The American Revolution
Issue #184 January 2004
Revelation: Part 15
It would be a mistake to think that the Jesuits took control of the entire Masonic organization in the 1780’s. There is a great degree of autonomy between the various lodges. Hence, we find that when Weishaupt’s Illuminati was accepted by the lodges in the alliance of 1782, this did not necessarily mean that every lodge was suddenly Illuminized—not even all of the lodges in Europe itself.
In fact, this seems to have begun a struggle between two groups for the heart and soul of Masonry. As time passed, it became obvious that it was a struggle between the Jewish/Protestant interests and the Catholic interests, both of whom wanted to harness Masonry for its own purposes. The Jewish influence upon Masonry was by far the earliest. The Catholic-Jesuit influence was brought in primarily in the 1780’s through Weishaupt posing as a rabidly anti-Catholic, anti-Jesuit Mason.
Masonry itself existed in various forms for a long time, but the year 1717 was the beginning of its modern form. Nesta Webster states on p. 103 of Secret Societies and Subversive Movements,
“This was followed in 1717 by the great coup d’ etat when Grand Lodge was founded, and Speculative Masonry, which we now know as Freemasonry, was established on a settled basis with a ritual, rules, and constitution drawn up in due form. It is at this important date that the official history of Freemason begins.”
The first “Constitutions” of the Masonic Order were formulated by Dr. Anderson in 1723. On pages 129 and 130, Webster continues,
“The principle founders of Grand Lodge were, as we have seen, clergymen, both engaged in preaching Christian doctrines at their respective churches. It is surely therefore reasonable to conclude that Freemasonry at the time of its reorganization in 1717 was Deistic only in so far that it invited men to meet together on the common ground of a belief in God. . . . Prayers in the lodges concluded with the name of Christ. These passages were replaced much later by purely Deistic formulas under the Grand Mastership of the free-thinking Duke of Sussex in 1813.”
Freemasonry at its beginning was largely Protestant in its philosophy of religious freedom and of its twin sister, political freedom. These concepts are expressed in the basic principles of democratic government. Protestants joined forces with Jewish interests, since both considered the Roman Church as their common enemy. For this reason, Jewish Cabalism greatly influenced Masonic teachings and ritual, though not as much in Protestant circles per se.
In 1738 Catholics were banned from joining the Masonic Order by Pope Clement XIII in his bull, In Eminenti. Any Catholic who remained a member of the Masonic Order was subject to excommunication (at the Pope’s discretion). Most Catholic Masons chose to ignore the papal bull. This prohibition was repeated in 1751 by Pope Benedict XIV. However, none of the Masonic Catholic monarchs were excommunicated from the Church. The Pope did not want any of them to follow England’s example by forming its own state church.
Webster then tells us on page 149 that in 1743 “French Freemasonry degenerated the most rapidly. The Order was soon invaded by intriguers.” The publication of Anderson’s Constitutions twenty years earlier had stated that Freemasonry was to be non-political. But a secret society such as this was too tempting for political men to ignore its potential as a tool to gain personal power. Among these were Frederick the Great of Prussia, who was initiated into Freemasonry in 1738.
It is only natural, then, that the Jesuit Order would look upon Masonry as a growing Protestant-Jewish power that could ultimately rival that of the Papacy. The Jesuits found their opportunity through Weishaupt’s Illuminati to infiltrate and move up the ranks of Masonry, taking control of the leadership of many lodges. One of Weishaupt’s letters shows his contempt for Protestants who were so easily fooled by Illuminism. It is quoted in Webster’s Secret Societies on pages 218 and 219,
“You cannot imagine what consideration and sensation our Priest’s degree is arousing. The most wonderful thing is that great Protestant and reformed theologians who belong to [Illuminism] still believe that the religious teaching imparted in it contains the true and genuine spirit of the Christian religion. Oh! men, of what cannot you be persuaded? I never thought that I should become the founder of a new religion.”
In other letters, Weishaupt laughs at Arminius, who had become one of his followers. Arminius was the champion of “free will.” Weishaupt called him “an unbearable, obstinate, arrogant, vain fool” (Webster, p. 225). The reason Weishaupt was able to fool Protestant leaders is because he couched Illuminism in the language of the Scriptures and appeared to give honor to Jesus.
Because Jesus often spoke in parables, Weishaupt and others took this to mean that Jesus had organized a secret society with secret doctrines—and that His disciples were revolutionaries trying to overthrow the Roman Empire. They interpret Jesus according to their own character and carnal motives, which is the opposite of the truth.
The parables Jesus taught can easily be interpreted if anyone simply knows the Old Testament, for they are extensions of the Old Testament story. There is no deception, no need to switch meanings. The only reason Jesus did not explain the parables to the general public was because the people would have believed what He said (Matt. 13:15)—and then they would not have crucified Him at the appointed time. Jesus knew that the Scriptures prophesied of His death in His first coming, and so He did not campaign to become Judah’s King.
