The Relation Of St. John The Evangelist To Freemasonry.

The RELATION of ST . JOHN the EVANGELIST to FREEMASONRY .

. [ SECOND ANSWER . ]

' BY BRO . CHALMERS I . PATON , Bro . Samuel Evans , of Boston , U . S ., has replied in THE FREEMASON , of 15 th April , to my remarks which appeared in THE FREEMASON of

28 th January , on his " Criticism of my paper on the Relation of St . John the Evangelist to Freemasonry , " published in THE FREEMASON of 29 th October , 1870 . I am greatly at a loss how to follow out this controversy any farther . Bro .

Evans complains that I have been guilty of " romancing through six columns without making a single point •" and in this strain he proceeds , adding sentence to sentence , and figure to figure , declaring that a certain part of my answers is all

ink and fog , jocularly speaking of the cutflerfish , which conceals itself from enemies by the black stuff that it ejects into the sea , and , with still richer humour , quoting Knickerbocker's story of the Dutch captain who escaped from his English

adversary by causing his crew to raise a cloud by smoking their tobacco-pipes All this , so far as I can perceive , is very little to the purpose . To come to what is really so , I meet the

challenge of Bro . Evans to produce an ancient and eminent Masonic authority for the connection of St . John the Evangelist with Freemasonry , by saying—what every educated Freemason must be well aware of—that the existence of this

connection is asserted in many of the older works on Freemasonry . Bro . Evans , therefore , can be at no loss to find instances of this ; but when he asks me to prove " the eminence and reliability of that authority , " which he insists that I should produce , and not only so , but " the

reliability of the source or sources whence that authority obtained the information which he related , " I humbly submit that he asks too much , and that however desirable it might be to prosecute the question in this manner , it is by no means necessary for the vindication of the statement which I made .

In my former article on this subject—I mean in that of 28 th January—I called upon Bro . Evans to say how he was warranted in stating that the idea of any connection between St . John the Evangelistand Freemasonryis exploded . I asked him to tell by whom it was exploded ,

and when . He has done nothing of this kind , makes no reference whatever to the subject , but rather hides himself under a cloud of smoke by making demands of me which I regard—as I daresay most of the readers of THE FREEMASON will—as in themselves unreasonable .

I observe also that Bro . Evans has entirely mistaken the import of my remark that // any connection could be shown to have existed

between any " saint" and the Masonic body during the saint ' s life upon the earth , an important relation must be deemed still to exist . Had he not made this mistake , he could never

have asked " Why is this ' // ' now introduced ?" Surely it is evident that I was merely stating a general rule or principle ; not expressing any doubt as to a particular application of it

I do not think it proper to follow Bro . Evans in his reply to my observations on the peculiarities of his style , nor in his personalities concerning my connection with the Archaeological Institute , and the like . I leave to those who care

for such studies the paragraph which he devotes to a defence of his use of the word caption , and am perfectly willing to admit the right of the Americans to improve the English language , at least for their own use .

Bro . Evans concludes with the question , " Does Bro . Paton see the point now ? " I confess that I do not see very clearly what point Bro . Evans means . Perhaps lie will be so good as , in his next communicationto point it out .

, He might do so perhaps in as few sentences as he has paragraphs in the present instance . And if I might venture to make such a suggestion to a Translantic brother , I would say that perhaps he

might as well refrain from sucli expressions as " a re-hash of well-worn fable and fraud , " which he employs concerning my paper , the subject of his criticism . He will understand , I daresay , that this remark is not philological .

The Bible, The Geeat Light Of Freemasonry.

The BIBLE , the GEEAT LIGHT of FREEMASONRY .

BY BRO . CHALMERS I . PATON , Author of Freemasonry in Relation to Civil Authority and the Family Circle . The Bible is carried in Masonic processions in Britain ; it is placed on the altar in the chief Masonic solemnities . Like everything else in

Freemasonry , this has a significance . It shows , and is meant to show , that Freemasons believe in God ; it exhibits also their regard for truth , of which they accept the Bible as the grand revelation . According to the laws of Freemasonry it is not , indeed , required that every

Freemason should be a Christian or profess his belief in the Bible as the word of God . It is only required that he believe in the existence of God and in the doctrine of a future state . A Mahommedan , therefore , or a Parsee , may be a Freemason , and many Mahommedans and

Parsees are so . Many Jews in Britain are members of the Masonic Order ; but the Bible , containing the scriptures , which they acknowledge , holds its place without objection from them . In a lodge , chiefly composed of Mahommedans , the Koran is substituted for the Bible , with the same

significance of reverence for God and for the truth which he has revealed , — -in particular , for the moral law , which all Freemasons are bound carefully to observe . But whilst it is not absolutely requisite that a Freemason should profess himself a believer in Christianity , it is requisite

that every one who makes this profession should be a good Christian . A Freemason , true to his obligation , must be a moral and honest man ; and this cannot be if , professing himself to be a Christian , he does not act consistently with his profession . A

man may be a good Freemason who is not a Christian at all ; but a professing Christian cannot be a good Freemason without being a good Christian . The strict rule of morality which he is bound to observe as a Freemason requires him to act up to his profession as a Christian .

