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Article NEW MASONIC HALL AT HAMILTON. ← Page 2 of 2 Article NEW MASONIC HALL AT HAMILTON. Page 2 of 2 Article THE IRISH GRAND LODGE. Page 1 of 1 Article FRENCH AND BRITISH FREEMASONRY Page 1 of 1 Article THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
New Masonic Hall At Hamilton.
suited to every capacity . It is impossible for the most fastidious Mason to misunderstand , however he may slight or neg lect them . It is impossible for the most superficial brother to say that he is unable to comprehend thc plain precep ts and the unansyverablc arguments yvhich arc furnished by Freemasonry . " Dalcho , an eminent American divine , thus gives his verdict : " I highly venerate the
Masonic institution , under the fullest persuasion that when its princip les arc acknowledged , and its laws and precepts rbeyed , it comes nearest religion in its moral effects and influence of any institution yvith yvhich I am acquainted . " Another distinguished American writer , Dr . Albert Mackey , yvhose yvorks on Freemasonry are invaluable , says : " Freemasonry is a science of symbols , in yvhich , by their
proper study , a search is instituted after truth , that truth consisting in the knowledge of the Divine and human nature of God and the human soul . " Freemasonry I regard as a great Catholic institution , whose object is to diffuse brotherly love , relief and truth , throughout the world . It constantly inculcates its members to practise benevolence , and charity—that " charity yvhich suffereth long , and
is kind ; that " charity which thmketh no evil ; " that " charity which forms the cementing bond of Freemasonry , " yvhich is the chief corner-stone of our temple , and upon which is to be erected a superstructure of all the other viitues , which makes the good man and the good Mason . It is well described by the eminent Mason whose yvords I recently quoted : " The charity of which our
Order boasts is not alone the sentiment of commiseration which leads us to assist the poor yvith pecuniary donations . Like the virtue described by the apostle , already quoted , its app lication is more noble and more extensive ; " it suffereth long and is kind . " Thc true Mason will be slow to anger and easy to forgive . Hc will stay his falling brother by quick admonition , and . warn him with kindness of
approaching danger . He will not open his ear to his slanderers , and yvill close his lips against all reproach . His follies and his fau ' ts will be locked in his breast ; and his prayer and the prayer for mercy will ascend to Jehovah for his brother ' s sins . Nor will these sentiments of benevolence be confined to those bound to him by ties of kindred or worldly friendship alone ; but extending them
throughout the globe he will love and cherish all who sit beneath the canopy of our universal lodge . For it is thc boast of our insiitution that a Mason destitute and yvorthy may find in every clime a brother , and in every land a home . " The present will be admitted by all to be an active and utilitarian age . We want something more than an ideril link of
brotherhood , and our union should be cemented by deeds as well as words . Our acts should be on a scale commensurate with thc dignity and importance of our Order , not desultory or impulsive acts of generosity , but regulated by a sense of duty and an earneit desire to confer permanent benefit . I do not urge that Freemasonry should be allowed to degenerate into a benefit society , nor do I consider that there
is any parallel between the case of a zealous Freemason , who' after long years of good service is provided for by his brethren , and the case of a member of a Friendly or Oddfellow ' s Society , who can claim so much because he has regularly contributed to the funds of his association , although he may never have worked for it , as many Masons , I am proud to say , work for the Craft quiet and unobtrusively .
