The Cross and the Compass: Freemasonry and Religious Tolerance in Mexico

By Sara Frahm

The present book is an effort to understand the role of masonry in the
introduction of freedom of worship in Mexico. With erudition, the author
leads us through the stages ending with the victory of the liberal republic,
headed by Benito Jurez, and the establishment thereby of freedom
of worship, which made possible the insertion of American protestant
missions in Mexico. Many Protestants brought not only their faith, but
Freemasonry as well.
- Dr. Adolfo Garca de la Sienra Guajardo Director del Instituto
de Filosofa - Universidad Veracruzana, Mxico Presidente de la
Sociedad Iberoamericana de Metodologa Econmica
This is a scholarly study, well documented, analyzing one of the most
controversial themes in the history of Mexico. In the work of Sara Frahm,
Masonry ceases being mysterious, and is revealed as one of the strong
components that shaped 19th century Mexico
- Mara Eugenia Vzquez Semadeni, Visiting Assistant Professor,
Department of History, UCLA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palibrio
• Release date: Aug 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781463340063

Sara Frahm

Sara received her degree in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin and has taught Spanish at the secondary and university level. She graduated from the University of Texas, with a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies, studying the infl uence of Freemasonry in Mexico during the formative years. She has presented scholarly papers at signifi cant conferences in United States, Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico. She and her husband John have three children, fi ve grandchildren. Beginning with a family trip in elementary school, she developed a special love for Mexico. More of Sara’s work can be found at www. crossandcompass.com

Book preview

Copyright © 1989, 2014 by Sara Ann Frahm.

Cover design by Andrew Frahm

Credit to Benson: Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin

Library of Congress Control Number:   2012917563

ISBN:   Hardcover     978-1-4633-4005-6

             Softcover        978-1-4633-4004-9

             eBook              978-1-4633-4006-3

Scripture taken from Reina-Valera Version Bible © 1960 Bible Societies in Latin America; © renewed 1988 United Bible Societies. Used by permission. Reina-Valera 1960™ is a registered trademark of the American Bible Society, and may be used only under license.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Revision date: 01/10/2014

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Contents

Acknowledgements And Thanks To

Introduction

1 Natural Religion And Deism: Molding Religious Tolerance And Freemasonry In England

2 English Impact On France And Spain

Natural Religion in France

Liberalism In Spain

3 Antecedents For Masonry In Mexico And Early Masonic Activity

Early Masonic Activity

4 Enlightened Mexicans, 1763-1837

Waning optimism; increased radicalism

Enlightened Mexicans

José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi

Fray Servando Teresa de Mier

Lorenzo de Zavala

5 More Enlightened Mexicans, 1783-1850

José María Luis Mora

Vicente Rocafuerte

6 Benito Juarez, The Ultimate Reformer

Masonry, a Civil Religion

Benito Juárez 1806-1872, Man of the Constitution Prior to his Presidency

7 Presidency and War

War of Reform 1858-1861

Intervention and Empire 1861-1867

Conclusion: The Cross and the Compass, Contributions to Religious Freedom

Bibliography

To Dr. Nettie Lee Benson, my advisor and friend. A former professor had informed me that Masonic studies were unimportant. On the contrary, Dr. Benson believed that this research was most significant. After all, the first two political parties of Mexico were the Scottish Rite and the York Rite, and there has been a lasting conflict between Freemasonry and Catholicism. Her encouragement and enthusiasm enabled me to persist during many years. I am thankful for having known her.

TSally.jpg

Nettie Lee Benson (1905-1993)

I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No man comes to the Father but by me

John 14: 6

Masonry, of no one age, belongs to all time;

of no one religion;

it finds its great truths in all.

