Masonic Notes And Queries.

REFORMATION THEORY 01 ? THE ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY . I have not had the time to digest this point , but I have considered that the Reformation , with its principles and spirit , by clearing away obstructions that might otherwise have impeded its progressenabled

, the pliilosopho-liumano idea of the universal brotherhood of man to take deeper root and spring up into a more really active and living institution . — "W . P . BUCHAN .

BRO . DE SAULCY . H . C . is quite right about Bro . De Sauley , for I find this brother described in the Calendrier of the Grand Orient of France as one of the two Grand Dignitaries ranking next to the Deputy G . M . "De Sauley , Commander of the Legion of Honour , Senator of the Empiremember of the Imperial

, Institute of France , & c , S . G . S . C . 33 ° , member of the Grand College of Rites . " In the Grand College of Rites , representing the Supreme Council , 111 . Bro . De Sauley appears as the third Grand Officer . —N .

MASONIC PROBLEM . Did , or did not , any essential difference exist between the Masons' and other trades' societies previous to * the 18 th century ? I have taken up the negative , asserting that when a gentleman became a fellow of the Masons' society it was similar to another being admitted a fellow of the tailors' or other such society . In one case he became a free-mason in the other a free-tailor , there being about as much ceremony in the one case as in the other . — "W . P . B .

THE CONFLICT OE JURISDICTION . Why does our worthy Bro . " J . A . H ., " at p . 162 , say , — " 1 st . The Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge , " thereby giving preference to Grand Chapter ? I would be inclined to say , — " 1 st . The Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter . " Then , when alluding to Scotlandhe puts the Royal Order into the first

posi-, tion , and " 4 th . The Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge . " I think this is wrong , for in Scotland the Grand Lodge is the head of all Scottish Masonry , and has nothing whatever to do with any " Grand Chapter , " which latter is a separate and distinct body ; furtherthere are Scottish "lod " who look

, ges upon " chapters " and other pretended royal and knightlyorders and degrees with small favour . Then , as to the " Mark Degree , " the Grand Lodge of Scotland authorises all its daughter lodges to practice it , and the chair is sometimes given in lodges as well as in chapters in Scotland .

The legendary connexion of knightly orders or degrees with Freemasonry before last century is all imaginary . Such popular Masonic ideas are simply nonsense ; they are the " rubbish " alias the stock-intrade , as expressed at page 167 , out of which so many mysterious foundationless " Masonic Arabian Ni ghts ' tales " have been manufactured . —PICTUS .

QUALIFICATIONS . If it is improper to impose restrictions on candidates , is it not desirable the whole system of Masonry should be altered or reformed ? Eestrictions are placed on atheists , idolaters , rogues , cheats , swindlers , persons of notoriousl y bad character , people who cannot read and write , & c . Surely a man who is willing to pay up ought not to be excluded because

he is an atheist and because our system is contrary to his , or because he is deaf and cannot hear us , or because he is maimed and cannot help us . Why ara not women , boys , and girls admitted , if they like ?— - PLUMB .

FREEMASONRY ABOUT 152 YEARS OLD ( p . 173 ) . I have read Bro . Sanderson ' s remarks , but I can see no proof that speculative Freemasonry was practiced by the lodge he alludes to at page 109 . It seems to me that said lodge was merely an operative Mason ' s lodge or friendly society into which

operatives were admitted upon easier terms than gentlemen , which was one distinction ; however , I shall have more to say shortly , and I hope to the point , should fortune favour . If I could get a look at these old records for a fewdays—if the lodge would trust me with them—I should he happy to read them carefully and give every consideration to their contents . — "W . P . BUCHAN .

MASONIC BIBLIOGRAPHY . I extract from a catalogue of a bookseller titles and prices of two books : —¦ " 145 FEEEMASONET . —Inwood ( J . ) Sermons in which are Explained the Eeligious , Moral , and Political Virtues of Freemasonry , Svo , boards , uncut , 4 s . Deptford 1799 ,

, " 146 FEEEMASONET . —Eobison ( J . ) Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Eeligions and Governments of Europe carried on by Freemasons , Illuminati , & c , Svo , calf neat , 4 s . 1797 . " —A .

MASONIC CEREMONIES . Crux has not understood even yet the bearing of my remarks as to the three officers . I called his attention to the system on which the ceremonies and lectures are composed , which is not the system of the present day , but one which was

handed down during the middle ages and preserved far down in the last century . It is this system which has given us threes , fives , sevens , as it did to many branches of learning . I stated , as to the case in point , first that the answer is ancientandso far as I know , it is the

, , oldest to be found in ceremonies or revelation books here or on the continent . Second , I said that it was correct , according to the system , in making another term of 3 , by excluding the O . G-.

This he cannot admit , because he says there are 4 and not 3 . I still say that his realistic view is not a true interpretation of our ceremonies , the history and tenor of which he has disregarded , * and I say further I like what he considers the errors of the ancient system to corrections such as his , which are innovationsancl which file away the ancient evidences . In

, preserving testimonies as to the mental characteristics of the ceremonies , we may be able to ascertain the true history . The ceremonies show us that to whatever extent Masonry was reconstructed in 1717 , and to whatever extent invention was resorted to , the basis of the

ceremonies is some craft ritual of remote antiquity . In its present state—mutilated and cockneyfied as it is—the E . A . ceremony or ceremonies of the various Grand Lodges and countries contains a great portion of ancient ceremony .