THE BUILDER October, 1926

Religious Anti-Masonry, 1826-1840

By ERIK MCKINLEY ERIKSSON, Ph. D.
Professor of American History, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

FOLLOWING the disappearance of William Morgan, in the latter part
of 1826, there developed an Anti-Masonic movement, the fanaticism
of which has not been paralleled in the whole history of the United
States. Though the movement was chiefly of a political character it
affected every phase of life. Close friends became bitter enemies,
families were divided and even churches were broken up, so bitter
was the feeling engendered by the Anti-Masons.

The fact that, prior to the Morgan affair, there had been
occasional attacks on the Masonic fraternity by religious zealots
is evidence that the Institution had many enemies. These needed
only such an incident as Morgan's disappearance to cause them to
unleash their full fury against the Masons. Urged on by the
scheming, opportunistic politicians who hoped to create a great
political party out of the excitement, the orthodox churches in the
"affected area" vied with each other in condemning Masons and
Masonry.

Resolutions hostile to the Institution were frequently passed,
Masons were barred from churches unless they would renounce and
denounce the fraternity, and many ministers who were Masons had no
choice but to join the Anti-Masons or give up their pulpits. Some
ministers, more fanatical than others, assumed the role of
crusaders, and journeyed up and down the land, exhorting such
audiences as they could assemble to join in the movement to stamp
out Masonry. Others, not content to use the pulpit for the purpose
of venting their spleen on the Masons, hastened to spread their
ideas abroad by means of the printed page. Thus there was added to
the great flood of Anti-Masonic material poured from the presses of
the country a large number of Anti-Masonic religious tracts. It
should be noted that ministers who were seceding Masons were the
most vehement in their attacks on the fraternity.

So intense was the religious feeling aroused that for a time there
appeared a possibility that a "Christian party" would be formed.
However, little headway was made towards making such a party a
reality, for the proposal was immediately denounced as a movement
to unite the church and the state. The definite formation of the
Anti-Masonic party in 1827 resulted in the absorption of the
religious fanatics by that organization.

SOME REASONS FOR ANTI-MASONRY

The narrow fanaticism of religious Anti-Masonry was well shown in
the resolutions drawn up by various gatherings of orthodox
churchmen. Thus, at a meeting of the Saratoga Baptist Association,
held at Milton, New York, on Sept. 12 and 13, 1827, with twenty-two
churches represented, it was resolved

that we have no fellowship for or with the Institution of
Freemasonry; and so declare because:

First--Freemasonry professes to have its origin in and from God.

Second--It professes to correspond with, and bears an affinity to,
the ancient Egyptian philosophy.

Third--It adopts a novel and unscriptural manner of instructing men
in the doctrines, promises and consolations of the Gospel, and
draws its lessons of morality from stone hammers, mallets, chisels,
and other working tools.

Fourth--It publishes to the world songs, etc., of such a
contrariety of character, as to serve the purposes of profanity,
revelry, the worship of the true God, and heathen deities.

Fifth--It pretends that its religion and morality are the same as
those taught in the Bible.

Sixth--That the ancient Egyptian philosophy, with its hieroglyphics
and mysteries, and the religion of Christ cannot correspond or bear
affinity to each other.

Seventh--It perverts and degrades the meaning of Scripture
passages, and, by their use and application to Masonic ceremonies,
dishonors God the Son 

Eighth--It unwarrantably and irreverently employs the name of
Jehovah in the dedication of Masonic Halls.

Ninth -It dedicates Lodges, Chapters, etc., to St. John and
Zerubbabel.

Tenth--It authorized the practice of religious rites ceremonies,
and observances, not commanded or countenanced in the New
Testament....

Eleventh--It imposes obligations of a moral and religious nature,
which cannot be communicated to any other than Masons or candidates
of the Order, not even to brethren of the church of Christ.

Twelfth--It affixes new names and appellations to both God the
Father, and God the Son, and those which are immoral and
irreligious to men.

Thirteenth--It amalgamates in its societies men of all religions
professing to believe the existence of a Supreme Being of any
description; thereby defeating all its pretensions to the morality
and religion of the of the Bible and sapping the foundations of
Christian fellowship.

