Stephen Knight died not long after his book,The Brotherhood, an exposé of Freemasonry was publicised. It was claimed he had a terminal illness, an illness he was supposedly aware of for about a year before his death. The peculiar thing about this terminal illness claim is that Stephen Knight spoke of a follow-up project to The Brotherhood. He mentioned in that publication that membership of Freemasonry can be an important factor to promotion in the Civil Service, especially to the ranks of Permanent Secretaries. And in some ministries, for example, Defence, it can be a distinct disadvantage not to be a Mason.
He said that the Masonic influence in the Civil Service warrants a book in itself and will command an entire section in further editions [of The Brotherhood] when more detailed research is completed.
Knight wrote in the appendix of The Brotherhood:
"In the end is the beginning. Although this first edition of The Brotherhood has reached its final paragraph, it represents barely a glimpse beneath the surface of Freemasonry in modern society. I am at the start of my investigations, which will continue, and future editions will not only look at the Brotherhood's influence in fields hardly touched on here - like education, the Civil Service, the Press, agriculture, science and many others - but will include further case histories, and any arguments either in favour of or against Masonry, which readers of this edition think relevant and cannot find here."
Hardly the words of a man who knew he had a terminal illness. Who knows: perhaps certain cabalists thought the arguments in favour of Masonry were a bit thin on the ground and could not come to terms with the so-called Masonic tenet of "Truth"; who knows? And perhaps their misguided understanding of brotherly love, as in most things, brought about the premature quietus of Srephen Knight.
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