AN ASSIGNMENT DONE IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR A DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA-

(TX) USA.

TOPIC:

MASONIC HERESY IN THE CHURCH

STUDENT’S NAME:

Martin Nyagah

PRESENTED TO

PROFESSOR MACHARIA

DATE

6TH JUNE, 2021.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................4

Definition................................................................................................................................................4

COMMON HERESIES IN THE EPISTLES...........................................................................................5

HERESY IN CHURCH HISTORY.........................................................................................................5

THE APOSTLES CREED.......................................................................................................................7

MODERN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW.................................................................................................8

THE MASONIC HERESY....................................................................................................................10

The Masons History...............................................................................................................................10

Christianity and Free Masonry (the craft)..............................................................................................11

The Anti-Masonic Movement................................................................................................................11

Masonic Universalism...........................................................................................................................12

Freemasonry as a Religion.........................................................................................................................14

The Masonic God..................................................................................................................................15

The Masonic Jesus.................................................................................................................................17

Masonic Light and Darkness.................................................................................................................18

The Secrecy in Freemasonry..................................................................................................................19

Symbolism and Freemasonry.................................................................................................................21

Salvation in the Masonic Lodge............................................................................................................22

Free Masonry in the Church......................................................................................................................24

AWARENESS...........................................................................................................................................26

CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................27

BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................................................................29

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INTRODUCTION

Definition

A basic definition of heresy, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is

“adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma.” A second definition is “dissent or
deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice.” That’s a good starting point for us.
These definitions identify two key elements: a dominant position and a contrary position. With
regards to Christianity, any belief or practice that goes against the official position of the biblical
teachings and church tradition is considered heretical.

Heresy is a departure from the truth. In Christianity the term heresy means a significant departure
from the fundamentally accepted doctrines of the church. From the first century to date (the 21st
century) the bible doctrines have been misinterpreted and corrupted from time to time.

In the early history of Christianity, the church established the fundamental basic teachings of the
Faith. Those basics can be found in the apostle’s creed and Nicene Creed. Over the centuries,
however, theologians and religious figures have proposed doctrines that contradict established
Christian doctrines. From the early church there have been custodians of the true doctrines to
keep those beliefs pure. These have continuously and in every generation singled out clergy or
other personalities who taught or believed ideas considered a threat to Christianity.

Common Heresies In The Epistles

The most common heresies are on the Holy Trinity, the church ordinances, the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ,the inspiration and the authority of scripture as the true word of God
among others which over the centuries have been taught and practiced contrary to what is found
in the Bible. These Heresies in the form of technical terminologies like Gnosticism, modalism
(the idea that God is one person in three modes), tritheism (the idea that the trinityis actually

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three separate gods), consubstantiation versus transubstantiation and the masonic teachings that
are utterly humanistic and anti-God.

HERESY IN CHURCH HISTORY

A basic definition of heresy, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is

“adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma.” A second definition is “dissent or
deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice.” That’s a good starting point for us.
These definitions identify two key elements: a dominant position and a contrary position. With
regards to religion, any belief or practice that goes against the official position of the church is
considered heretical.
Heresy has existed in every age, but during the 12th century, the Catholic Church took
unprecedented action against it. As the power of the Catholic Church increased in Europe,
dissenting voices of other Christian groups became more troublesome. Pope Alexander III
(1162–63) encouraged informers, so the church could discover evidence of heresy. In 1184 Pope
Lucius III issued a decree that a convicted heretic was to be handed over to secular authorities
for punishment. Over the next several decades, the church increased the severity of punishment
for heresy, ultimately making it a capital offense under Pope Gregory IX. During this time, the
Dominicans became the principle agents of the Inquisition, a special court given authority to
judge intentions as well as actions. When heresy was suspected in a village, an inquisitor was
sent to preach a sermon calling for the villagers to come forward with reports of heresy. This was
a “general inquisition” that included a period of grace for anyone who would confess. This was
followed by a “special inquisition” that might include coercion, false witnesses, and torture to
obtain a “confession.” Those identified as heretics were then ordered to do penance, which might
consist of mandatory church attendance, pilgrimage to a shrine, loss of property, or
imprisonment. Heretics who refused to repent were sentenced to death. The Inquisition continued
in most areas of Europe until the 15th century.
It is apparent that the standards for “heretical” teaching varied according to the established
orthodoxy of the day. The main stream church of the day happened to be the standard for the
correct doctrine. Any group or individual who differs from another group can technically be
called heretical. In Acts 24:14 Christians are called heretics by the Jews. In the middle ages,
those who disagreed with the Catholic Church were branded heretics.There is nothing more

