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NOTICE .

The Subscription to THE FREEMASON is now los , per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . 11 ., ( 5 : _ C 7 s- 6 d . Vol . s III ., IV ., V . and VI each 15 s . od . Reading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 2 s . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d .

United States of America . ( THE Fits EM A SON is delivered free in any part of the i United States for r 2 s . per annum , payable in advance , j The Freemason is puhlished on Saturday Mornings in lime for thc early trains .

The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual Bubscr ' . p . 'ion , 10 s . ( payable in advance . ) All communication ' s , letters , & c , to be addressed to the Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C . The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him , butcannot undertake to return them unless accompanied bypostag *; tamps .

Now Readv . INDEX to Vol . VI . of "THE FREEMASON . " May be had at the Publishing Ofiice , 198 , Fleetstreet .

The History Of Freemasonry,

THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY ,

FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY . Prawn from the best sources and the most recent investigations . BY J . G . FINDEL , Second Edition , Revised , and Preface written by Bro . D . MURRAY LYON .

One 10 I ., 800 pages 8 vo ., with an Index . Cloth gilt . Price , 1 os . 6 d . ' •This book is a strictly historical one , from which all is excluded that is not based upon ascertained or piobable fact . "—Builder . " Of its value to Freemasons , as a detailed history of their Brotherhood , it is not possible to speak too hig hly . "—

Pul-lic Opinion . " The author seems to have fairly exhausted the subject . "—The Athenaeum . " Thc edition we arc now considering is a second English edition , which had the great advantage of Bro . D . M . Lyon's able superintendence and editorship in its English dress . There can be no doubt but , that so far , Bro .

Findel ' s work is the most complete work on Freemasonry which has yet appeared , and that he deserves the greatest credit for his careful and accurate treatment of all evidence on the subject , and for his honest desire after truth . Bro . Findel gives up in the view he has so clearly and consistently put foith our early Masonic history , the older theory of the Roman Colleges , cic , and limits the origin

of Freemasonry to about the twelfth century , and as then arising from tlie operative Masons , and specially the " Steinmcitzen" and " Bauhutten" of Germany . Bro . Findel gives us a good deal of evidence on this head , and one thing is clear from his work , that the German Freemaso n s were , at a very early period , organized into lodges with rt Master over them , and with outward regulations and

inner ceremonies peculiar to the Craft . Bro . Findel rejects all the views which have been from time to time put forward of a Templar or a Rosicrucian origin . Whether or no Bro , Findel ' s theory uf the date of the rise of Freemasonry be correct , matters very little : wc do not ourselves profess to accept it ; but this we can fairly say of Bro Findel's work , it is marked from lirst to last by the most remarkable

tokenof industry , ability , and care , of patient research , and of skilful criticism . We know of no work which so clearly sets before us our amount of knowledge up to the present time on the great question of Masonic Archaeology , and there can be littledoubt that what Preston ' s work is to English Freemasonry , Findel ' s work is to cosmopolitan Freemasonry . Indeed no student in Masonry can now dispense with it , and it

is a perfect storehouse both of Masonic evidence and Masonic illustrations . We earnestly recommend all the lodges in this country to obtain a copy for the lodge library before the work is bought up for America ; and we believe that no Mason will lise from the perusal of its pages without a hig her idea both of the historical truth and intrinsic value of Freemasonry , and of fraternal regard and recognition to he latest and not the least well-informed or effective of our

Masonic historians . The present century has produced no such equal , in authority and usefulness , to the great work of our Bro . Findel , and we wish him and it , in all of fraternal sympathy and kindly intent , many earnest readers , and more grateful students . "—The Masonic Magazine . "This volume is the history o [ Masonry par excellence livery interested person may regard it , therefore , as the present text-book on the subject . "—Manchester Guardian London : GEORGE KENNING , 198 , Fleet Street .

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MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION , BAKER STREET . Now added , PORTRAIT MODELS of the CZAR OF RUSSIA , SIR GARNET WOLSELEY , the Three Judges in the Tichborne Trial , Cockburn , Mellor , and Lush ; the Shah of Persia , Marshal MacMahon , M . Thiers , and the late Mr . Charles Dickens . Admission is . Children under ten , Od . Extra Rooms , 6 d , Open from ten a . m . to ten p . m .

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Shortly wil ! be published ,

A DEFENCE OF FREE MASONRY "

Bv B 110 . REV . A . F . A . WOODFORD , P . G . C . Published by Bno . GEORGE KENNING , 19 8 , Fleet-st London , E . C .

" - , .,

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

The following stand over : —Reports of Lodges—804 , 1216 , 1391 , 1491 . EBUATUM . —At page 610 line "destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar , B . C . 538 , " read "destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar , B . C . 588 . "

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

MARRIAGE . BISHOP—HOWE . —On Monday , 12 th insti , at St . Margaret's Church , Ipswich , by the Rev . John Walker , M . A ., Rector of St . John ' s , Henry George , only son of Mr . Charles Bish'jp , Diss ., to Alice Susannah , eldest daughter of Mr . Martin J . Howe , of Albion Villa , Woodbridge-i'oad , Ipswich . No cards .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , OCTOBER 17 , 1874 .

