Masonic Notes And Queries

modern English Preemasonry ) were accustomed to meet . —C . P . COOPER . POSITIVE RELIGIONS AND OUR EREEMASONET . In answer to the remark of " Critieus , " I say that in those positive religions whose followers are receivable into our Preemasonry , the great and essential

elements of natural religion are embodied and preserved . Whatever the various new and particular doctrines superinduced may be , there is always a recognition of the Supreme Being , Architect of the Universe , and separate from it . There is always a belief in the soul ' s immortality . There is always the moral law . C . P . COOPER .

TOLERATION IX TRUE PREEMASONRY . In auswer to a correspondent ' s inquiry on this subject , I say that , on the one hand , the Preemasonry which tolerates Atheism or Pantheism of any kind is not true , and that , on the other hand , the Preemasonry which does not tolerate the Theism of natural religion is not true . —C . P . COOPER .

ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES . The work to wdiieh I referred is Anthony Van Dale , of Haarlem , "De Oraculis Veterum . Ethnicorum Dissortationes Dux . " The edition which I have is the second and enlarged edition , published at Amsterdam , 1700 , with copper plates , aud containing essays on Simon Maguson the Acts of Pilateaud on

Conse-, , cration . The dedication is dated the kalende of September , 1 G 99 . The book is devoted chiefly to oracles and that of Delphi , but it explains many of these mysteries , which have a resemblance to Masonry , and -chiefly the Cave of Trophonius , in chapter vi ' ii ., to which there is a late ( Plate 6 ) which will impress

p , those . who have seen Prench dramatic performances , or are acquainted with the old rites . These are matters which cannot be illustrated in these pages . There is nothing direct in the Eleusinian mysteries heyond these illustrations . —HYDE CLARKE .

JAMES WATT . About 1760 James Watt built an organ for a Preemasons' lodge at Glasgow . —C . H . BRO . STONE . Was Bro . Stone , the first Senior Grand Warden , a member of the Masons' Company of London ? The

solution of this question is of considerable interest in relation to lodge constitutions and administrations . —C . H . DISPENSATIONS POR A & E . In July , 1704 , Bro . James Heseltiue afterwards SS . G . W . aud Grand Treasurerwas admitted by dis

, - pensation at the age of nineteen . —C . H . LECTURES . GRAND STEWARDS' LODGE . It appears that , in 1763 , Bro . Thomas Edwards , -Grand Warden , delivered an address at the Stewards ' Lodge at the Horns Tavern , which appears to have been in Eleetstreet

- . Was this in the nature of the instruction of late given by the Grand Stewards ' Lodge ? There was at that time a Horn Tavern at Westminster . —C . H . MASONIC SONG . ^ In 1793 , Bro . J . Bissett , Steward of the St . Alban ' s 2 / odge , of Birmingham , and Prov . G . Sec . of War-

Masonic Notes And Queries

wickshire , wrote a Masonic song ; "A Mason's life is the life for me . "—C . H . TDZE ORATOR . The institution of the Orator is very old in Prance . The office of Mother Orator existed as far back as 173 S . Did this officer possess the same constitutional

functions then as now , or what were his- duties ? —C . H . MUSSULMAN MASONS . Which is the first record of a Mussulman Mason ? I find that the Princes Omdit ul Omrah and Oraur ul Omrah , sons of the Nabob of Surat , were admitted Masons iu 17 S 0 . —C . H .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The " Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents ,, THE PRIVILEGES OP PAST MASTERS .

TO THE EDITOH OF THE rREEiTASOyS' MAGAZINE AJfD MASONIC 3 IIBEOB . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —My thanks are due to Bro . Stonier Leigh for his attempt to throw light on the question I lately raised in reference to the exclusion of visitors from meetings of a lodge . In the main , he appears to agree with me that visitors cannot legally be shut out at allespeciallduring

, y the reading of the minutes , though he considers that , as they contain the records of previous discussions , if the right to require the withdrawal of strangers during such discussions be conceded , it is but logical to insist on the same course when the minutes are read for confirmation at the next meeting . Though ,

at a first glauce , I may seem to be inconsistent , I confess that I do not quite see the force of this . As far a 3 my experience goes , three cases occur to me when it may be desirable to have only the members of a lodge present , aud when visitors should at once see the propriety of retiring on being requested to

do so , namely , when the conduct of a subscribing brother is impugned , when the discussion is of a nature to call forth the expression of strong personal feeling , and when the finances of the lodge are under

consideration , which can concern none but its members . Even then the consent to withdraw should be considered as a favour . What I complained of was exclusion of myself aud others during the reading of the minutes , not during the discussion of which they contained the result . The " Book of Constitutions " ( p . 75 article IV . aud p . 86 articles I . and

, , , II . ) , recognises the admission of visitors , in the former case recommending it . The general practice of lodges is to give a cordial welcome to brethren from other lodges . So far as I am aware , there is no provision for the exercise of a discretionary power on the subject ; and it appears to me that such visits

are a great safeguard against illegal or irregular proceedings , also tend to produce uniformity in working , and to encourage kindly Masonic feelings . It may further be remarked that the minutes record only the results of discussions , not the details . The former mayI thinkbe considered the common property of

, , the Craft ; the latter , it may in some cases be desirable to keep private . Bro . Hughan ' s publication in your columns of the proceedings of the lodge at Palmouth , as gleaned from the past records of many years , is a case in point . Bro . Leigh diners from me