Albert Pike

Acknowledgements And Thanks To

My husband, John, whose encouragement, understanding, and patient support helped me greatly and without whom graduate studies, would not have been possible. My supervising professor, Dr. Nettie Lee Benson (1905-1993) whose inquisitive mind and faithfulness to her students was always an example. She encouraged me to pursue the topic, never too busy to help. My second reader, Dr. Miguel González-Gerth, whose giftedness in literary criticism was invaluable; thanks for patience and willingness to take time from a busy schedule. My Dad, who taught me to love history and who faithfully proofread my text, offering useful suggestions. My Mom, who always loved me, no matter how weird I was. My children, Andy, Tim, and Anne who provided relief and joy. My sisters who faithfully and prayerfully supported me, especially Patti Renfro, who was my partner in prayer from the beginning. Enthusiastic prayerful students from Amistad Cristiana were a blessing when I spoke at the Universidad de las Américas in Puebla, Mexico. I want to thank Dr. Adolfo García de la Sienra, my translator. I met Adolfo when we participated in a round table at the Universidad de las Américas in Puebla. His encouragement to translate the manuscript and to complete a web site was invaluable. When many did not see the importance of this topic, he was able to comprehend the need for a serious study. Above all to my Savior, Jesus Christ, who has led me through pathways I never would have thought possible. With a thankful heart, Sara (Sally) Frahm

Introduction

The cross and the compass. For centuries the cross has been a symbol for Christians representing the crucifixion, resurrection and atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ of Nazareth. For Freemasons the compass and the square depict man’s ability to achieve perfection and progress on this earth, through intellectual and spiritual enlightenment.

A Mason hopes to secure through his own efforts a position in another world, the grand lodge on high. Christianity speaks of one way to salvation, the death of the God-man Jesus Christ, paying the penalty for man’s sinfulness. Freemasonry, on the other hand, acknowledges truth in all religions, collecting the best from all, and uniting them into a glorious whole. Masonry, of no one age, belongs to all time; of no one religion; it finds its great truths in all.¹

Albert G. Mackey, a Masonic historian, defined Masonry as a beautiful system of morals, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. The words Freemasonry and Masonry are used interchangeably. The origin of the word Freemason is uncertain. It may have referred to a mason with superior skills, or perhaps it was a craftsman allowed to travel from guild to guild. Some Masons believed it meant freedom from intellectual bondage.²

Freemasonry has been painstakingly examined not only by its devotees but also by its opponents. This study illustrates the profound influence the institution had on the concept of religious liberty, especially in the country of Mexico.

It is helpful to understand the milieu in which Masonry was birthed, the prevalence in England of tolerance, deism, and search for meaning outside of the established church. During this era other countries heralded Britain as the hallmark of liberty and freedom. John Locke, author of essays on religious tolerance, set new trends for centuries to come. He may not have inspired Freemasons as greatly as following deists, but his ideas impacted Matthew Tindal and John Toland, two deists whose writings were most influential.³

Although operative Freemasonry was linked to the medieval guild system, not until 1717 did speculative Freemasonry, come into being. This was Freemasonry as a secret society, using a philosophical approach. At this time, in London, four lodges united to form one grand lodge. Rev. John Desaguliers and Rev. James Anderson are credited with taking the tools of the builder’s trade, giving them symbolic meaning. They used Biblical terminology and adapted ancient Masonic rituals.⁴

Richard Weisberger, a U.S. Mason and student of eighteenth century Freemasonry, agreed that Desaguliers and other leaders revised the rites of operative Masonry to teach enlightenment concepts. London Masons saw speculative Masonry as the basis for a civil religion. God, the Supreme Architect, was seen as the source of a universal moral system. Masons were to support natural liberty, including religious tolerance as taught in the blue degrees (the first three degrees).⁵

Following a discussion of trends in England that molded and shaped Freemasonry, I have included a chapter on French and Spanish Masonry. Although Masons from France and the United States were important models for Mexican Masons, Spain was especially significant as Mexico was a Spanish colony until 1821. Mexicans served in the Spanish Cortes, the governing body for Spain and the colonies. Conservative Spaniards considered the Cortes to be a hotbed of liberalism and Freemasonry.

Mexicans of the early independence period were well versed in European thought, traveling extensively. Especially through the Cortes, they had contact with European intellectuals. Vicente Rocafuerte, was a significant player. Erudite Mexicans admired his treatise on religious tolerance. He spent many years in London representing Mexico, during which time he published newspapers to be distributed in the colonies. Various Mexicans will be discussed, beginning with José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1771-1827) and concluding with Benito Juárez (1806-1873), the renowned Indian statesman of Oaxaca.

