The year preceding 1821, Mr. Badger became a member of the fraternity of Masons, an institution which he always prized for its wisdom, morality and benevolence, and one in which he made superior advancement.[33] Not given to ultra rashness, he did not extol the institution beyond its evident merits when glory and influence were on its side, nor did the temporary storm that assailed it draw from him violent resistance, or concessions that could be construed into disesteem for the great designs, general rules and customs of Masonry. He not unfrequently gave public addresses to the Masonic community in his own State, occasionally assisted in the ceremonies of initiation and of progress in the Order, and in other States of the Union he sometimes gave addresses. Traces of writings are left, from 1821, that embody an effort to systematize the facts of history, and to retain what struck him as most important,--history relating to Egypt, Persia, Palestine, Rome, Arabia and China. But usually, such was the fulness of the active life of Mr. Badger, and of his reliance on the resources of his natural ability and experience, that he was not a close, laborious student, though he was never at a loss, when occasion required, in showing an accurate command of the substantial facts of history and of science bearing on the subject in hand. In 1822, in addition to his local labors, Mr. Badger visited Saybrook and Lyme, Connecticut, attended the United States General Conference holden at Greenville, Green County, N. Y., besides attending to several calls at a distance from home. I would here remark that a United States General Conference,[34] though its origin was rather informal, was at last a body composed of ministers and delegates from different local Conferences, that its object was to discuss and advise in relation to subjects of general interest to the cause in which the promoters of a liberal and an evangelical Christianity were engaged. It was not uncommon for them to discuss abstract themes of faith and church polity, for the purpose of gaining greater light in the multitude of counsel. Such convocations dictated no articles of faith, presented no formula of belief except the generally conceded revelations of God. In the annual meeting here named, held September 5, 6, 7, the second resolution adopted was, that Christian fellowship arises from satisfactory evidence of being born of the Spirit of God, and that it properly extends to all who walk after "the rule of Christ." This body, though in many things it proved useful, especially in its free discussion, was, by mutual agreement, finally dissolved at Milan, Dutchess County, N. Y., October 2, 1832, chiefly from the considerations that the wants it had met might now by other methods be more successfully reached, that it was inconvenient to assemble annually from parts so remote, and that in time it might outstrip its original intentions, and become a