The American Presbyterian Church holds the historic position of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches that condemns as sinful and inconsistent with the profession of the Christian faith to hold membership in any lodge or secret society. Chapter 15 of our Directory of Worship states our position. It is placed in the Directory of Worship because membership in such organizations constitutes idolatry and involvement in a false religion. The relevant section states...
CHAPTER
15
OF
ASSOCIATIONS
IN
THIS
WORLD
SECTION
I :
There are three institutions ordained of God:
the family, established in Eden to provide a suitable help for man;1
the civil state, established after the Deluge to restrain the wickedness
of men;2
the church, established by the call of Abraham to provide a visible
society of professors.3
SECTION II : It is therefore sinful to associate with any lodge teaching secret doctrines and ancient mysteries of pagan or Babylonian origin,4 or with any business organization, professional association, labor union, political party, etc., that seeks to maintain or promote itself by sin,5 or with any organization that professes aims of a religious character but does not recognize the utter impossibility of doing any good apart from the grace of God, causing men to trust in princes and to place their hope in the kingdom of men.6
1. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him…And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:18, 23-24; But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God…For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-9
2. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:6; Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Romans 13:1-4
3.
And when Abram was ninety years
old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect…And I
will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in
their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to
thy seed after thee…This is my
covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee;
Every man child among you shall be circumcised…And the uncircumcised man
child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut
off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
Genesis 17:1,7,10,14; And
I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18
4. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18;
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 1 Timothy 1:4; For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16;
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:21
5. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil: Exodus 23:2; And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. Romans 3:8; Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. 3 John 1:11; And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. Acts 19:23-27
6. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. Psalm 146:3; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:5; Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1 Corinthians 15:50; Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. 2 Corinthians 10:7
For more information on secret societies in general and on The Masonic Lodge is particular read the 1942 Report of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on Secret Societies.