Let us now return to the difcourfe of the Prefident. 66 Jefus Chrift, our Grand and ever-celebrated Mafter, appeared in an age when corruption was univerfal; in the midft of a people who from time immemorial had been fubjected to, and feverely felt the yoke of flavery; and who eagerly expected their deliverer, announced by the Prophets. Jefus appeared and taught the doctrine of Reafon'; to give greater efficacy to thefe doctrines, he formed then into a religion, and adopted the received traditions of the Jews. He prudently grafted his new fchool on their religion and their customs, which he made the vehicle of the effence and fecrets of his new doctrines. He did not felect fages for his new difciples, but ignorant men, chofen from the lowest elafs of the people, to fhew that his doctrine was made for all, and fuitable to every one's understanding; to fhow too, that the knowledge of the grand truths of reafon was not a privilege peculiar to the great. He does not teach the Jews alone, but all mankind, the means of acquiring their liberty by the obfervation of his precepts. He fupported his doctrines by an innocent life, and fealed them with his blood. His precepts for the falvation of the work are, fimply, the love of God and the love of our neighbour; he asks no more.-No-body

ever reduced and confolidated the bands of human fociety within their real limits as he did. No one was ever more intelligible to his hearers, or more prudently covered the fublime fignifications of his doctrine. No one indeed ever laid a furer foundation for liberty, than our Grand Mafter, Jefus of Nazareth. It is true, that on all occafions he carefully concealed the fublime meaning, and natural confequences of his doctrine; for he had a fecret doctrine, as is evident from more than one paffage of the Gofpel; To To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them that are without all things are done in parables. And their princes have power over them; but it is not fo among you, but whoever will be greater shall be your minifter.' If therefore the object of the fecret of Jefus which has been preserved by the inftitution of the myfteries, and clearly demonftrated both by the conduct and the difcourfes of this Divine Master, was to reinftate mankind in their original liberty and equality, and to prepare the means; how many things immediately appear clear and natural, which hitherto feemed to be contradictory and unintelligible! This explains in that fenfe Chrift was the Saviour and the Liberator of the world. Ilow the doctrine of original fins of

the

the fall of man, and of his regeneration can be understood. The fate of pure nature, of fallen or corrupt nature, and the ftate of grace, will no longer be a problem. Mankind, in quitting their state of nature, loft their dignity. In their civil fociety, and under their governments, they no longer live in the state of pure nature, but in that of fallen and corrupt nature. If the moderating of their paffions and the dimination of their wants, reinftate them in their primitive dignity, that will readily conftitute their redemption, and their fate of grace. It is to this point that morality, and the most perfect of all morality, that of Jefus, leads mankind. When at length this doctrine shall be generalized throughout the world, the reign of the good and of the elect shall be established.”—This difcourfe requires no comment; but suffer me to afk, whether it be poffible to imagine a more exact fulfilment of the Prophecy, as far as relates to the defcription of the fecond Beaft?

The extreme importance of the fubject must be my apology for multiplying proofs. In one of their rituals, the Master's degree is made typical of the death of Jefus Chrift, "the Preacher of Brotherly Love." But in the next step it is fhewn to have been Reafor that has been destroyed and entombed; and

the

the Master in this degree; "the Sublime Philofophe, occafions this difcovery of the place where the body is hid.Reason rises again, Superstition and Tyranny, disappear, and man becomes free and happy." We must gradually" fays Weishaupt, explain away all our preparatory pious fraud; and when per sons of difcernment find fault, we must desire them to confider the end of our labours; we must unfold from history and other writings, the origin and fabrication of all religious lies whatever and then give: a critical history of our order. But: I cannot but laugh when I think of the ready reception which all this has met with from the grave and learned divines of Germany and of England: and I wonder how their Williams failed, when he attempted to establish a deiftical worship in London; for I am certain it must have been acceptable to that learned and free people. But they had not the enlightening of our days. What the diflory was to be which was to unfold the " origin of all religious lies," we may fee from the following sketch aseg vroolsM lo qd long all

2903

He read lectures in Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, in the years 1776, and 1777, which were afterwards publifhed. The firft point he endeavoured to eftablish was, that he was not infane !!! See Monthly infane!!! Reviews Jam 108ens bas su stod eviver L

in a letter from Weishaupt. "Nothing would be more profitable to us than a right history of mankind. Defpotifm has robbed them of their liberty. How can the weak obtain protection? Only by union; but this is rare. Nothing can bring this about but bidden focieties. There may be fome disturbance; but by and by the unequal will become equal; and after the ftorm all will be calm. CAN THE UNHAPPY CONSEQUENCES REMAIN, WHEN THE CAUSES OF DISSENTION ARE REMOVED ? Rouse yourselves therefore, O men! affert your rights! and then will reafon rule with unperceived fway; and all shall be happy. Morality will perform all this; and morality is the fruit of Illumination; duties and rights are reciprocal. Where Octavius has no right, Cato owes him no duty. Illumination fhews us our rights, and morality follows; that morality which teaches us to be of age, to be out of wardship, to be full grown, and to walk without the leading-ftrings of kings and priests."

The pretended hiftory of Mafonry goes back to the deluge, recapitulates the pretended, views of Chrift, the decline of Mafonry, and. the honour referved to Illuminifm, to preferve and revive these true and antient myfteries,