The Religion Of Freemasonry

thou ' -ht and dogma to-day , but constitutes a very good ° and useful basis for our world-wide Order . VV " e are , despite our refusal to mix up in the controversies of men , a very religious body . We begin and close our meetings with prayer . The open Bible is seen in every Anglo-Saxon

lodge . We have many most worthy brethren , our good Chaplains , and we often attend public worship as Freemasons . Though we do not dispute , we believe most firmly in , and we seek to regulate our lives by , the precepts of the Best of Books . We labour actively in the cause of

kindness , sympathy , charity , and brotherly love . We educate , and clothe and feed the orphan , we aid the widow , we care for the old and infirm . What more can we do ? If we are not religious who is in this world ? " Such is the fair and simple ad hominem appeal of our maligned

brethren to-day . Who can gainsay it ? Like a great many other cruel insinuations , vile charges , and lying slanders just now , such crude arid irrational assertions of hasty religionists must be left to silence and contempt . Though

we are said not to be religious , our religion has taught us this , uot to return railing for railing , but to bear the unjust attacks even ofthe most violent of our adversaries , in a spirit of patience and peacefulness . They cannot crush Freemasonry . " Nonostante il muove . "

The Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution.

THE CHESHIRE EDUCATIONAL MASONIC INSTITUTION .

We have before us the twelth report of this very useful provincial institution . We are happy to say that though comparatively a young plant in the great forest of Freemasonry , it is rising to strength and usefulness , and is flourishing more and more with each succeeding year of existence .

Its balance sheet is a prosperous one . lt began the year with a balance of , £ 23 1 15 s . iod . It has received during the past twelve months for fees from lodges and chapters , by its special provincial arrangements , £ 43 2 s . 6 d . 5 donations from lodges , chapters , and brethren , , £ 144 12 s . 5

subscriptions from lodges and members , £ 91 os . 6 d . 3 by special donations from Lord and Lady de Tabley , £ 7 5 from the Stockport brethren , £ 5 5 s . ; by dividends , £ 9 $ os . jd . ; and by the repayment of a Mersey bond , £ 200 5 in all , £ 737 16 s . 3 d . It had last year it has this

¦ £ " 995 3 s - * od . invested capita ^ year £ 2216 us . 2 d . Its expenditure is as follows : —Payments for education of twenty children , £ 12 7 12 s . id . 5 payments foradvancement of two children , , £ 8 3 s . 6 d . 3 by expenses of all kinds , £ 28 13 s . 6 d . 5 purchase of stock , £ 303 ;

and total balance £ 370 is . 2 d . Such is the satisfactory balance sheet of a useful little institution , and one that does much credit to the Cheshire Freemasons . We are inclined to think that such institutions as these are alike Masonic and meritorious ,

and may fairly be considered as " succursales " to the two great Metropolitan Institutions . For though the Boys' School can soon be adapted to receive many more inmates , the Girls' School is full , and cannot , we believe , without very great expense , be further enlarged . Hence it is just

possible , as the needs of our Order increase , that these provincial institutions will afford a very helping hand to many a poor orphan , in the greatest of all needs , education . We do not say that such institutions do everything for our orphans that they could do , or that the mere payment of

school dues is a discharge to us of our duties and obligations towards our deceased brethren ' s children . But they are good as far as they go , they afford a valuable help , gratefully received by many , and we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that , though not everything we can desiderate , they are

certainly useful and benevolent , and seem to call out much local interest and liberality . As we said before , we deem it not improbable that , seeing how many candidates there are , and how many disappointed ones , our good brethren in the provinces may follow in the wake of Lancashire and

Cheshire , and establish similar institutions , constituting to some , no doubt , a half way house to the greater institutions in London . We congratulate our Cheshire brethren on tho success so far attendant on their useful educational chanty .

Alleged Masonic Infidelity.

ALLEGED MASONIC INFIDELITY .

" A . Freemason ' has written with reference to this ridiculous charge of the correspondent of the " Church Herald , " and disposes of it " more suo . " He seems , however , to be somewhat dissatisfied with our remarks on the same subject , and points out what he conceives to be a -difference

of statement between Bro . Parkinson and ourselves . He also seems to find fault with our expression . of the " revealed word of God , " and brings in , much to our astonishment , the foreign argument of the Hindoo , Mussulman , & c , & c . We wish , then , to point out that there is no real

difference between Bro . Parkinson and ourselves . We both express the same teaching , though in a different way of putting it . He makes the universality of Freemasonry to consist in all who accept the Great Father , and Maker , and Ruler of the world and of men , and obedience to the

moral law 5 we put it as expressing those who acknowledge the Great Architect of the Universe , and accept his revealed word , which , as the basis of the moral law , includes it as the greater does the lesser . Our authoritative teaching terms the " practice of every moral and social

virtue , " the " solid foundation " of Freemasonry , and hence Bro . Parkinson was using the wellknown words of our English ceremonial . But we are also taught to give our " most serious contemplation to the volume of the Sacred Law , " and we are charged to " consider it as the

unerring standard of truth and justice , and to regulate our actions by the divine precepts it contains , since therein we shall be taught the duty we owe to God , to our neighbour , and to ourselves . " This is a paraphrastic way of putting what we said , as if it is " unerring " it is divine ,

and if it is divine , it is revealed to us from God . The argument with respect to the Mahommedan and Hindoo , & c , has nothing do with this question : that is an entirely different matter , and stands independently on its own basis . We accept all , as we said before , into our lodges who

accept the Great Architect and Father of the Universe , and in the way most binding on their religious consciences , and , of course , in the case of non-Christians , they are governed by the moral law of natural life . But the Bible , nevertheless , the revealed and inspired word of God Most

