Editing Illuminati (1700s) (section)

===Decline===
The final decline of the Illuminati was brought about by the indiscretions of their own Minervals in Bavaria, and especially in Munich. In spite of efforts by their superiors to curb loose talk, politically dangerous boasts of power and criticism of monarchy caused the "secret" order's existence to become common knowledge, along with the names of many important members. The presence of Illuminati in positions of power now led to some public disquiet. There were Illuminati in many civic and state governing bodies. In spite of their small number, there were claims that success in a legal dispute depended on the litigant's standing with the order. The Illuminati were blamed for several anti-religious publications then appearing in Bavaria. Much of this criticism sprang from vindictiveness and jealousy, but it is clear that many Illuminati court officials gave preferential treatment to their brethren. In Bavaria, the energy of their two members of the Ecclesiastical Council had one of them elected treasurer. Their opposition to [[Jesuits]] resulted in the banned order losing key academic and church positions. In Ingolstadt, the Jesuit heads of department were replaced by Illuminati.<ref name="RLF4.3">René le Forestier, ''Les Illuminés de Bavière et la franc-maçonnerie allemande'', Paris, 1914, Book 4 Chapter 3, pp. 430–96</ref>

Alarmed, [[Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria|Charles Theodore]] and his government banned all [[secret societies]] including the Illuminati.<ref name="McKeown" /> A government edict dated 2 March 1785 "seems to have been deathblow to the Illuminati in Bavaria". Weishaupt had fled and documents and internal correspondence, seized in 1786 and 1787, were subsequently published by the government in 1787.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Mythology of Secret Societies|last=Roberts|first=J.M.|author-link=John Roberts (historian)|year=1974|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|location=NY|isbn=978-0-684-12904-4|pages=128–29}}</ref>