Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?
The Methods of Anti-Masons (Second Edition, Revised)
Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris
With a Foreword and Addendum by James T. Tresner II
All rights reserved
© 1993, 1997 Masonic Information Center
This HTML version copyright © 1998, 1999 by Art deHoyos.
Printed copies may be obtained by writing to:
Masonic Information Center
8120 Fenton St.
Silver Spring, MD 20910 4785
TEL 301-588-4010 / FAX 301-608-3457
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Dedicated to the memory of
John Jamieson Robinson
Researcher • Author • Master Mason
The worst readers are those who proceed like plundering soldiers: they pick up a few things they use, soil and confuse the rest, and blaspheme the whole.
--Friedrich Nietzsche, Mixed Opinions and Maxims
I am appalled, I am bound to say, by the unsolicited material that has been sent to me...prior to this debate. What beggars my imagination is the way in which anyone, for whatever sort of malicious or neurotic or malicious [sic] reason, who writes anything denouncing freemasonry is assumed by some to be telling the truth. They are not. We have seen it in public life and we have seen it here. The Church should be different.... I am ashamed when fellow Christians are so gullible and so uncharitable, and that is putting it charitably.
--Canon R. Lewis (not a Mason), speaking to
the General Synod of the Church of England.
Quoted in Christopher Haffner, Workman Unashamed
(Shepperton, England: Lewis Masonic, 1989), p.13.
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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mrs. Inge Baum, retired Librarian of the Supreme Council 33º, S.J., for her
always gracious assistance.
Bro. David Blackey Board, for his detailed research on and bibliography of
Léo Taxil.
Bro. John W. Boettjer, for his permission to use the articles "Garden of
Evil?" and "Stones of Evil."
Bro. Roger Kessinger, Kessinger Publishing Co., for permission to use
extended quotations from The Cloud of Prejudice: A Study in Anti-Masonry,
by Art deHoyos.
Bro. Irwin Kirby, General Secretary, Valley of Miami, A.&A.S.R., for
information on Rev. James D. Shaw's Scottish Rite membership in Florida.
Ms. Joan Kleinknecht, Librarian of the Supreme Council 33º, S.J., for her
kind assistance.
Bro. Rollin O. Simpson, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Indiana, F.&A.M.,
for information on Rev. James D. Shaw's Masonic membership in Indiana.
Bro. Eric Serejski, for his assistance in translating passages from Le
Femme et L'Enfant dans le Franc-Maçonnerie Universelle.
Bro. Arthur Schechner, Secretary, West Dade Lodge No. 388, for
information on Rev. James D. Shaw's membership in Allapattah Lodge No. 271.
Bro. William G. Wolf, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Florida, F.&.A.M.,
for information on Rev. James D. Shaw's Masonic membership in Florida.
Bros. Sidney Baxter, John W. Boettjer, Richard Curtis, Richard E. Fletcher,
Wallace McLeod, Pete Normand, James T. Tresner, II, and Thomas E. Weir for their
invaluable textual corrections and suggestions.
FOREWORD
It is not an unmixed blessing, being asked to write a foreword for this book.
On the one hand, it is a high honor to be asked to contribute a few words to
the work of Masons I so greatly respect. Art deHoyos and Brent Morris are two of
the very best Masonic writers Freemasonry has produced in a long time.
On the other hand, some tasks are simply distasteful, no matter how exalted
the company in which they are done. (Unstopping a clogged toilet springs to mind
as an example.) Dealing with the attacks of anti-Masons is a similarly
distasteful task, for similar reasons.
It is a sense of betrayal which makes me so personally angry with some of
these individuals. I came of age in a time when policemen were your friends,
your father knew best, and ministers lived by high moral codes. And I still
believe that.
But it's getting harder.
St. Luke says (16:10) "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also
in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much."
As you will see in this book, anti-Masons are often dishonest in both little
and much.
That's the betrayal! I don't expect a banker to steal my money, I don't
expect a physician to prescribe poison, and I don't expect a minister to lie to
me.
And these men do lie. They are not innocently mistaken; they are not led into
error; they are not merely confused. They lie.
Suppose Brent Morris writes a letter to me, and he writes, "I don't think Art
deHoyos is stupid." And, later in the letter, he writes, "I was watching one of
our local politicians on television last night, and I was strongly reminded of
the line by the ancient poet-philosopher, Sadi, 'Verily, he is like a jack-ass
among men, a calf, a body which is bleating.'"
Then I sit down and write a letter to Art deHoyos, with Brent's letter in
front of me, and I write, "Dear Brother deHoyos, I got a letter today in which
Brent Morris wrote, 'I . . . think Art is stupid.' 'He is like a
jack-ass among men.'"
If I do that, I have told deliberate, malicious lies. And if I add to my
letter, "so you can see what Brent really thinks about you," I have lied again.
Bear that in mind as you read the examples of what anti-Masons do when
"quoting" Masonic writers.
Dishonest in little-dishonest in much.
To sell a book, or a tape, claiming it reveals truth while knowing it to
contain lies is cheating. Soliciting or accepting contributions in the name of
truth while telling a lie is stealing.
It's hard for us to believe that of men of the cloth. But when a man presents
us, in writing, with repeated proof of his deceit, we ultimately must conclude
that he is deceitful.
This book is not intended to be an exhaustive defense of Freemasonry. None is
needed. It is intended to show, by example, just what anti-Masons are
capable of doing.
There may be some readers who, in spite of the proof of the lies told by the
anti-Masons examined in this book (and in spite of the fact that they can get
the original sources themselves and check them out if they doubt the integrity
of Brothers deHoyos and Morris), still continue to believe in the honor and
integrity of the anti-Masons. If so, there is little that can be said to them.
But for readers who resent being lied to and resent even more the implication
that they are too stupid to know the difference, this book will come as
something of a revelation.
What motivates such men? Part of it may simply be unreasoning hatred. But a
very large part of it can be explained in financial terms. Anti-Masons are fond
of selling audio and video tapes. One can do a video tape, even in fairly small
quantities, for about $5, and that includes the cost of the tape, its
reproduction, a sturdy hinged plastic case, and a color title card for the box;
an audio tape costs about $1.25. Since these earnest entrepreneurs sell their
video tapes for $2030 and their audio tapes for $56, there is a useful
bit of change left over.
Freemasonry, therefore, is a profitable target.
It is not that Freemasonry considers itself above criticism. It is a human
institution and, like all such institutions, imperfect and open to improvement.
Criticize us if you wish--most Masons do. Examine us in depth--we have
nothing to hide.
But do not lie about us.
And, especially, do not lie about us and then dare to claim you are doing the
work of God.
James T. Tresner, II
Master Mason
PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EDITION
In the three short years since the first edition of this work was published
we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the majority of our
readers, to whom we extend our sincere appreciation. We have also heard from a
few anti-Masonic detractors who have accused us of both insincerity and a
motivation to write this work for personal financial gain. These charges are
completely unfounded. As we wrote in the first edition, we are willing to admit
to and correct any verifiable errors if provided with proper documentation. We
also hasten to add that neither of the authors receives any royalties or
financial remuneration in consideration of this work.
This second, enlarged edition includes updates, new material and several new
chapters.
