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The Church and Lodge
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Upon the organization of the first Grand Lodge in London, 1717, Freemasonry, as already stated, became a
fraternity wholly Speculative. In 1723 that Grand Lodge published a volume of laws, rules, and regulations
called the Book of Constitutions which made it clear that a Mason must believe in God but that he was also
free to belong to any religion or church of his choice consistent with such a belief. The paragraph in
which that provision was made is probably the most influential and famous single piece of writing
in the whole literature and history of the Fraternity:
"A Mason is oblig'd, by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient times Masons were charg'd in every Country to be of the religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet 'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves; that is, to be good men and true, or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguish'd; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the means of conciliating true friendship among persons that must have remain'd at a perpetual Distance." Since Freemasonry is a Fraternity, all matters of theology, creeds, doctrines, and ecclesiastical organizations lie outside its province, so that it never pronounces upon any of them or takes sides with one against the other. In its lodges around the world are men of many religions, nd as Rudyard Kipling wrote in one of his most famous Masonic poems, men of many religions may sit down together in the same lodge. Freemasonry makes war on no church, nor does it champion any church, and if some church should chance to make war on it, it would let it pass by and would not retaliate. In all the Landmarks, Constitutions, general laws, rules and regulations of all the regular and duly constituted Grand Lodges is no mention of any church. A member of any Ancient Craft Lodge who might seek to introduce religious controversy into his lodge would stand in danger of being immediately suspended or expelled.
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