A PASTOR AND FREEMASONRY

WHAT'S A PASTOR TO DO?

Harmon R. Taylor

International Director H R T Ministries, Box 12, Newtonville NY 12128

I write this article as a pastor and as a former Mason. I served as head of Welcome Lodge in Amsterdam, New York in 1980, and as Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York from 1983. Then a Christian brother's witness caused me to flee and to study the roots of Freemasonry. The more I have studied since November 25, 1984 when I renounced Freemasonry, the more embarrassed I have become that I was ever a member, much less spiritual supervisor of 150,00 Masons in New York State.

Pastors need to consider the relationship of their church, their ministry and their flock relative to Freemasonry. Masons are in the pulpits, in other positions of leadership in the church and in the pews. In every case they are either grossly deceived as I was for eleven years, or they are not truly Christians.

Charles G. Finney, the greatest of the 19th Century evangelists, left Freemasonry when he acknowledged Christ as Savior and Lord of his life. He wrote a book on the subject of Freemasonry. It has been reissued by Crown Publication, Burlington, Ontario, Canada under the title, The Antichrist of the Masonic Society. On page 139 he states correctly: "God hold the church and every branch of it, responsible for its opinions and actions in accordance with the best light, which, in His providence, is afforded them.

"While Masonry was a secret, the church had no light, and no responsibility respecting it ... Hence God did not require the church to bear any testimony on the subject as long as Masonry was secret. "Freemasonry is now revealed. It is no longer a secret from any who wish to be informed.

"Since these revelations (the rituals) have been made, and both the church and the world can know what Masonry really is, God demands, and the world has a right to expect, that the church will take due action and bear a truthful testimony in respect to this institution. She cannot now innocently hold her peace. The light has come. Fidelity to God, and to the souls of men, require that the church, which is the light of the world, should speak out, and should take such actions as will plainly reveal her views of the compatibility or incompatibility of Freemasonry with the Christian religion.

"...How can we fail to pronounce Freemasonry an anti-Christian institution? ... Its morality is unchristian, ... its oath-bound secrecy is unchristian, ... taking of its oaths are unchristian, ... Masonic oaths pledge its members to commit most unlawful and unchristian acts, deliver each other from difficulty whether right or wrong, favor Masonry in political action and business transactions, sworn to retaliated, to persecute unto death the violators of Masonic obligations, ...its oaths are profane, the taking of the name of God in vain, ...the penalties of these oaths are barbarous and even savage, ...its teachings are false and profane, ...its design is partial and selfish, ...it is an enormous falsehood.

"Every local branch of the Church of Christ is bound to examine this subject, and pronounce upon this institution, according to the best light they can get. God does not allow individuals, or churches, (or pastors), to withhold action, and the expression of the opinion, until other churches are as enlightened as themselves.

"If churches who are known to have examined the subject withhold their testimony; if they continue to receive persistent and intelligent Freemasons; if they leave the public to infer that they see nothing in Freemasonry inconsistent with a creditable profession of the Christian religion, it will be justly inferred by other branches of the church, and by the world, that there is nothing in it so bad, so dangerous and unchristian as to call for their examination, action, and testimony.

"It is almost universally conceded that persistent Freemasons, who continued to adhere and cooperate with them, ought not to be admitted to Christian churches."

WHAT CAN PASTOR DO?

What shall we as pastors say to our flocks that contain perhaps a great number of professed Christians who are Freemasons? Again we look to Brother Finney:

"Let them (Freemasons) have no more to do with it. Let Christian men labor with them, plead with them, and endeavor to make them see that their duty is to abandon it."

To these words of Brother Finney I can lend an "AMEN!" What can pastors do? They can receive this article into their hands, perhaps from one of their lambs, and prayerfully consider it. They can study at their library. Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, 33rd degree, Henry Wilson Coil, 33rd degree, and Arthur Edward Waite are all recognized authorities by State Grand Lodges. They may contact me or this ministry for further information. They can read an excellent sermon, "Freemasonry and Christianity" by Dr. Alva J. McClain, founder and first president of of Grace Theological Seminary.

You will find and excellent resource in a six-part series on Freemasonry which aired across the country in April and May of 1986. The series is entitled, "THE MASONIC LODGE; Behind closed doors." It is available through The John Ankerberg Show, Box 8977, Chattanooga, TN 37411 in audio or VHS cassettes as well as in written transcript form.

THE ONE THING THAT PASTORS CAN'T DO, IS NOTHING!

A pastor is accountable to God Almighty for Christ's sheep in their flock. I would never become involved in Freemasonry if a pastor had preached even the poorest of sermons against Freemasonry in my youth. If he even whispered in my ear! I spent eleven years in Masonry. I defended it to my family, my church, my colleagues. God forgive me!

Thank God my teen-agers didn't swallow my line. One went and educated himself and both of them prayed, one for four years, and one for two years, that I might be set free from the abomination of the cult of Freemasonry. The day came when a Christian brother and former Mason, had the courage to risk our friendship. He opened up his Masonic bible and shared the Light as he there had found it in Jesus, the Light of the World. That Light showed the light of Freemasonry to be darkness and deception. Each verse he shared brought out Masonic debris like "Salvation by Works" from the closets of my life. With the living room of my life now cluttered with the false doctrines of Freemasonry, I renounced it that very day! I will never forget the joy in the voices of my children as I told them over the phone! I will never forget the tears on my mother's cheeks as she exclaimed, "Another prayer answered! One more to go before I die!" Yes, and the joyous embrace of my obedient wife!

