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(page 102 thru 114)
We must not expect, on entering these secret chambers,
to find the veil which conceals the real designs
of the Illuminees wholly removed.
The terrifying impressions of the rope,
which Weishaupt was so conscious of meriting,
kept him much behind the curtain.
This induced him to divide his mysteries
into the lesser and the greater,
each of which have two departments,
one relating chiefly to Religion, and the other to Politics.
The first degree in the lesser mysteries is that of the ...
Epopt, or Priest.
As introductory to this degree,
several questions are proposed to the candidate, which imply,
that no religion, government, or civil association on earth,
corresponds with the wants of mankind;
and that secret societies are the safe,
and only effectual remedies to supply this defect.
He is asked, and the question merits the consideration
of those who ridicule the apprehension of danger from Illuminism,
"Have you any idea of secret societies;
of the rank they hold, or the parts they perform
in the events of this world?
Do you view them as insignificant and transient Meteors ?
O brother! God and Nature had their admirable ends in view,
and they make use of these secret societies as the only,
and as the indispensible,
means of conducting us thither.
These secret schools of philosophy
shall one day retrieve the fall of human nature,
and princes and nations shall disappear from the face of the earth,
and that without any violence.
Reason shall be the only book of laws,
the sole code of man."
The object of the secret of Jesus, he is told,
was to reinstate mankind in their original liberty and equality,
but that this secret was disclosed only to a few.
In proof of this he quotes these words of Christ.
"To you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God;
but to them that are without, all things are done in parables." *
* Mark, iv. 11.
This doctrine, the proselyte is then told,
is the origin of Masonry,
and the true explanation of its hieroglyphics.
The rough stone of Masonry,
is the symbol of the primitive state of man, savage, but free.
The stone split, represents the state of fallen nature,
of mankind divided according to their states, governments, or religions.
On this occasion the proselyte,
previous to his receiving the priestly unction,
is invested with a white tunic;
the sleeve is tied at the extremity and middle
with bandages of scarlet,
and he wears a broad silken belt of the same color.
This dress is particularly described,
because it was in a similar one that, during the French revolution,
a comedian appeared personally attacking Almightly God,
saying,
"No! thou dost not exist.
If thou hast power over the thunder bolts, grasp them;
aim them at the man who dares
set thee at defiance in the face of thy altars.
But no, I blaspheme thee, and I still live.
No, thou dost not exist." *
* Proofs, p. 145 to 151. Memoirs, Vol. III. Chap. 10.
The next degree in the lesser mysteries is that of the ...
Regent.
As preparatory to the introduction of the candidate to this degree,
he is brought to the lodge in the habit of a slave loaded with chains.
"It is inquired,
who reduced him to that most miserable of all conditions?
It is answered,
society, governments, the sciences, and false religion.
A voice from within denies him entrance,
declaring, that none but freemen can enter there.
His guide then answers for him,
that his will is to be free;
that he has been illuminated;
flies from his tyrants,
and seeks refuge among freemen."
It is needless to detail the hacknied sentiments
found in the instructions given on this occasion, as,
excepting the mode of expressing them,
they are very similar to those which have been already mentioned,
and which will be found in their private correspondence
less veiled in mystery.
One part of these instructions, however, arrests the attention,
which follows;
"The great strength of our order lies in its concealment;
let it never appear in any place in its own name,
but always covered by another name,
and another occupation.
None is fitter than the three lower degrees of Free Masonry;
the public is accustomed to it, expects little from it,
and therefore takes little notice of it.
Next to this, the form of a literary society
is best suited to our purposes."
Upon the admission of the Regent,
his former oaths and secrets are relinquished,
with an expression of entire confidence in his firmness;
and in return he gives the order an instrument, legally executed,
by which they are empowered, in case of his decease,
to claim any private papers
with which he may be entrusted. *
* Proofs, p. 151 to 154.
Memoirs, Vol. III. Ch. 11, 15.
Such were the lesser mysteries of the Illuminees.
Those which they term the greater, were likewise distinguished
into those of Majus, or Philosopher,
and Rex, or Man King.
These degrees were not found with the other writings;
and the cause appears in a letter from Spartacus (Weishaupt) to Cato,
in which, speaking of one of his higher degrees, he says,
"I never suffer it to go out of my hands.
It is of too serious an import."
Philo, (Knigge) who it seems assisted in forming the higher degrees,
writes to the same person;
"I have made use of such precaution
in the degrees of Epopt, and of Regent,
that I should not be afraid of conferring them on Kings or Popes,
provided they had undergone the proper previous trials.
In our last mysteries we have acknowledged this pious fraud." *
* Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. Chap. 12.
Dr. Robison here quotes the publisher
of the Neueste Arbitung, and Grollman;
and Abbe Barruel quotes Biederman, and a writer,
who had left his name with the editors of the Eudemonia,
(a Journal printed at Franckfort on the Main)
to be published if necessary,
who all profess to have read these degrees,
and unite in their testimony,
"that in the degree of Majus
the doctrines are the same with those of Spinoza,
where all is material.
God and the world are the same thing,
and all religions are represented as chimerical,
and the invention of ambitious men."
The second degree, or Rex, teaches,
"__ that every citizen, or householder is a sovereign, as in the Patriarchal state;
___that all authority, and all magistracy must be destroyed, and that
___democratic governments are not more consonant with nature than any others." *
* Proofs, p. 158. Mem. Vol. III. Ch. 12. and Note
The reader doubtless will remark the inconsistency
between these sentiments upon government,
and the attempt which Weihaupt was then making
to render the government of the Illuminees universal and absolute.