I do hold , hoyvever , that no deserving Mason should ever be abandoned to the rigours of poverty and adversity in old age . I consider that it is the duty of the brotherhood to succour him in the hour of his distress , liberally and substantially . It is our bounden duty also , in the time of our prosperity . to raise a fund for the widow and the orphan , and those ancient members of thc household who may
have no place in which to lay their heads . It is a subject which I would commend to the brethren of this lodge , as soon as this hall is paid for , as deserving not only your best consideration , but also your warmest support . Schools for orphans , retreats for widows and old age , such should be our aim ; and , if carried out , as such an organisation yvould carry them out , these would place Freemasonry at
the head of all philanthropic associations in the yvorld . This , brethren , is its mission ; and it will never be satisfactorily achieved until this our adopted country can boast of Masonic institutions similar and akin to those raised and munificiently supported by our brethren of the Craft in our mother country . Finally , my brethren , let me commend to your constant and attentive study and perusal
the volume of the Sacred Law . " It is the pearl of great price . " Dr . Faber says , " It lives on the ear like music that can never be forgotten , like the sound of the church bell which the convert hardly knows how he can forgo . Its felicities often seem to be almcst things rather than mere words . It is part of the national mind , and the anchor of national seriousness . The memory of the dead
passes into it . The potent traditions of childhood are stereotyped in its verses . The power of all the gifts and trials of a man is hidden beneath its words . It is the representative of his best moments , and all that there has been about him of soft , and gentle , and pure , and penitent , and good speaks to him for ever out of his English Bible . It is his sacred
thing which doubt has never dimmed and controversy never soiled . In the length and breadth of the land there is not an Englishman with one spark of righteousness about him whose spiritual biography is not in his Saxon Bible . " Next to the sacred volume I would ask you carefully to study the Book of Constitutions . Read and ponder over the lectures and over ancient charges , which
have been handed doyvn to us for our guidance from time immemorial . Remember in the closing words of one of these , "Duty , honour , and gratitude bind you to your trust . Let no motive ever make you swerve from your duty ; but be true and faithful , and imitate the example of the celebrated artist whom you have once represented . Endeavour , in a word , to convince thc world that merit has
New Masonic Hall At Hamilton.
been your title to our privileges , and that on you our favours have not been untleservcdly bestowed .
CONSECRATION OF WINCHESTER LODGE . On Monday , 3 rd September , this Lodge yvas consecrated by the R . W . D . D . G . M ., Bro . H . Thomson . A large number of brethren from the St . John ' s and the Caledonian Lodges , Timaru , and several members of the Craft from Ashburton attended . Bro . Barclay , the Chaplain , delivered an able address to the brethren on their duties as Masons . The
R . W . D . D . M ., assisted by Bro . King , - P . M . ; Bro . Williamson , P . M ; Bro . West , and Bro . Watkins , duly consecrated the Lodge , under the name of the Winchester Lodge , according to ancient usages . The ceremony was perfomed in a most impressive manner . Bro . Zeilder W . M ., 1137 , presided at the organ , and rendered the anthems yvith good effect . The folloyving officers were dully
installfor the ensuing year : —W . M ., Bro . J * . King ; P . M ., S . W ., Bro . W . De Renzie ; J . W ., Bro . G . Taylor , S . D . Bro . W . Smith ; J . D ., Bro . J . A . Young ; I . G ., Bro . W . G . Walsh ; Bro . G . C . Williams , Tyler . At the close of the installation , Bro . the R . W . D . D . M ., made a few remarks expressive of the satisfaction it gave him to perform this ceremony ' , and said the lodge was like a ship well
officered , well manned and yvell found , setting out on a voyage , which with but due care would surely lead to success , and complimented the neyv lodge on its selecting for its first W . M . such a tried and able officer as Bro . King . After the ceremony was ended the brethren were called from
labour to refreshment . The chair was occupied by Bro King , on yvhose left were Bros . Thomson and Williamson on the right Bros . Zeilder and the Rev Bro . Barclay . Thc vice-chair was occupied by Bro . De Renzie , supported by Bros . Rutland and Young . The usual loyal and Mas ink : toasts were duly given and responded to .
The Irish Grand Lodge.
THE IRISH GRAND LODGE .