WE MUST RENOUNCE IT

In the year after I renounced Freemasonry, I personally sat with each Mason in my congregation and shared my testimony. Most defended the Fraternity. Some even began a campaign against their pastor. So be it! "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!" Some left their positions of authority in the church without ever being asked. On October 13, 1985 I delivered a sermon entitled, "Mixing Oil With Water -- Christianity & Freemasonry." That light exposed the darkness of Masonry and unrenouncing Masons still in positions of authority fled in shame. In their place God sent new people literally from across this country to take up the slack. Finances that were threatened by these Masonic families, instead, increased by 40%! The pledging units increased by 25%! Pastor, stand for God and He will bless!

I thank God for Bible-believing pastors. If you are one, know that in love I say to you, "Pastor, you preach the Word with me! Yes, there will be opposition. In the world you will have tribulation, said Jesus, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world."

Preach boldly as we are instructed in Acts 18:9, Col. 1:28, 2 Tim. 4:2-5, Heb. 2:11. Know that there will be rewards for any persecution that you may face as recorded in James 1:3, 12.

Pastor, did you know that Freemasonry will not permit the Name of Jesus to be used in any regular and well governed Lodge? Did you know that when they use a passage such as 1 Pet. 2:5 or 2 Thes. 3:6, they delete the phrase that includes the name of our blessed and only Saviour, Jesus Christ? That is not just an oversight, as reference to it states (*slight, but necessary modifications have been made). Would you call deleting Jesus Christ a "slight" or "necessary" modification? No! No Christian should! 1 John 2:22-23 says "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also." Read also 1 John 4:2 in relation to this same thought.

Pastor, Hosea 4:6 declares, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."

LET NONE PERISH

As fellow pastors, we must agree that we do not want to see anyone perish. Certainly, not the lambs in our own flock! Labor with me. As I share with you, 433 men have renounced Masonry and are living more productive Christian lives. They discovered that the "friendships" of the Lodge were based on a Masonic bond and not upon genuine friendship. In every instance they found Christians coming forward who had held back from fellowship with them, not knowing how to confront their Christian brother in his error. Without exception, they have confessed that their present friends are more genuine and more fulfilling to their lives than what they thought they had in the fraternity.

If you have Masons in the membership of Christ's church, you, as pastor, need to become educated and confront them in love. I was delivered from my love of Freemasonry and left with an abiding love for Masons. I pray daily for their release from the cult of Freemasonry. With prayer, preparation, and sharing, they will come out of either Freemasonry or the Church.

DWIGHT L. MOODY SPEAKS OUT

Dwight L. Moody said, "I do not see how any Christian, most of all a Christian minister, can go into these secret lodges with unbelievers. They say they can have more influence for good: but I say they can have more influence for good by staying out of them, and reproving their evil deeds. Abraham had more influence for good in Sodom than Lot had."

For this, D. L. Moody was challenged, "If you talk this way, you will drive all the members of secret societies out of your meetings and out of our churches."

To this the bold pastor proclaimed, "But what if I did? Better men will take their places. Give them the truth anyway, and if they would rather leave their churches than their lodges, the sooner they get out of the churches, the better. I would rather have ten members who are separated from the world than a thousand such members. Better one with God than a thousand without Him."

WHAT'S A PASTOR TO DO REGARDING FREEMASONRY?

- Pray for guidance and direction.

- Study Freemasonry together with your Bible.

- Write down your thoughts.

- Share them with Masons when you're sure enough not to be deceived by their uninformed or misinformed tales.

- Proclaim from your pulpit the dangers of the double walk of a Christian in Freemasonry. Let your flock know again that they cannot serve two masters, nor can they have any other God before them. (Masonry permits any and every god at the altar.)

If you are a pastor, thank you for listening and may God bless you as you serve Him and your flock for the glory of God. If you are a layman, your pastor needs your support and your help. Pray for your Pastor; then share this article. Continue to pray with expectation for your pastor and be ready to assist your pastor in proclaiming the Truth and setting free the oppressed.

                                FREEMASONRY 
                              A GRAND CHAPLAIN 
                                 SPEAKS OUT 

                                GRAND LODGE 
                          FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS 
                                   OF THE 
                             STATE OF NEW YORK 

 GRAND CHAPLAIN 
 1983-1984 
 REV. HARMON R. TAYLOR 

                             NOVEMBER 25, 1984 

Knowing that you desire to serve the Lord with all your heart, I share this letter with you. Perhaps you have been struggling with the same situation. On November 22nd, I sent the facts contained in this letter to all masonic bodies of which I am a member. I invite you to prayerfully read it. It will explain why I as a Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York am requesting a demit from all bodies of the masonic fraternity. There is much more that I could share. I would be happy to share more if it will help you in the Lord's service.

Many have asked me if Freemasonry is a religion. I have always responded "No". Others have told me that it is a religion. Study has revealed the fact that learned writers in the fraternity say MASONRY IS A RELIGION. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is established" (Matthew 18:16). In order to be brief, I will quote only four masonic authorities that masonry is a religion.

Albert Mackey, one of the most well known masonic authorities, wrote in A LEXICON OF FREEMASONRY (Pg. 402): "The religion, then, masonry, is pure theism...".

Albert Pike, the most important of all American masonic authorities wrote in MORALS AND DOGMA (Pg. 213-214): "Every masonic lodge is a temple of religion, and its teachings are instructions in religion...this is true religion revealed to the ancient patriarchs; which masonry has taught for many centuries, and which it will continue to teach as long as time endures.

J.S.M. Ward, a masonic authority who has written several important books on masonry, wrote in his book FREEMASONRY: ITS AIMS & IDEALS (Pg.185): "I consider freemasonry is a significantly organized school of mysticism to be entitled to be called a religion." Ward continues on page 187, "Freemasonry...taught that each man can by himself, work out his own conception of god and thereby achieve salvation." It holds that there are many paths that lead to the throne of the all-loving father which all start from a common source. Freemasonry believes, according to Ward, "that though these paths appear to branch off in various directions, yet they all reach the same ultimate goal, and that to some men, one path is better and to other, another.