One of the most contested matters relative to the first edition concerns the
allegations of the late Rev. James D. Shaw. Among the many claims in his
anti-Masonic book The Deadly Deception, was his alleged reception of an
Honorary Thirty-third Degree from the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. As
will be seen, co-author Tom McKenney now admits that the emphasis on Rev. Shaw's
alleged status as a "top leader" was a marketing ploy. We will provide
additional documentation and evidence demonstrating that Rev. Shaw lied about
this, as well as other aspects of his Masonic standing and career. A lengthy
correspondence related to the matter is also included.
The increased popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web has not only
provided Freemasonry with a ready medium to disseminate information, but also
allows anti-Masons the opportunity of spreading misinformation. It is notable
that most of Freemasonry's critics prefer to hide under a cloak anonymity on the
Internet, such as Enchanter!, an anti-Mason whose criticisms are also
herein addressed.
This edition includes a more detailed examination of the tactics used by John
Ankerberg and John Weldon in their anti-Masonic book, The Secret Teachings of
the Masonic Lodge: A Christian Perspective. Since our first edition was
published they have made some alterations to their book, but failed to publicly
acknowledge their errors.
A sad and distressing example of the "fruits" of anti-Masonry appears in the
epilogue which contains two articles, "The Garden of Evil?" and "Stones of
Evil," kindly provided by Bro. John Boettjer. These articles are a poignant
reminder that the innocent are most often the victims of brutal, ignorant and
superstitious fanaticism.
PREFACE
Freemasonry is a unique human institution, generating deep loyalty in its
members and great misunderstandings among its detractors. It is difficult for
some people to imagine that a group of men meeting behind closed doors could be
doing anything good, much less encouraging each other to live lives of greater
religious, family, and civic service. And yet this is what Freemasons have done
since at least 1717, when the premier grand lodge was formed in London.
Recent critics, however, have gone beyond stating their differences with the
Craft to fabricating vicious lies to defame the fraternity and its members.
These detractors have convinced themselves that Freemasonry is the work of the
devil. Thus they apparently justify their perversions of truth with the thought
that they are doing the Lord's work--saving an unsuspecting world from Satan. No
misquotation, no distortion, no lie is too great to accomplish what they
perceive as their holy mission. All this is done in the name of Him who said, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:18).
Freemasonry teaches its members tolerance, even of its assailants. The normal
Masonic response to detractors has been to turn the other cheek, letting them
wallow in their own ignorance. The maliciousness and deceitfulness of current
attacks have grown to the point, however, that some reasoned reply is needed. It
is not too demanding to expect the critics of Freemasonry to state their
credentials accurately or to quote Masonic authors correctly and in context.
Surely that is being faithful in very little. The hatred of some anti-Masons is
so great, however, that even this little faithfulness is too much.
This book points out several common misrepresentations made about Freemasonry
and shows specific examples of willful fraud. We do not attempt to answer every
charge, because this is an ultimately fruitless task. Anyone willing to overlook
the easily verified lies presented here can just as easily rationalize away
whatever other corruption they might encounter.
We have tried to be scrupulous in citing our sources and in accurately
representing the exact words and context of quotations. Despite our best
efforts, it will not surprise us if inadvertent errors have crept into our text.
All mistakes of quotation and citation will be acknowledged and will be
corrected in subsequent editions of this work. Please send such errors to the
Masonic Service Association of the U.S., 8120 Fenton St., Silver Spring, MD
20910-4785.
We hope this book will give pause to fair-minded readers who may be caught in
the headlong rush to condemn Freemasonry. The evidence presented here calls into
question the research abilities of many Masonic critics as well as their
integrity.
A.H. & S.B.M.
IS IT TRUE
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT FREEMASONRY?
THE METHODS OF
ANTI-MASONS
But he that filches from me my good
name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.
--Othello, Act III, Scene 3
William Shakespeare
It's hard to pinpoint which arguments a particular
anti-Mason will try to use, but there are popular ploys that continue to pop up
regularly. Some have been around for a long time, others seem to follow sound
logic, but all are flawed. Nevertheless, these ploys are just too tempting to
opponents of Masonry not to use. Most of these lies have been repeated so often
that it's relatively easy to find them in print somewhere. Their reasoning seems
to be, "Why do serious research when with little effort you can find any answer
needed to support your position?"
Dr. Robert A. Morey, an anti-Masonic researcher, has
a low opinion of the standards of research used by his fellow anti-Masons.
- Anti-masonic writers have generally been as unreliable as Masonic apologists. In their zeal to attack Freemasonry, they have been willing to use fantasy, fraud, and deceit. They have even created bogus documents when needed. Their writings must not be taken at face value.
In this work we exhibit examples of fantasy, fraud,
and deceit, all used to attack Freemasonry in the name of Christianity. We hope
readers will pause to consider what motivates some men to use such methods.
The Organization of Masonry
Any
discussion of Masonic government must start and end with one essential fact: all
Masonic authority originates in a grand lodge. The Masonic Service Association
of the United States (M.S.A.) has no authority over grand lodges. No Supreme
Council, no respected author, nor any other group or person speaks for or
controls Masonry; that prerogative rests solely with the grand lodges. Anyone
doubting this need only check the cases when grand lodges have closed down the
Scottish Rite, the Shrine, and other appendant Masonic bodies in their states or
suspended or expelled their "high officials." It is a rare but powerful reminder
of who is in charge.
Generally speaking, the United States, Canada,
Australia, Mexico, and Brazil have autonomous grand lodges in each state or
province while other countries have an independent national grand lodge. Within
its boundaries or "jurisdiction," each grand lodge reigns supreme over its
lodges and all appendant Masonic organizations. The only control or influence
over a grand lodge comes from the influence by persuasion of its sister grand
lodges which maintain a network of mutual recognition.
If a grand lodge strays too far from accepted Masonic
norms, other grand lodges will withdraw recognition and will even help organize
a new grand lodge in the jurisdiction. The most famous example occurred in 1877
when the "Grand Orient of France" (which functioned as a grand lodge) dropped
the requirements that its members believe in God and that its lodges display an
open Volume of Sacred Law. This action caused the withdrawal of recognition by
virtually every other regular grand lodge and the creation of the "Grand Lodge
of France." Later concerns that the Grand Lodge of France was not truly
independent of the Scottish Rite Supreme Council of France led to the
establishment of the "National Grand Lodge of France," which today is recognized
by American, British, and other grand lodges as the regular Masonic authority in
France.
Just as there is nothing to prevent a group of
worshipers from calling itself "Baptist" or "Presbyterian" or "Jewish," there is
nothing to prevent a group of men (or women) from calling itself "Masonic." It
is hardly fair to judge the world of regular Masonry by the statements of
irregular groups that have appropriated the name "Mason."
Consider the case of the notorious "P2 Lodge" in
Italy which was largely responsible for the collapse of the Italian government
in 1981. Propaganda Lodge No. 2, Propaganda Due, or "P2" as it
became known, began as a legitimately chartered lodge. Within the short space of
a few years, however, its Master, Licio Gelli, abused his authority by using his
Masonic influence to gain favors. Geli used illicit information to blackmail
people into joining his lodge, the purpose of which was to gather more
intelligence for his personal political agenda. Members of P2 then became
involved in criminal activities.
As soon as the Grand Orient of Italy (the equivalent
of an American grand lodge) became aware of a problem, its leaders tried to
rectify the situation and, unfortunately, failed. Gelli would be controlled by
no one. The Grand Orient then administered the ultimate Masonic punishment:
revocation of the lodge's charter and expulsion of its members.
