To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE .

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Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ] BIRTHS . HOPKINS . —On the 6 th ins ' ., at 3 , Upper Berkeley-street , Portman-square , Mrs . Edward M . Hopkins , of a son . MIJMMS . —On the 4 th inst ., at 29 , Pemberton-gardens , St . John's-paik , N ., the wife of Mr . Augustus Mirams , cf a daughter .

MARRIAGE . NASH—MATTHEWS . —On the 5 th inst ., at the Parish Church , St . Marylebone , by the Rev . Dan Griatnrex , B . D ., cousin to the bride , Arthur J . Nash , to Emmi , youngest daughter of Stephen II . Matthews , Esq ., of Park House , Hauwell . DEATHS .

HINE . —At Manchester , on the 3 rd inst ., in her fifty-thi'd year , Harriett Hardwick , wife of Bro . Joseph Lancaster Mine , P . P . G . S . W . of East Lancashire . PHILIPS . —On the 6 th inst , at 28 , Belgravt-road , S . W ., Caroline , wife 1 f Captain N . G . Phi ips .

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THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , APRIL 12 , 1879 .

What Freemasonry Does Not Do.

WHAT FREEMASONRY DOES NOT DO .

Though it is sometimes difficult , as they say , to prove a negative , yet there is no difficulty , as it seems to us , in laying down categorically , alike for the information of friend or foe , what Freemasonry does not seek to do , and does not do , under any circumstances here , despite the

assertions of the malevolent , the cynical , or the intolerant . There is a great deal of pseudo-Freemasonry going on in the world just now , which , though it apes the form and assumes the name of our excellent Order , is not really and truly , and cannot be ever Freemasonry proper ,

in that it is as different from it as lig ht is from darkness , as truth is from falsehood . For instance , Freemasonry knows nothing whatever , even in the slig htest measure , of political questions ; it entirely and happily ignores altogether theological controversies . Those burning debates

in the great arena of political struggle which so d ' vide and agitate persons and communities in this combative and combatant world of ours , do not intrude their " shibboleths " of party within the peacefully closed recesses of our lodges . Those endless subtleties and sophistries , those

logomachies of worthy but wordy disputants , which often so distress the religious mind , and so divide the religious world , are not permitted , luckily , to harass the consciences of Freemasons , or impede the peaceful progress of Freemasonry If , then , in any jurisdiction we note to-d 3 y

political partizans rampant , or hear of ill-concealed or ill-omened cries of seditious sympathy ; if on colourable pretences , or upon no pretences at all , the reli g ious , but not sectarian , the universal , but not sectional character of Freemasonry is made to yield to a resolute faction , or a turbulent

clique , much as we may deplore the fact , we may fairly exclude that special portion of the Masonic family from our consideration , " pour le moment . " It never can be too often repeated that Freemasonry positively ignores and repudiates all political questions , and , in our opinion ,

none have any moral , much less a legal , right to discuss , " in secret , " be it noted , public measures at all , and not even these " sceial questions , " which are always best regulated whether by the municipal or legislative bodies of the country . Indeed , the idea which in some jurisdictions its

members appear to take of Freemasonry is this , that it is a sort of secret debating society , in which the most abstruse social questions and the most absurd and visionary theories may be safely and profitably brought before the lodge . We have in this the

secret of intense weakness of much of foreign Masonry . The authorities of any country have cleat l y a right to object to a secret Order discussing matters of government and even social questions , and it is this tendency to render our lodges political and social debating clubs

which has too often brought down upon Freemasons abroad the disapproval and interference of the general cr police authorities . There is another custom in . some jurisdictions abroad , which cannot be too much reprobated . Each Mason is armed , and the consequence is , that

the authorities look upon Freemasons in lodges as an armed body of secret conspirators . Freemasons are by their principles , which never change , peaceful citizens and loyal subjects , hostile to anarch y and revolution , friendly to tranquil progress and loyal improvement , and we have

felt that in these two special particulars some foreign jurisdictions gravely err , and raise up " stumbling blocks " where otherwise , probably , none mi g ht be found to exist . True Freemasonry does none of these things , but holding aloof from political complications and disavowing the " odium theoHg icum , " above all , it seeks to

maintain " peace with ill men , " and to advance and develope a spirit of good will and geniality among all classes and all conditions of mankind . One other mark of true Freemasonry is its comprehensiveness . It seeks to exclude none who honestl y accept and avow the " Fatherhood of God and the Brotheihood of Man . " It imposes

