English Freemasonry.

Such an initiation as a " Baptism of Fire " would have been revolting to him and , I em sure , to all of us . Personally I certainly became a Freemason from a religious motive , for it seemed to me , as a Protestant , a grand idea to sink all differences and to be able to unite with all men of all nationalities and of all creeds in one common worship of God . At that time I knew nothing of Catholicism—perhaps I thought I did . As far as my experience goes it is impossible for a man to become conscientiously a Freemason unless he believes in God . When the Mason reverentially speaks of "The Great

Architect " he thinks he means The " One God , the Father Almighty , Maker of Heaven and Earth , and of all things visible and invisible . " I speak of Englishmen only ; I know nothing whatever of Continental Lodges . I have been informed that English Freemasonry , at the head of which is the Prince of Wales , has cut itself adrift from "The Grand Orient" and from any foreign Lodges that had so departed from the fundamental principle of Masonry as to do away with their profession of faith in " The Supreme Architect , " so as to admit Atheists as Brethren .

The " secret" of Freemasonry is simply the possibility of uniting men of all creeds in one common worship of God . That is all . Its position is that of the cultivated pagan , who regarded " all beliefs as equally true or equally false . " If Freemasonry possessed a secret the knowledge of which is of incalculable benefit for everybody—for Freemasonry is intended to imply universality—then Freemasonry is criminally wrong in keeping that knowledge a secret . If on the other hand there in no secret at all , then Freemasonry is a gigantic humbug in pretending to possess what it has not got .

Catholicism is the only true Freemasonry : it professes the Eevelation of God , and has the mission to impart it to all mankind . I have digressed a little from my original purpose in writing to you , which was simply to contradict emphatically , of my own knowledge and personal experience , Father Zimmerman ' s positive statement that " nowhere in the wholo world does a person become a Mason save by the Baptism of Fire . " Yours , F . 0 . B . 4 th October 1896 .

SIB , —Allow me to thank your correspondents , the Very Rev . Father Wyndham and Mr . James J . R . Ration , for their replies to my queries concerning the publication of " Le Palladium Regenere et Libre . " Those replies must be accepted as conclusive of the fact , for what it is worth ,

which , in my view , in something , though far from sufficient as proof of " Miss Diana Yaughan's " personality and conversion . The evidence upon the other point—the knowledge of Miss Vaughan at the alleged place of her early residence in America—seems rather obscure , and it is a master upon which , one would suppose , moro ample , definite , and first hand information might be forthcoming . Satisfactory evidence on this point would be important .

Another correspondent , "Anti-mason , " cites an alleged letter of Mazzmi to Albert Pike as though it were a document of ascertained or undisputed authority . As far as I am aware , it rests on the authority of Signor Margiotta , in his book , Lemmi .

Your obedient servant , C . C . MASSEY . 124 Victoria-street , S . W ., 17 th October . Sir , —While fully agreeing with your correspondent " F . 0 . B . " that there is not among English Masons any initial ceremony known as the

Baptism of Fire , and that many English Masons , from the Prince of Wales downwards , know nothing evil in tbe Craft , I take exception to hirn if he means to imply that their is nothing in English Freemasonry to shock the feelings of those who join it . Though there is not , as far as I know , any such ceremony as the Baptism of Fire , there is another which to my mind is far more horrible and profane from whatever standpoint we regard it .

I have in my possession , not a Catholic work written against English Masonry , which might be open to the suspicion of partiality , nor any of the sensational literature of the Diana Vaughan or Leo Taxil type , which is open to dispute as to accuracy , or authenticity ; but I possess one of the Masonic Rituals is use throughout all the English Lodges of Freemasonry . It is entitled " The Manual of Freemasonry " and is full of the ceremonial made use of in its various grades . What I call attention to , is

the form of oath taken by those who enter , which is as follows : " I , Mr . Nd ,. in the presence of the Great Architect of thc Universe and of this warranted , worthy , and worshipful Lodge of free and accepted Masons , regularly assembled and properly dedicted , of my own free will and accord , do hereby and hereon most solemnly and sincerely swear , that I will always hale , conceal , and never reveal any part or parts , point or points of the secrets and mysteries of or belonging to free and accepted Masons in Masonry , which

have been , shall now , or hereafter may be communicated to me , unless it be to a true and lawful brother or brothers , and not even to him or them until after due trial , strict examination or sure information from a well known brother , that he or they arc worthy of that confidence , or in the body of a just , perfect , and regular Lodge ol accepted Fret-masons . . . . These several points I solemnly swear to observe without evasion , equivocation . or mental reservation of any kind , and under no less a penalty on the violation of any of them than to have my throat cut across , my tongue torn out by the root

and my body buried in the sand of the sea at low water mark , or a cable's length from tho shore .... so help me God and keep me steadfast in this my great and solemn obligation of an entered apprentice Freemason . " He then seals his oath by kissing the Bible . While taking the oath , this Masonic Ritual states that thc candidate , having had all his money-metal taken from him , has his right arm , left breast and left knee bare , the right heel slipshod , is blindfolded , has a hempen noose round his neck , and a sword pointed towards his naked breast , and is kneeling .

