The Antiquity And Teachings Of Masonry.

endeavour to do away with suspicions , jealousies , rivalries , and evil speakings—it is to sustain the wounded spirit , to afford consolation to the afllicted , to . extend succour to the oppressed , to redress wrong . Such is Masonic charity , identical with the charity of Christianity , aud which , like that , " Never faileth . " Au institution adorned with beauty like this must hold its

place iu human affection while misfortune and sorrow arc the common lot , while human hearts cry out for sympathy , while man continues frail and imperfect . If this faint sketch of some of tho more prominent ; principles of Freemasonry is correct , the reasons are sufficient to account for her unchangeable aud vigorous continuance until the present time . That this Order

commends itself to the intelligence of tho nineteenth century is evinced by its larger constituency than ever before , and by its firmer hold on the favour of wise and good men . Wo submit , therefore , that it is not presumptuous to expect that , in the long lino of centuries to corne , it will still repose iu undisturbed endurance upon the imperishable pillars of its support . Esio per pet ua !

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

TUB TIIUE ME ANTS ' G- Or CIIAEITV . Taking the usual definition of charity as given in the lectures , a brother supplemented it by the following , which is worthy of being widely circulated , so many brethren believing that the giving of alms is , par excellence , charity : —

"In this last explanation it would seem as if the authors of our lectures were attempting a paraphrase of a passage of Sfc . Paul to tho Corinthians , where he says : — ' And now abideth faith , hope , charity , these three : hut the greatest of these is charity . ' It is plainalsofrom the phraseology of their expression

, , , that our authors held to the opinion common with many , that St . Paul , iu giving , the so much greater importance to charity , would imply a characteristic of permanency in tin ' s virtue , an existence beyond this life to which the others Avere not entitled . But this is not in accordance with the construction admitted

by mauy as the correct one , and which the greatest weight of argument certainly favours . Sfc . Paul had been alluding to and enumerating certain gifts and virtues , and he then recurs to these of faith , hope , and charity , as possessing a superiority over all other things . ' And now abideth , ' the words signifying a

settled continuance of remaining in contradistinction to a habit of changing or passing away . Thus the sense would be that whether in the present changing and unsettled state , or in the fixed and permanent future , all other tilings being lost sight of or done away , these virtues still remain , aud of these charity is the chief .

" "When Ave take into , consideration our ideas of faith and hope , in connection with the grounds ofthe one and the objects of the other , it cannot be objected that there will be no occasion for the exercise of these qualities iu a future life . Faith , iu the sense iu Avhich the conuection here requires us to take it ,

means simply a confidence iu God . We repose a trust in Him ; we take Him at His word that , upon our performance of our duties , He -will act towards us in such specific way . But , surely , there will be as great necessity for this confidence in the future as in the present life . Such confidence is a necessary element of happiness ¦ and it would seem as if the

happiness of the future would quite as much require to bo based upon a confidence in the continued ability of God to carry along and maintain that which Hehad begun , as long as those boundless realms of eternity should endure , and in like manner of hope .. Iu truthupon the entrance into that future life

, , many of the objects of hope will have been realised and come into possession ; but , nevertheless , will there be nothing still to hope for ? "Will the entire and perfect fruition of heaven in all its eternity yetfuture be at once enjoyed ? The idea is too plain to require argument ; aud as long as increasing

knowledge , peace and happiness iu all future life , the society of re-united loved ones , and all the blessings of that better world are objects whose continuance is to be desired , there is , of course , room to hope . As long , therefore , as there Avill remain anything of which the end will not be seen or readiedfaith will

, not ho lost , nor will hope end while anything endures of which the fruition is not perfected or completed . Still , Avhether for time or for eternity , the greater than these is charity .

" Before proceeding farther it will be well toexamine into tho proper and usual meaning of the original word iu the passage from St . Paul , and which is , undoubtedly , intended to retain , in our use of it , thc full aud entire signification belonging to it in the Bible . 'The word properly translated is love . And

in our English word charity , as we now use ifc , there are some ideas not originally connected with the word , love . Iu a general sense the idea of love is embraced iu the Avord charity ; but , in a more limited view ,, charity means liberality and almsgiving to the poor . Ifc also implies candour or liberality in judging of

other men ' s actions ; always showing a desire to judge of them favourably , and to put upon them , as well as their motives , the best construction . In this sense ifc involves largely the ideas embraced in the word love , inasmuch as all such charity . may be attributed to a love for our neighbour , aud a desire that all his

conduct should be fairly and justly weighed . The Avord here used is love , meaning with us affection , regard , goodwill , benevolence ; and tho virtue which it implies is that which is illustrated as of more value than all other possible endowments . This is the virtue which , when all others shall have become useless or of miner importance , Avhen all others shall have fulfilled their mere earthly office of helping us . 1 I 0112 : the ascent to heaven , aud thus be of no farther

need , will still endure , will still exist , will still be in that brighter Lodge , what ifc should he here , the cement which shall unite us for all eternity into one sacred band or society of brothers . " This greater value given to charity over faith and hope is not because it is to endure the longestbut

, because of its greater necessity , its greater usefulness . Ifc exerts a wider influence , overcomes more evils , and is more necessary to the happiness of society . Charity is the great principle which is to bind in harmony the Grand Lodge above ; to unite the Great Architect to His creatures , and His creatures to each

other . It is , therefore , more important because it pertains to society , to that which brings us into contact and fellowship with others , and which , in . its influence upon us , should remove us from any mere isolated or selfish view of ourselves , or of our own mere personal interests , necessities , or enjoy-