Fourteenth--It authorized forms of prayer accommodated to the
prejudices of the Jews; thus rejecting the only Mediator and way of
access to the Father.

Fifteteenth--It receives and adopts Orders of Knighthood from
Popery.

After adopting this resolution, it was resolved "That we do not
fellowship our Baptist brethren, unless they completely abstain
from Freemasonry." In the printed proceedings of the meeting there
were included extracts from various Masonic sources, purporting to
sustain the charges made against the Masonic Institution.

Another typical set of resolutions was that passed by a Baptist
conference at Whitesboro, New York, Oct. 22 and 23, 1829, at which
the churches of ten counties in Western New York were represented.
These resolutions stated it as the duty of every Masonic church
member to not only renounce the fraternity but to give his church
"satisfactory evidence of the same" (which meat a public
denunciation of the Institution) under pain of being refused the
fellowship of the church. Similar action had been taken by the
Baptish Genesee Consociation in June, 1828.

But it should not be inferred that the Baptists were the most
fanatical in their attacks on Freemasonry, for the Presbyterians,
the Dutch Reformed sect, the Methodists and the Congregationals--in
fact, all the orthodox denominations were equally zealous in the
Anti-Masonic crusade. Among the religious Anti-Masonic gatherings
during the period which were widely reported to have taken action
against the Masons were the "Associated Reformed Synod" of New
York, meeting at Newburgh, New York, in 1830; the Presbyterian
Synod of Rochester, in 1829; a convention of nineteen Baptist
churches at Le Roy, New York, in 1828; the New England Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, meeting at Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, June 13, 1829, and the Dutch Reformed Church, meeting at
Hackensack, New York, in June, 1831.

INTERDENOMINATIONAL MEETINGS

One of the unique features of religious Anti-Masonry was the fact
that occasionally members of various denominations held joint
meetings for the purpose of condemning Masonry. A notable instance
of such a gathering was the "Sangerfield Meeting," held at
Waterville, New York, Jan. 14, 1830. It was claimed that there were
present three hundred persons, including Congregationalists,
Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists, as well as members of Dutch
Reformed, "Seventh Day Baptists" and "Reformed Methodist" churches.

After hearing the testimony of seceded Masons regarding Masonic
oaths, the conference drew up a short address denunciatory of
Freemasonry, and also adopted five resolutions. These declared
Masonry "opposed to the principles and tendency of the Gospel of
Christ" and, as was the practice of such gatherings, called on
"every professor of religion, who is a Freemason, to dissolve all
connection with the Masonic fraternity" and to give "satisfactory
evidence" to his church that he had done so. All Masons who would
not renounce the Institution were to be excluded from the churches.
It was declared to be the duty of ministers and professors of
Christianity to oppose Masonry, both privately and publicly. But
the most interesting action taken at the meeting was to set aside
the last Thursday of February [1830] "as a day of solemn fasting,
humiliation and prayer, on account of the existence of Masonry in
the Church."

The meetings mentioned were the ones which attracted most attention
during the period of Anti-Masonic excitement, but there were many
others. Similarly there were a few ministers who made themselves so
notorious in promoting Anti-Masonry that they must be mentioned to
the exclusion of hundreds of others who lacked the ability to
secure publicity for themselves. Easily the most fanatical of these
Anti-Masonic ministers was Lebbeus Armstrong, a seceding Mason,
whose excesses led to his expulsion from the pulpit of the
Presbyterian Church of Northampton and Edinburgh in Saratoga
County, New York. Two of his sermons, published in pamphlet form in
1829 and 1830, are extant, and well reveal the absurdities of some
Anti-Masons. In one sermon Armstrong contended that the total
overthrow of the Masonic Institution had been predicted by St. Paul
and was in process of fulfillment. Even more ridiculous was his
assertion that

It [Freemasonry] Bears Decided Marks Of Being One Of The
Confederate Powers Of Iniquity, Predicted By The Apostle John, On
The Isle Of Patmos, Which Would Combine The World In Arms Against
God, And Be Overcome At The Battle Of The Great Day Just Before The
Millenium.

The "Confederate Powers of Iniquity," he asserted, were
"Mohometanism, Anti-Christian Despotism and Freemasonry." Surely
the passions of people were highly excited when they would listen
to and read such material!

