H.R.H. Prince Skanderbeg.

making use of some fictitious personage ' s patronage in order to curry favour with the Craft ; aud then , in defiance of his own argument , he observes that the address of H . E . H . is much desired by a brother who has not seen him for some years . Our firm having now been established

twentyfour years , ancl always held a prominent position in Masonry , and also endeavoured to satisfy our customers by a straightforward manner of conducting our business , we would scorn such an advantage as " A Mason " imputes to us , as the endeavour to extend our business by advertising it to be under the patronage of a Eoyal Prince who is not , or ever has been , in existence .

Suffice it to say that we have not only seen aud spoken with H . R . H ., but have also furnished him with decorations and jewels , aud bear his royal warrant of appointment , signed , sealed , and attested in the ordinary manner ; and although it would have evinced a more fraternal spirit had " A Mason "

addressed himself to us privately iu the first instance , yet we are willing to overlook that , and if " A Mason " will either forward his address or call at our manufactory any day between this and the 13 th of March , we ¦ shall be happy to convince him or any one else that what we state is the fact , and that we are not

appealing to the patronage of the Craft by any more novel means than is strictly in accordance with the princi-. ples of Masonry . Yours fraternally , A . D . LOEWENSTARK AND SONS . Appointed Medallists to H . R . H . Prince Skanderbeg . Devereux Court , Essex Street , Strand , W . C ,

Christianity And Freemasonry.

CHRISTIANITY AND FREEMASONRY .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —The assertion of Bro . White that " no man can become a true Mason unless he be a Christian , " has called forth remarks from two other eminent Masons . Bro . Findel meets it by an absolute denial , and goes so far into the opposite

extreme as to say , that "Preemasonry deals only with the man as a man and brother , as a human creature , and has nothing to do with the Christian , Jew , Mahometan , or Atheist . " Bro . Hughan agrees with Bro . White as regards the ancient Masonry , but thinks that since the year 1 S 13 a man can become a

true Mason even if he be not a Christian . It would have been well if the disputants on both sides had given the meaning which they respectively attach to the expression on which the controversy

turns . What is a true Mason ? Is he one who satisfies all the conditions absolutely required for ¦ admission to , and advancement in the Craft ? Or must he further , in order to merit the designation of a true Mason , understand and believe all the instruction conveyed under the signs , symbols , and allegories of

¦ Masonry ? If the former be " a true Mason , " he need not be a Christian , though he cannot be -an Atheist . Let a man ' s religion or mode of worship be what it may , he is not excluded from the Order , provided he believe in the glorious Architect of Heaven and Earth , and practise the sacred duties of morality . But if to be " a true Mason " it be further necessary to believe in the doctrines of Masonry as taught in our English lodges , then the

Christianity And Freemasonry.

assertion of Bro . White , that " no man can become si true Mason unless he be a Christian" is as true now as it was before the year 1813 . Speculative Masonry is a complete system of instruction in the great truths of natural and revealed reliionveiled in allegoryand illustrated by symbols .

g , , It is progressive ; commencing in the first degree with natural religion ; advancing , in the second , to the law , and in the third , to the gospel . though the principles of Christianity are , to a certain extent , contained in all .

Natural religion includes all that man can learn without divine revelation , and practise without divine grace , viz ., belief in God arid reliance on his providence ; and the four cardinal virtues of Fortitude , Temperance , Justice , and Prudence . It is to these that the signs aud symbols connected with initiation

to the E . A . degree refer . But , in addition to these , the candidate is admonished as to the necessity of possessing the three Christian graces of F ' aith , Hope , ancl Charity , and he is referred to the Bible as the spiritual tracing board of the G . A . O . T . U ., the unerring standard of truth and justice by which his

faith is to be governed . The instruction of the second degree has special reference to the Temple of Solomon , the great type of the Christian church .

An explanation of the legend of the third degree has been given in a recent number of the Magazine ( Jan 18 th , p . 42 ) . It is only hy the light shed upon it by the gospel that its signification can be discerned , and no one who is not a true Christian can realise the full depth of its meaniugand the great beauty

, of its imagery . So long as the ceremony of raising to the degree of Master Mason remains unaltered , the separation of Masonic teaching from Christian doctrine is impossible . In this sense , " no man can become a true Mason who is not a Christian . "

Yours fraternally , A CHAPLAIN . TO THE EDITOIt OF THE FRERMASDNS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC _ Ul _ R . OR . Dear Sir and Brother , —Au inference may be deduced from the observation of Bro . Hughan in your

number of last Saturday , which , I think , would not be consistent with his views . If a non-Christian can be a true Mason since 1813 , but could not before , it must follow that our present system of Freemasonry only dates back to 1813 . Yours fraternally , H . B . WHITE .

Masonic Impostors.

MASONIC IMPOSTORS .

10 THE EDITOR OF THE " FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBEOE . Dear Sir aud Brother ,- —A person some short time since called upon me for relief , stating his name to be John Howard , of 203 , late 245 , Liverpool , having no Grand Lodge certificate , but with much plausibility he accounted for its absence . However , I questioned the genuineness of his storyand made inquiries

re-, specting him of our Grand Secretary , who informs me that there is no John Howard belonging to the above lodge , neither , as he stated , had he been relieved with any amount by Grand Lodge , and that he is