The preacher who professes to believe in God is here having a part with an infidel contrary to the Word of God. You who are professing to be a light in the world, how can you in the fear of God take the oaths necessary to make you a member of a secret order? How can you join in the worldly hurrah and laughter, and foolish, ungodly pranks as played upon the candidate within the secret walls? What do you think of a preacher, or layman, becoming the laughing-stock of infidels, lawyers, saloon-keepers, drunkards, and gamblers, as he trembles beneath the blindfold? What kind of light are they letting shine? I appeal to your reason and common sense. Is it Christlike? Do you think Jesus would engage in such dark works? Some have charged the Savior with being a freemason. Such is a libelous statement. In Isa. 45:19, the Lord says, “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: ... I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” Christ only speaks [pg 238] the things that are right and never the dark, ungodly oaths and sayings of the secret lodge. Again, the Savior said, “I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort: and in secret have I said nothing.” John 18:20. Jesus spake nothing in secret, and to charge him with having connection with the dark, secret mysteries of masonry is as slanderous as the charge made by the people who said, “Thou hast a devil.” John 7:20. The Savior not only knew that men would, in order to defend their unrighteous systems, charge him with having a devil, but he also knew that for the same purpose men would charge him with having connections with such systems; therefore he said, to uncloak the falsity of such charges, “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Mat. 24:26. Jesus gives commandment to preach upon the housetop what ye hear in the ear. Mat. 10:27. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:14.
It is not the mission of this work to reveal the awful oaths and secret works of these various orders. Other men by many volumes have done this. We only hope to help you to see that secrecy is contrary to the Bible and the Spirit of Christ and Christianity. It is a thing of the world and conducted on a worldly [pg 239] basis. Connected with many of these orders are life insurances—a thing of the world. The Christian is separated from the world and Christ becomes his all in all. To make prominent the good qualities of their secret systems men tell us of their obligations to help their brother and his family. How these orders provide help for a man in time of need, and how true each member is to his obligation, etc. Such might do if there were no God nor Christianity. Secrecy provides only for its own members. Salvation provides for all. A member of a secret order is under no obligation from his order to visit a poor sick man by the way who is not a member of his order, but is under obligation to visit and care for a sick fellow member, though he be rich. We see no Christianity in this. We see no humanity. It is having respect of persons, forbidden by Scripture. Humanity, and much more Christianity, will not only send man to do good to the rich, but to the poor also, be they of any class or nation. A man that is a Christian will visit the sick and afflicted, no matter what may be their station in life.
If a man thinks he is a light in the world because he is true to the obligations of his secret order in visiting and administering to the needs of his sick brother, he is very much deceived. Such is a false light. When a man has to place himself under such solemn oaths to do good, it proves that he has but little or no humanity. “Do good to all men,” is the [pg 240] spirit of Christianity. A man need not take the obligations of a secret order to be furnished with the qualifications for doing good. The Word of God is all that is needed for reproof, correction, and instruction, that a man may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. A man need not seek membership in some secret organization in order to be provided for in his old days, or his family in case of his death. The Psalmist says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Paul says, “But my God shall supply all your need.” Phil. 4:19. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6:17, 18. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:16.
Chapter XIII. The Domestic Relation.
When we speak of home life with its relations and duties we are not digressing from the subject of gospel light. Nowhere does the light of Christianity shine so peaceful and beautiful as in the home. Nowhere is the power of its influence so felt as in the home circle. [pg 241] The public worship of Christians is an inspiring scene, but nothing apparently is so heavenly as the sacred family altar. A father and mother whose hearts are filled with holy love together with happy, obedient children bowing together at the shrine of devotion is the most imposing scene the eye and heart can witness.
Marriage.
The union of man and woman in marriage is the work of the Creator. God saw after he had created man that it was not good for him to be alone. Such was his constitution. So he made a helpmeet for him. God from the rib of man made woman and brought her unto him, who said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2:22-24.
In conjunction with the divine institution of marriage there is also a legal institution. While the civil contract is acceptable unto God by way of preventing promiscuous sexual intercourse, it is powerless to make both one flesh and bone. It is only the power of God that can make two hearts to beat as one. By the power of his grace he makes Christians of “one heart and one soul,” and of man and woman he makes “one flesh and bone.” The apostle to illustrate the blessed union of Christ and the church makes use [pg 242] of the union of man and wife. “They two shall be one flesh.” Eph. 5:31. “Man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife.” The union between husband and wife is stronger than between parent and child. The all-wise God has a design in all his works. He reveals to man in his Word his purpose in the union of man and wife. One object in the marriage union, as we have before said, is to prevent promiscuous sexual commerce. “Nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” 1 Cor. 7:2. The union of man and woman is a holy and sacred institution, however the union of Christ and the church is still a higher and more important work of God. Therefore Paul advises all who can live a pure life in an unmarried state they can be more useful to God, for he careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
Another object in the divine mind for uniting male and female is for the purpose of procreation. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth.” Gen. 1:28. Alas! how few properly reverence and esteem the divine purpose. Marriages are too often contracted for the comforts of a home, or for affluence, or for elevation in society, or, worst of all, for [pg 243] the gratification of lustful desires. Of such too many murderously resort to the devices of art to thwart the designs of the Creator. Procreation was the highest purpose in the divine mind for the union of man and wife. For this purpose he implanted in their natures a sexual desire. They who avoid to act this part in life come short of the purpose of their creation.