"Frank C. Higgins, a high mason, wrote in ANCIENT FREE MASONRY (Pg.10), "It is true that Freemasonry is the parent of all religionl"

These masonic witnesses all agree in their doctrine that masonry is, indeed, a religion. It is necessary now to ascertain whether masonry is a true religion or a false religion. In an article entitled, "HOW TO RECOGNIZE A FALSE RELIGION" (Faith for the Family Nov/Dec 1974), a prominent Christian leader wrote: "All false religions,have some things in common. Here are three simple tests by which any religion should be judged;

FIRST: What is its attitude toward the Bible?

SECOND: Any religious teaching should be tested by this question; What is its attitude toward Jesus Christ?

THIRD: In judging a religious system, we should ask, What is its attitude toward the blood of Jesus Christ!"

According to these three tests, masonry is a false religion manifesting a satanic attitude toward the Bible, the Deity of Jesus Christ, an dht eblood atonement of Jesus Christ. In order to establish this charge, keep in mind the Wordo our Lord Jesus Christ who said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. Please consider now the testimony of masonic authorities which reveal masonry's satanic attitude toward the Bible, the Deity of Jesus Christ and the vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of christ's blood on the cross.

Joseph Ford Newton, a famous authority and writer, in an article entitled "The Bible and Masonry" wrote "The bible so rich in symbolism is itself a symbol...thus, by the very honor which masonry pays the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for today and hope for tomorrow, joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes his oath on the Koran, with the Hindu as he makes covenant with God upon the book that he loves best."

Albert Pike, in Morals & Dogma, wrote (Pg.718) "Masonry propagates no creed except it's own most simple sublime one; that universal reigion, taught by nature and reason."

One who is truly born-again can see from the above statement that masonry totally rejects the doctrine of an infallible, God-breathed, inerrant Bible.

According to the Second Test, masonry is a false religion because it totally rejects the crucial doctrine of the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

J.D. Buck, M.D., another masonic writer of importance, in his book Symbolism of Mystic Masonry wrote (Pg.57) "In the early Church as in the secret doctrine, there was not one Christ for the world but a potential Christ in every man. Theologians first made a fettish of the impersonal, Omnipresent divinity; and then tore the Christos from the hearts of all humanity in order to Deify Jesus; that they might have a God-Man particularly their own."

One would have to look far and wide in the writings of false teachers to find statements more blasphemous than this about the person of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

According to the Third Test, masonry is a fase religion because masonry dogmatically rejects the doctrine of salvaion from the penalty of sin by faith in the vicarious atonement of Christ's shed blood on the cross.

Thomas Milton Steward, another masonic author, in his book Symbolic Teaching on Masonry and Its Message, to support his doctrine quoted favorable an apostate Episcopal minister who wrote (Pg.177), "Did Jesus count Himself, conceive of Himself as a proprietary sacrifice and of His work as an expiation? The only answer possible is, clearly, He did not...He does not call Himself the world's priest, or the world's victim."

Salvation by Faith in the vicarious atonement are not "ingnorant perversions of the original doctrines" as masonry teaches, but they are vital ingredients of the Glorious Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone who believes. THEREFORE, masonry fails all three tests. It manifests a satanic attitude toward the Bible, the Deity of Christ, and the vicarious atonement. In addition to failing these tests, there is much more proof that masonry is a false religion.

For instance, Henry C. Clausen, 33 decree, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council 33 Decree mother council of the world, in the NEW AGE, November, 1970, (Pg.4) wrote regarding masonry, "It is dedicated to bringing about the Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man, and making better men in a better world."

The doctrine of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man is not found in the Bible. It is a doctrine taught consistently by apostates. Also, the Bible makes it crystal clear that no organization, masonry included, can make better men. Only God can make better men!

According to a masonic creed, found in the Masonic Bible, masonry teaches that "character determines destiny."

The teaching that character determines destiny is a false doctrine of the Arch Deceiver of Souls. The Bible says, "There is none that doeth good," and "For by Grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

Masonry is anti-Christian in its teachings. For example, J.M. Ward in FREEMASONRY - ITS AIMS AND IDEALS wrote (Pg.187), "I boldly avere that freemasonry is a religion, yet it no way conflicts with any other religion, unless that religion holds that no one outside its portals can be saved." Ward, in his statement, reveals the fact that masonry has no conflict with any apostate religion on the face of the earth, but he also reveals that masonry is in conflict with Christianity. The Bible says, "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we MUST be save" (Acts 4:12). Jesus said, "No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (Jn. 14:6). The Bible is plainly teaching that there is only one way to heaven and the is Christ.

A prominent college president said of masonry, "It is a luciferian religion. We are fully aware of its diabolical origin and purpose. I believe that any born-again Christian, when the facts from the lips of masonic writers themselves are presented showing that masonry is a religion and is the worship of Satan, will immediately withdraw." To this I must add my hearty agreement!

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only True and Living God, has clearly commanded Christian, "Be ye not unequally yolked together with unbelievers, and swear not at all, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

Charles Finney, the famed evangelist who God used to bring a revival in America in the 1830's, in his book, FREEMASONRY wrote (Pg.115), "Surely, if masons really understood what Masonry is, as it is delineated in these books, no Christian Mason would think himself to remain at liberty to remain another day a member of the fraternityl. It is as plain as possible that a man knowing what it is, and embracing it in his heart, cannot be a Christian man. To say he can is to belie the very nature of Christianity."

For me, the signs of the time compared with prophetic Scripture, make it apparent that we are livin in the last days prior to the Rapture of the Church. Satan is hard at work trying to hinder believers' spiritual growth, as well as trying to keep the unsaved from entering God's Family. Freemasonry, I have come to believe, is one of Satan's master deceptions. Many ministers, elders, deacons, trustees, and Sunday School teachers belong to this cult. Today, my membership ends! Today, a new ministry begins. There is a tremendous need to scrutinize the cultic nature of Freemasonry in view of the massive infiltration of its effects on the working body of the Church. It should be exposed to the True Light - Jesus Christ!

