Australian Freemasonry.

Grand Master of Victoria , Bro . Sir William Clarke , and his Officers were received , Sir William being seated on the left hand of the Grand Master . The Grand Master of Now South Wales , Bro . Lord Carrington , and his Officers wore tho Inst to be admitted . His Excellency was accorded tho scat of honour to tho right of the Grand Master , while on the left was tho Grand Chaplain of New South Wales ,

the Bishop of Bathurst . Tho Grand Master said : — On behalf of the Grand Lodge of South Australia I have to tender a must hearty welcome to the Moat Worshipfnl Grand Masters , Grand Officpr ., and brethren of the other Constitutions who have honoured

na with their presence on this occasion . The presence of the M . W . Grand Master of Victoria is e . peoially welcome to us . He has rome a great distance , at considerable inconvenience to himself , for the purpose cf taking a part in the interesting ceremonial . I also desire to thank tho M . W . Grand Master of New South Wales most

cordially for his attendance . This is not the first occasion ou which the Grand Lodge of South Australia has been honoured by the pre-Beiir-o of Bro . His Excel ' ency Lord Carrington . He has travelled 1200 miles to bo again of great service to South Australian Masonry ,

and therefore wo should be exceedingly ungrateful if we did not accord him a hearty welcome to this Grand Lodge . M . W . Grand Sir , I ask you to honour na by presiding on this occasion , as Installing Master , to induct into his office our M . W . Grand Master elect , Brother His Excellency tho Earl of Kintore .

In response to this invitation , the M . W . Grand Master of New South Wales , Lord Carrington , took the chair , and at his request the Grand Secretary read the certificate of the election of his Excellency the Earl of Kintore as Grand

Master , and the commission authorising the Grand Master of New South Wales to instal him . At the conclusion of this formal proceeding , his Excellency tho Governor was

announced , and , the brethren upstanding , was escorted to his sent . During the reception , a grand march was rendered by the organist and orchestra , with vocal accompaniment by the choir . . ( To bo continued . )

Masons' Opinions On The Bible Question.

MASONS' OPINIONS ON THE BIBLE QUESTION .

BY BRO . JACOB NORTON .

rilHE 25 th of February 1888 number of this paper has JL an article of mine about an attempt made in Illinois to expel a brother from Masonry on account of his disbelief in tho Bible , with Bro . Bobbins' report against the said

attempt . Bro . Bobbins report stirred up the ire of some zealots , and to judge from their writings in their reports in lhftS and 1889 , one would suppose that Bro . Bobbins was the first Mason who ma i ntained that belief in the Bible was

not essential to Masonry . In order , therefore , to disabuse the minds of those who may have been misled , I shall give all the extracts collected by Bro . Chase , of Massachusetts , in his " Digest of Masonic Law , " touching the question at

issue , which will show that even what I may call in the dark ages of Masonry , as far as knowledge of history is concerned , for some reason or other prominent Masons maintained the same views on the Bible question as Bro .

Bobbins does to-day , and if Bro . Bobbins is a Masonic sinner he is not the first Masonic s'uner in that direction . And now for the extracts : — 1 st . " According to what is generally received as 'Ancient Masoniy , ' a candidate must be ' a gec-i fad t ; ae , or man of honour nni ] honesty , ' and before his initiation must acknowledge his trust in

God ( an Atheist cannot be made a Mason ) . In our opinion any further leligious test is not necessary , aud to require that a candidate profess in a belief in tho divine authenticity of the Bible , or a state of future reward and punishment , is a serious innovation in tho very body of Masonry . " *

" We now hold as our forefathers held , and as we hope our posterity tn hold , that from the votaries of Masonry is expected and required a sincere belief in the existence of a Gcd , the Creator and Governor of the world ; and that beyond this great principle of faith , it is not lawful to impose any religious test as a requisite for admission to onr mysteries . " ( Committee of Foreign Correspondence of Virginia , 1848 ,

which was endorsed by the C . of F . C . of Neio Hampshire in 1849 . )

2 nd . " It is anti-Masonic to require a religions test , other than the candidate should believe in a God , tbe Creator and Governor of the Universe . ( Resolution of the Q . L . of Alabama , 1848 . )

Masons' Opinions On The Bible Question.

3 rd . " We can find no reason for interdicting any otherwise worthy applicant who firmly believes in the existence of a Supreme Being ; nor can wo allow any right to interrogate htm further as to his religious belief .

