The Higher Degrees in Germany
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The New Age MAGAZINE Volume XXVI JUNE, 1918 Number 6 1 THE HIGHER DEGREES IN GERMANY THEIR POLITY AND ORGANIZATION By Cyrus Field Willard, 32° THERE has been a general feeling among Freemasons that in some way the order would at some time have more or less influence in bringing about peace. It was this feeling that prompted the writer to begin an investigation along this line as to what organizations among the Masons in Germany would possibly be able to have influence in this direction. But it was not until the editor of The New Age had mentioned the lack of general knowledge which existed in the United States as to the polity and form of organization of the higher degrees as they exist today in Germany, and sug- gested that an article along this line would be very acceptable to the readers of the magazine, that a serious effort was made to obtain the desired infor- mation. Let me say that the research work in- volved has been of the greatest value to the one performing it, the more so as it has been necessary to go into the whole question of the organization and modification of the order, not only in Germany, but also in England and Sweden. The foundations on which it rests have also been examined. It was the Scotch Presbyterian minis- ter, Rev. Dr. James Anderson, one who helped to organize the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717, whose report on the Ancient Constitutions of the previously existing lodges was adopted as the famous “Book of the Constitutions'* in 1723, and this has formed the constitu- tion and basic organic law of real Ma- sonry ever since. In the “Charges of a Freemason" in that document — which now lies before me — under the first of “The General Heads," viz : “Of God and Religion/' it says : 1. Concerning God and Religion. A Mason is obliged by his Tenure to obey the Moral Law ; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irre- ligious 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 Denomination or Per- suasion they may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union anil the means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that must have remained at a perpetual distance. This was cohsidered, by Robert Freke Gould, as involving the most important change made by the Constitution, as it took away the Christian and sectarian character which had been given it in accordance with the opportunism of the second sentence and made it frankly and openly tolerant of every religion. As Brother Th. G. Valette, editor of the Union Fraternelle of the Orient of the Hague, truly says, “It was thus in 243 Digitized by VjOOQle
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