Beginning in 1738, there were nine papal decrees opposing Freemasonry. According to church doctrine one was not able to be a Roman Catholic and a Freemason. Nevertheless, the history of Freemasonry reveals that not only Catholics, but also Christians of most denominations, were founders and members of Freemasonry! This was true in most countries. The Scottish Rite was developed in France, and there is good evidence to show that Jesuits were involved, perhaps for political purposes. Dr. Tohotom Nagy, a Jesuit from Hungary and author of Jesuits y Masones, received papal permission to go undercover, investigating Freemasonry in Argentina. He concluded there was little difference between the two organizations! Both emphasized God and moral principles, international mission, world peace and progressivism.

Nevertheless, conservative Catholics would not agree, realizing that the inclusive nature of Freemasonry and the belief in man’s goodness and perfectibility, as opposed to his sinfulness and need for redemption, cannot easily be reconciled with Christianity.

The York and Scottish Rite were especially significant in Mexican history. Beginning in England, the York Rite was developed in the United States. It consists of nine degrees. The Scottish Rite began in France and was also elaborated in the United States. It consists of thirty-three degrees. Although neither Rite could properly be called Christian, the York Rite is mistakenly associated with Protestantism, and the Scottish Rite with Catholicism, probably because the York Rite has roots in England and the Scottish Rite in France. Both rites borrowed freely from many religions; the Scottish Rite is heavily imbued with Catholic terminology. Although different in ritual, both are built on the basic three degrees, founded on deism and natural religion, looking toward the perfectibility of man.⁶

These two rites were prominent in the early years of Mexican independence. It appears the Scottish Rite was brought in primarily through Spanish troops and French attendants accompanying the viceroy. There is some disagreement about the role of Joel Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico, regarding the establishment of the York Rite in Mexico. Lucas Alamán claimed Poinsett was responsible; Lorenzo de Zavala said he was not.⁷ James D. Carter noted that York Rite Lodges had existed earlier in Mexico, but were not legally constituted (according to Masonic regulations). Poinsett was asked by General Guerrero, Miguel Ramos Arizpe, Lorenzo de Zavala, José Ignacio Esteva and José María Alpuche to procure the needed charters from New York. Poinsett wrote that as the New York Grand Lodge was reluctant, he secured the charter from Philadelphia Grand Lodge.⁸

Freemasonry was an integral part of independence movements in the new world. National independence, freedom from despotic rule and ecclesiastical interference in civil government were desired goals. Masons, wary of Roman Catholic authorities, were at the forefront in this struggle, clandestinely and effectively pursuing their ideals. Separation of church and state, a Masonic goal from the outset, continues to be a stated purpose of Freemasonry⁹. Conceived in England, Masonry traveled from the European continent to the New World. The story is fascinating and much remains to be told.

Endnotes

¹   Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, ancient and accepted rite, p. 524.

²   Albert Mackey, cited by Carter, Freemasonry in Texas, p. 2; and New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, s.v. Freemasonry, by W.J. Whalen.

³   Bro. J. R. Clarke, The Change from Christianity to Deism in Freemasonry, Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, 78 (1965); Douglas Knoop and G.P. Jones, Freemasonry and the Idea of Natural Religion, Ars Quatuor Coronatourum, LVI (1946). (Ars Quatuor Coronatorum is a publication of the historical research lodge in London, Quatuor Coronati Lodge no. 1076, available from the Masonic Library in Waco, Texas)

⁴   James Carter, Freemasonry in Texas, (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Texas, 1954), p. 19; and Jack Harris, Freemasonry: The Invisible Cult in our Midst, p. 23.

⁵   Richard William Weisberger, The Cultural and Organizational Functions of Speculative Freemasonry During the Enlightenment: A Study of the Craft in London, Paris, Prague, and Vienna, (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 1980), pp. 51-54, 94.

