time when the world was in the utmost disorder, and among a people
who for ages had groaned under the yoke of bondage. He taught them
the lessons of Reason. To be more effective, he took in the aid of
Religion--of opinions which were current--and, in _a very clever
manner_, he combined his secret doctrines with the popular religion,
and with the customs which lay to his hand. In these he wrapped up
his lessons--he taught by parables. Never did any prophet lead men
so easily and so securely along the road of liberty. He concealed
the precious meaning and consequences of his doctrines; but fully
disclosed them to a chosen few. He speaks of a kingdom of the
upright and faithful; his Father's kingdom, whose children we also
are. Let us only take Liberty and Equality as the great aim of his
doctrines, and Morality as the way to attain it, and every thing in
the New Testament will be comprehensible; and Jesus will appear as
the Redeemer of slaves. Man is fallen from the condition of Liberty
and Equality, the STATE OF PURE NATURE. He is under subordination
and civil bondage, arising from the vices of man. This is the FALL,
and ORIGINAL SIN. The KINGDOM OF GRACE is that restoration which may
be brought about by Illumination and a just Morality. This is the
NEW BIRTH. When man lives under government, he is fallen, his worth
is gone, and his nature tarnished. By subduing our passions, or
limiting their cravings, we may recover a great deal of our original
worth, and live in a state of grace. This is the redemption of
men--this is accomplished by Morality; and when this is spread over
the world, we have THE KINGDOM OF THE JUST.
"But, alas! the task of self-formation was too hard for the subjects
of the Roman empire, corrupted by every species of profligacy. A
chosen few received the doctrines in secret, and they have been
handed down to us (but frequently almost buried under rubbish of
man's invention) by the Free Masons. These three conditions of human
society are expressed by the rough, the split, and the polished
stone. The rough stone, and the one that is split, express our
condition under civil government; rough by every fretting inequality
of condition; and split, since we are no longer one family; and
are farther divided by differences of government, rank property,
and religion; but when reunited in one family, we are represented
by the polished stone. G. is Grace; the Flaming Star is the Torch
of Reason. Those who possess this knowledge are indeed ILLUMINATI.
Hiram is our fictitious Grand Master, slain for the REDEMPTION OF
SLAVES; the Nine Masters are the Founders of the Order. Free Masonry
is a Royal Art, inasmuch as it teaches us to walk without trammels,
and to govern ourselves."
Reader, are you not curious to learn something of this all-powerful
morality, so operative on the heart of the truly illuminated--of
this _disciplina arcani_, entrusted only to the chosen few,
and handed down to Professor Weishaupt, to Spartacus, and his
associates, who have cleared it of the rubbish heaped on it by the
dim-sighted Masons, and now beaming in its native lustre on the
minds of the _Areopagitæ_? The teachers of ordinary Christianity
have been labouring for almost 2000 years, with the New Testament in
their hands; many of them with great address, and many, I believe,
with honest zeal. But alas! they cannot produce such wonderful
and certain effects, (for observe, that Weishaupt repeatedly
assures us that his means are certain,) probably for want of this
_disciplina arcani_, of whose efficacy so much is said. Most
fortunately, Spartacus has given us a brilliant specimen of the
ethics which illuminated himself on a trying occasion, where an
ordinary Christian would have been much perplexed, or would have
taken a road widely different from that of this illustrious apostle
of light. And seeing that several of the _Areopagitæ_ co-operated
in the transaction, and that it was carefully concealed from the
profane and dim-sighted world, we can have no doubt but that it was
conducted according to the _disciplina arcani_ of Illumination. I
shall give it in his own words.
_Spartacus to Marius, September 1783._
"I am now in the most embarrassing situation; it robs me of
all rest, and makes me unfit for every thing. I am in danger
of losing at once my honour and my reputation, by which I have
long had such influence. What think you?--my sister-in-law is
with child. I have sent her to Euriphon, and am endeavouring to
procure a marriage-licence from Rome. How much depends on this
uncertainty--and there is not a moment to lose. Should I fail,
what is to be done? What a return do I make by this to a person to
whom I am so much obliged!" (We shall see the probable meaning of
this exclamation by and by). "We have tried every method in our
power to destroy the child; and I hope she is determined on every
thing--even d----." (Can this mean death?) "But alas! Euriphon
is, I fear, too timid," (alas! poor woman, thou art now under the
_disciplina arcani_,) "and I see no other expedient. Could I be
but assured of the silence of Celsus, (a physician at Ingolstadt,)
he _can_ relieve me, and he _promised me as much_ three years ago.
