Foreign Freemasonry.

the innocent war name of Vendice ' writing his chief a rich , eloquent , bold , deeply clever Italian Mason , Nubius , details the modus operandi . Speaking of the uselessness of assassinations , he says : Catholicism no more feais a fine stilloto than does the monarchy : but these two bases of social order can bo sapped by corruption ; let us never weary of corrupting . Tertullian said , truly , the blood of martyrs peopled

Christianity . It has been decided in our councils we want no more Christians : Make no more martyrs , but popularise vice among the masses . Let them breathe it in by the five senses ; let them drink it in ; let them be saturated with it ; and this ground which Aretino , the choice of author will not escape you , has sown is ever ready to receive lewd precepts . Make hearts vicious , and you will have no more Catholics . Withdraw the priest

from work , from the altar , from virtue , find out adroitly how to otherwise occupy his thoughts and his time It is wide spread corruption we have undertaken ; the corruption of the people by the clergy , and of the clergy by us , a corruption which must one day enable us to bury the Church in its grave . I lately heard one of our friends laugh in a philosophic way at

our projects , saying : " To bring down Catholicism , you must begin hy suppressing woman . " This is true in a sense , but as we cannot suppress woman , let us corrupt her at the same time as the Church . Corruptio optimi . pessima . The object is fair enough for such mon as we are . The best dagger with which to pierce the . Church to the heart is corruption . To work then till it be done 1 w

Is this Heaven ' s sweet cup , or poisonous drug of Hell ? Is then Ragon ' s ascription of tho doctrine of the Lovo of God to Masonry a fraud ? Are the principles of the Existence of God , and" the Immortality of the Soul in the Masonic statutes an imposture ? Is its motive really truth or the discovery of truth ? ( To be continued . )

The Freemasons and the Roman Catholic Church have waged a " truceless war" for generations . A grand engagement seems to be impending . Each declares that the challenge was given by the other , but both agree that the situation is intolerable . The church has summoned an International

Anti-Masonic Congress , or perhaps is concerting such a measure ; while the Society has begun to agitate for a more rigid administration of the laws existing against clerical privileges , and also to impose more stringent legislation . To British Freemasons the strife is incomprehensible , unless they be acquainted with the

history of the Craft abroad . Why should their Brethren assail the church , and how could they make head against ic , even if the Leaders were so inclined ? Supposing such hostility possible on this side of the Channel , just for the sake of argument , the Society would burst to pieces at a mere proposal of war . French

Masonry , or any other on the Continent , is very different from ours . Many years have passed since the Grand Lodge of England declined to recognise the Orient of France because the latter insisted that a formal profession of Atheism , or , at least , a denial of Christianity , should be included among the ceremonies

of initiation . The Orient has rescinded that article , we believe , but the spirit remains . Certainly , the Roman Catholic Church is justified in fighting to death now , but itself is responsible for the state of things . Foreign Masonry , at its inception , was as harmless as English . But it was a secret society , and as such

the hierarchy joined with the Civil Power in harassing its members . Bitterly must the more intelligent ecclesiastics regret their predecessors' rashness . Masonry became a rallying flag for all who loved freedom ; and , at this moment , both parties agree it has captured the governing class of the Republic . The combatants are not ill-matched . — "Evening Standard . "

ooo Speaking of the position taken up by the Romish Church in connection with Freemasonry , the " Bristol Mercury " says : — The condition of active hostility is absolutely confined to foreign countries , and , in effect , we believe , to France and Italy—so

much so , indeed , that even among members of the Craft the antagonism is inexplicable in this country . The initial blunder was undoubtedly that of the Church , which forbade its faithful children to join any secret society . The result was that , as often happens when such a decree is issued in any matter , the Lodges

were captured by the enemies of the Church , and were found to be convenient rallying places for the advocates of revolutionary principles in countries where freedom of political opinion was little understood . In fact , the Church itself converted them into political organisations . The Grand Orient of France went

further , we believe , than any other , and struck out of its fundamental principles that of belief in God . The Grand Lodge of England , with the hearty concurrence of its members all over the country , at once refused to recognise it or to have any intercourse with it . The Grand Orient may since have somewhat

modified its attitude of resolute disbelief , but it still remains outside the pale of English Masonry , which is wide enough to include the Jew , the Parsee , and the Mahommedan , but requires a belief in the Supreme Power . The present Pope is credited with entertaining the most friendly feelings towards this country .