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heretical than what ensued, the Spanish Inquisition which witnessed over 14000 executions for
simply possessing a Bible.
BIBLICAL VIEW OF HERESY
From the Apostolic church there was mention and prediction of heresy as evidenced in 2Peter
2:1, “There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” From
this verse, we see that heresy is anything that denies the teaching of Jesus.

In 1Corinthians 11:19, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for having heresies among them that
caused divisions and disputing’s. In similar tones the early church leaders admonish the church
in 1John 4:1-6, 1 Timothy 1:3-6, 2 Timothy 1:13-14, and Jude 1.
The Biblical remedy for the heretic is clear and precise. In Titus 3:10 the Bible says, “A man that
is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject” (KJV). Other translations say “divisive
person,” “factious man,” and “person who stirs up division. Excommunication is not only the
ultimate remedy but also the reason behind the formation of concretely separate and hardline
groups such as the masonic heretics.

An Overview of the Basic Church Teachings of the Faith

The Apostles Creed

The apostle’s creed is now found in various versions and interpretations. However the original
was the Nicene Creed which was first adopted in AD.325 at the First Council of Nicea.

From the foregoing the Epistles form the base of the fundamental doctrines of the Church. These
doctrines can be seen in the Apostles creed; ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of
the heaven and the earth, I believe in Jesus Christ His only son our Lord who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died and was buried, on the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and
is seated on the right hand of the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living
and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the universal Christian church, the communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.’ Amen.

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MODERN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
In the first two or three centuries of Christianity heresy and schism had no distinct separation.
They usually overlapped and often meant the same thing. In modern day Christianity, heresy is
objectively viewed as the denial of revealed truth as taught by the Church. The scholar
Schleiermacher (1821), defined it as "that which preserved the appearance of Christianity, and
yet contradicted its essence"

The twentieth and the twenty first centuries definition of heresy has formalized it as an internal,
professional and intellectual issue for most Christian churches. It is now an issue of mere
differentials in scripture interpretations that can be tolerated as long as the groups operate
separately.

The masons are alienated from God. They believe in pantheism. The masonic heresy which
forms our core case study formed from the anti-God false teachings of the early church heretics
and has continually grown further from the biblical faith. The modern masons have literally
nothing to do with the Christian Faith but we can trace their roots from the Christian faith. Since
their formation was from a dissenting view of the Bible they still are found to fight the true
biblical teachings thus making them an important study focus in this paper.

There has been a major shift over the subject matter of such heresy and the actions taken against
it. There has been considerable change from the persecution of heretics in the earlier phases of
the church to the modern tactical persecutions where denominations engage on media or in
political supremacy battles.

Thus, in the first three decades of the 1900s, there were a number of such cases in the
Presbyterian Church which led to its eventual split into fundamentalist and liberal branches. In
the 1950s and 1960s, similar battles were fought in the seminaries of the Southern Baptist
Church in the United States. Since the 1970s, cases of formal discipline or dismissal have been
infrequent and there has been a noticeable shift in the type of issue that attracts attention: cases
now tend to focus on questions concerning the nature of God and the divinity of Christ (Ray

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Billington in 1971, Anthony Freeman in 1994, Andrew Furlong in 2002) or the acceptability of
gay clergy (Righter in 1996, Stroud in 2001).