As such he must reverence the Bible , owning it as the word of God . There may be difference of opinion amongst Freemasons , as there are amongst others , concerning the Bible , the inspiration of the writers of its books and the manner in which they are to be received , the

interpretation of particular passages and the doctrines which they convey ; but every Christian professes reverence for the Bible , and looks to it for that revelation of the Divine Will which is to guide him in life . It has , therefore , properly a place on Masonic altars and in Masonic

processions . It is there as the great rule to which all may appeal in any question of morality such as may arise in a Masonic lodge ; it is there as the light which shines upon all , and the brightness of which all rejoice to acknowledge . Even those who do not believe in Christianity

and who reject the authority of the Bible as a Divine revelation are constrained to own the excellence of its moral precepts , of the code of morality which it contains , and which is summed up in the two great commandments , " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and

with all thy soul , and with all thy strength and with all thy mind , " and " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself . " These commandments are as much the laws of Freemasonry as they are of the Christian Church . It is not necessary to quote the ancient landmarks of Freemasonry in

proof of this—every one who knows anything of them must be aware of the fact . The second of the two great commandments , " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself , " may be regarded as the foundation of the Masonic rules concerning conduct towards brethren . The whole system

of Freemasonry is pervaded by this principle . The Freemason is not to regard his own interests alone , but to be helpful to his fellowmen as he lias opportunity , and particularly to show brotherly kindness in every possible way to

his brethren . But simple as are the principles of the moral law , the two great commandments on which , our Saviour said , " hang all the laws and the prophets , " the expansion of them into rules for the conduct of men in all the various circum-

The Bible, The Geeat Light Of Freemasonry.

stances and relations of life is far from being easy ; and many questions arise as to which we may well be thankful to receive an answer of Divine authority and by express revelation . This all Christians believe that they have in " the law and the prophets " —in the Holy Scriptures .

There are many points on which , without such guidance , it would be impossible , or well-nigh impossible , for men to frame a law for themselves ; although , when we see the law laid down before us , we cannot but perceive its excellence , its accordance with the great principles on which the whole moral system is based ,

and its adaptation to the wants and interests of mankind . In this character of the moral code set forth in the Holy Scriptures , and of every particular portion of it , the Christian finds a confirmation of his faith , the wisdom and beauty of the whole attesting its Divine authorship . In the Bible the Freemason also finds a moral code

prepared to his hand , so perfect that he cannot pretend to improve it in any particular , hut must simply accept and admire it . From the earliest date , therefore , to which we are carried back by authentic history the Bible has been reverentially acknowledged by the Freemasons of all Christian

countries , and regarded as containing and setting forth that moral law which they bind themselves strictly to observe . It is the great light by which the members of the Brotherhood walk ; the exhibition of it in their solemnities and processions is intended to show their esteem for it ,

and to remind them of their duty with regard to it—that they ought diligently to study it and to frame their lives in accordance with its teaching . To remove it from the high place which it has hitherto held would be to change the character of the whole system of Freemasonry , and would

throw into darkness and uncertainty many points of morality concerning which it is of the utmost importance that there should be no possibility of doubt , affecting the relations of brethren to each other and the conduct of lodges , as well as the personal conduct of individual members of the Order .

That Freemasonry may continue to be worthy of admiration as hitherto and now , the Bible must be retained in its place , not only as symbolizing the great principles of religion and morality , but as authoritatively teaching them as the accepted rule of ultimate reference in all questions of morality , and the guide of each brother in his

way through life . It must continue to be acknowledged as the great light of Freemasonry , and the more brightly that this light shines , the more evidence it is that every lodge is irradiated by it ; the more perfectly that it is reflected in the character and conduct of every brother , the more will the Order be honourable , and the more will it be held in honour .

Freemasonry has always flourished most where the light of Divine truth has shone most brightly . In very ancient times—concerning which , however , it must be admitted that our information is very imperfect , and that we are compelled to depend upon inferential reasoning—it seems to

have flourished more amongst the Jews than amongst any other people . When we come down to the times concerning which we have accurate and authentic information , we find it flourishing in Christian Europe ; and its great revival in the beginning of last century was

amongst a Christian people , a Protestant people , not only fully recognising the authority of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God , but delighting to read them , and proclaiming the right to read them as a common right of all men . The distinguished men to whose exertions that

revival is chiefly to be ascribed were men who revered and loved the Bible , appreciating aright its importance for the enlightenment of the world and its influence for the promotion of that brotherly kindness , that liberty , that respect for the moral law , for the law of the land , and for everything good and right , which it is the very

object of Freemasonry to maintain and promote . Wherever the Bible has been extensively circulated , wherever its teachings have been received by any people , a powerful impulse has been given to the human mind , fresh intellectual activity has been displayed , and new progress has been made in the arts and sciences ; whilst in the countries from which it has been excluded