Masonic Gleanings.

Cooke had the best of it . But Ave do not wonder at Mr . Irving ' s having conceived some contempt for an Order so represented as the one above described . Ludicrous scenes must occur unless we are particular as to the position of those whom we

admit into the Order . If our Kni g hthood be worth anything , it seems to me that no one should receive it Avho does not occupy at least a gentlemanly status in society , ancl who is not fairly educated . A Kni g ht without standing , education , and refinement is an anomaly , —merely a laughing-stock to th . e uninitiated .

The Pastoral Letter Of The Bishop Of Autun .

THE PASTORAL LETTER OF THE BISHOP OF AUTUN .

The folloAving are the most salient passages of this mandement , which we have commented on in another page : — BeloA ed Co-operators , —In reading the last allocucution delivered by the Holy Father in the Cousistory of the 25 th of September last , ou the dangers with

which Church and State are threatened by the secret societies , repeatedly condemned by sovereign pontiff ' s , we remembered tlie word of Scripture , Avhicli says that , just as prudence may require , that there should be " a time to keep silence , " duty may call for " a time to speak ( Eccles . iii . 7 ) .

This duty becomes all the more stringent for us , since one of these societies—FKEE 3 I : ASOJS EX—lias torn the mysterious veil that withheld its existence from our pastoral vigilance , and published a would-be apology , * revealing pretty distinctly the spirit and character of these tenebrous associations . Their adherents are but too frequently men of the class

mentioned hy the Apostle St . John , "that love darkness rather than light , because their deeds are evil " ( St . John iii . 19 ) , and they fear the light that would reveal to all eyes their mysterious , irreligious objects . We , therefore , Avarn all Christian believers , upon the faith of baptism , not to alloAv themselves to be misled

by the erroneous views and lying programmes of humanitarian philosophy . Whaiever the apparent disdainful demeanour affected by these societies against the authority of the Church and its head may he , the pontifical censure has thrown alarm into their ranks . They are aware that if men , sincerely religious , but deceived , repudiate their ties ancl abjure their oaths , it will be

difficult to hide from the li ght of day their real character and the secret machinations of those of their initiated who plot in darkness aud dream of the ruin of all revealed religion and social order . For all sincerely Christian minds " Eome has spoken , the cause is ended . " This has heen the battle cry of religious conscience and Catholic faith for the last

eighteen hundred years . Amongst the adepts of the societies there may be , and are , doubtless , men of good faith . Fascinated by the pompous display of some maxims of a vague and sentimental philanthropy , deceived by some concoction or other of ritesreligious in appearance

, , sacrilegious in their hidden meaning , misled by showy programmes speaking of nothing but mutual assistance , tolerant fraternity , and pure and universal morals , they may not have seen , for a time , what dangers ancl Avhat hostility to faith are concealed under this outside . A man must be blind nowadays

not to guess the meaning of those fantastic symbols whieh it is proposed , as a final insult , to display on our altars and in the midst of the ceremonies of diviue worship . By very little attention , it is easy to see clear into all the perfidious devices of a hidden enemy , always escheAving tbe light , that he may the safer inflict blows to Catholicism in the darkness , and

without any danger to himself . For the last time the anathema has fallen from the apostolical chair upon the Masonic societies . They have uttered a revealing shriek ( pousse un cri revelateur ) , and this shriek of a hatred stronger than prudence has uncovered secrets that can never be covered up again . Tou Avillthereforenot be surprisedbeloved

co-, , , operators , that Ave , being compelled by the duty incumbent upon our oflice to support the honour of our sanctuaries and sanctity of our religious ceremonies , ordain you to repel the Masonic symbols Avhich . it may be attempted to place in proximity of the Cross aud opposite our altars , on the mortal hull of a child

of the Church . ' No doubt lie may , some day , have allowed himself to he dragged into the lodges , perhaps unconscious of Avhat he Avas going to do there ; still , in tlie expectation of death , in remembrance of the obligations of his baptism and the pure joy of his first communion , he has turned his glance toAvard the

Church , his mother ; you have been summoned to his deathbed ; your agency of reconciliation has caused the grace of pardon to descend into this repenting and purified soul . B y what right , then , could a society , struck Avith the anathema , pretend to insult the sacred remains , by mixing up the religious emblems of Catholic faith with those of revolt and

contempt ? And , forsooth , they should not turn round and speak of intolerance ! We must refuse the honours of worship to those who openly profess not to recognise any longer the Church aud its divine authority ; and yet they would invade our sanctuaries by sheer force , or display therein the emblem of their

abjuration of all revealed religion . We appeal to every man of good faith ; he shall tell us who are the intolerant ? As regards those beloved sheep of ours who may remain deaf to our voice ancl to that of the Saviour ' s deputy—while bewailing their blindness , Ave shall pass on them the fearful sentence issued by Jesus Christ himself , "If he neglect to hear the Church , let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican " ( Matt , xyiii . I 7 ) t