. In the 1950s and 1960s, similar battles were fought in the seminaries of the Southern Baptist
Church in the United States. Since the 1970s, cases of formal discipline or dismissal have been
infrequent and there has been a noticeable shift in the type of issue that attracts attention: cases
now tend to focus on questions concerning the nature of God and the divinity of Christ (Ray
Billington in 1971, Anthony Freeman in 1994, Andrew Furlong in 2002) or the acceptability of
gay clergy (Righter in 1996, Stroud in 2001).

Some denominations have increasingly taken the view that actions against clergy should be taken
only in the most extreme circumstances. The reasons may be partly doctrinal and partly tactical.
From a tactical point of view, "heresy trials" have almost invariably resulted in unflattering
media coverage, portraying the churches as obsessed with doctrinal questions that have little
relevance or meaning in the modern world. Furthermore, at least in the Church of England,
procedures for mounting formal heresy charges are complex and expensive. The 2000-2003
review of clergy discipline, which led to the report Under Authority, made recommendations
concerning consistency and natural justice in the disciplining of clergy; it said that sanctions on
doctrinal issues should be "rare and exceptional" but did not go into detail about what might
provoke such sanctions.

THE MASONIC HERESY

The masons go by many other names such as free masons, the brotherhood, the order the lodge,
the fraternal order or the craft. They are shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding with an
unclear alignments to the church and to the occult. The obscurity of their theological inclinations
has many a times left many in difficulty to place them.

Masonry has been aligned with both the Christian church and the occult. A major problem for
many whether within the Order or without is the question of the Mason's ultimate allegiance.
However, there exists tangible evidence of beliefs and practices in Masonry that are incompatible
with biblical Christianity. Thus it becomes impeArative for the non-Mason and Mason alike to
understand the true teachings of the Lodge.

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The Masons History

The history of the Masons is neither clear nor easily discernable. Along with those who believe
that Freemasonry had Christian beginnings are a growing number of Masonic authors who
espouse an occultism origin for the Craft. There are those who indicate that the Craft was an
outgrowth of the Ancient Mystery Schools or that it was first associated with the Druids or the
Illuminati. In order for the individual to make a correct decision regarding Freemasonry, he must
first understand the motivation of the author. Masonic authors Delmar Darrah, A. S. MacBride,
and Melvin Johnson point out the unreliability of many of their fellow Masonic writers. Darrah,
in his book titled History and Evolution of Freemasonry, states that "Masons have believed the
things concerning the origin of the institution that they wanted to believe and have gone forth
and told them as facts. When links were missing, they have been supplied by drawing upon
fertile imaginations.

Christianity and Free Masonry (the craft)

Leading Masonic authorities in the 18th and 19th centuries held a distinctively Christian
interpretation of Freemasonry. Such leaders as Rev. James Anderson, William J. Hughan,
William Hutchinson, Rev. George Oliver, and others had a Christian view of their Craft.
Hutchinson, in particular, noted that Jesus Christ was the example for the Master Mason. He
stated, "The Master Mason represents a man under the Christian doctrine saved from the grave of
iniquity and raised to the faith of salvation. As the great testimonial that we are raised from the
state of corruption, we bear the emblem of the Holy Trinity as the insignia of our vows and of the
origin of the Master's order."

The Anti-Masonic Movement

The decade between 1826 and 1836 represented troublesome years for the Masonic Order. After
several incidents that cast a negative light on Freemasonry, a growing anti-Masonic sentiment
began to emerge. As a result, there was a mass exodus of Christians from the Lodge, thereby
creating a vacuum to be filled by those who held a non-Christian view of Masonry. During this
time Albert Pike seized the opportunity to spread and entrench his pagan interpretation of the
Craft. Pike and others began to reinterpret the symbols of the Craft.