( HUBBARD . C . F . O . of New Hampshire , 1857 . And the above opinion was endorsed by Bro . 0 ''Sullivan G . Sec . and Sec . of F . C . of Missouri , in 1858 . )

4 th . "The Grand Ledge of Vermont condemns as un-Masonic the introdnction of any test of a sectarian character . The only faith required of a candidate is a belief aud trust in God ; without this no obligation would be binding on him . ( HASWELI , C . F . C ., 1849 . ) 5 th . " Resolved that in the op i nion of this Grand Lodge , the

exclusion of any class of men from tho privileges of Masonry who believe in the existence and moral government of the Supreme Being , evinces a spirit adverse to the genins of our institution , and that it is au assumption of power not sanctioned by the ancient usages of the Craft . ( Q . L . Massachusetts , 1843 . )

6 th . " Tho true doctrine on this subject has been well laid down by our illustrious brother Prince MURAT , Graud Master of the Grand Orient of France . All men who believe in the existence of a

Supreme Being , the Great Architect of the Universe ; who believes in tho immortality of the soul , and consequently in an eternal well being ; every man who feels the love of hia fellow man vibrate in him is acceptable among VH . ([ Rob ] MORRIS , C . F . C . Kentucky , 1857 . ) 7 th . " Resolved . That this Grand Lclge is clearly of opinion that a distinct avowal of a belief in the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures should be required of every one who is admitted to the privileges of Masonry , and that a denial of tho same is au offence against tho institution , calling for exemplary discipline . " ( Ohio , 1856 . )

Hence , if an Ohio Mason does not believe in the existence of witchcraft , or that the world moves , and similar notions that have been exploded by science , he must be expelled from Masonry . Mackey , however , did not agree with the Ohio luminaries . He said :

" The Grand Lodge of Ohio attempted to amend , as they supposed , the law , and at once the universality of the institution is destroyed , and none but the Christians become eligible for initiation . " 8 th . Resolved . That candidates for Masonry should be required to avow their belief not only in the existence of Gel bnt in the divine authenticity of His word , as revealed in the Bible . ( STORE * , C . F . O . Connecticut , 1858 . " )

The above resolution was rejected . 9 tb . " The only declaration of faith necessary on the part of a candidate , before initiation , is the profession of belief and trust in God . But we also say that a man who declares his disbelief in the divine authenticity of the Holy Bible cannot be made a Mason . ( BROWN , C . F . C . Florida , 1858 . )

10 th . "Your Committee believe this ( Ohio Resolution ) all wrong . The Jews , the Chinese , the Turks , each reject either the New Testament or the Old , or both , and yet we see po good reason why they ( should not be made Masons . In fact , Blue Lodge Masonry has nothing whatever to do with the Bible . It is not founded on the

Bible : if it was , it would not be Masonry , it would be something else - Masonry is a mere charitable institution-nothing else , and it is founded npon tradition . Solomon , to whom it is traced , and who is said to have been the first Grand Master , never heard of the New Testament . He was not a Christian . We must , therefore , either

blot out the memory of Solomon , and also that of the other Grand Masters , or we must not insist upon a belief iu the authenticity of either the Old or New Testament . Tho position whioh Christian Masons assign to the Bible is very natural , but not a necessary one . It is thus to them as Christiana , but notes Masons . " ( SAYER , C . F . C . Alabama 1855 . )

11 th . " Freemasonry calls no man to account for his belief of any religion on the globe . ( Const , of the Grand Orient of France . ) 12 th . " We would require no express declaration of a belief in

either the Old or the New Testament as an open qualification of a candidate ; but we feel bound to adopt the views of the Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Correspondence of Iowa . Without the Bible there is no Masonry . " ( DANIEI ., G . F . Q . Mississippi 1857 . )

13 th . " Resolved . That the Grand Lodge of Texas declares that a belief in the divine authenticity of the Holy Scriptures is an indispensable pre-requisite for Masonic admission , and the Grand Lodge docs not mean to exclude the Israelite whom it does not regard as being disqualified for the mysteries of Masonry . " ( Texas , 1857 . )

Why Israelites , who disbelieve in what Christians regard as the most essential part of the Bible , are not excluded from Masonry is a puzzle which no one can solve . I must , however , add that Bro . Mellen , Grand Secretary of Mississippi , in his magazine , viz ., The Acacia , criticised and con - demned the action of the Grand Lodges of Texas and Ohio , in both his volumes , published in 1855 and 1856 . Yes , quite as severely as Bro . Bobbins did .

14 th . " No religious test shall ever be required of any applicant for initiation other than a stedfast belief in the existence and perfection of Deity , and no Lodge under this jurisdiction shall receive any candidate without the acknowledgment of such belief . " ( Constitution of Nebraska . )

15 th . " The religious views of a candidate are not regarded at all It is sufficient if he believes in the existence and providence of God . ' ( C . W . Moore 1849 . )