The former members of P2, however, ignored the
judgment of the Grand Orient to whom they had pledged fealty and continued
meeting under their old name. The "lodge" was now irregular or illegitimate,
operating without authority. In 1975 a regular Mason, Francesco Siniscalchi,
complained to the Public Prosecutor in Rome of P2's nefarious activities. When
the scandal eventually broke, the press--and many non-Masons--did not understand
the illegitimacy of P2, nor the fact that legitimate Masons tried to rectify the
problem. This failure to differentiate between regular Masonry and the irregular
P2 tarnished the good name of Masonry.
The ultimate tests of regularity (greatly simplified)
are 1) does a grand lodge directly trace its origins through legitimate
authority to one of the British grand lodges, and 2) does it maintain the
recognition of most of the community of regular grand lodges, including the
British grand lodges? If an organization doesn't pass these tests, then it's not
Masonic, despite what it may call itself.
The most common mistake about the organization of
Masonry comes from assuming that Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rite control
Masonry. This is not true. There is no Masonic degree "higher" than the Third
Degree or Master Mason Degree in symbolic Masonry. While the number 33 may be
greater than the number 3, a 33° Mason has no more authority or power in a lodge
than a 3° Mason. Both are equally subordinate to the Master of their lodge, and
all in turn are subordinate to the Grand Master of their grand lodge. An earlier
statement bears repeating:
- No Supreme Council, no respected author, nor any other group or person speaks for or controls Masonry; that prerogative rests solely with the grand lodges.
You can be sure something is wrong if anyone says
that a single person or organization speaks for or represents Masonry. Only a
grand lodge has that power and then only within its jurisdiction. Any other
assertion displays a fatally flawed understanding of the organization of
Freemasonry.
The Issue of Masonic "Experts"
Thousands of authors have written about Freemasonry and several have
achieved wide recognition for their general scholarship. Other Masonic authors
have pursued theories that at best are without factual support and at worst are
embarrassingly wrong. Because Freemasonry values free thought so highly, grand
lodges as a rule neither endorse nor condemn ideas; that decision is left to
individual Masons. Thus it is quite possible to find otherwise highly regarded
Masonic authors who have espoused ideas of Masonic origins or symbolism that are
without substance--ideas that have been politely ignored and have been allowed
to quietly fade away. Unless formally endorsed by action of a grand lodge, no
writer can speak for Masonry, only for himself.
Dr. Robert A. Morey, a Christian critic of
Freemasonry, noted, "Another error typically made by anti-Masons is the
assumption that Freemasonry is based on the writings of a single individual.
They usually pick Albert Pike as the official 'spokesman' of Freemasonry."(2) If
not Albert Pike, then their choice might be Albert Mackey(3) or
Manley Palmer Hall(4) or
some other author espousing his personal theories about Masonry.
- Most anti-Masonic writers are far too gullible in believing the extravagant claims of overzealous, misinformed, or devious Masonic writers who have not done Freemasonry a favor by making outlandish statements which provided much fodder for the guns of the anti-Masons.
Too many masonic writers have arrogantly claimed that they speak for the whole Craft when they give their personal interpretation of the origin and symbols of Freemasonry.
For example, Manly Hall didn't become a Mason until
1954, so his 1923 book, Lost Keys of Freemasonry, represents the personal
theories of a non-Mason. Further, Mr. Hall (who passed away in August 1990) was
a self-avowed mystic and not a "leading authority" of Freemasonry. He was a
promulgator of mystic and theosophical philosophies; his writings have not
received official sanction by any Masonic bodies. The fact that he held the
Thirty-third Degree and was respected by many Thirty-Third Degree Masons and
even by the Supreme Councils 33º is no more significant than the fact that
various Baptist, Anglican, or Methodist authors also hold or held that honor.
Anti-Masons regularly parade the writings of
Masonic authorities before their audiences and dissect their words,
looking for a sentence here or a phrase there to be used in their cause. They
seek someone like a church authority who speaks dogmatically on teachings
and doctrine; whose every word must be accepted by the faithful.
Freemasonry has no such authorities.
The Masonic authorities used by anti-Masons
have been historical authorities who speak with the expertise that comes
from long study, but who do not--indeed, cannot--speak for all Masons. It is
like the difference between the authoritative teachings of the Episcopal
Church and an authoritative history of the Kennedy assasination.
Albert Pike and Lucifer
No
other lie has captured the imagination of anti-Masons quite like Léo Taxil's
hoax concerning Albert Pike and Lucifer. Dr. Robert A. Morey parts company with
most of his fellow anti-Masons on this issue.
Of all the attacks against the Craft, none is so vicious as the charge that Masons are a secret cult of Devil worshipers or Satanists and that at some point in the higher degrees they must pass through a Luciferian initiation.
Once anti-Masons have convinced themselves that
Freemasonry is the work of Satan, they are ripe to be tempted by the enticing
fruit of the "Luciferian Conspiracy." It comes as a quotation that usually
starts, "On July 14, 1889, Albert Pike, Sovereign Pontiff of Universal
Freemasonry, addressed to the 23 Supreme Confederated Councils of the world the
following instructions. . . ." That is all you need to read to know
the author has fallen prey to this infamous hoax.
It's not entirely certain when the Pike quotation was
fabricated nor where it was first published. We can, however, trace its modern
appearances to Lady Queenborough, Edith Starr Miller, who wrote Occult
Theocrasy in 1933. Her work is excerpted and treated as gospel truth,
usually without attribution. Such practices are known as plagiarism in other
disciplines, but neither serious research nor intellectual integrity stand in
the way of the headlong rush to slander Freemasonry.
Lady Queenborough found her quotation in the 1894
book by Abel Clarin de la Rive, La Femme et L'Enfant dans la Franc-Maçonnerie
Universelle (Woman and Child in Universal Freemasonry). Mr. de la Rive, like
Lady Queenborough, was duped by the hoax; they are guilty only of incompetent
research and an eager willingness to believe the worst about Freemasonry. The
ultimate source was the pornographer, anti-Mason, and anti-Catholic Gabriel
Antoine Jogand-Pagès, much better known by his pen name Léo Taxil. Taxil
publicly confessed his deception in 1897; his story is widely available for
anyone willing to look for the truth.
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Figure 1. Albert Pike (1809-1891), Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, 33º, Southern Jurisdiction, USA., 1859-1891, slandered by Léo Taxil as the author of the false "Luciferian Doctrine" of Freemasonry.
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Figure 2. Léo Taxil (Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès) (1854-1907), anti-Mason, anti-Catholic, and pornographer, who created an elaborate hoax falsely linking Freemasonry and devil worship, the purpose of which was to defame the fraternity and to embarrass the Catholic church.
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SOME OF THE ACCOUNTS OF TAXIL'S HOAX
ABOUT FREEMASONRY AND LUCIFER
Allgemeines Handbuch der Freimaurerei 3d ed. 2 vols. (Leipzig: Max Hesse's Verlag, 1901), s.v. "Taxil, Leo."
Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia (Richmond, Va.: Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., 1961, 1996), s.v. "Taxil, Leo."
Ernst Diestel, "La Diablerie de Léo Taxil," Le Symbolisme, nos. 77 & 78, Sept. & Oct. 1924, pp. 212223, 245249.
Michel Gaudart de Soulages and Hubert Lamant, Dictionnaire des Francs-Maçons Français (Paris: Editions Albatros, 1980), s.v. "Taxil."
Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., s.v. "Taxil, Léo."
