I. " Arc our civil conditions in the world the defti-

" nations that feem to be the end of our nature, or the *^ purpofes for which man was placed on this earth, *^ or are they not ? Do ftates, civil obligations, popu- '^ lar religion, fulfil the intentions of men who eflablifh- ed them ? Do fecret afTociations promote inflruc- tion and true human happinefs, or are they the children of neceffity, of the multifarious wants, of unnatural conditions, or the inventions of vain and *^ cunnincT men r"
1. ^' What civil alTociation, what fcience do you think to the purpofe, and what are not V
3. " Has there ever been any other in the world, is there no other more fimple condition, and what do you think of it ?"
4. " Does it appear poffible, after having gone " through all the nonentities of our civil confticutions, ^' to recover for once our firft fimplicity, and get ^ back to this honourable uniformity ?*'
5. '' Hov/ can one begin this noble attempt 3 by means of open fupport, by forcible revolution, or by what other way ?"
6. "Does Chriftianity give us any hint to this pur- *' pofe ? Does it notrecos^nife fuch a blcffed condition ** as once the lot of m^an, and as ftill recoverable ?*'
7. *' But is this holy religion the religion that is '' now proftiTcd by any feet on earth, or is it a bet- *' ter ?"
8. " Can we learn this religion — -can the world, as it is, bear the hght ? Do you chink that it would be of fervice, before numerous obflaclts are removed,
f
1
144 "^^E ILLUMINATI. CHAP. II;
cc
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C6
if we taught men this purified religiorij lublime phi-
lofophy, and the art of governing themfelves ? Or
would not this hurt, by roufing the interefted pafTi-^
ons of men habituated to prejudices, who would op-
pofe this as wicked r"
cf, *^ May it not be more ad vi fable to do away thefe
" corruptions by little and little, in filence, and for
*' this purpofe to propagate thefe falutary and heart-
'^ confoling do6lrines in fecret ?''
lo. " Do we not perceive traces of fuch a fecret ^' doctrine in the ancient fchools of philofophy, in the *^ do6lrines and inflrudlions of the Bible, which Chrift, " the Redeemer and Deliverer of the human race, *' gave to his trully difciples ? — Do you not obfcrve " an education, proceeding by fteps of this kind, hand- " ed down to us from his time till the prefent ?"
In the ceremonial of Reception, crowns and fceptres are reprefented as tokens of human degradation. "The ^^ plan of operation, by which our higher degrees adl-, " mufl v/ork powerfully on the world, and mufl: give '^ another turn to all our prcfen: conftitutions."
Many other queftions are put to the pupil during his preparation, and his anfwers are given in writing. Some of thefe refcripts are to be found in the lecret correfpondence. Thus, '^ How far is the poficion true, *' that all thofe means may be ufed for a good purpofe '^ which the wicked have employed for a bad ?" And along with this qucflion there is an injundion to take counfel from the opinions and conduct oi the learned and worthy out of the fociety. In one of the anfvvtrs, the ex- ample of a great philofophcr and Cofmopoiite is adduced, who betrayed a private correfpondence entruiled to him, for the fervice of ntredom : the cafe was Do6lor Franklin's. In another, the power of the Order was extended to the putting the individual to death ; and the reafon given v/as, that " this power wa5 allowed
'' to

CHAP. II. THE ILLUMINATI. 1 45
*^ to all Sovereignties, for the good of the S:ate, an J ^* therefore belonged to the Order, which w.is.to go-
" vern the world." '^ N. B. Vv'e muj^ acquire thf*
*^ direction of education — of church-nianaf?emerrt — of the profeflorial chair, and of the rnilpit. We mud bring our opinions into falhion by every art— -fpread them among the people by the help of youn^i; wri- ters. We muft preach the warmcfl concern for hu- ^' rnanityj and make people indi^erent to all other relations, " We mud take care that our writers be well puffed, *^ and that the Reviewers do not depreciate them • *^ therefore we mud endeavour by every mean to gain *^ over the Reviewers and Journalids ; and we mud *' aifo try to gain the bookfcllers, who in time will fee ^' that it is their intered to fide wirh us."
I conclude this account of the degree of Prefbyter with remarking, that there were two copies of it Cin- ployed occafionally. In one of them all the mod of- fenlive things in refpe61; of church and dare were left out. The fame thing was done in the degree of Che- valier du Soleil of the French Mafonry. ■ I have feea three different forms.
In the Regent degree, the proceedings and indruc- tions arc conducted in the fame manner. Here, it is faid, '^ We mud as much as podible fele6t for this de- '^ gree perfons who are free, independent of all princes; *^ particularly fuch as have frequently declared them- ^^ felves difcontented with the ufual inditucions, and *' their widies to fee a better government eilablifiied." Catching quedions are put to the candidace for this degree ; fuch as,