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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 14

A Church Of England Minister Converted To Buddhism

page 34

A Church Of England Minister Converted To Buddhism.

A Correspondent writing from Colombo to the Madras Mail, o December 18th, said:—"An interesting ceremony took place Robinson-street, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon, on the 17t instant, consisting in the public acceptance of Buddhism by Christian minister of the Established Church of England. The [unclear: Re] Charles Webster Leadbeater (clergyman from Hampshire, England, an curate of a church in which he but recently expounded the doctrine of Christianity), thereby formally severed his connection with the sect [unclear: t] which he belonged, and promised to dedicate his services to the promulgation of the truths of that high philosophy which, although expresse in various allegorical shapes in all religious systems, are so plainly an unequivocally laid down in the teachings of Gautama Buddha. It was a sigh. heretofore seldom seen—a Christian minister seated at the feet of the yellow-robed priests of the followers of Buddha, and solemnly repeatin after them, 'I take my refuge in Buddha! I take my refuge in the law; take my refuge in order.' The 'Pansil' ceremony was administered b the high priest, the Rev. H. Sumangala, principal of the Vidodaya College at Colombo, who was assisted by the Rev. T. Amaramoli, a Buddhist pries and a learned and eloquent speaker, both of whom recited the 'pirit (blessings) used on such occasions. There were present many of the prominent native citizens of Ceylon. On being requested by the high priest state his reasons why he desired to become a follower of Lord Buddha, M: Leadbeater stated that it was his desire to arrive at the truth, and that [unclear: b] had found the truth expressed in a purer form in Buddhism than in and other system with which he was acquainted. He further stated that, which the Christian doctrines were all based upon hearsay evidence and upon doubtful authority, and required him to believe many unreasonable thing, the teachings of Gautama Budda, which stand forth most prominently, as that we should believe nothing which our reason cannot accept as true, because faith, to be lasting, must be based upon sound reason and comma sense."

The Grand Lodge of Ancient Masons, afterwards known as "Athol Masons," originated the secession of a large number of brethren in 1738, in consequence of innovations ad departure from the old landmarks by the Grand Lodge of England. These have been a matter of study and interest to all Masonic students. There appears D doubt concerning the existence of some cause, sufficient to create the rupture. The Masters of the six Lodges that are in the earliest records seem to have conjointly acted is Grand Master, and were authorised to grant dispensations and issue warrants. The senior private Lodge, according to Gould, appears to have been the "Grand Committee' which developed into the Grand Lodge in 1753, when Robert Turner. W.M. of Lodge N. 15, was elected the first Grand Master.

The quarterly communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland was held on the 5th November last at Edinburgh; Bro. Col. Sir A. C. Campbell, Bart., Deputy Grand Master presiding. The Earl of Mar and Kellie, G.M., in a letter declining re-nomination, statd as one of his reasons for withdrawing that he thought three years long enough for a Grand Master to sit. Bro. Col. Sir A. C. Campbell was elected G.M. £175 was reported as having been granted during the past two months from the Fund of Benevlence.

page 346

Proposed New Hall For Wellington.

The Wellington Freemasons' Hall Company, Limited, have now been offered by the New Zealand Pacific Trust, the present Masonic Hall in Boulcott-street, and the site on which it stands, for the sum of £1,100, and the Company have accepted. This is a cheap property at the money, and should be looked upon as giving the new Company a start, which we trust will be continued until success is assured. Now is the time to render valuable assistance to the Craft, by taking as many shares as will be necessary to ensure success. We hear Bro. C. P. Powles, P.M. is to be the Secretary of the Company. For the information of our readers, we append the Prospectus The Wellington Freemasons' Hall Company, Limited. Capital, £5,000; 5,000 shares of £1 each. Prospectus. This Company has been duly formed and registered, and the first Directors—are Bros. C. J. Toxward, Sir E. O. Gibbes, Bart., A de Brandon, jun., E. H. Crease, A. Lindsay, Robert Scott, and James Paterson, who hold office until the first general meeting of the Company, to be held under' The Companies Act, 1882,' within four months from the date of registration of the Company. Until Adoption of Articles of Association by the Company, it will work under Table A. of 'The Companies Act, 1882.' The Directors have resolved to purchase the Boulcott-street Hall for the sum of £1,100, at which price it has been offered to them, and they are now issuing shares for the purpose of enabling them to complete the purchase and to repair and add to the present buildings. Arrangements having been made whereby the Company will be enabled to borrow part of the purchase money on mortgage at a low rate of interest, it is anticipated that no more than Five Shillings per Share need be called up if the whole number are subscribed for. The Directors will not allot any Shares without the consent of the applicant, until applications have been received for at least 4,000 Shares. A sum of 2s. 6d. per Share will be payable on application, and a further sum of 2s. 6d. per share will be payable on allotment. Should any further sums be required, calls will be made at intervals of not less than one month, and for not more than 1s. per Share at a time. Applications for Shares must be sent in to the Directors, addressed to them at Box No. 36, Post Office, Wellington, after payment of the deposit to the Company's account at the Bank of New South Wales, Wellington. In the event of the required number of Shares not being subscribed for, the deposit moneys will be returned in full, but without interest.—Secretary."

It is with very great regret we notice that the publication of our Adelaide contemporary has been discontinued during the past two months, with the possibility of its not again appearing. The editor and proprietor states in a final appeal to the Masons of South Australia that for the past five years he has been endeavouring to keep the journal going in the hope of better times coming, and that it was naturally to be supposed that the formation of the Grand Lodge of South Australia would give such an impetus to Masonry as to induce a more active support of Masonic literature. He complains, however, that while to a certain extent this has been the case, yet the increased support is not sufficient to enable him to continue the publication of the journal; for although, apparently, the paper pays, yet, from the fact that such a large amount of subscriptions remain unpaid year after year, its production is not profitable. We sympathise with our contemporary and have had ourselves to deplore the utter want of thought on the part of subscribers, who appear to imagine that newspapers never require money, or if they do, that the proprietory must go to the expense of collecting the small subscriptions owing. We regret to say that we have had occasion to write a number of subscribers off our list rather than go to the trouble, bother and expense of hunting them up for payment of small amounts due. There are others, also, who do not scruple to make use of the most paltry excuses to avoid payment of the trifling debt incurred by themslves and for which they have had full value. Knowing the trouble and vexation of spirit incurred in producing a Masonic journal, we hearthily sympathise with our contemporary in the unpleasant position he finds himself in, and can only hope for the credit of the Craft in South Australia it will not be recorded that, just when emerging into full manhood by the erection of a Grand Lodge, it allowed the only Masonic paper in the colony to die from want of support. In these days, when every section of the community is represented by its press, surely the powerful and wealthy fraternity of Freemasons, that is wont to plume itself on its pride of place in the societies of men, will not permit a most useful and well-conducted journal, that has existed in its midst, doing good work, for the past five years, to drop out of existence by a starving process. Let us hope that such will not be the case, and that the Rough Ashlar will yet continue to afford light to the Craft for many years to come.