James Hastings, ed., Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, s.v. "Satanism," by E. Sidney Hartland.
Hildebrand Gerber (H. Gruber, S.J.), Leo Taxil's Palladismus-Roman, 3 vols. (Berlin: Verlag der Germania, 1897), vol. 2, pp. 4359.
Michel Jarrige, "La Franc-Maçonnerie Démasquée: D'Apres un fonds inedit de la Bibliothèque National," Politica Hermetica, no. 4, 1990, pp. 3853.
Jean-Pierre Laurant, "Le Dossier Léo Taxil du fonds Jean Baylot de la Bibliothèque National," Politica Hermetica, no. 4, 1990, pp. 55-67.
Eugen Lennhoff and Oskar Posner, Internationales Freimauerlexikon, reprint, 1932 ed. (Munich: Amalthea-Verlag, n.d.), s.v. "Taxil, Leo."
R. Limouzin-Lamothe, The New Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. "Taxil, Leo."
Curtis D. MacDougall, Hoaxes (New York: MacMillan Co., 1949; reprint New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1958), pp. 98100.
Christopher McIntosh, Eliphas Lévi and the French Occult Revival (New York: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1974), pp. 210218.
Alec Mellor, Dictionnaire de la Franc-Maçonnerie et des Franc-Maçons (Paris: Editions Pierre Belfond, 1975), s.v. "Taxil Gabriel-Antoine (Jogand-Pagès dit Léo)," "Anti-Maçonnerie: Le XIXe siècle."
____, "A Hoaxer of Genius--Leo Taxil (18907)," Our Separated Brethren, the Freemasons, trans. B. R. Feinson (London: G. G. Harrap & Co., 1961), pp. 149155.
Robert Morey, The Truth about Masons (Eugene, Oreg.: Harvest House Publishers, 1993), pp. 2325.
S. Brent Morris, "Albert Pike and Lucifer: The Lie that Will Not Die," The Short Talk Bulletin, Vol. 71, No. 6, June 1993.
Maximilian Rudwin, The Devil in Legend and Literature (Chicago: Open Court Publishing Co., 1931), pp. 167168.
Rudolf Steiner, The Temple Legend, trans. John M. Wood, London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1985, pp. 283284, 408409.
"Taxil-Schwindel, Der," FreiMaurer: Solange die Welt besteht, catalog of a special exhibition of the History Museum of Vienna, 18 September 199210 January 1993, pp. 268370.
Arthur E. Waite, Devil Worship in France or the Question of Lucifer (London: George Redway, 1896)
Arthur E. Waite, A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, new & rev. ed., (1921; reprint ed. New York: Weathervane Books, 1970), s.v. "Palladian Freemasonry."
Wesley P. Walters, "A Curious Case of Fraud," The Quarterly Journal, vol. 9, no. 4 (Oct.Dec. 1989), pp. 4, 7. (Also reprinted in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Lucifer-God Doctrine [Salt Lake City, Ut.: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1988])
Eugen Weber, Satan Franc-Maçon: La mystification de Léo Taxil (Mesnil-sur-l'Estrée, France: Collection Archives Julliard, 1964).
Gordon Wright, "Diana Vaughan: Satanist and Saint," Notable or Notorious? (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1991), pp. 86147.
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| Figure 3. Cover
of The Mysteries of Freemasonry, another of Taxil's anti-Masonic
Books. The cover is typical of the lurid illustrations used to attract
readers to the scurrilous "revelation" of Masonic Lodge activities.
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Here are just a few of the authors who have reported the bogus Lucifer quotation ascribed to Albert Pike as evidence of the moral depravity of Masonry.
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SOME ANTI-MASONIC BOOKS USING TAXIL'S HOAX
ABOUT FREEMASONRY AND LUCIFER
Muhammad Safwat al-Saqqa Amini and Sa'di Abu Habib. Freemasonry (New York: Muslim World League, 1982), p. 41
Anonymous. Freemasonry Antichrist Upon Us. 3rd ed. (Boring, Or.: CPA Books, n.d.), p. 32.
Burns, Cathy. Hidden Secrets of Masonry. (Mt. Carmel,Penn.: Sharing, 1990), p. 27.
Jack T. Chick, The Curse of Baphomet (Chino, Calif.: Chick Publications, 1991), p. [12].
John Daniel, Scarlet and the Beast. 3 vols. (Tyler, Tex.: Jon Kregel, Inc., 1994), Vol. 1, pp. 373, 380.
J. Edward Decker, Jr., The Question of Freemasonry (Issaquah, Wash.: Free the Masons Ministries, n.d.), pp. 1214.
J. Edward Decker, Jr. and Dave Hunt, The God Makers (Eugene, Oreg.: Harvest House, 1984) p. 130.
Des Griffin, Fourth Reich of the Rich (Clackamas, Or.: Emissary Pub., 1976), p. 70.
Jack Harris, Freemasonry: The Invisible Cult in Our Midst (Towson, Md.: Jack Harris, 1983), pp. 2425.
James L. Holly, The Southern Baptist Convention and Freemasonry (Beaumont, Tex.: Mission and Ministry to Men, 1992), p. 18.
Gary H. Kah, En Route to Global Occupation (Lafayette, La.: Huntington House Pub., 1992), pp. 114, 124.
Salem Kirban, Satan's Angels Exposed (U.S.A. Salem Kirban, 1980), p. 161.
Texe Marrs, Dark Secrets of the New Age (Westchester, Il.: Crossway Books, 1987), p. 273.
Eustace Mullins, The Curse of Canaan (Staunton, Va.: Revelation Books, 1986).
Pat Robertson, The New World Order (Waco, Tex.: Word Publishing, 1991), p. 184.
William Schnoebelen, Masonry: Beyond the Light (Chino, Calif.: Chick Publications, 1991), pp. 6061.
Martin Short, Inside the Brotherhood (New York: Dorset Press, 1990), p. 94.
Harmon R. Taylor, "Mixing Oil with Water," The Evangelist, June 1986, pp. 4749.
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Some of these authors, like the Reverend Pat
Robertson, simply quote Lady Queenborough's translation without attribution.
Others, like Dr. James Holly and Martin Short have used the quotation
accompanied by equivocations they must think absolve them from responsibility
for repeating lies. For example, this is how Dr. Holly tried to cover himself
when he quoted Mr. de la Rive.
- In the late nineteenth century many antimasonic books were written, purporting to be written by Masons. Some have argued that this is one such book. There is no conclusive evidence either way.
Employing less ambiguous terms than Dr. Holly, Martin
Short admitted there were "problems" with the bogus quote, but he too felt no
compunction against using it.
- There are problems with this quotation: its meaning is not immediately clear and its authenticity is in doubt. It was first attributed to Pike in 1894 by a French authoress who detested Freemasonry, yet no original text seems to exist. Genuine or not, England's Grand Lodge dismisses it by pointing out Pike must have been eighty at the time and "may have been dotty."
Yet the quote sounds authentic. Its pyrotechnic language and bombastic poesy recalls Pike's earlier writings, and the message is not so different from that of Morals and Dogma. If genuine, it indicates there is a Satanic--or Luciferian--strain in American Masonry....(8)
The public confession of Taxil and the subsequent
recantation by Mr. de la Rive do not seem conclusive enough for Dr. Holly, Mr.
Short and their ilk.