Few, if any, of the religious Anti-Masons wrote more at length than
did John G. Stearns, also a seceded Mason, who was a minister at
Paris, New York. In 1828 he published a pamphlet entitled Plain
Truth, which dealt at length with Masonic oaths. Much longer and
much more widely read was his Inquiry Into the Nature and Tendency
of Speculative Freemasonry, published eventually in seven editions.
In this latter work he dealt chiefly with Masonry and religion. He
denounced Masonry because, he asserted, it "professes to be a
religious institution" and claimed divine origin. He denied that it
was divine, but, on the contrary, he claimed that it had its origin
among the heathen. He criticized the Institution because it
admitted those who were not professing Christians, and he found
fault because it did not "save men," though he claimed falsely that
it pretended to do so. A long chapter was devoted to "The Unlawful
and Unchristian Nature of Masonic Oaths." Today, as one views the
thousands of Masons active as church members and ministers, it can
only afford amusements to read Stearns' repetitious tirades, of
which the following is typical:

Masonry has a pernicious influence in the church of Christ. The
church cannot maintain its discipline without a perpetual war with
it. When church members act under the influence of Masonic oaths,
and in view of the Masonic interest, they violate the Christian
covenant and contend against the laws of the house of God.... The
institution of Masonry is not based on real affection, but on
un-Christian and unlawful oaths.... By the influence of Masonry,
unpleasant feelings are often produced in the minds of Christians
towards each other.

Another Anti-Masonic minister who attracted to himself considerable
attention was Joel Parker, pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church
of Rochester, New York. On Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 4, 1828, he
delivered a sermon entitled, The Signs of the Times, in which he
linked Freemasonry with intemperance and slavery as the special
objects of his attacks. The charge against Masonry which he
stressed chiefly was that "Its religious worship is purely
theistical," and that its many prayers were "offered without the
acknowledgement of a Savior."

In Vermont, Henry Jones, pastor of the Congregational Church in
Cabot, attracted attention in 1829 by publishing Letters on
Masonry, Addressed to the Professed Followers of Christ, which
letters were chiefly an attempted vindication of his own act in
renouncing Masonry. He admitted that he had become a Mason in 1815
"from vain and worldly motives." His excuse for abandoning Masonry,
as he stated, was "that it appears, in this land of gospel light,
not only useless, but a hindrance to the progress of Religion." He
too attacked the Masonic obligations which he characterized as
"mock solemnity, profanity."

The sermon of David Pease, of Massachusetts, entitled The Good Man
in Bad Company, was delivered and published ostensibly as an
apology for his secession from the Masonic Institution. Rev. Daniel
Dow, of Thompson, Connecticut, and Jedediah N. Hotchkin, of LeRoy,
New York, were others conspicuous in promoting religious
Anti-Masonry.

Unlike the ministers mentioned, who attained no prominence as
political Anti-Masons, was Moses Thacher, of Massachusetts. One of
the most active of the political Anti-Masons in the state, this
seceded Mason did not hesitate to carry his Anti-Masonry into the
church at Wrentham, of which he was pastor, with the result that
his congregation was split into factions. The Anti-Masonic group
under his lead withdrew and formed a new parish at North Wrentham,
for which unauthorized action he was censured by a council composed
of seven Congregational Churches.

In his various speeches it was Thacher's custom to charge that the
Masonic oaths contravened "our duty and allegiance to God." "In
short," he asserted, "every obligation, every rite, in the Masonic
Institution, is directly calculated to bring sacred things into
contempt, and to lead on, step by step, into absolute skepticism."
Again, he charged:

It [Freemasonry] is, in all respects, directly calculated, both in
letter and spirit, to subvert and eradicate the first principles of
the Christian religion. Freemasonry is a system of deism in its
first degrees, and of atheism in the end....

The Masonic Institution then, instead of being a school of charity
and moral virtue, is a school of infidelity. There is no system on
earth so artfully contrived, and so completely fitted to make
deists and atheists, as Freemasonry. It doubtless has made more
skeptics in religion than any other system of means that was ever
put into operation.

