Book On Freemasonry
Morgan attempted to join the Masonic lodge in Batavia but was denied admission. Angered by the rejection, Morgan said he was going to publish a book entitled Illustrations of Masonry, critical of the Freemasons and describing their secret degree work in great detail.
He said that a local newspaper publisher, David Cade Miller, had given him a sizable advance for the work. Miller is said to have received the entered apprentice degree (the first degree of Freemasonry), but had been stopped from advancement by the objection of one or more of the Batavia lodge members. This may have inspired him to support Morgan's work. Morgan had entered into a $500,000 penal bond with three men: Miller, John Davids (Morgan's landlord) and Russel Dyer.
Read more about this topic: William Morgan (anti-Mason)
Famous quotes containing the word book:
“A healthy man, with steady employment, as wood-chopping at fifty cents a cord, and a camp in the woods, will not be a good subject for Christianity. The New Testament may be a choice book to him on some, but not on all or most of his days. He will rather go a-fishing in his leisure hours. The Apostles, though they were fishers too, were of the solemn race of sea-fishers, and never trolled for pickerel on inland streams.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)