Love in Christ, Harmon R. Taylor

WHO SAID A CHRISTIAN CAN'T BE A MASON?

The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both mean annointed; usually a consecrated person. When applied to Jesus, it means "God's annointed one." The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Christ in many places but the most definitive statements are found in Mark 14:61,62; Matthew 16:15-17; and John 4:25,26.

To deny that Jesus is the Christ is to condemn oneself to eternal damnation. 1 John 2:22,23 says, "who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, the one who confesses the Son has the Father also." Revelation 21:8 says that the unbelieving and liars will all be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.

Masonic tradition teaches the worship of the supreme God, the Great Architect of the Universe. Who is this God? Investigate the words of Albert Pike, 33rd degree Mason and author of Morals and Dogma, p.226:

Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above all the Ballim, must needs leave it to each of its Initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion.

God teaches in Exodus 20:3-5, that "You shall have no other gods before Me, you shall not make for yourself an idol...you shall not worship them or serve them..."

In Judges 1 and 2, the Israelites did not drive out the followers of false gods and God's verdict was, "They shall become as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you." (Judges 2:3) God's commandment to us as Christians is not only should we not be bound together with unbelievers, (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) but we should seek to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) by preaching the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

Freemasonry is in direct conflict with the Bible in that Masonry condones communal worship of a generic deity:

To respect all forms of worship, to tolerate all political and religious opinions; not to blame, and still less to condemn the religion of others; not to seek to make converts; but to be content if they have the religion of Socrates; a veneration for the Creator, the religion of good works, and grateful acknowledgment of God's blessings. (Morals and Dogma, p.333)

In order for Masonry to be acceptable to all faiths, it is necessary to relegate the Bible to a position of equality among all religious books:

The Book of the Law shall be an indispensable article of the lodge furniture. This book, however, need not necessarily be the Holy Bible; but according to the religious faith of the members of the lodge. It may be the Koran, the Zen Avesta, or the Vedas or Shasters. (The Freemasons Pocket Companion, p.44-45)

This statement, by implication, makes Jehovah God one god equal to many; an interesting situation for the Masonic Christian whose all-knowing God knows of no others (Isaiah 44:8).

The final straw is laid on the proverbial camel's back when the deity of Jesus is denied by Albert Pike. On page 524 of Morals and Dogma, he states,

We do not undervalue the importance of any Truth. We utter no word that can be deemed irreverent by anyone of any faith.

(Jesus, in John 14:6, declares Himself to be the Truth, exclusively.) In the same paragraph, Pike make the blasphemous statement,

And as little do we tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth was but a man like us, or His history but the unreal revival of an older legend.

In one paragraph, he destroys the very foundation of Christian beliefs and then, as if he was totally oblivious to his own writings, states on the facing page,

Thus Masonry disbelieves no truth, and teaches unbelief in no creed, except so far as such creed may lower its lofty estimate of the Deity, degrade Him to the level of the passions of humanity. (Morals and Dogma, p.525)

The Gospel of the Bible is a gift to us from God and available to all who simply believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer, the one who died for sins and is resurrected. Christianity does not require a special meeting place to conduct secret rituals that are sealed with blood oaths. (Matthew 5:34-37; Luke 12:1-3) At your next lodge meeting, ask yourself if you are worshipping the Great Architect of the Universe, the God of all religions, or are you truly worshipping Jehovah God, the one true God of the Bible. If your answer is the latter, then you must ask yourself if your presence in the lodge is truly honoring and glorifying your God.

In answer to the question, "Who said a Christian can't be a Mason?", a modern paraphrase could be made from the words of God's prophet Elijah:

How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if the "Great Architect of the Universe" is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name (besides Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Acts 4:12; Mark 4:9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

THE F.A.T.A.L. FLAW

"They he brought me to the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz." Ezekiel 8:14

Since 1868, thousands of decent Christian women have innocently taken part in pagan rites around an altar to the gods of witchcraft. They have been deceived into bowing the knee to gods so vile and ancient that even the pagan priests of Egypt blotted them out from their history. Women who would blush with shame at the mention of satanism have been led to Satan's altar by people they trusted. Often their own husbands, who were given stewardship over them by Jesus Christ have violated that trust by leading them into paths of idolatry.

Alarming accusations! Yet this altar of idolatry is nestled right in the bosom of Christianity - The Order of the Eastern Star! Much has been written on the spiritual dangers of Freemasonry. Yet the "Star," is equally perilous.

SPIRITUAL "ADOPTION"

The Star is known as "Adoptive" Masonry. This means mothers, daughters, wives and sisters of Freemasons my be spiritually "adopted" into the Masonic order. Hence, they come under its spiritual authority. Now since Lucifer is the acknowledged god of Masonry, what does this "adoption" mean for the woman who joins the Star? She is submitting herself to the spiritual headship of Lucifer? Even a Christian woman is surrendering herself, however innocently, to the gods of Masonry - and this will give Satan an entry point into her life, regardless of how devout she is.

When anyone, man or woman, becomes a Christian they are adopted into the family of God (Rom.8:15-17). Yet when they kneel at a Masonic altar and take those oaths, they are entering Satan's dominion, whether then know it or not. This opens the door to all manner of problems. We have dealt with women who entered the Star and then found their nights troubled by strange dreams and demonic activity. As soon as they repented of their involvement in the Star and renounced their oaths in the name of Jesus, the oppression ceased.

This is why we are told by Paul to avoid all contact with idolatry because of what it can bring to our very door: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? ...Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord." - 2 Cor.6:14-15,17.

HOOFPRINTS ARE EVERYWHERE!