THE ALLIANCE OF POLITICS AND RELIGION

The political Anti-Masons realized that in religion they had a
potent weapon so they lost no opportunity to fan the flame of
religious prejudice against Freemasonry. Therefore it is nothing
unusual to find in the proceedings of local, state and national
Anti-Masonic conventions, resolutions and addresses designed to
show the Masonic Institution to be opposed to the Christian
religion. Thus, at a meeting of Anti-Masons at Reading,
Massachusetts, early in 1829, those present declared it their duty
to use their "best endeavors to put down the Masonic Institution"
because it was "opposed to revealed religion," and

Because to use it appears immoral.... Its immorality appears in its
songs, profane rites, indecent ceremonies; multiplied, and often
repeated blasphemous oaths; its profane mimicry of death; of the
Savior's priesthood and death: of the holy scriptures, and of the
last judgment, in their high and ineffable degrees, and in their
funeral ceremonies.

Similar statements were issued by other local gatherings and by
state Anti-Masonic conventions. Special attention was also given to
the subject by the two Anti-Masonic national conventions. At the
national convention held at Philadelphia in September, 1830, a
special committee was appointed, headed by William H. Maynard, of
New York, to report on the "effect of Freemasonry on the Christian
religion." The report submitted was hardly more than a compilation
of the various charges that had been hurled at the Institution by
the religious Anti-Masons prior to that time. The liberality of the
Masons in the matter of religion was especially attacked.

In the Connecticut Anti-Masonic Convention of 1832 there were
adopted fifteen resolutions introduced by Henry Dana Ward, of New
York City, a minister and seceded Mason, who had made himself
conspicuous in promoting political Anti-Masonry. Two of these
resolutions dealt specifically with Masonry and religion. They
attacked, in the customary way, the Masonic obligations as "a
direct violation of the laws of God and of civil society" and
declared "that the use of the language and prayers of the
Scriptures, and of the sacred name and titles of the Supreme God,
in the ceremonies of the fraternity, are highly irreverent, profane
and even blasphemous." The fact that ministers were Masons was
viewed "with abhorrence, and even horror."

At the national convention held at Baltimore, in September, 1831,
attention was again given to the subject in two of the nineteen
resolutions adopted by the convention. These resolutions, also
proposed by the indefatigable Ward, were brief. They denounced the
Masonic oaths and obligations as deserving "the unqualified
reprobation and abhorrence of every Christian, and every friend of
morality and justice." It was further resolved:

That these oaths being illegally administered, and designed to
subserve fraudulent purposes, ought not to be regarded as binding
in conscience, morality or honor; but the higher obligations of
religion and civil society require them to be explicitly renounced
by every good citizen.

Perhaps Ward, in proposing this particular resolution, was seeking
to ease his own conscience and that of fellow ministers who were
seceding Masons by getting the Anti-Masons of the country to
endorse their action.

DEFENDERS OF MASONRY

It should not be supposed that Masonry was without defenders
against the attacks of the religious zealots. (The Masonic
newspapers were the vehicle for counterblasts against fanatical
attacks of the enemies of the fraternity. Speakers before Masonic
gatherings denied that Masonry was in conflict with religion and
their speeches were published in the periodicals or circulated in
pamphlet form.) Many ministers remained loyal to the fraternity and
were outspoken in defense of it during the period. Some under the
pressure of persecution gave up their pulpits but would not
renounce Masonry. Occasionally, church members who were also Masons
published denials that their Masonic membership interfered with
their Christian duties.

Typical of the attitude of Masonic newspapers towards those who
were manufacturing the charges that Masonry was the enemy of
religion, is the following extract from an editorial in "The
Craftsman," Feb. 17, 1829:

We would caution all who have the welfare, the peace and the
happiness of their country at heart against the dictation of
designing knaves, high-reaching politicians, crafty gownsmen, and
calculating financiers who seek political power and sectarian
success on the one hand and full coffers on the other. We would
caution the honest man, who bears in his bosom the heart of a
freeman, against the machinations of the hypocritical professor of
religion--the sincere Christian against the deep-designing and
callous-hearted politician, andthe philanthropist, the lover of
freedom and equal rights, against the wiles of both....


