The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-24
THE VIEWS OF SECRET SOCIETIES
Entertained by the U, r, Church Here and
Elsewhere,

EAAoWhuGpt
There was recently published state
ment to the effect that one George b
LAtimer, Of West Newton, Pa, was pub.
licly suspended from the membership oi
the First o, P. Church by Rev, ], S,
Gsryin, the pastor, for being q Free Ma.
son. This action, tho report went on TO
say, caused considerable comment on ac-
count OF some four Others, members OF
the same church, who are also members
Of secret societies, not being suspended
at the same time. Latlmsr, 60 It was re.
ported, promised when he Joined the
church to withdraw from Free Masonry,
but later on he took books and papers
pertaining to the order Of q public nature
to the pastor and eHdeRYored TO argue In
favor Of his remaining Msson,- He had
complaints lodged against others for be-
longing 10 secret societies, The societies
they belonged to were such "a the Knights
OF Honor, and their explanations that
they were simply life insurance societies
Rsd that they were no. Obliged to attend
the meetings unless they saw fit appeared
to be satisfactory to the Session when 1t
examined into the Complainta, The re.
port concluded with the statement that
thus 1t might be seen that the U. p,
Church was not antagonistic toward all
secret societies, as generally believed.
In order to learn just what the position
Of the United Presbyterian church Is In
this matter, believing that 1t was not gem
orally known that the church was opposed
TO secret societies, q reporter called on ths
Rev, DR.. J, T. Mcclure, pastor OF tho U,
P. church Of this city and showed him the
referred to.
DR., Mcclure pointed out the following
from the Testimony Of the United Presby.
tsTian church contained In the Articles OF
Faith, as showing the position taken by
the church at large with regard to secret
orders:
"IPs declare, That all associations,
whether formed for political or bsnevo.
lent purposes, which impose upon their
members an oath Of secrecy, or an obliga-
tion to obey code Of unknown laws, are
inconsistent with the genius and spirit OF
Christianity, and church members ought
not to have fellowship with such assoCia-
tions."
"At the time that was adopted" said
DR.. Mcclure, "the Masons and the Odd
Fellows, and the orders growing out Of
those orders, we're about the only secret
societies and that article Ia directed sspec.
tally against them, In these later days
other secret orders, euch as these life in.
suranCe societies have sprung up; l do not
know that tho samo objection would be
found with them that Ia with those have
named"
"What are those oblections2"
"There are two principal ones; one Is
their oath'bound seCreCy-but that Is not
the main one, although We ore very much
opposed to the oaths taken in secret II
YOU can imagine the play Of Hamlet with
Hamlet left out, perhaps you can imagine
Ohriatianity with Christ left out. The
main objection is that both tho Massns
and the Odd Fellows have iorms Of religion
in which Christ Is left out their Chaplains
are charged never to speak the name Of
Christ il Lodge, and that name is never
heard from any OF the members when in
the lodge room, Such forms Of re.
ligion lay the ground work for
more pernicious state Of .thinrg,
and we feel that the church
cannot, in justice to herself, over
look them. In our congregation here we
put liberal Interpretation, on this article.
A member ioining church, II he be q
member OF thse orders, Is only received on
solemnly promising that in case OF q con-
tliCt between the order and the church,
his influence aud aid shall be for the
church. Iu case one does not belong, he
is expected not to join after uniting with
the church. One cannot become an officer
in our churches II he belongs to secret
society"