The Mennonites have the same prohibition against joining the Masons. One of the reasons is that they oppose the taking of oaths. That being said, my g.g.g.g grandfather was Mennonite who died in 1854, and has an "A" like symbol on his tombstone that is very Masonic looking. I found the same symbol on another Mennonite and possibly Amish tombstone. I have never found an explanation of what that symbol meant, but it sure looks like a Masonic symbol to me. Bill Thomas -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Myers Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:03 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [BRE] Brethren doctrine and Free Masonry I am researching Jacob Z. Davis (1818-1896), a wealthy resident of San Francisco. I was under the impression that, although his ancestors were important factors in the history of the Germantown COB, he himself was not Brethren. However, there was reference in one of the newspaper articles that I've read to Jacob Z. Davis being a "Dunkard." So, now I'm a little unsure. I am sure that he belonged to the Free Masons, and was Grand Chamberlain of the San Francisco chapter. The Brethren Encyclopedia says that it was forbidden to join secret societies such as the Free Masons but goes on to say that there was a lot of debate about this as the memberships in various secret societies proliferated throughout the 1800's. Does anyone know how much of an impediment it would be to belonging to the COB in the 1850-1900 time period if a man were an officer in the Free Masons? Also, I should say that there would be a problem with Davis attending the Church, not only because of his Free Masonry, but also due to the fact that there don't appear to have been churches in Sacramento and San Francisco during his lifetime. Thanks. David Myers ____________________________________________________________ 57 Year Old Mom Looks 27! Mom Reveals $5 Wrinkle Trick That Has Angered Doctors! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4e0131ab3d63e62164m07vuc ------------------------ Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN ------------------------ Support Our Sponsoring Agency The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:[email protected] ------------------------ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message