I believe I was wrong about George Washington

[Michael37]

2 hours ago, Michael37 said:

This is not a live link but what a YouTube Search of "EX Mason Exposes the Satanic practices of Freemasonry" will produce.

I hour, 10 minutes, and 50 seconds in to the video George Washington is mentioned, including that he joined the Masons when he was a young army officer to get ahead but some years later walked away, and many years later renounced them.

[other one]

5 hours ago, Michael37 said:

About two decades ago I came across some excellent educational ministry sessions by Ex-Mason Bill Schnoebelen using the old acetate/ overhead projector combo. He joined them in 1975 already involved in esoteric orders and aware of the dangers, but later became a Christian and began a ministry speaking against Freemasonry and other deceptive fellowships.

This is not a live link but what a YouTube Search of "EX Mason Exposes the Satanic practices of Freemasonry" will produce.

He has written several books dealing with Satan's work on earth and how to deal with it.  I found his book on spiritual warfare to be helpful.

 

[BlindSeeker]

16 hours ago, other one said:

I'm also not sure it's worth the time involved in going through decades of Masonic study to find it.

Personally, I found the research very much worth my time. 

[other one]

11 minutes ago, BlindSeeker said:

Personally, I found the research very much worth my time. 

The first time yes I would agree, but to find exactly what you are asking I might have to re-read a half dozen books.  Most of that original reading started in the early 80s and stretched over 30 years.   Some comes from close family discussions that probably shouldn't have happened from their point of view.  Some comes from personal spiritual encounters while working on printers in their temples.

I might add that looking into the Masonic order was just a side trip on my overall quest.

[BlindSeeker]

16 minutes ago, other one said:

The first time yes I would agree, but to find exactly what you are asking I might have to re-read a half dozen books. 

That's about how many I bought to read out of public domain...

[BlindSeeker]

Here's a few testimonies - 

Testimony of Reverend Samuel H Coxe D.D., (Pastor of Laight Street Presbyterian Church NYC - 1829), received from a Dr. Hillyer, who had it directly from Dr. Timothy Johnes.

"It was on a morning of a week previous to the semiannual celebration of the Lord's Supper in the Presbyterian church, that Washington drove up to the home of Dr. Johnes. He left his handsome bay horse in charge of his mounted orderly, and with stately but heavy tread, ascended the steps of the front veranda and lifted the old-fashioned brass knocker on the door, whose short, distinct rap would gain him admission."

"I have the following anecdote," says Dr. Coxe, "from unquestionable authority. It has never, I think, been given to the public; but I received it from a venerable clergyman, who had it from the lips of the Rev. Dr. Jones [Johnes] himself. To all Christians, and to all Americans, it cannot fail to be acceptable:

"While the American army, under the command of Washington, lay en- camped at Morristown, New Jersey [winter of 1776-7], it occurred that the service of the communion [then observed semiannually only] was to be administered in the Presbyterian church of that village. In a morning of the previous week the General, after his accustomed inspection of the camp, visited the house of the Rev. Doctor Jones [Johnes], then pastor of the church, and, after the usual preliminaries, thus accosted him:

""Doctor, I understand that the Lord's Supper is to be celebrated with you next Sunday. I would learn if it accords with the canon of your church to admit communicants of another denomination?'

"The Doctor rejoined, 'Most certainly; ours is not the Presbyterian table, General, but the Lord's table; and we hence give the Lord's invitation to all his followers, of whatever name.' "The General replied, 'I am glad of it; that is as it ought to be; but, as I was not quite sure of the fact, I thought I would ascertain it from yourself, as I propose to join with you on that occasion. Though a member of the Church of England, I have no exclusive partialities. "The Doctor reassured him of a cordial welcome, and the General was found seated with the communicants the next Sabbath." 

 

 

Testimony of Mr. Asa Colton - Morriston March 26th 1836 

Rev. and Dear Sir,

Yours was duly received, and ought perhaps to have been sooner answered; but I have delayed a little hoping to make my statements the stronger by additional testimony.

I do not learn that any living wit- ness to the fact in question can be found in this vicinity, though it is believed there are such. I have called on Mr. Wm. Johnes, a son of Reverend Doctor Johnes, to whom you refer. By reason of his great age, he can say nothing upon the subject, but Mrs. Johnes, who is much younger, gives it as an unquestioned family tradition, that General Washington wrote the note in question, and partook of the sacrament as it has been commonly reported. Mrs. Johnes refers directly to her father-in-law, the Reverend Doctor Johnes. The family are still in possession of the orchard, and point out the very tree under which the sacrament was then administered, the church being at that time occupied as a hospital. The fact in question is regarded as certain by the older residents of the place, beyond all room for doubt.

It is thought by some, that the Reverend Doctor Richards, of Auburn Theological Seminary, New York, is in possession of the very note, writ- ten by General Washington to Doctor Johnes, relative to his admission to the communion.

Respectfully, Sir, I am truly yours,

Asa S. Coulton

 

TESTIMONY OF REV. JAMES RICHARDS, D. D.

 The following letter is from Dr. Richards, the gentleman referred to in the foregoing letter: Auburn, 14th of April, 1836.

"Dear Sir, Yours of the 5th has just been received. I can only say in reply, that I never saw the note to which you allude, but have no doubt that such a note was addressed by Washington to Doctor Johnes, of Morristown, on the occasion to which you refer. I became a resident in that town in the summer of 1794, while Doctor Johnes was still living-and was afterwards the regular pastor of that congregation for about fourteen years. The report that Washington did actually receive the communion from the hands of Doctor Johnes, was universally current during that period, and so far as I know, never contradicted. I have often heard it from the members of Doctor Johnes' family, while they added that a note was addressed by Washington to their father, requesting the privilege, and stating that though connected with the Episcopal Church, he felt a freedom and desire to commune with those of another name, if acceptable to them. Very often, too, have I heard this circumstance spoken of as evidence of that great man's liberality, as well as piety.

