The Intolerance Of The Roman Catholic Church.

able to support even this " excess of religious intolerance with the chivalry of a well dressed bride , and the presence of mind of one who was " quite in earnest . " We call attention also , favoured by a kind correspondent , to a pretty little outburst of Roman Catholic intolerance in

Ireland , which appeared in last Freemason , page 21 a . What , we would venture to ask , is the cause of the Rev . Father Burke ' s fervid diatribe ? Whence this unceasing fear and hatred of Freemasonry ? Is it that , like those whose empire is assailed by the progress of education and

religion the Roman Catholic clergy dislike light and truth , and loyalty and charity , and good feeling and brotherly love ? Is it that they are making frantic efforts to preserve the faltering " regime" of intolerance , violence , irrelig ion , and superstition ? For whatever be the cause just

now , these violent words and unseemly objurgations and intemperate assertions pass all bounds of decency and decorum . Their dismay and their delusions , their fears and their facts , are equally contemptible , and we shall henceforth class all

Ultramontane assailants among those nuisances which everybody most anxiously avoids and guards , against , whether cantankerous comp lainants or Colorado Beetles , whether dancing dervishes or hopeless fanatics ..

Where Are We Going To ?

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO ?

A French brother , H . Valleton , who lives in London at this moment , and is mixed up with the spurious so-called Grand Loge des Philadelphes , ( a great impertinence , by the way , to the Grand Lodge of England , the only lawful and legal authority in this country ) , coolly makes the

following proposition in the last Monde Maconnique , and which we regret to see in any way sanctioned by that Masonic periodical , to which we have elsewhere alluded in friendly terms . This ingenuous and ingenious youth suggests

( page 33 ) a panacea of his own to take the place of the suppressed article of the Constitution relative to the " existence of God , " & c , and which suppression , he calmly adds , draws with it the invocation to the G . A . O . T . U . This is his

modest suggestion as a substitution : — " A la gloire et au developpement du Progres Humain ! A la gloire de tous ceux et celles qui , illustres ou obscurs , Francmacons ou profanes , y ont contribue , y contribuent , ouy contribueront genereusement . " This is Masonic socialism , revolution with a vengeance , and anything more childish ,

ridiculous , or pitiable we have never seen , and can onl y suppose that the writer is seriously suffering from " communism on the brain . " We wish that Bro . Valleton would be particular as to his statements . He declares , " categoriquement , " that he has published these " formules claires , breves et universellement comprehensives ' . " . . . " sous notre initiative individuelle dans les

journaux Maconniques , " " de Londres . " We ask him openly as before English and French Freemasons , in what English journal this farargo of nonsense has been alloyved to appear ? As far as we know the statement is utterly unfounded in fact . We shall recur to the subject .

The " Monde Maconnique."

THE " MONDE MACONNIQUE . "

With the number for May the Monde Maconni que commences its twentieth volume . We congratulate it on its past ; we wish it all good for the future . It is true that the Monde Macon-™< fiie and the Freemason have recentl y had a few words , but , like honest and honourable

opponents , we bear each other no ill-will , and as brother Masons we are happy to . shake hands . It is because ^ we don ' t believe in " mealy mouthedness at all , that we have spoken , as we always do , and always shall do , frankly and fearlessly , but

our "hearty good wishes" go with the Monde Maconnique on its own merits , which are Wy great . We are fully sensible , and none more so , both of the importance and the difficul-» es and drawbacks of all Masonic

journalism . The last number of the Monde Maconnu m is a most interesting one in many respects , and we trust that it will retain its high character , I TJJ y avoidin S ^ e Charibdis of Masonic waddle , and the Scylla of Masonic socialism .

The " Monde Maconnique."

Some of its contributors do not appear to us either the wisest of mortals , or the most Masonic of Masons .

A Little Apology.

A LITTLE APOLOGY .

