An Analysis Of Ancient And Modern Freemasonry.

we regret to say , prefer the banquet after the lodge to any such legitimate Masonic labour as before indicated , while others resort to all sorts of fanciful notions in support of exploded theories and most absurd speculations .

e . g . In the "Bulletin Du Grand Orient De France , " April 1867 , page 53 , Bro . Delacour announces the following : " je vais vous demontrer au moyen d'un document peu connu , mais parfaitement anthentique l'existence delaF . M ., en France

au troisieme siecle de l'ere chrefcienne , avec l ' organisation actuelle destrois grands At . * , de Maitres , de R . * . C * . et de Kad . * . " We need not say it will take much more than the foregoing to shake our belief in the modern nature of all degrees but the

three first , and hence we shall next proceed to . consider what has been written relative to Freemasonry before the institution of the Royal Arch , & c ., and what is known of other lodges in existence elsewhere , at the time of the revival in London . ( To be continued . )

(No. Ii.)—Les Ateliers Du Grandorient.

( No . II . )—LES ATELIERS DU GRANDORIENT .

The French Masons in adopting the word Atelier , or workshop , have , in our judgment , taken a form of expression which in itself is more correct than the title of lodge . We have never seen a thoroughly satisfactory explanation of how Masonic

meetings came to be designated lodges , but we are inclined to think that the usage is not very ancient . It is , however , now our established custom to apply the name of lodge not only to our re-unions , but also to the meetings of the

innumerable friendly societies which have feebly tried to copy Masonry , from the excellent worthies whose delight is to be considered " Odd Fellows , " to the still more curious " Sons of the Phoenix , " who may truly be said to have had a hard struggle

with the fiery element which is believed to have destroyed their mother . We are not aware that Cowper was a Mason , but in any case he probably expressed a wish directly opposite to the desires of modern Craftsmen , who generally like what the

Yankees call " a comfortable location" for the celebration of their rites , when he wrote : — " 0 for a lodge in somo vast wildornoss ! " For ourselves we should decidedly prefer to hold a lodge in Great Queen-street than iu any " wilderness " under the sun , althouo-h we have the autho-

(No. Ii.)—Les Ateliers Du Grandorient.

rity of the late Dr . Oliver for stating * that lodges in the open air have been held occcasionally to the profit of the brethren and the advantage of the Craft . Among our brethren in France there has for

some time raged a great controversy as to whether belief in a Supreme Being were absolutely essential in a candidate for Masonry . We are at a loss for the slightest justification of the cause taken by those who have adopted the negative view , and we

can only regret that our Order has been discredited by such displays of ignorance respecting the true spirit and scope of Masonry . The following , which is from the declaration of principles in the Constitution de i'Ordre

Maconigue en France , ought surely to have convinced the supporters of infidelity that there is no place for them in the ranks of Freemasons : —¦

ARTICLE 1 ST . Freemasonry is an institution essentially philanthropic , philosophical , and progressive ; having for its objects the pursuit of truth , the study of universal morality , the sciences and the arts , and

the exercise of benevolence . It has for its basis belief in the existence of God , the immortality of the soul , and the brotherhood of

man . It regards liberty of conscience as the right of every man , and does not exclude persons for the peculiarity of their creeds . It has for its motto Liberie , FgalitS , Fraternite . It is clear , therefore , that to whatever religious

party a French Mason may belong , he must hold the cardinal doctrines of belief in God and also in the eternity of the soul . In proof of this we may cite the following extract from the address of the Grand Master to the Assemblee Gcndrale on the

10 th of June , 1867 : — " I have not hesitated to reply to those Ateliers which have consulted me upon the question that it would violate the Constitution to admit to initiation those who deny the existence of God and the

immortality of the soul . " In the debates following this address the queswas thoroughly discussed , and the opinions of the Grand Master were endorsed by the vote of a large majority . We trust that the question may

never be re-opened . The Masons of France , being desirous of recognition as brethren amono' Eng-lish Craftsmen , would do well to remember that Masonry is universal , that its working is not con-