Masonic Criticism.

to sour the tempers and increase the determination of those to whom tho " inspired" author takes objection . The best answer they could make to those who claim to have the right to object , and do object in the manner they choose , " in the open " and not behind closed doors , is to

admit that much of what has been stated , if not the whole , is worthy of their consideration ; that tho same shall be considered ; and that they take the very earliest opportunity to consider accordingly . There would be some senso in that ; and those whom the managements and

t ' ie " inspired author" now think are inimical to them and the Institutions , but are not , would be neither sillv nor ignorant , nor careless enough to prejudge or prejudice the i lquiry which , under any circumstances , is certain to follow the present agitation .

Meanwhile , and until our correspondents are satisfied that their representations will have attention and consideration , our pages will remain open to all such as will

do their best to eschew the epithets of the " inspired " author , and to state their \ iews in that temperate , prudent , firm and just manner which becometh those who know what is meant by " the length of a , Mason ' s cable-tow . "

Masonic Ball At Liverpool

MASONIC BALL AT LIVERPOOL

IN AID OF THE WEST LANCASHIRE MASONIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION . The 40 th annual grand Masonic Festival and Ball at the Town Hall . Liverpool , on the lath inst .. was , in every sense . worthy of the brotherhood and the charity in whose interests it took place . The gathering" was rendered especially picturesque by the striking

variety of masonic clothing" , insignia , and jewels worn by those representatives of the " mystic order " who were present ; and , as tho " uninitiated " were , as usual , also admitted without question , the assembly proved one of the most brilliant and successful of the series . The patronage was distinguished , but unfortunately very few of the ladies , noblemen , and gentlemen who gave the colour of

tieir names to tho charitable enterprise made their appearance . Tho exceptions were Bio . E . H . Cookson , Mayor of Liverpool , and Bro . C . Wells . Mayor of Bootle . The former , with Mrs . Henry Oookson as his fair assistant , received the visitors to the ball in his usually courteous manner . With Bro . Lord Lathom , P . G . M ., as president ( who was not present ) , the following committee

carried out the arrangements for tho gathering with singular success : —Bro . T . M . Shuttleworth , P . S . G . W ., chairman ; Bro . J . H . Tyson , P . M . 1182 , vice-chairman ; Bro . It . II . Leake . JAY 1547 , treasurer ; aud Bro . II . M . Molyneux , P . P . G . D . C ., master of ceremonies . The onerous duties of honorary secretary could not have been better fulfilled thau they were by Bro . T . A . Withev , P . M .

1299 , to whom much of tho success of tho pleasant assembly was duo . A band of stewards , numbering 120 , was skilfully conducted by Bro . T . Jarman , S . W . 1325 , and tho comfort of something like 700 patrons was greatly promoted by their efforts . Special mention is merited by the generosity of Bro . J . Do Bels Adam , who presented the stewards ' badges—a gift from which the funds of the West

Lancashire'' will greatly benefit . Bro . Thomas Wood , Bold Street , was the caterer , and once more lie proved a premier purveyor . Bro Oollinson ' s band supplied the music . Tho honorary secretary , Bro . Withey , stated that the donations to the festival fund for this year amount to a very considerable sum , aud it will be interesting to the brethren to know that the latest on the list was one of ten guineas bv the , late Bro . . T . Cobb am .

"We are indebted to the Liverpool Mercury for the above particulars . as also for tho following interesting information respecting what it is pleased to term " a noble charity" : —The West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution—original in its conception , unique in its government and management , and singularly successful in the field of charity which it has occupied with so much effectiveness .

AVhile the majority of other masonic institutions of a similar nature are carried on at considerable cost , it is the justly proud boast of those brethren who have the interests of the " West Lancashire " so much at heart that not one farthing of the money so freely bestowed by the numerous lodges in the provinces—nearly 90 in numbergoes for official expenses , the whole of the work being carried on

voluntarily , as well as enthusiastically and successfully , as the results clearly demonstrate . That success continues to crown the efforts of those brethren who have thus so self-sacrificingly taken upon themselves the duty of making the institution a pattern to all the world , is shown by the figures to hand with regard to the working of 1 SSS . From these it appears that no fewer than 206

children had received a good education and grants for advancement in life ; and 19 children wero in receipt of the benefits of what is known as tho •¦ combined fund "—a recently-developed feature of the charity , comprising education and entire maintenance . In addition to these leading lines of tho institution ' s foundation , two ¦ presentations for 21 years to well-known educational institutions

WJrc purchased in 1888 at a cost of £ 700 . Tho charge attaching to t leso most benevolent schemes last year was about £ 2 . 850 , while tlio annual subscription- ; aud donations only reached the sum of about £ 800 , against £ 1 , 4 . 10 in Jubilee year , when a special effort was made . It should bo mentioned in this connection that there is

a '; present a reserve fund of something like £ 20 . 000 . So far . there has novcL been a contested election in connection with tho West Lancashire Masonic Eduoational Institution , and the committee express a fervent hope that this contingency may be long delayeda L event not likely to occur if the brethren of the province continue general liberal support to their pet institution .

