mere Freemasons, but only to
the Illuminati. Under the heading of "Higher Mysteries" Weishaupt
writes:

The man who is good for nothing better remains a Scottish Knight.
If he is, however, a particularly industrious co-ordinator
[_Sammler_], observer, worker, he becomes a Priest.... If there are
amongst these [Priests] high speculative intellects, they become
Magi. These collect and put in order the higher philosophical
system and work at the People's Religion, which the Order will
next give to the world. Should these high geniuses also be fit to
rule the world, they become Regents. This is the last degree.[553]

Philo (the Baron von Knigge) also throws an interesting light on the
religious designs of the Illuminati. In a letter to Cato he explains the
necessity of devising a system that will satisfy fanatics and
freethinkers alike: "So as to work on both these classes of men and
unite them, we must find an explanation to the Christian religion ...
make this the secret of Freemasonry and turn it to our purpose."[554]
Philo continues:

We say then: Jesus wished to introduce no new religion, but only to
restore natural religion and reason to their old rights. Thereby he
wished to unite men in a great universal association, and through
the spread of a wiser morality, enlightenment, and the combating of
all prejudices to make them capable of governing themselves; so the
secret meaning of his teaching was to lead men without revolution
to universal liberty and equality. There are many passages in the
Bible which can be made use of and explained, and so all
quarrelling between the sects ceases if one can find a reasonable
meaning in the teaching of Jesus--be it true or not. As, however,
this simple religion was afterwards distorted, so were these
teachings imparted to us through Disciplinam Arcani and finally
through Freemasonry, and all masonic hieroglyphics can be explained
with this object. Spartacus has collected very good data for this
and I have myself added to them, ... and so I have got both degrees
ready....

Now therefore that people see that we are the only real and true
Christians, we can say a word more against priests and princes, but
I have so managed that after previous tests I can receive pontiffs
and kings in this degree. In the higher Mysteries we must then
(