Another Attack On Freemasonry.

in more than one daily and weekly journal , and too probably may turn out to be true . For much as we regret that any religious body , whether the Church of Rome or anv other community ,

should commence a perverse assault on our peaceful order , yet like " Japhet in search of a father" we shall take it very " coolly . " We have no apprehension of our antagonists , we

have no fear for the result of their separate or combined aggression . It seems , however , as if the " mot d'ordre" just now of theRomanCatholic Church was to attack Freemasons anywhere . Abroad in all Roman Catholic countries the

incriminations of Freemasonry are many and serious from the unscrupulous pens of Jesuit and Ultramontane writers , all composed , apparently , according to " order , " and sparing neither the violence

of accusation nor the ** acrimony of reproach . ' Indeed if we were to put together all the charges made against our peaceful and friendly Order , made , we repeat , just now by heated religionists

of various denominations , we might derive an edify ing example how good men , even , when it suits their purpose , can indulge in controversial " Billingsgate " and how very uncharitable ,

unwise , very unfair , and very untrue they can render their remarks and statements when directed against opponents . The object of this last Roman Catholic crusa de is not very easy to

realize . That astute and cautious body , as a general rule , does not care to commit itself to a useless contest , yetjust now without any seeming rhyme or reason , it has thrown itself with hot

haste into the arena , and challenged , as it were , Freemasonry everywhere with sweeping charges of unsoundness and ill-doings of every kind . Indeed there are few charges which they have not

heaped on the heads of us devoted Freemasons . Indifferent , irreligious , Voltarian , Deistical , Atheistical , socialistic , profane , revolutionary , destructive , impious , children , of Satan , tl \ e

craft of the evil one , members of that Grand Lodge whose ] Grand Master is Satan , are a few of the choice epithets which have appeared in print , and which educated men have not been ashamed to

apply to our unoffending and inoffensive brotherhood . What the object of the Church of Rome , ( for she is the chief offender ) , can be in thus openly ignoring or violating every injunction or

condition of good sense or fair play , we do not pretend to understand . It may be , as a facetious friend of ours puts it , " she may wish to keep her hand in for the excommunicating process . "

Or she may desire to divert the attention of her members from internal dissensions , and divergences of thought and teaching , by making war against a common enemy , as she proclaims

Freemasonry to be . Whatever her motive really is , we venture to think that her " overt act " of intolerant condemnation is a most mistaken one , and one that will inevitably recoil upon herself ,

so that , like the assailant of old , she will be "hoisted by her own petard . " Freemasonry cares nothing for such attacks . Even abroad , where in some countries , the Freemasons , by

unwise addresses and questionable arrangements , have laid themselves open , to some extent , to the charges of their Roman Catholic adversaries , we do not believe that thc Church of Rome will ake much by her " ititle game . " And at home , where Freemasonry is absolutely free from any

Another Attack On Freemasonry.

such charges , where the religion and the loyalty of Freemasons are both conspicuous and undoubted , such attacks not only can make no impression , but they will hardly be noticed by

our fraternity . As far as they have gone in England they have resolved themselves into this , that we are a non-Christian organisation , and that we are a secret society . Non-Christian we

are not , as opposed to Christians , but universal we are , in our scope and constitution . We are permitted to meet as a secret Order by the Legislative of our land , and we apprehend that

no one else , least of all Roman Catholics , have anything to do with the matter . And , therefore we shall go on our way , neither afraid nor ashamed to own ourselves Freemasons , but

under our Royal Grand Master , and with those august personages and Royal brethren who are numbered among our rulers , shall persevere in our works of benificencs and sympathy and good

will . Thus we shall demonstrate to the world , how false are the calumnies of our adversaries , how cruel and unmerited are . the slanders and vituperation of our unreasoning opponents , in

that our profession and practice go hand in hand , and we actuall y do , ( good example for them ) , what we continually and habituall y teach .

Our Royal Brother Prince Leopold.

OUR ROYAL BROTHER PRINCE LEOPOLD .

