Art. 16. The God of Nature, we hold as our God, has in no principle required us, through his wise construction of our component parts, to be in any manner driven by, or subject to man,—­that He, as a wise, intelligent being, created all mankind upon an equality, and that all men should so stand in regard to each other—­that no being was ever placed upon this earth to rule as monarch over others,—­and, therefore, that all monarchies, all governments, which are headed by rulers, such as kings, presidents, governors, &c., are unlawful in the sight of God, and unjust—­and that we, as men and Christians of the Holy Brotherhood, do hereby pledge ourselves, aye, do swear by all we hold sacred, that we will use all the cunning of our natures to put down all kingdoms, all governments which are ruled by crowned heads, presidents, or governors, or ruled by any principle of religion other than, nature—­and that all religion, priestcraft, &c., is unholy in the sight of the Most High God, and that He requires of us, as a paramount duty, that we labour zealously for its final extermination, to the glory of Him and the benefit of mankind here and hereafter.

Art. 17. We hold that the foregoing articles are wholly correct, and fully sanctioned by the God of Nature—­that whoever of our fraternity proves in anywise recreant to them is a traitor to us, to himself, and his God;—­that the candidate for membership, in view of this, does by this article most solemnly declare and avow that all the foregoing are according to his most unbiased views—­that such, and only such, he will ever support, nor shrink, nor waver from, nor expose the same, even in the agonies of death, on flood, or field, in prison, on the rack, scaffold, or feathered couch—­that he understands this fully, and all the bearings of it, with all of the foregoing, his name, which he deliberately, without compulsion, sets to this constitution, stands as lasting, undeniable proof—­that he has come to this solemn determination after calm, mature deliberation—­that he is over twenty-two years of age—­and, finally, that he is willing to go through with all the oaths and ceremonies which this band sees proper to impose; in proof whereof, he now repeats the following

     PRAYER.

Almighty and all-merciful God! the Great Author and Disposer of all beings!  I hereby pledge myself, in thy sight, to keep sacred the holy principles, one and all, which I this day have had set before and disclosed to me, by the Worthy Grand Master of the most ancient order under heaven—­known by the appellation of the Secret Band of Brothers—­and I pray thee, Almighty God! to watch the workings of my cultivated nature; and, Heavenly Father! keep me sane in mind, that I may always know the everlasting punishment which awaits me, if I prove recreant to the vows which I herewith do take upon me, with my own free will, in thy holy sight—­and I pray thee, Almighty God! should I prove false