Freemasonry Universal.

FREEMASONRY UNIVERSAL .

By General John Corson Smith Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Illinois , 5 th October 1898 . TO the student of our philosophy and the earnest inquirer after the deep moral teachings of our symbolism there is much in the past history of Craft Masonry to convince the inquiring mind of the fact , that , in spite of innovations which would be wrought in our system by false teachers , true Freemasonry is and ever has been universal .

Before the Operative Mason was thought of , or Speculative Masonry dreamed of , primitive man sought to know his Divine Maker , and worshipped him in symbolism . The starry firmament was his chart , the earth his trestleboard , and all life his working

tools . The sun was to him a symbol of Deity , the moon of companionship and maternity , while the planets were the evidence of the fruitfulness of those factors in the possibilities of this great universe which we inhabit .

Feebly groping for light , as man must have done in the infancy of the world , we find that as his knowledge extended and he met with others engaged in the same search , he became more civilised and tolerant , and as he found others discovering the same truths , worshipping the same grand works of creation and

delving deeper into the great mysteries , his mind became enlarged and he became more liberal . A unity of purpose , discoveries of the same symbolism and teachings of the same truths brought early man into companionship , as a belief in the same creed and worship in the same church bring the men of today into closer friendship than if of an opposing doctrine .

This early love of symbolism and eager search after the sublime truths soon led man to realise that if the same discoveries could be made by different races , in different climes and under different conditions , that all mankind must have had a common origin , and there must have been but one Creator of them all .

This , then , was the source of that sublime sentiment of our Freemasonry : ' * The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man , " and the origin of that equally God-given sentiment of our Brothers of the Orient : " Allah is God . There is but one God , and all mankind are Brethren . "

In all ages the most advanced thinkers have been philosophers whose teachings by symbols and heiroglyphics have been of life , death and the resurrection , and to the earliest of these philosophers we are indebted for that classification of our

Masonic symbolism and landmarks which is to be found in that trinity of our ancient principles , never to be modified or set aside : " The Fatherhood of God , the Brotherhood of Man , and the life which is yet to come . "

That Masonry existed before any of the schools of philosophy is a well established fact , for the earliest man dwelling in caves was a worker in stone , and as he pushed away from his mountain fastnesses into the plain below he had to built him shelter of stone or other material , the most accessible .

Eudely erected as were the buildings of early days , the workman showed a knowledge wonderfully in advance of the appliances used , and great has been the progress from the time of the cave-dweller to that of the no less hazy period of the builders of the rock-cut caverns and stupendous fortresses of India , or . the time-defying temples of grand old Egypt , and the

still more modern palaces and cathedrals of mediaeval Europe . Through all these ages of the world's history Masonry was in advance of civilisation , spurring man to a higher and nobler destiny . From the time of the unskilled labourer of the cavedweller to the master builders of India and Egypt , Masonry stood alone and lifted man from ignorance and helplessness to a splendour of semi-barbarism such as the world had never seen .

At that time the study of symbolism began , the schools of philosophy became established , and our ancient Craft had coworkers to help make better . In the erection of those impregnable fortresses and palaces of India , and indestructible pyramids of Egypt , Masonry and Freemasonry became merged , and from that time were one and the same body , Operative and Speculative Masonry .

There are two classes of writers with which I have little patience ; one accepts nothing as true unless it be written at the time , and the same be supported by corroborative evidence ; the other , those who believe in every tradition which had been handed

down for generations . Of the two , I much prefer the latter , as history is often nothing but the record of prejudice , vanity or hatred , while tradition , as a rule , is founded upon fact , though often enlarged or belittled .

