Ever Sacred.

Bat Masonry , liko all sublunary things , has had and still has its enemies . Those enemies , in the times now past , woro powerful and often cruel . But I caro not to open these barbarous records of tho past , either to arrange our enemies or to vindicate our sublime Craft . Suffice it

to say that Masonry , in the ages thafc are past , with charity for all and persecution for none , has borne with becoming fortitude its trials and perils , biding its time

with patience ; and that , when her secrets were demanded by tho base or the powerful , she has answered with fche firmness and devotion of fche widow ' s son , and fche secrets

remained sacred—the would-be destroyer getting nothing but dust and ashes . When her principles wero assailed or challenged , she answered her accusers with the royal dignity and wisdom of Hiram of Tyre and Solomon of Israel , and the world listened . When her devoted leaders

were placed on tho burning pile , they fearlessly summoned their persecutors to meet them before the throne of the Eternal Father . When her sons , as a lasfc insult , were denied burial in consecrated ground , she proudly answered

that any ground is holy and consecrated in which is planted by Masonic hands the sprig of acacia , and on which rests the eye of God . But , despite the war upon her , she now stands forth

sovereign of the ascendant , clothed in royal purple . Foi sho has this day in her ranks moro presidents , kings , princes , governors , rulers , bishops , statesmen , generals , judges , law-givers , and great ones , than any othor body of

men upon the earth ; and none dare lay in anger their finger " upon the hem of her garment . " She has enemies yet—but who aro they ? They may be set forth in two classes . Firsfc , that class of men , confined to no clime , and

called and best described by the word " crank . " This class proudly numbers in its fold the criminal , tho fool and the idler—an unsavoury trinity of political cranks , social cranks , and religious cranks—a body of men who never

begin or advance any good work , but aro always trying to pull down something erected by others . As their cranky disposition renders them incapable of organising for any good work , ifc makes them doubt tho capacity of others : so

also it renders them almost powerless as enemies . True , they aro for ever jabbering about thc pornicionsnoss and usolessncss of secret societies , over contending that all good things should bo made public to everybody .

But we , remembering the wise and ancient injunction , " , Givoye not thou that which is holy unto tho dogs , neither cast ye your pearls before swine , " regard them as tho idle wind and pass on with our work . Tho second class is

composed of pseudo-religionists from all creeds—Catholic , Greek , Protestant , Hebrew , Mohammedan , Buddhist , Mormon and Spiritualist—those who are more righteous than

thoir brothers in tho several denominations of tho earth , a zealous , fuming , frothing lot , that would light again the torch and fagot , bring forth again the rack , the wheel , and tho instruments of torture ; but the wise and good of every

creed stand with us against the whole motley herd of selfrighteous fanatics , and we laugh at their fury . —Voice of Masonry .

The Unaffilated Mason.

THE UNAFFILATED MASON .

THE gentleman whoso designation heads this ' article is a soro thorn in the side of somo Grand jurisdictions , who aro constantly legislating , with more or less success , with a view to improving him off the face of the earth

The Grand Lodge of England , true to its traditional ostrich-head-in-sand policy , lets things slide , closes both eyes , and passes by on the other side , whilst the Grand Lodge of Scotland treats the unaffiliated on very much tho

samo footing as the subscribing member . Aud yet tho " Mason " who is not sufficient of a Mason to keep up a connection with any one Lodge , is an anomaly of the most flagrant character , and Grand Lodges ought to get rid of him or * perish in the attempt . It is perfectly true , no

doubt , that in a certain sense a man once a Mason is always a Mason , in so far as the modicum of esoteric knowledge he has obtained cannot be taken away from him , but it does not follow as a necessary corollary that every man who has managed to slip through the very loose portals of the ballot box , and has paid his moderate initiation fees , should

ergo acquire tho right for the remainder of his natural existence of enjoying the privileges and pleasures of an

The Unaffilated Mason.

institution built up and kept together by the self-denying labours of more energetic men . In this colony of ours , and if we may judge by our exchanges in every part of the Masonic world , there are numbers of Masons , save tho

mark , who for years have never paid one single cent of money , or contributed one single hour of labour to the Craft , but who nevertheless roll up regularly at a banquet or a ball , flaunt themselves in Masonic regalia at any big

ceremonial , or make their Masonic existence known shonld unfortunate circumstances render them dependent upon charity . For some there is every excuse . Ifc may happen that after doing their Masonic duty for a certain period , untoward circumstances have prevented their fulfilling

their financial obligations fco the Craffc . To them wo can only extend our fraternal sympathy . But they only constitute a small minority of the unaffiliated . The bulk of thoso who are Masons minus Lodge membership , have dropped working connection with the Craft from other and less excusable causes . Either their enthusiasm does nofc rise to the financial high water mark of ten or twelve

shillings per quarter , or they are of the wrong stuff , and never should havo been admitted , or the Lodges havo failed to interest and retain hold of them . For the first class wo have nothing but contempt . For the second the loose notions now so prevalent about the use of the blackball

are responsible , sov the third , Lodges have to blame themselves . As we have before pointed out , Lodges fail grievously in their duty if they do not give their initiates some more solid metal pabulum than stale repetitions of ceremonies whioh lead to nothing . But at the same time tho neglect of Lodges in this respect does not justify members in ceasing to subscribe to them . The

great array of unaffiliates is so numerous that if disgust at the methods of Lodges were tho real moving spring of their abstention they could have worked a beneficial revolution ages ago . And , broadly speaking , for a brother

who is not a member of a Lodge to show himself as a Mason at all is a diagraco and a piece of meanness of which no honourable man should be guilty . The English Constitutions lay down a rule that non-affiliates should

visit no ono Lodge more than once , but this rule is flagrantly aud constantly disregarded , and the non-affiliatea rise to tho surface ( on grand occasions ) as constantly as over . Our American friends , with their customary

" level headedness , " keep a much sharper watch on the non-affiliates , and some of them havo made these gentry pay dues to Grand Lodges or lose their Masonic status altogether . Some such provision , drastic though it may seem , wo should cordially welcome , but failing it , we

should say thafc tho first W . M . who has the moral courage to refuse admittance to a non-affiliate who visits his Lodgo a second time would prove himself a true exemplar of the Constitutions which he has solemnly pledged himself to observe .

Bro . the Rev . T . W . Lemon , M . A ., Prov . G . J . W . of the Province of Devon , P . S . G . Warden of Prov . Mark Grand Lodge of Devon , and Prov . Prior of the Knights Templar of Devon , presented a donation , on tho 19 th ult ., of one hundred guineas to the Masonic Institution for Boys , and completed his gift of one hundred guineas to tho

Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . He had previously constituted himself a Vice Patron of the Masonic Institution for Girls , and by his present donations is now Vico Patron of all three of tho great London Masonic charities .

The half-yearly meeting of the Annuity Fund Board of Grand Lodge of Scotland was held on tho 18 th ult ., Bro . Elliot , of Wolfloe , presiding . Petitions were read from 41 applicants for election as annuitants . After carefully going over the list a short leet of fifteen were electedtwelve of £ 10 each , two of £ 15 each , and one of £ 20 .

Bro . Brackstone Baker has been nominated representative of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania at the United Grand Lodge of England . He has received a similar appointment from the Grand Lodges of Ohio and Michigan . Bro . Baker is now the accredited delegate of twenty United States Grand Lodges , besides two of the Dominion of Canada , viz ., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia ,