Some formatting pasted funny. Link at the bottom!
To REVEREND G. W. SNYDER7 Mount Vernon, September 25, 1798.
Sir: Many apologies are due to you, for my not acknowledging the receipt of your obliging favour of the 22d. Ulto, and for not thanking you, at an earlier period, for the Book you had the goodness to send me.
I have heard much of the nefarious, and dangerous plan, and doctrines of the Illuminati, but never saw the Book until you were pleased to send it to me. The same causes which have prevented my acknowledging the receipt of your letter have prevented my reading the Book, hitherto; namely, the multiplicity of matters which pressed upon me before, and the debilitated state in which I was left after, a severe fever had been removed. And which allows me to add little more now, than thanks for your kind wishes and favourable sentiments, except to correct an error you have run into, of my Presiding over the English lodges in this Country. The fact is, I preside over none, nor have I been in one more than once or twice, within the last thirty years. I believe notwithstanding, that none of the Lodges in this Country are contaminated with the principles ascribed to the Society of the Illuminati. With respect I am.
*To WILLIAM RUSSELL16 Mount Vernon, September 28, 1798.
Sir: Your favour of the 8th instr. is received, and I thank you for your obliging attention to the articles promised me, when I had the pleasure of seeing you at this place.
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Of Fredericktown (now Frederick), Md.
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Proofs of a Conspiracy &c, by John Robison.
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In a letter from Snyder (Aug. 22, 1798, which is in the Washington Papers), it is stated that this book “gives a full Account of a Society of Free-Masons, that distinguishes itself by the Name of ‘Illuminati,’ whose Plan is to overturn all Government and all Religion, even natural.”
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Of Middletown, Conn.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw2.021/?q=Illuminati&sp=182&st=text
As a 20 year (former - I gave up my membership) Mason… originally it was a philosophical drumming club, with secret passcodes to get in so strangers couldn’t drink for free. It morphed after that.
I can’t say I witness anything nefarious. Granted I was a 32nd degree, 33rd is by invitation only (and who knows what they do). I still think some of the principals are great - take care of your family first, community, country, and world next in that order… practice your faith as your rule and guide… practice charity…
Charity is where I had a problem. We raised tens of thousands of dollars every year, almost all of it went to the upkeep and heating of our old building, while maybe a couple thousand went to the community. When I ran the Lodge I tried pushing for them to give up the building and meet in rented halls, outdoors, or people’s houses, but it went over like a fart in church.
They let 32nd degree masons just walk away if they want?
A lot of what you read and hear about Masonry is just completely false
Yes.if they dont cough up the eighty bucks a year they get kicked out.
There’s no real difference between a 3rd and 32nd degree Mason. Those degrees are just kinda extra study. They care more about the fact that I was a head of a Lodge (Past Master), or that I qualify to be a Master by virtue of having served as a senior officer. A lot of Lodges have very few people, some with barely enough senior officers or Masters to run them. That, and they care about dues (which for our Lodge was about $100/year).
Yes, u/multithreaded , please do.
If it's been over 40 years (~2 generations), the answer is "all of them" if they wield sufficient power/money/control.