To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The Freemason is a sixteen page weekly newspaper , price 2 tl . ll is published every Friday morning , antl contains the most important and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in thc United Kingdom , Post free , io / . Brethren in foreign parts , wishing to have this newspaper sent them regularly from the ofiice of publication , shoultl , in sending theiv remittances , add to the 2 d . per week the postage on 20 z ,

newspapers . The Freemason may be procured through any newsagent in the United Kingdom by giving ( if needed ) the publisher ' s address , 198 , Fleet-st . All communications , correspondence , reports , & c , must be addressed to the Editor . Advertisements , change in address , complaints of difficulties in procuring Freemason , & c , to thc Publisher , 198 , Fleet-st ., London , E . C .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

Thc Freemason has a large , circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising-- medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . For terms , position , eS . * c , apply to GI-OIIGE KENNING , 198 , Fleet-st .

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NOTICE Alany complaints having been received of the difficulty experienced in procuring thc Freemason in thc City , the publisher begs to append thc following list , being a selected few of the appointed agents : — Abbott , Win ., East-cheap . Bates , Pilgrim-street , Ludgatc-hill . Born , H ., nc , London-wall .

Dawson , Wm ., 121 , Cannon-street . Gilbert , Jas ., 18 , Graccchurch-strcet . Guest , Wm ., 54 , Patcmostcr-row . Phillpott Bros ., 63 , King William-street . Pottle , It ., 14 , Royal Exchange . May also be obtained at VV . H . Smith & Son ' s Bookstalls at the following City Stations : —

Broad-street . I Holborn Viaduct Cannon-street . | London Bridge . Ludgate Hill .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , , c ., intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morhing . A STEWARD—Name and address required before insertion of letter .

We shall publish next week several letters on the 1717 question . Bro . AIoss is thanked . A large number of Utters and * reports of lodge and chajiter meetings , English and Scotch , unavoidably stand over until next week .

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The Freemason , SATURDAV , J tg ^ iSyi .

A Masonic Heresy.

A MASONIC HERESY .

Ihere are some good brethren in ourexcellent confraternity who are the victims of a great mistake as regards the true end of Freemasonry , and propound to a great extent what may be fairly termed a heresy in respect of sound Masonic teaching . And though we do not say ,

forbid tlie thought , that they ought to be " handed over to the secular arm , " in order to be burnt as heretics , yet we feel bound to protest against their little " Airesisj" and for this reason . It is . a false teaching , which doss infinite harm to our Order , inasmuch as it keeps

many and many a good man out of Freemasonry , and because also it lowers inevitabl y the truer pitch of real Masonic teaching , and serves to invest with a purely low antl earthly character the real and dignified mission of our brotherhood in the world . We allude to that somewhat

prevalent persuasion and avowal that the social aspect of Freemasonry is the only one worth consideration or sympathy . Imbued with such a persuasion and theory many of our brethren discourage literary research and intellectual discussions in Freemasonry , theelevating efforts of

our archaeological students and the like , because they conceive and erroneously conceive , that such pursuits , somewhat above their ordinary level , will interfere either with the mere routine of lodge work , or the more agreeable sequence and satisfactoriness of the K . and F . Degree . We venture

to think that all such propositions are not only very mistaken , but very mischievous , and , to say the truth , not a little perverse . For though the social side of Freemasonry is never to be overlooked cr despised , yet it must be always subordinated to higher ends and aims , as if were it all onjwhich Freemasonry is founded , it is tjuite

A Masonic Heresy.

clear that Freemasonry itself could not and would not last long , in the very nature of things . The morale of the symposium and the philosophy of the social circle cannot and do not possess any possible claim to endurance or perpetuation in themselves . On the contrary , like

all other earthly things , they often fade away utterly and suddenly . They must fade away ere long under any circumstances , and be utterly lost for us all in the far distance of not unfrequently pathetic memories . Few of us there are but can recal how the son ^ s are hushed ,

and the flowers are withered , and the lights are dim , and the gay faces are vanished , and the pleasant circle is thinned , all which things were able but a few years ago to give movement to the blood and animation to the spirits , and served to afford pleasure and

refreshment to body and mind . But yet all these things pass and disappear in the hurrying hours of life , and are now but specks in the distance in the long vista of years . They may and do endure { or a time , they may and do a / ford much of gladness and happy association to many a wayfaring

brother now , but they have in them all the taint of earth , the elements of change and decay , and are , at the best , therefore , but ephemeral and transitory . Even a time may be our own when we find ourselves no pleasure in those very things which once could so cheer , and soften , and

beguile the rougher path and pressing cares of life , which once -could lend the enchantments of fancy and friendship , and the illusions of harmless gaiety , to many a serious traveller , to many a toiling brother in this great wilderness of the world . Yes , there is for us all an inevitable hour

when the jest aud the glee , and the cheerful banquet , and the merry gathering are all ont of character and unseasonable , when old age has come upon us , for instance , with its benumbing and palsying grasp , when we feel we are getting a little out of place , amid the vivacious views and

laughing utterances of a new and a younger generation . Hence it is clear that if we attempt to make Freemasonry a merely social sodality , without any high aims or better teaching than " carpe diem , " we are propounding a grave and hurtful heresy . There is no little selfishness

in the theory moreover , and we may often witness how even worthy men and very good Masons , having once adopted this convenient Masonic creed , look upon the banquet as the " do all " and the " be all " of Masonic teaching and work . If then , like Talleyrand , we say to young Masons

