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“No Church that has seriously investigated the religious teachings and implications of Freemasonry has ever yet failed to condemn it.”

“It is not lawful to belong at the same time to Christ and to search for redemption and moral perfection outside Him.”

You cannot serve God and Mammon.

Freemasonry is a physiolatric or nature worshipping religion.

“One could answer that a subtle heterodoxy from within can be more deadly than the open enemy without. But in any case has the Mason a right to ask that question unless he in turn can explain why Grand Lodge has passed a similar measure of condemnation on a body of respectable, generous, and Godfearing women ?”

“Naturally, then, her fellowship here on earth is human and desperately imperfect. But it has a divine reality, and amidst all her storms and stresses she offers, not hearty conviviality, but the true joy that comes from the peace of God that passeth all understanding. What, then, has Freemasonry to teach her?”

“To all mankind, therefore, the Church spreads out her arms in her call for penitence, for a realisation of the true and wider brotherhood of man redeemed by the precious blood.”

“For Christ suffered and died on the cross to open the gate of Heaven not only to the respectable businessman, bánk manager, doctor, lawyer, oflicer, parson, and civil servant. He died for the woman and the child too.“

“The Masonic ritual with a matter-of-fact business-like common sense warns against this ideal of Christian charity. The third degree obligation pledges the Candidate to relieve a brother Mason in need only *‘ so far as may fairly be done without detriment to myself or my connections,” a phrase which is repeated in various charges and lectures.”

“But Masons come mainly from the better-off sections of the people who can afford to pay not inconsiderable fees for their privileges.
When every allowance is made, Masonic benevolence is not to be identified with the ideal of Christian charity. It is not the spirit of the widow casting in her mite, but of rich men (styling themselves Sons of the Widow!) giving of their superfluity.”

“But let it be admitted that Masons are indeed generous, with a lavishness which often leaves Christian giving far behind. Let it be admitted, too, that the Masonic institutions, their hospital for sick Masons, their nursing-home, and their two schools for the children of Masons are well and efficiently run.”

“If Freemasonry does not possess such secrets, it is equally immoral for it to claim that it does possess them.”

“If Freemasonry claims to possess secrets the knowledge of which would benefit all mankind in enabling a man to lead a higher and more moral life, it is immoral to keep that knowledge to itself.”

“The average Mason, therefore, in his close-tyled security has seen no necessity to examine his workings critically or to justify them from the Christian point of view to the world outside. Why should he bother to discover answers to questions that he is oath-bound not to answer, and which in any case do not interest him, and are unlikely ever to be asked?”

“Admittedly, these Masonic bishops and clergy must defend themselves with one hand tied behind their backs. This, however, can hardly be regarded as an unfair disadvantage, as their Lordships deliberately, securely, and irrevocably tied them there themselves. But is this attitude a dignified one for our Fathers-in-God?”

“Of course the clergy share with the laity the right to indulge in harmless and amusing parlour games and charades in fancy dress in their moments of leisure. But the Masonic workings certainly have in them too much of the solemn religious ritual to be so easily dismissed”

“Masonry is not so much a religion as a parasite on religion, and a rival to the Church as a moral guide.”

“It is my sincere hope, therefore, that this book may be of service not only in giving information to the Non-Mason, but that it may also lead to the Christian Mason seriously to reconsider his position.”

Another myth is that Masonic rituals are too esoteric to be understand, but that is folly. “One doesn’t have to be a Catholic to understand Catholicism”

Charles G Finney was an ex-Mason.

These printed booklets have their own attempts to obfuscate any outside reader, but the process of making things esoteric is clumsy, at least the author believes so.

However, these printed guides are still valuable to understanding masonry.

Printed Masonic rituals are not allowed inside the Lodge, and are used primarily as memory aids. Not really like Scripture.

Masonry’s mythos is based on secrecy. However, the author states that the only secret is that there is no specific secret.

The author’s main question he is trying to answer is whether or not Masonry is compatible with Christianity.