18 Loco . cit . pp . 128 , 129 .

Foreign Freemasonry.

He might easily give effect to them , without derogating from the position in matters of religious belief which was defined in Bristol by Cardinal Vaughan , if he would discriminate between Freemasonry as practiced in English and as practiced , we may say ,

in Latin countries . The advantage would only be to Catholics , who as Englishmen fully understand the true nature of the case , but are -held back by the decree of the Holy See . A more tolerant attitude towards this country would make his position

stronger and more logical than it is at present . The Prince of Wales , the heir to the throne , is the recognised and active head of the whole of Freemasonry throughout the British dominions , and it is a monstrous absurdity that he and other princes would

give their countenance to an institution which could possibly be rendered subversive of law or order , or which was even in tho remotest degree of a political character . Among the nations of Northern Europe it has the same encouragement from the ruling

dynasties , and in the United States its basis is the same as in Great Britain . But we deal with our own case only , and we say that the Roman Catholic Church gives little practical proof of the

goodwill which is so freely expressed , having regard to the position of the Royal house in the matter . It rather tends to justify what the enemies of Rome would say , that it cares only to have its own way , whether right or wrong .

A movement in Massachusetts to establish a Masonic Home in that jurisdiction seems to meet with a considerable degree of favour . The design , if we are correctly informed , is to establish an Institution similar to the Home at Utica , N . Y ., whose

ministry already has been large and blessed . It is a matter of rejoicing that now in so many different parts of the country enterprises have been started to provide for the destitute widows and orphans of Masons , and for aged Brethren who may be in

indigent circumstances . Freemasonry ennobles , itself by this kind of work , and thus rightfully commands the approval of its own members and the world at large . Masonic benevolence thus attested will bear blessed fruits . — " Freemasons Repository . "

o o o The man who sits down in the Lodge and waits to be appreciated will find himself among the " lost freight , " and uncalled for . If he desires to make a success in the Order he must

show his " goods , and then his worth will soon be rated and . appreciated . The opposite of this one is the man who wants to run the Lodge according to his own ideas ; he will find himself " side-tracked " at some flag station , never to be heard of again . — " Masonic Journal . "

In a Lodge the other evening the W . Ts . of an E . A . F . were being presented to a newly initiated candidate . The Lodge in question evidently does not possess a proper set , for in place of the 24 in . G . a 3 ft . rule was substituted , which , if the candidate be a thinking man , would rather nonplus him . — " Masonry . "

It is the practice of Masons that brings Masonry into disrepute . Her teachings are all right , but her members in their daily lives contradict those teachings . — " Masonic Trowel . "

Universality.

UNIVERSALITY .

" 171 0 . " says that "E . G . M . " should understand the functions of a r * J . Grand Chaplain , and why the Bible is of necessity used in Chrisian countries . This is , however , just what ' -E . G . M . " does not understand , if Freemasonry poses as being " universal , " and " recognises-no distinction of creeds . " Of course , if all Freemasons who live in Christian countries are expected to believe in the Jewish or Christian Deity , the functions of " a Grand Chaplain , " and the reading of the Bible , as part of the Masonic ceremonies would be intelligible enough ; but id would utterly

destroy thc claim for " universality , because that includes not only Jews and Christians , but people of every other religion , and of no religion whatever . My contention is that Freemasonry was originally a brotherhool pure and simple , with no question of creed attached to it , but that the introduction of these religious services , performed by Grand or other Chaplains , has destroyed its original characteristics , and has reduced it to the level of a christian sect , instead of a universal brotherhood . —E . G . M ., in the " Echo . "

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