Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

PAS-THEISM OB MONOTHEISM . Pantheism or Monotheism—a brother at Hamburg cannot determine which he shall choose . He suggests that Lessing aud Goethe were Pantheists . I answer that Locke and Newton were Monotheists and Christians . —CHARLES PIJRTON COOPEE .

THE GOD OE FREEMASONRY AND THE GOD OE MYSTICAL PANTHEISM . A correspondent ' s notions on this subject are grievously erroneous . The God of Freemasonry and the God of Mystical Pantheism are not one and the same Gocl . The God of Freemasonry is distinct from

the World . The God of Mystical Pantheism is not distinct from the World . In Mystical Pantheism the World is part of God . * * * * These few words must suffice . It would hardly be proper to fill the pages of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE set apart for Notes and Queries with a statement of the

various points in which all resemblance between the God , of Freemasonry and the God of Mystical Pantheism fails . My Correspondent should consult some approved modern Treatise of Natural Theology . — CHARLES PURTON COOPER .

VOLTAIRE A FREEMASON . I think our learned Bro . C . P . Cooper has not done much to enlighten Freemasons by his notes on this subject . What advantage could the Craft possess from such an alliance ? and what credit , indeed ? How could Yoltaire become a Freemason ?

He , an avowed infidel and unbeliever , could not have replied to the " difficulty and danger " question , and must , therefore , have been scouted out of any wellregulated lodge into which he may have dared to show his face . Your correspondent is in general not very clear in his remarks . For instancein the same

, page ( 90 ) , he speaks of " visiting an English lodge at the commencement of a pocket edition of the Constitutions . " Surely this must have been a lodge of fairies , or little men of some kind , with which we at present are not acquainted . On the subject of Voltaire ( to return to our subject ) , I would say the

matter is not worth inquiring into . It has heen a custom of late to fix upou some notability of olden time , and put the query , " Was he a Mason ? " Was Shakespeare a Mason ? Was Knickerbocker a Mason ? Was Job aMason ? Was Adam a Mason ? In short , I will put what I hope will be the last—Was the Devil a Mason ?—P . W .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The ' Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . TO THE EDITOR OP THE EREEHASOHS' MAGAZINE iHD HASOillC mRftOB . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — Those who were present on the occasion of the last quarterly communication of Grand Lodge could not have failed to have been struck with the enthusiasm which greeted

( as hy one unanimous accord ) that venerable servant of the Craft , Bro . Farnfield , Assistant GrandSecretary , on his entering Grand Lodge after a temporary absence , during which a discussion had taken place in reference to the arrangements consequent upou the resignation of his office , after devoting upwards of

Correspondence.

forty years of his life to the interests of the Craft . Never did an officer of Grand Lodge , however exalted , receive greater plaudits , which were again and again renewed when the M . W . G . M . announced that ou the confirmation of the minutes his lordship would exercise his prerogative of conferring upon Bro . Farnfield the

rank of a Past Grand Officer , so as to enable Grand Lodge to retain the benefit of his advice and assistance , which , for my part , I hope will be available for the good of the Craft in general for many years yet to come . I am convinced that there are many brethren who would be glad to offer Bro . Farnfield some additional mark of respect and esteem beyond the provision which he has fairly earned by the length of his

services . Allow me , therefore , with that view , to make a suggestion now that an appropriate opportunity presents itself . On being appointed to the rank of a Past Grand Officer , a complete suit of Grand Lodge clothing and insignia will be required by Bro . Farnfieldand 1 can

, imagine no other gift likely to be more gratifying to that brother than such an outfit . There are many Masters and P . M . ' s who , like myself , have , during a period of twenty years , been in frequent communication with Bro . Farnfield , and can appreciate his worth and his many acts of kind

attention , who would , I am sure , be glad to join in contributing their guinea or half guinea towards such a purpose , and I have no doubt but that if the Grand Treasurer will , with his usual urbanity , consent to receive contributions from the Officers past and present of Grand Lod and tlie Masters and Past

ge , Masters of Lodges , more than the requisite amount will speedily be forthcoming , to ensure such a presentation as I have indicated as not only most ap 2 ) ropriate , but , as I imagine , most likely to be esteemed by the recipient . If such a fund is started , my guinea will be ready ,

and several P . M . ' s to whom I have mentioned my suggestion have intimated their willingness to do likewise . I enclose my name and address , and am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , 'A P . M . or NEARLY TWENTY YEARS' STANDING .

The "Indian Freemasons' Friend."

THE "INDIAN FREEMASONS' FRIEND . "

TO TUB EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND 1 TAS 0 NIC MIHHOn . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — I observe in the Indian Freemasons' Friend of June last some very ill-natured remarks , couched in the language of badinage , on yourself and the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE . I must say that I have read these remarks with considerable regretinasmuch as they evidence a

, thorough absence of that fraternal spirit which should characterise " the brethren of the mystic tie " in all their dealings with one another , and are , moreover , calculated to prejudice the Craft in the eyes of the uninitiated world , who will naturally say , " Well , these Freemasons are not a whit more lenient towards

each other than other men . They are just as ready to expose each other ' s real or imaginary faults as those are , who do not belong to the order . " The head and front of your offending seems to be that you have taken some extracts without acknow-