PROOF THAT KING JAMES WAS NOT A FREEMASON

& THE 1611 KJV IS NOT A MASONIC BIBLE

 

Barbara Aho

December 22, 2014

 

Allegations that the King James Version is a Masonic bible and that King James was a Freemason are based on falsified evidence. A case in point is a You Tube video which begins with a Masonic profile of King James on the website of The Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. The profile references a History of the Ancient Masonic Lodge of Scoon and Perth, published in 1898, which cites a Mutual Agreement of 1658 which falsely states that King James was “entered Freemason and Fellowcraft of the Lodge of Scoon on 15 April 1601”:

Note that the citation for the History of the Ancient Masonic Lodge of Scoon and Perth states that “the Contract or Mutual Agreement is the only record of this initiation” and admits that “there is no primary source documentation” of this initiation. The aforementioned You Tube video does not scroll down the page so that viewers see the disclaimer.

“Note that the Contract or Mutual Agreement is the only record of this initiation, that this history was commissioned by the lodge to establish its claims of precedence, and there is no primary source documentation.” (James VI of Scotland)

The Contract or Mutual Agreement of 1658 stated that “King James the Sixt, of blessed memory...was (be the King’s own desire) entered ffrieman, meason, and fellowcraft. And during his lyftyme he mantayned the same as ane member of the Lodge off Scone...”

However, the next paragraph and its footnote contain the official disclaimer:

“Edward Macbean claims that the initiation of James VI, King of Scotland, is apocryphal, 2 and it must be noted that there is no primary source documentation... “2. 'The Master Masons to the Crown of Scotland,' Edward Macbean [Junior Warden of Quatuor Coronati Lodge]: '...we may remark that the reception of the Scottish King is generally considered apocryphal.' Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, vol. vii, London : 1894, p. 105.” (Contract or Mutual Agreement of 1658)

“Edward Macbean claims that the initiation of James VI, King of Scotland, is apocryphal...

“Edward Macbean [Junior Warden of Quatuor Coronati Lodge]: '...we may remark that the reception of the Scottish King is generally considered apocryphal.'”

apocryphal adj.

1. of doubtful authorship or authenticity.
2. false; spurious: untrue; counterfeit; fabricated; fictitious; made up

The disclaimer was written by Edward Macbean who was an officer of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, the premier lodge for Masonic research. The Quatuor Coronati Lodge is located in Freemason Hall, the venue of the United Grand Lodge of England, on 60 Great Queen Street, London.

“The Quatuor Coronati Lodge, warranted by the United Grand Lodge of England, is the premier lodge of Masonic research, having been founded in 1884.” (Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon)

“The United Grand Lodge of England is the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales with lodges in other, predominantly ex-British Empire and Commonwealth countries outside the United Kingdom. It claims to be the oldest Grand Lodge in the world, by descent from the first Grand Lodge formed in London in 1717. Together with the Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Grand Lodge of Scotland they are often referred to, by their members, as 'the home Grand Lodges' or 'the Home Constitutions'.” (Wikipedia)

The Quatuor Coronati Lodge was founded in 1884 with the intent “to replace the imaginative writing of earlier authors on the history of Freemasonry.” 

“The Lodge was founded in 1884 (consecrated 1886) by nine brethren* who were intent on using an evidence-based approach to the study of Masonic history and research into Freemasonry. This innovative approach was intended to replace the imaginative writings of earlier authors on the history of Freemasonry. This new style and approach was later to be referred to as the 'authentic school' of Masonic research.” (Quatuor Coronati Lodge)

In other words, “imaginative writings” such as the “Contract” or “Mutual Agreement” which was invented by Scottish Rite Masons to slander King James VI without a shred of source documentation, such as a Masonic certificate of initiation signed by King James.

The Quatuor Coronati Lodge regrets that “evidence-based” study is still sacrificed to the “imaginative writings” of Freemasons today, such as the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon's fictitious account of King James VI's initiation into Freemasonry.

“More than 120 years on and the Transactions are still being published annually, and indeed one could still argue that the ‘intellectual study’ of Freemasonry continues to be ‘sacrificed’ and that the need for a thoughtful approach to the study of Freemasonry is just as much needed today.” (Quatuor Coronati Founders)

If the King of England and Scotland had been initiated into Freemasonry, the Grand Lodge of England would have a record of it, which they do not. No doubt the United Grand Lodge of England was well aware of King James antipathy toward the occult societies, for he prosecuted witches and Rosicrucians, the precursors of the Masons in his day. King James’ personal writings also strongly refute the charge that he was a Freemason.

