FREEMASONRY: FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Researched and Compiled by Pauly Fongemie for Catholic Tradition PART 7: EXTERNAL MODE OF PROCEDURE OF MASONRY  IN PROTESTANT COUNTRIES (Continued.) ANOTHER reading of history, which is suggested in these articles, would look upon the security and peace enjoyed by England since 1688 as rather the effect than the cause of the Jewish settlement in England. English power and English enterprises were in general favoured; English Masonry was not urged along the paths of Continental Masonry in Catholic countries, because English influence in and against Catholic countries was promoting Naturalism, and consequently weakness, while the Jewish power behind the scenes in England itself was steadily increasing. Of course, the English did feel at times that Masonry was being moved against their interests, and thus found themselves obliged to create Masonic groups and sub-Masonries to combat these hostile influences. Thus, for example, during the progress of the French Revolution, the English Government, finding that the maneuvers of Masonry and Masons on the Continent were not fully under its control, aided the development of the Orange Society, as a sort of sub-Masonry, with a view to prevent the French Revolutionary movement from working against it in Ireland. In the Revue Internationale des Societes Secrete, M. Pierre Colmet, one of the ablest of contemporary Catholic writers on this whole question, recently pointed out that high members of Anglo-Saxon Lodges admitted, in conversation with him, that their Masonic hegemony was being combated throughout the world, even in the British Colonies, and was in danger of slipping from their grasp. Does this mean that Israel thinks that England has served its turn? At any rate, a Jewish editorial, cited by Henry Ford, allows us to see clearly what Jews think of "Christianity" and Protestant countries: "Reference has frequently been made in these columns to a number of addresses made by the late Isaac M. Wise at the celebration in honour of his 80th birthday anniversary, in the course of which he predicted that in a quarter of a century from that date (1899), there would be practically nothing left in Protestant Christianity of a belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ or the distinctive dogmas of Christianity, and that all Protestant Christians by whatever name they called themselves, would be substantially Jews in belief. To anyone who notes the signs of the times, it is apparent that this prophecy is being rapidly fulfilled.  . . . The Jesus superstition and the fantastic dogmas built upon his supposed divine origin die but slowly, but that they are dying is nevertheless apparent." [Emphasis added] The pretence that Freemasonry is merely a benevolent society, though still maintained to some extent in England, is gradually being discarded in the United States, as, of course, it has been for a long time in other countries. The anti-Catholic activities of American Masons, especially against Catholic schools, are an indication that the formation and impulse given from above are casting aside restraint and moving openly into line with the Grand Orient of France. That the benevolence practised is not Christian benevolence may be seen from a quotation from The Christian Cynosure (Chicago, September, 1916), from the pen of C. A. Blanchard, President of Wheaton College, Illinois, written with a view to bring back some Protestant Christianity into the Lodges: "I have never known a lodge which counted among its members a large number of professing Christians. I have known lodges almost entirely composed of people who had no relation with the Church. If, nevertheless, it were true that forty or sixty percent of Masons professed to be Christians, that would not prove that the lodges are not associations rejecting the Christianity we know. The only means of determining the character of an organization is to study its Constitutions or to examine its work. These two sources of information show us that the lodges of our day are pagan in religion and that they tend to make everything that comes in contact with them pagan, and that everywhere they set themselves up as rivals of the Christian Churches and seek to destroy them when possible. These statements may seem harsh to those who are not aware of the facts, but they are amply justified by the facts, and these facts can be ascertained by all those who wish to take the time and the trouble to get information. [Ibid.] B.----INTERNAL MODE OF PROCEDURE OF MASONRY IN PROTESTANT COUNTRIES That Masonry gives the same formation in Protestant as in Catholic countries is abundantly demonstrated by Arthur Preuss. Amongst other quotations, he cites the following from Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, p. 650: "The mode of opening and closing a Lodge, of conferring the degrees, of installation, and other duties, constitute a system of ceremonies which are called the ritual. Much of this ritual is esoteric, and not being permitted to be committed to writing, is communicated only by oral instruction. In each Masonic jurisdiction, it is required by the superintending authority, that the ritual shall be the same: but it more or less differs in the different rites and jurisdictions. But this does not affect the universality of Masonry. The ritual is only the external and extrinsic form. The doctrine of Freemasonry is everywhere the same. It is the body which is unchangeable----remaining always and everywhere the same." (a)----The Formation Given is not Christian This affirmation does not really need detailed proof, in view of what has been already written . . . on Masonic Training and Masonic Action, but, owing to widespread misapprehensions concerning Masonry in English-speaking countries, it has been thought well to insist somewhat upon it. From Mackey's Masonic Ritualist we learn that Masonry has for object to give "Divine Truth----the Truth of God and of the Soul---the nature and essence of both----which constitutes the chief design of Masonic teaching."  