That they may not be overpowered by numbers, many will become good [like you] of themselves, and will join your party. You will [thus] foon acquire fufficient force to bind the hands of your opponents, to fubjugate them, and stifle wickedness in embryo. Extend and multiply the children of light, until numbers and force shall throw power into our hands." Is it poffible to avoid recalling the words of the Prophecy to our minds, "He fhall cause them that dwell on the earth to make an image?" But let us proceed.

The leffons by which it is declared men must be taught how to attain the grand object of this Order," are to treat of morality, and of morality alone."-Let us now confider the definition of this morality, which is given in this discourse-" Nor is true morality any other than the art of teaching men to shake off their wardships, to attain the age of manhood, and thus to need neither princes nor governments.-No; man is not fo wicked as an arbitrary morality would make him appear; he is wicked be

• Thefe were the arts which effected the Revolution in Holland.

cause religion, the state, and bad example pervert him.-May our principles become the foundation of all morals! Let REASON at length be the religion of man, and the problem is folved P."-" The morality which is to perform this miracle, is not a morality of vain fubtleties.-It is not that morality which, degrading man, renders him careless of the goods (or bleffings) of this world; forbids him the enjoyment of the innocent pleasures of life, and infpires him with the hatred of his neighbour. It must not be a morality favouring the interefts only of its teachers; which prefcribes perfecution and intoleration; which militates against reason; which forbids the prudent use of the paffions; whofe virtues are no other than inaction, idlenefs, and the heaping up of riches on the flothful. Above all, it must not be that morality which, adding to the miferies of the miferable, throws them into a state of pufillanimity and despair, by the threats of hell, and the fear of

This preffing exhortation will enable the Reader to folve the problem of the altars, the worship, and the feftivals of Reafon, in the French Revolution; nor will they be any longer at a lofs to know from what loathsome den their fhameless goddess rofe. Barruel, vol. iii. p. 200.

devils. It muft, on the contrary, be that morality fo much difregarded and defaced at the present day of selfishness, and replete with heterogeneous principles. It must be a divine doctrine, fuch as Jefus taught to his difciples, and of which he gave the real interpretation in his fecret conferences."

Before we enter farther into this mystery of blafphemous iniquity, I fhall present the Reader with the following extracts as a more full explanation of this wonderworking morality.

Only that is fin which is ultimately productive of mischief.” “All things are lawful when taken in their proper connexion."

Every thing which is useful is an act of virtue. The fource of the paffions is pure; it is necessary that every one should be able to gratify his, within the bounds of virtue, and that our Order fhould furnish him with the means." But the whole will be found comprised in the following

Theory of Human Nature," according to the opinion of one of their teachers. "The leading propenfities of the human mind are three; instinctive liberty, instinctive activity, and instinctive love. If a man is ob

structed

ftructed in the exercife of any of thofe propenfities, he fuffers an injury. The bufinefs of a good education therefore is to teach us how they are to be enjoyed in the highest degree;" or, in other words, how he may reftored to the imprescriptible rights of man in a state of favage life.

a.

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Before we return to the difcourfe of the Hierophant, let us alfo read the account of this degree which is given in their private letters. "We must confider the ruling propenfities of every age in the world. At present the cheats and tricks of the priests have roufed all men against them, and against Christianity 9. But at the fame time, fuperftition and fanaticifm rule with unlimited dominion, and the understanding of man really seems to be going backwards. Our task therefore is doubled. We must give fuch an account of things, that fanatics shall not be alarmed, and that shall, notwithstanding, excite a fpirit of free enquiry.We must make the fecret doctrines of Chriftianity be received as the fecrets of genuine Free Masonry. But farther, we have to

See p. 124. of this Volume, concerning the origin of Infidelity.

deal with the defpotifm of Princes. This increases every day. But then, the fpirit of freedom breathes and fighs in every corner; and by the affiftance of hidden schools of wisdom, liberty and equality, the natural and imprescriptible rights of man, warm and glow in every breast.

We must We pro

therefore unite these extremes. ceed in this manner. Jefus Christ established no new religion; he would only fet Religion and Reason in their antient rights. For this purpose he would unite men in a common band. He would fit them for this, by spreading a juft morality, by enlightening the understanding, and by affifting the mind to shake off all prejudices. He would teach all men in the first place, to govern themfelves. Rulers would then be needlefs, and equality and liberty would take place without any revolution, by the natural and gentle operation of reason and expediency. This great teacher allows himself to explain every part of the Bible in conformity to these purposes; and he forbids all wrangling among his scholars, because every man may there find a reafonable application to his peculiar doctrines.—Let this be true or falfe, it does not fignify.This was a fimple religion, and it was fo far inspired; but

the