knights Templars , imbibed Gnosticism , it may be difficult to determine . The fact of their having done so seems at any rate to be established . It is through Gnosticism and the media ) val Secret Societies , especially the Military Orders , that the pedigree of Freemasonry is , we believe , to be traced . The historical method of inquiry and the weight of internal evidence alike

point to this conclusion . Such an account of the origin of Freemasonry is , we fear , calculated to shock the sensibilities of the vast majority of English Freemasons , who have no sympathy whatever with Revolutionary or anti-Christian doctrine , and who , in becoming members of the Craft , innocentl y supposed that they were simply joining a vast mutual benefit society extending itself throughout the world . As we remarked

last week , the English Freemasons of the present day are for the most part nnaware of tho true history and character of the Masonic organisation . But this is an ignorance which is soon dispelled by anything approaching to a careful stud y of what may be called the inner political history of Europe during the last hundred and fifty years .

For instance , it can be shown that the great French Revolution , both in its origin and in its progress , was directly the handiwork of the Freemasons . Earlier in the century Voltaire and Rousseauboth of them Freemasons—had propagated the teaching whioh the Revolution put into practice . The actual outbreak of the Revolution was preceded by two great Masonic Conventions , held a few years

before , at which the Revolutionary programme was settled . The lists of names of Freemasons who attended these Conventions include those of every single Revolutionist of note , such as Philippe Egalite , Sieyes , Robespierre , Danton , Marat , Condorcet , and a host of others . The rery motto of Liberte " , igaliti , fraternite" is Masonic ; and it has been noticed that the unhappy Louis XVI ., on being brought back

in triumph to the Hotel de Ville , was received with distinctively Masonio honours . Since then every Revolutionary outburst in Enrope has invariably been preceded by a Masonic Convention . This was notably the case with the troubles of 1848 , the war between France and Austria in 1859 , the subsequent Italian Revolution , and the last French Revolution of 1870 . Lord Beaconsfield said that the

two greatest forces in Europe are the Church and the Secret Societies—the Secret Societies being , as we have said before , Masonio to the core . The narration of these facts is not uncommonly received in England with incredulity on the part of the general public , and of course with indignation on tbe part of the Freemasons . But facts they

remain , nevertheless—facts which are not only provable , but which , on the Continent , are perfectly notorious and universally recognised . Freemasonry , taken at its best , is a secret organisation , the essential and primary condition of membership in which is , that the candidate shonld pledge himself by an oath to obey certain rules , before he knows what tbe rules are . That is the broad principle

upon which all Freemasonry rests—a fact whioh no Freemason will presume to deny . Onr contention is , that that principle is altogether contrary to the most elementary laws of morals . To vow obedience to any merely human command , the nature of which is unknown until obedience to it has been promised , is , ifc seems to us , perfectly indefensible on any moral grounds whatever .

But Freemasonry , viewed as it really is , and in its actual working , is the backbone of the Cosmopolitan Revolution—Socialist and Atheistic . This is nofc the result of merely accidental causes . •In playing this role Masonry is true to its anti-Christian parentage . Side by side for centuries there have flowed on as it were two great streams , the

Christian and the anti-Christian . The rival organisations are each of them universal in extent , and each of them has its laws , its hierarchy , its ritual . They instinctively know each other when they meet ; between them no truce can ever be possible ; the struggle is a death struggle , the issue of which , though it may seem to the bystanders to be uncertain , is in no way doubtful .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of owr Correspondents . All letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . — : o : —

RECIPIENTS OF THE BENEFITS OF THE INSTITUTIONS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I willingly acknowledge my error to Bro . Henry Smith , and am sorry my geography was so incorrect . His reminder has made me look into the matter , and I herewith append the correction , which I believe to be as follows : —

Males Females Lancashire ( W . ) - - 2 1 = 3 Lancashire ( E . ) ... 2 3 = 5 Lincolnshire ... 3 0 = 3 Yorkshire ( W . ) . . . 3 3 « = 6 Yorkshire ( N . & E . ) - - 1 2 = 3 I remain , yours fraternally , P . M . 1607 .

The Grand Treasurer Elect.

THE GRAND TREASURER ELECT .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I heartily thank yon for inserting my late letters on the above subject . They have however failed to elicit any reply , and I am therefore driven to the conclusion that my assertion that our worthy Bro . J . D . Allcroft has rendered " Masonio service " properly so called for a period of nine years , and not" nearly forty years , " is unanswerable , and that it is not " Masonic service , "

but some other qualification which has led to his being selected for the intended hononr . Although it was on the former ground his proposer urged his claim , any other conclusion would lead to the inference that Grand Lodge was imposed upon . I now dismiss the subject , and , again thanking you , remain , Youra fraternally , " ON THE SOUABE . "