Thc Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland have acted yvith equal wisdom and courage in passing the resolution which appears in our columns with respect to the Grand Orient of France . They have not lost a moment in expressing , in the most emphatic form , their abhorrence of infidel opinions , and vindicating tbe character of their
ancient institution . It is creditable to their vigilance and religious tone that they detected the change made in thc constitution of the French society , and at once took steps to sever their connection yvith it . The example set by the Grand Lodge of Ireland will , we trust , be followed by the whole Masonic body throughout the kingdom . It is not necessary to tell those who are initiated into the mystic
Order that in altering the first article of its Constitution so as to make Atheists admissible , thc Grand Orient of France rejected a principle which lies at the foundation of the Institution and is necessary-to its stability . They know that not only in its ritual , but in its yvhole character , it is pervaded by a religious spirit . Not only in its ceremonial and symbols , but in its practice and purpose , the
government of an over-ruling Providence and the duty of obedience is the moral layv , as revealed in the Scriptures , are reverently recognised and earnestly enforced . If it were not cemented by this practical homage to religion the bonds of brotherly love , which is its leading characteristic , would be dissolved , and the yvhole fabric of Freemasonry fall to pieces . Attempts have
been made to impose upon the credulity of the ignorant populace by misrepresenting the Institution as a hideous monster , which plots against all that is held sacred , and perpetrates the most atrocious deeds . The accounts which have been circulated yvith a view to excite a prejudice against it are caricatures so extravagant and revolting that none but the basest minds could conceive them
or the meanest capacity be deceived by them . They may be treated with contemptuous indifference as stupid though wicked impostures . Freemasonry , in the United Kingdom at least , has no community of principle or feeling with the s : cret societies of the Continent , yvhich are infidel and revolutionary . Those who systematically traduce it have the means of knowing the falsehood of the
charges which it suits them to repeat , regardless of indignant protests . We need not remind such of our readers as belong to the Order , but others may be interested in learning , that the strictest care is taken in the enrolment of members . Their admission is not sought by the society itself , but is a favour granted to the applicant who has to petition for it , and yvill not be received if , upon
investigation into his character , he be tlecmed unworthy . Judge Townsend , Deputy Grand Master , who delivered a series of lectures on the qualifications of a candidate , for Masonry , tells us that the " ancient charges " or regulations handed down from remote antiquity require that he " must believe in one God as the moral ruler as well as creator of thc universe ; he must believe also in a future
existence , and he must admit his own obligation to observe those rules of moral conduct which are promulgated to us in the Ten Commandments . " It is not enough , he says , to recommend a candidate that nothing can be alleged against him , or if nothing good or praiseworthy can be said of him , but the "tongue of good report" must
be in his favour . An institution of this character would be contaminated by contact with a society yvhich had no regard for religion , and the Grand Lodge of Ireland are to be commended for taking the earliest opportunity to disown thc Grand Orient of France as unworthy of the Order . —Dublin Daily Express .
The installation meeting of the William Preston Lodge , No . 766 , will take place on Thursday next , the 22 nd , on yvhich occasion Bro . S . D . Ewins , will be installed W . M . for the ensuing year .
French And British Freemasonry
FRENCH AND BRITISH FREEMASONRY
It is in some degree satisfactory that the recent action of the French Freemasons with regard to certain articles of belief , or rather disbelief , should become known as soon as possible . The Masonic body in France have resolved to expunge from their professions , and to eliminate from their ceremonials , all reference to their belief in a Supreme Being
and the immortality of the soul . No action in reference to this matter has yet been taken by the Grand Lodge of England as representing the whole Masonic body of Great Britain , but the Masons of Ireland , whose organisation in points of discipline is in some degree independent , have met the matter by passing a very strong resolution reprobating the course adopted by their Gallic brethren , and forbidding
for the future any communication with or recognition of the brotherhood of the " Grand Orient . " The principles of Freemasonry , as practised in Great Britian and Ireland and their colonies , being essentially based on the great truths of revealed religion , it is obvious that there can no longer be any sympathy betyveen it and the order as now established in France . The Church of
Rome has always discouraged Freemasonry , because it believes it to be a secret organisation of infidel tendencies , and having political objects in view . This may be true to some extent , so far as continental countries arc concerned ( and the recent deplorable action of the French order goes far to establish it ) ; but those acquainted with Freemasonry as practised in the United Kingdom know that a greater
delusion cannot be imagined . In spite of the secrecy imposed by Masonry it is well known that its foundation is religion and good will towards all men . It may also surprise those yvho control the Councils of the Vatican to learn that politics are strictly forbidden to be discussed in English-speaking lodges , and that polemical and controversial matters are rigidly excluded . Continental Freemasonry may ignore the religion of Christianity , and may
have occult political objects in view , but the English order are not responsible for these ill-guided divergencies . The animating principle of Freemasonry as practised in the United Kingdom is human charity and brotherhood . Their noble institutions for the widow , the orphan , and the needy of their order are the best proof of this , and yvhere is the evidence of any Masonic body in Great Britian combining for any political or sectarian object ?—Glebe .
The Grand Orient Of France.
THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .
We make no apology to our readers for printing the following important report , which has been courteously forwarded to us : Supreme Council of the 33 rd Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Eite of Freemasonry for the South .
em Jurisdiction of the United States of America . Gr . Or . of Charleston , South Carolina , October 19 , 1877 , V . E . To all thc Inspectors General , Grand Consistories , and other bodies , and all the B . B . of all degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the said Jurisdiction :
The Sov . Grand Commander with regret makes known to you , by the translations that follow , of extracts from thc proceedings of the Grand Orient of France , the deplorable step yvhich that power has lately taken , as a concession to Atheism and to the avowed Atheists who are Masons of its obedience .
Grand Orient of France . Supreme Council for France and _ the French Possessions . General Assembly , Session of 187 C . REPORT , JTH SESSION , 14 TH SEPTEMBER , 1876 . The order of the elay calls for the report of the
Committee on Propositions . Bro . Massicault , reporter of this committee , after having asked as a measuie of order that the orators who wish to address the meeting for or against the question shall be pleased to be registered in advance , and to transmit their names to the President , reads the following report :
MY B . B . The Lodge , Progressive Fraternity , Orient of Villcfranche ( Rhone ) , has presented thc following proposition : To suppress the ist art . of the Constitution thc two first clauses of the 2 nd paragraph thus worded : " Freemasonry holils as a first principle the existence of God and the immortality of the soul . "
" The council of the Order , in its session of the 29 th of July last , passed to the order of the day on this proposition , after having heard the repoit of Bro . Du Hamel , which each of us had the opportunity to read in the Bulletin of the Grand Orient , number of the month of August , page 183 and the pages following . " Nevertheless , in its session of yesterday , the
Convention decided that the proposition , revived by one of its members , should be discussed to-day , and it has invited the commissioners nominated by the bureaus to form themselves into a committee to submit to the assembly a rough draft of the resolution . " In conformity with this vote , the commissioners of the nine bureaus have assembled , and I have the honour to
bring you the result of their deliberations . " Our laws do not forbid us , and on the contrary wisdom commands us , to consider outer circumstances before regulating our Masonic action . Very yvell I my B . B ., your committee believes so . These circumstances dissuade us to-day from giving rise to the agitation yvhich the adoption of the proposition would cause ; and it would be
subserving the passions of our adversaries by supplying them with pretexts ; they dissuade us from compromising our relations with the foreign Masonic powers , from disturbing our fraternal harmony , from paralysing or disquieting the good-will of our friends . " Upon the whole , the consciousness of the good which we accomplish with ouj actual organism forbids us to
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
New Masonic Hall At Hamilton.
suited to every capacity . It is impossible for the most fastidious Mason to misunderstand , however he may slight or neg lect them . It is impossible for the most superficial brother to say that he is unable to comprehend thc plain precep ts and the unansyverablc arguments yvhich arc furnished by Freemasonry . " Dalcho , an eminent American divine , thus gives his verdict : " I highly venerate the
Masonic institution , under the fullest persuasion that when its princip les arc acknowledged , and its laws and precepts rbeyed , it comes nearest religion in its moral effects and influence of any institution yvith yvhich I am acquainted . " Another distinguished American writer , Dr . Albert Mackey , yvhose yvorks on Freemasonry are invaluable , says : " Freemasonry is a science of symbols , in yvhich , by their
proper study , a search is instituted after truth , that truth consisting in the knowledge of the Divine and human nature of God and the human soul . " Freemasonry I regard as a great Catholic institution , whose object is to diffuse brotherly love , relief and truth , throughout the world . It constantly inculcates its members to practise benevolence , and charity—that " charity yvhich suffereth long , and
is kind ; that " charity which thmketh no evil ; " that " charity which forms the cementing bond of Freemasonry , " yvhich is the chief corner-stone of our temple , and upon which is to be erected a superstructure of all the other viitues , which makes the good man and the good Mason . It is well described by the eminent Mason whose yvords I recently quoted : " The charity of which our
Order boasts is not alone the sentiment of commiseration which leads us to assist the poor yvith pecuniary donations . Like the virtue described by the apostle , already quoted , its app lication is more noble and more extensive ; " it suffereth long and is kind . " Thc true Mason will be slow to anger and easy to forgive . Hc will stay his falling brother by quick admonition , and . warn him with kindness of
approaching danger . He will not open his ear to his slanderers , and yvill close his lips against all reproach . His follies and his fau ' ts will be locked in his breast ; and his prayer and the prayer for mercy will ascend to Jehovah for his brother ' s sins . Nor will these sentiments of benevolence be confined to those bound to him by ties of kindred or worldly friendship alone ; but extending them
throughout the globe he will love and cherish all who sit beneath the canopy of our universal lodge . For it is thc boast of our insiitution that a Mason destitute and yvorthy may find in every clime a brother , and in every land a home . " The present will be admitted by all to be an active and utilitarian age . We want something more than an ideril link of
brotherhood , and our union should be cemented by deeds as well as words . Our acts should be on a scale commensurate with thc dignity and importance of our Order , not desultory or impulsive acts of generosity , but regulated by a sense of duty and an earneit desire to confer permanent benefit . I do not urge that Freemasonry should be allowed to degenerate into a benefit society , nor do I consider that there
is any parallel between the case of a zealous Freemason , who' after long years of good service is provided for by his brethren , and the case of a member of a Friendly or Oddfellow ' s Society , who can claim so much because he has regularly contributed to the funds of his association , although he may never have worked for it , as many Masons , I am proud to say , work for the Craft quiet and unobtrusively .