High , remains in all our lodges , by the fundamental rules of our Order , as an emblem of that deep and true religious reverence and simple unostentatious piety , which ever characterizes Freemasonry . Having said this , as far as we are concerned , the subject must drop . It is not one

which by its discussion tends to edifying , and we have no intention of turning our unpolemical " Freemason" into an arena of theological discussions . One thing is clear , the Bible is inseparably connected with English Freemasonry 3 it is alike the " decus tutamenque " of its

great system—and long may it so remain . Nothing has so tended to make our English Masonic system what it is as its loyal and unwavering acknowledgment of the binding obligation of God ' s revealed word , and God ' s moral law , and we may ask to-day , who will venture to take it

from our lodges ? quis separabit us and it ? We think it is a pity that" A Freemason " has raised such a question at all , but having replied to his letter , we shall not re-open the discussion in our columns , as we are quite sure , with all deference to him , that it is neither good for religion , nor for the Craft .

The "Freemason."

THE "FREEMASON . "

Like persons of sound business habits we think it well from time to time to " take stock , " and to impart the result to our readers . We are happy in being able to announce that very prosperous is the condition ofthe " Freemason . "

We have to thank , and we do warmly thank , a large and increasing circle of readers , increasing weekly , for all their good wishes and kindly support . Our publisher has indeed good cause to feel satisfied , and even proud , ofthe result of

his many years of sacrifice and waiting . The tide at last has turned , and is coming in with ever augmenting strength . At this moment the " Freemason " is most truly cosmopolitan . It has readers in all portions of the known and habit-

The "Freemason."

able world , and from all we have frequent assurances of approval , sympathy , and encouragement . And yet when we say this , we feel bound to make a little qualification . A good correspondent of ours wrote to us the other day , saying , " I should like to take the " Freemason , "

but I see no Irish news in it . " Like the Frenchman of old we may say "A qui la faute . " The Irish Grand Lodge authorities have set themselves against all Masonic publications , and even their late lamented Grand Master , the Duke of Leinster , with all his courtesy and

" bonhommie , would give no patronage to the Masonic Press . Yet let us see how the system works , and to what a " reductio ad adsurdum " the argument and practice of the Irish Grand Lodge authorities , all good fellows , have come to ! They forbid all authorized publication in

Masonic papers , and we can receive no official tidings , and as a rule little Irish intelligence . All that we do receive we owe to the Masonic feeling and liberal views of some warm-hearted Irish brethren from various parts of Ireland . But though the Irish Grand Lodge will not allow

us to receive official reports , or encourage us in any way , long reports of their Grand Lodge proceedings appear in " Saunders' News Letter , " and other Irish papers , and it has more than once come to pass that we have been actually compelled to copy from an Irish

non-Masonic journal the account of the Irish Grand Lodge proceedings ! If any of our friendly brethren across the Channel will think , they will see that such a position is neither consistent with Masonic principles of justice , nor conducive to the honour and dignity of the Irish Grand

Lodge itself . Indeed , the fact that such reports do appear , and will appear , is a proof how idle are such " sumptuary" regulations , how vain are the precautions of " Green Tape , " how hopeless is the effort , to repress a legitimate aspiration for Masonic intelligence , aud lawful reports of

the proceedings of the Irish Grand Lodge , and thc Irish Craft generally . We ask then the Irish officials to-day , to relax a little of this needless strictness , and to depart from this unwise distrust of the Masonic Press . We are not appealing for favour , or partiality , or

patronagewe simply beg for Masonic fair play . If the Irish Grand Lodge , under their most distinguished Grand Master , will depart from this uncalled for reticence , if they will within due bounds allow the " Freemason" to publish from time to time such reports as they

themselves even deem fitting to be pub * lished , a great gain will accrue to Irish Freemasonry we feel sure , and to Irish Masonic literature . As it is , there is hardly any Masonic literature in Ireland , except , to use a bull , what comes from England ! So we hope for better

things ! In the struggle that is going on with the Ultramontane party , the Irish Freemasons are not and cannot be a purely passive body 5 they must sympathize with our efforts to uphold the dignity of our Order , and to protect it against mendacious statements and intolerant persecutions . We trust then that we may receive in

the future more fraternal support and encouragement from the Irish Grand Lodge , and Irish lodges and brethren . We shall always be most happy to give prominence to Irish reports , and anything that can advance the interests of our Irish brethren and the Grand Lodge of Ireland will have our hearty and zealous cooperation .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

I We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —ED . ]

PROVINCIAL GBAND LODGE OE HAMPSHIRE IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir anti Brother , — I was sorry to see by a letter in your last issue that the selection of the names of those present at our late

P . G . L . meeting at llyde , as published in your paper , did not meet thc approval of one of our brethren . I think I cannot do better than pleid guilty of the responsibility of forwarding you the names , and in so doing I am certain all who know me will believe that nothing could be more repugnant to my feelings to do any act which might have a tendency to interfere with the unanimity of