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The paganization of the Lodge took place over several decades, but it did not reach public
awareness until the latter part of the 19th century. Even so, it was not until the 1920s, when a
large number of books began appearing in print that claimed pagan origins for the Craft, that
these efforts became widely known.

Masonic Universalism
The anti-Masonic movement dealt Freemasonry a severe blow. However, the exodus of large
numbers of Christians proved to be a stabilizing factor for the non-Christian forces of the Craft.
Once the Christian majority had left the Craft, Pike was then able to redesign it in a way that
would support his pagan views.

It is Ainteresting to note that during the very time that Pike was heavily involved in his
paganizing process, the Craft was experiencing a renewed growth in membership from
Christians. The majority of these new Christian members represented church leadership and
accepted the Christian interpretation of Hutchinson, Oliver, Hughan, and others. Their influence,
however, wasn't enough to offset the growing paganization of the Lodge.

Manly P. Hall, a 33rd degree Mason, was one of the early authors who claimed a pagan origin
for Freemasonry. In his book entitled The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, he says that Freemasonry is
not a material thing: it is a universal expression of the Divine Wisdom. "The Masonic order is
not a mere social organization, but is composed of all those who have banded themselves
together to learn and apply the principles of mysticism and the occult rites."

Hall (and a host of other writers including Pike) created a pagan history for Freemasonry that
would later take root and grow to become the accepted understanding of Masonic origins. As this
new interpretation took hold in the minds of the membership, Christianity was being all but
eradicated from the Craft. It became unthinkable to mention the name of Christ or to pray in the
name of Jesus. The Craft was set firmly on the ground of "universalism."

The primary standard for membership was, and continues to be, that the candidate believes in
"God." This god could be Krishna, Buddha, Allah, or any other god, but Jesus Christ is not to be
considered anything more than their equal.

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Hall adds to his belief in universalism by stating that "the true Mason is not creed-bound. He
realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion must be universal:
Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not
the bearer. So, for the Mason, God is not a personal being, but an impersonal force, an energy
that has no substance.

The Mason who is a Christian is put in a very difficult position. Although his Fraternal Order
supported his Christianity in its early years, it now no longer allows for it as there is no question
about the pagan orientation of Freemasonry in our day. Therefore, the Mason must ask himself
whether he can, in good faith, remain a part of an organization that devalues the God of
Christianity.

Freemasonry as a Religion
As the evolution of modern Freemasonry took place over a period of several hundred years, it
continued to be influenced by those who held an occultism world view. For them, the Craft was a
revival of the ancient mysteries.
Albert Pike, the noted Masonic scholar, said that it is the universal, eternal, immutable religion,
such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity. Pike's statement is a good example of
Masonic double speaks. The Christian can interpret what is said as being in reference to the
personal God of Christianity who created the universe. However, when one takes Pike's
statement together with the balance of his world view it becomes apparent that he is referring to
the impersonal god of Freemasonry as mentioned earlier.

Pike, in his book Morals and Dogma, says this about religion and Freemasonry: "Every Masonic
Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion. According to the
modern day interpreters of Masonry, it has now taken its logical place as the unifier of all
religions. One such interpreter, Foster Bailey, an occultist and a 32nd degree Mason, said that
Masonry is the descendant of a divinely imparted religion that antedates the prime date of
creation. Bailey goes on to say that Masonry is all that remains to us of the first world religion
which flourished in ancient times.

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In other words, Freemasonry has its roots in the same sources as the mystery religions of the
world that brought on the wrath of the Hebrew God of the Old Testament. And the Craft is now
preparing the way for the revival of the same religion of the ancients.

The Mason, however, may be unaware of much of what is taught by the Lodge. The Mason who
is uninitiated in the higher degrees is deliberately deceived by his brethren. Pike says that "truth
is not for those who are unworthy." He goes on to say that "Masonry jealously conceals its
secrets, and intentionally leads conceited interpreters astray."