The American Revolution (1776-1800)
Illuminism had great influence upon America’s founders through the Masonic lodges where many of them were members. Thus, when they spoke of “God,” their meaning has been debated. Some of them, like Samuel Adams and his cousin, John, meant it in the Protestant sense. Others, like Franklin and Jefferson, meant it more in a Masonic sense. This did not mean that they were atheists or even Deists in the modern sense. But it is safe to say that they were influenced by Masonic thinking.
Weishaupt himself had little direct influence on America’s founders. However, Weishaupt’s boss, the Jesuit General Lorenzo Ricci had great influence.
Catholic influence in America (other than the early Spanish conquerors) began with the establishment of Maryland in 1634. A few years earlier, in 1625 the British Secretary of State under King Charles Stuart, converted to Catholicism. His name was George Calvert. Because it was not appropriate for him to remain in high position under a Calvinist monarch, he resigned his post.
King Charles soon needed money, so he carved territory out of northern Virginia and granted it to Calvert. His title was Lord Baltimore. He died soon afterward, so the charter was given to his son, Cecilius Calvert.
The first two ships set sail on Nov. 22, 1633 to establish the first Catholic settlement in Maryland, supposedly named after Queen Mary, but actually in honor of Mary Magdalene. Cecilius’ brother, Leonard Calvert, was its first governor. The two ships, the Ark and the Dove, were spiritually directed by Andrew White, a Jesuit priest. Andrew White became known as “the Apostle to Maryland.” Many years later, the President’s residence was called the “White” House, secretly in his honor.
The American Revolution cannot be understood apart from its European context—the Jesuit Order’s suppression on July 21, 1773. A month later, on August 17, Jesuit General Lorenzo Ricci met with John Mattingly of Maryland and Cardinal Giovanni Braschi, the Apostolic Treasurer for the Pope. Braschi had been educated by the Jesuits and was General Ricci’s close friend. The next year, Braschi was elected Pope Pius VI.
When Pope Clement XIV died in 1774, Cardinal Braschi—as Apostolic Treasurer—was the acting Pope until a permanent Pope could be elected. Thus, he had in his hands control of the entire wealth and power of the Vatican as soon as his predecessor died Sept. 22, 1774.
All of this simply meant that General Lorenzo Ricci had a close ally and friend in the Vatican, not only in the ailing Pope but also in his successor. Yet Ricci was put under arrest on Aug. 17, 1773 and moved to the Castel Sant’Angelo. This prison had a tunnel connecting it to the Vatican, so Ricci continued to enjoy direct access to his good friend, the Pope, during his “imprisonment.”
Ricci remained “imprisoned” until Nov. 24, 1775, when his death was announced. No successor was appointed, of course. But neither is there particular reason to suppose that Ricci had really died. F. Tupper Saussy’s book, Rulers of Evil, makes a rather strong case that Ricci was sent to America, where he was known anonymously as “The Professor.” Descriptions of him match Lorenzo Ricci.
This mysterious person, unnamed in history books, had a profound effect upon America’s Founding Fathers. It was he who suggested using the British East India flag as the first American flag. George Washington first hoisted this flag on Jan. 2, 1776, months before the Declaration of Independence was written. When the British officers saw the flag, they cheered and saluted, thinking that it meant surrender. Instead, it meant that the American Revolution was to be fought under the flag of a Jesuit-owned company. Saussy writes on p. 168,
“And now, in 1773, the East India Company was governed by Freemasons, whose Grand Mason since 1772 was the ninth Lord Petre (his mastery would continue until 1777). Related to the Stourtons, Norolks, and Arundells, the Petre family (pronounced “Peter”) was highly esteemed by the Society of Jesus. It was the Petres who, back in the sixteenth century, bankrolled the original Jesuit missions to England.
“The East India Company’s most powerful political attaché was Robert Petty, Lord Shelbourne. We recall Shelbourne as ‘The Jesuit of Berkeley Square’ who worked in 1763 with Lord Bute to conclude the French and Indian Wars with the Treaty of Paris…”
It is amazing that America’s Revolutionary War was fought under the flag of the East India Company owned by Jesuit Freemasons. But this is not so strange when we consider the fact that Britain was Protestant, and therefore an enemy of the Jesuits. The Jesuits wanted to weaken Britain by depriving her of her American colonies.
Secondly, America received help from Catholic France, who also wanted to weaken Britain, since the two nations seemed to be in a perpetual economic war. It is not very likely that the Catholic Church would have supported an American revolution without attempting at the same time to Catholicize the new nation. It was impossible to make each person convert to Catholicism, of course, but it was quite possible to gain control of its legal system.
continued at link above.
