secret associations in our land is one merely of degree. This
profanation of the word, name, and titles of God is certainly sinful
in itself, and very injurious in its effects. What kind of ideas of
God, and Christ, and heaven must persons have who conceive and think
of God under the figure of three triangles; of Christ and his
priesthood as symbolized by "the Most Excellent Grand High Priest,"
officiating amid the tomfooleries of Masonry and Odd-fellowship; and
of heaven as a Grand Lodge-room. What ideas of the Divine Majesty and
Glory must they have who are accustomed to give to the officers of a
secret association, and to men who are, perhaps, destitute of faith
and holiness, and who may be Jews, Turks, or infidels, as grand titles
as the Scriptures give to the God of heaven and the Savior of the
world. Besides it is very improper and sinful to give to mere men the
titles and glory which are due to God alone. We learn that it was
precisely for this sin that the Divine displeasure was visited upon
king Herod. On a certain occasion having put on his royal apparel, he
sat on his throne and made a public oration. The people who heard him
shouted and said, "_It is the voice of a God and not of a man; and
immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God
the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost_." (Acts
xii: 23.) It was for the same spirit of self-glorification that the
king of Babylon was punished with madness and disgrace. Nebuchadnezzar
walked in his palace, and said: "Is not this great Babylon, which I
have built for the house of my kingdom by the might of my power, and
for the honor of my majesty?" The same hour he was driven from men,
and did eat grass as oxen; and his body was wet with the dew of
heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails
like birds' claws. (Dan. iv: 30-33.)

2 [sic]. Another objectionable feature of many secret societies is,