Correspondence.

I he writings of Justin Martyr , but I have no recollection of reading r . nythiog in Justin Martyr ' s writings to iudioate the idea that the Christians of his time wero an organized seoret society ; but hero is ihe opinion of the learned Protestant Ecclesiastical historian upon iho subject . Dr . Mosheim says : — "The ancient Christians are supposed by many to have had a

a cret doctrine , and if by this be meant that they did not teach all in the same manner , or reveal all at once and to all indiscriminately the sublime mysteries of religion , there is nothing in this that may not be fully justified . " After further explanation the author goes on to say : " Those who consider the seoret doctrine of this century in any ether light , or give to it a greater extent than what we have here

iittribnted to it , confounds the superstitious practices of the following nges with the simplicity of that discipline which prevailed at tho time i f which we write . " ( Machine ' s Mosheim , chap . 3 , vol . i . ) Biassed historians are bad enough , but biassed ecclesiastical writers are abominable . These , like our own pious Masonic lutni . i : arie 3 , stick at nothing to gain a point ; so it was in olden time , and

FO it is now . Mosheim , after giving an account of the enthusiastic frenzy of the monks and of their maxims , goes on to say : — " One of these was , ' That ifc was an act of virtue to deceive and lie , when by such means the interest of the church might be promoted . Another point was , 'That errors in religion when main , tained and adhered to . . . wore pnniehable with civil penalties

and corporal tortures . Of the ? e erroneous maxims , tho former ( of lying and deceiving ) was now of long standing ; it had been adopted for some ages past and had produced an incredible number of ridiculous fables , fictitious prodigies , and pious frauds . . . . And it must be frankly confessed that the greatest men and most eminent saints of this century wore more or less tainted with the infection of

this corrupt principle , as will appear evidently to such as look with an attentive eye iuto their writings and their aotions . Wo would willingly except from this charge Ambrose and Hilary , Augustin , Gregory , Nazianzen and Jerome , bnt truth , whioh is more respeotable than these venerable fathers , obliges us to involve them in the general accusation . "

With the above confession of so high an authority as Dr . Mosheim , I feel justified in discrediting the historical writings of the old Christian Fathers . The translators and commentators of the works of the " Ante-Nicean Fathers , " admit that some works attributed to Christian Fathers of certain centuries , were not written until a hundred or more years later . From all I have read about tho early

Christians , I am inclined to doubt about their having held secret meetings in the Eoman catacombs—say once a week—for any length of time , even during one year , without being discovered , dispersed , or apprehended by the Boman police . It is , however , highly probable that during certain periods , and in certain localities , whon and where the Christians were prohibited from holding public worship , that they

assembled in secret , either at night or early in the morning , to perform their devotions . We find that in the days of Charles II . and the first year or so of the reign of James II ., when the " Five Mile Aot , " and the "Conventicle Act" were enforced in England , that the Puritans , like the early Christians , met secretly for the same purpose . The Puritan minister had to sneak into the town , disguised as

a bricklayer , a carter , and what not ; he had to get into a neighbouring house , and climb from the attic window into the apartment where his congregation were assembled ; but we have no more reliable evidence that the early Christians rode a mystic goat than we have about the Puritans having performed mystic rites . Meeting secretly is not necessarily a secret society in the sense

Freemasons are recognized in . I admit that the earl y Christian Fathers , in order to make Christianity popular , have Christianized Pagan festivals j also introduced Pagan ceremonies into their churches , and adopted Pagan phrases into their nomenclature ; thus , " mysteries" and " sacred mysteries " were Pagan phrases originally . But I think that these

phrases were meant as mere metaphors . The priest conld not demon , strate tho dogmas of tbe Trinity , Eesnrreotion , & o ., so he referred to those dogmas as " sacred mysteries . " If Bro . MacCalla is so positive that the Christians in A . D . 170 were a secret society , he ought to have furnished evidence that Justin Martyr was a Grand Master , Grand Warden , or something else grand in the seoret society .

Bro . MacCalla quotes Migne as his authority that Pope Innocent and somebody else referred to some secret or secrets ; and what of it ? Must Innocent ' s secret refer to a mystic goat society ? As to Migne , all I can learn about him is , that he was a French Catholic priest , that he undertook to compile , by steam as it were , some two thousand theological works ; that after he issued some hundred or

more volumes of a theological dictionary , and numerous other compilations of the same character , the Bishop lost faith in Father Migne ' s compilations , and ordered him to stop compiling . If I recollect right , Migne continued his enterprise in spite of the Bishop ' s prohibition , till his printing establishment was burnt down . That is all I know about Migne . Now , when I find that Bro . MacCalla believes

in Migne ( that is , I suppose he gave us his true opinion of him ) , while the French Catholic Bishop , evidently did not have any great faith in Migne ; and while I find that neither Drs . Mosheim and Maclaine , nor Bro . Woodford believe in the Btory of an early secret Christian society , I surely need not feel ashamed to be numbered among the disbelievers .

I shall only add that , thirty years ago , the ware whioh Bro . MacCalla now offers for sale was regarded of great value in the Masonio market . But Masonic iconoclasts have in a great measure brought that kind of stuff into contempt , and I think that Bro .

Gould s History of Freemasonry is destined to make a thorough finish of it . The fact is , Masonic dreaming is ( as they say here ) " played out . " If therefore Bro . MacCalla is ambitions of acquiring a good reputation as a Masonic writer , I would earnestly recommend him to ohange his course and turn over a new leaf . Fraternally yours , JACOB NORTON . Boston , U . S ., 25 th February 1884 .