Do speak to him, if you think he will be staunch. I would not let
Cato" (his dearest friend, and his chief or only confident in the
scheme of Illumination) "know it yet, because the affair in other
respects requires his whole friendship." (Cato had all the pretty
receipts.) "Could you but help me out of this distress, you would
give me life, honour, and peace, _and strength to work again in the
great cause_. If you cannot, be assured I will venture on the most
desperate stroke," (poor sister!) "for it is fixed.--I will not lose
my honour. I cannot conceive what devil has made me go astray--_me
who have always been so careful on such occasions_. As yet all is
quiet, and none know of it but you and Euriphon. Were it but time to
undertake any thing--but alas! it is the fourth month. Those damned
priests too--for the action is so criminally accounted by them, and
scandalises the blood. This makes the utmost efforts and the most
desperate measures absolutely necessary."
It will throw some light on this transaction if we read a letter
from Spartacus to Cato about this time.
"One thing more, my dearest friend--Would it be agreeable to you to
have me for a brother-in-law? If this should be agreeable, and if
it can be brought about without prejudice to my honour, as I hope
it may, I am not without hopes that the connection may take place.
But in the mean time keep it a secret, and only give me permission
to enter into correspondence on the subject with the good lady, to
whom I beg you will offer my respectful compliments, and I will
explain myself more fully to you by word of mouth, and tell you my
whole situation. But I repeat it--the thing must be gone about with
address and caution. I would not for all the world deceive a person
who certainly has not deserved so of me."
What interpretation can be put on this? Cato seems to be brother to
the poor woman--he was unwittingly to furnish the drugs, and he was
to be dealt with about consenting to a marriage, which could not
be altogether agreeable to him, since it required a dispensation,
she being already the sister-in-law of Weishaupt, either the sister
of his former wife, or the widow of a deceased brother. Or perhaps
Spartacus really wishes to marry Cato's sister, a different person
from the poor woman in the straw; and he conceals this adventure
from his trusty friend Cato, till he sees what becomes of it. The
child may perhaps be got rid of, and then Spartacus is a free man.
There is a letter to Cato, thanking him for his friendship in the
affair of the child--but it gives no light. I meet with another
account, that the sister of Zwack threw herself from the top of a
tower, and beat out her brains. But it is not said that it was an
only sister; if it was, the probability is, that Spartacus had paid
his addresses to her, and succeeded, and that the subsequent affair
of his marriage with his sister-in-law, or something worse, broke
her heart. This seems the best account of the matter. For Hertel
(Marius) writes to Zwack in November 1782: "Spartacus is this day
gone home, but has left his sister-in-law pregnant behind (this is
from Bassus Hoff). About the new year he hopes to be made merry by a
----, who will be before all kings and princes--a young Spartacus.
The Pope also will respect him, and legitimate him before the time."
Now, vulgar Christian, compare this with the former declaration of
Weishaupt, where he appeals to the tenor of his former life, which
had been so severely scrutinised, without diminishing his high
reputation and great influence, and his ignorance and abhorrence
of all those things found in Cato's repositories. You see this
was a surprise--he had formerly proceeded cautiously--"He is the
best man," says Spartacus, "who best conceals his faults."--He was
disappointed by Celsus, _who had promised him his assistance on such
occasions_ three years ago, during all which time he had been busy
in "forming himself." How far he has advanced, the reader may judge.
One is curious to know what became of the poor woman: she was
afterwards taken to the house of Baron Bassus; but here the foolish
woman, for want of that courage which Illumination and the bright
prospect of eternal sleep should have produced, took fright at the
_disciplini arcani_, left the house, and in the hidden society of
a midwife and nurse brought forth a young Spartacus, who now lives
to thank his father for his endeavours to murder him. A "_damned
priest_," the good Bishop of Freyfingen, knowing the cogent reasons,
procured the dispensation, and Spartacus was obliged, like another
dim-sighted mortal, to marry her. The scandal was hushed, and would
not have been discovered had it not been for these private writings.
But Spartacus says "that when you think him sunk to the bottom, he
will spring up with double vigour." In a subsequent work, called
_Short Amendment of my Plan_, he says, "If men were not habituated
to wicked manners, his letters would be their own justification."