In our last Freemason appeared , in a letter of Bro . John Yarker ' s , which , unfortunate !) , escaped editorial supervision , the following line : — " Some Manchester agents , jewellers , and tailors . " Now , on our avowed principle of nonpersonality , such a paragraph ought never to

have appeared at all , inasmuch as it violates the two great canons of Masonic toleration and courtesy . '" Agents , jewellers , or tailors , " even may be just as good Masons as our correspondent , or anybody else , and have as much right to their opinion , and we are bound to pay as much

respect to it . We can only repeat that the publication of these words was an oversight , and that we will be "better boys for the future . * ' We apologise to those for whom , ( be they who they were , ) the remark is meant , which should never have appeared at all .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ VVe do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of [ he opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —ED . 1

CHARITY VOTING . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Although your article on " Charity Voting " takes an opposite view to that held by many , in common with myself , I am glad you have opened up the discussion , and I will ask your permission to say a few more words on

this subject . And , first , I must beg to take exception to the very basis on which your whole article was founded . I certainly did not in any sentence of my letter propose the abolition of voting , on the contrary , I clearly contended for a reform of the abuses attaching to the voting system . I proposed to take from no brother or lodge their " voting privileges , " and hence suggested no "

revolution . " I proposed no " committee in London , " although I am ready in all Masonic " charity" to believe that such a committee could act without " favouritism or partiality . " I hope , therefore , dear Sir and Brother , that you will kindly reconsider the real points at issue , which perhaps I did not put yvith sufficient perspicuity to avoid misapprehension .

I am very glad to find there is " one point" on which you agree with me , and that is a very fundamental one , the need of " a little more enquiry "—I would venture to say much more—and I look forward yvith hope to your urging this point at least on the attention of the brethren . The other points will , I hope , speak for themselves . I must strongly demur to your arguments in favour of

" the Exchange of Votes . " It is true no one is compelled to use his vote ; but , if he does so , he is bound to do so intelligently and yvith a sense of responsibility . If he does not do so , it is clear that the main object of the vote is left out of sight altogether—namely , the personal claims of the candidates . To vote , merely " to oblige a friend , " or to assist A ., about whom you know nothing , in order to

aid B . next election , about whom you know something more , is , in my humble opinion , a mere gambling in votes , and sounds oddly , yvhen mentioned in connection with the sacred name of " charity . " You say " all cases are deserving , " and " assume that no improper cases are on the list . " If many of your correspondents and of our brethren be

worthy of credit , these two ^ assumptions cannot hold water for a moment . Besides , it is yvell known that amongst even twenty cases passed as " eligible , " the antecedents , the surroundings , the relative claims arc as far removed as the North and South Poles . On principle , exchanges cannot be justified . In practice , they are the fruitful source of much

misunderstanding , much bickering , much heart-burning . They have often led to something like dishonesty , and have been the subject of an expensive and not very creditable law-suit . As to the poor candidates , what between canvassing , exchanging , and polling day , every struggle of self-help , and every sense of self-respect arc apt to be stifled in yvaiting for the issue of a haphazard competition , the

chances of which defy calculation . The anxious expectation of a whole family may end in nothing but an acquired taint of mendicantcy . The lesson of solicitation once learned thoroughly , is likely to be repeated again and again at other times , and for other purposes .

I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , R . J . SIMPSON . [ We will call attention to our yvorthy brother ' s letter in our next , and explain what he appears to have misunderstood . As regard exchanges we hold our brother to be quite in error . —ED . ]

THE ANCIENT FREEMASONS AS OPERATIVE MASONS AND RELIGIOUS BUILDERS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — It has long been a very general belief among the uninitiated that the world is indebted solely to the monksand regular clergy of the Church of Rome for the many splendid

Original Correspondence.

edifices that have been erected in mediaeval times , more especially for religious purposes . Recent archa-logical research has hoyvever given this general belief a rather rude shaking , and it is now considered by thoughtful enquirers into the subject that it is scarcely reasonable to suppose that the stupendous cathedrals , the famous castles , and grand cloisters which have been erected in

mediaival times , yvith less wealth and , fewer mechanical aids than we now possess , can have been contributed by mere churchmen , however talented they may have been as artists or mere designers of outline . Even if it be conceded ( for argument ' s sake ) that we are to a very great extent indebted to the churchmen for the design of those splendid edifices , it must be admitted that the construction of these

