An Address

AN ADDRESS

DELIVERED BY R . W . BEO . BEOWN , DISTRICT GKAND MASTEB OI ? TUEKEY , ON THE OCCASION OE THE LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OP A MASONIC HALL AT HASSESEEUI . Delivered on the occasion of the laying the

foundation stone of a Masonic Hall in Constantinople . Brethren , W e have assembled here to day for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of a Freemasons' Lodge , to be erected for the use of the " Caledonian Lodge" under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Scotland .

To many of those now present , this may seem to be only an ordinary occurrence , inasmuch as so many other lodges have been constructed in other countries . It is , however , far from being a common occurrence . It is for the first time that , in the vast

Ottoman Empire , a Masonic Lodge has ever been erected ; and the event is therefore one of peculiar interest to us all as Freemasons , not only in Turkey , but to our more distant brethren in every part of the world . Indeed , it forms an epoch in

the history of Freemasonry , and , as such , is destined to be mentioned in all time to come , as one wherein our brethren of Scotland took the

lead here in promoting the welfare ancl prosperity of our beloved institution , by the erection of a lodge in what may be truthfully called the country or empire , in which Freemasonry orginated . For this reason all of my brethren now present will ,

I am confident , join with me in applauding the zeal and the great efforts of our Scottish brethren in this laudable undertaking . Ifc will , hereafter , be stated by them with pride , that on the first day of July , 1871 the " Caledonian Lodge" of

Constantinople , or more properly , of Hasskeui , laid the foundation-stone of the first lodge ever erected in the East .

To those who are not familiar with the history and traditions of our Order , a Lodge of Freemasons may seem to be only an ordinary edifice erected for the performance of certain rites and ceremonies of a mysterious character ; and this

conviction will be more calculated to repel rather than to invite our sympathies and good wishes for its success and prosperity . To them I would

declare that this Lodge is truly , I believe , destined to be only another new temple dedicated to the cultivation and the preservation of the highest principles of morality and virtue existing amongst mankind ; that it is dedicated to the Supreme

Author of all divine providences ; to the worship and adoration of Him whom we call " The Great Architect of the Universe , " the Creator of all things ; that none other than a sincere believer in the actual existence of our Divine Lord and Master

will ever be permitted to enter it ; and that all disbelievers will be kept away from it . I am also sure that it will aid in spreading , far and wide , a desire to contemplate and acquire a more intimate knowledge of the works of our divine Creator

even when taught in symbols and allegories ; and that the conventional and harmless signs and tokens of i . fcs brethren will only serve to designate those who sympathise in the sublime principles of one Universal Benevolence from those who do

not . The Almighty and Omniscient Creator of this little world , and of all the other far more vast worlds by which it is surrounded , in the three thousandth year of man ' s existence , commanded

one of His faithful servants to erect a temple in the city of Jerusalem , to be dedicated to the adoration of Himself . History ancl tradition inform us that the great Temple of Solomon was erected ' on a spot peculiarly interesting to mankind . Every

Masonic Temple is a humble imitation of that great Temple of God . Ifc represents the greater temple of the world , the great vault of the heavens and the surface of our globe , with reference , also to the cardinal points ; all indicating that Freemasons thus fully recognise and humbly adore the Great Architect of the Universe .

When we remember that there are so many thousands—I may even say millions—of Freemasons , of the very highest and of the lower degrees o f social life , scattered over the world—shewing how much our Institution is respected and

esteemedmany persons will very naturally ask what are the peculiar attractions which connect so many men together , by what we call our " Mystic Tie , " what are the great principles which form its basis , and have continued , through so many ages , to sustain ifc in

public estimation , when so many others have only survived only a brief period and ceased even to be remembered ? This query is easily answered .