Now , from tho proceeding oath whicb I have faithfully copied from the Masonic Ritual , I infer that this initial ceremony among English Masons ia most horrible and profane . In the first place no man is allowed to swear to keep secrets that he as yet knows nothing about , as to whether they be moral or otherwise , and much less is he allowed to swear such fealty to a society that , in se , has no divine or human right to exact an oath or vow from him . What right , forsooth , has Freemasonry , I would like to know , to

such a transaction ? Again , taking the oath in itself and the awful penalties to which the person taking it subjects himself if unfaithful , I cannot see how English Freemasonry can escape from the following dilemma ; either the oath is meant seriously or it is not . If the first then , besides what I have said , I consider it far from moral to place oneself in the power of any society of men aud allow them , in case of my violating an oath , to cut my throat or drown me , or in any other way to commit murder . Only tho State can

English Freemasonry.

inflict capital punishment ou those who deserve it , and carries out its sentence by the public executioner not by the Masonic societies . And then to call God to witness to such a transaction , to introduce the Holy Scriptures and seal this horri I compact by kissing their sacred pages , is to my mind most horrible and repugant to our Christian'instincts . But , perhaps , the whole transaction is only a farce not meant seriously . Granting it to be so , Masonry in England does not escape from this inevitable consequence . If

this oath be a farce and a travesty of an oath , thon it amounts to a most serious breach of the second Commandment : " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain . " Every Christian knows we are forbidden to take oaths or vows , or to swear by God without serious and weightyreasons . An oath is a sacred thing , God is holiness and truth itself , the Bible is His Sacred Written Word . How can English Masonry justify the light , and frivolous use of all three in a transaction that is but the parody of a sacred and solemn oath ?

Yours , < fce ., NOBBEBT JONES , C . R . L . Sidmouth .

Masonic Scholarships.

MASONIC SCHOLARSHIPS .

AT the July meeting of the Board of General Purposes , a suggestion was considered relative to the establishment of Masonic Scholarships in the four centres of the colony . Notwithstanding that the suggestion was withdrawn by the writer , we rejoice that the Board expressed the opinion that the funds of Grand Lodge are not sufficiently elastic for such a purpose .

The object of a scholarship is , we assume , to give assistance to those who require it to obtain higher education , which virtually can only be received in the four centres of the colony , and so far as a University course is concerned , only in Auckland , Christchurch , and Dunedin . As the value of the proposed scholarship is only £ 25 , it will be patent that they would be available to the

sons of the poorer members of the Craft in these centres alone , as the cost of boarding that would be entailed on a country member would place the distinction beyond his reach . Hence it would hardly be fair that the General Fund should be applied for the presumed benefit of one small section only . It will be noticed in the same report of the Board that the Grand Master

is taking the question up , and we are informed that his proposal will embody the raising of a special fund by voluntary contributions of Lodges aud members . There is only one objection to the modus operandi proposed , which was pertinently raised by P . G . M . Bro . ~ Thomson , at the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge , and judging by the applause it voiced the

general feeling . It is that Lodges should only be subject to monetary appeals for strictly Benevolent purposes . We cordially agreed with the sentiment then expressed , and would contend that Masonic scholarships do not come within that category . Of course it may , and doubtless will , be held that the whole scheme is voluntary in character , but against that we

may be allowed to urge that Masons of this colony are generously inclined and many Lodges would respond to such an appeal , not because their funds would afford it , but rather because they allowed their hearts to guide rather than their heads to reason . There are very many avenues open for the exercise of additional charity of the most pressing character . While we

have aged Masons indigent and uncared for , distressed Brethren wandering through the colony in search of employment , widows and orphans striving hard to obtain the absolute necessaries of existence , ib is not too much to ask that the luxury of scholarships should be held in abeyance till some permanent relief has been founded to meet actual charity as above indicated . For ourselves we have for many years advocated the claims of our aged and

indigent Brethren . In New South Wales a separate and special body , designated the " Masonic Benevolent Society of New South Wales , " deals entirely with such cases , by the payment of annuities ( details of which we submitted in July last ) . This commends itself to us as the most practical form for any now development of Masonic charity , and if the Grand Master will only substitute it for the scholarship scheme , we have some reason to think it will meet with very general approbation .

It may not be known that in 1831 a " Wellington District Masonic Scholarship Fund" was established in that district . Seven scholarshi ps were given , one ol £ 20 , five oi £ 15 , and one ol £ 10 10 s . Five to Boys and two to Girls . It had to be closed in 1888 , owing to Lodges ceasing their interest , and failing to contribute to its support . There is no reason to suppose that a similar fund instituted to-day would not meet with a like fate , as the

material conditions remain and will continue unchanged . The funds of Grand Lodge aro built up by contributions from all daughter Lodges , and elasticity apart , there are no good and sufficient reasons why any portion of such funds should be appropriated to the special advantage of those who may be favored by residential location in one of the chief centres of the colony .

New Zealand undoubtedly offers greater educational advantages than any other country in the world , hence Lodges should not be burdened to provide higher education to a few , who in the majority of cases could acquire it themselves without extraneous assistance by the exercise moderate self-denial . — "New Zealand Craftsman . "

EXTRACT FROM A LECTURE ON "FOODS , " BY DB . ANDREW WILSON . — " The consumption of cocoa happily increases year by year . I say ' happily , ' because , as tea and coffee are not foods , while cocoa is a true food , any increase in the national nutrition means an increase in the national prosperity . Winter , besides , is close upon us , and I advise those who a re susceptible to colds to lortily themselves against chill by attention to t heir food . The easiest way of effecting this end for many is to substitute ccc c ( Epps's being the most nutritious ) for tea and coffee . "