CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 217, 28 October 1874, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[O«r columns are open for free discussion; but toe do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents.~\

MASONRY. LETTEBS TO THE EDITOR.

Siu, —There is no excuse for any party in voluntarily heaping abuse on any subject of which they are entirely ignorant. Now, I maintain that -Dr. Redwood, the Catholic Bishop of Wellington, has so acted in so furiously exhibiting his spleen against the Freemasons. This luminary ought long ere now to have learned that persistent and groundless abuse, no matter how foul the language indulged in (unless with the most ignorant) can never carry conviction. I have no doubt whatever that the intelligent portion of Catholics feel aggrieved by the adventurous and unbecoming epithet selected by a Bishop of their denomination, who is expected, and certainly ought to know better. I observe further that this tirade of slander so freely indulged in by this Rev. Bishop, lacks that small but important item, viz., truth. But. how easy for him on purpose to support his questionable position at once to point out any Lodge of Freemasons, if he really knows any, where such scandalous practices as he refers to are countenanced, or. even any mention made of any denominational religious tenets. I have often had the pleasure of sitting in an open Lodge with members of the Catholic persuasion, but observe that they were men possessed of untrammelled minds, and not tools in the hands of others. But as this Bishop whines and bewails the merited castigation administered to his denomination on the Continent of Europe, it is only right to inform him that the whole of their sufferings have sprung directly from the arrogance, powergrasping, and tyranny, of the Catholic leaders, and they ought at least now clearly to see that such arrogant claims over the minds and consciences of the intelligent world cannot any longer be conceded, and therefore ought at once to be given up with a good grace. And as for th#- Freemasons they peacefully move on, willing to live and let live, using their harmless emblems to tench them to square their actions, and keep within the bond of friendship with all the human race. Finally, Bishop Redwood would it not be to your advantage to borrow a leaf out of their book, and give them the right hand of fellowship ? „ “Let us pray that come it may, As come it shall for a’ that ; When man and man the world o’er, Shall Bril hers be an a’ that.” Youbs, &c., Eabnest.