Mr. Jack Chick showed some clever originality in his
use of the bogus Albert Pike "quote" in the 1991 edition of his comic book,
The Curse of Baphomet. Rather than plagiarizing Lady Queenborough, as
have so many of his allies, he used a fictitious reference to a legitimate
publication: "'The Freemason' (the organ of English Freemasonry), 19th January,
1935"!(9)
Although he has removed the fictitious reference from current editions, the
bogus quote remains.
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Figure 4. A
fictitious reference to a legitimate Masonic publication demonstrates the
zeal of anti-Masons in using the discredited Taxil fabrication. Following
an exposure of this deception, the reference was changed but the bogus
quote remains. From Jack T. Chick, The Curse of Baphomet (Chino,
Calif.: Chick Publications, 1991, 1996), pp. [11,12].
|
Mr. C. Fred Kleinknecht, Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Southern
Jurisdiction, U.S.A., wrote to Rev. Pat Robertson on May 12, 1992. The Albert
Pike "quotation" in Robertson's The New World Order was exposed as a
fraud. Rev. Robertson was invited to read any of Albert Pike's writings at the
House of the Temple. Mr. Kleinknecht suggested that Rev. Robertson would better
serve his readers if he removed the false quotation from any future editions of
his book. In his closing paragraph, Mr. Kleinknecht said to Rev. Robertson, "If
we must disagree let us base our disagreement upon truth."(10) As
of November 1, 1993, Rev. Robertson has not answered Mr. Kleinknecht.
Before commenting on the hoax, the complete quotation from Mr. de la Rive, a
modern translation, and its partial translation by Lady Queenborough are
presented in parallel columns for easy comparison.
Léo Taxil's
False Luciferian Quotation of Albert Pike:
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Abel Clarin de la Rive.
La Femme et L'Enfant dans la Franc-Maçonnerie Universelle.
Paris & Lyon: Delhomme & Briguet, Editeurs, 1894.
pp. 587-589
Le quatorzième jour du cinquième mois de l'an 000889 de la Vraie
Lumière (Par conséquent le 14 juillet 1889, ère vulgaire) Albert Pike,
Souverain-Grand-Inspecteur Général, 33º et dernier degré; Très Puissant
Souverain Commandeur Grand-Maître du Suprême Conseil de Charleston,
premier Suprême Conseil du Globe; Grand Maître Conservateur du Palladium
sacré; Souverain Pontife de la Franc-Maçonnerie Universelle, en la
trente-unième [sic] année de son Pontificat, adressait aux 23 Suprêmes
Conseils Confédérés du monde entier ces diaboliques instructions dont nous
n'extrayons que les passages relatifs à la Femme:
«A la science de Faust, le vrai Maçon joindra
l'impassibilité de Job. Il piétinera la supersitition dans son coeur. Il
sera sans indécision et sans caprices. Il n'acceptera le plaisir que
losqu'il le voudra et ne le voudra que losqu'il le devra.
«NOUS RECOMMANDONS
TRÈS-INSTAMMENT DE MULTIPLIER LES LOGES D'ADOPTION. ELLES SONT
INDISPENSABLES POUR FORMER DES MAÇONS BIEN MAITRES [sic]
D'EUX-MÊMES.Le prêtre essaye de dompter sa
chair en s'astreignant au célibat.... Le vrai Maçon, au contraire, arrive
à la perfection, c'est-à-dire à se dominer, en employant son zéle dans
les Loges d'Adoption à se soumettre aux épreuves naturelles.
LE COMMERCE AVEC LA FEMME COMMUNE A
[sic] TOUS SES FRÈRES LUI FAIT UNE CUIRASSE CONTRE LES PASSIONS QUI
ÉGARENT LE CŒUR.Celui-là seul peut
vraiment posséder la volupté de l'amour, qui a vaincu, par l'usage
fréquent, l'amour de la volupté. Pouvoir, à volonté, user et s'abstenir,
c'est pouvoir deux fois. La femme t'enchaîne par tes désirs, disons-nous à
l'adepte; eh [sic] bien, uses des femmes souvent et sans passion;
tu deviendras ainsi maître de tes désirs, et tu enchaîneras la femme. D'où
il résulte que le vrai Maçon parviendra facilement à résoudre le problème
de la chair...»
«Evidemment il n'est pas de nécessité absolue que
l'homme que vous allez diriger vers les hauts grades soit immédiatement
parfait et ait compris notre secret dès son entrée dans la Maçonnerie. Ce
que Nous vous demandons, c'est de l'observer, avec le plus grand soin
pendant son Apprentissage, d'abord, et de faire ensuite, de la Loge
d'Adoption, où il pénétrera quand il sera Compagnon, VOTRE CRITERIUM, VOTRE INSTRUMENT DE CONTROLE INFAILLIBLE. »
L'Atelier de Frères, qui ne s'annexe pas une loge de Surs,
est un Atelier incomplet, destiné fatalement à ne jamais produire que des
Maçons, dont la politique sera le principal souci, qui se préoccuperont
surtout des intrigues et des compétitions, qui s'agiteront dans le vide,
qui avanceront tantôt de trois pas pour reculer après d'autant, en un mot,
qui feront du mauvais travail et dont la politique sera incohérente.»
... ...
Ce que nous devons dire à la foule, c'est: --Nous
adorons un Dieu, mais c'est le Dieu qu l'on adore sans superstition.
A vous, Souverains Grands Inspecteurs Généraux,
Nous disons, pour que vous le répétiez aux Frères des 32º, 31º et 30º
degrés: --La religion maçonnique doit dire, par nous tous, initiés des
hauts grades, maintenue dans la pureté de la doctraine LUCIFÉRIENNE.»
... ...
«Si Lucifer n'était point Dieu, Adonaï, (le
Dieu des Chrétiens) dont tous les actes attestent la cruauté, la perfidie,
la haine de l'homme, la barbarie, la répulsion pour la science, si Lucifer
n'était point Dieu, Adonaï et ses prêtres le calomnieraient-ils?
«Oui, Lucifer est Dieu, et malheureusement
Adonaï l'est aussi. Car la loi éternelle est qu'il n'y a pas de splendeur
sans ombre, pas de beauté sans laideur, pas de blanc sans noir, car
l'absolu ne peut exister que comme deux; car les ténèbres sont nécessaires
à la lumière pour lui servir de repoussoir, comme le piédestal est
nécessaire à la statue, come le frein à la locomotive.
«En dynamique analogique et universelle, on ne
s'appuie que sur ce qui résiste. Aussi l'univers est-il balancé par deux
forces qui le maintiennent en équilibre: la force qui attire et celle qui
repousse. Ces deux forces existent en physique, en philosophie et en
religion. Et la réalité scientifique du dualisme divin est démontrée par
les phénomènes de la polarité et par la loi universelle des sympathies et
des antipathies. C'est pourquoi les disciples intelligents de Zoroastre,
ainsi qu'après eux les Gnostiques, les Manichéens, les Templiers ont
admis, comme seule conception métaphysique logique, le système des deux
principles divins se combattant de toute éternité, et l'on ne peut croire
l'un inférieur à l'autre en puissance.
Donc, la doctrine du Satinisme est une hérésie;
et la vraie et pure religion philosophique, c'est la croyance en
Lucifer, égal d'Adonaï, mais Lucifer Dieu de Lumière et Dieu du Bien,
luttant pour l'humanité contre Adonaï Dieu des Ténèbres et Dieu du
Mal....»
