Masonic Notes And Queries.

for his fare , why should not the horse butcher take out a licence for his fare ? Is New Smithfield meat market to he named the Horse Fair ?—A FREEMASON , BUT NOT A FREE HORSE-EATER . THE BIBLE IN THE ENGLISH LODGE . 1 . The Bible has its place in the English Lodge as

the Sacred Book of a Religion . 2 . Natural Relig ion has no sacred hook . 3 . Therefore the Bible has not its place in the English Lodge as the Sacred Book of Natural Religion . 4 . The Bible comprises the Old Testament and the New Testament . 5 . The Old Testament is the Sacred Book both of Judaism and

Christiauity . 6 . It is not the Sacred Book of any other Positive Reli gion . 7 . The New Testament is the Sacred Book of Christianity . S . It is not the Sacred Book of any other Positive Religion . 9 . It follows that the Bible , inasmuch as it comprises both the Old Testament and the New Testament , cannot

have its place in the English Lodge as the Sacred Book of Judaism . 10 . It also follows , inasmuch a 3 the Old Testament is the Sacred Book of Judaism and Christianity and of no other Positive Religion , and the New Testament is the Sacred Book of Christianity and of no other Positive Reliionthat the

g , Bible , comprising the two , the Old Testameut and the New Testament , has its place in the English Lodge as the Sacred Book of Christianity . —From a deceased Mason ' s memoranda in Bro , Purton Cooper ' s Collect tions .

CYPHER OP THE MARK DEGREE . I was much surprised at a lodge meeting at which I was present during the past week by a Mason of at least ten years' standing , who is also a Mark Master , remarking to me , whilst conversing with a young brother , " Here is something I may show you > but not

Bro . , " meaning my friend , who is not a Mark Mason . To my very great astonishment , he handed me a slip of paper on which the cypher peculiar to the Mark degree was set forth so plainly as to be intelligible to any person able to read aud write .

Is not the possession of such a paper a serious violation of our O . B . ? and , if so , must not such example be productive of bad results amongst our younger brethren ?—JUNIOR WARDEN .

BRO . H . B . WHITE . The communications of Bro . H . B . "White , respecting which an esteemed correspondent inquires , he will find Freemasons' Magazine , vol xv ., p . 70 , aud vol . xvi ., pages 429 , -143 , ' and 46 S . In tho first of those communications is the following passagewhich is

, consistent with everything written by my good brother , that , as well as I recollect , has come under my notice . "A short time since Bro . Charles Purton Cooper stated iu the columns of the Freemasons ' Magazine , devoted to ' Notes and Queries , ' that the religion of English Freemasonry is Christianity with

a toleration in the lodge of all faiths which acknowledge the existence of the Great Architect of the Universe . —I go further than Bro . Cooper and unhesitatingly assert that the religion of all true Masonry on the face of the globe is Christianity ; and that until a Freemason can discern Christianity in Masonry , he has not arrived at a true knowledge of his profession . "—C . P . COOPER .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

WHO ARE TRUE MASONS ? My answer to this question of an Oxford correspondent is that all our brothers who recognise the glorious Architect of Heaven aud Earth , who believe in a future state of rewards and punishments , and who perform the duties enjoined by Natural Theology and by the Moral Law , are true Masons . —C . P . COOPER .

Masonic Exchange.

MASONIC EXCHANGE .

NOTICE . The system of exchanges of objects wanted , by newspaper correspondence , has of late afforded considerable assistance in mutual accommodation , and we are disposed to afford the same facilities to our subscribers .

Communications addressed to us will meet w ith attention . Non-subscribers can remit sixpence in postage stamps for notices to be inserted of objects wanted , or at disposal .

The following inquiries have been received . 1 . D . C . wishes to dispose of some old seals and diplomas . 2 . C . R . has some Mark clothing he would exchange for a Rose Croix apron , & c . 3 . M . M . wishes to exchange a jewel of No . 29 .

4 . A . S . wants a secondhand R . A . suit for travelling . 5 . X . Y . Z . has a set of new clothing for the officers of a lodge under the Grand Orient of France , or Grand Oost of the Netherlands . 6 . T . B . would exchange copies of seals .

7 . "W . J . L . wants rituals of the degrees below the ISth iu English aud French . He does not want what are called philosophic rituals . 8 . R . T . wants the loan of the ritual of the old Templars , which is partly in Latin . 9 . W . H . is open to exchange originals or copies of Masonic documents , charters , & c .

All answers to be addressed ( post paid ) to the respective numbers and initials , Freemasons' Magazine office , Salisbury-street , W . C ., London .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The " Editor in not responsible for the opinions expressed l \ j Correspondents , ' H . R . A . DEGREE .

TO THK ED 1 TOH 01 ' THE I'lLKEMASONS' MAGAZINE AMD MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —While enjoying occasional perusals of your valuable Masonic paper after my lodge meetings at Torquay I have been much inte rested by some letters ou the antiquity and advantage or otherwise of the H . R . A . Degree . A brother

calls in question the " cui bono " of such questionings . There is , doubtless , no harm in ventilating matters of doubt between ourselves in your Masonic Mirror . Discussion , properly conducted , will elicit truth ; and your Mirror may reflect , as it does , sage