Masonry In France.

MASONRY IN FRANCE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , DECEMBER 3 , 186-1 .

We have received a copy of a protest addressed by Bro . Bebold , ex-Deputy to the Grand Orient of France , author of the " Histoire Generate cle la Franc-Maconnerie , " and of the " Histoire des Trois Grandes Loges de Franc-Maconnerie en France , **

to the Grand Master , Marshal Maguan , against a preamble which has been proposed to the new Constitution of the Grand Orient of France as a substitute for Article I . of the Constitutions of 1849 and 1854 , declaring the foundation of

Masonry to be " the belief in God and the immortality of the soul "—the proposed alteration being calculated to do away with this foundation . The writer commences by stating that , on the 4 th September , he sent to the Most Illustrious

Grand Master an historical sketch , to be submitted to those French Masons at present engaged in discussing the proposed new Constitution issued by the last Legislative Assembly with the approval of the Grand Master .

That sketch , he says , treated—1 st , On the origin of Masonic Constitutions , and on the obligations and privileges derived from them , in order to enable French Masons to form for themselves a clear idea of their position and rights , as a fraction of

universal Masonry , in face of the tendencies of certain lodges of Paris to deviate from the fundamental principles of our Institution . 2 nd . That this paper was sent by the 111 . Grand Master , in the absence of the Mostlll . Bro . Blanche ,

to his second representative , the 111 . Bro . l'Arglo , who , after having perused and approved it , sent it to the Committee of the Bulletin . It having been submitted to the latter by its Chairman , Bro . de Saint-Jean , who had likewise approved of it ,

the Committee resolved , " That it was not expedient to open the columns of the Bulletin to an article that would necessarily (?) lead to discussion on the Constitution , in the official organ of the Grand Orient . "

3 rd . That , consequently , the French Masons , not being enabled to hear a competent opinion on this question , the writer is precluded from fulfilling his sacred duty as historiographer of French Masonry otherwise than by resorting to a direct

appeal to the brethren and depositing a protest in the hands of the Most Illustrious Grand Master , in order to warn the Craft and the head of the Grand Orientagainstthe danger that threatens them .

He then proceeds to state that the Masters of various Paris lodges have laid before the brethren the draft of a formula to be substituted for Clause 1 of the Constitutions of 1849 and 1854 . Clause 1 of the Constitutions of 1849 runs

thus : — " Freemasonry , being- essentially a philanthropic , philosophic , and progressive institution , is based upon the existence of God , and the immortality of the soul . " In the Constitutions of 1854 , this clause has

been modified in the following manner : — " The objects of the Order of Freemasonry are benevolence , the study of universal morals , and the practice of all virtues . It has for its base the existence of God , the immortality of the soul , and a love of mankind . "

The formula proposed , and lately adopted by a certain number of Paris lodges , albeit it denotes , at the bottom , very Masonic ideas , does away with the fundamental basis of the institution , viz ., the belief in God and the immortality of the soul ,

and thereby involves the very existence of Masonry itself . The proof of this will be found in the history and dogmas of the institution . 1 st . Freemasonry , after its re-establishment in England in 1717 , was imported in France in 1725

, and bequeathed to us hy the highest constitutional and legal power , the Grand Lodge of London , upon the condition that we should in every respect conduct ourselves in accordance with the

obligations laid down in the Constitution of 1717 of that Grand Lodge , which contains solely a recapitulation of the ancient laws and statutes of the Freemasons of England ; and these obligations havin g been agreed to , we must respect them , or otherwise

forego the bequest and resign the title of Freemason . 2 nd . The essential foundation of this primordial Constitution of modern Freemasonry is the belief of God , and this idea pervades the symbolism upon which the institution is based ; its rites are imbued

with it from the beginning to the end . The following are some proofs : —At the opening and closing of every lodge , grace is said * by invoking the Great Architect of the Universe , which is the general