What Is Christianity?

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY ?

DEDICATED TO THE FREEMASONS OF GREAT BRITAIN . A world-famous prelate of the Roman Catholic Church , in course ot conversation with a correspondent of the D . tily Telegraph , remarked , " There is no doubt as to the anti-Christian character of Freemasonry . " What is true Christianity ? The pomp of outward show , The organ voice of lofty praise , the solemn chant and slow , The prayeir for all the world to hear , the ostentatious deed ? Oh , no ! there is a loftier and a diviner

creed—The creed some call Humanity , and some , whosi spirit-sight Can pierce through falsehood's dusk to where awaits Truth's morning light , Have called , withdiuntless faith and hope , the sole sweet creed of Him Who preached the Brotherhood of Man in ages dark and dim . What , then , is Christianity ? The strong , the helpful hand That aids a struggling brother-man , whate ' er his faith or land ; The heart that's open unto all who suffer and who need—That is true Christianity , a very Christ-like creed .

What ! anti-Christian I Their grand creed , which teaches one and all To hold together , heart and hand , together stand or fall ! Not Christians they , that ever first and foremost in the van In all that's great and noble prove the Brotherhood of Man 1 Is it not Christianity to hear the weakest plaint ? Not turning like the Pharisee from sinner unto saint ,

But yielding unto both an ear , to both an equal care ? Ay , one small deed of Charity must be the noblest prayer Is it not Christianity the orphan ' s call to heed ? Is it not true morality the faltering steps to lead ? Is it not Christianity , to have for rich and poor

An equal law , an equal love , the self-same open door ? What I anti-Christian , that grand cause which owns as brothers all In one brave never-broken band the earthly great and small ; Which teaches true equality , ay , ever firm has stood By God ' s ideal when He made Mankind—Man ' s Brotherhood I

The hand that may a sceptre sway , the hand that toils for bread , Meet in a brother ' s earnest clasp , to both one goal ahead -. Life's noblest goal—Humanity . Come , show me if you can , A higher faith and creed than theirs—the love of man for man 1 Where are their temples ? Where the orphan boy and girl are found . * Their works are where the noblest works of Charity abound ; Their fruits are grateful hearts and lives of usefulness and good , Due to the efforts and the aid of common brotherhood .

Give me the creed which holds that love is all that ' s needed here—To make life ' s complex problems plain , its cloudy pathways clear ; Too high for dogmas and for rites which bigots love to scm , The Christ-like yet the human creed—the Brotherhood of Man . KATE BISHOP ( "KayBee" ) —Thc Illustrated Penny Paper .

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

H . R . H . PRINCESS CHRISTIAN OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN has fixed Wednesday , the 31 st piox ., to open the Lord Pirbright Hall , at Pirbright . PRINCESS LOUISE MARCHIONESS OF LORNE has returned to Kensington Palace from Cannes , where her Royal Highness has been staying for two months . PRINCESS CHRISTIAN OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTBIN has decided to hold the annua I sale at the Royal School of Art Needlework on Monday , June 19 th , and two following days .

H . R . H . THB PRINCE OF WALES was to bring his visit to the Riviera to a closi on Thursday , and leave the South of France for Paris . His Royal Highness nuy be expected in town by Monday . H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALKS , who is honorary Colonel of the Norfolk Artillery Militia , will inspect the brigade during its annual training , which commences at Yarmouth on the ist prox ., Viscount Coke being in command . It is probable that Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley will accompany his Royal Highness .

THE LORD CHANCELLOR ( Uro . the Earl of Halsbury ) and the Lord Chief Justice have convened a Council of the Judges of the Supreme Court to meet at the House of Lords on Friday , the 21 st inst ., at two o ' clock , when the subject of the assizes ( or the county of Surrey will be under the consideration of their lordships . AT THE REGULAR MEETING of the Past and Present I-odge , No . 2665 , held at Freemasons' Hall on the 6 th instant , one of the initiates , Mr . E . A . Martin , was supported by his four brothers—Bros . Wm . Martin , P . M . 1492 ; George Martin , 5 S , Melbourne ; and Robert and Lester Martin , 2 ( 165 . It is not often that we have to chronicle the fact of five brothers of one family being assembled together in lodge .