We need not look far into the Star to find evidence of Satan's presence. His hoofprints are everywhere! To begin with the most obvious, we look at the "signet" of the Order, which is an inverted five-pointed start- called a pentagram in witchcraft. The fact is that this inverted pentagram is so deeply and unmistakably associated with satanism that many witches fear to use it for fear of the demons they attract. This star is used to draw down the kingdom of Satan into manifestation on earth! (MAN, MYTH AND MAGIC, vol.16,p.2159)

This star can be drawn with the goat's-head inside. It then becomes the badge of the Satanist, the infamous Goat of Mendes! This goat's name is Baphomet, and it is the blasphemous god of the 12th Century Knights Templar (the ancestors of today's Freemasons).

Here is this sinister star, exalted as the very centerpiece of the Chapter! Not only is the star inverted, by the colorful attributes of the 5 points are even the correct colors for the four magical elements, air (blue), earth (yellow), water (green) and fire (red); plus the fifth point, the bottom, represents "akasha," the spiritual power of the "astral plane" which is the fusion of all the other "rays" of the star into white.

It is evident that the person who designed the Eastern Star had more than a passing knowledge of black magic. That, in itself should make Christians nervous. The Bible forbids any involvement with sorcery:

"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. - Deut.18:10-11

Worship of starts is especially condemned:

The houses in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled like this place, Topheth - all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs to all starry hosts and poured out drink offerings to other gods. - Jer.19:13

He (King Manassah) built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. -2 Kings 21:5-6

Please note the grievous sins associated with star-worship. "Tophet" is a place where during the days of deepest sin in Israel, parents sacrificed their children to the god Molech! It is a "place of burning" which later on came to be known as Gehenna, the word often used by Jesus for hell! (EERDMANS' CONCISE BIBLE HANDBOOK, P.203). Manassah sacrificed his own son in the fire!

If you lay out a satanic star and offer devotions at it, the moral and spiritual consequences are ominous! You may say that you have been in the Star for years and you are still a good member of your church and that you aren't making sacrifices of your children - but think!

Are our children not being sacrificed every day through abortion? Are not the generations reared under the influence of the Star the first mothers to lay their babies willingly upon the altars of the abortion clinic by the millions? Are we not seeing the dividends of this pagan worship in the corruption of the very ideals of motherhood? Are we not witnessing the moral destruction of whole generations of children because of the mothers' participation in these "harmless rituals"?

Perhaps it is too much to blame the moral decay of our children on the Star, but remember how in the Bible, the people of Israel kept falling into disaster because they allowed a ""little" idolatry to creep into their culture. If you wish to corrupt a culture, corrupt its mothers - and the spiritual leprosy of Masonry is doing just that!

"HIS STAR IN THE EAST"

At this point you may protest and say that the Star is based on biblical stories and that the star of the altar is intended to represent the "star in the east" mention in Mt.2:2 which heralded the birth of Jesus. You may point out that the motto of the order is: "We have seen his star in the East and are come to worship Him." This sounds very pious, but actually it is misdirection!

First of all, the star of Bethlehem could not have been an "eastern star," since most biblical expositors agree that the magi came form the east, and that therefor a star over Judea would be in the western sky to their viewpoint. Some scholars feel that the passage means that the magi were "in the east" when they saw the star - others say that the term "in the east" can also be translated alternately as "seen when it rose," meaning that they saw the star as it rose.

STRONG'S CONCORDANCE, in fact, gives the primary meaning of the Greek word there, Anatole, as a rising of light; with "eastern" as only a figurative meaning. VINE'S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY concurs. The "Eastern Star" cannot be the star of Bethlehem! Then whose star is it?

In reality, the Eastern Star is a term among sorcerers for the star Sirius. (See CITY OF REVELATION by John Michell, p.4) This fits perfectly because in black magic, the inverted pentagram is the sign of Sirius or Set. (See ALEISTER CROWLEY AND THE HIDDEN GOD by Kenneth Grant, p.12). But who is Sirius, or Set?

Sirius is the "Dog Star", the first star to rise in the east in the latitudes of Egypt. It is sacred to Set, the satanic figure of Egyptian religion. The Egyptians celebrated Sirius' ascendancy in the skies with horrible, obscene rituals! In fact, the rites of Sirius or Set were so debased that later rulers of Egypt deface their temples and obelisks and tried to drive them from the land (See Grant, pp.70-71).

"THE F.A.T.A.L FLAW"

When the ladies of the Star say, "We have seen His Star in the East and are come to worship Him.", who is "Him?" Is it the Jesus of Calvary or is it some dogheaded, obscence god named Set? What does the evidence tell us?

The Biblical elements in the Star ceremony are suspect to say the least - based as they are upon dubious actions and mythical additions to the Bible. Yet the occult elements in the Star's symbolism are obvious for anyone to see! The Eastern Star is not the star which heralds Jesus, but the star which heralds Set - the most ancient form of Satan in recorded history!

But you may say that you don't believe in Set, and that you believe that you are performing pious exercises. You say that you thought the Star was a order which worships the true God. But my dear friends, every person believes that the god they worship is the true God. The important they is that if you are a Christian, the Bible tells you to "avoid even the appearance of evil." -1 Thess. 5:22 and to "keep yourselves from idols." -1 Jn.5:21. How can you keep yourself from idols when every other week or so you gather around the most ancient and evil idol in human history?

Is your presence in the Chapter really pleasing to the God who thundered from Mt. Sinai and said, "I am the Lord your God..you shall have no other gods before me." You can no longer protest innocence. You know the evil origins of the symbols of the star and you know that the Lord Jesus forbade the taking of oaths of any kind (Mt.5:33-37). What more do you need than the knowledge that you are breaking the commands of the Gentle Master Whom you serve?

