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ORUDEN'S COMPLETE

(STUDENT'S EDITION)

CONCORDANCE

TO THE

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, (Which enables any one to readily find any passage of Scripture of which they can call to mind two or three words.) With a complete table of Proper Names, with their meanings in the Original Languages, a Concordance to the Proper Names of the Old and New Testaments, a Concordance to the Apocrypha, and a Compendium of the Holy Scriptures, &c.

The above described book of 719 pages, 64x94 inches, we will mail postage paid for one dollar and fifty vents; or

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we will mail, postage paid, the same book without the Compendium, &c.

We also have an enlarged fac-similie of the small books, being about twice the size, in two kinds of Although the cheaper book is just as good for refer-binding at the following prices, viz: ence, we would recommend the one dollar and fifty cent book to those who feel that they can afford to pay the extra fifty cents.

Both these books are in good substantial cloth bind-
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Address,
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At the above prices we will mail the books, postage paid, to any part of the United States or Canada. J. E. BEEBE & CO.,

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SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

DEVOTED TO THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST CAUSE.

VOL. 74.

"THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON."

MIDDLETOWN, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1906. NO. 2.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Lodges.) What they then said about
these lodges is to-day good concerning
Odd Fellows and all other secret societies.
The word "church" means
"called
out," and if we are of the church of the
living God we have been called out of
the world and all of its institutions, and
made a separate and a peculiar.people.

REIDSVILLE, N. C., Nov. 27, 1905. DEAR BROTHER CHICK :-I feel that in this day of growing evil, when Satan has set and is setting every snare to catch the little ones of our heavenly Father, that a word of caution occasionally should be spoken to warn them before The religion of our Lord Jesus Christ their feet are ensnared. So far as I is the most precious of all things unto know, no Old School Baptist wishes to his people, and should, by them, be kept have any power or authority over the separate from all of the religion of men world or worldly religionists as to their and devils. All of the leading secret manner of life in this world. They are societies are religious, and we have just welcome to have all of the aids to their as much authority to hold in the fellowchurches and secret societies that they ship of our churches members who belong may wish, but the church of the living to the Methodist or any other religious God, and those who belong to her, should denomination, as we have to hold one come out and be entirely separate. All who is a Mason, Odd Fellow, Elk, Knight these things do the Babylonians and of Honor or any other secret society. other Gentile nations (denominations) The churches generally confess Christ seek after, but the Israel of God is a separate people, called out and circumcised in heart and mind and made meet for the Master's use.

with their lips, even if they deny him in their works, while the secret orders deny him in both word and deed. To profess a religion which denies Christ is idolatry, Years ago (perhaps about the time of for there is no true God out of Christ. the assasination of William Morgan by Both Masonry and Odd Fellowism are the Free Masons) our people declared copies of the old heathen mysteries. As non-fellowship for Freemasonry. (See proof of this see the following quotaHassell's History, subject, subject, Masonic tions: (Grosh is said to be the highest

