God's Ideal Of A Perfect Man.

symbols and impressive truths in our daily life , abiding in strength like the stately pillars at the temple porch , exemplifying truest charity in noble deeds and gentle words , silently as the sun breaks over the eastern hills , silently as the dew drops fall upon the waiting blossoms , silently as the great moon rolls up and silvers

all the land and sea , silently as one by one the stars come forth and bejewel the midnight sky , silently as in holy splendour the temple rose on Moriah ' s sacred brow , we build the noble temple of a Mason's life until we foregather with , the great brotherhood of Masons , who come from the ends of the earth white with aged

snows . " From tbe bounding breast of the tropic tide , Where the day beam ever glows , From the east where first they dwell , From the north and the south and the west ,

Where the sun puts oft his robes of light , And lays down his crown to rest . " And answering to the last great roll call we take our place in the Grand Lodge of a glorified humanity , and stand upon the level , in that upper Temple not built with hands . —Rev . Joseph Odery , Toronto , Ontario , in " Voice of Masonry . "

The Power Of Masonry.

THE POWER OF MASONRY .

OUR Institution , while in harmony with the conditions of to-day , reaches back into the achievements of the past and forward into the possibilities of the future . It was not created for any one age , and will always command the admiration of mankind . You will remember the Jewish tradition that every morning little angels are born by the brook that gives life and vigour to the flowers of paradise . They do not work ; their whole life is a song , and when evening comes they cease their song and disappear .

Thus it has been with a large number of the associations which have arisen and flourished for a time in the past . They had no abiding principles which would satisfy the aspirations and hopes of men ; nothing in their theory or practice which could open broad fields of usefulness ; no deep purpose to claim the interest of humanity ; no foundation on which to erect a

superstructure which would command the admiration and support of the intelligent and learned mind , and unite men in the bonds of a common Brotherhood ; and hence they fell into oblivion . But it is not so with our Institution . It stands to-day stronger than ever , and looks back upon ages which are filled with monuments of its usefulness and power .

But , it may be asked , what gives it its power and usefulness ? What attracts king and subject , statesman and peasant , Jew and Gentile , to its portals ? What gives it its peculiar identity ? Not its so-called secrets . Not its ceremonies , impressive though they be . There is no importance , no serious importance , attached to them . They are in no sense the foundation stones of our temple . Its great principles—universal and catholic as they are —are not mysterious .

Everyone knows what charity , truth , virtue , life and death are , and believes that his soul shall live eternally . It is these great truths and realities which it is the mission of Masonry to teach , that lie at the very foundation of our Institution and give it its peculiar identity . The inculcation of these principles by instructive lectures and impressive symbols has given Masonry

its honourable position , made it universal in its Brotherhood , boundless in its possibilities , and unrivalled by any human institution in its power for good . Age has brought no infirmity , but its vigour and the measure of veneration accorded to it test its excellence . It is in harmony with the activities of this nineteenth century .

Out of the wisdom and achievements of the past , which tradition and history have transmitted to us , out of the past of humanity , it has come down to us , hand in hand and keeping even pace with education and advancing civilisation , diffusing its influence and leaving its iinpre & s upon every age , and to-day

stands as a conservator of law , liberty , equality , fraternity and the dignity and freedom of man ; and with the silent ministration of the symbolism of the square and compass , the level and plumb , seeks to reprove injustice and oppression , and establish among men the principles of charity and brotherly love . —Grand Master Hutchinson , of Massachusetts .

Moon Lodges.