That is the F.A.T.A.L. flaw of the Star. The very term "cabalistic word" refers to an ancient system of Jewish magic--the Quabalah! The Star's "word" may be "Fairest Among Thousands Altogether Lovely," but it is asking you to choose between the star of the evil and One who is your beloved Bridegroom, "...dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand." - Cant.5:10 Flee the headship and authority of Satan, and return to the arms of Him who should be your Head, your Bridegroom, and your Savior, Jesus Christ!

FREEMASONS - THE SECRET AGENDA OF THE MANAGERS OF HISTORY

For many people recalling their school days seldom includes fond memories of the history class. Boring lists of dates and names, who, when and where but rarely ever why; it was all seemingly disjointed and almost contrived to be instantly forgettable.

The two-hundredth anniversary of the founding of America was celebrated in 1976 and the same anniversary is being celebrated by the people of the French Republic in 1989. There, is of course, an historical connection which may not be too clear in many minds but even less clear is why each celebration has been attended by some harsh criticism. A glimpse behind the scenes of textbook history, however, reveals a hidden agenda and exposure of this not only enables many historical episodes to fall into place but provides a very clear picture of where present-day world events are taking us.

We begin early in sixteenth century Europe where the invention of the printing press had made both Bibles and the works of the Greek philosophers available to many would-be scholars. The Background Ever since the fourth century when the Roman emperor Constantine I made Christianity the official religion, the Latin Church had gained increasing power and by the sixteenth century the Western world was virtually ruled by the priest. The Latin clergy in Europe, and the Pope in particular, had tremendous power. But power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely with the result that although Christian principles were generally the basis for law, they were enforced more by the letter than by the spirit.

The old Latin Church had governed by providing the people with all the schools, universities and hospitals and ensured that everyone received Christian instruction; most knew Scriptural principles and many, though poor, tried to live by them. The ruling classes, however, received a more extensive private education, often paid mere lip service to Christian principles and believed it was their God-given right to keep the poor in submission. The feudal working classes were thus submitted to both priest and landowner who was in turn submitted to the King. But then we find the shadowy figure of the priest standing behind every throne!

The corruption in the Latin Church eventually became so extreme that a revolt was finally triggered against the papal system in Germany led by Martin Luther; the date was 1517. England rejected the Latin pope about a decade later only to make King Henry VIII pope of the Church of England. These were the beginnings of the Protestant Church.

The Latin Church continued and, after the Council of Trent (1545-1563), became the Roman Church we know today. The Protestant Church dominated Britain, Holland and parts of Germany and, at first, tried to adhere to Biblical principles but power corrupts... Protestants generally regarded the Roman Church as the root of all evil although in England by the Seventeenth century, the Protestant Church itself was as full of hypocrisy as the Roman Church was of superstition; both were filled with corruption and each went to war against the other.

Certain free-thinking men in England and in Europe perceived that it was not just the Roman Church but Christianity itself which was responsible for all the wars, corruption and inequality which had besieged Europe for the past several hundred years. These men, who became the founders of the "Enlightenment", wanted a total change. But it was dangerous to speak openly against the Church and the King and organized discussion had to be in secret. It happened that there were a number of secret societies already in existence including the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons.

The latter were the builders of the great cathedrals and other major buildings across Europe and England; they were a kind of early trade union. In most parts of Continental Europe their numbers dwindled after the Reformation and the Wars of Religion but in England they were still very active. Then, in the late seventeenth century, they took on a very different character. The free-thinkers, who were for the most part Protestant, educated and influential, joined the Freemasons and, since most of these gentlemen would not have known a square from a compass, they were enrolled as "Speculative Masons" to distinguish them from the original "Craft Masons".

The distinction was of little consequence to the gentlemen of the Enlightenment who had cuckooed their way into the secret society and could now make their plans and network their intentions across Europe with little fear. The dissatisfaction with Church and King had produced four literary works on the Utopia theme: Thomas More began the trend with his Utopia in 1516, Sir Francis Bacon followed with his New Atlantis published posthumously in 1627; in Italy, Tommaso Campanella produced his City of the Sun about 1634 and later, in France, Jean Jacques Rousseau published his Social Contract in 1762.

The authors of these works were well aware that the Greek philosopher, Plato, writing in the 5th century BC, had also been dissatisfied with corruption in the various systems of government. He had proposed a Republic in which a team of "wise men" ruled the people. Plato's Republic then became an ideal for the humanist free-thinkers in England and Europe; the objective adopted by the speculative Masons was to replace the existing order of rule by Church and King with a Republic.

They realized that in order to bring this form of government into existence, they had to continue to work secretly and internationally with the aim of first destroying the existing order. The long-term aim was world peace through the elimination of wars between nations. But, this would only be possible by dissolving all national sovereignty and introducing a new world order un der one Republican World government. The Masonic organization became world-wide from India to the Americas under the old British Empire and, as we shall see, has been dedicated to these lofty aims ever since.

Who are the Masons? Although the history of Masonry has been deliberately obscured, much work has been done in recent years by non- Masonic historians to restore a reasonable measure of truth. However, far worse than distorted Masonic history is the fact that Masonic involvement in the affairs of nations has been completely erased from the textbook. Thus, textbook history has been left as a series of disjointed episodes without an agenda. Proof of this is the fact that the early accounts of such leading historical characters as Benjamin Franklin or Giuseppe Garibaldi make it very clear that Freemasonry played a central part in their lives. However, by the time history was written up in formal and scholarly tomes by the fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, there is not one hint that anyone was ever a Mason! Cambridge historians George Trevelyan and his son, Sir George, were in all likelihood fellow Masons and their censorship has, in a sense, been too complete; the absence of any reference to Masonry is quite noticeable.