buildings would have been impossible without the intelligent co-operation of superior minds ( such as the old peripatetic Master Masons ) to direct the labours of the skilled workmen or felloyv Craft Masons . This yvill be self-evident to any one who will take the trouble to consider what yvould be the result of placing an ordinary modern architect in command of a number of bricklayers ,

masons , carpenters , and other artisans without the assistance of a directing head yvho is perfectly familiar with the mechanical appliances required for the task . The architect may make a very beautiful design for a new building ( say a cathedral ) , but he has not the least idea how to instruct the " hands " to carry out his design . This is not his business , and it requires many years and great

experience to do this kind of work properly . Considering the greater invention , more accurate diversity , purer taste , superior judgment , and higher knowledge displayed in the old buildings in comparison with the wretched imitations of after ages , it must be self-evident that the builders of these edifices yvere a highly educated , intelligent , special class of men , such as were the Freemasons of old . A

work 1 have lately been reading contains ( although it is in no way connected with Freemasonry ) some curious information which yvill be found very interesting , and bears so directly on the question , above referred to , that it is desirable these particulars should be more generally known among the Craft . From this source we learn that the education and science of the old Freemasons remained

knoyvn ] only to themselves , and were transmitted , not so much by writing as by memory . They handed down their special knoyvledgc from one generation to another by word of mouth and by a rigid system . This knowledge included their science of memory , their methods of calculation , and the principles upon which they proceeded . It is said that they were trained to recognise and trace the

laws of God ' s creation and the government of His creation in animal and vegetable life , and to combine the deductions of such study with the properties , the relations , and the combinations of thc powers and proportions of numbers ; the universe itself , the very elements , and the yvhole world , being in their belief created and preserved by the rhythm of numbers .

It yvill be interesting to Royal Arch Masons to know tbat Rivius in his " Steinmetzen Grund , " published A . D . 1548 , calls the * Circle and the Triangle " the two most distinguishing principles of stone-masons , " and also that " the divisions of the equilateral triangle are the primitive and most distinguishing marks of ancient cathedrals . " Arithmetic and geometry were typified by those tyvo signs ,

and yvere held to be thc sole and only laws or staml-points which prevade the yvhole of creation ; layvs so fixed aud immutable that neither necessity nor time could influence them . These signs were given to the ancients as emblems of the highest science , and they remained among the Eastern nations as symbols of Deity itself . In India the Triangle and the Circle are recognised as the

unchangeable Yantras or symbols of the Hindoo religion . The chronology of the Triangle is fixed as the mark or Yantra of Siva , the equal of Brahma , the Triune . The Triangle within the Circle represents the Yantra of the Hindoo Triad ; the Circle yvithin the Triangle the Yantra or symbol of Unity in Trinity ; and the crossing of one Triangle on another Triangle is the Sherkum or sign

of Vishnu and Mahadeva , signifying ' their union and the oneness of their poyver . Those very Yantras or God-signs present the same shape and forms as Gothic architecture embodies in every possible combination and variety , from the first proposition of Euclid ( the construction of the equilateral triangle ) , which gives the fundamental forms of the Cathedrals of Cologne and Milan , to all the other

distinctive features of the old cathedrals . It appears that these primordial roots of form ( which were the signs of Hindoo faith ) were also the usual and ordinary signs by which the old Freemasons designated themselves in signing their work for the inspection of the overseer or master . It is stated that these marks are to be found

very widely spread throughout nearly the whole of the then civilised world . This communication has however already so far exceeded all reasonable limits that I must defer to another occasion the further consideration of this most interesting subject . 1 remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , W . E . N ., No . 7 G 6 .

ILLEGITIMACY AND FREEMASONRY . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Neither the answer to " Enquirer" in your issue of the 1 oth of May , nor the editorial remark on the letter of " Revivesco " in that of the 26 th of May , seems to me fairly to meet the question raised by " Enquirer . "

I had fully expected some remarks on the subject from some better known brother than myself , but I trust that you will allow the following observations to appear in the next number of your widely circulated paper , because , I think , there should be no misapprehension on such a matter . You remark , in answer to " Enquirer , " " The rula of