Hall put it this way: "Spiritual qualities are necessary before the real Masonic secrets can be
understood by the brethren themselves. What Hall seems to be saying is that one must reach a
certain spiritual level before he can rightly understand the deep symbolic teachings of
Freemasonry. For instance, one of the symbols for Masonry is the letter "G" which denotes can
be ignorantly seen to mean God. However, it means gnosis or knowledge. This is how the lower
cadre masons and the ignorant Christians are lured into this heretic worship, thus unwittingly
becoming a part of the Lodge thinking that it is an extension of his Christian faith, when in fact it
may be a trick allowing another god into his soul.

The Masonic God

The Masonic god, called The Great Architect of the Universe (G.A.O.T.U), is believed to be
above all other gods. He is wittingly given this title that alludes to the Personal and sovereign
God of the Christians.

According to Albert Pike, all people, regardless of their spiritual orientation, can unite under the
Grand Artificer of the Universe. The Masonic god is all-inclusive and all-embracing. All
potential Masons must acknowledge a "God" in order to gain membership in the Lodge, but there
is no definite criterion regarding which "God" is implied or what "God" is acceptable.

Pike states that Masonry is the unifier of all religions and that "the Christian, the Hebrew, the
Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and
unite in prayer to this one God. In this sense, the biblical God is reduced to the level of all the
other gods and at the same time rendered as equal with the false gods of those religions.
Therefore, Christianity is stripped of its uniqueness as the one true religion that offers humanity

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its only hope for salvation. This is in total contradiction with the Christian faith as witnessed in
the bible epistles. It is a direct onslaught and insult to the Holy Trinity and the sovereignty of the
One True God of Christianity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

It can be confusing that this universal god of Freemasonry is believed by many within the Lodge
to be the God of the Bible, but this god is not the triune God of the Christian faith. Freemasonry
purposefully diminishes the co-equal and co-eternal status of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

According to Albert Pike, 2002 the Masonic God is single and unapproachable which is a total
contrast to the God of the biblical epistles that is triune and close to His creation. The masonic
God is a force and principle, unlike the biblical epistles God who is a caring personality.
Manly P. Hall, a 33rd degree Mason, refers to God as being the "Life Principle" that lies within
all living things. In contrast, the God of Christianity is transcendent and only becomes resident
within the human family, and then only when He is invited to do so. In Masonry, Jesus Christ is
not accepted as being "One" and co-equal or consubstantial with the Father.He is not the savior
either. The biblical stand that is also upheld by all the Epistles is in Jesus words; “It is written,
you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only'" (Luke 4:8). The Father says that "you
shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him . . . you shall not follow other
gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the Lord your God in the midst of
you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and
He will wipe you off the face of the earth" (Deut. 6:13-15). The Mason who professes to be a
Christian must decide whether to serve the God of the Bible or the god of Freemasonry but never
both.

The Masonic Jesus

Freemasonry upholds a Universalist approach toward divinity. According to Jim Shaw, a 33rd
degree Mason who left the Lodge, Masonry teaches that ‘Jesus was just a man’. He was just one
of the great men that ever lived. Jesus Christ is not God incarnate, or the Savior of humanity. In
essence, the Lodge does not permit the name of Jesus or Christ to be used in any of its prayers or
rituals.

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When Scripture is used in their rituals the name of Jesus or Christ is omitted lest it offend
someone. In essence, the Lodge has rewritten Scripture to suit its own end. This in direct
contradiction of the Bible’s clear warning that God's Word is not to be changed or tampered
with. Deuteronomy 4:2 says, "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor
take away from it."

It is clear from the Epistles that all Christians pray in the name of Jesus but the masons prohibit
the use of the name of Jesus in their prayers. Jesus teaching regarding this is explicitly spelt out
in these word; "Everyone therefore who shall confess me before men, I will also confess him
before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny me before men, I will also deny him
before My Father who is in heaven."

