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MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION For Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . Grand Patron and President : His ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G . & c , M . W . G . M . Treasurer : —JOHN A . FARNFIELD , Esq . Bankers : —LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANK ( Bloomsbury Branch ) , 214 High Holborn , London , W . C . Upwards of 1672 Annuitants have received the benefits of the Institution since its foundation in 1842 and 1849 . 207 men and 248 widows are Annuitants at the present time . 30 widows , in addition , are receiving half their late husband ' s annuity . Amount paid Annually in Annuities £ 16 , 684 124 CANDIDATES FOR NEXT ELECTION . Only 18 vacancies . THE ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL Will be held at the FREEMASONS' TAVERN , LONDON , W . C , ON TUESDAY , 27 TH FEBRUARY 1900 , Under the distinguished Presidency of The Right Honourable LORD ADD 1 NGTON , R . W . Prov . Q . Master for Buckinghamshire . Brethren are earnestly solicited to accept the Stewardship upon this most important occasion , and to kindly forward their names as soon as possible , with full particulars , to JAMES TEJRRY ( Pat ., P . G . Swd . B . ) , Secretary , by whom the same will be gladly received , and who will thankfully acknowledge same . Office— 4 Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C .

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THE BUNCH OF CRAPES , Lime Street , Leadenhall MarKet , E . C . Excellent accommodation fop Lodges of Instruction . Handsome Dining Rooms , fitted with electric light , where Dinners , Lunches and Suppers' are served a la carte , also Private Dinneis by arrangement . All Wines , Spirits , Cigars , & c , of the best quality . The Confidence Lodge of Instruction meets at this establishment every Wednesday evening , at 7-30 . Bro . C . J . GOOVEARTS , Manager .

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Our Silver 3 ubike : 1875 = 1900 . The Freemason ' s Chronicle . A Weekly Record of Masonic Intelligence . Published every Saturday , price 8 d . 13 s 6 d per annum , post free . i-THE FEEEMASON'S CHRONICLE will be forwarded direct from the Office , J- Fleet Works , Bulwer Boad , New Barnet , on receipt of remittance for the amount . Scale of Charges for Advertisements . Page ... ... ... ... ... £ 10 10 0 Births , Marriages , and Deaths , Is per line . General Advertisements , Trade Announcements , & c , narrow column , 5 s per inch . News column Advertisements Is per line . Special terms for a series of insertions or particular positions on application ,

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SATURDAY , 10 TH FEBRUARY 1900 .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

A MOVEABLE Grand Lodge will be held , on invitation of the Provincial Grand Mark Master , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and Brethren of the Province of Cheshire , at the Board School , Crescent Road , Dukinfield , on Saturday next , 17 th inst .

Mark Grand Lodge.

The Grand Lodge will be opened at 3 o'clock , the business of the meeting including the consecration and reconstitution of the Ashton District Lodge Time Immemorial , by the M .. W . Pro Grand Master the Earl of Euston , who will be assisted by the Grand Officers of the year .

Dinner will be provided at 5 o'clock precisely , tickets for which , 5 / - each exclusive of wine , may be obtained not later than Monday next , 12 th inst ., of Bro . James Fitton , 167 Stamford Street , Ashton-under-Lyne .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the writers , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

28 fch APRIL 1875 . To the Editor of THE F EEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAB SIR AND BROTHER , —I have waited week by week so far this year , quite expecting some more influential Brother would ask this question : —On the above date our M . W . G . M . was installed—what is to be done to commemorate the 25 years of prosperity , NOW NEARLY COMPLETED , under a rule which has been kindly , impartial , and most beneficial to the Craft ?

That we owe some acknowledgment must be patent to everybody , as must also be the fact that it can be the lot of few Grand Masters to fill that Office for a quarter of a century . We all know the M . W . G . M . ' s unselfishness , but for that reason we cannot allow an opportunity like this to pass by . Money or money ' s worth could not have purchased , nor can either pay for , such services as His Royal Highness the Grand Master has without stint

. freely rendered to the Craft at large , and therefore no such method could possibly satisfy my indebtedness as a Mason , and I am sure thousands share that feeling ; moreover , I trust those of " the powers that be " who are better qualified than myself will be able to devise some better means by which , at least , our Masonic Sovereign may be made to feel in his own Royal breast how strongly the great heart of Freemasonry throbs with gratitude . This would not be mere loyalty , it is an imperative Craft DUTY . Yours fraternally , 5 th February 1900 . J . EAJISDEN RILEY .

"UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD LODGE ? To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I clipped the following from the " Portsmouth Evening News , " 31 st January last : MASONRY AND JESUITISM . —A paper was read last night at the Pons mouth " Universal Brotherhood " Lodge upon this subject . The writer cnHed attention to the attempts of Jesuits to increase their power in various ways , and appealed to Masons as a broadminded , unsectatiaii budy to resist the attempt to the utmost .

What is this Society ? Is it a trick of the old Serpent to stain the character of Freemasons by making the ignorant believe they ( the Freemasons ) are enemies to religion ? Yours fraternally , ENQUIRER .

Catholics And Freemasonry.

CATHOLICS AND FREEMASONRY .

npHE following further correspondence has appeared in J _ the " Catholic Times " : SIR , —Your correspondent , T . May asserts that " Freemasonry has nothing in its charges and covenants ( or oaths ) detrimental or antagonistic either to the Christian religion or to the Catholic Church . " Now , soma years ago I happened to have one of their books of ceremonies up to the

third degree in my possession , in which all the more important secrets were concealed by initial letters only and dashes , or initial and final letters , and the oath was given as far as the following : The novice is given % sign and told that it is the sign of the oath , or the " penalty of his obligation" that " as a man of honour I !) and a Mason you would rather havey 1 o " as a man 01 honour ( 1 ) ana a LVlason you would rattier navey 1 o

a than improperly disclose the secrets of Masonry , or permit them to be disclosed , " & c . Some years later , however , " Modern Society " inserted some paragraphs about Christmas 1 S 92 , on tbe " Awful Holy Oath" of Freemasonry , and stated that it was taken with the candidates kneeling upon their knees and with both hands laid upon the Bible , open at a certain chapter ( not mentioned ) , and that they wound up with the words : "And

may the Most High keep me steadfast in this my most solemn (!) obligation . " Now , a very little guessing enables oue to fill in the blanks of y i—¦—c a , of which I will supply three , and leave the fourth to the shrewd imaginations of your readers : " your t—cut across , " the "t— " no doubt referring to some vital part of one ' s anatomy , and the " or permit thorn to be disclosed" no doubt implying some vital part in the anatomy of someone else . Hence the accompanying sign of the " Awful Holy ( 1 ) Oath " can be readily imagined , and hence also the utterly demoralising and antagonistic

character of the Freemason brotherhood , to every form of the Christian brotherhood , which should be founded upon love solely , and not upon superficial signs , tokens , passwords , and handshakes , and an "Awful " oath which further tempts the " Most High , " is only too apparent . Hence it is impossible for any minister or servant of Christ to be also a Freemason , or vice versa , for did he not say , " But I say unto you , swear not at all " ? But there are other points in the initiation ceremonies of Masonry Jalmost equally as demoralising as the oath , Yours , & c , VERITAS ,