The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-10-10
What German Frea Masonry Thinks Of Protestant
ism,


The following extract from the Banhutto, a
German Masonic journal, was clipped from the
columns of one of the London weekly news
papers. This extract is of some interest to the
reader, in showing the views of a dominant
school of thought in the most powerful and
most Influential order in the German Empire,
also the low opinion entertained of the eff,
cheney of orthodox Professionalism as q theolo-
gical system, and of it's utter weakness in re-
sisting the steady advances of skepticism and
materialism:
Professionalism, unable to extricate itself
from that slavish subjection to the letter as
opposed to the spirit in which it remains hope
lessly imbedded as in O quicksand, and lacking
completely all the motive power of vigorous
and progressive intellectual life, has of itself
crumbled away into multitudnous sects, all
utterly powerless against others and divided
| amongst themselves, 80 that now it can be
considered only in the light of dead letter.
The only existing real and ritdl pe.cer is
United Catholic Christendom. welded into one
| midable drag to the wheels of progress, and as
barrier to the development and enlighten-
ment of the human race, and as such must be
regarded by all Freemasons who have the
| interest of our League near at heart. He who
would win largely must stake high. If, there
| fore, we desire to be true Freemasons, and to
further the cause, to the advancement of which
we have pledged ourselves we must without
| reserve or hesitation adopt as our own the
words of Strauss, and proclaim aloud: We
longer Christians, t0e are simply FTeemdsonS
nothing less and nothing more We must con-
centrate all our powers to effect the one thing
necessary-to unite all mankind in the bond OF
| a common humanity. Mere dilettanteism in
| Freemasonry can never be OF real service 10
| the human race, nor win for the brotherhood
real respect. The present time is not one OF
compromise; let us refuse to carry doubtful
banner"
The idea expressed by the BGnhutt0 of Cath
lie Chrstendom being " welded into one body
by Jesuit influence" is, of course, the sheerest
nonsense, without any foundation in fact, and
an absurdty unworthy of intelligent men
The Catholic Church was welded into one
body" for centuries before the establishment Of
the Society of Jesus in the sixteenth century
by the influence of the Holy Spirit, and in &C
cordance with the predictions of the prophets
and the promises of Christ.
} The editor also refers hippantly to what ht
terms the "progress, enlightenment and deVel
opmeut of the human race" These preten
tious declarations amount to nothing in thii
age of shams, imitation and plausible Plsti
tudes, for they were the jargon of the Jacobinl
/ of % in France, in the midst of their sanguin
ary orgies, and later, of the French Commu
, nists of 1871. They have constituted the sta
) pies of the " campaign" documents, Congres
: sional speeches and editorial leaders OF tn
Radical Observation-Disclosures in the Unlte'
= States when universal African suffrage, civi
rights and force bills, with fraudulent consti
. tutional amendments, were forced upon al
}. unwilling people at the bsyonePs point.
? These same expressions are the stereOtype'
language of the Puritan political preachers-o
= Wendell Philips, o. B. Frothingham, Stephe