The Secession Of The Grand Lodge Of Nova Scotia.

The Great Architect of the Universe , whom Ave constantl y invoke in our lodges , who is " the author of peace and lover of concord , " " makes even the wrath of man to please Him , " and out of the material of relative evil frequentl y brings positive good . May it be so in this case !

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

GOETHE ' S PANTHEISM . D , <*> wny etc ( Tov Travru ., ev coi iravra , eis ere Travra . These words of the Emperor Marcus Antonius were , I have heard , in singular favour with Goethe . This is all the assistance I can give a brother Avho is making an inquiry respecting the illustrious German ' s

Pantheism . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER . THE HINDOO , THE POLYNESIAN , AND THE ENGLISH "FREEMASON . In answer to a correspondent , I say that the English Freemason regards the Hindoo declining to abjure Pantheism , as he Avould regard the Polynesian

refusing to abandon his fetiches . The lodge is closed against the former as it Avould be closed against the latter . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER . ENGLISH EREEMASONRY ESSENTIALLY MONOTHEISTIC ERRATUM . See my communication , page 72 of the present

volume . "The darkness" upon which a brother discants , in a long and someAvhat strange epistle , will at once become " light , " if for " continues to , " he will read " continues—to . " My worthy brother ' s critical talent is plainly all of one kind . The detection of a fault we find easy , but its emendation , although sufficiently obvious to most readers , he finds beyond his skill . M y brother mentions another letter ; it has not reached me . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The "Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . EEFORM IN MASONEY . TO THE EDITOIt OE THE MEEMASOXS' MAGAZINE AHD 3 IAS 0 ITIC MIESOU . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I should have replied to the last letter of "A German Mason in Turkey , " but that I thought it better to await the completion

of his reforming programme before I again troubled you with any remarks , on the subject , the more so as I had on' a former occasion fully stated my own humble objections , in all freedom of utterance , to any such needless and sweeping changes . I have now had the advantage of reading very

carefully the two letters , in which our professedly distant brother records his views , and expresses his sanguine expectations , and yet I am sorry to add , that if anything were wanting to confirm my own opposition , and thafc of English brethren generally to such crude and serious innovationsit Avould be the language and

, the hardly concealed aims of your able and energetic correspondent . _ CoA'er as he may skilfully his proposals , with the aid of well-chosen verbiage ; conceal , as he does , the

real end and object of such changes under the spacious but effective claims of paternal consideration and universal toleration , what do his proposals amount to after all ? Simply the entire surrender by English Freemasons of every leading principle on which . English Preemasonry has happily hitherto been built up—the complete subversionin factof those old and

, , cherished landmarks to which both time and usage have served to halloAV in tho sympathies of every English Freemason . I say nothing to-day about tho high degrees , because officially Ave know nothing of them when we talk of our English Grancl Lodge system .

They have plenty of able defenders who will , no doubt , uphold their claims to sympathy and support ; and as many of my personal friends are high grade Masons , though I am not myself , I can protest with them against the great injustice of such remarks as these in the letter of " A German Mason " : — " Opposed to the principles of sound progress ; " " fostered

variety and futile ambition , by puerile displays of ribbons and such like ; " " variety displayed in highflown titles and the idle display of meaningless decorations . " Such remarks are most unjust to my good and able brethren , Avho claim to find a value in the high degreesand evince an entire misapprehension of

, what at any rate have ever been the motives of English Christian Masons . With regard to the word Atheism , I adhere to the position I took up in my first letter , that unless Ave are prepared to adopt the vieAvs of an insignificant minority of foreign Preemasons , and proclaim

unblushinghly that it is an interference with the liberty of man to deny the right to any one to avow his disbelief in the existence of God and fche immortality of the soul , we shall manfully uphold the dictum of onr English Grancl Lodge , AA'hich makes it impossible for an avowed Atheist to find admission into our Order .

In Germany Avhere there is a great and wide-spread indifference to what we call in England " revealed religion , " where positivism , and negativism , and Eantism , and Straussism , sway in succession many minds , there may not be much difficulty iu the case , and the subject may " no longer rouse feelings or passions" but happily in England that is not yet

, the case ; when it is , ifc -will be quite time enough for my good brother in Turkey to reduce to one level of philosophic indifference the Avhole question of vital belief ! As regards the Bible question , Avhich I regret to have seemed to treat " with so much animosity" I

, still remain of the opinion I formerly and freely ventured to express . Having now been for twenty-four years a member of the English fraternity , and being fully acquainted with its working and its principles , and knowing also what I do of some parts of foreign Preemasony , I feel

justified in raising once again a Avarning voice against any proposal to tamper Avith Avhat has been both itsdistinguishing feature and its undoubted safeguard . Thousands of able , of learned , of tolerant minds have been attracted to an Order AA'hich has not been ashamed to begin and end its ceremonies , its labours , and its forraulce , with the Bible , and any such exclusion of the Bible from our Masonic system as your