The Ritual.

THE RITUAL .

CONTINUATION OF CHAP . V . OF Bno . II . J . WHYJIPER ' " RELIGION OF FKEEMASONKY . "—( sec pag j 304 . ) fWiS'l E thus have hero a departure , or , more properly spcakms ; . lifi ?! an advance , on the original belief in a purely monod God . | f | i | J | We now have a recognition of a triune God . The Ritual Jssiyjlll of Metropolitan working recognises this as fully as do other Rituals . It is stated that " the triple T denotes His triune

essence . We have already shown that one of the persons , the second , in the Royal Arch Trinity is the Word—the Son . In the Grand Lodge of England there is a roll of parchment dated "Anno Domini 1183 . " Brother Hughan says this "is evidently a mistake of the copyist , and most likely was intended to be A . D . 1583 , as that is about the period when it was written . " On the back is written , at some date later than that of the MS .

itself'' In the beginning was the word And the word was with God And the word was God Whose sacred and universal law [ will endeavour to observo So help me God . "

The opening of the Chapter is the business of the Three Principals , who ore severally three Matt era , and ronjnintly only one ; and they , by a series of rites known to themselves alone , commenced this important duty at the original establishment of the Order , by each repeating one of the three clauses in the first . verse of the first Chapter of St . John , and then conjointly the

whole verse . We ourselves , who occupied all the offices in a Chapter before the Union , speak from experience when we affirm that such was the formula at that period { i . e . 1813 ) , although the passage has been since expunged . " * Despite this exposition ( which it never should have been necessary for us to give ) , we find teachers offering explanations that

the word discovered was no more than the Ritual states , forgetting that the Ritual is admittedly merely allegorical wherever possible . The discovery thus resolves itself into the finding of a batch of seven letters forming a supposed name of God , which there- is some reason to believe has no real significancy at all . beyond that , in its combinations , the Christianity of the Degree , is evidenced .

This mere word might , for all illustrative purposes , have just as well been any one of half a dozen other words . If no other teaching underlies the Degree than that a name to conjure with hai been revealed , tho Kabbala would furnish equally important words . The word '' Temura , " intimating that a transposition was desirable , would be more appropriate .

Wo have , in fact , with the Royal Arch Degree , one of the greatest : possible anomalies firmly established in the minds of some brethren , who , whilst perfectly ready to apply a symbolical meaning In everything else in Masonry , are prepared to treat the supposed recovery of the lo . it word as a veritable discovery of a name highly important in itself , but not svmbolioal in its nature . That this

view is entertained in India we know . Neither do wo see how , if no Christian interpretation is allowed to the word restored to mankind , any other than a Kabh'listio view can be entertained . With a Jewish exposition wo have no concern—we have no desire to interfere with it ; its operation can only bo a Jewish one , and given a Royal Arch Chapter composed of Jews only , such a

modification of our Ritual would lie very appropriate . Since writing the foregoing wo have been kindly furnished , by a valued Parsee brother , with copies of the Kituals commonly used in Bombay , both in Lodges and Chapters . In this Ritual of initiation Christ is spoken of as '" our Saviour , " aud the Christian , parallels iu the Fifth Section of the Fir .-. f Lecture

are also referred to . This , whilst correct according to our views , is somewhat astonishing . That these , references should be mado in Lodges which place all sacred volumes on an equality is hardly consistent . With mixed feelings of pleasure and discontent we turned to the Ritual of the Royal Arch Degree , that which is the culmination of the previous Degrees . With a full recognition of

Christianity in the lower Degrees , we . could only expect to find that , in the complement , this principle would be enlarged upon . To our bewilderment and positive dismay , we find a reversion to the earlier religion . The Royal Arch Degree is thus described , in the Ritual before us , as being " in its strictest sense a Jewish Lodge , or at all events

acceptable at all times to our Jewish brethren . " This , indeed , is a pretty confusion . Hero we have a Masonic system , or what purports to be some part of a system , recognising Jesus Christ as the Saviour of Mankind in its lower degrees , and . in its completion considering the " word , " once again made manifest to mankind as some real or assumed Hebrew name of God 1 Thus the perfection

of a Christian system culminates in the adoption of Hebrew dogma which rejects all the former belief 1 A long residence in India has certainly tended to make us think that a Mason is never proporly consistent unless he indulges in a certain amount of inconsistency , but wo admit being somewhat staggered with this last instance , we are aware that some brethren are-sufficiently callous to pass

over oven such a confusion of thought , as that of which wo have adduced ovidence , without notice ; but unless Freemasonry is to be classed as utter tomfoolery , it is time attention wore drawn to Masonic principles . In speaking of our ceremonies , Hutchinson said , ' Our lights are t / pical of tho Holy Trinity . " ! This was at least Masonic teachmir iu 1775 .

* Oliver ' s " Masonic Jurisprudence , " p . 330 . t Hutchinson's " Spirit Of Masonry , " 1 st edition , 177 J , p . 110 . ( Td Id continued ) .