Dans une autre partie de ses Instructions, Albert Pike disait
encore:
«C'est avec le plus grand soin qu'il est
nécessaire de choisir les adeptes. Dans beucoup d'orients, on les prend
trop au hasard; aussi tardons-nous à atteindre le but.
«Ne conférez la Maîtrise qu'au Compagnon qui se
connait lui-mème. Sur le fronton des anciens temples érigés au Dieu de la
Lumière, on lisait cette inscription en deux mots: «Connaistoi.» Nous
donnons le même conseil à tout homme qui veut s'approcher de la science.
«N'initiez jamais au troisième degré l'homme
qui, malgré les enseignements reçus aux deux grades précédents, est
demeuré esclave des préjugés du monde profane. Il ne parviendra jamais
tant qu'il ne se réformera pas. Au grade le Compagnon, vous lui ouvre:
les portes des Loges d'Adoption; là, vous le jugerez bien. Vou verrez si
ses préjugés tombent. S'il reste esclave de ses passions, s'il
s'attache exclusivement a une femme, ne vous préoccupez plus de lui, vous
perdriez votre temps. Il ne saurait être un adepte; car le mot
«adepte» signifie celui qui est parvenu par sa volonté et par ses
uvres, qui méprise les préjugés et qui triomphe de ses passions.»*
*Ce fut la Sur Diana Vaughan qu'Albert
Pike, --afin de lui donner la plus grande marque de confiance,
--chargea d'apporter son encyclique luciférienne, à Paris, pendant
l'Exposition Universelle.
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Abel Clarin de la Rive.
Woman and Child in Universal Freemasonry. Paris & Lyon:
Delhomme & Briguet, Editeurs, 1894.
[translated by Eric
Serejski]
The fourteenth
day of the fifth month of the 889th year of True Light (consequently July
14, 1889, of the vulgar era) Albert Pike, Sovereign Grand Inspector
General, 33rd and last degree; Most Puissant Sovereign Commander Grand
Master of the Supreme Council of Charleston, Premier Supreme Council of
the Globe; Grand Master Preserver of the sacred Palladium; As Sovereign
Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry, in the thirty-first year of his
Pontificate, he addressed to the 23 Confederated Supreme Councils of the
entire world these diabolic instructions from which we extract only the
passages related to Woman:
"To the science of Faust, the True Mason will
join the impassiveness of Job. He will trample down superstition in his
heart. He will be without indecision and without whims, he will accept
pleasure only when he wants it and will want it only when he must."
"WE MOST EARNESTLY RECOMMEND
INCREASING THE LODGES OF ADOPTION. THEY ARE INDISPENSABLE FOR MAKING
MASONS MASTERS OF THEMSELVES. The priest
tries to subdue his flesh by forcing himself to be celibate.... The true
Mason, on the contrary, reaches perfection, which is to say control over
himself, by using his zeal in Lodges of Adoption, submitting himself to
natural tests. COMMERCE WITH A WOMAN
BELONGING TO ALL HIS BROTHERS FORMS AN ARMOR AGAINST PASSIONS THAT LEAD
THE HEART ASTRAY. He alone can really
possess the voluptuousness of love, who vanquishes, by frequent usage, the
love of voluptuousness. To be able, at will, to use and to abstain, is a
two-fold power. Woman enslaves you by her desires, we say to the adept; so
use women often and without passion; you will thus become master of your
desires, and you will enslave women. From this it results that the true
Mason will easily resolve the problem of the flesh."
"Evidently it
is not absolutely necessary that the man whom you will lead to the highest
grades has to be immediately perfect and has to understand our secret from
his entry into Masonry. What we ask of you is first to observe him with
the utmost care during his Apprenticeship, and afterwards, in the Lodge
of Adoption, where he will enter when he will become a Fellow Craft, to
make him, YOUR CRITERION, YOUR
INSTRUMENT OF INFALLIBLE CONTROL."
"The Lodge of the Brethren which does not annex a Lodge of
Sisters is an incomplete Lodge inevitability destined to never produce
anything but Masons for whom politics will be the main concern, who will
mostly be engaged with intrigue and competition, who will move about in
emptiness, who will walk three steps forward then three steps backward, in
one word, whose work will be unsatisfactory and whose politics will be
incoherent."
... ...
"What we must say to the crowd is:--We worship a God,
but it is the God that one worships without superstition."
"To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we
say, so that you can repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st and 30th
degrees: --The Masonic religion must be, by all of us initiates of the
high grades, maintained in the purity of the LUCIFERIAN doctrine."
... ...
"If Lucifer were not God, Adonai (the God of
the Christians) whose deeds prove his cruelty, perfidy and hatred of man,
his barbarism and repulsion of science, if Lucifer were not God, would
Adonai and his priests slander him?"
"Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately so is
Adonai. For the eternal law is that there is no splendor without shadow,
no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, because the absolute
can only exist as two, because darkness is necessary to light to serve as
its compliment, as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, as the brake
to the locomotive.
"In analogical and universal dynamics, one can
only lean on that which resists. Thus the universe is balanced by two
forces which maintain its equilibrium: the force that attracts and the one
that repels. These two forces exist in physics, in philosophy and in
religion. And the scientific reality of the divine dualism is proved by
the phenomena of polarity and by the universal law of affinities and
antipathies. This is why the intelligent disciples of Zoroaster, as well
as, after them, the Gnostics, the Manicheans, and the Templars have
admitted as the sole logical and metaphysical conception the system of the
two divine principles fighting one another in all eternity, and one cannot
believe one inferior to the other in power.
Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and
the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer,
equal to Adonai, but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is fighting
for humanity against Adonai God of Darkness and God of Evil...."
In another part of his Instructions, Albert Pike also said:
It is with the greatest care that it is
necessary to choose adepts. In many orients, they are taken too much at
random, which explains the delay in reaching the goal."
"Only make a Master of the Fellow Craft who knows himself. On the
exterior of the ancient temples built to the God of Light, one read this
two-word inscription: 'Know thyself.' We give the same advise to each man
who wants to approach the science."
"Never initiate to the third degree the man
who, in spite of the learning received at the two preceding degrees,
remains enslaved to the prejudices of the profane world. He will
never approach before he reforms. At the Fellow Craft degree open to
him the doors of the Lodges of Adoption; there you will well judge
him. You will see if his prejudices fall. If he remains enslaved of his
passions, IF HE EXCLUSIVELY BINDS HIMSELF
TO A WOMAN, do not worry about him anymore,
you are losing your time. He cannot be an adept; because the word
"adeptprejudices and who triumphs over his passions."*
*It was the Sister Diana Vaughan that Albert Pike, --in
order to give her the greatest mark of confidence, --charged to carry
his luciferian encyclical, to Paris, during the Universal Exposition.
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Lady Queensborough,
Edith
Starr Miller.
Occult Theocrasy. 2 vols. 1933. Reprint.
Hawthorne, Calif: The Christian Book Club of America. 1980.
p.
233
As regards the position
of women in Masonry, we think that this cannot be better explained than in
the words of Albert Pike himself. In La Femme et l'Enfant dans la
Franc- Maçonnerie Universelle page 578 [sic], A. C. De La Rive
states that on July 14, 1889, Albert Pike, Sovereign Pontiff of Universal
Freemasonry, addressed to the 23 Supreme Confederated Councils of the
world the following instructions, which we quote herewith in part.
"To the science of Faust, the real Mason will join the
impassibility of Job. He will eradicate superstition from his heart and
cultivate decisions of character. He will accept pleasure only when he
wishes it and will wish it only when he should do so.