THE British Architect says : "We have received a volume on 'Northumbrian Masonry , and the Development of the Craft in England , ' by Mr . John Strachan , Q . C , and published by George Kenning , 16 , Great Queen-street , W . C . The book is full of the quaint customs and details connected with ihe tise and progress of the Craft in bygone years , and should prove a most interesting volume to all Freemasons . "

ARRANGEMENTS are being made by the OSce of Works for the forthcoming visit of the Oueen to the South Kensington Museum for the purpose of laying the foundation stone oFthe new buildings which have been designed to replace the present unfinished structuies . The ceremony , which wilt itake place on 17 th May , will be a semi-State function , as was the case at the Imperial Institute . It will be performed in a large marquee , the site for which has now been cleared .

RHODESIAN GOLD TRUST . —Interest ( luring the past week has largely centred in the Rhodesian share market . The declaration of substantial dividends by three of the companies carrying on gold mining operations in Rhodesia , and the rise in the price of Chartered shares to over £ 4 has drawn considerable attention to everything Rhodesian . The leading Berlin bankers are already largely interested in the success of many of the Rhodesian gold mines . It is said that Mr . Cecil Rhodes has had substantial assurance Irom the German Emperor and the English Colonial Office that his scheme for the continuation of the railway from Butawayo northward to connect with the direct line to

Cairo will be assisted by the guarantees of the German and British Governments . Mr . Cecil Rhodes has said , however , that he is determined that the railway shall go on in any case . With cheap transportation thus assured in Rhodesia there is every probability of the shares of the Rhode * ian Gold Trust going to a very considerable premium . The Rhodesian Gold Trust owns 3157 claims in the best known and most important parts of Matabeleland and Rhodesia . There have been large dealings in these shares during the last account , and at abrut the price of 8 s . per share , at which the £ 1 shares are now dealt in on the London Stock Exchange , they arc certainly worth the attention of the speculative investor .

Masonic And General Tidings.

SIGNOR AND MADAME TOSTI have returned to 12 , Mandeville-place from the Riviera . THE MARRIAGE arranged between Lord Petre and M : s : Audrey Clark will take place on the 25 th prox . THE DUKE OF YORK has been re-elected Commodore of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club , and it is hoped that his Royal Highness will honour the regatta on May 29 th and 30 th with his presence .

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES is to be the guest of Colonel and Mrs . Cornwall ' s-West , at Ruthin Castle , for the Chester Races , in the first week of May . A distinguished party is to be invited to meet his Royal Highness .

PRINCESS CHRISTIAN OF SCHLFSWIG-HOLSTEI" * , the Duchess of York , and Princess Frederica Baroness von Pawel Rammingen , have kindly consented to become patronesses of the bazaar lo be held in Kensington Town Hall at the end of this month , in aid of lhe Mission to French-speaking Foreigners . WE HAVE TO announce the marriage of Bro . J . A . Hughes , youngest son of Bro . Joseph Hughes , P . P . O . P . Warwickshire , to Beatrice C . Mercer , only daughter of Bro . D . D . Mercer . P . G . Purs' -., Senior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence , on Wednesday last , the 12 th inst ., at St . Albans Church , Streatham Park .

RHODESIA . —The Statist has been devoting much attention to Rhodesian Mining Companies , and is about to issue a second edition of its special pamphlet . The Financier takes a favourable opinion of the South Rhodesia Goldfields , Limited , inasmuch as the 1560 located claims are all on ancient workings , and some of these , it is ¦ eported , are phenomenally rich . It points out that the company has the right to peg out a further 1000 claims ; and , as its capital is moderate , it predicts a steady increase in the value of the shares , now quoted about 17 s . 6 d .

BRO . FIELD-MARSHAL VISCOUNT WOLSELEV , Commander-in-Chief , arrived in Edinburgh on Wednesday evening . At the station a guard of honour was provided by the Gordon Highlanders garrisoning the Castle . His lordship was met by Colonel Trotter , acting on behalf of General Chapman , commanding the Scottish district , and officers of the staff , including Colonel Mathias , of Dargai fame . Duri . ig his stay the Commander-in-Chief will be the guest of Major-General Wauchope , who commanded a British brigade at Omdurman . Besides inspecting the Edinburgh garrison , Lord Wolseley will attend a few social functions , and the honorary degree of LL . D . will be conferred upon him by the University .

