Freemasonry And Its Relation To Religion.

jealous of the position , power and influence of the Church ; it does not influence any one to forsake the public organisation for the secret society . 2 . Freemasonry is not a substitute for religion . It is

not a religion in any sense ; it is not a teacher of religious dogmas , and does not claim to have any opinion on subjects of dogmatic divinity . It scrupulously honours the convictions of each person , assumes that his own conscience and

judgment are his best guides , and does not seek to reshape his theology . Ifc does not offer any instruction which it claims is as good , or better , than tho religious principles of the individual member . If a Freemason makes a religion

out of the principles of the Society , or seeks to proselyte men from their faith , he acts contrary to the spirit of the institution . Freemasonry forbids any official action , resolutions , debates , argumentation , or authorised public

statements calculated , in the least , to predjudice the mind of any member against his religion , or give the impression that Freemasonry is a substitute for religion . Nowhere in

its ritual , liturgy , obligations , charters , unwritten traditions , or printed instructions will be found any intimation that Freemasonry is superior to the Church , or tbat it claims to be the world's religious instructor .

3 . Further than this , the Fraternity is the avowed enemy of Atheism , non-religion ancl irreligion . Appreciating the physical and moral and revealed proofs of the existence and beneficient control of the Creator , Masons require every

candidate , before passing through any of the ceremonies of initiation , to declare his trust in God . By no possibility can a prolessed Atheist become a Freemason . If any such should falsely say that he believed in God for the sake of

admittance into the Fraternity , he would be on a level with those dissemblers in our churches who , while serving the devil , assume the role of saints . But as the Church is not correctly judged by the pious frauds that afflict ifc , so

neither is Freemasonry to be held responsible for any possible excrescences . Immorality , libertism , sensualism , and all forms of vice are not only denounced in a general way , but when detected in the individual member , are

disciplined and reproved . The Society arrays itself against impurity , intemperance , dishonesty , and the like , and does not hold itself accountable for any individual deflections from its rules , though it exercises its disciplinary authority over fche detected transgressor .

4 . Freemasonry is based upon the Holy Bible . This book is called , in Masonic language , the First Great Light , and no Lodge is opened without its presence on the altar to pour forth " upon the East , the West , and the South its

refulgent rays of Divine truth . " The Bible is to the Craft the exponent of the will of God , the rule by which every real Mason will endeavour to regulate his conduct , and the norm by which he will correct his failings .

The traditions , legends , significant words , and much of the symbolism of Masonry are from sacred history . Nor does the Order pervert these things , or put new and unhistoric explanations upon them . The Society is neither

" advanced " in its theology , nor " high " in its Biblical criticism . Freemasons are , as a rule , less interested in weakening the authenticity and credibility of the Old Testament than many modern Churchmen and professors

in theological schools . For Professor Kuenen and the destructive critics of the Old Testament generally , Masons have no sympathy , but with Dr . Wm . H . Green , the

conservative and learned Hebraist , of Princetown , they fully agree as to the histortic reliability and trustworthiness of the Word of God .

5 . What is asked , are the religious principles of Freemasonry ? Though neither a religion or a substitute for religion , the organisation , from the nature of the case , has fundamental and vital principles which it maintains . It

is a system of modified Theism , on which , according to conviction and preference , the individual member may graft his own views as to tbe ramifications and details of practical theology and the plan of salvation . Some will be interested

then , in hearing why Freemasonry attaches so much value to the Bible , the chief aim of which is to enlighten the world about Jesus Christ . It is because Masonry desires to be ruled , in things , pertaining to the mission and work

of the Society , by the recognised highest expression of God ' s will . Freemasonry existed before the Bible was completed or its canon defined , during which period the

Fraternity held in greatest reverence tbe then highest recognised symbol or exponent of God ' s will , but when Jehovah caused His will to be revealed more clearly through the inspired penmen , then this written , authentic , and

Freemasonry And Its Relation To Religion.

permanent Word was excepted , and continues to be used as the Great Light . Being neither a religion nor a substitute for religion , it would transcend the object for which the Brotherhood

exists , to convert itself into a propagandist of Christian principles . It receives the Bible as the symbol of the Divine will , but does not attempt to interpret it by the rules of any school of theology . There it is upon the altar

and each Mason is expected to read it , and to interpret it according to the enlightenment of his own mind . The Society not only believes in , but enforces , the common Protestant truth concerning the right of private interpretation .

The ethical virtues of Freemasonry , dilated upon and solemnly inculcated , are Prudence , Fortitude , Temperance and Justice . But besides these , it lays emphasis upon every

internal qualification of man that renders him nobler and more useful . It is not oblivious to the good and redeeming features of human nature , and seeks to turn them to the best account .

The distinctively theological tenets are faith in God , hope in Immortality , and Love toward humanity . The duties to God , mankind and self , are strongly enjoined .

Freemasonry is orthodox on the subject of future rewards and retributions : it does not neglect to remind its members or the grim tyrant Death , or to tell them of the blessed immortality that awaits the well-prepared .

6 . Seeing tbat Freemasonry has all these high virtues , and is the guardian of revealed truth , and is committed to a conservative position on the subject of Old Testament

credibility , many persons will be interested in knowing why the Fraternity does not become a propagandist of Christianity . —N . J ., Boyal Craftsman .

Was Henry Price A Provincial Grand Master ?

WAS HENRY PRICE A PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER ?

BY BRO . JACOB NORTON . PRICE claimed to have been appointed in 1733 Prov . G . M . for New England , and in 1734 his powers were extended over all North America . Bro . Gould admits thafc no evidence exists in the English Grand Lodge records of any kind of a Deputation ever having been granted to

Price either in 1733 or 1734 . He agrees with my belief that the claimed extension of Price ' s power in 1734 was untrue ; but as documentary evidence exists that the Boston Masons of 1733 and 1736 believed that Price was a

Provincial Grand Master , hence Bro . Gould imagines that Price may have had a Deputation for New England in 1733 , but , for certain reasons , the said Deputation was not recorded by the Grand Secretary .

Now , assuming that Bro . Gould ' s reasoning about the Grancl Secretary ' s omission to be O . K . ; the question still remains that if Price could have imposed on the Boston

Masons in 1734 his pretended extension of powers , why could he not also have imposed on them in L 733 about being Grand Master of New England , & c . P

Again , Franklin visited Boston in 1733 . Bro . Gould admits that Price did not then show Franklin his Deputation—and why ? Again , Portsmouth ( New Hampshire ) Masons petitioned

Price for a charter 5 th February 1736 . The Boston Grand Lodge record assigns that event to " about" 24 th June 1735 , and it claims that Price accorded with their request , and that " Mr . " ( no name ) was appointed Master of the

Portsmouth Lodge . Bro . Lyman Spaulding , Grand Sec . of New Hampshire in 1804 , in a sketch on the early history of Masonry in his Province , assigns the date of the Portsmouth

petition to Price , to 24 th June 1734 , and adds that their prayer was granted ; but he continues his narrative as follows : —

" Immediately after the appointment of the Right Worshipful Robert Tomlinson , in 1736 , to be Prov . G . M . of North America , the Brethren of the Holy Lodge of

St . John received a Charter by the name of St . John s Lodge , and were soon after constituted , and Officers appointed . "

1 ! arris's Masonic history of 1792 misled Spaulding about tbe year of the Portsmouth petition , and about Price s Grand Lodge having granted their prayer . But Spaulding could nofc have been mistaken in ascribing the Portsmouth Charter to Tomlinson ; for , when the Grand Lodge of New