⁶   For more information on the difference between Scottish and York Rites see Albert Mackey’s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, available in most public libraries, or Henry Ridgely Evans, A History of the York and Scottish Rites of Freemasonry (Washington D.C.: The Masonic Service Association of the U.S., 1924)

⁷   Elizabeth N. Mills, Don Valentín Gómez Farías y el desarrollo de sus ideas políticas (Don Valentín Gómez Farías and the development of his political ideas) (Tesis, UNAM, 1957), p. 201.

⁸   RG59. General Records of the State Department. Despatches, Mexico, vol. 3. Poinsett. The National Archives, Washington, D.C., as cited by Carter, Freemasonry in Texas, p. 276.

⁹   The New Age Magazine, Vol. XCVI, No. 8, back cover.

1

Natural Religion And Deism: Molding Religious Tolerance And Freemasonry In England

Deism and natural religion, prevalent in the enlightenment of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in England, were likely the basis for Freemasonry. Tindal defined natural religion as the knowledge that from the beginning God gave man a law of nature or reason. Keeping this law made man acceptable to God.¹

Deism as defined by Webster is [1] the belief that God exists and created the world but thereafter assumed no control over it or the lives of people [2] in philosophy, the belief that reason is sufficient to prove the existence of God, with the consequent rejection of revelation and authority. Deists claimed to return to a tradition more ancient than Christianity, drawing from magical, mystical, Druidic, Egyptian and Babylonian sources. Attacking church dogma, they believed the Bible was neither authentic nor reasonable. Marcia Schuchard stated that while English Freemasonry became increasingly deistic, French Freemasonry emphasized the old occult traditions. Here were the beginnings of two strains within Freemasonry, deism and the occult.²

After the glorious revolution of 1688, England, at the time of the founding of Freemasonry, was ripe for a new outlook concerning religious tolerance. People were weary of religious quarrels and tedious debate regarding confessional differences. Departing from Puritan supremacy of fifty years earlier, religious tolerance became fashionable.³

The Revolution of 1688 removed King James II, a Catholic, and offered the throne to William and Mary, Protestants. Parliament was established as expressing the will of the people in opposition to long established hereditary right. A Bill of Rights, including religious tolerance for Protestant dissenters (not for Roman Catholics or atheists) came into being. Perhaps it was not coincidental that to be a Mason, you must believe in God but you cannot be an atheist.

Most Masons endorsed religious tolerance, deism. The prestigious Royal Society counted as members many Freemasons, including Reverend John Desaguliers, one of two founders of speculative Freemasonry. Desaguliers was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge in 1719, bringing many Masons into membership. Under his influence Freemasonry became a center of enlightenment.⁴

Masons were intrigued with the religious rites of the Druids. Thomas Paine was convinced that Masonry was derived from an ancient religion, specifically that of the Druids. He used evidence from Masonic customs, ceremonies, hieroglyphics and chronology to support his belief.⁵

Weary of religious conflict, the English sought peace, absence of conflict. John Locke (1623-1704), a philosopher prominent in the struggle for religious freedom, was not as radical as following deists. Most felt he had not left the true faith. Still he was innovative for his time, advocating not a state church, but freedom of religious belief. His Letter Concerning Toleration, declared that although there was one truth and one way to heaven, men should be free to join any church. Commenting on Luke 22:25, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship… but ye shall not be so, he said that faith worked by love, not by force. If the Lord wanted to convert people with force, he had heavenly legions to do so. The care of souls had not been committed to any civil magistrate.⁶

Differing from Martin Luther and other reformers who stressed faith alone, Locke believed that a combination of faith and good works would earn eternal life. Optimistically he believed that truth left alone would do well. He saw toleration as the chief characteristic mark of the true Church. However, there should be no toleration for those who would serve another prince, such as Catholics. Atheists were to be excluded because they were not bound by promises and oaths.⁷

Reason or revelation? Which was the best source of truth? How could the two be reconciled? John Toland and Matthew Tindal, two men who influenced Freemasonry, were both deists.⁸ Scholars differed as to the extent to which Locke agreed with these men. Most saw Locke as a forerunner to deism, but hardly in agreement with it. Locke, while emphasizing reason as primary, was not ready to discard Scriptural authority. Deism did not reach its pinnacle until after his death.

