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if he did not , he must have been perfectly well aware of the fallacy of his argument , when he represented the just . reprobation of certain acts of persecution , as an attack upon the ministers of the Roman Catholic Religion , as such— "Why not rate the Jew" ? was Bro . HAVERS' elegant query . Simply because the Jew has never expelled Freemasons from the Synagogue ; when

he does , it will be time enough to disabuse the mind of the chief Rabbi . In spite of the assertions to the contrary , we must maintain that the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastics look upon Masonry as an aggressive system of Deism and Democracy , and it is notorious that , during times of

political excitement on the Continent , secret societies have given a colour to this accusation , by sapping the foundations of relig ion and order . We are identified by the Roman Catholic Authorities with these societies . The language of the Papal Bull , of 1738 , conclusively shows thisand the only way in which this impression

, can be corrected , is by its "being shown from the Book of Constitutions , that English Freemasons are bound to be good subjects , and not to meddle in questions of religion . It is curious what power there is in party feeling to blind the eyes of partisans to the effect of their own arguments . It was an object to throw out Lord

CARNARVON ' motion at any cost ; he had charged the Executive with having done nothing—as usual' —and with having neglected to answer a letter from Prince LUCIEN MUBAT , on this question , for nearly a twelvemonth . If they could induce G . L . to negative the motion , it mi ght

be claimed as an ex post facto vindication of their own previous neglect , and therefore it was asserted by one speaker after another , that the Roman authorities were fully cognisant of the principles of our Order , which were truly stated to be brotherly love , relief , and truth . Is it however possible—can the bitterest enemy of Romanism seriously believethat any body of

Christ-, ian gentlemen , Popes or otherwise , would deliberately condemn to " the galleys , the rack , or a fine of 1000 crowns in gold , "—such is the language of the Papal edict of 1739—men , whose sole fault is the practice of these great virtues ? For our part , we believe nothing of the sort ; there is a gross though natural misap 23

rehension of what Masonry is , on the part of the Roman bishoyis , with whom it rests to put in force the old bull of excommunication , or to let it remain inoperative . The jealousy , supposed to be entertained by a confessor , of a secret he may not know , fails to account for persecution , since nothing need be confessed but mortal sin

, which a mere oath of secresy is not ; nor of course are the secrets of our order sins coming under the jurisdiction of the confessional , accordmgto any canon orpapal law . We must also beg to protest , on behalf of our Roman Catholic Brethren , against Bro . WEBB ' remark—that , if Masons carried out their own principles , they would

have nothing to fear . Our Roman Catholic Brethren need yield to none in their consistent Masonic conduct ; and yet they have a good deal to fear , viz ., that their children should be bastardised , unchristened , and unburied .

Lord PANMUEE dreads intervention where there is no power of compulsion ; and , with Naples in his eye , is afraid of an insult to the G . L . But there is something even worse than an insult ; and that is , a passive and ungenerous acquiescence in the persecution of our Brethren , out of a morbid tenderness for then- persecutors , or for our own dignity .

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THERE are periods in the history of states and mi ghty empires , when the purity which existed in the first bloom of youth seems to have faded away , the foundations on which the institutions of ages have rested seem to be loosening , the aspect of affairs seems to portend a change . Thus the great historian of the Roman

Empire traces back the commencement of its decline to the reign of Severus , when " both lawyers and historians concurred in teaching that the Imperial authority was derived not from the delegated commission , but from the irrevocable resignation of the Senate . " We know that at times the splendid talents of a despot have gilded

even illegitimate authority with a blaze of glory ; but we are not the more disposed to surrender our freedom , to yield a tacit consent to the union of the executive and legislative functions in the same person . HI fares it with a state when that person is the creature of a few , who vie with each other in supporting , or even

enforcing , his arbitrary mandates . So when the Emperor of Rome was nominated , elected , and supported by those banded cohorts , the Prcetorian Guards , honours and rewards were lavished on favourites , and sycophants ,

and worshippers of the powers that be . The pages of history should contain a warning to every empire , to every state , to every society of men , not to give up those privileges and prerogatives which they have inherited unimpaired , perhaps purchased with the blood of their ancestors , to any man or body of men , lest they only discover the loss of power by being villified and abused

for the mismanagement of affairs over which they have had no control—lest they discover that loss too late . When any bolder than the rest venture to remonstrate and enter a protest against any invasion of their rights , they expose themselves to the charge of being actuated by factious motives , of being prone to vindicate sedition .

When perhaps any signal proof of recklessness , or carelessness , or misconduct be pointed out-by them , they are said to use it as a stalking horse , for a party cry . Those , however , who are conscious of their own integrity , will treat such aspersions on then' motives with the contempt they merit , the " mens conscia recti" will rise

superior to calumnious accusations , and undeterred by impassioned panegyrics on ancient abuses will pursue their undeviating course , looking to the redress of grievances as their ulterior object , lamenting any restraint on ancient privileges , or any inroad on the right of free discussion;—where this is invaded freedom cannot dwell

, and without freedom there is no security for the happiness of the governed . And if rulers fail to gain wisdom by experience , if they obstinately persist in a policy that has been proved to be of a pernicious tendency and inju-