I do hold , hoyvever , that no deserving Mason should ever be abandoned to the rigours of poverty and adversity in old age . I consider that it is the duty of the brotherhood to succour him in the hour of his distress , liberally and substantially . It is our bounden duty also , in the time of our prosperity . to raise a fund for the widow and the orphan , and those ancient members of thc household who may
have no place in which to lay their heads . It is a subject which I would commend to the brethren of this lodge , as soon as this hall is paid for , as deserving not only your best consideration , but also your warmest support . Schools for orphans , retreats for widows and old age , such should be our aim ; and , if carried out , as such an organisation yvould carry them out , these would place Freemasonry at
the head of all philanthropic associations in the yvorld . This , brethren , is its mission ; and it will never be satisfactorily achieved until this our adopted country can boast of Masonic institutions similar and akin to those raised and munificiently supported by our brethren of the Craft in our mother country . Finally , my brethren , let me commend to your constant and attentive study and perusal
the volume of the Sacred Law . " It is the pearl of great price . " Dr . Faber says , " It lives on the ear like music that can never be forgotten , like the sound of the church bell which the convert hardly knows how he can forgo . Its felicities often seem to be almcst things rather than mere words . It is part of the national mind , and the anchor of national seriousness . The memory of the dead
passes into it . The potent traditions of childhood are stereotyped in its verses . The power of all the gifts and trials of a man is hidden beneath its words . It is the representative of his best moments , and all that there has been about him of soft , and gentle , and pure , and penitent , and good speaks to him for ever out of his English Bible . It is his sacred
thing which doubt has never dimmed and controversy never soiled . In the length and breadth of the land there is not an Englishman with one spark of righteousness about him whose spiritual biography is not in his Saxon Bible . " Next to the sacred volume I would ask you carefully to study the Book of Constitutions . Read and ponder over the lectures and over ancient charges , which
have been handed doyvn to us for our guidance from time immemorial . Remember in the closing words of one of these , "Duty , honour , and gratitude bind you to your trust . Let no motive ever make you swerve from your duty ; but be true and faithful , and imitate the example of the celebrated artist whom you have once represented . Endeavour , in a word , to convince thc world that merit has
New Masonic Hall At Hamilton.
been your title to our privileges , and that on you our favours have not been untleservcdly bestowed .
CONSECRATION OF WINCHESTER LODGE . On Monday , 3 rd September , this Lodge yvas consecrated by the R . W . D . D . G . M ., Bro . H . Thomson . A large number of brethren from the St . John ' s and the Caledonian Lodges , Timaru , and several members of the Craft from Ashburton attended . Bro . Barclay , the Chaplain , delivered an able address to the brethren on their duties as Masons . The
R . W . D . D . M ., assisted by Bro . King , - P . M . ; Bro . Williamson , P . M ; Bro . West , and Bro . Watkins , duly consecrated the Lodge , under the name of the Winchester Lodge , according to ancient usages . The ceremony was perfomed in a most impressive manner . Bro . Zeilder W . M ., 1137 , presided at the organ , and rendered the anthems yvith good effect . The folloyving officers were dully
installfor the ensuing year : —W . M ., Bro . J * . King ; P . M ., S . W ., Bro . W . De Renzie ; J . W ., Bro . G . Taylor , S . D . Bro . W . Smith ; J . D ., Bro . J . A . Young ; I . G ., Bro . W . G . Walsh ; Bro . G . C . Williams , Tyler . At the close of the installation , Bro . the R . W . D . D . M ., made a few remarks expressive of the satisfaction it gave him to perform this ceremony ' , and said the lodge was like a ship well
officered , well manned and yvell found , setting out on a voyage , which with but due care would surely lead to success , and complimented the neyv lodge on its selecting for its first W . M . such a tried and able officer as Bro . King . After the ceremony was ended the brethren were called from
labour to refreshment . The chair was occupied by Bro King , on yvhose left were Bros . Thomson and Williamson on the right Bros . Zeilder and the Rev Bro . Barclay . Thc vice-chair was occupied by Bro . De Renzie , supported by Bros . Rutland and Young . The usual loyal and Mas ink : toasts were duly given and responded to .