What about Locke’s Masonic connections? Apparently he was curious about Masonry. Writing to Thomas, Earl of Pembroke, Locke discussed a letter in the Bodleian library from King Henry IV on Masonry. He wrote that the letter has so much raised my curiosity, as to induce me to enter myself into the fraternity, which I am determined to do (if I may be admitted), the next time I go to London. Whether he joined remains unknown, but his brand of rational inquiry and empiricism became the dominant public strain of both the Royal Society and Freemasonry by the time of Anderson’s deistic Constitutions of the Freemasons in 1723.⁹

Especially significant was the position of the Church of England, which, rather than opposing the new thought, accommodated it. Attempted Puritan social and intellectual reforms had been disappointing. Partly in response to pressure from radicals, the church became increasingly liberal.

Archbishop Tenison (1694-1715) discouraged heresy hunts, encouraging all Christians to come under the umbrella of Anglicanism. This permission of varied beliefs within the established church was referred to as latitudinarianism.¹⁰ Freemasons were among those welcomed into the fold.

Heresy was newly defined. It was no longer deviance from a creed. Instead, sincerity became the criteria to determine faith. A heretic was someone who lived an immoral life. Natural law was superior to revealed religion. Original sin was minimized, along with the atonement and the incarnation. There was much discussion concerning the Trinity.¹¹

The Rosicrucians, forerunners of Freemasonry in the early seventeenth century, were moral and religious reformers interested in alchemy. Hidden meanings were understood only by the elect. The first president of the Royal Society, Elias Ashmole, was considered by many to be the link between Freemasonry, alchemy, and astrology. Rosicrucians sought universal religion and utopian reform. This was similar to Freemasonry but, according to Jacob, there is no evidence of a continuous chain from Rosicrucianism to Freemasonry.¹²

Schuchard disagreed and demonstrated that Rosicrucianism was assimilated into the secret traditions of Freemasonry in England in the mid-seventeenth century…. Freemasonry became the repository of contradictory strains of thought—rational egalitarian deism and occultist hierarchical theism. Rosicrucian occultism went underground from the 1630’s to the 1860’s. Thus, for nearly three centuries, Freemasonry provided a continuous philosophy, visionary training and political radicalism which linked many English writers with an international world of ideas.¹³

There were men of two persuasions within the Anglican church and also within Freemasonry. Those of the moderate enlightenment, the Whigs, supported the established church and constitutional monarchy, hoping to find a reasonable Christianity, which would eliminate differing beliefs. On the other hand, men who were radical, rejecting revelation and the established church, looked towards pantheism and democracy, accepting only the beliefs common to all men, not so much a reasonable Christianity, but a religion of reason.¹⁴

Two deists who were influential in the development of Freemasonry were John Toland and Matthew Tindal. John Toland (1660-1722) was Irish. While studying at the University of Edinburgh, he was likely introduced to secret societies, which fascinated him throughout his life. He believed that reason was the only foundation for truth. Leslie Stephen wrote…Locke, the Unitarians, Toland, form a genuine series, in which Christianity is being gradually transmuted by larger infusions of rationalism.¹⁵

Toland hoped for a new universal religion. One of his last works, the Latin Panthesticon, was probably intended as a ritual for Masonic meetings. He claimed it was similar to that used by Druids and Egyptians, emphasizing nature worship, symbolized by the sun. He hoped for a restoration of….indigenous paganism. If the institution of a republic of Druids seems far-fetched, it should be recalled that Anglo-American radicals until well into the eighteenth Century held the Druids in high regard.¹⁶

More extreme than John Toland was Matthew Tindal (1653-1733). His book, published in 1730, Christianity as Old as the Creation, or the Gospel a Republication of the Religion of Nature, was referred to as the deist Bible. This work marked the climax of the deist controversy, stating that the only credible use of the Bible was to confirm scientific discoveries. Tindal discredited all miracles, opposing the triune God, the incarnation, and the resurrection. Later deists imitated him. John Locke saw revealed in Scripture God’s supernatural message guiding to salvation, whereas Tindal’s book was hostile toward the old beliefs. Stephens commented that Tindal … explicitly assails the mysteries of which Toland had indirectly sapped the foundation.¹⁷

