Masonic Notes And Queries.

business , and leave their conversation ; fly their company as he would the plague ; for why should he lose himself and his soul for such wretched men . " 7 . These laws shall be read unto all the brethren before any brother can be made . " 8 . Every brother shall not spend more than Gd . in our night of meeting . And after business is over , every brother shall go quickly home , as becometh Christian Masons .

" 9 . As the great duty of friends , then , let all men unite together in one indispensable bond of union to resist the devil and the flesh , ancl to promote Christianity and the welfare of the human race . 1 st . To keep his secrets ; 2 nd . To cheer him ivhen he needs comfort ; 3 rd . To counsel him when he needs advice ;

4 th . To endeavour his rescue out of trouble or danger ; Sth . To aid and assist his soul in all spiritual wants ; Oth . It is the duty of brethren to be faithful to each other . " Mnis . Beloved brethren , let us love one another ; let us bear with one another ; let us not speak evil of

each other ; let us alii'ays do good to each other ; let us pray for , and with , each other ; let us spend ancl be spent in defence of the Christian religion . Every true and faithful Knight Templar Priest is always a pious , sincere , and upright folloiver of our Lord Jesus Christ , believing in him , and loving , fearing , and obeying him , or else he is not worthy of the name of a Mason . "

THE SANHEDEIN . Which is correct Sanhedrim or Sankedri ; ., ancl what was its powers ?—P . P . —[ The tribunal of the Sanhedrin fixed the authority of all traditions , and decided upon the Divine mission of the prophets . " Eabbi Johannau saysnone were alloived to sit in

, the Sanhedrin who ivere not men of stature , men of wisdom , men of good appearance , aged , skilled in magic , and acquainted ivith the seventy languages , so that the Sanhedrin might not "be obliged to hear through an interpreter . " The Hebrews believed there were seventy nations , and , therefore , there were

seventy languages . The Sanhedrin is , according to the Babbinists , the great foundation on which the oral law rests , as the folloiving asserts : — " The great council in Jers alem is the foundation-stone of the oral law , and the pillars of the doctrine ; and from them the statute and the judgment goes forth to all Israel . They have the warrant of the law , for it is

said , 'According to the sentence of the law ivhieh they shall teach thee , ' & c . ( Deut . xvii . 11 ) ; which is an affirmative precept , and every one ivho believes in Moses our Master , and in his law , is bound to rest the practice of the law on them , and to lean on them . " There was also a minor Sanhedrin , for it is said , " In

every city of Israel that contains one hundred and twenty Israelites or more , a minor Sanhedrin ought to be appointed , and of IIOAV many members ought it to consist ? Of tiventy-three judges . " But these minor councils through the tribes and towns ivere not to be established except by the Council of 71 .

The Emperor Napoleon , at one portion of his reign , convoked a council of the JDAVS which is famous in history as the Paris Sanhedrin . Of course , to go through the Talmud , Ifilcoth , SanJiedrin , Torali , and various other books of the law , is a serious labour , and , unless to define a positive laAV , or usage , bearing upon some general point of interest , we have not the

spare time to devote to the reading necessary to furnish a general account of the Great Council , for ivhieh we advise P . P . to consult the best iEncyclopaidiz with his reach . ] MASONIC ALPHABETS IN CYPHEE . The correspondent who subscribes himself "A

Student , " may obtain the information he requires by applying to Bro . James Prederick Spurr , P . M . Old Globe Lodge ( No . 200 ) , Scarborough , Yorkshire . If "A Student" will look at the Count Couteulx Canteleu ' s book he will find twenty-two various examples .. The Eoyal Arch is not included in the series , and , unfortunately , though I have seen it , I cannot recollect where . —Ex . Ex .

JOSHUA OE JESHUA . Which is correct , Joshua , or Joshua , as the nameof the third Principal in the Eoyal Arch ?—P . P . THE GAY SCIENCE . What is meant by the Gay Science ?—0 . —[

Preemasonry ; vide Longuet , Marillot , & c ] A NOTE ON THE BALLOT . A black ball may be the result of bad feeling , butwhite balls are much oftener evidences of partiality , negligence , or ignorance . —E . M .

THE CHEVALIEE EAMSAY . Is there any life of the Chevalier Eamsay easily to be jjrocured b } r —A STUDENT ?—[ There is nothing worthy of the name of a life of him published . All that has appeared may be found in the usual biographical dictionaries—i . e ., Kippis , Gorton , and Chalmers . ]

THE COMMANDMENTS OE THE NOACHIDiE . What were the seven commandments of the sons of Noah ?—P . P . —[ ThelfilcJiotJiIifelacMm says , "The first-Adam was commanded concerning six things—idolatry , blasphemy , shedding of blood , incest , robbery , ancl administration of justice . Although ive have all

these things as a tradition from Moses , our master , and reason naturally inclines to them , yet , from the general tenor of the ivords of the laii' " , it appears that he was commanded concerning those things . Noah received an additional command concerning the limb of a living animalas it is said' But flesh in the life

, , thereof , which is the blood thereof , ye shall not eat ' ( Gen . ix . 4 ) . 'Here are the seven commandments , and thus the matter was in all the world until Abraham ' . " ]

THE MAEK DEGEEE . If the degrees of Craft Masonry are founded upon , the Bible , and as the Mark degree is claimed by some to be the completion of the second degree in like manner as the Arch is that of the third , what portions of the Sacred Yolume tell the story of the Mark degree ?—M . M . M . —[ See Walther ' s " Lexicon

Dipolomaticum . —P . ] MASONS' MAEKS . Two or three years ago it was said some one was about to publish a collection of Masons' Marks and their explanations . Who Avas the brother , and is tho book out ? J- 0 .