The biblical Jesus does not allow for the bias of Freemasonry when it comes to receiving His
proper place of reverence and worship. In short, Jesus does not seem to be as tolerant as the
Mason when it comes to His divine authority. Further instruction regarding our response to the
Christian faith says, "And Jesus came up to them, saying, all authority has been given me in
heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
commanded you'" (Matt. 28: 18-20).

Masonic Light and Darkness

"Freemasons are emphatically called the Sons of Light, because they are in possession of the true
meaning of the symbol; while the profane or uninitiated who have not received this knowledge
are said to be in darkness." In other words, the Mason has been delivered from the darkness into
the light and is elevated above those who have not received the initiation into the degrees and
mysteries of Freemasonry.

The profane individual, or the non-Mason, remains in darkness and is in need of light. The
Mason, after being enlightened, continues to be in need of more light. It seems that the Mason
never comes to fully understand his Craft and all that it means.

The Mason progressively seeks after the light. The light of Masonry is based on the Kabbalah, or
Jewish mysticism. For the Christian this is indeed a difficulty, because the Christian cannot

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accept the occult beliefs of the mystics. The Bible tells us that "truth" or "light" can only be
found in God's Word.

The Mason is taught that as he receives more light he grows in perfection. As he grows in
perfection, he believes that he actually increases his personal worthiness and, in the process,
gains a deeper appreciation of Masonry. This in-depth understanding leads to a greater degree of
enlightenment and enables the Mason to feel as if he has done all he must do for acceptance into
the Grand Lodge above. This is an appeal to human pride.

Masonry through its ardent author Albert Pike speaks of Lucifer as the Light-bearer. "Lucifer,
the Son of the Morning. The Bible identifies Lucifer as being Satan and an angel of light.
According to Paganism, Lucifer is the bearer of the light that enlightens man's understanding of
his Higher Self or his "God Self." Masonic author Foster Bailey says it this way, "Masonry
therefore, is not only a system of morality, inculcating the highest ethics through which result, if
followed, the conscious unfolding of divinity.

The Secrecy in Freemasonry

There is a great deal of secrecy in Freemasonry. From the very beginning the Entered Apprentice
is kept in the shadows regarding the full meaning of the symbols of the Craft. The Mason must
keep the secrets of the Lodge, and he is to swear oaths secured by severe penalties if he ever
chooses to reveal them. According to Carl H. Cloudy, a former Grand Master of Masons, the
Masonic penalties are intended to inspire terror in the candidate. Claudy says that if a candidate
breaks his oath, he will experience the abasement that any man would feel when he had broken a
solemn pledge. But even more so, he would experience "the wrath of God blasphemed. The
horror of a sin of which there is none greater."

This above shows the mystery that surrounds all the oath-taking exercises unlike in the bible
where your yes is yes and your no is no. The Christian God is not a god of fear and misery, but
He is a God of compassion and mercy. The masons inflict miserable punishment upon its
adherents who break the oaths they take. They presume that the death penalties on such
defaulters are literally inflicted by God and not man.

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Albert Mackey, author of the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, offers several reasons why non-
Masons object to Masonic secrecy. However, there are only four which he accepts as being true.
First, it is an oath. Second, it is administered before the secrets are communicated. Third, it is
accompanied by certain superstitious ceremonies. And fourth, it is attended by a penalty.

The candidate is led to believe that the penalties accompanying the oaths that he swears to are
indeed carried out. At no time is he told that these penalties are simply symbolic. Mackey states
that the penalties are not to be inflicted by the Lodge but by God. He says that "the ritualistic
penalties of Freemasonry . . . are in the hands not of man, but of God, and are to be inflicted by
God, and not by man.For a believer to take such oaths means opening a door to satan.

Salvation in the Masonic Lodge

Biblical doctrine, particularly the epistles point to Jesus as the one and only savior. This is the
stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there
salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved."(Acts 4:12)

The early Masons followed a biblical understanding of salvation and what it meant to be a
Christian. However, the pagan writers who rewrote the Masonic rituals omitted the references to
biblical salvation and wrote them in a way that would not offend anyone of another religion.