He does not say that he is without fault; "but they are faults
of the understanding--not of the heart. He had, first of all, to
form himself; and this is a work of time." In the affair of his
sister-in-law he admits the facts, and the attempts to destroy the
child; "but this is far from proving any depravity of heart. In his
condition, his honour at stake, what else was left him to do? His
greatest enemies, the Jesuits, have taught that in such a case it
is lawful to make away with the child," and he quotes authorities
from their books.[7] "In the introductory fault he has the example
of the best of men. The second was its natural consequence, it was
altogether involuntary, and, in the eye of a philosophical judge"
(I presume of the Gallic School) "who does not square himself by
the harsh letters of a _blood-thirsty lawgiver_, he has but a very
trifling account to settle. He had become a public teacher, and was
greatly followed; this example _might have ruined many young men_.
The eyes of the Order also were fixed on him. The edifice rested
on his credit; had he fallen, _he could no longer have been in
a condition to treat the matters of virtue so as to make a lasting
impression_. It was chiefly his anxiety to support the credit of the
Order which determined him to take this step. It makes _for_ him,
but by no means _against_ him; and the persons who are most in fault
are the slavish inquisitors, who have published the transaction, in
order to make his character more remarkable, and to hurt the Order
through his person; and they have not scrupled, for this hellish
purpose, to stir up a child against his father!!!"
[7] This is flatly contradicted in a pamphlet by F. Stuttler, a
Catholic clergyman of most respectable character, who here exposes,
in the most incontrovertible manner, the impious plots of Weishaupt,
his total disregard to truth, his counterfeit antiques, and all his
lies against the Jesuits.
I make no reflections on this very remarkable, and highly useful
story, but content myself with saying, that this justification by
Weishaupt (which I have been careful to give in his own words) is
the greatest instance of effrontery and insult on the sentiments of
mankind that I have ever met with. We are all supposed as completely
corrupted as if we had lived under the full blaze of Illumination.
In other places of this curious correspondence we learn that Minos,
and others of the _Areopagitæ_, wanted to introduce Atheism at
once, and not go hedging in the manner they did; affirming it was
easier to shew at once that Atheism was friendly to society, than to
explain all their Masonic Christianity, which they were afterwards
to shew to be a bundle of lies. Indeed this purpose, of not only
abolishing Christianity, but all positive religion whatever, was
Weishaupt's favourite scheme from the beginning. Before he canvassed
for his Order, in 1774, he published a fictitious antique, which he
called _Sidonii Apollinarus Fragmenta_, to prepare (as he expressly
says in another place) mens minds for the doctrines of Reason,
which contains all the detestable doctrines of Robinet's book
_De la Nature_. The publication of the second part was stopped.
Weishaupt says in his APOLOGY FOR THE ILLUMINATI, that before 1780
he had retracted his opinions about Materialism, and about the
inexpediency of Princes. But this is false: Philo says expressly,
that every thing remained on its original footing in the whole
practice and dogmas of the Order when he quitted it in July 1784.
All this was concealed, and even the abominable Masonry, in the
account of the Order which Weishaupt published at Regensburg; and
it required the constant efforts of Philo to prevent bare or flat
Atheism from being uniformly taught in their degrees. He had told
the council that Zeno would not be under a roof with a man who
denied the immortality of the soul. He complains of Minos's cramming
irreligion down their throats in every meeting, and says, that he
frightened many from entering the Order. "Truth," says Philo, "is
a clever, but a modest girl, who must be led by the hand like a
gentlewoman, but not kicked about like a whore." Spartacus complains
much of the squeamishness of Philo; yet Philo is not a great deal
behind him in irreligion. When deferring to Cato the Christianity of
the Priest-degree, as he had manufactured it, he says, "It is all
one whether it be true or false, we must have it, that we may tickle
those who have a hankering for religion." All the odds seems to be,
that he was of a gentler disposition, and had more deference even
for the absurd prejudices of others. In one of his angry letters
to Cato he says: "The vanity and self-conceit of Spartacus would
have got the better of all prudence, had I not checked him, and
prevailed on the _Areopagitæ_ but to defer the developement of the
bold principles till we had firmly secured the man. I even wished
to entice the candidate the more by giving him back all his former
bonds of secrecy, and leaving him at liberty to walk out without
fear; and I am certain that they were, by this time, so engaged
that we should not have lost one man. But Spartacus had composed an
exhibition of his last principles, for a discourse of reception, in
which he painted his three favourite mysterious degrees, which were
to be conferred by him alone, in colours which had fascinated his
own fancy. But they were the colours of hell, and would have scared
the most intrepid; and because I represented the danger of this,
and by force obtained the omission of this picture, he became my
implacable enemy. I abhor treachery and profligacy, and leave him to
blow himself and his Order into the air."