" surtout point de / . cle , ' and seek to keep all efforts to a dull level and a deadening uniformity , if we hold even that our charitable efforts should , not be too exorbitant of time or money , if we discourage all intellectual study of Freemasonry and all moral application of its effective

symbolism , not only are we doing despite to the real end and spirit of our Fraternity , but we are inflicting harm on our own Masonic character . We take a light , a superficial , a half-hearted , and easily satisfied measure , both of our privileges and responsibilities as Freemasons , and so we are

led openly to denounce , or privately deprecate , all attempts by the zealous , the earnest , [ and the energetic to impart to Freemasonry a true and living character , to add dignity to its labours , and to imprint reality on its professions . We

will endeavour next week to point out what is the sacred and true teaching of Freemasonry , in contradistinction to this somewhat popular little heresy amongst our ( Irder , that we have feebly and humbly endeavoured to denounce and set forth to day .

The Ultramontane Press.

THE ULTRAMONTANE PRESS .

We deeply regret to note antl to realize the " hysterica passio " which is seemingly coming over the Roman Catholic representatives of teaching , thought , and literature . At the present hour you cannot take up a Roman Catholic journal without finding abundant tokens and the

saddest proofs of a most extraordinary virulence of feeling , the most outrageous vehemence of verbiage , alike in things Masonic as in all matters affecting what we may call liberty of thought and freedom of conscience . For in the papers we complain of , we do not find either arguments or logic , but simply scolding and abuse : and

The Ultramontane Press.

not only this , but , unfortunately , the Roman Catholic Press seems to us—we hope we are wrong—to be overpassing deliberately the moral restraints altogether of sobriety of expression , of truth , nay , of decency , and above all , of any . kindly consideration for others . We have

recently perused some bona-iide Ultramontane productions addressed ' ad populum , " which for open defiance of every rule of fair play , righteous dealing with truth , not only "beat Banagher , " as the Irishman would say , but even surpass previous notable specimens of genuine and

unadulterated Roman Catholic Billingsgate . Those nf us , unfortunately , who have had to wade through the controversies of the past know too well how violent and how discreditable , how foul-mouthed and how cruel , have been many of the crafty insinuations and the positive assertions

of anonymous and open Roman Catholic controversialists ; of some of whom it may fairly he said ; , that they " stuck at nothing , " to prop up their own weaker cause , or to discredit a stronger adversary . And to-day the same spirit with , perhaps , an even still more vigorous expression ,

curiously enough , of wordy and revolutionary language , is mournfully manifested by the Ultramontane School . The same readiness of mendacious assertion , the same outpouring of the wilful libel , the same coarseness of personal invective , are to be . seen in

countless Ultramontane periodicals . Of one of these papers , vile in its vileness , and false in its falsity , some indignant protestors have used the following concise but startling words , words which , however unpalatable and unprecedented , wc can say , are neither incorrect or uncalled for .

They say that the" statements" in the particular aiticle , " singly or wholly , " are " outrageous and slanderous lies , " that "the article itself" is " a , compound of infamous falsehoods , vile distortions , and distilled filth , concocted for the spiritual nurture of enervated serfs , according

to the -notorious maxim , ' the end justifies the means . '" Well , we deeply regret this state of things in tlie interest of the Church of Rome herself . What possible good can accrue to that generally astute body to-day by this continued

and unmistakeable evidence of bitterness of feeling and acrimony of language and uncharitableness of disposition , which in no way affects to appeal to reason , and is not apparently bound by the normal restraints of public propriety and personal bienseance ? Is there no educated Roman

Catholic of intellect and of piety who can or will publicly repudiate or privately remonstrate against the present untoward and melancholy state of affairs ? We say nothing now about the angry incriminations' of our peaceful fraternity , now so prevalent ; we do not

even profess or wish to recall to-day ungenerous insinuations and unwarrantable imputations against our generous and inocuous Orderbut we feel bound to call attention to and protest against this vehemence of language and this untruthfulness of assertion : nay , we regret to

add , this verbiageofan unseemly journalism , which professedly religious and Roman Catholic , is speading amongst us and around us , and is positively unfit to be placed within the reach of the young , the innocent , and the virtuous minded . It is said that many of the writers of

these unworthy articles are Jesuits , who , angry with their expulsion from other countries , are now ventilating their " furious grievances " in the ready columns of the Ultramontane Press . Whether this be so or no we cannot positively say , but certain it is that at no time has the

Church of Rome boasted a more devoted band of ecclesiastical gladiators , and we must add unscrupulous writers , than at the present time . As far as we are ourselves concerned as Freemasons , we care nothing for this noisy Armada , even with all 'its violence and vulgarity , its illogical

arguments , and its hopeless inconsistencies . But , as we said , we are as Freemasons so tolerant ourselves , that we deeply deplore the fact , too patent alas just now , that the Church of Rome has to have recourse to the hurtful and hateful weapons

of falsehood , libel , and degrading personalities . We are sorry to witness the , to us , always lamentable sight ofa great religious body making itself a stumbling block to many and a laughing stock to more by promoting avowedly under ecclesiastical , nay Papal sanction , the undisciplined rhodomon-