Again: "Masonry teaches, and has preserved in their purity, the cardinal tenets of the old primitive faith which underlie and are the foundation of all religions. All that ever existed have had a basis of truth; and all have overlaid that truth with errors. The primitive truths taught by the Redeemer were sooner corrupted and intermingled and alloyed with fictions, than when taught to the first of our race." Masonry, then, sets out to teach Divine Truth about God and the human soul, free from the corruptions superimposed thereon by the followers of Christ, particularly by the Catholic Church. Its formation is thus confessedly Naturalistic, which, as we have seen, was stated by the Sovereign Pontiffs again and again. As such, we saw that it is exposed to inevitable disorder, and that disorder is rendered still more inevitable by the adoption of the unnatural means of secrecy and exemption from the control of Church and State. Needless to say, the teaching of Our Lord, that all men are called to be His members, living by the supernatural life coming from Him, which no one can have without belonging to the Catholic Church visibly or invisibly, being thus incorporated into His Body and having for visible Head the Sovereign Pontiff, is for Masonry an erroneous superstructure. But Masonic formation is also irreconcilable with Christianity, even in the loose sense in which it is unfortunately frequently used. For "Christianity" must always claim that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the one Mediator between God and man. Yet Masonry "does not even require of the members of the Masonic Order a profession of Christianity; but freely admits Jews, Mohammedans, and others who reject Christian doctrine." The Masonic periodical, Square and Compasses, affirms in an article on Masonic prayer "that Masonry should avoid naming Christ if it wishes to be really tolerant." The Freemason of London (3rd November, 1917) gives an account of the installation of a Mohammedan, Brother . . . Anik, as Venerable of the Wantage Lodge of London, treating the event as a new title to glory on the part of English Masonry. The Grand Master, the Duke of Connaught, expressed his regret at not being able to assist at the ceremony. Masonry, however, goes further than mere indifference to Christianity. Hostility is already implied in the statement quoted above from Pike's Morals and Dogma that "all religions have overlaid the truth with errors." Masonry frees the mind from error by the "Shock of Enlightenment" and the subsequent formation. Therefore it frees the mind from all belief in what Christianity has added to Natural Religion. This is tantamount to saying that Masonry gets rid of the Supernatural. And The New Age, of February, 1918, puts this very clearly and concisely: "Masonry is more than a religion: Masonry is religion. [Emphasis added] Jew, Gentile, Buddhist, Mohammedan, Theosophist, Christian Scientist, and all other -Ists and -Isms of religion, are embraced in and spring from Masonry. Masonry is the Mother Church existing before there were Popes and Prelates, Romans or Protestants . . . let us have but one Church, and that Church the Universe." A further extract from the article by C. A. Blanchard in The Christian Cynosure (Chicago, Sept., 1916), already quoted from, will show that the correct ideas concerning Secret Societies, and Masonry in particular, force themselves from time to time on the attention of thoughtful non-Catholics who have experience of Masonic formation: "Two forces combine to bring about the creation of Lodges. One of these forces is human, the other is demoniacal. Men want Lodges because they need society, friends, money, place and power, etc. The demons want Lodges because they want to receive worship. Thus it is that Satan asked of Our Saviour when he proposed to Him to give Him the world if he would bow down and adore him. Satan desires to be adored today just as much as he did then. He does not ask better than to pay the same price. He offers to give men the kingdoms of this world and their glory, if they consent to adore him. Men accept this offer and prostrate themselves by myriads at the feet of Satan in the hope of obtaining something they desire. On his side, Satan concedes that the outside of the glass or the plate be clean, provided that what he wants be on the inside. Beautiful music is played, quartets sing edifying hymns, chaplains and Prelates pronounce suitable discourses, but (Masons) continue to live as their passions dictate. Do not ask these people to repent of their sins or to confess them or to acknowledge the Saviour. Do what you please provided Satan receive the worship he wants. Thus people come to believe that they can be saved while living for something or other, instead of living as beings redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus. It seems strange that Satan can make such fools of people. He continues his work, now in one way, now in another, but always aiming at the same terrible result, paganism." E-MAIL www.catholictradition.org/masonry7.htm