Accordingly this happened. It was this which terrified one of the
four professors, and made him impart his doubts to the rest. Yet
Spartacus seems to have profited by the apprehensions of Philo; for
in the last reception, he, for the first time, exacts a bond from
the intrant, engaging himself for ever to the Order, and swearing
that he will never draw back. Thus admitted, he becomes a sure
card. The course of his life is in the hands of the Order, and his
thoughts on a thousand dangerous points; his reports concerning
his neighbours and friends; in short, his honour and his neck. The
Deist, thus led on, has not far to go before he becomes a Naturalist
or Atheist; and then the eternal sleep of death crowns all his
humble hopes.
Before giving an account of the higher degrees, I shall just extract
from one letter more on a singular subject.
_Minos to Sebastian_, 1782.
"The proposal of Hercules to establish a Minerval school for
girls is excellent, but requires much circumspection. Philo and I
have long conversed on this subject. We cannot improve the world
without improving women, who have such a mighty influence on the
men. But how shall we get hold of them? How will their relations,
particularly their mothers, immersed in prejudices, consent that
others shall influence their education? We must begin with grown
girls. Hercules proposes the wife of Ptolemy Magus. I have no
objection; and I have four step-daughters, fine girls. The oldest
in particular is excellent. She is twenty-four, has read much, is
above all prejudices, and in religion she thinks as I do. They have
much acquaintance among the young ladies their relations. (N. B.
We don't know the rank of Minos, but as he does not use the word
_Damen_, but _Frauenzimmer_, it is probable that it is not high.) It
may immediately be a very pretty Society, under the management of
Ptolemy's wife, but really under _his_ management. You must contrive
pretty degrees, and dresses, and ornaments, and elegant and decent
rituals. No man must be admitted. This will make them become more
keen, and they will go much farther than if we were present, or than
if they thought that we knew of their proceedings. Leave them to
the scope of their own fancies, and they will soon invent mysteries
which will put us to the blush, and create an enthusiasm which we
can never equal. They will be our great apostles. Reflect on the
respect, nay the awe and terror inspired by the female mystics of
antiquity. (Think of the Daniads--think of the Theban _Bacchantes_.)
Ptolemy's wife must direct them, and she will be instructed by
Ptolemy, and my step daughters will consult with me. We must always
be at hand to prevent the introduction of any improper question.
We must prepare themes for their discussion--thus we shall confess
them, and inspire them with our sentiments. No man however must come
near them. This will fire their roving fancies, and we may expect
rare mysteries. But I am doubtful whether this Association will be
durable. Women are fickle and impatient. Nothing will please them
but hurrying from degree to degree, through a heap of insignificant
ceremonies, which will soon lose their novelty and influence. To
rest seriously in one rank, and to be still and silent when they
have found out that the whole is a cheat, (hear the words of an
experienced Mason,) is a task of which they are incapable. They have
not our motives to persevere for years, allowing themselves to be
led about, and even then to hold their tongues when they find that
they have been deceived. Nay there is a risk that they may take
it into their heads to give things an opposite turn, and then, by
voluptuous allurements, heightened by affected modesty and decency,
which give them an irresistible empire over the best men, they may
turn our Order upside down, and in their turn will lead the new one."
Such is the information which may be got from the private
correspondence. It is needless to make more extracts of every kind
of vice and trick. I have taken such as shew a little of the plan of
the Order, as far as the degree of _Illuminatus Minor_, and the vile
purposes which are concealed under all their specious declamation.
A very minute account is given of the plan, the ritual, ceremonies,
&c. and even the instructions and discourses, in a book called the
_Achte Illuminat_, published at _Edessa_ (Frankfurt) in 1787. Philo
says, "that this is quite accurate, but that he does not know the
author." I proceed to give an account of their higher degrees,
as they are to be seen in the book called _Neueste Arbeitung des
Spartacus und Philo_. And the authenticity of the accounts is
attested by Grollman, a private gentleman of independent fortune,
who read them, signed and sealed by Spartacus and the _Areopagitæ_.
The series of ranks and progress of the pupil were arranged as
follows:
{ Preparation,
{ Novice,
NURSERY, {
{ Minerval,
{ Illumin. Minor.
