The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1921, Page 82

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_that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever’

82 : The Lutheran Pioneer. ~

Luther speaks a very plain word on this point: Now, what does the lodge say on this point?

“Therefore it does not help the Jews, Turks, and This: Let the Christians believe in a Triune God,
heretics [we could add: secret societies] anything if-they wish to do so; many members of the various
that they pretend great piousness and boast against secret societies do so. If, however, others do not
us. Christians that they, too, believe in one god, wish to recognize a Trinity, we respect their belief,
creator of heaven and earth, and call him father with and we should regard it as uncharitable to say that
great carnestness, although this is nothing but alto- they are not worshiping the true God, and to accuse
gether vain words wherewith they take the name of them of idolatry. Chase says in his Digest of
God in vain and abuse it, contrary to the sacred Masonic Law, p. 206: “It is anti-Masonic to require
commandment, as Christ says to the Jews, John any religious test other than to believe in a god,
8, 54: ‘It is My Father that honoreth Me, of whom _ the creator and governor of the universe.” Jn his
ye say that He is your God; yet ye have not known New Odd-Fellows’ Manual, Grosh says, p. 297:
Him.’... For where God shall not be such a God “Judaism, Christianity, Mohammedanism, recognize
(as Scripture teaches) who is a natural Father and _ the one, only living, and true God.” (Compare with
has‘a natural Son, both of whom have a natural this what Luther says, as quoted above.) ‘The Wood-
Holy Spirit in the one divine essence, their God is men of the World admit Jews to their society, and
nothing and no God at all. Therefore they have no a prominent member of the order, Judge Muse,
God, but they abuse His name with sin and by dis- Dallas, Tex., says of this fraternity: “All religions
honoring Him, and fabricate for themselves a special are admissible if they have faith and belief in God.”
god and creator, who is to be their father and they The Modern Woodmen of America take the same
his children. ... They give the holy name of God view, for in their Handbook one may read on page

- to their vain dream and lie, i.¢., to the devil; heis 269: “The belief of an applicant in matters of-Deity

their father and the father of all lies. And yet they or religion has no bearing upon the object of Wood-
claim to be the dearest children and the greatest craft as defined in the ritual.... The fraternity
saints.... And, again, you cannot deny a single should not arrogate to itself to select the Christian

"person [of the Godhead] without denying all three and reject the unbeliever.... The doors are, then,

and the whole God entirely, as is said 1 John 2,23: eft open to the Jew and Gentile, the Catholic and
‘Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Protestant.” While they all want a god recognized
Father.’ ” by their members, they also all agree in neglecting
What the Church teaches on this point, and what to recognize the only true God, Father, Son and
Luther so plainly and forcibly says, is in perfect Holy Ghost. Yes, the Odd-Fellows even go so far
agreement with the Bible. The two passages which 8 to call such expressions as “the Holy 'l'rinity”
Luther quotes are enough to show this. But there “cant phrases” and “sectarian war-slogans.” In
are many other passages like these. Christ says, singing the Doxology at the dedication of their
John 5,23: “All men should honor the Son even-as “temple” in Fort Wayne several years ago, the Elks
they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the had the impudence to change the last line from
Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.” “Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” to “Praise
John says in his Second Epistle, v.9: “Whosoever od for our true brotherhood”!
transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of- Is it not plain to you that the Church and the
Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doc- lodge do not agree on this point? And is it not
trine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the equally plain to you that the Bible is with the
Son.” In his First Epistle the apostle speaks even Church on this point? And, finally, do you there-
stronger, if possible: “Who is a liar but he that fore not feel in conscience bound not to have any-
denieth that Jesus is the Christ? ‘He is antichrist, thing to do with the lodge? F, J. BL.

denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; but —
he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” A New Colored Mission-Station.
Surely, then, nothing can be plainer than this: a

~ The Bible teaches that there is but one God; this © ‘This new station is not in some Southern State,
_ one true God is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To but in the Jack Pine Region of Michigan. About

worship any god beside this one true Triune God js two months ago a new church was erected for this
idolatry. ? : station. The following clipping, which appeared in