"We earnestly recommend the creation of Lodges of Adoption. They
are indispensable to the formation of Masons who are indeed Masters of
themselves. The priest tries to subdue his flesh by enforced celibacy....
The real Mason, on the contrary, reaches perfection, that is to say
achieves self mastery, by using his zeal in the Lodges of Adoption in
submitting to all natural ordeals. Commerce with women, belonging to all
brethren, forms for him an armor against those passions which lead hearts
astray. He alone can really possess voluptuousness. To be able, at will,
to use or to abstain, is a twofold power. Woman fetters thee by thy
desires, we say to the adept, well, use women often and without passion;
thou wilt thus become master of thy desires, and thou wilt enchain woman.
From which it must perforce result that the real Mason will succeed in
easily solving the problem of the flesh.
"It is evidently not absolutely necessary that the man whom you are
leading towards the high grades be immediately perfect and have understood
our secret on his entrance into Masonry. That which we ask you is first to
observe him with the greatest care during his apprenticeship and
afterwards, when he enters the Lodge of Adoption as Companion to use that
as your criterion, your instrument of infallible control.
"The Lodge of Brothers which has failed to annex a Lodge of Sisters
is incomplete and destined inevitably never to produce anything but
Brethren, with whom politics are the chief concern, men who will be
chiefly preoccupied with intrigue and rivalry, who will do bad work and
whose politics will be incoherent."
pp. 220-221
The theological dogma of Albert Pike is
explained in the "Instructions" issued by him, on July 14, 1889, to the 23
Supreme Councils of the world and have been recorded by A. C. De La Rive
in La Femme et l'Enfant dans la Franc-Maçonnerie Universelle (page
588) from which book we translate the quote as follows:
That which we must say to the crowd is:--We
worship a God, but it is the God that one adores without superstition.
To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we
say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st and
30th degrees-The Masonic religion should be, by all of us initiates of the
high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine.
... ...
"If Lucifer were not God, would Adonay (the God
of the Christians) whose deeds prove his cruelty, perfidy, and hatred of
man, barbarism and repulsion for science, would Adonay and his priests,
calumniate him?
"Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay
is also God. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade,
no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can
only exist as two Gods: darkness being necessary to light to serve as its
foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the
locomotive.
"In analogical and universal dynamics one can
only lean on that which will resist. Thus the universe is balanced by two
forces which maintain its equilibrium: the force of attraction and that of
repulsion. These two forces exist in physics, philosophy and religion. And
the scientific reality of the divine dualism is demonstrated by the
phenomena of polarity and by the universal law of sympathies and
antipathies. That is why the intelligent disciples of Zoroaster, as well
as, after them, the Gnostics, the Manicheans and the Templars have
admitted, as the only logical metaphysical conception, the system of the
two divine principles fighting eternally, and one cannot believe the one
inferior in power to the other.
"Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy;
and the true and pure philosophic religion is the belief in Lucifer, the
equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling
for humanity against Adonay, the God of Darkness and Evil."
"One must not lose sight of the fact that Pike
occupied simultaneously the positions of Grand Master of the Central
Directory of Washington, that of Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of
Charleston and that of Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry.
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There are several problems with this quotation,
some obvious and some subtle. To start with, about 1 million out of 2½ million
American Masons have the 32° in the Scottish Rite, including ministers, rabbis,
bishops, and other devout worshipers of God. It is inconceivable that there
would not be mass resignations and protests if these men were taught this
disgusting "Luciferian doctrine." Is it believable that the millions of Scottish
Rite Masons during the last two centuries could be cowed into such total
silence? Dr. Robert Morey, an opponent of Masonry, put it well, "Since most
Masons in the United States are members of Christian churches and many clergymen
belong to the Fraternity, the idea that they are all involved in some kind of
devil cult is absurd."(11)
Also, the quotation is riddled with logical
inconsistencies. There is not now and never has been a position of "Sovereign
Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry." This office is Taxil's invention and alone
demonstrates the letter is a forgery. There is no "Confederation of Supreme
Councils." Neither Albert Pike, the Mother Supreme Council, nor any grand lodges
ever recognized any lodges of adoption (Masonic lodges open to men and women).
In the United States virtually every Scottish Rite Mason progresses to the 32°.
Why would Albert Pike suggest special treatment for 30°, 31°, and 32° Masons,
when that would have included nearly everyone?
The real evidence of a hoax comes in de la Rive's
footnote, which neither Lady Queenborough nor anyone else has ever bothered
quoting. The footnote refers to Diana Vaughan, the matchless creation of Léo
Taxil's twisted mind, who, despite her illustrious pedigree created by Taxil,
never existed.
- Ce fut la Sur Diana Vaughan
qu'Albert Pike,--afin de lui donner la plus grande marque de
confiance,--chargea d'apporter son encyclique luciférienne, à Paris,
pendant l'Exposition Universelle.
*It was the Sister Diana Vaughan that
Albert Pike,--in order to give her the greatest mark of
confidence,--charged to carry his luciferian encyclical, to Paris, during
the Universal Exposition.
The hoax is well known and has been explained time and time again for nearly a century. The New Catholic Encyclopedia says this about Léo Taxil.
- Taxil purported to reveal the existence
of "Palladium," the most secret Masonic order, which practiced devilworship.
He recounted the story of its high priestess Diana Vaughan; and ended by
publishing the Mémoires d'une ex-Palladiste after her conversion to
Catholicism. When doubts began to spread, Taxil realized the time had come to
end the deceit. In a conference in Paris (April 19, 1897), he cynically
admitted his hoax, whose aim, he said, was to hold up Catholicism to
derision.(12)
After Taxil's public confession, A. C. de la Rive
expressed his disgust and recanted his writings on Diana Vaughan in the April
1897 issue of Freemasonry Unmasked, a magazine devoted to the destruction
of the Craft. As much as he hated Freemasonry, de la Rive had the integrity to
admit Taxil's hoax.
With frightening cynicism the miserable person we
shall not name here [Taxil] declared before an assembly especially convened for
him that for twelve years he had prepared and carried out to the end the most
extraordinary and most sacrilegious of hoaxes. We have always been careful to
publish special articles concerning Palladism and Diana Vaughan. We are now
giving in this issue a complete list of these articles, which can now be
considered as not having existed.(13)
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Figure 5. Cover of Woman and Child in Universal Freemasonry, the most frequently quoted source of the "Luciferian Doctrine" falsely attributed to Albert Pike. Most of the quotes, however, have been plagiarized from Edith Starr Miller's Occult Theocracy.
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Morals and Dogma
Few Masonic books have created
as many controversies as Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma. It is a
collection of thirty-two essays that represent Pike's interpretation of the
lessons of the Scottish Rite degrees. The essays are largely concerned with the
history of philosophy and with man's constant search for God. First published in
1871, the book was given to every 32° Mason in the Southern Jurisdiction for
about a century; hundreds of thousands of copies have been distributed. It is
now out of print, though widely available in used book stores.(14)
Morals and Dogma is not available only from a
"secret publishing house,"(15) it
is not "the Bible of the Masons,"(16) nor
is it "the most readily available and universally approved doctrinal book of
Freemasonry."(17) It
is not even widely distributed or read. It is used only by the Supreme Council
33°, Southern Jurisdiction, which in 1871 had far less than 5% of American
Masons as members and in 1993 claims only 20%.
The preface gives the best understanding of how Pike
and all succeeding Supreme Councils have viewed his book.
- The teachings of these Readings are not
sacramental, so far as they go beyond the realm of Morality into those of
other domains of Thought and Truth. The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
uses the word "Dogma" in its true sense, of doctrine, or
teaching; and is not dogmatic in the odious sense of that term.
Every one is entirely free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may
seem to him to be untrue or unsound. It is only required of him that he
shall weigh what is taught, and give it fair hearing and unprejudiced
judgement. Of course, the ancient theosophic and philosophic speculations are
not embodied as part of the doctrines of the Rite; but because it is of
interest and profit to know what the Ancient Intellect thought upon these
subjects, and because nothing so conclusively proves the radical difference
between our human and the animal nature, as the capacity of the human mind to
entertain such speculations in regard to itself and the Deity.(18)
This is not the way to introduce the ultimate
authority on any subject. Anti-Masons choose to ignore the clear intent of the
book and to distort Pike's personal opinions into the absolute truth for all
Masons.
One of the most frequently quoted passages by
anti-Masons from Morals and Dogma concerns Pike's theory that symbolic
lodges exist to hide the true secrets of Masonry from the masses.
- The Blue Degrees [1º-3º] are but the
outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there
to the Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It
is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he
shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the
Adepts, the Princes of Masonry. . . . It is well enough for the mass of those
called Masons, to imagine that all is contained in the Blue Degrees. . . . (19)
Anti-Masons would have us believe this passage is a
public admission of the deceptions imposed on most Masons by the "leaders" of
the Craft. Common sense is again thrown out the window. Why would such a
damaging "secret" doctrine be printed in a widely available book? With hundreds
of thousands of copies distributed, shouldn't some blue lodge Masons have caught
on by now? Anyone, like Pike, is free to think he knows the true interpretation
of Masonic symbolism, but it will remain his personal opinion. Only grand lodges
have the authority to interpret the symbolism of the blue lodge, and they are
not inclined to yield to any other power.
Pike was simply repeating one of the currently
popular theories about the origins of the "high degrees." Just because Albert
Pike was a brilliant ritualist, an able administrator, and a well-respected
Mason doesn't mean all of his opinions are right. The Masonic encyclopedist,
Henry Wilson Coil, offers a good summary of the influences on Albert Pike's
Masonic writings.
- Fate decided that Pike should enter the
Scottish Rite only four years after he became a Mason and before he had time
or occasion thoroughly to study the history of all branches of the Society
and, so, he began his study from the upper levels without knowing much of the
foundation. He evidently did not know until his later life that the Scottish
Rite degrees were a part of that type of ritual which sprang up in France in
1737 and subsequent years but regarded it as Primitive Masonry which had come
right on down from Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt and out of the Ancient
Mysteries and Magism, which there held sway. He found books which said so and
he never had any doubt about that theory. He regarded Craft Masonry as then
known to be puerile, though he said it had a deeper meaning which was hidden
from its superficial adepts, who were taught to be satisfied with trite
explanations. He even asserted that Craft Masonry had been devised so as not
only to hide its true meaning but to cause its members to think that they
understood it. [Albert G.] Mackey encouraged him in those notions, for he,
too, had been made a Mason only four years before he began writing books on
the subject, in which he adopted the more sensational theories of mystery and
symbolism. But Mackey changed his views as soon as the work of the British
realistic school began to be felt. Pike did not waver; his work was nearly
complete and too voluminous to be done over. (20)
Link to Chapter Two: Anti-Masonry in the
Electronic Age
FOOTNOTES
1. Robert A. Morey, The
Truth About Masons, (Eugene Oreg.: Harvest House Publishers, 1993),
p. 21.
2. Robert A. Morey,
p. 22.
3. "Freemasonry on Its Own
Terms," The John Ankerberg Show, DM-170, 1986.
4. James L. Holly, The
Southern Baptist Convention and Freemasonry, Vol. II (Beaumont, Tex.:
Mission and Ministry to Men, 1992), pp. 46-51.
5. Robert A. Morey,
p. 21.
6. Robert A. Morey,
p. 23.
7. James L. Holly, The
Southern Baptist Convention and Freemasonry (Beaumont, Tex.: Mission and
Ministry to Men, 1992), p. 19.
8. Martin Short, Inside
the Brotherhood (New York: Dorset, 1989), pp. 94-95.
9. Jack T. Chick, The
Curse of Baphomet, Chino, Calif: Chick Publications, 1991, p. [10]. The
general level of Mr. Chick's writing can be inferred by these comments on what
he has written about Roman Catholicism. "[O]n the whole we feel that Chick
Publications does more harm than they do good. Because of its lack of
scholarship and, more importantly, Christian sympathy we can only conclude that
Chick Publications promotes what can be called 'Comic-book theology,' something
Christians ought to definitely avoid." (Hendrik H. Hanegraaff, "Chick
Publications and Roman Catholicism," CRI Perspective, CP-0809 [San Juan
Capistrano: Christian Research Institute, n.d.]).
10. C. Fred Kleinknecht,
Washington, to Pat Robertson, Virginia Beach, Va., May 12, 1992, Typescript,
Copy in the Archives of the Supreme Council 33º, S.J., Washington.
11. Robert Morey,
p. 23.
12. R. Limouzin-Lamothe,
New Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. "Taxil, Leo." Even with Taxil's exposure
of the twin hoaxes of Diana Vaughan and the Palladium, entrepreneurs still try
to sell this stale story to the gullible. "I was brought into Palladium Lodge
(Resurrection, #13) in Chicago in the late 1970's and received the degree of
'Paladin' in that Lodge in 1981. . . ." (William Schnoebelen,
Masonry: Beyond the Light, [Chino, Calif.: Chick Publications, 1991],
p. 194.) It is interesting to note that Mr. Schnoebelen has combined two
distinct and unrelated ideas in his tale, though both use similar sounding
words. Palladium refers to a small statue of Pallas Athena which
was thought to protect the city of Troy. Paladin is a type of European
knight descended from Charlemagne's Counts Palatine.
13. Quoted in Alec
Mellor, Strange Masonic Stories (Richmond, Va.: Macoy Publishing &
Masonic Supply Co., Inc., 1982), p. 151.
14. While there are no
plans to reprint Morals and Dogma, The Supreme Council 33º, S.J., has
recently published two books to help readers better understand Pike's often
dense prose: Rex R. Hutchens and Donald W. Monson, The Bible in Albert Pike's
"Morals and Dogma" (Washington: The Supreme Council 33º, 1992) and Rex R.
Hutchens, A Glossary to "Morals and Dogma" (Washington: The Supreme
Council 33º, 1993). The Supreme Council 33º, S.J., sells used copies of
Morals and Dogma when they can be obtained.
15. Ron Carlson,
Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge, preached by the author, audio cassette
(Eden Prairie, Minn.: Christian Ministries International, n.d.), side 2,
34:18. N.B. The times listed are measured from the beginning of the audio and
may vary slightly depending on the equipment used.
16. Ron Carlson,
side 1, 4:41.
17. J. Edward Decker,
Jr., The Question of Freemasonry (Issaquah, Wash.: Free the Masons
Ministries, n.d.), p. 3.
18. Albert Pike,
Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry, rev. ed. (Washington: Supreme Council 33°, S.J., 1950),
p. iv, emphasis added.
19. Albert Pike,
p. 819.
20. Coil, s.v. "Pike,
Albert."
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