On the Order of the Illuminati

Illustrious, and the Sublime These terms refer to the "Illustre" and "Sublime Philosophe" degrees mentioned on the previous page. had been accepted. Around the year 1762, a major change occurred among the Freemasons in Germany, as they removed all French degrees indiscriminately from Masonry. After the level of Master, they permitted only the Scottish Master original: "Maitre Ecoffais" to remain (which was, however, different from the Scottish Master of St. Andrew) and introduced the Order of the Temple A degree claiming direct descent from the medieval Knights Templar. upon it. This system was called the Strict Observance and all others the Lax Observance. It spread widely and sustained itself for several years, in which prospects of personal interest played the greatest part; but since these interests were not fulfilled, and because one primarily missed scientific secrets—or at least the hope of possessing them, with which every Freemason was otherwise flattered from his first entry into the Order—in this system, it soon began to falter.

A large number thus left the Strict Observance and introduced the Freemasonry customary in Sweden The "Swedish Rite," which is still practiced today and remains explicitly Christian in character., which still pointed toward scientific secrets. In this rite, they followed the Scottish Master not only with the Knight Templar, but also a level called the Confidants of St. John. Others sought magic and Kabbalah original: "Cabbala"; a form of Jewish mysticism often adapted by Christian occultists during the Enlightenment. in their Order; others sought alchemy, to which latter group the so-called New Rosicrucians belonged, who combined the fanatical delusions original: "Schwärmereyen"; this term was often used in the 18th century to describe excessive religious or mystical enthusiasm. of the old Rosicrucians with Freemasonry. Besides these, there were also