The different classes we have alluded to are now making joint stock
of their labors, and attempting to unite church and state under the
significant title of Anti-Masonry. Every priest who does not
pronounce a curse upon the oldest institution in the world, and
damn as an infidel every upholder of it. they would hurl from his
desk; and every member of the church who would not join in that
curse, they would excommunicate and disgrace.

Also in "The Craftsman," in the spring of 1829, appeared a series
of six articles signed "Civil Rights," reviewing Rev. Joel Parker's
sermon, "Signs of the Times." Similarly answers were made to other
ministers who attacked Masonry on religious grounds. When Elder
David Pease turned apostate he was made the subject of a bitter
editorial denunciation in the "Boston Masonic Mirror," Aug. 14,
1830. It was pointed out that Pease had been an ardent Mason, that
he had accepted Masonic charity, and that he had "prayed often and
fervently for the prosperity of the Masonic fraternity." The
Masonic editor denounced him for turning against the Masons, and
labelled him an "ungrateful hypocrite" and a "profligate libeller."
The same newspaper also published a series of articles, signed
"Royal Arch," directed against Pease, which articles were later
published in pamphlet form.

One of the most widely noticed Masonic speeches during the period
of the "excitement" was that by John H. Sheppard, a lawyer,
delivered before Lincoln Lodge at Wiscasset, Massachusetts, June
24, 1831. In the course of his address he asserted that "In its
very foundation Masonry is a religious institution." When the
speech was published he inserted an explanatory note, which may be
quoted as typical Masonic defense against the attacks of the
religious Anti-Masons. He said:

When I allege that Masonry is a religious institution, let no one
misunderstand my meaning. We take the Holy Bible to be the rule and
guide of our faith, and profess a belief in one eternal God, our
creator, preserver and benefactor. Thus far it has a religious
tendency, and in the higher degrees, a continual advancement is
made in those things which appertain to eternity. The institution
is therefore built on a religious foundation, being opposed to
infidelity and idolatry. To me it has ever appeared as preparatory
to the introduction of Christianity -- but let no man imagine that
we claim the Masonic Institution as a substitute for the Christian
religion. It is only a forerunner of revealed truth, and while it
embraces men of every sect, it confesses, like one of its patrons,
St. John the Baptist, there is One who cometh after it, the latchet
of whose shoes it is unworthy to unloose.

Among the ministers who defended Masonry against the religious
attacks was Rev. Lorenzo Dow, whose "Notes on Anti-Masonry" were
widely published by Masonic newspapers. A strong defense of Masonry
was delivered on Feb. 2, 1830, by Rev. Joseph Prentiss before the
Grand Chapter of New York. Rev. Alfred Ely, of Monson,
Massachusetts, by defending Masonry in 1829, subjected himself to
bitter attacks by the Anti-Masons. Other defenders of the
Institution against religious fanaticism were Joseph Emerson, of
Wethersfield, Connecticut, who, on July 26, 1828, addressed a
letter to the Genesee Consociation, in which he deplored their
"anathema" against Masons. "If anything unscriptural," he
challenged, "has been discovered in our avowed principles, our
charities, our mutual attachments, I would fain have it
designated." He went on to say that he considered Masonry "a moral,
pacific, benevolent, humane and social institution . . . productive
of incalculable benefit to the world." If it had been "perverted"
then "Christianity much more." In answer to the assertion that the
Bible did not command secret societies, a Masonic writer named
William Sherman, employing the dialogue form of argument, pointed
out that it was not necessary to prove that they were commanded,
but rather to show where they were prohibited.

PERSECUTED MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL

Among the Masonic ministers who remained loyal, even though forced
to leave the pulpit, was Rev. Ephraim Wood, of Streetsborough,
Ohio. When the Methodist quarterly conference refused, in 1831, to
renew his license to preach because he was a Mason, he wrote, and
had published, a series of letters addressed "To the Methodists of
the United States." He charged that "the Methodist clergy, as a
body, have established a clerical Inquisition, to punish all who
dare dissent their political dogmas."

Another persecuted Masonic minister whose case attracted wide
attention was Rev. Stephen Fenn, of Harpersfield, New York. On June
21, 1829, he preached a farewell sermon, in which he referred to
thirty-six years of service to the congregation. He deplored the
fact that Anti-Masonry had arrived, creating such a spirit of
bitterness that several of the congregation had refused to pay him
any salary because he was "guilty of the crime of being a Mason."
Therefore, he had concluded that the best way out was to resign and
leave the scene of his long services.