Correspondence.

GRAND CHAPLAINS . To the JEditor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —When I wrote the letter on this subject , which you kindly published last week , I remembered that Bro . Sadler had already refuted a similar statement to Bro . Norton ' s about there being no Grand Chaplains before the Union , but I had no file of the CHRONICLE at hand to quote from or refer to , and was oon

tent therefore with stating what I knew , as I was aware it could be verified from tho official records . I have since seen Bro . Sadler , and he has shown me a letter he had received from Bro . Norton , in which the latter fully recognised hi 3 error in stating that there were no suoh Offioers before 1813 , but Bro . Norton's communication to your journal , in which he made the

assertion had , through pressure of work , escaped his ( Bro . Sadler ' s ) observation . Consequently , the opportunity of setting Bro . Norton right by means of his own subsequent admissions did notocour to him , Perhaps you will be good enough to find a corner for this brief note . I do not wish Bro . Sadler to snppose I was in any way desirous of trespassing on his province of repeating a refutation he had once

already made . Bro . Norton is usually so careful that I hope he will not imagine I was anxious for once to catch him tripping ; and Bro . Sadler assures me that it was only in consequence of the recent heavy demands ou his time , and not from any intentional negleot , that he omitted to comply with Bro . Norton ' s request to rectify the mistake . Fraternally yours , Q . London , 25 th Maroh 1884 .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

ECCLESTON CHAPTER , No . 1624 . THE installation meeting of this excellent working Chapter was held on the 26 th inst ., at the Freemasons'Hall , Great Queenstreet . Comps . W . Vincent P . Z . as M . E . Z ., J . G . Fisher H ., J . Wyer P . Z . J ., Isaacs Treasurer , Beckham S . E ., C . Tayler S . N ., Bond jnn . P . S . ; also Comps . Wray , Francis , James , Bond sen ., Johnson . Visitors—Pulman P . Z . 157 and 1339 , Moxon M . E . Z . elect 1159 , H . M . Levy P . Z . 188 . The Chapter was opened and the minntes of the

former convocation were read and confirmed . The auditors' report was read and adopted . Comp . J . G . Fisher Z . elect was then installed M . E . Z . by Comp . W . Vincent , in a perfect and impressive manner . Coraps . J . Wyer P . Z . and G . Taylor were installed H . and J . The Z . then in appropriate terms invested his Officers , Beckham S . E ., Isaacs Treasurer , Bond S . N ., Flatterley P . S ., Coulthard 1 st Assistant ,

C . Lee 2 nd Assistant , James Steward , Shepherd Janitor . A letter of apology was read from the I . P . Z . Comp . H . Johnson , who was unable to be present on account of indisposition . Comp . W . Vincent P . Z . asked the sanction of the M . E . Z . to hold a Chapter of Improvement under the auspices of the Chapter : This was unanimously agreed to . The Chapter was then closed until the 4 th Wednesday in June . The

company adjonrned to the Holborn Restaurant , where a sumptuous and r & cherche' banquet was provided , under superintendence of Bro . Hamp . Tbe M . E . Z . briefly proposed the Loyal and B . A . toasts . Companion Vincent P . Z . said it afforded him great pleasure , in the absence of tho I . P . Z ., to propose the health of the M . E . Z . He had the pleasure of initiating Comp . Fisher into Freemasonry ; he had installed him in

the chair , and to-night he installed him as M . E . Z . of his Chapter . The Companions had seen what he did for the Craft ; doubtless be would do as well for B . A . Masonry . The M . E . Z ., in responding , felt greatly honoured by the members of the Chapter electing him ; he had to thank Comp . Vincent for installing him , not only on that occasion ; at all times } he had been his guiding star ; he trusted he

might still rely ou the benefit of his support . As it was proposed to have a Chapter of Improvement the Companions would have Comp . Vincent ' s valuable services . The toast of the Visitors was next given ; the Chapter had only three present—Compa . H . M . Levy P . Z . 188 , Pulman P . Z . 157 , and Moxon Z . elect 1159 . These Companions severally responded , paying just compliments to the M . E . Z . for his able

presidency , and to Comp . Vincent for his rendering of tbe ceremony of installation . The toast of the I . P . Z ., who the M . E . Z . regretted was absent through indisposition , was done full honour to , and fervent wishes were expressed for his speedy recovery . The M . E . Z . said the most hearty thanks of the Chapter was due to him ; he was the founder and first Z . Comp . Vincent , in responding , said the I . P . Z .

was very ill ; but it would be gratifying to him to hear how his name had been received . Personally he ( Comp . Vincent ) was pleased to be present ; his services were always at the disposal of the Chapter , and he would do all in his power to render it second to none . He trusted their proposed Chapter of Improvement would tend to the ritual being

perfectly rendered . The remaining toasts were the H . and J ., theS . E ., the Treasurer , and other Officers ; able responses were given to each . The Janitor ' s toast concluded the proceedings , and the Companions separated . Some excellent songs and reoitations were given by Comps . Isaacs , Bond , Lee , & c , & c .

At the convocation of the North London Chapter of Improvement , held on Thursday , the 27 th instant , at the Alwyne Castle Tavern , St . Paul's Road , Canonbnry , Companions G . H . Hunter filled the chair of M . E . Z .,

Griffiths H ., Strugnell J ., Shaw S . N ., Lister P . S ., J . Evans Sheffield S . E . The ceremony of exaltation was carefully and instructively rehearsed . Companions seeking instruction in the Royal Arch will do well to visit this Chapter of Improvement .