What Is Expected Of Freemasonry.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF FREEMASONRY .

THE peculiar system of morality , veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols , which is known to the world by the name of Freemasonry , is regarded in very different lights by different people . There are some who look upon it as the essence of all that is evil , and its members as the

most depraved of the human race ; while others consider it the embodiment of truth , virtue , and every good that is known to the world , and almost exhibit a desire to fall down and worship those who are in any way associated

with it . Some men regard its members as though they breathed a different existence to themselves , removed from all the troubles and cares of life , and sure of attaining their every desire , while others again look upon

Freemasons as being so bound together as to be answerable for the misdeeds and mishaps of all who are , or ever have been , members of the Craft . That these extreme views of

the power and responsibilty of Freemasonry are erroneous we need hardly inform our readers , but no doubt there are many among them who , like ourselves , have occasionally felt a desire to convice outsiders on the point .

Within the last few weeks a misfortune occurred in our

midst which , thanks to the desire of the press to satisfy the public taste for sensational news , has been widely circulated throughout the country , and in not a few instances has called forth comments both unnecessary and

disparagmg to the Masonic Order . We refer to the sad case of death from exposure which recently took place on Plumstead Common , and to which "VIGIL" referred in the correspondence columns of our issue of the 8 th inst .

We sincerely regret the sad end which betel the unfortunate brother to whose death reference is made , but we fail to see why Freemasonry is , so to speak , to be called to account for the mishap , or its members in any way held

responsible for the death of this one of their number . Yet the most unkind things have been said of Freemasonry in connection with this case , by some of the self-appointed

critics who have given their attention to the subject , and in not a few instances most ludicrous mistakes have been made as to the scope and action of Masonic charity .

We do not wish to bring any special knowledge we may have of the facts to bear on our remarks , but simply desire to consider the case as it was made known to the world . An unfortunate member of society , who was

a member of the Masonic Order , died from exposure and want , and among the articles found on his body was a Masonic certificate . Now some of those who have criticised this case at once assume that the unfortunate man had

appealed in vain to his brother Masons , and argue that his death is convincing proof that the boasted charity of the Masonic Order is a myth , whereas there is nothing to show that he had not long since resigned his membership

of the Order , and had perhaps never said a word to any of his fellow Masons as to his need for assistance . A writer who would refer to the subject at all may be assumed to know that Freemasons have the credit of being charitable ,

else he would have no reason for mentioning it . Now , it seems to us very strange that any one having such knowledge should not be aware that the Benevolence of the Order was a recognised fact rather than a matter open to doubt . Looking at the subject calmly and without bias , we are

What Is Expected Of Freemasonry.

inclined to think that too much is expected of Freemasonry , and we refer to the case mentioned above in proof of this theory . That Freemasonry should be called to account for the death of one who , in days gone by , was regularly received as a member is to us absurd , as also are the

references which are occasionally made to the Masonic connection of criminals and others . It is impossible that Freemasonry should make all who enter its portals good men ; all that we as Masons claim is , that ifc is likely to improve

a man—not that it is certain to do so , and if others would regard the matter in the same light we think more rational ideas of what is due from Freemasonry would beoome general , and . the few black sheep to be found among its

membership would not be made so much of by those who seem to desire the downfall of Freemasonry . When so much is made of one slip does it not prove that the greater number of Freemasons are equal to , if not above , the general average ?

What A Great American Mason Can Believe.

WHAT A GREAT AMERICAN MASON CAN BELIEVE .

BY BROTHER JACOB NORTON .

BRO . ROB MORRIS is an LL . D ., a P . G . M . of Ken . tucky , a linguist , a scholar , an orator , an author , and a poet . I think that up to 1868 he claims to have either written , annotated , or published more than seventy

Masonic books ; and as to his Sunday School and Masonic orations , I think they could be counted by thousands . In theology , however , he is not quite " sound on the goose , "

for , in his " Freemasonry in the Holy Land , " published in 1879 , on page 223 , he says .

" The Bible is to be judged by its general scope and intention—not by a few isolated passages , and these possibly misconceived in the process of translation from a

language highly idiomatic and poetical to one extremely practical . Many of Us traditions and teachings were delivered orally , and awaited for years the pen of the historian ; bow easy then to mistake their meaning . " Bro . Morris ' s admission above—which I

italicisestrongly shows his disbelief that every word in our present bible was inspired . However , though a strict Calvinist would not call Bro . Morris a Christian saint , yet , if saintship consists in believing without reason and against

reason , Bro . Morris will be placed in the first rank of Masonic saints ; for , when writing about Masonic legends , there are no bounds to his faith . It matters not to Bro . Morris when Masonic traditions originated , nor in what

language they first appeared , or how many years after they were promulgated they were first written down by a historian—if it is only a Masonic tradition , he is sure it is true . Bro . Morris ' s appetite was not satisfied with the

traditions he got in all the Masonic degrees in creation , which he had taken , but he even made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and other countries , iu order to pick up more traditions ; and in the course of his travels in the Holy Land , or in

Arabia , he was initiated into a Dervish Lodge , whose ceremonies he described in one of his lectures in Boston , as almost identical with our own Masonic ceremonies . Bro .

Morris not only collected many Masonic traditions in the Orient , but while there he chiselled the square and compass on every rock , tomb , cave , and old ruin which he