Freemasonry And The Pope.

FREEMASONRY AND THE POPE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , DECEMBER 16 , 1 S 65 .

We continue onr extracts from the articles given by onr contemporaries upon tlie above subject . [ Masonic Hecord of Western India . ' ] INTOLEBANCE . " Where ignorance is bliss , 'tis folly to bo wise . " " "

The Bombay Catholic Examiner of the 28 th October has the following * tirade against Ereemasonry . As the Pope has fulminated his Bull against Freemasons at Rome , so the editor has followed suit by raising * his feeble voice at Bombay : —

"Half the battle is won , when a just appreciation has been gained , of the weakness of the enemy on the one hand , and of one ' s own resources on the other . Acting on this principle , it is always our desire to bring forward into our columns all the information we can procure , that can serve to show the increase of Catholicity in tho different quarters of the world , and the weakness of its

opponents in their efforts to check its progress . Not that we look upon everything under a sunshine view ; on the contrary , wo carefully present at times very gloomy pictures , such as , this very day , that of the state of Spain . Of Belgium , too , we very often state facts which sadden the heart , and make one fear the true faith is on the decline in that country , which , from our earliest

recollection , has always been represented as a very Paradise of Catholicity . " But neither in Spain nor in Belgium is there serious canse of alarm for tho triumph of religion . In both countries religion has its enemies , and where could there be a victory or a triumph , except where there are those -who oppose ? Mowthe opponents of reliion in these

, g countries are by no means so numerous ancl strong as they are represented . Let us look at Belgium , ancl compare the strength of the rival camps in that part of the battle-field . There are the Freemasons , or , as they are there called , the solidaircs on the ono side , ancl , oppescd to them , on the other , are the Jesuits . These

Belgian Masons are indeed a bad set , and wc find them most aptly styled the fanatics of irreligion . As to their numbers , however , we learn on good authority that we are not to believe all that thoy put into circulation about themselves . According to the ministerial Belgian papers we should havo to believe that they make up a large host , numbering not fewer than 13 , 500 men ; whereas

those who know them well maintain that there are not more than 3 , 000 of them . This , however , is a dark mass of beings , sworn together , not only as frce-thinhers , but also as free-doers . To captivate the public eye , thoy carry before them the former of those titles , but they do so only to succeed in their desire to act and do as they like ; the perversion of their mind walks generallside

y by side with the perversion of their heart . Even wicked priests serve for recruits to their ranks ; for instance , one joined them lately at Brussels , and the unhappyman , before dying without tho last sacraments , appointecl , as his universal legatee , the secretary of this shameless society . Even women arc among them . Lately a woman free-thinker died at Ixelles ( near Brussels ) ancl

, her last moments wero so frightful that tho solidaircs themselves who stood around her bed fled with horror . Sho blasphemed , gnawed at her arm , tore out her hair ; it was the repetition of the death of Voltaire . Tho Masonic lodges that govern Belgium havo another object in view besides tho anti-religious one—thoy aim at emancipating women . Fourier could not succeed in this ,

and his phalansterc provokes disgust ; they have another sort of system now . They establish schools from ivhich they banish every religious symbol , practice , and teaching ; an American importation this . A certain Miss Gattide Gamond ( escaped from phalanstere ) has entered upon this business with all seriousness , and she-works ' at it as though it were a social mission . One

remarkable thing about tho institution is this , that its founder , M . Anspach , the Mayor of Brussels , who has a daughter almost grown up , has taken good caro not to entrust her to Miss Gatti . He remembers that his duty as a father comes before that which he holds as burgomaster . But enough of this view of the solidaircs ; wo will mention but one fact more connected with them . A Belgian

paper has unblushingly announced that a reward of 30 , 000 francs will be given to whosoever shall be able to find a Jesuit guilty of a breach of morals ; some crime of this kind is alone needed for drawing forth a decree for the expulsion of the Order from the kingdom . And to show that the promise is not an cnipt 3 > - one , they have already tried by base calumnies to realise this abominable manouvre . "

The noble Order of Freemasonry has always been feared by the Roman Catholic priesthood , because they have rarely been able to obtain any information of its secret arts and hidden mysteries , even by means of the Confessional . They have also invariably found that the most intelligent of their flock , when once thev have entered into the

Order , have become more independent , and less easy to be coerced by spiritual restraint . Masonry expands the intellect , and opens the heart to consider the wrongs and to alleviate the sorrows of mankind . It leads those who embrace it to act

with firmness and decision upon questions wherein once they had been dependent and perhaps subservient . This , is antagonistic to the Roman Catholic system , and although neither politics nor religion—as is well known anion" * Masons—are

ever permitted to be discussed within the recesses of the tyled lodge , yet the Roman Catholic priesthood will not believe this , and tremble lest means should be devised in these localities to crush their

power aud destroy their influence . It is no matter that Roman Catholics when they have become Freemasons , attend as regularly as formerly to their religious duties ; another authority seems to their priestly guides to be set up , antagonistic to

their own—a kind of imperiwm in i-niperio— - which they cannot withstand ; and since 'Home can endure no rival near her throne , she never fails to visit those of her children with denunciation , anathema , and excommunication , who hesitate

to repudiate their OB ., and refuse to yield their Masonry , as well as submit their conscience to the dictates of the imperious and tyrannic system by which they are enchained . We have Catholic members of the Ordi-v who have proved themselves good and true , fan Imil and