The Demonologie was a treatise written by King James in 1597, four years before he was falsely alleged to join the Masonic Lodge of Scoon and Perth in 1601. In his treatise, King James expressed his alarm over the spread of witchcraft in his beloved Scotland and his strong desire to inform and protect his subjects from the diabolical practices of witches—Magic, Necromancy, Sorcery, Witchcraft, and Conjuring Familiar Spirits. The following paragraph from the Preface of Daemonologie, written in the King’s English, reveals the tender heart of King James and his concern for the spiritual welfare of his subjects:

“The fearefull aboundinge at this time in this countrie, of these detestable slaves of the Devill, the Witches or enchanters, hath moved me (beloved reader) to dispatch in post, this following treatise of mine, not in any way (as I protest) to serve for a shew of my learning and ingine, but onely (mooved of conscience) to preasse thereby, so farre as I can, to resolve the doubting harts of many; both that such assaultes of Sathan are most certainly practized, and that the instrumentes thereof, merits most severely to be punished: against the damnable opinions of two principally in our age, whereof the one called SCOT an Englishman, is not ashamed in publike print to deny, that ther can be such a thing as Witch-craft: and so mainteines the old error of the Sadducees, in denying of spirits. The other called WIERUS, a German Phisition, sets out a publick apologie for all these crafts-folks, wherby, procuring for their impunitie, he plainely bewrayes himselfe to have bene one of that profession. And for to make this treatise the more pleasant and facill, I have put it in forme of dialogue, which I have divided into three bookes: The first speaking of Magie in general, and Necromancie in special. The second of Sorcerie and Witch-craft: and the thirde, conteines a discourse of all these kindes of spirits, and Spectres that appeares and trobles persones: together with a conclusion of the whol work. My intention in this labour, is only to prove two things, as I have already said: the one, that such divelish artes have bene and are. The other, what exact triale and severe punishment they merite: and therefore reason , what kinde of things are possible to be performed in these arts, and by what naturall causes they may be, not that I touch every particular thing of the Devil’s power, for that wer infinite: but onelie, to speak scholasticklie, (since this can not bee spoken in our language) I reason upon kind (genius) leaving appearance (species), and differences (differentia) to be comprehended therein.” (Daemonologie of King James VI of Scotland)

THE 1611 KING JAMES BIBLE

The goal of the vicious smear campaign against King James VI & I is to ultimately discredit the King James Version, or Authorised Version, of 1611 and by extension the King James Version in use today. One popular propaganda tool promotes the fiction that it is a Masonic bible because the genealogies in the 1611 King James Bible contain “Masonic handshakes.” 

Horror of All Horrors! Original 1611 King James Version Shows Masonic Handshakes All Throughout The Genealogies

“...these pagan Rosicrucians and Freemasons led by Sir Francis Bacon had their hands all over the original 1611 King James Bible. They took perfectly good text and added page after page after page of Rosicrucian artwork, some of which tells a hidden story, while others are just symbols. These Masonic handshakes are very real and very telling, for they tell the story that Bacon and King James conspired to produce a Rosicrucian masterpiece when they published this Bible...

“...Queen Elizabeth I and King James placed the power of the British Throne upon Bacon’s project to popularize the new Elizabethan English with a Bible which was covered with Satanic symbolism – it was a Bible meant to be a Rosicrucian masterpiece and undoubtedly meant to gradually move the entire population into the ‘Mystic Christianity’ of Rosicrucianism.” (David Bay, “Defending the KJV,” Cutting Edge Ministries)

A close look at these genealogies reveals that the so-called “Masonic handshakes” always link husbands and their wives. In fact, they are not Masonic handshakes at all but symbols traditionally found on tombstones which denote marital union.

“Hands are found on many gravestones...Handshakes may be farewells to earthly existence or may be clasped hands of a couple to be reunited in death as they were in life, their devotion to each other not destroyed by death.” (Tombstone Rubbings)

“If you look a little more closely, you will notice the sleeve attached to one hand is feminine, and the sleeve attached to the other hand is masculine. These hands, carved in this way, symbolize holy matrimony.” (Cemetery Symbolism: Clasped Hands)

The “clasped hands” in the 1611 genealogies show the marriages of the Biblical Patriarchs. Were they all Masons? Was Adam a Freemason and Eve a member of the Eastern Star?  Were Abraham, Sarah and Hagar Masons? Isaac and Rebecca? Jacob and his wives, Leah and Rebecca? Judah and Tamar? Joseph and Asenath? Moses and Zipporah? David, Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba? Naomi and Elimelech?  Boaz and Ruth? Hosea and Gomer?  Perhaps Joseph and Mary were Freemasons...  The allegation of “Masonic handshakes” in the 1611 KJV would be laughable if it were not accepted as true by so many Christians.

