A Catholick's Criticism Of The Craft.

A CATHOLICK'S CRITICISM OF THE CRAFT .

If there be anything so little understood by the uninitiated it is that of Free and Accepted Masonry , and that opportunity is ever afforded the humblest brother to defend its principles goes without dispute . It was but a brief period since I listened , in the Cathedral of Saint Boniface ,

Plymouth , to a very powerful preacher of no mean degree in the Catholick world—one , Father Peter—of the Order of the Redemptionists . The position of the reverend father made his words the weightier fall upon the vast congregation that listened to him on the occasion referred to .

The cleverest critic is apt to err : and it was because , in my opinion , Father Peter erred considerably , and denounced so vehemently Masonry , without proof , that I wrote his bishop , with the following result :

" Bishop ' s House , " Plymouth , " February 25 th . " Dear Sir ,

"I was not in the Church when the sermon was preached . You will excuse me , therefore , for having asked the preacher , Father Bridgett , to write a few notes on the subject of Freemasonry , which I now enclose . They set forth , I think , clearly , the grounds on which the Church forbids her children to be members of that Brotherhood , Infidels and nea'hens of all

sorts are members , as well as those who pro / ess Christianity , but that in many countries Freemasonry is in deadly enmity to every form of Christianity is notorious . " Believe me , dear Sir ,

" Very sincerely in "J . C ., "WILLIAM VAUGHAN . "

The preceding epistle from the esteemed bishop was followed by Father Bridgett ' s remarks : " Bishop's House , " Plymouth . "As regards Freemasonry .

" 1 . For Catholicks the matter is settled by authority . Our Lord said to Saint Peter— ' Feed my sheep ! ' We believe that the Pope has this charge , and is guided in its performance . Successive Popes , for 150 years , have denounced Freemasonry , and refused the Sacraments , even at death , to those who

will not renounce it . If it was an innocent thing , this would be the most wicked injustice and impiety . Therefore , if I could find no reason for the prohibition of it , yet , as a docile sheep , I should obey , and believe that my shepherd had good reasons to bid me avoid that pasturage .

" 2 . But the matter is not so mysterious . Freemasons on the Continent are openly declared enemies of the Church , and of all Christianity . Now , Continental Freemasonry came from England . English Freemasons are not indeed declared enemies of Christianity ; but Christianity in England is something very vague , and a man holds what he pleases , and still call himself a Christian , or even a member of the Church of England .

" 3 . Freemasonry is a secret , and all secret societies are condemned . Of course , there are secrets a man may and should keep , but a baptised Christian is to be 'taught to observe all things our Lord has commanded . ' He cannot be taught if a part of his life is beyond the knowledge or control of his Divinely-appointed teacher . A vow , or oath of blind obedience , is

essentially immoral . What is the secret of Freemasonry ? Either the initiations are mere tomfoolery , or there is something important to be communicated to the initiated , and which they must be fitted to hear . It is not a secret of trade or science as in the Freemasonry of the Middle Ages . It must , then ,

be a secret doctrine of morals or conduct . Well , our Lord said that He was the Light of Life , and ordered His doctrine to be preached on the housetops . If Freemasonry teaches a morality and conduct in harmony with Christianity , why is it kept for a few initiated , and not taught to all ?

" 4 . Mr . Palmer , the famous linguist , who was murdered in Syria , was a Freemason . In his life by Mr . Besant is a quotation from a letter or journal in which he says that he sets no great value on Freemasonry , except that it is opposed to sacerdotalism . Now , those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest , and that He had appointed a priesthood to carry on His

work— ' He that hears you hears Me , & c . —must acknowledge that if Freemasonry is the enemy of sacerdotalism , it is the enemy of genuine Christianity ; and , of course , the Church recognises in it her deadly enemy . " 5 . There is one thing in which English Freemasonry is identical with foreign Freemasonry . Its adepts favour each other at the expense of

distributive justice . There is no harm in their preferring the members of their association for their private (?) But where there should be open competition , or where superiors have to dispense or reward , it is an injustice to be partial . Now of this I am quite sure , and have met hundreds of instances

that contracts are given to Freemasons by Freemason officers at the expense of justice ; and there are branches of official life where a man cannot rise unless he is a Freemason . Indeed , that is the one pretext always made by Catholicks when they become Freemasons—they do it against their will in self-defence , since otherwise they cannot compete .

" 6 . As the Priests in Portugal or Brazil are Freemasons , their public life show what kind of priests they are . Perhaps the less said of them the better . " 7 . In these short Jottings I refer to Freemasonry , not to Freemasonsindividuals . "

My reply to Father Bridgett I hive not copied , not thinking at the time so many brethren would eventually express their desire of seeing it in the Freeniason as showing how mistaken a clever man of such high position in his Church can be .

A Catholick's Criticism Of The Craft.

