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Article GERMAN FREEMASONRY. ← Page 3 of 3
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German Freemasonry.
In this conservative land there is no desire manifested to rncrease the Masonic membership , the brethren seeming rather to rejoice that their secrets are shared by comparatively so few ; nor is there an excess of subordinate lodges , a new one never being constituted unless the good of the Order absolutely requires it . Here , the old
craft moves slowly along , with its old and well-tried crew , spreading no sail and courting no gale to speed it upon the smiling , glittering , swelling , yet treacherous wave of popular favour . In Germany no public demonstrations are ever made , the speculative workman of this country deeming such gatherings but gilded
advertisements of his Craft . Here , no winning orator descants in public hall upon the traditions and teachings of our Order , the golden tongue of Masonic eloquence ringing and thrilling only in the well guarded recesses of the lodge-room . Here , no api-on-clad , funeral cortege troops behind the black-plumed hearse , the brethren following
their comrade ' s corse being robed only in the sable habiliments donned by the outer world . Here , no boastful show is made of Masonic membership ; the decorated breasts , in this land of orders and insignias , carrying no emblem of our fraternity to claim the notice of the uninitiated .
" Mystery" is the one word which fully describes Masonry in Germany . Here , the profane can know but little more of the mystic fold than that it is . He may hear its name spoken , yet he can identify no one as being its adherent . He may hear of its secrets , yet he knows no one who boasts of being in possession of them . He may
hear of its lessons of wisdom , yet he knows no one who says he has tasted of its lore or drank from its instructive fount . He may hear of its charity , yet he sees not the hand that casts its love-offerings into the lap of suffering . In brief : regarding Masonic secrets and Masonic doings , our German brethren are almost as mute , in the
presence of the outer world , as that stony sentinel , the Sphinx , which stands at the foot of the mighty pyramids , —those mysterious mausoleums of the proud and pompous Pharaohs .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
German Freemasonry.
In this conservative land there is no desire manifested to rncrease the Masonic membership , the brethren seeming rather to rejoice that their secrets are shared by comparatively so few ; nor is there an excess of subordinate lodges , a new one never being constituted unless the good of the Order absolutely requires it . Here , the old
craft moves slowly along , with its old and well-tried crew , spreading no sail and courting no gale to speed it upon the smiling , glittering , swelling , yet treacherous wave of popular favour . In Germany no public demonstrations are ever made , the speculative workman of this country deeming such gatherings but gilded
advertisements of his Craft . Here , no winning orator descants in public hall upon the traditions and teachings of our Order , the golden tongue of Masonic eloquence ringing and thrilling only in the well guarded recesses of the lodge-room . Here , no api-on-clad , funeral cortege troops behind the black-plumed hearse , the brethren following
their comrade ' s corse being robed only in the sable habiliments donned by the outer world . Here , no boastful show is made of Masonic membership ; the decorated breasts , in this land of orders and insignias , carrying no emblem of our fraternity to claim the notice of the uninitiated .
" Mystery" is the one word which fully describes Masonry in Germany . Here , the profane can know but little more of the mystic fold than that it is . He may hear its name spoken , yet he can identify no one as being its adherent . He may hear of its secrets , yet he knows no one who boasts of being in possession of them . He may
hear of its lessons of wisdom , yet he knows no one who says he has tasted of its lore or drank from its instructive fount . He may hear of its charity , yet he sees not the hand that casts its love-offerings into the lap of suffering . In brief : regarding Masonic secrets and Masonic doings , our German brethren are almost as mute , in the
presence of the outer world , as that stony sentinel , the Sphinx , which stands at the foot of the mighty pyramids , —those mysterious mausoleums of the proud and pompous Pharaohs .