The True Religion Of Freemasonry.

enjoy his own peculiar opinions of doctrine and sect , provided he does not connect their truth or fallacy with the truths of Masonry or attempt to introduce them into the lodge . It is only by the exercise of religious toleration that Freemasonry has become the centre of union between the good men and true of every persuasionand any attempt to narrow the

com-, pass of this great principle must inevitably be attended with disastrous results to the fraternity , while the authors thereof will prove that to their limited perception the lights Avhich burn with bright effulgence in the hidden recesses of Masonry are but dim and fitful glimmerings , only rendering " darkness visible . "

Bro . White , in his letter in your impression of the 19 th ult ., says , — " Does it follow that because a man calls himself a Christian , he must necessarily be intolerant of all other creeds , " and he Avould lead us to infer that he holds a contrary opinion ; yet the bitter invective levelled against it on Christian English

Masonry in the latter portion of his letter savours very strongly of intolerance . '' "With regard to Bro . White ' s remark about the Holy Bible , does it not suggest itself to him that in a Mahometan lodge , the Koran being the sacred volume of their laws , would occupy the place on the

pedestal we devote to the Holy Bible , while the same rule would hold good in the lodges of any other creed , and the rulers of these lodges Avould present their different sacred writings to their candidates as their unerring standards of truth ? If a Mahometan were initiated in one of our lodges , he would be obligated on the Koran , and the Christian AV . M . would present that book to him as his " unerring guide . " If a Christian was initiated

in a Mahometan lodge , he Avould be obligated ou the Holy Bible , which would be similarly presented to him by the Mahometan W . M ., thus proving the utter absence of sectarianism in the universal Deistic institution of Masonry . There is a broad and simple base Avhereon all

religions rest , that of a belief in a God ; and , no matter by Avhat name this Superior Being may be called , faith in him is all that can be required of a candidate for Freemasonry , though , as before stated , he may graft thereon any other creed or doctrine , provided he does not attempt to connect their truth

or fallacy with the pure and simple faith of Freemasonry . Belief in the glorious Architect of Heaven and Earth , and in his superintendingprovidence , is a simple and universal faith , in which men of all sects agree . Such is in my opinion The True Reli gion of Freemasonry . Yours fraternall y , _ . , DISAXXOLisbon , 15 th January , 1 SG 9 .

Historical Freemasonry.

HISTORICAL FREEMASONRY .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAOAZINE AXD MASONIC MIREOE . Dear Sir and Brother , —I have read with pleasure the interesting papers in No . 4-97 , by Bro . Thompson , and by tlie author of " Masonic Persecution , " but there Avas one thing which both seem to hol d by and which I disagree tvitb , viz : —The supposed real connection between Solomon and the—or rather our—Freemasons .

While I do not intend to interfere with our proper Masonic legends , or lessons , built upon , or couneeted with Solomon ' s Temple , there is a different vieAv of the matter to be taken when speaking on the subject historically . The idea has struck me that , perhaps , Solomon gets more than his fair share of praise from usand that to the disparagement of another whom

, we overlook , viz ., David , his father . It was David AVIIO began and opened up the connexion with Hiram , King of Tyre , 1 st Chron ., Mth and 1 st : — " Now Hiram , King of Tyre , sent messengers to David , and timber of cedars , with masons and carpenters to build him an house . " loth and 1 st .- " And David made

him houses iu the city of David , ancl prepared a place for the Ark of God and pitched for it a tent . " It Avas David AVIIO drew out the plans of the Temple . 1 st Chron ., 2 Sth and llth : — " Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch , aud of the houses thereofand of the treasures thereof , and of

, the upper chambers thereof , & c , " on to verse 19 th , Avhich says : — " All this , said David , the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me , even all the works of this pattern . " See also chap . 22 , verse 2 : — " And David commanded to gather together the strangers that Avere in the land of Israel ; [ and

heset masons to hew Avrought stones to build the house of God , " on to verse 6 tb , also verses 1-ltb , 15 th , and-10 th . Thus , not only did David give the plans , but he also provided a large amount of the money and materials to carry on the work ; so that , considering all these things , we may fairly say that David was a

great patron of the ancient pre-Christian builders , or building fraternities ( if I may use that Avord ) . At least , their services Avere necessary to him , and he employed them . At David ' s death Solomon appears on the scene ; and in the beginning of his reign the Temple was

built , which Avas certainly a noble architectural work ; but , as Masons , we are too apt to imagine that its great glory was its structure , but such was not the case . The glory of Solomon ' s Temple consisted in the fact that Jehovah Avas worshipped there ! Thatmade it the one bright star , all the more brightly

beaming because of the surrounding gloom . As an edifice it may possibly have been excelled by other co-existant structures , but it supremely excelled them all in glory , in that it was The Chosen Temple of the Great Architect of the Universe , Avhich he acknowledged by glorifying aud sanctifying Avith the visible token of His presence .

At page 2 S of the Magazine , the writer says : — "Even among the Jews , not many years after thebuilding of the Temple , Freemasons Avere accused of idolatry , the temples in which they practised their mysteries were destroyed , aud many of them Avere put to death . Their mysteries , not being understood , were called abominationsand a general movement for

, the extermination of the Sidoniaii architects Avas organized . " Now that paragraph requires some proof . Where is there any evidence that " Freemasons , not many years after the building of the Temple , " had " temples in which they practised their mysteries ? " I know

of none . We mi ght as well call the reli gious worship conducted in our cathedrals 600 years ago Masonic mysteries as imagine the religious ( often abominable , licentious , and MoodA' ) rites of the ancients , practised