The early rituals for the Master Mason Degree were Christian in their overall meaning.
According to Dr. Morey, biblical phrases such as "regeneration," "redemption," and "heaven"
were used without question. The modern mason looks inwards for purification and perfection
unlike the Christian who looks to Jesus for the same, looking unto Jesus the author and the
finisher of our faith, (Hebrew 4:12).

In other words, Bailey is saying that Masonry is a vehicle for mankind to discover his divinity
and achieve personal regeneration. This idea is totally foreign to the Bible. The Christian cannot,
in any way, get beyond the fact that Jesus Christ as the Light giver and redeemer of humanity is
opposed to the teachings of the Lodge.

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The Bible distinctly teaches that salvation only comes through the person of Jesus Christ. It
cannot come by any other means. The Scripture is clear that if we confess with our mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will receive
salvation. It is not based upon our works or deeds; it is solely based upon what Jesus did on the
cross.

Masonry does not have an understanding of the serious nature and consequences of man's
separation from God as envisaged in Paul’s letter to the Romans (rom 6:23), hence it cannot
offer a suitable solution to his problem. The Bible tells us all through the Epistles that man is in
a state of separation from God and that he is in need of a savior. The Gospel of Mark speaks of
the fallen nature of humanity. The Scripture says that it is what comes out of man that defiles
him. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, adulteries, thefts,
murders, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these
evil things come from within and defile a man." Freemasonry cannot offer mankind an adequate
solution to his problem of sin.

Free Masonry in the Church

There are Christian denominations that have condoned the presence of members and the
leadership of individuals who openly confess and profess to be masons. There are serious cases
such as the Southern Baptist Convention who have clearly allowed the freemasons to be part of
their congregation and membership explaining it as their right to belong to the lodge. In the
early 19th century the catholic church barred its members and clergy from being members of the
secret and dark fraternity called freemasonry.

In Ephesians 5:11 the Word of God is very clear on the associations the church of Christ should
exempt itself from; ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them’. The Church of Christ has not place for the unrighteous blasphemous dogmas and
dark rituals of the masons. These false teachings are cited all the way back from Apostle Paul’s
day in the first century. Apostle Paul addressed the issue and spoke of the consequences of
teaching a false gospel in his letter to the Galatians: I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--

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which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are
trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a
gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. As we have
already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you
accepted, let him be eternally condemned. (Galatians 1:8-9)

The presence of freemasonry can be seen from two perspectives; first, is an assumption that the
Masons in the church are really Christians.Masonic Christians have made a treaty with the pagan
people who worship other god's, namely the Hindus, the Moslems, the Buddhists and those of all
other false religions. They gather around a strange altar, the altar of Freemasonry, and worship a
god named the Great Architect of the Universe (GAOTU). It is the worship of demons; 1
Corinthians 10:20 states: "No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and
I do not want you to be participants with demons." Freemasonry disagrees with the teaching of
the Bible and claims that the pagan is praying to the same God that Christians worship. In
consideration of the assumption that Masons in the church really are Christians, consider the
false plan of salvation which is taught in Masonic ritual. Freemasons believe that all Master
Masons will go to heaven, including the Buddhist, Hindu and Moslem Masons. Masons are
encouraged to imitate the Masonic savior, Hiram Abiff, so that they might welcome death and be
translated into heaven. Jesus Christ is not mentioned in Blue Lodge (the first three degrees)
ritual. All present in lodge participate in the ritual. Certainly those conducting the ritual
participate to a larger degree. However, at the point in ritual where the blindfold is removed from
the initiates eyes, all present stamp their foot and clap their hands. (It is known as the shock of
entrance; it startles the initiate.) The Christian Mason is participating in the promotion of a false
gospel.