Freemasonry And Roman Catholicism.

FREEMASONRY AND ROMAN CATHOLICISM .

The secession of our late Grand Master from our Masonic phalanx continues to be a subjectof much discussion amongst the members of our Order . We think that the true view of looking at the

matter is one of simple friendly , kindly regret , and that all remarks and statements are , in our humble opinion , greatly to be deprecated , which are not marked by brotherly goodwill to our late

chief , or serve to fan in any manner into heat or excitement the ever-ready tendencies in us all alike to sectarian bitterness and controversy . One of our most valued rulers , a thoroughly true-hearted

Mason , our distinguished Bro . Lord Skelmersdale , has ^ said , that we must regard Lord Ripon ' s defection from our body , and his resignation of his high office with deep sorrow , and that we must

ever remember that he was one of the best Grand Masters Freemasonry has ever seen . Most true and seasonable words , at a time of a good deal of not unnatural agitation and

unsettledness . Like our excellent and noble brother , we feel strongly that the only and proper way of regarding the subject with a feeling of regret , not of annoyance . We may , indeed , deplore the

passing away from our midst of our once valued brother and cherished head •and we may lament it , not only for our sake , but for his , but there we should stop . No utterance of any other kind

should detract from the simple expression of our heartfelt sorrow , and if we say to-day , as we fairly may with a sigh , " Si adhuc tu noster esses , " we will yet allow no other sentiments of

any kind whatever to interfere with our genuine emotions of fraternal grief and Masonic regard . We have thought it right to make these observations , because in the too common habit of

hasty generalization , in the tendency sometimes of us all , of arguing from a particular to a universal , there seems to be a little danger , lest the tempting opportunity for partizan oratory , may

lead some of us to forget the great and abiding Masonic principle of toleration and non-interference with the religious views and opinions of others . For instance it would not be at all right

Freemasonry And Roman Catholicism.

or consistent with Masonic teaching , because we are but little pleased , no doubt , with Lord Ripon ' s secession to the Roman Catholic community , and his resignation of his Masonic privileges , to

commence attacks upon Roman Catholicism per se , or to consider it as a bar to entrance into our Fraternity . As Freemasons , we have nothing to do with the peculiar tenets of the Church of

Rome , except where they impinge on our avowed principles , or come into open collision with our peaceful progress . Then , though it is our duty to point out the absurdity and impropriety of the

Roman Catholic censures , the utter valueless authority with which her bishops speak on a subject of which they know nothing at all , yet our motto should ever be " defence not defiance , "

we should not weaken our own really unassailable position by any heated declamations or merely controversial contentions against the Church of Rome qua the Church of Rome . The

Constitutions place no impediment in the way of Roman Catholics becoming Freemasons , neither should we do so . It is a matter purely for the individual Roman Catholic conscience to settle for

itself , not for us in any way , and we should always be too happy , on our own broad and excellent principles of toleration , to welcome all Roman Catholic Freemasons who are able to attend our

lodges and claim our name . There are many admirable Roman Catholic Freemasons amongst us , and though their number , we believe , has been lately declining , our good old Order , ever

sympathetic and unsectarian , has hailed , and we trust ever will hail the presence amongst us of our Roman Catholic brethren . Any other prin ciples of teaching or of action amongst us but

these can only end in striking a lamentable blow at the great distinguishing feature of our Craft , consistent and universal recognition of liberty of conscience and the sanctity of personal belief . As

an evidence of how much misconception may exist on this point , we have noticed a remark of our most distinguished and eminent brother , the Deputy Grand Master , the Earl of

Carnarvon , to which we deem it right to call attention . If our noble brother be correctly reported we venture to think that he is in error , though we say it with all deference and respect . In a report of a

meeting of the Highclere Agricultural Association our Deputy Grand Master is stated to have said , not , we admit , speaking masonically , or " ex cathedra Lathomica " that the high office of

Grand Master of Freemasons " could not , by the consitution of the Order , be held by a Roman Catholic . " We are of opinion that this is a blunder of the reporter , and that , what our noble

brother probably said was , that the GrandMastership of Freeemasons could not be held by a Roman Catholic , who accepted the condemnation passed on Freemasons by the Roman Pontiff" or

by the Catholic Bishops . There is no law or regulation of Freemasonry which prevents a Roman Catholic from becoming Grand Master that we are aware of , and we know the "Book

of Constitutions " pretty well . We have had several Roman Catholic Grand Masters , and we shall probably have others yet , let us hope in the

progress of better and less acrimonious times . We feel sure , therefore , that there must be some mistake in the report of our distinguished brother ' s speech , but we have thought it well to