CHAPTER LVIII. Illuminism in the Higher Degrees. The lips that with deceit abound, "Shall not maintain their triumph long."-Watts. AFTER ten years of mischievous action, this order was exposed by the discovery of some of their papers, in 1786, and in 1787, by the capture of all Philo-Knigge's correspondence, papers, receipts for deadly potions, sympathetic ink, a method of filling a bed-chamber with pestilential vapour, a receipt ad excitandum furorem uterinum,—many for procuring abortion; a dissertation on suicide; and a method of falsifying seals, with some hundreds forged upon princes, nobles, clergymen, merchants, &c. The counsels of mischief were in the hand writing of Zwack.* 66 These are the men of whom we learn by observing their manner, and doing just the contrary way. They glorified reason. My aim," says Weishaupt, " is to exalt reason." Reason was their code of laws, by which they thought to dispense with rulers and magistrates. Reason, too, was their religion, by which they reject divine revelation. Reason was their guide to prepare deadly potions, forge seals, and justify suicide. Nor will it ever do, my friend, to exalt reason independent on the word of God. Erect reason on that word to the heavens, and the work will stand secure: but the moment reason would stand by herself; would turn a deaf ear to thus saith the Lord; would refuse the precept, because she cannot admire its propriety; that moment reason runs mad: reader, she becomes no better than the Syrian, who in a rage exclaimed, "Are not Abana and Pharpar better than all the waters of Israel?" She becomes no better than those Jews, who, when Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am," took up stones to cast at him; she becomes an Illuminee. Trust her not an hour; correct her at once; for though she have not led you to villany, she has others, and watches for the stumbling of the just. Knigge also fell out with Weishaupt, and the correspondence connected with their quarrel is all published; "in which," says Professor Robison, "Weishaupt's superiority is very manifest." But Knigge, in the end, acted the part of state's evidence, and assisted to discover the papers, and elucidate the mysteries of the order, which was formally suppressed in Bavaria and Wirtemberg by the government. It is not so easy to suppress the principles of the order, nor to bind the activity of its members. These assume new forms with the facility of Free Masonry, and are active under a new organization. I hope the higher degrees of Masonry have no connexion with this corrupt association: those above the eighteenth of Dr. Dalcho. It is with pleasure I hear the Doctor say, "In New-York, the highest degree which is held at present, (A. D. 1803,) is the 18th." (Dalcho's Orations, p. 75.) Those above that degree have names of a fearful complexion, after this glance at the German school of Illuminees. The names of the first eighteen are as follows: 1. Entered Apprentice. 2. Fellow Craft. 3. Master Mason. 4. Secret Master. 5. Perfect Master. 12. Grand Master Architect. 13. Royal Arch. 14. Perfection. 15. Knight of the East. 16. Prince of Jerusalem. 17. Knight of the East and West. 18. Sovereign Prince of Rose Croix de Heroden. The remainder deserve particular notice. 19o. Grand Pontiff, i. e. High Priest. Weishaupt says of his: "You cannot conceive how much my degree of Priest is admired by our people. But what is the most extraordinary is, that several great protestant and reformed divines, who are of our order, really believe that that part of the discourse which alludes to religion, contains the true spirit and real sense of Christianity. Poor mortals! what could I not make you believe? Candidly I own to you, that I never thought of becoming the founder of a religion." Cross's Chart treats of the order of high priesthood from page 129 to page 167. These pages contain much to excite the reader's surprise; but I will quote only the scripture passages "made use of, during the ceremonies appertaining to this order." Whether it is solemn mockery thus to use them, every reader will judge for himself. "Gen. xiv. 12-24." From the 12th to the 17th verse, the account is given of Abraham's pursuing and overcoming the Assyrian conqueror, and recovering Lot and the other captives, with their goods. 17th v. "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him (after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him) at the valley of Shaveth, which is the king's dale. And Melchisedeck, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, [possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be the Most High God,] which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abram rich." (p. 130.) I cannot divest myself of the fear, that this account of Abraham's generous conduct is read in the ceremonies of the masonic order of high priesthood, for the insinuation of a belief that the masonic order has some mysterious connexion with the order of Melchisedeck. This fear is increased by the following, read during the same ceremonies. (Heb. vii. 1-6.) "For this king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, (who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all,) first being by interpretation King of Righteousness, and after that also, king of Salem, which is, King of Peace; without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but, made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And, verily, they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham." [Verse 17.] "For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedeck." [Verses 20, 21.] "And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made a priest. "For those priests (under the Levitical law) were made without an oath; but this with an oath, by him that said unto him, the Lord sware and will not repent; thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedeck.”—Cross's Chart, p. 132. F. M. Library, p. 257. Language applied by inspiration to the priest of the Most High God, and to the only begotten Son of God, is here perverted to hallow the High Priest of Free Masonry. Reader, tell me if the hand of Weishaupt is not in all this? There cannot be a doubt of it, except what arises from the pious men belonging to the masonic priesthood; and when they know that the crafty Weishaupt was merry at the reception his degrees met from the grave and learned divines of England and Germany, they will know what to do; they will make haste to clear their skirts of this perversion of the scriptures, and this defamation of the Lord, who alone is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck. "20°. Grand Master of all Symbolic Lodges." It was a part of Weishaupt's plan, " Make your inferiors believe, that all other secret societies, particularly that of Free Masonry, are secretly directed by us." (B. p. 204.) This order of grand masters may, or may not, have connexion with the plan of Weishaupt; but, certainly, it has none with the symbolic lodges of North America. "21°. Patriarch Noachite, or Chevalier Prussian." I am very sorry to suspect evil of any thing pretending to purity; probably this degree has an object better than that of introducing Weishaupt's patriarchal state, "when each father shall, like Abraham and the patriarchs, become the priest and absolute sovereign of his own family, and princes and nations shall disappear from the face of the earth, and that without any violence." "Or Prussian Chevalier," or knight. If this degree of Free Masonry has been rightly named Prussian, Frederick is certainly intended, and it is prudent to doubt its being founded in evangelical truth. "220. Prince of Libanus." "23°. Chief of the Tabernacle." "24°. Prince of the Tabernacle." The tabernacle was constructed by Moses for the covering of the ark of the covenant; it was the holy dwelling place of the Divine glory. It were better not to trifle with its sanctity, by constituting masonic chiefs and princes over it. "25°. Prince of Mercy." "260. Knight of the Brazen Serpent." |