What Freemasonry Does Not Do.

no tests , it asks fcr no submissions ; it desires to lay down no limitation of thought or membership , except what is rational and of immemorial usage . To proclaim Freemasonry to be a societ y without a God , without a moral law which comes from God and is of God , must ever be

fatal to any such body of men , for such a theory outrages the innate sympathies and convictions of us all alike . On the specious and hypocritical pretence of liberty of conscience , to take away from countless believers the ri ght of acknowledging T . G . A . O . T . LT . atall is one of the greatest proofs of

perverted views and tyrannical irreli gion which it has been our lot , in this generation , at any rate , to realize . Thus , then , true Freemasonry never seeks to renounce the universal and immemorial acknowledgment of T . G . A . O . T . U . as the foundation truth , the vital teaching of

Freemasonry . Neither does it , on the other hand , seek to exclude any who , accepting this ancient and simple ' •formula , " iigree to assist each other in humanitarian 1 ( forts and "labours of love . " From this reality of things arise the breadth and height and width of Fieemasonrv , perhaps at

first sight somewhat of a " paradox , " per se , but yet that distinguishing characteristic which renders it the admiration of its friends and the astonishment of its enemies . We find that some considerations flow out of these remarks , which we will deal with in our next number .

A Sad Case Of Persecution.

A SAD CASE OF PERSECUTION .

We can hardly realize that we archiving in the year of light 1879 , when we read of the peisecution of Bro . Simonsen , a Norwegian clergy man , simply because positivel y he is a Freemason . 'It seems that Bro . Simonsen was originally located in Norway , and became , unfortunately for him , an

initiate in the Masonic Order at Christiana , and he subsequentl y went to America , and settled in Wisconsin , U . S ., as a minister to Norwegian congregations . The Synod , adopting the views of the Missouri Fynod , seems to have desired to censure him in the annual assembly , and in this

attempt and " trop Bro . Simonsen appears to have defeated his i . pponents utterly . The Norwegian congregations clung to their "Pastor" for three and-a half years , despite every sort of attack and slander , and even personal violence , when Bro . Simonsen thought it better for the sake of

prudence , peace , and safety to return to Norway . Here , however , the same opposition was revived , and a special attack was made b y a Rev . Mr . Preuss on Bro . Simonsen as a Freemason , and so angry was the feeling that the Bishop said he could " not see how a minister could

remain a Mason . By these proceedings he was practically silenced , and had to withdraw from the ministry . He has come to England , we understand , to seek some assistance for himself , and his wife , and his young famil y f 10 : 11 the brotherhood , and , as we understand , alsotoenable him

to bring his case before the " Storthing ; " the brethren at Christiana are , in the meantime , taking care of his wife and children . Our worth y Bro . Bent , P . G . C , a high authority on Swedish matters , has lent his well-known name in support of Bro . Simonsen ' s appeal , and we confess that we

have every confidence that his story is true , and that he deserves the sympathy and support of the Ciaft . He has published a pamphlet , or rather the translation of his address to his own people , which seems to us a very clear and strai g htforward document . If his statements are true ,

and we have no reason to doubt their literal exactness , on the contrary , we think that his is an " ower true tale , " alas ! for the liberality and toleration of 1879 . Some of our worth y brethren may interest themselves in the case , and we should suggest a conference , at which Bro .

Simonsen might be asked to attend , and state his own position fully and freely . To any such arrangement we would give our hearty support . In the meantime Bro . Lake , at 198 , Fleet-street , will give any information to brethren who may wish for it . It does seem a " strong order " and

" hard lines indeed , that in 1879 a Norwegian minister , simpl y because he is a Freemason , should be driven from his post , and left to starve with his wife and children . But does anything surprise our readers in this queer wo ; Id ot ours : Certainlv nothing surprises us .