Though differences of creed played no part in Masonry, nevertheless it held religion in high esteem, and was then, as now, the steadfast upholder of the only two articles of faith that never were invented by man--the existence of God and the immortality of the soul! Accordingly, every Lodge was opened and closed with prayer to the "Almighty Architect of the universe;" and when a Lodge of mourning met in memory of a brother fallen asleep, the formula was: "He has passed over into the eternal East,"--to that region whence cometh light and hope. Unsectarian in religion, the Masons were also non-partisan in politics: one principle being common to them all--love of country, respect for law and order, and the desire for human welfare.[116] Upon that basis the first Grand Lodge was founded, and upon that basis Masonry rests today--holding that a unity of spirit is better than a uniformity of opinion, and that beyond the great and simple "religion in which all men agree" no dogma is worth a breach of charity. II With honorable pride in this tradition of spiritual faith and intellectual freedom, we are all the more eager to recite such facts as are known about the organization of the first Grand Lodge. How many Lodges of Masons existed in London at that time is a matter of conjecture, but there must have been a number. What bond, if any, united them, other than their esoteric secrets and customs, is equally unknown. Nor is there any record to tell us whether all the Lodges in and about London were invited to join in the movement. Unfortunately the minutes of the Grand Lodge only commence on June 24, 1723, and our only history of the events is that found in _The New Book of Constitutions_, by Dr. James Anderson, in 1738. However, if not an actor in the scene, he was in a position to know the facts from eye-witnesses, and his book was approved by the Grand Lodge itself. His account is so brief that it may be given as it stands: /#[4,66] King George I enter'd _London_ most magnificently on _20 Sept. 1714_. And after the Rebellion was over A.D. 1716, the few _Lodges_ at _London_ finding themselves neglected by Sir _Christopher Wren_, thought fit to cement under a _Grand Master_ as the Centre of Union and Harmony, _viz._, the _Lodges_ that met, 1. At the _Goose_ and _Gridiron_ Ale house in _St. Paul's Church-Yard_. 2. At the _Crown_ Ale-house in _Parker's Lane_ near _Drury Lane_. 3. At the _Apple-Tree_ Tavern in _Charles-street, Covent-Garden_. 4. At the _Rummer and Grape_ Tavern in _Channel-Row, Westminster_.