Fritz Springmeier

THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTSSome men who have joined the Masonic Lodge are difficult to understand. LorenzoDow is one of these. Lorenzo Dow was solidly behind the Masonic belief system. 1 Hejoined the Freemasons in 1824. 2 Some of the things he wrote, sound like Universalism, 3but he wasn't really theologically a universalist. Most of the people he preached to didn'tunderstand where he was coming from either.Lorenzo Dow was the catalyst that caused Hugh Bourne and a friend William Clovesto establish the Primitive Methodists in 1811.Several denominations experienced primitive movements, for instance the PrimitiveBaptists.The idea of Primitivism goes back to Rosseau and Diderot's writings. (Both wereMasons.) There are parallels in Freud's Civilization and its Discontent and Spengler's Man& Technics.Nature is the norm. The world goes in cycles. And we are returning, that is recycling backinto another golden age. The Mason Thomas Paine encouraged this type of thinking. "Wehave it in our power to begin the world over again." 4 Indeed, Billington in his scholarlywork Fire in the Minds of Men, shows how the word revolution was coined by the occulticsecret societies because they believed that an upheaval would precede a revolving backto the conditions of an ancient golden age.Lorenzo Dow was sincere in bringing people to Christ—albeit his understanding ofChrist, which many considered heresy. He travelled almost non-stop for his lifetime, andlikely preached to more people in his life than anyone else in that time. 5He was called crazy by many. Some called him a mystic. 6 He was very keen onprophecy, and preached it a lot. He preached often on Paradise and Hell.During his non-stop travelling, Lorenzo Dow was a constant visitor to Masonic Lodges,to their chapters, and their commanderies, 7 yet his memoirs mention nothing about suchan important part of his life. There is not the slightest hint of involvement with theMasons, and in his memoirs there is but an offhand remark on page 122 about a lodgemeeting going on above him in a Tavern he was staying at while he was trying to sleep.Why is he silent about his involvement?The Primitive Methodist Church that was set up, had 12 permanent members whoruled. Later in 1846, 24 guardian representatives were selected and legally invested withthe Primitive Methodist Church's property. It wasn't until the next century that democraticprocedures began.What was the Primitive Methodist Church like when Russell's colpateurs found them?Apparently, the Masonic influence was strong. John Whittaker, a Primitive Methodistminister exposes the Masonic influence when he describes his denomination, "The desirefor latitudinarianism has wrought untold mischief in our Church. Theosophy,Swedenborianism, Unitarianism and even Agnosticism are rampant to-day within ourborders. It is time the Church was purged." 8In England, Charles T. Russell's preachers found the Primitive Methodists and FreeMethodists very friendly. Bro. J.B. Adamson in a letter reprinted in the WT in 1881 states"Found the Free Methodists very fair. The treatment better than I got anywhere else.Gave the pamphlet to sixteen preachers and one hundred of the most intelligent of thechurch membership." 9 It's possible some of the Primitive Methodists heard of the