first formed the plan of his society, he availed himself of its secrecy to introduce his new order, which rapidly spread, by the efforts of its founders and disciples, through all those countries.”  Now, if Freemasonry was such an excellent channel for the dragon to begin his work through, is it not reasonable to suppose that he would still retain his position in that order, and especially since the very name of Christ is barred from its rites, rules, and ceremonies?  And this thought is especially convincing when we consider the fact that Freemasonry is in its very nature and constitution only a form of Paganism.  This vast body is founded on what they call the “ancient mysteries.”  The following is taken from Masonic Salvation by Fred Husted: 

“Warburton says:  ’Each of the Pagan gods had (beside the public and open) a secret worship paid unto him, to which none were admitted but those who had been selected by preparatory ceremonies called initiation.  This secret worship was called “the mysteries."’

“Mackey, another member of this order, says:  ’These mysteries existed in every country of heathendom, in each under a different name, and to some extent under a different form, but always and everywhere with the same design of inculcating (teaching) by allegorical and symbolical teachings the great Masonic doctrines of the unity of God and the immortality of the soul.  This one important proposition and the fact which it enumerates (states) must never be lost sight of, in any inquiry into the origin of Freemasonry; for the Pagan mysteries were to the spurious Freemasonry of antiquity precisely what the Masters’ lodges are to the Freemasonry of the present day.’

“This is certainly a frank statement, coming as it does from a man who is an acknowledged and highly esteemed authority in matters pertaining to the craft.  Daniel Sickles says, ’In Egypt, Greece, and many other ancient nations Freemasonry, that is, the Mysteries, was one of the earliest agencies employed to effect the improvement and enlightenment of man.’  Pierson says, ’The identity of the Masonic institutions with the ancient Mysteries is obvious,’ which means clearly to be seen, manifest to any and all.

“Masons say that the order is founded on the Bible—­that is, unlearned Masons say so.  Geo. Wingate Chase, in the Digest of Masonic Law, says:  ’The Jews, the Turks, each reject either the New Testament or the Old or both, and yet we see no good reasons why they should not be made Masons.  In fact, Blue Lodge [first three degrees] Masonry has nothing whatever to do with the Bible.  It is not founded on the Bible.  If it were, it would not be Masonry; it would be something else.’

“Sickles says in speaking of the third, or Master Mason’s degree, ’There are characters impressed upon it which can not be mistaken. It is thoroughly Egyptian.’  He further says that the tradition is older by a thousand years than Solomon.  ’That our [Masonic] rites embrace all the possible circumstances of man, moral, social, and spiritual, and have a meaning high as the heavens, broad as the universe, and profound as eternity.’  Sickles in Gen. Chiman Rezon.