To assert that the Continental Mason is opposed to broad and comprehensible—simple—Christianity as based by its Originator is out of the question . How about Mozart , the adored musician of the Catholick Church ? Was he excommunicated for being a Continental Mason because he was opposed ( sic . ) to all Christianity 1

Then , as to Freemasonry being a secret society and consequently condemned . At the very time Father Bridgett was asserting this the Clan-na-Gael and Irish Republican Brotherhood were in existence , and their memberhood composed of Roman Catholicks . Yet did the Catholick Church condemn them for being " secret societies " or not 1 And were their members

excommunicated at death for refusing " their blind obedience to a vow " to attain social improvement other than in a legitimate sense ? A powerful and popular preacher of any creed or doctrine should be able to feel he is acti ng consistently . Why , is not the Church of Rome herself in all ages a secre t society T

" A vow or oath of blind obedience is essentially immoral . Then how about a novice entering the Catholick Church . I do not disparage his or her so doing , as at one time I thought of so doing myself , honestly . Should I then have been taking a vow or oath of blind obedience to " the Supreme Pontiff ? " and which such have been considered by Father Bridgett " essentially immoral 1 "

Re Mr . Palmer , he may have been as many another " Mason " in name alone , ignorant of its beauty , its rationalism , its healthiness , its catholicit y in the broadest and purest socialistic sense ; its brotherhood that even the Christus Himself may have been well proud of . Finally , as to the favouring of Masons by Masons . This is a serious

charge which Father Bridgett makes . However , it is only what the Church of Rome has done , and would do again were she predominant over the earth . Father Bridgett finishes by asserting that there are priests ( Masons ,

he declares ) whose public life is questionable . Then where lies the power and jurisdiction of the Pope—first to allow them ( his priests ) to be Masons , secondly that to excommunicate them for misbehaviour for being " questionable citizens . "

Any Mason who is a Mason and a man would not have listened Father Bridgett ' s address out . I did , however , and meekly challenged him ( to be precise , his Bishop ) , with the above result , which I give to the Brotherhood of that Craft , based upon the principles of the broadest

intelligence—comprehended by the human race the wide world over—black , white , yellow , redand which no individual creed nor church , nor community can crush , flourishing as it has for ages past under the Royal Sign of the expanseless Light of Heaven .

Consecration Of Lodge Dharwar, No. 2527.

CONSECRATION OF LODGE DHARWAR , No . 2527 .

The consecration of the above lodge took place at Dharwar , Bombay , on the ist September last . Bro . Shields acted as District Grand Master , and Bro . Hussey , District Grand Secretary , installed the

Worshipful Master , each of the brethren having travelled a distance of 420 niiles for that purpose . They were assisted by Bro . W . R . Nicholson , P . M . ( who accompanied them from Poona , 300 miles distant ) , and Bro . T . J . McCloughin , who acted as Grand Wardens .

There were present besides , Bros . G . Vibart , A . Huddleston , W . C . l'ox , Sorabjee Nerwanjee , Anandrao Panandhiker , G . Patel , H . Davis , and A . S . Nailer , members who signed the petition , and Bro . G . W . Lindsley , Grand

Warden of the Grand Lodge of All Scottish Freemasonry in India ; Bro . Breag , S . C . ; and Bros . Hibbard , Rustomjee , Kanga , Abraham , Johnston , and Carter , visitors . The ceremony of opening having been concluded ,

Bro . SHIELDS expressed the pleasure it gave him to come to Dharwar for the purpose of consecrating a new lodge under the Grand Lodge of England , more especially as the want of a lodge there had been clearly established to his satisfaction .

The lodge was then consecrated and constituted according to ancient usage . Bro . Peter Scott was afterwards duly installed as the first Master of the lodge , and the following brethren were nominated , and those present invested as the first officers : Bros . G . Vibart , S . W . ; G . E . Gray ,

J . W . ; Sorabjee Nerwanjee , Treas . ; A . S . Nailer , Secretary ; A . Huddleston , S . D . ; Dr . McCalman , J . D . ; W . C . Fox , I . G . ; and H Davis , Tyler . One candidate was proposed for initiation , and four brethren for joining . " Hearty good wishes " were tendered by the visitors , for and from their

respective lodges . In tendering good wishes on behalf of the Grand Lod ^ e of all Scottish Freemasons in India , Bro . LINDSLEY expressed the great pleasure that it afforded him to be present at the opening of that new lodge , and wi <"

that although , perhaps , it was natural for him to have wished that it had been under the Scottish Constitution , still , he was sure that the brethren ol that constitution in the neighbourhood would work together in that newborn lodge with that friendliness which had characterised the two constitutions in that presidency for so many years past .

That lodge having been closed , the brethren repaired to supper , whereat the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were proposed and heartily responded to , and a very pleasant and entertaining meeting was brought to a close .

BRO . SIR AUGUSTUS HARRIS , immediately after presiding at the Oolh annui festival of the Metropolitan Beer and Wine Trades Asylum , on Thursday evening , ' ' for Paris , in order to confer with M . Maurice (" irau , and with the intention witnessing Madame Sarah Bernhardt in M . Sardou ' s new play .