After such avowals of our capacity to instruct ourselves, shall we still fly to those disturbers of the world for our lessons? No—Let us rally round our own standards—let us take the path pointed out by Bacon—let us follow the steps of Newton—and, to conclude, let us seriously consider a most excellent advice by the highest authority:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's cloathing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves—BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM—Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] And I may add the Systeme de la Nature of Diderot, who corrected the crude whims of Robinet by the more refined mechanism of Hartley.
[2] Citizenship of the World, from the Greek words Cosmos, world, and Polis, a city.
[3] Note. The Wort or Gruss-Maurer were abolished by an Imperial edict in 1731, and none were intitled to the privileges of the corporation but such as could shew written indentures.
[4] This is evidently the Mystere du Mithrus mentioned by Barruel, in his History of Jacobinism, and had been carried into France by Bede and Busche.
[5] I observe, in other parts of his correspondence where he speaks of this, several singular phrases, which are to be found in two books; Antiqueté devoilée par ses Usages, and Origine du Despotisme Oriental. These contain indeed much of the maxims inculcated in the reception discourse of the degree Illumanitus Minor. Indeed I have found, that Weishaupt is much less an inventor than he is generally thought.