 There were hundreds at Morristown during the time of which I speak, who might, if the fact of Washington's receiving the communion there be true, have witnessed that fact, and who would not be slow to contradict it, on the supposition that it had not been witnessed by them or their friends. It is barely possible, that such a report might be put in circulation through error or mistake, and afterwards gain credit by time; but in my judgment in no degree probable, when all the circumstances of the case are duly considered. The family of Doctor Johnes, sons and daughters, were of mature age, and some of them active members of society, when this note is said to have been written, and the fact to which it related took place. It is scarcely possible that they should have been deceived; and their characters are too well known to suppose them willing to deceive others.

 Very respectfully yours,

James Richards. 

 

 

ANOTHER TESTIMONY - UN-NAMED

"It is the Sabbath. The congregation are assembled in an orchard, in a natural basin which Providence had made for them, to pay their homage to the Most High, and to commemorate the love of the Redeemer, even in the winter. Among their number is the commander-in-chief of the American army. With a willing and devout spirit he unites with the people of God in the ordinances of religion. After a solemn sermon from a venerable minister, a hymn is sung, and the invitation given to the members of sister churches to unite in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. A well-known military form rises in response to the invitation. With solemn dignity and Christian meekness he takes his seat with Christ's people and partakes of the bread and wine. It is Washington at the communion table."

 

TESTIMONY OF REV. O. L. KIRTLAND

The following letter of the Rev. O. L. Kirtland, who came to Morristown in 1837, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church at Morristown, who married into the family of the Rev. Dr. Johnes, was written to the editor of the Presbyterian Mag- azine in 1851.

    Rev. and Dear Brother:

The father of Mrs. Kirtland was the son of the Reverend Doctor Timo- thy Johnes-lived with him, and took care of him in his old age, and till his death-remained in the homestead of his father, and died there in his 83rd year, November, 1836. Mrs. Kirtland was born in the same house, and never had her home elsewhere till a short time since. She recollects very distinctly that she was accustomed to hear her father speak of the fact that the religions services of the congregation were conducted in the or- chard, in the rear of the house, whilst Washington was here during the Revolutionary War. This was one of the familiar facts often repeated during her early years. She has no doubt that a part of the familiar subject of the conversation of her father with the family, and with visitors, was that the communion which General Washington attended was held in the orchard.

In the orchard there is a natural basin several feet deep, and a few rods in diameter. The basin was formerly considerably deeper than at present, having been partly filled in the process of tilling ever since the Revolution. Mrs. Kirtland recollects that her father used to say, that when the people assembled for worship, they occupied the bottom of that basin for their place of meeting. The minister stood on one side of the basin, so as to be elevated above his congregation. The whole field inclines towards the morning and midday sun. The rising grounds in the rear would, to a great extent, shield the congregation from the usual winds of winter. Indeed, the basin was formerly so deep, that the wind from any direction would mainly pass over them.

A brother of Mrs. Kirtland, several years older than herself, and other members of the family, tell me that their recollections are distinct, and in harmony with hers, touching the meetings in the orchard, the communion, and the presence of Washington there.

John B. Johnes, M. D., now living in this place, and over sixty years of age, grandson of the old minister, and cousin of Mrs. Kirtland, recollects it as the familiar talk of his father, and also of his uncle, Mrs. Kirtland's father, that the religious services, whilst Washington was here, were in that orchard.

 

 

TESTIMONY OF CHARLOTTE MORRELL BRACKETT

 Here is an extract from a letter written May 19, 1902, by Charlotte Morrell Brackett, a great-great-granddaughter of Doctor Johnes:

 "It is not a matter of tradition only, but of pure authentic history-in fact, a part of the history of the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown, as it was the first pastor of the church, the Reverend Doctor Timothy Johnes (my great-great-grandfather), who administered the rite to Washington.... To me it has always been a matter of family history."

 

Why the Service was open air - 

 "There was a vast amount of sick- ness and suffering in the army; the smallpox prevailed fearfully, the Presbyterian and Baptist churches, and courthouse, were occupied as hospitals-the father of Mrs. Kirtland having, the latter part of the time, the supervision of the hospitals, so that there was no place for the meeting of the congregation, except in the open air."

 NOTE - In commemoration of this event the spot has been marked by a sundial, placed there by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

 

 

REMAINED STANDING DURING SERVICE

 

The Rev. O. L. Kirtland, in his letter to the ed- itor of the Presbyterian Magazine, also mentions the following interesting incident:

 

"Mrs. Scofield, wife of one of our lawyers, and granddaughter of a Mrs Ford, [120] whose name has been handed down to us fra- grant with piety, informs me that her grandmother used to tell her about attending the meetings in the or- chard. On one occasion, when the old lady was present, Washington was there sitting in his camp chair, brought in for the occasion. Dur- ing the service, a woman came into the congregation with a child in her arms; Washington arose from his chair and gave it to the woman with the child." [121] A writer in 1833 says that all the seats were occupied, and Washington remained standing throughout the whole service.

 

[Neighbor]

Hi as a practical matter, over a couple decades of directing funerals, I saw very few pastors from any sect of Christianity that would have anything to do with  Masonic lodge rites at a funeral service.

Often there would be a funeral or life service at a chapel or church with a pastor preacher clergy, and then separately masonic rites at the interment site.  

A masonic rite as a sole funeral rite is pretty brief, somewhat terse, and then is done.