Secondly, the assumption is that the Masons in the church are not Christians in which case all of
the Christians in the congregations which allow Masons to be members have made a treaty with
paganistic religions. They have encouraged Masons to join the church, but have not demanded
that they stop worshiping the GAOTU, or promoting the false Masonic plan of salvation. In this
case, the Christians in the church are in sin because they have not remained separate, but have
embraced the pagans. 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1 makes it clear that remaining separate is not just an
Old Testament idea. The church has become ensnared just as God warned the Israelites they

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would be ensnared. Our God demands separation if we are to remain His Children as in 2
Corinthians 6:17-18.

AWARENESS

The church leadership know that there are problems with freemasonry though without specifics.
A sizeable minority are not aware of the masons or how they affect the church. In Kenya the
greatest number of people, learned or unlearned just label them devil worshippers. This is
without any idea that they are as far involved in the local churches and church leadership to a
larger degree than they imagine or speculate. There is eminent fear among the ministers of the
gospel to openly preach against the freemasons. The 1996 report on devil worship in Kenya
under the Githii commission of inquiry clearly exposed the activities of this secret fraternity as
wanting. Despite the public commission’s report the majority of ministers do not see the danger
poised by the imminent presence of this fraternity in the community and in the church. Some
avoid the topic like a plaque but if a pastor is aware of the evils of Freemasonry and says nothing
to the Masons in the congregation, then he will be held accountable. God's word is clear on the
ramifications; Ezekiel 33;6 makes this crystal clear: But if the watchman see the sword come,
and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person
from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's
hand. It is important for pastors and other church leaders to understand that standing up against
freemasonry is a battle in itself and is likely to attract serious counter attacks; both physical and
spiritual. The examples of the southern Baptist pastors , Stewart Bedillion, Pierce Dodson and
Stoney Shaw are living testimonies of the soldiery spirit we need to take against the heresies of
the free masons.

An important thing to note is that masons just like all sins do repent and turn to Christ Jesus for
salvation.

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CONCLUSION

The heresy of the masons can be traced back to the introduction of paganistic beliefs and
practices into the Christian faith. The first time we are hearing of such heretic practices is in the
early church. The apostles Paul and Peter with th their contemporaries had to struggle with the
problems of food offered to idols. Promiscuity in the church, gender issues, ritualistic tendencies
and much more. Apparently these are the same heretic issues that fom the core of the masonic
literature and doctrine. The Free Masons are not an independent cult working in isolation from
the church. It is evident that freemasons enjoy privileged positions in churches and in church
organizations. This should not be taken lightly as this would mean a compromise of the true
gospel of Christ. The Church and its clergy must stand to defend the faith after the manner of the
early church Apostles and the Church Fathers did.

In conclusion the Church of Christ is obligated to stand firm against the heretic blasphemy of the
free masons , who portending to worship God deny the very deity of the Lord Jesus and the
Soverignity of one true God. Free masonry has existed it its various transformational phases in
the Church a Bible abiding group until the introduction of paganism in its very tenets. The use of
the Bible, the mention of Jesus and the participation in Church services and activities cannot and
should not be used to allow the freemasons into the assembly of the saints.

REFERENCES

Delmar D. Darrah, History and Evolution of Freemasonry (Chicago: Charles T. Powner, 1979),
207.

Albert G. Mackey, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry (Chicago: The Masonic History Co., 1946),
734.

Albert A. Mackey, History of Freemasonry, vol. I (New York: The Masonic History Co. 1898):
136.

One such incident was the brutal murder of William Morgan in 1826. He had made it known that
he intended to write a book exposing the secrets of the Lodge.

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Albert Pike, Morals And Dogma (Charleston, S. C.: The Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for
the Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S.A., 1950), 814.

Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, (Richmond, Va.: Macoy Publishing and Masonic
Supply Co., 1976), 11-19.

Henry Wilson Coil, Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia (New York: Macoy, 1961), 520.

H. L. Haywood, The Great Teachings of Masonry (Richmond, Va.: Macoy, 1971), 138.

Basic Theology by Charle s Ryrie and Logos Bible Software.

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