At the time or period herein named the Operative Mason called to Lis assistance the bpeculative Mason , found in the schools of philosophy , to help beautify and adorn the temples then in process of erection , and that was ages before the reign of King Solomon . I myself have seen Masonic emblems and symbols engraven , inlaid or painted , on the venerable piles of Masonry and mosques of India , the temples , obelisks and tombs in Egypt ,

Freemasonry Universal.

even to the date palm or acacia , and the box or coffin on the walls of the ruined temples at Luxor , many of which must have been erected five thousand or more years ago . Brother Lieutenant Commander Henry H . Gorringe , United States Navy , who removed the Cleopatra obelisk now in Central Park , New York , from Alexandria , Egypt , says of this granite shaft

that it was one of the second pair of obelisks erected in front of the Temple of the Sun at Heliopolis , 1591 B . C ., and the other one of the pair is now on the banks of the Thames , London , England . This obelisk was therefore erected at Heliopolis before the time of the exodus of the children of Israel from their Egyptian

bondage , and in front of the Temple of the Sun in which Potiphera the Priest officiated , whose daughter Pharoah gave to Joseph in marriage . He further states that this obelisk was removed to Alexandria , 22 B . C ., and there stood until taken down by himself and removed to New York City .

On the Masonic character of its foundation , Brother Gorringe writes that a committee of Freemasons of the Grand Lodge of Egypt carefully examined , and came to the following conclusion : " That the polished cube found in the east angle corresponds with the Masonic emblem designated the perfect ashlar . The polished square corresponds with the emblem of that name . The rough

block found in the west angle corresponds with the rough ashlar . The stone with figures resembling snakes is emblematic of Wisdom , the axis stone is the trestle-board , and the stone adjacent to it bears the Master ' s Mark . The two implements ( also found embedded in the foundation ) , the iron trowel and lead plummet , are also emblematic of Freemasonry . " Brother Gorringe also adds : " It is worthy of record that the Masonic

character of the foundation had been affirmed before either of these implements ( the iron trowel and lead plummet ) was discovered . " The piece of soft white limestone found under the polished cube or perfect ashlar was thought to be the symbol of Purity . We submit tbat little if any stronger evidence of a Masonic character is necessary , or could be required , of the fact that these ancient Egyptians were of our Universal Brotherhood .

Believing as we do that there is not only credible tradition butrecord evidence of the existence of Freemasonry at a very early period in the world ' s history , as evidenced in the symbolism engraved on its ancient monuments and temples , and painted on its tombs , and that it was universal to the extent of the civilisation of the day , we are glad to record the fact that the Fraternity only

flourished where there was a belief in one God . Then , as now , the corner-stone of our Fraternity was a belief in the one everliving God , the Grand Omnific Euler of the Universe , and where that belief existed Freemasonry had a home and an abiding place . The Persians passing into India carried Freemasonry with them , but the Hindus were not Freemasons . Nor have the Chinese

nor the Japanese ever been members of our Fraternity , unless they first became Christianised , and we do not know of one of the latter to this day who has become a Freemason . That there are Lodges of Freemasons in each of these countries we are well aware , for we have visited them , but they are supported by Europeans or believers in Islam . In India and the Malay Archipelago we

have the Mohammedan and Parsis , followers of Mohammed and Zoroaster , but believers in the one God , be he called Jehovah , Allah , or the Almighty , and these people are devoted Freemasons . The same is true of Egypt , of Africa , Turkey and continental Europe , and we have found the best Freemasonry where the purest Christianity and the most advanced civilisation flourished . This we deem the crowning glory of Freemasonry Universal .

Of what number of degrees that ancient Freemasonry consisted we are not prepared to say , composed as it was of Operative and Speculative workmen . We are satisfied as to the Operative part , for the reason that from time immemorial Operative Masonry has consisted , and must consist , of three degrees or grades , be they called degrees or not , for there must be three classes of workmen .

To be engaged in teaching faith in one God , love of one ' s fellow men and loyalty to the country , to the exclusion of all religious creeds , was to be ostracised by society and outlawed by the church . In those early times no one dared to record the doings of the Masonic Order any more than in Venice to incur the hostility of the Council of Ten , or the Doge ' s displeasure .

That the various schools of philosophers , architects and decorators composing the Speculative Masons so soon to be merged into the Freemasons Universal , had many degrees or grades we think probable , but for the Operative Masons , now known as the Ancient Free and Accepted Masous , or Freemasons Universal , we affirm that they had three grades then , have the same now , and never had less .

In-the erection of those great structures and magnificent temples of Europe , Asia and Africa—and recent discoveries warrant us in adding America—whose overthrown and crumbling walls are the wonder and admiration of the world to this day , there were employed three classes of workmen—Apprentice Masons , Fellow Craft or Journeymen Masons , and Overseers , or