Ar00100

( Contents . PAGE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE : — Random Notes on American Freemasonry 329 Masonry , its Aims and Failures 333

Masonic Sayings and Doings Abroad 334 MASONIC MIEROE : — Masonic Mems 334 GRAFT LODGE MEETINGS : — Metropolitan 335 Provincial -. 335

Royal Arch 337 California 339 List of Lodgo Meetings 340 Notices to Correspondents 340

Random Notes On Freemasonry.

RANDOM NOTES ON FREEMASONRY .

LONDON , SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 4 , 1871

A LECTURE DELIVERED TO THE BRETHREN OF THE PHCENIX LODGE , STOWMARKET , BY BRO . EMRA HOLMES , 30 ° , P . M ., P . G . A . D . C . SUFFOLK . { Continued from page 319 ) . Ifc is said that the Jesuits , finding Masonry

leading to Infidelity , invented , or at least altered the Rose Croix degree , which is strictly Christian and Trinitarian ; some think on the other hand that it orig inated with the Rosicrucians . If the tendency of the Oraft is towards Deism ,

or Infidelity ( which however I do not admit ) then there is a necessity for the higher degrees to neutralise that tendency , and to act as a counterpoise to the free thinking views of many who call themselves Masons—but who are not so truly at heart . I could never understand the unceasing

hatred of Roman Catholics towards our Orderfor there is little doubt in the middle ages the Freemasons were RomanCafcholics—and I suppose it is only to be accounted for by the fact that auricular confession , which is the key to

Romanism , is set at nought by the Mason who cannot reveal the society of the Craft , even to a Father Confessor . Ancient Masonry was pure Deism—Mediaeval Masonry , Catholic . Some Freemasons trace the Order to an

astronomical , and others to an arkite origin—and probably there is the impress of both upon it ; but I boldly affirm that there is nothing inimical to

the Roman Catholic Religion in Freemasonry ; and indeed the Higher Degrees are , if anything , favourable to ifc . The perfection of Masonry is Christian . The Egyptian and Eleusinian Mysteries were

funereal in character , and a learned friend of mine is of opinion they all point to a death and resurrection—to a sort of antetype of the death and resurrection—by which we are saved . If this theory be correct , then Christian Masonry

must be the true Masonry—the true representative of those mysterious foreshadowings which the ancients had of what was to come , and which they celebrated in dramatic ceremonies , accompanied with much that was bad ; perhaps prophecying

what they did not understand . The traditional history of the Third Degree is said to have been changed at the building of the Temple of Solomon—from the death of Bacchus or Dionysius to that of H . A . B . I am reminded of an

anecdote from Wood ' s Natural History of Man , I think it is called The Becuanas and their religious ' ceremonies on the death of Prince The royal sign amongst some African tribes— My friend

Dr . '_ Tristram , author of " The Great Sahara , " speaking of some of the Arab Chiefs , says , he found they had Masonic signs almost identical with ours , but bearing a different signification . The legend of the Third Degree , is said to be in the Talmud . Dr . Oliver is my authority .

Bro . Buchan , the Iconoclast of Masonry , has been endeavouring for some time past to prove that Masonry did not exist before 1717—that we have in fact no past , and that our noble history is but a fable from beginning to end .

That brother states , " years after joining- the Masonic Fraternity , ! believed , generally speaking , in the popular ideas of its history , rise , and progress , but no sooner did I begin to examine into these thoroughly than I was obliged to throw

them up , and as it was with . Masonic ideas in 1868 , so has ifc been in religious in 1871 . Investigation into , and thoughts upon both , has led me up to departure from the popular ideas . " The Bible as we now have it , is simply in

great measure a mere collection of Hebrew pamphlets , full of interpolations , and alterations upon the works of the original authors . It is simply a Jewish literary production , and as such liable to