All that appears to remove this inconsistency,
is to be found under the degree of Regent,
where, in a series of questions, the candidate is led to say,
"That mankind ought to think themselves happy
in having superiors of tried merit; and who,
unknown to each other,
could not possibly support each other
in treasonable combinations against the general welfare;
and that, supposing despotism were to ensue,
it could not be dangerous in the hands of men,
who from the very first step
we took in the order...
taught us nothing but science, liberty and virtue." *
* Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. p. 133
Having thus traced the artful process
by which Weishaupt led his disciples to expect,
like the deluded parents of our race,
to become as Gods,
but which, in fact, was calculated
to deprive them of light, truth, and righteousness;
we here subjoin a brief view of the arrangement
and governmental regulations of the society.
At the head of the order, however extensive, is the ...
General;
to whom regular returns are to be made
of whatever relates to its general,
or more particular interests.
A constant communication and correspondence is to be preserved
between him and the Areopagites, or council of twelve,
who compose the next degree in the general government.
The General of the order is to be elected by this council,
and from their own number,
and to them only is he known,
except to such immediate confidents, agents, and secretaries
as he shall see fit to employ.
The business of this supreme council
is to receive the returns that are made,
and prepare them for the inspection of the General;
and they are particularly directed to
"project and examine plans to be adopted
for gradually enabling the society
to attack the enemy of reason and human nature, personally."
Next in office is the ...
National Director;
who sustains the same relation
to the Illuminees of a particular nation,
which the General does to the whole order.
The views of the society were not confined to one nation.
He too, as the General, has his council of twelve. *
* Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. Chap. 18.
Subordinate to him are the ...
Provincials,
who have the direction of the affairs of the order
in the several provinces.
The Provincial is empowered to assemble such regents of his province
as he shall choose to assist in council. *
* Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. Chap. 17.
The next in dignity,
though not in the direct line of the general arrangement,
is the ...
Dean.
He is chosen by the Epopts, and presides in their academy.
The...
Epopts, or Priests,
form a curious and important part in the general system.
From this class is formed an academy or chamber of science,
consisting of their most learned men in the various arts and sciences.
The persons composing this academy,
were to be supported by the funds of the society,
that they might devote their time
to the objects of their appointment.
All questions of difficulty proposed by any of the inferior degrees,
were required to be given in writing, to their immediate superiors,
and by them transmitted to the academy for solution;
from thence, in the same channel, the querist received his answer,
but from a source to him unknown.
The reader will observe the tendency of this institution
to promote the literary reputation of the order,
and to persuade the adept that he is connected
with the fountain head of science.
"The Occult Sciences,"
form one branch particularly recommended
to the attention of the academy,
under which is comprehended.
__ "The study of the oriental tongues,
__ and others little known;
__ secret methods of writing, and the art of decyphering;
__ the art of raising the seals of the letters of others,
__ and of preserving their own from similar practices;
__ the study of ancient and modern hieroglyphics,
__ of secret societies, masonic systems, &c. *
* Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. Chap. 14
Subordinate to the Provincial, in a direct line, we find the ...
Prefects,
each of which may have the inspection of eight lodges,
in whose meetings they are required to preside.
To these, principally, is entrusted the care
of the lower part of the edifice.
The regents alone are eligible to the above offices;
and those of this degree who have no particular appointments,
are charged with the general inspection of the lower orders,
and to study the advancement of the interests of the society
by all possible means.
A degree of supervisorship and inspection is likewise committed to
the Scotch Knights, and even to the
Major and Minor Illuminees,
over the Minerval, and other preparatory classes,
but at the same time
they themselve are under the constant inspection
of Prefects and Regents,
to whom alone the real views of the order are known. *
* Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. Chap. 16.
The instructions given to these several agents of Illuminism,
would serve greatly to unfold the art,
and discover the object, of the institution.
They are a compound
of whatever the highest machivelian policy could suggest,
to conceal, and yet advance the ends of the subtle projector,
and to acquire and maintain a tyrannical ascendency
'
over the minds of men;
but they are too numerous to be introduced here. *
* Ibid. p. 175-248.
Very just is the remark made by Professor Renner,
one of the deponents on the subject,
That the great strength of the order consists in its invisibility.
A brother may know the secrets of his class,
and those of an inferior one,
but all above him are entirely unknown;
unless his superiors have conferred on him the commision
of Director, Visitor, or Spy.
The chiefs, by this method, watch an inferior,
while they themselves are concealed;
they know how far he is devoted to the order,
and true to the secrets with which he is entrusted.
If he has doubts, to whom can he reveal them with confidence,
when the person to whom he commits himself,
may be one employed to sift him,
and who encourages his confidence only to betray him?
"An advantage still more important,
results from this concealment,
for should any one be disposed,
he is incapable of discovering the superiors of the order,
while they at the same time can give their support
to any of the accused without a suspicion, perhaps,
of being connected with them."
This invisibility, as they call it, of the real Illuminees,
it may be imagined excludes all communication
from the lower to the superior degrees;
whereas, in fact, any person belonging to the lower grades
may exhibit a complaint against his Instructor,
or ask any privilege of the Provincial, National, or General,
according to his standing,
while at the same time he remains wholly ignorant
of the person he addresses,
and even of the place of his residence.
Indeed, the inferiors of the order are required to make, in this way,
a monthly return to their invisible superiors,
of the conduct of those under their inspection,
and of whatever they conceive
materially interesting to the institution.
This curious correspondence is conducted in the following manner:
A letter, with the direction of Quibus Licet,,
i.e. to whom it belongs,
and marked with the sign of the class
of which the writer is a member,
is opened by the next superiors.
Those having the addition of Soli or Primo,
are conveyed to the Provincial, National, or General,
according to the rank of the writer,
and the direction which is given,
whether Soli or Primo.*
* Robison's Proofs, p. 177.
Barruel's Memoirs, Vol. III. p. 225. Vol. IV. p. 145 to 149.
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