MOON LODGES .

rg ^ HE presumed object of regulating meetings of Masonic 1 Lodges by the moon is lor the convenience of members living at a distance , to give them as much light as possible on their journey , and this purpose is served in those Lodges that make their meeting—the stated night—nearest to full moon , as it is always then held within three days either before or after . But this does not present sufficient complication for some Lodges ,

Moon Lodges.

and all sorts of devices are resorted to , most of which effectually defeat the object of moon regulation . For instance , some Lodges elect to hold their meetings on a certain day after full moon . Others again fix the day on or

preceding , with the result that assuming the day of meeting to be Monday before full moon , and the full moon happens on Sunday , the moon that month does not benefit members to any appreciable extent , in fact it is " off . " And so it must periodically happen to all Lodges that regulate their meetings in this peculiar

manner . But unfortunately this is not the full extent of the occasional complication , and to fully illustrate the position we will take the case of St . Augustine Lodge , No . 99 , for the present month . The regular meeting of this Lodge , like many others , is held " on the Wednesday on or after the full moon in each month , installation

at the regular meeting in January . " Now , in the month of December the night of meeting was Wednesday , 28 th , the date of full moon ; but in the present month the moon is at its full on Friday , 27 th , and Tuesday is the last day of the month , consequently there is no Wednesday after full moon in January , and the problem to solve is , when will the installation in January beheld ?

Had the meeting been the Wednesday " nearest" full moon no difficulty would occur . As it is , it is a virtual impossibility for the Lodge to hold its meeting in strict conformity with its by-laws . We could point out a number of instances when

Lodges get into like difficulties owing to this eccentricity of arrangement . In their own interests we suggest the substitution of " nearest " for " before " or " after . "— " New Zealand Craftsman . " [ There are many Lodges in this country where the same difficulty arises . What is the custom in such cases ?—Ed . P . O . ]

Disappointment attends mortal man at almost every step of his earthly pilgrimage . His anticipations are not fully met ; his ideals are not realised , and there are some Dead Sea apples in the fruit he gathers . Even in Freemasonry the actual expression does not always measure up to the expected representation . Not

long ago a young Mason was declaring his surprise and disappointment , in the presence of the writer , because he found so much of selfishness manifested by Brethren , and so many alienations existing even among members of the same Lodge . Masonic

practice , he had found , was not quite the same as Masonic profession . We may regret the fact ; but we shall not fail to rejoice that such shortcomings show the grand ideal of Freemasonry . It is poor human nature to which we may properly refer the lapses for its high standard . — " Keystone . "

One of the poorest recommendations a candidate for the degrees can have is that of "I do not think he will do us any harm . " It simply means that the individual is a good-for-nothing , shiftless person , without a single trait of character to commend him to his fellow man . The fact that a man has enemies is in his

favour , for it shows that he has ideas and will power , and is capable of so impressing those with whom he comes in contact . It is these harmless fellows that never do any good , and we have about enough of them already , judging from the large number of suspensions each year . — " Illinois Freemason . "

Catholics And Masonry.

CATHOLICS AND MASONRY .

THE following appeared in a recent issue of our contemporary , the " Catholic Times . " SIR , —I think most Catholics have a general idea that they ought not to become Freemasons , but the reasons for being prohibited from joining Masonry do not seem to be at all clear , and although one is often asked by Masons to state the exact reasons for not joining their Craft , it must be confessed that , so far as I can ascertain , there is not much real data to go

upon . I have searched through lists of Catholic literature hoping to discover books on the subject which would help one to combat Masonic arguments , but without success , while the statement is constantly put forward by Masons that many Catholics belong to their body already .

That Freemasonry holds a very powerful social sway in this country seems an undoubted fact , and it would be of immense service to Catholics if you could open your columns to a discussion on the question of " Why Catholics are opposed to Masonry . " Yours , etc ., LONDON CATHOLIC .

[/ Secret societies are condemned by the Catholic Church , and as such Masonry has been the object of five Papal Bulls . Of course , it is not denied tbat in this country Masonry is more or less a mutual aid society . But of course the principle of the organisation is everywhere the same . —ED . C . T . ]

Old Age Pensions . —To help on the movement , and to keep a record of all that transpires in connection witb it , is to be the leading feature of a new cheap quarterly , called "Pensions and Progress , " a Magazine of Help . It will be published by Mr . Upcott Gill , and edited by Mr . C . H . Cook ,