authority on Odd Fellowism) on page 91 the Christian religion is too narrow for he says, "Among all the mysteries of the Masonic religion; that Masonry must Ancients, those celebrated at the city of reach out its arms and embrace all of the Eleusis, hence called the Eleusenian mys-religions of the world, and that these are teries, are the best known. These were not to be known in Masonry. Both of copied from the Egyptian, and bore a these orders are declared to be religious correspondence to all similar institutions, institutions, and yet the name of Christ and hence an account of one is, in the is entirely excluded from all of their main, an account of all the others." official work. How strange this is, since These worships were paid, in Egypt, to our Lord has said, "Without me ye can do Isis and Osiris; in Asia to Mithras, &c. nothing."-John xv. 5. Christ is not Warburton's definition of the mysteries known in their prayers. In Grosh's was as follows: "Each of the pagan gods Manual, page 180, is the following note: had (besides the public and open) a secret "Adopted by the Grand Lodge of the worship paid unto him, to which none United States, to exclude prayers ofwere admitted but those who had been fensive to members of the order in many selected by preparatory ceremonies, called lodges. It also is ordered that on all initiation. This secret worship was termed occasions of the order, the same spirit as the mysteries." (Divine Legation, Vol. 1, observed in the foregoing, shall be strictly page 189.) "The most important of the followed by the officiating clergyman or mysteries were those of Mithras, cele- chaplain." And in the Official Ritual, brated in Persia; of Osiris and Isis, cele- page 13: "The Lodge at its option may brated in Egypt; of Eleusis, instituted in open and close with prayer, but if prayer Greece," &c. These last are from Ma- is used, only the forms here provided sonic works. Thus the authorities on may be used." In Webb's Monitor, (Maboth Masonry and Odd Fellowism de- sonic) page 13: "No lodge can be reguclare that their orders are fashioned like larly opened or closed without religious unto the mysteries of heathenism. Not- services of some sort." Thus it is a rewithstanding this both are religious in- ligious institution. Same book, page 231, stitutions, and held above any church. under the word "Chaplain :" "The masSee Grosh's Manual, page 84: "No church ter of the lodge is its priest, and the diin its present state is extensive enough rector of its religious ceremonies. His in its fellowship to embrace many good duty is to select the Scriptures, prayers, men who need the ministration of kin- &c., and he should be at the burial of the dred spirits, not far reaching enough to dead." A meeting of a Masonic lodge reach even its own members when dis- is a religious ceremony. "Masonry in tant from it, and needing aid and protec-many features is a religious as well as a tion. But if an Odd Fellow, far away moral institution.” See again, same from kindred and home, falls down by book, page 284, under the word "Rethe wayside, penniless and faint, he has ligion:" "The meeting of a Masonic but to inform the nearest lodge, and lodge is strictly a religious ceremony." hands are reached out to provide, and In Dr. Mackey's "Text book of Masonic watchers are at his side to uphold his Jurisprudence," page 95, he says: "The drooping frame," &c. truth is, that Masonry is undoubtedly a In Masonry, Dr. Mackey tells us that religious institution, its religion being of

that universal kind in which all men unto thee, Except a man be born again, agree." Thus the Jew, the Mohammedan, he cannot see the kingdom of God."--Buddhist, &c., all come in as well as the Christian, and all have one fellowship. The same is true in Odd Fellowism, and yet in both, quotations from the Bible are used, but if the name of Jesus Christ occurs in any Scripture which is wanted to be used, that name is carefully left out lest some of the "brethren" might be offended.

John iii. 3. Again, "Being born again, [or from above] not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." "But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."-1 Peter i. 23, 25. This birth is from above, it is of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, as reOur Lord has said, "Whatsoever ye vealed by his Spirit, both of which are shall ask in my name, that will I do, that denied in those heathen secret orders, or the Father may be glorified in the Son." secret orders founded on the mysteries of -John xiv. 13. Again, "And this is the heathenism. They claim very ancient confidence that we have in him, that, if origin. Masons claim that Adam wearwe ask anything according to his will, he ing the apron was the first Masonic emheareth us."-1 John v. 14. Here we blem, and in their Royal Arch degree have the promise that he will both hear they go back to Enoch, claiming that he us and give us what we ask in the name hid the name (Jehovah) of God in an of Jesus Christ, who is altogether ex-arch to keep it from being destroyed in cluded from the heathen prayers of all secret societies.

