About Change Of Opinion.

and the points in which they disagreed each brother should keep to himself during their meetings , and this idea of " Masonic universality " was , I believe , the main cause which gained for Masonry the applause of tho civilized world .

Our Kansas and Kentucky Masonic luminaries havo probably never heard that Christians have not confined their hatred to Jews , Pagans , and Mahommedans only , but that Catholics and Protestants were taught to hate each

other also , and Churchmen and Dissenters , though both profess to believe in the same Bible , hated each othor as much as the old Crusader hated Mahommedans , Jews and Pagans . There were , however , in 1717 , a sufficient number

of sensible men in England who thought that if Jews and Christians , Churchmen , Dissenters and Catholics had a chnnce of becoming better acquainted , that this useless and absurd sectarian hatred amongst them would cease ; hence the introduction into the Lodge of religious topics

in which the members of the various sects disagreed was

prohibited , besides which it was thought that good manners and the teachings of the " Golden Rule " would make men abstain from introducing in a mixed assembly those religious topics which have brought so much evil into the world . But , unfortunately , Masonry was never free from religious fanatics , and when did a fanatic ever care for good manners ,

laws , or the Golden Rule , when either of these interfered with his assumed duty to rant and cant any where and

every where about his favouritism ? That class of bigots , combined with a pack of charlatans , as Bro . Brown justly intimates , have not only sectarianized the ritual as much as they could , but they have also

manufactured any number of Christian degrees which they palmed off as " higher degrees . " And now nothing will satisfy our Kansas and Kentucky Masonic luminaries short

of an establishment of a " Holy Inquisition" in every Masonic jurisdiction , in order to punish every brother Mason as much as possible because he disbelieves in the dogma of inspiration , and should they follow up their

reasoning logically they will next have to expel every member of the Grand Lodge of England for allowing at home and in their Indian Masonic jurisdictions the initiation into Masonry of Mahommedans , Parsees , Hindoos , and what not !

I have been taught in England that it is a Masonic duty to " study how we may best work and best agree . " Now , the Old Charges confined the religion of the Lodge to that " in which all agree . " Putting all other points aside , I

have no doubt that early in the last century 999 out of every 1000 men in England believed that the Bible ( Old and New Testaments ) was inspired—was given by God himself to men , and that every word therein was authentic :

hence the phrases introduced into the ritual with reference to the Bible were then deemed , as far as England was concerned , " the religion in which all agree . " But time

has changed opinions on biblical and theological questions as much as Masons' opinions have changed about the history of Masonry ; for neither all English or American

Masons agree now that the Bible was given by God himself , or that every word therein was inspired , or is it

authentic . And should any one either doubt , deny , or challenge my statement , I will furnish undeniable evidence tbat even eminent Churchmen of the episcopal and other orthodox denominations no lonser believe about the

authenticity or inspiration of the Bible as their predecessors did one hundred and fifty years ago . Hence , if we do not wish to see the Bible made into a bone of

contention in Masonic Lodges on one side , and the encouragement or promotion of hypocrisy and deceit on the other , something therefore will have to be changed .

I must , however , premise that our American combatants on the question at issue must give up their notion about irremovable landmarks in Masonry . Once for all , it must be admitted that we have no irremovable laws , nor

an irremovable ritual , and especially so when the laws and ritual are opposed to each other . Hence if a Grand Lodge wants to adhere to the present ritual it should in the first place wipe out Anderson ' s Charges about religion from its

Constitutions . And second , it should ordain that every candidate for Masonry must , previous to his initiation , swear or declare that he will believe , or does believe , that a certain version of the Bible which the Grand

Lodge deems to be O . K . is authentic , & c . This would confine the privileges of Masonry to members of one sect only . Then , of course , there will be "peace in Warsaw . " If , however , Anderson ' s Charges are to remain , and if in

About Change Of Opinion.

accordance therewith we continue to admit into Masonry men of all creeds , and ( with the exception of belief in God ) of no creeds , then the Bible must be removed from the Lodge , and all the rant and cant thereunto belonging must

bo left out of tho ritual . Then " Jesuitism , hypocrisy aud deceit . " the prevailing * characteristics of our pious Masonic luminaries , will cease . Then the Bible will no longer form a bone of contention among Masons as it has been in

Illinois , and in several other American Masonic jurisdictions . Then there will be no necessity for having in our midst a Masonic " Holy Inquisition ; " and then , and then

only , will Masonry be able to accomplish its mission of establishing " true and sincere friendship among those who might otherwise havo remained at a porpetnal distance . "

BOSTON , U . S ., 7 th November 1888 .

ERRATA . —In Bro . Jacob Norton s paper , printed 27 th

October , there are two errors . 1 st , The 11 th line ( on page 258 ) from the top , should read " ordered in 1730 , " instead of " 1750 . " 2 nd , The note on the next page should begin " According to Preston , " instead of " According to " Anderson . "

Appear At The Front.

APPEAR AT THE FRONT .

An Extract from the Address of Companion Benjamin Franklin Tuttlc , Most Excellent Grand High Priest , before the Grand Chapter of Boijal Arch Masons of California . COMPANIONS , I trust you will pardon me if I offer a few reflections on the objects and purposes of our

Order , as well as our duty as Royal Arch Masons . We , as an association , are Speculative Masons—an outgrowth of " Operative Masonry " of traditional times . Our teachings remind us that we should be as punctual , as zealous in the

discharge of speculative obligations , as were our ancient companions in Operative Masonry . With the examples which both Operative and Speculative Masonry have set before the world , what may we not hope in the future , from

its broad conservatism as a great national body , in these times of wild and radical disorders which infest our body politic ? When civilisation dawned upon the world , tradition informs us that Masonry went hand in hand with

it . Rude at first as were the people of those remote ages , yet the broad philanthropy of its teachings has broken the barriers of barbarism , and has elevated and ennobled the human race . There must necessarily be rude shocks on

the emergence of mankind from barbarism into civilisation , and from civilisation into enlightenment . Through all this period the Institution of Masonry , which exercises such influence to-day in the world , has kept abreast of the

best thought of the ages . It enjoins obedience to constituted authority . It enjoins and requires the recognition of a Supreme Being , to whom each and every one is morally responsible , without any mental reservations .

You and I know that some of our Brethren speak lightly of the obligations they voluntarily take upon themselves ; but let me assure you , my Companions , that if history teaches anything , those people of the earth who have

recognised their dependence on Divine Providence and a personal responsibility thereto for all their acts in life , are the people who have made the greatest progress in the direction of advanced civilisation . You may call it by any

name yon please . You may call it the evolution of natural forces , or the mysterious workings of God , whom Masons recognise as the creator of all things in the natural and material world : still we must admit the fact , which is

susceptible of only one solution , viz .: that man ' s progress and knowledge are derived from a source wiser than himself . The wisdom of to-day we did not possess yesterday ; to-morrow we shall learn what we do not know to-day .

You may call it that Supreme Intelligence which pervades all nature and which will remain throughout all eternity . You may philosophise upon it , and the source whence comes intelligence will remain a sealed book , until the

curtain which separates the present from the future is withdrawn . And , Companions , it is the recognition of this great fact that has distinguished Masons from time immemorial . It has made them in a sense a peculiar

people . It has made them a law and order people , seekin