Zoroastrianism And Freemasonry.

reckoning time . For some time past the the Parsee Freemasons have held a grand meeting on that Anniversary , and the one j ust held was equal to any of its predecessors . Amongst those present were—Worshipful Master K . R . Cama , M . C . MurzbanR . C . Bahadurjee ., J . D . Wadia ,

, Jamshedjee Cama , formerly a Treasurer of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Scotland , Dr . C . F . Khory , Darashah Dorabjee , Darashah Chichgur , Dr . Atmaram Pandurang , and many other well-known Parsee Masons . The programme of the evening

was a very entertaining one , —the principle feature being the following address by Bro . K . R . Cama , who said : Dear Brethren , —The natives of Bombay , who first bestowed any thought on the subject of Freemasonry , were the Parsees . But a good deal of misconceived and unfounded prejudice against it was entertained and exhibited in the Parsee

community , when , more than half a century ago , an earnest spirit of inquiry , regarding the principles of Freemasonry , was first aroused among the foremost and intelligent members of that community ; and when a few of advanced views among them were anxiously solicited to ascertain

how , in the event of their joining the institution , they and their act would be viewed and received by their co-religionists . This attempt to ascertain the feelings of the people called forth criticisms adverse to the institution , aud discouraging to

the inquirers . Freemasonry was , in the absence of any correct knowledge about it , denounced to be a Christian institution , as one requiring its initiates to reverence and acknowledge Moses and Jesus as their prophetsand upon this and other

mis-; conceptions the aspirants were warned not to join an institution which , it was further alleged , was in several respects at variance with the exact observance of the

Zoroastrian faith . The Bombay Summachar , the pioneer of the native press , the first vernacular paper that was ever established in Bombay , boldly opened its columns to the discussion of this subject , and freely , and without allowing itself to be daunted by any fear of the invectives of the i-

gno rant and the bigotted of its race , confessed to having an admiration for Freemasonry , and wrote of it in very approving and commendatory terms . The editor , a highh

respected and learned Parsee gentleman , was much before his age , and so firmly and sincerely convinced of the holy purposes of our Order , that he boldly ventured to publish his ardent desire to belong to , and to be a member of it . Unfortunately ,

fifty-three years ago—for it was then that the controversies took place—there was not a single Masonic Lodge in existence in Bombay , nor were there the requisite seven Masons to get up one , to confer the degree on the aspirantas can be gathered

, from the reply the editor received from a European Mason , a friend of his , to the effect that there were scarcely to be found more than three Freemasons then in the island . The editor expressed himself much disappointed at this unfortunate

circumstance , allowed his ardour to cool down for want of means to satisfy it , and died without succeeding in having his wishes gratified , to see the light for which he was so much and so long anxiously awaiting . But , if we believe in the doctrine of descent from father to son of innate aspirations and desires , his grandson testified to it when he became animated

with the same laudable desire ; and , fortunately , the times happened to be more favourable for him than they were for his grandfather , and his wishes were destined to be soon fulfilled . Judging from the able and useful career the grandson has led in Freemasonry , and having heard of the

many estimable qualities of the heart and mind of the grandfather , we may be permitted to indulge for a moment in fancying Freemasonry in very high repute and great favour among us at this date , if a Parsee of Furdoonjee Murzban ' s erudition

and talents had fifty years ago succeeded in getting himself admitted into our Order . It is indeed interesting to peruse at the present clay the arguments of the former age which were levelled against the admission of Zoroastrians into

Freemasonry . Our white-bearded and venerated brother 0 , N . Cama had , in his boyish days , interested himself in these controversies , indicating how early he was predisposed to take part in any inquiries of the kind that were set on footand had

, copied them out himself from the newspapers . I came to know of these discussions of an age anterior to my birth through reading his manuscript copy