the flood, but in the Masters degree they claim that this same word, "Jehovah," In Masonry the new birth is promised, was lost at the building of the temple of and we are told that it is found alone in Solomon, when the three ruflians killed the Masonic lodge. Odd Fellowism Hiram Abiff, and that it is found in the promises regeneration. Grosh's Man-Royal Arch degree, where Enoch hid it ual, page 90: "What regeneration by the before the flood. Yet one of their auword of truth is in religion, initiation is thors tells us that neither Adam, nor in Odd Fellowship. In this, as in many Enoch, nor Moses, nor any of the prophother particulars, our institution has in- ets, nor Christ, nor any of the apostles, stinctively, as it were, copied after nearly knew anything of Masonry. Again, he all secret associations of a religious and tells us that Masonry was not founded moral character. In Egypt, the most on the Bible at all, and that if it were it ancient among the ancient kingdoms, an would not be Masonry, it would be someinstitution of this kind existed from the thing else. What is the use for a Mason carliest period." Again, page 92: "From of only a few degrees and who has not the earliest ages to the present day, there made it a study, to contradict one who have been similar associations, founded stands from his shoulders and upward upon the same general principles, with above his brethren, and on whose word similar rites and ceremonies." Again, they all rely? Instead of being patsame page: "These rites and ceremonies terned after the Bible and the things of were originally of a religious character, the Bible, it comes out of the jugglery of copied from a divine institution." the ancient mysteries of the heathen na

Our Lord said, "Verily, verily, I say tious, and was probably founded in the

saloon of the Apple Tree Hotel, in Lon-There also he did his miracles. Both his don, in February, 1717, and then had its words and his works were open, and higher degrees added afterwards, arriv- when they took up stones to stone him ing at the third about 1728. he went out through the midst of them The Odd Fellows have an emblem with and did not secrete himself. A religion Adam the first laying their corner-stone. that will not bear the light of investigaA. B. Grosh, a Past Grand and Past tion is not fit for any one to profess. Chief Patriarch, calls that, "The greatest Our Lord put his religion before the pubexertion of tradition." Chambers' Ency-lic, and asked his enemies, "Which of clopedia, Art. Odd Fellows, says: "The you convinceth me of sin ?”

The Mason sings:

Again,

"Hail mysterious, glorious science,
Which to discord bids defiance," &c.

“Onward, and all the world shall aid us,

Ere our peaceful flag be furled ;
Masonry at last shall conquer,

And its altar be the world."
The Odd Fellow sings:

“O what pleasure 'tis to meet

With friends so blithe and jolly."

"Brethren of our friendly order,
Honor here asserts her sway;
All within our sacred border

institution originated in Manchester, England, in 1812, although isolated lodges existed in various parts of the country for some time previously." The American Encyclopedia, Art. Odd Fellowship, gives the first organization in America to April 26th, 1819. Thus we see that the thing goes out with falsehood stamped on its brow. The foundation of the church of the living God is Jesus Christ, and he is laid in Zion, and he is rejected And again, by these moral and religious builders, yet he becomes the head of the corner. He is the tried Stone, the elect and precious Must her high commands obey." that Satan tried with all his power, and Thus both assert power in themselves, all the men in whom he could reign and the claim is made that the world joined with him, and the heathen raged shall bow to them. Here is the lion and the people imagined a vain thing voice of the lamb-like beast. The church against the Son of God, and yet he, sings, "Worthy is the Lamb that was single handed, overcame them all and slain to receive power, and riches, and cut off their power. This foundation is wisdom, and strength, and honor, and the only one that was ever laid in eter- glory, and blessing." "Blessing, and nity, and the only one that will stand the honor, and glory, and power, be unto test of fire, the fire of God's holy venge-him that sitteth upon the throne, and ance against sin, and the blasphemous unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."wickedness of denying his Son before men. Them will he also deny before his Father and the holy angels.

Rev. v. 12, 13. Thus all the world is put under her feet, and she brings forth the royal diadem and crowns Jesus Lord of all.

Their work is done in secret, and very nearly all in the night, but our dear Lord Every degree of Masonry is bound up said, "In secret have I said nothing." in the most terrible oaths, while Odd All his works were done openly. The Fellowism is equally under strong oblicalling of the apostles was an open thing, gations, but in the christian's heart is the and all of their as well as his preaching secret of the Lord, and he will show them was in the presence of the multitudes. his covenant. What a contrast!