Masonic historical works are available in public libraries and they like to claim many eminent names as their own; this is a starting point but caution is necessary because some, like Voltaire, entered the brotherhood virtually on their deathbed. Nevertheless, the point of persuading eminent men to join, even though they may not be active, is that their names can legitimately be used later to influence others. Rousseau, Goethe, Mozart and Kipling to name a few, were all Masons. In this way, many kings and presidents have become Masons. In England, for example, we find Kings Charles I and II, William III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII, George V and George VI were all Masons and several were masters of the Grand Lodge. We will also find an impressive list of Church of England Bishops among them (Calvert 1917).

Then, in America, we will find that most signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Franklin and Hancock, were Masons together with practically every president since George Washington; president Reagan was elected into the Scottish rite just before he left office and president Bush has been a senior Mason for a many years. Some of these men will have been aware of the ultimate aims of the brotherhood, others will have been duped in by association with the great names in history and remain blissfully unaware of the real objectives; president Reagan was probably one of the latter.

The roots of Masonry are closely allied with Sir Francis Bacon (1561- 1626) and Sir Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) in England. Both were associated with the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons (Gould 1904, 243 and Webster 1924, 120). Ashmole was the founder of the Asmolean Museum at Oxford and Bacon has been credited with today's "scientific method". Perhaps of greater interest is Bacon's New Atlantis which describes the land of Bensalem in which there is a co-operative college of science called Solomon's house. The house is essentially a religious community in which the men must all take an oath of secrecy; there are 33 orders of tasks. The similarity between this and modern Masonry with its emphasis on Solomon's temple and 33 degrees is surely more than coincidental. But wait, careful reading of New Atlantis shows that there were three more orders making a total of 36 and these last three are called "Interpreters of Nature". Theirs is the most important and secret task since all the others report to them.

Is it possible that there are three higher orders in Masonry who oversee the grand plan? From the number of Shriners in North America, each of whom is a 32nd or 33rd Mason, it is amazing that not one, as far as is known, has ever broken down and confessed all. The most likely explanation is that most of the Shriners have no idea of the grand plan. The effort to convince the public (but not the Inland Revenue Service) and their own members that the Masonic objectives are charitable works has evidently been highly successful. Many of the Rosicrucian and Masonic groups were fused in 1717, the year of the inauguration of the Grand Lodge, and their ritual standardized and canonized at this time. John Toland is said to have been responsible for introducing the legend, ritual and theology of speculative Masonry which he took from the Hermetic and ancient Egyptian religions.

Masonry itself is a religion while their own publications admit this; they meet in a "temple", worship the "Grand Architect", use the King James Bible but are very careful not to mention the name of Jesus. The name is omitted from 1 Peter 2:3-5 which is their opening prayer. This alone should indicate that their religion is anti-Christian by nature. Bernal (1987, 173) has shown more recently that although the Masonic objective was to create a band of illuminati who would lead the world to a better, more peaceful and more tolerant way of life, many millenarians within their ranks believed that knowledge had to be reassembled before the coming thousand-year reign. It was this thinking added to the thought that "wise men" needed to be trained in readiness for the first Republic, that resulted in the establishment of the Royal Society in 1662.

Founded by King Charles II, a Mason, the first president was Sir Isaac Newton who was a Deist and most probably a Mason. The original craft Masons always had a strong attachment to Egypt. The route is perhaps tenuous but in the recognition that the ancient Egyptians were indeed masters of building in stone, amythology was built up in which the Masons saw themselves in theimage of Hiram, the half-Phoenician craftsman builder of Solomon's temple. The Phoenicians were firmly linked to the Egyptians in the Bible--both are listed as sons of Ham-- and Hiram Abif is at the core of Masonic mythology. The name Hiram Abif appears only in the Coverdale translation of the Bible published about 1540 and becomes simply "Hiram King of Tyre" in the King James version (1 Kings 5:1). Every Masonic temple is patterned after the Egyptian temples, aligned East to West with the main entrance at the East end and the altar at the West end so that at the vernal equinox the rising sun will cast a shaft of light through the entrance to the altar. This is a vestige of pagan sun worship.

The Egyptian obelisk has been adopted as a symbol of Masonic victory over traditional Christianity and, once recognized, serves as a very useful guide. In Egypt, the obelisk was a phallic symbol of the resurrection through procreation, that is, the phallus was the means by which man lived again through his off-spring. Thus, as a symbol of the resurrection the obelisk has been used as a grave marker by the Masons, particularly those in the senior ranks, since the sixteenth century. It seems that the bodies of most of the English humanist thinkers gravitated to Westminster Abbey in London and the place fairly bristles with obelisk tomb markers. A few cemetery obelisks will contain a Masonic square and compass to leave no doubt as to the connection but it will be found that the personal graves of many an influential man is topped by an obelisk: the grave of George Washington and of Sir John A. MacDonald, first prime minister of Canada, are classic examples. The craft Masons also tend to use the broken column as their marker but very seldom will the empty cross be found marking a Masonic grave.

As far as their use as victory markers, an obelisk was erected to mark the battle of the River Boyne in Northern Ireland where Protestant William of Orange defeated Catholic King James II in 1690. There is no evidence that William II was a Mason but the obelisk was erected in the following century to celebrate the victory of Protestantism over Catholicism. The Masonic organization has always opposed the Roman Church while the Roman Pontiffs have known this and have forbidden their people to join the Masonic Order. In recent years, however, Masons have infiltrated the Vatican and there now seems to be some sort of unholy alliance. The largest stone obelisk in the United States is the 550 ft. tall Washington Monument purportedly to commemorate George Washington's birth place. There was a great scandal when it was erected because it was done so at public expense and the people of the time knew its real purpose was to commemorate Masonic victory over King George III and even victory over Christianity itself in 1776. The monument was completed in 1884. Various other victories, real and perceived, will be found to be marked by obelisks such as that at Bunker Hill in Charleston. The French Revolution was even more successful than the American and they had to have an even larger obelisk to celebrate their victory.