If King James was a Freemason who turned the 1611 KJV over to Rosicrucians for editing, why did he prosecute and execute occultists as criminals, write a treatise exposing the evils of witchcraft, and singlehandedly undermine the Rosicrucian conspiracy to take over the continent of Europe. Historical information setting the record straight on King James is available in our 4 part audio series:

“Did Francis Bacon Edit the King James Bible?”

Propaganda such as the previously mentioned You Tube video also deceptively compares verses in the KJV to modern versions without informing the audience that they are translated from two different Greek texts—the Textus Receptus (1516) from which all Reformation Bibles were translated and the 1881 New Greek Text of Westcott and Hort who were British occultists with an agenda to corrupt the English Bible. These facts are well documented in primary source documents, The Life and Letters of B.F. Westcott and The Life and Letters of F.H.A. Hort. This documentation is presented in the following reports:

“The 19th Century Occult Revival: The Legacy of Westcott & Hort”

“Another Bible, Another Gospel”

The doctrinal corruptions in modern versions are also documented:

“Tables of Comparison of Selected Scriptures Affecting Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith”

False teachers promote the modern bible translations which are based on a corrupted Greek Text compiled by two British occultists. Because the case for modern versions is dishonest and unsubstantiated by the facts, advocates must resort to defamatory lies about King James and the 1611 KJV. Their deceptive tactics and doctrinal revisions betray their hidden agenda to corrupt the Word of God.  As the translators of the 1611 Authorised Version wrote concerning the suppression of English Bibles translated from Textus Receptus, “This seemeth to argue a bad cause, or a bad conscience, or both”...

“Sure we are, that it is not he that hath good gold, that is afraid to bring it to the touchstone, but he that hath the counterfeit; ...neither is it the true man that shunneth the light, but the malefactor, lest his deeds should be reproved [John 3:20]: neither is it the plaindealing Merchant that is unwilling to have the weights, or the meteyard brought in place, but he that useth deceit.” (Translator's Preface)

This expose shows how Masonic propagandists conspire to deceive undiscerning Christians. For this reason, it is imperative that Christians not be quick to believe the persuasive words of men but do their own research of primary sources. Here a personal testimony seems germane to my point.

In 1994 I read New Age Bible Versions by Gail Riplinger and became aware of the doctrinal revisions in modern translations and a conspiracy to corrupt the Word of God. I also gave a copy to my father for Father’s Day. Upon reading it, he immediately made a trip to the main library and requested The Life and Letters of B.F. Westcott and The Life and Letters of F.H.A. Hort through interlibrary loan. He wanted to verify the documentation in the endnotes of New Age Bible Versions that B.F. Westcott and F.H.A. Hort were occultists with an agenda to corrupt the English Bible. After he confirmed that the citations from these sources in New Age Bible Versions were accurate, he proceeded to compare verses in his NIV with those in the KJV. Then he started a table of comparison of verses according to fundamental doctrines and added the English Revised Version, New American Standard Version and the New King James Version.

Dad then had a major heart attack and triple bypass surgery which prevented him from finishing his project. He asked me to finish it and, inspired by his resolve to "prove all things," I set out to finish his work. The result is “Another Bible, Another Gospel with Tables of Comparison of Selected Scriptures Affecting Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith.” I only regret that I did not think to verify the rest of Gail Riplinger’s documentation at the time. It wasn't until 2007 that my colleague, Jan Moser, and I discovered her falsification of many other sources in her books and also her hidden agenda— to replace the Greek Textus Receptus with the King James Version as the standard for all Bible translation. King James Only advocates need to be informed and beware of the deception that the KJV is divinely inspired and superior to the Greek Textus Receptus, which it is not:

“Shock & Awe in the King James Only Camp”

From this experience I learned to verify everything I read and not to trust the words and works of men. Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify,” however, I have learned to only trust the Lord to always speak the truth. Whatever man says must be verified in primary source documents, which is the reason for the multitude of references and footnotes on the Watch Unto Prayer website.

“...yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged...” Romans 3:4

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5

Because the deception of the last days is so powerful, even leading the elect astray, it is imperative that Christians pray that the Holy Spirit show them the truth about every spiritual matter. Instead of putting confidence in men or, God forbid, You Tube videos, take nothing for granted but examine all things and PRAY that the Holy Spirit will lead you into ALL TRUTH, which He has promised to do.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13