Masonic Notes And Queries.

Judaism , which , founded hy the Pharisees , and fixed by the Talmud , has traversed the Middle Ages , and come down to us . "—B . THE INSPIRED CARPENTER . "He ( Jesus ) followed the trade of his father , Avhich was that of a carpenter . This A \ as not in auy degree

humiliating or grievous . The Jewish customs required that a man devoted to intellectual work should learn a trade . The most celebrated doctors did so ; thus St . Paul , Avhose education had been so carefully tended , was a tent-maker . ''—B .

MASONIC MEDIAEVAL ALLEGORIES ' . "The second paper , in 'The Sacristy , ' is by Herr Ecke , on what he calls the ' Beast Epic , ' in which the fox is more particularly described . These sculptured animals in sacred costume , which Ave so frequently find in churches , are shown to be nothing more than allegories of the deceits of the devilandin factthey

, , , are the lineal descendants of ' JEsop ' s Fables . ' The latter , indeed , are often found literally rendered ; thus among the precious series of incised stones in the Cathedral of St . Omer , Ave find , inter alia , the fable of the ' Fox and the Crane , '"—W- P . B . SPECULATIVE MASONRY AND GOOD TEMPLARISM .

As before the introduction or institution of our system of Speculative Freemasonry there were clubs , societies , companies , and Lodges of Masons , in all of which the ceremony of membershi p was simple , so Ave find something analogous in the relation between the present Good Templars and their predecessors the Tea-Tntallers .-AV . P . BUCHAN .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinion * expressed by Correspondents . RITE OE MISRAIM . TO THE EDITOR OE THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AN"D MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother .- —A member of the chivalric ( heaven save the mark !) order of Rome and Oonstantine

writes to your contemporary to knoAV Avho is this AVOIIderful pupil of Mark Bedarride , who is to start the Rite of Misvaim in this country , and about whose existence there seems so much mystery . The Editor declines to give the anonymous gentleman ' s name , but states that he is a member of the 33 ° Now I am prepared to assert that no member of the

33 ° in England has anything to do Avith this order , — and -would venture to ask , is the brother a 33 ° of Ireland , Erance , Scotland , or America ? Vcvpy your contemporary must have taken some of the degrees of this interesting rite , probably tho 49 ° , Avhich is called " Chaos the First-discreet . "—Had he only eaten a little more ' of the tree of knoAvledge , and taken the 50 ° Chaos the

second-wise—he Avouid never have attempted to foist this stupid order upon English Freemasons . Yours , & c , H . H . H .

The " Universality" Passages In Our Charges.

THE " UNIVERSALITY" PASSAGES IN OUR CHARGES .

¦ TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —At page 3251 find Bro . Charles Purton Cooper , backing up the idea expressed by "A Past Provincial Grand Master , " at page 260 ' , viz ., that

The " Universality" Passages In Our Charges.

" The effect of the erasure from the Book of Constitutions of the Charges of 173 S would bo to make English Freemasonry a Christian Freemasonry exclusively . " Now I cannot admit this , for tAvo reasons , first , the Charge in reference to Religion iu tho 1723 Constitutions had already knocked down all sectarianism , to wit , " tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that

Religion in which all men agree , " no mention of Christianity here any more than of Judaism or Mohammedanism . All Avho believed in the G . A . O-T . TJ-, and Avho were good men and true , Avere to be admitted . Second , the Religious Charge of 1738 was , as I understand , only a temporary modification , and anything but an improvement upon the 1723 Charge , as is shown by the 1738 rendering being

long discarded , and the style of the 1723 Charge again adopted , as Bro . W . J . Hughan in his preface to his reprint of the valuable old 1723 Constitutions observes ,. " The ' Constitutions ' of 1815 , aud all subsequent , are in the main as the one of 1723 , aud agree Avith the latest edition published by the Grand Lodge of England . " Under these circumstancestherefore , I most respectfully

, request our Right Worshipful brother to reconsider his remarks , or at least to give a further and more explicit explanation of them , as with the light I at present possess I am quite unable to perceive how he cau be right . I am , Tours fraternally . W . P . BUCHAN .

The Bible In Our Lodges.

THE BIBLE IN OUR LODGES .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR .. Dear Sir aud Brother , —Some communications have appeared in your pages , in reference to the use of the Bible in English Lodges . Every English Mason knows that the Sacred Volume must be open on the Master ' s pedestal during work . I am quite Avilling to admit that care is not generally taken that the places are iu accordance Avith the portions of the ceremonies which are being

performed . More attention to this point Avould probably lead to the reading of the suitable passages , and thus a knoAvledge of their bearing on our order , and of the scriptural authority on which different parts of our ceremonial are based , Avould be extended . Wore this done , it would be a complete refutation of the charge sometimes ignorantly madethat the teachings of

Pree-, masonry are opposed to those of Holy Writ , and on the contrary would show that they are identical . Even setting this aside , however , no one who hears the lectures on the several degress , Avhich ought to be given to every newly initiated brother , as he takes them , can be unaware of the fact that extensive quotations from Bible

records are interspersed throughout , as means of illustrations , and in connection Avith the histories on which many of our traditions are founded . Doubt is sometimes cast , perhaps not unreasonably , on the authority of those traditions , Avhich are preserved and cherished by by us ; but , inasmuch as they bear upon the narratives contained in the Old Testament , refer to some of the

brightest characters recorded therein , and inculcate the highest moral principles , and tho most sublime truths Avhich the human mind can contemplate in regard to the probation of this Avorld and a preparation for a future state , the serious consideration of them cannot but have a beneficial tendency ; and , together Avith the Masonic obligations , which run on in regular progression

throughthe Avhole of our system , influence the thoughts and / actions of those who pay due attention to them . As having , been exteusively engaged in civing instruction to those Avho have recently entered our Order , I can positively affirm that I have frequently found that my pupils , in the intervals between my lessons , have mado the sacred ; volume their study in connexion with the information .