Mystic masonry, or, The symbols of freemasonry and the greater ...

68 Mystic Masonry.
in real knowledge. In other Masonic jurisdictions,
however, a different custom prevails. Of the Belgium
Lodges, for example, a Brother writes as
follows:
"Our Lodge, called 'La Charite,' at Orient Charlevoi,
is under obedience of the great Orient at
Brussels, and has the Scottish Rite. No Mason is
supposed to know anything of the ritual by heart.
Questions and answers are read out, especially at
initiation. The work of the Mason is supposed to be
interior work in himself, before it can become exterior
labor. So in order to obtain his degrees he has
to do some work of his own, and no one is supposed
to learn anything by heart, except words, signs and
passwords. Now I have to tell you that every
Mason is supposed to do some literary work on general
subjects concerning the welfare of man, human
institutions, sociology, history, philosophy,
philanthropy, etc., etc., and it is such work that a
young Mason is supposed to do. Then, after reading
these papers, they are discussed by all the members
of the Lodge present, perhaps for three or four
meetings, until the subject seems to be exhausted.
This develops, in the young Mason, his intelligence
and his moral feeling."
As will be shown in a later section, this method