OUR brethren will be glad to perceive , by the report we print in another column , that our Royal Brother has taken the Second Degree . We do not say this with any desire of intruding

on the privacy of the lodge proceedings , or of appearing to parade the fact of one of the Royal Family being amongst us . But in these days of such continued aggression on Freemasonry , it is

well for us , we think , to note how our Royal brethren have evidently " counted the cost'' of Masonic membership ; how quietly they

persevere in the discharge of its duties and the development of its privileges and how satisfactory it is for us all to feel , that Freemasonry has equally for them as for ourselves the constant claim of hearty adherence and admiring appreciation .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ Wc do net hold ourselves responsihlc for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but wc wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —lit ) . ]

THE ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND MALTA . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Sir Knt . Coomb and J . C . G . L . for their digest of the statutes and for the gratifying information that a Preceptor , so long as he continues a subscribing member of any

preceptory , retains the rank and privileges of a preceptor after he shall have ceased to preside over a preceptory . Having got so satisfactory a rendering of the statutes as to the rights and privileges of a Preceptor , acting or otherwise , let us see il we can elicit and trace any advantage

in continuing active attention and devotion to the Order after the rank or degree of a Preceptor has been attained . It is the " hope of reward that sweetens labour" and keeps the feeling alive that leads us , after we have served one office to aspire to another , and persevere until we

Original Correspondence.

attain the object of our ambition , thereby keeping alive that honest , pleasant and friendly emulation which has proved so advantageous to our Masonic charities and system , and gives satisfaction and p-ratification to those who

obtained the badge of merit and ability . Since the new statutes came in force there has not been that interest exhibited that I have known and been accustomed to amongst Knig hts Templar what is tbe reason ? is it because the

reward—that distinctive badge—has been removed and that there is now no distinction in dress between the most active and most indolent members of the Order ? We wonder if there be anarchy in the Order and a desire to retrace our

steps—if the distinctive insignia of past rank is everywhere removed and not allowed beyond the degree of Preceptor . I am just thinking we must be silly mortals , hard up for something better to do , if we continue year after year to

spend our time and money for the mere sake of doing so and without any chance of reward , but that cannot be , for even under the present regime we have Great Officers and Officers in our Great Priory and Provincial Priories . Surely

there is some deficiency in these . A Knight appointed to "Great" office in the Great Priory or Provincial Priory must surely bear some distinctive badge and enjoy some privilege higher than that enjoyed by a Knight who has simply

been appointed an officer , after they shall both have retired from office . What is the advantage ? Does the Great Officer retain the badge of the

office he has served to enjoy the privileges thereof on Ihe same principle as a Preceptor ? If this is not so , and I am informed it is not , what inducement is there for one who has served the

office and obtained the degree of Preceptor to continue his attendance and services , sometimes at great inconvenience and expense , or care to accept office in the Provincial Priory the mantle and insignia of which may fall from him

any day and for ever . He must be au enthusiast indeed who will accept office , take long journies , spend his time and money for the purpose of discharging the duties of an office

from which he knows he will ultimately have to retire , as he began , with no recognition for his services . If I misapprehend the status of an executive or great officer I shall be glad to be enlightened . W . A .

To the Editor nf the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , X . Y . Z . says , page 6 9 8 , Nov . 7 th , 1874 : "There has been no severance of the Masonic connection , but the reverse . " That

being so , why drop the word " Masonic " from the title of the order ? It looks very much like wishing a severance , and if quietly allowed to go on will some day , no doubt , be used as an argument in favour of dropping the connection

altogether . What is the use of keeping up a connection and being ashamed to own the relationship ? He says the Masonic prefix is of recent origin in England , and has not been used in the statutes of either the Irish or Scotch conclaves .

I have always understood that the order of Knights Templar was essentially a Masonic order . I have also been informed that the attempt made in Scotland thirty years ago to effect a separation from its Masonic foundations

brought the order to grief , and that the injudicious step had to be retraced at the revival in 1856 . Will some good Brother Knight of Scotland give us the history and a report of the proceedings at the revival above referred to ? 31 , Oldham Road , Rochdale . W . D .

WAS THE POPE A FREEMASON ? To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , On my return to England , after an absence of several weeks , I have read with

some interest the correspondence which has appeared in The Freemason on the subject of Pope Pius IX . being a Mason , and I observe that in an editorial note to the letter of Bro . W . E . Gumbleton , P . G . D ., in ycur paper ofthe ; th instant , you say that " up to this time no