blessed Doctrines in their native Lustre and Purity, as a Rule of Faith, and a guide of life and manners, to the end of time!

In the first place, then, I am to give some account* of the Authors of this New Philosophy, whose avowed object is to "extirpate the Christian Religion;" to which I will add some account of the Rise and Progress of their infamous labours.†

The chief Author and Father of this abominable Illuminati System (as he himself boasts) was Dr. ADAM WEISHAUPT, Professor of the Canon Law, in the University of Ingoldstadt, originally a Jesuit; but, on the abolition of their Order, he changed his views; and, from being their Pupil, became their most bitter Enemy, pretending to establish a new Order, which should go-t vern the world; struggling with the fallen Ex-Jesuits, and striving to persuade them that, under him and the New name of his Philosophy, they might regain their influence. He prevailed on some of them to join him; but they all retracted except two. He confesses to his friend Hertel, a Canon, his vile attempt to poison his Sister-in-law (the wife of Zwack, a lawyer) whom he had debauched, and who, he says, was four months gone with Child. He confirms this in a letter to Hertel, aforesaid, dated September 1783, where he confesses as follows, viz.

This account is chiefly abstracted from Professor Robison's Proofs of a Conspiracy: but to reduce and digest it, as collected by him, into a compass fit to make part of a Sermon of any moderate length, was a hard task. It cost me three or four weeks' labour; whereas so many days could seldom be allowed for preparing several of the Sermons on funeral and other urgent public occasions.

Robison is a learned, ingenious and elegant writer, and, it may be well believed, an honest one; but his copious materials must have been collected at different times, as he could procure books, and as other authentic documents chanced to fall in his way. I rejoice, however, that I have been able to come up to my own original idea of such an abstract for the purposes intended.

"I am in danger of losing my honour and my reputation by which I have long had such influence. What think you? My Sister-in-law is with Child-I have sent her to Euriphon-and am endeavouring to procure a marriage-licence from Rome. How much depends on this uncertainty?—there is not a moment to lose. Should I fail, what is to be done?-What a return do I make by this, to a person to whom I am so much obliged! We have tried every method in our power to destroy the child, and I hope she is determined on every thingeven d-. But alas Euriphon, is, I fear, too timid, and I see no other expedient. Could I but be assured of the silence of Celsus (a Physician at Ingolstadt,) he can relieve me; and he promised me as much three years ago. Do speak to him if you think he will be stanchCould you but help me out of this distress, you would give me Life, Honour and Peace, and Strength to workagain in the great cause. If you cannot, be assured I will venture on the most desperate Stroke, for it is fixedI will not lose my Honour. Honour. I cannot conceive what the devil has made me go astray-me who have always been so careful, on such occasions; as yet all is quiet, and none know of it but you and Euriphon. Were there but time to undertake any thing-but alas! it is the fourth month-These damned Priests too-the action is so criminally accounted by them-it makes the utmost efforts and the most desperate measures absolutely necessary The child may perhaps be got rid of-but as to the poor woman, four months gone with child, the sister of Zwack, then under disciplina Arcani-all is mystery and darkness." There is only an account that a sister of Zwack, whether the same or not, threw herself from the top of a tower, and beat out her brains. Thus far, as it concerns the particular philosophy of Weishaupt, the head of the Illuminati Society, in his confidential letters to some of his select friends.

Weishaupt seems astonished at his own success, and the rapid dispersion of his writings in Germany,

where, as Robison expresses it, the indelicate and coarse maw of the public is as ravenous, as the sensuality of the chiefs among the Illuminated, who really batten in the Epicurean Sty.

"O Man, Man! (exclaims Weishaupt) to what << mayest thou not be persuaded! Who would imagine "that I was to be the Founder of a New Religion? I "cannot but laugh when I think of the reception which "all these Religious lies have met with from the grave "and learned Divines of Germany and England." And elsewhere he boasts-" Had I fallen, My precious Order "would have fallen with me; the Order which is to bless "Mankind-I should not have again been able to speak "of Virtue, so as to make any lasting impression. My "example might have ruined many young men."

I proceed now, on the Second Head; which was to take some notice of their Principles, and the Doctrines taught in their Schools! And here Weishaupt will still be my great authority; whose principles indeed, are not always consistent with themselves; and, therefore, not easy to be digested into any regular system; but to be gleaned, as it were, from his various Letters, and a vain degrading Philosophy; impiously entombing Reason in Epicurean Sensuality-justifying Murders, Poisons and all manner of Iniquity; calling to its aid, as a Twincompanion, a gloomy Illuminati-gospel-a Gospel all over Darkness "Darkness visible"-without a Ray of Light, unless it be a Spark from Hell-teaching and declaring Death to be an Everlasting Sleep!