As there were some Masonic ministers with courage enough to endure
the Anti-Masonic persecution, so there were Masonic church members
who refused to give up their allegiance to the Order. Thus, in
April, 1829, fifteen Congregationalists and three Baptists of
Thetford, Vermont, issued a joint statement "To the Christian
Publick," in which they defended their retention of membership in
the Masonic fraternity. They said:

We do not regard Freemasonry as being equal to Christianity in
importance; but we do regard it as a charitable and moral
institution of which a Christian may avail himself to very great
advantage.

Our lodge is opened and closed with prayer, and instruction is
always given, relating in a greater or less degree to the
principles contained in the Sacred Scriptures.

Similarly, in 1830, Masonic members of the First Baptist Church in
Pawtucket [Rhode Island] drew up a preamble and seven resolutions
in defense of their adherence to the fraternity. They asserted that
they considered Freemasonry "as a seculiar institution" and not as
"a substitute for devotion and piety, as many who have seceded from
it seem to have done."

As it was in Vermont that Anti-Masonry wrought its most thorough
devastation, it is of interest to note that the Masons of that
state did not yield without a struggle. On April 7, 1829, they held
a convention at Middlebury and issued an appeal to the people.
Among other things they dealt with the religious attacks on
Masonry. They denied that there was any inconsistency between
Masonry and Christianity. The appeal referred to the religious
character of the Masonic forms and ceremonies, and stressed the
tolerance of the Institution in the matter of creeds.

The prevalent spirit of persecution and proscription, which denied
them church fellowship because they were Masons, was described as
being "at war with the genius of the American government and the
character of the American people."

Enough evidence has been presented to show that there was a
widespread, well-defined religious AntiMasonic movement in the
period following the Morgan affair. At that time it was
overshadowed by political Anti-Masonry and was made to serve the
ends of scheming politicians. Political Anti-Masonry disappeared in
the United States many years ago, but it is significant that
religious Anti-Masonry still continues. The same appeals made by
the religious fanatics of a century ago to arouse the passions of
the people against the Masonic fraternity are being employed at the
present time. It is a compliment to the good sense of the American
people of today that these appeals receive little response. In fact
the Anti-Masonic arguments --if such they could be called--had lost
most of their potency before the great outburst of Anti-Masonry
subsided in the late thirties of the last century. When people in
the "affected area" began to regain their sanity, they saw how
utterly absurd were the charges made by the religious Anti-Masons.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

As the subject of religious Anti-Masonry has never been dealt with,
except in a very incidental way, it has been necessary to depend
almost entirely on contemporary sources.

Much material is available in newspapers and periodicals hitherto
cited, including the Amaranth, The Craftsman, American Masonick
Record, The Masonic Mirror and Mechanic's Intelligencer, The
Masonic Mirror, New Series, and the Anti-Masonic Review.

There are numerous pamphlets containing both the AntiMasonic and
the Masonic views on the subject of Freemasonry and religion. The
following pamphlets, containing the views of religious Anti-Masons,
have proved useful: Lebbeus Armstrong's Masonry Proved to Be a Work
of Darkness, Repugnant to the Christian Religion; And Inimical to
a Republican Government (New York, 1830), 24 pp.; Lebbeus
Armstrong's The Man of Sin Revealed, Or. The Total Overthrow of the
Institution of Freemasonry Predicted by St. Paul, and Now
Fulfilling . . . (Philadelphia, 1829), 51 pp.; Daniel Dow's Free
Inquiry Recommended on the Subject of Freemasonry . . . (Norwich
Conn., 1829), 20 pp.; Jedediah N. Hotchkin's Candid Appeal to the
Professors of Religion Upon the Subject of Speculative Free-Masonry
(New York, 1828), 16 pp.; Henry Jones' Letters on Masonry,
Addressed to the Professed Followers of Christ, Now in Connection
With the Institution of Freemasonry (Boston, 1829), 48 pp.; Joel
Parker's The Signs of the Times . . . (Rochester, New York, 1828),
16 pp.; David Pease's The Good Man in Bad Company: Or Speculative
Freemasonry a Wicked and Dangerous Combination . . . (Brookfield,
Mass., 1831) 24 pp., John G. Stearns' Plain Truth: Containing
Remarks on Various Subjects Relative to the Institution of
Speculative Free Masonry (Cazenovia, New York, 1828), 82 pp.; John
G. Stearns' Inquiry into the Nature and Tendency of Speculative
FreeMasonry . . . (Utica, New York, 1829), 211 pp. (Fifth Edition):
Moses Thacher's Address to the Church and Congregation . . . On His
Seceding From the Masonic Institution (Boston, 1829), 12 pp.; and
also his Address Delivered at Weymouth . . . Worcester . . . And at
Reading (Boston, 1830), 30 pp.

