y Brotherhood,
do hereby pledge ourselves, aye, do swear by all we hold sacred, that we
will use all the cunning of our natures to put down all kingdoms, all
governments which are ruled by crowned heads, presidents, or governors,
or ruled by any principle of religion other than, nature--and that all
religion, priestcraft, &c., is unholy in the sight of the Most High God,
and that He requires of us, as a paramount duty, that we labour
zealously for its final extermination, to the glory of Him and the
benefit of mankind here and hereafter.

_Art. 17._ We hold that the foregoing articles are wholly correct, and
fully sanctioned by the God of Nature--that whoever of our fraternity
proves in anywise recreant to them is a traitor to us, to himself, and
his God;--that the candidate for membership, in view of this, does by
this article most solemnly declare and avow that all the foregoing are
according to his most unbiased views--that such, and only such, he will
ever support, nor shrink, nor waver from, nor expose the same, even in
the agonies of death, on flood, or field, in prison, on the rack,
scaffold, or feathered couch--that he understands this fully, and all
the bearings of it, with all of the foregoing, his name, which he
deliberately, without compulsion, sets to this constitution, stands as
lasting, undeniable proof--that he has come to this solemn determination
after calm, mature deliberation--that he is over twenty-two years of
age--and, finally, that he is willing to go through with all the oaths
and ceremonies which this band sees proper to impose; in proof whereof,
he now repeats the following

PRAYER.

Almighty and all-merciful God! the Great Author and Disposer of all
beings! I hereby pledge myself, in thy sight, to keep sacred the
holy principles, one and all, which I this day have had set before
and disclosed to me, by the Worthy Grand Master of the most ancient
order under heaven--known by the appellation of the Secret Band of
Brothers--and I pray thee, Almighty God! to watch the workings of
my cultivated nature; and, Heavenly Father! keep me sane in mind,
that I may always know the everlasting punishment which awaits me,
if I prove recreant to the vows which I herewith do take upon me,
with my own free will, in thy holy sight--and I pray thee, Almighty
God! should I prove false to the vow or vows I now make, in
becoming a member of this H