Freemasonry Universal.

FREEMASONRY UNIVERSAL .

By General John Corson Smith Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Illinois , 5 th October 1898 .

( Continued from page 816 , vol . 48 . ) rip HE present Grand Lodge of England , known as the Mother I Grand Lodge , was formed from four of the time immemorial Lodges , but those were not the only Lodges then existing in Great

Britain , or even in England . This Mother Grand Lodge was formed in 1717 from four Lodges , and yet in 1751 we have another Grand Lodge organised in England from Lodges time immemorial , adhering to the old customs and usages , from which the older

Grand Lodge had to some extent departed . These two grand bodies continued to govern the Graft in England until 1813 , when they were consolidated and became one . The Grand Lodge of England , as stated , was organised in 1717 , while that of Ireland was organised in 1726 , and of Scotland in 1736 .

At the organisation of the latter there were known to be one hundred or more living Lodges of Operative Free and Accepted Masons , self-constituted or chartered by each other , many of them dating back for centuries , and yet but thirty-three joined in

the formation of the Grand Lodge . What became of the other sixty-seven or more is not known . What became of some of them is . A few died oufc with the cessation of work . on abbeys and palaces , while many others became members of Grand Lodge . ?

There was , however , one noted instance , ¦ The Lodge Melrose , " founded in the twelfth century , during the erection of that famous abbey immortalised in . yerse by Brother Walter Scott . That Lodge continued an independent body , recognised by .. the

Grand Lodge of Scotland . and the other Grand Lodges , until 1892 , when to force that body , to a support of Grand . Lodge the , Grand Lodge of Scotland " boycotted" its membership , and it was compelled to come into the fold .

Thus it will be seen that in the far distant centuries Freemasonry was Operative Masonry ; that a Speculative Masonrythe necessary adjunct—grew up beside it , and finally became merged into it , and while for centuries the two were combined , the Institution became purely Speculative in more modern times ) and is

now known as Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry , which is the Freemasonry Universal of which I now speak . Originating in the oldest known quarters of the globe , Asia and Africa , it travelled west with tbe civilisation ofthe day until it reached the continent of Europe , and thence to America , where , guided by the truth ' s as

set forth in the Holy Writings of the different countries in which it has found a home , and having reached a people of the most advanced civilisation and purest Christianity , like the waves of the ceaseless ocean it now returns travelling eastward to the land of its birth .

Aside from China and Japan , where there is no native Freemasonry and never was , I found the first native Craftsman in the Malay Archipelago , an old friend , Prince Data Sri A mar . d Baja , known as Abdul Eanman to many of the Craftsmen here present , who met the distinguished Brother at my home , who was Senior

Warden of his Lodge . In India I met many of the . native Freemasons , and among them the Parsis , the merchant prince ' s , descendants of the ancient Persians , and they are enthusiastic Freemasons . Visiting a Lodge of Parsis one evening , and having no Masonic clothing or evening dress , having sent my luggage to

Freemasonry Universal.

a distant point , I made apologies for not conforming to the rules of the country . A Parsis Brother immediately arose and said , "It is not your clothing , Brother Smith , we want to see here ; it is your person , and we give you hearty welcome . " This put me at ease .

The customs and manners of these Eastern Brethren of Asia and Africa are such as govern in good society in Europe and America , the nearest approach to which is found in the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania . Some years ago the anxiety to have credit for correct ancient and English work in the several Grand Lodges in the United States led to what is known as the

" Webb work , ' the " Barney work , ' or the " Rob Morris work , " and we have wandered away from the work of the Mother Grand Lodge . Whether we have produced a more dramatic or grammatic work is not for me to discuss in this address . Suffice it to say , that differing as we may in language or presentation , the essentials are the same , and certain landmarks , the corner-stones of our

ancient Fraternity , with their underlying principles of a firm belief in Deity , a love for our fellowmen , of a life that is yet to come , and an undying patriotism , are the same in all lands . The eternal truths upon which Freemasonry is founded demand a firm belief in and a strict adherence to those fundamental landmarks , which cannot be too often repeated : " The Fatherhood of God ,

the Brotherhood of Man , and the resurrection . " It is this belief which has made the United Grand Lodge of England so large in membership , so powerful for good , so happily united . Let any Lodge , be it of the " Three Globes" or "Egyptian , " pr of the Swedish or Scottish Constitutions , maintain these principles and

landmarks and be governed by its Master and Wardens only , and the Mother Grand Lodge not only recognises it as a constituent of this great Brotherhood but throws its protecting arms about it to save it from all intruders . Thus ifc is fchafc our Freemasonry is made universal .

As an evidence of this fact I recall my first visit to a Lodge working in that land of the lordly and mysterious Nile , presided over by the genial and scholarly Shahine Makarius Bey . ' It was the Lodge Lataif , of the Egyptian Constitution , and on its altar

lay an open copy of the Koran . A communication was read by the Secretary which caused much discussion and an apparent depth of feeling , but as fche debate , was in Arabic I had to ask the friend who accompanied me to the Lodge , a Syrian officer of the Anglo-Egyptian army , the charcter of the paper read .

He informed me it was a letter from a well known person , who stated he had been made a Mason in a former Lodge in Egypt working under the French Constitution , and that the Lodge haying ceased to exist he now sought membership , and advancement in this Arabic Lodge . The Brother further said that the Egyptian Brethren had in some way understood that French

Freemasonry was not recognised by English working Lodges , and just how fco dispose of the matter they did not know . I asked him if he would request the Worshipful Master to give me a hearing , and translate my remarks into Arabic for the members . I was invited to address the Lodge , which I did , and

briefly informed the Worshipful Master and Brethren that the cause of the estrangement between the English working Lodges and those of France was the action of the French in removing the Holy Writings from the altars and no longer requiring of the candidate a belief in Deity . On this being interpreted to those Egyptian Brethren of Lataif Lodge they unanimously and with muoh applause directed

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RoyalMasonicInstitutionforGirls. Offices5Freemasons'Hall,GreatQueenStreet,London,W.C. Chief Patroness— -HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN . Grand Patron and President—H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G ., & c , M . W . G . M . Grand Patroness—H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF WALES . Bankers—LONDON & WESTMINSTER BANK LTD . ( BLOOMSBURY BRANCH ) , HIGH HOLBORN , W . C . 19 UI Girls ha ^ e been provided rtith Education , Clothing , and Maintenance , the full number of Girls novQ receiving its benefits being 267 . The 11 ith Anniversary Festival will take place on ioth Ma ) ' next , under the distinguished Presidency of THE RiCmr HOW . VBSCOUNT DUNGARVAN , D . L ., R . W . PROV . CM . SOMERSET . The names of Brethren vOHling to serVe as Stewards are earnestly solicited . F . R . W . HEDGES , Secretary , 5 FREEMASONS' HALL , LONDON , W . C . Registered Office Telegraphic Address ; " Crirlands , London . "