There is a genuine obelisk stolen from Egypt to mark the victory of the Bastille in Paris and then there is the daddy of them all, the Eiffel Tower, just twice as tall as the Washington Monument and completed in time for the centenary celebrations in 1889.

These victory markers will be found world-wide and enquiry will usually show that the loser in the battle will have been some sort of Christianity while the victory will have been asignificant step towards the establishment of a Republic. For example, on a hill in Sicily there is an obelisk to commemorate the Masonic victory at Gibilrossa under Garibaldi (A Grand Orient Mason) in 1860 which led to today's Italian Republic.

Masonic Objectives Achieved The plans had been made, the location was sufficiently remote from Old World authority and a mildly oppressive opportunity presented itself to justify the beginning of arevolution. The place was Philadelphia and the date was 1776.

Benjamin Franklin, journalist and publisher, was also shuttle diplomat between like-minded revolutionaries in England and in Paris. Franklin had persuaded Englishman and fellow-Mason, Thomas Paine, to return to Philadelphia to help liberate America by inciting the common man to revolt against King George III. Paine produced his Common Sense and, after a successful revolution, this booklet was used a few months later to form the basis for the now famous Declaration of Independence. Of the fifty-six signatures, eight of the signatories are known to have been Masons while twenty-four others are also claimed by the Masons to be of their own (Knight 1983, 34).

America was no longer a British colony but a Masonic Republic: Plato would have been delighted. The problem with Plato's Republic however, is that the "wise men" form a one-party government in which there are no checks and balances. Many people in America at this time knew that this was simply inviting trouble and insisted on an opposition party. A right-wing Democratic party was formed, however, since that time, both parties have slipped progressively further to the left and today the Democratic party has overtaken the Republican in its quest for the left.

It was mentioned earlier that the craft Masons looked to the early Egyptians as masters of their craft but at the same time the speculative Masons saw in early Egyptian government an ideal closely approaching that of Plato's republic. The Egyptian pyramid epitomized both ideals: extreme skill and a hierarchy of power. In choosing the Great (Cheops) pyramid for the reverse side of the Great Seal of America. Would it be idle speculation to suggest that the missing capstone of this pyramid representsthe elite, the three final and secret degrees, seeing but not being seen? The Great Seal of the United States was designed in 1789 and it was American President and 32-degree Mason, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who commissioned the Great Seal to be placed on the back of the one dollar bill in 1935. The reverse side of the Seal shows the Great pyramid with the capstone replaced by the all-seeing eye and the Latin caption which proclaims: "1776:

In this year began the New World Order". The French Revolution was a contrived affair from the beginning with many of the same prime movers as in the American Revolution thirteen years earlier. The difference was that by 1789 every Protestant had been driven from France and the Roman Church was fully in control whereas America had become the home to many of the persecuted Protestants. A food shortage was engineered in Paris and the people incited to revolt against authority. The focal point was a great prison house, the Bastille, which was said to contain many hundreds of their compatriots. On July 14th, 1789 the mob stormed the Bastille only to find it occupied by seven dirty old men; one of them was the Marquis De Sade who well deserved to be there! A hollow victory but one which has been celebrated by Frenchmen now for 200 years.

The story of the French Revolution ha s been told many times and has been vilified and glorified according to every writer's viewpoint. For those who find comfort in the thought of living in a Socialist Republic, the French Revolution was the most wonderful thing that could have happened. Liberty, equality and just fraternity were promised but what did the promises really mean? Liberty from God, equality for all except the ruling elite and fraternity such as may be found in a thieve's kitchen! We might also recall that the Russian people have lived under a Socialist Republic ever since their revolution in 1918. Royalty was beheaded and the church defrocked and drummedout. Priests had the choice: publicly renounce their faith or accept the guillotine. Churches were closed, bibles publicly burned and within three short years the country had moved from Catholicism to atheism to paganism. Pantheism and Nature worship had replaced whatever vestige of Christianity there was in France in a matter of months. With a zeal to completely change th eentire order of things, the Metric system was introduced in 1793 and attempts were also made at this time to metricate time itself with a ten-day week. Fortunately, the long-suffering Frenchman refused this but the idealists have been trying to introduce the ten-day week with every revolution since; it has never been successful.

The first French Republic was a failure and so was the second; eventually, the 'wise-men' turned out to have feet of clay and Napoleon Bonaparte was invited to rule over the brave new Republic. He was not even a Frenchman and was generally regarded by the Christian world as the Antichrist himself.

Napoleon was a diabolically clever megalomaniac and Mason who knew just what he was about. He led thousands of the best of the nation 's young men to their death in a futile attempt to bring the World under one Republican rule. Lord Acton in his Essays on the French Revolution wrote: "The appalling thing in the French Revolution is not the tumult but the design. Through all the fire and the smoke we perceive the evidence of calculating organization. The managers remain studiously concealed and masked; but there is no doubt about their presence from the first" (Webster 1969, ix).

The managers are still there, still manipulating with one steadfast purpose: to destroy the existing order and install in its place a one World Republic. If we have any doubts about the identity of the managers we have only to look to the statue of Liberty in New York harbour. Presented in 1884 as a gift from the Masons of France to the Masons of America in celebration of the centenary of the first Masonic Republic and liberty from the laws of God. At the great bicentenary celebrations in Paris on July 14th 1989, it was no coincidence that the G7 Conference was held there at the same time. Today's managers were there: M.JacquesDelors, the President of the ECC, Helmut Kohl, President Bush and the others, many known to be Masons, lined up for the publicity photograph. A typical Masonic touch was the backdrop to the picture: a large pyramid especially erected for the occasion.

1992 will see the dissolution of European and British national sovereignty and the making of one monolithic European Republic. Government will no doubt still have the appearance of being democratic with opposition parties but, in fact, there will be only token opposition because every party, no matter what the name, will be as it is today, stacked with like-minded individuals and with one Masonic objective. Welcome to Plato's Brave New World.