The Arcana of Freemasonry (1915) - The Masonic Trowel

XII
OPERATIVE MASONS
It has hitherto been a great question of discussion
which is the oldest, the Operative or Speculative,
and whether one was derived from the other or
not. So far, no one has ever pointed out the origin
of Operative Masons, and the relation of the one to
the other.
The officers of the Operative Lodge
'
Mount
Bardon," and the Operative Society, have been
kind enough to furnish me with much of their
Ritual, Signs and Symbols, and their interpretation
of the same, and have suggested that I should give
some explanation of the Operatives, as so many
Speculative
Brothers are interested in them.
I am glad to have the opportunity of doing
this, and to show here some of the differences
between the Operative and Speculative. I would,
however, strongly impress upon my readers that
the question, " does the Operative know more than
the Speculative," or " the Speculative know more
than the Operative," is futile, because they are
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