AMONG THE SUGGESTIONS now under official consideration for the celebration of her Majesty ' s Soth birthday is one for holding a great banquet in the Metropolis on or about May 24 th . The function is intended to be made as representative as possible of the Empire , and at the same time typical of the loyal'demonstrations of the people of the United Kingdom . With the former object in view , the Agents-General of the selfgoverning Colonies have been approached with the request that they will secure the couctenance and support of their respective Governments , as well as lend their personal aid in the deliberations of the organising Committee now in process of formation .

A COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL was held at 11 a . m . on Monday to enable the Corporation to reply to a request from Sir Courtenay Boyle , who is conducting the elect lie lighting inquiry by the Board of Trade , as to their views on the three applications of electric lighting companies for Provisional Orderstosupply electricity within the City . Many resolutions were lost and as many adopted , the more important of which laid it down that the Court desired to be left free to consider the question of providing its own electric supply a preference for any one or other . The Lord Mayor ( Bro . Sir J . V . Moore ) presided at the opening of the Court , and was relieved by Bro . Sir Henry Knight later in the afternoon .

THE BRITISH NATURAL PREMIUM LIFE ASSOCIATION , LIMITED , whose chief office is at 56 , Ludgate-hill , held its sixth annual meeting on the zSth ult . The accounts were presented in a form to clearly show the operation of this system . Coming to the life assurance and tontine investment premium income , the premiums received during the year and the interest upon investments amounted to £ 38 , 138 12 s . gd . Under the system of the Association , the life assurance premiums are payable bi-monthly in advance , each premium co / ering the ensuing two months . For the convenience of

policyholders , payments are also received by the Association to meet any period up to a year , and ate applied by the Association in satisfaction of the accruing bi-monthly premiums as they become due . For this reason the cash receipts of the year are always considerably less than the premium income of the Association at the end of the year . In reference to the trust funds on December 31 last the investments and cash in the hands of the trustees en behalf of policyholders ( taking the investments at cost price ) amounted to £ 85 , 156 os . ad . Looking now briefly at the other side- —the death claims ,

during the year £ 19 , 883 ios . has been paid for death claims out of the Life Assurance Trust Fund ; Industrial Death Claims , £ 1731 12 s . 1 id . j and £ 450 3 s - S ^ . for claims in the Tonline Investment Department . The directors call attention to the growth of the funds held by the trustees , after payment of claims , notwithstanding that the premium rates are about 45 per cent , less than those charged under the ordinary system of life assurance . The balance of receipts on account of life premiums and interest not required for the payment of death claims will

become surplus for division amongst surviving policyholders of 10 years standing and upwards ; and the same applies also to the Tontine Investment Fui . d , according to the tontine period selected by policyholders . In regard to new business during the year Under review , proposals were received upon which policies have been written amounting to no less than £ 520 , 610 . A large portion of the new business received prior to December 3 ist has been paid for sir . ee that date , and such payments could not , therefore , be included in the present ba ' ance-sheet . As is particularly pointed out to the shareholders ,

the business of the Association continues to show satisfactory progress . The new department for industrial assurance was inaugurated during 18 9 6 . The business of this department , like the ordinary branch , has outstepped anything previously accomplished by any other company for the same period , and shows the highest promise forthe future . Of the authorised capital of £ 100 , 001 ) , £ 54 , 068 has been allocated in accordance with Ihe Articles of Association , and upon the Issue (( , 32 , 757 15 s . has been paid up . The gioss receipts from business amounted to £ 52 , 877 8 s . 4 d . It is patticutarly to be bjrne in mind lhat under this head only cash received for premiums duiing the year are taken .

and no credit is taken for premiums falling due , but not actually received , as is usual with other cilices . In regard to the expenses of management the directors are happy to state that they are considerably below those of the previous years , showing that the very heavy initial expenses in founding an Association such as the British Natural Premium arc becoming rapidly lighter . The next paragraph of this able statement mentions that the Association took possession of its new offices at 5 6 , Ludgate-hill , B . C ., in June last , and has experienced great benefit from the increased accommodation and the concentration of the different departments under the immediate control of the General Management .

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