ILLUMINATI. 
5B7 
art in concealing their real objects, and their incredible industry and 
astonishing exertions in making converts ; of the absolute despotism 
and complete system of espionage established throughout the order ; 
of its different degrees of Novices, Minervals, Minor anil Major Illu- 
minees, Epopts or Priests, Regents, Magi, and Man-kings; of the 
Recruiters or Insinuators, with their various subtle methods of insi- 
nuating into all characters and companies ; of the blind obedience 
exacted of the novices ; and the absolute power of life and death 
assumed by the order, and conceded by the novices ; of the dictionary, 
geography, kalendar, and cipher of the order; of the new names as- 
sumed by the members, such as Spartacus by Weishaupt, because he 
pretended to wage war against oppressors; Cato, by Zwack; Ajax, by 
Massenhausen, &c.; of the Minerval academy and library ; of the ques- 
tions proposed to the candidates for degrees, and the various ceremo- 
nies of admission to each ; of the pretended morality, but real blasphe- 
mies and absolute atheism, of the founder and his tried friends. 
Such of our readers as wish to be fully informed of these matters, we 
must refer to Abbe Barruel’s works, and to Professor Robison’s Proof 
of a Conspiracy against all Religions and Governments of Europe. 
But while we give full credit to the general facts related in these 
works, we cannot help expressing some doubts about the ultimate 
object of Dr. Weishaupt and his associates in this conspiracy. That 
men of their principles should secretly conspire to overthrow most of the 
religions and governments at present in Europe, is by no means incre- 
dible ; that they should even prevail on many well-meaning philan- 
thropists, who are no enemies to rational religion or good government, 
to join them, is very credible ; for it would be paying a poor compli- 
ment to our own constitution in church and state, were w^e not to 
acknowledge, that most of the other governments and religions in Eu- 
rope are so full of despotism and superstition, that no true friend of 
mankind would regret their overthrow, could it be accomplished with- 
out bloodshed ; but that a set of men of learning and abilities, such 
as Weishaupt and his associates are allowed to be, should form a con- 
spiracy to overturn, and with more than gothic rage utterly abolish, 
the arts and sciences, and to restore the supposed original savage 
state of man, appears a phenomenon in the history of the human 
heart totally unaccountable. That the heart of man is deceitful 
above all things, and desperately wicked,” is a melancholy truth, which 
not scripture alone, but the history of mankind in all ages and na- 
tions affords full proof of, as well as the shocking history of the 
Illuminati ; but while pride and vanity have a place in the human heart, 
to say nothing of our other passions, which are more or less interested 
in the preservation of the discoveries and the improvements in 
arts, sciences, and their inseparable concomitant luxury, we are per- 
suaded no man, or body of men, who have enjoyed the sweets of 
civilized life, ever formed a serious wish for the total abolition of the 
arts and sciences. In the fury and rage of war, Goths, Vandals, and 
Turks may burn and destroy monuments of art and repositories of 
science ; but when wars are over, instead of returning to the savage 
state, the barbarous conqueror, mix and amalgamate with the conquer- 
ed, and become themselves more or less civilized. 
