To What God Did They Pray?
By G. M.
Though not present at the dedication of the Masonic Temple recently in our city, I learn from the daily papers that the “Consecration prayer was made by Rev. Brother John Chambers, D. D., Grand Chaplain;” also, at another part of the ceremonies, “prayer was offered by Rev. Richard H. Allen, Grand Chaplain.” Now the question arises, To what God did these men pray, on that occasion? They did not pray in the name of Christ; and hence, they did not pray to the Christian’s God. The Christian’s God, the God revealed in the Bible, is “God in Christ;” and out of Christ he is not accessible in prayer. Christ saith, “No man cometh unto the father but by me.” Now, as these ministers of Christ did not pray to that God, who is “God in Christ,” to what God did they pray? The command of the God of the Bible is, “Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus: giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” These ministers did not “consecrate” their Temple “in the name of the Lord Jesus;” and in their prayers disobeyed the command of the Christian’s God; and hence, did not pray to him; then, to what God did they pray? Before the advent of Christ, prayer could be made acceptably though that name was not implied, but not so since he had come. He said to his disciples, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive;” that is, ask henceforth “in my name,” and ye shall receive, but not otherwise. He said also, anticipating his ascension, “Then shall ye ask in my name;” but as these ministers of Christ did not ask in his name, nor address him to whom they prayed as “God in Christ,” they did not pray to the God of the Bible. To what God, then, did they pray? We are told that in another part of the ceremonies “the R. W. Grand Master” said, “In the name of the Supreme and Eternal God, the grand Architect of heaven and earth, to whom be all honor and glory, I dedicate this Temple to Virtue and Science.” This dedication is not in the name of the God of redemption, the Christian’s God; but in the name of the “Supreme and Eternal God,” impliedly the same as Allah, the “One God, of whom Mohammed is the prophet;” or the “Great Spirit,” whom the Indians worship. But neither of these is the God of the Christians and of Divine Revelation; and the prayers of these Rev. Grand Chaplains, being made without reference to Christ, were made to some God like Allah or the “Great Spirit.” Free Masonry is a religion, but a religion without a Saviour who redeems from sin. It does not acknowledge that man needs any Saviour, and hence in its religious ceremonies it ignores the Lord Jesus Christ. It dedicates its Temple, not in the name of the God of Redemption, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It knows no such God: it does not worship him, nor seek salvation from him. It dedicates its Temple to Virtue and Science: thus teaching its members to worship these two goddesses; and that they need no other salvation171than what Virtue and Science can supply. Now as the Grand Chaplains, Rev. Dr. Chambers, and Rev. Dr. Allen, did not pray in the name of Christ, nor to “God in Christ,” to what God did they pray? Was it to Allah, or the “Great Spirit,” or “Jupiter Supreme,” or to whom? On the Lord’s day they stand in their respective pulpits, and teach their people that no man can come to God but by Christ; and that “whatsoever they do in word or deed, they should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus:” and yet these same Rev. Chaplains engage in the solemn religious service of dedicating a magnificent Temple, and ignore the Lord Jesus while doing so; and disown the Triune God, besides whom there is no Saviour! Is it not then a pertinent question, To what God did they pray on that occasion? On the Sabbath, these men profess to be “ambassadors for Christ,” but as they ignored Christ, while officiating religiously in the Masonic Temple, to what God did they pray?—G. M., in Christian Statesman.