{ { Apprentice,
{ _Symbolic_ { Fellow Craft,
{ { Master,
MASONRY, {
{ { _Illum. Major_, Scotch Novice
{ _Scotch_ {
{ { _Illum. dirigens_, Scotch Knight.
{ { Presbyter, Priest,
{ Lesser {
{ { Prince, Regent,
MYSTERIES, {
{ { _Magus_,
{ Greater {
{ { _Rex_.
The reader must be almost sick of so much villany, and would be
disgusted with the minute detail, in which the cant of the Order is
ringing continually in his ears. I shall therefore only give such
a short extract as may fix our notions of the object of the Order,
and the morality of the means employed for attaining it. We need not
go back to the lower degrees, and shall begin with the ILLUMINATUS
DIRIGENS, or SCOTCH KNIGHT.
After a short introduction, teaching us how the holy secret Chapter
of Scotch Knights is assembled, we have, I. Fuller accounts and
instructions relating to the whole. II. Instructions for the lower
classes of Masonry. III. Instructions relating to Mason Lodges in
general. IV. Account of a reception into this degree, with the bond
which each subscribes before he can be admitted. V. Concerning the
Solemn Chapter for reception. VI. Opening of the Chapter. VII.
Ritual of Reception, and the Oath. VIII. Shutting of the Chapter.
IX. _Agapé_, or Love-Feast. X. Ceremonies of the consecration of
the Chapter. Appendix A, Explanation of the Symbols of Free Masonry.
B, Catechism for the Scotch Knight. C, Secret Cypher.
In N^o I. it is said that the "chief study of the Scotch Knight is
to work on all men in such a way as is most insinuating. II. He must
endeavour to acquire the possession of considerable property. III.
In all Mason Lodges we must try secretly to get the upper hand.
The Masons do not know what Free-Masonry is, their high objects,
nor their highest Superiors, and should be directed by those who
will lead them along the right road. In preparing a candidate for
the degree of Scotch Knighthood, we must bring him into dilemmas
by ensnaring questions.--We must endeavour to get the disposal of
the money of the Lodges of the Free Masons, or at least take care
that it be applied to purposes favourable to our Order--but this
must be done in a way that shall not be remarked. Above all, we
must push forward with all our skill, the plan of Eclectic Masonry,
and for this purpose follow up the circular letter already sent to
all the Lodges with every thing that can increase their present
embarrassment." In the bond of N^o IV. the candidate binds himself
to "consider and treat the Illuminati as the Superiors of Free
Masonry, and endeavour in all the Mason Lodges which he frequents,
to have the Masonry of the Illuminated, and particularly the Scotch
Novitiate, introduced into the Lodge." (This is not very different
from the Masonry of the _Chevalier de l'Aigle_ of the Rosaic
Masonry, making the Master's degree a sort of commemoration of the
passion, but without giving that character to Christianity which is
peculiar to Illuminatism.) Jesus Christ is represented as the enemy
of superstitious observances, and the assertor of the Empire of
Reason and of Brotherly love, and his death and memory as dear to
mankind. This evidently paves the way for Weishaupt's Christianity.
The Scotch Knight also engages "to consider the Superiors of the
Order as the unknown Superiors of Free Masonry, and to contribute
all he can to their gradual union." In the Oath, N^o VII. the
candidate says, "I will never more be a flatterer of the great, I
will never be a lowly servant of princes; but I will strive with
spirit, and with address, for virtue, wisdom, and liberty. I will
powerfully oppose superstition, slander, and despotism; so that,
like a true son of the Order, I may serve the world. I will never
sacrifice the general good, and the happiness of the world, to my
private interest. I will boldly defend my brother against slander,
will follow out the traces of the pure and true Religion pointed out
to me in my instructions, and in the doctrines of Masonry; and will
faithfully report to my Superiors the progress I make therein."
When he gets the stroke which dubs him a Knight, the Preses says to
him, "Now prove thyself, by thy ability, equal to Kings, and never
from this time forward bow thy knee to one who is, like thyself but
a man."
N^o IX. is an account of the Love-Feast.
_1st_, There is a Table Lodge, opened as usual, but in virtue of the
ancient Master-word. Then it is said, "Let moderation, fortitude,
morality, and genuine love of the Brethren, with the overflowing of
innocent and careless mirth reign here." (This is almost verbatim
from Toland.)
_2d_, In the middle of a bye-table is a chalice, a pot of wine, an
empty plate, and a plate of unleavened bread--All is covered with a
green cloth.