The Irish Grand Lodge.
THE IRISH GRAND LODGE .
Thc Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland have acted yvith equal wisdom and courage in passing the resolution which appears in our columns with respect to the Grand Orient of France . They have not lost a moment in expressing , in the most emphatic form , their abhorrence of infidel opinions , and vindicating tbe character of their
ancient institution . It is creditable to their vigilance and religious tone that they detected the change made in thc constitution of the French society , and at once took steps to sever their connection yvith it . The example set by the Grand Lodge of Ireland will , we trust , be followed by the whole Masonic body throughout the kingdom . It is not necessary to tell those who are initiated into the mystic
Order that in altering the first article of its Constitution so as to make Atheists admissible , thc Grand Orient of France rejected a principle which lies at the foundation of the Institution and is necessary-to its stability . They know that not only in its ritual , but in its yvhole character , it is pervaded by a religious spirit . Not only in its ceremonial and symbols , but in its practice and purpose , the
government of an over-ruling Providence and the duty of obedience is the moral layv , as revealed in the Scriptures , are reverently recognised and earnestly enforced . If it were not cemented by this practical homage to religion the bonds of brotherly love , which is its leading characteristic , would be dissolved , and the yvhole fabric of Freemasonry fall to pieces . Attempts have
been made to impose upon the credulity of the ignorant populace by misrepresenting the Institution as a hideous monster , which plots against all that is held sacred , and perpetrates the most atrocious deeds . The accounts which have been circulated yvith a view to excite a prejudice against it are caricatures so extravagant and revolting that none but the basest minds could conceive them
or the meanest capacity be deceived by them . They may be treated with contemptuous indifference as stupid though wicked impostures . Freemasonry , in the United Kingdom at least , has no community of principle or feeling with the s : cret societies of the Continent , yvhich are infidel and revolutionary . Those who systematically traduce it have the means of knowing the falsehood of the
charges which it suits them to repeat , regardless of indignant protests . We need not remind such of our readers as belong to the Order , but others may be interested in learning , that the strictest care is taken in the enrolment of members . Their admission is not sought by the society itself , but is a favour granted to the applicant who has to petition for it , and yvill not be received if , upon
investigation into his character , he be tlecmed unworthy . Judge Townsend , Deputy Grand Master , who delivered a series of lectures on the qualifications of a candidate , for Masonry , tells us that the " ancient charges " or regulations handed down from remote antiquity require that he " must believe in one God as the moral ruler as well as creator of thc universe ; he must believe also in a future
existence , and he must admit his own obligation to observe those rules of moral conduct which are promulgated to us in the Ten Commandments . " It is not enough , he says , to recommend a candidate that nothing can be alleged against him , or if nothing good or praiseworthy can be said of him , but the "tongue of good report" must
be in his favour . An institution of this character would be contaminated by contact with a society yvhich had no regard for religion , and the Grand Lodge of Ireland are to be commended for taking the earliest opportunity to disown thc Grand Orient of France as unworthy of the Order . —Dublin Daily Express .
The installation meeting of the William Preston Lodge , No . 766 , will take place on Thursday next , the 22 nd , on yvhich occasion Bro . S . D . Ewins , will be installed W . M . for the ensuing year .
