Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe: carried on in the secret meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati, and reading societies.Robison, John
History
Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe: carried on in the secret meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati, and reading societies.
Robison, John
Freemasonry -- Early works to 1800; Illuminati -- Early works to 1800
This, however, was received with respect. We are apt to
smile at grave men's being satisfied with such coarse and scanty
fare. But it was of use, merely because it gave an ostensible
reason for resisting the despotism of the Lodges of Berlin. Several
respectable Lodges, particularly that of Frankfort on the Mayne,
that of Brunswick, that of Wetzlar, and the Royal York of Berlin,
resolutely adhered to the English system, and denied themselves all
the enjoyment of the French degrees, rather than acknowledge the
supremacy of the Rosaic Lodges of Berlin.
About the year 1764 a new revolution took place. An adventurer, who
called himself Johnson, and passed himself for an Englishman, but
who was really a German or Bohemian named Leucht, said that he was
ambassador from the Chapter of Knights Templars at Old Aberdeen
in Scotland, sent to teach the Germans what was true Masonry. He
pretended to transmute metals, and some of the Brethren declared
that they had seen him do it repeatedly. This reached Baron Hunde,
and brought back all his former enthusiasm. There is something very
dark in this part of the history; for in a little Johnson told his
partisans that the only point he had to inform them of was, that
Baron Hunde was the Grand Master of the 7th province of Masonry,
which included the whole of Germany, and the royal dominions of
Prussia. He showed them a map of the Masonic Empire arranged into
provinces, each of which had distinguishing emblems. These are
all taken from an old forgotten and insignificant book, _Typotii
Symbola Divina et Humana_, published in 1601. There is not the
least trace in this book either of Masonry of Templars, and the
emblems are taken out without the smallest ground of selection.
Some inconsistency with the former magnificent promises of Johnson
startled them at first, but they acquiesced and submitted to Baron
Hunde as Grand Master of Germany. Soon after Johnson turned out to
be a cheat, escaped, was taken, and put in prison, where he died.
Yet this seems not to have ruined the credit of Baron Hunde. He
erected Lodges, gave a few simple instructions, all in the system
of English Masonry, and promised, that when they had approved
themselves as good Masons, he would then impart the mighty secret.
After two or three years of noviciate, a convention was held at
Altenberg; and he told them that his whole secret was, _that
every true Mason was a Knight Templar_. They were astonished, and
disappointed; for they expected in general that he would teach them
the philosopher's stone, or ghost-raising, or magic. After much
discontent, falling out, and dispute, many Lodges united in this
system, made somewhat moderate and palatable, under the name of the
STRICT DISCIPLINARIANS, _Strickten Observanz_. It was acceptable to
many, because they insisted that they were really Knights, properly
consecrated, though without temporalities; and they seriously set
themselves about forming a fund which should secure the Order in a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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