Its Teachers strive to introduce themselves into the Confidence of the world, by propagating Romantic Notions, and making Enthusiastic Declamations, on the hackneyed Topics of universal Citizenship, Liberty, Equality, and the like. Their primary efforts consist in striving after the Corruption of unguarded Youth. Weishaupt, in his famous, or rather infamous, letters to Zwack, Hertel, &c. laments the Fall of Vortreslich, a brother who was of vast use to the Order, having the direction of an eminent Seminary of young gentle

men! But having stolen a Gold and a Silver Watch and Ring from Brutus (Count Savioli;) Weishaupt begs 'Hertel's interest to get it restored " because Savioli frequented good company; and, although he did not care much for the Order, it seems they did not wish to give him a handle to speak against it. Some of Weishaupt's Lectures to the Youth run in the following strain, viz.

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"To unlearn every thing which they had learned "before, under Christian Parents and Tutors; and to to the Illuminati-schools, as Sheets of white "Paper; free from Prejudices, ready to receive from the "infallible Illuminati every new Impression, however "shocking at first view, to all our Native Ideas, and the "better Feelings stamped upon our Nature, by our "Great and benevolent Creator! They teach-That we 66 may employ, for what they call a Good Purpose, the "Means which the Wicked employ, for the worst; be66 cause the End sanctifies the Means; and the Prepon<< derancy of Good, in the ultimate Result, consecrates every Mean employed."

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"Rouse yourselves, therefore, O Men!" says he, " "sert your Rights, and then will Reason rule, with unper"ceived Sway; and all shall be happy. Morality, which is "the Fruit of Illumination, will perform all this. It will "teach us to be of Age; to be out of Wardenship; to "be Full-grown; and to walk, without the Leading"strings of PRIESTS and PRINCES!"

Robison, considering this Address of Weishaupt, to be intended for the Solace of his Illuminati Friends and Associates, especially those in France, exclaims (Dob. son's Edition, p. 123)" Happy country! Cradle of Illu"mination! where the Morning of Reason has dawned

dispelling the clouds of Monarchy and Christianity! "Happy country indeed, where the Babe has sucked the "Blood of the Unenlightened; and Murder! Fire! "Help! have been the Lullaby to sing it to Sleep!"

In the hand writing of Zwack, a description is said to have been found of their Strong Box; "which, if

"forced open, shall destroy its contents; and these, in“ter alia, are-Several Receipts for procuring Abor"tion-A Composition which blinds or kills, when "spurted in the Face-A Sheet, containing a receipt "for Sympathetic Ink-Tea for procuring Abortion"Herba quæ habent Qualitatem deleteream-A method "of filling a Bed-Chamber with Pestilential Vapours"How to take off Impressions of Seals, so as to use "them as Seals afterwards-A collection of some hun"dreds of such Impressions, with a List of their "owners; Princes, Nobles, Clergymen, Merchants, "&c.-A Receipt, ad excitandum Furorem Uterinum"A bitter Satire on all Religion; as also, a Dissertation "on Suicide, in the hand writing of Count Massen"hausen."

They speak also of "another secret Strong Box, "under one hundred Locks; and order that not a sin"gle Purpose that is ambiguous (or that may betray "their Aims against Religion and the State) shall ever "come in sight. It is taught that one must speak "sometimes one way, and sometimes another; but so "as never to contradict ourselves; in order that (with 66 respect to our true way of thinking) we may be im"penetrable*."

Such are their ETHICKS and speculative Moral System. We find their practical System no better. Witness their abominable Farce in the Church of Notre

Dame, at Paris! "A vile Strumpet was tricked out, "under the Semblance of a Divinity, as the object of "Worship for the Day; and the High Priest who, at "the Foot of the Altar, administered the Orgies, har"angued as follows-" I call you not to the Worship of "inanimate Idols! Behold here a Master-piece of Nature,

(lifting up the veil which concealed the naked Charms "of the beautiful Madame Barbier!) This sacred "Image should inflame all Hearts!"-And it did so— The people with one voice-(to be sure it was here the

* See Robison, p. 100, 114, &c.