Other useful Anti-Masonic pamphlets, dealing with Masonry and
religion, are the following: Minutes of an Address Delivered Before
the Anti-Masonic Convention of Reading, Mass., Jan. 15, 1829 . . .
(Boston, 1829), 19 pp.; Proceedings of the Sangerfield Meeting,
Held at the Presbyterian Meeting, House in the Village of
Waterville, Jan. 14, 1830 . . . (Utica New York, 1830), 16 pp.; An
Address Adopted at a Meeting of Citizens of Philadelphia, Opposed
to Secret Societies . . . (Philadelphia, 1829), 44 pp., Candid
Reply to the Address of the Rev. Alfred Ely, of Monson, Mass., on
the Subject of Speculative Free Masonry, by an Impartial Examiner
(Boston 1829), 20 pp.; A Reply of the Genesee Consociation, to the
Letter of the Rev. Joseph Emerson . . . Relative to Masonic
Ministers and Masonic Candidates for the Ministry (Hartford, Conn.
1829), 34 pp.

Of interest because published in England but dealing with American
Masonry is a pamphlet entitled Horrifying Disclosures of the
Profane Oaths and Blasphemous Ceremonies of the Freemasons! With
Their Insulting Mockery of Prayer, the Sacred Person of the
Redeemer, and the Name of Almighty God! Including All Their Works
of Darkness . . . (London, 1837) 16 pp.

The Proceedings of the Anti-Masonic state and national conventions
were consulted for material dealing with religious Masonry. While
most of the material on the Masonic gleaned from the newspapers
cited, a few pamphlets information. These included: An Appeal to
the Inhabitants of the State of Vermont on the Subject of the Anti-
Masonic Excitement . . . (Middlebury, Vt., 1829), 36 pp.; Emerson's
Letter to the Members of the Genesee Consociation, N. Y. (Brooklyn,
Conn., 1829), 16 pp.--also an edition published in Boston, 1829, in
23 pp.; Joseph Prenti Discourse Delivered Before the Grand Chapter
of the State of New York . . . (Albany, 1830), 12 pp.; The
Principles of Anti-Masonry, Illustrated in a Series of Letters
Addressed to Rev. David Pease, Renouncing Mason, Anti-Masonic
Lecturer, &c., by Royal Arch (Belchertown, Mass., 1830), 32 pp.;
John H. Sheppard's Address Delivered Before Lincoln Lodge,
Wiscasset, June 24, A.L. 5831 (Boston, 1831), 32 pp. (Second
Edition); and [William Sherman's] Ancient Order of Freemasonry and
Liberty of Conscience, Opposed to Bigotry and Superstition,
Exemplified by Plain and Indubitable Facts and Reasoning, Deduced
From Scripture and Common Sense. By a Candid Man (New York, 1828),
40 pp.

The resolutions of the Saratoga Baptist Association adopted in
1827, were copied from the second volume (pp. 459 - 461) of Charles
T. McClenachan's History of the Most Ancient and Honorable
Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons in New York . . . (New York,
1892), 4 v. It will be noted that the list contained in Rob.
Morris' William Morgan . . . is characterized by numerous
inaccuracies, hence it has been deemed desirable to give the list
in full from another source, bearing evidence of being accurate.

Those seeking to learn the Masonic attitude towards religion, as
well as many other things, will find a good exposition in Albert G.
Mackey's The Mystic Tie. (New York, 1865.)