Tindal was an outspoken anti-clericalist, agreeing with other deists that priests and the pope were enemies of true religion. He was more forthright than Toland, openly calling himself a deist, attempting to show that liberal Anglicans agreed with him. His first book, published in 1707, The Rights of the Christian Church, attacked the high church. Priests had corrupted the natural law, adding unnecessary beliefs and traditions. Tindal ridiculed Old Testament stories, especially the fall of man. He saw no need for revelation and did not see why God would single out one insignificant tribe to be the recipient of His favor.¹⁸

Douglas Knoop and G.P. Jones, in 1946, submitted a paper entitled Freemasonry and the Idea of Natural Religion, to Quatuor Coronati Lodge of London, No. 2076, a lodge specializing in historical research. Two aspects of deism they mentioned agreed with Webster’s definition: a belief in God, as a constitutional monarch of the universe, and a denial of revelation, asserting the adequacy of human reason. These two beliefs made up the basis for what was termed natural religion, considered to be both natural and universal, binding upon all men. They concluded that the thought of Matthew Tindal, especially in his book, Christianity as Old as the Creation, summarized the theology of earlier deist and latitudinarian authors, clearly setting forth the essence of natural religion.¹⁹

Although Knoop and Jones say they can’t be certain of any exact source for Reverend Anderson’s first charge in the Masonic Constitutions, they note that it was strongly influenced by deism. The first charge reads as follows:

A Mason is oblig’d by his Tenure to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient times Masons were charged in every country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet ’tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the Means of conciliating true friendship…²⁰

Even though Anderson’s first charge reflected the religious climate of the time, specifically deism and natural religion, Knoop and Jones noted that there were men of varying theological opinions within Masonry, a condition true today. Nevertheless, Tindal was pivotal as his book summarized natural religion and much previous thought.²¹

Tindal redefined Christianity as a religion of nature and reason, believing that natural religion consisted in the practice of duties gained from reasonable knowledge about God. Scripture was only true as it agreed with reason. All good laws, whether of Moses, or of the Greeks, were written in the heart and were copies of the original law of nature.²² Tindal gave examples of Scripture not to be believed. According to him, Old Testament stories encouraged cheating and lying (Jacob), and adultery (Abraham and Sara). It was unreasonable that the nature of almighty God should take the form of man, descending into the womb of a woman. Neither was it rational for God to put his only son to death nor was it reasonable that a human sacrifice could be expiation for sin. Reason made it evident there were not three gods. God would not swear, especially in wrath. Neither would he be jealous or repent as it was not reasonable to attribute human characteristics to God.²³

Tindal saw the reconciliation of the Old and New Testament as most difficult. Denying the validity of Scripture, he claimed God would not damn anyone to eternity for anything contrary to reason. God would not allow man to fall. If only there were a Bible translated by Unitarians, many texts would have been different.²⁴

Perhaps Tindal was not the first to stress happiness as a human right. Nevertheless, for him it was a high priority. God was happy and wanted happiness for his creatures, the ultimate end of all religion being human happiness. Happiness was the perfection of man’s nature…the nature of a rational being is most perfect when it is perfectly rational, our reason makes us the image of god himself.²⁵

Tindal quoted many contemporary Anglican theologians in agreement with him. Tindal can be seen as an influence on the Masonic charge, the religion in which all agree, when he expressed, I am so far from thinking the maxims of Confucius and Jesus Christ to differ; that I think the plain and simple maxims of the former will help to illustrate the more obscure ones of the latter. He was convinced sincerity made men acceptable to God. He quoted from Cicero, Plato, Confucius, and the Bible, finding agreement in all sources.²⁶

Political, theological and philosophical factors all contributed to a desire for religious tolerance in the early decades of the eighteenth century when Freemasonry was birthed. Deism, in vogue in the early eighteenth century, was no longer prominent by the middle of the century. Instead it found its place within Masonry. The mysterious expressions used by Masons allowed ambiguity.²⁷

Whereas on the Continent Freemasonry was perceived as a threat to the Roman Catholic Church and organized religion, and even monarchy, there was no threat to the church in England. Many Anglican ministers were invited to preach at Masonic funerals and feasts. Bernard Fay noted that many clergy joined. Why not, he said, many of the cloth were unbelievers!²⁸

Freemasons claim they do not discuss politics or religion in their meetings; they declare that their beliefs are neither political or religious. It would appear this is misinformation, purposely told to novices, so as not to offend their political or religious beliefs. Anyone studying the writings of Masonic authorities soon realizes the adept are religious in their own way. From the earliest times and in every country, Freemasons have been politically involved.