French And British Freemasonry
FRENCH AND BRITISH FREEMASONRY
It is in some degree satisfactory that the recent action of the French Freemasons with regard to certain articles of belief , or rather disbelief , should become known as soon as possible . The Masonic body in France have resolved to expunge from their professions , and to eliminate from their ceremonials , all reference to their belief in a Supreme Being
and the immortality of the soul . No action in reference to this matter has yet been taken by the Grand Lodge of England as representing the whole Masonic body of Great Britain , but the Masons of Ireland , whose organisation in points of discipline is in some degree independent , have met the matter by passing a very strong resolution reprobating the course adopted by their Gallic brethren , and forbidding
for the future any communication with or recognition of the brotherhood of the " Grand Orient . " The principles of Freemasonry , as practised in Great Britian and Ireland and their colonies , being essentially based on the great truths of revealed religion , it is obvious that there can no longer be any sympathy betyveen it and the order as now established in France . The Church of
Rome has always discouraged Freemasonry , because it believes it to be a secret organisation of infidel tendencies , and having political objects in view . This may be true to some extent , so far as continental countries arc concerned ( and the recent deplorable action of the French order goes far to establish it ) ; but those acquainted with Freemasonry as practised in the United Kingdom know that a greater
delusion cannot be imagined . In spite of the secrecy imposed by Masonry it is well known that its foundation is religion and good will towards all men . It may also surprise those yvho control the Councils of the Vatican to learn that politics are strictly forbidden to be discussed in English-speaking lodges , and that polemical and controversial matters are rigidly excluded . Continental Freemasonry may ignore the religion of Christianity , and may
have occult political objects in view , but the English order are not responsible for these ill-guided divergencies . The animating principle of Freemasonry as practised in the United Kingdom is human charity and brotherhood . Their noble institutions for the widow , the orphan , and the needy of their order are the best proof of this , and yvhere is the evidence of any Masonic body in Great Britian combining for any political or sectarian object ?—Glebe .
The Grand Orient Of France.
THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .
We make no apology to our readers for printing the following important report , which has been courteously forwarded to us : Supreme Council of the 33 rd Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Eite of Freemasonry for the South .
em Jurisdiction of the United States of America . Gr . Or . of Charleston , South Carolina , October 19 , 1877 , V . E . To all thc Inspectors General , Grand Consistories , and other bodies , and all the B . B . of all degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the said Jurisdiction :
The Sov . Grand Commander with regret makes known to you , by the translations that follow , of extracts from thc proceedings of the Grand Orient of France , the deplorable step yvhich that power has lately taken , as a concession to Atheism and to the avowed Atheists who are Masons of its obedience .
Grand Orient of France . Supreme Council for France and _ the French Possessions . General Assembly , Session of 187 C . REPORT , JTH SESSION , 14 TH SEPTEMBER , 1876 . The order of the elay calls for the report of the
Committee on Propositions . Bro . Massicault , reporter of this committee , after having asked as a measuie of order that the orators who wish to address the meeting for or against the question shall be pleased to be registered in advance , and to transmit their names to the President , reads the following report :
MY B . B . The Lodge , Progressive Fraternity , Orient of Villcfranche ( Rhone ) , has presented thc following proposition : To suppress the ist art . of the Constitution thc two first clauses of the 2 nd paragraph thus worded : " Freemasonry holils as a first principle the existence of God and the immortality of the soul . "
" The council of the Order , in its session of the 29 th of July last , passed to the order of the day on this proposition , after having heard the repoit of Bro . Du Hamel , which each of us had the opportunity to read in the Bulletin of the Grand Orient , number of the month of August , page 183 and the pages following . " Nevertheless , in its session of yesterday , the
Convention decided that the proposition , revived by one of its members , should be discussed to-day , and it has invited the commissioners nominated by the bureaus to form themselves into a committee to submit to the assembly a rough draft of the resolution . " In conformity with this vote , the commissioners of the nine bureaus have assembled , and I have the honour to
bring you the result of their deliberations . " Our laws do not forbid us , and on the contrary wisdom commands us , to consider outer circumstances before regulating our Masonic action . Very yvell I my B . B ., your committee believes so . These circumstances dissuade us to-day from giving rise to the agitation yvhich the adoption of the proposition would cause ; and it would be
subserving the passions of our adversaries by supplying them with pretexts ; they dissuade us from compromising our relations with the foreign Masonic powers , from disturbing our fraternal harmony , from paralysing or disquieting the good-will of our friends . " Upon the whole , the consciousness of the good which we accomplish with ouj actual organism forbids us to