The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 10 - Conclusion
There are several Masonic personalities who do not doubt the universality of
their Craft; thus, Past Grand Master and Past Grand High Priest of Georgia,
Samuel Lawrence, states in his oration The Universality of Freemasonry,
published in 1874, that "[t]he Universality of Freemasonry, in some sense or
other, is never disputed. It is one of those axiomatic dogmas of the Science that
is supposed to prove itself, and requires no argument to establish or to validate
its truth. And this, doubtless, is the reason why so little has been written about
it." 1989 However, his choice of word, "in some sense or other," betrays his
insecurity, for either there is universality or not, and there cannot be a
compromise like "some universality." An axiom is an established rule, principle
or self-evident truth. The universality of Masonry is far from being recognized as
a truth, with regard to several profane and Masonic arguments of the 19 th and
20 th centuries that will be dealt with in the following analysis. A rather
pessimistic point of view thus is expressed in Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia:
It has been said times without number that Freemasonry is universal,
open to all men, and speaks a universal language, all of which is a
laudable doctrine, a worthy objective, and to a degree not impossible.
[...] There is no value in being a Freemason unless one is frank and
honest, so that we may as well admit that the progress made by the
Fraternity in attaining or preserving universality has over the past two
centuries been nil if, indeed, it has not been in reverse. 1990
Coil enumerates several obstacles which are in the way of this daring
aspiration; first, due to the growth of the Fraternity, the individual members have
become less closely knit, second, the "one great family" concept of Freemasonry
has receded in favor of the importance of the individual's attachment to a specific
lodge, and the early right of visiting foreign lodges can be denied at any time,
third, the rules of recognition have permanently been constricted and tightened,
"so as practically to isolate half the world Masonically from the other half." 1991
As the cause for all this, Coil sees the numerous of religious dogmas that have
been adopted as innovations upon the Constitutions of Symbolic Freemasonry of
the year 1723:
Every added item of religious doctrine operates to alienate some
considerable group of Freemasons, so that today those who would be
our brethren in broad areas of the world must not only withstand
religious attacks at home (traditionally those of the Roman Catholic
Church), but must withstand the scorn of other Freemasons. All this
concerns mere belief, as to which, as Albert Pike said, no man knows
who is right. 1992
1989 Lawrence, Practical Masonic Lectures, p. 335.
1990 CME, p. 662.
1991 Ibid.
1992 CME, p. 662.