Knoop, a Masonic historian, in Genesis of Freemasonry, noted that the Trinity was removed from the Masonic invocation between 1670 and 1708. He believed Anderson’s first charge (1723) ‘Concerning God and Religion’ replaced Christianity by deism. A Freemason could hold two varying religious beliefs, that of his country and the (Masonic) religion in which all men agree. The latter was a universal religion, the essence being belief in God and a universal moral law, binding on men despite time or country. Matthew Tindal’s thought is reflected here.²⁹

Desaguliers had not wanted a creed in which all would agree. Instead, he envisioned a new religion to agree with eighteenth century science. His intention was that there would be no quarrels related to religion or politics. This type of leadership guided the Grand Lodge during the formative period.³⁰

However, men of a radical nature within Masonry were heretical, attacking religion and the clergy. Jacob remarked, within that institution [Freemasonry] the radicals found the makings of a new religion, just as the Newtonians used it to give expression to their new faith in the wondrous powers of the Grand Architect. Freemasonry became a new religion based on nature. Ceremonies and rituals were adapted from old Masonic guilds or were improvised. From its inception this new, ostensible most harmless cultural and social institution housed intellectual radicals… also capable of revolutionary action.³¹

Not until after the French Revolution was there an attempt to blame Masonry for revolutionary upheavals. British historians tried to show that Masonry wasn’t political, but facts were not in their favor. Early eighteenth century Freemasonry favored progress rather than revolution, attempting to be an intermediary between religion and science. Later, as Freemasonry spread to the continent, and English institutions were much admired, it took on the task of spreading parliamentarianism.³²

Because early Masonic catechisms (before 1717) were untouched by pantheism, Sullivan felt these thoughts were later additions. Rites were invented with initiatory ceremonies, symbols, oaths, a certain mysticism. The Christian concept of self-denial and focus on heaven was rejected, in favor of love feasts, and the singing of Bacchanalian songs. Hazard remarked, They fling away the crown of thorns and bind their brow with roses. Ceremonies were tinged with a multiplicity of belief.³³

Two of the principal meetings were held on the dates of the feasts of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, June 24 and December 27, approximately the dates of the summer and winter solstice. The Christian could honor these dates as could the pagan. Masonry borrowed from the Cabala, the Talmud, Neoplatonism, Arabic and Oriental writings.³⁴

Paul Hazard noted that soon after Anderson’s statutes of 1723, Freemasonry became one of the most conspicuous centres of activity in the age of enlightenment…. If one were to chart the stages in the progressive conquest, we should see how the great communication centres, seaports, capital cities, all fell before it. Even though Freemasons were few in numbers, their influence was significant. In the lodge nature worship was appealing, as well as an emphasis on egalitarianism important for Western reform. Masonry provided the social milieu for enlightened ideas, whether deistic, pantheistic or republican. Liberty, equality and fraternity, concepts found in Christianity, were transformed to political equality, civic liberty and benevolence. This cry was taken up by the French Revolution.³⁵

Freemasons have long taken a leading role in supporting separation of church and state. Sincerity became more important than doctrine; all beliefs were valued equally. Some Roman Catholics identified Freemasonry as an extension of Protestantism, partly because Protestants often cooperated with Freemasons to obtain religious freedom. However, Protestants supported separation of church and state, not because of Freemasonry but because faith and a state religion did not walk easily together. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, thus faith was not encouraged by coercion but by freedom to hear and read the Scriptures.³⁶ Freemasons, on the other hand, encouraged separation of church and state, avowing that all religions were equally valid; none should be dominant.

From England Freemasonry spread to