Freemasonry And Christianitt.

FREEMASONRY AND CHRISTIANITT .

TO THEBDITOROF THE ITREEKASONS' MAGAZINE ANE MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , — " Bro . H . B . AVhite gravely enunciates the startling doctrine that Freemasonry is Christianity . " No , Bro . Oneal Haye , I do not . I have never sought to identify a human institution with Divine revelation . I have stated , and now

repeat my belief , that Freemasonry is founded on Christianity , and that no man can be a true Mason ( and here " A Chaplain " in a recent number of the Freemasons' Magazine , correctly interprets my meaning ) unless he is a Christian . And what has Bro-Oneal Haye to to the contrary ? Surelthe fact

say y that of late years men holding other faiths have been initiatedinto our Order is no argument against my proposition . In what country was Freemasonry originated ? Can Bro . Oneal Haye find any existing lodge that does nofc owe its existence to a parent or Grand Lodge in some Christian country ? Does he

deny that before the Union in ISIS the two St . Johns were the patrons and parallels of ancient Masonry ? If not , have Jews , Musselmen , Hindoos , Chinese any St . Johns ? AVe place a volume on the Master's pedestal in our lodges . AVhat book is it ? We draw the attention of candidates to it , and them

charge to esteem it as the " unerring standard of _ truth and justice . " Would Bro . Oneal Haye initiate a Mahometan , and in so doing substitute the Koran for the Bible , and declare it to he the " unerring standard of truth ? " Is Jesus Christ the Great Architect and Grand Geometrician of the Universe ?

Is Christianity truth ? Is truth a leading principle of Freemasonry ? AVhen Bro . Oneal Haye has considered these questions , if he is still of opinion that Freemasonry is not founded on Christianity , I shall be glad to have his reply to his own question , " AVhat is Freemasonry ? " Tours fraternally , H . B . AVHITE .

Masonic Charitable Institutions For Scotland.

MASONIC CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS FOR SCOTLAND .

TO THE EDITOH OE THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEEOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —I observe with great pleasure in your leading article of last week , referring to the doings of St . David ' s Lodge , Dundee , that attention is given to that most important point of our Order— " Charity "—and justly awarding praise to

our English brethren for having so handsomely taken that mote out of their eyes . I wculd humbly follow in the channel ofthe writer ' s views , and suggest that in many of our Scottish towns systems of Masonic benevolence might easily be put into operation , and would instance Dundee itself as one most favourably for such

disposed objects . _ It has—what would be wise in other such communities to follow , —its board of Masters and AVardens , with a conceded power of levying an annual assessment on the lodges within the bounds . In Dundee the system of ing " Bursaries " at the ordinary day

manag schools is also so well understood that , with the judicious disposal of part of the Masters and Wardens revenue , several boys might receive a good ordinary education , at an ordinary school , without any but the ,

Masonic Charitable Institutions For Scotland.

schoolmaster and the parent or parents knowing how the fees were paid . This idea will at once commend itself to our Scotch readers as preferable to any open " hospital ' ' scheme ( at all events in so far as the child has a home ) affording the educational fees in conjunction with the family training . I hope the

brethren of that good town will think of the lucky position they are placed in , and , if possible , make a commencement in the way I have here indicated , and by-and-bye , when Scotland gets wealthier , and Masons are able to pay a moderate annual payment to their lodges , we may then hear of more extended systems

of educating those who are unfortunately in poor and necessitous circumstances . A corner in your valuable magazine for this will much oblige Tours fraternally , P . M .

Priority Of Lodges.

PRIORITY OF LODGES .

TO THE EDITOl ! OB THE ElIEEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEEOE . Dear Sir and Brother , —When Bro . Buchan wroto his last letter he had not seen mine . I hold to my first letter . ¦ Tours fraternally , ANTHONY ONEAL HATE ..

The Newspaper Press Fund.

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS FUND .

TO InE EDITOH OF THE EEEEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEECir ; Dear Sir and Brother , —Let me by the means of a journal devoted to Masonry , and therefore to the cause of'benevolence , call the attention of such of my brethren ' as are journalists , and particularly in the provinces , to that valuable institution , the Newspaper

Press Fund . In one sense the number of members is large , for some years ago two hundred would he called a large muster roll ; but it is small in com-¦ parison with the present state of this important profession , which now reckons in its lists the Premier of the countrywho has designated his title as " a

gen-, tleman of the press . " The annual subscription is one guinea , the life subscription ten guineas , and the invested funds already amount to four thousand pounds . The calls of distress among members and their families requiring assistance have already tested the value of the

institution , and have received liberal relief . It is , however , as a bond of union among journalists , as an enrolment of the profession , and as an assertion of its dignity , that the Newspaper Press Fund renders direct benefits to every member , and to the profession at large .

Tours fraternally , A LIFE MEIIEEE . [ It is with pleasure we respond to the request of out * correspondent by inserting the above letter , in the hope that such of our readers as can aid in the good cause will do so ; and as there are many amongst our

subscribers and contributors who may now for the first time become aware of the existence of a fund for so excellent a purpose , we trust the appeal madebv "A Life Member" will not he made iu vain . — ED . F . 31 . 1